Programing, its a thing.

I go through a tag line basically every week on my various social media sites. But one I keep coming back to is "Making Gainz Not Excuses." What can i say? I like it! It sends a message that I believe in and that I want to spread. What is Bre Baines doing? Making Gainz Not Excuses. Doesn't that sound awesome? In the past all that meant was that I was working towards my goals. In the past I was sort of doing that blindly. Mostly without rhyme or reason. I would make up a workout and do it. I would pick a lift and work on it. I wasn't on a schedule. And I would stray from programs like they weren't even written down. Through doing this I became a better athlete. There is no doubt about that. But I wasnt using my full potential. I was riding off of the natural gainz a novice crossfitter can make during their first year in the sport. Honestly, I have no regrets about the way I exercised during my first year. I was having fun. Learning to love the sport, my body, and the community around me.

Its now been a year of crossfit and recently I've started sticking to a program and seeing incredible results. I came home for the summer and went back to my old box. Everyday I came in and did a workout and then worked on some random shiz. At this point i was becoming a little more organized and objective. At least I had a squat program I was working on! Thats a start right? Anyways I would do the workout with the rest of the gym and then try to do my squat cycle. Most days I just couldnt do it. One of the coaches told me to stop trying. I was really confused by this. I mean usually coaches encourage you to push past your limits and do something you didnt think you were capable of. But when I looked at him funny he said stick to a program and only one program. So I fucked around in the gym for another week and then started training the invictus competition program with the big boys and girls at crossfit alaska. the first couple weeks I was getting a baseline but after that I started getting fucking strong and conditioned! I was deadlifting more than ever, squatting with excellent form and stacking more weight on the bar, I was taking off weight when my form got dicy. I challenged myself to rise to the occassion and compete with my friends and more importantly myself. I was PRing lifts every time I did them. BEING ON A PROGRAM IS OUT OF THIS WORLD! For the first time I was training for crossfit rather than simply exercising.Even though sometimes this program is a little out of my league and sometimes I think the volume is a bit excessive I do it because that's whats written down, its written down for a reason, and that is what Im capable of. Doing this program has shown me just what I can do. And what I can do is push myself!

Thanks Mike for pushing me out of my comfort zone.

Hey, you're incredible

Brelievers

I talk a lot about maybe making it to the crossfit games regionals. It's a dream i have. I talk to close friends and family about my PRs and different skills i've picked up recently and every once in awhile I ask "If I make it to regionals would you come and see me?" I always get the same answer "Of course I will come see you if you make it to regionals! Of course you'll make it! You're Bre!" This answer is from the people in my life that dont actually do crossfit. Or have only came to one or two crossfit classes. These loved ones don't know how hard it is to get to regionals and then to dare i say it... THE GAMES. But they know that it's a goal of mine. They know that I spend time and money working towards it. They see my passion and smell the sweat I've worked up. They're my support team. They don't know that there are animals out there. Animals that share my dream and have a better idea of how to get there. They dont realize that the sport of crossfit is growing everyday. Everyday more athletes decide that "hey maybe I can make it to the games too." Everyday in crossfit I compete with myself and I usually win. But in order to reach my sometimes outrageous goals for crossfit I'm going to have to compete with others. 

We all have goals. Mine is to one day make it to the games and to one day do well at the games. Its a lofty goal but it's my goal. :) I achieve milestones all the time and get better every day. Something I didn't know that I'd learn is who my real team is. The people who support me and ignorantly believe in me. And also the people who maybe dont think i'll reach my goal of going to the games but still support me because they care.  I didn't know that as I got better my team of supporters would have to get better too. I think that everyday I talk about crossfit just a little more than i did the day before. My support team understands.  I didnt know that there would be times at crossfit where I'd need a shoulder to cry on. But there has been times and there has been shoulders. Big, beautiful, crossfit sculpted shoulders. I didn't know what it would mean to me to feel supported by those around me. I didnt know I needed anyones help. I thought I could do it alone. Crossfit is mostly an individual sport. Now I know that crossfit is far from individual. Your team is made up of everybody who believes in you. I didn't think that my coaches would become some of my dearest friends. I didn't realize that failure would be an everyday occurrence and that I would learn to work with it. I didn't know that crossfit would teach me to be a better sportsman and that some of the goals I would have would be to remember the names of new members or to cheer for someone I dont know very well. I didn't know that I would want to help other people become better crossfitters. I'd take time when i could be training to stop and help someone else. Little things like that never crossed my mind when I was thinking of what crossfit would do for me. 

alright I'm going to stop that discussion right there because what crossfit has done for me is not the entire purpose of this blog entry. The point was to talk about how much support means to me and how i didn't know that i even needed it until I started crossfit. The purpose was to give a pat on the back to all the people who are on the support team of people with high goals. Because without great support teams those goals will never be reached. Just think of how many times an athlete who has accomplished something enormous stood in front of a microphone and said "I had no support team. No one helped me get where I am today." That's right! That never happens.

