State your Name and/or Nickname please:
Katie

Words to live by?
Be Strong in all you do!

What is your fitness background?
College Softball

How long have you been CrossFitting?
Almost 4 months at CrossFit Austin, but had some experience prior.

Take us back to your first day of CrossFit…..how did you feel?  How do you compare it to workouts today?
The first day of any new activity is never easy and I was sick on top of that!  It was so hard to complete that first workout being relatively out-of-CrossFit-shape and feeling crummy compared to workouts now.  I am very proud of the changes I have seen in my body (I was 113lbs and I’m currently 123lbs!) and I don’t ever wanna go back where I was before.  I feel healthier and stronger; what a great feeling to have!

What’s your favorite part of CrossFit Austin?
Lifting weights as it is a singular challenge that I can overcome in just a short period of time which gives me a lot of confidence.

Current Training Goals/PRs?
I hope to improve my technique and skill sets as that will help me in my first competition coming up this month.  After that, I want to continue gaining muscle weight and improve my PRs.

What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit?
As I stated previously, BE STRONG IN ALL YOU DO!  One step at a time and do it on your own schedule without having to force yourself.   Doing too much too soon will take the fun out of it. Take a break if your body tells you to but make sure you jump right back in after as making up lost ground is a major bummer!  Try not to go longer than a few days as I’ve missed a week and a half once throughout my fitness journey and quickly learned that it was way too long. Also, take some selfies from the very first day and then on the same day of the week thereafter.  Seeing changes in your body, whether small or large, as you go will remind you why you are fighting through the pain and sweat and will boost your mental and physical energy in every workout.

What is your cheat meal go to?
Pizza & Sour Beer!!!

How do you use your fitness outside of the gym?
Running after multiple infants and toddlers at work requires all of the fitness I can muster!

Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout.
When I completed my WOD and maxed out on my PRs.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your fitness journey?
Given that I am deaf, communication will always be my biggest challenge.  If I can’t clearly see the Coaches speaking I have a very difficult time understanding everything they say.  This situation is especially true when it comes to technique instruction of which I consider most important.

If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be?
Silent but Deadly!  ☺

What keeps you going on the days you don’t feel like it?
Knowing how guilty I will feel about not following my own “Words to Live By” and how disruptive missing time would be to my body and my progress.  I’ve come this far so I have to just dive in and get it done. And when I’m finished I’m rewarded by physically feeling great and mentally feeling proud that I didn’t let the temptation of Pizza & Sour Beer make me stray from my mission

What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit?
I love to hike, swim, snowboard and travel with my Chocolate Lab Brat Mazie.  I live for challenging outdoor adventures.

Tell us something we don’t know about you….
AlllllllllllaBAMA!!!  Roll Tide Roll!

Leave the fine folks of CrossFit Austin with some parting words…
If they decide to design that WOD I suggested don’t be behind me! ☺

REGISTER HERE 

2019 is the year of the NEW CrossFit Competition format! Out with the old, in with the new and the new that WE are focusing on is the very first FALL Open.

The 2019 Fall CrossFit Open is actually the first step of the 2020 season and begins on October 10. We’re already taking some steps to help get you ready. We’ll be offering weekly skills classes, working past Open WODs into the programming, doing some extra PT sessions… all in hopes of preparing for the next Open. If you’ve been with us for more than a year, you may have caught the Spring 2018 Open with us which was our first year doing it Intramural Style! Well, we’re bringing it back!

More details will come soon with specifics on registration and teams, but for now we just wanted to get the word out because when the time comes, we’re going to have to act fast!

Who:
Open to all CFA members of all skill levels.

What:
The Intramural Open experience is a team format take on the CrossFit Games Open. All participants will be placed into a draft and then drafted into different teams managed by your Team Captains.

Points will be earned by things like:

Participating in the Open Workouts
Top performance in the Open Workouts
Team Spirit
Team Outings

And more… To be determined, but will be established before we begin!

When:
Starting on October 10, one workout will be released from CFHQ each week for 5 weeks on Thursday evenings. We will program the workouts as part of the normally scheduled programming on Fridays  AND we will have an additional schedule that will be the BIG time for teams to gather and have a fun time together. Special make ups outside of the classes/events may be requested and addressed on a case-by-base basis. The Intramural Open experience will wrap up with the final WOD announced on November 7th and we’ll have our big wrap party!

