(no title)

What I’ve learned since ankle injury

If you’ve been following my posts, (sorry it’s been awhile since I’ve posted) you know that a few months ago I severely sprained and avulsion fractured my left ankle. It’s been a tough road to recovery and I’m still not fully recovered, but I’m finally feeling a bit better. I’m finally able to complete the workouts I set out to do without having to do too much modification.
Injury is never easy – for anyone – but in my opinion it’s even harder for someone who is as active as I am. Typically I workout 7 days a week – crossfit 5-6 days, and Les mills BodyPump 2-3x per week. Occasionally I will do both in one day, or I’ll add a traditional bodybuilder type workout – usually legs or shoulders – to my week. When I injured my ankle I had to scale my workouts back and at one point I was going to crossfit 1x per week and teaching BodyPump 1x per week. Once my boot came off I had to scale every workout but slowly but surely I started to feel better.

Then I “ran” the Spartan – Killington Beast, against the advice of my doctor. I will write more about this in the near future, but I managed to complete the nearly 17mile race (13-14miles as per the map but 17-18miles as per the GPS) with a taped and wrapped up ankle that was clearly not stable. When I finished the race and headed back to crossfit the following day, I decided then and there that I would focus on my recovery and strengthening my ankle. I also decided that I would stop telling myself that I couldn’t do something – and realize that in 10.5hours I completed one of the hardest things I have ever completed – and no future workout would be even close to that day.

Since the race I’ve paid much more attention to stretching and spending the time on mobility in my left ankle. I’ve been able to do many of the workouts using Rx weight – mostly because I have taken the time to pay attention to how my ankle feels, and how each movement feels.

I’ve also changed my diet to a low carb, high fat – ketogenic diet. This has seemed to be the main contributor to my quick recoveries and energy. I have also spent a lot of time talking myself out of coming out of the gate too fast… Something I noticed was before my injury I would try to be the fastest and would wind up in last place – but once I slowed down – paced myself – I was able to not only complete the workouts but I was able to complete them with Rx weight and much faster than ever before – even when there is running involved (which continues to be an area for improvement because of my ankle).

So, overall my injury has taught me:

Slow down, take the time to recover
Slow down, stop trying to be the fastest person – go at your own pace
You won’t die – you’ve done harder, so give it all you have
If it feels good, go for it – even if your doctor doesn’t advise it (ok this one might not have been the best idea lol)

Les Mills ONE LIVE: Chicago

(This post was written on the plane on the way home from the event.. Sorry for the delay in posting)

There are so many things that I can say about this past weekend. So many words to describe how incredible this experience has been.

Let me first take you back to a little less than 2 years ago: I was taking my regular Sunday Body Pump class, the one I had been taking for a few months and something inside of me decided that it was time – “today will be the day” – to step out of my comfort zone, walk right up the the instructor and ask “so, how do I do this… How do I do what you do?”

It all started with such an innocent and simple question. It wasn’t too long after that I found myself driving to Washington D.C. all alone, to spend a weekend learning how to deliver this group fitness class that I fell in love with.

A few years before this I had began my journey to a healthier life and spent a month taking an all women’s boot camp class. It was at 5:30 in the morning, in August, in a park that was 25 minutes from my house. This meant I had to get up at 4:30 every morning for 5 days each week, and spend an hour getting my butt kicked. It was then that I had my first thought of “boy, I’d love to do that; I’d love to teach a class where I got the opportunity to challenge people and make them work hard.”

Fast forward, if you will, to early 2015 – I had a year of teaching Body Pump under my belt, week after week my class was growing, that Sunday class that I had taken before I got my certification became my class, and I was ready to become even better. I thought that I was ready to be called an advanced instructor and headed to the first of two advanced instructor modules.

At my first AIM I felt that I was able to explore the choreography a bit deeper, figure out how to really deliver each track by blocking each part out with a focus – focus on getting them moving, then focus on getting them to move better, and then focus on motivating til the end. I went home from this training and taught the following day one of the best classes (I feel) that I have taught to date.

