My CrossFit coach and friend will be competing on CBC's Battle of the Blades this season!
I have to admit, I've never watched the show before but now, I can't wait until the next episode. My friend, CrossFit Coach, former NHLer, and all round great guy, Scott Thornton has decided to lace up the figure skates and respect the toe pick. His partner, Amanda Evora, has been posting great pictures of their experience. Definitely a great match up!
So be sure to tune in on Sundays to CBC at 8pm and #VOTE4THORTY!!
Well, it's been a while since I've posted on my blog. Summer was hectic. Not really my excuse though. We went through a tough time in April and it took a while to get the spirits back up. So here I am because this weekend really brought it all home for me.
I recently celebrated my 40th birthday. 40... I remember when I thought 40 was so OLD! Not so much anymore. Just days before my birthday, my very loving partner, Parker, asked me to marry him. It had been a cold, wet day. I was feeling about as great as the weather when the family made the trek up to the trailer. I decided I needed a nap and headed inside. While Mommy was napping, Parker was asking Ciara if it was ok if he asked Mommy to marry him. Really? I LOVE that he thought of her first! Surprisingly, the weather cleared up, Ci went into the trailer to watch a movie (it was still freakin' cold), and Parker said "Let's go down and check out the sunset. It might be one of our last this summer." So I bundled up and away we went. We sat there for a while, just chatting away. Then he said "Let's head back". I was freezing so it sounded like the perfect idea. But before we left, he told me how much he loved me, that he couldn't imagine his life without me, and then, that big 6'4" man of mine got down on one knee and proposed. Yes, I cried. AND yes, I said YES! It was amazing. Before we headed back to the trailer he told me about his conversation with Ciara. Well, needless to say I had more tears! I felt truly loved and blessed.
But, it doesn't stop there. This past weekend we hosted our 2nd Annual Breast Cancer Fundraiser at the trailer. A little BBQ to raise funds for the Run for the Cure. We decided a pig roast was in order. We tied the event in with my 40th birthday celebration. I posted on Facebook "If you want to celebrate my 40th with me, you'll have to come to the trailer" and, you know what, people did! We had close to 40 people there! It was a cold one but the food and company was awesome. Everyone contributed in some way, a salad, dessert, games, tarps (thanks Mark), etc. The rain held off the whole night. We raised $550 at our little gathering. So, once again, I felt very loved and blessed to have all these amazing people in my life.
And that's all for now. I'm laid up in bed today but needed to get this out there.
If you weren't able to come to the BBQ but would like to contribute, here's my online donation page.
people in area: a group of people who live in the same area, or the area in which they live
people with common background: a group of people with a common background or with shared interests within society
nations with common history: a group of nations with a common history or common economic or political interests
When I think of the people at CrossFit Indestri (CFI), I think "community". As defined above, #2 is exactly what it is. Not necessarily people with a common background as we all have led very different lives and come from very different backgrounds. But we are a group of people with a shared interest. We all have a love/hate relationship with CrossFit LOL.
But seriously, it's very hard not to grow close to a group of people that you've completed a WOD with. We cheer each other on, give encouragement to help keep them going, and give them a high five or props at the end of the workout. We smile, we laugh, we sweat, and well, sometimes, we cry together.
Community is one of the top reasons I am still at CrossFit. As much as I have learned that I love to lift heavy things, the people bring me back day after day. Whether it's a "Hey Mighty Mouse" from coach Tyson in the morning or some "ribbing" from some of the members about whether we're ready for today's workout or not. I don't think I could ever leave this type of environment.
Photo by Jennifer Nichol
This couldn't have been more true when I, unfortunately, had to take a total of 6 weeks off from CrossFit. Between Pool School, a vacation, and some medical issues, it was the longest time away from these people that I've had in the past year. And when I was going through my personal troubles, the only place I wanted to be was at CFI. Kind of a Cheers effect. You know "where everybody knows your name"...
While I was off, I received messages on Facebook. "Miss you", "When are you coming back?" "Quit slacking and get your butt in here!" (My favourite). Just made me miss CFI more. So the first day I went back, I was a little emotional but boy, was I happy to see everyone. Got some great hugs and "welcome back".
