Buttload of Barbells & Bodacious Burpees

Best Paleo Salad Dressing Ever!

2012-02-12T22:57:00.001-06:00

Ok, here it is...the secret recipe for this unbelievable salad dressing that I have been speaking about.

First you need to make Paleo Mayo:

Secret for better tasting Mayo, use just plain olive oil, not virgin or extra virgin. If the bottle just says "olive oil" it will not have such a strong taste.

2 eggs
2 cups of olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp sea salt
1/3 tsp cayenne pepper

In a blender, add eggs, vinegar, and mustard and blend together well - leave the blender running and slowly, slowly, SLOWLY drop by drop (or very slow drizzle) add olive oil. BE PATIENT! Do not dump all the oil in quickly and give up. When the mixture begins to emulsify or thicken, only then can you be a bit faster about pouring in the olive oil but still take your time. Turn the blender off once all the olive oil is in and the mayonnaise is thickened to your desired consistency. Add the salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, mix well or blend again for a few seconds.

Now for the salad dressing part...can be your own variations. Always wait until after your mayo is thick before you add seasoning but here is when you can get creative. We add 1 jar of red/yellow roasted peppers, 1/2 cup of cilantro, 1/2 cup of basil. In food processor, fold in peppers and spices to your desired spice and taste. Turns out to be like a chipotle ranch dressing that goes great on not just salads, but also drizzled on steaks, and we have even had it on Paleo crab cakes! Mmmmmmmmm!

Spare Ribs

2012-01-13T22:01:00.002-06:00

Dinner was Oven Roasted Spare Ribs with cinnamon apple sauce and mashed sweet potatos.

Countdown to Izzi: LAST DAY!!!

2011-12-15T13:42:00.000-06:00

38 weeks, 5 days....Tomorrow is the BIG DAY!!! I am filled with so many mixed emotions today. Excited, happy, nervous, scared, overjoyed! Just came back from the last doc appt to check my progress before the induction tomorrow morning. I am 3cm dialated and 70% effaced. Doc seems to think the induction will go very smoothly because of where I am right now. She gave Izzi a "squeeze" today and estimated that she is about 7 lbs...ish, so Doc not worried about her being too big. I guess only tomorrow will tell us that. So, I just wait for the phone call in the morning somewhere between 4am-5am for when they will tell me they have a bed ready for me. I am anticipating a sleepless night for me because of all the excitement. :) It hasn't really hit me yet that I will actually get to hold her for the first time tomorrow! I can't wait to see what she is going to look like, and to simply just gaze into her eyes for the first time. I am so grateful for this wonderful blessing...I know I am going to see God tomorrow!

3-2-1 GO!!!

Countdown to Izzi: The Last Weekend

2011-12-12T14:55:00.000-06:00

38 weeks and 2 days...ok, so the last weekend before Izzi arrives was a very busy one. Matt and I did one last house cleaning extravaganza! We spit shined the house...before all the throw up and dootie comes along :). We also had to go shopping to start Izzi her very own Christmas Ornament collection. We have a tradition on our tree that each family member is a certain object, and every year we buy a new ornament of that certain object for each member. For example, Matt is a snowman, I am frogs, Rooney is dogs (of course), and Izzi is going to be penguins. So, we went out and bought her the first penguin ornament for the tree.

I started out feeling ok at the beginning of the weekend, but as the cleaning extravaganza progressed...I started to feel worse. Then finally on Sunday night after over doing the nesting, I was banished to bed rest in order for the painful contractions to stop. There was a sign that happened this weekend physically (that is too disgusting to share with everyone) that tells me that I am progressing farther along in the pregnancy. I am sure the ladies out there can figure out what happened. However, it is also something that can happen and I could still have weeks left. So, here I am still waiting. If she doesn't come before Friday, then the doc will induce me. They told me that how it works is labor/delivery will call me Friday morning and tell me when they are ready for me to come...oh, and by the way,they start those calls as early as 4am! Pretty much I am not going to be sleeping that night! Maybe it will be a perfect time for a movie marathon. But, looking at the positive of things...at least there won't be as much traffic at that time to get down to the medical center.

All in all, very excited...but also an emotional basketcase!

Countdown to Izzi: Day 4 & 5

2011-12-09T09:53:00.000-06:00

37 weeks and 6 days....Didn't get around to blogging yesterday because my pain level was very high. I woke up yesterday morning, and Izzi's head had shifted onto my sciatic nerve. I walked with limp all day. I tried to massage it out, as well as other ways to get relief and nothing would work. But good news, today is SO much better. I guess she moved into another position, which allows me to move around at a normal pace today.

Tomorrow will be the start of my 38th week of incubation...(I say that since she is done cooking...and now is just camping out in there) :) I was joking around with some friends today about how Izzi must think she has a pretty sweet deal, living it up in a penthouse suite...no wonder she doesn't want to come out yet. I am going to call the doc this morning and get everything scheduled for being induced on Fri the 16th. That is one week from today...and thinking of that freaks me out! On one hand I am so ready, but the other hand can't believe that I only have 1 more week left. I have to listen to the good voices in my head instead of letting panic creep into my thoughts :) Oh, the wonderfulness of becoming a first time mom. Everyone tells me I will look back on this and laugh about how emotionally freaky I am.

I did have a lot of cool dreams last night about how it will be when they first lay Izzi on my chest and I get to look into her eyes as she gazes up at me. That thought makes me very excited! I can't wait to see what she is going to look like, and to kiss her forehead for the first time.

Until then...still cooking...

Countdown to Izzi: Day 3

2011-12-07T23:10:00.000-06:00

37 weeks and 4 days...still waiting patiently. Had doc appt this morning, and haven't progressed much further. Still only 1 cm and 60% effaced. However, doc said Izzi's head has dropped into my pelvis which is a great sign. She also said that it looks like I would most likely respond well if it comes down to having to be induced. Doc said Fri, December 16th will be a great day to induce since she will be at hospital that day already.

I am loving this cold weather because finally I am comfortable and not sweating constantly. Contractions were the same today. Light and painless in the morning hours, but more frequent and painful in the evenings. I keep reciting one thing to myself to help me get through these days..."God's plan is perfect". Whenever and however this is going to happen, is just as it is supposed to happen.

Good Night.

Countdown to Izzi: Day 2

2011-12-06T22:26:00.000-06:00

37 weeks and 3 days...Today started out great. Felt good in the morning. Had a few painless contractions, but not many. Ankles are still a little chubby, and still very exhausted. Of course at this point my sleep is very broken because of how many times I have to get up to waddle to the bathroom in the middle of the night. The good news is that Izzi is still doing flips in there...so she must still be happy. The contractions slowed when I got a chance to lay down in the middle of the day, however started back up when I went back to the gym for evening classes. I decided to do a very light WOD while montitoring how I was feeling. It was fine during the workout, but afterwards the contractions got a little painful. So, I went home, drank a lot of water, took tylenol and laid down. The pain went away. So, still hanging in there. I get to go to the doc again tomorrow morning, so I will get to see if I have progressed any further.

Emotionally I am very anxious and excited about finally getting to meet Izzi. I am so excited to just simply find out when her birthday is going to be. The next full moon is this coming weekend...and you know what they say about babies being born on a full moon? Labor wings in hospitals are always crowded with new little ones on days with a full moon. Which ironically will be my dad's birthday. We will see if Izzi will share her birthday with Grandpa :)

WOD tonight:
10 unbroken rounds
3 power cleans
3 push press
3 front squats

went really light because of contractions....45#. Think I actually did 11 rounds because I lost count
time: 8:22

this is plump preggo signing off and going to bed...

Countdown to Izzi: A Journal of a Very Plump Preggo!

2011-12-05T16:49:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I thought it might be fun to do a "countdown to Izzi" everyday of these last 2 weeks of things that I am feeling, and things that are happening. Don't know really why I came up with this idea? Maybe to help me remember this time as I look back because I am so unbelievably forgetful right now. Or maybe I just simply need it for my sanity to focus on this log instead of focusing on how much longer I have (a distraction) :).

I quickly re-cap the last week...for the first time during this pregnancy I took a whole week off of CrossFit WODs due to the scare of having Izzi early. Doc wanted me to get to 37 weeks (which is technically full term), and I was having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions that would start promptly at about 2pm everyday and wouldn't stop until I crawled into bed at night. That just made me nervous, so against all the voices in my head...I took a complete week off. Everybody who knows me....knows that drove me crazy, but I figured it was for a good cause. Of course, on Saturday when I hit 37 weeks...I figured game on. So, I did a very modified WOD that morning, and it was amazing what that did for my mental attitude. The week that I took off, I found myself a lot more "down in the dumps" and had the blues a lot.

Went to my doc last Thursday (12/2), and had my first update of my progress. I was 1cm dilated and 50% effaced, which is normal for this stage in the game. Since the hospital where I am going to have Izzi has "regulations" that they are not allowed to induce labor any earlier than 7 days from due date, worst case scenario I have 2 more weeks to go before they will induce. Now if she decides to come on her own before that....wonderful!

Most of my contractions so far have not been painful, apart from a few cases. We had a scare the day after Thanksgiving where we threw stuff in a bag and thought we were headed to hospital because I was in some pain. I called the on call doc, and explained my symptoms to her, and she gave me a home rememdy. She assured me what I was feeling was normal, and to drink 36oz of water in 1 hour, take some Tylenol, and lay down to see if the contractions would stop. Thankfully it worked. That was week 36, but now that I am into my 37th week, the contractions have been starting as soon as my day starts. The past 2 days, I start getting contractions as soon as I get out of bed in the mornings. They are still irregular and not painful, so just trying to stay really hydrated (which also means I am in the bathroom all day). Last night on the way home from having a nice, quiet dinner with Matt (won't get a lot of those soon) I had my first painful contraction that went all the way into my lower back. It was only 1, so I figured still ok. I go back to doc on Wed (12/7) to see the next update.

Today has been better than yesterday. Yesterday I had a lot more contractions than I have had today. Izzi got the hiccups today...which has always been my favorite part of all of this. She has been moving around a lot today, so that is still a great sign.

I am still going to montitor contractions and see how I feel when I do light workouts...but you might see me sit down from time to time while at CFC. :)

The Bump in the Road: Update at 37 weeks

2011-12-03T15:03:00.000-06:00

So, I figured it is time to give an update on this whole gestational diabetes issue that I was "diagnosed" with. Now, let me start off by saying that I mean no disrespect to my OBGYN. I know she is a very good doctor, and that she is only following the regulations that her profession requires her to follow. I am more so saying this towards doctors as a whole. I am very confident that my doc is one of the best in the field, and she is part of a group of doctors that have brought millions of healthy babies into this world. However, with that in mind I also believe that the medical field has started to look at patients through statistical eyes. I think they group us all together based on the majority of problems they see, and no longer treat the patient as an individual or on a case by case basis. I think if I go in to see a doctor nowadays they listen to the major symptoms, run some surface routine tests, and then say here "take this pill", and come back to see me next month. Instead of listening to the patient when he/she says, "but the pill isn't working", and taking the time to dig a little deeper. Or even stopping to consider that this particular situation could be different than the other 95% of patients that walk through their door.

