I want to express just how grateful I am for the 2nd Anniversary Day-of-Fun. It was such a smashing success and it has quickly become my favorite day of the year. I love being able to compete and workout alongside all of you, plus it was exhilarating to watch so many people hit PR's and do things they had never done before. I want to...
Folks. It's been exactly a year and a half since I started this journey. 78 weeks ago I was given a gift that would change my life more than I could have ever possibly imagined. A gift that would help me discover my own strength, help me stop being apologetic for the space I occupy, clear my head, and surround me with some of the...
Last week I had an out of town visitor that put some wrenches into my typical weekly workout schedule. I felt the effects immensely. My days are spent at an intense day job where I manage a team of salespeople responsible for generating and meeting a budget of more than $5,000,000. I juggle meetings that should offer medals for suriving them, employee disputes, conversion of a new...
Hit another milestone last night as we tested the CrossFit Total after a 8 week training progression. You're probably asking what the CrossFit Total (CRT) is. Good question. In the CFT, you get 3 attempts at the squat, the press, and the deadlift to lift the maximum weight possible, and your heaviest successful lift from each of the 3 will be added together for your total. You can warm up however...
It's been such a fun and busy week! I've had the privelege and opportunity to meet and work one on one with a few people who share interest in trying CrossFit. And, last week Thursday evening, I had the honor of coaching a very full and special beginner CrossFit class at Solcana. There were a few things I noticed that were consistent across the board - across all of these...
You know how I feel about Solcana CrossFit before you even read this blog. It's my happy place! I love everything about it, so much that I coach here now! All I want is for everone who wants to, gets to experience the same amount of love, strength, and bad-assery that I've been able to soak up from the countless hours inside the Solcana CrossFit walls. I've...
After spending a straight 3+ hours at the gym last night ON A MONDAY after a full 8 hour day of work at the office, I actually said this out loud: "When you enjoy what you're doing it doesn't feel like work." AMEN, PEOPLES. I got home from work at 4:45. I busted through the door, threw a pan on a burner so I could rush to...
A couple of months ago, I received this text message from a young friend I met this summer (she's a college senior at Northern Michigan University) and, boy, did I really feel all of the feels. Lifting heavy things has transformed my life in so many ways that I can't stop telling everyone I know how and why - and I'm completely unapologetic for it. This...
In my life, I've taken 3 yoga classes. Three. Two of those have been in the last week and, friends, let me tell you something: I'm hooked. Yoga classes at Solcana have reminded me that I can take an hour and just...exist. Calm down. Stretch. Be present. Be quiet. Be open. In a world of go go going this couldn't come at a more perfect time. My day...
69 weeks is, like, a really long time. It's exacly 1.32692308 years. I know I've said it before, but it's the longest I've ever done something consistently other than watching every single episode of Grey's Anatomy (SEASON 12 DEBUTS THURSDAY, WHERE ARE WE WATCHING IT?!). Working out is just something I do now. It's a part of my life, a healthy habit - you know, like brushing...
It's almost October. I'm feeling more like I'm in a routine again after a crazy busy summer of fun and travel and impromptu dinners and happy hours and dates and good times. I'm not going to sugar coat this - my diet has seen much better days. It's been something I've been thinking about a lot as my mindset about food has transitioned so much...
Since getting certified as a Level 1 Trainer in July, I've been telling you all about the co-coaching experience and what that's been like. I've also been working one on one with a very cool client - my pal, Art. We've been meeting Wednesday mornings at 5:30 am - he's got a little one and this was the only time we could find that worked...
It's time, once again, for the Great Minnesota Get Together and I'm going to let you in on a little secret... If you're going to go to the Minnesota State Fair, go with your gym pals. And go immediately following a tough workout that involves 3 rounds of the following: 3 rounds with 5 min rest between each: Run 400m 10 ring rows 20 elevated pushups 30 squats 100 single unders I say this because...
Another crazy week in the books. Last Thursday, I stepped up to the plate and led the Thursday 5:30 class while under the watchful eye of Coach Hannah (mind you, she had her trusty notebook and pen going to give me lots of stellar feedback). I am not going to lie - I was nervous coaching a strong group of people (one of which is my...
It's been a week of firsts around these parts, you guys. Last week, I graduated from coach shadowing to co-coaching and actually led my first classes at Solcana CrossFit. (I also tweaked my neck walking my 10lb dog but we don't have to get into that.) But that first part...did you catch that? I led my first classes at Solcana CrossFit (under the watchful eyes of Coach Jerik,...
