Running All The Miles + Paleo Sloppy Joes YUM!

Running
Day 1...Loopty Loop
So it's the start of a new week and my legs are still sore from sharing 200 wall balls on Saturday from my workout.  And wall balls are one of my favorites (complete sarcasm).  But it's time to stop wishing I was magically a better runner and actually work for it after not running for two weeks.  It was a hot day Monday but it was more humid than anything.  With the weather suppose to reach almost 90 degrees that day I had a feeling I was going to regret running that afternoon, and almost decided to forego it.  But I knew it needed to be done and would also help with leg recovery. Yes I could run later in the evening when it wasn't so warm outside but running an out and back near my apartment ha gotten old and I can't stand all the traffic and once I leave work and head home I'm not coming back in the same direction, wastes gas.
The worst thing you can do when you're sore is just rest until you feel better.  So running was my answer to solve that problem.  I headed to the gym after work and changed my clothes and decided to repeat an old route I had taken with Fidget before. I want to make him proud for some reason but more make myself proud for sticking with it even though most days I don't want to run.  Running around post is peaceful, there's not too many cars around and the beauty of idea behind that place when you think about it was amazing.  I'm surround my men and women and their families who protect our country.  I don't know if anything could be more peaceful than that thought.  So off I went for a good mile and a half of semi flat surfaces besides jumping on and off sidewalks and then heading through a small neighborhood to make one last turn before hitting two long gradual hills and finish off right by the track. 
My legs started out aching but I can't remember when that feeling just left from my mind, maybe when I started wondering how long it was going to be until my first left turn because I knew exactly where I was at in my run at that point.  But once that feeling escaped my mind my run felt good.  I felt like I was holding a decent pace even though I wasn't sure exactly what it was.  I didn't want to use my run app, partially because I'm almost out of data for the month, and also because I didn't want to be disappointed at my pace not being where it use to be.  The focus was my current run and getting better, not the runner I use to be.
After my 2.5mi run I went back into the gym to redo the push presses that I thought I had messed up that morning. 
Push press (5x5 @ 75%)  my max currently is 52kg/115# giving me a 75% of 38kg.  Well for some reason after doing them I thought that it was suppose to be 75% of my 1RM split jerk (64kg) so I did them again giving me a 75% of 48kg/105#.  My was able to get the first two sets unbroken and then had to back up the last three; 4/1-4/1-3/2.  I knew my arms were pretty worn out from that morning so I couldn't be to upset with it and the fact that I was doing the wrong thing when I had done it correctly that morning.  I'm not sure what my mind was thinking after I finished up this morning.  But the fact that I went back into the gym to correct something I thought I had messed up even though I wanted to go home was an accomplishment in itself!
As of right now the debate is whether to run Thursday morning and lift in the afternoon or vice versa?  Decisions Decisions....

Day 2....Pike Field Trail

A view from the top.  Yes that small dirt road
is still my trail, more hills!

So I was dreading day two all week!  It was a trail run and I had packed everything I needed the night before constantly telling myself I was going to go.  At first I was concerned it was going to be too hot to run.   Then I was worried about it raining, but if it rained at least it would cool off a little bit.  Part of me was wishing it would rain when I left work so that I could postpone my run.  I had thought about just going ahead and postponing until Friday but after strength work that morning my body needed an active rest day and then a nap afterwork on Friday.  So after school I headed to the gym to change, taking my sweet time to get out of my car because I was still debating heading home and saying screw it all.  I was not looking forward to running it by myself especially after the first run.  It was horrible only for the simple fact that it was my first time running 4 miles in I don't know how long and running on a trail!  I wasn't looking forward to heading out and up that hill, especially solo.  But it turns out the run didn't feel that bad. I actually felt faster.  Along the way, before I hit the longest hill ever, some guys were out there in their truck having some fun slinging mud and dirt around.  Last time I wrote a blog after running that trail I said that I would take a picture looking like Rocky at the top once I did it again solo.  I wanted to make Fidget proud that I accomplished this the 2nd time without him!  

Well I didn't exactly do that but I was super proud of myself for making it to the top of this hill at what felt like a faster pace than my first attempt after trudging through soft sand I never stopped running either.  I always tell myself no matter how much it hurts or how tired your legs are it doesn't matter how fast you go, you could be feeling like you're moving like a grandma, just keep running.  I don't care if someone could walk the same pace as you're running because it's that slow.  Don't stop that running pace with your feet.  It only gets better from there.  After posing for a selfie accomplishment at the top of the hill I started back down.  Ahh down hill, passing the guys in their truck again.  Only this time they were trying to dig themselves out of a hole haha
As soon as I hit the water bridge I knew I was almost back to where I started and I couldn't wait.  Even though I was dreading this run today I was super excited I made myself go do it and that I did it solo.  It feels great pushing though those mental barriers.  I can't tell you how hard it was this week to make myself go run after work this week instead of going straight home!





Paleo Sloppy Joes
I've thought about making these several times over the past couple month and I'm honestly not sure why I hadn't tried to make them before.  I remember sloppy joes as a kid and at first when I was younger I didn't like them just off the fact that they didn't look good.  Yes, I was weird like that but I still have my weird things when I comes to food.  It's a nice quick meal to make, maybe taking only about 30min to cook the meat and other ingredients together.  Use what you like for the bun but every since I tried large portobello mushroom caps for a bun in replace of bread I've never looked back.