After being diagnosed, I played the game and walked the walk that my doctor prescribed for me. Also, like usual I didn't do it half-ass. I tested my blood 4x/day, and logged each result in a food journal under the detailed list of all ingredients of what I ate for that particular meal. It turns out that for a whole 2 weeks, I only had one high level. There was one morning that I wanted to test out with the worst case scenario, and I had chocolate raw milk (the bad kind with hershey chocolate syrup squeezed into it) to drink with my breakfast of Yonder Way Farm 2 eggs/sausage/coconut milk yogurt. I came up with a blood level of 181 taken 1 hour after breakfast. So, when I took my food log into my doc 2 weeks later I told her about that 1 time that was over out of 2 weeks of 4x/day tests that were all normal. Of course, she took that 1 that was over and ran with it. She then looked at what I had eaten that morning and said something that really confused me. She didn't pick out the milk with loads of chocolate syrup in it to say something about...she then said to me, " ewwww, coconut milk yogurt....coconut is very bad for diabetes". Since that confused me so much, I turned to researching what she said to see if i could find literature to back it up. And below are numerous links that I found that actually say the exact opposite about coconut and diabetes:

http://www.naturalnews.com/025388_oil_coconut.html

http://www.thevirgincoconutoil.com/articleitem.php?articleid=217

http://www.terawarner.com/blog/2008/05/pregnant-women-go-nuts……for-coconuts/

http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/

During the same appointment, my doc looked at my blood sugar levels and told me they looked perfect. So, she backed me down to only testing twice daily instead of 4x/day because she wasn't worried about my numbers. During later appointments she didn't even bother to check my food log or levels, and just asked me if all my levels were good. When I responded that I STILL haven't had any high blood levels, she just keeps saying to me to keep testing, and as long as I stop eating the bananas and drinking the orange juice I should be ok. Now this just nails the point I am trying to make in the head. When I first got pregnant and went in to see my doc I was up front with her about my diet restrictions and how I eat because I wanted to make sure that my baby was going to be getting all the nutrients/vitamins that she would need developmentally. She had also looked through my very DETAILED food log...NEVER in my food log or in statements that I had said to her listed that I ate bananas and drank orange juice?! Which made me wonder if she had been listening to my individual circumstances...or grouping me together with every other expecting mom that walked through her door.

Let me say again that I am not bashing my doc in anyway. I have just come to terms that I am not paying her for her expertise on nutrition, but to make sure that nothing goes wrong on d-day with me or my baby girl. Since the only thing I have changed in my diet through all of this is I no longer allow myself that once a week (on Saturday night) outing for my favorite Paleo cheat of chips and salsa, and I have had normal blood levels...I still wonder why I was told that I have Gestational Diabetes? Why do I have to know how my body processes 100g of sugar in 5 minutes if my body or my baby would never encounter that situation in the first place?

Had to watch out for belly on KB SDHP at 36 weeks!

Prego plate push-ups at 35 weeks

2nd Trimester Rope Climb

Pull-ups at 35 weeks, last time to do them before birth

The Bump in the Road: Hardest Struggle Yet

2011-10-28T12:34:00.000-05:00

by Lindsay Ledbetter + 1

So this is a very hard story for me to reveal, but I hope that a future Paleo mom out there can read about this and be comforted that she isn't alone.

Ok, so it is time to get personal again, and tell the story of the battle I have been fighting for the past month. This has been the first real learning experience that I am going through that is really teaching me what motherhood is going to be like. I am very grateful for all the support that surrounds me from my family and friends, that all have many years of "mom" experience under their belts.

So, to catch you up to speed...I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes 2 weeks ago. Every mom knows that it is routine for doctors to test a woman at 28 weeks for this condition. Before going into this I didn't know much about Gestational Diabetes because I thought to myself that there was NO way that it could happen to me. After all, I have been a pretty strict Paleo eater for 3 years now. On top of that, many of you know already that I have a lot of additional diet restrictions because of allergies/intolerances. So, when I got the phone call from my doctor, it felt like my world was crumbling down around me. I immediately went into those woman/mom self-destructing thoughts of "what did I do wrong", "how could this be", and the one that scared me the most..."am I going to be the reason why my daughter isn't born the healthiest that she could be". I immediately spiraled into all kinds of emotions ranging from confusion, shame, embarrassment, terrified for my baby, and then anger. I felt like I had done everything I could to make this pregnancy the healthiest it could be, for the benefits of the baby and myself. Then all of a sudden with a simple phone call from my doc, I was lumped into a group of moms that survive their whole pregnancy on pizza, enchiladas, chips, and Whataburger #1 value meals. WHAT?!

Then I got online and started researching Gestational Diabetes and found out some answers...and this is what I found: "

"We don't know what causes gestational diabetes, but we have some clues. The placenta supports the baby as it grows. Hormones from the placenta help the baby develop. But these hormones also block the action of the mother's insulin in her body. This problem is called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance makes it hard for the mother's body to use insulin. She may need up to three times as much insulin."

"However, untreated or poorly controlled gestational diabetes can hurt your baby. When you have gestational diabetes, your pancreas works overtime to produce insulin, but the insulin does not lower your blood glucose levels. Although insulin does not cross the placenta, glucose and other nutrients do. So extra blood glucose goes through the placenta, giving the baby high blood glucose levels. This causes the baby's pancreas to make extra insulin to get rid of the blood glucose. Since the baby is getting more energy than it needs to grow and develop, the extra energy is stored as fat."

Also, some articles I found from Robb Wolf on the subject...

http://robbwolf.com/tag/gestational-diabetes-paleo/

http://robbwolf.com/2008/06/25/gestational-diabetes/

Apparently, when they test you for Gestational Diabetes, they are testing the functioning of your placenta, which is the organ that develops during pregnancy that filters all the nutrients coming from mom to baby. During the third trimester, hormones that the placenta release can block the insulin coming from the mom, which causes the baby's pancreas to work overtime to make its own insulin to resist the sugar coming from mommy. So, there are women that never show any risk factors of this disease that can be diagnosed with it in the third trimester due to "malfunctioning" hormone levels in the placenta. Also, every pregnancy is different, so a mom who has 3 kiddos could only experience this during 1 of her pregnancies. So, this made me feel a little better, but not quite...

This is what I went through to be diagnosed, and you will probably better understand my confusion. I went into my doc after fasting all morning, and they gave me a 10oz glucose drink that had 50g of pure sugar in it! They told me I had 5 minutes to drink it as they sat there and watched me staring at their watches (basically chug down 50g of sugar on an empty stomach). Then they drew my blood exactly 1 hour later to test the sugar level. Let me add in that 50g of sugar is more sugar than I have in a whole day eating the way I normally eat...swallowed in just 5 minutes! Man, did I feel sick after drinking that. My heart started racing, I got hot flashes, dizziness, nauseousness, and headache. I think my body was freaking out because it wasn't used to having that much sugar at once in the past 3 years. So, I failed that test because of the high level of sugar still in my blood after 1 hour. Next, since they didn't shock my body enough the first time, they made me come back in for a second test. During this test I had to drink a 10oz drink with 100g of sugar in it! Great idea, give her MORE sugar to see if she goes into shock! I had to drink it the same way, in 5 minutes. Then they made me sit in the waiting room for 3 hours, testing my blood every hour on the hour. So I logged how I felt after drinking this drink, and it was double as bad obviously. Add the shakes, and severe nauseousness to the way I felt the time before. I was really close to calling my doc because I thought I was going to go into diabetic shock. I had to go out in the hallway and do Tabata squats and 20 Burpees per hour just to keep myself from vomiting all over their nice white waiting room floor!

After failing the second test too, I got some special instructions from doc when I received that dreaded phone call. I was to go to a 4 hour nutrition/diet class at hospital to discuss changing my diet (HA HA HA)...I know! Also, to monitor my blood sugar levels 4 times daily after meals by pricking my finger. I received an email from doc of what my diet should look like for the rest of the pregnancy...and it was basically a Paleo diet that I have been following for the past 3 years...except they wanted me to eat so many servings of bread a day! Really?! I am gluten intolerant....you can't force me to eat bread and make myself sick! Needless to say, I didn't go to the nutrition class. I have been monitoring my blood level for 2 weeks now...and ALL off my levels have been normal! Better yet, the only mainstay thing I have changed in my diet is from time to time when I got those pregnancy chocolate cravings (I am sure all moms out there can feel me on that one), I would have 1 glass of chocolate raw milk for dessert. Also, I haven't allowed myself to have that "cheat meal" on Saturdays where I would go out for my favorite chips and salsa. Those are the only things I have eliminated from my diet the last 2 weeks, and I have not had high levels yet!

I am very happy that I have had normal blood sugar levels, but it just adds to my confusion. I now wonder why I have to worry how my body handles 50g-100g of sugar in the timespan of 1-3 hours...when with the way I eat, my body will never have to encounter that problem in the first place? I understand why the doctors have to test everyone for this. After all, we are all trusting their knowledge/guidance on this whole birth and delivery experience in order to have a health baby. I am just wondering if I don't eat that much sugar on a daily basis, is there really a lot of sugar getting through to my daughter that will cause her harm?

After getting so upset and letting this completely shake my world, I have come up with some things I have learned (with help of loved ones around me):

1. So I tried everything I could to be the "perfect mom", and things didn't work out like I planned...welcome to being a mom! There is no such thing as the "perfect mom".

2. There are going to be some things about motherhood such as this that I am not going to be able to control. I just have to let go and let The Big Guy handle it.

3. This was just Him getting me extra focused before she arrives. This little one is...and should be my priority.

4. This whole experience is a blessing from Him, and He has a reason for everything. He will reveal that to me in His own time...trust it!

I go back to my doc this coming Thursday with my very detailed food log with blood levels tracked after every meal. We will see what she says from here...

Thanks to my family and friends for all the support!

