Tasmanian Devil Girl

It’s been an interesting week.  I got my very first black eye.  Before you start thinking I’m all that, my sweet 15 year old daughter elbowed me in the eye while we were rolling.  I call her the Tasmanian Devil Girl…she reminds me of the old cartoon character that was always moving at warp speed.  This old Mom can’t keep up with her and I move in instead of moving out and she whirls around at warp speed and BAM, elbow and eye collide.  She still feels pretty rotten about it, cried like a baby, but Mama’s all good.  What other place than on the mats can you beat up on your Mom and its okay! 

This is what I see when I roll with my daughter...a big blur of arms and legs coming at me from all directions.  Tasmanian Devil Girl...I still love you! :)

I completed my second Elements class for Crossfit yesterday.  I was so far outside my comfort zone it hurt.  But right in the big middle of all that sweat and pain and gasping for air, I just knew.  I am on the right path.  My journey has taken me right where I belong.  I’m going to be okay and I will get where I need to be.  I’ve got lots of help, great coaches, a loving family, and a whole community of BJJ brothers and sisters.   . 

Old School Moves and Keeping it Clean

Being short sort of lends itself to making half guard one of my favored positions (side control is my all-time favorite, but that’s for another day).  Wednesday night we learned a couple of different ways to sweep from half guard (Old School half guard sweeps) that I don’t recall ever training before, and a way to get to the back from half guard.  Needless to say, this old girl wasn't catching on to the Old School sweeps very quickly, but I kept trying to make it work.  Stayed after class with Emily and we drilled it some more and then it finally started to click.  Had me a really sweet ‘AHA’ moment.  Love it when that happens.  Going to keep drilling it some more.  I want to have a good solid working knowledge of the “Old School” half guard sweeps in my bag of tricks.  Thursday I get to unleash the beast with Muay Thai kickboxing.  Friday I have my first official Crossfit training session.  I am very, very excited.  On the nutrition front, for the first time in a year and a half, my diet is clean, clean, clean.  I’ve been making progress, taking baby steps, and they are adding up.  Grains are gone, white potatoes are gone, and pasta is gone from my diet.  I’ve even managed to go almost two weeks without my beloved Dr. Peppers.  Every week I’m challenging myself to eat more fruits and vegetables and to try something new.  It’s working.  I’m feeling physically better than I have in a long time.   Now if I could just work on getting more sleep...baby steps.  :)

We are never too old for a little homework

How many of you out there remember homework?  You know that thing your teachers used to torture you with just to make your lives miserable.  I have been out of school for more years that I’m going to admit here, but I still remember homework.  The funny thing about jiu jitsu, the movements required of our bodies are not always intuitive and they especially don’t feel natural, they feel quite unnatural.  So, that brings me back to homework.  Does your instructor give you homework?  Mine does.  Are you jealous yet?  It’s usually a drill we can do alone or with a partner at home, that relates directly to the technique we worked that night.  It’s great for getting in reps of a movement and getting our bodies used to something new….it helps it become familiar, not so unnatural.  I am a very, very slow learner, so I need that.  I’m going to challenge myself (and my daughter) to be committed to doing this homework on our off days.  This kind of homework isn’t so bad.  Did I make you have flashback to middle school?  Sorry about that.  What things do your instructors do that you like, or are effective during class.  Please share!  :D

Back on the Mats after Vacation!

I am having a great week back on the mats after being off last week for family vacation.  Had fun, got very sunburned, went on a ghost tour and thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with the family and good friends.  Emily and I got our first tiny little taste of CrossFit on Monday and we loved it.  We are both sore still after three days, but it was worth it.  I had an intense Muay Thai kickboxing class on Tuesday and pushed myself a little bit out of my comfort zone, thanks to a good coach and good training partners.  Emily and I went to jiu jitsu class last night and we worked guard passes, high and low.  Really, really, good stuff.  I am really concentrating on keeping an open mind and just doing what the coaches tell me to do.  Even if it's not perfect, I'm still going to do it to the best of my ability.  I am enjoying my new routine at the new gym, and Emily has discovered a new passion for Muay Thai.  I am meeting new people and finding a community that embraces a healthy, active lifestyle.  I really think it's important to surround yourself with people that are on the same page.  I find that I'm tempted less and work harder to reach my goals.  Right now, I am working hard to make small, measurable changes in my nutrition habits.  No grains - check; no potatoes - check;  no pasta - that's my goals for this week, so far so good.  I am staying away from refined sugar and Dr. Peppers (allowing myself 1-2 on the weekends only - remember, baby steps, I will most likely wean myself off them entirely, but that's the subject for another post entirely).  So far, so good.  I am really, really trying to eat more veggies.  It's not always easy, but it's a lifestyle change I'm determined to make...one tiny little baby step at a time. 

I almost forgot, had a great time at Leticia's Women's Only Grappling Camp on July 1st.  It was a great way to start my vacation.  Went for one day only, which was no-gi.  Had a blast, learned some new stuff and bonded with my jiu jitsu sisters.  Next year, I am making it a priority to go all three days!