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My Fundraising Page

My Fundraising Page

My Fundraising Page

My Fundraising Page

My Fundraising Page

Road to Ironman with Team in Training

Hiya Friends!!! WELP, it's underway... Training for and
enduring 140.6 miles of swimming, cycling and running all in the honor of
those who have had to endure cancer...

     One year ago this month I ruptured my right
achilles, this year has been a repair and rebuild year both physically and
emotionally and I now feel like I am blessed with a foundation of health,
strength and fortitude to take on an endurance event that will mimic the
hardcore road of enduring a cancer journey... The blessing of course is that I
have a choice whereas my daughter did not and many of my friends and
aquaintances did not.  So many were called to be warriors against their
will and without the luxuroy of preparation for battle... They just had to
fight and fight hard.  My family was and is so incredibly blessed with
Catie Jane's tenacity, courage and lets face it...luck of the draw.

     This week I
trained at Digninfied Crossfit several times building my strength and
endurance.  I also completed the Growler Gallop 5k as a fun way to get
some miles in.

     Here's a look at Catie in 2002 when she
was kicking off her endurnance adventure.  She was and is a warrior and
her spirit inpires me to do big things!!! 

     Please consider donating to this adventure and
help to help warriors in their fight as well as the people behind the scenes to
find a cure!!

     Thank you to the moon and back!!! 

Stay tuned for a recap of Catie's Journey and for updates on training and fundraising!!! 

Cancer is not this cute... She just happens to be really, really, really, really, really , really, really.... AMAZING!!! xoxo

http://pages.teamintraining.org/mi/FordWI15/jmaurer

My Fundraising Page

What's the Goal???

What's your goal??? Well, that's an interesting question, one that varies from decade to decade, year to year, day to day, minute by minute... Right this very minute, my goal is to bust out a somewhat coherent and mildly enjoyably blog post before midnight!!! I have about an hour... Is this goal realistic??? Doubtful, but then it's like most of my other goals or should I say big dreamy dreams...

I mean I still would love to be a prima ballerina and a fire fighter and an olympic gold medalist, but I guess those are no longer  my goals (dreams) and are now just my disappointing failures ;-P

In the meantime I have come up with plenty of other important and incredibly lofty goals.  For example, it is my goal to raise intelligent, polite, well rounded children who grow up to be hard working, successful, happy, contributing members of society who always call their mother.  That one seems mostly reasonable...right?

I have goals to be less pathetic, more assertive, less whiny, more helper-ish, less worried about what others think of me, more better at time management (look, I'm trying to keep with using the more/less as a literary device... don't knock the lack of articulate and appropriate use of grammar... you have to look at what my goal is) ;)

But really, goals need to be SMRT... I mean SMART!

O.K. Smarter than that!!! You know: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound... (I know that because the internet told me so)!


Here's the thing, as soon as I set a goal, it affects all of the other goals I have set!!! ARGHHHHH!!!! Here's another thing about me, once I set something in place, I let to set it and forget it like a rotisserie chicken!  I LIKE PATTERNS, SYSTEMATIC APPROACHES, THE KNOWABLE AND THE FORESEEABLE!!! Which is kinda funny-ha-ha because as a CrossFitter it's all about the Unknown and Unknowable... but I digress...


My current BIG and PERSONAL goal is to finish a 1/2 Ironman.  That is 70.3 miles of swimming, cycling and running for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of my little girl who is a stage IV cancer survivor!!!  While maintaining my goal of being available to my kids, being the best fluency support faculty I can be, being a traveling coach with CrossFit gymnastics, a coach at OCCF, being a good friend, keeping the dog poop picked up and so much more.  I also have a goal (New Year's Resolution really) to not take on too much... I need to reevaluate that goal... BECAUSE, I have too many other goals that I want/NEED to accomplish!!!


To make a short story long... I have noticed a drop in my strength training as I take on more miles toward my 70.3.  I want to be at the box and train with my CF buddies, but I also want to get the miles in with my Team In Training buddies.  We all have common interests. It fills my heart... UNTIL I REALIZE I CAN'T BACK SQUAT 165 lbs. ANYMORE!!!  


So I have to put it into perspective and remember my GOAL.  My goal for the next 6 weeks is to be RELENTLESS FOR A CURE for cancer and to KICK SOME BUTT ON 70.3 on June 10!!!


