Meet our member: sonia the badass

Meet Our Member: Sonia The Badass

“I had always been an active person. I was a three sport athlete in high school running cross country, playing basketball and running track. My college years were full of more partying than anything else but I always found a way to get to the rec center for some cardio despite smoking a pack of cigarettes a day while studying. My 30s brought a reginited passion for running and completed 2 marathons, a dozen half marathons and more 5k and 10k races than I can count. I even dipped my toe into the world of triathlon and completed a sprint tri race. That was a one and done for me - the swimming was too much. After moving to Colorado from Minnesota,I stumbled into crossfit mostly by accident and really loved it. Lifting heavy stuff was so empowering. Then I found myself joyously pregnant. And that didn’t stop me. I worked out almost every day until I was 36 weeks pregnant. But after becoming a mom my priorities changed which resulted in less focus on me. Add a global pandemic in the mix and I was struggling for a sense of normalcy. I was looking for a way to regain my sense of self and find a community.

I reached out to Kari in May 2022 and the last two years working with her have been life changing in so many ways. 

I remember feeling so discouraged after my first couple of workouts back. Mostly because I was so frustrated with the fact that I let myself get to that point. But I kept with it. And each day got a little easier and I felt myself getting a little stronger. It was easy to stay consistent because I enjoyed the community aspect so much. The feeling of knowing that others wanted me to succeed just as much as I did pushed me to places I never thought I’d go. 

Fast forward to February 2023. Two things happened around this time that were pretty pivotal for me. One, I submitted my application to be part of the GLP Leadership Committee. This was important to me because I wanted to give back to the community that supported me so much in a more deliberate way. Knowing that I could be the same support system to others was a no brainer. And two, the decision to sign up for my very first crossfit competition; a partner comp with my forever F-bomb mom, Coach Amanda. Talk about leaping outside your comfort zone. I was almost as nervous for that comp as I was to give birth. But we did it. We crushed it. And the most fun part of it all was the preparation. The practice. The work we put in to achieve a goal. 

And now I have the itch. I’ve since done two other competitions and in two weeks I’ll be running my first half marathon since my 30s. Alongside my coach, my friend, Kari. 

The GLP truly brought me back to me. Prior to finding this community I was Sonia the mom, the wife, the employee. After finding the GLP I have become Sonia the badass, once again.”

This blog was written by Sonia Bertek, member of The GLP Leadership Committee and The GLP Community.

When your back sends you a “message”... listen.

Have you ever had back pain?  If you thought to yourself yes, you are not alone.  Whether you are an olympic athlete or a sedentary person, at some point in your life you will probably experience some sort of back pain.

I asked 5 random people at the GLP if they had ever had back pain and all answered yes. Did you know back pain is one of the common complaints to healthcare professionals?

Your back has a lot going on behind you.  It consists of 33 vertebrae.  There are 7 cervical or neck area vertebrae, 12 thoracic or middle vertebrae, 5 lumbar or lower vertebrae, the sacral hip area bones and coccyx or tailbone.  So think to yourself during the warm up or cool down, we are doing a table top thoracic rotation, which part of your back is rotating?  Yes, the middle.

Not only does your back have all those bones, it also has muscles and ligaments .  Some of the main terms you may hear your coaches say may be trapezius, latissimus dorsi, or elevator scapulae.  There are also tendons and ligaments back there which are also important in stability, flexion and extension of the back and body.

Is pain a bad word? 

While no one wants to experience pain, it is certainly not a bad word. It is a way for your body to tell you “Yo dawg, I am barking because something is up!  I am sending you a “message.”   We start to look at pain as a message from the body to you.   We  need to listen and communicate to ourselves and those others interested like coaches, family and doctors or practitioners etc.

Your “message” may come in many forms, it could be sharp, dull, shooting, aching, or nagging.  It could be chronic, lasting more than 6 months, or acute, which is a more brief pain.  Your “message” could come in the form of a strain which is likely muscle or tendon related.  It could be a sprain which is more like over stretching or tearing of a ligament.  Fractures and herniated discs may be your “message”.    

Are you now wondering how to avoid getting a “message”?  Although back pain may be inevitable at some point like all injuries or body happenings, there are preventable measures you can take. Simple things we can do each day to help are….
get good rest, drink water, strength train and stay mobile.  (Does any of that sound familiar Challengers?!)

