"Being the best is not about beating everyone else. Its about beating who you were yesterday."

"Being the best is not about beating everyone else. Its about beating who you were yesterday."

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Paleo Pumkin Muffins! Wha what!!!!!

Are you missing your toast  or oatmeal in the morning? Are you craving something sweet? Well now you can have a little bit of both with this Paleo recipe of pumkin muffins. I found this recipe off paleosuperhuman.com They are sooooooo good and easy to make. It probably took me 5 to 8 minutes to mix all the ingrediants together. I went ahead and doubled the recipe bc i knew 6 muffins were not going to be enough.

Enjoy! 

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins from PaleoPlan.com
Makes 6 muffins.
Approximate cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
1½ cups almond flour
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (or cook and puree pumpkin yourself)
3 large eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup raw honey (optional)
2 tsp almond butter
1 Tbs sliced almonds
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350℉.
Coat 6 muffin tins with coconut oil (or use paper muffin cups and add 1/2 tsp melted coconut oil to batter).
Mix all ingredients and pour evenly into tins.
Bake for 25 minutes on the middle rack.
Sprinkle almonds on top immediately after taking them out of the oven.
I personally liked it without the almonds on top because I just liked the consistency of a soft, pumpkin muffin and didn’t care for any crunch on top.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Lessoned Learned


My running partner Ashley Butturini and myself began our marathon training two weeks ago. We've been doing endurance WOD's for almost a year now, but we wanted to add some longer distance running on our feet. Last week we did a fast 6 miles, I think we finished in 52: something, which is the fastest ive ever done 6 miles. I felt pretty good, except for the mini panic attack I got in the last mile.
I guess it just hit me that I will actually be doing a marathon come January 2012. I was feeling pain in my legs and feet, and I new it was only going to get worse the longer I ran, or so I thought. Yesterday we did timed mile runs 5x with a 5 min rest in between. The goal was to keep a 8:30 to 9:00 min pace all 5 miles, and we did! We actually kept a 8:35, we tried to slow our roll to 8:45 but our legs didnt want to slow down. I was feeling great and started to get my confidence back with the longer distance running.
I was thinking to myself this morning, "why did I have that mini panic attack on our first long run last week?"  Was it becuause deep down I thought I couldnt do this? or I thought I was going to fail myself? Heck NO! Of course I can run a marathon, I wouldnt have signed up for it if I didnt think I could. I realized, there is going to be a "suck factor" sometime during my 26 miles, some call it "the wall" Im know im going to hit it, everyone does. But what worried me was how I am going to handle it? My goal is to NOT walk during my marathon, and becuase I was feeling a little pain last week I immediatly went to "OMG im hurting and ive only done 6 miles, Im for sure going to walk in my marathon" What!! Negativitly! I preach to my clients about not being negative, how you cant succeed at anything with a attitude like that, and here I am thinking im not going to acheive my goal after a little pain my first long run. Isnt that silly? I was a little dissappointed in myself, but at the same time we all doubt ourselves every now and then, its normal, thats what we do. If you can overcome that fear/doubt you have when you face your weakness, that is what makes you stronger physically and mentally!
Now when I run, I have to talk to myself saying "I can run 26 miles!" 

Thursday, August 25, 2011

I love women who love lifting!

A client and friend of mine came across this article, thought of me, and sent it my way. I LOVE reading articles like this because it's inpiring and gets me pumped knowing more women are starting to understand that strength training is fun and beneficial. As a coach at Bayou City Crossfit, one of my goals is to get more girls comfortable with not only lifting, but lifting heavy, and to not be afraid of the bar. I started a six-week strength competition to challenge the women of Bayou City and to also bring us together and support one another. We're on week two and I have already seen major changes in the women's mentality towards lifting. I'm coaching them through the movements and their way of thinking. We're working on removing fear, doubt, and negativity and replacing it with positive thinking about their own strength and abilities. I want them to discover what they can really do, not just what they think they can do.
How many times have you been able to accomplish a goal with a negative attitude? I'm assuming never. Here's my challenge to you: next time you find yourself struggling with a heavy lift or just a weakness in your general fitness routine, step back, refocus, and evaluate how you are thinking. Most likely, your struggle is all mental.
Enjoy the article!