Sloppy Joe Mix
Cook time: 30min
Ingredients
1-2tbsp olive oil (I just poured some in my pan)
1lb ground turkey (use what you like but I stick with white meats)
1 small red pepper chopped
1 small onion chopped
2tsp garlic powder
1tsp chili powder
1tbsp yellow mustard
1 can tomato paste (6oz)
5-6tbsp apple cider vinegar
pepper to taste


Directions
1.  Chop/dice red pepper and onion.  Place in pan and sautee until slightly translucent
2.  Add in meat and cook thoroughly (completely browned), breaking up large chunks of the meat.
3.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until well combined then let simmer for 5-10min until sauce is thick (mine already was thick after adding all ingredients) but this also allows the flavors to really come together.

For the Bun:
1. preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. 2 large portobello mushroom caps
3. flip stem up and remove (I cut mine out with a knife)
4. over baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray
5. place portobello mushrooms stem side down
6. Cook for 15min

The recipe I used as a guideline also calls for 1/2c beef stock, 1/2tsp liquid smoke.  I forgot about the beef stock (I would have bought chicken though), and didn't want to buy liquid smoke for just one recipe.  That is way see 5-6tbsp of apple cider vinegar.
Let me tell you, reliving this childhood classic was delicious and fun!  This is just a fun dinner to eat because we all know the meat won't stay in the sandwich.   Kind of like tacos, how the meat slides out of the shell and you get more on your plate to eat after and can make another taco haha.  I'm actually very happy about how these turned out if you can't tell.  The meat didn't turn out took thick or too runny, just right.  
With the mushroom caps, make sure to bring plenty of napkins/paper towels because mushrooms hold a lot of water so you will have juice running town your arms.  Mine actually wasn't as bad as when I use them for burgers.  But a great alternative to an actual hamburger bun.



~Side Note
So one of the good parts about living in a military town is when you're friends come back from deployments.  It's always great to see them return especially when they didn't tell you they were leaving.  I had one friend show up last week that I hadn't seen in months.  It was still warm last year (I think) when I saw him last.  I have one more person I'm hoping is deployed to come back and that he didn't PCS without tell me.  I hate when people I am close to don't tell me they are getting deployed or when training starts and I don't know if I can contact them or not.  It worries me when I can't get ahold of them or don't know they're leaving.
So here's to hoping one returns soon and then other is in training and can't be reached.  Either way I hope they are both safe.

My body is still completely exhausted by mid week with changing up my training schedule days.  Since I've had to switch my active rest day to Fridays I'm using the afternoon for naps.  This is the first week I've gotten one.  And let me tell you my body needed it.  I slept for 2 hours!  If only I had more time to take naps during the week.  Why couldn't we like naps as children.

~God Bless

"Training strength and endurance mentally, physically, and spiritually."

A Lot and Nothing All at Once + Cupcake Experimenting

So the weather has finally gotten warmer and I decided to take my blog writing outside this afternoon.  I want to say it's in the 80's as far as the heat goes while I'm home visiting my mom for Mother's Day weekend.  There has been very little but at the same time a lot going on in the past 2 weeks and I'll try to sum it up as best as I can without writing a horribly long blog for you all.  

Secret Church + Strawberry Pickin

Last week I had a quick not even a full day trip back to Charlotte.  My mom had gotten yourself and me tickets to an event called Secret Church with David Platt.  We didn't get there until around 730pm when the event started at 630pm.  So we only missed an hour of everything.  We were given a guide book with fill in the blanks to kind of follow along.  But man does David talk fast.  The booklet was filled with Bible verses that related to the discussion.  We we talking about praying for India and the Muslims in the country.  How some of them are persecuted for being Christians.  Mom and I left around 9pm.  He talks really fast and to think this thing lasted until 1230am.  And part of me wanted to leave because it just wasn't what I thought it was going to be.

So there is a place around Bragg called Gillis Hills Farms and every year they have strawberry picking and later n the year they will have a pumpkin patch. But ever since the strawberries have been ready to pick I've wanted to go pick some.  It's just simple fun to go out and find beautifully red strawberries and pick them off the plant instead of buying them in the store.  So the whole family headed out the strawberry picking farm in the Concord area, new nephew included.  He was 6 days old at that point.  The weather was disappointed as it was cold and a little drizzly.  But we picked 3 gallon containers full of strawberries.  Why I need that many straw berries is beyond me considering I don't even eat the things.  But my whole point of wanting to pick them, besides the fact that it is just fun to do, was I have been wanting to make flavored cupcakes.  Now I don't know why I wanted to make these but had been in that kind of mood since making the apple pie recovery shake the other week.  And I wanted it to be real fresh fruits.  

I headed back to Bragg later that afternoon because I was suppose to go to the food truck rodeo with Fidget on Sunday before he took off back to WA.  Yep, he was leaving me.  The joys of living in a military town!  It was something that I wanted to do as a treat for him that I figured would be fun for the both of us just to enjoy each others company and have some laughs.  But plans fell through and we didn't go and he ended up leaving a day earlier than what was originally planned.