The Bump in the Road: Third Trimester Modifications

2011-10-05T11:08:00.000-05:00

by Lindsay Ledbetter + 1

     So, yesterday was the first day of my third trimester, and boy are things really starting to change quickly. Actually, I started noticing some of these changes a few weeks back. For the most part, up until this point I have been able to maintain a pretty good pace in my daily WODs. I have already mentioned in the previous issues the modifications I have had to make thus far; however, there are definitely more coming!
     I am having a mental struggle with this because I have always been a believer that I am not going to ask members in the gym to hold to certain standards, if I cannot be the first person to meet those standards myself. Kind of the whole "practice what you preach" motto. This is my public apology and warning that from now until January, you will not be able to look at me as a model of how deep you should be going into your squats/lunges, how to properly set up a deadlift, or how quickly to get under that bar in a clean. I can tell you verbally what is expected, but what I am saying and my movements are not consistent. My body (and Baby L) started to tell me a few weeks ago that there are going to have to be some more changes made.
     In the second trimester I started to experience round ligament pain after a workout where I pushed myself harder than I should have, but if I took the next day off it would get better. Round ligament pain is a sharp pain experienced when the ligaments that attach the uterus to the pelvis are stretched too far. This is very common in second trimester, and definitely can get worse in the third. The added weight on the uterus along with the ligaments and joints softening for birth, are just a few explanations for this intensifying pain. This is why any quick movement ranging from a ballistic movement in a WOD all the way down to simply getting out of a sitting position too quickly can stretch these ligaments too far. Last week I learned this lesson the hard way by doing a WOD like I have been all second trimester, and since my body has changed so much I paid the price for the next 2 days. I took that as a sign that some more changes needed to be made going forward.
        The added modifications include that I cannot even squat down to parallel (much less get below that). All my lifts will now be in the "power" position, and the rate at which I squat will be a lot slower. I will be using dumbbells and kettlebells in any movements that require moving from ground to overhead as to avoid having to move a barbell around the belly. Finally, any movement that I perform too fast, my body will remind me very quickly to SLOW DOWN!

A Life Changing Lesson: LL's Confession...

2011-09-07T14:58:00.000-05:00

Sunday 9/4/11

I learned a very valuable lesson today...I was convicted, humbled, and let's just say that God smacked me across the back of the head. Now this isn't usually the type of thing that I share with everyone I know, and lessons this personal are mainly just laid upon my family's ears. For some reason, that I can't explain, I am feeling very compelled to share this one.

The day started as a usual Sunday morning for us with a trip to our church, The Brook. The sermon that our Pastor and friend Dr. Mike Ayers spoke about was how we sometimes forget that He is in control and we start to "play God" in our own lives. It was one of those sermons where I felt that God was tapping me on the shoulder specifically.
You see Pastor Mike went into a personal story from his life towards the end of the service. It was a story that I have never heard before even though he has been our Pastor and friend for about eight years. He told of the birth of his first son, and how thrilled they were to be parents for the first time to a beautiful healthy boy. As he expanded on the story he told of very shortly after the birth of their first son, they found out that they were pregnant again. When they showed up for their first sonogram appointment, they were pulled into a room so the doctor could speak with them privately. The doctor then told them the news that there baby had a spinal neurological condition that would prevent their baby from fully developing the brain. The doctor told them that babies with this condition, only 50% of them survive the time in the womb. The ones that do survive, will only live a short time after birth before they pass on. His wife ended up carrying this child 8 1/2 months of the pregnancy, and then their little one was delivered stillborn. The family had a funeral, and struggled through a very difficult time in their lives. Mike then went on to explain what he learned out of the experience was how arrogant he was to assume that everything was going to work out the way that it was supposed to...the way he wanted it to. He never stopped to think how fragile life is, and that God is in control of our future. Even though his future didn't turn out according to his plans, it was God's plan and God's will. He learned to trust God's will for his life, no matter what that might bring.

This really hit home for me for many reasons. Mainly because I am a soon to be mother that needs to take the same advice that Mike learned from his experience. I want to be outwardly honest here and admit that I feel like I haven't looked at this pregnancy with the outlook that I should have. At first, I was so terrified and freaked out about the whole experience. Worried about if I will be able to do this, if I will be a good mom, and terrified of the actual delivery experience. Basically I allowed the fear of the unknown start to ruin this very blessed experience for me. Instead of trusting God with everything, and trusting that he has tomorrow under control as well...I worried about such fleeting things like how much weight I was going to gain and how much CrossFit I was not going to miss out on. I almost feel foolish admitting this because as I write this right now I am overjoyed to tears with the miracle of life kicking around inside me. I realize that this is an amazing experience that I am about to embark on that has been given to me from none other than the Almighty One. He is in control of it all, and that is all I need to focus on. He will give me the strength day by day to carry out his will through this little girl he has given to Matthew and I.

So with this being said "operation embrace the belly" has now begun. Anytime that I get freaked out or scared, I am going to remember that He will give me the strength everyday, and even on days that I feel I have none. I am going to soak up every moment of this pregnancy. There have been so many moms around me telling me to enjoy this time because it goes so fast. I think it is about time I start taking their advice.

"Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this city or that city, spen a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." James 4:13-17

Eating Paleo for 2

2011-09-04T11:40:00.000-05:00

I have had lots of people ask me several various questions about how my diet has changed since I have started growing "Ledbetter...The Next Generation". Since that is a very loaded question (especially for me), I decided to expand on my answer.Let me start by saying that before pregnancy, Matt and I have been pretty strict Paleo eaters for at least 2 years now (with the occasional cheat here and there...we NEVER claim to be perfect at anything). I also have to point out that before and during every cheat we mentally know that we are going to regret our decisions the next day...and boy do we ever! This is extra true for me because of how sick I get because of my poor choices. Now, it became harder for me when a baby was added to the equation. The pressure that comes with knowing that my nutrition choices affect a helpless bundle of joy really hits home. First thing I had to do was explain to my OB all my nutrition concerns at the first appointment, and ask her professional opinion of what is the best thing I need to do for our new little one. Let me back up and explain further what I mean about that last statement. For those of you that don't know that much about me yet, I have had some allergies/intolerances before pregnancy that I wanted a Doctor's advice on overcoming, so that "Baby L" wouldn't suffer. First off, I am very lactose intolerant, and we all know how much a developing baby needs lots of calcium for strong bones. I do get calcium through other things I eat, but my doc told me that I needed to make sure that I got 2,000 mg per day. So, she instantly put me on a daily calcium/magnesium supplement that would account for that problem. To make a long story short, my doc has me on several supplements that will make sure that "Baby L" is getting all the bare essentials she needs.
Since the baby gets first dibs on anything (and everything) I eat, I have found some new discoveries in my diet. I can have a little more dairy now than before pregnancy, but there is still a line I can't cross. I try to still limit my dairy intake to raw milk, but every now and then I will have a VERY light amount of cheese sprinkled on a salad. Again, if I have too much, I still will get sick. So it is almost like an exact science that I have learned to master through trial and error. That is the only change from the norm that I have made.
There has been the question of what has been my biggest craving? The craving that has remained constant...RED MEAT! And LOTS of it! The amount of red meat has also been an important factor for me. When I am hungry, the first thing that I am seeking out is steak, roast, hamburger meat, brisket, etc. Pretty early on, I had a steak salad for lunch, and was hungry 30 minutes later. I then figured out that I needed to get that same steak salad with double the steak on top. My body was telling me that the "normal" amount of protein that I had been eating in the past was not enough now that I was eating for 2. When I added MORE protein to my meals I was satisfied. Also, for some reason I have had an aversion to chicken ever since the first trimester, so chicken hasn't ever been an option.
Now, I will confess (like I said before...I NEVER claim to be perfect, especially when my body has been taken over by hormones) that I have had some weird non-paleo cravings too. However, most the time those cravings are short- lived. I will give into whatever I am craving once or twice, get very sick the next day, and that will take care of that craving quickly. Some of the things that I have learned lessons from the hard way are spaghetti and meatballs (I still don't understand that one), cheesecake, ice cream sundae with Oreos on top, and the infamous pregnancy craving...chips and salsa!
Man, I regretted all those! I then realize that my daughter needs her mom to stay healthy throughout this journey, and that is much more important than any silly craving for "junk food".
Throughout this experience, I have had to learn to listen to my body. It is amazing how fine tuned pregnancy is, that your body will tell you what your little one needs nutritionally. With help from my doctor, I really am trying my best to give my little one all the best things that she needs developmentally.

Mr. Overzealous Weight dumper

2011-07-09T11:34:00.002-05:00

CFC Presents Real Men of Genius
(Real Men of Genius)

Today we salute you Mr. Overzealous Weight dumper
(Mr. Overzealous Weight dumper)

Like a kid and his rubber ball, you find joy in seeing just how high that barbell can bounce
(It's not a pogo stick)

The pounding of each rep makes it easy to count your every rep, even with our eyes closed
(What number am I on)

Cramped quarters? Not for you; you create space around you with every rep
(Fourrrrrr)

So crack open an ice cold bottle of water oh mighty Zeus, because even the earth trembles at you dumping prowess.
(Mr. Overzealous Weight dumper)

Prego Pics!!!