I'm A Woman, And I Love Powerlifting
By Dana McMahan for Blisstree.com

I spend four days per week in a gym; on days off, I pine to be there. I lift hundreds of pounds, sport smeary chalk prints on my sweat-soaked clothes and listen to cacophonous music at dangerously loud levels when I train. I attack large, bloody-rare steaks like a caveman. Am I a 275-pound shaved-headed dude with my bench total dangling as a charm from a gold chain around my thick neck?
Nope. I’m a 100-pound, 30-something female food writer who has fallen in love with powerlifting.
How did I discover the allure of going under the bar? Blame the affair on my CrossFit coach, who started me as a total beginner -- without an athletic bone or urge in my body -- with chin-ups and push-ups. He saw my manic drive to do more, and started loading a barbell with weights. I quickly became hooked on going under the bar and finding out how much I could squat and stand up with, and bench press, or pull from the floor in a deadlift. He called me a powerlifter one day, and it clicked. This was what I wanted to do. This was what made my heart pound with excitement. The sound of heavy weights crashing back into the rack or to the ground caused a frisson even when it wasn’t from my own barbell. Searching for my body’s limits was an addictive pursuit and I couldn’t get enough.
As the callouses grew and I learned I could conquer more and more weight, I found myself sitting up straighter, walking with my head higher and shoulders back, and smiling more. The first time I squatted 180 pounds I found myself smiling hugely at passersby later that day in the suites at Churchill Downs, my local racetrack. A man returned my smile, perhaps automatically in response to a trim blonde in a hat and sundress. I had to contain the laughter welling up as I wondered what he’d think if he knew I was smiling because I could squat him!
Petty stresses and grievances rolled off me like so much water on a freshly-waxed car. I tried new adventures -- a Muay Thai lesson in Bangkok, clambering up onto an elephant in northern Thailand, taking on a job as the editor of a food magazine. Get a tattoo of the world on my back? Why not? I could do anything I wanted.
Why don’t more women do this? I pondered, to myself and to friends. If only they knew how amazing they would feel! If other women just knew what a stress reliever it is. (Being strong enough to sling a sledgehammer repeatedly into a tractor tire at my gym allowed for immediate relief when a weaselly blogger publicly disdained my selection as a food critic that would have otherwise called for an illegal activity or, at minimum, drinking unwise amounts of clear liquor.) And seriously, if they knew how fast and easily they would reach that great, shiny American goal of Losing Weight, wouldn’t they show up in hordes at the door to the gym, pleading for a turn at the squat rack?
Turns out, not so much. Aside from some other die-hards like me, most women shy away from heavy weights. Because seemingly, even in this era of snopes and the ability to research anything your little heart desires online, people, many women -- and trainers -- still believe lifting heavy weights will make them bulky or, thanks to perverse media claims, “too toned.” I can only surmise that the inventor of two-pound dumbbells started this misinformation campaign which has pervaded gyms across the country, where women with great fear of looking like a Russian heavyweight powerlifter cling to their tiny weights as they shuffle along on treadmills.
Bulky, my arse. My workouts rarely include more than five repetitions of any lift. They’re also, at least with the squat and deadlift, performed with weights well above my body weight. Does hanging a kettlebell from my foot while I perform unassisted chin-ups, or counting off handstand push-ups make my arms big? In a word: no. But it does allow me to haul industrial-sized bags of dog food without help. It means I can retrieve my suitcase from the overhead compartment without fear of crushing my skull (or someone else’s!). And it lets me grab the sleeveless, backless dress without hesitation while shopping. The women I met at a recent powerlifting competition had bodies most dieting women would starve themselves in hopes of achieving -- and many of them eat 3,000 or 4,000 (or more!) calories a day just to fuel their training.
That’s the bonus of a lifetime for me. Contending with heavy weights several times a week requires large infusions of fuel. That’s right. I have to eat. A lot. Studies may dispute the "muscle burns more calories than fat" theory, but to maintain my lower-than-ever weight, I know I need more calories than before. In my line of work, and with a passion for food that takes me to far-flung destinations to taste and cook, that’s the proverbial cherry on top of my love for powerlifting.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Athlete Spotlight!


