San Diego Adventure!

Papa, Stefan, and I hopped in our big diesel truck at three in the morning tuesday the 18th on the road toward Orange County. Papa had some engineering work to do in Orange before we headed to Brand X Martial Arts in Ramona. We arrived at pa's work building at 8:00 am and stefan and I did math lessons until noon when we again jumped in the car to race to Brand X so we could workout with the famous Martin family. We made it there a couple minutes late but just in time to do a quick warmup and storm through a workout called "Short Helen" :

3 rounds-
run 200 meters
21 Kettlebell swings
run 200 meters
12 pullups

It was a great honor working out with Jeff, Connor and Keegan!
After the workout we hung out there and when evening came we went to a Mexican Restaurant with the family. We then headed to the Robinsons to get some shut-eye. Their house was really hot so we slept on their deck in the backyard. It was nice and cool at night but when we awoke, we were really sweaty in our sleeping bags and the air was very humid. the night before we had planned to go surfing that morning. when we went inside the house to get ready for the waves, guess who we saw! ROB MILLER, a famous climber and avid CrossFitter! Oh yah!

After packing the boards in Chris Robinson's dodge ram we zoomed to the beach. I swam and rested the whole time while the men rode the warm waves. It was pretty fun until stefan and I decided to take a swim together before we went back the the house. The beach was really rocky and it was really easy to cut yourself while walking in the water, so Stefan picked this one place where it looked like all the rocks had been washed out to sea. There was a 4 foot wide pathway of pure sand that lead to the water. We walked out into the water and dodged under the waves until the water was about up to our waste. The next moment in was up to our shoulders and the next we couldn't feel the bottom. We were caught in the riptides. Each moment the beach got farther and farther away. I told stefan we should go back to shore, but he reminded me that he couldn't swim anywhere. I freaked out and started screaming, "HELP, HELP!" It must sound really dramatic, but I was scared out of my wits! I started praying... screaming to God to get us out. I must have freaked papa out cause he started coming but then he started getting sucked out also. A nearby surfer must've heard me cause I saw a guy with a surfboard swam(more floated) toward us. The rest happened so fast I'm not quite sure exactly what happened, but I remember that the guy kept instructing us and telling us when the waves were coming. we were slowly washed up to shore. I don't know how papa got back but he was there to hug us when we returned to shore. The lifeguards kept asking us if we had water in our lungs, but I didn't feel anything. we rode home in silence. I was thinking: hmm... when I was out there I must've of felt like Joe simpson when he was hanging over that clif with the broken leg, and just like Aaron Rolston with his arm stuck behind the freezing rock. I felt helpless, close to death. sigh... great experience! :)

Anyway, we went to CrossFit San Diego later that day and did this brutal workout called "Lisa Ray" after the woman who made it up. Then we hung out there until later that evening when papa gave a little seminar to all his climbing buddies from the SD area. I demonstrated most of the movements then they all did a workout. it was pretty interesting watching people who just started the program. I crashed that evening after the long and thrilling day!

The next afternoon we headed to Vista for a day at Mike's Gym. Coach Burgener, aka: the big teddy bear, coached us on our olympic lifts. Mike Burgener's a great coach and has a really loveable personality. That's why Aimee calls him the big teddy bear:) Stefan and I really improved our technique while we were there. After we finished our workout, we watched Aimee(weightlifter), Jasmine(I don't know exactly who she was but she was nice), and Sage Burgener lift. They were awesome! The rest of the day we rested.

The next day was Friday. I thought this was going to be my rest day because of the 3 days on 1 day off system, but pa insisted we do the 6am workout at CFSD. Eddie Lugo(founder of CFSD) prescribed "Fight on Friday!" There were five exercise: pullups; a medicine ball complex; knees to elbows(self explanatory); dumbell clean, jerk, jerk, jerk; and punching bag complexes. You rotated through each exercise trying to do as many reps as you can in a minute. You had a partener to score your reps. 3 rounds. ouch.

We rested and had mexican food that evening. :)

The next day was the first of the two days of the CrossFit Certification Seminar. Stefan and I hung around and listened to Greg Glassman's lectures. We worked out and read a lot on our free time. That evening the trainers threw a surprise b-day party for Coach Glassman's 50th. I just slept in the corner the whole time. The second day of the Cert was pretty much the same except Stefan and I didn't workout. But we learned so much from the different trainers, especially Coach Glassman. Everything went really well. We all met some really awesome people. I love that community. They're so tight together. When Stefan and I are ready to get certified, we will know exactly what to expect from the lectures. We also now know how the community is drawn together. Sunday night all the trainers went to a really nice mexican food place. Us kids barely ate anything and slept in our chairs. We said goodbye to everyone expecially Coach Glassman cause he's moving to Arizona. Then we went back to the Robinson's with Lisa and Mike Ray. Papa let us sleep in.

