day after day

My mind is racing. Why such excitement, little one? I'm just so happy about life. So much seems possible. I'm making new relationships, planning future prospects, enjoying every moment of every day even if I have my ups and downs. I wake up some mornings and want to remain idle for a little while longer, but I know I will not receive fulfillment from the day if I don't do my duties. So I pull my self out of bed, check what my WOD is for the morning, set a time to be at the gym before classes and go through my morning ritual. Washing my face, pulling my hair back, brushing my teeth. And getting food in my system to start the day off right.

Walking to the gym, I think of how the Lord is my lover and he is constantly wooing me with the poetry of nature and gifting me with opportunities.

Arriving at the gym I copy my workout into my log and begin warming up with DROM. I am stiff from the weekend so it takes me longer to loosen up. I roll out my IT bands and trapezius major. Hearing crack-a-lack is sweet to my ears. Eventually I am warm and begin working up to a 1RM Backsquat. 84kg is all I get out of the day. I realize how tired I am. It was a long weekend. I was on my feet demo-ing and coaching at the cert in Puyallup. It was good to lead, to be looked up to, admired and respected. I feel lucky. It's good to be back at the gym, though, I am thankful for the morning. Next is a 2RM shoulder press. I get up to 40kg, which is a PR for that lift.

By that time clients are showing up, so I save my deadlifts for after class. I impart my new knowledge about the burgener WU and skill transfer exercises for the clean onto the class.

After class, my friend Annie hangs out a little to mop the floors. She is a fire-fighter and one of the sweetest women I have known. I tell her she shouldn't clean, but she insists because her dog tracked mud in the other day. She asks me about my family on the east coast, and if I will do crossfit in college. I answer hopefully, but it's hard to say and I will think more about it when the time comes. I tell her we need to workout together more often. She's been setting my standards as far as weight goes (she's a beast!), and I'm always competing against her times. She agrees, and says that I set her standards overall.

On my way home after a private training session I admire the trees as I always do. I am enamored by the blossoms, the wind in the branches, the sun and the clouds. I breath deep the smell of spring. God is so beautiful.

Home. I research where the closest GED testing center is and give them a call. I stutter and hyperventilate when I talk on the phone so I have to call a second time to be reminded what they told me. Sigh. I hope to take the test in the next few weeks. Papa will come along to prevent any problems I might encounter about ID or district authorization (lack thereof). I pray that all things pertaining to getting my identification goes smoothly and comes through in a timely fashion.

Staying at the gym longer than usual set me behind schedule on my studies. I have to be back at the gym by 4:30 for my WOD # 2 with Papa. I am anxious. So I write in my journal a little bit. It calms me down and I begin my calculus review. I'm rusty. Papa will give me my final exam on April 23rd. Deadlines are motivating. In my relaxed state of mind, I re-absorb the information easily. I had forgotten how much I enjoy calculus.

After evening classes, Papa and I go dancing. He has been learning well. And I enjoy it immensely. Unfortunately, we will be taking a break from the lessons, because life has been hectic these days (and the lessons are expensive!). Getting over to Bellevue in the evenings after classes is difficult, and we end up staying up late, which is not good for Papa's health and sanity...
Papa's training for the master's division for the CrossFit Games. He needs his rest. We will shop around for other dance studios and pick it up after the summer buzz dies down a little. We will keep practicing the steps.

The drudgery is hard sometimes. The bumps in the road are exhilarating, but the drudgery, the plateau, is what really matters. Life is made up of drudgery mostly. "Do all things without complaining or arguing" Paul says. There's value in the everyday things, I've come to realize, no matter how difficult it is to stay on track. When I fold the towels out of the dryer, when I do the dishes, when I coach a class, when I have to put on a smile when someone gives me attitude... Concentrating on glorifying the Father has really transformed these duties for me. They have a great value and doing them well is a service to the Lord, somehow. How can I do these things better? I ask myself. Can I be more stoic in the hard times, ride the plateau out, and keep my eyes more committed and my heart more devoted to the face of Jesus?

this made my fricken life.

anna kostenko, ukrainian painter.

san diego, ramona, crossfit brand x.

it was good to get away from home. decompress a little. enjoy my independence. and expand my mind.

i went down south for my olympic lifting certification. i didn't get any pictures of the event because i was part of the action. after sitting on the plane for 4 hours randy took me to "pump wall" a popular bouldering spot at a beach near the airport. my eyes beheld things of paradise. or the clichéd version of it, i guess: beautiful blue sky, sea birds, rocks, perfect sunshine, perfect little swells, salty breeze...







