Lose Weight to Move Weight

For a long time, it has seemed like being overweight affected everything I did in my entire life. It  affects the way I breathe, the amount of walking I can do, the way people look at me, the likelihood of me getting a job, and especially the way I look at myself. It was hard to get up each day and be overweight and know that there was no easy way to fix it.

Then I found CrossFit, which a year ago, I would have said was the best thing I'd ever found. It had camaraderie, scalable workouts that I could do, and I met some amazing people. But if you ask me today, I would say that lifting is best thing I'd ever done for myself because for once, just once in my life, it wasn't about how much I weighed.

When I lift, it's just me and the bar. No judgment. It's the one thing in my life that I can do just as well as anyone else, if I work hard enough.

The last few months I have become solely focused on weightlifting and for once, I didn't feel pressured to lose weight. This all came to an end when my coach told me that the best thing I could do for weightlifting, was to do just that. Lose weight. It was no longer about improving my technique or adding pounds on the bar, it was about the pounds on my own body.

I kind of avoided the subject until after University Nationals. I wanted to cherish my time there and I knew that there was no amount of weight I could lose before Albuquerque, that would make that much of a difference. Let me just say that Albuquerque was a blast. I met so many amazing lifters, as well as my favorite, Holley Mangold.

But I also met tons of lifters in MY own weight class, that were smaller than me, but could also lift more than me. This gave me so much hope and reassurance that I too could still be strong, even if I lost a significant amount of weight. It was great.

Fast forward a month, I'm back in Michigan, focusing on school and not really doing anything outside of a few lifting sessions a week. But here I was, last week, at the Barbell Classic... Some call it coincidence, providence, serendipity, I call it an answered prayer. I met some awesome trainers, Dave & Cassandra who were super encouraging and just really nice people. I'm always happy to add to my fitness family and looked forward to keeping in touch with them even if it was only on social media.

A few days later I was browsing their website and came across a nutrition plan package that caught my eye. It promoted encouragement, advice, and most of all support and accountability. I knew Cassandra was a positive person and someone I would want on my team. Especially in this long journey to lose 100lbs.

I know this is something I have tried a million times, but this time I am giving it my all. To start my first week, Cassandra gave me 3 rules:

1. No caloric beverages (LOTS OF WATER)
2. No fast food
3. No processed food

LET ME TELL YOU.... This is unbelievably hard for me, but I'm doing it.

I haven't had any slip ups yet, but today I almost gave in and bought a coke... And this text conversation is the perfect example of why I chose Cassandra as my trainer!

Those are words I have reminded myself of all day because losing weight IS the healthy thing for my body.

Another crazy thing is that I've cooked TWO healthy meals for myself. Which is something I have honestly never done. This is such a life changing experience, and I'm eating REAL FOOD, not frozen Lean Cuisine's or meal replacement shakes!

That's all for now, more positive things to come!

The Barbell Classic is my favorite competition and here's why...

Yesterday was the second Barbell Classic & I was happy to compete in it! After all, it's my favorite competition of the year! Let me tell you why.

I'll be honest, this year I was once again pretty nervous. I had SO many friends that planned on doing the event but they all bailed on me! I didn't want to do it alone, but I knew I would no matter what!

Thankfully, my buddies Justin and Kyle decided to go with me and I couldn't have asked for better people to compete with.

For most people, the Barbell Classic isn't something you go to with the expectation of winning. Sure, we all would like to think that WE could be the best at a certain lift, or even at all the lifts. Realistically, before you get there you know where you stack up among other lifters. The truth is, you go to the Classic to beat yourself. It is the perfect atmosphere to set PR's. 
It's totally different from being on a weightlifting stage where things are quiet and all eyes are on you. Here, it's like being in a big garage with all your friends. Loud music, weights dropping, everyone cheering. It'd be hard not to caught up in the adrenaline pumping atmosphere that makes PR's happen. 

The Barbell Classic had a new meaning for me this year. Last year, it was easy to PR. I was new to the sport and it was a great way to test my limits. This year, while I'm still fairly new, I knew that I'd have to work a little harder to set those personal records.

BUT I DID. 
I was ecstatic about my lifts.
For those who are interested, this is what I ended up with:
Snatch - 133lbs (60kg) PR
Clean & Jerk - 183lbs (83kg) PR
Back Squat - 335lbs PR
Bench Press - 160lbs PR
Deadlift - 375lbs

What was even more exciting was getting NINTH place even when body weight was a factor in the competition. This gives me the confidence that I'm on my way to bigger & better things!