Another great testament to this community, well now more like a family, is how people stepped forward to help Chris achieve his goal at MetCon. They were either there to watch him or there to help him. Truly amazing!
So, if you're looking for a place where you can get fit and feel a part of a "community" like ours, then check out your local CrossFit box. Ask the members. I bet they say the same thing.
"Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to go where people know,
People are all the same;
You want to go where everybody knows your name."
Where Everybody Knows Your Name by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo
Here are some words I would use to describe my cousin, Chris Stoutenburg: strong, funny, crazy, stubborn, hard-working, dedicated, determined, motivational, inspirational, a hero...
Parker, Chris and I at last year's Run for the Cure
Chris, AKA Stouty, has conquered everything that has been thrown at him. Just before heading to Guelph University to play football, he tragically fell from a balcony and was paralysed, what would be seen by most as a devastating blow to this athlete. But not for Stouty, Stouty took this new challenge and found a new way to compete, Wheelchair Basketball.
For those that don't know Stouty, he owns a lot bling! 2 Paralympic Gold Medals, 1 Silver Paralympic Medal, and well, about 20 more medals but I won't list them all. They're all listed on the WheelChair Basketball Canada site. Here's the link.
We've always been very proud of all his accomplishments. So when he decided to retire, we knew it wouldn't be for long. He'd find something, he always does :)
Next challenge came about from my conversations with him about my CrossFit experience. Stouty decided it sounded right for him and away he went to CrossFit Indestri to meet with the coaches. This was the beginning of a whole new journey. Since joining CrossFit, not only has he seen major strength changes but he's accomplishing things doctors said he never would. That alone is an amazing feat.
But this is Stouty, he's not going to leave it there... Last year he competed in the Wasaga Beach Duathlon just a couple of months after joining CrossFit. This year, Chris competed in the CrossFit Open. Submitting videos of his workouts for the big people at CrossFit to see what this guy in a wheelchair can do. To say they were amazed would be an understatement. Big names in CrossFit were tweeting him, retweeting his videos, sending messages stating how inspirational. He got invited down to a seminar to work with a very well known person in the CF world, Carl Paoli. I was totally jealous LOL. May just have a CrossFit crush on that Paoli. Chris was featured on one of the CrossFit video updates.
But the Open was just the beginning of what Stouty planned on accomplishing this year. Chris was determined to "conquer the mountain" by entering in the 2013 MetCon Blue Adventure Race at Blue Mountain. Having done this race twice last year, I know the challenges those obstacles can bring. But it wasn't just the obstacles I was trying to figure out, how the heck was he going to get up that hill.
Well, Saturday morning Stouty strapped himself into his off-roading chair and with his "Band of Brothers", they took on MetCon and they didn't back down. With help from his friends and coaches, Chris conquered that mountain and every obstacle MetCon Blue had to throw at him. They climbed walls, swam through muck, climbed cargo nets, tackled monkey bars, jumped fire, and took on the half pipe.
This is a picture of Team Stouty coming out of the wooded trail and heading down to the monkey bars AKA the Rockstar Plunge (I'm sure there's a few other choice names for it :) ) Team Stouty consisted of my boyfriend Parker, Scott Nichol, Chuck Mesley, Marc Amormino, Mark Arnold, Bill Pain, and, of course, the man himself, Stouty! A truly amazing group of men!
I got a chance to watch Chris on the last obstacle, the half pipe ramp. The crowd was going crazy! Emotions were running wild for friends and family that watched this amazing human being tackle this course and come out stronger than ever. Every time I watch the video, my eyes well up with pride. I've posted a video below that my friend, Jen Nichol has provided on Facebook. I'll be sure to post the video of their trek once it's complete as there were about 3 or 4 people with cameras following them on the course.
Chris has been the person that I look to for inspiration and, at the rate he's going with all these accomplishments, there is no doubt in my mind that won't change!
Stay tuned for Stouty's next challenge. Not sure what it'll be yet but I hear there's talk of a Tough Mudder...
Well, it's been over a month apparently since my last post! WOW. A lot has happened in my life and I apologize for those who look forward to my posts (if any LOL).
