The History of Fashlete of The Month:

Fashlete of the Month started in November, 2010.  I posted a simple question on my facebook page: "What motivates you?"  Not only did I get a chain of beautiful answers, I started getting emails from people who wanted to share more about how their commitment to health and fitness has had a profound effect on their daily life.  Fashletics has always been about celebrating the "athlete within" and commemorating people's dedication to fitness. It is about making fitness a part of your daily life and reaping the rewards that happen inside and outside the gym.  When people started sharing their personal stories with me, all I could think was "Other people need to hear this." I wanted Fashlete of the Month to become a source of inspiration full of stories of facing challenges and overcoming obstacles all through a dedication to fitness.  I am happy to say that this is exactly what it has happened. 

I have kept in touch with all of our past Fashletes and friendships have formed within this very special group. They chat on Facebook and through email as if they've known each other for years.  Their stories are read, shared, and re-posted over and over again throughout the virtual world.  Fashlete of the Month, something that started more or less on a whim, has become one of the aspects of Fashletics that I am most proud of.  The individuals we honor get a moment in the spotlight (and some free jewelry) and also become role models for people who are just beginning their fitness journey or who may have gotten lost somewhere along the way.  Above all, the Fashletes of the Month reminds people of the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of living a fit and healthy life. They are the definition of LIVE LOVE LIFT.

Fashlete of the Year Announcement! 

Today we are announcing our FIRST EVER Fashlete of the Year!  After doing a "Where Are They Now?" story on each past Fashlete, we held on online vote and left the final decision up to the friends, families, and fans of our Fashletes.  We are proud to announce our winner... Tina Daneshmand! As a kid and a young adult Tina was very much a victim - she was taunted by kids in school for being overweight which destroyed her self-confidence.  This led to an eating disorder which nearly destroyed her body.  Tina serendipitously ended up at a CrossFit gym where she finally learned how to accept her body and focus on strong instead of skinny.

With a new-found feeling of self-confidence and purpose, Tina discovered that she was ready to help others.  I believe this is a true sign of being a completely healed person… when you have gained so much in terms of your own strength that you are able to give something back... and this is what being a Fashlete is all about.  Now that Tina has learned how to take care of herself, she is ready to help others do the same.

" I realized this is what I’m passionate about, this is what I was born to do, I was born to be a warrior and I learned how to do things and make changes for MYSELF and be happy. If I could do this, anyone can." 

Tina is now a Certified CrossFit trainer and finds gratification in helping other find their strength, just like she has.  She also has set some pretty lofty goals for herself (which I KNOW she will achieve) including a California record in the deadlift, a sub 10 "Man-Fran", and to run 300 miles.

As Fashlete of the Year, Tina is receiving a $300 Gift Certificate from Fashletics.  Congratulations Tina! I would also like to thank all of our past Fashletes for sharing their stories and inspiring others.  It has been a pleasure getting to know each of you!

LIVE, LOVE, LIFT

Click here to read more about each of our amazing Fashletes including our Fashlete of the Year, Tina.

"There's no bond like the kind that Crossfit women share. Sisters in iron, sweat, pain and glory." 

                                                                                               - Ivana, Heraean Games 2012  

1. The Athletes. YOU made this event what it was. We can set up the barbells, start the clock, and score the WODs but it is ultimately the athletes who bring the energy and the fire to the event.  You give each other and everyone watching something to get excited about and we become invested in your struggles and triumphs. You inspire and you lead through your courage to compete and your determination to succeed.

3. Kirstyn and Haley.  Even if you combine the ages of these two young ladies they would still be younger than most of our competitors.  Kirstyn and Haley are both 12. We didn't have a kids' division so both girls registered as Aphrodite/Scaled and competed with women at least twice their age. 

This was Haley's first competition and she has been doing CrossFit Kids at CrossFit Affliction for only 5 months. Kirstyn is from BGI CrossFit and about a month before the competition her dad told me her deadlift max was 135.  The first WOD included 20 reps of a 135 deadlift.  Kirstyn got through all 20.