So I hit the gym on Sunday afternoon since I didn't go Saturday because of strawberry picking with my family.  And the weather was nice again.  It called for rain at some point I believe but I was able to get plenty done and even though I was excited about experimenting with the cupcakes I just wasn't in the mood that day.   So I spent most of the day getting my food ready for the week.  

New Training Schedule Abound

So it's the start of a new week and I decided that it was time to try something different with my training.  Not to mention it would be my last time I would get to see Fidget before he took off on his trip only to not know when or if I'd ever see him again even though it has been mentioned about me visiting.  I was super upset with myself and will probably always kick myself for this because I completely overslept that Monday morning.  My alarm is set for 330am so I can be at the gym by 0500 and get and hour and a half workout in.  Well, what do you know?  I overslept until 6am.  So not only did I not get to see him one last time I had actually picked out a dress to wear that day specifically for that reason.  O the joys of being a girl sometimes haha.  But within all that going on I decided it was time to switch up my training a bit. 

So I have try to keep my training pretty much scheduled out in my head at least.  M/T/Th/F/S I go to the gym in the mornings and do all my lifting and on Wednesday mornings I typically used as an active recovery day and would swim.  We the Catalyst Athletic lifting programs I follow call for Mon-Thur lifting, Friday and Sunday rest day and another lifting day on Saturday.  So with how I was doing it I wouldn't get a rest day before the day I was suppose to do my heavy singles.  And trust my lifts probably felt heavier than they should have!  

So this week I decided, which should have been a long time ago, to actually follow the training cycle with rest days on the proper days as written.  It was weird not walking into the pool on Wednesday morning and hitting it on Friday morning instead.  And not to mention I was completely exhausted by the time Friday afternoon rolled around for another trip to Charlotte.  But it all paid off this morning when I finally C&J 140# (squat clean).  O and not to mention I did that twice!  It felt so easy standing up out of 140# this morning I couldn't believe it.  It's been a struggle for me for squat cleans, and it has mentally broke me down more than any other lift I have ever done.  To the point where I've almost started realize that that lift isn't going up anytime soon with out some corrections to my form that I have no idea what needs to be done without a coach.  

But hitting that this morning felt great!

So...about that running. 
I am sad to report that I haven't ran in 2 weeks!  I'm disappointed in myself but also for some reason don't want Fidget to be disappointed in me either.  We used to run together once a week and that actually helped make me go running.  He would make me run further than I would if I was every by myself and it was always good company.  I think it helps motivate me when I have someone that expects something out of me, but I'm not sure he does so I guess I better start expecting more out of myself when it comes to this whole running thing.  It is definitely going to be hard breaking my routine of going home straight from work and start getting ready for the next day but you have to put in the effort if you want some things in your life and training to improve.  Nothing magically improves overnight because you wish it will, you have to work at it.  No one said it would be easy but that's the best part about when you accomplish what you said out to do.  You know how much hard work has gone into what you just accomplished.  So my goal for tomorrow is 2.5 miles an old route that takes me almost passed my place of work.

Cupcake Experiments

So as I mentioned earlier I have been wanting to experiment making natural flavored cupcakes by actually using real fruit for the past 2 weeks.  The first thing I needed to do was try and find a recipe for paleo cupcakes.  Which isn't too hard to do with the internet these days.  I always use theses as a guide for cooking and then tweak the recipe as I need it.  So Thursday night I finally broke down and made my cupcakes, and also the fact that I didn't want my more than I needed strawberries to start getting mushy.  So my flavors that I had been wanting to try: strawberry (obviously), strawberry banana, banana, banana peanut butter, lemon raspberry, and chocolate peanut butter.  I didn't end up making the chocolate peanut butter because I honestly at around 945pm became a lazy cook and left it as vanilla.  So I pureed some strawberries and raspberries, and diced some strawberries as well in order to sprinkle some strawberry pieces into the strawberry cupcakes.   I made two of each flavor except I only made one banana and one vanilla.  My mistake:  putting the banana and banana peanut butter next to each other so I couldn't remember which was which.  But I made them to take to school for some of the teachers that I always work with.  

I couldn't resist trying it before I took a picture of it.  Paleo Vanilla
Cupcake with non paleo vanilla bean ice cream and carmel.

With the strawberry banana I wanted the banana to be the main focus of the cupcake and then have swirls of strawberry in them.  So I mixed that batter with banana and then placed some strawberry puree on top and used a toothpick to swirl it in.  The strawberry was easy, just add the puree to the batter and the same went for the banana.  The banana peanut butter I had to make sure the peanut butter wasn't clumped together and which I might try something a little different with those next time.  Maybe just banana batter with a dollop of peanut butter in the middle.  It was fun experimenting with the different flavors though.

I spent the weekend in Charlotte for Mother's Day.  And that afternoon I helped my mom plant some fruits and veggies in her garden (strawberries, zucchini, cucumbers, cabbage, squash).  I actually enjoyed doing it which was the least thing I expected to do.  We were going to try and head down to the food truck neighborhood rally in Steele Creek but by the time we would have gotten there it would have been too late.  So we went to a Greek restaurant in
Concord instead.  It was good, but I guess I got something that I could just normally fix at home so it wasn't anything special.  It will definitely be worth another trip and to try something different. 

