The Amazing Race, Season 25 (wow!) started this week. And the team that came in far and away in first place was able to do so, because a team member had a watch with a compass on it. (SPOILER ALERT, don’t keep reading if you haven’t seen the episode yet!)
The Episode started with all the teams getting out in front of a “ring of fans” in New York City. The first clue was actually pretty fun – you had to know something about TAR history – where Season 1 started. As such, the teams had to ask the “fans” for the answer. I liked that a lot – gave the fans something to be proud of knowing. As it was a question about TAR-1, and I only started at about TAR-15 or so, I wouldn’t have known the answer either!
The final clue had the teams given a set of “coordinates” by “Blackbeard,” and they had to dig up a “treasure box” to finish. They were given a water compass (I think that’s what it’s called – see HERE for the video showing this part of the show) and a yard-long shovel to figure out their directions and paces.
The compass (as you can see from the video, if you clicked on it) says what is facing you. For example, if the ball says NORTH and you’re holding it in front of your face, then NORTH is the direction you’re facing. This is 180 degrees from what a “Regular” compass would show – as in, if you held up a regular compass and wanted to go North, then SOUTH would be “facing” you (with North on the “far side” of the compass).
I would totally have gotten this wrong, too. No doubt. It’s actually far easier to use (if you think about it) than a “regular” compass – because where you are going is right in your face. It’s just we are all programmed to think of it working the other way around!
HOWEVER, the he-dentist figured it out right away. As it looked like the sun was up around noon, that wasn’t helpful for figuring out East/West. HOWEVER, he had a COMPASS ON HIS WATCH. So he pointed himself in the direction the watch said, then looked at the ball. And figured it out immediately.
The other teams kept coming up to him to ask him how to do it. He found his treasure box quite quickly, and then was off – so the folks who actually got to talk to him wound up being able to find their boxes too (after some trial and error). The teams that did NOT talk to him – that got to the island after they’d left – didn’t really figure it out. Well – they did once the sun was setting (as in “rises in the East sets in the West” – though the “hot girls” that are always on TAR (blonde realtor girls), when asked, said “Um, rises in the West, sets in the East?” – um….why, ‘cos they’re from Florida??).
The three teams that were left wound up, after digging into the setting sun and working like dogs, just taking the 4 hour penalty together. This was like a couple seasons ago in Bali, when the 3 teams that couldn’t get the task done just all agreed to take the penalty. In this case, they all got close – in fact, it showed on the screen where each team was digging – and where the box was (usually within a yard to so of where they were).
One thing I didn’t really understand was how DEEP folks were digging. I would have walked over to the hole of the folks who got away quickest, to figure out how far down the boxes were (not very far at all). Once I knew that, if I didn’t find it where I thought it was, I would have started making little “tester holes” in the vicinity, not dug these grave-deep holes like a couple of the teams did!
Interestingly, the realtor girls – who are the ones who came up with the idea of “everyone” taking the 4 hour penalty – did it because they thought they would be able to beat the other 2 teams to the mat. As always, the first round is ALWAYS an elimination round.
The thing is, the girls had actually “stolen a grease pencil away” from the firefighter team (who I know they were SURE they would beat, because one of the guys is heavy-set), and the firefighter team was really sore about it. This had happened earlier in the day. So once they got off the island, all making this “pact” to take the 4 hour penalty, the “lighter” of the firefighter team got to a taxi van first. Then one of the realtor gals tried to get into it, too, and the heavier firefighter basically grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her out, said “Um, no.” The realtors wound up getting eliminated, and on the mat they were whinging about how the firefighters hadn’t “played fair,” etc. But in reality, they sort of had karma come back to bite them for “elbowing out” the firefighters earlier in the show!
This show (at the beginning) has a REALLY GOOD “intro” of the teams. I think that doing a TAR tape JUST like they introduced the teams as they came out of their cars in New York City would be awesome. It shows their hashtag, tells their story, shows a little bit about them. Granted you get 3 minutes in the submission tape – these were about a minute – but I think that it is THE WAY to present a team in the intro tape. Food for thought ;-)
That said, am I losing weight? Getting stronger? Even GOING to Crossfit? Nope. Was in Colorado for holiday with Herbert, and we did get out and bike, do some hiking, etc. but we mainly ate and drank (surprise surprise!) I’m in Utah now, and plan to go to Crossfit here, but I don’t have a car. The closest Crossfit is CLOSE (less than a mile away), but no walking or jogging through the thunder ;-) I also had work to do today and tomorrow, but after that, time to climb back on the bandwagon! How many times have I said THAT!
Too many times! LOL.
Are you watching The Amazing Race?
Would you want to be ON The Amazing Race?
If so – what do you think would be important as a racer – besides a watch with a compass? ;-)
As many of you know, the entire first chapter of my first book is dedicated to “clearing out” your life – and being ready for anything.
This past Labor Day, for me, was all about attacking the entropy that had overwhelmed parts of my life . . . which means culling through clothing, etc. ruthlessly.
I have been reading TravelFashionGirl.com for a while, and really like her website and suggestions. The biggest issue, however, is that she’s short, and doesn’t have much of a “booty.” So a lot of the clothing that she suggests just won’t work for 6’2″ booty-esque me.
I have two pair of the same “go to” black slacks in my wardrobe. The issue, however, with these slacks (like a lot of women’s clothing!) is that they have no pockets. As such, I’ve been trying to find a replacement that will not only work for a pair of work slacks, but also will work for Crossfit/hiking/etc.
Not that I would purposely go out of my way to wear a pair of slacks to Crossfit, mind you – but I’ve decided that this is how I am going to judge all new clothing purchases. (Why? Because, of course, I want them to work WHEN I am chosen for The Amazing Race. Naturally.)
Enter the first pair of pants I’m really excited about! They are pictured on the right – the Columbia “Just Right” straight leg pant. Not too tight and not too loose, these woven pants deliver beautiful balance: the perfect amount of fabric and stretch for a sleek, flattering shape and a comfortable fit that is equally ideal for daily wear as it is for all kinds of active endeavors – yes, I wore them to Crossfit on Thursday, and they performed like a champ!
They have UPF 50 sun protection, plus Columbia’s Omni-Shield stain and water repellency. They dry easily hung overnight; I have washed them (cold) and also dried them for a tiny bit in the dryer, and they held their size.
Although it’s tough to see in the picture, there is a “raised seam” on the front, which looks like a trouser crease. These pants are “stretchy” but not so much that you feel like you are wearing tights, and are super light weight as opposed to many “go to” travel pants, like jeans or khakis. They have a draw string on the inside, which is actually a nice feature as you can cinch in the waist a bit. They do not have tight straight legs – they are roomy enough for Crossfit quads and hammies without being “boot cut.” Ideal!
There is seaming on the back and I must tell you – they make my booty look amazing.