4. The Community. There is absolutely nothing like the CrossFit community. Planning an event is a lot of work but it is possible because of all of the support we have from athletes, coaches, judges, sponsors, volunteers, friends, and family.  It is not only possible but it is completely worth it.

5. The "Incident". During WOD 3 I noticed that much of the crowd had migrated to east end of the event and was looking out to a white car sitting in the middle of State Rd 7.  Spectators heard the stopped car honking and then saw that the driver, a woman, was being beaten by a man in the passenger seat. Several event spectators ran out to the car and the guy immediately bolted down the busy road... too bad he was being chased down by some of the fittest people he would ever have the misfortune of encountering.  Our CrossFit heroes caught him (no surprise there) and the police arrived at the scene.  We couldn't get over the irony of a woman being physically assaulted right in front of a female CrossFit event that, at its core, is all about empowering women.  I don't know what was going on between that man and that woman but I do know that seeing that scene go down made me think about women as victims.... more specifically, about how I never want to be one. This event and my training is not about looking good in a skirt, it is about having the strength to take care of myself or to at least make someone think twice before trying to make me a victim. There won't always be a crowd of 300 CrossFitters hanging around to run to the rescue.

6. The Reactions. Below are a few quotes gathered from Facebook and emails from some of the ladies that competed. It means the world to me that this event meant so much to them. There was such a diverse group of women at the event.  Each woman brought something special to the competition and had her own unique experience. That is the amazing thing about competition and the reason I think everyone should get involved... for all of your hard work, you will get more than you ever imagined in return.

The Mom: "I am PROUD to be a CrossFitter-not because I drank the so called "kool-aid", but because I am doing something for me and my family! I am a woman and I AM strong...that is what the Heraean Games taught me today." - Lici  

The Up and Comer: "Today was SOOO hard, but SOO worth it!! I really surprised myself." - Sara

Girl Power: "Makes me proud to be a FEMALE CrossFitter!! Congrats to ALL the athletes!! Everybody truly wins!!!" - Kristi

The First Timer: "It was a blast wodding with such strong determined women! It was my first and I can't wait to sign up for my next one!!!" -Nikki

CrossFit Hopeful: "Seeing and Realizing the "Seemingly" Impossible is TOTALLY POSSIBLE! I'm Inspired and I'm joining!" - Tonya 

Congratulations Amazons, Athenas, Aphrodites, and Spartans! You should be so proud not only of what you accomplished today, but of the fact that you were brave enough to face the challenge in the first place. Strength is about more than lifting heavy weight, it is about having the courage and the heart to confront something that seems bigger than you. You are more than athletes, you are WARRIORS. Congratulations! (Event results here.)

If you believe in yourself,

have dedication and pride and never quit,

you'll be a winner.

The price of victory is high,

but so are the rewards.

-Paul Bryant

My friend Kelly put this quote on her Facebook wall yesterday.  I googled the quote and found out it was by Paul Bryant who was a football coach for the University of Alabama. But when I read it on Kelly’s wall I felt like it was written just for me.

Like most athletes, I am hard on myself.  But lately I’ve been more frustrated than usual, I’ve been negative, and I basically feel like I’m falling into a black hole of self doubt.  I read this quote and it hit me hard. I felt like Kelly had unknowingly tossed me a life preserver.  I stared at the words and thought, “The answer is here somewhere.”  So I started dissecting it.  And the more I dissected it the closer I got to my life preserver…

I do believe in myself.  Sometimes I think that’s part of my problem. I believe I should be stronger by now, I should be faster, I should be more skilled. “Why aren’t I better?” is a question that plagues me.

I am dedicated.  Sometimes to the point of obsession.  And though this is supposed to be a good quality it also often leads me back to the same question. If I work so hard, if I am so dedicated… “Why aren’t I better?”

I won’t quit. I made a joke about retiring from CrossFit the other day at a particularly low moment.  The threat to quit was not real but the frustration was pretty serious.