i'm glad i got a little down time before diving into the certification where for two days i was fully applying myself to the experience, to the attendants, to the coaches. i'm experienced in the lifts, but i know that i still have a lot to learn about how to pass my knowledge on to others. i got a lot out of because i went in wanting to learn more. coach burgener wants to hire me to be part of his traveling certification team. next weekend i'm attending the cert in puyallup as an intern. it should be good. yay burpees!

beside the cert:
spent some quality time with the mikki and jeff martin, had a chance to get to know connor a little better, ate awesome-tasting cheap mexican food, witnessed a martial arts belt test(really fricken cool), and saw greg and maril parker for the first time in a very long time! it was stellar.

coach and duncan martin, one legged snatches.


now back to work. yahoo!

a little inspiration from the flowers of spring.

MIRACLE

–noun

1.

an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.

recently my soul has been wanting to sing an ode to the beauty of this world.

~

People are beautiful.
(i couldn't really have said it better)

~

because i'm not going to school yet, i have had so much time to sit and reflect by myself. just thinking about life... right now... the near future... the far future. also reflecting on the past a little bit. i've really blossomed in the last few months. i've recognized beauty, and learned to delight in it and admire it. i've discovered my calling to love, to serve, and sacrifice for people. i have never enjoyed interacting with people more than i do now. i have really stepped outside my shell. i've credited this to the many hours out of the day i sit and bask in the God's love as he speaks to me and encourages me.

i've begun to see what a gift the world is. that God really did create it for our delight.

this winter in seattle has been short and pleasant. the rain doesn't seem as prevalent this year. i'm surprised to admit i've gotten used to it and don't mind it much. only when signs of spring begin to show, i realize that i've missed the sunshine and the colors of Flora Ave. papa took me to index a couple weeks ago when we had a stream of sweet sunshine blessing us. it just shone on my back as i sat on the rock. there was silence beside the water trickling down the granite. behind me were the snow-capped cascades in all their majesty. so incredibly perfect. i don't believe i can really do it justice with my words.

i've come to believe that all of creation is a miracle. because we didn't put it here. we will never understand how it got here. and we can never fully wrap our heads around the one who put it in motion. the immensity of space. the intricacy of the cherry blossoms. the complexity of the human body. i am a witness to millions of little miracles every day. that we even exist and are able to function is ascribed to a supernatural cause.

i'm a romantic and an optimist. i'm a dreamer. i believe in heaven and keep my eyes upon it. i understand the prevalence of sin and hate it. the lord has given me a heart for the poor in spirit, the sick and the lost.

like the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, the Lord provides for us, tells us not to worry, and blesses us beyond our dreams. we are more precious to him than any such plant or beast.

sectionals

Really great job put out there by Allison, Andrew, and Annie, way to represent CFLiS!

Papa and Bethany were judging the whole time and I was head cheerleader, and made sure the ladies had water and food and rest etc. All that good stuff.

Overall it was a stellar event. 5 events: three on the first day. two on the second. We were really impressed at how smoothly it went considering the apparent chaos as soon as we walked into the building. People not sure where the warmup area was, how long till the start of the event, volunteers unsure of what to do. The kinks were worked out and everything went smoothly as soon as it started.

I was on my feet all of the first day and most of the second making sure that Allison had what she needed, this being her first CrossFit competition. She has competed in other events before and had a very calm air about her. She hardly seemed nervous, got sufficient rest and fuel and was ready to go when they said 3-2-1. She's only been CrossFitting 6 months really kicked some major ass considering that, doing all the events as rx'd (with handstand pushups, putting 100lbs overhead and squatting 105) except the muscle-ups in the final workout.

Annie was a little more nervous and stressed out because she only decided to compete the night before the event. Regardless, she did very well, placing in the top three in a couple events and 21st overall. Top 20 go to regionals, so she unfortunately missed it by one place. We're still keeping our hopes up in case someone drops out. She's the first alternate.

Andrew really kicked butt, placing 40th out of 130 men, I believe. He's 5'5" 155lbs so he gives up a lot of weight to the average sized male (5'10" 185lbs). His strength to weight ratio is farout! He had a great time and that's what counts. He is planning on representing CFLiS on our team at the regional.

I met some really amazing people. It's kinda difficult to go to a CF event and not meet amazing people.
This is me and Natalya who is out with the big dogs at 17years old. I was really glad to meet her.

My sights are set on the regional. I was asked many times at the sectional "are you competing this year?" "are you going to try to qualify?" yes and yes. I will be there. And bringing my A-game. I can still be stronger, but I'm bigger and faster and more powerful than I have ever been.