You Just Have to Go

That's the motto my friend always uses.

Last week I went to the gym 3 times!
Katie, I hope you're not looking for a !@#$ing medal for going to the gym 3 times in the past 6 months.  

I went to the gym 3 times last week!  Praise me!

So, this week starts in a few, too few, hours and I told my friend, "I'm not gonna go in the morning.  I'll just go after school."
And in her most endearing and kind gangster voice she says, "No you won't.  Pack your shit and make it happen tomorrow morning.  I expect a text at 6:15 after your workout."


So, I packed my bag.  I'm committed.  My food prep is done.  My outfit is ready.
I'm going to the stupid gym in the morning and I committed to the following this week:
- 4 workouts
- Drink my water
- Don't eat brownie mix...that may have happened along with my gym visits last week.  Hashtag: Don't tell my nutritionist.
Katie!!!  What is wrong with you?!?!  Still working hard to be kinda fat, I see.  
Yeah, save it.    JOURNEY to the healthiest version of me.

2 things I learned this week...
Don't be scared and don't be stupid

Don't Be Scared
I had seriously worked myself into a complete tailspin over the fact that I had to go back to Crossfit this week.  I had a real live nightmare about it.  What are they going to think?  They're judging me.  They're talking crap on me.  I know they are.  I've gained weight since I stopped going and they don't even want me back.

Katie, are you kidding?  This is crazy.

Not kidding.  I know, it's a little bit of a sickness how much I thought about this.

I text my CF friend.  Her reply, "Are you kidding?  That's the same mentality that stops really obese people from going to the gym.  It's not about them.  It's about you.  Plus you know CF peeps are not like that!"


Turns out...she's right.

Turns out the Crossfit community is just as awesome as it was when I left.
Hug, good to have you back.
Where the hell have you been?
Good to see you?
How are you?

Turns out..they actually didn't huddle around one another, push me out of the circle, and talk crap on me.

So, I bring my lesson to you.  Nobody cares if you have gained/lost weight.  Nobody cares if you have a zit on your face.  Nobody cares if you have a crappy haircut.  Go out.  Work out.  Enjoy yourself.

People love you for who you are and are not completely consumed with what you look like.  In fact, most people are as self absorbed as me (No they're not Katie) and too concerned about what YOU think of THEM than to think about what THEY think of YOU.


Don't Be Stupid
When you do actually go back to the gym after 4 months off you should know that you HAVE gotten weaker and you should NOT try and lift just as much weight as when you left.

Excuse me while I take 25 minutes to stand up because I can hardly move my legs.

I'm not Crossfitting right now.
I haven't walked into 480, since I walked out in early October.



My most recent ankle injury wasn't completely healed and, as usual, I didn't really listen, tried to do more than I should have and re-injured myself.

So...I went home.
I went home to heal.
To have a giant pity party.
To be sad about my dumb ligaments and tendons.

I went to physical therapy.
I got an MRI.
I was told I need surgery.
I'm still trying to get a 2nd opinion that tells me I don't.

And in the meantime...
I sit.
I told myself maybe my Crossfit ship had sailed.
Maybe I should find a new "thing."

I tried hot yoga.
I rode my bike a bit.
I walked a little.
But I just haven't felt IT.

The IT I feel when I look at the board and don't wanna do the workout...and then do it anyway.
The IT I feel when I walk in and leave everything I have on the gym floor.
The IT I feel when I PR something almost each time I'm in there.
The IT I feel when I get to add to my Crossfit Log on my phone
The IT I feel when I am more motivated to exercise than I've ever been in my life.
The IT I feel when I'm driving home, recapping the WOD and smiling to myself because I did it...again.
The IT I feel when I'm cheering people on...the same people who have cheered me on over and over again.
The IT I feel when I read other people's Facebook posts about Jackie and know exactly what they mean.The IT I feel when I'm laying on the ground, catching my breath, completely spent.




Yeah, I miss IT.

So, I'm starting to think...even modified Crossfit is probably better than no Crossfit.
Perhaps, I'll go ahead and walk back into that box.

First off...
Did you guys see that crazy negative girl who took over my blog the other day?  Ew, let's not let her do that again.