After AIM 1 I was hooked, I wanted more, I wanted to be the best, I wanted elite status. But after a few months I fell into a bit of a trap – I felt like I was a really great instructor and although I had signed up for AIM 2, I really didn’t think they could teach me anything more than I already knew. I knew what I needed to do, my job was to present an amazing release of body pump and make sure that my members felt amazing afterwards.

That brings me to this past weekend. I arrived in Chicago on Thursday, all alone, and pretty sure I was going to have a great time but I thought I’d go home Sunday having spent two of my three days hearing things I knew already, but I made myself a promise that I’d be open to trying new things, and taking it all in.

Something that AdvoCare has taught me, is that it’s okay to be imperfect. It’s okay to smile and talk to people, after all, I’m strong – I can take on pretty much anyone!! So I made a conscious effort to smile at strangers, talk to people, ask questions, but most of all – listen.

Day 1 was just what I had expected – we were exhausted in every else of the word, but just like my initial training, and AIM1 I could talk to my trainer and get feedback. Justin Sanchez happens to be on the poster on the wall in my group fitness room. I have seen his face at least a million times over the last few years and I was a bit nervous at how we would communicate but it was instant – I felt his energy, his confidence – and I felt immediately connected – in a “he could be my uncle” sort of way. He gave me feedback, I worked on it, he gave me more feedback and then I got real. I told him straight up – I want to do what you do. I want to be a national trainer, a presenter – I want to change the world. I asked him, are my dreams too big? I told him to be honest.

Now, a quick step backwards – if you know me. You know I’m an advocate for dreaming as big as you possibly can, but you should also know that I sometimes need that reassurance – but I also really wanted to hear from someone that I look up to – whether or not that potential was there.

He told me never to stop dreaming, and that I can do whatever I want to do. Justin freaking Sanchez (if you don’t know who he is, you’re missing out).

After AIM2 I headed to the keynote speaker and then to the reebok store where I met some wonderful women from California, a man from Canada, and a woman from Hawaii! After standing in line for two hours I headed for drinks with some of my new friends. After conversations and drinks (I had water) I headed to my room to meet my roommate for the night – a woman who needed somewhere to sleep the night before the big event and I said why not?! We talked briefly about competing (she competes and that is something I’ve always wanted to do but because of my issues with food and history of BED I’ve never gotten very serious about it) and then we headed to bed.

Day 2 started bright and early! This day was all about having fun, opening up, and experiencing ONELIVE. It was incredible to see all of these amazing national and international trainers doing what they love, and I truly tried to take it all in. The day started with BodyPump where we got to experience the new release! I saved a spot for my friend and fellow instructor, and found myself next to one of my new friends from the previous day – he was running with a selfie stick so i followed him to an area where there were smart bars and steps not too far from the stage!

My ankle started acting up as the day went on so I chose to skip GRIT cardio and RPM and made body flow my last class of the day. Then I went to my room and got ready for the after party where I spent the night dancing with some of my friends from NY!

Day 3 was my second and final day of AIM2. Back to business. We started off light hearted but quickly we were asked to dig deep – look inside and actually begin to feel vulnerable. I had been warned about this part of aim and I was really trying to stay open to whatever came my way. We listened to a song, a song that I recognized, a piano piece that I had heard many times as a child, piece that I knew represented sadness/despair/loss. I felt sad but I didn’t go “there,” I was determined to keep it together – but then we were asked to listen to it again but to think of some thing or event that made us sad in our lives, my mind went to my childhood, a few events, then traveled to the loss of my great aunt, then to the loss of Debo (my dog who we out to sleep last year who I had a connection to unlike any other) and finally to the loss of the many patients that have died especially recently and tears began to flow. I allowed myself to sit with those feelings and I was immediately humbled.

After many exercises similar to this – some fun, some a bit deeper than I’d like (I.e. Uncomfortabel) I walked away feeling like I had learned something about myself. Like I’ve learned how important group fitness can be in a persons life – how this experience continues to change me, my teaching, and ultimately my participants.