Sunday I spent some time at the lake with the family and we took a boat ride.  It was nice to be out on the lake again and can't wait to go back more this summer! Another thing to look forward to!

~God Bless

"Training strength and endurance mentally, physically, and spiritually."

Lifting Struggles + Apple Pie Recovery Shake + Exciting Upcoming Events

I feel like I have so much going on right now, or at least a lot running through my mind right now. 
I have no complaints about my weekend.  Although I can't remember what I did Friday night, which I can tell you was probably nothing because I got to lazy to get out of my pajamas after getting home.  Although I really did want to go down to the Dogwood Festival because Chris Jansen was playing. 

My Weekend

Saturday morning was an early one, but later than my normal wake up time. I did have to skip my workout but it might have worked out in my favor.  I spend most of the day Saturday in Salisbury watching a mini sprint/go kart race with Fidget.  Because I can't for the life of me remember what those cars are called!  Fidget's friend's son was racing that day. We made it there around 11am and got to watch him qualify. It was definitely a fun way to spend a Saturday, along with some good company.  Some of those little cars are fast.  It was a small track that took the slowest cars around 9 second to circle the track with a couple spin-outs and T-bones involved.  The weather was beautiful and I got a little bit of a tan, not the kind I wanted but a tan none-the-less.  It was a 2 hour drive from home but the good part was it was close to my first home. I had expected the day in Salisbury to last until about 345 and I don't know why that time but that's the time I had stuck in my head.  Well that had already passed and we didn't end up leaving until around 5pm. We took off for lunch and got some Panera for everyone and then hung out the rest of the day.  I just hung out, mostly kept to myself expect for when watching the races or playing with Kayla between races.  We did some gymnastics stuff and I went with her when she wanted to get food.  I played more with the kids I think.  On the way back we stopped by my mom's place.  I had talked to her on the way up to Salisbury and she said to swing by if we got the chance, And that she'd like to meet Fidget.  So meet Fidget she did. We didn't stay long because I didn't want to get back to late.  It had been a long day in the sun.  We headed the 2.5 hour drive back home, taking the scenic route as I'd like to call it.  It was definitely different being the passenger on that drive than the driver.  After we got back we hung out at his friend's place, eating and messing with the kids.  More him than me, I was exhausted.  I almost fell asleep on the floor,  I didn't end up getting home until 1am.  And believe it or not I went ahead and started my laundry so I wouldn't have that much to do on Sunday and could head to the gym.
Now where exactly are these lifting struggles happening...you'll see.
After church on Sunday I finished up my laundry and got to the gym a little after 12 because they actually open at 12pm.  Unless that has changed which I heard it was.  All I was going to work on that day was my oly lifting which is normally a Saturday. 
Snatches
I have been struggling with my snatches lately.  They've left heavier than normal for some reason and it could be because I have been doing my Conditioning portion of my workouts before actually started on my oly lifting work during the week.  I never think about these things when I do them, which I probably should!  My thought process doesn't always work right, but I can't be too upset because they days I'm suppose to get to a heavy single I was hitting 56kg/126# which was 2kg under my old PR (personal record).  My struggle to hit 58kg was starting to get discouraging but again I wasn't taking into account that my body was already tired from my Conditioning.  In my mind I should have been able to hit it anyway.  So Sunday when I walked into the gym, not long after a guy walked in and got on the platform beside me.  He stared warming up snatches also.   I have no idea who in the world this guy was but the way he carried himself with a fiery purpose to his lifting somehow rubbed off on me.  I was determined to hit a new PR that day and they were actually filling good.  I work my way up to 56kg and then decided to try that elusive 58kg that I have been chasing for what seems like forever.  And there's this saying that if you hit a PR and it's not filmed, it didn't happen.  But I didn't break out my camera for it because I usually ended up missing it even though I was always close.  Well, what do you know, I hit 58kg first attempt.  So why not keep going?  59kg it was.  I hit that first time also.  I had to stabilize a little longer in the bottom but I didn't care as long as I stood that sucker up.  I attempted 60kg/132# about 4 times because I finally decided to call it a day.  the only reason I kept attempting it was because I was so close to getting it.  It's hard to stop when you're so close to something.  It drives me more and more to keep going but I have to keep in mind that after awhile my body is worn out from that movement pattern so it's slowing gong to get worse.  I'm so close to 61kg, which is my goal for the year.

Cleans
Now clean & jerks (C&J) are where I really get frustrated.  61kg was starting to feel easier of getting out of the bottom of the clean.  Now they are just feeling heavy and horribly ugly!  HELP ME!!  O and not to mention, can you see how close my snatch number is to my C&J number.  It should not be like that at all.  Maybe it's time to start a front squat cycle :/
I struggled to get to 61kg that day, and I ended up missing a couple of times and some stood up two with bad form so I did one extra and made sure it looked at least halfway decent out of the bottom.  I'm almost to the point where those are about to put me to the point of tears.  I really need a coach and wish I had one but when things are tight you just sometimes have to suck it up and go without one.  But enough with that bitching, even though C&J didn't go well I couldn't have been more happy with my snatches. 