Reaching goals is a group effort. Thank you to the Brelievers and the other people out their who support others. 

I need a hobby/murph 2014

its been to long since ive posted.

I've just been chilling and enjoying summer.

Most of my days are filled with crossfit, work, crossfit, family, and then time with friends. This weekend was a little different because almost all of my anchorage friends went out of town for memorial weekend. Normally that would've been fine. I would have went with them but this weekend I was house sitting. House sitting for someone with dogs. I couldn't just feed them extra and then leave them outside. I'm being paid for this. These dogs and every other dog deserves more than that. So i stayed in town for the weekend.

The highlight of my weekend is a toss up between two occurrences. One is a secret so I won't say but the other was Sunday's crossfit workout. My gym, like many other crossfit gyms in the US ran "Murph" A brutal workout to honor fallen soldiers.

post "murph" picture

Run 1 mile, 300 air squats, 200 push ups, 100 pull ups, run another mile. partition as needed and wear a vest if you can do all of the above and think you can do it with a 20lb vest.

I ran it as prescribed without a vest. rx pull ups with a vest would be near impossible for me. But hey! maybe next year!

The first mile was sweet. I ran it in 8 min 17 seconds. Not bad for a crossfitter who prefers to lift heavy stuff. I came in. chalked up and got to work. 20 rounds of 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, and 15 air squats was the name of my game. This is what separates the men from the boys. Will you work when you think you cant? will you cheer on your team when you're choaking on your own spit? will run when you want to walk. Will you hold on to that bar even when it hurts? Will you be a man or a boy? Will you understand that everyone doing this workout is a hero? will you understand that to be someones hero someone does not have to be your hero. Will you understand that sometimes a workout is not just a work out and sometimes its a test of your will power and heart. Sometimes we work out for others. Murph is a beautiful things. I brings most of the crossfitters in the US together for a community ass kicking. It honors those who have worked for us and allows us to give just a tiny bit back to them and their families.

After the workout we had a little potluck in the crossfit gym. Great food, great company, and a day complete and all before 1pm.

The rest of the weekend was mediocre at best. I'm high maintenance. I get bored realllly quick. I need to be entertained. I thrive off of human interaction. Most of my humans were gone soooo I wasn't thriving. the day went on and I was still bored. I thought about going on a run.. I started running and i decided I'd rather walk.. so i did. the problem is that when im bored i turn to friends or exercise. I already did both of those things that day.. My friends were gone and I already got my butt kicked at crossfit. I had nothing to do. those were my only options. I need more options. I should find a hobby that i can do when my friends are gone and my muscles have already been worked.. Any suggestions? I'm trying not to over exercise like i have in the past. but right now.. thats all I know.

helpppp meeeee.

Ambitions.

So tonight as after I took a shower and was lounging around my room as i put lotion on and combed my hair i got to thinking about all the things I'd like to do. I have a lot on my bucket list. Not things like go to the Great Wall of China or parasail in the Mediterranean Sea things like I want to graduate with a bachelors degree. I want to challenge myself everyday. I want to marry the person of my dreams. I want to give to the community and be an example for my children and my peers. I want to do something substantial with my career. I'm not 100% sure what I want to do but what I'm sure of is that it will impact the people who are willing to be effected. I want to love someone so hard that they feel it even when I'm grouchy. I want to go to the crossfit games. I want to do well at the crossfit games. and If i don't make it that far I want to know that i tried my damnedest. I want to infect the world with my positive outlook. I want to write a book and be some stranger across the world's woman crush wednesday. I want to be inspirational. really fucking inspirational. because i needed someone like this when i was younger. Be the person you needed when you were younger.

There is so many things I want to do. Even more than I listed. None of these things are going to happen overnight. They all will take a lot of hard work, time, and discipline. But what keeps me going is the little bits of progress that I make each and everyday.

Each time I talk to a peer about impact vs. intent. Each time I ask someone if "Retarded" was really the word they meant to say. Each time I challenge myself to do something I'm scared of or not comfortable with. I'm growing. I'm making a difference in myself and in others. Each time I show someone that I care or look them in the eyes and tell them that I appreciate them and that I'm here for them I'm doing something substantial.

So I guess when I start thinking that all these ambitious goals are a little far fetched I look at what I'm already doing to be who I want to be. And that keeps me going.