After a fourth and final presentation, we all said our goodbyes, took a group photo, and I headed to the airport!

Arriving in NY I am excited to see how my teaching grows, how I put the learnings into place, and continue to stay in contact with my new friends!

Road to Trifecta, Road to Recovery

Palmerton, PA. Saturday July 11th. Picture this, looking up at a mountain, knowing that only a few minutes are left before you face one of the hardest challenges of your life… The Spartan Super, 8+ miles, and 32 obstacles, up and down a mountain with a total elevation gain of over 3000ft. Hydration pack, gels, salt pills, GOAT tape, and green/blue hair – I was ready. I trained for this.

At 9:30, my heat started, the first hill was a doozy, and really set the tone for the entire race. Obstacle after obstacle, steep climb after steep decline, the race was starting off the be amazing! I made it to the sandbag carry in less than an hour and I was feeling high on life after completing the uneven monkey bars with ease! I doubted myself but had an amazing volunteer who cheered me on and gave me the extra confidence that I needed and I crushed it! Right before mile marker #3 there was a slight decline in a grassy area, most people were walking but I felt like I could jog it, so off I went – a little trot, not picking up too much speed but just enough to make some ground and then… It happened. My ankle snapped – it was one of those feelings that can only be explained with a feeling. I heard it and felt it in my throat simultaneously. I immediately thought I was done. I thought I wasn’t going to be able to finish, I thought they’d pull me off the course. They called for a medic, a few racers stayed with me, I appreciated the support but I surely didn’t act like it. I was screaming profanities, punching the ground – it felt like all the work, all the hours of preparation were for nothing. I couldn’t move my foot. I had to stop, I had to breathe, I had to think. One racer tried to take my shoe off – I yelled at her to stop. I remembered that my mom had busted her foot once and continued to walk home, when she took her shoe off her foot blew up like a balloon. I knew the moment my shoe was removed I had no chance of finishing the race. When the volunteer came over, I realized I could move my toes. I HAD to try and stand. If I could stand – I could limp, if I could limp, I could finish. I told him I needed to try, even if I had to walk, I had to try to finish. I got up, grabbed my GOAT tape from my bag and began wrapping my ankle. I figured a little extra support would help me get through. The rest of the race was nothing short of a disaster, but I kept telling myself to keep going, one foot in front of the other. I kept telling myself that this was temporary.

After 6 hours and 20 minutes, I finished. As I jumped over the fire tears began to flow…

I was proud, I was in pain, I was scared for what I would have to deal with as I tended to my ankle, I couldn’t believe I had made it another 5+ miles and only failed 4 obstacles (3 after the injury – one of which was a voluntary fail as I decided it wasn’t worth it to climb the rope and fall – although I did get to the top knot again, but this time I chose to descend slowly rather than have my hand slip and possibly hurt my ankle even more). I failed the spear throw (before my injury), the Z wall (got very close but fell off on the last wall), the rope climb, and the multi rig (got to about the 6th ring when I had too much swing and my hands slipped off of the rings).
Now the biggest obstacle begins…

The Road to Recovery.

After the race, my husband carried me to the medic tent where they evaluated my ankle. The man who helped us was very nice, he said it looks like a severe sprain but it may be fractured – he unfortunately left his X-ray glasses at home lol. So, we drove home to NY and went to the hospital. The X-rays showed a slight avulsion fracture, and since it was late they wanted me to follow up on Monday with an orthopedist. They gave me crutches and an air cast and sent me on my way with 600mg of ibprofin.

The orthopedist took more X-rays and evaluated my ankle. Although he did note two very small chips of bone on the medial aspect of my ankle (inside) he said there was a lot of inflammation and mostly looked like a very severe sprain. He fitted me for a walking boot, and said that I should be able to walk without it in about 2-3 weeks. He said overall it may be 3-6 months before it’s fully healed but we will recheck in 3 weeks to see if there’s progress.