Where:
The workouts will be run at the gym as part of the normal class sessions and during a special events schedule. If you are traveling during this time period, you may also find an affiliate to complete the standard workouts with to earn your participation points.

Why:
Because it’s fun and we believe it’ll make you better in more ways that just improving your health and fitness. Cheering each on other on in this environment gives you an experience that you can’t find anywhere else. The Open is a great way to test to see where your current potential is. I encourage everyone to participate because it’s the path that’s going to allow you to pursue your most positive potential and be able to connect with other fellow CFA family members.

For those that want to submit scores via the CFHQ Open, please feel free to do so, make sure you have a judge for your workout, and we will validate your scores via the CFHQ system accordingly. Please note, it is NOT a requirement that you sign up through HQ in order to participate with us. Signing up through HQ will allow you to see how you rank with the rest of the world, but we don’t require it for IMO.

How:
Sign up online through the Triib Events HERE!! The registration fee is $40. This includes your t-shirt, entry fee, and funding for the finals party and winning team’s prizes

REGISTRATION DEADLINE – Friday, September 20th – This allows our team shirts to be ready by go time!

Again, you DO NOT have to register through CFHQ to register for the intramural open. You ONLY need to register with HQ if you want to submit your scores worldwide.

PRIZES
The top team will earn a GRAND prize. Details released soon!

Our focus is on FUN. We want participation because it will make you fitter, and it will get you high-fives and you’ll be happy and love life more and glow and stuff.

Please don’t hesitate to ask questions or if you have any reservations about any unique challenges, I’m positive we can work it out.

No frills, big flavor, super fast and easy! Ask me what my favorite thing for dinner is and that will likely be my answer. Our weeks are SO packed sometimes that I really don’t have the time or energy to do big elaborate meals during the week, but as I’ve said before… it doesn’t have to be difficult!

I was really impressed with how good this turned out. To make things even easier, you can pre-chop the broccoli into florets so it’s easy to throw in when you’re ready.

Give this a go tonight!

Dijon Crusted Salmon & veggies

INGREDIENTS
12-16 oz Salmon filet (you can get multiples or one big one and cut to your liking)
1-2 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning
1/4 Cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 Cup Melted Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

1 Large Broccoli Crown
1 12oz package baby carrots (I used rainbow)
Coconut Oil
Salt & Garlic Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line half a baking sheet with foil and create a second “section” by folding another sheet of foil to create a barrier in the middle (or just use 2 baking sheets). On one side, coat the baby carrots with coconut oil and on the other, coat the broccoli with olive oil. Place in the oven to roast for about 25-30 minutes for the broccoli and 30-40 for the carrots or until fork tender. Once done, season the broccoli with a little salt and garlic pepper.

Once you’ve gotten the veggies in, prepare the fish. Line another baking sheet with foil. Place fish skin down on the sheet. Spread a thin layer of dijon on all pieces and season with salt and pepper. Mix Italian seasoning with the bread crumbs and coat the fish. Finish by coating the top with melted butter and put into the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes (or until preferred doneness). To crisp the topping a bit more, finish out with a couple minutes under the high broiler, but be careful not to burn it!

That’s it, y’all! A couple of baking sheets and a bit of timing, but it all goes in at the same temperature.

Happy Wednesday! We’re taking a break from our regularly scheduled program (Kitchen Adventures) to bring you some information on the Nutrition portion of the Whole Life Challenge. If you missed our post last week about the Fall 2019 Challenge, you can check out the details and register through this post [CLICK HERE] – Don’t forget to join Team CrossFit Austin once you’ve signed up!

THE WHOLE LIFE CHALLENGE is made up of 7 daily habits including nutrition, exercise, mobilization, hydration, sleep, daily reflection, and a lifestyle challenge that changes weekly. While the others are all very important, nutrition is the largest component of this challenge. While nutrition can be a very confusing topic, the WLC has made it quite simple for the purposes of the game. The most important part of setting yourself up for success with this challenge is choosing the nutrition level that is right for you.

WLC outlines 3 levels
KICKSTART || If you are new to making changes in your diet, this is a great starting point. Kickstart eliminates things like breads, beer & sodas, and desserts. It’s a great way to begin eliminating some of the things that may be keeping you from seeing the changes you want in your body composition.