While hitting big numbers is fun, growing my fitness family is even better. I have an immense passion for weightlifting, but the encouragement and support from those surrounding me is what helps me go the extra Kilo. 

My favorite part of the day was encouraging new lifters to pursue the next step. Talking to those who love to lift and motivating them to keep at it even when they don't see the progress they're making. Motivating others is one of the key reasons I do what I do. I say this over and over again, but I want everyone to know that big, small, short, or tall, if you work hard enough, you can succeed. When I step out to take a lift, I don't want people to watch, I want them to feel something.Whether your PR is 170lbs or 70lbs it is still an amazing accomplishment, relative to that lifter. I don't know anyone who didn't get a PR yesterday, so hugs and high fives were given all day long!

I was humbled by the amount of people that knew me through my blog or had followed my trip to University Nationals. Thank you for your love and support! It's going to keep me motivated while I take time off from lifting due to an injury I sustained yesterday. 

Remember, all it takes is all you've got!

Check out Lex Artis for future events.

And in case you missed this goofy picture.... For your enjoyment...

Why I Compete - Bad Boys Breakout Games

I promised myself that I would never be one of those bloggers that fell off the face of the Earth with no explanation, and I was. Here I am 3 months later back in the boat I was when I started the blog, overweight. I lost motivation to share my story because my story was turning into a failure. It's a good thing I believe in second chances (and third, fourth, fifth, and infinite chances at that). I believe it's never too late to get it right, and yesterday helped me realize that.

Yesterday I competed in the Bad Boys Breakout Games with my friend, Aaron. I committed to this a while back, and the closer it got, the less I wanted to do it. In fact, I considered not doing it all the way up until the day before. Why? Because I'm heavier than I've ever been at CrossFit, I hadn't run in months, and I was afraid of people judging me. I should know better than that, because the CrossFit community is way too awesome for that nonsense.

Regardless of my worries, I decided to show up and compete. After all, when have I ever turned down the opportunity to do a 1 rep max deadlift in front of an audience?

But here is the real reason I decided to show up...  Everyone knows I'm a fitness freak (or was), and I tell EVERYONE I meet that wants to get in shape, that CrossFit is the way. I tell everyone not to worry about being judged and everyone has to start somewhere. I tell everyone that wants to compete, that they are capable. Young, old, weak, strong, overweight, too small, it's all welcome in the CrossFit community.

Obesity is a huge problem in America today and I don't want anyone to be discouraged from trying something new or putting themselves out there. If I can't show up and support that belief, who am I to be spreading that message?

Yesterday I received nothing but kind words from everyone at the competition. In fact, I was overwhelmed and humbled by all the compliments. As much as I appreciate that, if I can walk away with one thing, it is the hope that I encouraged someone yesterday, to do the unthinkable. If you are scared or on the edge of competing, do it. If you think CrossFit is too intense for you and you have to lose weight first, try it. If you want someone to talk to about it, email me. (There's a link below my picture.) But please, please, please, don't live your life waiting. Live in the moment!

All it takes is all you've got!
-E

Beginner's Brawl in Review

Well, I promised this post a few weeks ago, but better late than never, eh?

I competed in Survival Fitness's Beginner's Brawl on May 31. Honestly, I have nothing but good things to say about it. I did pretty damn well, and I met some pretty awesome people. I have seen and competed in quite a few competitions my first year, but never one as welcoming and inviting as this one. Although I wasn't worried about it, there were a lot of newbies to the competition world. There were people of all shapes and sizes. All fairly new to the sport, but some more experienced than others.

The first WOD was a 1 rep max deadlift... My max is 378lbs, and my game plan was to hit 315lbs. I knew going into this, that I'd probably be stronger than most, so I could conserve some energy and go for a smaller number.
When my heat was up, I was ready to roll... Keep in mind I had been out of CrossFit for almost a month with a back injury, so while I was nervous, I was excited to see what I could do.

I started with a warm up and added weight quickly, but when I hit 295 on my second lift, I was so excited! It was easy. So I decided to go for 315lbs, EASY. I was even more excited, so I went for 345lbs, pretty dang easy!

How I felt when I hit a 345lbs deadlift

But here's the catch... WOD 2 was as follows:
21-15-9
Deadlift (70%)
Burpees
Sit-Ups

How I felt when I remembered I had to deadlift 70% of that 45 times. (240lbs)

 

 

 

How everyone else felt...

