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Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone’s week is off to a great start and that your meal prep game is on point 😉 I have been prepping my meals for the week on Sundays for a few years now. When I first started, I kept it simple and pretty much ate the same thing (or a variation of the same thing) every week…. until I got so dang sick of chicken breast I couldn’t stand it!

So, this past year especially, I’ve gotten braver and more creative with my meal prep dishes and it’s been awesome! In an effort to keep you from eating boring food, I wanted to share one of my favorite go-tos that is great for weekly prep, but also perfect for a quick weeknight meal. I’ve made this one several times and the nice thing is, you can really dress these however you like! They are super easy, super fresh, and super delicious. Without further adieu, let’s get into this lovely recipe for Portobello Mushroom tacos.

(I also love the name of this blog – Gimme some oven? Come on!)

Enjoy!
-Coach Gen

ROASTED PORTOBELLO TACOS

Don’t judge my plating… I don’t have anyone to impress 😉

DIRECTIONS:

Oh, hello.

Welcome to… (queue drumroll)

Diaries of a Coach!

Erica here, hopefully I have met most of you but those I haven’t, nice to meet you and welcome to my diary! I have to say, I am incredibly excited about this opportunity. Writing has been an outlet for me for awhile now and when this idea was thrown out, I knew in my gut I needed to say yes. (Ever get that oh-crap-I-know-I’m-supposed-to-do-this-but-I’m-HELLA-nervous feeling? That.)

Anyways, this is the new place to be. Right here, on my public diary! My hope is simply this: I want to make you laugh, bring a smile to your face. I want to tell you some stories, let you in on the life of a coach. I want to be real. I don’t know about you, but a big ol’ dose of realness in my day is always good for the soul. While my life and experience will be far from perfect, let’s connect over the struggles, the pains, the joys, the laughs, the highs and the lows that we all experience in this crazy CrossFit world we share.

So post numero uno commences… Right. Now.

A few months ago, Coach Jared and I did a video on our “why”. If you haven’t seen that, you should probably check it out (What’s your why)! If you watched that video, a huge part of the reason I train and am so passionate about coaching others comes from my own experience, growing up immersed in a lifestyle that very minimally valued proper nutrition and adequate movement, if at all. As I got older and realized the unhealthy and deeply rooted habits I had adopted, it became clear to me that I was to change a very prominent generational pattern in my family, or else I was headed down a slippery slope toward countless health risks and limitations.

Fast forward to the present, living in a city where health and fitness are cultural norms, working in an industry that is inundating me with new training methodologies daily and being borderline addicted to my own training and progress, people from my past stepping into this world might not even recognize me. So when my family came to visit last week, this was in many ways the case. My life is centered around something that lives on the very outskirts of theirs at best. So over the course of the last week, I found myself asking, “How do I encourage those around me to move, to take ownership of what and how and why they eat, to care about their health with the decisions they make daily?”

Odds are, if you’re reading this, you are engaged in a training program, hopefully here at CFA with me. (If not, holla at ya girl! erica@crossfitaustin.com) So more than likely I don’t need to encourage you to move consistently. But maybe, like me, you care deeply about someone, or multiple someones, that haven’t tasted the goodness of pushing physical limits, of eating a meal with the sole purpose of fueling the body for work, of gaining confidence from achieving a long term goal in the gym. This is my heart for most of my family. I want them to not only live long and healthy lives, I want them to have the ability to do the things they love, I want them to live pain free, and I want them to accomplish things they never thought possible.

Here’s what I would say after a week of contemplating all of this, of encouraging and sometimes violently pushing the people I care most about (let’s be honest, sometimes we all need a loving but violent push). Keep loving what you do, who you are and how you feel when you finish a workout every day. Aren’t you so glad to have a community of people in it with you?  But let’s also invite people in. Let’s talk about it like we adore it, because we really do. It gives us life, literally. So many haven’t found something that keeps them going, that challenges them, that provokes healthy change both physically and mentally, and people to do it with. Maybe it’s simply initiating a conversation about the struggles of fitness and nutrition, or inviting someone on a walk, or bringing them to CFA (shameless plug, nailed it). How can you, today, share your fitness? Y’all, someone’s life might depend on it!

-Coach E

Each month we spotlight a different CFA athlete who stands out and shows just how awesome they are. What is it that makes up an Athlete of the Month? It may not be the person that finishes the fastest, Rx’s every WOD, or gets a PR every time they walk in the gym. Although we love and celebrate when those things happen, the Athlete of the Month is made up of much more than physical ability. This person shows up, gives their best every time, and then gives a little more. They are hungry to learn and always ready to do the work. They support their fellow classmates and encourage them to reach their goals. This athlete embodies what we believe the CrossFit Austin Community should be about.

Our October Athlete of the Month is Illianna Degollado! I remember the day this gal came to the gym! She walked in wearing a shirt that said “Dope” and I knew she’d fit in. Illianna joined us a couple years ago with a solid group of folks led under Coach Ben. Over the years she’s progressed into an impressive little athlete! She’s always looking to improve and seeks out the guidance and tools to make that happen. She has a solid drive and a hardworking attitude to match. Illianna is a key part of the community aspect at CFA too! If there’s a social event, you better believe she’s there and the life of the party! Illianna, the CFA Team is proud to honor you as our October Athlete of the Month and as an awesome part of this community. Thanks for your all your hard work and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the years to come! Congratulations!

