Save Your Hands

 

Ripping your hands during pull ups...mainly "Cindy"? Here are steps on how to make REUSABLE wraps! 

(1) Tear off a piece of tape about 12" long

(2) Fold the piece of tape in half, long ways.

(3a) Tear another piece of tape about 12" long

(3b) Take the folded piece of tape from step 2, fold it in half and place it on the top of the piece of tape torn in step 3a. 

(4) Fold the piece of tape torn in step 3a in half, enclosing the piece of tape from step 2. 

The loop is placed on the middle finger with the addition of another piece of tape around the wrist to hold in place. If you do happen to rip, Climb On is a great product to apply as well as Liquid Bandaid. 

DRINK WATER!!!

DRINK WATER!

I posted this every year for a reason! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE drink water!

"The Marathon I won't remember, but the experience I won't forget"

This past weekend I went out to Marathon, TX with my family to run my 3rd Marathon. I did 16 weeks worth of training for this event. I left Thursday morning, so I could get use to the 4,040 elevation. After my 2 mile run on Friday (to get the feel of running in that climate), the parents and I drove around Big Bend (BEAUTIFUL) getting out to walk and take pictures (meaning I was not sitting for hours on end). I ended that night with a great pasta dinner that was served for the runners.
Saturday was the marathon. I got up and ate my usual race day breakfast 1/2 bagel (carbs), 1tbs peanut butter (fat/little pro) and a banana (potassium). I had the right equipment...gels, water pack, hat, etc. The race started at 8am with a shot gun on the side of the highway (literally) and we were off. I felt fine even running into a head on wind of 20mph. After my parents getting breakfast at McDonalds they stopped at mile 6 to take pictures. Then they were off to mile 9. I opend my first gel at mile 8 and quickly put it down. At mile 9 I exchanged water bottles with the parents; the bottle I handed off was 1/2 full. I wouldn't see them till mile 15. I started feeling a little woozy, but just figured it was okay b/c I was running a marathon, into the wind...so I started to chew on my tounge (it took the thought of the pain in my legs to a different part of my body). I wasn't sweating, so I thought, therefore I didn't think I was that hot...man was I wrong!
I don't remember anything really after mile 9, so here is what I was told that happend. I did another water bottle exchange at mile 15 then when I passed mile 16 I was staggering and drooling and bleeding from the mouth (from biting my tounge). The people at the water stop set me down and I was not responding, I had passed out. My parents car wouldn't start for some reason, and after getting a jump at mile 15, they drove passed and mom said "aww look a runner is down" and then noticed it was me and said "That is my daughter!" (I wear a bright colored hat so my parents can see me) My dad rushed out of the car and him and another wonderful runner (who gave up time to help) put me in the car. Daddy stopped and asked a sheriff where the EMS was and they said that they were coming to get the girl who was down. Daddy quickly replied "she is in my car!" then he drove 96mph the 10miles to the finish line where EMS then took over. They gave me oxygen and iced my body to get my temp to drop (BP 140/90). I wasn't able to respond for a little bit. They kept icing me down and trying to give me fluids to get my temp down. Some fluids stayed, most didn't.
When I finally came to I was unable to move my limbs VERY SCARY I might add. After a lot of questions I discoverd that I didn't drink enough water. As you know water makes you tinkle and if you know me, you know that I don't want to even take time to slow down to tinkle, therefore I didn't drink the proper amount of H2O. This was the STUPIDEST decision I have ever made in my life. I cannot stress enough to you to drink water...especially if you are active.
The city of Marathon has some wonderful people living there. Everyone rushed to help me and was very nice about it. Even a girl who ran the 1/2 jumped in the back of my dad's car and helped take care of me (she was a nurse from ATX). She squirted gatorade into my mouth everytime I needed a sip. I have the best parents a girl could ask for! They were there for me every step of the way and doing everything they can to help me. I am VERY lucky.
This was a VERY scary experience for me and a very good lesson. Yes, this kind of thing CAN happen to you, no matter who you are or how active you are. Please take care of yourself and
DRINK H2O!!!

Spiceworks Mile Run Results

This past Wednesday the Fire Breathers of Spiceworks took on the mile run benchmark! These folks train HARD...hints why there are so many PRs! For example...

Jeff....4 sec PR
Al....20 sec PR
Greg...1 sec PR (1st timed mile since his 3rd knee surgery
Cindy...31 sec PR
Ted...11 sec PR
Julie P....1st timed mile = PR
Julie S...1st timed mile = PR
Josh....1st timed mile since knee surgery in December = PR

I would say the mile was again another HUGE success!! Congrats to all my athletes, y'all are AMAZING!!!

Easter Weekend

This past weekend was by far one of my favorite weekends! On Friday we...Duke, Rach, Shiner and myself...loaded up and headed to Beaumont for one of the BEST Easter Weekends!

