I love Me

I love my life. I love my drive. I love that I have a get up and go, never say die, never give up attitude! I love that I push myself, love myself and know deep down that I'm going to achieve the goals I set forth for myself!! Good Morning Pirates!!

 This is what I typed into the feed on the Pirate’s page first thing this morning – and it felt gooooooooooood.  I typed “I love myself”, then backspaced it until it disappered – then I wrote it again!.  Love a good light bulb moment!!

I love myself!!

It feels so weird to say, even weirder to actually believe – I haven’t loved myself…well…..ever!!

I’ve lived my life in a constant state of self-hatred and loathing, never really knowing anything different.  I really truly thought that I would live that way forever!!

How funny that I accidently said “I love myself” in a post and then even funnier, realising that it is actually true!! I can’t wait to tell my husband!!

This morning I felt on top of the world!!  I just felt so alive! I went for a run at 5am, I included a massive hill and ran off the side of a cliff down to the beach, did some stair climbs back up.  All in the dark of the morning, when the wind was howling and there was lightening all around me and when my running buddy needed a sleep in and I wanted so badly to use that as an excuse and stay in bed.

I didn’t stay in bed! I realised that my goals were far more important than a warm snug bed on a freezing cold blustery, stormy morning. I got up, got dressed and ran!!!

I was smiling. It was cold, it was hard, it hurt – it hurt my lungs it hurt my legs, but I kept going, I kept smiling and I felt awesome!

I love kicking that hill’s butt!!

Today I felt my inner awesome and I look forward to embracing it a little more everyday!!

A dear friend posted this to me in a text message today.....

Oh yeah!! Feeling Awesome today!!

Here are my Mean Abs, Tuff Butt workouts for yesterday (because I didn't blog yesterday) and today....

Loving my Holidays!!

I have been down in Coffs for one whole week and I have absolutely LOVED every minute of it!!

Day 1 came with week 4's weigh in and measure up - and it was bad news - I was a kilo up on the scales and my waste and hip measurements were also up on the tape!! How!!??

So day one of holidays and I set myself the goal to lose that sucker 1kg and didn't give up on it all week!!! (ok there was that one incident involving a Banana Split at the Big Banana....). This last week I have had some great workouts that went a little something like this...

Wed - Gym am + Gym pm
Thurs - Gym am + Road Run pm
Fri - Gym am + Road Run pm
Sat - SSS on the Beach front
Sun - Hill run
Mon - CrossFit 530am +  Gym 10am
Tues - CrossFit 530am + Body weight exercises Midday + Gym pm
Wed - Road Run 5km + Caravan Strength workout pm

I weighed in this morning - 900g down!! 100g short but I don't care because I really trained hard and am proud of all the work I did.

This afternoon after my 5km hill run this morning, I couldn't face the gym again at 9am - so i packed some lunches, threw the kids on their bikes and headed off for the 1km walk to the beach front - promising myself that I would go off to the gym in the evening......

Evening came and my youngest wee girl was too tired and too needy and needed her Mummy, I knew that making her sit in the play room at the gym would be too unfair. 

Wednesday is Stretch, Core and Balance day in the Lean and Strong Program, and given that I had my cardio in the bag, I decided to stay in the Caravan and attempt to do the workout in house!!

Well it was harder than I thought, maintaining balance on my bed, but I did my best and was pleased that I didn't use a whingy child as an excuse to miss my training from the program.  I notoriously flake out on the Wednesday core exercises, do the abs and then head off for some cardio so another pat on the back for me for sticking with it today I think!!

The kids helped me count reps and did some stretching and core work themselves - I absolutely love it when they want to train with me and they see that I try my best to live a healthy, active life!!

My official blog photographer captured some of my session, up on my bed in the Caravan - wearing my State of Origin shirt of course!!

Go Queensland!!!

Child's Pose

Kneeling Core and Balance

Crunches

Side Taps

Side Plank Raises and Holds

Double Crunch

Plank

Lets's not forget My Mean Abs, Tuff Butt for the Day...

More than meets the eye!!

This morning I write this post on the wall of a 12WBT facebook group I am apart of....

I have been so down lately in regards to "how far I have to go", only seeing this ring of fat around my midsection like a floatie and my squishy flabby bum and thighs....and then along came a lady named Mary Crea and she said to me

"You are a wonderful person Kate, your round stomach does not define you"

....ding ding ding (that could be the penny dropping or the light bulb moment you can hear)... I bloody am more than a round tummy - more than a work in progress, seemingly 100miles from my goals!!

Every day, between working hard to reduce my floatie ring, I am a fabulous mother (really, I'm not just saying that - I really am a great mum), an adoring, patient, supportive wife, I am a decent human being with solid wholesome values, I am creative, I am strong, I am determined, hard working, funny (even though my husband would beg to differ on that one), I am a great friend, sister and daughter, I AM more than my floatie ring - so I will REFUSE to let it define my mood, my day, my mindset or or life!!