In just under two weeks, I'll be competing in my second USAPL sanctioned meet: The Twin Cities Powerlifting Open 2015 at Allegiance Fitness in Mounds View. As you may know, powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. The highest amount completed in each lift is added up for a total. Those with the highest total wins the...
Last night I was at dinner post workout and coach shadowing with some of my Solcana CrossFit gym homies (shout outs to Ariel, Sally, and Kate!) and I was hemming and hawing about what to write about today. This, of course, after we dove into the regular girl talk at dinner...you know, the stuff like sex, politics, religion, world news, make-up, periods...the usual. My friend,...
So, I passed my Level 1 Certification. Okay. Cool. They said they'll mail me my certification and I hope they do so it doesn't end up in a file in an office on the Saint Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota like my Bachelor's Degree. (Someday I'll pick it up but omg if you find yourself in Saint Paul and feel like doing a...
Greetings from Camp! I'm writing this to you amongst 100 high school students from the state of Wisconsin at Leadership Camp who are somehow learning from me about self-disclosure, credibility vs visibility, conflict, and group dynamics. Oh, and lots of hugs and Mosquitos. In the most simplest of explanations, this camp is a lot like my family at Solcana CrossFit so it feels pretty natural to be here,...
I remember last October when Coach Hannah had asked me to lunch to talk about plans for my future with Solcana CrossFit. I thought it would be, like, thoughts about future blog posts, feedback on my previous posts...you know...stuff like that. So, when the words "CrossFit Level 1 Certification Course" came out of her mouth, you can imagine just exactly how surprised, shocked, excited and terrified...
Last week knocked me out flat cold. I could feel something was going awry when I woke up Monday with a scratch in my throat. Considering that I hadn't been sick for over a year, I ignored it and pushed through work and the gym and the dog park and the socializing and everything I've managed to jam pack into my life these days. Who has...
In about a week and a half, I'll be participating in the CrossFit Level 1 Certification Course as a step to becoming a coach at Solcana CrossFit. YOU GUYS. I AM SO NERVOUS. NERVOUS LIKE THE DAY I FIRST DECIDED TO START CROSSFIT. Nervous like, "what if I can't do all the things? What if no one talks to me? What if I'm the least fit...
It's been a really long time since I've actually enjoyed summer. As a kid, sure - riding my bike to the neighborhood pool where I'd spend countless hours in the sun with my pals running, laughing, and swimming, while drinking the Tahitian Treat I got out of the soda machine. So many good memories. As an adult, summer hasn't always been super great for me. It's...
There have been so many wonderful new members joining Solcana these last few weeks, and so many more reaching out to ask questions about the program that I spent some time thinking about a top 10 list (ok, top 11 I AM NOT SORRY) of thoughts I think would come in handy for someone embarking on a new CrossFit adventure. There are new terms, equipment, skills,...
I'm on week 6 of my new job - a job where I am playing the role of responsible adult manager salesperson - and yesterday was one of those days where I realized that the honeymoon phase was officially over. It was a stressful, hectic day filled with new information, meetings, and questions/decisions about things I had no idea about. My brain was fried by...
Holy wow do I have a lot to share with you this week. As you've heard me say before, I've never really ever set any kind of goal before and worked toward it. Well, scratch that off my bucket list because I can officially say that I have now. Last Saturday was the USA Powerlifting sanctioned Twin Ports Open in Duluth. It was my very first powerlifting...
I've been thinking about making it to today's post since I started on this path 52 weeks ago. One year ago. 365 days, A whole entire rotation of the sun. Buckle up, it's gonna be good. I have so many feelings bouncing around inside of me with regard to this community I was so generously accepted into one year ago. Solcana CrossFit opened it's doors officially on...
As we inch closer and closer to the one year anniversary mark, I can't help but be more reflective on everything these last 51 weeks have meant to me. But don't worry, I'll save that for one big, emotional, heartfelt, vulnerable post next week, okay? This week was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster - week 2 of my new job in which I hold leadership...
Oh man you guys. We are so close to the one year mark of this blog I CAN ALMOST TASTE IT. Oh wait, no...that's the kale and bacon I just ate, because we just started a little life tune-up at the gym...similar to the 6 week WholeMe Challenge you might remember from the beginning of the year. Major goals of this 3 week tune up include: Three cups...
WEEK 49. Man. That's almost unbelievable, because it means we are just over 3 weeks to the one year anniversary of Solcana CrossFit, and just over three weeks to the day that my life was completely changed. Aside from the 1 year anniversary, there's another couple of big dates looming right around the corner, too. May 16, I'll be competing in the Solcana CrossFit Beginner Olympic Weightlifting...
