I drank the Crossfit Kool-Aid.

I did it. I finally gave in and drank the Crossfit Kool-Aid.

After watching girls with my dream body type compete in The Fittest Games (Ryan got 6th place over all, by the way!) and spending months years listening to Cole and Ryan talk about snatches, dead lifts and cleans, I finally got over my fear of embarrassing them myself and gave Koda Crossfit a try.

A severe flare up of peroneal tendonitis has caused me to put half marathon training on hold for a while (boooo), but Crossfit seems like the perfect alternative. Girls gotta stay fit, you know. Fist pump, push up, chapstick.

Sorry, guilty pleasure, I can't help myself.

The WOD (work out of the day for all you noobs) was a challenging one. It wore me out more than 13.1 miles ever could but left with with a huge sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

WOD 1:
Row 800 km + 50 Step Ups

WOD 2:
3 rounds
50 backwards jump rope
20 kettle bell swings
Note: Present day me is not nearly as skilled at jumping rope as nine-year-old me.

WOD 3:
Row 800 km + 50 overhead lunges

WOD 4:
3 rounds
50 air squats
10 push ups
10 elevated ring rows
Note: This is where I died. 50 air squats may not sound so bad but I'm here to tell you that it is totally and completely miserable, especially on your first day.

Holy hamstrings, Crossfit. My quads, hammies and traps have never been so sore in my life. That "have to brace yourself while sitting down or you might collapse before you ass hits the chair" kind of sore. I love it. It hurts so good....or maybe I'm just crazy.

Here's to more soreness and less muffin tops. After all, winter workouts build summer bodies!

The Fittest Games | Austin, Texas | Photo via Koda Crossfit


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Coffee Challenge #4 // Results

The final stop on the OKC Coffee Challenge was Coffee Slingers.

Located downtown in Automobile Alley with a view of the street and walkers by, Coffee Slingers made me yearn to visit New York City. This place has the perfect blend of industrial and rustic charm. Open warehouse ceilings and old wooden bar tops with pops of color here and there - yes, so much yes. If I had a dream house, it would be decorated just like this.

With a mocha for me and French pressed coffee for Cole, we sat at the bar and took in the beauty of our city. 

Sure wish those cars weren't ruining my otherwise perfect picture....

The mocha was delightful. Rich chocolate flavor balanced out by smooth coffee, it was the perfect treat on a snowy Sunday morning. Did you know you aren't supposed to drink the grainy part at the bottom of the cup? I didn't. I thought it was shaved chocolate pieces.....its not. Sure would have been nice for someone to inform me of this during round #1 and not wait until the last stop....

But that's ok, how could I not forgive him when he is this adorable with such huge biceps? Hubba hubba.


We didn't get any pastries this time around because we sort of over indulged in Mickey D's breakfast beforehand. Sometimes we can't help ourselves...those sausage biscuits, man, you just can't beat 'em. However, the raspberry bars at Coffee Slingers looked like they were to-die-for. Next time, definitely next time.



THE RESULTS ///

We don't know

Each stop on our Coffee Challenge was delightful. Each one had their own unique twist on things, as well as delectable pastries to accompany great coffee. You can't go wrong, seriously! None of them beat the coffee we found in the ATX that started this whole thing, but in all honesty, I was probably just really thirsty that day and have since held it on a pedestal. I tend to do that. Sorry. 

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Coffee Challenge #3

There is still snow on the ground and more is forecasted to start falling this afternoon. Ugh, come on OKWX, I have never in my life experienced snow that lasted over a week. I will personally punch the first person who tweets about it being too hot this summer....

With sub-freezing temperatures all weekend, we basically had to indulge in more coffee, simply to keep our blood flowing properly. The third stop on Cole & Amanda's OKC Coffee Challenge was Cuppies & Joe... A cute little coffee date at a local hot spot? Don't mind if we do.

Cuppies & Joe is located in Uptown on 23rd Street in the most adorable of bungalow-style houses. It has a "Grandma's house" feel to it; so welcoming and charming with the smell of freshly baked deserts and hot coffee billowing out of the kitchen. It is the place to be on Saturday evenings, lemme tell ya. The line was out the door, a local musician was strumming away and twenty-somethings were piled on top of each other to sip their lattes and socialize in utter hipster fashion.


