Its a swear word at our house...

We are fast approaching the beginning of July and FINALLY we have been able to get outside and enjoy a few nice warm summer days. With the lazy days of July and August come the sound of the ice cream truck making its way around the close, sticky Popsicles melting before you can finish them, beach days spent reading a trashy novel and naked toddlers "jumping" through the sprinkler in the back yard.   But summer is unfortunately not all about the lovin' and has its drawbacks like so many things we enjoy, there is hungry blood sucking mosquitoes, sensitive to the touch sunburns, itchy painful heat rash and  the worst summer bummer of all, WODs that involve RUNNING! Argh. Just the thought of lacing up the ol' kicks makes my shoulders tense, my lungs burn, and my shins hurt. 

It seems like every workout lately has involved a jaunt out past the parking lot, across the road, down the sidewalk to the first fir tree and back again.  My size 9 1/2, flat as a board, no arch flippers have logged what feels like a gazillion meters in the last month.    Some of the other mommas are like gazelles gracefully galloping along, some, like Nurse T, do it barefoot.   But I trod along not completely convinced that my running is much faster than a brisk walk.  My feet heavily pound the pavement while the junk in my trunk uncontrollably bounces and jiggles up and down and side to side.   Did I mention I HATE ALL aspects of running.  

My stint of going to the local Y, getting on the old hamster wheel, turning on the tube above me and running for 60 minutes was never more than a phase in University to counteract the copious amount of beer I began to drink.  For so many reasons running is not for me, for one I am physically the exact opposite of an ideal runners build and the strength training I have been doing has done me no running favours.  Rules of physics make it simple, light and lean= an efficient runner, short, stumpy and heavy = a runner who has to work harder to get their body moving.  Truthfully the running in isolation isn't really THAT bad BUT it never is JUST running, the real issue is it is always in conjunction with something in ridiculous amounts like thrusters or burpees typically in rounds of 4 or 5.  Just thinking about these combinations has the bile rising in my throat.  But I guess this is Crossfit, and if I am going to conquer FRAN than I better get comfortable being uncomfortable. 

diagram http://crossfitmoncton.com/2010/05/21/are-you-uncomfortable-good/

2 is better than 1

There are few things in life where doing it on your own is more enjoyable...being healthy is not one of them.  I read that having a solid workout partner has a better effect than any supplement or performance enhancing drug out there.  I have never tried the latter so I am going to have to take that guys word for it.  What I do know is that sometimes you need a person who can understand how hard you worked and how much will power you had to employ to eat well and get your butt to the gym.  We all need a guy who will facebook you and make sure you are hitting up the gym the next day or that you can text in a moment of chocolate induced weakness.   Its like doing a WOD in your garage and it takes you a long 20 minutes then you go into the gym and that same WOD might have only take you 15 min because you had someone there pushing you to go faster, work harder and to celebrate with you at the end.  Besides what a healthy productive way to hang with a friend, sibling, spouse or coworker.   Just imagine MaryKate and Ashely probably have quite the discussion about their daily food intake, Batman and Robin probably kick each others butts regularly and you can bet Ben and Jerry have to hit the gym hard after taste testing all that YUMMY ice cream. 

I am a lucky gal, in my life there are a number of these workout buddies, supportive friends and family and people who want to see me succeed.  But there is one that I am most grateful for that is by my tired side day in and day out.  And for all the complaining I do about the man with my crossfit plan, I realized how vital he is in my journey.  In the last two weeks I have worked out less, eaten more poorly, gone to bed later and been significantly less healthy.  It’s no coincidence that this mayhem has ensued all while W was gone with two back to back work road trips.  It became very clear to me how hard it would be to stick to my guns and attack my goal if I didn't have a supportive partner at home helping me make my health and fitness a priority. 

I talk a lot of smack about my guy, and as you probably can imagine there is a constant stream of disgruntled moans and groans from me about what he is “making” me do.  But there is more to me and W than sarcastic jabs and over exaggerated stories of the home front.  And although we don’t spend as much “quality time” together as we did pre-kids we definitely have bonded more.  We care about each other’s success as much as we do our own and by sharing common experiences and emotions inside the gym we have become a stronger team outside of the torture chamber that is our garage.  Granted some nights it would be preferable to cuddle up with some popcorn and watch a movie, we have found that debriefing our day over some heavy lifting has been considerably better for our sanity.  Besides my fitness fanatic husband thinks a women who can overhead squat her body weight is a total turn on and that brings me back to where I started....there are few things in life where doing it on your own is more enjoyable.

My get rich plan...

In case you haven't heard, Crossfit and Reebok have teamed up.  The idea that Crossfit is going all "mainstream and commercial" might make some hardcore CFer's toes curl but it actually has inspired me to come up with a few ideas of my own to take this cutting edge exercise to the masses (and get rich in the process!!!)

May I present to you the newest in the I Can Be... Barbie  line

CROSSFIT BARBIE

 Could you imagine this doll getting into the homes of little girls and boys (with progressive parents) all over the world.  She would be joining the likes of I Can Be...Barbies like "Baby Doctor", "Vet", and "Ballet Dancer".  An edgier, more hardcore Barbie, with a take no prisoner attitude.  She comes fully accessorized with all the essential pieces of equipment that help her get her sweat on, a 14 lbs Medicine ball, Speed rope, adjustable rings, steel pull up bar, 16 kg kettle bell, 45 lbs bar with various bumper plates, a 20 inch box and of course 2 blocks of chalk. Her entire customized "box" is outfitted with specially made equipment in various shades of pinks, blues and purples. But don't get the wrong idea her favourite place to sweat it out isn't much more than her and Ken's garage out back with its white washed walls.   We wouldn't want anyone to think she was soft.   She takes her working out very seriously but she still values her fashionista reputation so she only wears the trendiest pink skins, works out barefoot (paleo style) and is able to her rock her favourite WOD ("Barbara") in a very sporty skirt outfit (OK you got me...apparently you can't buy shorts for Barbie or for that matter shoes that aren't heels).  Where is Ken you ask... good question...he doesn't think Crossfit is for him so he is at the local gym working on isolating those chest muscles on the pec dec machine.  

Cha-ching! Wished you thought of it right? I will be waiting patiently by the phone for Mattel to call.

Note: "I can be Barbie" is a registered trademark of Mattel, Inc  

ARGH

That's all I have to say about tonight's workout.

Inspiration

So I am slacking on actually writing a blog entry but I promise it will be worth it...it even is a bit Martha Stewart crafty...for now though here is another video to get you going...

Inspiration

Best pep talk ever....