Although there are no pockets in front or back, they have a very roomy zip pocket on the side of one leg. This pocket holds a large-sized phone, keys, money clip, etc. (I tried it out). I think that the back shapes the booty so well due to the lack of back pockets – instead, it has “shaping seams.” The back is high, so no need to “pull your shirt down” as with some pants, if you bend over or squat down. Again – the drawstring actually really helps the fit, though it is hidden fully inside (the trousers have a single snap button – no belt loops).
They fit true to size, however, the “Regular” (there is no Tall) is 33″. I happen to have a 34″ inseam, and there isn’t a hem to take out on these pants. Worn low on the hip, they graze the top of my feet. I’m fine with that – but I wouldn’t wear them with a heel. Point of fact, my former “go to” trousers were about this length as well – it’s kinda hard to be over 6 feet, what can I tell you.
I did purchase another pair of pants that I plan to review: They have more standard pockets for a “hiking pant” but are also a breathable fabric that I think can work as a “work pant” too. I’ll let you know after they pass my “work then Crossfit” test ;-) In the meantime, I’m tempted to go right back out and buy another pair of these – yes, they really are that great! They also come in a dark grey color called “Grille,” in case you are looking for a pair of pants in that color instead of black.
Your Turn:
Do you have any item of clothing that you’d recommend to me as a “must have” piece for The Amazing Race? Yes, I’m serious – I figure the only way that I can make this dream come true is to be ready for it to come true. If you’re familiar with the program, you’re only allowed to bring a carry-on sized bag, so everything you bring needs to be easily washed, durable, fashionable, and mix-and-match. What comes to mind that you own??
Today, I received an email newsletter from UnderstandingMen.com. Many moons ago, I attended a number of Alison’s workshops, and in fact, back in 2008, I was honored to be the first person to interview Alison for a podcast!
I wanted to share a quote found in the newsletter, because it pretty much sums up the Fempowerment model!
“Women underestimate the power of femininity. We’ve been led to believe that it is fluff and frivolity. When women realize that their femininity has the innate ability to connect, profoundly nurture and inspire the best in others, we might finally embrace the source of our own magic.” — Alison Armstrong
Although some parts of the podcast are outdated (no more listener call-in line, for example!), HERE is the link to that “Coffee Chat” with Alison. You can also find all my past podcasts on iTunes by searching on the term Bond Girl in the iTunes Store, then scrolling down to the Podcasts section. The podcast is entitled Fempowerment: A Guide To Unleashing Your Inner Bond Girl and has a red background with a standing Bond Girl. On my iTunes (perhaps it’s just pandering to my ego…) it comes up first in the Podcast list for that search term.
Oh – and be forewarned, I’m working with BeingJamesBond.com now, and we will be crafting new podcasts that will “cross over” between both of our websites, coming soon!
Way back in the Paleolithic Era, I agreed to be part of an article in the S.F. Chronicle called something like “different ways folks exercise.” I was doing a lot of vertical gymnastics back then (a/k/a pole dancing), and they were curious about that.
The photo at the left is the photo that they used. I thought it was fun, and still have a copy of the article somewhere. I thought it was fun, that is, until I accidentally went online, and met with The Haters.
The Haters are folks who make comments like “look at all that cellulite” and “she makes me throw up a little in my mouth.”
Just a minute or so ago, in sending someone the link to my first book (which I will update some day, swear), I saw that there were some “newer” reviews of my book. Since the book was published in 2007, I was curious to look.
Haters!
The bad part is that the hater reviews pull the reviews of my book down. With no newer reviews to “trump” them, they have high weight. (So, if you happen to read this blog, and happen to want to go review my book on Amazon, would’ja? (click here))
It also really wrecks my day. My friend Jen at Wine To Weightlifting wrote about this a while back (click here). I really felt her pain.
When I was a little kid (that’s me, front right), I was very shy, introverted, a bookworm. I wasn’t particularly socially aware, and definitely was super awkward socially. As I was always head and shoulders (literally!) taller than anyone in my class, I think this led to me believing that the quieter I was, the less I would be “seen.” (Thank goodness my father always poked me between the shoulder blades to “stand up straight,” so I didn’t get the terrible stoop that you see in a lot of very tall women.)
Once I got to college, I decided that enough was enough. I wanted to stop being so afraid. I was always afraid of doing something to “stand out” – when, at over 6 feet, Hell, I stood out anyway.
So I copied a dorm mate.
She was popular, but in a really nice way. She was sort of heavy, had lots of friends, was helpful, and made you laugh. She was easy going. I think that the statute of limitations on being a stalker has now lapsed, so I admit, I stalked her. It wasn’t so hard, because she wasn’t great at school, and so I offered to tutor her. I slowly changed what I wore, what I laughed at, and how I saw the world. I came to realize that everyone is pretty much self-obsessed – they’re not looking at you and waiting for you to foul up. They could care less about you – unless it’s about what you think about them!
I met up with her (through the genius of Facebook) decades later. She’s the same gal. She remarked at our lunch that she couldn’t figure out why “we weren’t better friends and didn’t hang out more” in college. Again, that statute of limitations thing being over, I admitted that I’d stalked her. Well, what I said was, “I think that you like me because I am you.”
I explained what I’d done, and she burst into tears. She said that after I went abroad, she left school and had “barely” graduated. She said she couldn’t figure out why someone “as smart as me” would want to copy someone “who could barely get by” like her. A lot of tears and a lot of hugs later, I think we both came away enriched and with a different perspective on who we were, oh so long ago.
But I still have that thin skin that I had as a young girl.
A while back, I was asked to be “staff” (a sous chef, actually) at a women’s retreat in Sayulita, Mexico. I thought that sounded great – especially as I could attend the retreat, and working would pay for my room! That is, until I was “interviewed” by the leader. She told me that the week-long retreat would be all about “Re-Becoming Yourself As A Child.” I remember so clearly telling her over a cup of coffee (about 10 days before the retreat!) that I did not WANT to “re-become” myself as a child. I told her the whole story – about who I used to be, about copying the woman at college – and, you know what? She actually didn’t believe it. I’d known this woman through other women’s and coaching venues, and she knew me as a gregarious, lighthearted, fun, accomplished leader with a ton of admiring friends and clients. She explained that if I was to be on the Team, I “had to” do the exercises, and that’s what it was going to be about.
I almost didn’t go.
Flash forward to the middle of the retreat – the other women are prancing around on the sand of the beach, flying paper airplanes and stringing daisies, leaping and skipping.
I was sitting against a rock, reading a book, but watching them from afar.
That evening at the “Sharing” the leader basically “took me down.” She said that I wasn’t “playing by the rules” and was being “petulant.”
And I had an actual stomping foot, standing up, scaring-the-other-women fit about it. I explained to her that this was who I was as a child. That I had told her that I had re-invented myself, and that the person everyone “knew as me” was a fiction built up over time by me out of will power and spit. That the girl that everyone had seen was indeed who I had been – because it was not until college that I invented the person I was today.
