tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52250120820447367242024-02-21T10:21:37.069-08:00Teacher by Day, Crossfitter by NightLisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-86119857965747729612018-01-08T10:48:00.002-08:002018-01-08T10:50:50.936-08:00Helping is HealingHello!!<br />
If you found this blog, please follow me now on my NEW blog called "Helping is Healing" at:<br />
<a href="http://lisaryan22.blogspot.com/">lisaryan22.blogspot.com</a>Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-50348582654420652612017-11-06T08:23:00.002-08:002018-01-08T10:50:29.608-08:00Chasing Strength is Making Us Weak<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Something hit me a few weeks ago after reading comments in a CrossFit mom Facebook group. During pregnancy and postpartum while chasing strength, we are only making ourselves weaker. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Both CrossFit and competitive CrossFit changed my life in so many amazing ways. I am beyond grateful for those experiences and the coaches that changed my life; it truly made me a better human. I did things I never imagined were possible. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, pregnancy is an entirely different beast and requires a completely different mentality. Listening to my OB and my coaches just wasn’t enough. OBs are not trained in evaluating pelvic floor muscles and nerves. And, unfortunately, most CrossFit coaches are not aware of the pre and postnatal considerations. So, like many women today, I just couldn’t see outside of the CrossFit bubble, and I had no clue about pelvic floor physical therapists. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a result, CrossFit moms go into pre and post pregnancy with the same mentality as before, and this is creating a lot of harm in the community. Pregnancy and postpartum has turned into a competition to see who can do the most and/or who can have the quickest comeback. Messages about “listening to your body” and “doing what you have always done” are hurting many because that just isn’t enough guidance when it comes to the pelvic floor and the complexities of pregnancy. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have recently read comments in the CrossFit mom groups that are making me more and more concerned. For example, one mom stated, “I recovered so quickly because I was doing CrossFit up until 40 weeks.” Being active and healthy is always a good and can definitely help with recovery. However, it also largely has to do with genetics, what happened during delivery, and what you during 4th trimester and beyond. The misconceptions about how we heal postpartum are concerning. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What concerns me the most are comments like these. Women in the community are….</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So scared to be weak that they are straining their bodies during postpartum when they are the most vulnerable and prone to injury </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joking about peeing themselves so they don’t have to modify certain movements</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pushing through pregnant pelvic pain so as not to look wimpy</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Going hard on workouts at 6 weeks postpartum because they are “cleared” and were “fit” pre pregnancy</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ignoring advice because they may feel like they are above it because they are “fit”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Posting videos of themselves at X amount of weeks doing squat cleans at X amount of weight with bad form but feeling proud they can still do the movement Rx</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Climbing ropes at 20 weeks pregnant and encouraging others to do the same if they “feel fine”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Looking for ways to diet at 1-2 months postpartum while breastfeeding </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">...and the list goes on.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am not criticizing these women because this used to be me on a few of these things. However, we need to spread awareness about this issue because women are not getting the right guidance within their communities. And, well, my heart hurts when I read this stuff.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The transition to motherhood is intense. I instantly gave up a career and a competitive CrossFit life. None of this was easy for me, and we all crave our former identities before embracing our new one. However, all of those postpartum years of chasing strength, only made me weaker in so many ways. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In order to regain that strength I had to learn how to….</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">meet my own self where I was at </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">be okay with lots of modifications</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">workout to heal, not prove that I am tough or to feel strong</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">choose sleep over the workout sometimes so my body could heal</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">change movement patterns and habits I have had for years</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>I feel this has been another test, and I will rise as the strongest athlete that I have ever been. I want each and every Crossfit mom out there to have a better experience than I did, but we need to change the message, culture, and information provided. It is no small task. Please help me spread the word. </i></b></span></span></div>
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<i>**Please follow me at my NEW blog site called "Helping is Healing" at <a href="http://lisaryan22.blogspot.com/">lisaryan22.blogspot.com</a>**</i></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-45470121318027651552017-04-10T19:10:00.002-07:002018-01-08T10:49:39.178-08:00The Silent Majority <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Anyone that knows me, knows I have been Crossfitting for a really, really long time. I don’t plan to stop. I love it. However, as in anything in life you need to question and be critical of the things that you love the most. <br />
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Lately, there has been a lot of push back in the CrossFit community against the "if you work out, you will hurt your baby." This is great and very much needed so people can stop being afraid when they see a pregnant lady working out. It can be scary for people that haven’t seen that before. I get it. These things are all relative. Keeping my heart rate down might look different than someone else, just as a weight that is light for me might look heavy to someone else. However, with all of this focus on the health of the baby one important thing has been missing…..<br />
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What happens to all the Crossfit moms that don't end up happily every after like the mom featured in the latest CrossFit Journal video?<br />
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Somehow we only hear the success stories. There are glorified videos of moms doing Crossfit pregnant. Moms trying to one up each other or compare what they can do compared to someone else. Then that turns into how fast they can get back in the gym and continue doing said glorified exercises. These stories of women recovering fast are only part of the story. So what happens to all the Crossfit moms that don't follow this storyline? <br />
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In the past two years of trying to find answers and fix my extreme case of Diastasis Recti (abdominal separation), I have found a graveyard of CrossFit women silently suffering with prolapse, incontinence, diastasis, umbilical cord hernia, and other pelvic floor complications. They are either embarrassed that they can’t keep up, feel like they failed, or are just clueless on how to get help because of the lack of information. I found that I am not some random abnormality. And, after my own traumatizing experience, I just cannot let this continue any longer. Women need the whole picture. All of the information. THEN they can choose what they want to do during pregnancy and postpartum. <br />
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Pelvic floor health and pregnancy are very individualized and complex, so you cannot just blindly follow one person’s story and think that will also be your own. You must find your own way. Additionally, just because you avoid certain exercises during pregnancy and postpartum doesn’t mean you’ll be problem free. However, with the right information, you can find your own way much easier. For example, when I was pregnant with Chase I had no clue about Diastasis Recti or pelvic floor health in general. If I had, I would have avoided certain exercises knowing that I was already at risk (big baby with a short torso). I also would have implemented some breathing methods, alignment considerations, and loads of other strategies that I have recently learned (Check out Julie Wiebe, PT and Brianna Battles, MS, CSCS, USA W). In fact, some people in the CrossFit community even made fun of me for avoiding certain exercises when I was pregnant with Chase and this was before I had the information that I have now. Why is pregnancy a competition to see what you can do? Why can’t we just move and be healthy for baby and for mom’s health? As I “listened to my body” for many months, I just made my Diastasis Recti worse. Listening to your body just doesn’t always work in this case. <br />
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For those of you that saw the former CrossFit Games athlete jumping on a really high box at 32 weeks pregnant, the reason I wrote that cryptic, angry post on Facebook was not because I was worried about her baby. Well, okay, it did freak me out but hey- Her body. Her baby. Her choice. The jump looked effortless for her. Not worth the risk in my opinion but 100% her choice and like I said before - it is all relative. My issue is that Crossfit HQ just posted it there to stir the pot while also looking like they promote a type of pregnant competitiveness that isn't healthy for women. Where is the pelvic floor health information about jumping? Where are the interviews with pelvic floor physical therapists on the CrossFit Journal? I want more. Not just interviews from female coaches that were pregnant themselves and then coached some pregnant women. The scope is WAY more than that. CrossFit is not in expert in this area. Let’s talk to the pros. <br />
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We desperately need to break the silence and open up the conversation with moms struggling postpartum. And, no, I am not talking about starting some crazy fear mongering. In fact, it is just the opposite! When you have all the information, it is actually a lot less scary! But we need moms to be making educated choices along with feeling like there is hope if they experience incontinence and/or a weakened core with a protruding stomach. Let’s weigh the risk vs reward in all we do pregnant and postpartum. I did CrossFit almost my entire second pregnancy, it just looked different than the first.<br />
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At this point I stop and ask myself: do I want to do this because I just want to do the movement OR will this actually help my healing process? It is hard to reign it in. I get it! However, we need to set a healthy mentality for others to follow. We need Crossfit HQ to set the right example. We need moms to speak out and help support each other. We need coaches to get educated on how to guide these women. We need to encourage women to seek physical therapy* as soon as possible. <br />
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As Brianna Battles always says. “ Pregnancy is temporary, Postpartum is forever.” I am now finally embracing my journey of healing. It may take longer doing it the right way, but I will be much stronger for it.<br />
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<i>*This is tricky because not all physical therapists understand the athletic demands of CrossFit. Shop around before you settle in with one particular physical therapist. I highly encourage you to check out everything Julie Wiebe, PT has written :) I have seen some terrible PTs before I settled into one I trusted. :( </i>
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<i>http://www.juliewiebept.com/</i><br />
<i>http://briannabattles.com/</i><br />
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<i>**Please follow me at my NEW blog site called "Helping is Healing" at <a href="http://lisaryan22.blogspot.com/">lisaryan22.blogspot.com</a></i>Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-78871277540815959942016-05-09T14:55:00.001-07:002016-05-09T14:55:25.902-07:00Pregnancy #2 and how it will be different <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucnHEsM4RM05IyGNFPowK1bfk97mLtrMD1gWb7_rQUt60cAGwdoujAVq2wVuA1GvrK2nXShi0ZuHXTvHBb2vI0cKcHoAco1VJ2x9LQs9Ulktgn7noQuXkRFN9gZmmIBlNf9XlPDVYYhU/s1600/1779853_10203254323941671_443597171_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucnHEsM4RM05IyGNFPowK1bfk97mLtrMD1gWb7_rQUt60cAGwdoujAVq2wVuA1GvrK2nXShi0ZuHXTvHBb2vI0cKcHoAco1VJ2x9LQs9Ulktgn7noQuXkRFN9gZmmIBlNf9XlPDVYYhU/s320/1779853_10203254323941671_443597171_n.jpg" /></a></div>
Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers out there! For my gift this year, all I wanted was a few hours this morning to write this blog. I have had thoughts floating around in my brain for a while, and now that pregnancy #2 is public, it is time to spread the word about pelvic floor health. <blockquote></blockquote>
As most of you know from the post about my stomach last year, diastasis recti is actually a very common issue although it looks differently on everyone. For me, my stomach physically sticks out. For other women, they don’t even know they have it or maybe they only see a really difference after they eat. And for some, you can actually see a hole in their stomach. Two things have helped me accept my own stomach situation tremendously:<blockquote></blockquote>
1)In the grand scheme of life, I know this is a very small thing. I practice gratitude each day (just like I teach my students) and keep that perspective in balance, always. I know I still have the right to get sad sometimes, but I keep it in check pretty well. We are beyond blessed over here at the Ryan’s house of boys. <blockquote></blockquote>
2)I try hard to accept and love my stomach, but it isn’t easy! I was ready to embrace the loose skin and scars but wasn’t ready for a protruding stomach. However, I eat clean, workout, and feel confident about what my body CAN do. I have broken some old records on workouts from when I was training way more hours than I am now. While my abs do effect some of my lower body lifts, I still regained a lot of strength there and my upper body came back even stronger. I feel like the rest of my body not only looks good, but it is functional, which is the ultimate goal. When you make a goal to be able to DO something, you body naturally follows in a healthy way. Therefore, I do have a lot of positive self-confidence, even with my frustrations over my stomach. I am so grateful for CrossFit and for these mental strategies that I have gained over the years. This mental toolbox full of both mental and physical strategies helped me lose over 50 pounds from my pregnancy but in a slow and healthy manner. Most importantly, I remained pretty confident through it all. <blockquote></blockquote>
However, CrossFit gyms and coaches, along with postpartum bootcamps and workout programs need to really understand what diastasis recti actually is and change how they guide their clients. I am still so angry about the lack of information out there. I had no clue; none of my coaches knew how to guide me. I took it slowly on my recovery back, but I did not have the correct tools to do it right. There are so many messages out there about supporting active moms, which is great because people get scared when they see pregnant women doing any type of fitness. However, there is not nearly enough guidance and education to help women navigate this road correctly. Yes, we should all be doing some type of fitness, but, in some cases, there is a misguided message in CrossFit that make women feel that have something to “prove.” I never gave in to that pressure myself; however, I would have liked a lot more actual knowledge on how to prepare and recover from having a baby besides just ‘listening to my body.” I mean…..I had a 9 FINGER GAP and was CLUELESS along with every single person around me at CrossFit and every doctor that I went to see. This went on for months. I listened to my body and didn’t hear a peep. <blockquote></blockquote>
With the second pregnancy, I will “know better and do better” and this brings me to Brianna Battles, who has had her own journey with diastasis recti and an umbilical cord hernia. I was so lucky to be able to connect with her (thanks to Ashley Cecil) and she has single handedly saved my sanity. She helped me figure out which exercises I should and should not be doing while I was in PT for my stomach. For about 2-3 months I had to lay off some certain movements and needed help figuring out how to navigate which ones. <blockquote></blockquote>
For the most part, everyone knows my story of getting my 9 finger gap down to a 2ish finger one. A huge thank you to my awesome PT, Amy Drean. Months after all this went down Brianna found even more answers when she met Julie Wiebe, a PT that changed the way she thought about everything. This is where some changes in pregnancy #2 are going to come in play. After purchasing and working through Julie Wiebe’s online courses I have learned two things: <blockquote></blockquote>
1) You don’t have to live with peeing yourself just because you have had a baby. While I don’t have this problem, millions of women do and there are ways to fix this- but it is going to take some work.