 



Honestly, it was hell. I'll admit it, I have a pretty big ego, and it was squashed a bit. I could have won the deadlift max WOD with a 295lbs deadlift, but I went 50lbs heavier! If I had used my brain and not my muscles, I could of breezed through WOD 2 with a light 210lbs. But hey, we live and we learn. I came in 15th out of 16 on that WOD.

The third WOD was wallballs and jump rope. I finished middle of the pack, which was pretty exciting considering I could hardly jump rope when I joined CrossFit.

Even though lifting is my element, the 4th WOD was the highlight of my day.
It was the following:
100 Air Squats
75 Kettlebell Swings
50 Dumbell Snatches
25 Slamballs

This WOD I expected to finish in the middle on... But not only did I finish FIRST, but I finished about 50 seconds ahead of everyone else.

I ended up coming in 6th place. It was bittersweet, I did way better than I thought I would, but I constantly wondered if I would have done better lifting less in WOD 2. I later found out that I was an entire 50 reps behind the person in front of me... So it really wouldn't have made a difference!

As I have gotten better and better, it really is encouraging. If I can do something like this at 300+lbs, so can you! I truly believe that CrossFit is something anyone can do. Yes, it's hard. Yes, you'll want to give up. But the community surrounding you is like none other.

And to those who already do CrossFit but are afraid to compete, don't be! Competing in CrossFit has given me an entire new outlook and motivation. Survival's Beginner's Brawl/Clash of the Casuals is the perfect kind of place to get started. But I really hope you don't wait that long! My friends over at Lex Artis are putting on the MCCF Summer Open on August 16th. Sign up! Train hard! And remember, all it takes is all you've got!

- E

Update: CrossFit & Change of Summer Plans

I know it’s been awhile since my last blog post, but I appreciate all the encouragement and that you guys actually noticed I’d quit writing awhile! Seriously, yall are some of the best readers!

After my back injury, I spent some time reevaluating where CrossFit was going for me, and why I wasn’t loving it anymore. It’s extremely eye opening when something you have put 110% into falls to the back burner. I realized that it wasn’t that I did not love the sport, but the atmosphere I was working in. I had gotten caught up in things that were going on, and not focusing on CrossFit itself.

While I will always love my Chemical City family, I have recently picked up a membership at Survival Fitness (closer to my school) to put in some extra hours and take my personal fitness to the next level. I chose Survival Fitness for a few reasons; I’ve heard nothing but good things about Matt’s (head trainer) programming, they have a barbell club, and they always kick our ass in competition. Hell, they must be doing something right.

The Survival Fitness community has been nothing but warm and welcoming. We’ve had a lot of fun and done  some really tough workouts. I’ve also learned a few new moves like floor press and kettleball drags.

Just to be clear (because I know you guys and your questions), I still have a membership at Chemical City as well. I’m just doing my own thing and seeing where it goes (:

More in big news…

Many of you know that I accepted an internship back in March to work at a camp in San Diego this summer. For the past month it had been weighing on my mind, and yesterday I officially turned it down. I did this for a number of reason, but for the most part, just decided it wasn’t the right time in my life.

I have nothing but love and positive memories from my time at Wellspring, most of you know that I was very successful there. It would have been an amazing experience helping kids reach that same success, but I still have a lot of work to do on myself.

Where does that leave me for the summer?

I’ll be here in Michigan working on my personal weight loss. I will be taking a class at Delta, probably an easy fine arts requirement. I am looking around for jobs, but if I can’t find a new one, I’ll be back at HoneyBaked in July. I’ve applied to 12 colleges around the country, and hopefully someone will let me in ;) Also, I’m going to the CrossFit level one certification this weekend, so say a little prayer for that!

While staying home is bittersweet, I’m so excited for what this summer has to offer!

I know this post was super informative and offered hardly any motivation, but I had some questions to address! I hope all of you are still on track to your own personal goals, and I’ll be writing more this summer! Remember, all it takes is all you’ve got!

-E

An Uncertain Future: CrossFit Injuries

CrossFit, like any intensive kind of training, can come with a lot of risk. The more active you are, the more likely you are to get injured. At the same time, the more active you are, you will improve your fitness, minimize previous injuries, and improve your overall health. I am thankful enough to never have experienced a serious injury. Until today.