After a lot of silence, and some “grim chin” looks from the leader (who was, I guess, processing that I had, in fact, told her this), one of the other (lovely) participants in the retreat piped up. She said, “Why don’t you do the exercises, as the child that the new you would have been, instead?”
So this is what I did. But the taste of who I had been, and “re-embodying” her (there was a lot of hypnosis, deep work, etc. involved in this retreat) remained like ashes in my mouth.
Just yesterday, a business partner and I faced an issue that we needed to investigate. I had found something through some legal sleuthing that was potentially worrisome to part of a business we’re incubating. She said, “let’s just call them.”
I couldn’t believe it – but that’s what we did. I am still the original little girl inside – wanting to know everything and have investigated everything before even potentially entering on a risky path. My friend? She just picked up the phone! (She also said, “Wow, I just learned something really big about you.”)
So what’s this post about? People often don’t come from where you think they do. And it’s often not some awful Oprah-esque backstory. Maybe it’s about the fact that you might be being “stalked” by someone right this second. And she’d be amazed that someone wouldn’t “want to be like you.” Or maybe this post’s about not hating on people. Just stop it. There’s enough of that crap going on out there – let’s all keep ourselves above the mire, shall we? Or maybe it’s just about trying to get someone to go post something nice about my book. Hmmmm. (That’s enough about me…what do you think about me? ;-) )
Your turn:
Have you ever used “fake it ’til you make it” in an area of your life?
Who have you emulated? Why? Or perhaps who have you avoided emulating? Why?
How do you deal with Haters? What tips could you share with us thin-skinned folk?
I’ve fallen off a lot of things recently. Blogging. “Other” exercise (than Crossfit). Amazing Race training. Watching what I eat.
I definitely have a “SQUIRREL!” mentality. I start focusing on something new – and drop the balls I’m juggling in favor of the new ones.
I’ve had more work than usual, and we have had a few vacations. I should be able to “jump right back in,” but I often have trouble doing that – especially when it comes to things like the dreaded “weight” watch.
I went to an energy healer a while back, and she said that part of the issue is that I’m an “old soul” in my body, and that my “soul” doesn’t want to “pay attention to” the body stuff. Who knows? One thing I do know is that until I started the dreaded March To Menopause, I never really had any issue with weight. I’d gain some, lose some, gain some, lose some, always in a general spread.
I’ve been WAY outside that “spread” (and spreading!) for at least a year now.
So – we’ll see how long this lasts – but I’m back logging what I’m up to. As I said in a previous post, we use Beyond The Whiteboard at my Crossfit box, and I’ve been logging in that. (Wish it linked in with other trackers that I like, like EveryMove.com). I’m charging my Fitbit and BodyMedia device. I’m plugging in my Garmin.
I’ve still got my eye on the Amazing Race. The plan is to send in two submissions – one with Moddie (like last time) and one with my friend Jamie (as I mentioned in the last blog post). I think one of the main problems with Moddie and my previous submission is that you couldn’t call us the “something” team. That seems to be a big part of TAR. Jamie and I are going to be going for basically #007Team as it were – He’d be “James” and I’d be “Solitaire.” I think it could be a hilarious video submission . . . the only problem being, if we’re picked, how to carry that off on the race! As I emailed to Jamie a few days ago, it’s one thing with The Goths, who were just wearing black the whole time – but how would #007Team do a backpack? Um, shoes? Hiking boots are not particularly Bond-Girlish! (We plan to discuss this in our podcasts – why not? – allows others to chime in with ideas, too!)
So, last blog post of the day, but just to say that – I’m recommitting. As such, it might be Day 330 (!!) since I started this, but it’s Day 1 of the Recommitment.
I’m thinking about doing a hike up to the Open Space across from our house and back. It’d be a nice start – and not immensely awful. I had promised myself I would do this at least once a week (especially after I quit working at the yoga studio). Of course, that fell off after like two times.
My friend Jamie and I met on the Being James Bond forum. We’ve been corresponding off and on for a while, and I mentioned to him that I wanted to start podcasting again.
The podcasts that I’m most likely to listen to these days are “two person” podcasts, where the podcasters play off each other. I floated the idea of doing this with Jamie, and he thought it’d be a great idea!
We’re going back and forth with subjects, how to make this work, etc. Also, as “Head of Section” from Being James Bond is “on a mission,” we’re finding out whether he’d like us to cross-post over there, too.
What does that mean? A Bond Girl and James (well, Jamie) podcast should be coming to you some time soon!
Yesterday our Crossfit box did a 3-part WOD, the 2nd part of which was the workout we did in February for the Crossfit Open 14.1. If you care, HERE is my writeup about that experience.
The workout was a 10 minute AMRAP of 30 double unders and 15 25-kg (55 lb) power snatches.
In case you don’t know, an “AMRAP” is doing “as many repetitions as possible” of a set of exercises, in a time cap. “Double unders” are passing the jump rope under your feet 2x in one jump. And “power snatches” are getting a barbell from sitting on the floor to holding it up over your head, arms straight.
When I did this in February, I got the 30 double unders, which was a big accomplishment in the first place. But, though I could just barely clean the bar to my shoulders (lifting it up to your shoulders from the floor), I didn’t have what it took to push the bar up from my shoulders to above my head.
Yesterday, I had just as much trouble with the double unders as before. I’ve fallen off of practicing them for a number of reasons – more work, practicing other things (mainly squat-related), etc.
But the thing that made me inordinately happy was that I got the bar over my head 15 times. I even had enough time to do 5 more double unders – so I ended with a score of 50.
I couldn’t lift the bar straight over my head like everyone else in the box – they of course made it look like they were lifting a feather. (Average score was about 190). However, I did what would have been okay in Open 14.1 – I cleaned the bar, then “push pressed” it over my head.
It took a while, believe me. It’s not like I did them all in a row. But I did them!
We’ve been using a new software in the box called Beyond The Whiteboard. That’s another reason I stopped blogging so much – adding “one more thing” I have to log into to my day made other things fall to the wayside. The reason I like this software is that it keeps track of your maxes – so before the WOD, you can just pull up your app and see “where you have been” in whatever they are throwing at you that day. WAY easier than trying to track it how I was – here, in this blog, and on a spreadsheet.
So, I have seen improvement in various things, but this is the first time I can see what I’d call “marked” improvement in something. Part of the reason is that I haven’t been able to do much of the workouts at “Rx” (at the “prescribed” weights), so every time we do what’s called a “benchmark” workout (Fran, Murph, etc.) I’m doing it banded, or not squatting deep enough, or “whatever.” As such, it’s very hard to compare apples to apples in this area for me. As an example, when I do squat movements, I still have to squat down to something solid, because I fall over. I used to squat down to a medium box, then a shorter box, then (now) down to 2x25k + 1x10k plates. Or, I started box jumping literally just up onto the side of the gymnastics mat. Now, I can do 14″. (Lowest Rx ever for women is 20″.)