Anyway, I'm not going to get into any details throughout my blog at this time but trust me when I say, life dealt me another doozie. Right before I headed off to pool school, life slapped me upside the head. BUT as always, I'm still here and I'm coming back strong.
I took my first vacation out of the country in almost 15 years last month. My daughter and I headed off to Disney. That will be in an upcoming post.
Tonight is just to say, "hey, I haven't forgotten about you. Don't forget about me" and..
I just spent a great night with a very special female... My beautiful daughter Ciara. This week was a very busy week. Early mornings and late nights meant very little family time. Then off to her Grandma's she went for a sleepover as Mommy had to work this morning as well. These busy times can kind of take a toll on family life. Unfortunately family time is going to have to wait. Parker is away with the Major Bantam Boys Basketball team at their Provincials. So instead of Family QT, Ci and I had some Girlie QT. Off to Kelsey's we went. While we waited for our food we chatted and coloured away on her menu. Played some Tic Tac Toe. Food was delicious. We headed home and got into our PJs. After a couple of iCarly episodes, we settled down for a cuddle and to watch "Aliens in the Attic". Although she's seen it before, she wanted to see it again.
We didn't do much tonight but it was time we needed. With so much happening in our busy lives and some big changes to come, I made a promise to Ciara that we would do this much more often. We did the big handshake on it :) Family is so important. I'm very lucky and have grown up with a family that has always been there for me. Through the good and even more so through the bad. I want Ci to grow up with that same feeling of togetherness and love. For Ci and I, we've gone through a couple of tough family changes and a couple of really great ones. We have a strong family unit now and couldn't be more happier. So my promise to her, is something I plan on keeping... for as long as she wants to hang with her Momma ;) I'll leave you with a quote that is very fitting for my family situation :) The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life ~ Richard Bach
I actually started this blog post last weekend but I think I was still so tired!!
Check another item off my Bucket List, "Compete in the CrossFit Games Open". As of today, that is complete! What is the "Open"??? The Open competition is an opportunity for fitness enthusiasts from all over the world to compete in an international CrossFit competition. The competition began March 6th with the "announcement" of the first workout, 13.1. There were a total of 5 WODs (workout of the day). Each were announced on Wednesday night and had to be completed, with scores submitted by Sunday night. The first week, 13.1, was full of electricity. All kinds of hype leading up to the big announcement. The CrossFit community was a buzz. Parker and I sat down in front of the computer and waited.13.1 will be 17 minutes of: 40 Burpees, 30 reps of 45lb Snatch, 30 Burpees, 30 Reps of 75lb Snatch, 20 Burpees, 30 Reps of 100lbs Snatch, 10 Burpees, as many Reps as possible in time remaining of 120lb Snatch.Here was my thought process: "ugh burpees" then "75lbs!!! Are you kidding me? My 1 rep max is only 65lbs. Well I'll be done at 100 reps (40+30+30)". From Wednesday night on I had butterflies in my stomach. What was I thinking? I can't do this! By Saturday morning I thought I was going to puke. Reminded my of my old skating days. Never was much of a competitor LOL. Always lost my cookies before hitting the ice.
So Thursday I set up a one-on-one session with my coach, Tyson. Time to work on that Snatch. He coached me up to the 75lbs. I did it! It wasn't pretty. "Get under the bar! Under the bar" (those words still echo in my head). On Saturday I knew I would get at least 1 of those 75lb Snatch lifts up. So away I went. My dear friend Tammy, my mom, Parker, Nate, and others yelling encouraging me to pick up the bar! Not only did I get 1 up, but I managed to get 7 of them up!! According to other members of our community, every time I got the bar up, I had a big smile on my face. Damn right I did! I was pretty darn proud. Needless to say, I survived week 1 and was ready for more! Next up, 13.2. Same kind of excitement and electricity. The anticipation of the announcement on Wednesday night...13.2 will be 10 minutes, as many rounds as possible of: 75lb Shoulder to Overhead, 75lb Deadlift, 15 box jumps at 20" This was a little more my WOD. Although the 75lb Shoulder to Overhead was a little trying with my shoulder. Bad shoulder. Damn muscle ups! Then, 13.3. The Wednesday night nerves were finally settling by this point. Always exciting to tune into the website and watch the top CrossFit athletes tackle the next WOD. Also, sometimes their reaction was just as surprised as our reaction :) 13.3 will be 12 minutes of: 150 Walls Balls (14lbs), 90 Double Unders, 30 Muscle Ups.As you may remember from an earlier post, I did not enjoy this one at all! This one crushed me. To the point that I was holding back tears. Really?? I had to do a serious reality check with myself that night. Reminding myself that I couldn't even do a proper Wall Ball a year ago. Let alone 150 at 9ft target!! It took a little while but I got over it.
