The Power of Positive Thinking

I'm generally an incredibly positive, optimistic, good natured person. Since my health has been on a downward spiral the past 18 months, I've noticed that so did my positivity. I didn't like that at all, and I knew that negative thinking wasn't/isn't me. I went through periods of saying positive things, but not believing them. I also went through periods of depression and that was no good. Well, I've seen the dawn of a new day, and that feels wonderful. I do not enjoy being a "negative nancy" at all, and I've ceased those unhealthy practices. Instead, I have resumed keeping a gratitude diary and instead of beating myself up about one thing or another, I practice believing (not just saying) positive affirmations every day. My spirits are good, and I FINALLY feel like my body is healing. Even though my progress is slow (and my doctor agrees), at least things are moving in the right direction. I needed to heal spiritually, mentally, and physically. Until I get all 3 in balance, I will never really complete my healing journey. Now I'm on the right road. My holistic system is regaining balance. I am feeling like I am getting back to a place that feels normal and happy for me...and no person or situation can take that away from me ... ;-) I find things to smile about every day. I am a very blessed person, with a very healthy, happy family surrounding me. I find joy in the little things, like taking a walk or looking up in the sky and seeing the sun shine. Best of all, I love going to the gym and teaching class. I enjoy being a positive role model for those around me. I feel incredibly fortunate to have that passion...and now is the time to use that passion to continue focusing on "me". I've realized that sometimes it's okay not to give it all away..to keep a little for myself...and continue to be the best "me" that I can be...Be encouraged today!!

Beautiful day, hard workout

Well, this afternoon was a lovely 80+ degrees in Austin, so I decided to take full advantage. I felt like my strength was relatively good today, so I went out to the track with my kettlebells and my MP3 player. I did AoS Providence (excluding the Sicilian Crush and Flip/Squat Rounds), including the 3 minute snatch test at the end. I did the workout with my 12kg bell, but dropped down for some of the clean/press cycles to the 9kg bell. I also added a round of snatch/TGU (3 per side) and concluded my workout by trying my hand at the RKC grad workout. I did the grad workout the width of the football field, instead of the length :-) It was pretty brutal, and I only used double 9kg!! I don't think that I fully mastered the walking see saw press. My goal is to do the grad workout the width of the football field every weekend and the length of the football field once a month.

I feel like my strength is slowly returning, along with my determination and endurance. My body has been screwed up for a long time, and this healing process has been equally long. However, I know that 2009 will be the return of me -- finally! I'll continue to go slowly and at my own pace, but I, for certain, will never give up.

Here's to 2009!!! :-) Depending on the weather, I might do Newport, Firepower, or one of the Goddess workouts tomorrow. I'm not supposed to do really strenuous workouts now, so I just take things slowly and do what I can.

Optimum Health Institute

Just before Christmas, I went on a 1-week excursion at the Optimum Health Institute and ventured into the world of raw foods. There are only 2 OHI's in the country, and one just happens to be right in my back yard! I've been taking some raw foods classes and doing more juicing since my return from the institute. I don't think that I'll ever move to a 100% raw diet, but would like to get to about 50/50.

It was a life enriching experience. I met new people whom I am now very honored to call new friends. I also had a chance to give my mind, body, and spirit a much needed rest, and used the opportunity to cleanse and detox as well. The program is a 3-week experience, that can be completed 1 week at a time. I am looking forward to returning in 2009 for my remaining 2 weeks of the program.

Secrets of Strength Development Workshop

I forgot to mention that in our on-going commitment to continuing education, we attended the "Secrets of Strength Development" workshop in Wycoff, NJ in December 2008. The event was hosted by none other than world famous strength coaches Joe DeFranco & Zach Even-Esh. We had a great time and picked up alot of new techniques to bring back to our clients. We plan to continue our training with both Joe and Zach in 2009. This workshop was an excellent practical learning opportunity, as it reinforced several of the Russian training methods that we have been studying and self-implementing. Now, we can share the pain with all of you :-) Head over to the ATX Underground blog if you are a female fitness enthusiast interested in enrolling in my 8-week strength & conditioning group; young athletes should check out J&N Personal Training's upcoming 8-week program.

Here's a picture of me & the legendary Joe DeFranco; I was so star struck LOL!!