Within an hour of getting the boot I was able to walk without crutches (thank goodness), and by the next morning I was feeling much more stable.

It’s going to be a long road ahead of me, but I’m confident that I will be ready for the Killington Beast in September to complete my first Trifecta!

The doctor said I could still workout as long as it is modified to the point that I am not putting any pressure on my leg… I will focus on upper body and grip strength work and once I can be more mobile with my leg, I will begin training for the next race.

Intermittent fasting: another diet trend?

Recently a fellow fitness professional told me he was toying with the idea of intermittent fasting. He began explaining that it had to do with insulin sensitivity and some of the research was pretty astounding – he said that if done right one can lose fat and gain muscle .. Wait for it… At the same time! Waaaahhhhhhh????!!!!! Really?? So you know this peaked my interest… What is this intermittent fasting and is it just another low carb, low fat, never eat anything good again or anything at all, diet trend?

Initially, my skepticism brought me to a few articles – one which showed: “A 2014 review done by Longo and Mattson shed light on intermittent fasting’s role in adaptive cellular responses that reduce oxidative damage and inflammation, optimize energy metabolism, and bolster cellular production. The study showed how, in lower eukaryotes, chronic fasting extends longevity, in part, by reprogramming metabolic and stress resistance pathways. In rodents, intermittent fasting was shown to protect against diabetes, cancers, heart disease and neurodegeneration, while in humans it helps reduce obesity, hypertension, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis.”[1]

This is pretty interesting, but brought up a lot of questions…. Protects against all of those diseases? Really? Just by prolonged periods of not eating? But then what do you eat when you break your fast? Can I eat whatever I want or do I have to eat boring foods? How will workouts work around not eating?

And then… Then I came across this amazing graphic:

<NOtE: I in no way get any sort of financial reward for posting this photo. I found it on Pinterest and am sharing it for its information and not to sell printable PDFs or posters>

This graphic is a nice visual of the different types of intermittent fasting. So, what do I have to lose? Well, I will say that I’ve read that you need to be careful and pay attention to what you’re eating because you could potentially lose too much weight too fast and then your body will no longer use fat as fuel but you can start to burn your hard earned muscle – so, like everything, intermittent fasting could potentially have negative effects but overall the information out there seems to be pretty convincing.

So, I decided to do my own little experiment. Now, in a science lab this wouldn’t hold up, because the variables aren’t really constant and there’s only one subject – Me!

My first day, I stopped eating at 7:30pm, fell asleep around 9pm, woke up at 5, hit the gym at 6 -7, and started eating again at 8:30am. My first fast was 13 hours. The following day I did the exact same thing, and yesterday I did the same again. This morning was the first time I hit the gym and felt freaking awesome! It was a cardio based workout – one of those FOR TIME workouts that I usually come in close to last in, and I was the first one done!

(If you can’t read it, it says : Suzanne 17:50) I felt like a million bucks!

So, I’m not sure how this will go as I’m only on day 3… But the plan is to continue at least 13-14 hours of fasting daily (biggest fasting period is at night at this point.) for a week. Since Saturday is the Palmerton, Pa Spartan Super, I plan to NOT fast on Friday so that I have lots of energy stored for Saturday. If all is still going well after the race, I will begin to stretch the fast longer – and we’ll see how this goes.

Have you tried intermittent fasting? What are your thoughts/experiences? Do you think this is just another diet craze?

And for your reading pleasure… Here’s a great article on intermittent fasting from bodybuilding.com: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/to-eat-or-not-to-eat-your-fast-guide-to-fasting.html
[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24440038

Getting stronger::New ink

I literally learn something new every single day that I go to crossFit. The cardio work is my least favorite but mostly because it needs the most work. I am starting to become a stronger rower, but I still find myself going out too hard to start and tapering off at the end. I do, however, feel like my technique has gotten better which has resulted in better pulls and better overall results. I also seem to have my best rowing work when one of the coaches (specifically Dave) tells me to row harder – something about having someone tell me what to do while I’m forcing out mental negativity — that helps push out those “I’m tired, I can’t” type thoughts.

