2014: Looking Forward

2014 is going to be a great year for the Piatt family. We've paired down our efforts on a lot of things, and are looking to make changes in many areas of our life. Kristen at When At Home said it best in her blog post "Live Intentionally":

I don’t want to get to the end of this year and look at [Josh] and say, “What just happened?” I want to say “BOOYAH, 2014. The [Piatts] happened to YOU this year.” And that will be all.

The following are some areas we're focusing on, and the goals associated with them.

FINANCIAL:

We started the year off with the Financial Freedom conference through our church and got a big ol' eye opener of how terrible we are at saving and how much debt we really have. We're already taking steps to fix these issues and are well on our way towards our goal. Feels so good! We're also being more intentional in our giving. I've always been quick to give, but now Josh and I are on the same page about it after hearing the sermon series "Generous." We're experiencing financial peace by staying on top of our budget, intentionally saving, giving, and paying off debt, and communicating about what money is going where, and what our needs and wants are.

But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.  

I Timothy 5:8

PHYSICAL:

Carter is 3 years old. We have a full-fledged, walking-around, talking-like-he's-grown toddler. On the medical side, we've gotta get this iron/anemia situation figured out pronto. Also on the list is to discuss with Ortho the long-term effects of Carter's hips going uncorrected. We plan to discuss with our urologist what our next move will be with Carter's urine output, since he's becoming more and more curious about the potty and his various body parts... plus, diapers are EXPENSIVE y'all!

My personal physical goals involve something like: run a real 5K, finish the Smolov Jr cycle, actually become somewhat proficient at pull-ups, and snatch 100 pounds. Getting in the garage two times a week is still tough... so we'll see :)

Josh's probably include: CrossFit 7x a day 10 days a week, advance to Regionals, beat Rich Froning in one thing... SOME thing... 300 pound snatch, 400 pound clean & jerk, and walk on his hands for more than 10 feet. No, but seriously, I know Josh has goals that he keeps to his quiet self in his quiet little head, and I want to make sure I'm supporting every decision to get him there. Every workout session in the garage or at the box. Every PR. Every competition. Every training course or certification. Every session he coaches. I'll stand behind that, because I know CrossFit is his passion.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.   

I Corinthians 10:31
 

SPIRITUAL:

This year we want to get fully involved in our church. I start serving this Sunday (eek!) as part of the Administrative Team, AKA the A-Team! Carter's still too young to have anything really going on, but he does love to be in Highlands Pre-school and it warms my heart that he begs to go to church. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that they feed him pizza when I have to stay late, or that he gets stickers... :)  We're excited about the upcoming small group semester, and I've been looking and praying and pondering which one we'll attend. We want to go to every single conference, serve day, or class that is opportune for us. I want to read the Bible more, remember to pray FIRST in every situation, and memorize scripture that will encourage me in everyday life. This year is all about focus in the right direction - on the eternal.

And whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23-24 

EMOTIONAL:

This is something that shouldn't be overlooked when planning goals for your family. Our society can force us to become so busy that we completely tune out what's going on inside our heads and hearts. I'm the world's worst about getting too involved and deeply immersed in a passion or hobby and then letting it dominate the better part of my thoughts or actions. I tend to like responsibility a little too much. A friend gave me great advice not long ago, "You should still be involved, just as an Indian instead of a Chief." I plan to enjoy more time with my family and by myself instead of being the uber-socialite that I sometimes tend to be :) I want to have more quiet time in my home, read more books, do more yoga. I want us to take our first real family vacation now that Carter is big enough to enjoy one and travels more easily. I want us to unplug more - we're now a 1 laptop, 2 tablet, 2 iPhone family - and spend more time playing, eating, and conversing together.

 

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Colossians 3:2 

Overall the goal is to have a great year TOGETHER. Even if these goals aren't completely met... like.. *cough* that pull-up... as long as we've spent good quality time growing together as a family I'll chalk that up as a WIN. I'm looking forward to the challenges presented - bring it, 2014!

A Year in Review: 2013

Josh:

Josh has really flourished as a person. He's still pretty quiet around people he doesn't know well, but coaching has really brought him out of his shell. 

He also got a brand-spankin'-new truck this year. 

Josh put a lot of work in this year. We went to 8 or 10 CrossFit style comps, an Outlaw Training Camp, and his first USAW sanctioned meet. He finally saw the podium at a team competition, Deprivations Doomsday, where he, Jake, and Christian completely dominated. He podiumed again at his weightlifting meet, taking silver in clean and jerk and total for his weight class. 

He put Christmas lights up! He talks about it every year, and he finally came through. 

Carter:

He turned two!

Medically, this has been our absolute best year with C. He has had ZERO surgeries in 2013, and ZERO hospitalizations! We've had several UTIs, but overall he has been a healthy boy. We're still struggling with low iron levels after many infusions during the year. Hopefully 2014 will be the year we kick anemia. From the PT side, he took his first steps and never looked back - boy is a walking machine now! He's finishing up the year with the Early Intervention program, and will transition to the school system PT when he turns 3. 

