Heartbroken

I am completely heartbroken this morning as I read the status of a friend on Facebook. He said,

"Leah is in Palliative Care at MCV. Shortly after Kathy and I made it to Richmond, our immediate family and Johnny sat by her side as she was taken off life support yesterday afternoon so that she could be "most comfortable". We feel the prayers and love you all have sent our way!!! She has stayed with us through the night. She is NOT in pain and will soon be in a better place. We will let you know how she is doing and any arrangements being made."

If you could do your pull-ups today for Leah and her family, I would greatly appreciate it. Nobody should have to go through this.

Goals

Goals... I'm not sure I technically have any. Well, at least not "CrossFit" goals. At one time, I did. Then due to life, things kinda got derailed, and now I'm not so sure where I stand anymore. I mean, I have certain things that I would love to have happen... Snatch 100#? Yes, please! String together pull-ups in sets of 20? Sure! But as far as true goals go... I'm more focused on family, friends, and the world around me. What can I do to improve these aspects of my life? I can be a good role model. I can always try to take the high road. I'm not saying that I'm perfect (I'm completely aware that I'm not even close to perfect!) but if I'm put in a situation where my actions or decisions are questioned, I can always "check" myself. Was my decision made with good intentions? Was it made with a good heart? Is it something that I can be proud of? If the answer to any of these self check questions is "no", I own it. No need in trying to make excuses, I just hope whatever it was is something that others can look past and forgive me.

I can also be my best me. This has been a tough one that I'm still navigating. I always thought I was a good person; always trying to do it all and help others whenever I can. I'm learning that this isn't always a good thing. It comes at a price. Nothing good for me or anyone around me comes from spreading myself too thin. It usually leads to stress, guilt, unrealistic expectations, and sometimes failure. I've been there for the last year or so. I'm just now learning how to say "No", limit my expectations (of myself and others), and to celebrate the most minor of baby steps towards progress. Those baby steps eventually add up to giant leaps. You gotta start somewhere if you want to move forward. Usually the hardest place is at the beginning - choosing to start.

So for the past year, I've been working on cutting back. Focusing my time and energy on the things and people that matter the most. This has included CrossFit in some ways (I'm there multiple times per week, trying my best.) but in other ways, I've let some of CrossFit go. Everyone states that the community is the best part of CrossFit... so much so that it feels like family. In ways, that is true. It is probably a lot of what has kept me coming back for more. The influence of CrossFit family is a true force in the world. I've written about it before.

"The more I thought about it, the more I realized that a lot of my obsession with CrossFit has to do with the relationships that I’ve formed as a result of CrossFit. There’s something amazing about the journey taken together by CrossFitters... We sweat, we share pain, we sometimes bleed, we cry, and occasionally we even carry each other. I’m not saying that we literally pick each other up and carry ourselves around (although in some WODs, we do!) but we “carry” each other. We all have our weaknesses, we all have our insecurities, we all have that “thing” that we’re self concious about. In some weird way, all those “things” have the ability to disappear when we walk into the box if we let them. If you’re ready to embrace your weakness, expose it, and let others “carry” you, your insecurities and weaknesses will disappear. We’re all here to better ourselves in every way, the amazing thing is that we often better each other without even realizing it. While the concept of CrossFit and individual WODs can be done solo in a globo-gym, what sets us apart is the miracle that takes place everytime we hear “3-2-1 Go!”. We work hard for ourselves and often we work harder for those around us. This community has the potential to conquer amazing things when we’re together and improve lives in ways that stretch far beyond imrpoved physical fitness. We actively decide to show up every day to work hard for ourselves AND each other."

It is truly a miracle what we can do when we all come together for a common goal. I urge everyone to to keep in mind how strong we can be as a whole. All inclusive, together, we can do whatever our hearts desire. That's power.

So kudos to everyone out there working on whatever is important to you. If you CrossFit or not! If you're focusing on your grades, being a better husband or wife, whatever! And... when you PR something important to you, please stop by here and let me know. I'd love to celebrate the baby steps you've taken along your journey.

I realize this is a cluster of writing with little focus. Take it for what it is... a cluster. This is me. This is my life at the moment. Chose to love me or don't. Bacon.

Choose to be awesome. 

Personal Victory

Just wanted everyone to see this video clip of my friend, Carol. She qualified for the CrossFit North West Regional by placing 60th in the Open... for those of you that don't know, they only take the top 60. She totally earned her spot at Regionals. I'm impressed with her integrity and well as athleticism. She is also co-owner of Rain City CrossFit and teaches math in the public school system.

http://games.crossfit.com/video/personal-victory-carol-clingan

Protein packed beef and spinach cupcakes!