Pride. Ah yes, here is where it falls apart. That’s what’s missing. By constantly comparing myself to women who are stronger and faster, I have forgotten to be proud of my own progress and my own hard work.  I like training with and competing against people who are better than me.  For the most part it pushes me and it's inspiring... that is until I get to the point where I'm looking so far ahead that I forget about where I began.  In the midst of chasing after my heroes, I forgot that I still have to set my own goals.  “Shoot for the moon and land amongst the stars” so to speak.  I just have to remember no to get so pissed off when I don’t reach the moon every single time.  Stars are nice too.  Hell, even the horizon is a pretty great place to be sometimes.

“You’ll be a winner.”  If the goal is to be a winner I think it’s important to define what the word “win” means.  It is different for everyone.  The majority of the time (definitely in my case when it comes to CrossFit) being a winner does not mean being #1.  I will never have a sense of pride if I don’t figure out exactly what I am trying to accomplish and why I am trying to accomplish it.  I can't win by trying to achieve someone else's goals.

I’m still working on it.  I’m working on it because I don’t want to be the type of person that stomps her feet and throws a fit on the edge of the Big Dipper while cursing the moon.  I want to be the type of person that dances her way through the stars and occasionally stops to give the moon a knowing look and a cunning smile as if to say… "you watch you’re back moon"… 

Photo by Jen Andrews: Me and Kelly before WOD2 at Clash of the Fittest in Palm Beach, FL.  Kelly beat me... but I'm okay with that... for now.

I originally wrote this article for MyAthleticLife.com, a website dedicated to helping you achieve your fitness goals. I am re-posting the article here because I am extremely passionate about this topic and this training methodology and wanted to share it with the Fashletics community.  I hope you enjoy it!  Be sure to check out www.myathleticlife.com for more great stories and info!

Strength and Endurance: Can We Have Both

No one ever told me I could be strong.  From an early age I was told I had “the body of a runner.”  Translation: you are tall and skinny and should probably stay away from sports that involve physical contact with another human being or heavy objects.

So I became a runner because that is what I thought I was “supposed” to be.  For a long time, I let my body type direct my athletic destiny.  From one perspective you could say it worked out well.  I joined the track and cross-country teams in high school, came to love the discipline of training, and enjoyed the camaraderie that came with being a part of a team.

I left for college, still a runner at heart but without a team to be a part of.  I wasn’t nearly fast enough for the University of Michigan track team, so I just laced up my shoes and hit the pavement on my own.  I wasn’t sure what I was training for, all I knew was that I couldn’t stop competing whether I was asked to be on a team or not.

Training for nothing got old pretty fast so I registered for the Chicago Marathon.  I found a training program online that I followed religiously during my junior year of college.  It was a typical “long slow distance” (LSD) training calendar that would increase my mileage weekly, my longest runs always falling on a Saturday.  The calendar worked me up to two 20-mile runs that I was to complete roughly 6 and 4 weeks before the marathon.

I ran the Chicago Marathon in October of 2001 and finished in a time of 3 hours 51 minutes.  I was so pumped after this experience that I immediately signed up for the San Diego Marathon which would take place the following June.  I followed the same training program and finished the San Diego Marathon in… wait for it… 3 hours 52 minutes.  That is zero improvement. It’s actually a little worse than zero improvement, but let’s not split hairs.

After that race I sort of felt like “Well, that’s my marathon time.  I guess I’m done with that. On to the next.”  I began looking for a new challenge and at some point got it in my head that I wanted to do a triathlon.  Three years ago when I moved to Miami I signed up for my first Olympic distance tri.  I didn’t own a bike and I hadn’t swam more than 200m since high school gym class.  Details details…

The training program that I followed was the same structure as the marathon program only with three disciplines instead of one.  A few weeks before my race I was visiting my brother in Michigan and he came along on one of my bike/run workouts.  After a 25-mile bike ride we headed out on our run and chatted about the upcoming race.  My brother seemed impressed with the sheer volume in my training program and said, “Wow! You must just feel SO strong!”