We had Carter dedicated on Mother's Day this year. I'm so thankful we found a church like Highlands to raise him in. He loves it and begs to go!

We got rid of the bottle! Carter finally started eating pretty well, so in October, we decided to lose it. 

Carter LOVED Christmas this year. We had a blast with our Advent calendar and made so many memories. The first photo is last year, second is this year. His personality has really bloomed! Lol

Me:

I cooked more this year than I probably ever have. I've really enjoyed experimenting with whole foods and new recipes. 

I ran my first 5K. Props to Amanda McQueen for getting my butt in gear for the event, and sticking with me on the course. 

My best friend got engaged AND married! I loved being a part of the process and the big day. 

I exercised a lot less. With furloughs and the dismissal of our Wellness program, along with occasional laziness, or just unavoidable scheduling, I rarely made it to the gym. My parents invested in some equipment for Christmas for us to have a garage gym. Here's to hoping 2014 brings a healthier me!

I've had a very introspective year. I dug deep to find the source of my stress and anxiety and realized that I'm very unfulfilled in some areas of my life. I'm praying hard that 2014 will be a year of new beginnings, balance, memories, and maybe some risk-taking. 

Thankful for Charlie Jean

Today I'm thankful for a community of athletes that came together to support a family in need. The story started like this: Josh has competed with Brett at a few CrossFit competitions over the past couple of years. Some of our Facebook friends were circulating a page for a little girl that had been diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a pediatric cancer. Her name was Charlie Jean. Josh finally made the connection that Brett was her dad this summer some time. I began to follow her page fervently for updates and progress. Late one night I was browsing Facebook and came across an update - they had been admitted at Children's for nearly a month, with no sign of "home" in their near future. Charlie Jean was very sick as a result of some of the treatments they were doing, and had developed a liver disease. If you know me, you know I have a huge heart for children with medical complications and families that are stuck in the hospital. Josh was at the station and I was just laying in bed crying and praying, so I texted him to ask him to do the same (pray, not cry... that rarely happens). The next day he talked to Jake (our friend and owner of CFI) about starting a donation bucket at the gym for the members to contribute if they felt led to do so. That night, Jake and Mandy decided that we'd host an event and take up donations to WOD and invite all of the local boxes. That week, I created the event on Facebook, and the response was overwhelming.

We ended up with 55 athletes as well as some spectators. Almost every box in the area came out to support. My favorite part was that Brett was able to come into town to participate, and to let everyone know about Charlie Jean's progress and their hope for future Charlie's Angels events to benefit neuroblastoma research or Children's hospital. This family has BIG faith, and it's so encouraging to see their continued diligence in spreading God's love through Charlie Jean's story. Please take a minute to like Charlie Jean's page, and keep her (and her family) in your prayers as she continues to fight.

Thankful to run

I'm thankful for my ability to run. It sounds basic, but today provided me with an opportunity to test myself physically and mentally. Put one foot in front of the other. Go fast or go slow. Walk a little. Run a little. The Color Vibe 5K was a great "first" experience for me. My friend Amanda made it so much more tolerable. She's an "expert" runner in my opinion and she really motivated me to keep going. We had a blast getting color ALL over us and spending time with our CFI family.

  

We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
- Romans 5:3-4 

Thankful for small group

Today I'm thankful for our small group, Strong in Faith. We have a wonderful group of men and women that meet at CFI on Wednesdays as part of the Church of the Highlands small group fall semester. I'm always sad when I miss it, and I'm refreshed when I make it. "Hump Day" is the perfect time of week to hit a workout and then fellowship with believers that will encourage you and lift you up in prayer. I'm thankful for every one of you, and super proud of Jake and Mandy for stepping out in faith to lead this group.

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
- Matthew 18:20

Thankful for Josh

Today I'm thankful for my husband. We spent the entire day together as a family at his first weightlifting meet. I'm so glad that his hobbies are something that we can all be involved in, and that are overall a healthy and productive addition to our lives. Josh did a great job, and took silver in the clean and jerk and the total for his weight class. Carter had a great day watching the event, playing with new friends, and even taking a nice nap on the floor of a super-loud room - I don't know how he did it! Josh is the best dad EVER - hands down. He's been involved in every aspect of Carter's care since day one. It pains him to leave him at school when he's home, and they have the most epic play time ever when he finally gets him in the afternoon/evening. I've watched Josh transform over the 6 years we've been together. He was WILD when we met. He became a father the instant he found out I was pregnant. He's continued to change as he becomes more social through his love of CrossFit and weightlifting. His heart is changing daily as we get more involved in our church and in service to others. Everyday I'm thankful that God put me in his path - I love you, Josh!