What do you do if your back sends you the “message”?  Talk to one of your coaches or professionals which may be a chiropractor, nurse practitioner, holistic therapist.  Whatever your preference, come up with a plan and stick to it.  Your “message” is like a subpoena, you are not stoked on it but you shouldn’t avoid it.

Remember, a muscle relaxer and Netflix may seem nice at first but your body wants to be mobile so receive your “message” and take action!  Ain’t nobody got time for back pain!

You Are Important

There are certain pens I like to write with. The ones that just dance across the paper painting the letters onto the page so effortlessly. I like to write these posts on paper first, preferably alone, at least alone in in my mind.

And for a moment, it’s quiet up there, like a dark basement that’s scarily silent as you enter it. All you hear are the stairs creaking as you tip-toe your way down them slowly. Then all of a sudden, the thoughts flood in!

I hear combinations of words from conversations I had prior. I see images of moments that I caught and pinned in my mind. I feel old feelings that once circumvented my entire being just hours before.

And as I reflect, the pen finds the paper, and I begin to write.

I like to be alone. I am not a loner, I just enjoy being with myself. It’s because I like myself.

No, really I do. I love myself! I get all giddy when I say it.

I genuinely like who I am, what I look like, sound like, smell like (eh, why not?) I like what I do for work. I like the way I spend my free time, my hobbies and pastimes. I like who I surround myself with, my family, friends, like-minded people. I like the values ingrained in me. I like the relationship I have with myself, my level of awareness and acceptance.

I am grateful that I am who I am. Better yet, I am proud. And to show my gratitude, I spend quality time with myself.

Do you like yourself? Do you love yourself? Just sit with that question for a minute.

If you answered yes, well good for you! I love that you love yourself. You ought to! So, what does that mean? Well yes, you look in the mirror and you like the person you see staring back. But more than that.

Do you appreciate all the little things you do for yourself?

Such as, five extra minutes of sleep in the morning, those few extra reps at the gym, a daily dose of Vitamin D, more time with that special someone.

Do you forgive yourself when you make a mistake?

Such as, eating a little too much cake, saying something you shouldn’t have, or missing an important meeting.

Do you allow yourself to feel sad when you want to feel sad? Or mad when it wants to feel mad? Or, do you drown the sadness and madness with fear and anxiety?

I wonder what it would be like if you could just like yourself enough to be with yourself for just some time – just you, with all of your perfect imperfections.

So, maybe you said no, you don’t like yourself. Well, first of all, you are not alone. It’s hard. Life is hard.

What is it you don’t like about yourself? And if you don’t know, or even if you do, well how well do you know yourself? What would it take to get to know yourself a little better?

After all, as they say, the first step is awareness. (I am not sure who they are, but we’ll just go with it.)

So, what would it take for you to create that awareness for yourself?

And then, once you have the awareness, imagine what you could do with it?! You could choose – left or right, yes or no, happy or sad, at cause or at effect! The choices would be endless. This I know for sure, and so do you.

So now, go back through this post, and answer every question for yourself. Use a pen and paper! Why? Because you are important. Yes, you Reading this. You.

If you need my help, just send me a message. I’ll be sure to see you through it.

What the RDL?!

Ever been confused about the differences between certain movements that seem to be similar

on the surface, but when you break them down, they are actually different?

Or maybe you didn’t know that there were differences?

Here, you are going to learn what the difference is between the Romanian Deadlift and the Conventional Deadlift,

and why one maybe programmed over the other.

Romanian Deadlift (RDL) Vs Conventional Deadlift:

Watching someone perform these movements, you may think that they look the same…

But they have many differences, hence why one is programmed over the other.

The RDL is done by starting in the standing position. The knees are straighter as this lift is

performed, and as you hinge at the waist, the weight, whether it be a barbell or dumbbells,

stop just below your kneecaps to mid shin. This deadlift targets the muscles of your posterior chain

specifically - this includes your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. It forces you to work on your hip drive,

as the weight does not go all the way to the floor, and it also encourages you to work on your hip flexion

because of the movement beginning in the standing position.

The Conventional Deadlift is done by starting the lift from the floor. The plates of your barbell

will touch the floor with this movement. This deadlift targets your entire body. Yes, you read

that right! Because it is begun from the floor, one must activate every single muscle group in

their body in order to have a safe, efficient lift.