State your Name and/or Nickname please:Illianna Maria Degollado
Nickname: ILLI or ILL

Words to live by?
“There is no FORCE more POWERFUL than a WOMAN determined to SUCCEED”

What is your fitness background?
Track, Basketball, and Cheerleading

How long have you been CrossFitting?
2 ½ years

Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts today?
It was a warm Saturday morning in July, at approximately 8:45 a.m. I entered CFA a nervous wreck. CFA had a community WOD going on, and I met my friend Chelsea at the gym. Leigh was coaching at the time, and if you know Leigh, she is the definition of a CrossFit Coach; she’s strong, athletic, and confident. Chelsea and I looked at each other and just stared into each other’s souls like, “Why did we think this was a good idea?” Leigh asked us to group up and then the fun began. The workout consisted of wall balls, burpees, and goblet squats, if I remember correctly. When we had to burpee over each other…. I was in a group with Chelsea and Becca, and I’m sure we looked like nerds trying to jump over each other. Leigh kindly instructed us through that part of the WOD, and prevented us from hurting each other. Long story short, I never sweated and hurt so much in my life, that’s when I fell in love with this sport.

What’s your favorite part of CrossFit Austin?
The community. The community is the heart and soul of any CrossFit gym. I know we all say that, but it truly is. It is why we ALL endure these insane workouts, and push each other every day. This is my second family, and even though some of us leave, there are friendships made here that become long lasting friendships.

Current Training Goals/PRs?
Right now, I’m part of the Oly crew and working with our awesome Weightlifting Coach, Dylan. He’s going to get me to a solid 200lb back squat and 100lb+ snatch. Now, just overall getting stronger and being proficient on my weightlifting technique, but a 100+ snatch would be chill too.  

What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit?
We all started somewhere, and everything you see around the gym took years to learn, well for me at least. Don’t psych yourself out because you’re not good at one movement or a skill; come in everyday and make small goals to work on. Either way you came in and did your part, you’re stronger today then you were before.

What is your cheat meal go to?
OMG…. I LOVE breakfast! I could eat it all day, with that said, pancakes, bacon, eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, and to wash it all down with a mimosa or bloody mary. Mmmmm, just all the carbs!

How do you use your fitness outside of the gym?
I have a Boxer puppy, so she has an infinite amount of energy and makes the best running partner. We run for about a mile, and then I’ll do some body weight movements like air squats and push-ups. If I’m feeling ambitious, I’ll put a weight vest on throughout all of that.

Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout.
During the OPEN last year, Dave Castro announced 17.5, and my first thought was, “Crap, double unders.” At the time I was living in Houston, and I was going to a CrossFit gym there called Urban Animal. I was going to scale it because I really didn’t have my double unders, well maybe like a good five and then I would have to go back to singles. After a week of pure pressure from my friends at the gym, I decided to do it RX. The week leading up to Friday I worked so hard on them, and I got 10 in one day and then 15. When Friday came, I knew I wanted to do well, so I took my time on the thrusters, and collected myself before starting my double unders. The first two rounds were just me feeling it out, and pacing myself for this 10-round madness that I signed up for. I tripped up every now and then, but I completed 17.5 RX!!! I was beyond proud of myself, and there’s nothing more satisfying than getting a consistent 30 dubs under your belt.

If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be?
“Time to Get ILL” cue Beastie Boys song!

For Time
800m Run
50 walking lunges
25 snatches
15 strict pull-ups
800m Run

What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit?
I like volunteering for events in Austin. I’m from this city, so I love giving back to it.

Tell us something we don’t know about you…
I have my own personal CrossFit Coach that lives with me and goes to CFA too!

Longhorns or Aggies?
“Eat’em up Cats”

Leave the fine folks of CrossFit Austin with some parting words…
Today we’re setting the foundation for…… our bar muscle ups, PR snatches, walking handstands, strict pull-ups, and everything else. You’re one day stronger than you were yesterday, keep going!

FREE INFO SESSION DETAILS & REGISTRATION

Time and time again we have all seen bad lifting habits in youth athletes, especially in a high school weight room. The consistency of these bad habits, most of the time, leads to an unneeded and avoidable injury. Therefore, it is imperative that we instill good habits having to do with form, posture, and technique from a young age. Here at Crossfit Austin we are implementing a youth strength program addressing these issues while also aiming to create a strong and explosive young athlete.

I was blessed to have started the sport of Olympic Weightlifting at age 10 with a great coach. I competed in the sport, while also used the movements to make me a better football player. My coach instilled in me, from the very start, the importance of good posture and using that to lift properly. When high school football rolled around, it was obvious the difference in my lifting habits versus most of the other players. This is where my passion of making athletes explosive, and them looking good doing it, developed. Now since I have left high school, that passion has only increased. I am very thankful for this opportunity at Crossfit Austin to pass on to today’s youth, what my coach instilled in me.