2) I may be able to improve my gap even more!! I thought I was going to be stuck where I was forever, this may not be the case- but it is going to take some work.<blockquote></blockquote>
I have worked on changing my alignment, how I walk up the stairs, how I pick up Chase, and how I breathe during lifts. I have been working on this for a few months and let me tell you it is NOT easy. Old habits die hard. However, like anything, you have to work hard for results! <blockquote></blockquote>
I want to set up my pelvic floor and my abdominals to actually work together to be strong to support this pregnancy and my recovery. These two working together is very different than JUST having strong abdominals. Brianna is basing her entire career as a trainer around helping women with these issues. I plan to hire her to write my recovery programming this time around because I will “know better and do better,” as she says :) <blockquote></blockquote>
Here are my resources. Please send them to all the pregnant ladies/mothers you know or anyone that coaches women in any type of fitness industry. The doctors and nurses often don’t tell you any of this, as they are focused on other things. So, I will never stop trying to educate women on how to heal their bodies the right way from the start.<blockquote></blockquote>
Here is where you can buy the online courses:
http://www.juliewiebept.com/<blockquote></blockquote>
Here is Brianna’s website. She also has a FB page: “Everyday Battles” you can follow
http://everyday-battles.com/
Here is one of her recent posts:<blockquote></blockquote>
When I was pregnant, I was praised for being healthy and fit. I was continually told how easily I would "bounce back" because of my training. I was told (and believed) that listening to my body was enough during this phase of life. The message of "keep doing what you've always done" played in my head daily.
No one EVER mentioned Diastasis Recti, or pelvic floor health to me. Not a single coach, Doctor, woman, practitioner. And despite being in the fitness industry, I didn't know either. Again, I believed that I was fine because everything felt fine. That's just not good enough information.
THIS is why I haven't shut the hell up for almost 3 years now. Cuz no one else around me was talking about this side of fitness.
This mindset carried over into postpartum- "You're cleared! Just ease back in to normal activity," so I did.
Again, that's just not good enough information.
Pregnancy and postpartum require specific training and rehabilitative protocols. Don't let any coach or practitioner give you the easy answers.
What you've always done is NOT necessarily what's best for optimal function, strength and recovery. #buzzkill 🙋🏼
Even the fittest, strongest women need a game plan. Incontinence and a weak core should not be an accepted norm...whether it's during pregnancy, immediately postpartum or years postpartum.
What you DO and what you DON'T do during these chapters have lasting effects.
Have questions? Need guidance? First, SEE A WOMEN'S HEALTH/PELVIC FLOOR PT. Second, I have a variety of coaching services (individual, group and online) that educate and empower women to move well with their function and strength in mind.
Email: Briannabattles@gmail.com
#knowbetter
#dobetter
Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-69455337017109720432015-03-31T19:07:00.002-07:002015-03-31T19:15:46.478-07:00From an 8-9 finger gap to a 1-2 finger gap!! Big Tummy updates for those that are interested or going through your own journey of healing after giving birth. This is long...and conversational....
<blockquote></blockquote>For a few days, I totally believed I would need tummy surgery, and wouldn’t be able to pick Chase up for 6 weeks. The first doctor (sports doc) I talked to that actually KNEW what diastasis recti was told me I wouldn’t be able to support another baby without the surgery. Because he was the first doctor to actually address the issue, I believed everything he said. I posted on Facebook to get surgeon recommendations, and I had more doctor appointments for more opinions scheduled but not for a few weeks. <blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote>As the next few days went by I started to calm down and gather more information. I found moms through my mommy facebook page that have had the surgery, but I found most of them waited until AFTER they were done having kids. Many told me they tried PT only to find that the gap just wouldn’t close. I also found another woman who had a 6 finger gap and healed it back to a 3 finger gap in 18 months. There were so many kinds of stories out there. While small gaps are common (most don’t even know what it is or how to heal it), larger ones certainly aren’t that rare either (I found a lot of women online dealing with issues similar to mine). However, with so many different stories out there, I still didn’t know what to expect with my particular case. <blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote>I called my lactation specialist who was my angel the first few months with Chase. I couldn’t have breastfeed without her and valued her opinion. She told me to breathe and that I could have a baby whenever I wanted to and that I just might have to wear a girdle to support my belly (which I did with the first pregnancy anyway because my belly was HUGE). She said I am super strong and my body can definitely handle it. Okay, that isn’t so bad….still more info to go...<blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote>In the meantime, I am trying to get a damn script for PT. I wanted a freaking physical therapist to look at me and see what he/she thought about it. You would think I was trying to get a script for vicodin.
<blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDlORz5kFvshOC4kWMizD8sYSEOcsgAbNIFm653x6zcViSc5rBS5r8ds8nBl07_HGGWLFkfTaRaKsnDAHV2TTtjAAMhwqYgshWuxIXywb0VDfxH6l7Hch1SeRe3H0j1m2avZKdcxYnKc/s1600/IMG_6894.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDlORz5kFvshOC4kWMizD8sYSEOcsgAbNIFm653x6zcViSc5rBS5r8ds8nBl07_HGGWLFkfTaRaKsnDAHV2TTtjAAMhwqYgshWuxIXywb0VDfxH6l7Hch1SeRe3H0j1m2avZKdcxYnKc/s320/IMG_6894.PNG" /></a></div></blockquote> I called the OB office, and they refused to give me one since this was a post baby issue.
The sports doctor refused to write me a PT script and told me if could heal this on my own then he would write an article about me. <blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote>I went back to the primary care doctor I saw. She told me originally that they “don’t do that” for DR since nothing is “wrong.” She did tell me after I saw the surgeon she recommended to me to call back if I still wanted the script. Okay, great….. I’ll have a surgeon feel around in there and see what they say.
<blockquote></blockquote>I called the surgeon’s office, and they don’t want to see me without a CT. A CT???? I mean sure if I NEED a CT I will get one but can’t someone just FEELING MY F@#$ING STOMACH and give me an opinion first? If nothing is “wrong,” why do I need a CT? The hunt continues….<blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote>Next up...I had TWO really good PTs recommended to me that specialize in women issues, and they both knew the size of my gap and STILL wanted to see me. There was hope! I realized that I might need surgery but why not at least TRY to do it on my own or at least get an OPINION from someone that works with muscles all the time. With shaking hands, I called back the primary care office and asked for the script….I had to wait a day to see if it went through and it did. Thank goodness. <blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote>I met my PT. She really knew her stuff, and she also had been Crossfitting for 6 months and loving it. This helped because she could tell me what to do/not to do at the gym. For the most part I was on the right track with my Crossfit modifications- that was good news! I left the first appointment hopeful but realistic. She said she can’t make any promises but that we could try a few things. 1) she did some muscle release and massaging of my c section scar. The problem was that my abs were in the wrong place AND they were really strong and tight (so they weren’t moving). 2) She gave me some more intense stuff to do than the MuTu program I was doing at home. Basically, I squeeze together my fat, skin, and rectus abdominus muscles and do a slight sit up using my transverse abdominus. I started just barely lifting my chin but now she has me actually lift up my shoulders. I do this a few times a day. <blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote>Next up...an appointment with my old gynecologist (she doesn’t do deliveries anymore). She is amazing, so I had to wait 3 weeks to see her but it was well worth it. She knew what DR was and was so calm and helpful. The good news was I didn’t have a hernia (which was my other big concern- that would be surgery for sure). She told me to continue PT and see what comes of it, but she also suggested I also talk to a surgeon. She gave me the name of a plastic surgeon that is excellent but will not pressure surgery if it is not needed. Also, she said since my back hurts that he will be able to get the insurance to cover it (the other thing I was freaking out about). The most important news..I can have another baby whenever I want (not that we are ready yet). Another piece to the puzzle…and no surgery for now. Whew! I scheduled an appointment with the surgeon anyway just to gather more information for the future. <blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote>Well, I guess I should give the sports doctor a call back because…. my gap is down from 8-9 fingers to almost a 1. Yes… ONE!!?? I still can’t believe the progress that I had made in less than 2 months going to PT twice a week. The PT was beyond thrilled and called in other PTs to come check out this crazy story. And no one thought PT was going to do anything, huh? <blockquote></blockquote> I canceled my appointment with the surgeon for now, anyway.