I went home and showered, grabbed a snack and headed downtown to a new boutique called Southern Alternative.  They haven't been open long but everything they have has looked really cute, and I've been wanted to check it out for awhile.  Plus they were having a 20% off sale on some items.  So why not get out enjoy the beautiful day and try on some fun clothes and maybe something I wouldn't normally wear.  The Dogwood Festival was also going on this weekend and I didn't get a chance to go to it but it will come around again in the Fall.  I found plenty of stuff to try on and I want to say I shopped for maybe an hour.  They had a lot of cut clothes.  I ended up with a flannel top, skirt and crop top.  And if you know me
wearing a crop top isn't typically my thing!  I'm one of those girls who will wear a sports bra and booty shorts to workout in but wearing a crop top just feels weird and that I'm being judged and I hate feeling that way.  But I can't worry about what other people think the rest of my life right


Apple Pie Recovery Shake
So many of you who might have read my blog previously know that I usually follow the Badass Body Diet nutrition guidelines for my nutrition.  Mostly for portion sizes than actually nutrition though.  I did the 21 day guidelines back in March but have figured out my own way to work some of my treats into the nutrition guidelines.  I also get up and workout early in the morning which sometimes I wish I would just let myself sleep in, but of the 5 days during the week, 4 of them I have recovery shakes.  The majority of the time I fix chocolate and banana other than that I usually fix the banana with spinach (you can't even taste it) or a blueberry banana recovery shake.  I was honestly starting to get tired of the same old shakes.  I didn't want to throw mango or pineapple in there which I had done before so I figured why not try something different.  I always debated about trying to make one taste like apple pie, but worried about how it would turn out with chopped up apples.

Apple Pie Recovery Shake
Servings: 1
Ingredients:

1/4 banana, sliced
1/4c unsweetened apple sauce (I have Great Value - Walmart brand)
1c almond milk
1 scoop vanilla ETB protein powder
To taste:
cinnamon
ground all spice
apple pie spice













My next plan is making cupcakes, no not part of Badass Body.  I probably won't eat any of them but I want to try and make different flavors like strawberry (using actual strawberries), strawberry banana, banana, lemon raspberry, chocolate peanut butter, and peanut butter.  I was going to make the batter and separate them out into different bowls to add in the flavor.  So wish me luck.  The goal is to get them made on Sunday!

Upcoming Events
So I've got a couple things I'm looking forward to!
Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo
Raleigh once a month does a food truck rodeo of around 50-50+ food trucks once a month!  Something I've always wanted to do.  They do food trucks back in Charlotte on Fridays but I've never been able to go to one since I'm not here anymore and Fort Bragg hasn't really built up food trucks very well. 
Baby J
Well I was suppose to be writing this beforehand but waiting too long.  My nephew baby J was due on the 25th of this month.  Another April baby to add to the long list.  Well he arrived 7min early at 11:53pm on April 24th.  His name is Jamison Russell Black, but I'll probably end up calling him Jamie.  They wouldn't tell us the whole time what name they had decided on for him and I had a feeling it was going to be Jamison, but you never know.
Together 2016
I'm super excited for this.  This is Christian concert that is taking place in DC on July 16th.  I have always wanted to go to a Christian concert and it helps that it's in one of my favorite places to visit.  I don't think I could ever get enough of DC.  What makes the concert even better besides the artists and speakers that are going to be there is that it's FREE! Yep, free!  Some of the artist are Jeremy Camp, Hillsong United, Crowder, and Lauren Daigle.  Some of the speakers are Christine Caine, Ravi Zacharias, and many others that I have never heard of.  I've heard of the two mentioned from watching the videos from Passion 2016.  From there I will head to Lake Lure to spend some time with my family.  I plan on hiking Chimney Rock and some of the other trails in the park.  So if you are free, can find a place to stay, and are close to the DC area then come join us!

I'm not going to lie, as of right now I'm hoping for some other trips and events to pop up, a couple day trips to the beach I wouldn't mind either.  But only time will tell, but I do have some stuff to look forward too.

 ~God Bless

 

"Training strength and endurance mentally, physically, and spiritually."

The Benefits & Frustrations of Being a Fit Girl + Homemade BlackberryVinaigrette

Well I'm not going to lie, this blog started from some girl locker room talk this morning (it's a Friday).  One girl was try to jump into her pants, I was slipping into a dress, and another was headed for the shower.  We only got on the conversation because I noticed her sports bra...it was lululemon.  And if you don't know who that brand is, you're missing out!
As a person who lives to be in the gym, in other words I get anxiety if I miss a day working out that is a normal workout day for me, I love being fit but at the same time it can be frustrating.  Can't really imagine what would be frustrating about being fit? Well let's see

Frustrations

1.  Pants Don't Fit
Yes we squat and lunge and squat some more.  The results of this, thick legs/thighs and a big butt!  Now don't get my wrong I love having big legs and butt but when it comes to trying to find a pair of pants that fit...man is it difficult!  I have jeans now that fit around the waist but I literally have to jump into those suckers to get them to my waist.  And then you have the added concern of I hope that if I bent over or squat down these suckers don't rip in half.  Trust me it's happened to some people I know. 
There are some companies that make pants specifically for people like us
www.barbellapparel.com ($10 one-time offer if you sign up for their emails)
frandenim.com (10% for becoming a member and a little more reasonably priced)
www.relentlessjeans.com