I find myself pushing harder than I have ever before – not stopping nearly as much – and being able to go for longer. I’m not sure if this is mostly mental or if it’s because I’m getting stronger in my endurance. Can you increase endurance in only a month? I can’t wait to see where I am in a year! I can say that since starting crossFit my workouts have been MUCH more consistent – and maybe that’s why I feel like I’m getting stronger. I wake up every morning around 5-5:15am, regardless of the day – and I head to either crossFit or body pump. When I’m done I either practice something like double unders (or attempt to practice them), do some strength work, or run at least a mile. It very likely that as the summer progresses I will be doing more after work – crossfit or pump in the morning, work, and then lifting like I used to. I haven’t don’t a traditional bodybuilding workout since I started going to crossFit – mostly because I don’t have enough time in each day, plus I really need to focus on the cardio and breathing for the Spartans that I have coming up.

Either way I feel like I’m on my way to becoming a better person both in and out of the gym. I find myself encouraging others much more than I have ever done in the past, and really looking at my abilities as a whole rather than comparing to anyone else. I still have moments where I get unsettled by a comment or someone telling someone else how strong they are… Like hello?! What about me?! But I’m learning that it doesn’t matter what other people think or say, what matters is that I dont give up and I keep trying to be the best version of myself!

I also haven’t really talked about my eating disorder much lately. I actually think I’ve been doing pretty good – I haven’t had any real bad binge moments – I have had a few times over the last month or two where I’ve eaten either too little or too much but it hasn’t been an all out binge where I’ve considered throwing up. There has been a shift in my mindset since starting crossFit – it’s almost like unconsciously I know there’s a lot of cardio, and I know if I consume a lot of food – more than I need – I will feel heavy and my workout will suffer – whereas if I eat what I need – I will feel good and my workout will be awesome. I had an unintentional low carb day the other day followed by a high carb day — I really didn’t plan it – it just happened to be what was available – and I’ve gotta say – the day where all my carbs came from fruits and veggies rather than bread – I felt like a million bucks. My diet is always a struggle but I feel like I’ve taken a lot of the pressure off by not focusing on how I look, but how I perform. I’ve noticed how I feel during a workout after eating different things and have shifted gears towards the more whole/natural foods – craving and then therefore eating less processed foods. So, overall I feel like I’m in a good place, and headed to an even better place nutritionally.

In other news – I got a new tattoo (thanks to my hubby)! It says ” the road less traveled” which is a paraphrasing of the famous Robert Frost poem: The Road Not Taken. To me, this means that in all that I do – I will not just follow the crowd, I will not let obstacles stop me, I will overcome all that is in front of me and I will take the road less traveled.

Update: I’ve turned into one of THOSE people

What an interesting title since I haven’t written in awhile. Sorry, life has been a bit hectic around here – I just seem to never stop working lately! With our focus on building our AdvoCare business and my schedule at my full-time vet tech job, life has been a bit crazy!

I can’t believe my last blog was about the Spartan! (Don’t worry, I’ll get into what that title is all about shortly 😉) Since the Spartan sprint I have signed up for the Spartan Super in Palmerton, PA on July 11th and the Spartan Beast in Killington, VT on September 19th. I’ve bit the Spartan bug, drank the Spartan kool-aid and I’m hooked! I’ve seen some photos of the Killington mountain and I can’t seem to figure out what in the world I was thinking but, I’m pretty determined to get that trifecta medal! I feel like it will be the ultimate accomplishment – those races are not easy, and it will solidify that I am no longer just some girl who likes to workout, but I’m an athlete… You have to be to complete these races!!

That brings me to that title of mine… So what type of person have I become? …. That’s right, this photo is of my very first crossfit competition last Saturday! I’m officially a crossfitter!