But in this case, I was able to compare an Rx workout to an Rx workout, 5 months later. February – couldn’t get the bar off my shoulders (and almost couldn’t clean it). July – got it up the 15 required times.
Now, I’m watching the Crossfit Games, Masters. We have an athlete at the Games (Pastor Bil, 63 years young), and it’s amazing to know someone there. I’m also cheering for another athlete, who is from my “online friend” Jennifer’s box. So I know two people! It’s very inspiring.
Since our vacation, I’ve “slacked” somewhat on the “working out, eating right” part of my life. I’ve also had a lot more work to do – which means sitting for hours in front of the computer (though the benefit is getting paid. Who-hoo!) Sure, I’m going to Crossfit 5x a week (well, except today – did I mention the Games?) and I’m trying as hard as I can. But I’m not doing “extra” at home like I used to. Stuff like that.
At the box, I still get really frustrated when folks who just started Crossfit pass me like I’m standing still. We have a couple gals in our box who are newbies, not all that much younger than I am, and I watch them bound up to 24″ box jumps or do tempo front squats with twice my weight, chatting like they have a feather on their shoulders. (HOW can these gals CHAT so much and lift???) I keep trying to just keep working at my hardest and best – and when things happen where I can really see how much better I am (like yesterday) it buoys my whole day!
If you actually read my blog, you might want to skip this post ;-) This is really just a place to put some “time stamps” related to the Girls Gone WOD Podcast, as they asked folks to name “moments” from their first 49 episodes, for their 50th next week. Not like I’m going to sit here for 49 hours listening to GGW (um, I don’t THINK…) . . . Anyway, so that’s what this is post is. I’m going to post it and add to it, until I can’t stand the rabbit hole or until Joy and Claire post their episode where they asked for timed clips…whatever comes first LOL
Episode One – Intro to Joy and Claire: I actually really like Episode One – starting from the very beginning. I’d forgotten this Episode!!! It says “who Joy and Claire are” and why they Crossfit. It’s so funny to listen to this now – because I feel like “I know them.” Funny when I download it from their website (because my iTunes doesn’t load back that far), the podcast shows up as “Claire Hay – Claire Hay’s Album.” ;-) Special notes of interest:
*3:09 – the discussion about the slap koozy. Why is this important? Because only 3 minutes in and I had my first “uh-oh, TWO words I don’t know” moment (‘slap bracelet’ and ‘koozy’). I’m still waiting for the GGW “slap koozy.” Come on girls, get on that LOL
*4:55 – NEXT word I had NO idea what it referred to (“Globo gym”). Took me like 5 re-listens to figure out the word “Globo.” I was listening to GGW before starting Crossfit, and this is what made me realize that I better find a Crossfit lingo website LOL. (I did start Crossfit right around when they started – June – but then quit Crossfit FOREVER because of a bad coach. But then re-started in September of last year, which I have blogged about ad infinitum, especially in my last post – and I’ve never looked back)
*7:05 – “define drill team…” – Joy telling Claire she was on the dance team/cheerleader. 8:34 – Joy did competitive ballroom/competed in Vegas – this was the beginning of me thinking “is this woman me at 35???” I’m just jealous that she was a cheerleader because I was too shy in high school to do that, though I would have LOVED to. H being an advanced ballroom dancer made me take up ballroom – gotta get back to it actually. LOVED IT.
*9:00 – “Superbowl XXX Video Show/Diana Ross Half Time Show” – THIS IS WHERE I MADE MY MARK! I found this dang video and sent it to them. It took me like forever. But I found it.
*12:00 – “purple velvet Madrigal dress” – just the visual, Claire, just the visual is memorable….
*13:25 – the whole “don’t worry if you are new to Crossfit and you don’t understand our words”…and also that “Crossfit doesn’t get easier, you get better” – then “well…actually, Crossfit DOESN’T get easier, because they keep making it harder as you get better…” (How true is THAT)
*14:41 – OMG I FORGOT – Joy was still a VEGAN then!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*19:00 – “I got lost and I wound up in Canada”….first best Joy laugh ;-) And the whole Vermont story – as my “kin” are from Vermont/New Hampshire/etc. this made me laugh OUT LOUD. And the wool factory.
*20:32 – “beards not in a sexy hipster beard way…in a ‘something might be living in your beard’ way…” LOL LOL again, you gotta have been to Vermont…
*21:41 – YEAH JOY – so WHERE ARE those ballroom dancing videos??? (And SO TRUE re the leader being the key to the whole enterprise…)
*26:00 – the whole frustrating/”it’s supposed to be easy” thing that Claire talks about and self-comparison. I think I went back and listened to this like 10 times when I was going through this at the first Crossfit I went to – and Joy saying “if you go to a gym like this, you just should leave” – never OCCURRED TO ME that I actually sort of could do that – watershed moment. That maybe another gym would be different…SERIOUSLY! This is a really important part, or was, for me.
*32:00 – “What is your biggest life lesson?” – I forgot this part! Good to re-listen to it ;-) Claire: “You don’t have to say everything you think.” Joy “Are you waiting to talk, or are you really listening?”
*37:05 – “Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you react to it.”
*39:00 – Joy “Have you ever had a panic attack?” Claire: “Oh, I just had one on Monday.” Joy “A full blown panic attack?” Claire “Oh yeah. Yeah yeah.” LOL.
*40:00 – Joy not knowing what Fran is – this is funny because the latest Episode (49) she had no idea what Fran was, again. Hilarious since it’s basically the one Girl that “everyone knows” and Joy is like “um, which one is the one with the thrusters?” LOL
*42:00 – Joy “I really do enjoy a good thruster.” LOL
*43:00 – FIRST MEAN GIRLS QUOTE! (It took me another 10 Episodes or so to actually realize “Yup, am going to have to rent this dang movie”)
*47:20 – first little tiny “Bye-eee” from Claire.
Episode Two – Interview of TJ at “Old” TJ’s: – this one shows up as “Joy Parrish – Joy’s Album” – so funny. It’s the podcast interviewing TJ at TJ’s Crossfit and for sure sounds like being in a Cave. This is where they did their photo shoot – with their long hair ;-)
*11:30 – wait is this “SuperFan Chris G” that you’re talking about – ? Funny Funny if it is. (You just say “Chris”)
*13:00 – I TOTALLY agree with TJ here where he says (as opposed to ‘Globo gyms”) that he knows EVERY SINGLE MEMBER and that he knows how they should do the WOD, etc. – that is SO TRUE about Crossfit and one of the things that I really, truly, appreciate and love (and hate!) about Crossfit.
*14:00 – Claire “When I try to get under a weight it’s like a baby deer on a frozen pond” TJ “Yup, Yup it is.” LOL!