<blockquote></blockquote>Along with seeing the PT this is what I do each day:
<blockquote></blockquote>~doing my special sit ups a few times a day
<blockquote></blockquote>~lots of perfect planks
<blockquote></blockquote>~I wrapped my stomach during the day for awhile. Now that I have healed my PT has told me to stop doing this since my abs are functioning better and she wants them to gain strength again.
<blockquote></blockquote>~using PT tape on my stomach (see pictures). First, she did the cross taping, but now that I have healed more we just do the 3 strips across.
<blockquote></blockquote>~still doing some of the MuTu exercises. Why not? anything that can help!
<blockquote></blockquote>~laying off lifting heavy at the gym (staying moderate weight), no sit ups, no kipping pull ups, ring dips, or hspus (only strict in these movements), burpees on my knees, no T2b, no o lifting...doing extra KB work (sub this for barbell a lot of the time) and lots of lunges and squats! (Now that I am pretty much healed I get to slowly go back to doing all of these exercises which is so exciting for me. My PT is monitoring my every move :) )
<blockquote></blockquote>~sitting up straight. This is way harder than you might imagine if you don’t pay attention to it. I don’t even sit that much during the day since I am not back to work yet…. but when I am sitting in a chair feeding chase, or sitting on the ground, or typing this blog… you better believe I am sitting up really damn straight.
<blockquote></blockquote>~ no heels
<blockquote></blockquote>~ I also just weaned completely, which I personally thinking helped me heal as my hormones re-regulated themselves.
<blockquote></blockquote>~positive attitude
<blockquote></blockquote>Even at a 1, my stomach still sticks out from extra skin, trauma, and who knows what else. I am trying hard to accept this, and it isn’t easy as no amount of working out and eating clean (which I do anyway) is going to make this better. So, I will post the pictures here in hopes that other moms are learning to love those post-baby bellies too. It sure as hell isn’t easy, but Chase is sure as hell worth it.<blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote>You have to advocate for yourself and fight hard for answers. Everyone that has DR, whether it is a 2 finger or an 8 finger, is going to have a different experience with the healing process along with other possible complications. However, there is not nearly enough education about this out there at ALL. Please pass along this information to any mothers you know. Both the during and after of my next pregnancy will be so much different with the knowledge I have gained. Stay tuned ;) <blockquote></blockquote>
This is with 8-9 finger gap before I started this process. I posted this in my last blog.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingKmGF7SQ6iC1QNl0teC38woUZVrkFCvIEoOdAdnV_3vXQqMDxpfUWJ24jeXqd94JLamhQGbhHloEj7sFKLciv1nLRBZxBUVKPZfS4fn0H7BabQhWmA8bkwBAVgs9WUVnPO8mx16aYUM/s1600/IMG_8558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingKmGF7SQ6iC1QNl0teC38woUZVrkFCvIEoOdAdnV_3vXQqMDxpfUWJ24jeXqd94JLamhQGbhHloEj7sFKLciv1nLRBZxBUVKPZfS4fn0H7BabQhWmA8bkwBAVgs9WUVnPO8mx16aYUM/s320/IMG_8558.JPG" /></a></div>
These are the two different taping methods we have tried:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJWM7MOwMrTqOfZWUHnyLYl_5uB3FIFQcdyiaY5Sf-S1FigH0mZ6Ej4FGN8toe_k_MixRfQyjCLcEhfSyoEGderHQXNcn2UVnHETQ3vAITnQQM_9N3aBd1jCu4je5i2Y9QjBtJKSm4SM/s1600/IMG_6542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJWM7MOwMrTqOfZWUHnyLYl_5uB3FIFQcdyiaY5Sf-S1FigH0mZ6Ej4FGN8toe_k_MixRfQyjCLcEhfSyoEGderHQXNcn2UVnHETQ3vAITnQQM_9N3aBd1jCu4je5i2Y9QjBtJKSm4SM/s320/IMG_6542.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykWWB8apctAAd4IyQ4iA3ig0qWIIuxS2jOn-NYs1lH_hoRNFRBcJgc6Bgt-JeOA_TeF8sUA4pnqk5SpLfZIqpkCArdqlTlwWLFezMjbxPrFAPtzp80apTy5E7AR0EuBgLqzt2fGLbYf8/s1600/IMG_6858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykWWB8apctAAd4IyQ4iA3ig0qWIIuxS2jOn-NYs1lH_hoRNFRBcJgc6Bgt-JeOA_TeF8sUA4pnqk5SpLfZIqpkCArdqlTlwWLFezMjbxPrFAPtzp80apTy5E7AR0EuBgLqzt2fGLbYf8/s320/IMG_6858.JPG" /></a></div>
This is how I look right now:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZ0k-4DCkCAXR64rUwCMruSAQ_F4yWImD99w2j24UPWhJoxx7apushrv-9hvVzf_esDJn0fFKsrfjjOD5jyuG3lWPerg2gAWgu-Y1ENQ8ilNPHQwbWcXljrPfnc32YmujBpJMBy7GcGw/s1600/IMG_6887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZ0k-4DCkCAXR64rUwCMruSAQ_F4yWImD99w2j24UPWhJoxx7apushrv-9hvVzf_esDJn0fFKsrfjjOD5jyuG3lWPerg2gAWgu-Y1ENQ8ilNPHQwbWcXljrPfnc32YmujBpJMBy7GcGw/s320/IMG_6887.JPG" /></a></div>
Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-6078628055411623052015-02-09T11:18:00.002-08:002015-02-09T11:18:21.586-08:00Longer the journey, sweeter the success! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQrMyTXte3KjU2jf-5HwsHKbe9AJxBlbu-j1ePqTjRgx_Kkh8gosNQemkFdZTRlP75ncbGrxv0L6wJdsgHDPbdyl1hyIQtO-wAKx8j3EsPgAwsPmeg-vj3gvAafEcQZALWchVD_q-UBc/s1600/1st+Muscle+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQrMyTXte3KjU2jf-5HwsHKbe9AJxBlbu-j1ePqTjRgx_Kkh8gosNQemkFdZTRlP75ncbGrxv0L6wJdsgHDPbdyl1hyIQtO-wAKx8j3EsPgAwsPmeg-vj3gvAafEcQZALWchVD_q-UBc/s320/1st+Muscle+up.jpg" /></a></div>Well, it has been about month into my rehab to heal my tummy! I got upset just a few days ago wishing that progress would be a little faster. There is some progress that has been made, but it is smaller than I would like it to be. However, tonight I realized two things.<blockquote></blockquote>
I should probably get a waist cincher! I was against this after my c section. I had a light binder I got from the hospital that I wore so I didn’t feel like my insides would fall out, but I never got anything more intense. I wanted to strengthen my abs more organically. After talking to Brianna Battles from Birthfit in California, I realized that these cinchers can help hold my split abs together and really help the healing process. So I am going to give the Squeem a try, wear it around the house while bending down and picking up Chase all day, fix my posture (been trying to be more aware but this thing won't allow me to hunch over), and keep an open mind. I am actually kind of excited about something else I can add into my healing practice. I’ll let you all know what happens. I hope I can breathe! :) <blockquote></blockquote>
Cyndi Burnstein posted my video talking about the advisory program at New School High. A few of my former students wrote some nice things that made me cry. I literally just stood in the shower tonight and cried for like two minutes (so dramatic, typical). In the crazy high school teaching schedule you just keep moving along, wondering if anyone is really listening to you. Well, they are! Really! Similarly, I have been trucking along the last month doing my exercises, modifying at the gym, and wondering if it is going to help and wondering when I can do a heavy squat clean again. However, I keep reminding myself that once I am fully healed the success will be even sweeter since the journey has been much longer than expected. There is a reason I will never forget the day I got my first muscle up. I remember what I was wearing, who was there, what time it was, what the rings looked like...basically everything. That is because it took me six months to get there, along with mental and physical struggles along the way. These kind, thoughtful comments from my former students reminded me just how blessed I am to have been able to teach for the past ten years at three different schools, to be a part of the amazing New School High, to have such a happy son, to have a husband that is supportive of these goals in my life, and to have loving friends and family. Once my current goals are reached, I will feel AMAZING... and but then it will be on to new goals in fitness, career, and life. The journey is never ending. I cannot forget that.
<blockquote></blockquote>** Since my last post I have talked to at least three other women that have realized they have DR that had no clue about it before...please help me spread the word! Here is the link to a GREAT article on <a href="http://nccpt.uberflip.com/i/457138">diastasis recti</a> by Brianna Battles!! Please send this around!!!!! I wish someone sent this to me before/during my pregnancy! Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-60178107215465836122015-01-16T17:52:00.001-08:002015-01-16T17:59:24.458-08:00Part-time teacher next year, Mother all day, Crossfitter at noon
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<blockquote></blockquote>I’ve been thinking about writing something for the past few months to talk about my journey back into Crossfit after having my son Chase. I normally leave the gym each day with all these inspirational ideas in my head, then by the time night rolls around and Chase is asleep I feel like my head is just one big blur. I am still adjusting to stay at home mom life. I am sure once I get it all down, it will be time to start working again :) All of my inspirational thoughts probably would have only accumulated into a short little Facebook post. However, a few days ago I had a setback that demanded a blog post to actually happen. <blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote>Let’s start with this photo. This is a photo of my post-baby stomach in all of its glory (it used to be much larger). It isn’t pretty, but it bore human life (and a pretty cute one at that:) ). The reason I am showing you all my stomach that I normally spend so much time trying to hide with cute baggy blouses (thank god that style is in right now!) is to educate you. If you are a woman that likes to lift heavy and/or crossfit and also wants to have a baby, listen up!