2011-07-09T11:27:00.000-05:00

The Bump Tells All

2011-07-09T11:05:00.000-05:00

Lately, I have had several people ask me if I am still able to CrossFit during my pregnancy. That is really a loaded question. So, I want to elaborate on my experiences during my 15 weeks so far. This is for all the ladies out there that are contemplating having their own little ones, or the super-moms that never got a chance to CrossFit during their pregnancies...and are just curious. The men out there that don't want to know all the grueling details of pregnancy, be forewarned, you might want to skip over this article as TMI!
I have been told by others that I have been very lucky in my pregnancy so far since I haven't been puking everyday, so I have probably been able to do more than other mommies out there that have had more of a rough time than me. Let's start from the beginning. One of the many things CrossFit has given me through this experience is by being so in tuned with how I usually feel, that the first day I felt something was off, I knew it was time to buy the pregnancy test. Sure enough, I was right. It was back in April when the WOD was "Kelly", and right away I knew something was wrong. I had done "Kelly" several times before, and while it always sucked, it never felt as bad as it did this particular day. The first thing that gave me a clue was how out of breath I was. I am not meaning to sound arrogant at all, but usually the running part of this WOD is where I can catch my breather since running was one of my strong suits (now make me row any distance....and thats a different story!). This time I could barely get through the third run without slowing my pace WAY down. I also had to take LOTS of breaks on the box jumps too because I couldn't breathe. I was listening to my body, and it was not giving me the normal feedback. Now, yes this could have just been an "off" day for me, because we all have those. But, call it a woman's intuition, I just knew that I was feeling worse than I ever had even when I was having an off day. I went to Walgreens that night and bought "The Test". Sure enough. My body was busy using the oxygen that I usually needed during a WOD for a sweet little bundle of joy that God is bringing into our lives. My body was hard at work doing it's own WOD without my knowledge. When I called my doctor the next day, they had me go to a local lab for blood work to see how far along I was. When they got the results back the nurse informed me that she was impressed that I knew I was pregnant already because the results of the test told her I was only 5 days pregnant. She informed me that in her experience that was the earliest anyone had determined pregnancy. The doctor doesn't even want to see patients for first ultrasound until 7-8 weeks along. I figured the only way I knew that early was how crappy "Kelly" made me feel that afternoon. So, I have CrossFit to thank for that. Since I knew so early, I could start taking the necessary precautions in my training as to do what my body was demanding me to do.
The biggest thing I am having to learn through all of this, is to listen to my body. All the moms out there can agree with me that during pregnancy your body is calling the shots. It will tell you very CLEARLY what it is needing. The female body is so miraculous in this manner. It is so finely designed to protect and help grow the baby that is forming. Those first few weeks was a battle between my body and my mind. Many of you know already that I am CRAZY competitive! So, my first action that I struggled with was my mind. Most of my training at this time was at night during the "Ledbetter Late Night" 7:30pm class time, but there were some rare occasions where I would jump in a CFC 6:30pm class or a Saturday morning WOD. I loved doing this because there is nothing like training in a class with my peers around me. There is an extra fun push you get from the classes that I didn't get from training after hours by myself. However, I learned quickly that this pregnancy was going to change this for me. I am such a competitive person that I would push myself just as hard, and chase the usual strong, women athletes (that I call "my rabbits") in those classes to try and keep up. The result was quickly overheating and getting dizzy. My body told me that I was listening to the wrong thing, my mind. I then realized that because of my craziness, I was going to have to train by myself for the rest of my pregnancy. Even now when I train at night with just my husband, I have to set up my equipment all the way across the gym from him with my back turned towards him. If I am able to see what he is doing, and what round he is on...it still drives me crazy that he is beating me. Which I KNOW is completely irrational since he is faster than me anyway, and I am pregnant, but yes I am admitting it is my sickness. I AM still CrossFitting, but it is in a corner, in front of a fan, by myself, where all I can hear is my body talking to me....and not my mind.
During my first trimester my body told me to slow way down during WODs. The first things that were to go for me was my core strength, and my oxygen. I noticed how quickly it got difficult for me to do push ups. This was not because of my arms or shoulders, but solely on me not being able to maintain the plank as long. I struggled, and still do, to get through 10 push ups with keeping my core tight to hold the plank. It is almost like I have something stretching out all my ab muscles. :) The oxygen is such a struggle too. Many of you will notice when I am demo-ing movements to a class before the WOD begins, I get so out of breath that it is hard for me to demo and talk at the same time. That is just from doing 1-3 reps of everything, and I am already out of breath. This is because my heart is working twice as hard to pump the increased oxygenated blood volume in my body to the baby. My brain tells me how pathetic it is to get out of breath now so quickly, but I just have to talk my craziness down and tell myself that my body is trying to provide oxygen for two....and to cut myself a break. The other problems I had in the first trimester was that even though I never vomited, I would still feel my worst in the afternoons and evenings. If I ate anything after 2pm, the wonderful bloating/very painful gas would come. The pain for me was so bad that all I wanted to do was curl up on the couch and cry. This was all while eating Paleo too, so I knew that it wasn't anything I was eating. To everyone out there that doesn't know this, pregnancy jacks a woman's digestive system ALL up. Can I hear an AMEN ladies!? With the help of lovely hormones, the body slows down the workings of the stomach and intestines as to make sure the baby absorbs all the nutrients it needs from the mom before the food is passed out the body. This is why every expecting mother carries around plenty of gasx and tums with her at all times. For the men out there...this probably falls under the TMI category, but suck it up. Because of this, my workouts would be determined by how I was feeling. If I was feeling hungry (which is when the nauseousness would come), fatigue, cramping (which would scare me), or painful bloating when it came time to workout...I would take the night off. Other than that, I would fight through it. Just going slower, making sure not to overheat, while listening to my body for cues. If I got dizzy I would take more breathing breaks, and drink lots of water. Pretty much I did every WOD to the best of my ability based on what my body told me.
Second trimester has been better. Just experiencing different types of road bumps...no pun intended. Following my doctors advice I am to stop all running, jump rope (I am going to miss my double-unders), jumping, or anything that could jar the uterus. Not because I am having any complications, but because doc says that with jarring the uterus comes the possibility of growth problems in the baby. So, I made a personal decision not to play with fire. The rowing machine will be my best friend for the next 6 months (whether I like it or not). My doctor told me I can continue to lift what I want, and still do everything else CrossFit. I of course take that with a grain of salt too. I don't think my doctor would still want me to be doing 200# deadlifts and 95# snatches, so I am lifting about 60% the amount of weight I did pre-pregnancy. The growing belly is already starting to bring about lower back pain, and starting to get in the way on some movements. The deadlift is a very uncomfortable lift for me now, and I may have to do sumo deadlifts from now on as to avoid the bump. I may also have to move to parallettes push-ups soon since my belly touches the ground before I can reach full range of motion. I am feeling better, but am feeling like I am doing every WOD with a weight vest on which means I have to have a bigger kip on pull ups. I have noticed how unbelievably exhausted I feel after every WOD. To illustrate, take how you normally feel after a WOD and imagine you just did 2 or 3 more WODS. That is about how I feel no matter what the WOD is.
I may see in the future that I have to modify some more movements due to the growing baby, but I welcome any kind of training that I CAN get in. This has definitely been a learning experience. I know every mother out there will tell me that the "learning experiences" have only just begun. I welcome all advice and words of wisdom from all mothers because I know this is going to be a fun, long journey. I am feeling very blessed to have CrossFit in my life during pregnancy, and I know that the baby and myself will benefit from the workouts I can do.

Mr. Half Rep Counting Counter

2011-06-02T22:35:00.000-05:00

CFC presents Real Men of Genius
(Real Men of Genius)

Today we salute you Mr. Half Rep Counting Counter
(Mr. Half Rep Counting Counter)

Breezing through WODs half a rep at a time, you glory in your speed even if the rep doesn't count
(Man I'm fast)

Why go all the way down when you can go half the distance in half the time
(Talk about efficient)

In your quest for the fastest time, nothing stands in your way especially standards
(Why's he yelling at me?)

So crack open an ice cold bottle of water O' mini rep meister, because without you I wouldn't know what a quarter squat looked like
(Mr. Half Rep Counting Counter)

Mr. Excessively Boisterous Grunter

2011-06-02T22:25:00.000-05:00

CFC presents Real Men of Genius
(Real Men of Genius)

Today we salute you Mr. Excessively Boisterous Grunter
(Mr. Excessively Boisterous Grunter)

Where others measure their effort by the sweat on the floor, you revel in the volume of your grunts
(Can you hear me now)

Music, trainers, and even hurricanes can't blunt your deafening roar
(Look at me)

Like a peacock you proudly grunt your way through rep after rep
(unh-uh, unh-uh, unh-uh)

So crack open an ice cold bottle of water O' megaphone master, because without you we'd be able to hear ourselves count
(Mr. Excessively Boisterous Grunter)

Mr. Really Really Old Stinky Shirt Wearer

2011-06-02T22:17:00.000-05:00

CFC presents Real Men of Genius
(Real Men of Genius)

Today we salute you Mr. Really Really Old Stinky Shirt Wearer
(Mr. Really Really Old Stinky Shirt Wearer)

Like an air horn, your shirt announces your arrival at CrossFit, four blacks before you get there
(Here he comes now)

Who needs a different shirt every day when you've got one that you can wear for an entire week, or month, or even a year
(It's my lucky shirt)

Only you can record two times on the board, one for you and one for your shirt
(It beat me again)

So crack open an ice cold bottle of water O' Prince of odor, because we know a champion when we smell one
(Mr. Really Really Old Stinky Shirt Wearer)

Mr. Obsessed about CrossFit CrossFitter

2011-06-02T22:05:00.001-05:00

CFC presents Real Men of Genius
(Real Men of Genius)

Today we salute you Mr. Obsessed about CrossFit CrossFitter
(Mr. Obsessed about CrossFit CrossFitter)

Some people talk about the weather, you talk about nothing but CrossFit
(Have you seen me do a burpee)

You hang around for hours until the owners turn off the lights and leave
(Get out of my gym)

Nothing says, "I love CrossFit" like installing a pull-up bar in your backyard.
(I need a place to hang my rings)

So crack open an ice cold bottle of water O' CrossFitter king, your friends may avoid you but you'll always be able to kip
(Mr. Obsessed about CrossFit CrossFitter)

I Can

2011-05-30T23:05:00.000-05:00

When it comes to success, whether in business, athletics, or life, a large part of that success stems from a belief in ourselves and what we are capable of. Every day we are faced with challenges and obstacles where we ask ourselves, "Can I do it, or can I not?" This simple question is usually the deciding factor in our successes and failures. The good news is, how we respond to that question can be influenced and changed; meaning that as self confidence grows so does our belief that we "can". This invariably leads to success, and CrossFit is like a steroid shot to self confidence.

But before I delve into how CrossFit helps us make this critical mental change, I want to discuss why this change is so necessary. Why do I refer to this as a "critical" mental change? Why do I feel this is one of the greatest benefits a person can gain from CrossFit? To understand these questions I think we need to know how our response to this question plays a role in navigating our own personal hurdles.

The fear of failure
What tends to happen when self-doubt creeps into our thoughts is that an overwhelming aversion to failure takes over, sometime to the point where we won't even try to accomplish our goals. We talk ourselves out of doing, because we are afraid of the consequences, or the perceived humiliations that may result from failure. By neglecting to try, we end up affirming in our own minds an inability to accomplish that task or goal. Let's be honest, failures occur and sometimes there are repercussions to those failures, but we won’t ever succeed if we don’t ever try. As a coach of mine used to say, "You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take". Simply put, but none the less true.

William Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, "Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, and thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, and enterprises of great pith and moment, with this regard their currents turn awry, and lose the name of action". Although he used this in reference to our fear of the unknown, I still believe it rings true in this instance as well. Our fear and lack of self-confidence prevents us from accomplishing great things.

But through self-belief the courage to do is inherent. You find yourself daring to do more, and challenging those previously held notions of what's impossible. In a sense, we become the people who scale mountains and dive into dark caverns because we believe in ourselves. We believe that we can.

A Game of efforts
A lack of confidence can also play a role in the outcome of our efforts by influencing how much we are willing to commit. Call it hesitation, half-assing it, or whatever, when a person thinks they will fail they undoubtedly hold back in preparation for that expected failure. This invariably leads to a greater likelihood that failure will indeed occur. There is no doubt that if you attempt a max hight box jump with only 90% effort you will not succeed. It's a MAX effort, so it requires nothing less than 100% to reach your full potential. When you doubt yourself you put forth less than 100% ensuring that you will come face to face with failure.

On the other-hand when a person believes they can succeed, they are willing to give everything they have to reach that pinnacle. So when they decide to reach for the stars, they believe they can and give it all they've got.

The Mental Reboot
CrossFit essentially trains people to break down the barriers of doubt and instills a sense of faith in one’s self. They no longer look at that 30in box as an insurmountable obstacle, instead they look at the 30in box as a challenge, and one they can overcome. "I wasn't born with wings, but I will show the world that I can fly." I bet if you asked the Wright brothers if they ever doubted they would fly, they would say never.

This is what CrossFit brings to you and me. It brings confidence, assurance, and a new sense of accomplishment. And this new confidence effects every part of our lives. It may be the reason you're now able to speak in front of thousands with no problem, ask for that raise, or decided to finally go ski diving. Because we have learned to succeed, and we want more.

Instead of just working to improve the areas that we're good at, we hammer away at the areas that we struggle with. From the day we walked into CrossFit, we are constantly re-training our minds to accomplish goals in areas we never thought possible. We strip away the walls that have been built up over time, to allow us to expand and reach beyond those previously held notions of what's doable. "I can jump on that 30in box, I can do a pull up, I can run a mile, I can scale that mountain, I can…." So the next time someones asks you why you CrossFit, look at them and say, "because I can".

