Cocoa Almond Butter

OMG this is so delicious! So easy!

2c roasted almonds

3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Chocolate liquid stevia (2 vials full) or vanilla or regular I'm sure is fine too

.make your almond butter until really smooth.

.as the blender or processor is running, add a tbsp a time of the cocoa.

.add stevia and allow to blend all together.

.boom. Done.

.pour into jar.

Long Week

Geez this week just went on and on. With work and the WOD's, my body was exhausted.
My whole family is sick and I could tell I was catching a lil cold. Oh no, I put a stop to it! I took airbourne and vitaC twice a day, ate lots of fruit, took night time medicine and what do you know, cleaned that sucker up!

Now that it's getting colder here in Cali, I have been bringing out my tea collection. This one here is from David's Tea and is Jumpy Monkey. It is loose tea so I put in a steeper and allow to steep for about mins. While that's working, I heat up some almond milk with stevia. I use a frother and once all frothed up, I pour the milk on top of my tea. Perfect to warm up my body.
I am a tea fiend, so I have many different flavors from David's and Teavana.

Heavy Squats: I have a love/hate relationship with these suckers. I love the strength I possess to lift that much yet I hate them cause...hmm I cant think of a real reason lol. When I do heavy squats, I gear up with my knee supports and weight belt.

Heavy squats to me are 1-2 reps. With the last rep being hard as heck getting out of the hole. I take my rest in between sets as well. I don't superset heavy squats cause I'm giving my full attention to them. I make sure I'm good and warmed up, do higher reps and then worked up to a semi-heavy load. When I'm coming back up from the hole, my focus is knees out, knees out, knees out! I swear forcing them out will get me up and out of that period where you're shaking and in that half squat. Knees out will force your biggest muscles of your body, your butt, to get you out.

 Heavy deadlifts! Same concept as squats: low reps, not supersetted, full attention. What goes on in my head while coming up is straight back, straight back, straight back! During heavy deads your back tends to curve forward which is really, really bad and you can totally hurt yourself. I use the bounce from hitting the ground to help get back up and then I drive through my heels like no other.
When I see heavy deadlifts on the agenda, I wear knee socks cause I want to keep that barbell close to my body through the whole entire lift so sometimes I scrap the bar against my shins; my legs are already scarred up so I'm trying to not ugly them up any more.

 Song is by Rob Bailey and The Hustle Standard, "Hungry." Seriously such a killer song to workout to! All they're songs pretty much are.

Handstands are my weakness and a skill that needs lots and lots of practice. I practice them every day and I see some progression but I'm just inpatient with them. Once I can hold a handstand for longer periods, Ill move on to handstand walks which are my ultimate goal. Have to take the steps to reach that goal. I have watched videos on the progression to handstand walks. I usually do them in front of a wall so if I have that support. I will then push off the wall to try to find my center again. I do occasionally step away from the wall cause I mean you really need to just let go of the support system of the wall so I get more used to kicking up and finding my center. If I feel I am going to fall backwards, I release one hand and push off the other so ill land on my feet. I also saw that some just tuck and roll out of the fall. I have seen handstand walks with legs up in the air and with the knees bent.



 

 So I took this picture to show off my SoxBox Navy socks. I love them and are my all time fav...wait I do love my Bad Ass ones too! haha The Navy has a special place in my heart. Why? Cause indeed I will be joining. That's another story so I wont get into that.

Also my booty shorts are from WODGearClothing and are the exercise shorts. I have these as well as the Tron, neon yellow and black pair. I love this brand and am actually a rep for them for 2013. They make ALL their clothes by hand, well sewing machines run by pple, here in CA. So made in the USA!

 

 

So this WOD is brutal, hands down. When you start, you begin with burpees, do as many as you can until the time is at 2min, You then jump up and do 8 toes to bar. Get right back at the burpees until time is 3mins.

I set a pace where I got in 10 or 11 burpees in between each TTB. So depending on how fast you get your burpees in determines how long your WOD will go. My time was 8:47:30.

This pretty much sums up how you feel after this WOD. I resumed the CrossFit post-WOD position on the ground.

I saw a ecard thing similar to this one but with a different saying. I made this one my own so I wouldn't be copying.