These were made to send our Kitsap CrossFit team and individual competitor, Chris Exarhos, off to Regionals with plenty of Paleo snacks. Spinach, ground beef, bacon, onions, cayenne, salt, pepper, and eggs. It tastes like a mini hamburger. Protein packed recovery fuel!

National Brain Tumor Awareness Month

As you know, we've been doing pull-ups every day this month to bring attention to National Brain Tumor Awareness month. But.... did you know:

• There are over 600,000 people in the US living with a primary brain tumor diagnosis.

• More than 60,000 adults and children will be newly diagnosed this year.   This year alone!

• Brain tumors are the leading cause of death from solid tumors in children under the age of 20, and are the third leading cause of death from cancer in young adults ages 20-39.   Leading cause of death in children…  No child should have to experience this.  Third leading cause of death from cancer in young adults…  Third.

• Brain tumors may be either malignant or non-malignant (“benign”), but can be life-threatening in either case.  Depending on the location in the brain, even benign tumors can be life-threatening.

So pull-ups are great and we're definitely getting stronger but let's remember why we're doing them. Think of Sarah, think of Lauriel, and think of the 600,000 people in the US living with this diagnosis when you're doing them. That's a lot of people who's lives have been changed forever.

Prior to this month, I could string together four dead hang pull-ups in a row without coming off of the bar. Twenty-four days into this challenge, my new max rep dead hang pull-ups sits at NINE! Before this month, my weighted dead hang pull-ups was at 5# plus a chain. Yesterday I pulled myself up twice with an additional 23# plus a chain! AND.... the month isn't over! As a group, we're sitting at 2,000 pull-ups for the month of May! If you've jumped in and done a few pull-ups this month for brain tumor awareness (even if you're not a member of Kitsap CrossFit), PLEASE add your name and number to our spreadsheet! It would mean a lot to us and, well, you've already done the work - let us know about it! Thank you to everyone who has read this post. As Lauriel said in the very beginning, "There are plenty of times where I was down and relied on others to lift me up. This isn't a fund raiser, it's about raising awareness and lifting up people when they get down." Just being aware is one step closer to lifting up someone in need. 

Lauriel and I pulling for a cure...

... after a brutal WOD with a lot of pull-ups in it.

We didn't have much in us that day...

... But we gave it everything we had and did it together.

I love this...

... I really do!

Baby bok choy with garlic, ginger, hot pepper flakes. 

Waffles! Yes, waffles!

First of all, I'm in no way saying paleo waffles are gonna give you the six pack abs you've been dreaming of or that they're actually solid nutrition for your body. If leaning out is your goal, you probably don't even want to continue reading the rest of this post...

I was at the grocery store yesterday trying to buy some link sausages for my son. Usually I buy him the Applegate Chicken and Sage Breakfast Sausages but I was at the grocery store that doesn't sell Applegate products <gasp!>. So I went over to the meat section (not the frozen foods section) and there were link sausages right beside the other cuts of beef, pork, and chicken! I thought I would try these sausages instead as they looked good and fresh. As I browsed, I was careful NOT to pick up the "Maple" flavored (1. too sweet 2. maple belongs on waffles, not in meat. this includes bacon too.). So I grabbed a package of regular sausage, flipped it over and glanced the ingredients just to make sure they were legit. Guess was the number two ingredient was?!?! High Fructose Corn Syrup! DAMN IT! So I put it back and my seven year old did not have sausage for breakfast this morning.

Instead, he chose to make waffles (Disclaimer: I'm a paleo parent. I switch things out when I can but my kids are in no way 100% paleo, nor do I care for them to be at this point in their lives. They are young and take pleasure in enjoying a slice of pizza at their friends' birthday parties, etc. They do get plenty of veggies and fruit, are aware they need a "protein source", and that fat is good for them. Maybe more on paleo parenting in a future blog post?). Back to the waffles.... Instead of the frozen, cardboard-like junk that most seven year olds eat, we choose to make ours... paleo style!