*******

I felt so empowered coming to this conclusion.  The 12WBT is all about creating the very best version of myself - not specific to the best body ever or the skiniest or fittest body!!

Of course I will continue to strive full pelt towards my goals - I just have to acknowledge that thinking about it, consuming myself with it, might not be the best way to go about achieving the best version of myself that I am wanting to create!!

I am the one who must remember this the most!!

*******

Here's my Mean Abs,  Tuff But Workout of the Day.....just keeping myself accountable here!!



Cross Fit

What is CrossFit??

CrossFit is a strength and conditioning system built on constantly varied, if not randomised, functional movements executed at high intensity.

“The magic is in the movements”.

CrossFit workhorse movements include deadlifts, squats, pull-ups, running and lunging, pushups and dips, presses and jerks, cleans and snatches, rope climbing, sit-ups, jumping, throwing, pressing to handstand and some hybrid movements like the muscle-up, clean & jerk, “wall-ball”, and “thruster”.

The CrossFit toolbox contains gymnastics rings, barbells, bumper plates, dumbbells, parallel bars, pull-up bars, medicine balls, rope, mats, and some odds and ends like kettlebells, a giant tire, and sandbags.

What is a WOD?

WOD is "Workout of the Day." The great folks at CrossFit post a workout for each day.

Ok - up to speed?? Good!!

Since settling in last Wednesday I have been to the gym 8 or so times (in 6 days) and have been peeking in the CrossFit room, each of those times, checking the WOD on the board, wondering if I could pull it off - all the while telling myself "tomorrow"....

Today was that tomorrow.

6am - CrossFit was my comitment - 6am CrossFit it was.

The WOD looked a little something like this...

Sure - no worries I can do that...

Oh wait up - didn't see this bit...

Oh right - I get it 5 rounds!! .... ok.... so lets do the math on that WOD....

20 pull ups x 5 = 100 pull ups

30 push ups x 5 = 150 push ups

40 sit ups x 5 = 200 sit ups

50 aquats x 5 = 250 squats

all up a total of 700 body weight reps.

It was gruelling!! I am thankful for the Pull-up assist band as I would have NEVER been able to pull off 100 of those suckers without it!!

The first few rounds, I felt like I was a machine...then I got to what I thought was my 5th round and no one else was finished yet....hmmmm, maybe I have one more round to go - so off I went and hit it again.

The coach was walking about the room with a big stick, bashing people with it for poor form....that isn't true - but correcting form he was - my squats weren't low enough, I had to squat down until my knees hit the stick - then he was onto me each time I did my squats - making sure my form was perfect - poor form doesn't fly in crossfit - poor form = doesn't count = do it again!!

I got through it, I survived!!

And my first ever CrossFit WOD time...

35min and 43 sec!!

Pretty pleased with that effort - more so I am proud of myself for finally giving it a go!!

I am looking forward to seeing what the WOD is for today.....and whether I am brave enough to try it!!

Let's not forget my Mean Abs and Tuff Butt Challenge for today.....

 

July 1st ...June Take #2

So I signed up for Mean Abs and Tuff Butt June.... and got to the 15th or so and it all became less and less important and I found less and less time to complete it (trying to fit in my 12WBT 10km program, my 12WBT Lean and Strong program, the Abs/Butt challenge and....oh yeah my life in there somewhere too) ..... I was doing catch up days like crazy (defeating the purpose I'm sure) and was going to have....well some Mean Abs and a Tuff butt by July....this did not happen.

So it's the 1st July and I thought if at first you don't suceed....give up on a hot arse and a flat stomach???...no, no, no that's not right - if at first you don't succeed, try try again!!

I took an Ab shot and I can honestly say that compared to last month's Ab shot- my belly looks so much more jelly like and round than one month prior....so this is a definate course for concern!!

I will comit to a Mean Abs and Tuff Butt JULY, I will comit to posting an abs before and after pic to show my progress - so no more bum shots - I just can't take it!!

Here was my challenge requirments for today,

And here is my June1st and July 1st photos.....

Bring on 30 more days!!

SSS Week 4 - Beach Front Style!!

Usually I spend my SSS (Super Saturday Session) at the gym or at home...nothing beat today's SSS Location - Woolgoolga Beach Front!!

My new Holiday Fitness Friend and I took our girls for a ride to the park along the beach front and set up shop for a CRAZY CARD SSS.

I was so proud of my wee girl, riding all the way!!!

The landscape sure beat the walls of the gym, it was a glorious morning with the sun shining (finally!!) and the girls off in the park to play.  I'm not a beach goer myself, but it was a delighful sight and a good feeling to be warming up outdoors.