Here are the things I know a little bit about...in the fitness world*:
* Thank you, parents and family, for the introductions to almost all of these things.  

Cycling
I own a road bike.  It's pink, by the way.   I have fancy clip-in shoes and a matching helmet.  And as long as someone tells me when to switch gears, I can ride my bike.  Old friends, are you laughing to yourselves whilst remember how many times I crashed my bike when I was a tyke?  Crashed into parked cars, crashed into other bikes, crashed while just standing there.  Oh wait, that wasn't just when I was younger...College friends, I'm sure, are remembering my "Very Bad Day."

My point being...I'm not a professional cyclist but I can ride my bike with the best averagest of them.  In addition to that, I can impress you with my knowledge of words like: big ring and cadence.

Rock Climbing
When I was 9 my aunt and uncle started to take my brother and I climbing all the time.  They were amazing climbers...El Capitan several times, Half Dome.  Wow.  Perhaps I should have stuck with that...On Belay?  Belay on!

My views and anxiousness to go rock climbing changed a bit when my dad fell about 25 feet, off a cliff while repelling because his rope was too short...and broke his femur in half and a ton of other bones in his body and almost died.  True story.  Happy Climbing!

I kid. I kid.  Well I'm not actually kidding about my dad's fall but don't let that scare you.  That almost never happens.  Climb on!


Hiking
I heart hiking but only when conditions are ideal.  Ideal means that I start my hike in a very thin long sleeve shirt and along the way remove it and don a tank top.  That actually goes for all sports.  75 degrees and I'm down...most other temperatures, not so much.  

And if we're really being honest, I really like very mild hiking...no insane inclines.  I can hike and hike and hike for days just as long as it's completely flat.  Ah, Katie, that's called walking, not hiking.  No, I mean I'll do it on a dirt path.  Still walking.  Damn.


Swimming
In elementary school I was on the Heritage Park Seals.  My mom made me and my brother be on swim team because, "You're not just going to sit around all summer."  After my little bout with babysitting, I am certain she put us on swim team so she could get a break for a few hours a day.

Then I was a College Park Dolphin.  "Butterfly, Back, Breast and Free...we'll swim our way to Victory!"  I was an ok swimmer but I wasn't nearly as good as my 2 friends so, mostly, I focused on eating Airheads at the swim meets. <---What?  What a fat-kid comment!  I wasn't a fat kid.  I wasn't a excellent swimmer either.

In high school I quit swimming and we'd go to watch my friend's swim practices.  I think we all said we were going to watch her but, really, we would just go to watch the Water Polo boys do "deck changes" out of school clothes and into Speedos and silently pray that their towels would fall.

My point:  I also swam on swim team for several years.

PS.  This skill really helped me when I was training for a (sprint distance) triathlon.  It turns out, most triathletes SUCK at swimming.  Win for Katie.

Gymnastics
I was the Cartwheeling Queen for YEARS.  I went to the same gymnastic studio for a million years until my uncle (a former gymnast) visited and told my parents they weren't teaching me ANYthing and I should find a new one.

So my parents took me out.  And I was 13 and such a baby and didn't want to go somewhere and have to meet new people so I quit.  So, I never learned how to do a back handspring because I was too shy...lame.

SCUBA Diving
Is this really a physical activity?  Whatever, I'm including it.  I know how to do this.  Aside from the fact that my very old SCUBA instructor made a number of super inappropriate comments to me, as a 19 year old...in front of my father (who almost killed him), I persevered and learned to dive.

In fact, I even got my Advanced Diver certification by way of a near-death night dive that I hated every single second of...and almost did die.  Picture this...nothing.  Yeah that's what we could see. Nothing.  We had a head lamp and all of our diving gear.  A boat takes us out into the vast, black ocean and they say, "Jump in."  Ummm, I actually saw Jaws and I think I'll pass.  

My brother was my partner and we got in, because he shamed me into it.  I swam behind him and never let go of his fin, even when he was kicking to shake me off.  It was the scariest 15 minutes of my life.  We stayed down until the exact time limit would let us get our certification and then I got out of those shark laden waters ASAP!

