My [Exciting] January Update!

Hey, y'all! A lot has happened since the last time I wrote on this thing. Lots of super exciting things are taking off and going on in this little life of mine. First, I started my yoga teacher training last Friday and I am so excited about this new little journey I have started down. Second, I "launched" a little photography biz and I am super stoked at how well it is going and so soon! I had my first official shoot this past Wednesday and gosh, it was such a blast and I have received a great response on everything! My next shoot is for a sweet friend of mine, Emily Rabin, who is a musician/artist/songwriter. I'm so super pumped! Third, this past Tuesday I was hired to coach gymnastics at SCATS Gymnastics Academy and I couldn't be more thrilled. This past week has been a blast and I definitely had forgotten how much I just love coaching! Fourth, I just found out that I will be doing the CrossFit Gymnastics Cert in two weeks up in LA!! AHHHHHHHHH! I'm SO excited, if you couldn't tell. ;) Fifth, Rylee was asked to do some modeling for Billabong and had her photo shoot for the Fall 2011 Catalog a couple weeks ago! It was a precious, a blast, and so unexpected! She whispered in my ear half way through, "Mommy, can I do this forever?" Haha:) Sixth, I feel so blessed to have made some really great and amazing friends here in my new California home and I seriously would NOT be able to do any of these things without them. Thanks, y'all and Happy Friday! :)

Here's some of the photos from the Wednesday's shoot at the Huntington Beach Pier with Melinda and Vivian... Enjoy! :) Oh, and check out my Facebook page for more info: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicole-Zapoli-Photography/195404127140184

The Other Side of Fear = Freedom.

What a fun weekend! Friday night was "Game Night" at a friend's house in Newport Beach. We played Mad Gab, which is insanely hilarious, Apples to Apples, and [adult] Pictionary... ;) So much fun! The next morning I got up and wodded it up at crossfit, did some yoga, watched the game, hung out with some great friends at a super cool Asian fondue place on Main Street, walked home, listened to a super sweet friend/neighbor play guitar and sing [above^^^], and played some serious cards. ;) Sunday, I got to do a little surfing and then went and saw "How Do You Know"...I think my expectations were a little too high, but it was still cute. I don't think I'd tell anyone to go rush out and see it, though. I still love both, Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson, just not the movie so much. I also got some super fun news today! Rylee was asked to do some modeling for Billabong! Yay, Go Rylee! :)

This morning I did a little crossfit at CrossFit Marina and this time my [rx] was legit. Woo hoo! We did 3 rounds for time: 400m run, 30 overhead squats [55#], and 21 pull-ups. I finished at 18:31 and was pumped to get to finally put an rx by my time. Finally!!!! I'm finally feeling like I'm getting everything I once lost back again...slowly, but surely. It feels good.


So... I did it. Yep, I finally made myself go back out and surf once again and it couldn't have felt any better. Let me explain... I have been surfing since I was about 15, but I am still getting used to the waves here rather than what I am used to in Surfside Beach, Texas... Nice clean sets of beautiful non-intimidating baby waves. The last time I went out here I basically got destroyed and carried way far down the beach and then was spit out by the ocean on the sand. I was slightly freaked out at the ocean, to say the least, after that happened so I made myself go back out that same day so my fear wouldn't win, although, ever since that day my fear has won... Until yesterday, that is. I got my wetsuit and booties on, waxed up my 6 foot Dakine fish, walked down to the beach, found a spot, and got back into the 55 degree water. I had a great time and was able to catch almost everything I went for which felt oh, so good. I'm still not free of my lovely fear, but it has subsided some, for sure... AND I still absolutely [hate] paddling out... Hoping crossfit will help me there!!!! ;)

“...the other side of every fear is freedom.”
Marilyn Ferguson

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it”

“Do what you are afraid to do”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it... that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear.”
Dale Carnegie

Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.
Mark Twain

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Mind Over Matter.

The first week to my year has started off beautifully. I am pleased to say, I have managed to make it in to crossfit everyday, with exception of Monday, when I did some yoga. Oh yeah, baby. It is amazing how much stronger I am feeling since I first stepped back into this whole thing, also known as crossfit, following my little back injury. I believe my first official day back was sometime around Thanksgiving. Boy, was I weak!!! I still am compared to where I once was, but I am encouraged, to say the least, with my progress. I was lucky to be able to workout when I traveled back home to Texas at my old crossfit home, Atomic Crossfit. Gosh, I miss that place and the most wonderful people that fill it. It was so good to be back there where it all started for me the first week in August 2009.


I think I had forgotten how mentally tough this sport is...which is what initially drew me to the whole idea. That is one of my favorite things about crossfit... how you're not only and obviously challenged physically, but definitely mentally as well. Strength is strength, but if you don't have the mental toughness to push yourself through times when everything in your body is screaming at you to quit, your physical strength means absolutely nothing. One of my favorite quotes that I remember a track coach at my high school would always repeat to his athletes was, "Mind over matter!" I never ran track, but I did competitive gymnastics for most of my life and then high school competitive cheerleading where we did a ton of running and conditioning out by where the track team practiced everyday. Many times we were actually mistaken for the track team... Ha! I always secretly loved when that would happen. :)









[high school senior picture]

I am also pleased to say, I have managed to stay paleo for the most part this week with exception of a few pieces of mint chocolates I had left over from Christmas. Here are some of my meals I have had this week...



So, yesterday I did "Murph"-a mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 squats, and another mile run for time. I was completely set on doing it Rx'd, but was totally clueless of the fact that in order to make it Rx'd one must wear a 20 pound vest for the entire duration of the wod. I thought I was doing it Rx'd and thought that when the coach asked me before we started if I wanted to wear the lovely vest that she was funny and I think I actually laughed and said something like, "Oh, I'll save that for next time!" I decided I didn't want to be a complete over achiever this morning and that I would just stick to what was prescribed. Baahahaha... Well, I was so wrong, but oh well! I'm so ready to re-do this whole thing the right way... some fine day in the future. Right now I'll just be happy I lived to see another wod! ;)

I am also super happy to announce that I have already begun to tackle some of the stuff on my goal list for TwentyEleven! Yay! We already have a group forming to do the Warrior Dash/Mud Run thing in April, I am about to put a deposit down for my yoga certification that begins super soon, and I have stayed consistent so far with paleo and crossfit. Woo Hooo! :)


I hope y'all are having a fabulous start to 2011!