 Today's SSS was a CRAZY CARD workout - which went a little something like this.....

10min warm up walk/jog - we walked to the park.







Grab a pack of cards - shuffle (oh please shuffle) and split it into 2.

1st half of the deck:
Hearts = Sqaut Jumps
Spades = Push Ups
Diamonds = Over the Fence Jumps
Clubs = Plyo Lunges
Royals = Burpees

Peal over the card - what ever suit exposed is the exercise, whatever the number of the card is the reps of that exercise to be performed - Royals - always 10 Burpees. (oh Dear)
 
Eg. Draw the 7 of Hearts = 7 Squat Jumps.

Complete half the deck - rest for 2min -

Now its time for the 2nd half of the deck...
Hearts = Box Jumps
Spades = Mac Pushups
Diamonds = Over the Fence jumps
Clubs = Single leg squats
Royals = Burpees (again with the burpees!!)

10min Stair runs to finish the job!!

Ok....I'm ready.....

It was so much fun - hard...that's the point right??...But so much fun - and it was made HEAPS better by having company, for sure!! Although I'll never let her shuffle again!! Waaaay too many pushups and Burpees in a row for my liking!!...come to think of it there were a string of single leg squats in a row aswell!! Yep, I'll be shuffling next time for sure!!!

We didn't have a set of stairs for the stair run, so we ran up the ramp that takes you down to the beach and high-kee'ed it all the way back up (as if we had stairs) for the last 10mins.....we may have checled the timer 2 or 3 times - how long is 10mins!!!???

Needless to say it was a great workout and a great way to start the weekend!!



SSS Week 4 - Complete!!

We were so grateful for the girls - they were so so well behaved the whole time, joining in, turning over the cards, doing pushups and burpees and counting our reps while we slugged it out!!

If nothing else I am so proud that I am showing my kids how to live a fit and healthy lifestyle and I hope it stays with them for life!!

These 3 gorgeous girls deserved a hard earned icecream for their Super behaviour during our Super Session!!......none for us however - we are keeping those burnt calories in the bank!!

Comfort Zone...?? Where are you???

School Holiday time and we are staying in our Caravan in Woolgoolga (close to Coffs Harbour) for 3 whole weeks!!!

The very first thing I arranged of course was my Gym membership!! I was not willing to let my training go by the way side for 3 whole weeks!! That's a quarter of the Program!! So day one, I marched up to the local "Health Club" to sign up....I walked in the door, joined up for the month, and then took the tour....

My heart started racing, my fists clenched, I could feel my anxiety and insecurities rising to the surface...or was that vomit??

The place is so prehistoric, so back to basics, so raw and old-school - I felt way way way out of my comfort zone!

The weights are rusty, the carpet is ripped, the Smith machine is broken, the stuffing is coming out of the benches, there are holes in the walls and old pieces of rusty equipment stacked up in piles in the corners.....I felt lost and scared!!

What made matters worse (only worse for my ego and my nausea) was that newly made friends from the Caravan park were there too....how was I supposed stumble my way through my program in this uncertain, unfamiliar environment with two super fit, confident people watching me....spotting me.....??? There was nowhere to hide!!

I reverted from a person who confidently walks the floor of my gym at home into an insecure version of myself, stumbling about, making excuses, feeling inadequate and like a complete amateur ...actually - hold up - that's a lie, I confidently walk about in the ladies section and when I have to use equipment in the main gym I slink out, with my eyes to the floor, do what I need to do and can't get back to the safety and security of the ladies area quick enough.....so maybe I haven't fallen as far with my confidence as I first thought!!!

The absolute bonus is (regardless of how inadequate and deflated I felt receiving it) I got what felt like a free personal training session from my new super fit friends!! I got direction on how to perfect my technique in many areas - you certainly can't get away with poor technique when attempting squats and chest presses without my beloved Smith Machine which keeps up my form without too much thinking by me!! (Cheater cheater!!)

I have set myself new challenges for the weeks of "Holiday" in front of me and I am enjoying spending my time with likeminded people, people who accept and encourage this lifestyle, rather than those who tell me that I am "good enough" as I am.
I have no desire to be the BEST at anything, except the BEST VERSION of MYSELF, I have no intention of "going too far" just as far as I need to go to be proud!! And spending a few more weeks with people who feel the same will only serve me well!!

I love this - it's on the wall in the Cross Fit room....

So so true!! Thought I may try out some CROSS FIT whilst I'm here and it's included in my monthly membership...I have always wanted to do it, watched on as others have given in a whirl....I am scared....of course!! There for I must do it!!

See if I can create some magic while I am out there flailing far far from my comfort zone!!!

Watch this space I am going to be smashing out some results this week!!