Archive for the ‘Fitness’ Category
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What happens if you really try?

Date: November 15, 2010 • By • Comments 1

One of my CrossFit coaches, Jen Cardella, recently challenged her clients in the Women’s Only program to get their pull-ups before the gym closes for the holidays. The challenge was complete with prizes for the first 20 girls to either get their first kipping pull-up, or (if they already had their kip) five strict pull-ups. I’ve had my pull-ups before so I was unfazed and was like, “Yeah, I’ma get my kip AND five strict! Awww yeah! Bring it!” And then I got up on the bar to really practice for the first time and it was hard. And I remembered that the last time I had my pull-ups was two years ago before I got pregnant. Oh.

I worked on my pull-ups after every class. I got one strict, but that didn’t count for Jen’s challenge and I couldn’t coordinate the kip so I was just annoyed with myself.  Then I took 10 days off and lost my one strict pull-up. I tried to do it at the playground a few times and just couldn’t get up over the bar. Ugh. I went back to class a couple weeks ago, and although I’m not going as often as I wish I were, I’m doing what I can while prioritizing sleep because that is my big project lately. I am trying to be okay with just doing what I can, that’s a revelation for me.

Today I felt sluggish at the beginning of class. I haven’t been in a week and was ready to use that as an excuse for not pushing myself as hard. The workout was tough and made me confront two of my big weaknesses head-on (lifting something heavy over my head and sit-ups, if you’re interested to know). I did it but I felt slow and it wasn’t super fun. I decided to work on my pull-ups after class even though my arms were beat from the workout. I did some negatives and a strict pull-up (complete with ridiculous frog-legs) and then decided to just try a kip and see what would happen. I did not expect to do it. And then something funny happened, it felt good to be up on the bar and practicing my swing so I thought, what if I really try to do a kipping pull-up? Well, I got my kip is what happened. Two in a row, and after a break I got two more. I realized a few things: 1) I was NOT really trying during today’s workout,  2) There are a lot of times when I don’t really try during the workout (or during my life, for that matter), 3) Really trying feels a whole lot better than just kind of trying.

Now, really trying all the time at everything would be crazy. Of course you are not going to bring your A-game all the time no matter what, but how often do you just kind of try at something out of habit, when you have what you need to really try? More intensity is not something I need in my life right now but more honest effort is. So I am going to start approaching things from the perspective that the priorities and goals I set for myself deserve an honest effort. What would happen if you gave a real honest effort to the next challenge that confronts you? Would there be a different outcome than if you half-assed it? Maybe, probably. More importantly, would you feel differently? I’m betting YES. Being honest with yourself is empowering. So if you are going to half-ass something, fine, but don’t pretend like that’s all you’ve got, because if you do you are selling yourself short.

Walking the Walk

Date: May 26, 2010 • By • Comments 0

Those that know me know that I talk a big game. Now it’s time for me to put some concrete actions behind all that talk. I’ve made a career out of helping other people get their shit together–personally and professionally. I am great at it and I love doing it. But the problem is that I am not always so great at doing it for myself, at least not consistently. Isn’t consistency, with anything, always the hardest thing?

I’ve taken some time away from this blog lately because I needed the mental space to figure out how I am going to walk the walk and get my own shit together. Where am I now, where do I want to go, and how am I going to get there? Back in January I wrote about my resolution for this year. It was fairly abstract, so I also came up with more concrete goals that I kept to myself. My number one goal for this year is to heal from my back injury and become stronger and fitter than I have ever been. Time is essential for me to reach this goal, but there is also a lot of effort involved. Time is passing, which means that my broken bone must be healing, but on the effort front, things have kind of fallen apart. I’m not taking care of myself as well as I should be. I’ve been spreading myself too thin and trying to focus on too many things. Getting healthy and strong is my top goal for this year, but it is not my only goal. In fact, I’m kind of embarrassed to admit how many goals were on my list, especially since I always force my clients to limit the number of goals they set!

So recently, as part of my effort to attain my most important goals, I cut my list of things to accomplish this year by more than half. That was hard. I like to achieve! A lot! And I’m really positive so of course I would look at my list of 50 goals and say, “Oh, sure I can do all of that! Piece of cake!” But if I want to achieve, I need to focus. Focusing means that I took my goal of being strong and healthy and determined what I need to do daily in order to achieve that goal. Healing from a broken back isn’t all fun and games, you know! In addition to the fun and I games I also need to: take my vitamins and supplements, sleep a minimum of 8 hours every night, and do trigger point every day. Three things that are much easier said than done, but I am determined to walk the walk and make them happen. No more inadequate sleep, no more skipping vitamins and trigger point out of laziness or distraction. No matter what, these are the things I will prioritize every day. My goal of health, strength, and fitness is itself important, but even more important is that attaining this goal will enable me to achieve all of the other things I want to accomplish.

Remember, if you have a lot of things on your plate or many things that you want to accomplish but you feel stuck or overwhelmed, start with your health. Taking care of your physical self produces results quickly, and those results (more energy, clearer head, and ability to handle stress better, just to name a few) will help you tackle challenges in other areas of your life with more ease and success.

