Bad Days Happen

Have you ever hit that place where you wonder if you will ever get better at something or if you are just destined to be mediocre forever?

Do you have that negative voice inside your head telling you just to hang up the lifting shoes? Maybe it's asking you "why bother getting up on those rings, you're just going to fail anyways?"

Maybe it has nothing to do with CrossFit or lifting. Maybe that voice is telling you that your mom-skills suck or that you have failed as a friend or it's telling you that you are terrible at making the bed. Whatever it is, big or small, that voice in your head can be mean.

That voice can be loud.

That voice can be defeating.

That voice can also be a huge liar.

One bad day in the gym, or an off day with the kids does not make  you suck at life. It makes you human. Everyone has those days. The danger comes when we let those voices take over, murdering our self confidence.

DON'T LET IT.

You are that voice and you have the power to make it shut the hell up. The best way to do that is to just keep on keeping on. If you are frustrated, step back take a deep breath and try again. Never stop giving it your best shot and know that some days your best is better than on other days.

There is no way you can be mediocre if you are trying.

Bad days happen.

Brush yourself off, put on a smile. If you don't feel like smiling, do it anyways! Before you know it, your smile becomes the real thing. Your happiness returns. Your joy floods back in.

Take your joy back. It's yours and you deserve it.

Sometimes We Need To Take the Scenic Route

Even the best laid plans don't always go as expected.

Since beginning my CrossFit journey almost 5 years ago, I knew almost immediately that I wanted to be a coach and one day have my own gym, but not for the reasons you would expect...or maybe so.

When I found CrossFit, I was needing something positive in my life. I was empty and lost and on a terrible spiral down into a dark depression. I had prayed for God to lift me up and what He did was lead me to a place where I would learn to lift myself up...and I did.

How could I not share this? How could I possibly keep this to myself? I had found the best therapy for me.

Yes. Therapy.

When I started CrossFit, I was 15 pounds underweight, living off minimal sleep and just trying to make it from day to day. I can promise you, "getting fit" was NOT on my mind. The only reason I joined my first CrossFit class was because my boys karate instructor had been pretty excited about the "new class" he was offering and he thought I would like it. If you don't know any karate instructors, they are quite persistent.

So, I tried it out, partly because he asked me to, but mostly because I needed to do something other than sit around feeling sorry for myself.

That first class we did a little chipper. It didn't look bad at all, but I ended up in a puddle on the floor. As I was pulling out of the parking lot that night, it occurred to me that in that hour long class, I had not thought ONE TIME of anything else that was going on in my life. My focus had just been on the moment I was in and I was hooked!

As time went on, I really began loving getting stronger. I fell in love with the barbell and I had finally found an outlet for my secret competitive side by competing in local CrossFit competitions. My husband soon began CrossFitting and my boys started CrossFit Kids. To say CrossFit had changed my life would be a complete understatement. It changed my whole family.

Fast forward two and half years and I was blessed with the opportunity to open my own CrossFit gym which I would co-own for the next 2 years. What an amazing experience! (That is a whole separate blog.)

My love continued for coaching. I fell in love with Olympic Lifting. I wanted to be better, to be stronger and faster and my goals continued to evolve. I felt more comfortable in my 40-something year old body than I ever had my entire life! I made life long friendships in the community and I was happy.

I imagined how the gym would grow over the next years, all the awesome things that we could do, but sometimes my plan and His plan are different.

In June 2014, I finally had to admit to myself that it was time for me to change course and I sold my part of the gym to my business partner. Once again, I felt like a failure and very defeated for those first few weeks, but God always has a plan and I had to remember that. I can absolutely testify that sometimes the right decisions are often the most difficult to make.

Almost immediately, my husband and I began working on our garage and made it into a garage gym. It was around our 3rd workout together that I realized how rare it was that we ever workout together. In all the years I have been coaching, I can literally count the number of times we have worked out together.

It was fun! FUN! and I was given another reason to love CrossFit. My boys joined us for the next one and I was given yet ANOTHER reason to love it.

Did I imagine 5 years ago that I would be coaching people out of my garage? No, but I did imagine that I would still be in love with CrossFit and I am. It continues to be the best therapy ever. It's my "Happy Dose" each day!