 

 

So I posted my box jump failure picture the day it happened. Well this below is what it looks like today:

yeah my leg looks pretty ugly right now. But my scabs are healing up really good since I am putting Emu Oil on them twice a day.

One of yesterday's WOD was 100 power cleans for time. This sucked so bad. My chest took a beating for sure which resulted in these bruises. My chest is so tender and really hurts if I touch it.

 

 

Carrot Pumpkin Bread

🎃Carrot Pumpkin Bread🎃

 

:::Ingredients:::

1/2c pumpkin

1/2c steamed carrots (or you can just do 1/2c pumpkin)

3 egg whites

1/2tbsp vanilla

3/4c almond milk

1 1/2c oats or oat flour

2 scoops cellucor cinnamon swirl protein

1/2tsp baking powder

1/2tsp baking soda

1tsp pumpkin spice

1/2tsp cinnamon

Stevia

 

:::Steps:::

.add wet ingredients to blender. 

.Blend until smooth. 

.While it's running, add one dry ingredient at a time; I suggest 1/2c oats at a time, one scoop protein at a time.

.Blend until smooth. 

.Pour into a loaf pan or you could pour into 8x8 pan for bars. (read tip below)

.I dropped dollops of my Cinnamon Roll Nut Butter on top but you could use any kind or use nuts or choc chips. I kind thought they nut butter would sink but nope. So if you want it to be inside, pour half the mixture in the pan, dollop you nut butter, then pour the rest of the mixture on top.

Bake 350 for 25-30 mins.

These came out really light yet doughy-spongy. 

If you decide to make bars, watch your time because you won't need as long maybe 18-25mins.

 

If you want some Cinnamon Swirl protein from cellucor.com, use my discount code: PeaceLoveFit for 20% off & FREE shipping. 

Fudgy Protein Loaf

Fudgy Protein Loaf:

-2c oats or oat flour

-3 tbsp almond flour

-1/4c cocoa powder

-2 scoops choc protein (I used Cellucor's molten choc)

-2tsp baking powder

-5 egg whites

-2 bananas

-1/2c applesauce (I made my own-chop 1 apple, nuke 2mins, purée with dash of cinnamon)

-1/2c almond milk

-1/2c water 

-1tbsp vanilla

-stevia (I used dark choc liquid stevia)

. Add all to blender and blend until smooth. Add all wet then blend, add all dry then blend blend blend! This makes the bread come out uber smooth. 

.Bake 350 for 50-55mins. 

.You can add in nuts or choc chips or even drop in some nut butter. 

Seriously sooo moist and fudgy! 

Ps: I keep all my baked goods in fridge so it stays fresh. 

I smeared some of my homemade Cinnamon Roll Nut Butter on it (on recipe page).

((Use my cellucor code:PeaceLoveFit for discount on cellucor.com))

Week Recapage

This week was a doozy with my WODs and work and classes.

Since I recieved my Caffeine and Kilos snapback I wanted to pair it up with my IamProjectX Pirates of the Caribbean tank. Every time I wear it everyone thinks I'm an OG!

 

Clovis WOD:
150 Burpee Pullups
10 mile run
This sucker sucked! I did 15 burpee pullups and then followed with a mile run. By round three i was like "ahhhh" No really this WOD is totally mental; your mind will tell you to stop before your body will. The burpee pullups are seriously your rest periods cause the mile is long and continues forever it seems. Your mind wander during that mile; my thoughts ranged from "i think i need to walk" to "man i gots this!"
This took me two hours; after wards, my feet had blisters, my hands torn up, and my legs like jelly.

When I'm gone majority of the day, I have everything with me. Gym bag, lunch bag, purse, locker room bag etc. 

After my day I went to restock my fuelage so I had lots to carry in. So of course I carried it ALL! No second trips for me; I am far from lazy but I chose to grab it all. I always manage to still unlock my front door and lock my car! Tip: get a retractable keychain for your house key. I wear my lanyard around my neck and pull my key to the lock. 

For my post WOD eats, I make protein pancakes before I leave and store them in my tortilla warmer. This sucker keeps these babies so moist! I choose to make multiple little ones instead of two large or whatev, way easier to eat when you're on the go in your car.

