What is it?

Mind over matter...there is power in your thoughts...stinkin' thinkin'...we have heard them all. But, what does that mean for you, for me, in our journey to get healthy and strong? I say journey because the process often has ups, downs, wheels on the side, cruising through, etc. You get the idea.

What is it that makes Roger Federer unable to beat Rafa Nadal in an Grand Slam final these days? As a friend of mine and Crossfit trainer himself says, "I love Roger Federer, but he is a mental midget when he plays Rafa Nadal."

What is it that makes an entire team or athelete (and stadium of fans) take a deep sigh and lose their momentum causing, their once winning team, a loss?

What makes someone do a workout and suffer through with everything in their gut to continue? I had a client say of a workout recently, "I really wanted to quit, but once I got past the first round, I had to keep going." This person was lifting heavy and doing everything better and stronger than he had ever done before. He had the drive...suddenly. The "want to" overtook the "quit" in him. 


What is it that can suddenly take you to another time and place, enjoying or suffering through a memory so real, you would swear it was happening right then and there?


What is it that enables a mother to go through the excruciating pain of child birth, but amazingly, forget the pain and only remember the beauty of such a day and such a miracle?


Well I call it the good ole mind...or is it heart? However you look at it, "it" has the ability to bring life and rejuvinate or to kill and paralyze. For myself, I have learned (and I am still learning) what my "usual" behavior looks like when I am not thinking clearly...when I am not seeing myself through the eyes of a loving Heavenly Father, who is always with me...when I lose heart. 


See yourself the way God sees you! Take heart! We are able to do extraordinary things when we are able to take hold of that thing for which Christ took hold of us. In encouraging others, we are encouraged. In helping others, we are helped. In loving others, we are loved. In being a friend, we find a friend. In reaching a goal or struggling, we can always take heart. Nothing is lost, nothing is hopeless, and certainly nothing is wasted. It is not too late to begin. It is not to late to begin again! It's never to late! 


Your health is more than what you eat and drink. It is more than if you're moving or staying still. It certainly encompasses all of those things and your journey will be more than tricky without the proper balance. However, I encourage you to take heart! Don't lose it. Hold on to it! It's a funny thing...this heart, this mind. It's all heart!


Hugs and peace from one tough mother :)

52 Days? Are you kidding me?

As I begin to write, my mind is flooded with so many thoughts...so forgive my rambling.

I have so many friends and loved ones that really want to make a change in their life. So many have taken the first steps and some are contemplating and want to take the first step. I have a friend who is an animal when it comes to running and has decided to add another element to her workouts. When it got hard she got discouraged due to circumstances beyond her control at the moment. The point is she is still trying and doing whatever she can day by day. That is the key...one day at a time.

One day at a time...hmmmm...chew on that a moment. Isn't that the case in anything we do in life? Isn't that the word for all of us? It's more than a cliche, it is TRUTH. When we are striving to be a good spouse, a good parent, a good employee, a good person, an encourager, a leader, a follower, a soldier, a teacher, a healthy person...whatever you're striving to be...we take it one day at a time.

Often times, we look at a goal or at our life and think, "There is no way I can do this. How can I do this? How can I get to where I want to be?" I am lead to the book of Nehamiah in the Bibile, and the rebuilding of the wall. What would take years to rebuild, Nehemiah (with God's blessing) finished that wall in 52 days. 52 DAYS!!! Now that is believing in what we think we can't do and then doing anyway...read it. It's an amazing encourager when you are facing a new task.

Whether you are running a 5k, walking to the end of your driveway, beginning a new workout program, being a better "fill in the blank," they key is to DO....and do it one day at a time. I am certain, if Nehemiah was as human as me (and he was), that he looked at rebuilding the wall and thought, "good gracious, this will take forever!" But with determination, God's blessing, and drawing a line in the sand with himself, it was done far sooner than he thought.

So, just begin...don't worry about how long it will take or how far you have to go. Don't worry about the bad days or the "not feeling with it" days...just start moving toward your goal. You'll get there! And much sooner than you thought, in fact!

I am no where near where I want to be. But, am I in process? You bet I am! And one bad day won't stop me, it won't paralyze me. I have set me eyes to the prize and I will get there...one day at a time!

Hugs and peace from one tough mother :)

The moment before you think...

"The moment before you think you can't, comes the self realization that YOU CAN. Don't underestimate...OVER DELIVER!"  Rx Star

It is absolute bliss when you over deliver rather than underestimate! No one knows (not even you) what you can accomplish when you set your mind toward excellence. This picture is me squat cleaning 95 pounds. We had a work out the other day that was simply this...run 800 meters, do 30 squat cleans, then run 800 meters. The prescribed weight was 95 pounds. I had a moment of underestimating... just do 65 or even 55...gasp!! But, I decided to over deliver. And guess what....I did 95 pounds! It has become quite remarkable to me what the human body can do when you fool your mind into thinking you are stronger than you thought you were. Is 95 pounds some great thing? Probably not. But, guess what...it was remarkable for me!!

I say this to say, whatever your "remarkable feat," go for it. Embrace it with no regrets. Go for it. Is it one push up? Is it 50 push ups? Is it running 3 miles? Is it running to then end of your driveway? Is it starting your day with a good attitude? Is is deciding to start a journey you've been afraid to start? Whatever  your "underestimating" is, just begin. You are always stronger than you think!!