Skiing
I've been skiing since I was a tyke.  I used to be pretty good on blues...now that my fear levels have caught up to a normal humans, I think I'll stick to greens and it probably would take TOO much coaxing to just go down a few runs and go to the lodge and have drinks for the rest of the day.

Water Ski
On our boat we used to have water skis that were as wide as our actual boat.  It was super easy to get up on them.  Turns out, not all water skis look like that and I'm not sure if I could ski on something else.

Here's a quick tip for brand new water skiiers...when you fall, LET GO OF THE ROPE.  Immediately.


And here are a few things I tried once and have no desire to ever be good at:

Snowboarding
I wanted to like it.  I tried it.  I hated it.  Too hard.  Too scary.  Give me back my skis.

Sailing
I almost tipped an entire sailboat full of women over into the ocean.  I have no desire to be good at this.  Nah, give me a drink, SPF 12, and a towel...I'll be on the front of the boat.


Softball, Soccer, Volleyball
You know what I know about those sports...how to sit on the bench.  I know all of the softball cheers too.  Don't feel bad, I have other strengths.

I could give lessons in couch sitting AND vodka/soda drinking.  I charge $25 an hour...any takers?

I don't know about you but the day-to-day of eating healthy is tough sometimes.  A birthday here, an event there, a holiday, a girls trip...why do there always seem like there are excuses to put crappy things in our bodies?

Eating healthy of a period of time is easy.  Eating healthy for a lifetime is hard.

So...I need to re-motivate myself.  Here are some ideas...let me know what you have.  What's working for you?  What's motivating you?  What delicious thing are you eating?

Every Little Bit Helps


Your Workout Isn't THAT Hard

Drink Water

Put Good Food In Your Body

I haven't felt like I was dying in a while so I guess I was due.

TONIGHT'S WOD WAS SO, SO HARD.

30 Kettle Bells
15 Burpees
150 Jump Ropes
800 meter run
150 Jump Ropes
15 Burpees
30 Kettle Bells

"Wow.  That looks hard," I thought but that was all.
Not total anxiety from reading the board.

I chose the 26 lb Kettle Bell rather than the RX of 35.

3...2...1...GO!

Kettle Bell.  I like these.  Lift with your hips.  The Kettle Bell seemed a lot heavier today.  I chalked it up to, "God's punishing me for going to the Board Meeting instead of Crossfit 480 on Tuesday."  Sidenote: I have SERIOUS Catholic guilt issues.  Everything bad that happens to me, I assume is God kickin my ass for something sucky I did.  I blame my mother.
15 Burpees.  Nobody likes Burpees.  Nobody but I listened to Coach JB and really jumped back up to my hands to make "the movement more efficient."  I now think he really was just trying to make us work harder.
150 Jump Ropes...I don't have a jump robe.  I have to use the super lame jump rope because I haven't ordered one online yet.  Sidenote: Coach JB made a good point..."You spend tons of money on gym clothes and shoes.  You drop a shit ton of money to come to this gym.  BUY A DAMN JUMP ROPE that fits you."

So there I am jumping with my Sped. jump rope and sucking more than usual.  I think, "I'll just 25 at a time and take a few breaths."  I have to adjust my thinking when I am sucking at just jumping 3 times at a time.


Run an 800.  Fine.  I actually looked forward to this but it still sucked.

For the rest of the workout my lungs were ON FIRE.  Sidenote:  When I Google Imaged for a picture of burning lungs, it showed the one below and SEVERAL pictures of Crossfitters.  OUCH.  Sidenote (Yes, another one.  Deal with it.):  If you're wondering what a Crossfit 480 is like and want to try it in the privacy of your own gym, this is a great one to do...minimal equipment necessary and no real way to get hurt.

Anyway, I'll spare you every detail but it was so freaking hard to finish.

I sucked.

I was 2nd to last to finish.  To end on a positive note, I wasn't last.  Look at me seeing that silver lining!  The poor guy who just started was last.  However, he went to the bathroom in the middle of the WOD.  Ummm, what?  That's an unwritten Crossfit rule.  You MUST empty your bladder before the WOD not during.  NEVER during.

