I wonder what a Pecial is. Must be possessed by Today.

Reebok CrossFit Fitness Championships

Last weekend I traveled with the "A-Team" from CrossFit Hove to compete in the Reebok CrossFit Fitness Championships in Birmingham, UK. There were two rounds of cuts prior to this event, and the qualifying workouts were pretty tough, so I was a bit nervous for what was in store for me.

It turned out awesome. There were four grueling workouts in the course of one day, with hardly any time in between to strategize and rest. It was by far the most physically demanding day of CrossFit I have ever had.

Each workout had its own challenges. I took first place by a almost a minute in the second workout of the day, which was rather surprising seeing as how the wod didn't involve the beloved barbell at all (push ups, wall balls, box jumps... who knew I could win something that wasn't heavy)! I stayed within the top four for the other workouts as well, and went into the final event (the fourth workout) in third place. It was really exciting to be in the finals (and my teammate Kat made it to the finals too!), but the workout itself made me rather nervous. It was a combination of pull ups and snatches, followed by a sand bag carry run. Since half of the final workout was pull ups, I wasn't expecting to bring home the bacon. But I actually did. Right off the bat, I smashed snatches, allowing myself enough time to power through the pull ups, and coming in first place by over 30 seconds. I tied in first place for the overall Championships, and walked away with some awesome prizes and cash... who knew CrossFit would help make a dent in my student loans?!

Eurosport television covered the event, and I got a bit of a taste for what it's like to be interviewed (check out one here), stalked by a camera when you're unable to breathe, etc. However, I used it as an opportunity as well to try and make a few contacts in the field. CrossFit certainly has the potential to become a mainstream sport, and when it finally does, I want to be in on it still!

Have I Really Left CA?

I've just returned from a visit home, and this is what the Brighton beach looked like this weekend... have I truly left California???

How to combine the things I love

The Summer Term has began again at school, and instead of classes now, my time is spent on my dissertation research. Selecting a topic is often the most challenging stage for MA candidates.

Not me.

I have been waiting for the opportunity to combine my two favorite things, strength training and early modern literature, for quite some time. And now my chance has arisen with my dissertation topic. 

By September, I will have written over 15,000 words on and be an expert in depictions of Amazon women in early modern England. I love my life.

Final Destination: Vienna, Austria

Schönbrunn Palace

The final destination of my Spring trip was Vienna, Austria, the city of music. With the exception of one day, the weather was absolutely gorgeous, highlighting the beauty of the Renaissance city. 

Schonbrunn Palace Gardens

Vienna Zoo

Genuine Apple Strudel

I packed a lot into my few days there-- went to the different palaces, the zoo, the opera house, the famous cafes and restaurants, toured the gardens and museums, and "gently sampled" the local brews. 

Outside of the Royal Opera House. They showed the ballet
that was performed that evening for free outside for the
cheapies, such as myself.

Inside the Natural History Museum

Vienna Jewish Museum

At the end of my stay in Vienna, I was ready to go home to Brighton. Actually, I think I could have carried on traveling but for my inability to eat ANY MORE FOOD... 

Debrecen and Eger, Hungary

After Budapest, we headed back to Debrecen for a few days (where Ido goes to school), and from there took a day trip to Eger, a small wine town.

We got there just in time for the school's
International Food Festival

In Debrecen, we spent some time studying as well as checking out the beautiful school. I even snuck into one of Ido's pathology classes, where they were working with cadevours. The smell was incredibly unsettling, but otherwise the class was an amazing experience. There were two cadavers, one of which was being cut while I was about three feet away, and the second one, already opened, was being used by the tutors to explain and explore different diseases. I didn't risk taking pictures though.

We rented a car as well and drove to Eger, a quaint little wine town a few hours from Debrecen. Despite the gloomy weather, we had a great time eating and drinking. Well, mostly drinking :)

Eger Streets

Tea Time in Eger

MMMMMMMMMM... kurtos kalacs!

My Latest Adventures

Budapest Parliament on the Danube

I've just returned from my spring holiday travels to Hungary and Austria. I spent about two weeks between the two countries, mainly to visit my friend Ido. He's now living in Hungary, so we had some great adventures traveling through his current country. On the last leg of my trip, I took the train to Vienna for a bit of exploring on my own. Over the next few days as I load the pictures, I'll update my blog with the different places I visited. The first stop was in Budapest, and it was undoubtedly my favorite, so I'll start there...

Atop the Buda Castle 

Hungarian food!

Post tanning at the bath

Memorial along the Danube honoring the Jews
shot into the river during WW2 

Budapest was such a charming city, filled with busy tourists and loud Hungarians, as well as the most amazing treat in the world, Kürtőskalács. Ido and I spent three days touring about, checking out both the Buda and the Pest sides (the city was actually two until the 19th century, when the names were merged into Budapest), visiting the different castles, checking out some museums and monuments and the different bridges, sunbathing in an old bathhouse, and of course, sampling the cuisine. And by sampling I mean gorging out on a ton of very unhealthy foods. 

Kürtőskalács...mmmm soooooo good!