LIFESTYLE || This level cleans things up quite a bit. If you already eat pretty clean (not a lot of processed foods, mainly whole sourced proteins, fresh produce, healthy fats…) this level will help you recognize the hidden ingredients in things that may be holding you back. Have you checked the labels on your favorite chicken broth? How about that “healthy” frozen smoothie pack? Lifestyle level really brings your attention to the details.

PERFORMANCE || Hardcore cleaning things up! If you’re looking to make some major changes in your diet, this is the level for you. This level eliminates many of the food sources that have been known to cause inflammation or digestive issues in many people. Don’t worry, there are still plenty of items you can eat, but this level will source you to all whole, unprocessed foods!

In addition to the omnivore lists, there are food lists for vegetarians as well so you can eat in alignment with whatever you follow!

If you’re currently eating fast food every week and haven’t quite kicked the sodas, we wouldn’t suggest jumping straight to Performance. The same goes to say, if you already eat quite clean, don’t sell yourself short and go too easy.  “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you” -Zig Ziglar

We encourage you to take a look through these lists prior to choosing your level. Don’t let them be intimidating! You are already looking to make a change so choose a level that is challenging for you, but doable. Feel free to let me know if you have questions! I hope you’ll join us for this challenge!

 “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you” -Zig Ziglar

REGISTER HERE

Change can be challenging. Yet, without a challenge, there can’t be change. With the holidays right around the corner, we have the opportunity to create good habits that will help us make smart choices through the holiday meals!

We also hope that this challenge will create habits that carry over into the New Year so you can shift your New Year’s resolutions away from health and fitness goals (because they’ll already be in place!) and make more goals surrounding having fun in 2020!

During our last challenge, we saw some awesome results and had great time working through the challenges & celebrating our weekly wins with our teammates. We hope you’ll consider joining us on this journey again!

Whole Life Challenge is part fitness, part nutritional and body composition, and part accountability challenges. Our goals for each Fall 2019 Whole Life Challenger are:

• Mental + emotional preparation for the longevity of a healthy lifestyle {awareness + action}
• Individual fitness gains
• Creation of lasting habits for individualized nutritional and body composition success
• Physical & nutritional preparation to get you through the holidays and carry over into the New Year!

You + Whole Life Challenge = Team CrossFit Austin

Challenge = Change // Goals = Gains

{What is it?}

While everyone wants to look and feel better, it can be a challenge to know how or where to start. The Whole Life Challenge focuses you on the key areas of your life that produce real, life-long changes. Playing together with your friends and family in a fun and motivating daily game, you’ll create new healthy habits that last long after it ends.

The Whole Life Challenge focuses on 7 daily habits that you will learn and create for yourself as you journey through.

These 7 Daily Habits are:

• • Nutrition. Your food choices have the single greatest impact on your health, well-being, and community. When you make choices that keep you healthy, you give yourself the fuel to fulfill all of who you are. There are 3 levels to choose from that allow you to start making changes in a realistic and attainable way.  {Choose the level that is right for you}
  • Exercise. Humans are designed to move daily. Whether through workouts, activity, or simply enjoying the full use of your body, daily movement keeps you healthy and vital. You’re already moving regularly with us!
  • Mobility. In a sedentary world, our bodies get stuck. Daily mobility and stretching helps you move the way nature intended and continue enjoying freedom of movement into your later years.
  • Sleep. Modern schedules tend to dictate how many hours of sleep we’re entitled to. A practice of increasing that time, even by a little bit, can make big strides in robust health. You set the sleep goals that are right for you.
  • Hydration. More than anything, your body is made of water. This habit ensures that your body gets enough of its most basic resources for life.
  • Lifestyle Practice. The {WLC weekly lifestyle practices} turn a life into your life. Learn to step back, take stock, connect, and turn your attention to what is really important to you.
  • Reflection. Looking back, looking inward, or looking forward, daily reflection draws your awareness to what is working and what needs your attention today.

{How Do I Play?}

The {Challenge} begins with taking your preliminary measurements and completing a scalable workout that will be repeated at the end.

Throughout the 42 day challenge you will post your scores in the 7 categories listed above. The Challenge is designed in a way that we can work as a team to check in with and support each other on a daily basis.

To close out the Whole Life Challenge, you will repeat the preliminary measurements and workout to gauge how far you’ve come! But, it doesn’t end there! The Whole Life Challenge is designed to help you make healthy lifestyle changes that last.

{How Do I Register?}

You can register and join Team CrossFit Austin through the Whole Life Challenge {website}. Make sure you do join our team to participate with the community!