2008 is coming to an end

It's been quite a while since I've blogged, but I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge and reflect on 2008. Wow, it's been an incredible year, with blessings in abundance. I did alot of learning, traveling, growing, and healing (still a work in progress). I'm looking forward to a healthy, prosperous 2009, full of exciting new opportunities! I just got back from a strength & conditioning workshop in New Jersey, and I'm amped to start putting what I've learned into practice!

I had a pleasure meeting new friends, forming new relationships, and fine tuning existing ones :-)

Be safe and have fun saying goodbye to 2008 and hello to 2009!!

Back to CATZ...

Well, it's getting chilly here in Austin. Yesterday was an incredibly full workout day. In the morning, I went to UT at 7AM for a body composition & calorie consumption analysis; I was thoroughly depressed afterwards - LOL. That's all I will say about that...LOL

When I got home, I registered for Joe DeFranco & Zach Even Esh's seminar being held in December. I've been waiting for the seminar to open for registration all week. Registration & sign-up opened at 10AM EST yesterday and was limited to only 20 participants. The event sold out in less than 45 mins! Luckily, I got on the roster :-). It was also very reasonably priced for 2 days. I am so amped!! I've been wanting to meet Joe D and Zach for a long time. I was considering going up to each of their gyms seperately over the Christmas holidays, so, Christmas came early for me :-) BUT, I realized immediately, that I am going to have to improve my conditioning & endurance by leaps and bounds between now and early December. That sparked the beginning of my long workout day :-D.

I did 25 mins of Cathe (High Step Challenge) at lunch time. Then, I decided to go back to CATZ to focus on improved conditioning; I would like to keep it up 2x/week from now until next April or May. I am also considering picking up martial arts. I love keeping things challenging and different. I was so nervous to return to CATZ, but it was like going back home. The coaching staff is top notch and everyone is so friendly. I am so passionate about the training model that I would like to become a coach there. I've always wanted to be a coach there ever since I stepped in their doors in 2007. I want to pass my CSCS exam first, though, and then I should be good to go. I said a little prayer before I went to class asking the Almighty to please not let me pass out or cramp up in front of all these folks. Surprisingly, I did much better than I thought! It was a really killer workout, and I was able to hold out thorough most of it. We did a drill with fire hoses (gosh are they heavy) that reminded me of Ropes Gone Wild. It was a partner drill where the person at the other end wrapped the hose around their waist and the other person was seated on the ground and pulling them in; each person had 40 seconds to pull the entire rope in. It was tough since the person on the end was providing an anchored (but walking) resistance. Working at CATZ will help me improve in my abilities as both an athlete and strength & conditioning coach.

Lastly, I got lucky b/c my masseuse offered me a free stretching session, which I used last night. We spent about 45 minutes just doing partner stretches, and I felt GREAT! My shoulders and hamstrings are always very tight. We focused mainly on shoulders/traps/rhomboids, but we did a few hamstring stretches as well. Let me tell you - my body FINALLY loosened up. We agreed to do an hour of full body stretching techniques and follow it up with my usual 90 minute sports massage next time. I actually had a sports massage earlier this week. I ended the night with a soak in the hot tub & sauna, and finally went to see "W." with my family. It was a LONG, but great day!

Train, Train, Train

Well, I've decided not to compete this year. I've had way too many (albeit good) distractions and not enough time to train or diet properly. Soooooo...time to develop a new game plan. I'm going to do the first show in 2009 (March). In the mean time, I want to spend the rest of 2008 getting back into my kettlebell practice and focusing on improved overall metabolic conditioning. I will continue coaching Spinning classes 2x/week, which I love. I'll also continue to train with Jerry 2x/week doing traditional weight training, but my focus will be to get in 4 days of kettlebell or conditioning work per week, plus cardio. I might try Alwyn's Afterburn program, as I really enjoyed his Warp Speed Fat Loss program; I haven't really decided yet. I'm getting my groove back in many different avenues, and am ready to focus on my personal development. I'm happier and not putting as much emphasis on competing, which was beginning to stress me out and take away the joy of lifting.

Hope that everyone's doing well!! Keep training hard. I'll get back to more regular blog updates this month :-) Thanks to all of my friends for your well wishes and encouragement.