Anonymous asked: what are you pursuing in college? and im super jealous of you- youre perfect in seriously every way. keep it up girl!
Ha, I promise you I’m not- at all- not even close, but thank you so much. And I’m studying to be a doctor, and attempting to keep up with foreign languages and Near Eastern studies in the mean time. So lots of biology/history classes to look forward to.
On a post I saw today on the Cornell Confessions Page…
“I don’t have a sexually functioning penis. I’m not very good looking either. How the fuck am I supposed to have a girlfriend? Girls dump guys for simple reasons like not being good in bed, or being to small, finishing too fast, etc. I’ll be alone forever.”
For starters, I really don’t like this attitude- defeatist, cynical, self-loathing. I think people are addicted to knocking themselves down a few pegs, staring at the mirror and seething, they subconsciously love the drama of it all. So you have bad luck in the size department, big deal. You have so much potential in every other aspect once you realize you are not your “worst” flaw. In fact, the thing you feel makes you unworthy can be used as a platform to turn yourself into someone “better,” someone you can feel good about. In this guy’s case, start going to the gym, stop slouching, treat yourself and the lady who falls for you right, and for god’s sake learn how to please a woman without your penis.
It’s pretty much the same thing with working out. You don’t like something, don’t use it as your crutch to give yourself excuses as to why you can’t do the things you want to do. Work your ass off to perfect it, if it is actually something you can change, and if not, find other ways to make up for it. Just don’t give in.
"Wolves don’t lose sleep over the opinions of sheep."
- Tywin Lannister
I got a massage today and it was so interesting to see where I hold tension the most (and find out I am extremely ticklish on my thighs). I absolutely could not get my chin to relax, which apparently explains the shoulder and trap cramping when I run.
But the masseur was a Crossfiter, so of course we jabbed away about Fran and lifting and happy things. While it wasn’t as relaxing as I thought it would be, it was nice to find a bit of a kindred spirit, and get some of the lactic acid moving.
Got my happy dollars today post-English IB Exam Paper 1. (Prepping for the 2nd tomorrow and watching Crossfit in-between.)
"We do not rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training."
- Archilochus (via fuckyeahcrossfit)
discovered ESPN coverage of the 2012 Crossfit Games
such a bittersweet move. I’ve been immobile for hours (if being on the edge of your seat doesn’t count), haven’t touched a bit of homework, and I have 4 hours left of footage.
One of those days…
Something that I’ve been pretty negligent to talk about is the yuck days. The ones where you do the warm-up and you just want to quit right there, or you do a few rounds of the WOD and want nothing more to throw in the towel. Your quads ache, your back is cramping, you’re just not finding yourself in the zone.
I felt myself quickly approaching that low today- partially due to lack of sleep, the carb overload I ingested over the weekend because I was too lazy to make my own food, but also because I’m mentally not as “fit” as I used to be. I’ve built up this supreme image of who I want to become, a list of goals I want to accomplish by the end of the summer, maybe even get into competitions by my senior year in college. And it’s a little overwhelming at times to think that I could possibly pull it off- be on the same level as the Annies, and Kristans and Julies of the Games when I just struggled to do 50 reps of a 135 lb deadlift. I think of it all- the glory, the pride, the “I fucking did it” smile- in comparison to where I am now- and it’s like a tabby cat looking in the mirror and realizing he’s not a lion. Frankly, it’s that end result can seem impossible some days. Those panicky, “oh shit,” semi-withdrawn moments combine to lead to the ick days.
However, you don’t get a metamorphosis by dreaming, nor by giving up hope. You do the work and you see results. You put your faith in the bigger picture, the plan (if it’s a good one), and you carry on.
So just like in school, you can’t let all hell break loose if you get one bad grade, or forget to study for a midterm or your relationship with a teacher completely blows up in your face. You muddle through, you remind yourself that this second, this minute, this workout, this hour, this piece of your world you decided to go to the gym- is your canvas. What you decide to do from there is entirely up to you. So let your imagination soar a little- kites can’t fly when you’re over-analytically scrutinizing the air currents. Know you’ll get the hang of it eventually.
Another issue I’ve been having that exacerbates the yuck days in a way, is the blogging. I think I’m spending too much time recording what I’m doing, analyzing the process, breaking it down- instead of just doing it. If I’m putting more energy into the mind versus the body, then something is wrong. So I’m probably going to take a brief hiatus (especially in May)- just know I’m probably still trying my hardest to workout and grow, and I’ll have more time and flexibility in the summer.
Crossfit WOD 4/22/2013: Legs
I had considered jumpstarting my Crossfit-crazy-happy summer with Doug Chapman’s Training for the Games 1 year of WOD programming. He coached two of my favorite athletes, Julie Foucher and Andrea Ager by long distance, and I thought I could really get a lot out of his experience. So I jumped on the bandwagon today with his recovery/training optional WOD that mostly worked legs.
I sandwiched the entire routine with two 400 m runs, and cooled down with a few kipping pull-ups:
Warmup- 4 rounds
- :15 Jumping Jacks
- :15 Squats
- :15 Mountain Climbers
- :15 Jumping Squats
13 Min AMRAP:
- Run 200 m.
- 10 Wallballs (15 lb)
- 10 Deadlifts (95 lb)
5 rounds
Decided to start doing all my meal prep on the weekends. Here is my first attempt at some roasted beets, yams, onions, carrots, rutabaga, fennel, leek and garlic heads. Simply chop up all the veggies, coat the casserole pans in olive oil, mix with salt and pepper, and roast at 425 degrees for 40 minutes, stirring every 10.
Guess who is getting her own pair of (pink!) lifting gloves and a 1.5 pood kettle bell?!
Rethinking Summer
So my employer just informed me the firm would be hiring 6 interns this year instead of 4- so we’re all doomed (even now that I just turned 18!) to part time positions.
While i was initially a bit sour (I really wanted a full-time position especially before college!), I considered a few of the alternatives. This makes time for Crossfit classes not at the 5:15 am slot- and it actually makes time for a lot of other things I’m looking forward to doing- Mud Run, Color Run, time for friends, family, travel, afternoons in the NYC museums and Central Park, relaxation by the lake (what?)
I’ll either be getting another part-time gig in town though (A&P, Foodtown, a small shoe store business, possibly a cute cafe), or if everything pans out, maybe even getting my level one cert and being an Assistant Crossfit Coach in Morristown. That would be super ideal because I’d be doing what I love, probably get a discount on classes, and (fingers crossed) be able to bring that coaching experience to Pallas Crossfit in Ithaca.
Allow me to just ramble and dream big only to have my plans change again. C’est la nature de la vie que nous endurons.
Dove hired a forensic artist to draw how women see themselves versus how others see them - the results are moving.
I like the idea of this video, I do. But did it bug anyone else that there were really only young caucasian participants shown? Or that the “pretty” characteristics involved being thin, have blue eyes, looking Barbie-doll like? I understand the value in recognizing you are your own worst critic, but I think there are better things to do than to try to prove to someone she is beautiful physically, especially in those more-Western standards of beauty. You are more than the genes you inherited from your parents, the genes that determined if you have freckles, how big your nose is, whether you have a round or heart-shaped or square face. I think it’s good to show women they are naturally critical and beautiful despite their nit-picking, true, why not… But also show them that beauty isn’t everything.
(Source: choosechoice, via dailylesbiandose)