2.  Our Backs Are BIG
Okay, so whether you're a fitness competitor or CrossFit competitor a lot of back workout or pull ups will develop those lovely upper back muscles and make us look like we could fly away.  And don't get my wrong I absolutely love my back, which explains why I like tops and dresses that are open back or really open back sports bras from lulu.  But having a big back comes with it's issues also.  Fitting into a sports bra with a bigger back makes all the extra back muscle you have spill over if  you don't have the right one on.  People I wear a size 6 or 8 in lulu and I'm pretty small.  Big backs = the more open the better. 

Regular bras are a pain in the ass, well at least for some of us they are.  Some people are more well endowd in their bust area than I am but I've got a bigger back.  So having a small chest and a big back can be an issue.  I went to Pink by Victoria's Secret one day and it took about 45min to find a bra that fit me well in the back without everything spilling over but not having so much room in the front because the cups were too big.  Thank the lord for racer back bras and lace :)
Jackets....you feel like you're going to pull those suckers apart trying to get them on or even when they are on they are a little tight up top.  You could always try for a different size and have it altered.





3.  We CAN'T Eat Whatever We Want and Not Gain a Pound
Okay granted yes we could, but our bodies wouldn't look the way they do and our performance would suffer.  Sunday's are used for meal prepping and we are the kings and queens of Tupperware.  So we might reject the donut or going out to eat but it has nothing to do with you.  It's because we have a competition coming up and we need to stick to our nutrition.  But catch us on a good day we'll take the offer for pizza, ice cream, donuts, etc.
I don't know how many times people tell me I could eat whatever I want and not gain a pound!  And honestly it's annoying.  Just like anyone else if I eat something unhealthy and a lot of it, I do gain weight.  But I stick to a pretty ridget plan and eat 5-6 times/day.  And yes, the ice cream and girl scout cookies in my freezer stare at me!

4.  Aren't You Scared Guys Won't Date You Because Your Arms Are Big
Plan and simple, NO.  If a guy won't date us because we have a bigger built than women who don't workout then they aren't the guy for us.  We don't have time to deal with those kinds of insecurities and we usually date someone who is into the gym as much as we are.

The Plus Side +

1.  We Are Strong
Since I can remember I've always been little.  I've got a little frame which makes people underestimate me and it can be a pain but I also love it.  I might not be able to lift as heavy as a games athlete but compared to my body weight all my lifts are higher, expect my shoulder press. But who would expect to see such a "tiny" girl, as I've been called, be able to lift that much haha.  If I had to lift something heavy at work, you better believe I could.  O and all those groceries that have to go up a couple flights of stairs at my apartment.  I'm loading all of them on my arms and making ONE trip.  It's just grabbing for my keys to get them in the door that might be the problem.

2.  We Are Confident and Independent
I'm going to be honest as I always am, but being a strong female kind of (actually does) make us feel like a badass!  We know what we're doing in the gym and don't really need help unless it's for a spot.  We are proud of our thick strong thighs, big back and arms, our booty!  We know what we can bring to the table.  The question is can you keep up?
We can take care of ourselves. We don't mind spending time by ourselves or heading to the gym by ourselves either.  I typically workout by myself when I head to the gym but if I have a good gym partner I like that too.  I workout by myself and I can breeze through a workout no problem, but if you wind up with the talkative gym partner plan to be there for about 2-2.5hrs when it should have only taken 1.5hr.  Don't get me wrong having a guy around would be nice, but it's not necessary.

3.  We Get Along with the Guys
Okay yeah we have girlfriends that we hang out with but we have a lot more guy friends than usual too.  I have about 2-3 girlfriends I actually hang out with.  Other than that I'm socializing with guys.  I enjoy watching my sports, kicking back and cooking some food or
even ordering pizza.  I mean we're in the 

gym lifting some serious weight and not afraid to lift it.  What more could you ask for?

4.  We Wear Some Tight, Scantily Clad Gym Clothes

Let's face it, some of those shorts just get in out way when we squat.  I find myself either tucking my shorts into the liner when I go to do squats or just wearing my boogie shorts from lulu that seem to move high as I workout.  And when I'm not at a gym on post you better believe the first thing that happens is I end up in my sports bra because why in the world am I going to waste time during my workout taking it off when I already no it's going to happen.  Might as well save some time during my workout right?  We don't mind walking around in shorts where our butt is about to hang out, half the time I don't even notice it because I'm so focused on my workout. 



5.  We Can Put Away Some Food
Let's face it, no one wants to be around someone who eats like a rabbit all the time!  We fit girls can put away some food.  I eat 5-6 times a day and only one night a week is my actual meal a salad (with protein).  The only down side to the fact that we can put away some food is that it means more groceries to buy...there went the monthly grocery budget!  We love our food, and me my peanut butter!  So expect us to be able to hang when it comes to the food department. 