I will never forget that moment.  I was struggling to keep up and could feel my skinny body collapsing in on itself as we trotted towards his house.

“NO! I feel so weak!”  As someone who is not a fan of expressing weakness, this is something I probably would not have admitted had I not felt so physically broken down at that moment.  I just blurted it out.  He was surprised.  I think I was surprised.  It felt more like a plea for help than an answer to a question.  This was the first time I realized that being able to run forever did not necessarily mean that I was fit and it definitely did not mean that I was strong.  Even if I was destined to be a runner, I was going about it in the wrong way.

Things changed when my coach in Florida saw exactly what I was feeling.  A verbal plea for help was not necessary, my broken down body told the whole story.  I remember crossing a finish line, body hunched over because I was unable to support my own weight.  I didn’t care how fast I was or how long I could run for, I knew something was very, very wrong.  I am not strong.  How do I get strong?  Before I had the chance to catch my breath and articulate my concern, my coach approached and said: “You’re gonna do CrossFit.”

A couple of us started meeting in a garage where instead of heading out for long runs, we lifted weights.  I had never done a deadlift or a clean and my coach could not comprehend the fact that I could not do a single pull up.  One day he said, “Okay, we’re going to do 90 pull ups and 90 dips.”  My response?  “Um, do you mean 9?”

In 2009 I was 5’9”, 120lbs and had a 130# deadlift.  I could run a 6:20 mile but had no Fran time because I couldn’t thruster 65#’s or do pull ups.  Today after following a combination of CrossFit and CrossFit Endurance programing I am 138lbs, have a 285# deadlift, a 5:45 mile, and a 4:45 Fran.  During my first year of CrossFit Endurance (CFE) I also knocked 22 minutes off of my Olympic Triathlon time and qualified for the Duathlon World Championships.  In my second year of CFE I qualified for Worlds again.  Six months after Worlds, I completed the 2011 CrossFit Sectionals Open and qualified as part as my Affiliate Team for Regionals where we took 11^th place.

So am I an endurance athlete or am I a CrossFitter?  I am an athlete. Period.  And as an athlete I am always looking for the best way to prepare for a competition.  However, if a training program compromises my overall strength and fitness the way that LSD did, count me out.  I plan on being on this earth for a while and I plan on doing a hell of a lot more with my life than racing and lifting.  So if my training program is doing nothing more than putting me on a podium, well, that’s just not enough.

As CrossFit Endurance training has evolved and as I became more informed (via certifications, stalking the CFE main site, etc) I realized that I actually can “have my cake and eat it too.”  Paleo cake of course.  From my perspective, CrossFit Endurance is still CrossFit.  When I am training specifically for an endurance event I can trust that not only will CrossFit Endurance prepare me for this event in the best way possible, it will do so without compromising my strength and my Fran time.  In fact, while training for endurance events I still see gains in CrossFit workouts and lifts as long as my recovery and nutrition is also on point.

When I made the transition from LSD to CFE, I swore to myself that even if I did not become a better endurance athlete, I would never go back to the LSD training that was ruining my body.  Luckily, I became a better endurance athlete and I never had to give LSD training a second look.

As I started becoming more competitive at CrossFit, I made another deal with myself.  I would not compromise my newfound strength to be a better endurance athlete.  Again, this proved to be a non-issue due to the fact that though it is sport specific, the CrossFit Endurance training program is primarily focused on power and  speed, not on volume.

As I sit here typing this I am wearing a T-shirt that says TRIATHLETE on the front and SQUAT CLEAN SNATCH on the back. Total coincidence, I swear.  I am grateful that my quest to become a better endurance athlete led me to CrossFit, a sport that I have come to love in its own right.  I absolutely love competing.  I also love getting better.  When I ran that second marathon back in college, I realized how lifeless a sport becomes if there is no growth or improvement. CrossFit Endurance breathed new life into endurance sports for me.  I believe it saved me from things like osteoporosis, wrecked joints, and carbo-loading.  But best of all, it told me something that no one had ever told me before:

“You can be strong.”