CrossFit has been given a bad rap over the years, but I can tell you that it saved me and it saves me everyday. I LOVE getting stronger. I love sweating and knowing I gave a workout everything I have but mostly I LOVE coaching. I love the look on someone's face when they do their first double under, or kick up to their first handstand or get their first pull-up..when I see the joy on their face, there's nothing like it. THAT's what it is all about to me and I don't see that getting old for me anytime soon.

I'm still on my journey and what I have learned is that God's detours are blessings and I believe sometimes He wants us to take the scenic route instead. I am thankful for the detours because it causes me to slow down and enjoy the scenery.

Everyone has a different reason for beginning CrossFit and my story is just one in a million. Whatever your reason is, the goal is to be happy with who you are and what you are doing.

So go be happy! Life is just too short to be anything else.

Strength from Within

I have met some amazing people and have heard so many stories of courage and strength and how CrossFit has been huge in the lives of people going through a very difficult time. Sometimes a persons strength has nothing to do with how many plates are on the barbell. Sometimes, it is God's strength from within that shines the brightest.

Recently, I had the honor of meeting Landon Johnson who has such a testimony. Both Landon and his story have truly blessed me. With his permission, I am sharing it you.

Landon and Jaime with baby Callie.

In November 2012, Landon Johnson had big plans. He was training for the 2013 Reebok CrossFit Open with a possible shot at making Regionals, preparing for his Level 1 Certification, and expecting his first child with his wife.

All of that changed for Johnson in just a matter of days.

After a routine check-up, the Johnsons’ doctor informed them that their daughter had not shown as much growth as he would have liked and thought it would be best to schedule a C-section for the next day. 

On November 9, their daughter, Callie, was born at almost 37 weeks, weighing only three pounds eleven ounces. An ultra sound revealed that Callie also had a hole in her heart. Understandably, the Johnsons were shocked but believed that surgery would be able to fix it.

The next day, the Johnsons were dealt another blow. A second doctor said that she noticed characteristics that were similar to Trisomy 18, a chromosomal abnormality, in little Callie.

As a concerned father, the first thing Johnson did was research Trisomy 18 and was devastated to learn that the prognosis wasn’t good. Most babies diagnosed with this condition usually don’t survive past the first year of birth.

“I was just in a state of disbelief. I had all these plans for my daughter,” Johnson said. “I wanted her to grow up, play with Barbies, paint my fingernails, and us go shopping. Now they were telling me I may not see her past one year of life?”

“It hit us hard. You go from excitement to a state of panic in just a day, in just an instant,” Johnson said.

Johnson and his wife, Jaime, made the decision to enjoy every single moment they had with Callie and told the doctors they wanted to take her home.

Landon holding his daughter for the first time.

“We wanted to hold her, love on her and just have her home with us as long we could,” Johnson said.

The day before Thanksgiving 2012, the Johnsons were able to take Callie home.

“Taking care of Callie at home wore us out physically,” Johnson said. “We had a hospice nurse that came in twice a week. Callie was also on oxygen and had to be fed through a tube every four hours, but we wouldn’t have traded any of those moments.”

They cherished every day they had, taking her to see Santa and to the Christmas party at the fire station where Johnson works as a firefighter and paramedic.

“We wanted no regrets,” Johnson said.

On February 7, 2013, Callie passed away at 90 days old.

“My wife woke me up early one morning to tell me that Callie’s breathing sounded funny,” Johnson said. “I woke up to see her take her last breath. I got my stethoscope to listen for her heartbeat. It was the most difficult day of my life.”

Johnson says it was his faith and his relationship with God that helped him through this time. He also discovered how much Callie touched the lives of so many people in her short life.

“At her funeral, I was blown away by how many people showed up,” said Johnson. “People from my gym, I mean, I didn’t even know all their names! I felt bad, but they were there supporting us through this time.”

It was during this difficult time that he said CrossFit became something more to him.

“CrossFit was therapy for me,” Johnson said. “The friends I have made through CrossFit just blew me away. They made me smile. They would tell me daily how much Callie had touched their lives. Talking to people about Callie was healing, and I took every opportunity to talk about her.”

“They are loyal. We suffer together, and we are family,” Johnson said.

CrossFit was also healing for his wife. Jaime had never done CrossFit before Callie’s death, but she credits it with helping her to relieve stress during this difficult time.