6. We Are Dedicated and Competitive
To those who are friends with us, to the guys who date us, and to our co-workers our dedication to fitness can show you how are we are willing to work for something and that we don't give up on something we want and really have a passion for in our lives.  This applies to all aspects of our life, not just fitness.  Anything that we have a passion about and have a goal of you know where going to work hard for.  Just like in our fitness we strive to be at our best, to get stronger, our bodies to look their best.

Growing up I was always competing in something.  So having that competitive side always makes us push a little bit harder and who doesn't want that around.  Yes, we might be a little intense but that's what makes it fun.  But that doesn't mean we can't be a team player as well.  Guys are always competing whether it is blatantly obvious or not, so what guy wouldn't want that little bit of fun competition around. It never hurts to have a little fun competition around.  I will admit it's nice to have someone to push me during a workout and for me to want to kick their butt during it also.  I might not even be able to beat them but it's nice to give them a run for their money.

Blackberry Vinaigrette 

So you might laugh at me, or you might think I'm crazy but I will store stuff in the freezer for forever.  I've had leftover blackberries in my freezer since I made blackberry BBQ sauce last October.  I needed to do something with them and I had just finished up the dressing I had bought from Zoe's Kitchen.  So I needed another vinaigrette dressing because I stick to those more than the others because of all the fats and sugars added into them.  But I have always wanted to try and make my own.  So I decided to use the blackberries and give it a shot.  I searched the internet for some sort of guide to making it.
After looking at a couple different sites I used Paleo Newbie (www.paleonewbie.com) as my guide.
I modified the recipe a little bit because of some taste issues but also the recipe on her site is for strawberry.

Sorry it's not the best picture for the recipe (will update
later)

Blackberry Vinaigrette Dressing/Sauce
Serving size: ~1c dressing

1c blackberries
2tbsp apple cider vinegar 
2-3 tbsp honey (I like my vinaigrettes a little sweeter)

sprinkle of pepper
1tbsp extra virgin olive oil

I don't use that much olive oil because the taste is so strong to me I wouldn't have been able to actually use what I make.  I had tried making a citrus vinaigrette dressing a while back for some salmon and I used the amount of olive oil the recipe called for and that's all I could taste in the dressing.
The blackberry vinaigrette is good, but it did come out a little thick  I would probably use it more as a sauce for meats than as a salad dressing.

The Journey of My Faith

We all grow up in with a different lifestyle and home.  I was brought up in a church from the time I was just a baby.  It's even where I was up into daycare as a baby.  My family  wasn't very strict on going to church, we would miss some days and other times we would be very consistent but it wasn't a huge deal if we missed.  My father never went to church unless it was a special occasion and now that I look back at it I wish he would have gone more.  I'll explain why later.  We would always go to big church and then go our separate ways to Sunday school.  I think that's the right order.  One day when my brother was 8 years old he decided he wanted to accept Jesus Christ and be baptized.  When he did this I honestly felt left out so I decided to do it too.  Some way to accept Christ right, but at the time of 7 years old I really couldn't comprehend what accepting Christ really meant.  
Elementary school came and went and having accepted Christ hadn't changed me at all.  I was still the same person going to church and missing on occasion, no big deal.  And I really didn't think much about the decision I had made.  During middle school I started to get more involved.  Before starting into the middle school ministry our youth pastor came by the house to visit us and just give us an idea of all the things they do.  His name was Brody, yes I still remember him.  He was very down to earth and related to us very well.  Maybe because he was a big kid at heart.  We had a band I thought that was pretty cool.  I even volunteered to sing with them one day, but chickened out last minute from stage fright I guess.  We would break off into small groups after a short big group session and I enjoyed the group of girls I was paired with.  We were always together for camp retreats, Christian conferences at church that involved host homes.  I would do outreach on Saturdays and after we would go bowling.  I really enjoyed spending time at church.  I would get upset if I wasn't able to make a Sunday.  I think sometimes my mom went to church just so I could go.  I tried to read through the whole Bible, beginning to end, when I was in middle school but that still hasn't happened yet. 
My faith in God was building until 8th grade.  On Wednesday nights every so often they would have what was called a "Judgment Night."  It was meant to make people who had not accepted Christ really think about the decision to accept him.  So before I go forward, I'll give you a little background.  My father passed away when I was 11 years old.  I was angry for a long time even though I didn't realize it.  I remember wondering why God would take my dad away from me and soon after his passing would always look to see if he was going to walk through the house door or just randomly so up somewhere.  It felt like a dream that he was no longer with me.  I never had thought about if he was in heaven with God or in hell, but one night at "Judgment Night," changed all that
That night the drama team did a skit that start with people dressed in the scream costume, minus the mask, wondering into the crowd of people, walking into the bleachers.  I won't lie, they scared me to the point when the one that came near me I pulled away a little bit  But what was said that night really made me fear for my dad, "If you don't go to church, pray, or read the Bible you are NOT gong to heaven."  This statement really scared me.  To think my dad wasn't in heaven and I would never see him again.  He didn't read the Bible that I was aware of, only went to church on special occasion, and we prayed before dinner.  I'm scared that I'll never see my dad again, and always scared of where I will end up.  It's still a fear to this day.  I always try to be a good Christina, but let's face it, we all slip up and do things we aren't suppose to.
My faith at that point faded in God.  A God that could take such an important figure in my life away (I'm starting to develop tears as I type this).  And I always hate that the night before we apparently talked for 2 hours.  I neither remember talking with him that long or remember a single word of the conversation.  I've been told that one day it will come back to me, but that was almost 17 years ago and it still hasn't happened.

