books and barbells: Behind the scenes of your basic-mom-crossfitter.

books and barbells: Behind the scenes of your basic-mom-crossfitter.: So, a lot of crazy has gone down in my CrossFit life since my last post. I figured it was high time that I updated you all. Some of you lov...

Behind the scenes of your basic-mom-crossfitter.

So, a lot of crazy has gone down in my CrossFit life since my last post. I figured it was high time that I updated you all. Some of you lovelies don’t really care about my cultish CrossFit ways, and that’s okay…it’s my blog so I can write whatever the heck I want!  So if you’re a hater, then stop reading right now and don’t waste your time. I moderate all comments; you have been warned.

Here's a picture. Cause a picture can say so much. And If you're like me you love yourself some progress pics. In the Day 1 picture I was 5 pounds less then I am now and I was running about 20-30 miles a week. You're welcome!

On with the saga,....It’s been about a year since my last CrossFit post. At that time I had just finished my first competition and was fairly new to CrossFit. In fact, our box had just receive their official affiliate status the week of the competition. I think I had only worked on snatches and Clean and Jerks for a couple of weeks before the comp. Yeah, I was pretty green and had no clue what I was getting myself into. Conditioning I had, lifting…not so much. Regardless, I still had a lot of fun, learned a lot, and overall it was a great experience.

Fast forward a few months later…I was getting pretty serious about CF and decided I’d like to get my level 1 training certificate. In late March (2014) I took the course and passed the test.  After completing the course, I was asked if I was just super stoked and fired up on CrossFit and the prospect of coaching. I smiled and nodded and said yes. And yes, I was. But in all honesty the one thing that really made an impression upon me was the realization that there is a sh*t ton about CrossFit that I don’t know and that I needed to improve upon. Especially the Olympic Lifts! 

Fast forward a few months after that. The coach and owner of the box (that’s a gym to you Philistines) had me shadowing some classes for a couple of months. It was an awesome experience and I learned a lot when it came to coaching others. But I still felt like I was only scratching the surface. I started coaching the early morning class shortly there after and it went well enough, but there was always this nagging feeling that I needed to keep pushing, keep learning and striving to be the best that I could be so I could in turn I could help others reach their goals. 

So after some soul searching (yeah, I just wrote that) it was with a heavy heart that I decided to leave my box and seek another gym where I could focus on just being an athlete again. I also needed a box that was a lot more barbell heavy. I looked around for about a month and found my new home. 

I know a lot of folks will think transferring boxes is great, and some will think it is hate. I was pretty stressed about leaving my old gym at first. You see, I am such a people pleaser and I really don’t like it when people are angry with me. blah, blah, blah, boohoo I know ;) I knew there would be some kick back, feelings of betrayal, and anger by some. But by golly at 38 years old I gotta do what’s right for me damn it! And that right thing for me was to switch up my training. Side note: The coaches at my old gym were great!!! But every box has it’s own vibe and area of focus. I needed something different, and what worked for me, not something better. Better is relative when it comes to individual goals.

I’ve been at my new box for 2 months now. My Olympic Lift totals have gone up by 35 pounds. I’ve lost 7 pounds and I am preparing for my first Weightlifting meet which will take place next month. I’m super excited about lifting! It’s my new favorite, and I’m jazzed to be focusing on it. It’s my biggest weakness; but instead of running from it I'm making it my main focus when I'm training.

Okay, so here’s where I’m going to get real with y’all. I’m just a regular gal. I’m a mom of two young children, and wife to a cop who works crazy hours and busts his ass for our little family. So I got some priorities over CrossFit. The balance and struggle can get real. To add to that,  no I was not blessed with magical powers when it comes to athletics. You know those types; people who instantly excel at everything. Mmmmhmm, we hate those people. I don’t have and athletic background. I wasn’t a college athlete. However, I will have you know, I was pretty badass when it came to step-aerobics during my college days. You couldn’t touch this awesome during an intense cardio-kickboxing sesh at 24hr fitness. Okay, silly digression over. Yes, I’m coordinated, yes, I am easily coachable. But here’s the clinker, I’m considered old in the world of athletics. Yep, I’m old. I’m at a funky age in the CrossFit world. I’m not yet 40 (official masters age) nor am I 23. So it can be discouraging at times when I get beat down and reminded of my age. I’m talking about when I go up against gals 15 years younger then me in a wod (workout of the day). Sure I hold my own but come on! Lets be real here. 