One year later, Johnson is now a coach at Over the Mountain CrossFit. 

“As a coach he has such a positive attitude and always knows exactly how to push people and get them motivated,” said Clay Adams, owner of OTM CrossFit. ”Landon has been through some tough trials at a young age, and his faith and strength has made us all better people. I can truly speak for everyone at our box and say that he has not only made us stronger physically, but mentally taken us all to a new level. We are blessed to have Landon as a leader and friend.“

As Johnson prepares for the 2014 Reebok CrossFit Open, he says he has a new perspective on life. He has recently started back competing on the local competition scene, putting his name out there as someone to look out for.

Although he said his support system and coaching is essential to his training, it is his daughter’s memory that drives him most.

“Whenever I get tired, want to quit or drop the bar, I think of Callie and I think, ‘Be strong for her. Push through for her,’ and most days I feel like I can go forever!”

Johnson said his daughter taught him a lot in her short lifetime.

“This situation taught me that life doesn’t always go the way we plan. Life is short. Whether you live 90 days or 90 years, life is still short. If you are not living out your purpose, your calling, it’s going to be wasted,” he said.

As for his ultimate goal in CrossFit, Johnson said he “just want[s] to make Callie proud.”

The Johnsons are currently in the process of adopting and are expecting a son in May.

Believe! You Can Do This!

It is that time again when one year comes to an end and another year begins. A time when we look back on the past year and pat ourselves on the back for achieving goals that we set for ourselves OR wonder "What the hell happened?!"

I have stated before that I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions. Why? Well, let me ask you. How many of your New Year's Resolutions have you actually achieved? My guess is, probably not that many.

Now let me ask you another question.

How many of the goals that you have set for yourself have you met? I would venture to guess that you have reached many of them.

Have you achieved all of your goals? Probably not. If you have, I would tell you it is time to make some more. We should ALWAYS have our sights set on a goal and when we reach that goal, set a new one! Remember, "The finish line is just the beginning of a whole new race."

As I have looked back on this past year, I am thrilled and amazed at how much has happened.
There were many goals that I set out for myself that I still have not reached, but I am certainly closer to achieving them than I was a year ago.

As far as goals met, I competed in 4 CrossFit competitions in the RX division,  I even came in second place in my first Master's Division at the Reindeer Games. I recieved my CrossFit Gymnastic Cert., organized my very first and successful fundraiser benefiting Autism, (WODism for Autism). I went to the CrossFit Games and watched some amazing athletes! I met Cheryl Brost, Lindsey Smith, Rich Froning Jr AND Fitness Lonnie! I learned butterfly pullups, got my first bar muscle up and got stronger.

I also surprised myself with achieving my largest goal.

Owning and running my own box has been a long time goal of mine, more like a dream of mine. I saw that dream fulfilled back in August when I and two of my good friends opened CrossFit Alabaster. It has been a huge success and that is due to my outstanding partners and our amazing (and fun) athletes! I have made some pretty incredible relationships because of CrossFit Alabaster and have the opportunity to spend time with some pretty amazing people on a daily basis. I am blessed.

This morning while I was in church listening to my dad preach, he said this during the sermon, "sometimes opportunities come disguised as impossibilities. Remember, nothing is impossible with God!"

This is so relevant to me. I don't know if I thought it was impossible to have my own box, but I did wonder if it would ever be possible. What I can say is that I BELIEVED I could do it. I don't know what your faith is, but I do know this. You must BELIEVE  for it to come to pass. I truly believed. I had a few people tell me that I would not be any good at all running my own gym/business. That I didn't know how to do "this", I didn't know how to do "that". I wasn't good at "this", I needed to be better at "that".

I had faith in myself though. I had a positive support group and I chose to listen to them. I chose to believe in myself and I chose to put my faith in Him.

Have you ever set a goal or set out to do something and had someone tell you that you couldn't do it?

Did you do it anyway and succeed? Why? Because you had faith in yourself! You believed you could do it!

The same also applies to your fitness goals, as well. One of my goals this year was to have a "PRETTY Muscle Up". It's okay, you can laugh, but if you saw my muscle up, you would agree that this is a very good goal for me to have. The other day, I was on the rings working with one of our other coaches and he told me, "Dawn, give me a few minutes, I will have you on top of those rings! It's going to happen today!"