Okay, okay, close your gapping mouth – I know all of the concerns about crossfit : it’s expensive, it’s unsafe, people get really hurt, they are a cult, etc, etc. Don’t get me wrong – I love lifting, I love Body Pump, and I love challenging myself, but I have really been drawn to crossfit as a way to step up my athleticism. After only 3 weeks of crossfit 4-5x a week, I competed in my first competition and came in 8 out of 15… This was after working an overnight and very little sleep and food. I’m sure had I slept I would have been higher on that scoreboard but I’m very proud of myself for coming in 8th in the scaled division (basically this means modified – so the weight is less and the movements are not advanced – i.e. deadlifts instead of snatches). I’ve also since purchased some pretty sweet gear – new sneakers, strength wraps, and a jump rope! I also got some PVC pipe to stretch and practice the overhead squat and snatch movements. I’ve gone from being completely unable to do movements like toes to bar (exactly what it sounds like) and pull ups to being able to do a few of each! I’m really feeling strong and challenged! I’d quickly like to address two other points – first – cost. Yes, crossfit is expensive – but so is Starbucks coffee. We drink 5$ cups of coffee for the name and the experience. Many people will go without food to have their coffee in the morning, because it’s worth it so they make it happen. In order to pay for crossfit I had to make some changes in my finances – cut a little here, cut a little there, but I figured it out because it’s important to me. Second – crossfit is only dangerous if you don’t focus on form and do more than you are capable of. A lot of people hurt themselves because they don’t take the time to learn their bodies and what they are able to do. Also, with any gym, you have some coaches (trainers) that may be more experienced than others – you may have a coach that doesn’t really focus so much on safety and doing movements correctly – allowing for mistakes and ultimately people getting hurt. Luckily I have found a box (gym) that has some really awesome coaches, and I know my own bodies capabilities and where I can push it and where I should scale it back. I guess I can also address the last point I made earlier in this post – and that is that crossfit is a cult. If by cult you mean: a relatively small group of people having (religious) beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister…. Then sure, call it a cult. But in reality crossfit is all about culture. The coaches and other members are so motivating – they cheer you on, and everyone really helps each other push harder. I’ve quickly joined a family that I was welcomed into with open arms!

What are you passionate about? Have you ever tried crossfit? What’s something that you have made adjustments in your life (not just financial) just so you can enjoy it?

I am a Spartan! Aroo!

Today I completed my very first Spartan sprint in Tuxedo, NY. My husband had to work so I went alone and ran it alone… Well, alone in the sense that I didn’t know anyone personally.

I picked up my bib number and headed to the start line but of course I had to snap some photos first.

Sorry I don’t look happy, it was really bright out….

Before we could even get to the start line we had to hop over a wall – I got a little help with this because, well I’m new to wall climbing – but as the race went on I got the hang of it – literally!

I won’t go too into detail about the race, but I will say that it wasn’t easy. I got tripped up on the Z wall, the clif two bar obstacle, and the spear throw. The Clif two bar obstacle was right after we fully submerged in muddy water to go under the wall, and the bar was just too slippery for me to hold it so I opted for burpees. The Z wall was after a muddy barbed wire crawl and I couldn’t get a good grip on the blocks to climb across it – I am also not familiar with side to side rock type climbing so I will have to figure out a way to practice this. The spear throw was really not that hard, but my spear just didn’t stick into the hay so burpees it was. Out of 22 obstacles I only got hung up on 4.
4? But you only told us about 3! So about this fourth one… So anyone who knows me knows that the rope climb was one of the obstacles that i set out to conquer. You see, in elementary school I used to get laughed at because I couldn’t climb the rope – not at all. I would jump up and fall down – every single time. The only rope I was ever able to climb was the one with knots. But the rope at the Spartan has knots…. So, I’m 5foot tall, and the knots on the Spartan ropes are quite far apart for me… I utilized the knots the best I could and was doing really well, I was focused on getting to the top and I was able to get to the top knot! I grabbed the rope with my right hand about the top knot, brought my legs up and my hand slipped and I, only one more pull away from the bell, fell back/butt first into the water below. Water went rushing up my nose and in my mouth (yuck!!) I made sure I had my glasses and stood up. I was so disoriented I didn’t know what side I had to get out of, when one of the volunteers grabbed my hand to pull me out (thank you). Someone yelled “make sure she’s okay” which I was – for all intents and purposes. I was disappointed – I was right there – I was so close. I felt tears coming but I held them back, reminding myself that I’ve never climbed a rope and I was able to almost get all the way up there! I could be nothing but proud, although I really want to do it again and get up there – all the way and hit the damn bell!