Kiley Muthig is this months and my first Athlete Spotlight!  Kiley has shown true determination and passion towards crossfit. She has overcome obstacles and acheived goals she set for herself. Kiley inspires me because she has the heart and mind set you need to conquer challenges, and even though it gets tough at times, she never gives up.
 I'm so proud of all your hard work Kiley. Keep it up in Cali and i'll see you in three weeks!

What or who got you started with crossfit?
My brother originally told me about CrossFit. He was working out at CrossFit San Diego and was seeing a lot of progress in his strenth and fitness levels. He encouraged me to give it a try. I went a few times and finally about a year ago made the commitment to do CrossFit full time.
How has crossfit changed you physically, and mentally?
I remember when I first started going to CrossFit Katy Neal told me "The first month you'll feel different, the second month you'll look different and the third month you are different". I couldn't wait to be different! Looking back to when he said that I can say I truly am different. Of couse I look different and I'm amazed at what my body is able to do, but at the same time without me knowing it my confidence has seriously increased. There isn't much I back down from these days.


I don't even know where to begin. I can't say enough about CrossFit and the CrossFit community. I get to come to the gym every day to a bunch of people with similar goals who support me and encourage me every single day. And it's not just in the gym. The way that the CrossFit community supports eachother outside the gym is even more amazing. I can't wait for another year to go by to see where I'm at. I've set some goals and with the encouragment of everyone and the most amazing coach (That's you Katie!) I'm confident I'll far surpass those goals. I look forward to supporting and encouraging all the people that have been encouraging me. Big thank you to all of you!

 

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Big Thanks to Ashley Butturini

This blog goes to my friend and running buddy, Ashley Butturini. It all started at the beginning of the year when Ashley asked me to do a half marathon with her. My first thought was "uhh, man, I don't know how I'm going to do a half marathon when I suck at running", but then the motivated Katie busted out the negative thought and said "why not?! I've always wanted to do one. Better now than never." So I signed up for my first half and started training with Ashley and an amazing group of Lululemon friends. I was pretty nervous on the first day of training because I didn't know what to expect from myself, I didn't want to slow her down, and I certainly didn't want to disappoint myself. Ashley helped me get comfortable with running and made me realize that I didn't have to be the fastest runner to complete a half marathon, just efficient. We worked on our pace and distance, and without noticing, I created a love for running and was looking forward to challenging myself on my first half. It's been about 3 months since we completed our half marathon and we have both kept up with our running and have been meeting for endurance WODS (intervals, long distance, shorts sprints, etc.). It's been great training with her because she is positive, motivating, and pushes me to do my best.

Ashley, you are a great running buddy, friend, and athlete. Thank you for helping me gain the confidence to overcome a challenge and fear of mine that I have had for quite some time.



 

Thursday, March 3, 2011

HALF MARATHON & MUSCLE UP!!!!!

That is correct ladies and gentleman, i completed a half marathon and got my 1st muscle up all in one week!!! I'm sitting on cloud 9 right now. I still cant believe i have achieved both of those hurtles. Like i said in my last post, running has always been hard because i thought you had to run a 8 min mile to be considered a good runner...if your doing a crossfit WOD, then sure i understand how that can be a plus, but if your just wanting to complete whatever mile goal you have, then no. You just need to find your pace and stick with it.
I finished my half in 2:20 on my watch ( i had to stop for a quick bathroom break, so i stopped my watch for those couple sec) so to the chip on my shoe i believe its 2:21. As you can see it was held on sand but it was pact in so it really wasn't has bad as you might think. It was a good first half run for me and i am definitely going to do another one and for sure sign up for the Houston full next year! Thanks Ashley for being my running buddy and asking me to do this with you, otherwise i would have never signed up for one. Shout out to my Mom, Kim, Nate, Kristian, and Vic for coming out and supporting! That meant the world to me:)