*i also have a sweet 16 bday to organize, the hubby's 40th, my 20 year reunion to attend and a kid graduating which lends itself to prom, graduation, senior all night party and a graduation party... I'm pretty sure there is a family reunion in there somewhere and a couple of uber important-to-my heart fundraisers to attend!  WOOOHOOOO!!!! 


I think my goal for July is to SLEEP ;)


In case you wanted a challenge this week, here's what we did at OCCF Gymnastics today:
Warm up: Row 500m
2 passes each: high knees, butt kicks, Luigi's, inchworms w/pushup, stripper stretch, alternating quad balance stretch.

Skill Set: Front Levers

• Ball Up on Bar - hold 5 sec. lower for 5sec (ARMS STRAIGHT) X 5
• Ball Up on rings - Lower to tuck front lever- Right leg extend and back then Left leg (r,l,r,l = 1) X5
• Inverted hang on rings - lower to position 1 and back, 2 (a little farther), 3(farther) ball up lower down X2
• Inverted hang Front lever negative (modify as needed)

WOD: 

• 1 Rope Climb
• 10 High Box Jumps (girls 30-36' guys 36-40')
• 2 Rope Climbs
• 10 HBJ
• 3 Rope Climbs
• 10 HBJ
• 30 Hollow Rocks

Stretch for flexibility: focus on shoulders and hamstrings

Set your goals work toward them and should they change EMBRACE IT... It's all about the journey after all!!!

Peace Out,

Coach Julie :)

What Does CrossFit Mean To Me?

It's a question that I've seen kicked around a little bit lately and it really got me thinking... What is CrossFit to me??? Well, it's a lot of things... It physical, emotional and even spiritual... I don't consider myself an all out "kool-aid drinker," but CrossFit is a huge part of my life.

PHYSICAL ... well DUH!!! I mean c'mon, that's what it's about. Strength, nutrition, physical health and well being. I LOVE THIS PART. I love feeling strong, I love beating my last time, I love being the mother of three and people not believing it :) Two and a half years after I found CrossFit I am still making gains and loving how my body is changing and improving! With all that being said and for those of you who know my bouncy bubbly personality, it should be noted that I am not always Susie-Sunshine when it comes to the WOD... I mean, I've been known to piss and moan and cuss and grunt and shout and sometimes even kick things ('specially if wall balls are involved), but the results OH THE RESULTS, THE PHYSICAL RESULTS... they make me happy.

EMOTIONAL... well, I AM a girl! But what I mean by this is the emotional support, the camaraderie of my fellow athletes, friends, coaches. This connection with my people is truly humbling and grounding and it fills me with gratitude. These people have seen me at my grossest and they applauded me to get there. They've witnessed my trucker-mouthed temper tantrums and understood. They've seen me fail, sweat cry, bleed and succeed and they are all still my homey's after all that. This is a connection that I cherish and I believe that this makes me healthier as much as eating paleo and lifting heavy things for time.

As a matter of fact I read this great little book called "Outliers" and in the first chapter the author paints a powerful picture of how a strong sense of community is key to a long and happy life. He illustrates how "(they) had created a powerful, protective social structure capable of insulating them from the pressures of the modern world." (Gladwell). The box does this for me... it's a buffer.

Saying it's SPIRITUAL may seem a little hokey, but there is so much to gain from these physical and emotional connections not to mention the daily metaphorical experience of overcoming hardship, pushing through the suck and seeing the sunshine after the rain... It fills me up. On a deeper spiritual level I have seen boxes out there that do spend time on post WOD discussions focusing on scripture... at our box tonight there was a very deep conversation about the character development in Transformers 3 (we're deep like that) and all was good in our world at that moment as we connected... connections... I think connections are beautiful...spiritual really :)

CrossFit to me is all encompassing. Oakland County CrossFit is home and all the other boxes that I am blessed to visit are the crazy wonderful aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents that bring their character, passion and life experiences to the table.
These crazy wonderful relatives give each of us permission to find and cultivate the best movements and connections for each and everyone of us. Some of us are body weight strong, lifting strong, striking strong, endurance strong and so on. AND the cool thing is we can choose our focus and find our happy and we will be encouraged by our crazy kool-aid drinking family :)

My goal at the moment is a Half Iron Man Traithlon. Not exactly a CrossFit goal, but I tell you what, the box has got me ready to take on any goal I put up on the white board in my mind :)

What's your goal??? It's ok, it's yours!!! Dead Lift? OHS? 5K? 26.2? HSPU? Muscle Up?