HE believed!

We transitioned, we kipped, we broke everything down back to the basics. All the things I already knew. I could do this! I was ready to do this...right? I got back up on the rings, did this beautiful kip (well, it felt beautiful)...and felt myself stop pulling, mid-swing.

For the first time, I actually heard the words in my head. "You are going to fall."

I was scared I was going to fall. I KNEW I was going to fail. I was scared I would go through the rings...all the way through and fall out of the rings. I did not expect to get on top of those rings. So...I didn't.

I did not believe.

Guess what goal I have not reached. Guess who is holding me back...me.

So today I am asking you to make goals for yourself. Write them down. Share them with someone! My biggest goals were achieved because I had help and encouragement and I BELIEVED.

You can do this!

2013 is going to be an amazing year!

Happy New Year!

Is Sugar Addiction for REAL?

This is a topic that I have discussed before but I feel I need to revisit it, as much for me as for you.
Is Sugar Addiction for Real?
In a word...YES!

As I have mentioned before, I am addicted to sugar and this is a battle that I have struggled with for a year.
Why only a year? Well, because it was only a year ago that I discovered this addiction.
I mean, how can you know your addicted to something if you have never been without it?

Before I go into this subject any further, let me first say that I am not throwing this word "addiction" around lightly. After discussing this with my husband and getting his encouragement, I am going to get a little personal here and give a little more information about me (and my family) because I really want you to understand where I am coming from.

So here it is, my husband is a recovering alcoholic (going on 2 1/2 years sober). I have been with my husband for 23 years and have known him since I was 14 years old and he was 15 years old. The point? I KNOW my husband. What I didn't know was that he was an alcoholic. How is that possible?
Because I didn't understand what addiction really meant.

When we were in college, we both partied with the best of them and he could drink anyone under a table and still appear "Sober". It seemed like a talent. People admired him for it. Then one day during his Freshman year, he woke up very, very sick from a night of heavy drinking, realized he had a problem and decided at the moment to stop drinking. Yep! Just like that...right?

This lasted a small period of time and gradually he began to drink again on occasion or socially but he never seemed to become drunk, so I never worried. Here is the thing though, alcohol didn't have control over me, so how could I possibly know what he was going through? In fact, if you had asked me then, I would have told you that he was a "cured" alcoholic.

I can tell you today, there is NO SUCH THING as a "cured alcoholic".

Here is what I didn't know. He was still an alcoholic and he was only able to "control" it because he managed to have a little bit of alcohol at least 3 times a week.

It all came to a head about 4 years ago when my mother-in-law suddenly passed away. It was awful and tragic and that night my husband and I cried and mourned for her over a 6-pack of beer for him and a pack of Jack Daniels Lynchburg Lemonade for me. It wasn't until about a week later when I came out of that sad "fog" that I realized my husband was still drinking a 6 pack every day.

It had begun. The seesaw had been tipped.

I will not get into what we went through that horrible year, because it is over and it's a place I do not want to revisit. I do, however, want to share with you what I learned and what he taught me during his recovery.
I learned that for 20 years (since he "quit" drinking in college) he had to make a conscious decision to NOT drink EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

I remember talking with the AA counselor one day and saying, "I don't get it. I drank just as much as he did in college. If I don't want another drink, I stop. I know when enough is enough. Why can I stop and he can't? Why would he continue to drink knowing that it was harming himself and tearing his family apart?"

Answer:-because he is addicted and I am not. PERIOD.

As a non-addict, this was very hard to wrap my head around. I just didn't understand.

So what does this have to do with Sugar Addiction? Stay with me.

A few weeks ago, Melissa Hartwig of Whole9 posted a blog regarding her own addiction in her blog, "Coming Clean". It was such an honest and open account of what she went through many years ago and how she is now using that experience in a positive way to help others with their food addictions. Particularly sugar and carbs.
This part really jumped out at me.

"Because theoretically, food addiction isn’t that different from drug addiction.
I’m not saying it’s the same, because technically, it’s not.  According to the The American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-IV, addiction is classified by three factors:

1. Desire, even in the face of negative consequences
2. Tolerance to the effect of the substance
3. Withdrawal symptoms when use is reduced or stopped

Food – particularly sugar – clearly satisfies the first two conditions.  The jury is still out as to the third, and I’m simply not comfortable putting sugar or bread in the same category as heroin.