March 2, 2011 I got my first muscle up!!! I. WAS. PUMPED!! When i got the first one, I didn't scream, freak out, or cry, i think i was more in shock because i was thinking, "did that really happen?" I went for another one just to make sure i can do it. The next two attempts i failed. "Damnit" I wanted to end the day on a good note so i tried again, and yessssss, I GOT IT! For one year i have been trying to get this freaking muscle up. Every now and then I would go to the rings try a couple attempts, drop the F bomb, get frustrated and walk away. "WTF, why cant i do this!" I'll tell you why.  First, thats no way to train for anything. i wasnt putting any effort into working on my muscle up, and i should have known better. Secondly, I wasnt facing my fear of failure. Failure to never be able to do a ring dip, failure of not staying pateint with myself, and  failure of losing determination. Its easy to ignore your fears and challenges, especially when there is a possibility of letting yourself down. I had to completly change my state of mind.  For a couple months now i have been doing ring dips after every workout, recently started doing ring rows, and the other day completed 27 dips with a weighted vest. I knew i was doing something right because about 2 or 3 weeks ago there is no way i would have been able to do that. These past couple weeks i have surprised myself and overcome many challenges. I have learned if you put your whole heart and mind to something you WONT let yourself fail. For those reading this, if you have a challenge/goal/fear you want to overcome, dont give up on yourself! You have to stay pateint, focused, and determined. Without those,  in my opinion and experience, I beleive its diffucult to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Fun and must do experiences

Its been a couple weeks since my last blog and there have been some exciting adventures I've taken on. About  two weeks ago me and Vic went to visit some great people and friends Karen and Shane Gibson and their little one Davey, in Abq New Mexico.  We had the best time and they made us feel so welcome. They own Crossfit ABQ and let us lead their awesome 12:00 class. I really enjoyed seeing other great crossfit athletes and how other owners run their box. We went to Sante Fe one of the days and that's where i learned my awesome snow board skills haha. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! Shane's friend Ben who taught me how to snow board said to me after falling a couple times, "Katie you do crossfit, so take advantage of the muscles you have to stay up" Well i definitely took that literally because the next day every part of my body was SO sore, even my biceps! I busted my butt a couple times but for the most part i did really well:) yessssss!! Thanks goodness, bc it was just me and three other guys who knew how to ski pretty well, and i didn't want to be that girl who they had to wait on all the time. I say that was my motivation to stay up on the snow board...and wanting to be better at it than Vic haha.



Ben(my awesome teacher) Shane, and myself

This Saturday i will be running in the surf side half marathon with my friend Ashley Butturini! She had asked me if i wanted to do it with her couple months ago, and i just started training with her last week. yea i know 2 weeks of training is probably not the smartest thing, but i have really surprised myself. So if you don't know, i have always hated running. Even in crossfit, when i see a WOD with running, i roll my eyes and say "UUUUUUHHHH RUNNING!" yea dramatic i know, but I've never been a fan because i always have thought i suck at running. Well i might not be fast, but who said you have to be fast to be a good runner?  I've proven myself i don't suck at running. Last week when i started my training, i did 3 miles on Tuesday, 6 on Thursday, then this past Sunday i jumped in a 10 mile run!!! 10 miles, i couldn't believe it, and i ran the whole thing! Now i don't really recommend having only 5 days of training, but if your dedicated to something that much and have good support, anything is possible! I have changed my attitude on running and i cant wait to complete this half and put that 13.1 sticker on the back of my car;)
Big shout out to all my running buddies that have given me the confidence to run a half marathon:
Lulu ladies: Amy, Sam, Emily, Nikki, and Ashley. My co-worker, friend, WOD buddy Shelby aka Shelbster

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

165lb OHS wha what!