Staying Fit During 1st Trimester...The Best I Can :)

2011-05-25T22:14:00.000-05:00

     Ok, so a lot of people have been asking me if I plan on CrossFitting all through my pregnancy, and how it I have handled things so far. So, I started a "Pregnancy Log" since I had confirmation of the happy news. There is definitely one big thing that I have learned...and that is to listen to my body, not my mind. Many of you may already know that I am a VERY competitive person (that might even be a little bit of an understatement), so the first thing I had to do was take myself out of working out in classes with other people around me. I found that it was very difficult for me to curb my competitiveness. I was trying to keep up with some people in classes that were going faster in the WODs than my body wanted me to go. That is when I figured out that I will have to work out by myself in order to be able to listen to what my body tells me, instead of trying to keep up...and possibly doing the baby harm. First steps I took was I read the website http://www.crossfitmom.com/ which is a great website for telling CrossFit Moms what to cut down on in the various trimesters. They even post WODs on their website for moms including modifications on some movements depending on the stage of your pregnancy. You will see in the log below that there have been several days when I have done WODs of cfmom.com, and they were great WODs for me. I highly encourage any mom-to-be to visit this website for guidelines and ideas. For the most part, I have been adjusting my weights that I lift significantly. Rule of thumb for me is about 50%-70% of my max depending on the movement and how I am feeling that day. If I start a WOD and get dizzy or nauseous, I know it is time to back off a litte. I have to do my workout right in front of the fan as to not let my temperature get too high, and I take lots of breaks to drink water (which I NEVER did in a WOD before pregnancy).
     You will also see a lot more wholes in my training than usual (since I used to be a religious crossfitter 6 days a week), and this is because there have been some days where I am exhausted or feeling sick. I take that as a sign that I shouldn't push things. Until I am into the 2nd trimester (the safe zone-knock on wood) I get scared to push it when I am not feeling it.
    Stay tuned for more of how I am feeling, and what I am experiencing while becoming a CrossFit Mom!!!

Pregnancy Log
4/18 Games WOD: AMRAP clean/jerk in 5 min 65#- 21

4/20 Fran-45# butterfly- 7:16 (my fastest Fran is Rx'd 5:15)

4/22 7 rounds: Run 100m, 7 BJ 24in, 14 KBS 30#. 12:4?

4/23 400m walking lunges-358 lunges 13:55

4/25 Games WOD(10 min) 40 bar facing Burpees, 20 ohs 50#, 5 blue band muscle ups
1 round and 9 Burpees

4/27 CFMom: 5rounds: 10 Hang Ppwer Cleans 65#, 10 push up, 10 Wall Ball Shots (men's target, 12#), 10 Toes 2 Bar- 14:44. Felt dizzy and burpy in 4th round so slowed down

4/28- Run 600m, 15 db squat clean, run 400m, 30 db hang squat clean, run 200m, 45 db hang power clean. 20# 15:07

5/2- CFmom WOD: 5 rounds: 15 back squat 85#, 15 push ups, 15 ring rows
19:54 had to slow down on squats...got dizzy

5/3- Run 800m, 21 shoulder press, run 800m, 21 Push Press, run 800m, 21 Push Jerk
Scaled runs to 800m, 400m, 200m, and 55# felt really tired and nauseous during

runs...so decided to scale. 16:10

5/10- cfmom 3 rounds: run 200m, 25 Burpees, 15 pull ups, 20 oh lunges 15# plate. 22:04

5/11 Slamming Cindy 12# 13 rounds/5 slam balls

5/17- 30 power cleans 65#, 40 KBS 30#, 50 WBS 10 # on men's target 7:47
Got a little nauseous on power cleans...did those last

5/18- 100m farmers carry 20#, 21 BJ 20", 21 KBS 30#, 200m carry, 15 BJ, 15, KBS, 400m carry, 9 BJ, 9 KBS - 16:54. Got nauseous on this one a lot because I was so hungry. Found out that when I haven't had time to eat enough for lunch...baby L gets upset. :)

5/23 South Padre Girls weekend WOD:
3 rounds or running 10 flights of stairs
On round 2 & 3 I stopped on every even # floor and dropped for 10 Burpees
This added up to 100 Burpees total. 15:??

Exciting Announcement!!!

2011-05-10T18:00:00.000-05:00

Lately, some of you may have noticed Lindsay standing in front of fans, and drinking LOTS of water when I hadn't even done a WOD yet. You may have even noticed how out of breath I get after demonstrating certain movements (especially thrusters or cleans). Well, this is because the Ledbetters are expecting a little CrossFitter of their own! I am only 8 weeks along, so still a long way to go...but hopefully by Christmas the new little one will arrive. We are so very grateful for this journey, and can't wait to meet our new little kiddo. What a blessing! We would appreciate lots of prayers for "Baby L"!

Ledbetter's Random Stir-Fry

2011-04-05T21:02:00.000-05:00

1/2 of a Sausage link
1 Chicken breast
1 large red pepper
Broccoli
2 tbs chopped Jalapeños (from a jar)
2-3 Limes
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Ginger
Olive oil
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper

I used half a sausage link and one chicken breast for two people. I started by grilling the meat first.
Cut the chicken breast into small chunks.

Slice the sausage and then cut the slices into halves.

Chop broccoli, red pepper, and jalapeños into
small pieces..

I put all the veggies in the wok and drizzled some olive oil over them (there should be enough to cover all the veggies, but we are not looking to make soup so don't go overboard). Added about 1-2 tbs of
jalapeño juice, and squeezed 2 limes over veggies. Stir to ensure all the veggies are covered with olive oil, and the spices are mixed in. Then on med/high heat, bring it to a sizzle.
Once they start to sizzle cover and lower the heat just a bit (a little more than medium) and cook for about 7 min. Uncover and add the meat. Stir the meat in with the veggies (you can add a little olive oil if you want, but again less is better in my mind). Cover again and cook at the same temp for an additional 7-8min or until it looks done to you. This dish serves two people so for a larger group
double the amounts.

Optional: feel free to add other veggies like onions, squash, zucchini or mushrooms. You can also add some garlic to taste.

This dish would go great with cauliflower rice, but we
have it without...

Yummmmmmmmy!

"Field of Dreams" Burpees

2011-04-05T20:46:00.000-05:00

A very dear friend of mine sent me burpee pics that made me very jealous. Matt and I have always wanted to go to "The Field of Dreams", but we haven't made it yet. Someday we hope to be the ones standing in front of the stadium where all of The Greats have played...doing burpees. For those of you who don't know about this wonderful place...it is the infamous Old Trafford. Home of the best team in the world...Manchester United. Where Wayne Rooney dominates the pitch everytime the Red Devils take the field. Awww....someday! Thanks Elaine for such great pics!

Best Burpee Ever!!!

She also visited the stadium of the Bolton Wanderers where our friend
(former hometown Houston Dynamo player) Stuart Holden plays. We miss Stuie!

Munchkin Beach Burpees

2011-04-04T15:17:00.000-05:00

How adorable are these burpees that Shannan Roberts posted of her little ones doing burpees at the beach? If they are this good at burpees at such a young age...they will definitely be on the leader board in the future when the WOD "Darlene" (20 min of max burpees) pops up. :) Yay Burpees! Thanks for the cute pics, Shannan!

Burpees In The Woods

2011-04-04T15:08:00.000-05:00

Thanks to CFC athletes, Mike & Regan Jacks, for sending in some fun camping burpees while on their trip to Martin Dies Jr. State Park. Lookin' great guys!

Lesson Learned the Hard Way

2011-04-03T20:26:00.001-05:00

    I want to share a really humbling experience that I am currently going through. I know that every CFC athlete has heard all the trainers repeat over and over....and OVER...how important it is to stretch/foam roll after a WOD! Well, I am reaping the repercussions of not practicing what preach. I am not even a parent yet...and I find myself remembering that saying "do as I say...not as I do". Since I have been negligent with my own stretching, and haven't been taking good care of myself post WODs...I not only had to suffer through one injury, but now a second one, because I am idiot! Apparently I am SO stubborn, that the first injury wasn't enough to teach me a lesson. This second problem is definitely knocking me up side the head really hard....maybe this time I will get it.

    My first injury was an old neck injury that was re-aggravated after several years. After many weeks of going hard at the WODs during the "Ledbetter Late Nite" class at 7:30pm, I was in a rush to get home night after night...and didn't stretch. My husband will remind anybody (especially me) that this new habit I formed was not a good thing. Of course, I didn't listen...go figure, right? Yes husbands and/or significant others out there...I am admitting that I should have listened to my husband! You think I would have learned this back when it took my poor husband about 6 months to get me through the doors of CrossFit, but did I mention that I am hard headed? Which at times can be a very good trait, but if not managed correctly can also be damaging. The build up of not stretching eventually caught up with me. My muscles got so tight, that in the middle of the night they locked up two of the vertebrae in my neck, and I physically could not lift my head off of the pillow to get out of bed. After several trips to an awesome chiropactor, and lots of pain, I am doing better. So, was that misery enough to teach me....of course not.

    Now I am dealing with another injury that wasn't so sudden. Oh no, this one has snuck up on me quietly, but has magnified into more pain than the first one. It appeared one day, and has progressively become more and more debilitating. There is not any specific thing that I could tell the chiropractor that I did to injure myself. I was too embarrassed to tell him that it was because I thought it was more important to get home 15 minutes sooner to eat dinner, instead of stretch to prevent injury. I know....how ridiculous!

    So, I hope to save others from the same mistake. The trainers at CFC are not just saying stretch, stretch, foam roll, foam roll to annoy the crap out of you. I am proof of what happens when you don't listen! You should see how purple I am from the therapy that I went through this past Friday. It was one of the most painful experiences I have been through in a LONG time, and it nails it home that it was caused by my own oversight. I still have a long road of stretching, therapy, and lots of pain to go through before I get back to 100%. So just remember this story the next time you rush out of the gym after a WOD without stretching. You may feel fine the next day or even the next week after doing this, but that doesn't mean that you will avoid the huge problem that is silently accumulating...and will hit you up side the head hard!

Artistic Athletic Beauty...Cirque Du Soleil!

2011-03-21T12:45:00.000-05:00

     This past Saturday night I had the pleasure of going to Cirque Du Soleil Ovo, and had a whole new appreciation for what was happening on stage than ever before. I have been to many Cirque shows from Alegria, Dralion, Varekai, Corteo, O in Vegas, and now Ovo. I have loved every show, and have always been amazed by the incredible feats that the artists can bring to the show. However this time was an all new appreciation because this was the first show that I had been to while being a crossfitter. For those that haven't seen the show, or haven't seen any Cirque show, it is a funky, artistic gymnastic version of a circus...with imaginative costumes and beautiful music! Majority of the artists in Cirque shows are ex-Olympians, gymnasts, and acrobats that have a fine-tuned talent that is like no other. Check out this link for a preview in all its awesomeness!!!