I always think it's funny when people who read my blog and don't Crossfit say, "Wow.  You're so hardcore.  You do so well."  If you only knew blog readers.  If you only knew.  I am hardcore, but I'm still way worse than all of the gangsters at my gym.  So, I guess that just makes me mediumcore.  <---Bah ha ha...I seriously crack myself up.

I finished and that's what counts.  The fact that my lungs burned for a good 10 minutes after I was done is neither here nor there.

So, I started back to the gym yesterday.

I got on the treadmill and used my C25K app on my phone which, by the way, is awesome. I mean, at first I was a bit surprised. I really thought that with an app called "Couch to 5K" it would start with something a little easier like: Day 1- Remove your ass from the couch and put on your gym clothes. Day 1 complete.

Apparently my iPhone wants to push my a little harder than that. So, Day 1-5 minute brisk walk to warm up, then alternate 60 second run, 90 second walk for 20 minutes followed by a 5 minute cool down. Not too intense. This thing is great. It tells me exactly what to do and when so I can just listen to my music.

Though, it IS a little bossy. I was hoping for a sweet, "Ok, it's time to run. Good job!" It says, in a manly military-like voice, "Run." "Walk." "Run." "Workout complete."

What?! That's it?! "Workout complete." How bout, "Way to move your ass today. I'm so impressed at your endurance (can I even use those words without laughing when I run for 60 seconds at a time). Way to only watch 2 episodes of Khloe and Lamar and not 12!" So, I need more accolades than most. Oh well, I guess I'll have to call my friends for those because apparently Mr. Drill Sargent voice on Couch to 5K won't be giving it to me.

Today...Day 2 of C25K.

"Find something you love to do and then it won't feel like working out." The quote I heard over and over and over. Each time I imagined punching the person (usually someone with a perfect body) who said it.

Says Mr. Triathlete, "I just LOVE running. It's so addicting. If I don't do it, I don't feel good." (Imagining myself kicking him in his fit little shins)

Says Mrs. Swim Master, "Swimming makes me feel so good. I just get in the pool and go and I go for miles and miles." (Imagining myself snapping her goggles on her head)

Says Ms. Bikram Yoga, "It's like a drug. I just do it because I HAVE to do it, for me." (Imagining myself forcing her to put her face on that sweat-filled floor)

I'm that girl now. I LOVE hiking. It IS like my drug. For me, it is a whole body experience. Mind, body, and soul. I'm so glad I found something that I enjoy doing. I love that I can do it with friends and socialize (one of my all-time favorite things to do) or do it by myself and have just as much fun. People on the mountain are always happy and positive which makes for great surroundings. The dessert in bloom is, quite possibly, one of the most beautiful sites in the world.



The time of day and my mood determine my playlist, and I just cruise. Sunrise hikes, in the morning make me feel closer to God, and my mom, and my grandma. (No, this isn't a commercial for the Catholic church, you're still on the right channel). Afternoon hikes help me clear my head after a day of putting new thoughts in there. As I hike, I get to be with just me, my music and my thoughts. By the time I'm done, my head it clear, I feel like I've sweated out tons of toxins and I have a ton of energy.



This has been, by far, my best hiking season yet. I put in more miles than I ever have, and I saw so much progress in myself. I went faster. I could go further without stopping. I had more endurance. And each time it got easier.

Are you that person imagining yourself poking holes in my Camelbak? I would be so excited if that were the case because that would mean I'm making at least one person think...or just making them nauseous. Either way, YEAH!

I gave up my Bikram V-Card today. Yeah, that's right, I did it. As with most first times, it wasn't quite as good as I had hoped it would be but I'm sure it will get better.

Here are some mental notes I made during the 90 minutes of hell class.

1. It's hot.
No, it's really freakin' hot. I walked in and thought, "Hmmm, this isn't that hot." I was secretly patting myself on the back for being so tough when all my friends, who have talked about it, have said how hot it was. So I sat and waited for class to start. Then the instructor came in and went to the thermostat. LPIMH: Why is she going over there? Then the heat kicked on. WTF?! It's gonna get hotter. It got a LOT hotter.