The Internet Has Come Alive

Date: October 21, 2009 • By • Comments 2

I was in Whole Foods a couple of days ago when familiar-looking girl walked up to the deli counter and stood next to me. It took a few seconds, but I realized that the reason she looked familiar was not because I knew her, no, it was because I read her blog. Woooo, Internet + real life = awkward moment? I stood there for a minute trying to decide whether to say something to her or not. It could be interpreted as stalkerish to be all like, “Hey, I read your blog!” but if my blog had a reader I’d certainly like to know, so I decided to introduce myself.

Me: Are you Catherine?
Her: Yes [looking surprised]
Me: I read your blog! [yes, I sounded like a dumbass blurting that out, but what can you do?]
Her: Oh, hi! [looking even more surprised]

This Catherine person is of course Catherine Hart, whose awesome blog about her journey to health and fitness is linked to over in the sidebar on the right. Catherine turned out to be perfectly nice and just as lovely in person as she comes across on her blog, and after a few minutes of chatting it up about CrossFit and healthy eating I really didn’t feel too awkward at all. Catherine does CrossFit at CrossFit Central, where I trained when I was pregnant (incidentally, this is how I even found her blog in the first place, since it was linked from CrossFit Central’s site). I let her know that I find her blog really motivating, inspiring, and educational, and I think that really made her feel good! She had apparently not even been sure she had many (any?) readers at all, a sentiment that I think most bloggers can identify with.

I realized at that moment that I should have written her an email or commented on her blog months ago to let her know that what she is producing is doing someone other than her some good. I think sometimes that people are too shy about complimenting other people on substantive things. It’s easy to say, “I like your haircut,” but much harder to say, “Reading your deeply personal narrative about your struggles with your weight and with changing your bad food habits has really been meaningful and inspiring to me.” Why is that? My guess is that it makes the person giving the compliment feel vulnerable and like they might somehow embarrass the person receiving the compliment. But that is just silly. Is there someone out there who is doing something that is meaningful to you? Have you told them so? If not, do it! And if it’s someone you’ve never met, who you only “know” online, whose blog you read when you have a spare minute, even better. Make the Internet come alive for yourself, and for the people whose content you’re consuming. I swear it will make you feel so good!

33 Weeks Pregnant and I'm…Small

Date: April 24, 2009 • By • Comments 1

I had a check-up with my midwife and her apprentice yesterday, and found out that I only gained two pounds in the last month. I should have gained twice that, or even a little more since I was so petite before I got pregnant. The good news is that the baby is growing just great, he’s right on target in terms of his size. But, it would be better for my energy level, and would be very helpful when I start breastfeeding, if I could pack on more pounds (especially fat pounds!) before the birth. So, we had to have a little heart to heart about my diet and exercise routines. The midwife made several recommendations I didn’t want to hear, but her logic makes sense and I want to do what’s best for me and the baby even if that is not what I originally planned on doing.

First off, I was told I have to quit CrossFit because it burns too many calories, and because she thinks the activity could worsen my abdominal diastasis. Have we talked about the diastasis yet? Basically, the two halves of the outermost layer of my abdominal muscles (the rectus abdominus, best known for looking like a “six-pack” when well-developed) have started to split apart from one another. This is common in pregnancy, it almost always heals up after the baby’s born, and most people don’t even notice when/if it happens. I, however, have been acutely aware of the separation because mine’s a little larger than normal, and because it hurts! This is the price I must pay for having very toned abs pre-pregnancy. I know. Everyone wishes they could have this problem.

So, I broke up with my CrossFit coach this morning, and will stick to the very specific activity limits the midwife prescribed to try to slow my speedy metabolism and get my body to store more fat. I thought I was storing fat! My ass is way bigger and squishier than it’s ever been, and every time I look at it in the mirror I feel proud of my body for knowing how to be pregnant. Apparently what I perceive as a fat ass is, in fact, not. I know. Everyone wishes they could have this problem, too.

Along with limiting my activity, I also need to seriously increase my caloric intake. I knew this, though. For some reason eating has given me the hardest time since I’ve been pregnant. Even though I’m not sick like I was early on, I still have some food aversions and am just pickier than normal. I know I haven’t been eating enough, but it’s been really hard to force myself to eat more. I start to feel ill whenever my blood sugar drops and then often feel nauseous when I do eat, both of which make eating kind of a pain and not something I’m really interested in. Plus, it’s hot here, which definitely decreases the appetite.

In order to get on top of this eating every two hours thing we’re using the air conditioning more (so I don’t get overheated and lose my appetite), and I’m logging my food to keep me on track with eating frequently. My food logs are actually due to the the midwife at my next appointment in two weeks so she can see what I’m eating and how much. She suspects that my diet is too clean and that I need to load up on french fries, ice cream, burgers, milkshakes, etc. She is probably right. When we left her office we went to Hyde Park Bar & Grill and got burgers, fries, and some wickedly delicious peach-buttermilk cake that was served in a pool of fresh cream. So tasty, and satisfying in a way that our quinoa and bean salads are just NOT. The downside was that I wasn’t hungry again for hours, but the upside was that it got me thinking about ways to revise our weekly menus and grocery shopping to get more calories in my body.

Oh! And the last thing I was told I need to do? Everytime I eat I’m supposed to say to myself, “Gain weight! Gain weight!” in an effort to capitalize on the mind-body connection. There are many reasons why I am so much happier with a midwife than I would be with a doctor, but that piece of advice might just top the list!

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