We headed home Monday. Actually we had to go back to Orange County so papa could finish what he started the week before. We were all very tired, and I was tired of Mexican food. Papa was stoked that we got to meet all these really cool people and experience what we did. I was stoked too:) I love CrossFit.

anyway that was an awesome adventure. I just wanted to let everyone know that my sister bethany's baby is due today. I ask for prayers for Boone, Beth and baby.
:)

~signing off~

thanks

thank you everyone who reads this. I love you all.

I'm going to San Diego this week with papa and Stefan. Well, first we're going to Orange County cause papa has some work to do there. Than we're going to go to Brand X Martial arts in Ramona then to Chris and Susan Robinson's residence to sleep in their backyard. On Wednesday, there's a CrossFit seminar that pa's a trainer at. He said I'm gonna be the model. can't wait... uh. Anyway I can't wait to meet Jeff Martin(Brand X) and family:) Also I'm looking forward to the Robinson's hospitality! I'll let everyone know how it goes.

~signing off~

ps- if you read my blog please post on this entry, just to let me know if there is anyone who's reading it. Thanks:)

Home sweet home!

I got back from Woodward West almost a week ago! I HAD A BLAST!!!

I left Sunday morning(the 2nd, I lied in my last post). My mom drove me to Tehachapi. it was a fun drive. we listened to rockin country music... and talked(I don't know what about) for an hour and a half. the directions on the woodward website led us directly to the woodward west lodge. it was beautiful. the staff were so lucky to stay there. anyway, a man at the lodge gave us directions to camp. when we got to camp, the people told me that I was the first person to check in for the week, because(I didn't know this) camp really started at 3:00 in the afternoon! I checked in at 9:00 am! My mom found my cabin and I settled in. my cabin just happened to be at the back of camp right in front of a sewage system. It didn't really smell, but it did make noise.

After I was settled in my mom left. I was left alone in a dark cabin. Two girls that were there last week were moved in when I got there, but they weren't very socialable. I just read my bible for about a half an hour, then I went to take a walk. I met up with coach Adam, who coaches at my gym. he showed me around the camp. it was huge and amazing! the gym was huge; six trampolines, 2 long tumble tracks, two competition floors, five uneven bar sets and a single rail, two men's high bars, two ring towers, pits to tumble in and much more! I couldn't wait!

After the tour, I went back to my cabin and rested for another hour. Then I decided to eat brunch. The food sucked. I had overcooked scrambled eggs, greasy bacon, and gloppy oatmeal. I guess it was fine the first day cause I wasn't tired of it, but I already missed my dad's food!

then i just waited and waited. I took a couple... hundred walks around campus before my cabin counseler came in. it was Danya Linsteadt! she trained at PA and now goes to UCLA. Everyone else came at about 1:00 or 2:00. everyone got situated and at 3:00 we went to meet the staff and go to evaluations so the gymnastics coaches could put us in groups as levels. Maia and Emily and I were in one training group for the week and Chrissi and Dariella were in another.

After Sunday the week went by pretty smoothly. I learned a lot both inside and out of gym. it was a little difficult adjusting to the society. Since I've been homeschooled for more than a year now, I haven't really gotten used to the... uh... you know... the outside world. I just realized that everyone my age looks 5 years older. I know I'm slow. It was really hard just suddenly being thrown into an environment that is completely different from the one that I've been raised in. Now that I'm getting to know this place called earth that I live on, I feel like I'm an alien. I'm glad that people care for me as they do, but some people just don't meet my standards as a good people. As I was suddenly thrown in, I was suddenly thrown out... rejected. I'm used to it now. I can accept it. It's hard, but I can do it.

I'm really glad that I was coached by the people I was coached by. First of all I'd like to thank Leslie Breeze for comforting me and guiding me through the harsh world outside. I'm glad we have so much in common. Friends Forever.

Second of all I thank all the gymnastics staff for putting in so much effort to teach me about a quarter of what I now know. I accomplished half of my goals that I set for the week in so little time. Yes!!!!!

It took me almost a whole week to write this blog entry. I'm glad I have that much time to tell the world about myself. I'm glad those who care, really care. Thankyou

Off to Woodward

I'm going up to Tehachapi for my week long gymnastics camp today! I'm really excited! There are gonna be a bunch of famous gymnasts and coaches there! The camp has a couple pools and skate parks and a huge gymnasium! I'm a little nervous, but I know I'm gonna have a blast!

Off to Woodward West