Deadlifts and Diamonds

Hey everyone, I’ve been thinking a lot about fitness motivation especially in the critical moments when you’re digging deep to make it through. Here are my thoughts on it. How do you stay motivated and energized through the grind? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section. Its the end of your run and your legs are burning , you’re out of breath, and you’re starting to wonder if you’ll ever make it through .  You’re in deep, and the only way to the finish line, up that hill, or through that last rep is through pure will. This is the moment that counts. When you feel like you just can’t take another step, somehow you manage to move forward, shaky, but still going. This is where the transformation happens. This is where the real change occurs. That bit of grit that comes from your inner driving force, some thought telling you, yes you can, that instant is when your inner athlete is born. We’re all athletes regardless of physique—it’s all in the mindset. If you bring one

                                    8AM   I start my days off with a big bowl of oatmeal and muesli. Yummy and filling! Even Jewelz wants some oats!  NOON   Take a trip to Whole Foods Market for their amazing open salad bar with everything from mediterranean couscous to pot roast! I also picked up some Aloe Vera Juice--this stuff is amazing! Its a great way to cleanse the body and balance your PH Levels. 630 WOD  Warm Up : 30 seconds on/off x 3R -high knees to rig/back pedal back -slams (30/15) -push ups Midline : upside down tabata of air squats 20 seconds of holding the bottom of an air squat/10 seconds of squats Strength: Back squats 4 sets of 5 reps at 75% Metcon : 4R4T (15 min time cap) 15 kb swings (53/35) 30 dubz (90 singles) 15 goblet squats 30 ab mat sit ups No dubs for me yet, but I finished 4 rounds! Then died.. 8PM  Ahhh, don't you just love when you leave and you come back to find your food waiting for you? Yes, I do to, that

I'm on a superfood kick right now and I'm eating and researching all sorts of yummy super foods to fuel my workouts and long bike rides. Hey, there's other things one can do with their time, but I prefer to geek out on nutrition.  My latest mixture is a thick superfood smoothie. Yes, it was supposed to be a gel, but it became a smoothie instead. I drank this mixture half way through my 40 mile ride along with plenty of water and 1 honey stinger gu. I survived with plenty of energy left to burn. Check out the ingredients listed below to make your own superfood smoothie mix. I gathered them all  for a group photo. Say "superfood!" Maca Powder - also known as Peruvian Ginseng, maca is a powerful adaptogen and assists the body balance hormones and increase stamina, immunity, and energy. The powder comes from the maca root grown high in the Andes and is well known for its ability to increase libido in men and fertility in women. It mixes well with c

I practically live on sport energy gels. These yummy, gooey, pack and go gels are what get me through my weekly 40 mile bike rides. I love the feeling of cruisin' on my bike in the early morning to take in the scenery and rev up my endorphins and I especially love cranking out a few sprints to get my heart rate soaring and feel the wind on my face. Why have a road bike if you're not going fast right? Cranking out sprints and 3 hour rides takes endurance and most importantly, energy. To prepare and recover from every ride, I pack several gels. I'm a sucker for their flavor (can you say salted caramel flavor!!), packaging, and convenience. Yes, I'm a sucker because I spend $1.50 to $3.00 per gel pack and I'm burning through at least 3 packs per ride. The ingredients in most of these gels are a sugar source and electrolytes--exactly what the body needs for an endurance sport, but if you look into the source of their sugar, you'll see that this isn't the hea

Woo hoo! I finally took the next step to 'up' my workout game and get in the best shape of my life--I signed up at Crossfit Redefined! Its a ton of fun and I now I know why there's so many crossfit fanatics out there. To get started, I took their intro classes to meet everyone, learn the lingo, and practice good form for the lifts. After learning the ropes (and yes, literally climbing a rope), I'm prepped and ready to attack these workouts. The workouts are everything you could want from a total workout. They're challenging, ever-changing, and there's a lot of partner work and team camaraderie. After a crossfit workout in a no AC box in Texas heat, I am splayed out flat on the gym floor dying and loving every minute of it. Check out my first WOD:  After a 5 minute warm up of jogging & rowing, we focused on strength with Hang Cleans then onto the partner METCON. For partner work, you split the reps with your partner and switch several times if n

The only thing standing between you and your  goal...is fear.  Fear of the unknown, fear of  failure , of success, is all that keeps us from our full potential. For me, the goal is to complete a triathlon, but I'm terrified of the water. You can put me in a boat or even a floatie on the water, but don't put me down for swimming.  Well, who  wouldn't  be afraid to swim 1-3 miles in open water? Yes, miles in a triathlon, not laps….miles of open, cold, deep waters . I’m anxious just thinking about it.  Now, I know the majority of this fear is in my mind. Sure, there is the very real fear that I am not conditioned to swim,  hell I can barely hold my head underwater for 5 seconds without gasping for air, but if I ever want to hold the title of 'triathlete', then I'll have to start somewhere. My first real attempt at swimming was last year and let's just say it didn't go so well. I jumped in the water with new goggles and a sexy swim cap only to ju