Goal setting for 2017

In 30 minutes it will be 2017. A new start to a new year. 

Now, I am not a resolution-making person, (if you are, great, but it's just not me), because I see and know how easy it it to give up on something that you decide you "should" be better at.

Me? I'm setting goals. 

to me the difference is that a goal is something that lights a fire in you that you have to work towards. It's easier to achieve because you want it so badly, that you're willing to work for it. That doesn't mean it will be easy, but it keeps you going even when you don't feel like it.

this year I did some pretty cool and hard things (like the Beast), and have several small and BIG goals I'm going for this coming year.

So, because supposedly if you tell someone what you're goals are you're more likely to achieve them, here are some of mine:

• Spartan Race Trifecta (all three races in a calendar year = another cool medal and bragging rights)
• PODIUM FINISH IN AN ELITE HEAT! (This is a big one for me and will take A LOT of work, but if you don't try you'll never achieve....)
• Save for, and start my Personal Trainer Course (I've been applying at some part time jobs and I've been told they'll start hiring in a few weeks. Fingers crossed that sometime around June I can afford to start)
• Go on a short term mission trip to Russia (childhood dream right there, and I've been praying a lot about it. We'll see how God works!)
• Grow my blog and post useful and fun content. I would love to focus on training and nutrition for young, poor people like me, and give them the help I wish I had had when I first started working out 3 years ago.
• Do one OCR a month. I want to branch out too, and get as many different races under my belt as possible
• GO RUCKING!!!!      
• Figure out how to work and grow my Beachbody coaching business  
• Put more emphasis on recovery during hard training phases, and limit injuries
• Remember that God is in control and has a plan for my life far better than anything I could imagine, and trust him completely.

There you have it..... a few of the  things I hope to accomplish in 2017. I hope you have a safe and happy new year!                                                                                                                

Remove Before Continuing

Came across this post I did on the West Coast Spartan FB page after my last race and thought I'd share. 

At the Beast this weekend, somewhere around mile 7 I believe, I ended up with a small rock in my all terrain thrill, (awesome shoes by the way!), and stopped to dislodge it. 

After taking forever, I finally got my mud caked shoe off, only to find no rock. I shook it out anyway, and proceeded to take forever to put said mud caked shoe back on, only to find out whatever it was was still down there, and most likely in my sock. 😑 I had already wasted a lot of time and was eager to get going so I ignored it and carried on. It moved sometime in the next mile and no longer bugged me.

Fast forward to the finish when I was hosing off, and discovered a chunk of flesh chewed out of my foot and a not too pretty mark left there. 

I woke up Sunday morning with the usual aches and pains, bumps and bruises, and also a very swollen right foot. After hobbling around slowly all day in searing pain while my foot felt like it was going to explode, trying to get the dirt out and the swelling down, I called  and got a appointment at the doctor to see what they could do for me. The nurse's only advice was to get it cleaned, and keep up on the Bactroban.

Once at the Doctor I watched as she gathered up her tools to prepare for getting the dirt out of my wound, and gasped in pain as she started the process of swabbing the affected area.

Let me tell you, in all 12.4 miles of the Seattle beast NEVER did I experience pain like this. Not in my 125 burpees, not during the bucket carry which I hate, not in my complaining ankles as I slogged through mud....

I gripped the sides of the doctor bed, body rigid in pain and teeth clenched, laughing, moaning, groaning, and trying not to hyperventilate. If I had to describe what it felt like, I would say this:

 imagine someone scraping a steak knife across an open flesh wound, and you are pretty close.

It is now clean, but the throbbing, stabbing pain is still there, and will probably stay for a while yet. 😑 

We all left something out on that course on Saturday. For some it was their fears. Their feelings of inadequacy. Stress. Loss. Their very soul. The list goes on....

For me? It was a chunk of my right foot. May it rest in peace.....

The moral of my story? None. Unless it's to say, if you have something in your shoe, remove it completely before continuing.

WOD 12-7-16

The last couple weeks I've taken a break from my original training plan due to some pain in my calves/ankles/shins. I was incorporating more running into my week since that's one of my biggest weaknesses, and after only a mile I would get shooting pain in my legs, and the bottoms of my feet. Really hard to train when you can't run, and OCR is primarily a running sport. -_- Grrr.....

I have been seeing my chiropractor about it, and see a trainer next week, so hopefully we get this taken care of, and I'll be back to normal.

Between that and the cold, cold weather I have been having a bit of a tougher time getting my training sessions in. I work on the weekends, and come home cold, tired and hungry so for the moment those are my rest days, and I train Mon-Fri. Not ideal, but it works.

Right now I'm primarily strength training with very little cardio except in small bursts, and doing whatever sounds fun for the day, making sure to hit all the muscle groups in a week. The last couple sessions have been workouts from Jen Jewel's 6 week program, and it was not only fun, it hurt! :)

I modified it a bit here and there for myself, and only did 3 sets instead of four, just because of time. Okay, and maybe because  was also feeling a tad lazy...... ;) So, because I know everyone loves a good leg day, I thought I'd share. :) 

(I'm assuming you have been lifting for a while now, and are familiar with the moves and lingo. If you have question as to what anything means, let me know.)

Superset #1

DB jump squat x 12 (I used a 30# DB)

DB Rear lunges x 16 (8 per leg, and go heavy!)

Rest for 1 minute and repeat for a total of 3-4 times

SS #2

BB Deadlift x10

30 seconds jump rope

Rest 1 minute and repeat for a total of 3-4 rounds

SS#3

DB Curtsy lunge x 16 (8 per leg)

burpees x 15

Rest 1 minute and repeat for a total of 3-4 rounds

SS #4 

Glute kickback with resistance band x 10 per leg

Jump squat x 15

Rest 30-60 seconds and repeat for a total of 3-4 rounds

And there you have it! that was today's fun. Use heavy weights for this, but make sure your form is correct throughout. Don't get sloppy! Stronger legs = better runner.