Paper Gangsta

3 Rounds, not for time of:
Strict Muscle-up, hold support for 3 seconds with rings turned out
L-sit, hold for 5 seconds
Skin the Cat, hold bottom position for 3 seconds
Inverted to lower, hold inverted position for 3 seconds


5 Rounds of:

15sec Back Lever
15sec Handstand/Headstand Hold (preferably no wall)
15sec Front Lever

2 Rounds of:

10 Wall Extensions (video and explanation)

Today was a fun, experimental day. I am now able to do a CONTROLLED headstand without flopping over on my back- woohoo!

So 365 days ago, I walked into Paradiso Crossfit with no idea what was in store for me. It was about a week prior that I had flaked on my complimentary one-on-one with David. Having not heard back from him after numerous attempts to reach out to him, I impulsively paid the fees for the 4 week On-ramp course to SHOW HIM that I wasn't flakey. Lol. It's weird how Diso not chasing after my business actually made me want to prove that I would be a good client.

On-ramp class began at 7:30pm. I remember walking in and Diso pointing over at Sam and Zu, saying they had just completed the on-ramp and they loved it. I must have looked scared; maybe Diso thought I was going to bolt. I didn't know it at the time, but one of my future BFFs was trying to blend into the wall. That day our introductory WOD was run 200m, 15-12-9 Squats/Push Ups/Ring Rows, run 200m. Diso jokes that after my first 200m run, I came back and my lips were white... I don't think I finished the WOD, if I remember correctly. Not sure where I stopped during the WOD, but I know it was shortened for me.

It makes me smile thinking about all the different things that were going on in the rest of my life that brought to Crossfit. Everything is so different. Even how I look at things in life. My paradigm has shifted and changed (I hate to admit it, but all those LAS sales meetings really resonated with me).

There are 2 things for which I am truly grateful for that Crossfit has brought me. One, are all the wonderful, amazing friends I have made in our box and community. I can say that there are definitely people that I have met this year that I know will be my friends for life. The pool of just plain good hearted people that have collected within those 4 walls is hard to believe... it's like the coolest people in LA all happen to work out at my gym; but then I meet people from other boxes who are just as cool and down to earth and completely defy that statement. Maybe the correct fact is that the coolest people on earth Crossfit :)

The second thing I am grateful for is my health. 2010 is the first year that I was not admitted to the hospital for any my preexisting conditions. I've gone to the ER and/or been admitted to the hospital every year since 1998. I've broken a 11 year streak. Crazy. I don't think it's coincidence. I am healthy. I am closer to WELLNESS than I have ever been in my life. Wellness didn't happen overnight, and it took a commitment on my part to be an active participant in the choices I made. I got rid of all my prescriptions(the only thing that gets prescribed to me are the WODs). No more visits to the specialists. No more fear of not being able to travel, just in case I was too far from a hospital. No more surprise visits from the first responders/firemen in the neighborhood.

Thinking back, I just can't believe I lived that way for sooooo long. I didn't know that my quality of life was so low. Now I know what it's like to be well, feel well... And you want to share that with the rest of the world. You wish they could get a glimpse of it, so they know why they need to do the hard work.

Happy 1st Anniversary, the Paper Anniversary!