Earlier today I was working on my deadlifts for an upcoming competition. I was lifting 305lbs, a weight that I've lifted at least 100 times. I have a leg heavy deadlift, and rarely ever, if at all, experience pain in my back. But this time was different. In the video, it looked identical to lifts that I consider to have "good form."

 I felt a sharp pain through my lower back and legs and immediately dropped the bar. I laid down on the ground thinking I needed to stretch. That didn't seem to help. I couldn't get up, at all. So I laid there in tears for about 20 minutes, and it was one of the scariest experiences of my life. I wasn't near my phone, so I knew I would have to get up eventually. I found my way to my feet and called my parents. Once I was up, I felt better, but I still couldn't stand completely straight.

Once word got around to my family, that I had what potentially could have been a serious injury, I heard the opinions of how "dangerous" lifting heavy weights can be. But honestly, that thought never crossed my mind. Did I think that my core could have been a little tighter? Of course. Did it cross my mind that I shouldn't lift alone? For a second. But at the end of the day, it's not the sport that makes it dangerous, it always comes down to form.

I don't know what's wrong with my back yet, I'm not sure what the doctors will say, or how my back will look, but I do know, that I will be back doing what I love. Maybe I won't be lifting as much or maybe I'll still chase down my goal of a 400lbs deadlift. Who knows...

All I know is that if I had one dream, other than reaching my goal weight and pursuing a career in criminal justice, it would be to be a professional powerlifter, and I'm not ready to give that up. Lifting heavy is my passion, no matter what people think.

Keep Your Eye on the Prize

First and foremost, I've made a lot of progress in the past few weeks. Really stepping up the intensity and trying my hardest to knock this weight off. Not only have I seen progress on the scale, but in the way my clothes fit too!

If a WOD leads me to write a blog, you know it was a tough one. Something that I've learned recently is if you show up to the box already defeated, you'll definitely lose. If you don't show up with the right mindset to work, you won't get anything out of it. Tonight was just one of those days...

I was tired, getting over a migraine from the day before, and honestly, just didn't want to be there. My knee is BAD, I even had to drop out of the upcoming competition. And if you know me, you know that's not something I take lightly!

But I showed up, regardless of my excuses. As always, we started off with a row. I did 10 rounds of 30 seconds max effort pulls, 15 seconds rest. If that makes sense, you know it's easy. But tonight it wasn't. It wasn't that it was physically challenging, it was mentally challenging. I was mad at myself that I didn't eat as well as I could have this week. Which led me to be mad that I didn't eat as well as I should have my WHOLE LIFE. Which led me to be mad that I quit tennis. If you've kept up with my blogs, you know that this is my personal lowest of lows. So basically, it was a downward spiral. It left me being angry that I have a knee injury and that I can't do anything about it. At least that's how I felt.

We moved on to the next workout and STILL, I was struggling. It felt like it was my first day in the box again. Why was everything so hard?

In the final workout, we did 6 rounds of 300m rows, with 1:30 slam balls as a "break." First of all, whoever thought of slam balls, is my worst enemy. I was mad, just mad that I had to do more work, and mad about all the things that I mentioned before. Thankfully, it turned around when something that my coach said, really stuck out to me. For those of you who don't know, I've recently began working with Justin, a trainer and a friend, at my box.

"Just remember why you're doing this. Just remember your goal."

This is something that Justin is constantly reminding me of, but tonight, I especially needed it. I was so hung up on why I got to where I am and not where I am going. I've worked so hard in CrossFit to get here and sometimes I neglect to remember that.

I've said this a million times and I'll say it a million more but thing I love most about CrossFit, is the support you get from those that surround you. Whether they have faced a similar journey or had a total different experience, CrossFit has a special way of unifying us as one.

Lately, as I have really zeroed in on improving my cardio, I knew that Justin was the coach for the job. He is fun, energetic, motivating, positive, and has really influenced my weightloss journey. Many people have helped me along the way, but Justin seems to have found a way to reach me in a way that no one else has. It's nice to have a trainer that genuinely cares about getting you to your goals.

In addition to the positive affect on my journey, he puts so much time and effort into his programming and has really personalized it to my needs. Always coming up with new ideas to keep me interested, engaged, and challenged. But whether I like it or not, they almost always include rowing!

Basically I just want to say thank you Justin for being such a great coach and getting me where I am right now. Can't wait to see where we are in 6 months! And I know, I know, it's up to me.

