My first weightlifting competition.

So I completed my first weightlifting competition. I've been lifting for about 6 weeks. I've been in Crossfit for a while longer - about 8 months. It's been such an exciting journey. 

Let's start with why I love weightlifting. I'm strong and I feel strong when I lift. No one cares about body type. They care about how you move. It's a liberating feeling to be judged solely on what you do and not how you look, what your job is, or what purse you are carrying. 

I love weightlifting because I'm accepted for who I am right now. Not who I might be or who I was, but who I am right now. 

It helps that my training environment rocks. Everyone is supportive and fun to be around. No one makes you feel weird for being a beginner. Everyone is just so welcoming and fun. 

My coaches are also amazing. I couldn't do it without Chris H. and Nick C. They have the best attitudes for me: enough praise coupled with enough pushing and sarcasm to meet my needs. And they don't mind cracking jokes in between working hard. It's been said that good coaches help you, but great coaches push you. I have two great coaches. 

Weightlifting seems so easy, yet is so technical. The difference between making and missing a lift is so minuscule. It's fun for my brain. Although I really need to turn my brain off when I love the bar. 

So I competed for the first time in

Sacramento. It was great. The hardest part was simply relaxing between lifts and before warm ups. I can't describe the adrenaline rush when I stepped on the platform to lift. My coaches got sick, but hooked me up with a great coach in Uncle Charles. It was great. 

I had been really well coached. I could make my openers with no problem, which allowed me to enjoy the meet. It was fun to try harder lifts too. I didn't make the harder ones- I forgot you have to get under the bar - but I did make my openers and one more. 

I totaled 99k between the two lifts.  Which qualified me for the 205 Masters World Cup in Texas. And it qualified me for the 2016 Masters Nationals. I'll be attending both. 

My coaches assure me that I'll be able to lift more once I get my movement patterns and technique fixed to better than it is now- which shouldn't be hard. I'm really excited about this journey. 

It's been a long time since I've felt so excited and sure of myself. I step in to train and everything falls away. It's me and the bar. That's it. If nothing good happens, I still tried. If I get frustrated, it doesn't matter because I still tried. 

Don't get me wrong, I still like to pound things - like a heavy bag. And I still practice martial arts because you don't throw away that many years of practice and training. But this is my new thing.  

Weightlifting is great. And I really hope that there are more adventures to come. 

Wonderful time!!!

One of the hardest things about moving was having my kids leave their friends. I miss my friends too. But Nicholas really misses his. He forms few friendships. But those he forms are deep. So for him, leaving his friends, was a big deal. 

Luckily we got to meet up with the Caziers in Disneyland this week. Nicholas couldn't have been happier to get to spend time with Bhavik and they had such fun. And I loved spending time with the lovely Catherine. It's always good to see friends. 

And even though friends were the highlight of the day, we still had to hit up the Frozen Dance Party that happens in CA Adventure. My kids love the lighting effects and would've spent hours chasing the snowflakes on the ground. 

My kids have moves!!!!

Saturday fun.

Normally we do stuff as a family on Saturday since Jon is home. But this Saturday he went sailing, so the kids and I had to plan activities. And so away we went. 

To Ventura to get new cowboy and cowgirl boots since they outgrew theirs. People laugh at me, but the boots are so useful. My kids love boots and wear them everywhere. 

So we got boots and then went to Barnes and Noble. It just so happened that story time was starting when we got there. So we stayed for story time. And the reader gave them duck whistles to help with the story. I'm hating the duck whistles. 

But it's almost lunch time and we've been havin a great time without Jon. We have plans for this afternoon too. Hiking plans. 

Weightlifting

So I've been on this journey to find something I like to do. Something for myself. 

I've joined Crossfit and loved it, but I'm not particularly great at it. So I tried Olympic  Weightlifting. 

And I love it. 

My coach is amazing. He totally understands my need to compete and drive for perfection. And yet he laughs at me all the time to keep me from thinking about things too much. 

And the best part is that I can do this as I am. I don't have to change. 

It's not that I don't still do martial arts, I do. But I feel an obligation to teach and help with martial arts. And that means I'm not doing it just for me. Weightlifting is for me. 

I'm loving it and can't wait to see how much I improve over the next year. 

Our nature journal

So I've decided to chronicle our outdoor adventures. But not by myself. 

I got a plain sketchbook and we use whatever drawing stuff we have on hand. This is normally pencils and markers, since I keep them in the car. And when we go outside, we draw pictures. 

We each take part of a page and draw something we see. Then before we leave, we draw something we liked to do at that nature place. Then I label it with the park name and date. 

This way, we will have a record of what we do and where we have went, done by the kids. I also add some stories to poet and staple them in if the kids have told a great story about our activities. But it's a fun and interactive way to kee memories. Better than just pictures since I have to take pictures and don't always do it.