Paleo Chix - Cave to the Crave?
Yes, this is one I struggle with...usually I am bad and cave...but sometimes if beef jerky or bacon is available, I will hold strong!

Mobility WOD
Kelly Starrett, has finally caved and graced the world with a blog focused on Mobility and increasing Mobility!  THANK YOU KELLY!!!

Flexibility, Flexibility, Flexibility!
A great post about the importance of flexibility and how it will make you stronger!  Thanks to Bacon and Barbells!

Spices!
CF South Bay comes through again with a great article about what spices to include if you are going for a Thai flavor, and Indian flavor or just a plain Italian flavor!  Enjoy!

A New List of Gym Rules!
A list from Freddy at CF One World. 
Including: Grunting, Yelling, Taking off your shirt (guys and gals) and Drinking beer...on the training floor!

Barefoot or Running Shoes?
From Primal Performance, a great video about running barefoot vs. running in athletic shoes.

Swimming WOD?
A new take on an old idea, Melissa Joulwan and "The Clothes Make the Girl"!  I am thinking I must go find a pool where I won't be kicked out if I try doing burpees on the deck!

New Videos!
Hey all I post new videos periodically throughout the week so don't forget to click on the Video link at the top of the page to check them out!

I finally got to visit Lance and Erin at their box, Red Stick Crossfit.  They are one of three local affiliates here in Baton Rouge.  Lance is a full time firefighter and Erin works full time they also have a little girl and another on the way.  She is trying to deliver on 25th of September to conveniently coincide with Fight Gone Bad this year! 

It is a testament to their dedication that they are able to run this box with a new family and two full time jobs!  That dedication shows in the coaching Lance provides and the community they are creating in the box. 

That being said, I love visiting new boxes. 
1) It means on a long met-con I have a chance of beating folks
2) I usually get one-on-one training with the box owner
3) The owners are so enthusiastic they renew my Crossfit Energy!

While it wasn't one-on-one the entire session, Lance coached me one-on-one through an entire CF Total!  He even stood in for a back squat rack since his rack was at home getting painted! 

I was about done with the Total when another client, Mark, walked in and although I was not planning on doing the scheduled WOD, Lance talked me into it with one statement.  "You can't let him do this WOD alone!"  He was right, working out alone sucks!  So I ended up doing:

CF Total:

Shoulder Press: 70 lbs (with my bum shoulder this was  a PR for me!)
Back Squat: 125 lbs (not sure if this is a PR, but if not it is close!)
Deadlift: 185 lbs (and it was UGLY!!!)

Then I did:

10 Rounds
10 Bodybuilders with weight (burpee with bumper plate lifted from ground to overhead on every rep) 10# bumper
10 situps (abmat)

Because of my shoulder I wasn't able to do full burpees, so I didn't do a pushup, but did have to lock out in plank position before picking up the weight!

Final time 17: 38ish (my notebook isn't where I can get to it)

Here is a picture of Mark and I suffering while Isabella plays around with the rings!

Lance and Erin are creating an amazing community.  A few weeks ago they did an Iron Chef challenge after the last WOD on a Friday.  They had about 10 people show up and the results were apparently interesting but good!

My Advice: If you can't make it by in person, check out their blog on a regular basis to see what community building activities they have got in the works!

This is a link to a video on the Dove Self Esteem website.  As the video says...no wonder out self image as women sucks...this is what we get fed as real!  Sorry the link won't activate, cut and paste to see the video.

http://www.dove.us/?dl=/features/videos/default.aspx%7Ccp-documentid=7049579%7Cvideo-id=1&source=email

Crossfit Stories
A new (to me) blog where Crossfitters can post their own inspirational stories to be potentially included in a future book!

 Our Real Gulf Disaster by Lou Dolinar
An article about the danger of listening to the media (or anyone really) without critical evaluation of the information being presented.

Spirit of the Games
Chris Spealler, Spirit of the Games Award.

Crossfit Invictus: Community
One athlete shares what the Invictus community meant to him during a time of crisis.  This is what great boxes strive to create with their clients!  It is amazing to be part of, and horribly difficult to leave.

Are you competing?
Inaugural Crossfit / USA Weightlifting Open Comes to Colorado Springs, Oct 1-3

For the Ladies
Because sometimes one person believing in makes the difference of a lifetime!

Motivational Comments
Like the one listed above

This week I was fortunate enough to finally, finally make it to see Vic Zachary's gym in Houston! 

A little background, I "met" Vic at the 2009 Regional Qualifiers at GSX Crossfit in Ft Worth, Tx.  I say met, because I was in my own little private hell that weekend and wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to anyone unless they were right in front of me.  Which Vic was, when he finished in the top five and earned himself a spot in the 2009 Games!  I ran into Vic at the Games while I was introducting Nutritionize's AJ Mirwani to anyone and everyone I knew!  Vic was an amazingly beautiful person and very generous with his time and made an impression on me.  Of course he is cute as hell too, which always catches a girl's attention!

Ever since then I have been meaning to get to visit his Box!  So this week it finally happened!  And oh my gosh!!  This man is brilliant, and amazing and in addition to being an incredible athlete he has got a business accumen you rarely see outside of Harvard MBA's!! 

He just upgraded his box, that is, he outgrew his old box and moved to a bigger space in April of this year.  He currently has 5 coaches who work at Bayou City, an Olympic coach, a yoga coach, a degreed nutritionist and his dad is teaching Master's classes!  All the coaches I spoke with were friendly encouraging and incredibly knowlegeable! 

If you are visiting Houston, or live in Houston and are on the fence about which box in Houston to visit.  Do yourself a favor and get to BCCF!!!

The WOD was:

Front Squat 3-3-3-3-3
45-65-85-95-100*

*PR

Then

AMRAP 5 Min:

21 KB Swings 25#
11 knee to floor lunges
3 rounds
1 Min Rest

21 Situps
11 Wall Ball 8#
2 Rounds
1 Min Rest

21 Air Squats
11 Pass Thru's on Parallettes
2 Rounds

The shoulder/neck was bothering me so I had to do American KB swings, and the light weight wall ball.  But it was a good workout and I was so very proud of my front squat PR! 

These are some recent video finds!  Enjoy

Hyperbole And a Half
This is a cute blog I found through The Clothes Make the Girl's blog!  Just a short narrative about how not to live your life, or if you choose to live your life that way...just be aware of the consequences!

Sunset Magazine: Rabbit's Foot Meadery Review
Rabbit's Foot Meadery is in Sunnyvale, CA.  I was introduced to their deadly Black Cherry Cyser by my roommate.  Thank goodness he was driving, this stuff is around 8% alcohol and tastes like a cherry soda!  It goes down easy!  Probably why the unofficial name for it is LPR (Liquid Pantie Remover)!  If you are lucky enough to live in CA or other state they can ship to, order some up, you won't be disappointed!

Sex Sex Sexy Time
A great blog article about the benefits of sex (WIN!), and they of course since it is a Crossfit blog they describe the benefits of Crossfit on your sex life (EPIC WIN!).

Smashing Magazine
Another find from The Clothes Make the Girl's blog.  Some absolutely amazing photographs!  Enjoy!

Peak Season Map
A map from epicurious which shows you what veggies are in season for your state and then if available shows cooking tips and recipes!  Very sweet site.

Wild Gorilla Girl
My weekly fix of beautiful Crossfit Men!