I was a recreational distance runner before CrossFit, which equals, no upper body strength for this lady. No joke I couldn’t even lift the 45 pound bar above my head without major struggle. So in a sense, I have come a long way. But at the same time I find that I beat myself up for not achieving the same times or weights as my younger counterparts or the regional masters athletes in our gym.

Silly I know, why can’t I take all of my achievements and be proud? Sadly, I instantly look for a way that that lift or wod could of been better. I think CrossFitters, Weightlifters, and most competitive athletes have a certain hunger and drive to always be better then yesterday. We’re never satisfied and are always chasing a new goal. My struggle is that I need to learn to rest in my accomplishments and celebrate them. Stop comparing myself to others. We all do it, just stop!  I need to enjoy the process of chasing my next goals instead of feeling frustrated for not getting there quicker. It’s a mental battle that really trips me up at times. Sigh…I’m going to work on this y’all and will keep you posted on the progress of my process :) 

In my next post I will write about the Masters Functional Fitness League workouts that I had the pleasure of participating in these past couple of weeks. This world Masters Competition starts at the age of 35. So yeah, I jumped on that. 8 wods in 10 days. There were some PR's and some tears...but I'll save that bit of drama for later.

books and barbells: Blood and Bone by, Tara Brown

books and barbells: Blood and Bone by, Tara Brown: Listen, listen to the wind and stone.  Listen, listen to the sounds of old.  Listen, listen as my hopes are drowned.  Listen, li...

Blood and Bone by, Tara Brown

Listen, listen to the wind and stone. 

Listen, listen to the sounds of old. 

Listen, listen as my hopes are drowned. 

Listen, listen to the sounds that bullets make of blood and bones. 

Where will you run today? 

How will you ever get away?” 

This is NOT a romance. This is a ride. 

Blood and Bone 

The hollow sound of a casing hitting the floor. 

The clicking of heels walking in a misty alley. 

The ability to tie a cherry stem with her tongue. 

A haunting song no one else knows. 

That's all that's left of Jane's memories. 

What would you do if the life you lived was a lie, and everyone knew but you? 

Where do you run when there is no one on your side? 

Jane discovers that deep inside her mind there is a map. 

What she doesn't know is that there is also a man who will do anything to get it. 

But what he doesn't know is that Jane hasn't always been honest about the things she remembers. 

There are paces inside of Jane that even she doesn't like to go. 

What would you do if the secret you kept was the only thing keeping you alive? 

But keeping it meant someone else had to die. 

My review

Sweet baby Jesus, this book was one crazy psychological ride. Just when I thought I was getting a grasp on what was happening in the story, surprise; something new would be reviled. Then that would totally debunk my theories as to what was really happening, and thus screw with my perception of the main protagonist's reality. GAH!!! This book is spot on with the Urban Dictionary's definition of a "mindf*ck." Sorry kids, there is no other (clean) way to describe it other then that. 

But don't let that intimidate, or steer you away from this dark-psychological thriller.  I too had to take a leap of faith when I sat down to read this novel. And I am so glad I did. Most of you who know me, know that I normally stick to Urban Fantasy, PNR, and a little Sci-Fi. But regardless of the fact that this was out my normal genre of books that I read; I can't deny that Ms. Brown's writing is spectacular. She writes with such fluidity, and grace. I can feel, and empathize alongside her characters as if I am right there with them. Only someone with some serious writing skills and talent could pull off a novel like this. There are so many layers and levels of crazy going on in the story that you'd pretty much have to be a psycho-genius in order to explain it all to your audience, and have it all come together in the end. 

Well bravo Ms. Brown you psycho-genius! You did it. You pulled off the impossible with this piece of work. 

I won't even try and attempt to break down the premise of this book to you. I simply won't do it justice. You will just have to be content with the summary provided. However, I will give you this, if you enjoyed movies like Memento, Donnie Darko, and The Usual Suspects then you will love this book. Give Blood and Bone a read. It's totally worth the ride.

Like a phoenix baby! I'm back!

