Hello, Goodbye, and Keep In Touch!

Happy Monday y'all!  I'm posting this Sunday evening because for whatever reason I can no longer access this blog at work.  I can access it to the point of viewing a post that I've created but I can't edit the post, make changes to it, add photos, or even publish it.  I had to e-mail Courtney a big block of text last week and ask her to post it for me!  That's why I'm posting this Sunday evening..

Things have been hectic, to say the least.  Work has gotten busier than it ever has, and I am so incredibly thankful for that.  Sitting at my desk, day after day, many times with very little to do, was really starting to get to me!  Do you know how long a work day seems when you have nothing to do?  Well, I can tell you it's very boring, very long, and it's hard to feel productive or accomplished!  I was going stir crazy!  But case after case has started pouring in and that leaves my work days pretty busy, and it's a great change!  I am now writing full on reports that my boss would previously do on his own.  These reports include legal research and legal analysis and I really feel like I'm using my brain...finally!  On top of the work load, I'm now in charge of the new hearing officer orientation and, no pressure, there are 11 new hearing officers!  The orientation will be on August 2nd and I have a big presentation to put together.  I, like the big nerd I am, love this sorta stuff....so don't take this as me complaining!  =D

I've been keeping up with my workouts like a champ.  I joined CrossFit and even though I'm only 3 classes in, I already have a love/hate relationship with it.  I am currently on a punch card which limits me to only doing 3 classes a week (in order to make the card last me until August 8th).  In between CrossFit workout days I hit MAC.  On August 8th Adam has to renew his contract with CrossFit at which point we'll join the family plan.  Once we are on the family plan, I will be able to go every day.  I love the CrossFit workouts, but the soreness I feel and the intense nature of the workouts make it difficult to look forward to the next workout, but somehow I manage to muster the drive to go.  The way I feel AFTER a workout is enough to keep me going back.  So far the most intense workout has been:

Warmup:  400 meter run (we run through the neighborhood behind the building), then 2 rounds of 10 air squats, 10 good mornings, 10 scorpions, and 10 shoulder dislocates (all of which are stretching exercises)

Then came the timed workout:

500 meter row
Followed by:  10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 of:
  Kettlebell Swings
  Walking Lunges
  Power Snatches
  Wall Balls

The 10, 9, 8, 7, etc. meant I did 10 of each (Kettlebell Swings, Walking Lunges, Power Snatches, and Wall Balls), and then I did 9 of each, then 8 of each, all the way down through 1.

The workout finished up with a 400 meter run.

It took EVERYTHING I had to finish that last set.  My legs were on fire for days after!  Sitting on the toilet was fun... once I finally sat down, I didn't want to have to stand back up!  Katie, a fellow CrossFitter (lol..is that a thing?) and also one of my partners at the Fiesta Field Day, came by when I was on my last set of that workout and asked what I had left.  She stayed right in front of me, watching me workout, and pushing me to finish.  She was yelling "FINISH THIS SHANNON!!!  YOU'VE GOT THIS.....GET THIS DONE"  She even did the 400 meter run with me to finish it off.  Halfway through the run, my friend Melissa came running up and met up with us to finish the run, even though she had just finished the workout just minutes before and was trying to catch her breath.  It's about teamwork and pushing one another.  When I wanted to quit, they pushed me.  I was soaking wet at the end of that workout and the sense of accomplishment I felt was undeniable.  I slept amazing that night...I was wiped out! 

I'm still a member at Manhattan Athletic Club (MAC).  My membership ends November 2nd and I have the option to renew or go month-to-month.  I've decided that I'm cancelling when the contract ends and switching to Planet Fitness for $10/month.  I currently pay $48/month at MAC and that's with a student discount. Since I'm now doing CrossFit I won't need access to the classes, so having a membership at Planet Fitness would be low cost and would allow me access to the cardio equipment that I like (treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, rower).  I will definitley miss my time at MAC though! I've had the opportunity to meet a lot of members from the classes I was going to, and it's been fun seeing these people and hearing their reaction to the changes I've made week to week.  It has definitley motivated me!  It also motivated me to see the changes that a lot of the members made as well....they had some seriously motivated people in there and seeing their changes pushed me even harder!

Speaking of changes, I had lunch with Courtney on Friday.. I parked across the street, put money in the meter, and headed into the restaurant.  As soon as I walked in, Courtney was seated to the left in front of the window and she said that from afar I don't even look like the same person.  This made me laugh but it's true...I see the changes, feel the changes, and even though the scale went up a few pounds after my trip to Charlotte (vacation gain... is there a more fun way to gain weight?), my clothes continue to fit differently!  I spent this evening going through my closet and dresser drawers, putting aside everything that's too big.  It's A LOT to say the least.  I'm shipping these clothes off to my mom for a co-worker of hers that could really use them.  I was tired of flipping through hanger after hanger of clothes I never wear to get to the things I do wear!  If they don't fit anymore, get rid of them right?  Why was I hanging on to them?

So what else, Shannon?  Well...I've done some thinking and I've decided that I will no longer be posting to this blog after this post.  I enjoy the blog, I love having a place to put down my thoughts, but it has become more of a chore, and that's not what it was intended to be.  I've missed posts, I can no longer update from work, and I find it hard to think of things to say (this post isn't hard because I haven't really updated lately).  I update FB with what I'm up to pretty regularly, I e-mail my friends (when I can these days) about what I'm up to, and I invite anyone that reads this blog who isn't already a FB friend to feel free to add me to follow along with what I'm doing.  Here's my page:  Shannon.

I'll continue to read this blog if my 4 fit friends continue to post, and I'll continue to read blogs that I frequent daily. 

Have a great week everyone!  

Picture below was taken yesterday before my Sunday workout at MAC...