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/home.aspx#/en/home/shows/details/ovo.aspx

     What I saw happening under that tent on Saturday night took so much strength, balance, coordination, flexibility, stamina, endurance, accuracy....that I found myself saying "WOW" and shaking my head in disbelief! There was one man who was executing a beautiful one-handed handstand on a wire that was swinging back and forth like a swing. I just laughed because I can barely do a one-handed handstand on flat ground...and maybe I can hold that position for 2 seconds. This man also could put his hands on the wire, and very SLOWLY bring his feet over his head into that handstand. Which is so completely different from the way I have to violently kick my legs against a wall to even get my feet over my head! What amazing strength, balance, and control that must take!

     Towards the end of the show, they moved part of the floor out, and underneath were lots of trampolines in front of a huge rock climbing wall. A group of 8 men came out and began to jump from the very top of that rock wall (which was so high that it was close to the top of the tent) and bounce off trampolines and catch themselves on the little hand grips on the rock climbing wall. I thought to myself..."I wonder how many times while rehearsing their act, did they not bounce off the tramp at the right height, miss the hand grips, and hit the wall"? They were all doing back flips, off the wall, on the side of the wall, over and under each other....that it all had to be athletically coordinated and accurate, as to not smash into each other in mid air.

     Every time I leave a Cirque show, I am so astounded, and can't wait to see the next one. Ovo was no different. Being a crossfitter definitely helped me appreciate the precise athletic ability of the artists. I know how hard I work on holding a handstand, and that is no where near what these artists could do! The strength it took to hang with one arm from a rope 30 feet above the stage, while holding another person with just your feet. The flexibility it must take to be able to put your feet over your shoulders backwards! Ow! Ovo was by far my favorite out of all the shows I have seen. I will definitely look at the handstands and rope climbs at CFC a little differently now!

Running into CrossFit: by Kelly Hutson

2011-02-19T10:53:00.001-06:00

Four years ago I started on a weight loss journey and have lost about 80 pounds to date. About a year and a half after I began losing weight I decided that I needed to incorporate some exercise into my life as well. So with the encouragement of my friend Marilyn, I started running.

I joined a running group and in January of 2010 ran my first half marathon. I loved running and equally enjoyed the weight loss benefits that I gained from getting out there regularly. But the weight loss gradually slowed down and I soon hit the big "P" (plateau), in not only my weight loss, but my running capabilities as well. I also began to suffer debilitating IT band pain when I tried to run anything over a few miles at a time.

About a year previous to my running frenzy, my friend Marilyn Cook, yes the same Marilyn that introduced me to running, had joined this "crazy nuts" gym called Crossfit and would occasionally try to peak my interest in joining by talking about it while we were out running. Time and time again she invited me to come and give it a try, but honestly I had seen her Facebook page posts describing the workouts that she did and had already decided that it was NOT for me! I was however, secretly noticing the remarkable physical changes that she had been undergoing. It took my friend quite a bit of touting the benefits of Crossfit before I caved in and signed up in September of 2010 for the "Reign of Fire" boot camp.

That first day of boot camp was the day that a new and improved me began to emerge. Having been heavy my entire life I had never done any exercise other than my recent running. I was terrified when I showed up at the park that first day! Even though it was hard Lindsay, our instructor, made it so much fun and I found myself looking forward to each and every class despite my aches and pains.

After finishing boot camp I immediately signed up for the gym and have been attending 3X/wk pretty faithfully ever since. On January 30th of this year I ran my second half marathon in Austin and finished in an incredible 30 minutes faster than my time last year. What amazes me most about this is the fact that I didn't change a thing in the way that I had trained for the previous race. The ONLY variable that had changed was that I had started Crossfit. In just 5 months I had not only become stronger and more fit but faster...who would have thought? And my IT band pain? It had completely disappeared.

Joining Crossfit has done so much more for me though than just increase my running speed. I have lost more weight, gained muscle, and have discovered that with effort and determination I can physically do things I would have never thought possible.

I still have a long road ahead of me, and I WILL master a push up if it kills me, but I am excited about the possibilities!

Great work Kelly! It is a pleasure working with you, and I know the victory over the push up will come soon :) -Lindsay

CrossFit After Dark Finished Strong!!!

2011-02-18T10:22:00.000-06:00

Last night was the final night of a month's worth of "CrossFit After Dark" camp, and I have to share about how proud I am of how hard everyone worked. Last night the campers repeated a WOD that they had done on the first day of camp 4 weeks earlier to see how their times would compare. I am excited to say that every single person blew their time out of the water by 4 MINUTES!!! We even had 1 person kill his time by 5 minutes (great job Lance). They were all excited to see how much strength, speed, and endurance that they had all gained throughout camp. Outstanding job Dannie, Andrea, Tonya, Richele, Lance, and Becky! Just imagine how much strength you will gain going forward! A new round of "CrossFit After Dark" starts on Feb 28th, so come on out and join in!

Ladies...Display Your Strength Proudly!!!

2011-02-15T22:14:00.001-06:00

Hey Strong Ladies Everywhere...check out this new clothing line that is so fun! Wear these items proudly so that the person you blow past in your run, or WOD will know...that they just got "Chicked"! Strong is Beautiful!

http://www.chicked.com/

Checkmate!

2011-02-14T21:35:00.000-06:00

What is there to do in the Lubbock airport for 2 hours? Why not do some lateral burpees over giant chess pieces...

CHECKMATE!

Texas Tech Burpee

2011-02-14T21:28:00.001-06:00

This past week I got to visit my old stomping grounds for the first time in 10 years...man has it been that long?! The great LBK is a completely different city. Brought back a lot of great memories of being a Red Raider...so, I had to mark my territory with some burpees!

WRECK 'EM TECH!!!

The famous Will Rogers statue!

Ferry Burpee

2011-02-13T22:30:00.000-06:00

Here is proof that Matt does from time to time do a burpee...but not that often. However, I wish that I was doing this one to help warm me up from how frickin' cold it was on that ferry!

Mountain Burpee

2011-02-13T22:20:00.000-06:00

I stumbled across some more burpee extravaganzas from our Seattle holiday trip. This is one of my adorable God son and I attempting to do a burpee on top of a mountain without any scary dismounts off the side of the mountain. Luckily I was holding onto his monkey backpack/leash the whole time.

Burpee Shout-outs!

2011-02-13T22:07:00.000-06:00

Thanks to the Burpee shout-outs that were sent into me recently. This first one is from my sister vacationing from the frigid temps of Minnesota in sunny California. This burpee comes to you from Torrey Pines State Park of San Diego...

The next Burpee Shout-out comes from our very own Shannan Roberts...looking good Shannan! Thanks for sharing your skills!

Yeah Burpees!

2011-01-24T21:16:00.001-06:00

This is perfect for Buttload of Barbells and Bodacious Burpees (B4), and I couldn't pass it up. Coach Burgener (Sir Oly Coach, Sir), and his view on burpees! I love it...

http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_BurgenerYeahBurpees.wmv

Food Preparation for the Week

2011-01-23T20:33:00.001-06:00

Matthew and I recently saw some videos on CrossFit Journal of how athletes Matt/Cherie Chan take Sunday as the day to prepare all of their food for the week. The Chans have filmed some very informative videos on how they have mastered their own way of making sure they stay healthy amongst a very busy schedule. Because, lets not joke around...it does take some fore-thought and planning to stay on track with your eating. Matthew and I have been struggling lately with arriving home late from CFC after fitting in our own training, and then having to start chopping/grilling up dinner at 9pm. Then, eating, showering, and finally getting to bed at a pretty late hour. After watching the Chan's video on their methods, we decided to try it their way...but making it our own. The past two Sunday afternoons we have devoted to our food prep days, so that we can catch some more sleep during the week. I decided to document our trip to HEB this afternoon, as well as all of the work that goes into a week of Ledbetter meals. :) Also, some funny things that happened along the way...

Our HEB trip was interesting. I always hate fighting the Sunday crowds, and am usually rolling my eyes a lot. While Matt is next to me being "Mr. Cool", reminding me that getting stressed out about what other people do (or don't do) only has bad results. Majority of the time, I am glass is half empty, and he is glass is half full. Lately on these HEB extravaganzas, I have discovered how wonderful those small carts are when compared to the normal size carts. The small carts are perfect for what we need, and are awesome when you need to zip around hundreds of slow moving larger carts. :)

Veggies, Nuts, and Coconut Milk Galore!

And.....Another Nut. Hehehe

We did find out that HEB was running a sale today that if you buy 2 boxes of Kelloggs Corn Flakes, you get 2 boxes of HEB corn flakes for FREE! Wow, what a deal! I thought to myself, you will never hear an HEB employee shouting out a sale of buy 2 tomatoes and get another 2 free (or any other vegetable). Just doesn't work that way in America.

Then it is home to start the food prep...

My job was to pre-chop all vegetables ahead of time and put them into individual ziploc baggies to store for the week. I know this looks like a lot of veggies for 2 people, but keep in mind this is for both of our lunches, and dinners. Matt always packs his lunch and brings it to work with him. Also, some of these veggies that we don't use this week, will carry over into next week meals.

Kohlrabi is so yummy!

Zucchini is my fav...

Kale shrinks a lot when cooked...

Finished product....

We have our cauliflower to make into some cauliflower rice, zucchini, squash, kale, kohlrabi, tomatoes, peppers (red-yellow-orange), asparagus, broccoli, and cucumbers. Now that all the hard work of washing and chopping is already done, it will drastically shave off prep time during the week.

Matt's job was the meat (what guys do best right)? :)

Before the Grillin' Magic...Thanks Yonder Way Farm!

We are actually cooking all meat tonight too, and putting them in containers in the frig. That way this week all we need to do is warm the meat back over, and bon appetit!

After 1 week of this process, we are fine-tuning some things on the 2nd week. Overall, it has been a success so far. Much better than our old ways of doing things. What a difference just a little more planning did for us! Just by putting in some more time on Sundays, makes our week much more restful.

Of course, Sunday prep day would not be what it is without a glass of this...our work is done!!!

Warning: Don't Read if you are a Super Clean Person

2011-01-23T18:30:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was a beautiful Saturday, so while Matthew was working faithfully on his "honey do" list in the garage I decided to vacuum out both of our cars. Before I continue on with this story...I have a confession to make...I am not the cleanest person when it comes to my car. I try to super-organize every other part of my life, that my car usually falls through the cracks. Just as I was thinking to myself "I can't remember the last time I vacuumed out my car", I made a really disgusting find that brought a lot of things into perspective! I found part of a Chick-fil-a waffle fry under one of my seats...eww! All I have to say is that I haven't been to Chick-fil-a since I started my Paleo way of living, which was at least 2 years ago! This just nailed home 2 points:

1. I need to vacuum out my car MORE than once every 2 years...I am gross!
2. How disgusting that the fry has been under my seat for at least 2 years, and it still looks the same as the day I bought it? No wonder our bodies have a problem digesting this...if it hasn't broken down at all in 2 years!