Okay, well, I guess It's not that dramatic of a come back. At any rate, I must apologize for my unplanned hiatus. I just wasn't feelin it for a while there. I was in a major slump both creatively and physically. I'm sure they went hand in hand. However, after some "soul searching" and much needed time to figure 'ish out, I have started the journey on a new path in my training as an athlete; as well as the beginning of a new chapter in my blogging/writing life. Hence, why I switched it up a bit and changed the name of my blog. 

Hopefully I will be more consistent this time- so please call me out if I am remiss in my duties as a blogger. I am counting on you...uh, so you should probably follow me ;) 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Cheers!

Eighth Note (Fire Ballad #1) by Kimberly Stedronsky

Eighth Note (Fire Ballad #1) by Kimberly Stedronsky

Eva Reed saved the world. 

Actually, she saved two worlds, but who’s counting? 

Finding herself in the middle of present day suburbia, married and a mom at only twenty years old, she’s beyond bored. Even with her popular music blog and her handsome husband Will catering to her every impulse, she longs to use the incredible powers that she possesses.

But Earth is no place for magic.

When Cole Mathison arrives, asking for Eva’s help in solving the death of a famous pop star, she cannot resist the overwhelming pull to use her abilities again. 

Eva finds that there is more to the sinister murder than what the evidence shows. People who listen continue to die, and she must rely on her immortality to protect her from a frequency that is shattering minds and stopping hearts. 

There are forces at work that she could never have imagined...

And evil will be heard.

My review

Eighth Note is book 1 in the new Fire Ballad series by Kimberly Stedronsky. This book dives into the life of Eva Reed, whom we met in the Roam Series. Now, don’t get all squirrely on me now because I’m here to say that one doesn’t have to read the Roam Series (but you really should anyway because they’re the best books ever) in order to enjoy this new series because Ms. Stedronsky does a bang up job giving the best cliffs notes rundown from her 6 book Roam series in the first 5 pages of Eighth Note. And this isn’t the forced, “Well I guess I have to give my readers some backstory so here it is,” word-vomit-crap that’s thrown out there so us poor readers aren’t totally lost. Nope, her re-cap is seamless and makes total sense. 

Anyway, Eighth Note is a bit different from Roam as it slides a bit more into the horror genre then being a straight-up PNR. And when I say horror, I mean it’s creepy; think The Grudge style not Texas Chainsaw. This is the kind of horror that’s totally up my alley. In Eighth Note we are introduced to a world of binaural beats, sound waves, entrainment of brainwaves, frequency, possession, and the paranormal. Basically we learn how certain sounds, or frequencies, when overlapped, can influence the brain thus making us open and susceptible to some freaky shizzzz i.e., demonic possession and the like. Ummm yeah - creeeeepy.

It’s been a while since I’ve read any horror but I wasn’t really skeptical. I knew from reading Kimberly Stedronsky’s previous works that she was a super-de-duper talented author. And if all else failed and I didn’t like the story, then I knew I would have applauded her writing skills in the very least. Well, I won’t keep you in suspense and longer. After the first 10 pages I was hooked, and finished the book in 1 day! It was that awesome!!! I love Eva Reed even more now then I did in the Roam series. And I just adore Cole Mathison. Cole didn’t have a very huge part in the Roam series so it was nice to see his character really take shape and come to life. The banter between the two characters (Eva and Cole) had me laughing out loud so may times that I received the funny looks and curious glances from both kids and husband. The comic relief was a welcomed reprieve after reading some of the disturbing events that take place in the book. Yep, I was grateful for that. Otherwise I would have been sleeping with the lights on, and then, being too afraid to open my shower curtain the next morning.

Honestly I can’t say there was anything that I didn’t like about Eighth Note. The cover art is brilliant, the writing top notch, the premise unique, witty, and captivating. There was resolution in the end but enough of an opening to further continue the Fire Ballad series.

So if your a fan of movies like The Grudge, and Constantine. Love heroines that kick demon arse, spout out snarky retorts, and have a bit of fiery passion then you must read Eighth Note! I promise you will love it.

Reading and Random: The Roam Series by Kimberly Stedronsky

Reading and Random: The Roam Series by Kimberly Stedronsky: The Roam Series by Kimberly Stedronsky This series was like an all consuming fire during the month of November. I couldn’t put...