If I didn't mention it before, another reason Justin is the best coach ever is because he has the most ADORABLE baby ever. And if you read this far, you get to see the cutest baby in the world. Congratulations.

But really... 

Have a good night guys (:

Other things to check out:

My post about tennis: http://ecweigh.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-fallen-star.html

Justin's blog: http://liftinglikeaman.blogspot.com

What To Do When You're The Worst

Hello all,

The CrossFit Open has come to a close and the shock of the WODs have finally worn off. Honestly, I was disappointed in my first CrossFit open experience. I'm excited to get back to my normal workout routine and not have to worry about what was coming every Friday. 

Coming in last is nothing new to me. Ever since I started CrossFit, I knew winning would be a struggle. I knew even keeping up at my own box would be difficult. There is always someone stronger, someone faster, people that are good at gymnastics, and people that are good at lifting. 

While the CrossFit Open provides us with a great deal of community and camaraderie, the biggest frustration that I had, is the negativity that it instilled in beginners. 

CrossFit is the kind of community that supports the person that comes in last place, just as much as the person who comes in first. In fact, the cheers are often louder for those who are at the end of the race. 

While that's all great, I know better than anyone, you are your own worst enemy. What do you do when your mindset is your biggest obstacle? Being the worst isn't easy. I can't count how many emails I got from novice CrossFitters, filled with discouragement that they could not finish a workout and scored a 0. I'm in no way saying that the Open workouts should have been easier, because after all it is a competition to find the fittest person in the world. But what do you do when you're faced with failure?

Over and over again I found myself facing movements that I couldn't do. Honestly, I didn't get too down on myself. I know how far I've come and I know how much further I am able to go. The biggest frustration I faced was in 14.5, a WOD composed of thrusters and burpees, both movements that I can do. 20 minutes into the workout, my coach called it, I was limping through the whole thing, my knee was seriously ready to give out. I know that injuring yourself isn't worth one good score but it was still disappointing. 

So again I ask, what do you do when you're the worst?

First of all, you gotta hang in there. There is nothing sadder than seeing someone quit CrossFit after a few weeks because they can't keep up. CrossFit is for everyone, scalable for everyone. Quitting is the easy way out, an automatic loss, and definitely won't help you reach your goals. 

Next, change your time commitment. If you really want to be good at CrossFit, going 3 days a week won't cut it. CrossFit holds true to the statement, "you get what you put in." It will get you to your goals, you just have to give it time. 

Next, change your focus. Spend extra time in improving the areas you aren't good at. This week I have worked with my coach, Justin, every day on the rower. I HATE it. But it's one sure way to improve my cardio. While, making strides to improve on your weaknesses, it's also important to not neglect what you're already good at. Weightlifting is my passion and it's important for me to spend time doing what makes me happy. If you're feeling discouraged, spend some time revisiting the reasons you love CrossFit.

Finally, my biggest recommendation is coming up with your own definition of winning. Whether that's lifting 5 more pounds than a month earlier or just finishing a workout, both are progress. Maybe it's moving down a band in assisted pull-ups. The longer you hang in there, the better you will get. You may never be the best, but one day you won't be the worst. 

22 @ 22

Hey everyone,

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all the birthday wishes. You folks never cease to amaze me (: Todays post is short, but there's a point in every year where I sit around and think about the things I should have done, could have done, or wish I could do. So this year I decided to make a list of 22 things I want to do or goals I want to reach while I'm 22 (: Some are simple while others will take a bit of planning and a few will take lots of training. I only allowed half of these things to be fitness related.

1. Run a 5K
2. Attend 4 cultural events
3. Have my blog host over 40,000 viewers
4. Lose 100lbs
5. Compete in 5 CrossFit Competitions
6. Clean 200lbs
7.  Write 22 hand written letters
8. Not eat ANY fast food (excluding Subway)
9. Go to Las Vegas
10. Blog 5 times a month.
11. Stay current on world events
12. Back squat 320lbs.
13. Deadlift 400lbs
14. Do a pull up with 1 green band or lower.
15. Paint 4 paintings
16. Run a mile under 10 minutes
17. Watch Star Wars
18. DO a handstand
19. Save $22 a month - and buy something as a birthday present next year.
20. Visit New York City
21. Get my CrossFit Level 1
22. Make As and Bs in all my classes.

Some of these are going to be hard, but I'm excited! Thanks again for the birthday wishes!

A New Adventure!

