When one door closes...

My FRAN-normus hangover has finally subsided and its time to move on.  This blog will be a great way to remember the year that was but I am looking forward to starting a new adventure with fresh things to say:)   If  you are interested in seeing where I go from here check out my new blog called AMRAP: Live well, Laugh often and Love much.  Still got the CrossFit flavour with a little less FRAN but still ALL of me:)

Fran day 2012 Ignite style

Ignites very own caveman Jazzy J put this video together capturing the REAL spirit of Fran Day. Enjoy

Dear FRAN my no. 1 frenemy

Dear FRAN
Thank you. Thank you for turning this reluctant CrossFitter into so much more. Thank you for helping me find myself. Thank you for giving me something to strive for and providing me with an inspiration . Thank you for giving me a way to tap into my desire to make changes to my mind and body. Thank you. Thank you for introducing me to health and wellness, I LOVE my new body but I also love that I will be able to enjoy this body for years to come. Thank you from not just myself but from my children and my husband. Thank you for bringing people into my life that I didn't even know I was missing until they were there. Thank you. Thank you for your supportive, friendly, caring community. I will be eternally grateful for everything that you have unlocked within me.

Thank you for a wonderful year.

Love
Dana

And done:)

What can I say.....I DID IT!!!!

Thanks to T-Raw for taping me so that W could be there to hold J Dawg and cheer me on.  Its a long one and a handful of the thrusters at the start are gone to cut down on size of the file but enjoy and for all the no-rep Nazi's be nice:)

Here is some of the many people that came out to FRAN it up today:) It was an awesome atmosphere and there was a number of PRs.   It was a good day at Ignite today.

 Yep that is J Dawg on my lap in the middle and you guessed it he is crying:)

Here is the VERY TASTY!!!! VERY NON PALEO cake that my friend Mrs J made for me...oh ya for everyone else to enjoy too.

Twas the night before FRAN

First of all.......AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

T- minus 12 hours...

OK now I blog....

Here I sit on the the eve of FRAN and find myself chuckling at the irony of this whole thing.   Like W my life can now be divided into two very distinct time periods, BC (before crossfit) and AC (after crossfit) and I can't help but think that I probably can not  consider myself a reluctant beginner anymore either. 

I did what I said I would do...I got to know the other women in W's life and I wouldn't have thought in a million years that spending time with her would leave me feeling more confident, sexy, strong and empowered.  After years of "floating" through life, feeling isolated and lonely in my teens, falling in and out of depression in my twenties and really never understanding who I truly was or what kind of authentic life I could lead it was on the proverbial eve of my thirties on the fast track to frumpy, middle aged martyr-dom that I gave myself quite possibly the best and most important gift, my health, my happiness and control over my life.  And now here I am excited, feeling alive and rejuvenated, anxiously anticipating how the end of the this journey will ultimately become the beginning of a new adventure. 

This last year is not a story that is expectational or out of the ordinary in the CrossFit world.  There is a reason this once underground movement has exploded over the last few years, and no its not just because Rebook has brought it to the world with their mass marketing plan, it's because just like me people in CrossFit boxes all around the world are having life changing transformations.
Although not every one of the 315,360,000 seconds of the last year has been devoutly dedicated to becoming more FRANtastic, the majority of my time and energy was not wasted and this commitment has resulted in some valuable life lessons.  Lessons full of advice that I would give myself during life's tough times, stuff that didn't make sense before but that I now know for sure and even a few little gold nuggets I wish I had known just a short twelve months ago.