My protein PB marshmellow pancakes:

1 scoop Cellucor PB Marshmellow protein ( use my discount code: PeaceloveFit to get you some cellucor.com)

1/2c oat flour

1mashed banana

1 egg white

Cinnamon

Water to mix

Dash of baking powder

.mix. If too thick I add more water.

 

 Push Press Max 20 reps
I learned from Kendrick Faris that your wrists should face up/vertical not horizontal like most think and do. I got some tips as well to move my hands out a little more than what I have in this video, keep elbows out, rest bar in the crook of your shoulders. 

This dealio ends TODAY(Oct 20)!!! but m5 and get a FREE vortex mixer! But you have to use my code:PeaceLoveFit at checkout on Cellucor.

Progress picture of my traps-no flex. I'm not lookin t my bi's but my trapezius! This was taken before my WOD so I pump! I am so proud and happy with how my body is responding to my CrossFit program. My body has seen more changes in these past few months than the last yr before of just doing BB.

I had 13.4 as part if one if my sessions.

13.4 7AMRAP

3 shoulder to OH (95)

3 TTB

6 shoulder to OH

6 TTB

Cont. increasing by 3 to each until time is up.

I did better than I did surfing the Open earlier this year so that's a plus but I felt like uhh I could have done way better! I wasn't to happy with myself with it.

10min AMRAP

5 HSPU

10 box jumps 30/24

15 cal row

This went by fast but it was brutal on the legs since I did this after stregnth. So my HSPU are different because im trying to do them without the wall support. I come down, balance, and kip up into a free standing handstand. Its a work in progress for sure. I make sure my box jumps are more efficient-i jump back up as soon as i land on the ground. Most usually come back down, roll back on their heels then their toes and jump up. An efficient box jump is when you come down on your toes, barely land and jump back up. Getting the groove down is tricky but you'll find they are faster.

So I was conversing with my buddy while doing 30in box jumps and I ate it! While ok really the box ate me! I didn't fall completely, I caught myself so my face wasn't planted down. I totally yelled "Shit!" really loud and then strayed laughing! It was my bad and I was like aw man I don't want to have to deal with this! Chunks of skin off leave for a long healing. I use Emu Oil on all my scraps, scabs, etc and it works beautifully.

I made my Chocolate PB Swirl Banana Bread during the week. I ate it in the mornings sandwiched between my chickloaf with some of my Cinnamon Nut Butter. So yummy!

Saturday was uber busy for me. I had my ACLS (advances cardiac life support) class, I went to the gym, rushed home and left for the Stockton Thunder Hockey game. Four fights and a 5-0 win! Yes I enjoy life outside the gym! It's not Crossfit alllll day (but really majority haha crossfit for life!) I do make time for my family and friends. Some get wrapped up in this fitness lifestyle and dont make time for anything else. Especially the food and clean eating can absorb a person. Live a little and don't seclude yourself; go out with family and friends to restaurants and don't bring Tupperware. Guess what?! If you're not in the fitness industry or on comp prep or your job is to stay fit (model), you don't need to be 100% all the time because that's not a life to live. You want to be afraid to eat? Or afraid to miss the gym? This is a LIFESTYLE! Meaning you're in it for the long haul, so missing a gym session EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE or having a different meal besides tilapia and asparagus EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE is OK! Having that one day off or that one meal won't drastically change your body. Think of all the time you have ahead of you living that lifestyle. A long time right?! Yes. But also life is short so why not enjoy it!

Ok my rant is done.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Banana Bread

Yum! This bread is so yummy! Totally inspired by someone I follow on IG.

The name makes it sound complicated but oh no, it's not!

Choc PB Swirl Banana Bread:

- 3 mashed bananas

-1 egg white, 2 eggs

-1 tbsp vanilla extract 

-1 c oat flour

-1/2c almond flour

-1/4c stevia

-1/2tbsp cinnamon

-1 tsp baking powder 

-1/4c peanut butter

-1 tbsp cocoa powder

-1tbsp stevia

1. Mix banana, eggs, vanilla.

2. In another bowl, mix flours, stevia, baking low, cinnamon.

3. Add wet to dry.

4. In small bowl, mix PB, cocoa, and stevia. 

5. Add 1/4 the banana mixture to the PB mixture.

6. Pour 3/4 the banana mixture into a loaf pan. Add the PB cocoa mixture on top and swirl the batter together slightly. Pour remaining banana mixture on top.