Okay, so i never praise myself for my successes/accomplishments in my training with crossfit. I don't like it, it makes me feel uncomfortable, and i definitely don't want to come across as bragging because that's not what crossfit is about for me. Well, after today's workout and reading Lindsey Smith's blog last week, crossfitchron.blogspot.com, i decided to share my excitement. Today after my 4:00 class i put on my oly shoes and did CROSSFIT main site WOD which was 7 sets of 1 OHS (over head squats). I wasn't really sure what weight to start with because i haven't done strength work on OHS in a while. I started at 95lbs to warm up, it felt pretty good so i decided to start my first rep at 105lb. I went up by ten pounds every rep. I got to my sixth rep and completed a 155lb OHS!! I couldn't believe i got that! What! 155 pounds over my head, and it felt good too! So i put on another ten pounds for my last rep....165lb, more than my body weight! It discouraged me at first, but i thought about what Vic has always told me, "your alot stronger than you think" I kept on saying to myself, "you can do this, you can this, you are strong" I was focused and determined and i freaking got it!!!!! 165 pound OHS, YEA BABY!!! I was so pumped, i mean wouldn't you be!?!? I immediately sent Vic a text. I believe the exact words were, "I FU#$ING got 165 OHS" haha, yes i threw the F bomb in there, but only because i was sooooo freaking excited and the F bomb, in my opinion, is the only word that really explains your feelings, ya know what i mean?  So thank you Lindsey for writing that blog and reminding me that its okay to praise your accomplishments every now and then. GO 165lbs! I'm going to give this blog post a thumbs up around the board.



This is a client and friend of mine, Kelly Crabb who sent me a pic of her
giving me a thumbs up bc she knows how much i love them





Monday, January 31, 2011

Houston Marathon 2011

Kristian and his biggest supporter Ashley
Micah and Leslie looking strong
Nathan, with just two miles to go! Look how happy he is
You can do it Cassie!!!
Vic needed some high fives from his support team
All smiles with Susie

Great job to all my amazing, strong, inspiring, endurance athletes and  friends who ran in the half and full marathon on Sunday. Beleive it or not you guys inspired me to run my first half marathon this Febuary, yikes! I am so proud of each and every one of you, what a accomplishmet!! Shout out to those i didnt get pics...Mahima, Emily, Chad, Matt, and anyone else i missed. Way to go!!
  

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Lori's Birthday WOD

          
My good friend and workout buddy Lori Reilly turned the amazing age of 35 on Sunday. Now for those of you who dont know Lori, she has a great passion for health and fitness and would much ratther want her friends together for a good workout than celebrate with alcohol and ending up with her head in a toilet by the end of the night. Her thoughtful and loving Husband John tried to put this group workout together as a surprise, but you obviously cant hide anything from Lori, haha. So this past Saturday Lori, John, myself, and all her friends, workout buddies and coaches came together to help throw Lori one bad ass workout!! In honor of Lori's age and the year we're in, i came up with a battle buddy WOD that had 35reps, 2 rounds, and 11exercises.
35 deadlifts 255/185
35 pushups
35 dbl unders
35 wall balls 
35 T2B (toe to bar)
35 KB swings 70/53
35 jumping lunges
35 GHD sit ups
35 DB Thruster 35/25
35 pull ups
200 m Run
2x
Our photographers, Nathan Montgomery Amanda Drew Oliver, and my sis Kim, she is in the group shot










Jane Shin and Lori Layton,aka Duncan







Jenny and David Garcia






Run Shelby and Charlie Run!!!





John Reilly






Melissa Dolezol







Stopped for a quick pic. We're only half way done at this point and still smiling:)







"Last lap Lori, let go!!"







On T2B, Jessi Cooper and her partner
Cassie Bounds















People laying on the floor...I consider it a good WOD









We survived thumbs up!
Happy Birthday Lori! We were happy to help celebrate your birthday through pain and sweat. Make it a great year!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Chili Recipe

For all you Paleo peeps or those just wantig a good chili recipe for this cold rainy day, try this out.
Its de-lish!