We use almond flour to make them. There are numerous kinds of almond flour and I've tried a bunch. Every kind that I have purchased in the grocery store, seems to be too "grainy"... it's a texture thing. The almond flour in the stores isn't ground fine enough and as a result, it has more of a corn cake texture instead of a waffle or pancake texture. My kids won't eat them. Then my BFF, Emily, told me about Lucy's Kitchen Shop. Lucy's grounds their almond flour so fine that the texture is perfect for baking and waffles! My kids cannot tell the difference between Lucy's almond flour and regular wheat flour. SCORE!

Emily and I doing what we do best... sun and wine!

They sell their almond flour in 5# bags and have it shipped to your doorstep the day after you place your order. They're also super friendly on the phone. They're located in WA, but I've had their products shipped to NC too and they arrive on time, fresh, and perfect! I store the unused almond flour in the refrigerator or the freezer to keep it fresh. In case you're wondering how much almond flour is really in a 5# bag, I attached the picture below to show you (Note, due to the weight and next day shipping, it is expensive to ship.).

5# bag of almond flour

Here's the recipe for the waffles (or pancakes). This recipe is via Emily too! Love her!

2 cups almond flour

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

8 large eggs

4T honey

2 t vanilla 

So easy a 7 year old can do it.

Finished product! Of course to stay true to our paleo roots, we top it with 100% pure maple syrup. This recipe makes ~10 thick waffles. I usually let the extra waffles cool down, then place them in a zip lock bag in the fridge. The kids eat them for a few days after making them by taking them out of the fridge, placing on plate, and popping them in the microwave for 12 seconds. Yes, 12. That part is very important.... my nine year old daughter came up with it and insists it is crucial. No more and no less than 12 seconds in the microwave.

YUM.

Lunch Time!

Chicken on spinach with red peppers, cilantro, green onions,  mint, oil, balsamic. 

Success

Wow. Michelle was successful in her challenge!!! I'm so proud of her for numerous reasons but I'm most proud of her for taking a chance. She switched things up and learned a few things! Read a little of her wisdom below...

"Again, that's my experience and part of being caught in the emotional cycle of deserving success but being scared to death of actually becoming successful. It's so much easier to fail and stay mediocre. Seriously. When you do that, you are just staying stagnant in the comfort of where you are. If takes courage to move beyond your comfort zone and change those cycles when you become aware of what you are doing."

For the FULL RESULTS from her little science experiment, read about it here. Impressive! Congrats, my courageous friend!

"Colorado for a Cause"

Big shout out to Whole 9 today for their "Colorado for a Cause" workshop! They graciously offered attendees to bring family members for free! All due to a letter from my friend, Trish O'Donnell, about her mother. They're saving lives today because it starts with food! Click here to read why. 

Saving lives starts with food.

Garden

Garden designed by 9 year old. BAM!

My daughter's garden provided us with arugula last night! Exciting!

Clean Eating and Running Errands

Burger and broccoli! Score!

Man.... I'm tired! Today was spent driving an hour one way to Tacoma to run some errands with my Paleo-Hubby and kids in tow. Of course it took longer than expected and then - BAM - it was time for lunch. I was HUNGRY. Most of the time when my kids pick the restaurant, I cringe a little... there are only so many bad salads that I'm willing to pay for and consume. Today they picked Red Robin. When I looked at the menu, I was so pleasantly surprised to see that all of their burgers can be made in a lettuce wrap instead of a wheat bun! SCORE!!! If you're so inclined (Paleo-Hubby was...), for a small fee, they'll upgrade your regular fries to sweet potato fries! Of course, they're fried and probably in some sort of corn oil or something but it is nice to have options! I ended up with a lettuce wrap burger with bacon, sauteed onions, tomato, and mushrooms... even got a side of broccoli (and my daughter chose broccoli as her side too!!! Parenting win right there!). Yum and I will be visiting Red Robin again! Very paleo, yo. 

Changing It Up!

Guess what? You never know what you like or what you don't like until you try it. Sometimes we choose to make a change and sometimes life just hits us like a sledgehammer and the next thing we know, changes have been made... whether we wanted them or not.

My friend, Michelle, actively chose to make a change. She's an amazingly strong woman, wife, and mother. Years ago, she was overweight. I'm not sure what changed inside of her to cause her to pursue a healthier lifestyle but one day she made the choice. I'll let the photo results speak for themselves. This was achieved by exercise (some CrossFit too but not entirely) and Paleo/Primal nutrition.

Michelle, before and after!

Here is Michelle's story in her own words.