7. Bake 390 for 55mins.

This bread was gone too fast before I could take a picture of the inside which turns out really pretty. 

Cellucor Promo

purchase of M5 reloaded (any flavor) get a FREE Vortex MIXER!!

Use code :PeaceLoveFit at cellucor.com

Ends Sunday!

Today's METCON WOD

I completed this METCON after my strength training...after heavy squats, C&Js, snatches...my legs were already dead at that point but hey I'm building a better athlete!

So this METCON is done with 115lbs for men and 80lbs for women. The height for box jumps is games standards: 24 for men, 20 for women. Scale if you need to; drop by 10lb increments. 105/70, 95/60...

Complete these one after the other. 

The point of a METCON (metabolic conditioning) is to complete the WOD in a timely and strategized manner; pace yourself and if you drop the bar, give yourself a set rest time, then pick it back up and keep going. If you give a rest time you force yourself to pick it up when you see that the 5 or 10seconds are up. Yes it should only be that long; you don't rest for no minutes! 

Push yourself, scream out if you have to cause I certainly made some grunts and sighs and ahhhs throughout it. 

Just because you have 30 reps doesn't mean go all out and forget your technique. Sometimes going too fast and being tired, you forget form: DONT! Still get ass to grass on thrusters, lock out your arms on jerks, stand up on top of box jumps etc. 

Garret Fisher Interview

Most crossfitters are familiar with this handsome lad: Garret Fisher. I'm sure this years CrossFit Games wont be the first and last time we see him there. He was a rookie this year but man did he make a statement and let his name be known to the crossfit community.
Not only is he a handsome young fellow (How you doin? ...read in Joey T voice), by young I mean young enough for me to date haha, anyways but he also showed his abilities by landing himself a good ranking in the games. His hair sure does have some fans; you can even purchase a Garret Fisher "Johnny Bravo" status shirt in womens and mens. I'm pretty sure I need me one (in a size small please lol)!
In the interview you get to know a little more about what's underneath that epic hair! 

Link to Interview:
Fisher Talks

Picture used from athleticbuilds interview page.

Pride of a Rookie

Pride of a Rookie

CrossFitGames.com has released another awesome, inspirational video!This video give credit to two rookies at the 2013 Games, Natalie McLain and Wes Piatt. I was familiar with Nat before the games since I had been following her on IG (what would I do without IG these days?!?). Wes was new to me when I watched the games.
This video introduces these athletes and gives a little incite to us (crossfitters who look up to all the games athletes) what they go through during the games: their thoughts, struggles, mistakes, wishes, excitements, disappointments...They explain that they feel like they shouldn't be there and that they feel so amazed to be next to the ones that inspire them. But does Nat and Wes know we look up to them now?

Well I hope they are back next year at the 2014 Games!
Nat and Wes

Week Recap

When I wake up, depleted, and unfed (left pic). I'm downing my homemade carrot cake bagel sandwiched with my apple chickloaf and spread with my espresso nut butter. Post feed (right pic) and body charged ready to go WOD it up, about 40mins after eating. I use foods to build my body and fuel my workouts. As you can see my body gets fuller and appreciates the lovely nutrients!

This is totally random but this caught my eye. Miranda Oldroyd (Crossfitmiranda) 'liked' one of my pictures! Yup, I had to snap a picture to document it.

My post WOD nutrient inhale:

-a semi-frozen KillCliff (I stick in an hot before leaving to the gym, pack in a cooler, and it's perfectly ready to drink after).

-my brownie batter pancakes (almond flour, egg white, cellucor molten choc protein powder, banana, vanilla, water) with almond in a medicine cup (benefits of a nurse) with measurements on it. I make these before leaving, put in Tupperware, and have them ready to inhale after. No they aren't hot but they are yummy and their texture are just like they were made right then. I eat them while drivin to work and sometimes I make a mess and end up with some nut butter on my steering wheel. 

Broad jumps at the end of my set and man these can be brutal if you are squatin low, jumpin far, and using your whole body to jump as far as you can, you'll feel the burn! Doesn't take much to to get you worked!

BEST DELIVERY EVER!!!