2. Carpet??!?!?
Who was the genius who designed this place to have carpet on the floor?!?! It stinks in here. LPIMH: Maybe it's my imagination. Maybe that's the smell of carpet. I'm sure nobody actually sweats on the carpet. That's why we have towels and mats. During class: We sweat ON the carpet. People, myself included, were DRIPPING on the carpet. SICK! I wonder how much sweat is in that carpet. Ugh, let's not think about it anymore.

3. L-O-N-G
It's 90 minutes. That's as long as most movies. Ok, not as long as Schindler's List, but they have an intermission in there. That class is only 20 minutes shorter than Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It's 6 minutes shorter than Juno. Ok, I'll stop googling the running times of movies. You get the point. It's a long damn time to be that hot.

4. So, I can't drink water whenever I want? I thought I was 30.
So the first "party time" (their term, not mine) which is the time you're ALLOWED to drink your water was 20 minutes in to class. Note to self: drink a lot of water BEFORE you go next time.

5. The teacher talks A LOT!
She talked for 90 minutes straight. For 90 minutes there were words coming out of her mouth. That's a whole lotta talking!

6. These people are RIPPED!
Men, ripped. Women, ripped. Men, in Speedo-like shorts, ripped. Women, in tie-up fancy colored bathing suit like bikinis, ripped. If this is what Bikram does to your body, I'll keep torturing myself.

7. I got "called out" at least 20 times.
"Ok, everyone put your hands under your heels and pull straight up. Katie (on a microphone on an elevated stage, no doubt), I actually need your hands under your heels." LPIMH: Yes. I heard you. Can you see me trying? It's not like I'm trying to be defiant. She said my name more than anyone in the class. I'm sure the other people were like, "Who the f*** is Katie and why did she come if she can't do anything?!"

8. It was actually really rewarding...when I was done...and home.
I felt awesome when I got home. I was shaking trying to walk to my car and driving was a bit dicey but when I got in my door, life was good. My body tingled like it was happy.

My body is happy. I'll be back tomorrow morning. Does it get easier? Will ALL of the instructors call me out? I'm never telling anyone my name again.

It goes without saying that I'm addicted to my iPhone. So, unfortunately, Droid users...this may not be your favorite article.

Here are my favorite apps that help me move and groove...and a few I stole from www.fitperez.com. Hey, don't judge! You have your vices too! One of mine just happens to be a flamboyant, shit talking, celebrity whore.

My24
This has my group fitness schedule right there for any 24 Hour Fitness that I'm near. So quick! So easy! Now, if it would just drive me there too.

Chipolte
Ok, so it's not THE healthiest...but if you cut your portions and order carefully, it's way better than most. You can place your order AND pay. Just walk in and pick it up :)

AllTrails
Hiking is my favorite exercise when it's nice. Ok, not when it's just "nice." The weather has to be perfect and for about 3 months in AZ it is just that. Anyway, this will find the trails closest to you and has ratings of them and levels of difficulty.

GoodFood
This is the COOLEST one ever! If you're on the run or, even, heading to a restaurant (Sidenote: Why is that the most difficult word, in the English language to spell. I have NEVER not had the red line under it). Click it and it will tell you the healthiest things on the menu, how many calories, fat, carbs and protein!

Pandora
Click it on, plug in your headphones and go. Current favorite, thanks to my workout buddy...Black Eyed Peas. It plays lots of Peas but other upbeat jams too.

C25K
I feel like this made this FOR me. It's "Couch to 5K," and I made give it all the credit if I actually finish this race (I use that term "race" VERY loosely) in April.

Facebook
Ummm, because I can Facebook WHILE working out.

100 Pushups
This takes you from being able to do 1 push-up to 100. Ok, so I'm not so religious about using it. I downloaded it in August and now I can do 3 push-ups...but I bet it would work if I used it.

Ab Workout
A different work-out each day. It's good!

Livestrong
I'm not counting calories right now but for those people who are, this one is AWESOME...and it gives you little ribbons that keep you motivated! Who doesn't love ribbons?!

Do you have good ones?! Share! Share!