I'm so blessed to have this kind of outlook. Thank you to everyone who makes me think and challenges me to try. <3

Recovery

Things I've Learned SLASH Things I've Paid More Attention To Recently

1. Every rep counts.
It seems like something so simple and something so focused on exercise. When I say "every rep counts" I'm thinking of more than just exercise. Every thought you have counts. Every smile you give someone counts. Every time you hurt someone's feelings it counts. Every breath you take counts. EVERYTHING (every rep) counts. Nothing you do goes without consequences, repercussions, or notice.

2. Expectations are important.
If you expect yourself to do well 9 times out of 10 you will do better than you would have. Set high goals. It's okay if it takes you awhile to get there, as long as you get there.

3. Saying you don't have time for something is a cop out.
You have time for anything you prioritize. You might say you dont have time to clean your room. You do. You would rather do other things. You'd rather go to crossfit, sleep, be with humans, or anything else but if you're saying you dont have time for something thats not true. It's just not a priority of yours.

4. There is something about the word: Love.
Once you said it or really thought it there is no going back. You can be mad as hell at someone but if you loved them once you wont want to see them truly suffer. If you loved them ever or at all you will remember that eventually. Certain loved ones might become less important to you but in reality they will always be a part of who you are and someone you care about.

5. Recovery shakes post workout are awesome.
I used to be afraid of the extra calories. I didn't understand why someone would work so hard to burn them if they were just going to ingest them right after. I now understand that your body needs that nourishment or else you cant get better. All the work you just did was basically nothing. So eat/drink something full of macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) after your workout. It will only help you.

6.  Find your happy medium
You only get one body so you should do your best to protect it. Invest in a good pair of shoes. Eat a wide variety of nutrients. Exercise. Have fun. Do something for you. Do something for others. Test your capabilities. Challenge your mind. But don't do to much. Learn your limits and learn how to increase your limits. Although you only have one body and you should be smart with it you should have much fun as possible. It's the fun you will remember later.

7. Well-being always out weighs waist size
Recently a wise college freshman told me, "thick thighs and a peaceful state of mind beat petite every time." I used to be skinnier, more petite, more of what the magazines might call beautiful but my mind was racing and my thoughts were destructive. She told me not to let society push anything on me. She was right. The only reason I thought what I looked like was more appealing was because that's what society has told me. Looking at old pictures of myself is a challenge but I'm working on it. I love how I am today. I love what my body can do. I love the endless gains I make in crossfit and the smile that comes to my face when I talk about it. I love that I've learned that I'm worth more than a number on the scale. Hell, I'm worth even more that the weight I can deadlift. I'm worth whatever I think I am and most of the time more than that. My well-being welcomes growth and ecstasy. My waist size is irrelevant.

Your waist size is irrelevant too.

One Year Down One Hundred to Go!

Heyyyyy! guess what last week was.

MY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of being ED-free! A year of not completely obsessing about what I put into my body and how food is being used in my body. A year without overtraining, over eating, under eating, and neglecting myself. A year with friends who support me and family that cares. A year without missing out on the good things in life to make time for the destructive things. It's been a year of loving myself and everything around me. A year of appreciating what I've accomplished and learning what is still to come. I've picked up a sport that focuses on performance and not my body fat percentage. I've bought bigger clothes that don't pinch me and make me feel uncomfortable.I've surrounded myself with men and women who are more impressed with the amount of weight I can lift than the definition of my stomach. I've become very comfortable with my naked body and absolutely love walking around without my movement being restricted my clothes. I've learned new ways to cope with discomfort, stress, and even heart break. I've discovered that food is never the solution to anything besides hunger. But sometimes your mind will convince you that a sugary food is the only way to satisfy you.. I've learned that that is A-Okay and sometimes the way it has to be.

I've been intuitive eating for a year now. Which means I eat whatever I want when I want. Most of the time I want food that fuels me anyways so really it's been a good experience for my mind and my body. I highly HIGHLY recommend this way of eating (not diet) to anyone struggling with food issues (food issues could basically mean anything, therefore this is open to interpretation). Sooner or later I plan on changing my diet a wittle. Not because I think I need to be skinnier, not because I think changing the food that I eat will make me more attractive or desirable. I plan on changing it solely to make my crossfit dreams more of a reality. Eventually, probably pretty soon here. Whenever I think I'm ready. I'm doing to start eating cleaner. I expect my body to perform at it's highest level, which means it needs to have the energy to do so. I plan on eating as much healthy food as my body needs. This past year I've been making leaps and bounds in my life and in my physical performance. Why not make it easier for my body to bound? Don't get me wrong. I will still treat myself and give my body what it craves. But not to the extreme that I have been this past year.

It's been a wonderful year and I cant make it clear how grateful I am to experience life the way I have been.

Sometimes you need to experience darkness to appreciate the light.

Sometimes you need to take a risk and be someone you've never been to achieve something you never have.

I'm Learning Self Love and Self Lust every day.