When’s the Last Time…

… you did something for the first time?

If you’re CrossFit, the answer to that question is probably “this morning.”

I didn’t intentionally set out to tackle new adventures this year, but my quest for goal weight and fitness brought with it all kinds of frexciting new ideas and activities. What a gift! And what a fortunate girl I am, to be surrounded by people who push, encourage, tease, cajole, support, and love me through it all.

Thank you to the coaches at CrossFit Central — and especially to Carey, Crystal, and Randal for their almost-daily support. Y’all are best-quality humans. Hugs of gratitude to my Bootcamp crew for getting up early to work hard. Thank you to my co-workers (Erin, Stacey, Cathlin, Kristin… I’m looking at you.) who seem to always say ‘yes’ to the question, “Want to hear what we did at our workout this morning?” And, of course, a huge truckful of gratitude to the most fantastic husband in the world ever on the planet EVER… Dave. He always knows just what to say and do to make me feel beautiful and strong.

And now… in no particular order… the many wonderful, fun, rewarding, frexciting things I did for the first time in 2008:

• committed to the Zone
• got pinched with fat calipers
• volunteered for the Austin Marathon
• wrote a short story, put it in a bottle, and tossed it into the ocean
• hosted the first annual Run for the Peanut Butter Bars

• saw a Kid Rock concert from inside the bouncers’ pit
• held a plank for 2 minutes
• ran a 9-minute mile
• bailed a friend out of jail
• completed the Spartan 300 workout
• meditated for 15 minutes
• did 100 burpees in a row
• shimmied up a crawl space, scaled a wall, and balanced on a handrail while romping through the UT campus with my favorite traceur Randal

• started half marathon training
• tried pullups with a box and a band
• took a gymnastics class
• did a handstand against a tree before running 5 miles through the woods

• won first place in my division in an athletic competition
• reached my goal weight
• ran and vaulted in Dallas
• did the Annie Are You OK workout
• saw High School Musical 3 in the theater
• dressed up as Xena the Warrior Princess
• bought a pair of size 2 pants
• got creative with Penzeys Spices Italian Sausage Seasoning
• did the Murph workout
• wore sparkly tights and a leotard to our office ’80s party

• saw my name in the movie credits on a big screen
• did the Filthy Fifty workout
• learned to do a double-under
• climbed a San Antonio Police Department sign
• celebrated my first wedding anniversary
• ran a timed 10k and did my part to Keep Austin Weird and save the bats and celebrate the moonlight with a margarita and preserve the missions in San Antonio

• had most of my thyroid removed and celebrated NOT having cancer
• bought a one-size-fits-all dress online and when it arrived, learned it fit

Thanks for sharing my adventures with me — can’t wait to see what happens in 2009! Wishing you a frexciting new year filled with love, adventure, challenges, and surprises.