Dis-gusting!!!

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The Ultimate Ledbetter Burpees!

2011-01-18T21:23:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Alyx and Mia for showing their Bodacious Burpee skills in front of the sacred Ledbetter, TX sign! I think the only thing in the great town of Ledbetter is this one sign, so now the whole town has been burpee-ed! Fantastic job ladies!

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Return of the Ham (and I don't mean Matt)...

2011-01-16T18:45:00.000-06:00

What a great end to a gloomy day. I just returned home from my Sunday HEB trip, so that Matt and I can spend the rest of the evening preparing our food for the week. I was not looking forward to fighting the Sunday evening crowds at HEB, and grumbled through the whole experience. However, when I got to the deli meat section, I saw something that would cheer me up. HEB is selling my favorite ham again. The "Central Market Applewood Smoked Ham" was discontinued about the middle of last year, and that was a very sad time for the Ledbetters. This ham is wonderful because it is just smoked ham, with no added preservatives crap. It is wonderful for snacking in between meals. We go through a lot of this ham per week, and the people behind the counter always look at me funny because I order so much of it. They make comments like "you sure you want a pound of ham? It spoils quickly because it doesn't have any preservatives in it?". I always laugh and assure them that it will be gone in a hurry. So if you are looking for a good snack item, and you love ham...try it out. Hopefully they will keep it around and not discontinue it again...and if they do, they will receive a lot of hate mail! :)

Dizzy Burpee over Deception Pass

2011-01-04T00:00:00.001-06:00

There is a very HIGH bridge on Whidbey Island that is so high up, that looking over the bridge actually makes you dizzy. The current going through this narrow passageway is well-known on the island by many boaters to be suicidal. It is very dangerous for boaters because the current is so strong, that it will suck driftwood under the currents, and shoot them up at random like missiles. Obviously, this is very terrifying to sailors, so many of them will take alternate, longer distance routes rather than taking a gamble with Deception Pass! It is a beautiful site for many tourists on the island...and a very windy, cold place to throw down a Bodacious Burpee...

Burpee in the Bush....Intercontinental :)

2011-01-03T23:46:00.000-06:00

We marked our B4 territory with a Bush Intercontinental burpee while waiting to board the flight to Whidbey Island. Something that can bring fun to any airport!

Northwestern...Bloody Freezing...WOD!

2011-01-03T23:12:00.002-06:00

Matt and I helped out his parents by taking a task that they needed done...and transforming it into a WOD. Saved them a lot of work....and we had a great time doing it for them. It turned out to be the best work out while we were there...and the view of the mountains was the best part.
WOD:   5 Rounds for time:
             weighted carry with as many logs as we could carry...around the house (down a hill and back up)
             lunges on a slick, very icy balcony down the side of house
             and then stacking the logs in shed outside back door

I think the temperature outside while we were doing this was about 30 degrees...and about the 2nd round we threw salt down on the balcony to prevent slipping during the lunges (that is why we are like tip-toeing through the lunges). This was so much fun...and his parents will have enough wood to stay warm for another week!

Total # of pieces of wood moved combined: 34
Matt's time: 7:42
LL's time: 8:04

Times are an estimation because my fingers were too frozen to write them down anywhere...and I forgot :)

Cannon Burpee!

2011-01-03T15:04:00.004-06:00

I had to bring out a bodacious burpee next to this HUGE cannon!....HeHeHe,
(ooh la la, ladies ;) ) This was at Fort Ebey on the island during our first day visiting Matt's parents. The Fort was amazing...and a really dark, creepy place that would have been awesome for a game of hide-and-seek...but it was too cold!

New FITcamp Starting Jan 17th!

2011-01-03T13:06:00.002-06:00

Start the New Year off right...With a new FITcamp on Jan 17th! It will be a month long camp on MWF @ 6:30-7:30 pm on site at CrossFit Champions. The "New Year" pricing for this camp will be $115, but if you bring a friend you get 40% off! If you bring 2 friends, you get yours for FREE! So let everyone know that "Operation Resolution" is beginning on Jan 17th! What a fun way to kick off the New Year!

For questions: lindsay@crossfitchampions.com or 832-259-0606

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Barbells out the Yahoo

2011-01-01T10:59:00.010-06:00

The Old CrossFitter Teaching the Next Generation!

2010-12-31T16:48:00.000-06:00

Matt and I had a great time spending time with our 4 year old nephew, and we were able to catch a momentus event in the making...the old CrossFitter teaching the Next Generation of CrossFitters! Ever since this video, little Mason keeps saying to everyone who crosses his path..."I want to show you a Burpee". Good to know that Uncle Matt made an impression on his nephew...or did Mason make an impression on Matt? :)

New Year's Eve WOD

2010-12-31T13:24:00.001-06:00

Went back to Mt. Baker CrossFit today for a New Year's Eve WOD:

20 full clean & thruster (Matt-115#, LL-75#)
50 burpees

7:42 (we tied)

I finished the clean thrusters before Matt did...but he caught me on the burpees. He is the burpee master!

Good workout. We had a lot of fun at Mt. Baker CF. They are having a special New Year's Day WOD tomorrow at their Mt. Vernon CF location, but since that is about 1 hour and 15 min drive from the house...I don't think we are going to make that one. A shame too because it is the owner's birthday, so they were going to be doing "Filthy 50"... which I really like. Oh well, Matt and I were thinking about getting creative in coming up with our own WOD here at the house tomorrow. They have a pretty steep hill, and lots of chopped up trees....sounds like a good weighted carry is in our future!

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Lesson Plan: Christmas Burpees!

2010-12-30T22:01:00.001-06:00

Mary Sall sent in some great pics of her students enjoying the Lesson Plan of the day....Burpees! What a great idea Mary! I love the transparency in the background!

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Chocolate Chip Brownies

2010-12-29T18:30:00.003-06:00

Finally....I have found a recipie that is Paleo...and that I can eat too! Most "Paleo" recipies like this are made with almond flour, and I am allergic to almonds. So, I am very excited about these brownies:

8 dates, pits removed
3 cups walnuts
1 cup pecans
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp coconut oil
2 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1...or more :) cup dark chocolate chops
Preheat oven to 350
Grind walnuts and pecans in food processor until finely chopped. Chop dates into small pieces, add to food processor and blend until a paste forms. Add baking soda, salt, and pulse a few more times. Warm the coconut oil so it is liquid form. With the food processor running, drizzle it into the batter with the egg and vanilla. Stop mixing as soon as the egg and oil are blended in.
Scrape batter into bowl and stir in applesauce and chocolate chips by hand. The dough will be sticky and wet. Spread the mixture evenly into a 12x9 baking dish (spray with Pam non stick spray). Bake 20 min, or until brown. Then if you wish...you can add some "So Delicious" coconut milk ice cream on top. Yummmmm!

Originated on http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ with some changes by Leslie Stevens

Baked Eggs with Bacon and Spinach

2010-12-29T18:12:00.002-06:00

Prep 30 min. Total 45 min, 4 1-cup ramkins (bowls that you can put in the oven)

6 slices of applewood bacon
1- 5 oz bag baby spinach
1/4 inch slices of white sweet potatoes to cover bottom of oven proof bowl
4 large eggs
4 tbsp of coconut milk creamer

Preheat oven to 400 deg. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium until crisp.

Spray bowls with oil. Cover bottom of bowl with potato slices, then add raw spinach around the edge of bowl. Put pre cooked bacon on top of potatoes. Crack egg on top of bacon. Put creamer on top of eggs. Bake until eggs turn white.
About 14-16 min.

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Mount Baker CrossFit

2010-12-29T14:05:00.001-06:00

This morning we went to Mount Baker CrossFit on Whidbey Island off the coast of Seattle. The owner, Skip Chase was very welcoming. We ended up doing the main site WOD from yesterday which was:

7 Rounds:
3 front squats
7 L pull-ups

Matt did 155# front squat and Rx L pull-ups
I went light on the front squats (95#), and my "L" pull-ups were really "h" pull-ups.

Those 7 rounds of pull-ups gave us a rough time...but we fought through it. Will be going back a few more times before we leave.

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Outstanding Restaurant Experiment

2010-12-26T21:02:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to share a very yummy dinner experiment that Matthew and I had tonight at Redfish on 249 @ Cypresswood. We have passed this restaurant countless of times, but have never tried it (mainly because I am a very picky eater when it comes to seafood...but I am getting better). So, tonight we decided to give it a go. I don't remember how many times I said "that was so good" during the car ride home (but it was a lot). Matthew had the crab stuffed lobster tail and scallops. I had the very delicious mahi-mahi on top of noodles made out of squash and zucchini. In place of the rice that our meals were served with, the waitress brought us extra vegetables which consisted of carrots and green beans. An added bonus for me was that I got to take the orchid on top of Matt's meal home. :) I know what you are thinking...big whoop! But, in the past I would moonlight as a wedding florist, so I still have a passion for beautiful flowers!

We give this restaurant a 4 1/2 out of 5 burpee rating. We will definitely be going back!

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Rockin' Around the Christmas Snatch!

2010-12-10T10:45:00.005-06:00

Last night I hit a new PR (personal record) in my training. After many weeks of working on my form, and practicing better technique...I got a 95 lb. snatch! I was very nervous because I haven't even done more than 85 lbs on overhead squat. Just goes to show how important good form goes into a complex movement like the snatch. However, I can't help but think that the hat and Christmas tree socks had something to do with it!
Ho Ho Ho! ;)

Like that facial expression....YIKES?!

Challenges Hoodie - 2010 Limited Quantity!

2010-12-09T22:32:00.004-06:00

Home Field Christmas Burpee!

2010-12-08T15:48:00.000-06:00

Marnie sported very adorable furry Christmas knee highs during the WOD last night, and I told her she had to represent by dropping and giving me a Christmas Burpee! Great job Marnie!