It took eight weeks for me to receive these babies! I designed my very own Reebok Nano 3.0s and man it took a while. There are so many options available and to create; I knew exactly the colors I wanted cause I mean most know by now black & grey are my signature colors with pops of white and red. I had my best bud help me design them until they were perf! Reebok Nanos customization are so popular and in high demand their normal 4-6wks of receival had to be extended. And they even reimbursed me for the shipping since their quote of arrival would not be true. High five for Reebok! Don't blame the Crossfitters for snatching them up! I literally ripped the box and yanked them out! Slipped em on and rocked around the house to break them in except they need no breakin in! I'm serious; I wore them the next day and they were just fine!

I had them on before I left my house and I couldn't help snapping a picture of their awesomeness!

My snatch is improving since I'm working on it just about everyday! My thumbs are so sore and rubbed raw! Hook grippin it up! I noticed since I've been wearing my Oly lifters, my feet are planted and I land stronger and back on my heels. 

Another delivery! Caffeine and Kilos Tuxedo SnapBack!

My bud and I know their hats go out fast so when they did a release on a red SnapBack and had the tuxedo restocked, we needed to jump on it! My bud ordered me mine (since I couldn't order myself) at that time, shipped it to my address (he lived in another state) and said merry Christmas! Haha we exchange gifts early apparently! 

By the way my bud ordered this hat about noonish on Friday and I received it late afternoon on Saturday! Fast shipping! And it came in a stamped out C&K box.

My struggle for completing my Crossfit program at a globo continues and continues to get more frustrating! I hate it but I love Crossfit more and waaayyy to much so I endure! I'll get in a box eventually and I'll appreciate more than one could know. Until then, I appreciate all the crossfitters that give me props for busting my crossfitter arse in a globo gym. Can't fight a love like mine haha

Beauty defined by Crossfitters

Link to CrossFit's Beauty video:

http://games.crossfit.com/video/letting-beauty-speak-itself

This is the best video I have ever watched; it is filled with the most amazing and heart quenching words. 

What is beauty? I have never been asked that question before and you know before watching this video I probably would have said something generic like an awesome physique but that would have just been the surface if what I believe beauty is through my eyes. While watching this video, I was smiling and shaking my head agreeing to every single word that was stated and in utter 'aw' that us Crossfitters have this same definition of beauty I our heads. 

That is what makes the CrossFit community such a family; we have the same outlook and mentality and love for this sport. There may be thousands of boxes around the world but we all seem to come together and appreciate one another. 

Can any other sport say that? I can't think of any. Crossfitters, as I see them, are a family where they build one another up and want the best out of them. Sure crossfitters compete all the time but what makes them not become the standoff competitor is that they are there cheering one another on to finish, to go harder, to give it all you got. At the CrossFit Games, the athletes that complete the WOD go back and encourage the others who are still battling. They may compete but they are each other's support. That's beautiful.

As I write this I realize how much I love this community and that I can't imagine my life without it or CrossFit.

I always want to reach out, to do more, to be more involved in anything and everything that is affiliated with CrossFit and the community. 

I can't wait to grow and evolve as an athlete with this kind of support and love. 

CrossFit and Froning

This article is written about the infamous Fittest Man On Earth, Rich Froning. But while taking the time to read it, I realized it depicts what CrossFit is and what it takes to compete in a way that's depicted through the story of Mr. Froning.
Rich is obviously unlike most people out there: for one he has won the CrossFit Games 3 years in a row, he works out 6-9 hours every day, and most importantly, he God comes first in his life. For that simple yet strong reason, I find him one I look up to not just in my CrossFit life but IN my actual life. Rich reminds me to always put God first in my life and even though no matter how much I love CrossFit, that can not outshine Him. Majority of crossfitters know Rich has 'Galations 6:14' tattooed along his torso side; this is a perfect reminder for him to everyday give it all to God and that it's all for Him.
It's amazing how he thanked/thanks God for his consecutive CrossFit Game's wins because, really, do you think any other man on the top of the podium would say after winning "I have God to thank for my success,"??? Probably not.
Even reading this article reminds me I need to have God come first more in my life and with CrossFit. Rich is an amazing athlete but he is also a very inspirational Christian.

Link to the article : Faith Drives Accidental Champion