Jumping on the bandwagon

Blogging has been not as frequent as I would like these last few weeks I have been pretty busy with traveling and unfortunately that won't change in the next 2 weeks. This weekend we are flying to Maryland to visit my Dad and his family and the following weekend we will be in NYC.

With all this traveling I haven't been able to see the newest member of our family Ella! :( I miss her and her cute little face!!! 

Being so busy, and my meals haven't been that exciting I thought I take this time and update you on all things fitness. I know I mostly keep to food on here with interspersings of exercise, but I am embarking on trying a new fitness experience and I thought I share. 

Lets start with running, I have been training for the Chicago marathon and it started off well but lately my body has been hating me with back aches, calf cramps, ect. This time around hasn't been as easy as when I trained for the  NYC marathon. 

So I thought a little strength training would help build up my muscles and make things a little easier all around. ie enters crossfit. 

Yup, you read that right crossfit, I am jumping on the band wagon per say and giving it a try.

CrossFit is strength and conditioning program as “constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement," with the stated goal of improving fitness (and thereforegeneral physical preparedness), which it defines as "work capacity across broad time and modal domains

John and I went for a intro class a few Saturdays back and even thought it sucked, I enjoyed it (if that makes sense). So I signed up for the beginners course which starts next Monday.  I don't think I'll go all crazy and do the paelo diet but I think it might be a good way to get in shape and add some muscle. And let's be honest I prefer to do a work out that someone else tells me what to do, no thinking involved on my part.

Problem # 2- I been having problems with my back. When I was little I developed a slight case of scoliosis which I always had some discomfort but nothing to worry about. Since I started training it has gotten worse so I decided to see a chiropractor to see if there was any sort of stretches, exercise that would help. Upon my first visit she was intrigued about my situation. 

Basically the short version is with the way my spine is curved and my hips are uneven (right one is higher than left) my legs should be different lenghts. But there not, I have the same size legs both 52'' (if I remember correctly). 

So what does all this mean... With my spine being curved at the bottom it basically doesn't move it compressing the disks which cuts off the nerves in the lower half of my spine. When this happens it creates a build up of toxins in my lower back muscles creating pain (similar to build up of lactic acid when you experience soreness after a long run). The chiropractor is hoping by going a few times a month it will help to loosen my spine un-pinching the nerves.

Where the arrow is is where my back is curves and nerves are pinched

It's finally good to know whats going on and I am not making all this up in my head and hopefully I won't be to sore from crossfit next week!