2 lbs lean ground beef (I look for 90/10)
1 large steak cut into chunks (or stew meat, whatever you prefer)
1 large can crushed tomatoes (look for the one where the only ingredient is tomatoes)
1 can diced tomatoes and chilis (again, look for natural here)
1 small can tomatillo salsa (in the Mexican food aisle, look for natural ingredients in this)
large onion diced
1/8 cup almond flour (this is optional for thickening, omit if you have a nut allergy)
about 2 cups of beef broth
3 cloves garlic minced or about
2 tsp garlic powder1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbs ground cumin
3-4 tbs chili powder
olive oil

Put about 2 tbs olive oil in a pan and get it screaming hot. Sear the chunks of steak in batches (don’t crowd or it won’t brown). It doesn’t have to be cooked at this point, just brown and pull it out. Add a little more oil if needed and add diced onion to kind of brown a bit. Add the beef stock and let it cook until it is reduced by half (this gives a really meaty base). Add in ground beef and almond flour. Stir until it browns a bit. Add garlic, spices, tomatoes, and steak chunks. Simmer on low heat for a couple of hours. It gets better the longer it cooks.
I serve with diced red onion on top. It’s good without it too.
ENJOY!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

PR'S

Women who inspire me...

This past Sunday me and the ladies got together for our weekly workouts. We did the Crossfit.com wod from sat which was 21-15-9 sqt cleans and ring dips. My girl Marie Conrad, for the first time did 75lbs sqt cleans!!! She excitingly said, "even though i came in last, i still finished with that weight!" I told her, who cares about finishing first, especially at our ladies WOD's. Its just about pushing yourself, and seeing how far you can go. Great Job Marie I am so proud of you!
Marie Conrad

Monday was FRAN day at the box. Those of you non crosfitters, Fran is the absolute worst, make you want to throw up, entire body tingles, and goes numb at the same time workout. Its 21-15-9 Thrusters and pull ups. Lizzy Langley is a client and friend of mine, and last night she rocked that WOD with a time of 5:01!!!! She was so pumped and I am so happy for her. Way to go Lizzy, I am so proud! Keep it up girl;) Also my good friend Lori Reilly got her Fran time down from 7:48 to 5:57!!!! WOW! Lori,  you have come so far since you started crossfit. Your mentally and physically stronger, and you inspire me every time you come in the box and conquer your challenges!

Lizzy Langley

Lori Reilly

Jessi Cooper is another one who PR'd at the box. Her new nickname is "deadlift queen." Two weeks ago she got a PR of 265lb. Apparently a little women power helps her out, because on Sunday at our ladies WOD, she lifted a 285lb deadlift!! Congrats Jessi! Monica Wonzer also is a deadlift role model of mine. She got a PR of 265 like it was nothing. Girls, i am so proud of you both for pushing yourself to the limit and never giving up with whatever is thrown at you.
Jessi Copper

Monica Wonzer

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

HELLO 2011!!!!

Happy New Year everyone!!!! Wow 2011, i cant believe it! So many great things have happened in the past year, now its time to focus on the next 12 months. I was reading my friends blog, Grey Matters www.greystoneguids.com , and she inspired me to look at this year differently. Instead of making goals like, "how am i going to make myself better this year, what goals do i want to reach for MYSELF" I'd like to help my clients, friends, and family make sure their goals are being met. Don't get me wrong, i don't think making goals for yourself is bad at all, its just for me, this year i want to take my eyes off myself and focus more on others. Last year i made the biggest goal for myself...making it to the crossfit games! Ha ha, i only laugh because i went about it all wrong. I had put way to much pressure on myself, all my focus was on how to be a better athlete, i started training way too early, and i feel like i missed out on alot because i was stuck in my "me" bubble. I completely took the fun out of what i love doing. Do i regret any of it?  No of course not. I think I benefited from many things and learned alot. Sure i made some mistakes here and there, but that's the fun of it all right, you know what not to do the next go around. So anyway, new year new focus! If you have a goal you want to meet and don't think you can do it alone, let me know I'm here to help!:) Happy 2011!!!