Dinner with my daughter

DINNER CONVERSATION
Last week my daughter were having dinner together after dropping my son off at his art class. She looked at me and said "mom, i don't like when i cant do things in crossfit class when everyone else can, ya know i am really competitive" I chuckled and said "welcome to crossfit honey, your going to have to re-adjust your thinking. Know there are movements your not going to be good at but put that competitiveness to work for you, by working hard on conquering your weaknesses."   With a serious face my daughter said "Ma, i  really don't know how you showed up every day and stuck with it when you couldn't do anything, I am an athlete and Crossfit is hard." 

IGNORANCE IS BLISS

A year ago i was having a hard time staying committed to exercise. I really didn't understand why, i was a former certified personal trainer..i helped people get into shape and succeed at their weight goals. I knew how to "diet", and exercise why was this so hard for me now? I had 3 different  Doctor's tell me my weight gain and difficulty losing weight was because of working night shift. Their recommendation was to change my shift..but that's what works for my kids so right now i can't...i kept thinking there has to be a way!  I kept getting sick with bronchitis, my blood pressure was elevated, my blood work was thank GOD good, no high cholesterol or diabetes but as an RN i knew my future would be grim if i didn't lose weight. I went in search of group classes which i thought might keep me more motivated and accountable to show up. When i typed into google search engine  "group exercise classes" , Crossfit came up. I found Crossfit web site online, watched the"What is Crossfit" video, and i was inspired! I put my zip code in the affiliate finder and 5 boxes (Crossfit Gyms) were close to me. I sent emails or left messages about my interest in crossfit. PortCrossfit was the first to call me back and i set up an initial assessment with them. 

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

 I knew from past experience the first couple of weeks would be painful going from coach potato to exercising BUT i really had no clue! My first 9 weeks of Crossfit were so difficult not only physically but mentally as well! I had so much muscle soreness EVERYWHERE....truthfully i think only my eyeballs didn't hurt. I was so nervous before each class that i would be nauseous. I didn't know the crossfit "lingo"  and felt lost looking at PortCrossfit website..i mean what the hell was a WOD, AMRAP, EMOM, SNATCH LIFT, A CLEAN? Majority of the class including the Coaches were in their 20's and fit. Seriously, How am i going to keep up? What the hell did i get myself into? My former Personal Trainer experience didn't help me one bit in Crossfit, everything i had learned about fitness was totally different in Crossfit. Can i really do this? Do i really want to do this? Well after my first week of only 3 Crossfit classes i sign up for unlimited classes...hahaha, WHY?

COACHES

 Walking into PortCrossfit  from the very beginning I felt like "NORM" from the show CHEERS..The Coaches knew my name and always made me feel welcomed. When the Coaches would explain the WOD to the class , panic would set in and i would raise my hand and say "but i can't do that?" They eased my fears by always finding a way to modify the exercises to my level of fitness or ability. I was always much slower, less fit than everyone else but my coaches always pointed out what i did right. I will never forget one day in class we were doing a snatch balance, i watched the video the night before and Nailed the movement in class, I seriously don't know who was more excited that i did this movement right, Me or My Coach..he turned around to a couple of other members who were hanging around "did you see that, did you see what she did?" One day during a run and felt like i was hitting a wall...i asked my Coach..."how can i not get soooo winded when running?" He answered "your going to be winded," then he paused, "Elisa are you controlling your breathing as you run?" The light bulb went on in my head of course, i used to run , how could i forget to control my breathing? I truly appreciated the Coach understood what i was trying to say and took my question seriously.  I also remember one day we had a run for a warm up and i came in with the whole class...my coach said "Elisa, you came in with the pack, i am going to call you "FLASH" from now on!" I was never able to run fast enough to come in with the pack. I didn't even realize what i had done but my Coach did. Every step of the way these men had faith that i could do Crossfit and their belief in me, gave me the support i needed to get me to show up , try every class, and want to succeed. They would send me emails to let me know that i was making great progress and they that all noticed the tremendous strides i was making...of course i cried. When i entered my first competition the coaches came down to support and encourage the group of us competing on their day off. After that competition Coach Mike said to me "i am so proud of you, i didn't think you were going to make it past the on-ramp class and look at you now!" Coach Kyle recently revealed  "I nearly died on the floor when after your first week you signed up for unlimited classes....you couldn't move" we both laughed...i said "i told you i had goals!" I am grateful that my Coaches are knowledgeable, positive, funny, encouraging, and passionate about their job as Coach, because they truly make Crossfit FUN! THANK YOU RYAN, KYLE, TYLER AND MIKE for an AMAZING year!!!!!