I eventually moved into high school youth ministry because let's face it, we all get older.  I tried to stay active but felt the clichés that come with high school in the process.  I missed the middle school group.  I missed more Sundays than not in high school and then just basically stopped going. I felt like an outcast in the same small group I used to be close in.  That lead it's way into college, but it wasn't until my junior and senior year that I started going to church again.  I tried to read through my Bible again, and I think I did it but can't remember because I was following a reading plan from my church so it jumped around everyday that I read.  The guy that I was dating at the time of my senior year would go with me, but I could tell he was going just for me.  And that was awesome that he was willing to do that for me,  but I wanted him to go for himself too. 
My faith in God started getting stronger again.  After we broke up I started going to the early service with my grandma and sat with her, and we would head toward our Sunday school classes afterwards.  I had joined a college Sunday school class which I continued with even after I had graduated, but that was only a couple of weeks.  In December of 2012 I applied and was accepts for a Health Educator position in Fort Bragg, NC.  Which I think this is the first time I've told ya'll where I'm located, for those that don't know me personally.  And it is where I still am today.  My first thing was to find a church to go to.  I asked my Aunt and she gave me a list of different churches to try out.  My first church was Village Baptist and I liked it because Dr. Martin preached similar to my pastor back home.  I tried a different church the following week, Berean Baptist, but felt out of place.  I realized that Village was where I was suppose to be.  I wasn't very involved besides going to Sunday school an then main service, which I eventually left the Sunday school class I was attending.  I had ignored calls from my singles pastor because I at the time didn't want anyone calling me to try and convince me to keep coming.  I was fine keeping to myself.  I later started going to the Singles Bible Study on Monday nights.  My faith was still growing but I was still resistant.
Things started gong downhill for me in my life that same year, in June, that I moved to Fort Bragg.  I lost my job as a health educator and at first I was bitter about it but I realized later I enjoyed the hands-on approach when it came to peoples fitness journey and didn't feel helpful when giving clients the same general exercise guidelines.  But out of that I was given my first opportunity to start coaching CrossFit after having my certification for 2 years.  That job fell through an I moved on to another gym and eventually another.  It wasn't until Guild that I became the coach I am today and I love coaching.  But eventually that fell through as well.  And as those things started to take a hit, so did my confidence in myself.  Why was God putting me through this, job after job of me failing?  I felt worthless and like a failure.  Why would God lead me to a city only to continuously have me fail and struggle?  I know that God can put us through hard times to make us rely on him more, and he knows that sometimes it will have the opposite affect.  Was this his way of pulling me closer to him?  I prayed and cried for God to help me!  Having to borrow money to pay my bills is not something I'm proud of or proud to even admit.  And being told there was something wrong with me didn't help either. 
This was my struggle from summer 2013, mostly in the spring of 2014, until now.
I dated guys that were only temporary.  In other words I was treated as if I was a girlfriend but was never was one only for them to get back together with their ex.  After those I had hardly any confidence in myself except in the gym.
As I went through all of this I was asking and praying to God to turn things around for me.  But I was having my doubts.  Why would a loving God put me through this again and again?  what was he trying to tell me and what was I suppose to be doing with my life?  I felt lost.  I was working out by myself, working a crappy jobs, feeling like and outcast, and just not happy.  I had one day where I had lost all hope.  But my faith in god's plan for me kept me determined to try and keep my head up and keep going, no matter how much that faith in God was at the time.  He had a plan for me, and it usually isn't the one you have planned for yourself.  You sometimes getlucky though.  He would provide for me.  I would read various Christian books and study guides and they would provide me with hope, clarity, and determination but it was only short-lived.  I started to get more involved in which last year by helping out with VBS (Vacation Bible School) during the summer and then dinner on Wednesday nights after VBS was over.  I felt connected to my grandma in that way because she also helps out at dinner on Wednesday nights back home.  Although being involved helped, it didn't always.  But I tried to stay strong.

So where am I at today?  I have a job as a substitute teacher at a school on post and work mostly with the SPED (Special Education) kids.  I'm at church 3 days a week.  I still train by myself but have plenty of friends that I've met through the gym.  It's not often you find a girl up at 5am getting a workout in.  Most days I I can head home with an amazing story from work with my SPED kids and the connection I make with them just feels my heart with so much joy and love, it's overflowing!  I am still at Bragg and part of me not leaving is because one of my passions is the military and has been since I was twelve.  I had thought about joining several times but medical conditions would prevent that (I would have joined the Marines first).  I think the only way I would leave here is if I had a better job offer at another base or in a relationship with someone in the military.  My faith in God still waivers at times, but no party of my life will ever be perfect.  But at some point in all our lives, for those who believe in God,  we will lose our faith during really hard times.  he never promised that believing in Him would make my life any easier, but would test me and my faith.

 ~God Bless

"Training strength and endurance mentally, physically, and spiritually."