The hardest obstacle of the day for me was the bucket brigade. The damn bucket of rocks was so heavy I could barely make it up the hill. Once I did I was determined to just go and get down the darned thing but almost slipped because I couldn’t see where I was going (thanks to the bucket)!

In the end I left with a mud beard, a metal, and a lot of memories!

Overall, it was a very fun day. I finished in 2:49:55 and I wasn’t the last in any category/division!

Depending on how well I recover from today, I may do it again next weekend – and conquer that rope! At least then I’ll know what to expect!

After, hubby treated me to some pizza and froyo – nothing like a good cheat meal after 4.7 miles of torture!!

AROO AROO AROO !!

Have you ever run a spartan race? Which one? What was the hardest obstacle you faced?

24 Day Challenge: Day 18/19 & Pup update!

Day 18 started as a pretty standard day.. with less than 7 days left of the challenge, I’m feeling pretty good! I skipped the gym because I really wasn’t feeling well, my throat hurt and I just needed a day, but overall my meals went good. I found myself slipping a bit around mid day when I found myself in the break room at the vending machine followed by snacking for no good reason. A huge difference between me and a regular person, is my disordered eating sneaks it’s ways in regardless of how good I’m doing. What I’m learning is how to handle those moments. So instead of thinking “I ruined it, I can’t do it, I might as well quit while I’m ahead” I said “it happens, brush it off, no journey is a straight line” and continued the remainder of my day. Although I recognized this, I also have to remember that I can’t just eat whatever and then let it go and accept it for what it is every time because then I wouldn’t make any progress – it can happen once in awhile not everyday!

When I got home from work my dog was acting funny, she wasn’t walking, and she was crying out. I brushed it off for a few but then she started scooting on the floor and crying so I checked under her tail and she had an anal gland abscess which hadn’t ruptured yet. I was not happy, I felt bad, but we just spent so much money on Charlie all I could think about was how this was very convenient that now Miley has an issue. I packed her up and we headed into the animal hospital.

I’m lucky I work at a specialty clinic because the doctors are great! Luckily they weren’t too busy so I was able to get her in quick! Poor girl has an ecollar and she’s obviously unhappy… Poor mama

but I gave her a bow to make her feel better… Not sure it worked!!

Anyway, Day 19 has been better. Miley seems to be feeling a bit better, Charlie’s almost all healed from his surgery almost two weeks ago, and I didn’t do too bad with food. For lunch I had a sandwich which wasn’t the best choice but I dissected it and made sure it wasn’t full of cheese and extras! I also had a weird “craving” for eggs today. Kind of random but I really wanted eggs on whole wheat toast – no cheese, no nothing – just eggs- preferably a little runny, on whole wheat toast…. (PS I didn’t have the crave check sr tabs today)

For dinner we went to Elevation burger which I really like because it’s organic grass fed beef in a lettuce wrap with tomatoes and onions – yum!

Tomorrow I start my On Ramp classes for crossfit! I’m excited! I’m not sure what to expect but I’m hoping that crossfit can bring me to a whole new level of fitness!

Have you ever had two sick dogs at the same time?

Have you ever done crossfit? What do you like about it? What do you not like about it?

How do you handle cravings and/or when you find yourself in a sticky food situation?