It's rare that I can finish a competition without feeling compelled to write about it.  I think it's usually a combination of extreme physical exhaustion and being a slightly overly sentimental person in general.  Okay fine, maybe more than "slightly".  My tired body will lay still and silent while my mind wanders far away.  I usually waltz into the land of metaphors and find great satisfaction in relating my competition experience to life in general.  I've learned a lot about who I am and what I'm made of by competing.  I do think this is one great reason to train and to compete - because while we are lifting and sweating we are actually learning a lot about ourselves and the world around us.  Metaphors abound.  Lessons are learned.  My mind wanders further and soon enough I'm not thinking about reps and times... I'm thinking about the meaning of life.

But on my way to today's competition, long before my post-WOD, blissed-out, pseudo-meditation... I had a much simpler appreciation for what this day was about to bring. 

Sometimes, the best part about competing is that for just a few hours, I don't have to think about anything beyond this event.  Just for now, nothing exists outside of this gym.  Nothing matters more than these three WODs.  I will bleed for burpees.  I will die for reps.  I will scream at the top of my lungs as my teammate lunges towards the finish line as if our lives depend on it.  Because it actually feels like our lives do depend on it.  All of my energy, everything that I have to give, is right here in this moment.  This is not a life lesson or a metaphor for something else. This is it. This. Is. It.

So tonight, instead of trying to define myself and my place in the world based on my performance, I am just going to sit here and appreciate the fact that I had the opportunity to experience a day of such incredible physical and emotional intensity.  Because that in itself is a gift. 

In elementary school my older brother and his friends would build these awesome snow forts at recess.  Seriously, they were next level... and I wanted in.  Needless to say, little sister was not invited to tag along.  Still, I would do anything to gain my brother’s approval and to be accepted among the bigger, stronger, snow-fort-building kids.

With snow-fort building season came hockey season in Michigan.  I didn’t care about this particular sport but I wanted to show big bro that I was worthy of his company and his snow forts.  As luck would have it, his coach hosted one game where siblings were invited to join the team on the ice.  I eagerly laced up my figure skates and buckled my new helmet under my chin for the first time.  I sat nervously on the bench and waited for my turn to go out on the ice and prove to the boys that I could hang.

This is the part where I wish I could tell you that I glided gracefully onto the rink, took control of the puck, and skillfully weaved my way down the ice to score the game-winning goal with one powerful shot.  My brother would be so impressed that he would never ignore me on the playground again and I would be invited to build snow forts at recess on Monday.  Oh happy day.

In reality, I took one step out on the rink, caught the toe pic of my figure skate in a divot, and fell flat on my face.  Someone helped me up and I pretended like I was hurt, far too mortified to go back out on the ice.  There would be no snow forts in my immediate future.

I’d like to think that I’ve come a long way since the day I tripped on my figure skates and sulked on the bench, but in so many ways I am exactly the same.  Though there is no sulking (well, not as much sulking) I am still chasing after anyone who is bigger and stronger.  I am still captivated by the idea of success in the face of adversity and by the excitement that comes from accomplishing something that no one expects me to be capable of.

There are days in my adult life that have me feeling like the skinny third-grader left behind on the playground all over again.  But that’s my choice.  I know that getting better sometimes means putting myself in uncomfortable situations and attempting to do things that are be beyond my ability.  I accept the fact that this could result in failure, embarrassment, or being excluded from snow fort building (the greatest tragedy of all!).  But the allure of success, the fantasy of scoring the game-winning goal, and the chance to play with the big kids is far more powerful than the fear of falling on my face.  Sometimes you just have to lace up those figure skates give it your best shot.

Eventually I was invited into the sacred space of the fifth grade snow fort.  I am nothing if not persistent.  And as you might have guessed, as soon as I got my hands on that fort, I was peering over its walls for the next challenge. 

I learned a lot by chasing my big brother around as a kid.  The most important lesson of all?  Eventually, I actually caught up. 

