Last night, we did our annual pumpkin carving as a family around the kitchen table for Halloween. It’s so funny to see the different personalities that come through as we create our masterpieces. This year I decided to do a CrossFit theme – and created a Strict Shoulder Press image! I think it came out pretty awesome!

HB has also been asking for me to find some new recipes for dinner since I seem to always make the same stuff – night after night. So last night I found this one from Paleo Porn: CHIPOTLE PALEO CHICKEN THIGHS. I didn’t have the green beans she mentions but did roast the garlic alongside the chicken and let me tell you – it was so good! I used boneless chicken thighs and from the looks of the picture included, she used thighs with skin which would have been yummy too.

I paired it with some carrots and a sweet potato – I was really happy with the outcome and the kids ate it with no complaints! I loved how easy preparing the chicken was and since I used foil on top of the pan, clean up was pretty easy too. Win/Win in my book.

I mentioned before that I am trying to really surround myself with positive people more. Trying to find out what makes them tick, seeing what I can learn from them. Doing this is very much stepping outside of my comfort zone in some cases because I am setting up appointments with people that I have only know casually. Yesterday I met with a CEO of an up and coming company to find out more about what he’s doing and ask for some advice. As awkward as it was – something my sister mentioned to me the other day really helped me – She said something to the effect of “You have nothing to lose. You are no worse for wear after you ask or reach out to someone.”  She is looking for job opportunities and decided to just start following up with people even if she doesn’t know them because in the end, the worst that can happen is that no opportunity arises –and she is really no worse off than before. So why not. It’s back to the meaning behind Why Not You?

We are caught up in the What Ifs and the Fear behind doing something that makes us uncomfortable –but in the end, for the most part, the choices we have to make are not life and death situations. You may end up looking like a fool or it not working out — either side of the coin isn’t that bad. So Why Not?

Last night, I came across this story shared by CrossFit Eternal:Training through illness and injury that I think is so important to share. Short story: A CrossFitter is battling a MRSA infection that developed after an appendectomy and what he discovers as he recovers from a pretty grueling, serious situation is that being physically fit and nutritionally balanced before this battle is what has helped him recover faster and smoother than so many others around him.

In my mind, the most important point he shares is:

If you wait until you NEED to be fit, you’ve waited too long.

Kurt learned very quickly during his hospital stay that he wasn’t the “average” patient. There were others who had similar surgeries who were not faring as well. His overall level of fitness was helping him to get better faster and stronger sooner. Clean Paleo(ish) eating and working out on a regular basis help to make him strong both physically and emotionally. And when you’re really sick and/or really injured, all those things (physical/emotional/spiritual) come together and are deeply affected. Therefore, if you’ve built a strong foundation during your “good” years, then you will draw on what you know when you are hit with illness or injury. As CrossFitters, you know how to suffer. You know how to endure. And you know how to maintain a positive attitude when you are suffering.

So many people all the time – say oh I will start focusing on my health when I lose xx pounds or they just wait for a ‘sign’. The problem is that when that sign comes, that is usually when you need the strength, physically and mentally, the most and it’s almost too late.

One of my driving forces in my ongoing fitness focus is that I don’t want to be one of those women that ages and becomes immobile — unable to take care of myself. I want to be moving and jumping around until I am six feet under. We all sit on our asses way too much — and then complain about how bad our health insurance is and how it won’t cover this or that. While that is all true –we need to start taking care of ourselves NOW so that we don’t need to put all that crap in our bodies to help us function.  I am not against better living through chemistry – trust me. Sometimes – you can do all the right things, but genetics or lifestyle can’t be helped. But – you see people with bad hips, bad back, obesity related issues and all of those can in most cases be addressed with some physical fitness and proper nutrition.

None of us have any real excuse not too! It’s 4% of your day – one hour to go for a walk, join a gym, take a CrossFit class, Zumba, Yoga – WHATEVER it is.

Kurt, the athlete in the story above, didn’t ever expect to have to battle MRSA. He was doing all the right things and because of that — he is recovering better than most. Don’t wait until it’s too late. 

Here’s the video of Kurt’s Story:

Workout: FRAN