"In December of 2000 I topped the scale at 328#, the doctor wrote on my chart "morbidly obese" in bright red pen. In January of 2001 I started following a program called Body-for-Life and slowly and at times VERY painfully losing weight. And when I say painfully I don't mean physical pain. The emotional process of losing excess baggage is far my trying that beating yourself up in the gym everyday. Two years ago I wanted to try something different as my workouts had gotten kind of boring. I started CrossFit. I'm proud to say that I love it, it scares the crap out of me more often than not and it's made me a better, tougher and more thoughtful person. A day doesn't go by where there isn't a struggle, whether it's with the barbell, some food I want to eat but shouldn't or whether or not I should enjoy a glass of wine. But compare those decisions with someone going into treatment for Cancer, having heart surgery or some debilitating disease, I've got it easy. Today, over 12 years later I wake up and see that father time is now chasing me down but you know what??? At 49 I am in much better shape that I was at 39! Chase on old man time, I'll keep running from you until I'm in the ground. For all of you ladies out there.... come on and run with me!! We've got nothing to lose but flab and we're never too old to reach for amazing!"

You can see why I'm so proud of her and why it is my privilege to call her a friend. Michelle's story isn't over... She recently went on a girls mini vacation with some of her healthy friends. Even while she was on vacation, she stayed true to her clean eating and exercise (part of their vacation was attending the CrossFit Games in the Southeastern Region!). On her second day there, she suffered from a massive migraine headache which she hasn't suffered from in years. The only trigger she could think of to cause it was a small "indulgence" in a single serving of greek yogurt. This event paved the way to her latest experiment in learning about nutrition... a cleanse.

Again, in her own words, she explains why.

"We are all clean eaters in some form or fashion and we pretty much stuck to our normal foods. However, on day two I began to break out in hives. I narrowed it down to the two foods I thought were the culprits. I left in Greek yogurt because secretly I adore it and refuse to admit I could have any type of food sensitivity. Well lets just say by Wednesday of the glorious vacation I was wrecked with hives. I ended up at the Minute Clinic and with a prescription for prednisone.

All that being said, my system has been completely out of whack for what is now my second week after returning from vacation. What to do, what to do?

After consulting a friend who is very well versed in the art of nutritional cleansing, I've taken the leap and decided to do a full nine-day cleanse. A cleanse you say? Yes indeed. At this point a cleanse simply cannot hurt me any further than what I'm already going through."

When she first told me this, I'll admit, I cringed a little. I was thinking... "Oooo... Really? What in the hell are you thinking? Where will you get your protein?" But being a good friend (or at least I'd like to think I'm a good friend), I fully supported her. After all, it is only nine days. Even if it was a COMPLETE disaster, it wouldn't hurt for too long.

Michelle's cleanse journey has been interesting! You can read all about it on her blog, "Garage Gym 107" . She's about done with it and while I don't know the full results yet (she'll be blogging about that on Monday), it has been successful for her. Her writing about the cleanse, life, and finding a pair of jeans that fit her has been entertaining and educational! She admits that even if this experiment had been a failure, sometimes you just gotta change things up to shock your body into adapting. Good or bad, you always learn something by changing your habits. It takes courage and Michelle is a courageous person.

Strong

Michelle at the CF South East Region Games

Snack

I get up early. On Tuesday and Thursday, I coach a 5am class and then WOD at 6am. I could grab convince foods (think power bar or other pre packaged item) but real food is best. Typical breakfast snack is one egg and some veggies (and of course, COFFEE!). I've found that this gives me just enough fuel without over stuffing myself before I workout. When I get home around 7:30am, then it's time for a full blown breakfast! Enjoy your Thursday and don't forget your pull-ups!

Pork for dinner

My Lunch Is Better Than Yours

Mother's Day

I think yesterday was the best day of my life. What's the best mother's day present ever? Having your daughter ask if she can join you on your usual Sunday morning run! I couldn't believe it! I was so proud of her and it was the happiest three miles that I have ever run.

Mother/Daugher 3 miler

After our run, it was home for some grub. Does it get any better than eggs, steak and bacon on your special day? 

Mother's Day breakfast. Da bomb!

My family went to church too on Mother's Day. I love celebrating Mother's Day at church. They celebrate all women, regardless of whether or not you're a mom. All women in some way have been loving, nurturing, individuals and they all have a mom - so we celebrate it! Of course I was missing my mom a little (my folks live 3,000 miles away) and couldn't help but think of my grandmothers who have both passed away. It was an awesome moment to remember them and all the other mother like figures in my life. During the children's moment, the preacher asked the kids if they did anything special for their moms that morning? Most of the kids answered "I fixed her breakfast in bed!" (which is great I suppose but it is funny how different people are... if my kids brought me runny eggs, steak, and asparagus for me to eat in bed, I'd flip out).  :)  I shed a tear of pride and joy when my daughter replied, "I got up and ran 3 miles around the island with my mom." The entire congregation applauded. SO.PROUD.OF.HER.