And you know what? I bet if you told a CrossFit buddy that goal they'll probably start pushing you toward it!!!

What does CrossFit mean to me? It means everything. Next to my actual family, my CF family and experiences makes life make sense :)

Peace

This weeks gymnastics WOD NFT (not for time - but don't take all day)

Warm up:

2 Rounds

* 10 ring rows

*10 push ups (elbows in)

*10 dips on parallettes (on the ground - not full body weight)

Then 2 passes each side straddle hamstring stretch (aka stripper stretch) and alternating quad balance stretch.

WOD:

3 Rounds

5 strict bar chin ups - hands close together (aim for chest to bar) ;)

5 strich ring dips (as deep as possible)

5 Strict self spot muscle ups and downs (from knees - toe nail spot)

5 swinging ring rows (swing, swing pull to horizontal)

Use any modifications necessary EXCEPT KIPPING!!! :)

ALL IN or DO IT ALL???

Well, if you've ever seen this blog you can probably already guess what my approach is...

I'm a "oooh yeah, I can do that" kinda girl. Here's the thing, I'm a Gemini with a healthy dose of attention deficit and an even healthier dose of enthusiasm!!! I see the world as a huge opportunity for discovery! I feel sad and mad and bad if I miss an event or opportunity to experience something new or cool or interesting or different... I want to see it all!!! I want to breath it all in, take it all on, wear it, breath it, smell it, feel it...

Uh what??? Touch what? Where? LIFE!!!! There's so much of it going on all around us all the time!

Here's the trouble with this kind of enthusiasm...

1. Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none syndrome: It's true, this approach to life can sometimes leave me feeling inadequate about anything and everything I am interested in. If/when I find something I love, but don't have the time to cultivate the skills of said interest then I am indeed a failure...right?

2. Skimming the surface-itis: The issue here is just like it sounds, never getting too deep; never exploring the depths of an issue, an idea or a process... for example, taxes... ugh (now really I have no intention of cultivating a love for doing taxes, I will let the experts handle it, but I also don't always get the full depth of cool things either like the space-time continuum, antidissestablishmenttariansim and of course hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia).

3. Exhaustion-lama-ding-dong: Pretty sure this speaks for itself also... Here is the blatant effect of being so tired that one either falls asleep at red lights, or is such a ding-bat in daily function that people stare and whisper when such a person walks by...

OK OK OK so those are the problems, BUT what are the benefits??? There has to be some good that comes from being a born spazzzz!?!?

1. Jack-of-all-trades: CONNECTIONS, CONNECTIONS, CONNECTIONS. I LOVE LOVE LOVE connecting with people and I find it easier and easier with the more and more diverse life experiences I encounter... I love meeting someone new and finding a common ground within minutes... too cool! Because connecting with another human being is incredibly fulfilling! It connects me not just to a person, but to a community, to a state of mind, to the world and to this universe!!! This universe is a pretty big place and when I have the honor of connecting with a new friend I feel less like an insignificant spec of dust floating among the cosmos and more like an important part of an intricate web that ties all life together.

2. Skimming the surface: well, I guess the good thing here is that I don't get too bored :)

3. Exhaustion: becomes the indicator that lets me know I am living my life to the fullest...

With all that being said, finding the pros and the cons, I still think I will continue to have the goal to cut back on the servings on my plate... I mean NOT RIGHT NOW, but you known over time...we'll see :P

SO, to help tie this in to a GYM JIVE perspective...

For those of you who have full plates and are finding it hard to do any justice to a workout routine, might I encourage you to get 10, 20 or 30 minutes in today of walking or jogging or push ups or sit ups... I know you're probably thinking you don't have time to put in an hour, but 10 push ups and 10 sit ups is still better than that 10 min of digging into the Ben and Jerry's (the reason I know this is because I just tested my own hypothesis - don't get me wrong the B&J's was super yummy, I'm just saying give the push-ups and equal opportunity).

For those of you who are all-workout-all-the-time, might I encourage you to pick up a new book, call an old friend or your MOM!!! Create a new play list, run the vacuum, walk the dog... give yourself permission to breath so that when you are ALL IN you can truly be ALL IN.

I will be constantly working on this balancing act

so ummm, I'll see you soon with egg on my face (or pie on my face, I like pie)

I'm sure {I mean that figuratively and literally (totally talking about the pie now)... I'm just saying perfecting this art is gonna be tricky}.

Ciao!