COMMUNITY

The Crossfit community is really like none i have ever experienced. Although we compete against each other we truly support, and encourage each other to be the best you can be. I wouldn't have made it during those first difficult months without those voices cheering me on!! One night we had to do a mile run for time, as usual i was out there all by myself because i was so slow, i felt so discouraged. As i ran thru the parking lot and rounded the corner to the rear entrance the entire class and my coach was standing there cheering me on as if i was winning the NYC marathon ...wow, i couldn't believe they waited for me, i figured they would have gone home!!  Every step of the way they have all encouraged me to keep going when i thought i couldn't or reassured me i was capable of doing something new. When i have competed these same people took time out of their day to cheer me on!! Thank you PortCrossfitter's past (Chas, Morgan, Ryan, Gus, Vanessa, Riccardo, Alesha) and present for you never ending support, encouragement, and laughter...i truly wouldn't have made it this far without all of you...big, big HUG!!

MY RESULTS
One year ago i couldn't squat down to pick anything up off the floor, i  had to bend over at my waist, i had severe difficulty going up and down stairs, i had to hold on to the rail for dear life, i had to pull myself up out of my car with my arms, i couldn't lunge without falling over, i couldn't run or jump on a 12" box, i was sick and my blood pressure was too high.  I have competed in 1 in house Crossfit/Paleo challenge (i was female champ), 1 national Crossfit/Paleo Challenge (Placed 1990 out of 7500 competitors across the US), Festivus Competition (placed 16th out of 50) Hunger for More Garage Games (placed 18th out of 25 teams) in my first year of Crossfit. My daughter said to me "Mom, i forgot you had knee surgery 2 years ago and how weak that left you, i even forget how old you are because when we WOD together i am trying to compete against you!" I smiled...out of the mouth of babes!

Jan 17, 2012
weight 190lbs
size 16
shoe size 8.5

Jan 17, 2013

weight 156lbs

size 4

shoe size 7

inches lost in 1 year
bust 5.5 inches
waist 6.5 inches
hips 6.5 inches
thigh 3.5 inches
calf 2 inches
arms 3 inches

"Elisa, how do you think you did?"

THE QUESTION

This is the question my coach asked me after competing in the "hunger for more games" on December 9, 2012 hosted by my home box, Port CrossFit. This competition consisted of male and female team.  Originally i had signed up to be a judge, but 3 weeks before the competition my friends Don and Vicki found out that, Vicki was injured and unable to compete.  Knowing how much i like to compete, they asked me to substitute for Vicki.  OH MY GOD I AM COMPETING IN 3 WEEKS!!!

COMPETITION DAY
I am a bundle of nerves driving to the venue where the competition is taking place. I arrive early because my daughter is a judge, so i  busy myself by checking in and looking to see what time my heat goes off and what lane we are in.   I choose my corner to put  down my cooler with food and workout gear...i  turn around and see the different boxes descend on the venue all in their boxes colors...sort of like Irish/Scottish clans in kilts...competitors but one big crossfit family. To keep myself from thinking to much about how nervous i am and start finding my crossfit friends from other boxes.  I spot Don, my partner and feel less nervous and he asks with a huge grin "you ready?" i chuckle "yup, lets get this party started!" 

WOD #1

 Don and i had 10 minutes  to work up to a heavy triple hang clean. We are not allowed to put down the bar to do the 3 hang cleans. The team is scored on the total weight we lift combined. I love cleans so i am confident with this Olympic lift. I am worried because the bar we have to use is 45lbs and its very long and awkward for me to hold. Don and i load the bar for 65lbs...1, 2, 3..piece of cake..all i could think while lifting is "don't smash the bar into your mouth"... Vicki and i have done this in class, I chipped my tooth, Vicki split her lip and  had to leave class to get stitches! Don in 3 lifts works up to a triple hang clean of 205, Don makes it look sooo easy! I work up to a triple at 85lbs we still have more time on the clock so i say to Don i am going for 9olbs (my goal was 85lbs)..Don says to me " i think you can do 95lbs" ...i love his confidence in me, but i say to him "i want to be sure i can hit the triple,  so lets load up for 90lbs" I hear my daughter and my crossfit friends who came down to watch cheering in the background! I am  really nervous 90lbs is heavy, so i start to focus and remember what Jon North said "you control the bar" i take a deep breath..1, 2, 3  cleans and i got it..WOOHOO a 25lb PR(personal record) for me! Don goes for his last lift at 215lbs 1, good, 2, good, 3...he misses his shoulders by a hair and the bar goes down. Together we hit 295lbs and are 7th in the scaled division after wod 1.