*33:00 – reminder for J&C – here’s the talk about the difference between 24-Hour Fitness and Crossfit – and the floor example. This really is a great moment in the podcast. (But also HILARIOUS where apparently the guy next door said that “all these random people” came to help him and TJ goes “HEY, those were FOLKS THAT PAY ME to be here and they were helping you, and your employees weren’t even there.” :-) )
*26:07 – Claire’s first talk about yoga. (I am SO that person…)
*29:00 – TJ’s comments about “if you’re thinking about starting Crossfit, you need to look at some YouTube videos,” etc. – and that every gym is different – AGAIN this was a big deal for me because when I heard it, I was “quitting Crossfit forever” because of a bad experience. This made me think. (Thank GOD.) And as Joy says, a lot of folks basically think “Crossfit is like Starbucks” – this was a BIG part of this podcast for me, personally, because I never, ever imagined that it was going to be “different” at another box. I know that sounds so silly (now) but – WOW – SO IMPORTANT. At 31:00 Claire talks more about the whole “not liking the vibe, but liking the movements” – again – this was HUGE for me. It’s funny listening to it now, because of course now I’m at the “right” gym and so into it, but…wow…I had forgotten how much this MEANT to me in hearing it. Kudos to you J&C.
*32:00 – TJ talking about how Crossfit is often better for women than for men – totally agree with this – I like what he says and how he says it here.
*37:18 – funny TJ talking about how he lost the ability to do a muscle up, etc. when he first started and he was the worst Crossfit shape of his life – sounds a bit like what Claire is going through with starting doing her coaching now. :-)
*47:00 – Claire re being a wilderness first responder, “But I can’t help you if you’re less than 2 hours away from definitive care” – and the story about the summit, the lady with the baby, the lady with her hair standing straight up, and Claire talking a MILE a minute….HIL-ar-I-ous. “It was like the Titanic going down, and we were all going for the lifeboats” and TJ saying “Yeah but you still tagged the summit…” First Claire CRAZY FAST story where you realize she could probably make a living reading the legal mumbo jumbo at the end of drug commercials….
EPISODE THREE – Body Image: Still Joy Parrish – Joy Parrish’s Album at the top – I wonder if that’s what these always say? (I am pulling them up from the GGW website because I can’t get anything on iTunes before Episode 5…(which, by the way, if I don’t GET to it because I pass out from too much GGW-ness, is a GREAT EPISODE with Claire doing the NASCAR thing at the Games with Christmas Abbott. So fab.)
*2:54 – Joy “…the front pockets go this way and my butt goes this way” (with no visual mind you) – one of my fav OMG ME TOO moments ;-) *5:45 – Joy: “Bring in the naps!”
*13:00 – Claire’s story about the whole Yukon trip and “I wasn’t afraid of bears, I was just afraid of being slow.” AMEN SISTAH. OMG. I also have panic attacks, and being last can trigger one in SUCH a big bad way. So the fact I am still doing Crossfit as the dead last one is kind of a miracle.
*14:10 – Joy freaks out that Claire had had breast implants ;-) (Claire: “I CLEARLY don’t have them any more LOL” – and then Joy “Oh, you guys, well, OMG, you know, like….some of my best friends have boobs…” LOL)
*22:00 – Claire trying on her wedding dress, re. bra size, gal at the shop saying “A double-A? Is that, like, a B?” O-M-G…..
*22:58 – Joy “My dream would be to wear a tube top that, like, stays up…” (I so feel your pain, girls…)
*23:10 – Joy “This is like the boobcast…we should get back to Crossfit…” LOL
*27:00 – the first “bulky” rant ;-)
*29:45 – “if you CAN get bulky, you’re probably going to make money. And be famous.” LOL!!!
*30:00 – Joy re. not being “dainty” – “Yup, no daint in this body. This is a daint-free zone.” LOL.
*33:00 – Gwynyth Paltrow’s trainer regarding “A woman should never lift more than 3 pounds, you’ll get bulky” Joy “I could break her over my knee,” Claire “What, am I supposed to bring in my groceries one item at a time?” LOL.
*46:46 – ” ‘Oh look at that girl, she has great legs but look at all that cellulite.’ Said no guy ever.” “Guys are more like ‘Oh look! A girl! I LIKE them!” LOL This is also where Claire mentions the “thigh gap” – which I then had to go Google. ;-) “Men don’t look at a woman and say “Oh she’s so cute, her thighs don’t touch,” instead, they’re all “Look! A Girl!!”
EPISODE FOUR – Panic Attacks and Meditating: Oh Look! It says “Girls Gone WOD” at the top! :-) Way to go girls ;-)
*7:47 – “My family just calls it being ‘high strung.'” Also re “Why do you care so much, why don’t you just forget about it” and Claire going “Oh, THANK you SO much, I never thought of that!” Pfffffft!!!!
*8:55 – oh CRAP this is the Joy/Scott/Pearl Jam/Wrigley Field story. THIS GAVE ME A PANIC ATTACK WHEN I HEARD IT THE FIRST TIME. I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I’m going to SKIP THIS STORY!!!! Because I had a similar situation once, in England, at a Rolling Stones concert, because the gals that I was there with wouldn’t leave, and we were going to miss the train, and we had to go a LONG WAY home and were NOT in a good town (Liverpool), and I knew it, and trying to get them to leave, and….oh, SKIPPING….SO SKIPPING THIS STORY RIGHT NOW…..LA LA LA…..
*18:00 – Claire, “Don’t meditate unsupervised if you have anxiety. It’s horrible in there. I was a bull in a China cabinet…or wherever you keep your China….a bull in a thing full of China….I got in there and I did NOT want to be in there in my own mind…” Joy “So when I took you to yoga, did you freak out?” Claire: “I am so inflexible I can’t even do it….everyone is all ‘breathe into your pose’ and I can’t even do the thing, so for me, I”m still trying to get the pose when everyone is all ‘meditate into your pose’ and I’m all ‘I CAN’T REACH…MY LEG IS FALLING ASLEEP….’ The mindfulness part of yoga is lost on me…” OMG this whole section is just great. Claire “We had to draw in our mind, and I was using glitter crayons in a Little Mermaid book” Joy: “I was coloring out of the lines….” The whole “Caaaaaan’t Reeeeach” makes me laugh out loud EVERY time…
*21:00 – Joy psychologizing Claire – she gets her whole “psychologist voice” on – which for some reason, to me, is totally amusing.
*22:00 – Claire offers to get Joy a “therapy hat.” SO, did this happen? Then they discuss that Joy just got the Tinkerbell/Pat Benatar hair.
*23:01 – Claire “Can you tell me who Pat Benatar is?” Joy “I can’t believe you!” Claire “Well, what does he look like?” Joy “IT’S A GIRL…!!!”
*24:40 – Claire’s story about her hair, living on the couch…”My boss was eventually, like, ‘Oh, I thought you were doing it like on purpose…like John and Kat Plus 8?'” LOL
*30:00 – comments re “if guys are listening” and talking about periods, Claire: “Everybody pees, everybody poops, girls have periods. Get over it.” Didn’t you listen to the 6th grade Health Care episode?” LOL.