Hello all!
Can you believe it?? It's been almost three weeks since my last blog post. I'm such a slacker!
But really, my life has been pretty hectic. All of the sudden it was like my life was out of balance and it's taken awhile for me to get back in the swing of things!

I'll be living THIS CLOSE to the BEACH.

The real reason I'm writing today, is to tell you some exciting news! A couple of weeks ago, I was offered an opportunity for the summer. I've spent a good bit of time thinking and in prayer on whether or not it was something I wanted to do, but I'm happy to say that it is!!

I will be working this summer in SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA! I have never been to Cali and am thrilled to be spending some time there. I will be interning at a program called Wellspring. I have not talked about it much in my blog, but I attended Wellspring a few years ago.

Wellspring is a weightless program that works wonders and I'm excited to guide kids through and play a part in them learning and understanding how to live a healthy lifestyle. From dietary classes to strength training, going on hikes, and playing sports all day, I'll be assigned to help a counselor of a girls group somewhere between the ages of 15-18. This will give me time to balance helping the campers and working on my own weightloss journey.

The idea of being a "counselor in training"  is to prepare me to go back as a full time counselor next year once I've reached my goal weight. I'm crazy excited to go to Californina and get to work out ALL DAY. This is going to be a summer to remember.

More about this fun experience later...
Have an amazing week y'all!

P.S. My number one question I've gotten is will you still do CrossFit!? The answer is YES. I've been in contact with CrossFit SoCal and they are expecting me! So exciting! Also, the campus I'm living on has platforms, plates, everything... Fingers crossed I'll have access!

My First Blogging Award - Q's & A's

Hola!

Can I start off by saying that this week has been uhhh, insane, exhausting, brain overflowing, nerve wracking, insert more overwhelming words here-ing...

Seriously though, exam week is kicking my butt. I feel great about all my midterms but still, I'm exhausted.

I'm still going to CrossFit everyday, but have had to limit it to about 2 hours. Studying first! Still, scraping up those bits of motivation... Isn't always easy. But it's something we gotta do right?
Hmmm.... future blog topic, perhaps?

Anyhow, I really just wanted to take a moment in the midst of this madness to say THANK YOU, to Ace over at Eat.Pray.Wod. for nominating me for my very first Liebster Award. (Check her out, she's way cool!) I'm honored.

The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. What exactly is a Liebster?   Liebster is German and means favorite or beloved! How fun! The Liebster is a great way to share with the community and get to know other bloggers!

So, Ace had some questions for me, and it's my job to answer them!

1. Most embarrassing moment?
Oh gawd... That would probably be my freshmen year of high school when the boys varsity tennis team stole my poetry binder and posted my poems all over the boys locker room. Yes, that did happen... Or the time when I barfed all over the sidewalk in high school in front of EVERYONE.

2. Favorite recipe?
My grandmas peanut butter pie... it's a family secret (:
Or breakfast casserole!!! 

3. Item of clothing you feel most confident in and why?
Probably my blue lacey dress. EVERYTIME I've worn it I've gotten some kind of compliment from a guy. So what if what they say matters? :p

This is old... The dress almost swallows me now, but I still love it!

4. What do you do to relax?
Depending on what kind of relaxation I need, lifting... OR... I love me some beer and board games!

5. If you could choose anywhere in the world to spend a week, where would it be?
Hmmm... Probably Cape Town. Every quiz I take says I'm meant to live there. Hey, could it be a sign? 

6. Favorite beer?
Simple. Killians. Can't get enough of it! But on any given night I'd pick hard cider over beer!

7. Least favorite way to sweat?
LOL. Ace, how'd you even come up with this. Probably that nasty, smelly, kinda sweat I get when I go from cold to hot too quick!

8. Would you rather: Have to wear 80's style blazers with shoulder pads everyday for the rest of your life OR wear Lady Gaga's meat dress once a week for the rest of your life?
Hahaha. Seriously. Hardest. Question. Of. My. Life. Hmmm...
I need a visual image for this...

I'm gonna have to go with the shoulder pads... Simply because my 80 year old self will thank me and I don't wanna have to sell my dog every time meat day comes around...

9. Quote you live by?
"The man is the head but the woman is the neck and she can turn the head wherever she wants to."
That's right, I do what I want!

10. Favorite color and why?
Purple... I picked it once and said well, that's that!

11. Who would play you in the movie of your life?

Cameron Diaz. She's pretty and funny and all... But she's also the highest grossing female actress. If this movie is about me, I better be making some profit!