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<blockquote></blockquote>When I got on the scale at the doctor I noticed I lost all but 4 damn pounds of my pre-baby, crossfit regional competitor, in-shape self. Damn! Well, that is exciting. I have been eating well and working out….. but….. WTF?! Why do I still look 5 months pregnant? I mean I plan to fully embrace the stretch marks, loose skin, and my c section scar. I don’t expect to have a 6 pack right now, and I am not asking for a miracle! However, having a weird, large, round, and hard belly (no, it isn’t even flabby fat which would totally make sense...) is unsettling.<blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote>I went to my new OB in Michigan, since I couldn’t see my doctor in LA, of course. She said everything looked fine, no hernia, uterus was good. I asked her to check my abs...yup, all was good. Hmmm.. I wondered...okay, well I did gain 50 pounds in the pregnancy, I have a short little torso, and I was pretty huge (a few friends told me they “feared for me” when she saw me around 40 weeks prego) ...so fine….I am just kinda screwed up and need more time to get back to normal. Makes sense! I am also still nursing so that can mess with hormones and whatnot. Plus, it hasn’t even been a year yet so I told myself to suck it up and move on, ...... back to Crossfit. I felt blessed that I recovered from major stomach surgery well (that is scary stuff!) and patted myself on the back for coming back slowly and not going too fast and hurting myself. I felt like I had EARNED all of my PRs that I was getting at 10 months postpartum. I was patient and now I finally get to push harder and harder! Bring it!! I was PRing like crazy during this #comeback process and feeling like I was getting MY body back. I felt fresh, fun, and free and would get excited to see what each day would bring. I was truly enjoying the journey because I had no deadline, no competition, no pressure but my own goals. It was invigorating.<blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote>Little did I know... I WAS hurting something .... I was separating my abs more and more, and I had no clue because everything felt totally fine. And this comes from someone that got pretty good at listening to her own body over the years of competitions. After talking to some more women, I learned I have diastasis recti. This is why my stomach was stuck. It isn’t serious but actually very common. I have a huge creepy gap in my abs. Lots of movements I do at crossfit like lifting heavy weight, preforming toes to bar, and doing sit ups makes this problem worse (Anything that pushes your abs outward). Instead, I needed to be strengthening my transversus abdominis muscles to bring the abs back together. If I would have known, I would have treated my recovery so differently. 2 steps forward, 1 step back….<blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote>When I found this out I had a little pity party for myself for about 48 hours, talked to as many people as I could to gather information, and then was ready to move forward. I was angry my OB in LA didn’t warn me. She knew me well and knew about my Crossfit life! So I had to look for answers. I was posting to forums online looking around in a panic for answers. I didn't realize I had accidentally posted one of my frantic questions so people could see it on the Facebook feed. I felt bad for having a pity party all over Facebook because I have so much to be thankful for and this was just a set-back in my Crossfit game. It isn’t too late to fix it, and I most likely will be able to do it on my own since I will be very diligent in my rehab exercises. However, I realized once it went public that I should totally just write about it and help to spread awareness! So I decided I will share my journey of healing my DR.<blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote>I have included a few links to websites that have helped me this past week. I am doing the <a href="http://mutusystem.com">MuTu </a>program at home each night, looking to the <a href="http://breakingmuscle.com/womens-fitness/can-your-abs-split-in-two-5-important-facts-about-diastasis-recti">Breaking Muscle</a> recovery plan exercises to help me modify the WOD each day at Crossfit, and following Brianna Battles and her <a href="http://everyday-battles.com">“Everyday Battles”</a> blog. The night I sat down to start the MuTu program I listened to the introduction video and all the symptoms of DR and CRIED!!! I had every. single. thing. she. described! I may have been alone at home, but I have never felt in better company! FINALLY, someone was talking my language. FINALLY, it all made sense. And with the next kid (God willing) l will be prepared with a better recovery plan!<blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote>I'm grateful for the competitive mindset that I have learned from my Valley Crossfit family for the five years I was in LA. While that mindset helped me be a great local and regional competitor, it translated to my everyday life. I made a plan to move forward and kick this DR! Even though I will miss the feeling of maxing out on lifts and will have to wait a little longer to get my muscle up back….. it will be a new and different kind of journey that will allow me to learn even MORE about my body and in the end, when I do make a full comeback- it will be just be that much sweeter. <blockquote></blockquote>
****Please forgive the conversational writing, grammar, and typos. I am a tired momma :) ****
Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-65374843790502718602013-09-24T21:44:00.002-07:002013-09-24T21:48:11.557-07:00Negativity around Crossfit?! Here are my thoughts. That's it. I normally avoid heated debates on Facebook but I am going to make a statement about the negativity circulating Crossfit lately. You know what I am talking about- the one article on the pregnant crossfitter and the other one on rhabdo as a "dirty little secret."
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First, everyone has a different pregnancy because every single woman is DIFFERENT. Period. What one woman can do is going to be completely different from someone else. Exercise will vary with every single woman and what they were doing BEFORE they got pregnant, whether it is walking or lifting weights doesn’t matter. If I suddenly stopped crossfitting, that would be pretty UNHEALTHY for myself. So, let’s start worrying about the shit we are eating or decreasing stress in our lives or something that will actually help us make healthy babies.
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Second, I have been crossfitting for around 9 years. I was around well before Crossfit has gotten big and my friends and coaches have turned into celebrities. That being said, I have NEVER been seriously injured, and I certainly wasn't an athlete before Crossfit. Why? I had excellent coaches that taught me correct form, when to push and when to back off. I can name so many life changing stories over these 9 years due to Crossfit, whether it was losing a bunch of weight or just gaining confidence in some way or another.
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The volume I was putting in once I decided to compete was TOTALLY different than what I was doing before this switch. There is a big difference in these competitive programs, so if someone new comes in and tries to do what the competitive athletes are doing right away then they will probably get hurt! Now that Crossfit is much bigger there are more gyms and, therefore, some places and some coaches might not be that great. Shop around and find a gym you feel comfortable at! Find a place that isn’t going to push you to where you feel uncomfortable!!! Good coaches will keep a close eye on people that are new. You will find that most gyms will make you feel very comfortable. Why would you pay all that money for a place that makes you feel scared anyway? There are so many Crossfit gyms now that you actually DO have a choice of where to go!
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That being said, I know Crossfit isn’t for everyone. There are lots of ways to stay healthy and exercise!! Wahoo! However, Crossfit CAN be scaled to any level and I have seen extremely overweight people come in barely able to move and come out healthy, strong, and confident. This is because they aren’t alone; there is a sense of community; and everyone cares for each other. You might not get this same motivation at the gym when you are alone. So if you feel like you are not getting results with what you are doing, think about changing it up, whether it is Crossfit or something else with a community!
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There are many more success stories with Crossfit rather than scary rhabdo stories. There is injury in every sport. If you don’t want to do Crossfit, then don’t do it….but talking crap about it doesn’t help promote fitness, whether you are a trainer yourself or someone that just heard some rumors. Just because a teacher is certified to teach doesn’t mean he or she will be really good at it. Think about all the crappy teachers you’ve had in your life. Yeah, they all had the same exact training as many of the good teachers. There are tons of trainers and coaches out there for all kinds of exercise and sport but unlike with school sometimes, you have a choice of who you pay to coach you.
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Our bodies are meant to move, so let’s stay healthy folks!!!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1R5jjoyAhFdX9kCwkYEGisyD6R4C1Xn1sV4tYdYW8Z9l-j7biNI3qTusmzNCEYSlabVm5Rz_qpxgG2CfWAQyRJbkF1TEIpPXKGNtOFtcx9M141LWdJj8uQlmNdjzx7KfWOvb-VkzJbM/s1600/b4b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1R5jjoyAhFdX9kCwkYEGisyD6R4C1Xn1sV4tYdYW8Z9l-j7biNI3qTusmzNCEYSlabVm5Rz_qpxgG2CfWAQyRJbkF1TEIpPXKGNtOFtcx9M141LWdJj8uQlmNdjzx7KfWOvb-VkzJbM/s400/b4b.jpg" /></a></div>Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-79474397769183898982013-05-24T08:12:00.002-07:002013-05-24T08:12:24.471-07:00Transitions<i>It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.
~C. S. Lewis </i>
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I love to feel stable, secure, and in a routine. This past year of training has been awesome and helped me keep my shit together between teaching and grading essays and training and getting stronger. Jesse helped me with my performance nutrition; Katie sent programming along with helping me with my mental game; and Kris, Becca and my teammates helping me with my movements. Yup, it has been a pretty kick ass year. Training to be a regional competitor in Crossfit is no small task and can feel overwhelming at times, especially during weeks where PRs seem far away. One thing I learned was to allow myself to be sad when results didn’t go my way BUT shake it off quickly knowing that next week was going to be better. Learning to deal with the ups and downs of training allowed me to grow as a person and an athlete, be able to compete on our amazing team, and have a blast while doing it all.
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Ever since regionals last year I have proclaimed to the world that I would compete one more year and then I wanted to start trying for a family, change priorities, spend more time with my husband and a little less time in the gym, see LA, and experience other things with my extra time not spent at school or grading papers. Well, that time has come. Regionals is over, another school year is drawing to a close, and....it’s time to transition..... and... it's weird.
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Historically, this gal REALLY hates change. I'd rather stay in my little comfort egg. Luckily, I have grown a lot these past few years and learned how to embrace the unknown. I think back to the skills that I used to feel were impossible like muscle ups, rope climbs, hand walking, and even trying to balance all of my extra training with my job. I think back to how nervous I was for my very first competition. While I still get nervous for competitions (who doesn’t?!), somehow in the midst of it all, I have turned into a fierce competitor who can stay calm and focused and truly believe in myself in the heat of battle. Who knew this emotional, crazy, anxious girl could stay so composed out there on the competition floor? I sure didn’t when I started this journey.
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Just in the past few days I found that once I let go of the pressures of competing, new passions instantly rose to the surface. For example, I want to finally get my Crossfit certification, so I can figure out how I can bring Crossfit to high schools. Teenagers need to learn how to be healthy, of course. However, most importantly, the lessons Crossfit teaches about perseverance and integrity are invaluable and I want to be a part of it.
