-{LIFE} Happens-

So I have been a little MIA this week...

I got a little sick.... well a lot sick... It was horrible! 

I couldn't keep anything down and I just slept!!

I slept for hours and hours at a time! 

I was literally only awake yesterday for 5 hours! 

I guess it was needed!

I woke up this morning and I felt refreshed!! My stomach is a little queasy when I eat, but other than that I had energy, and I felt good overall!! 

Sometimes you just need to listen to your body when it tells you to stop, rest, rejuvenate and then start back up again!

I have recently switch my long run days to Friday's so that I am able to do them while Joy is at daycare! I am thankful that I did! It has been easier to get them in, and I feel motivated to do them! Today was actually the longest run I have ever gone! 

8 miles && Check!!

It felt horrible... it was miserable... I wanted to stop... then I would get a burst of energy... and then I was done... 3 weeks away from my first half marathon!! I am ready!!

So tonight is a girls night for me! I haven't had one in a little bit so I am excited for it! Who else gets time away from the kidos?? What do you usually do with your time? Tonight a couple of my girlfriends and I are going to go to supper and then drinks afterwards. It should be a good time. I am the DD so no drinks for me. And plus, after these last couple of days, alcohol doesn't even sound good to me!! 

We decided that we didn't want to dress mom like... do you know how hard that it!! I am a very conservative dresser... I like my cardigans and my jeans, my leggings under my dresses, not much skin showing... you know, the usual! Trying to dress not mommy is hard for me!! I still haven't figure out an outfit yet but I still have a few hours or so!

 Well here I go to rummage through my closet to see what I can piece together that isn't "mommy" like... Plus I need to rest up from my 8 mile run. The last thing that I want to worry about it walking in heels, sore and miserable!!! Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!! Let me know what you plan on doing with your time!

-Hitting some new {PRs}-

So since I started back at a CrossFit gym, I have less and less videos and pictures of my workouts... well actually they are obsolete! I wish I had a personal video recorder to capture all my workout moments! I love being able to share all of the progress my body is going through... but since I don't have videos or pictures, I will just write about it!!

This is the only picture/video I have from the gym.. I snuck it in!

Since I have started back at a CrossFit gym 3 1/2 weeks ago I have been able to set a new deadlift personal record (PR), a new 3RM Backsquat PR (which was my old 1RM PR), and complete some Handstand Push ups (with assistance of course)!

This is huge for me!! For starters... at the beginning of the month I wasn't able to even do 1 handstand push up using 3 ab mats! Not even 1! So at the gym I go to, either before or after your workout, you are supposed to devote 5 minutes of your time to the Skill of the Month, which this month is Handstand Push Ups (HSPU)!!! I started out just doing a handstand against the wall. That was hard in itself. I had never tried one before, and I had never put my body in this position. After about 2 weeks of that, I went to 2 ab mats. That just means that I didn't have to go as far down, to push myself back up. I was able to do only 1 on that first day of trying.... and I have slowly been able to increase the number of reps each time I went. Today I worked on it before class, not looking at what we were actually going to do, and I knocked out 5 total (2 of them being back to back with no rest) I was ecstatic!! Then I saw what we were actually doing.... OYE, 3RFT, 800m run, 20 pull ups, 20 HSPU! I ended up using 3 ab mats and was able to complete all 60 reps, 10 of my reps being back to back!!!

 

 

Now my Deadlifts have always been my struggle. I struggle with proper form..(you can see a video of it on my IG @itiswhatitisbykisty) When I am doing my deadlifts, I usually pull with my back and my thighs instead of my hamstrings. This is something that I have been working on, with proper coaching, and I feel that I have been able to improve on this as well. I know that with my form improving, I am able to pull the higher weight for my 1RM! I maxed out this time at 175# but I know that the next try I will be able to get that 185# that I went for!!!

So lets talk squats!!! I love back squats!! They are probably my favorite! I have come a very VERY long way in my form for my squats, but I am still not fully there yet. I am very straight when I do them, and I don't push my knees out as much as I should. I get really deep into the squat and at times get stuck in the bottom. Tonight I tried a new wider stance, not so deep into it, and I was able to push my knees out more to bring up the weight faster from the bottom. My 1RM was at 110# (with no belt) and 115# (with belt). Tonight I was able to do 110# for a 3RM!! I am excited to see what my new 1RM will be! More weight is always a good thing!! 

So with all that being said, I can't say enough how proud I am of myself! It isn't every day that you find something that you truly love and just give it all you got!! CrossFit has taught me so much about what my body is truly capable of doing. It is one thing that drives me each day to be a better person! I push myself to the limits each time and the after feeling is amazing! I wish it upon everyone that they can find something that they love, and give it all they got! The sense of accomplishment makes it all the worth while!!

-Checkin off {GOALS} one at a time-

So I have recently begun training for a [HALF MARATHON] ... Well not recently recently, but recently as of the beginning of  August. I have always had this goal of running a half marathon, but I have never fully committed to one. 

I was sitting in class one day and my GF texted me to ask/tell me to run it with her. Without hesitation I said okay and signed up that day! I knew that if I wouldn't have signed up for it, and paid, I wouldn't commit to it. That is just how I am. 

Then I knew that I had to start the training process... 

My first "long" run. It was gorgeous!

Now I am NOT a runner... I repeat, I am NOT A RUNNER... I don't know what I was thinking! Who signs up for a half marathon who doesn't even enjoy running... -THIS GIRL-

I have had to run for the past 7 years, not because I wanted to, but because I HAD too. When I joined the military my 2 mile run was over 23 minutes. I hadn't ever ran before that, and running didn't come natural, or easy, to me... Before I broke my toe, my 2 mile got as fast as 16 minutes, but nothing more... It was something that just kicked my butt EVERY... SINGLE... TIME... 