Generally the nominations go on from here... But I'm breaking the rules tonight! It's about back to studying time for me!!! But it's been real, it's been fun, it's been real fun... 

Goodnight!

Five on Friday: Let's Talk About The Open...

First of all, can I just say how thankful I am for the overwhelming response to yesterday's blog post?? I wasn't sure how it'd be received but I should have never doubted you awesome folks, because seriously, I feel loved. I'm also glad how many people reached out saying they were thankful that they weren't alone, and I just wanna say, I'm here for each and every one of you!

Anywho, It's Friday, and I try to jump in on the "Five on Friday" party every once in awhile! 

This month, I can't count how many times I heard things like...

"E, are you signed up for the open?"

"HEY! When ya gonna write about the open?"

and lately... 

"Lizbeth, JUST WRITE ABOUT THE OPEN ALREADY."

Ok... ok... I got the message.
I'll be honest with you... I've been avoiding this topic, because seriously, I wasn't sure what the "right" answers were.

I've never done the CrossFit Open. I've read articles about why "the hopeless" shouldn't sign up for the open, but mostly, the overwhelming majority believes: everyone should sign up for the open.

So I did, awhile ago. Even though I can't do muscle ups or pull ups, I'm doing it!
And here's why...

ONE.
This is probably the BIGGEST reason. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to compete. Even though my role model/in box beast, Amy, can beat me in almost every metcon, I'm still gunning for her every day. We all love the thrill of a competition. No matter what our goals are, there is nothing better than an "in it to win it" attitude. Even if it just means beating yourself. So first and foremost, you can't win at all, if you don't even sign up.

TWO.
Community. Y'all get tired of me talking about this... but theres no such thing as talking about the CrossFit community too much. It's the coolest thing in the world. I have my family but then I have my CrossFit family and I can spot them anywhere. Sometimes it's by there shoes, sometimes it's the lean muscles, or their perfectly ripped hands. Hundreds of thousands of our CrossFit family will be competing in the same WODs, during the same week. All around the world, we'll be moving weight as one. (Some faster than others, but all equally important). 

THREE.
You'll surprise yourself. The times I do crazy awesome CrossFit things, are when it's all on the line. Maybe it's doing twice as many snatches unbroken as you thought you could or taking less breaks, or pushing just a little more... You'll be proud of yourself! 

FOUR.
I'm excited to see some awesome programming. I love what our coaches do, but obviously, like anywhere, it's a little bias in certain areas. This is a time where we step back and let the WODs be designed for us. Geeze, I get excited enough waiting for Justin to post the WODs every night, I can't imagine how excited I'll be to find out what these are!!! 

FIVE.
It will give me something to compare my next years scores to. I can see my progress. Next year, when I'm 100lbs lighter, can deadlift 400lbs, and a box jumping machine, I'll be able to say... "Holy crap, I've come SOOOOOO far."

BONUS.
It's fun.

I'm not going to be one of those people that tries to convince EVERYONE to sign up because I understand that different people, have different goals, but these are some of the reasons that I'm doing it. On that note, happy Friday!!

Lifting The Weight

Writing... I've been writing this one blog post in my head for the last two weeks... and I'm stuck. One of my goals in life is to be an open book, for anyone to read. I want to relate to people and to inspire people. I want to be a resource for people to stumble upon. I realize there are "tough subjects" in life that we often keep to ourselves, but wouldn't it be easier if we all had each other? There are many things that have happened in my life where people tell me, "I'm not alone." I know this is true... but where are those other people?

Well here I am. Elizabeth. And I struggle with depression.

I'm not talking about when something sad happens and in turn, I'm sad. I'm talking about the aching feeling of sadness, even when everything is going right. When there's absolutely no reason. That kind of sadness.

People ask me... what does it feel like?

Someone told me an analogy once... about when crocodiles hunt for their prey. They lurk in the water and come up from behind, tearing them limb from limb.

That's what depression is to me. I can be swimming smoothly through the waters and then all of the sudden, there it is, lurking, and slowly tears away my life piece by piece.

It's the feeling you get when waking up in the morning and being sad that you made it through the night, that another long hard day is waiting for you. The feeling that no matter how many people tell you differently, you are unlovable.

Before last May, I found myself overcoming these terrible feelings primarily with food, alcohol, and sleep. My schoolwork was undone and eventually led me to dropping my classes. I was gaining more and more weight and didn't take care of myself.