But the term is also applied to behaviors that are not substance-related, such as shopping, gambling or overeating. In this common usage, “addiction” describes a recurring compulsion to engage in some specific activity, despite harmful consequences (as deemed by the user themselves) to their individual health, mental state, or social life."

Ok, so let's be honest. Sugar addiction will not rip a family apart. Sugar addiction will not cause you to go bankrupt or break someone's heart or steal. You don't get a DUI/DWI for having too many milkshakes. People won't really take you serious if you tell them your are addicted to sugar, and why not? What's the big deal anyway? Sugar can't hurt you...right?

Umm, have you heard of diabetes? How about this? "Refined sugar is notorious for causing increased inflammation in the body. Regular consumption of refined sugar can lead to chronic inflammation which can disrupt immune system functioning. Chronic inflammation is implicated in arthritis, some forms of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease among many other illnesses. Chronic inflammation has also been linked to a higher risk of depression and schizophrenia. Psychologists who have become aware of the recent research on sugar and mental illness have begun recommending sugar free diets to patients." Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/032689_sugar_mental_illness.html#ixzz1ksQ98LOO

I know all of these things. I even discuss with my athletes about how much better they will feel if they just eliminate the sugar out of their diets. I know because I have done the Whole30 twice in the past year. The last time I went 40 days and I felt amazing!! But then, I allow myself a cheat day, and then a cheat weekend and then, before I know it I have managed to explain to myself why I "deserve" to enjoy the bliss of sugar for the entire week.

Next thing I know, I am standing in front of a candy drawer hoping my husband doesn't come in and catch me sneaking a mini snickers.

THIS IS ADDICTION

I just didn't know what addiction really was and it took my husband who has been through his own program to point out to me what was going on. I will be honest. I was PISSED! I mean, how could he possibly compare my desire for chocolate to alcohol? And yet, here I was on the phone telling him to get twizzlers for our family movie night. "I thought you said no more sugar?," he asks. "Oh! I will start that next week. (enter excuse here). 

You see, I had no idea I was addicted to sugar. Do you know why? Because until I did the Whole30 I had never gone ONE day in my life without consuming some type of sugar. NOT ONE! Have you? Think about it. Yes, I may have gone a whole week without cookies, or cake, but how about ketchup? Sweetend tea? Salad Dressing? jelly? Soda?
If you have never gone without, how do you know what it is doing to you or how it makes you feel? 

So what is my point? I have a problem...sugar. And the conclusion is this. I have to take this not just "day by day" but "meal by meal". As a coach, it is a very hard thing to admit that you are owned by sugar and it makes me angry. By posting this, I hope that I am able to encourage you to tackle your addiction head on, whether it is sugar, over eating, shopping, ect. It may not be as serious as alcohol or heroine, but if it has control over you then it is something that you personally have to deal with every day. You deserve to be free from that.
I know this is something that I must conquer...and I will! As Melissa told me,  "You have to work your own program, and take it one day, one meal, one minute at a time." 

That is exactly what I intend to do.

This week's WOD

Monday

4 Rounds

20 Box (20") Step Ups holding 20lb dumbbells

30 sit ups

Run 400 meters

Time:17:26

Tuesday

AMRAP 9 minutes

10 Romanian Dead lifts (65lbs)

10 Hand Release Push ups

Score: 11+3 (Holy Hamstrings!!!)

Wednesday

Strength Day

Climbing Squats (each set go up in weight)
Overhead Squats- 95lbs, 105lbs, 115lbs, 125lbs, 135lbs (NEW PR!!!)

Front Squats-140lbs, 145lbs, 150lbs, 150F, 150F (Suck at these! WHY?!?)

Back Squats- 155lbs, 165lbs, 175F, 175lbs, 185lbs

Thursday:

Tabata Box Jumps (7)

rest 1 minute

Tabata Situps (10)

rest 1 minute

Tabata KBS, 50lbs (7)

Friday

Skill Day

Run 1 mile for time-7 minutes

Max height Box jump- 35 1/4"

Clean & Jerk 5-5-5 (95lbs, 115lbs, 125lbs) New PR for 5rep max