*43:00 – Claire talking about going to the Games (the next week after), “…and I’m going to just put it out there, I am SO going to meet Christmas Abbott.” Hilarious to hear this now – considering what not only happens in Episode 5 with the NASCAR wheel change thing, but then with C.A. being on the podcast (thanks Brandon!)
*44:00 – Claire, “So listen, Christmas, what up, I am SO going to meet you this weekend if you’re listening…” Funny Funny Funny.
*46:07 – “So, like 20 people ‘liked’ our Ryan Gosling post” (talking about how many listeners they may or may not have)
*46:30 – Claire: “I could so go for some Ryan Gosling boosting…”
EPISODE 5 – The Crossfit Games Episode. I love this one. This is the “NASCAR Wheel Change” episode. AND there was video, even! Thanks Brandon…
I started Crossfit last year, on September 6th. As I type this post, that means I have been doing Crossfit for 9 months.
In the year before starting Crossfit, I had done a few marathons and half marathons (5), some open-water swims in the S.F. Bay (brrr!), and a Olympic distance triathlon. The year before that, I did an Ironman, because I wanted to do an Ironman before turning 50.
This might sound like it makes me a bad-ass. Far from it. Look, someone has to bring up the back of the pack in the dark – that’d be me. Sure, I’ll agree with you – there are a lot of folks out there that don’t get off the couch to do anything . . . and in fact, if you look back in this blog going way, way back, you’ll see that was me. (This blog chronicles my “Couch Potato to Ironman” journey if you go back far enough.)
But here’s the thing. After having some health issues, as my birthday came around last year (September), I found myself in the unenviable position of being almost 40 pounds overweight. I didn’t fit in any of my clothes, and all the biking/running /swimming in the world wasn’t budging it. I’d like to pretend that it was all “muscle,” but last Fall I had a fat “dunk test” (that I blogged about back there somewhere) – and I was 30% fat by weight. Oh and believe me, you knew it – my muffin top had a muffin top.
I have recently been reading some great blog posts about gals who were transformed by Crossfit. HERE is one by a Crossfit franchise owner and competitor (Talayna Fortunato), HERE is one about “regular” Crossfit women by a gal who started out overweight (it’s long, but well worth the read).
When I read a lot of these articles now, I actually get a bit depressed. Why? Because here I am nine months along, and I’m nowhere near where everyone else is. In fact, I started Crossfit just two days after the gal who wrote the “Crossfit Women: The Truth” post linked above (the long one). And look at how remarkable she is now. I still can’t do a pullup, a proper pushup or burpee, or innumerable other things.
One thing you’ll get used to – chalk basically EVERYWHERE. Yes, this is me.
Okay, so she is young enough to be my daughter. But here I am, 9 months later, and I don’t have some dramatic “Before and After.” I go to Crossfit 3-5 days a week (yes, really), rain or shine, and you can’t really tell, compared to all the other “Before and Afters” – including the one at the top of this page (which is not me, by the way).
But that’s what I’m here to talk about. Oh sure, when I’m snuggled up in my bed and the alarm goes off, I think two, three, ten times about actually swinging my legs over the side and putting on my athletic clothes. But I do it. Because, dramatic “Before and After” or not, Crossfit is about community. And besides, I will not lie to you, it feels pretty bad-ass to lift a big metal bar above your head – even if it weighs a tenth of anyone else’s.
The Regionals
I suppose that we’ve all felt “community” at some point in our lives – whether it’s folks at Bingo who would rib you if you didn’t show up, or your Book Club, or even a Zumba or Jazzercise class you did for a while in your past. But the Crossfit community is a bit different.
Here’s an example: One of our coaches, Amanda Norton, recently made it to the Crossfit Regionals. You don’t need to know what that is, just know it’s huge. She wound up having a hard time on the second day of competition, though she had worked her way up to 11th in our Region the day before (awesome!). During this workout, she was only about 3/4 of the way through when the top 10 women (who were competing in her same Heat) were already finished. Did they leave the field? Continue to lie panting on the mat, after their own enormous efforts?
Amanda doing legless rope climbs at the Regionals
No. They surrounded her and cheered her on, coaching her, cajoling her. I talked to her about it afterwards – some folks might hate that and, like Garbo, ‘Vant to be Left Alone!” – but she said it was awesome. Here she is, surrounded by “Crossfitters whose names are known” – Crossfitters who compete for a living – giving her “Atta Girls” when she feels like giving up.
Amanda is the one in black standing. All the other gals are the Top 10 cheering her on.
Crossfit is also the only sport where the entire audience generally actually does the sport. While a very small percentage of the audience of, say, a football game has ever had experience on the field, just about everyone at a Crossfit competition is doing their best to do the exact same movements that the competitors are doing.
That’s amazing, when you think about it.
If you’re over 40 and you’re considering Crossfit (or over 50, like I was), here are a few things that I researched before I went that I think you should know – and a couple of things that I didn’t know but I wish I could tell my “about-to-be-Crossfitting” self now, 9 months later, before she started. In no particular order.
1. Crossfit has a “lingo.” You’ll want to familiarize yourself with it before you go.
Being a lawyer, a Virgo, and a “Year of the Ox,” this is something I looked into before I started. Like any other sport or endeavor, Crossfit has its own language. HERE is a great article that discusses the “lingo” that you should probably understand, HERE is another one that gives you a pretty comprehensive Beginners Guide to Crossfit. Last but not least, HERE is an article by a gal who does a blog I have followed for a while – she’s fun to read. ;-)
Bar-facing burpees. Yes, I am so tired I’m resting my head on the PVC pipes I was jumping over.
What do you need to know? Well, you’ll likely have an On-Ramp or Beginner’s Introduction at the box (gym) you choose, and they will give you the basics. But I’d say that, while coaches will continue to patiently show you the difference between a Shoulder Press, a Push Jerk, and a Push-Press months later, you’re expected to understand acronyms like AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible), WOD (Workout Of the Day), RFT (Rounds For Time), and EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute) pretty quickly. Do familiarize yourself with the lingo before you go – just like you’d probably listen to some language CDs before you flew off to travel in a foreign country. Knowing just a bit will go a long way, trust me.
One way to do this is to download and listen to podcasts in your car – this will introduce you to some of the “lingo.” Just know that when I first started, I had to keep a running list of words I didn’t understand, to “translate” when I got home. “Globo” gym? “Swole”? The place I Crossfit doesn’t use these terms – but the Community does. Just put “Crossfit” into the Search box in iTunes or (if you’re Android) DoubleTwist. HERE is Barbell Shrugged, probably the best known one; another is The WODCast Podcast. HERE is one just for women that I like – if you’re my age they’re young enough to be your daughters . . . and in fact, you’ll hear that they refer to “Mom Sandy” now and again. Yes, that’s me.