But then something life changing happened...

First, I met Doc, who planted the idea of fitness, and it stuck with me. We started working out, and believe  me, it wasn't pretty. But it made me feel better.

Then, on May 28th, I found CrossFit. I started right away because I was tired of being sad. The first few weeks were hard, hard on my body. I was anxious about meeting new people, and worrying that they thought I was "too fat" or "too weird" or "too different."

I remember someone telling me this was the
first picture I looked truly happy in a long time

Things quickly got better, not perfect, but better. I began building friendships and learning about self-belief. I learned how to show myself love instead of poisoning it with temporary fixes.

CrossFit is the perfect kind of community. It holds spirit and friendships. It teaches you to reach for your limits and go beyond them. It gives you qualities that transfer over into other parts of your life.

Shortly after joining CrossFit I found a job and was offered two more. Last month, I went back to school and I'm loving it. I finally picked a major and am confident in it.

I honestly don't know where I'd be if I hadn't found this crazy lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, there are still days that I struggle. Like this week, it's been rough... But I know one things for sure, when I'm hitting rock bottom, I know I have a community that will lift me up. Instead of drinking, or skipping out on class, I find peace in lifting weights.

CrossFit is hard, but it's the best thing I've done for myself. I choose to be healthy. I choose to be stronger than this illness.

Strength is Earned, Not Given

As you all know, I competed in the premiere Michigan Barbell Classic last Saturday. What an amazing event it was! It was held at Motor City CrossFit in Sterling Heights, MI. Seriously, it was 2 stories of CrossFit heaven. The event was super organized and run like clock work, thanks to the mighty talents of the Lex Artis team. Thanks guys!

Motor City CrossFit was filled with 70+ athletes, hoping to come out on top. Along with their families, coaches, and friends. I walked in filled with nerves... and my dad. I looked around at all of the lean muscled, spandex clad, biceps bulging competitors, and thought, "What did I get myself into?!" These negative thoughts were soon replaced by words my coach has told me all along, reminding me that I am strong and I deserved to be there.

If you had asked me last August, only 3 months after joining CrossFit, I would have told you that I am naturally strong. This is true, but lately I've taken my strength to a whole new level. Strengh is earned, not given, & it certainly doesn't come in a can of spinach.

This is not only true for me but every athlete who competed on Saturday. Hard work isn't a foreign concept to anyone who wants to be successful. What distinguishes the strong from the strongest, is heart. Heart... That's not something you can get out of a can either. You have to want it and I mean really want it. You have to be dedicated to hours of training, strict nutrition, and crazy programming. I never even fathomed that I'd be in the gym 15-20 hours a week nor that I would develop this much heart for this physically demanding sport. 

For the first time, I feel like the hard work really paid off. Walking into the competition 40 pounds lighter than I was 5 months ago and stronger than I've ever been, was gratifying in itself. On top of that, I reached every goal that I set for the competition. I hit 3 PR's and had the overall highest combined total of lifts. (Too bad there's no reward for that, but in my book, it's pretty encouraging.)

Here were my 1 rep maxes:

Power snatch: 118lbs PR
Clean: 168lbs PR
Clean & Jerk: 163lbs PR
Back Squat: 275lbs
Bench Press: 140lbs
Deadlift: 353lbs PR

Some common questions about the competition I've gotten from readers:

What was my proudest lift?
DEFINITELY clean & jerk. I've worked so hard on it the past 2 months. Olympics lifts are my weakness, but 163lbs leaves me feeling accomplished and with room to improve.

What was my worst moment?
Back squat. Everyone expected me to hit 300lbs, but I dropped it on the way up. It was a total brain fart because I had it but I mentally got scared.

Most fun part?
Obviously lifting. But also taking group pictures with the amazing 734ers, hanging out with my coach, Dan, and trying mocha Progenex for the first time. Finding out later that Henry Cavill, Superman, was there!

With or without the celebrity guest, we thought the Barbell Classic was a major success. I've already heard rumor that there will be another one next year so I'd love to see some of you out there! Remember, strength is important, but heart and hard work are what distinguishes you. If you want something, put your mind to it! Lex Artis has some other great competitions coming up that will be released soon. I'll include a link when they do. To learn more about their company, programming, and awesome competitions, CLICK HERE. 

Until next time...

Train hard. Lift heavy. Eat right. Sleep tight.