Before we got to BMT we stopped in Brenham...yes we made a stop at the bluebell factory...for some pictures in the bluebonnets with the family and friends. Even though they were not as full as I had hoped, they still made for awesome pictures!

(Bubba, Lady Bird, Duke and Myself)

(Ranger, Duke, Shiner, Lady Bird)

After pictures we headed to the bright lights of Beaumont where we celebrated with some ritas! It was off to bed early because Mom, Rach and myself were headed to Crossfit Lumberton to take on Jesus WOD. What is "Jesus WOD" you might ask? This WOD, created by Jeremy Thiel, is a WOD that symbolizes Jesus when he carried his cross. The WOD goes as follow:

14 Rounds (symbolizing the 14 stations of the cross)

50ft Walking Lunges

10 Deadlifts

10 Squat Cleans

10 Push Press

(65/95)

After rounds 3,7, 9 - 7 TGU (symbolizes the 3 times Jesus fell carrying the cross) (1/1.5pd)

Goal: Never put the bar down.

This WOD was not as easy as I thought it was going to be...then again I know his cross was more than 65# and so I did NOT put the bar down. I called time at 50:15. It was rough, and made me VERY sore but the pain is nothing compared to what he did for my sins.

After Jesus WOD I was asked to demo a muscle up for the beginner class and since I had been practicing 2 in a row (never getting one) I figured why not go for it and BAM it happened!!! I did 2 MUs in a row!!!

HUGE thanks to one of my close friends Clayton Manzer for opening up his box for us to do this, as well as letting us carry on into the class just so we could finish all 14 rounds. It was also AMAZING to have the community doing the same WOD at the same time. I even had an oldie but goodie meet me up there to check out the sport of Crossfit as well as take on as much as the WOD as possible.

(Kyle, Me, Mom, Rach, and Clay)

After the WOD, we headed to eat. We showered and then Rach and I set out on a hunt for a patio for a rita! We ended up at a placed called "Starvin Marvins" in BMT. Mission accomplished then back to the casa to cook dinner and hang out with the dogs! During this time I had multiple friends stop by, Shells and Bryce stop by as well as another oldie but goodie, Casey (all high school friends)! I love that I still have close friends in Beaumont! It was a great Saturday, but we had to get to bed for the Easter Bunny was coming to the casa in the morning. We all got up and went to IHOP for breakfast (yes you can eat paleo at ihop) then to church at Wesley UMC! What a great service! I ran into old friends that I have grown up with in the youth. Another FANTASTIC community to be a part of! When we got home we opened our baskets that the Easter Bunny left us. Rach and I then loaded up and headed back to Austin. It was a GREAT weekend filled with friends and family! He has risen....he has risen indeed!

Spiceworks Hunts Eggs

On Wednesday, Little Duker Foo Foo showed up at Spiceworks and hide 50 eggs for Spiceworks Athletes to find.

After a 3-2-1 count down...the athletes were off to find the eggs.

Once the eggs were found these athletes had to do what was on the slip that was inside the egg. The one with the most completed eggs won!

This was ALOT of fun for the athletes but not easy by all means! Hoppy Easter!!

Aint Nobody Gonna Slow Them Down...Oh No...

If you looked up "Relentless" in the Dictionary you would see a picture of these two awesome athletes.

Josh and Jen are both one of the "Originals" of Spiceworks. They have been out there kicking it in the heat AND the cold! At the end of last year Josh had some knee surgery and was unable to attend class. HOWEVER after he got his brace he was back to swinging his 45# KB!
Jen had to take care of some medical stuff where she couldn't lift anything. HOWEVER she is out there doing Squats, Lunges and pistols till her legs fall off. She WILL have the best looking legs out there, without a doubt!
Kudos to these 2!
KP

Paleo + HIking = Success!

3 Sundays ago I went hiking at Pedernales for my first time. I had never been here before, but quickly fell in love! This place just 45mins out of town was the PERFECT escape on that beautiful day! I volunteered to be in charge of food because I wanted to make sure I had paleo options. I went to the store that morning and grabbed a few things for an ice chest and the backpack that was to be carried. My groceries included:
Grapes
Apples
Train Mix
Turkey Slices
Avacado
BaconHummus
Bell Peppers (all colors)
Lettuce
Water
Almond Butter

As soon as I got home I made some lettuce wraps which included bacon, avacado and turkey all wrapped in a lettuce leaf which was then wrapped in foil. This was my "sandwhich". I sliced the peppers so I could dip them in the hummus. I put the trailmix, apples, grapes and water in the backpack for the day hike. This was PERFECT because they were available when needed. After a few hours of hiking, the lettuce wraps by a creek were a PERFECT enjoyment. When traveling home the unfinished trailmix and grapes were pulled out just to tie over until dinner and it WORKED! It was a great day and I was able to stay paleo without having to think about it. All it took was a quick min to plan and get organized! GREAT DAY...GREAT HIKE!