Upon ordering, we discovered that Cuppies & Joe serves Elemental Coffee.....whoops. That's what I get for not doing my research. Should this eliminate Cuppies & Joe from the Coffee Challenge? Probably. BUT, they take brewed Elemental Coffee and put their own unique twist on it, so I guess they can stay.

The list for latte flavors was just too much to handle; it went on and on and on. I panicked and went with amaretto.....and was very glad that I did. It had the perfect amount of coffee and amaretto flavors mixed to perfection. Not too sweet, not too weak and not too strong, it was juuuust right. Cole ordered a regular ole coffee, black. Weird.

Since it was Saturday night, we felt the need to indulge in deserts, too. Wouldn't you? I mean, it is a cupcake place after all. I ordered the Boom Boom Pow cupcake and ate it way too quickly to take a picture....my sincere apologies. It was a vanilla bean cupcake with chocolate buttercream frosting and an inner dollop of salted caramel. That frosting, man, it was on point. Cole went with the blackberry pie; my life was forever altered. Sugar crystals, blackberries and sweet cream, oh my heavens. It has to be a family recipe passed down for generations...

Cuppies & Joe accepts the Keep It Local card. Your mouth can start drooling here.




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Coffee Challenge #2

The second stop on Cole and Amanda's OKC Coffee Challenge was Leaf + Bean.


We chose this place because: 
a) it was open on Sunday (unlike everything else in the Bible Belt)
b) they accept Keep It Local cards
c) its a drive-thru stand so we didn't have to get out in the snow (except to take the above photo, obviously)

One vanilla bean latte, one cappuccino and a slice of banana maple bread later, we were on our way. Grocery store bound, coffee in hand, sporting my favorite pair of yoga pants and UGG boots. My goodness, I'm such a cliché.

The coffee: good. The bread: great. The company: my favorite, ever. 

My only complaint is that Leaf + Bean is not located on my way to work. I wish I could drive through every single morning..... As far as my wallet is concerned, though, its probably a good thing that its not.

This picture is clearly stollen from Leaf + Bean's twitter page, since massive amounts of snow are no where in sight.

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Coffee Challenge #1

This winter, man. We've had more snow days this year than I can remember, ever, period. We'll chalk it up to global warming, I guess. That groundhog ain't helpin' things much, either, though....

With snow days comes the requirement of a good cup o' joe. Am I right? That warm, rich coffee warms you from the inside out and makes everything right with the world.

After discovering a delicious local coffee shop in the ATX a few weekends ago that left our taste buds with a hankering for more, my tall drink of water and I made it our goal to find the best local coffee in all of OKC. Initiate Cole & Amanda's OKC Coffee Challenge. The snowy backdrop just made it all the more instagramable.

Our first destination? Elemental Coffee. Located in midtown and filled with minimalist urban charm, this place is sure to make you feel like one of the cool kids.


Its not your typical Starbucks coffee shop, mind you.

Their menu is short and sweet, but oh so delicious: espresso, americano, macchiato, cappuccino, latte and mocha. They also have three different interchanging teas on hand at all times, crepes and pastries from the local Big Sky Bread Co.

While waiting in line, I audibly wondered if they could make a caramel macchiato (#whitegirlprobz). Luckily, the nice young man in front of us informed me that their macchiato is itty-bitty and recommended the mocha. Noted. It was the perfect amount of rich cocoa and coffee with the creamiest of textures. Cole ordered the Americano and we split an apple scone. And by apple scone, I mean a scone with a layer of straight up apple pie filling in the middle. Hi, hello, delicious. This post-paleo challenge girl was in grain and sugar heaven.

typical 'gram

Elemental Coffee accepts the Keep It Local Card, win. You can find out all about them here.

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featured writer.

You know you've made it big when you become a "featured writer." At least I like to think so! ;)

I felt so honored when my friend Amy over at A Runner's Grace asked me to do a guest blog post and share my story on running with Exercise Induced Asthma.

Go check it out and while your at it, give her blog a good read. It is jam packed with tips, encouragement and inspiration for all the runners out there...or anyone, really!

Enjoy! And tell her I sent you.
{a runner's grace}


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