13.4, almost there! As we near the end of the Open with this WOD, you can tell that HQ was looking to weed some people out. Those of us that still weren't lifting Rx (prescribed) weights in a lot of WODs.13.4 will be 7 minutes of: 3 reps of 95lb Clean and Jerks, 3 toes to bar, 6 95lbs Clean & Jerks (C&J), 6 toes to bar (T2B), 9 95lbs C&J, 9 T2B, 12 95lbs C&J, 12 T2B, 15 95lbs C&J, 15 T2B, 18 95lbs C&J, 18 T2B. If you complete the round of 18, go on to 21, then 24, etc.95lbs Clean & Jerk!! WHAT!!?? This was where quite a few of us surprised ourselves. I missed my friend Cathy Jackson but I know this was a huge PR (personal record) for her! I've heard that it was a very emotional and proud moment for Cathy and all those that were there to cheer her on. Awesome job! For me, my 1 rep max was 100lbs. So 95lbs? I told Tammy my goal was to get through the set of 3 and then take the rest of the time to get as many of the 6 as possible. Low and behold didn't I shock the s@#$ right out of myself. And again came the smiles every time that damn bar went over my head. I made it through the 3s AND the 6s AND managed to get 4 more reps! Super proud? You bet! Considering my current weight is 115, that's a lot of weight to be throwing over my head :) 13.4 definitely brought me out of the slump I was in after 13.3.
The Grand Finale, 13.5. I'm sure I'm not the only one that felt this way, "Let's just get'r done!" 5 weeks was a long time. Too many unknowns, so many emotional moments. Really takes a toll on one's body! This Wednesday, still excited to watch it but not really excited to do it, I sat on my couch with my laptop and watched 4 AMAZING CrossFit Athletes get completely and utterly crushed. This WOD wasn't just a test of strength and endurance but also a major mental test.13.4 will be Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 4 minutes of: 15 reps 65lb Thruster, 15 Chest to bar Pull-ups.If 90 reps (3 rounds) are completed in under 4 minutes, time extends to 8 minutes. If 180 reps (6 rounds) are completed in under 8 minutes, time extends to 12 minutes. If 270 reps (9 rounds) are completed in under 12 minutes, time extends to 16 minutes. HOLY CRAP!! What a way to end the Open. This was a truly crushing WOD. Leaving many, I'm sure, emotionally and physically drained. That's where your CrossFit community comes in. Unfortunately for me, I had some health restrictions. BUT, instead of just walking away, I at least did my 1 rep to get a final score. Why not right? So although I didn't feel the effects of this one, I saw many of my CrossFit Community that did.
Thankfully, we have a Box full of AMAZING people! After the last athlete performed 13.5 on Saturday, we celebrated with great food and music. We had a fun team WOD where the morning folks took on the evening peeps. Full of fun and laughter, we tackled the WODs as a team and it truly bought everyone's spirits back up. Although... apparently us morning folks were accused of cheating. I'm still waiting on an explanation of that one. Scott??? Thank you for an amazing Open experience CrossFit Indestri! I would say that my biggest highlight of the Open was not all the PRs (they rocked but), it was feeling that sense of community we always talk about. I love our CFI group! It truly feels like a family. But when we do something like this, we don't just feel like a family, we act like one. We're out there cheering on, encouraging, and supporting each other. When we fall down, someone runs over and picks you back up. Seeing everyone come out just to watch or come early/stay late to watch, was priceless. And THAT my friends is my most favourite and cherished part of CrossFit! Watch out CrossFit Open 2014, I think there's a few CFI members that are going to come back with a vengeance! Check out this great video that my friend Jen made of our community taking on the 2013 Open!