So why would you choose one over the other? While both deadlifts work the entire posterior

chain, the RDL specifically targets the muscles of your posterior chain while the Conventional Deadlift targets the musculature

of the entire body, and the RDL uses. Because of the differences in the body mechanics (and muscles used) of each

movement, one can typically expect to lift more weight with the Conventional Deadlift, and therefore the conventional deadlift

is better for working on overall strength.

When you see RDL or Conventional Deadlifts programmed on the board for a workout, now you

have an idea of what the intention is behind Kari programming such movement. Everything is

intentionally programmed at the GLP so that you can live a more mobile, healthy, golden life.

F**k That Sh*T, Do you!

Respect your community. It’s the first of our five Golden Rules. And at the present moment, it feels most pertinent.

You can hear the humming holiday excitement in the air, feel the stress to make ends meet, and see the quick shuffle of those around you, as we all race to close out the year.  

Everyone’s got something to do.
Everyone’s got somewhere to be.
Everyone wants to be loved, heard, appreciated, cared for, admired.
…And alas, it’s 9:30 at night and you finally sit down to take some time for yourself! Oops, you fell asleep!

F**k that sh*t, do you! Respecting your community, includes respecting yourself.
TO respect, is to love, hear, appreciate, care for, admire, and it starts with you. 

We must care for ourselves first before we care for others. 
We must put our Oxygen masks on before putting masks on for others. 
We must fill our cups before filling the cups of others. 
We must respect ourselves before we respect others. 

I often use the Depletion to Renewal Grid as a tool in coaching sessions. I learned it from a HeartMath course I had taken a few years back. It first introduces the concept of our body as a battery.  It then goes on to demonstrate how our organ systems - specifically the Nervous, Endocrine and Cardiovascular Systems - work together to charge and deplete our body battery. 

And our emotions serve as an external representation (and reminder) of the charging and depletion taking place internally. 
To put it simply - we have renewing emotions and depleting emotions.

Renewing emotions include excitement, happiness, calm and relaxation. 

Excited/Happy → Heart Rate Increases → Sympathetic Nervous System Activates →
DHEA Hormone Produced → The Body Battery Charges

Calm/Relaxed → Heart Rate Decreases → ParaSympathetic Nervous System Activates →
DHEA Hormone Produced → The Body Battery Charges

Depleting emotions include anger, frustration, depression, sadness and stress. 

Angry/Frustrated → Heart Rate Increase → Sympathetic Nervous System Activates →
Cortisol Hormone Produced → The Body Battery Depletes

Depressed/Sad/Stressed → Heart Rate Decreases → ParaSympathetic Nervous System Activates →
Cortisol Hormone Produced → The Body Battery Depletes

F**k that sh*t, do you! Take time to renew your battery and respect yourself this holiday season. Your community will love you for it. If you need help getting started, I’m here for you.

Love You Long Time,
Coach Kari

Why I Started The GLP

Why did I start the GLP? I’ve been sitting on this question for some time now. This question has been posed to me many times, but this time it feels different…

It has been one year since the Coaching & Community Center opened, and three and a half years since The Golden Life Project was created and five years since I packed my car and moved across the country. All along, the goal has stayed the same - to live my best life and help others do the same.

This is an excerpt from a journal entry from October 2018, the year I moved to Colorado.

“I stared at the open road ahead of me, and got committed. What is my goal? To move to Colorado. What is it that I really want? To live in a place that values and prioritizes health and happiness. A place where I may grow as a coach, and through my practice, coaching others to become the best version of themselves.”

Why did I start the GLP? Commitment to my goals. That’s what it is. I am so fucking committed - like no shit, whatever it takes - I am going to do it!

The Golden Life Project was created to stand for you and your greatness. To support you in becoming the best version of yourself. So that you, and all those around you, may live in a world that is loving, healthy and happy.

So what’s next for me? What goals will I set for myself? And The GLP? Great question. As 2023 comes to a close, I’ve got some big decisions to make. How do I want to grow? How do I want The GLP to grow? This return to why I started The GLP feels like a great place to start. Stay tuned for what’s next. Without a doubt, our future is sure to be Golden :)

With Love and Gratitude,

Coach Kari