After church, we all piled in the truck and headed for the beach! We decided to drive a bit to a nice sandy beach and it was the perfect beach day. The next few hours were spent playing ball with the kids, doing handstands in the sand, and relaxing in a beach chair.

Mother's Day = Beach Day

When we got home, my awesome paleo hubby fired up the grill and cooked me some chicken wings and broccoli for dinner. I love that man.  I am blessed!

"In Memory of Sarah"

There was an article in the CrossFit Journal dated May 9, 2012 about a wonderful young lady named Sarah who was 25 years old, a crossfitter, marathoner, and who died of a brain tumor. Her box, CrossFit Catalyst, has dedicated its self to exercise for the benefit of the brain. Most people just think of CrossFit as lifting, throwing, pushing or pulling heavy things and don't even realize the muscle memory and neuro-muscular development that must take place to pull off successful completion of specific movements. Of course, the first to come to mind are the oly lifts which are my favorite. Oly lifts are so fun (when you actually pull it off) but also pretty damn frustrating because there are so complex. On the other end of the CrossFit complexity spectrum, I've also done a WOD where you couldn't call "TIME!" until after you had put together a children's puzzle which was in a dozen pieces on the floor waiting for you. Sometimes CrossFit isn't about breathing hard or lifting heavy objects at all but instead about throwing a ball through the hole in a small tire or having good balance.

Anyway, the article goes on to explain how memory, processing speed, focus and attention can all be improved thanks to the plasticity of the brain. Then it breaks down step by step how to do it. I would link the article here but the CrossFit Journal is a subscription service ($25/year... best money every spent) so you'll probably have to login to be able to read the full article.

Of course upon reading it, I forwarded it to Lauriel and was interested to hear her opinion of the article. It was weird for some reason for me to ask her opinion... I guess it is because I have no perspective here. I had no idea if the steps written in the article were helpful or true. I knew that they made sense to me but I had no idea if for some reason, her opinion would be different because she's actually lived it and experienced it. Upon reading it, Lauriel immediately sent the author of the article, Chris Cooper, an email to introduce herself and her history with this experience, thank him for bringing attention to the subject, and to represent Sarah who will never be forgotten. Lauriel then forwarded me a link to Sarah's Blog.

Sarah's Blog    

When I received the link, I was at the barn while my daughter was taking her horseback riding lesson. The next thing I knew, I was sitting in a barn laughing and crying while reading Sarah's story in her own words. What a courageous and  inspiring young woman. Click the link above and get ready to ride a roller coaster of emotion and be inspired. 

At the end of the CrossFit Journal Article, there was a WOD listed that CrossFit Catalyst does in memory of Sarah.

"100 Grand"

10 rounds for time of:

10 box jumps

10 knees-to-elbows

10 tuck jumps

10 squats

Lauriel and I decided that we will remember Sarah by doing her WOD together sometime this month. It will be to honor her and National Brain Tumor Awareness Month. When I do my pull-ups today, I will think of Sarah's strength and determination.

Sarah Grand

Why does my bacon do that?

Frustrating

Best Dinner Ever

Dinner

Dinner last night was da bomb. There was a bacon wrapped fillet, greens, and braised cauliflower. Sooooo yummy. I also had some of the leftover cauliflower for breakfast this morning with my eggs and bacon. Hmmmm... so what's for dinner tonight? I'm thinking maybe some sort of cilantro lime garlic mahi mahi dish. I haven't been to the grocery store in a while so I'll have to see what I have in the house. 

Being Kind

This has absolutely nothing to do with food... if you continue to read, you've been warned.

Yesterday I had the privilege of  being reminded to always be kind to others. This came from a conversation I had with my CrossFit buddy, Ty (one strong mofo). Ty is amazing and I have a ton of respect for this man but that's a separate blog post...

Today, one of my BFF's, Michelle, had a similar experience which she has summarized below. This is one of the many reasons that I love her and am so happy to call her a friend.