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I believe now more than ever that Jared and I can accomplish anything we set our minds to in the future. A family. A school. A company. Anything. The future isn’t as scary as it used to be because I plan to attack it head on, as the fierce competitor that I have grown to become.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZkY61_59fOBuewf-MFR_RxRyETtMVIVrrTgw-iNTMoKXaH4g_4wb0fHpBiYp27mhml7kDmI-4sPjwy2d2Y5-ctoB5qkMLcuniUFRwJq72gkdMeg057JoNBoNINI80UuP3K_HqUrZY8E/s1600/217543_2007001937473_431659_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZkY61_59fOBuewf-MFR_RxRyETtMVIVrrTgw-iNTMoKXaH4g_4wb0fHpBiYp27mhml7kDmI-4sPjwy2d2Y5-ctoB5qkMLcuniUFRwJq72gkdMeg057JoNBoNINI80UuP3K_HqUrZY8E/s320/217543_2007001937473_431659_n.jpg" /></a>Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-10318040725243719782013-02-07T21:40:00.003-08:002013-02-07T21:40:47.572-08:00Balance is the key<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<blockquote></blockquote><i>"Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance." ~Brian Tracy</i>
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Everyday at around 3:40pm I start to hear the voices inside my head. I am so tired. School is so stressful. I have so much to do. I am exhausted. The kids took it all out of me. The stack of essays is starring at me. The laundry still isn’t folded, and I don’t know when I will have time to grocery shop. I feel a little nutty by this point of the day.
However, unless I am really sick or something is wrong, I drag my ass to the gym. Most of the time, as my friends/coaches will attest, I won’t even say HI when I first get there. Certainly, those that know me well may be confused by this because….welll…I like to talk…a lot!! In fact, since my husband’s job has changed, he is home when I get home from school and is often confused (but maybe happy?!) by my silence.
I need some time to completely shut down and reboot. During this reboot, I tell those voices to shut up because I know what awaits me at the gym. Whether I get a PR and have a great workout or have a shitty workout and feel disappointed, I am rejuvenated nonetheless. I feel like everything that I gave all day at school is now returned to me in some way. By the time the next morning comes around, I am ready to be Mrs. Ryan again.
This balance, although hard to achieve, is something I have grappled with for the past few years. Isn’t balance something we all strive for? It isn’t easy. Things always need to be adjusted and it doesn’t always work. However, when it does, I am at my happiest and think that is probably true for most people.
I took some time off of competing for a while for this very reason. While I was still putting in the same hours at the gym training hard, competitions on the weekends started to feel like a chore. I didn’t have my weekends to regroup, catch up on grading, and get good sleep. However, after a long hiatus, I competed on the VCF team (my first team competition) at the Winter ShakeDown! It was SO FUN; we got 3rd place, and my team was amazing! Competition was fun again for me, and it got me excited for the Open (thank goodness). Woot!
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Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-77186790669570317582012-11-09T23:09:00.000-08:002012-11-09T23:12:51.149-08:00My own Hero's Journey! GO RUCK.
<blockquote></blockquote>Go Ruck. It’s hard to put into words what we all went through- even for me, Ms. Chatterbox. However, it IS easy to fit it into the Hero’s Journey chart and made a GREAT lesson plan for The Odyssey Unit at school. So…here it goes! <blockquote></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<blockquote></blockquote><b>Call To Adventure</b>~Invites the initiate into the adventure, offers the opportunity to face the unknown and gain something of physical or spiritual value<blockquote></blockquote>
A few months ago my friend Sagi had asked me if I every wanted to do Go Ruck. I asked what it was and then responded “maybe.” A few months after that Katie said she was asked to do it and was considering it. At this point, I decided my answer was YES. I emailed Sagi and committed to doing it.
<blockquote></blockquote><b>Refusal of the Call</b>~Often when the call is given, the hero temporarily refuses to heed it.<blockquote></blockquote>
After I committed to do this, I started regretting it. I began to worry it was too much money, or too close to my camping trip and would interfere with my Crossfit training too much.... worried about the end of the trimester with school and too much grading..…but I realized that this was THE time to do it because I WAS scared. So I paid my money and got the confirmation email.
<blockquote></blockquote><b>Threshold</b>~The “jumping off point” for the adventure<blockquote></blockquote>
1am. Venice Beach Fishing Pier. Anton and Mike stuck around for a little while watching us get wet and miserable doing bear crawls in the ocean…but Mike left…then shortly afterwards so did Anton…then shit got real. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<blockquote></blockquote><b>Challenges</b>~Situations that put the initiate at risk, emotionally and physically, forcing him to change and grow.
Strike the initiate’s greatest weakness, poorest skill, shakiest knowledge, most vulnerable emotions.<blockquote></blockquote>
Katie and I were chosen to lead the group early on. I was scared shitless! They took us out of the line and I had NO idea why because we weren't in a routine OR working as a team just yet. While Katie was the one that really took charge and got into her awesome coach mode with organizing movement of the huge log, I still had responsibilities and had to get rid of fears and weaknesses to help Katie lead the group.
<blockquote></blockquote><b>Revelation</b>~A sudden, dramatic change in the way the initiate thinks or views life; an insight or discovery about himself or life<blockquote></blockquote>
Once the sun came up and we were done with the log, I thought everything would get better....but....it got worse as I realized we had hours left to go... so I had to change my mindset to get through the journey ahead.
<blockquote></blockquote><b>Abyss</b>~The greatest challenge of the journey.<blockquote></blockquote>
For me, this was the last few miles. Everything hurt. So much pain. I hated all the people looking at us on Venice Beach. Just when I thought we were almost done, the cadre made us run through the sand to the ocean. This is when I cried.
<blockquote></blockquote><b>Transformation</b>~A moment of death and rebirth, a part of the initiate dies so that a new part, the hero, can be born<blockquote></blockquote>
Shortly after this moment and also feeling like I was going to drown in the ocean, the cadre yelled at us to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and keep our chins up…so I got it together and kept my chin up for the last mile.
<blockquote></blockquote><b>Atonement</b>~The hero is “at one’ with his new self and life; the changes caused by the journey are at an end, and the hero is content with who he has be come<blockquote></blockquote>
I was damn proud to get that GO RUCK patch 12.5 hours later, even if it was just after I got done crying….
<blockquote></blockquote><b>Return</b>~The hero returns to the known and his everyday life with a boon bestowed upon him based on his new level of skill and awareness.<blockquote></blockquote>
Well, this about sums it up. Going to work on Monday was a strange feeling. I talked to a few other friends while they were at work and they ended up telling their co-workers that they slept all weekend because it was too hard to explain what the hell we just did. One thing was for sure though- we sure FELT different! Cheers to Troop 307! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-12401998315653324102012-10-16T21:24:00.002-07:002012-10-16T21:29:17.796-07:00Change <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<blockquote></blockquote><i>Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
~Kahlil Gibran</i><blockquote></blockquote>
These past few months have been full of change, joy, and sorrow. Two of my best friends, Katie and Shaul, are leaving LA. Both of these people have made me laugh, have challenged me to be better, and have been there for me unconditionally. True Friends. The Real Deal. The Braintrust. They showed me I could move 3,000 miles away from my best friends in Michigan and find just as amazing friends in his crazy town. They have truly made me a better human in this world.
<blockquote></blockquote>Although Katie hasn’t just been my friend, she has been my coach since June- and an amazing one at that. When I get down about something, she keeps me positive. Most importantly, this has translated into my own attitude; I can shake it off if something doesn't go the way I want it to in my training and be ready to tackle the next challenge. So along with the excellent programming, a positive attitude, great support, and amazing “Katie Hogan cues”- I feel like I am making great strides along with staying as stress-free as possible in my training when I come from a long day of teaching. I am not just saying this because Katie is my friend either; PRs don’t lie:)<blockquote></blockquote>
I have changed thanks to the ladies of VCF and, even though Katie is moving, she will always be a part of the magic of the Valley Girls. I mean, I am doing GO RUCK next month. I am scared shiltless!! Why am I doing it? Partly because I want to tell my future children I did it. Partly because I listened to Kris after she did Sealfit try to convince me to do it and SHE believed in me (even though GO RUCK is WAY easier than Sealfit :) and cheaper! ). Partly because Sagi asked me to do it with him, and HE believed in me. Partly because I have already done so many things I NEVER thought I could do in my training and this is something different and scary! But, really, I realized the other day that I would have NEVER signed up to do something like this three years ago...or even a year ago!!! THAT is the cool part. So, thank you to everyone at VCF who has made me who I am today. And to Katie- cheers to the next stage of joy once the sorrow of leaving the valley subsides. I love you so much.
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Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-33403407518044832522012-09-07T19:35:00.003-07:002012-09-07T19:46:05.596-07:00Passion<blockquote></blockquote>"Passion rebuilds the world for the youth. It makes all things alive and significant."
Ralph Waldo Emerson<blockquote></blockquote>
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While looking through all of the pictures of my friends’ kids on their first days of school, I came across the picture to the left. Not only is this a really cute idea and will be great for her son to look back on as he grows up….but it also got me thinking!
I was happy to dream about when I have my own kids and how excited I will be to do things like this, but I also realized that this makes me a little sad. Why? Well, a lot of my high school students that I teach have lost the excitement that cute, little Jacob has in this picture to the left.
During the first two weeks of school, I work on getting to know my students. Even if I have had them previous years, things may change so it’s important to figure out what is going on their lives.
For 11th grade, I had the students write down where they could potentially see themselves in this world in a few years. It could be a career, or a passion for cleaning up the environment, or really ANYTHING! One of my 11th graders wrote, “ I don’t know what I am doing with my life.” Boom. End of the paper.
In contrast, one of my 9th graders typed out a page list of goals, plans, and passion. She went above and beyond the assignment, and I was blown away. This girl was excited for the future.
There are many possible reasons for this drastic difference since these girls are completely different in age, personality, family life, etc. etc.; however, I did notice that this 9th grade student participated sports while the other student isn’t involved in anything outside of school. While this may or may not be the reason for my 11th grade student’s bewilderment, I started to ponder this….
While I have always been a goal driven, tenacious person, I also limited myself in many ways: not wanting to leaving my comfort zone of Michigan, not wanting to climb a rope, not wanting to find a new teaching job and be the new person in town again- and with these limits came stress and thus a loss of passion and a fear of the future.
I realized how much physical fitness has to do with overall health of the mind and the body. Pushing my physical and mental capacities at Valley Crossfit both in the gym and also in competition has strengthened me and also brought back some of the excitement that I had lost in life. It made me truly believe in myself and not give up on my own dreams- and realize that I truly can handle big life changes-even if they are unplanned.