In our program, our youth athletes will properly learn how to do the Olympic lifts while also doing other strength exercises to make them strong and explosive for their respective sport. We will focus on getting explosive through the hips and having a strong core. This will all serve as a proper base for when they reach high school athletics. Whether they are a basketball, volleyball, or softball player, etc., they will encounter exercises such as the power clean, squat, and bench. We want to send them into that setting with the proper knowledge and mechanics of those movements to best be utilized for their sport. Most importantly, we are going to have fun doing it!

The goal is to create good lifting habits, be explosive and strong, and ultimately help our young athletes succeed and have fun. Here at Crossfit Austin, we all share this passion, we are committed to it, and we want to invite y’all to share this lifestyle with us!

-Coach Dylan

Each month we spotlight a different CFA athlete who stands out and shows just how awesome they are. What is it that makes up an Athlete of the Month? It may not be the person that finishes the fastest, Rx’s every WOD, or gets a PR every time they walk in the gym. Although we love and celebrate when those things happen, the Athlete of the Month is made up of much more than physical ability. This person shows up, gives their best every time, and then gives a little more. They are hungry to learn and always ready to do the work. They support their fellow classmates and encourage them to reach their goals. This athlete embodies what we believe the CrossFit Austin Community should be about.

Our September Athlete of the Month is Zac Pettiette! Zac just joined the CFA family in April of this year, but he’s no newbie to CrossFit. He came to us with a couple of years of experience under his belt and has fit right in! Zac pushes himself and gives the rest of the class some ammo and a little friendly competition with his drive. He definitely has a fire in him and we can see his hard work! We’ve thoroughly enjoyed Zac’s positive attitude and friendly smile in class. Zac, the CFA Team is proud to honor you as our September Athlete of the Month and as an awesome part of this community. Thanks for your all your hard work and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the years to come! Congratulations!

State your Name and/or Nickname please:
Zac Pettiette

Words to live by?
Don’t worry about the mule, just load the wagon!! #mulestrong

What is your fitness background?
I played high school football, powerlifted, and “bro gym” for many years.

How long have you been CrossFitting?
I started on my 40th birthday, over 2 ½ years ago.  I had an early mid-life crisis.

Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts today?
I remember my first day vividly.  Started at 5 a.m. with heavy sled pushes and ended with lots of heavy power cleans and box jumps. When I got home I collapsed on the closet floor and cried to my wife “I am never going back again” Once I figured out there was a scaled workout, I was able to finish the WOD’s and start to get better.  There were so many movement I could not do at first, so I would come 30 mins early or stay late and practice, practice, practice, and watch hours of youtube videos.

What’s your favorite part of CrossFit Austin?
Prior to joining CF Austin, I had only been to one Crossfit box.  Because of the great introduction and the awesome community it was hard to leave.  My biggest concern was if another Box could be as good as the last? Since the first day at CF Austin I was welcomed with open arms into their community and have gained many new friends.  The fellowship and support at CF Austin has been outstanding even for an “over the hill” athlete such as myself.

Current Training Goals/PRs?
Currently I am working hard to prepare for the Fittest Games qualifier and 2018 Crossfit Open.  

What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit?
Crossfit is not for everybody, but if you are serious about making a life changing decision and improving your health, it is the right one.  Everyone is not in the same physical condition or have the same fitness goals.  Crossfit takes your strengths and weaknesses and formulates a workout program that will best fit your needs and skill set.  Everyone has an opportunity to get fitter!!  

What is your cheat meal go to?
That’s an easy question for me!!  Most definitely my 2 a.m pan of chocolate brownies, washed down with a large cold glass of milk.

How do you use your fitness outside of the gym?
My two daughters keep me very busy.  Both are very good athletes, so I am either playing catcher for my youngest daughter that’s a softball pitcher or hitting a volleyball back and forth with my oldest.

Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout.
Anytime you finish a WOD Rx and still alive, that’s a great feeling.  Crossfit teaches you the impossible is possible. Finishing Murph is my proudest moment by far.

If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be?
My strength is most definitely anything Should to Overhead.  So the best way to describe my WOD would be what would not be involved.  No burpee’s of any form, running, muscle ups, or snatches.  So basically just a lot of strict should to overhead, handstand pushups, and kettlebell movements.  

What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit?
At this point in my life I work full time, crossfit daily, and be a Dad.  My kids are 13 and 12 and they keep me very busy, so I don’t have time for hobbies just yet.

Tell us something we don’t know about you…
This is the toughest question.  I played the saxophone in middle school and I love watching  American Pickers and Judge Judy.

Longhorns or Aggies?   
Texas A&M for sure!!!  Class of ’97.  Not a big fan of burnt orange.  I missed the annual football rivalry and hope it will be restored soon!!

Leave the fine folks of CF Austin with some parting words
I think I have met a majority of the members but if we haven’t met come introduce yourself.  I am either there sweating at 12 noon or 5:30 pm.  It’s not hard to spot me in the box; I am the one right in front of the big fan during every workout.