Lessons from FRAN

- A year is a long time
- Paleo wasn't really that bad
- Metallica, timed right, can actually jack you up during a long ass WOD
- Just like the many laws in science, the law of attraction is proven.  Positive energy attracts positive energy.  And positive is sooooo much healthier than the alternative
- Your body is your temple, treat it well and with respect and it will do the same to you
- A strong body is a strong mind.  A strong mind is powerful. Power breads confidence.  Confidence comes hand in hand with healthy self esteem.  And healthy self esteem leads to happiness. 
- You don't have to swim in the Kool-aid to enjoy the benefits, moderation in life is key
- Find inspiration in everyday things
- Take control of your life and be present
- Set goals with intrinsic motivation and stick with it, there is nothing quite like the feeling of true accomplishment
- Whether you are telling yourself you CAN or you CAN'T, you are usually right
- You will get out of life what you put into it.  Don't quit, don't stop, drive onward, always onward
- Failures and weaknesses are learning points but let them go, move forward and move on.  Bad days pass and life goes on.  Being humbled isn't always a bad thing and the end goal will always be there. 
- You can change your life if you really are ready and want to
- Having lots of people in your life is good,but having a few loving, caring, amazing people surrounding and supporting you is even better
- Families do not always share the same blood as you and can come in all shapes and sizes
- Overcoming obstacles teaches you alot about yourself, some good, some bad, embrace what you learn about yourself in times of adversity
- If you want to you should, and if can why not? Its OK to ask for more for yourself and never settle because of apathy
- Reach out and accept help and advice.  Being open and listening is key to growing
- Competition can be healthy and you can be surprised at your internal competitor when it counts and you really care

And really the most important thing I took away from my time with the ol' bitty is that there is only one me and I now I know how much I really can offer my friends, family and most importantly my husband and two beautiful children. 

Happy FRAN Day everyone:)

Inspiration

What has inspired me? Over the last twelve months I have tried to capture the things that inspire me, move me and.motivate me to work harder. Quotations, pictures and/or stories that gave me an extra reason to give a little push and keep going.  Just in the last month I have found a lot of inspiration from the outpouring of support that has come from everyone who has followed my 'story'.  And as the day draws near to get it on with FRAN I find myself working hard for the people who have taken time to send me a quick note of encouragement, a piece of valuable advice or to just show their unfaltering support.  Its been motivating to know that people who follow the blog do because they care about me and want to see me succeed.  Even with the risk of leaving someone out I thought a little shout out to of few of my special "peeps" who have inspired me along the way was appropriate. 

First and foremost Team Schafer, the three most important people in my life who have been in the trenches from the word go and who inspire me everyday to be a better person.  My main man, W, my husband, my bestie, and my sanity.  He has really seen the ups and downs of this past year, stuck it out and believed in me even when I didn't.  Then there is Little Miss M who depending on the day and her mood could either be heard cheering me on or asking me to set the weight down more quietly as it is "rather annoying" when I drop it and yell out . My momma's boy, J Dawg who has cried or slept through almost every workout I have ever done at Ignite but rewards me with smiles when I finish.  I hope that I have done right by them and that they are proud of me. 

Then there is all the other people in my life who have inspired me by just caring about me and what I was doing.  Like my"book" club and other non CF friends who took interest and followed me, put up with my weird coffee orders and listened to me ramble on about my snatch :) My fellow CrossFit Red Deer Mommas and my special CF BFF Rowdy Rusty for pushing me to work hard and making CF class much more bearable.  The rainmaker himself Coach IA2 and his wife Special K who let me pretend I worked at Ignite and gave me special privileges in order to achieve this goal .  All the coaches who offered their advice, encouragement and guidance and everyone I have ever wrote about and gave silly nicknames to.  All these people will be on my radar on Saturday when I think I just can't do one more thruster!   And last but not least my CrossFit Firebreathing hero, Fancy Nancy, who if I had never met I would have never thought this was possible:)  I look forward to having her beside me on the pull up bar this weekend. 

When I am laying on that cold, black floor, gasping for air on Saturday morning and finally get up to eat a delicious slice of my very NON paleo Fran cake.  I celebrate with all of the people who have been part of my very special journey and inspired me along the way. 

Thank you:)

T-minus 38 hours to FRAN DAY 2012

Inspiration

With time ticking away Coach IA2 passed along this inspirational message. I am pretty lucky to have such a great group of supporters and cheerleaders:)