As a teacher, I want to inspire my students to keep the same passion they had as first graders. I want them to realize that they can accomplish anything. I want them to continue to question the world around them and not settle when things don’t make sense….OR settle when they DO make sense. Keep questioning, thinking, and learning. I want them to feel excited and passionate about their future.
I want to live that 1st grade passion at 31 years old. I want to believe that anything is possible. And you know what? It is.
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Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-46887916020162939982012-08-21T20:41:00.000-07:002012-08-21T20:41:09.875-07:00Back to school.......
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<blockquote></blockquote>"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together." - Vincent Van Gogh<blockquote></blockquote>
Ain't that the truth? The start of the school year is exciting but also overwhelming in many ways. I always start the school year with high expectations and want to make sure I follow through on them! On top of that, I have to start training in the evenings again when I am dead tired from school, which is always a tough adjustment.
Last year I cried for a month, and then I got angry for a month, then I was confused for a month, then I finally felt like I finally found some clarity and THEN I started this blog. hahah :)
So, what have I learned? To have a "series of small things" that I plan to do with both my career and my crossfit training in order to balance everything and achieve greatness within this next year.
There will never be a year that is easy or where I feel like I have truly figured it out. This year I am teaching a new class, next I'll hopefully be pregnant (just wait for THOSE blogs), and who knows what else is in store for me? The only thing I can do is try to strengthen my strengths and work on my weaknesses, prioritize what is important in life, work hard and have integrity, all while enjoying it all.......oh, and also emulating Superwoman when possible;)
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Happy Back to school to all the kids and teachers out there! :)
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fJSrjW9Wc4A?fs=1" width="459"></iframe>http://youtu.be/fJSrjW9Wc4ALisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-88678793338476492062012-07-19T21:24:00.000-07:002012-07-19T21:24:49.506-07:00The beauty of hard work“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” -Thomas Jefferson <blockquote></blockquote>
Robe, my teaching partner for 11th grade next year, and I are changing the entire 11th grade curriculum. I have never even taught 11th grade at this school before. He taught this last year but wants to change it up just a bit and I am on board with his ideas. It is pretty exciting. Although this can be very overwhelming because there is SOooo much work to be done. I have to read all the books on top of all the new ones along with brainstorming ideas and figuring out how the hell we can fit it all into three trimesters. This shit ain't easy! However, I realized today this is a lot like my handwalking journey in Crossfit:)
I know..you think I am nuts...but this is what I do- make connections. It's fun!
Gymnastics is freakin' hard for me. Handwalking has been like a soap opera. Hours upon hours of practice with very little gains...happiness, tears, you name it....partly because it was getting over a fear-which I have FINALLY mastered and partly because it was a hard skill for my brain to acquire.
Today I not only went a super far distance but I was more consistent and had some good runs actually within a workout. I realized that planning for this new class is a lot like the extra work I have put into handwalking. Chip away a little at a time and stay focused no matter how long it takes because the reward at the end is THE BEST!!!!!
Maybe one day I can even do this!!!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdXz51_7FVNTTXQ6jNXBot-JwOXPuAIM0xJd9my1FiT39kQ_PybPxqKxeGTHKzW771LvinbHCxonM5t13TOQ9KWxMmg18uq3uENaimLXgOFx7MjHg4SiBQSzMkNn-nj70p3RIDR4Aj20/s1600/hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="112" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdXz51_7FVNTTXQ6jNXBot-JwOXPuAIM0xJd9my1FiT39kQ_PybPxqKxeGTHKzW771LvinbHCxonM5t13TOQ9KWxMmg18uq3uENaimLXgOFx7MjHg4SiBQSzMkNn-nj70p3RIDR4Aj20/s200/hand.jpg" /></a></div>Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-8207037482019961092012-07-17T20:54:00.004-07:002012-07-17T22:05:12.364-07:00Superhuman?<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuozWNqd5xU6cwSGjYGnKr4i33tPqXik985hhFSuIrNaKB5pN_qnCVT8L995uCS4VbvJqv-xY8A9DRMy0SvvH-uLs6FZ8aUlmFhC65qvbvO6UcnElvhnAu00FMOlBRAMNYDDTGJi3rO8/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuozWNqd5xU6cwSGjYGnKr4i33tPqXik985hhFSuIrNaKB5pN_qnCVT8L995uCS4VbvJqv-xY8A9DRMy0SvvH-uLs6FZ8aUlmFhC65qvbvO6UcnElvhnAu00FMOlBRAMNYDDTGJi3rO8/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This past weekend was the Crossfit Games. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anyone was listening to the live feeds and heard horns blowing – that was myself and a few friends that had the honor and great responsiblity of being given a sacred horn</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They may be annoying to those around us in the stands but dammit…..Kris, Lindsey, and Becca heard that shit. When they got tired, they heard the horns and knew we were with them (or at least I like to pretend that is what happens). You can see me with my red horn and 2010 Crossfit Games cowboy hat in this picture looking very intense. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“The Crossfit games is about human character and the belief we can master anything with enough effort - even ourselves.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>~from the video below</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This totally applies to my job as a teacher. I am doing a lot of reading and lesson planning because I am teaching 11th grade next year for the first time at this school. The literature I choose or the angle in which I teach it, the stories I share with my students, the movies, the art- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>everything is chosen with great thought . The idea of helping students begin to believe in themselves, develop integrity, and make this world a better place are the big reasons I teach high school English. While I personally am at a different stage of this journey than my students, we are all on a journey nonetheless. Therefore, as I have pushed myself to become a competitive Crossfit athlete over the past few years, it has also made me a better teacher.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A lot of my friends always tell me how much it stinks that I am in the SoCal Region because there are so many great athletes here. I mean, holy crap, all four of the SoCal girls were in the TOP 10 AT THE FREAKING CROSSFIT GAMES THIS YEAR. I mean, yeah, I would have a better shot at qualifying somewhere else possibly. Yeah, I think some regions need more spots. Yeah, there might be a different way to do it. We could sit here and play the numbers game all day and talk about how it isn’t fair but nothing is going to change. AND...Most importantly, one of the biggest reasons I am the crossfitter that I am today IS from the support of Kris, Becca, Katie, and Lindsey. hahah so what is a gal to do?! :) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> Well, what I CAN do is realize that battling it out with the top contenders at regionals only makes me better. I was definitely the most scared and challenged this year, and guess what? Next year will be heavier, scarier, and even more competitive. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, putting myself out there makes me a better wife, teacher, friend, and athlete- and future mother. While I may have only ended up in 13<sup>th</sup> this past year at Regionals, I realized that I could hang with the big wigs and hold my own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It made me believe that I can get even better while also giving me some perspective on what to focus on for the next year in my training along with some new goals- with the end goal, as always, of actually making it to The Games as an individual. But if this doesn’t happen I am not going to deem my efforts a failure. It is all part of MY journey.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is exactly what I want for my students, not necessarily being a Crossfit athlete, but pushing themselves to be better humans in this world, being afraid, taking risks, not making excuses, and finding the positive in each situation. I want them to make this world better but that isn’t easy to do if you don’t have self confidence and the drive to attack your weaknesses all while handling the ups and downs of training but also life. Crossfit tests all of these things within me and makes me better. I want my students to grow up with that same resiliency.
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our red VCF shirts say “Superhero Training” but in reality “What people experience when they come to the Games is not the superhuman but the very human.”</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/924uWscTEd0?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-34907753587020959532012-06-06T21:39:00.001-07:002012-06-06T21:52:11.581-07:00Another year in the books!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUx-WyheyWd_fbiOvWEfNER3t2VljyR4UmVz7Tk-51yWIbJuYyvQQbUZS41V-QNUdbw1THz1RMV5zjCxDQ0-Ia6j7NxPkZclBDC9Upal7YHPikB6s0s_49Neaj-A0sCc2VMjZdrLQUgQ/s1600/MUregionals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUx-WyheyWd_fbiOvWEfNER3t2VljyR4UmVz7Tk-51yWIbJuYyvQQbUZS41V-QNUdbw1THz1RMV5zjCxDQ0-Ia6j7NxPkZclBDC9Upal7YHPikB6s0s_49Neaj-A0sCc2VMjZdrLQUgQ/s320/MUregionals.jpg" /></a>
I made it, folks!!! It is now the end of the Crossfit season (for me☺) AND the end of the school year.
It has taken me a while to even begin writing a blog about Regionals because Monday morning bright and early I was thrown back into the midst of teaching 9th graders. While I was REALLY happy with how regionals went, I didn’t have a lot of time for reflection because I was so stressed/excited/anxious about wrapping up the school year.
It is a great feeling when you realize that all of your hard work has paid off. For some reason I like to make myself panicked about the fact that this might not happen, and I do this to myself EVERY year in both Crossfit and my teaching career. Throughout the school year, I feel defeated. I am never happy with my lesson plans because I always want them to be better or feel the kids aren’t listening to me when I try to inspire them. With Crossfit, I feel like my progress in the gym is slow and always feel behind.
However, this is my 8th year of teaching and my 3rd year competiting in Crossfit and, dammit, I should know better at this point! I found this quote the other day and it really hit home.
<blockquote>“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it” ~Thoreau
</blockquote> I mean, don’t get me wrong...you still have to have a plan for success...but I do find myself busy, moving to project to project, and always focused on what is next that I never really see or feel progress being made. So, I guess this is why sometimes it all hits me and I am completely overwhelmed by how far I have come or how much my students have learned.
I was never a high school or college athlete. When I started Crossfitting I thought I would never get a muscle up and I was scared of doing forward rolls and being upside down in a handstand. And, I NEVER thought I would climb a rope due to my deathly fear of heights. So after regionals this year instead of planning next years goals or thinking about how many rest days I should take, I made myself stop for a second just be proud of myself. My friends teased me that I had a huge smile on my face coming out for the WODs and how it looked like I was coming out to a beauty pagent; we all had a good laugh about it. I guess part of that smile was the excitement, part of it was the nervousness, and part was, of course, the fact that I love cameras and attention, but really, what I think made me the most happy was the fact that I made it. Regionals gets bigger every year, and this year I could really feel it!! Maybe it was the fact that the audience was closer to the arena than last year, or maybe it was because Jared got to cheer me on this year, or maybe it was just because I had a date with muscle ups, or maybe it was because I worked even harder than last year, or MAYBE it was that my super awesome friend Anton took over as my coach for the weekend with an offical coach's pass and everything. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QPUAU63S2UE7Wq5mK09RV9-Vpjr_GSxqt0FanNA4BurhZbCDk_W_I-f73wLl0vX8KVlp1m9eDSAyqyAQTneHfmnik7OsffAJbbx59cIZ1Ux-B8Yzrc96FupMW30npHB3xwhJhsDwF9Y/s1600/coach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="166" width="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QPUAU63S2UE7Wq5mK09RV9-Vpjr_GSxqt0FanNA4BurhZbCDk_W_I-f73wLl0vX8KVlp1m9eDSAyqyAQTneHfmnik7OsffAJbbx59cIZ1Ux-B8Yzrc96FupMW30npHB3xwhJhsDwF9Y/s200/coach.jpg" /></a>
I don’t know….but it was time for the hard work to pay off, and well, that is exciting and made me smile REALLY big.