I don't look at that picture and think that I have arrived. I look at that picture and see what I have accomplished to this point, and...that I am a work in progress. PROGRESS..."to move forward in space or time."

We all have a starting point and a finish line. But, today...enjoy the journey. Do what you can and make progress. Move forward. Move through what you thought you could do. DO IT!! Don't underestimate...Over deliver!!!

hugs and peace from one tough mother :)

My work out today...

"Filthy Fifty"
50 box jumps, 20 inch box
50 jumping pull-ups
50 kettle bell swings, 36lbs
50 walking lunges
50 knees to elbows
50 push press, 25lbs
50 back extensions
50 wall ball shots, 14lb ball
50 burpees
50 double-unders

No Sugar and Spice for me...True Grit, please!

WHOOO HOOOO!!! Guess who has full body weight pullups? YEP...this tough mother!!

I am not at all being bragadocious! It is simply this...a pullup has been a goal of mine since I began losing weight and getting stronger two years ago. There have been two times in my life when I was able to hoist myself to have my chin over the bar. I usually do workouts that involve pullups with band assistance and today was no exception. I began my workout on the smallest resistance band. I did 5 pullups in a row (for you Crossfitters out there, I did an abbreviated "Cindy"). After the fourth set, I thought, "I am just going to see if I can do a full body pullup. If I can, I'll finish the workout with no assistance." Well...quietly...to myself, I tried it...and... BOOM SHAKA LAKA...I am in!! Not only did I do one, I did as many as it took to finish my work out! Scrump-dilly-icous is what I would say! 

I saw a quote this morning that I will share below that inspired me to be more than just sugar and spice. The beauty of being a woman is that I can have true grit. I can be strong, and I can be tough...AND, I can have sugar and spice, kindness, and a nurturing spirit. This is the real strength in being a woman!

So, be strong people! Try something new. Work hard. Be dedicated. Be determined. Have courage. Have grit. And, have some sugar and spice too. After all, it makes all things nice. :) 

hugs and peace from one tough mother!

 "Ode to the Strong Girl: In this day it is all about courage, determination, toughness, heart, talent, sacrifice, belief, passion, and guts. THAT is what ALL Girls are made of; let the old saying 'with sugar and spice' RIP."  Rx Star

My work out today...

Row 1000 meters (rest 3 minutes)

As Many Rounds as possible in 20 minutes of "Cindy." 5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 squats (rest 3 minutes after)

21-15-9 reps of wall ball shots, GHD situps, burpees, GHD back extentions

This once Hot Mess is now "Won Tough Mother!"

My efforts over the last couple of years to be healthy and strong have led me down an interesting path. Once a 213 pound, depressed, stressed, lazy (and sad) hot mess...NOW (the pic to the left is me today...I ran 4 miles this day)...40 pounds thinner and more determined than ever...A tough mother! I am still in process and have a great journey ahead of me. However, no longer do I claim the title of Hot Mess!! Now...I'm no mess, I'm a Tough Mother! :)

I am calling a do-over on my blog and I am embarking on a journey that I want to invite you on...the journey to keep me accountable to myself! Hopefully while you keep me accountable, you will be inspired and come with me in this fun that I call crazy strong and healthy living. I want to inspire others and have been encouraged by some people dear in my life to resurrect my blog and begin again to document my progress. 

I have lofty goals for myself this year and with great anxiety I share them! I say great anxiety because I will either LIVE and achieve or eat my words. I don't know about you, but I am no good at eating my words. They don't taste like chocolate, they taste more sour! :)

I am going to do a major event/"run" each quarter. My first is scheduled for March 31 and it is called a Tough Mudder. This is a 10 to 12 mile obstacle course that includes crazy obstacles...mud, electrical shock, ice baths, monkey bars, scaling walls, crawling under barbed wire, etc. etc. etc. Doesn't that sound awesome?!? Look out Dallas!! My friends and I are coming in March. My only goal is...FINISH! I may be there until March 31, 2013, but I will finish! Check it out at www.toughmudder.com.

I was talking with a friend the other day and we said, "I want to live!" This is ringing true as my mantra in 2012. I don't want to make resolutions. I don't want to wish to be better, stronger, or different. I want to walk it out. I want to start to live! I vow to get outdoors, climb a mountain, go on a hike, enjoy this beautiful world that God so generously placed as my playground. 

Let's do it!! Are you in!! Don't make a resolution...just MOVE!! Just change!!! To quote one of my favorite blogs that I follow, "Crossfit Lisbeth..." 

"...if your resolutions don’t work for you, then why make them? Instead, just act. There’s no law that says you have to think, decide, plan, and then act. Sometimes, in some cases, you might be better off just acting. Less talk. More walk. Less planning. More results. Skip to the part where you can make things happen. If your life is not where you want it to be, the easiest way to change it is to change it.  Really. So, maybe it’s time not to talk. Maybe it’s time to just do."

My work out yesterday..."300"

25 pullups

50 deadlifts (95lbs)

50 pushups

50 box jumps

50 abmat sit ups

50 kettle bell snatches (36lbs/one arm)

25 pullups

My workout today...

Run 800 meters

30 clean and jerks (95lbs)

Run 800 meters

ARE YOU IN? Are you going to start living with me? Enjoy life and live it...Abundantly!!

hugs and peace from "won tough mother"...