Now as far as races go...

I did one 10K race while I was in the military, finishing at 57 minutes.

I did a 5K race when Joy was 4 months old and I finished at 32 minutes. 

I did a 10k race when Joy was 9 months old, finishing at 1:06

And that is as far as my racing days have gone.

So why a half marathon?? I honestly don't know. I have always wanted to do one, and I have been on this kick lately of crossing off my goals... so half marathon it is!! 

My run in Indiana... Middle of Nowhere AMAZINGNESS

Since I have recently gotten back into running I have learned a few things... 

It still isn't easy to run

I don't/won't get up at 5 am to run

I slack real easy when I am too tired to run

I make up a lot of excuses to not run

I don't enjoy listening to music anymore

I have learned how to focus on my breathing

I have gotten better at staying on pace

I am getting faster each time I run

and it is so empowering to let your thoughts run wild

 Oh, and I am starting to enjoy running, since it isn't forced upon me anymore!

Now, my half marathon isn't until October 18th.  It is the Go commando here in Clarksville and I still have a long ways to go in order to feel fully ready for the race. But I learned today that I have to stop making excuses for myself and just go out and do it. After not running for the past week and a half, my 3 mile run wasn't so easy after all! 

There have been multiple days that I have set my alarm for 5 am and I always turn it off. My sleep has always been more important to me than getting up. But what I have recently realized is that I just need to get up! I am going to be tired anyways, so why waste that hour I could be running, just wasting away sleeping. 

So now that I know where I want to be when the race comes along, and where I am now... the days of making up excuses to not run have to be over!!

 My overall goal isn't just to complete the race, but to maintain an 11 min/mile pace through the whole race! 

 It is time to get serious, dig deep within myself, and conquer this goal with a vengeance!

My race tonight... Billy Dunlop Park!

-[LET GO] & {LET GOD}-

[LIFE] is a tricky thing you have to do.

When I grabbed my computer to start writing this post I turned on Pandora and the perfect song came on. Why do we always want more? Why do we always envy what every one else has over us? Do we learn this? Are we born with this envy? This want? This "need"? There are plenty of people who are doing way worse than you are, and they are proud of what they have. So why, as a society, do we always want more??

I know this song is about him losing a girl... but the lyrics in general just make sense. He wanted more, until he lost what he had, and then he was perfectly happy with what he had, but it was too late....

That is how most things go. You have to lose what you have in order to appreciate what you had!

Lately I have been wanting to just better myself. I have struggled so much this last year with trying to get my "perfect body" that I have lost the peace that I had within my mind. I had to let go of this mental image that I wanted so badly (and for what, I don't know)... But I had to let it go so that I could start working toward that inner peace that I truly needed. These mental images that you put into your head, they just stick and wont go away, and they can really be discouraging. I had to completely stop comparing myself to other people in order to truly understand my journey.

Everyone's journey is different. No two people are the same. And you need to stop looking at her, wanting her body, envying her dedication, her everything, and just know that {THAT ISN'T YOU}

You are [YOU] ... You are NOT {HER}

I am not a religious person by any means. I believe as a kid, we attended church, and I was baptized into our religion, but I grew out of it somewhere along the way. I don't know why, or when it happened but it did. I haven't gone back to the church, and I don't know that I will, but I do know that I can, and will, work on my spirituality.. I know that to find true inner peace within my mind, body and soul I just have to surrender to him!


I have been put on this earth to be the person that I want to be, and that I am meant to be. I want to help others know that it is hard, that we all go through struggles, but then we overcome these struggles. The way I want to help others is just by sharing my journey, nothing more, nothing less. I want others to know that they are not alone. Not just with fitness, but just LIFE in general.

With fitness, I was able to find like minded individuals on Instagram that didn't just tell me it is "easy", that it just takes "time", that they did it so I can do it too. That doesn't help anyone. Yes it does take time, but it may have taken one person 2 months, and someone else 2 years to get the same results. And you know what, that needs to be okay! I want to make that okay for others to see! 

So... here is to the journey of finding inner peace within myself. I know that I can be a better person for myself, for my husband and for my daughter when I become a better person from the inside out. I know I need to stop worrying about everyone else and how they are living their life, and just keep living life for my family.

There are only two other people on this earth that mean the most to me, Andrew & Joy. My family is my life. They are my rock, my saving grace, and they know how to help me even in the smallest of ways. That is my focus. That is what drives me, pushes me, motivates me to find peace within myself. With them by my side, I know I can conquer the world!

{Mind, Body & Soul}

Live better through those three things, and you will just lead a better life daily!

-When Life hands you {LEMONS}-

Get some [VODKA] and take some shots, shots, shots, shots, shots....

 

 In all seriousness though ...

People need to grow up, worry about their own, and move on with their life. Why are we so focused on everyone else? Why as a society do we care so much about what others think, do or say? Why do we spend so much time worrying about everyone else instead of worry about yourself? 

Don't [WORRY] about it!

Like Seriously! 

Lets get real for a quick moment:

Don't explain yourself to anyone...

You don't have to, nor should you even want to...

Don't change for anyone... 

You don't have to, nor should you even want to...

Don't worry about what other people think...

You don't have to, nor should you even want to...

Don't stress about what other people say...

You don't have to, nor should you even want to...

Do you see where I am going here...

{BE YOU}

[BE WHO YOU ARE]

 That's it. Simple as that. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezey... Vodka right? Yes please!

Now go out, live your life and enjoy every minute of it! It is the only life you will ever get, so keep on living! Don't live with regrets! Don't live with negativity!! (& believe me, I know negativity, I am usually the negative nancy) Don't live with fear! {LAUGH, LOVE, & LIVE} And then wake up the next day and do the same thing over again!