REGISTER HERE

CHALLENGE BEGINS September 28, 2019
CHALLENGE ENDS November 9, 2019

Early Bird Sale: Now – August 18 @ 11:59p — $24

End-of-Challenge Special: August 19 – August 24 @ 11:59p — $29

Early Registration: August 25 – September 11 @ 11:59p — $39

Regular Registration: September 12 – September 22 @ 11:59p — $49

Last-Minute Registration: September 23 – October 9 @ 11:59p — $59

Challenge Begins September 28th, 2019

** All Times Are Local Time **

If you’re ready to dial it in and make some long lasting habits, join us for this challenge!

Who likes Chipotle? 😉 It is one of the few ‘fast food’ options that offers meals on the cleaner side that can easily hit macros (if you’re into that sort of thing). Tim and I usually get a burrito bowl and load it up with all the good stuff, but eating out can get pricey. Also, by making this home version, I know EXACTLY what ingredients are going into it and how much which makes tracking that much easier.

I’ve done several versions of this, but I’m going to share the steak version with you because it turned out really bomb. This marinade is great! I used my sous vide to cook the steak, but you could grill it, bake it, pan sear it…. whatever method you prefer. As for the toppings, go crazy! I like it all so I pile it high, but you can be as selective as you like.

At Home Burrito Bowl

INGREDIENTS
For the steak & marinade
2-3 lbs steak (I used ribeye)
2 TBSP Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 medium red onion
1 chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce) + 1 TBSP adobo sauce
2 tsp Oregano
2 tsp Cumin
2 TBSP Chile powder
salt & pepper to taste
water as needed if too thick

For the cilantro lime rice
2 cups jasmine rice (you can sub brown if you prefer)
Juice from 1 lime
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp Garlic Powder
Pinch of salt

For the corn salsa
2 cups corn (I used frozen – thawed and drained)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice from 1 lime

For the rest!
1 head Romain Lettuce – chopped
2 cans black beans – drained and rinsed
1 container pico de gallo (or make your own!)
Guacamole – (or make your own!)
Plain Greek Yogurt
Shredded cheese
Hot sauce of your choice

INSTRUCTIONS

Steak – combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a food processor and pulse until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a little water. Season both sides of your steak with salt and pepper. Combine steak and marinate in a gallon size ziploc bag and let marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. If you are cooking it sous vide you can skip marinading and just cook it in the ziploc. Cook the steak a little under your liking! You’ll do this so that when you reheat, the steak won’t dry out.

Cilantro Lime Rice – Cook the rice accordingly. Once finished, add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.

Corn Salsa – combine all ingredients and mix well.

To assemble – Divide the rice and beans into 4 containers. Divide and add the steak. The rest of the ingredients should be stored separately. You’ll reheat the bowl with the rice, beans, and steak and the rest can be added cold afterward! Enjoy

Y’all… it doesn’t have to be hard. Some days you get home from work and you’re beat and you don’t want to put any effort into dinner, but instead of reaching for that take out menu, you can make an easy, healthy meal (and definitely cheaper!) in less time than it usually takes the delivery guy to make it to your door.

We’ve been burning the candle at both ends lately and I really just needed something clean and simple so that’s where this comes from. I kind of got away from regularly including fish in our weekly meals so I also wanted to make sure that I was getting us back to that and this meal was exactly what we needed.

No frills, wholesome food. Just the way we like it. The serving sizes below made 1 meal for each of us. If you’re hoping for leftovers, double it up!

INGREDIENTS

2 Large Orange Roughy (or other sturdy white fish) fillets
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1 TBSP Lemon Juice
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 Cup panko bread crumbs – can also sub rough chopped almonds
2 Beets
6-8 Medium Carrons peeled
1 Cup brown rice
Coconut oil

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry beets, trim greens off top, but do not peel. Coat in coconut oil, wrap individually in foil and place in the oven on a baking sheet to roast. (Total time, appx 30 minutes or until tender)

Wash and peel carrots and cut into sticks. On a lined baking sheet toss in coconut oil and place in oven to roast (total time, appx 25 minutes or until fork tender)

Make the rice according to the package.

Pat fish dry and set aside. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. IF you have a wire cooling rack like this it is helpful to place that on top of the baking sheet, but otherwise just grease the baking sheet and set aside.