Well....at least SOME of the time! I was SO nervous about making it through all three days, since that was one of my goals coming out of regionals last year. So, the hour I had to wait after the snatch latter (which wasn't my best event) to see if I would make top 18 so I could have my date with destiny (muscle ups) was the worst. After bombing out on muscle ups the last two years at Regionals, I was basically hyperventilating while waiting for the results. And boy...once they came it...there were lots of tears and then it was time to kick into gear for WOD 6 :) One of the most memorable competition WODs I have done thus far. The best part of it all was that Anton, Jared, and TONS of VCFers were directly behind me metaphorically and physically. It was just plain fucking awesome.
Upon returning to school I felt like I was on cloud 9. How could everyone just be walking to class right now? Don’t they know what just happened this weekend? HOW CAN EVERYONE JUST BE ACTING NORMAL???
Anyway, once we finished up the Othello essays I decided to give my 9th graders an assignment called“6 Things I learned in English Class” that modeled after the ESPN articles “6 Things you should know about_______” presented in every edition. This way they could demonstrate what they learned in a more creative way. You know what? Turns out the students WERE listening after all! I decided to put just a few of my favorites in my blog!
<blockquote><b>Crossfit Inspiration:
<i></b>When Mrs. Ryan tells me her crazy stories about crossfit, it makes me believe in myself as a runner, especially because she makes me feel like she believes in my too, as a student and an athlete. Because of her ability to teach many English classes on top of doing crossfit really well, it makes me feel like I can get better times and records in track, on top of keeping up with my schoolwork, and that’s important.
</blockquote></i>
<blockquote><b>There are no boundaries:
<i></b>I remember a recent conversation in class about how men are normally stronger than women, but Mrs. Ryan proves this stereotype wrong with her dedication to crossfit. She even competes in professional competition. I admire Mrs. Ryan’s hard work and dedication because I too have interests that are not considered “normal” for my ethnicity, like skateboarding. But Mrs. Ryan has taught me to be myself, no matter what others think.
</blockquote></i>
<blockquote><b>From teacher to student:
<i></b>This year Mrs. Ryan has also greatly helped me grow as a student and a person in this class. She has a great fun loving attitude and makes everyone in the class feel comfortable. I feel like I can share anything with the class and Mrs. Ryan will be appreciative of anything that I have to say. Her crazy stories are fun while motivating us and showing us that we can accomplish if we really try. Mrs. Ryan has been my favorite teacher this year for those reasons, she is fun and inspiring and helped me greatly become a better writer, analyzer, and person.
</blockquote></i>
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And SO....another Crossfit season and school year ends and I sure as hell am smiling! :)Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-34180065186331924092012-05-07T19:00:00.001-07:002012-05-07T19:00:12.757-07:00Teachable Moments.So it’s last block and I am giving my students a run down of what is going on for this week since I”ll be missing two days of school for Regionals. A few students ask some questions about the competition, so I explain what I am in store for this weekend. Watching their eyes bug out after telling them some of the WODs was the best. This is my chattest class AND it's last block AND they were all silently listening to me. Score! A few of the boys ask me how well I need to do in order to make it to the next step in July, so I continue explaining the process. Another one of my students tells me to “WIN!” And there it was…..a teachable moment that I couldn’t pass up. Othello would have to wait a minute….so I told the class that it wasn’t about winning. Then another student says, “then why do they call it a competition?” <br />
Valid Question. So I clarified what I meant….<br />
We all want to win! Who doesn’t want to win? Winning is FUN and AMAZING! Yes, when I am regionals I will be trying to beat other girls. Yes, I want to see how well I can do on the leaderboard. Yes, I want to make it to the Crossfit Games in July. However, if that becomes the only thing that it is about, then problems arise and don’t feel you will ever be at your very best. <br />
I explained to the class about my experience with muscle ups over the last two regionals and how I have my own personal goals to actually make it to that WOD and how I want to perform in that WOD along with lots of other goals, too….and those are just as important as beating the girl next to me. I have went all year long with passion, determination, and excitement working toward these personal goals, so this is about me and nobody else. <br />
One girl in the front row piped up and said that is exactly what her track coach told her the other day and once she started focusing more on herself….she got a huge PR and, as a result, placed high in her track meet. Wow! Could this have been a better moment in class? Can I just go home now and call it a day? Anyway, that track coach sounds like a damn good guy. In fact, he has been doing Crossfit for just under a year now. I remember the day he asked me to help him get started! <br />
I am lucky to have those types of coaches around me every day at Valley to remind me of what is important, even if they are my competition this weekend:) However, we will all be out there fighting our own personal battles though…… because that is what it is truly about.<br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SBC902gSIpY?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-55096803145339627732012-05-02T19:00:00.001-07:002012-05-02T19:05:40.562-07:00I'm Back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, here I am! (That is for YOU, my three followers of this blog. LOL)I know I stopped blogging for a while there. I got a little sick after the Open and my parents came into two for a few weeks to visit, which was awesome!!The Open was long but great! I stuck to my rules that I made for myself, which made the Open pretty smooth for me. Don’t get me wrong. Negative thoughts entered my head throughout the long 5 weeks of the Open. Although I do have to say I did a pretty good job kicking those negative thoughts in the ass! I really feel like this year’s Open has helped me in my mental game. Every time a negative thought entered my head I replaced it a positive one, a positive rep, or a feeling of excitement. Most importantly, these positive thoughts weren’t forced but rather I made myself actually BELIEVE them. I had to work hard to do this but as the weeks trudged on….I kept at it.
As I am sitting here recaping the Open, I realized I need to be doing the same thing right now for Regionals!!! Regionals training has been tough –trying to get all the extra stuff in while also teaching. I was spoiled last year because regionals was after school got out. However, I did what I needed to do without feeling too sorry for myself or letting myself get into that "victim" mentality again:)I have to give a shout out to Jared, my hubby, for being so supportive with my crazy schedule and mood swings:):)
In fact, I just gave my students this same speech last week in class. Since we got back from spring break, I caught three students cheating, have a long list of kids with missing homework, and, on top of that, students can’t even remember to bring their damn Othello books to class. I always joke with my students at the end of the year and tell them “not to fall off the ship.” “The ship is sailing and isn’t to port until mid-June.”
This year one of the class clowns pipes up and says, “But what if we hit an iceberg?!”
I respond, “Don’t worry. I am a good captain.” And we all have a laugh.
I am desperate to motivate my students right now. I find myself in the same predicament every year at this time; it is very hard for the kids to focus and begin to feel like everyday we are one step closer to sinking. Will I change all of the kids? Absolutely not. However, I always try my best each year. This year I decided to tell them about my training program because most of the time if I talk about Crossfit they actually listen. I explained that I am at the gym for 2 to 3 hours every night doing workouts, strength, skills, and anything else to get ready for Regionals. Many nights have been spent in the parking lot of my gym, in the dark, alone, pushing/pulling weight. I explained to them that it would be easy for me to skip it, quit half way through, or go home to sleep, but I don’t. It is so much more important to me that my students learn work ethics, perseverance, and integrity rather than comma rules. So, I figure if I can try to model this to them as much as possible, it will help.