And, as an aside – since I just mentioned coaches – not all Crossfits are equal. It’s all run by humans. So if you walk into a Crossfit and you don’t feel comfortable there, leave! There’s likely another Crossfit somewhere near you. I actually “quit Crossfit” (never to come back) after my first month at a different box (gym), but then a Groupon led me back to where I work out now, where I fit right in. As I also knew I sucked at Crossfit (after being told that innumerable times by the coach I’d had at the first box I tried), it was important to my ego that I knew no one at the box I chose. I didn’t want to look like a complete idiot in front of people I knew, when the workout was too much for me. I just detested the idea of one of my Crossfit-obsessed friends saying kindly, standing over my prostrate body: “WOW, you were in the Marines/did an Ironman/did 5 marathons and a triathlon last year/swam from Alcatraz, but you are having trouble lifting that PVC pipe over your head?” There are lots of articles about choosing the right box for you – HERE is an article I liked, but there are lots out there. Learn the Lingo so you don’t feel stupid – and Find The Right Box For You.
2. Face It – You’re Older Than Everyone Else. And You’re Broken.
The owner of our Crossfit box and I were chatting the other day. While I’m still older than most of the folks that go there, it’s not as if I’m so much older that I could be their mother. (In this ONE THING they haven’t lapped me . . . ha ha.) Our box is “known” to have an older (meaning, over 30) crowd, and what that means, according to the owner, is that “everyone is walking through that door with something wrong with them.”
This is so true! For me, I’ve had a shoulder and knees issue for decades now. My husband (who is now doing Crossfit with me when he can) has back issues. We’re both heavier than we should be. But the beauty of this is that the coach leading your Crossfit workout has been trained by Crossfit to “scale” the workout for you.
Here’s one thing I will tell you though – don’t be too attached to your injuries and aches/pains. Because if you are cautious – if you don’t go too hard, but you do go hard enough, you might wind up losing them.
Air Squat
When I started Crossfit, I couldn’t squat down unassisted with my heels on the ground (called an “Air Squat” or “Third World Squat”) more than a few inches from standing. As in, I could go down maybe 4″. (And I’m over 6′ tall.) The coach had me start by holding onto a vertical steel post, walking my hands down and back up, because otherwise my big bootie would pull me backwards, and my ankles/hips/knees didn’t have the range of motion to support me. I worried about my chronically painful knees. I wondered what I was doing there. I cried behind the building on more than a few runs, where I was so last that folks had already lapped me before I turned the corner.
But now – 9 months later – though I haven’t had the dramatic changes detailed in that article I linked above from the gal who started on almost the same day as me, I can squat down to 13″ from the floor, with my heels flat, and not holding on. (I squat down to a stack of weight plates, “touch and go” – and given the fact that my legs are so long, I’m right at the point where I’m actually squatting and my femur is parallel to the floor. A ways more to go – but not as far as I’ve come!)
People are supposed to be able to squat. We were not made to be sitting in chairs! The thing is – after 50 years of sitting in chairs, it’s hard to get back what you could do as a child with no effort.
I’m also, to some extent, “lifting heavy things” while squatting. All those months squatting down while holding onto the vertical, or squatting down to lower and lower wooden boxes while holding a PVC pipe, I almost gave up hope. But this past month, I’ve been doing Front Squats (a squat while holding a barbell across your chest/shoulders) and Back Squats (a squat while holding a barbell across your shoulders behind your neck) down to about a 15″ stack of weight plates, with about 30kg (about 60 pounds or so).
Back Squat. No, this is not me!
When I read about the weights “other girls” do these exercises at, I can still get depressed. I can’t help myself. But if you’re reading this, I’m here to tell you that if you feel depressed, Hell, don’t give up – WRITE ME. I am the poster child for perseverance in the face of NO Crossfit ability. I don’t say that with some sort of false humility, believe me. I have been at this 4-5 times a week for 9 months, and I still can’t do most of the moves at “Rx” (Crossfitspeak for “the way it’s supposed to be done,” as opposed to “Scaled”).
But I keep at it. And, before I did those marathons and such? Nada. I was the girl who – constantly – tried to get her doctor father to write her notes so that she wouldn’t have to go to gym class. Seriously.
3. Once You Start Crossfit, You’re Going To Talk About Crossfit – And Face The Haters.
Before you tell me what “everyone says” about Crossfit being the easiest way to kill yourself, HERE is a great post that addresses that issue.
But as for talking about Crossfit . . . I swore I wasn’t going to be one of those people who’s life revolves around the box. The thing is, that once you get into it, you sort of can’t help yourself. You’re going to be doing some outrageous things, working super hard. So you’re going to laugh (cackle…) at all those articles and memes that have to do with burpees (sort of a tortured jumping jack/pushup combo), peeing during double-unders (passing the jump rope 2x under your feet in one jump – I still can’t do this consistently, though as an old lady, I have the peeing thing down…), double-entendres about “snatches,” etc. I don’t talk about Crossfit in “real life,” but I do have whole Pinterest boards filled with Crossfit photos that inspire me, including funny Crossfit memes, and, of course, the inevitable Paleo Recipes board. That leads me to the next thing . . .
4. You’re Going To Want To Know The Difference Between Paleo, and Primal, and Zone, and . . . Crossfitters are, as a breed, inveterate bodyhackers. But, on the most basic level, because you’re working out so hard (or maybe to keep your mind off it), time before and after the WOD (Workout Of the Day, remember?) often revolves around food. There are vegan Crossfitters, Paleo Crossfitters (probably most of them), “Primal” Crossfitters (Paleo + Dairy), Zone followers, Bulletproof Coffee aficionados . . . but in general, if you’re doing Crossfit, just trust me on this: it will become less and less easy to drive through McDonald’s or graze through a box of Oreos.
Crossfitters, in general, are really interested in getting the optimal “bang” from their food – because if you eat crappy, you lift crappy. Some are more obsessed than others – but that goes for anything. The thing that I have found is that people often “back into” healthy eating after having done Crossfit for a while. Sometimes boxes (gyms, remember?) have Challenges that have to do with healthy eating, sometimes it’s just becoming more curious about how what you eat is fueling you. If you have some weight to lose and you’re just beginning, I’d say from personal experience not to change too much until you ‘re a few months in. Then, see how eating “cleaner” or at least “differently” affects your workouts. Don’t do it all at once – you’ll quit. Trust me. Remember, this is going to be a lifelong thing. (Right?) So get Crossfit down first. Then, get your eating in line.
Again, there are some GREAT “thought leaders” in this area. If you just go to one website, I’d suggest Nora Gedgaudas – she is AMAZINGLY knowledgable, her book is fantastic, her podcast is spectacular. HERE is the link to her website.