WOD #2
WOD #2 is a 6minute AMRAP (As Many Repetitions As Possible) of 5 thrusters scaled male weight #70lbs/scaled female weight 35lbs and 5 jumping pull ups one partner works at a time. Don and i are pretty confident about this WOD ..cool...i love thrusters. A thruster is a crossfit movement in which you squat with a weighted barbell and stand up with arms fully extended overhead. The volunteers place a box and a 45lbs weight plate on the box so i can reach the pull up bar and Don and i are in position and wait for 3, 2, 1 , GO! Don goes first hits his thrusters and his jumping pull ups with no problem, i can't start til he is off the pull up bar or its a 5 burpee penalty.  I do my first set thrusters and jump up on the the box to reach the bar, i jump up for my first jumping pull up and miss my footing and fall off the 8 1/2 ft pull up rig onto the box and weight plate below! Did you ever fall in your dreams while sleeping? Well, that's the way I felt falling off the pull up rig! There I am laying across the weighted plate and box like a rag doll, in shock that i fell on my first jumping pull up. All I want to do is cry, i am in pain, i am scared and i peed my pants when i hit the plate, and now i want to go home.  In my head i know i can't go home because Don is counting on me, with that , I hear my judge off to the side who is one of my friends say to me in a stern voice "shake it off and get back on the bar!" I jump up, grab the bar, i am SCARED TO DEATH  with each jumping pull up that i am going to fall again but i continue the wod til we run out of time. Don and i did  a total of 19 rounds in 6minutes. At this point Don and i are in 11th place. Don is happy and i ran to the bathroom to change my wet pants and check for bruises on my ribs!

WOD#3
WOD#3 is an 8min AMRAP of  Burpees and rowing. While one partner does burpees off a 45lbs weight plate the other rows for calories, partners switch every 30 calories. GROAN..i am not a strong rower and Don is not a strong at burpees. I did burpees first while Don rowed, then at 30 calories we switched and when i picked up that handle on the rower i felt like i was pulling a car, i couldn't hold my row pace but i gave it everything i had and so did Don. When we were done ...Don gave me a fist pound "great job partner" all i could do was say i was sorry i didn't do better.  It is one thing to let your self down but its another to let your partner down and  i felt that i let Don down. After this event, We placed 18th out of 25 teams in the scaled division. Well, at least we weren't last.

 MY ANSWER

"Well Coach, I did better than expected in Wod #1..i loved it, i am really happy with a 90lbs triple hang clean! Wod #2 i fell off the bar but i am proud of myself that i got right back up even though i was terrified," He chuckles "i heard about that thru the grapevine" I continue "the last wod, i tanked us, i feel bad about it" my Coach says "you know rowing and burpees are not a strong point for you" I said with a sigh, "yeah i know" ...... i continue " Coach considering  1 yr ago i didn't know what crossfit was, i was 46 1/2 and overweight and unhealthy,  and the last time i competed in an athletic event was in high school which was 29yrs ago. I would have to say i did pretty good in my 2nd crossfit competition  in which there are no age divisions, and for crossfitting less one year and i will keep working hard to get better." He smiled at me and said "yeah Elisa who does that? starts Crossfit at age 46, knows nothing about crossfit and competes in 2 competitions in her 1st year? i still want to see your driver's license i really don't believe that your 47!"

Thank you Don for asking me to compete with you. Vickie, girl get better soon..i miss my partner in crime!

Thank you  PortCrossfit I am stronger today than yesterday!

"KISS MY GRITS"

PROMISES

I promised myself after the "lurong living paleo challenge" ended that i would conquer one of my fears in my personal life ....dating. I have survived 2 abusive marriages, bruises heal but the emotional scars take longer to get thru. This past year of crossfitting has been life changing for me not just physically but emotionally as well. With every accomplishment in crossfit i became more confident, empowered and i finally felt that i finally closed those emotional wounds and could move forward.

CHOICES
I work 50+ hrs per week ALONE and  on the NIGHT shift, i am busy with 2 active high school children, 95% of my friends are married with kids, and at crossfit 95% of the men are in their 20s-30's...so my potential dating pool is non existent. I made the choice to try online dating, because i really am sure Prince charming is not going to sweep me off my feet at Whole Foods Supermarket or at Petco when i am buying cat food. Yes i have cats...got something to say about it? 

THE COMMENT

This one dude decides he likes me and tries to flirt with me online and i nicely turn him down. I guess he didn't understand no, because he then sends me an email, which i again politely tell him no again. Then i receive his 2nd email in which he wrote "WHAT? no one wants to date a power lifter chick, sex maybe" ...WOW! In my profile i had a picture of myself at my competition right before i was going to dead lift...I wanted it to show 1. i was in shape and 2. fitness is apart of my life. In the past this type of comment would have reduced me to tears and i would have taken myself off the site and hid myself away. My initial reaction was shock, then i became angry and best of all i laughed. I was shocked i don't feel i look overly muscular. I was angry this man didn't know me and was judging and bullying me based on a picture. I laughed because i have heard this type of reaction by men to women who crossfit and elite athletes..like our Olympic swimming , track, volleyball, gymnastic team, this idiot was lumping me in with all these BEAUTIFUL , ATHLETIC women....AWESOME!!