Rowing Clinic – December 18, 2010

2010-12-08T00:10:00.001-06:00

CFC Instructor Matt Ledbetter will be conducting a Rowing Clinic – December 18, 2010 from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

Lost in Translation

2010-12-07T11:36:00.001-06:00

In fitness what is expected or considered acceptable for men and women is drastically different. In one case, females are worried about working out with heavy weights in fear that their bodies will change and morph into a She-Hulk like body. They are afraid of losing their "femininity" and looking more like a man. Where on the other hand, men are afraid of looking too thin and feminine, so they like to focus more on lifting heavy weights than on cardio. When and where did we mold these concepts into the general fitness of weight lifting and cardio workouts? Perhaps it's the body builders and super marathon runners that we see splashed all over the fitness world which brings most people to these conclusions (no matter how many times you shake the shake-weight; you’re never going to look like him or her). Well there is good news and bad news. The bad news is this; you can end up like those people. And the good news? The good news is, it takes chemical enhancements and/or very specialized training in order to achieve it (basically it doesn’t happen by accident). What kind of training? For the bodybuilder they specialize in targeting small groups of muscles and use slow controlled movements in a limited range of motion in order to achieve their goals. For the ultra marathoner they run constantly for very long distances (that's why I will never be one). Most strength and conditioning programs will not produce these types of "athletes" because they just don’t specialize enough, and CrossFit is no different. Yes we lift heavy weight and we do a lot of cardio, but CrossFit uses functional movements (multi-joint) and we constantly very our workouts (max days, short METCONs, long METCONs, light weights, heavy weights, body movements only, and etc… really I could go on for a very long time). Because of this the likely-hood of ever attaining a body builder or ultra marathoner body is incredibly rare (I’d probably win the lotto first). What we are doing is preparing your body to be able to perform a greater variety of work, more efficiently, and improve your overall health. We want to take your current physical state and improve it. Women, you will gain some muscle, but it will be lean and strong (i.e. sexy), not bulky and inadequate (i.e. Arnold Schwarzenegger with boobs and long hair). Men, you will not lose all your “Manly Physique” and resemble something along the lines of a pogo stick with two legs. Although you will not look like Arnold either, you will gain muscle and more importantly (especially to your wives who put you to work), functional strength and muscle stamina. So do not fear the weight or the run, but embrace them in their entirety, for this is the path to a healthy life where you can accomplish anything you want and look good doing it.

North Pole Burpee!

2010-12-01T22:33:00.000-06:00

Here are some very cold reindeer burpees sent to me from the North Pole (also known as Minneapolis, MN). Thank you to my family for braving the bitter single digit temperatures while capturing their Christmas Burpees! Love you guys…now go inside and sit by the fire!

Ho-Ho-Ho Burpee!

2010-11-29T22:31:00.000-06:00

While Matt and I were out shopping last weekend, we decided to have a little Burpee fun in the Tomball Hobby Lobby! I challenge any of you to decorate yourself in Christmas decorations and send in your best Christmas Burpee! We would love to see what you can come up with…

Come on…get creative…have fun!

Historical Burpee!

2010-11-29T22:30:00.000-06:00

Plymouth Rock-in’ Burpee…
Nancy Wilson visited the very famous Plymouth Rock during the Thanksgiving holidays, and yes….she couldn’t let the moment pass without doing a historical burpee! Great job Nancy…you look great!

Boston Burpee!

2010-11-22T22:20:00.006-06:00

Tom Wilson popped up on the map in Boston, Massachusetts with a northern Burpee! Great pic Tom, and I hope you are having a great trip. See you when you get back.

Interstate Burpees

2010-11-22T22:11:00.005-06:00

Ashley stopped at every state line from Texas to Alabama to throw down a Burpee. I am sure it was a sight for all the cars speeding by! She gets extra points for doing them all with a broken finger…now THAT is a true CrossFitter!!!

“Oh, no! Not another Burpee”

Nice work on the McDonalds bathroom break Burpee! I am sure Ashley got some strange looks from people eating Big Macs….but what a great way to stretch the legs. Thanks for the great pics Ash, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Epcot Burpee

2010-11-20T22:06:00.003-06:00

M-I-C K-E-Y B-U-R P-E-E! Where all your dreams come true!

Thanks to Darla for sending in this pic during her vacation to The Magical Kingdom. For all of those who are traveling during the holidays…don’t forget your burpees. . We would love to see all the fun places that burpees pop up around the world! Happy turkey day to all.

One Venti Burpee to go with no whip

2010-11-07T15:55:00.001-06:00

On a beautiful day Lindsay and I are sitting at Starbucks reading The Paleo Solution and taking in a bit of vitamin D. Is that a burpee?

Nov. 7, 2010 @ 1:55pm

Why am I here?

2010-10-30T21:15:00.000-05:00

I remember the first time I walked through the doors of CFC, as I am sure most everyone at our box does. I was nervous and worried that I wouldn’t be able to do the workouts. The only reason I was there was because my boss wanted me to go to the “gym” with him. I accepted because I wasn’t getting anything out of my current gym, and I was willing to try something new and different. It was scary, but I was motivated because I had a goal in mind. I wanted to slim down and get back into shape. It’s been over two years since that day and I can say that I have achieved those goals; I’m 20lbs lighter and in fairly good shape.

So what now? If I came to fulfill a set of goals and I achieved those goals, what am I still doing here? What is pushing me to continue? I guess it's time to sit down and give myself direction; it's time to reset my goals and point my efforts in a focused direction. We've all been there, but how many of us have actually made that next step and re-established our goals? We should now be better equipped to define those goals. So what's keeping us from making new goals and why should we care? Setting goals gives us motivation to push and fight for every pound and every second. It keeps us going when the going gets tough. Basically without goals we are just going through the motions and maintaining the "Status Quo".

Every year we try to encourage people to set goals, but we should all be setting goals every month, every week, even every day. For most people I think the hard part is in knowing how to set goals, so what I want to do is set the ground work for how to go about setting goals. What is a goal and how should it be structured? CrossFit trainer and speaker, Greg Amundson, defines a goal as "a specifically desired end state expressed in the positive tense which provides motivation and direction on the path to achievement". Let’s break that down into its individual parts: Specific and Concise, Expressed in the Positive Tense, Motivation and Direction, and the path to achievement (Time frame).

The first part of defining your goal is making it Specific and Concise. It seems self explanatory, but I find that many people still write a goal out as “I want to get better at pull-ups”. This does not provide you with a specific end state to aim for. Basically don’t leave any room for interpretation. An example can be something like, “My goal is to clean 225lbs”, or “my goal is to perform 10 kipping pull-ups consecutively”. In these examples the goal was defined very specifically and gives you the target to aim for.

All goals should be expressed in order to elicit a POSITIVE attitude. Frequently I hear people say “My goal in this workout is to not pass out”. That’s a very negative point of view and sets us up for failure more often than not (read Lindsay’s article “The Mental Game” on how our inner voice influences our performance). Instead a person’s response should be “I am going to crush this workout”, “I want to do my first two rounds unbroken”, or even “My goal is to beat my previous time by 1 min”. By setting your goal in the positive tense you are telling yourself that you can do it, that you believe in yourself, and belief is a vital part of success. In order to constantly achieve you have to believe you can. So be positive.

I remember the first time I saw the “Nasty Girls” video. I was blown away by what those three girls could do. I remember being inspired, and even a little awed by their ability to do muscle-ups. From that day on, I have been inspired and motivated to do a muscle up. That is what we are looking for when we set our goals, inspiration and direction. They should inspire you to push yourself to achieve a goal you previously thought impossible. Every day you should find yourself excited to be going to CFC because you want to be able to achieve that goal. How many people can watch the CrossFit Games athletes compete and not say, “Man that would be awesome if I could do that”? That is how you set your goal. Find something that excites you, that motivates you, and makes you want to push yourself.

And one of the most often left out steps when setting goals is to provide a time frame for achieving that goal. This is one of the most important aspects of your goal. If you don’t set a time then you never feel the need to push yourself TODAY to reach that goal. It provides the “Oh crud if I don’t go workout today I won’t be able to achieve my goal by…” to your workout. Defining that time is probably the single greatest factor that has led people to successfully achieve goals. You’ve all been there: “I have to pay this bill in time so I don’t have to pay the late fees”, “I need to lose 20bls to fit into that bathing suit before our cruise”, and so on. So commit to a time and get to it!

In the end your goal may resemble something like this “My goal is to do Fran in under 4min by the end of December” or “My goal is to perform 10 muscle-ups consecutively by the end of 2010”. A specific desired end state expressed in the positive tense which provides motivation and direction on the path to achievement; sounds about right. Goals are it; they are the driving force that keeps us moving in the desired direction. Goals are key to putting us in the state of “Wanting”. Always wanting to be better, and knowing what we need to do to get there. All you need to do now is believe in yourself, know that you can achieve it. Wanting and believing will allow you to do anything! So go set a goal, and while you’re at it post that goal up on the board at CFC for all to see.

Zesty Rub Broiled Pork Tenderloin

2010-10-01T18:24:00.000-05:00

Ingredients

1 pounds of very lean pork tenderloin, trimmed of all visible fat
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tbs Paprika
1 tbs dry mustard
1 tbs ground coriander
1/2 tbs salt
1/2 tbs ground pepper
1 tbs Coconut Oil
1 tbs Olive Oil
1 tbs Red Wine

Instructions

Mix dry spices and garlic in a mortar and pestle (or bowl). Add in the oils and wine to make into a paste. Cut the tenderloin into 4 pieces. Rub the paste onto the pork one hour before broiling. Broil pork 2 to 3 inches from heat source on high. Broil for six min then flip and cook for an additional 6 min. Rotate pork onto the sides and cook it for 2 - 3 min (depending on how well you want it) on both sides. When cooked to desired condition remove from oven and place on a plate and cover with aluminum foil for 10 min before cutting this will ensure the pork stays moist

The Mental Game

2010-07-25T09:01:00.000-05:00

I was reminded of a very important lesson this week that I wanted to share. That is how important the mental game is when it comes to CrossFit, or any sport for that matter. When I talk about the mental game I am referring to that inner voice that we all have. The voice that tells us that we can lift that weight, go faster, score that goal, or catch that ball; as well as that voice that tells we can't do those things...that we will fail. That voice is constantly with us in everything we do. From sports, to work, to life in general.

I thought that I had showed up to do Saturday's workout like every other Saturday, but I soon found out that my brain would tell me otherwise. Before I knew it I had completed 2 of the 10 movements of the nice little chipper that was on the whiteboard and was surprisingly fatigued...yeah, just after 2 movements! As I continued on I just kept hearing my internal voice telling me that I couldn't do anymore without taking LOTS of breaks, and putting the weight down. I kept wondering what the heck was going on.

It wasn't until I was done and had some time to think about things when I started to evaluate my mental game. I have always been a believer throughout my collegiate career in sports that a huge part of performance is psychological. Not only that, but so many other issues tie into the psychological aspect including sleep patterns (both quality of sleep and quantity), stress (occupational, emotional, financial, physical, family), and absolutely nutrition!

I just had such a negative mental attitude going into the WOD. When thinking back on how my week had gone, and most importantly my Thursday/Friday...I said a big "duh" to myself. Thursday night I had only gotten 4 hours of sleep, I was stressed at work, and my nutrition on Friday night was definitely lacking in quality. I regretted that big time. Because of all of these issues I went into the WOD mentally exhausted. So when muscular fatigue set in like usual, my mind was unable to overcome the screaming of my muscles. On other occasions when I walk in with a "can do" attitude, my mind can push my body through it. On Saturday however, my inner voice just kept defeating me.

Many things can impact that voice positively or negatively, but in the end we are the ones that control it. Ultimately it is a choice we have to make...will we let that voice bring us down, or will that voice help us succeed. That day I allowed that voice to be negative, and therefore lost the game. My lesson...never let that voice beat me. No matter what is going on, whenever I walk through those doors I will say to myself...."game on"!