Two of my other favorite podcasts are HERE and HERE.The first one (Dave Asprey/Bulletproof Executive) talks about himself a LOT – he’ll ask the guest a question and then talk about himself for five minutes. You have to sort of get around that (sometimes I can’t stand it), because he has amazing guests (and, sometimes, he even lets them get a word in edgewise). If you really like one of the guests, you can write down their name on your “things to look up after this podcast” list, then follow them on their podcast, or get their book on half.com (cheapest on the internet). It’s a good way to tiptoe into the rabbit hole that is this area, if it’s new to you.
me pulling the “sled” last week with 50k (about 110 lbs.) Raaaawrrrr
The second podcast I linked, Jonathan Bailor/Smarter Science of Slim & The Calorie Myth has a LOT of episodes, and I would suggest you start with #1 and “work your way up.” (With Asprey/Bulletproof Executive, you can jump around and just pick a guest or topic that interests you.) Why start all the way with the first one on Bailor’s podcast? Because the old podcasts actually detail everything that’s found in his new book (The Calorie Myth) – then you don’t have to buy it. ;-) Again – pick and choose – but if you start with these two guys (as both of them do a lot of interviewing), you will be able to branch out into folks who interest you, when you hear them interviewed. But take it from me – this whole area is really interesting. You’ll discover how messed up what we have been told about “Calories and Exercise” is. Sometimes, I look up at the clock and realize an hour or two has passed when I’m listening or kanoodling on the internet, following up on notes I took while listening. As I said to a friend the other day after one particularly deep dive: “Gee . . . it’s dark down here. And there are a whole lot of bunnies.” (You figure that one out ;-) )
5. You’re Going To Die At First. Then, You’ll Get Better. Then, You Will Feel Better. Look. There’s just no fun way to say this. No matter how “scaled” your first workout or two is/are in Crossfit, you’re going to wake up the next day, and you may not be able to make it down the stairs, or out of your car, or lift your arm up to brush your teeth. (Though THIS VIDEO is about the day after a Marathon – and is one of my favorite laugh-out-loud videos – it could easily apply to Crossfit.)
Crossfit, even scaled Crossfit, is hard! My husband often can’t make it to the Crossfit workout (though he tries to go once or twice a week), and so he seems to just perpetually bounce from his muscles feeling “heavy” to being actually sore all the time. It’s going to happen to you. Unless you’re coming from being a crack athlete and gymnast, you’ll be sore. But go back – it will get better as you get better. I’m rarely sore-sore any more, though my muscles often do feel heavy. More importantly, I’m never “ache-y” any more, which was the hallmark of my existence before Crossfit. My shoulder ached. My knees ached. My hip ached.
Now, 9 months later, I not only haven’t “hurt myself doing Crossfit” (as many, many people have, generally because they do something over a coach’s objection) but I have “healed myself.” I haven’t lost a lot of weight, but I walk differently. My shoulders are “back and down” – I don’t tilt forward in that pre-dowager’s-hump/computer-sitter posture any more. I also have lost what a friend used to tease were “bags of dead mice” hanging off the back of my upper arms. Oh sure – I still have back fat, and front fat, and cellulite, and grey hair, even. But I feel better. And things are looking up.
me visiting Crossfit Pohaku on the Big Island of Hawaii
This is a long post! I probably have missed some stuff – maybe things that are more important. But if I come back to one thing – it’s the Community.
I’ve now done Crossfit while travelling – and it’s such a great experience. Once you’ve mastered the lingo and have some idea of what you’re doing, visiting other Crossfit boxes can be a great way to meet folks almost anywhere you go.
But – and I really gotta wrap this up! – if you’re starting Crossfit, I’d love to be part of your Community. If you’re considering Crossfit, and you have some questions – I’ll Reply to any Comments as best I can. I’d be happy to help, if that’s possible. Remember – there are no “stupid” Questions – only unasked ones.
Why ask me? Because I really am not very good at Crossfit. But I love it, I love the people that are involved in it, and I seem to think that it will be part of Me for a long, long time.
If you’re a Crossfitter, What is the best part about Crossfit? Why do you keep coming back? What would you tell your “just about to start Crossfit” self?
If you’re not a Crossfitter, What is spurring you on to do this? What excites you about the idea? What scares you?
I can’t believe I’m writing a post about underwear. Yup, they’re that good.
I recently did a Kickstarter for FitKnix Athletic Underwear. And noooo,
they are not paying me for this post. (Just in case you were wondering.)
FitKnix’s undies come in thong, bikini, boy short, curvy, lacy . . . well, check’em out, the link is above. They’re made out of a whisper-soft but strong seamless Lycra, that not only eliminates panty lines, but washes fine in a regular clothes washer (they come with a little zipper bag to use so your other clothes don’t snag them). You don’t want to put them in the dryer, but they wash just fine.
They have two different “gusset” (a/k/a crotch) types. One is antimicrobial 100% cotton. The other has leak-resistant sides, and can hold 1-3 tsp of … moisture. Crossfit Double Under Champs, take note!
Frankly, I thought this would be super weird. But, what the heck, I thought I’d give it a try. And I’m super pleasantly surprised. They’re comfy – the gusset is a bit “stiffer” than your usual panty gusset, but the benefit of that is it also eliminates the dreaded “camel toe” (yes, I did say that).
I personally got the bikini style, so that’s what I can speak to. Now let’s talk about fit. I started Crossfit with a bubble butt already – and as all you Crossfit Laydeez know, it don’t go down from there. Everyone grows their junk differently, but for me, it meant as my squats got lower and the weight on my bar went up, I wound up with, basically, a plumber’s crack when wearing panties that used to fit. There just wasn’t enough yardage to cover my newer “higher/rounder” boo-tay. If I pulled’em up, my apple cheeks popped out the bottom. Sooooo attractive.
The bikini style fits me perfectly. It covers up the aforementioned plumber’s crack, without any cheek escape at the bottom. And for something so thin, I’m shocked they don’t ride up, stay totally comfy, and they are, as they say in the trades, “moisture wicking.” Yes Virginia, I mean butt/hip sweat. And the Double Under Thing? Yup, they work. I’m not saying anything more.
So if you’re in the market for some new undies, I’d definitely recommend giving these a try. They are not cheap (remember, I did a Kickstarter so got them at a discount) – but considering I was one of those gals who roamed Ross looking for something that might fit while also being priced at less than a latte for a three-pack, I figure it’s time to (ahem) put on some big girl panties and wear something that looks good, doesn’t leave a line, and that works not only for every day but also for athletic use.
I did check to see what their Returns policy is – not for me, but for you (mine are SO not going back). You can Exchange them if they don’t fit for a new size/style, but there are no Returns per se.
So if you’re looking for an Undie Upgrade, thought I’d pass this info along. They’re cute, strong, super comfortable, and barely there. Way to go, FitKnix.
As many of you know, the entire first chapter of 
Way back in the Paleolithic Era, I agreed to be part of an article in the S.F. Chronicle called something like “different ways folks exercise.” I was doing a lot of vertical gymnastics back then (a/k/a pole dancing), and they were curious about that.
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