Archive for the ‘Media’ Category

Moment of Awesomeness: 2/20/13

Posted: February 20, 2013 in CrossFit, Media, Training
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

I love a lot of electronic music. I also enjoy people who can dance really well. I ALSO like really bright colors. I ALSO like beating a point into the ground when I’m really excited about something! #AmIRightOrAmIRight

I usually draw a parallel between the “athletes” in the videos I post in the Moment of Awesomeness (yes, I absolutely consider people who dance, skydive, surf, and pogo, athletes) and the 10 Physical Skills of CrossFit (they’re on page 4… but read the whole thing if you never have). Sometimes, though, the skills required to learn a routine, regardless of the field, are pretty clear!

This video is awesome.

Thought of the Day: 2/20/13

Posted: February 20, 2013 in CrossFit, Media, Training
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

CrossFit Founder, Greg Glassman, released a video today that has been circulating around the interwebs.

In this short clip, he shares a conversation he had with the CrossFit Physician that compares the human body to a car and says that we should view our body is if there were “No Spare Parts”… when this part goes, you’re done. He explains (and this is my own summary/interpretation) that he views CrossFit trainers as useful agents to help make a difference in how people live their lives and take care of their bodies so that we can run our cars for as long and healthy a life as possible.

Then, Glassman draws a comparison that I was able to relate to on pretty much every level.

“I’ve got an analogy for you. Physicians are lifeguards. Trainers are swim coaches. When you need a lifeguard, you need a lifeguard, not a swim coach. But, if you need a lifeguard, you probably needed a swim coach and didn’t get one.” ~ Greg Glassman

In my life, I’ve held both of those positions for many many years (Lifeguard and Swim Coach), and can tell you that those two roles hold distinctly different functions in a person’s life. While I honored the responsibility and valued the impact of knowing that my actions were charged with changing someone’s life/death status (Save them, they live. Don’t save them, game over.), it was definitely not my dream job.

Instead, I’ve always enjoyed giving people the tools to improve their own lives so that hopefully they would never need that lifeguard to jump in and save them.

Good news, friends… I’ve been a lifeguard AND a swim coach for over half of my life. You’re in good hands, regardless. But if it were up to me, I’d rather be your Swim (CrossFit) Coach.

Carry on 🙂

p.s.- No running on the pool deck!

Video courtesy of CrossFitHQ YouTube Channel

Moment of Awesomeness: CFLW Edition 1/22/13

Posted: January 23, 2013 in CrossFit, Media, Training
Tags: , , , , ,
4

Ok, it’s technically the 23rd now, but just assume I’m posting this in California time.

So, while the adults are being boring and working out in the gym, JP does it right and busts a MOVE!

Next time, if his mom doesn’t mind, I’ll get more of his moves to share with you all. If I could move like this… life would be even sweeter! Kids are awesome.

The Pursuit of Paleo: 1/22/13

Posted: January 22, 2013 in CrossFit, Media, Nutrition
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

This. Kid. Is. AMAZING.

At 11 years old, Birke Baehr knows more about nutrition, the source of much the food we’re fed each day, and the message the media tries to deliver to us, than most adults I know. Animal and Produce Farms often times follow “less than desirable” practices with their food and livestoc, and Birke shares just a few of them with us, too.

I’m not sitting here suggesting that we boycott “The Man”, and only shop through local co-ops and higher-priced supermarkets. That is an unrealistic overnight change to make for most of us. What I am suggesting, however, is that we take the time to learn a little bit more about the food we buy and eat, and realize that spending another $1 per pound on chicken that was treated in a much more humane and natural way could end up paying itself back to us (in nutritional value your own health), far more than that one dollar we could have saved!

Please watch (and SHARE) this video so more people can hear his powerful message.

“And that, my friends, is how we can make a difference… one kid at a time!”

Beastmode of the Day: 1/8/13

Posted: January 8, 2013 in CrossFit, Media, Training
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

These videos don’t need any explanation. There are some freaks of nature out there, though.
The first featured video comes from Ben Smith’s personal YouTube channel, and the second comes from the CrossFitHQ YouTube Channel.

Ben Smith has been featured many times on my blog, and will likely podium at the 2013 CrossFit Games. He’s an absolute machine.

I don’t know who Misiovala Tupe from CrossFit Dixie is, but I also want him on my team.

Thought of the Day: 1/6/13

Posted: January 6, 2013 in CrossFit, Media, Nutrition, Training
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
2

This past summer I had the amazing opportunity to go to California to watch the 2012 CrossFit Games. I knew some of the athletes, had friends from all over the country going to watch, and made some really great new friends, too. It was kind of a win-win-win-win-win scenario!

One of the people I met there, and now consider a friend of mine, was a woman named Leah Van Hoose. Leah is the owner, and a trainer, at CrossFit Nation in Easton, Maryland.

Now, most of the stories from the Games aren’t appropriate for my blog… mostly because our group had free beer and promised not to post stories from that weekend on the internet! 🙂 I’m just kidding, but what I CAN say, is that Leah is amazing! (She is the young lady to the right of me in this picture below.)

CrossFit, Smashby Training, CrossFit Games, Thought of the Day, CFGamesCrew

Part of the awesome crew I got to hang out with at the CrossFit Games!

Today, she posted a link to an article she wrote a while ago on Facebook, and I read it for the first time… it is amazing.