In one dish, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice. In another dish, combine panko (or chopped almonds), Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Coat fish lightly on both sides in the olive oil/lemon juice mixture and then coat on both sides with the seasoned panko mixture. Place the fish either on the rack or directly on the greased sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the panko is golden brown and the fish flakes easily.

Once the beets and carrots are finished, remove from oven. For the beets, open the aluminum pouch and allow to cool for a bit. Using a paper towel, gently rub to remove the skin and then slice

To serve, portion the rice on each plate, top with the cooked fish. Serve with the veggies on the side. Sit your butt on the couch and kick up your feet because it’s been a long day, but at least you’re feeding yourself well! 🙂

I’m a little afraid that I might burn out on this because we’ve had this as a meal prep option 3 times in the last couple of weeks, but it is SO GOOD. It’s also been really refreshing for lunches in this crazy summer heat. Yes… it has chips on it. But, there are good options out there. Siete chips are grain free and we used the HEB Organics nacho chips… up to you!

Anyway, I used to love taco salad when I was a kid and it had been YEARS since I’d eaten it, but I’m so happy to have it back in my life…. This recipe is clean, simple, and so easy to put together. I am also including a recipe for a really good Catalina dressing. I highly recommend that you don’t skip that! That dressing would be killer on any salad honestly.

Alright, let’s get to it!

FRESH TACO SALAD

INGREDIENTS

For the salad
1.25-1.5 lbs ground beef
1 package of taco seasoning
1 head of Romain lettuce (or greens of your choice) – rough chopped
1 can black beans – drained and rinsed
1 can sliced black olives – drained
1 cup Corn kernals
1 cup green onions – chopped
1 pint cherry or sweet tomatoes – diced
Shredded cheese
Chips of choice
Plain Greek yogurt
Avocado

For the dressing
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup ketchup (sugar free)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder

INSTRUCTIONS

In a pan over medium heat, brown the ground beef. Stir in the taco seasoning and a bit of water as needed to keep it from drying out. Store in a container to build into a salad when you’re ready to eat.

Rough chop the Romain and slice the green onions. Put each ingredient in an individual container and store until ready to build your salad.

To build – Lay a bed of greens down. Layer toppings as desired and top with the dressing! Enjoy!

For the dressing – Mix all ingredients in a jar, shake vigorously until well combined. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Simple as that guys. I made this again this week and Tim and I killed it in 2 days… Get on this!

I know what you’re thinking….. “wut?” I had actually heard of people doing savory oatmeal, but I have always been more than happy with my berry, granola, and cinnamon loaded oatmeal so I came to the conclusion I didn’t need to try it.

But…. in a search for something a little different to mix up our mornings, I decided to give this a go. This is an adaptation of a few different recipes I saw and I have to say I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

Anyhoo, this is packed up with some garlic roasted kale and because I’m indecisive, some had fried eggs while others had soft boiled, and it’s all topped off with kimchi. I’ve also been trying to get more fermented foods into our diet. I did kimchi with this, but I also really think that raw sauerkraut would be awesome. What do you think?

Enjoy folks!

Savory Oatmeal

INGREDIENTS – This made (4) 2-cup servings
2 cups quick cooking oats
3 cups of water (more to your liking – I like my oatmeal pretty thick)
3 green onions – thinly sliced – including the whites
1/3 cup shredded parmesan (or similar) cheese
2-3 cloves of garlic – minced
1 large bundle of kale – ribs removed
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 egg per serving (your choice, fried or soft boiled) or if you want more, add more!
Optional toppings – Kimchi, Sauerkraut

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash, dry, and rough chop your kale. Make sure the stems and ribs have been removed. Smash and mince your garlic into a texture close to paste. In a large bowl mix your garlic and a little olive oil with the chopped kale. Toss until well coated.

On a lined baking sheet, spread your kale out into an even layer (I had to use 2 baking sheets). Roast for approximately 5 minutes, flip, and roast another 5 minutes. Continue this process until the kale becomes crispy.

While the kale roasts, boil your water and stir in the oats. Once done to your liking (remember, you can add more water if you prefer) stir in the cheese, onions, and salt & pepper to tase.

Divide evenly into bowls and top with your choice of egg, kale, and a little more cheese. I left my kimchi separate because I wanted to heat the bowl, but put the kimchi on cold, but it’s up to you!

I also add fresh avocado and hot sauce to just about anything. Tim tried this with Sriracha and was a fan. That’s the beauty of oatmeal, you can really do whatever you want with it!