Sarah Too

It's that time of year again -- when we look back at where we went, and look ahead to where we think we will go. Despite calling 2012 "The Year of Nothing," in which I set no goals other than "maintain the status quo" because of all the changes that came during 2011, this year managed to sneak in some new achievements.




In terms of fitness, the improvements kept coming month after month. Of course, it's much easier to achieve these milestones when you own a gym. Here are the numbers for personal bests on various lifts:

Back Squat: 200 lbs
Overhead squat: 130 lbs
Deadlift: 235 lbs
Power clean: 130 lbs
Power snatch: 100 lbs

It excited me to see some of these lifts go up each time I attempted them, and before finding out I was pregnant in early November, I looked forward to breaking 135 lbs. mark for my clean. Unfortunately, the first trimester knocked the wind right out of me, leaving me exhausted, cranky, nauseous, and feeling weak. As I enter my second trimester, I definitely have more energy and I am trying to fit in more workouts each week. The only thing that pregnancy changes is the intensity level of my workouts. I should be able to talk during my workout, so I take more breaks. Because of the slower pace of my workouts, I also generally reduce the amount of weight used and the number of reps. Otherwise, I would be working out for about 2-3 times longer than everyone else!

I imagine when I finally return to regular workouts, post-delivery, I will not be able to pick right up where I left off this year. That is one of the great things about CrossFit, though. The target is always moving, no matter your fitness level, so there is always a goal ahead of you (and ALWAYS successes and milestones behind you). The other great thing about CrossFit is that everything I do in the gym will help me and Baby G be stronger and healthier. Strong, healthy Mama = strong, healthy baby.

12/28/12: Baby G at 12 weeks

And there you have the big change The Mister and I are looking at for 2013 -- parenthood! Baby G is expected in mid-July. It is an exciting and terrifying prospect, and already it is a new and challenging chapter in our lives. Fortunately, Warrior CrossFit Muscatine is going strong and continues growing. We outgrew our old space in downtown Muscatine, and we moved to a new location in December. The new space is amazing. Wide open with concrete floors and high ceilings, the place gives us and our athletes more freedom in workouts. People are not bumping elbows to get out the door for sprints or between equipment. Weights can drop without bringing down pieces of the ceiling and walls (and without causing a flood of water from the pipes). There is ample parking and more visibility. Every day we are blessed with the success of our business. While the job of a business owner and fitness coach is always challenging, and not without its frustrations, it is more rewarding and more fun than any job that came before it.

Looking back at 2012, I believe The Mister and I achieved some stability while still growing our business and moving forward personally and professionally. I had enough downtime to paint the interior of our rental home, including a mini makeover of our tiny bathroom, and I continued working on a contract basis for my former employer. Additional highlights from the year include the family reunion out in Oregon, more than a few lovely trips to Chicago for visits with friends and family, pulling the ultimate birthday prank on my Mister, seeing my first ever St. Louis Cardinals game at Busch Stadium, visiting friends in Florida, and growing new friendships. It has been a bountiful and beautiful year, and one which went by all too quickly. 2013 promises to be even busier, thereby going by even faster, and I hope I am present enough to appreciate each moment for what it is: fleeting and unique (yet universal to the human experience).

The completed paint job on our house. It used to be baby blue and lavender!

Busch Stadium. Magical.