MY RESPONSE

 "Dear sir
my mother always told me "if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all" obviously your mother never taught you any manners. I truly find it hard to believe that a man would not find a woman who is happy, healthy and fit , attractive but then it stands to reason you are none of those. I also find it hard to fathom  why a man would be so intimidated by my strength and power, but then you must be a very small and powerless man to attempt to degrade and bully someone you don't know. Thank you for proving my gut instinct to reject your advances , correct.  Oh yeah i am not a "power lifter" I AM A CROSSFITTER....if your going to pick on me,GET MY SPORT STRAIGHT!!!" 
I reported him to the dating site administrators so he is being investigated....lmao! As for me, i will continue to move  forward, being a happier, better, faster, fitter and stronger me....awesome progress don't ya think?

THANK YOU

On my face book page, twitter and amrap4life.com site i have received so much support, encouragement and kind words by old friends, family and crossfit friends and i  truly appreciate you all...no one should be bullied because they are different!

i love this song and music video by Pink! Thankyou Pink, i am perfect!

 Here is a recent article written for the women of crossfit by a man who appreciates us..... http://soc.li/QQSHHxF .   

6lbs.... hahaha I laugh in the face of danger

 

Yesterday Jan 2, 2013,  PortCrossfit reopened from the New Year holiday. Me, well i got on the scale. I was curious to see how much damage i did by partying,  drinking, and eating, and not getting to crossfit  (a couple of hangovers will do that to you)

like i normally do this past month, the answer a 6lb weight gain..but worse than that is how i feel..tired, weak, bloated, alittle down in the dumps, unhealthy!

I LAUGH IN THE FACE OF DANGER

For the first time in 12months i gained weight, and it wasn't a surprise because i knew what i was NOT doing! The awesome thing about looking at the scale and seeing a weight gain is for the first time in my life i am not  wringing my hands worried about what am i going to do. I truly know what i need to do, get back to eating paleo and get back to my commitment of 4 days a week to crossfit. I know it works and have spent the last 11 months proving how effective it all is! Even my 17yr old daughter who is my newest crossfitter asked me new years day "mom when does portcrossfit open, what time are we woding? god i feel so fat mom, its disgusting!" i replied "I so hear you baby girl!" 

BACK TO BUSINESS

My family..Erin(my 17yr old), Mike(my 16yr old) and myself were supposed to be in the 5pm class, my car needed to be fixed AGAIN and of course it took longer than expected.   If i don't pick up my kids, there is no other way for them to get to crossfit(their father refuses to drive them or let them drive to crossfit) So i had to rearrange my schedule of picking up my car, pick up my kids, eating and crossfit class time but come hell or high water we WOULD make it to class!!  I am pleased to say We all waddled into the 6pm crossfit class together and started our new years off as a family and healthy. I have my new years crossfit goals for myself for 2013...i want to be able to do a handstand, a pull up and do double unders by December 2013...and i am ready and willing to work on my goals! my weight lifting goals,  to lift heavier and ring  "Elisa's PR bell" as often as i can.....SIMPLE.  I know that if i show up for class and i am consistent i will lift heavier, get faster, be stronger,  be better with each passing day...i love how quickly you see gains in your fitness level in crossfit! What i also love so much about crossfitting is how much fun i have.. its not a chore to get to PortCrossfit, i run there ( and i hate running), and i am ready to work hard. Well folks you cannot out train a bad diet so back to being a cave girl for me! I love eating  paleo or "the caveman diet" because i  am allowed to eat real food...meats/poultry/fish/eggs...nuts/avocado..apples/berries...vegetables,  i use olive oil and occasionally i throw in a sweet potato. Paleo is a way of life for me, quality foods that are great "medicine" to keep my body and mind healthy.  i find that living a paleo lifestyle is not hard for me to remember, it is not about how many points or calories i am allowed to have, it doesn't get boring ,  i also can go into any restaurant and eat within these guidelines with out stress or worry, its  livable.

 CHEERS....WHERE EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR NAME

It was such a great feeling to wake up on the 2nd and know i am back to paleo eating and i am going to PortCrossfit, my home away from home. I walk in and i hear my name being called..."Hi Elisa!"  I get to see and say "happy New Year" to all the "die hard regulars" and my coaches and some new faces i introduce myself too. Best of all i made it thru the WOD, i was sweaty, out of breath, my arms and legs were shaking and  I am gloriously happy!!

FUN

Now don't you worry...Elisa is not going to stop having fun now that she is back to business. The way to have fun and be healthy is to find a way to balance the two. I guess that is my personal new year's resolution is to have alittle more fun and to find the fun/work balance in my life.