Growing up, I wasn’t much of an athlete. I didn’t play ball or tennis, or do gymnastics. No, nothing like that. Not this girl! Nope. I was a bookworm, instead.
I lived and breathed books. I couldn’t wait to get done with school, with homework, with chores, just so I could lose myself in a story. (I’m sure my readers and author friends are uber surprised! LOL.) The idea of dressing in workout gear and getting sweaty ON PURPOSE was insane to me, and I carried this notion well into adulthood…
But look at me now!
Well, okay, so this photo’s a couple years old, and I can snatch way more now than what’s shown, but still… I was stronger then than I was before! The bestest part? I’m getting stronger every day.
Nowadays I can’t imagine life without physical movement, and I find that if I haven’t had a workout in a while, my body complains. Loudly. See, I’ve discovered that, for me, a CrossFit workout takes both mental and physical strength. And I certainly need to maintain both!
What about you? Have you tried building strength in a part of your life that you never thought you could? Please share!
Lucky me to have spent an entire weekend as a spectator at a CrossFit Games this past summer! It was tough, I tell ya! I mean, an entire weekend surrounded by gorgeous, fit bodies. Bodies honed by hours at the box (gym), with good food, and a never-quit attitude. *Sigh*
And while the weekend was filled with lots of examples of sexy, I think there’s one kind of guy who depicts the ultimate in sexiness, one kind of guy who makes me think, “Yep. I could go for that!” Here are some examples.
My idea of sexy: a guy who adores his kids enough to take good care of himself so he can be around for them. And while some of you might not agree, I don’t think it gets much better than that!
This summer I had a much-needed break from reality when I made a road trip to one of the CrossFit games in my part of the world. I spent a couple of days surrounded by incredibly fit dudes who made me wonder just how much time they spent at the gym. Don’t believe me? Take a look!
He made it look so easy!
Rippling muscles . . . . *Sigh!*
Great . . . uh . . . “form”
I think I could watch this all day!
There are no words. . ..
Hand stand walk . . . Better them than me!
An example of what the guys looked like after a round!
Should one of the heroes in a future story involve a CrossFit-like hero? Maybe. But first,check in next Monday and see how the women did!
As a writer I spend a lot of time on my rear, an unfortunate necessity if I want to finish a manuscript. Said rear does have to get into motion on a pretty regular basis to help keep my head clear, prevent burn-out, and justify the copious amounts of chocolate and red wine that La Muse requires to keep going. (So high-maintenance. . ..)
Simply put, it’s all about functional fitness, concentrating on movements that we use every day: bending, pushing, carrying, pulling, squatting, lifting, etc. We go faster, harder, and with heavier weights, every time we show up at the box (gym). And each PR is celebrated by fellow CrossFitters.
And while CrossFit isn’t for everyone, it works for me. Why? Because once I start the WOD (workout of the day), my entire focus is on finishing it. Nothing else matters but the next box jump . . . the next 200 meter run . . . the next set of wall balls. My mind is utterly occupied with keeping correct form when I lift a 115 lb. weight, or when I flip a tire, or even when I run. I concentrate on each movement, and if I don’t, I run the risk of hurting myself.
Me after a particularly brutal WOD:
Yep, you guessed it. That’s my outline. In sweat. (Kinda gross, huh?)
But that’s okay. It justified the two scoops of ice cream I had that night. 🙂
Picture it: me and the bar. No, not the typical kind most people would get excited about. You know, the one where you go in and place an order for something yummy-tasting as you listen to great music or chat with friends.
Nope. This kind of bar had it in for me. I knew it the moment my CrossFit coach told me not to bother pulling out the 15-pound one. Huh-uh. In his seemingly twisted head I’d graduated up to the 45-pounder, the kind my CrossFit buddy, Red, refers to as “the big-girl bar.”
‘Cept, Coach didn’t stop there. All through our warm-ups for the WOD (workout of the day), he insisted I add more weight until, finally, he was satisfied that the bar would be heavy enough to really challenge me.
One look at it and I was sure he was nuts. Seriously nuts. He wanted me to lift my body weight? As part of the WOD? Did he not realize I weighed a whopping 90 lbs.? Sure, that might not sound like a lot to some people, but have you tried deadlifting your body weight?
Anyway, Travis pushed me to at least give it a try. I figured that if anything went south, there’d likely be some studly paramedic-dudes to come haul me away, and I was sure I could use the experience in a book somewhere. (Isn’t there a bright side to everything?) So, I stepped up to the bar. . .
Saying a silent prayer!‘Scuse the goofy look — I was surprised!
. . . And proved he wasn’t a liar. 🙂 So, yeah, I also proved to myself that I could do it!
As a romance writer, I thought about the hero and heroine in my WIP as I drove home afterwards. (I know, huh? They choose the strangest times to demand attention!) Did they really challenge each other, pull each other outside of their comfort zones, bring out the best in each other so that by the end of the story the reader believes they deserve the happily-ever-after I give them? For me, that’s part of the challenge. . . right along with structuring the plot. . . and developing the internal journey. . . and nailing down believable motivations. . . and making sure the conflict is sound. . . and . . .
Sigh. There’s still a ton for me to learn. Fortunately, life provides a ton of inspiration!
What’s the last thing you did that pulled you out of your comfort zone?
-Melia (with special thanks to fellow CrossFit buddy, Vicky, for taking the photos. I owe you!)
Santa, baby, slip a sable under the tree. For me.  Been an awful good girl. . ..
Those are the opening lines of the song piping through the speakers now. Seriously. And it made me think about Hubmeister’s selective hearing.
See, my Christmas wish list was pretty simple this year: an Abmat (so I can work on butterfly sit-ups outside of the box — that’s CrossFit-speak for gym). I even took a photo so he’d know exactly what to get. (Good of me, huh?)Â
A few weeks ago, I’d have sworn that’s what I wanted, would have insisted that nothing would make me happier. And I blissfully waltzed through the holidays, basking in the knowledge that Santa Hubby would come through.
So it was with huge anticipation I gazed at the Christmas package I got from Hubmeister this morning (who else would go through the trouble to make me laugh so hard?):
I was soooo sure an Abmat was in there, waiting for me to do crunches, waiting to be hauled out later this afternoon – before dinner – to help me earn that extra piece of Primal Cheesecake for dessert. Oh, yeah, I imagined every second as I tore into the package. Literally. *Insert blissful sigh*
Right. Turns out the man’s such a tease! Here’s what I got instead:
Yeah, okay, I’m grinning. It wasn’t what I expected, wasn’t anything close to what I wanted. But I guess I must’ve been an awfully good girl, huh?
Naughty or nice, I hope Santa brings you all you want and more! Merry Christmas!
-Melia (who plans to go out and get herself an Abmat tomorrow. . ..)
Well, okay, so this photo’s a couple years old, and I can snatch way more now than what’s shown, but still… I was stronger then than I was before! The bestest part? I’m getting stronger every day.