24 Day Challenge: Day 14 & 15

Yesterday I woke up and headed to the gym for Body Pump. After that I headed home to cook chicken and then headed into work. Work was super busy, as it always is, and a bit stressful but I kept on task with my meals and supplements. After work I headed home to pack up the dogs and begin driving 5 hours to Plattsburgh, NY to visit my best friend, her husband, their new babies and their 5 year old daughter (my god daughter).

Sorry I didn’t write a post last night, I spent the night looking at this:

It was actually kind of funny that I had to pull over, get out and do 12 jumping jacks – before realizing that I could be the next victim in an axe murder film – to stay awake!

I arrived around 1am and pretty much fell asleep. I fell asleep so quickly I forgot to take my catalyst before bed! I must have been sleepy haha!

All in all day 14 was uneventful and went off without a hitch.

Day 15 started pretty similar to most days, woke up at the butt crack of dawn, walked the dogs, took my supplements and then had my shake a half hour later. Snack was some hard boiled eggs and then for lunch I had a wrap with eggs, lettuce, and tomato.

Im trying out the new crave check SR tabs today, and so far so good. Although I really haven’t craved much I knew today I would be a bit less active than I have been so I wanted to make sure I wasn’t craving anything out of lack of movement/boredom. I will say that being so used to being so physically active, I find myself wanting a nap, but I’ll probably just drink another spark shortly if I still feel tired. The dogs are tired too

way too much excitement for them at this point! Miley is not used to kids, Charlie is indifferent, so they are a bit tired from all the rambunctiousness today lol!

The plan is crockpot chicken for dinner with veggies, which sounds super yummy so I’m excited about that!

OH and I’m almost all set up for my OnRAMP courses next week, and then I get to go to any crossfit class I want – unlimited – for a month. If after the month I still want to do it I will continue! I’m excited, I feel like crossfit can really put my fitness to a new level, really push me further and challenge me more – and who knows maybe one day you’ll see my name on the screen at the crossfit games (a girl can dream).

For now you can find me hanging with these two:

While I’m away I’m really thinking a lot about how I can help other people – both financially and with their health. Im motivated to really make changes in my own health and fitness and am excited to help others too! If you want to get going and change your body let me know!! I can’t wait to talk to you more about your goals and how I can help!

If you want more info on the challenge or any of the AdvoCare products/product lines, please email me at teamsuzrice@gmail.com or check out my website: www.advocare.com/140913642

24 Day Challenge: Day 13

Today I woke up with no intention of going to the gym. I decided since I did a double yesterday and experienced crossfit for the first time I’d take a break from my morning routine and wash some dishes. I also thought maybe I could go to crossfit after work.

During work today I found myself really busy and I definitely wasn’t as hungry today as I have been – even though I didn’t go to lunch until pretty late, I still didn’t feel super hungry!

Charlie’s nose was looking really red so the surgeon asked me to bring him in so she could make sure his stitches hadn’t popped, which thank goodness they haven’t, but he needs to be watched because he’s licking his nose too much.

Unfortunately I didn’t leave work early enough to make it to crossfit but I’m going to go next week! I’m excited to start this and really see if I can excel!

I feel really good about where I’m headed!

Today’s food was pretty straight forward – breakfast was my berry meal replacement shake, snack was an AdvoBar raw, lunch was two eggs, rice, and green beans, and dinner was a panini with chicken. It doesn’t seem like a lot but I’m stuffed!!

As today comes to an end – remember to always challenge yourself and try new things. Don’t let money be the excuse that keeps you from doing the things that scare you a bit!

Tomorrow me and the pups travel to Plattsburgh, NY to visit some family. I need to muster up the motivation to get my stuff together – but lord knows I’m not motivated at all and will probably put all my clothes together at 5am lol!

If you haven’t already go out and:
If you want to get going and change your body let me know!! I can’t wait to help coach you through your 24 day challenge and beyond!

If you want more info on the challenge or any of the AdvoCare products/product lines, please email me at teamsuzrice@gmail.com or check out my website: www.advocare.com/140913642