Several women in pink bras and cut off shorts stand with clip boards amid ripped athletes hoisting barbells from ground to overhead... over and over again.  Weights crash to the ground as shirtless women take score.  There is pain, there is joy, and there is A LOT of pink.

This was the scene I came upon two years ago at the CrossFit Games as I strolled through the vendor booths of the Home Depot arena.  I looked from barbell to bra, bra to barbell, and contemplated who was the bravest amongst this group.  Was it the athletes that crumbled to the hot concrete ground after just a couple minutes of intense lifting?  Or was it the women standing half naked in a stadium full of thousands of people?  My gaze finally shifted from the bras and weight plates to a banner stretched across the scene that read "BARBELLS FOR BOOBS! MAMMOGRAMS IN ACTION".  It was then that I realized that the heroes were not the ones lifting weights or counting reps, though courageous in their own right.  The true heroes are the thousands of women battling breast cancer.  My perception of the scene changed.  I still saw joy, but I saw pain beyond that of the contestants... and the color pink never looked more bad-ass.

I would come to learn that what I witnessed that day was Amazing “Grace”.  Amazing Grace is a fundraiser for Mammograms In Action (MIA), a non-profit organization that provides funding for qualified low-income and uninsured women who need screening and/or diagnostic procedures in the prevention of breast cancer.  MIA was founded by Zionna Munoz after her best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 26. 

Fast-forward one year later and I am standing in the pink and black tent once again.  The organization continues to grow, this year with the launch of the Pink Bra Tour, a 31 day fundraising campaign caravanning across the United States at this very moment.  Fashletics is a sponsor of the tour and designed a pink bra charm that will be presented to 35 breast cancer survivors across the country.  The bra charm commemorates individual battles won in the midst of an ongoing war against breast cancer.  It serves as a symbol of hope; a reminder that lives are being saved thanks to the fundraising efforts of Mammograms In Action and every single person that participates in Amazing “Grace”. 

The Pink Bra Tour kicked off last weekend but it is not too late for you to GET INVOLVED! You can participated in an Amazing “Grace” event near you or just show up to support the athletes and the cause.  Either way, you are guaranteed to have a great time.  Your participation does more than raise funds, it sends a message to women fighting Breast Cancer that we will not give up until we find a cure.  No one should have to go through this alone.  So grab your pink bras and show theses ladies that you know the true meaning of the word SUPPORT.

How and where to participate: CLICK HERE NOW!

Below a synopsis of what the Pink Bra Tour has accomplished so far as reported by Katie McNeilly of Barbells for Boobs. 

(Click here for Katie's full report.)

CrossFit Newport • 89 participants • Fundraising Total: $5,410

CrossFit 714 • 56 participants • $3,845

"There were approximately 100 people present.  Susan G Komen (pictured left) of Orange County came to accept the grant for $10,000 and were absolutely amazed with the CrossFit community and the support, as they had never been to a CrossFit event before." 

 Canyon CrossFit • 38 participants • Fundraising Total: $1200

"Susan G Komen of the Inland Empire was unable to make an appearance, but were given the grant for $10,000 in honor of the efforts made by Canyon and all other participating affiliates in the Inland Empire.  This grant disbursement ensures that women and men under 40 from the San Diego County border all the way to the Arizona border are covered.  The Reebok HQ representative, Brianna, invited her grandmother, who is a survivor, and we were able to have Bri present her with one of the necklaces.  It literally made all of us cry, and I get goosebumps writing about it.  It was a truly special moment."

"In honor of those who participated in South Bay's event, and all other participating affiliates in Los Angeles County, we presented Watts Health Care with the $10,000 grant." 

"Cody Rice is a trainer at South Bay, and also a Barbells For Boobs athlete.  Last year, Z (founder of Mommograms in Action) saw some crazy kid doing one-armed Grace, and was like, "What the heck is this guy doing?"  Turns out, his mom is a survivor, and Cody had injured his hand shortly before Amazing Grace, but refused to let that stop him from participating in honor of his mother.  Unfortunately, she couldn't be present for the event over the weekend, so we presented him with a survivor necklace to give to his mom."