"This morning as I was about to go in to my local coffee shop, a gal whizzes past me through the door - completely cutting me off in the process and bumping into my shoulder. She files in line in front of me. At this point, my brain is working about 10 different plans to lay it into her about her rudeness. As she approached the cashier, I instead tapped her on the shoulder and said, "someone did a really nice thing for me the other day and I'd like to return the favor by buying you your cup of coffee." Completely stunned and a little embarrassed, she accepted my offer. After talking for a little bit, I found out she had a really rotten morning and she was late for the ferry on top of it all. She turned out to be a really nice gal who was just having an exceptionally bad start to her day. Lesson: Always take the high road. #GoodKarma"

Beef. It's what's for dinner.

Good Morning!

New PR!

Dead hang pull-up PR is now up to 7! That's 7 dead hangs without coming off the bar. Wow. Looking forward to seeing what happens by the end of the month! Get in on the action whenever you can!

Paleo & Baseball?

Salmon salad, no croutons, no cheese, please.

Difficult to find, but clean eating was found at Safeco Field! Thank you, Ivars! Go Mariners!

TGIF

Don't forget your pull-ups! I had some quality mother/daughter bonding time with mama this morning. :) I got 5, she got 12.

Family Bonding Time

Good News and Bad News

Good news! I finally got a pistol squat yesterday (and Holy ass-DOMS today!)!

Bad news... I'm out of baby bok choy.

On a different note, there is a Google Doc Spreadsheet to track our pull-ups for Lauriel in May. Click the link here to add your pull-ups to our total. Happy Friday!

Deja Vu?

Baby bok choy deja vu this morning. I hope it happens again tomorrow. Kinda like being stuck in an awesome loop of yummies.

breakfast of champions

Pull-ups Yesterday

This photo is from the noon class yesterday at Kitsap CrossFit. I'm pretty sure the entire class was "in" and getting stronger doing their pull-ups. Love these people!

Pull-ups

Baby Bok Choy

In all my pull-up excitement, I forgot about how excited I was this morning to wake up with baby bok choy. I think I'll do it again for breakfast tomorrow too.

Don't forget to do your pull-ups!

Lauriel doing what Lauriel does! She's known to also do these around downtown Seattle... trees, construction equipment, anywhere she can get a grip for a pull-up. Learn more about National Brain Tumor Awareness month and do your pull-ups!

FU Cancer

Spaghetti Squash

Tonight I had my first tango with a spaghetti squash. For some reason, I was worried about it. How long will it take to cook? Is there really just a bunch of noodles inside? Will I over cook it? Will the texture be okay? Basically I worried for nothing. It was super easy and tasted great.

I took my squash, cut it in half, and placed it open side down in a Pyrex baking dish. I then filled the dish half way up with water and put it in the oven at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Once I pulled it out, I put the squash aside in bowl while I dumped any excess water out of my Pyrex dish. Placing one half of the squash back into the Pyrex dish, I began scraping out the squash with a fork. It came out much easier than expected.

While the squash was cooking, I had also sauteed some onions and spices/herbs (oregano, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, etc) in a pan. I added a ton of shredded spinach to it and diced tomatoes (you could use sauce from a jar too if you can find one without sugar). I poured the sauce and spinach over the squash and added a chicken breast to complete the meal. Super easy and quick meal! Of course you could use sausage or another meat of your choosing instead of chicken.

Pull-ups For a Cure

May is National Brain Tumor Awareness month. I currently have two friends who have been diagnosed with brain tumors. They are among 600,000 people in the United States living with a brain tumor diagnosis. One of my friends, Lauriel Luther, was diagnosed just over a year ago. She underwent surgery which removed the tumor and continues to fight with numerous rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, and infusions. Her last MRI scan was clear showing that her treatment is working but she will continue to fight every day for the rest of her life.

In an effort to raise awareness for these amazing individuals, she has created Pull-ups For A Cure. For the months of May, I will join her in completing a set of max-rep dead-hang pull-ups. When chatting with her about this, she said, "There are plenty of times where I was down and relied on others to lift me up. This isn't a fund raiser, it's about raising awareness and lifting up people when they get down." 

For the month of May, please join me in completing a set of pull-ups for those living with the reality of this diagnosis.  Even if you can't devote every day to doing pull-ups, do it whenever you are able. Use a band if you need to, it doesn't matter. It is all about being aware, raising awareness of others, and supporting these amazingly strong people. 

I did my first set this morning and got 4 reps. I did them thinking about Lauriel and my friend's sister, Leah. Hopefully my number of pull-ups will grow as the month progresses, just like our awareness.