The post is called “Confidence Learned Confidence Earned” and was featured on WODTalk.com. I’m just going to direct you guys to the link to read it there yourselves, but let me summarize it the best way I can:

One day she started to lose her hair. Over time, her two boys would also lose their hair. There has been no medical or chemical explanation as to why this happened, but the post discusses her challenge(s) and her journey into accepting the change in appearance, and how she realized that (even though she DOES look great) looks aren’t everything in life!

I have to share my two favorite quotes from the piece, though… as they’re incredible.

1- “What happened was with acceptance for me, everyone else accepted it to. People see what you project. If I wasn’t comfortable with my head why should they be? We feed off each other’s emotions. I had to be confident. I was still Leah. I just looked a little different”

2- “The hardest time not wearing my bandana was in the grocery store that first time. I felt like everyone was staring at me, and they probably were. How often do you see a tall, fit, bald woman in shorty shorts and tall socks in the grocery store? I embraced it after I got over the initial fear. Yes people were staring and it was OK, I just smiled, they smiled back and I continued on my way. The lady at the checkout told me that she had been waiting for me to ditch the bandana and I was much more beautiful without it. Exactly what I needed to hear!”

Please click here and go read her post, and then come back here so you can comment and we can chat about it. I am so thankful to know such awesome people!!

Smashby’s PaleOMG Xmas Adventure: 4

Posted: December 30, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

Tonight’s video is not my favorite. Here’s why, yesterday family stuff ran far later than expected, so we didn’t cook anything. That meant today’s video felt more rushed. I just don’t think that the video does the meal itself justice.

NONETHELESS….

Today’s meal, from the PaleOMG website, is a Chicken Bacon Alfredo.

One of my favorite meals as a kid used to be fettucini alfredo with chicken. Until Paleo came along for me, I didn’t know it was possible to have a “pasta” dish without actual pasta. Spaghetti squash has completely changed that view for me, and it is delicious!

For the recipe, I used an Acorn Squash as opposed to Delicata Squash (supermarket availability), and aside from that the recipe was done pretty much to specs.

In the video, I made some dumb choices (mashing spaghetti squash pasta down in the dish, bad explaining of steps, letting segments run too long), but I blame those on how tired I am today. The next video will be better, or at least I promise to try! 🙂

Bottom line, the kitchen smells amazing, I got to eat some bacon tonight, and I really enjoyed the few bites of this meal I had tonight!

Chicken Bacon Alfredo
Prep time: 25 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 35 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
1 larger delicata squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
½lb chicken tenders
4-6 slices bacon, diced
½ cup canned coconut milk
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

Smashby’s PaleOMG Xmas Adventure: 3

Posted: December 29, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Nutrition
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

In the final meal of my PaleOMG cookfest a few days ago, we decided to make Cilantro Chicken Nuggets!

I will not lie when I say that as we were making the nuggets, our thought was… this doesn’t look very appealing. But as the balls of ground chicken meat started cooking, they began to look more and more like chicken nuggets! Then, when it was time to try them, these PaleOMG creations did not disappoint!

Aside from my one piece of feedback, (that I would have used a bit less cilantro) these were probably the biggest hit of the day. If you try them, let me know what you think, please.

Basic ingredient list below, as usual.

Cilantro Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients

For the nuggets
1lb ground chicken or ground turkey
1 egg, whisked
1 bundle of cilantro, chopped (the more, the better!)
3 scallions, chopped
2 teaspoons sesame oil
½ cup Coconut Flour
¼ teaspoon ginger
salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 tablespoons Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

For the dipping sauce
¼ cup Coconut Aminos
â…› cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon ground stone mustard (from the bottle/container-not powder)
1 teaspoon Raw Honey

Smashby’s PaleOMG Xmas Adventure: 2

Posted: December 27, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Nutrition
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

The week of delicious PaleOMG recipes continues with a “Spaghetti and Meatball Casserole”!

The reason that those last 4 words are in quotations is because they are neither real spaghetti, nor do I think they make an actual casserole. But work with me, please.

Since I don’t have the silicone cupcake cups Juli uses for a few of her meals, I decided I didn’t want to risk having a dish where paper cups stick to the food and I have about as much success saving the meal as I do peeling a hard-boiled egg.

In today’s video you get to see my amazing style of threading/dethreading a spaghetti squash, and you also get to see me “back seat drive” my mom’s egg-pouring ability. I’d say it doesn’t get too much better than that.

For a snap shot of what I used to make this meal (pasted straight from the PaleOMG page for the Spaghetti and Meatball Bites recipe), check it out:

Spaghetti and Meatball Bites
Prep time: 25 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 45 mins
Serves: 12 (more like 4-6 people, with the way I made it)

Ingredients
1 medium spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
1lb Tropical Traditions Grass Fed Ground Beef
1 (14oz) can tomato sauce
3 egg whites, whisked (adjusted to 5 egg whites)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fat of choice (I used bacon fat)

Thought of the Day: 12/27/12

Posted: December 27, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

I am a sucker for motivational movies/quotes, etc.

The scene below is a video I’ve seen on YouTube many times, and is from the movie Coach Carter.

The quote featured, (which is part of a real speech given by Marianne Williamson) is one that I come back to often. I use the words to remind myself why I, personally, have likely never taken that FULL DEVOTION to certain things in my life, and instead chose to create excuses as to why I “couldn’t” achieve a task.

Please read this transcript often.
Print it out and look at it every day.
Remind yourself of your TRUE goals when you hit a bump in the road and want to stop moving forwards.

Is it because we’re afraid to fail? Or… is it because we are so scared at just how successful we might become?

I’m still working through that one, myself 🙂

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Carry on…

Older Entries
Newer Entries