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
- Colossians 3:18 

How to Deal: Beat the Cheat

 

 

This scoreboard shows a lot. It shows that these athletes worked their butts off in a ton of WODs to put all of those numbers up. But what does it NOT show? Does it show the fact that a judge let less than acceptable burpee reps slide by? No. Does it show that a judge miscommunicated the acceptable movement (let's say... shoulder-to-overhead... behind the neck jerk?) to an athlete and then was corrected by another judge MID-WOD after several reps of that movement had already been completed, putting the athlete so far behind in reps that it was nearly impossible to come back from? Nope. Does it show that in a final, head-to-head tie-breaker WOD a different start system was used and the WOD was not communicated effectively before said start? Negative.

 

Every competition... every event... will have a glitch. Here are some tips on how to avoid or deal with those glitches.

 

Event Hosts: Make sure information is communicated well, and well in advance if possible. Pick movements that are easily judged. Test your WODs. Plan for ties. Educate your judges on exactly what you're looking for - leave NO details out. Be consistent with your briefings and rulings. YOU are the START. Lay the foundation for a seamless event.

 

Judges: Make it your priority to be honest and fair. I have witnessed a guy get no-repped on 20ish HSPUs trying his hardest to finish out the WOD, and his judge had a look of pain on his face with every no-rep. But here's the reality - the athlete (ONE person) may have been thankful if he'd let a rep or two slide, but the 100+ spectators would have been outraged. Everyone wants to see the guy finish, but they want it to be done honestly.

 

Athletes: Listen during the standards briefing. Ask questions. Talk to your judge before the WOD starts. Demonstrate a rep or two for him so he knows what your good movement looks like. Josh's arms are so bulky that during HSPUs (and sometimes overhead barbell movements) it sort of looks like he's not at full-extension even when he is. He's always careful to show a judge before a WOD with those movements in it. Most judges don't enjoy no-repping athletes. Make sure you're on the same page before the WOD to decrease the possibility of no-reps and the impending frustration that comes with them. As far as how to deal with that judge that is letting bad reps slide - Be better than his athlete. Your good movement should be more efficient than his sub-standard movement. Unless you have the time to grab a higher-level judge, drag him over, and let him see this fool in action, chances are the athlete's score is going to stand. Don't use that as an excuse later on. The best way to overcome that is to beat him! Along the same lines, if we expect our judges to be honest, our athletes should be honest as well. If you know your movement is sub-standard, and you're not getting no-repped - shame on you! It's a disgrace to the sport to intentionally skimp on movement to "get ahead." Don't be that guy that everyone tells stories about months later... take pride in your reps! And if you can't muster up some self-pride, please think about your family, your coaches, and your fellow members that know what your best is. Don't embarrass your box!

 

 

 

 

Combat at Calidus

Event: Combat at Calidus
 

Powered by: Hi-Temp Athletics

Hosted By: Elijah Muhammad

Location: Tuscumbia, AL

Date: 9.8.13

Category: Rx Male

Ranking: 15/27

 

This was a great event. There were several athletes present that have competed at the Regional level, and it was awesome to watch them do work throughout the day. The competition ran smoothly and the lunch provided for athletes was a nice surprise - steak and sweet potato! They also provided great swag bags. This may have been the best event we've attended, mostly due to the great athletes. We were essentially there by ourselves, but as always the CrossFit Community proved itself. We met a lot of great people, saw wonderful sportsmanship in action, and overall enjoyed our day. With a field stacked with elite athletes, Josh was happy with his overall placement and really had to push himself to the limits to be competitive. Here's to hoping they do this one again next year - we'll certainly be there!

 

 

WOD #1
 For Time:
1,000m row
50 GHD sit-ups
30 HSPU

*row will be scored as one event. Then there will be a score for total workout.

*15 min time cap on workout.

 

Waiting for the start

 

"In order to beat me, you're going to have to suffer."

This WOD was a ton of upside-down. He was spinning by the end of it.

 

 

WOD #2
 8 min to build to 1RM
 Hang Clean

 *tie breaker is deadlifts at weight on the bar.
*cannot decrease in weight.

 

Heaviest lift before time ran out. 325# Hang Clean.

 

Chillin' and watching Madagascar

 

 

WOD #3
 7 min AMRAP:
20 wall balls (20)
10 squat snatch
 #:115-135-155-175-195

* weight will increase after each set of wall balls
*weight can only be put on by athlete after wall balls have been completed
*any style snatch is acceptable, as long as weight goes overhead in one fluent motion & is squatted & back to full extension while weight is overhead.

 

 

 

WOD #4
  For time:
40 yard sprint
Rest 1:00
Then...
Double Under
50-40-30-20-10
Deadlift 325/185
1-2-3-4-5

 

*sprint will be scored as one event.

 

Not necessarily built for speed, but he held his own :)

 

 

After a brutal day, we made the 3 hour trip home (with a quick stop at Chili's to refuel that machine of his). At 9pm, He continued on to the new box to help Jake tear some concrete up.... they pulled an all-nighter and finished right before the plumber came to do his thing! These are some dedicated folks - CFI members, never forget the things your coaches do to bring you amenities like a nice hot shower! :)