On that note, I am so excited yet nervous for Regionals. I have a lot of goals set for myself that I have been thinking about since last year’s regional. These nerves have seemed to get the best of me lately, but I need to be my own damn captain- nobody can do it for me. I need to control my thoughts like I did in the Open so I don’t let any 70 pound icebergs throw me around. I am the one in control!! Let’s do this! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9dQJr7hxh3Sc6sBrOIhZim0oa8mn-ZXBfzCNDfJbuHfdYh1C4IU5sX5K5g_svV_l6y7iweGV9fzKLKlAWDlwl4ssIPG4KFYuCp63TfaZZhaVb7DwbBVRXiOcqk8Yo7mBee6IKjeWDHU/s1600/MU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="316" width="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9dQJr7hxh3Sc6sBrOIhZim0oa8mn-ZXBfzCNDfJbuHfdYh1C4IU5sX5K5g_svV_l6y7iweGV9fzKLKlAWDlwl4ssIPG4KFYuCp63TfaZZhaVb7DwbBVRXiOcqk8Yo7mBee6IKjeWDHU/s320/MU.jpg" /></a></div>Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-43030869648998734442012-03-06T17:12:00.001-08:002012-03-06T17:28:06.146-08:00Crossfit Crazy?“I dwell in possibility” ~Emily Dickinson<br /><br />My friends at school all think that what I do at Crossfit is crazy. Sure, I do a lot of competitions, I am strict with my diet, can’t go out to dinner with friends during the week because I am training, and have to make some sacrifices along the way. I lift a lot of weight, come to school with strange bruises, and pass on the cookies at lunch. For those that don’t know much about Crossfit, I may just turn them off from the thought of it. In fact, many co-workers all tell me that they couldn’t possibly do what I do. Well, I always tell them that I didn’t used to be able to do all of this either when I first started years ago with Doug when Crossfit was just an infant. <br />However, the beauty of Crossfit is watching someone do something they thought they couldn’t do. It doesn’t matter what weight it is, how you scored in The Open, or what your time was compared to everyone else in class. All of that is relative to how YOU did in comparison to yesterday and the day before yesterday. I remember when I got my first pull up at Hyperfit. I remember when I deadlifted 225 pounds and couldn’t believe it, and now my last PR was over 300 pounds. And, BOY…do I remember my first muscle up at VCF. That was probably the most memorable because I worked the hardest for it. It doesn’t matter the weight or the movement. What matters is that YOU improve all while getting fit and having fun. <br />Over my years of Crossfitting in both Michigan and L.A, I’ve watched people drop HUNDREDS of pounds doing Crossfit but also have seen skinny and frail women gain strength in both mind and body. THIS is the heart of Crossfit. While I love competition, you don’t have to compete in the NLI or the OC Throwdown but everyone should always be competing with themselves to be better. Crossfit makes you better at life and I love it.Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-67920684927419786122012-02-28T21:49:00.003-08:002012-02-28T21:54:33.430-08:00Friends near and far“Sometimes our light goes out, but is blown again into instant flame by an encounter with another human being.” ~Schewitzer<br /><br />I realized the other day how happy I am with the people in my life. I don’t mean just the people I see every day, but I mean the people that are a part of my life for the long haul. These are people that always leave me feeling refreshed and rejuvenated after talking to them. <br /><br />I realized this a few weeks back when one of my students was talking about how she feels like she can’t find anyone to fully trust to be her best friend. While this made me sad, I thought back to myself in 9th grade. I sure didn’t have that figured out yet either!! However, as I look at my life now, I feel SO overwhelmingly blessed that I have so many friends all around the states and even a few in different countries! I am still friends with a TON of people from high school, which seems rare these days. On top of that, I have all of my Gamma Phi Beta sisters and all of the Pi Kappa Phi guys. I have my friends from Salem high school, along with my friends from Hyperfit. I mean….one of the reasons I loved my wedding so much (besides that I married Jared haha) was because many of these people were all in the same place at the same time. Basically, this was a dream come true to have people from “all walks of life” celebrating with me on my special day. And now that I have moved to LA, I have my VCF friends and my friends at Campbell Hall.<br /><br />I am not listing all of these groups of friends to prove I am popular…. Hahahah…. But rather I am doing it because I realized that I have created this world for myself that I love. And, sometimes when I really miss people, I have to remind myself how lucky I truly am. I grow through conversations with others. Whether those conversations are helping me with my split jerk, discussing a new lesson plan, helping me make a decision, or just discussing life in general; they are bringing a new perspective that leaves me feeling whole again because I have opened my mind to new possibilities. I encouraged my students by telling them that it takes a little bit of time to find those you can trust and those that make you better….but when you do, don’t lose them! I think this is a big reason that I love being a teacher. I learn just as much from my students as they learn from me. And Crossfit? Well, jeez…it is all about the inner struggle with yourself every day. We couldn’t survive without coaches, friends, and family at the gym. <br /><br />Now……...how can I get all of my Michigan friends and LA friends together at one big party? I think my heart would explode.<br /><br />Cheers to true friendship both near and far.Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-61108311417664825692012-02-26T22:51:00.002-08:002012-02-26T22:55:16.533-08:00On a Friday.Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious. ~Bill Meyer<br /><br />Eight minutes left of class and I decided that this was my last attempt to actually teach something substantial to my students today. <br /><br />Last week I had to hold one of my classes in the boardroom because the big wigs were using my normal room for a meeting because they wanted an actual “classroom feel." So the ONE 9th grade class that I normally have a very specific seating chart for is now in a room with big, comfy rolly chairs that are all jammed together ……on a FRIDAY. <br /><br />Wonderful.<br /><br />The first half of class was a battle to get them to listen to how the next test is going to be set up and how to start brainstorming for their thesis statements. The second half of class was a battle to get them to start reviewing in small groups. But with 8 minutes remaining I realized this was my chance to get them to really leave for the weekend with something to think about. So I decided, at the last minute, to talk about The Open. After I explained the burpee WOD, it was funny to hear them say “wait….that is IT?”<br /> <br />hahaha oh children….if you only knew….<br /><br />So I explained to them that, of course, part of this workout tests your conditioning and muscle endurance. However, a big part of it was really mental. It was just you and those burpees. There was no one to chase. There was no change in movement. There was no relief. And I closed my eyes for half of it, so all I could do was hear the voices of those coaching me along…… listening to Kris give me cues or Sue scream at me the last 30 seconds. I had to keep telling myself I was fine and to stay relaxed, keep moving, and not to let negative thoughts creep in. I mean…hey…they don’t call KAREN a OMMF (one movement mind #$%@) for nothing.<br /><br />So I explained to my students (after demonstrating what a burpee was…in the board room..haha) that just because things seem difficultsometimes, their attitude is what makes or breaks them. All I hear around school is students talking about how they are going to fail the test, how they are stupid, or how other people are stupid… etc etc…negativity is just pouring out of those walls. I challenged them to be better than that and suggested they try to take the negative thought that enters their mind and switch it over to a positive one (Kudos to the Amundson seminar). I told them it wouldn’t be easy, but it will make them better and stronger and that I work on this myself every day. <br /><br />You could hear a pin drop. I think they got the point. Or maybe they just thought I was nuts. Either way……cheers to another week of teaching, competing, and pushing myself to be better. Hooyah.Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-38957048977542829852012-02-22T19:59:00.001-08:002012-02-22T20:02:23.343-08:00We are all in it together!So I realized that yesterday’s post was more focused on the negative aspects of the Open, while today I realized how cool it is that The Crossfit Open brings people together! We are all experiencing the SAME THING at the SAME TIME. Whether people are nervous , excited, scared, hate the WOD, love the WOD, making jokes or extremely serious…..we are all in it together. All of my crossfitting friends across the entire nation are with me….MAKING MEMORIES! <br /><br />AND....if you know me...you know that is my favorite thing to do.Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-82847386256067741712012-02-21T22:24:00.000-08:002012-02-21T22:28:03.893-08:00Let the Wild Rumpus....Start!So the Crossfit Open starts tomorrow! I can hardly believe it. Last year I truly let the Open take over my life. I got nervous during the school day. I let my other training slide because I was so paranoid about doing the Open WODs twice. I checked the website a million times a day. I talked to everyone about each WOD to get different perspectives and thoughts. Don’t get me wrong. I am going to be nervous; it means I care! However, this year my goal is to control all of this. I don’t want my entire life to stop for 5 weeks because it is the Crossfit Open. I don’t want my extra training to fall to the wayside so I get to Regionals (hopefully) and am not prepared. I want to balance it all out and feel more in control than I did last year. Don’t get me wrong, last year’s Open went well. There were tears of joy and mostly PRs the second time I did the WOD. However, I think there is room for even more improvement this year when it comes to my mental state.<br />SO I am setting parameters for myself before all of this insanity ensues. If I set them up ahead of time, I will more likely stay on track.<br /> My plan of attack:<br />1. If I start obsessing, I am leaving the gym (after I help judge, that is )<br />2. If people around me start obsessing, I will walk away and mobilize.<br />3. If I want to rest the day before I do an Open WOD, I will work on skills so my time isn’t wasted. <br />4. If I want to check the standings, I am only allowed to look three times a week. <br />5. I will not allow myself to get nervous while I am at school. I need to be there for my students, and I also don’t need to waste that energy. I need to save it for the WOD.<br />6. I am going to try and sign up for the same times each week so I don’t obsess about heat times....One less thing to think about! <br />7. I need to focus on the positive and stay focused on controlling the thoughts in my head. It won't be easy, but I will be persistent! <br /><br />Persistence<br />If you think you are beaten, you are.<br />If you think you dare not, you don't. <br />If you like to win but think you can't, <br />It's almost a cinch you won't. <br />If you think you'll lose, you're lost. <br />For out in the world we find<br />Success begins with a fellow's will. <br />It's all in the state of mind. <br />If you think you are out classed, you are. <br />You've got to think high to rise. <br />You've got to be sure of your-self before<br />You can ever win the prize. <br />Life's battles don't always go<br />To the stronger or faster man. <br />But sooner or later, the man who wins<br />Is the man who thinks he can.\<br />~Posted by Douglas Chapman at HyperfitUSA.comLisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225012082044736724.post-48220980362493603042012-01-31T20:51:00.000-08:002012-01-31T21:04:33.560-08:00Write it down!<em><strong>"By recording your goals and dreams on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be." -Mark Victor Hansen </strong></em><br /><br />There is something very powerful about writing down your goals but also your weaknesses. It sounds so damn simple and sometimes I wonder….do I really need to write it down? I know in my head what I want to accomplish. However, every time I end up writing it down because that is the only way true dreams are achieved, at least for me. <br /><br />I accomplished a huge PR/goal at the gym the other night. Backsquats have been a weakness for a long time. I have really worked on my form, practiced them when I didn’t want to, and sometimes felt the progress was slow. Everything finally paid off!! Courageous patience. <br /><br />The other week I was feeling disorganized with my extra training, and that is when I realized I hadn’t updated my weakness/ skills to work on list. Once I did that, I felt much better and things fell back into place. <br /><br />Jared does the same thing! He has a business list, personal list, and a Crossfit list. We are a family of list makers over here, but we truly believe in it! In fact, we have a meeting every December to plan our finances but also our personal goals and relationship goals for the upcoming year....and, you guessed it...we write. it. DOWN! <br /><br />Here are why lists (for crossfit) are a beautiful thing for me: <br /><br />1. If there is a good drill I learn in one of the classes, I won’t forget it and can come back to it another time. <br /><br />2. It helps me maintain integrity. I hate feeling like I avoided something for too long (even though avoidance is really easy). If a list is staring me in the face, I am going to knock it down. Period.<br /><br />3. Making progress or getting a PR feels that much better! ( For example, for a while I had to improve my MUs by fixing my elbows so they came through at the same time. I would practice and practice but I just had such a hard time fixing it, even with coaching cues from various coaches. Then while doing JASON one night it clicked. Boy, that felt amazing. And folks…..THAT was on the list.)<br /><br />4. It helps keep ME worried about ME and no one else. Everyone is always training at the gym doing extra WODs, strength, skills, or mobility outside of class. It is easy to get lost in this or not know what would benefit ME the most…then it becomes easy to give up and just chat away with friends (we’ve all been there!). If I have my handy dandy list, there is something I can go to! If my arms are sore, I can work something with my legs…or just work a skill…or learn some new mobility. I don’t have a lot of extra time because of my teaching job, so I have to be smart in how I spend it. This helps me focus on ME and not worry about what everyone else is doing, which, in turn, makes me a better athlete. <br /><br />While thinking about my own crossfit list/goals/dreams, I realized I haven’t checked in with my students! At the beginning of the year I had them write down their goals (school, sports, music, all areas) and told them the importance of actually writing them down and also the power of positive self-talk. I stole a bit of this from the Amundson seminar, which I happily told Greg when I saw him at regionals last year. He was excited that I was bringing this stuff to my high schoolers! So, at some point this week I am going to fit this into one of my lesson plans and see where my kids are at, especially since it is midway through the school year. I can’t wait!<br /><br />Write it down!!!!!Lisa Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923577629954214405noreply@blogger.com1