tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81264298514580638862024-03-14T11:11:00.133-07:00Colorado CrossFit CommunityFollow me as I 'Box Jump' CF affiliates throughtout Colorado.Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-60503659255546539902013-06-03T04:51:00.002-07:002013-06-04T06:47:06.026-07:00The Road to RegionalsIt's just past 3 am and I am sitting in a hotel lobby in Salt Lake City Utah. Typically if I am sitting down to write at three o'clock in the morning it means that I have been over served at a local tavern and I am feeling loquacious. Tonight is different, I can't sleep because every muscle in my body is cramping in an almost symphonic nature. About ten hours ago I managed to place 14th in the CrossFit Games South West Regional, which is an improvement of 20 places over the previous year. But that isn't where this story begins. In all honesty the journey started the day after last year's 34th place finish. It has been 360 days of focus and preparation to stand on the same stage as some of the best CrossFit athletes in the world. 360 days of sacrifice and sore muscle, 360 days of commitment to the craft. Make no mistake, the individuals at this level are professional athletes and they are dedicated to CrossFit as a way of life not just a hobby. They live it, breath it, bleed it every day. I knew last year that if I stood any sort of a chance against such a competitor that I would have to step up to their level. I will tell you this right now though, every delicious golden ale that was skipped, every night going to bed at nine o'clock, every missed day snowboarding with my friends was worth it because only by delaying gratification can we find true fulfillment. As my torn hands peck away at this key pad I feel completely fulfilled.<br />
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Since I have already spoiled the ending for you and you know how I placed please let me at least tell you a few details of the weekend. We were tasked with a total of 7 workouts over 3 days. This is what they looked like....<br />
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Workout 1-<br />
"Jackie"<br />
1,000m row<br />
50 thrusters (45lb)<br />
30 pull ups<br />
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Rowing has never really been my thing so having this as the first movement of the weekend was a little unsettling. What should we do when we suck at something? Do it.... a lot! I rowed between 3-6 kilometers a day from the time that this workout was announced. I set my goal at sub 6 minutes, which would be a personal best for me on this workout. I figured that if I rowed a controlled pace and stayed within myself I had a good shot at going unbroken in the thrusters and pull ups. I set my dampner to 9 and rowed 22 strokes per minute at a pace of 1:46 per 500m. I was the last person off of my rower in my heat. The strategy payed off and I went through all 50 thrusters and all 30 pull ups without so much as a pause in a time of 5:34. That time was good enough for a 14th place finish. <br />
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Workouts 2 and 3 were to be done with just 2 minutes rest between. <br />
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Workout 2-<br />
7 minutes to build to heaviest 3 rep overhead squat.<br />
There was two challenging components to this workout (besides the obvious having to overhead squat some heavy shit) first off all you had to start at a specific weight (135, 185, 225 or 255lbs) Second you had to take the barbell from the ground. I can overhead squat more than I can clean so I was significantly limited. I chose to play it like you would an Olympic lifting competition and start with a weight that I absolutely knew that I could hit. I opened with 225lbs. We were required to increase in 10lb increments. I was able to hit 235 without a problem and 245 with a couple of grunts. I feel like I could have hit 255 as I recently hit 295 in practice but I wanted to save something for the next workout which was just minutes away. My 245 for 3 reps was good enough for an 18th place finish.<br />
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Workout 3-<br />
30 burpee muscle ups for time<br />
This workout was written for me. I was stupid excited when I saw it announced. The world record going into the event was set by Kenny Leverich at a time of 4:11. I preformed it in practice in 3:56. I was confident that despite the previous two workouts that I could repeat or even improve on that time. I went for it from the gates in a way that would have likely made Steve Prefontaine smile. It was going to be set a world record or blow up and finish last. I did not pace properly and had to settle for a 12th place finish with a time of 6:29. <br />
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So by the end of day 1 I was sitting in 13th place overall. I was just one place outside of being in the top heat for day 2. This was both frustrating and motivating. I wanted to be in with the top guys, I wanted to know exactly how I would stack up.<br />
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Workout 4-<br />
"100's"<br />
100 wall ball<br />
100 Chest to bar pull ups<br />
100 pistols<br />
100 dumbell snatches (70lbs)<br />
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Rocking the Ranger Panties again this year. </div>
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Similar to "Jackie" I set a very conservative pace in the first few minutes in hopes that I could accelerate toward the end. Although I could have done at least 80 of the wall balls unbroken I went for a strategy of 25 reps every minute on the minute. My plan was then to do 5 chest to bar pull ups every 15 seconds. I knew the pistols and snatches would be just suck it up and go. I got to the snatches with 6 minutes and felt like I had a very good chance at finishing in under the 25 minute time cap. After the first rep when I noticed the handle of the dumbell covered in blood I knew this was going to be a tough 6 minutes. I managed to get 379 total reps before the time expired. It was the only workout of the weekend that I didn't finish in under the time cap. It was still my best overall placement of the weekend. I came in 9th overall. The only 4 people that finished... Chan, Spealler, Forrest, and Hathcock. Kind of a who's who in this region, hell in the world. Finishing 9th checked a big box for me this year. It was a side goal to have at least 1 top 10 finish. I honestly didn't think this would be where it would happen but I'll defiantly take it!<br />
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Workout 5-<br />
21-15-9 of...<br />
Dead lifts (315lbs)<br />
Box jumps (30")<br />
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After the first 4 workouts I was sitting in 9th place overall. I am going to be honest, I didn't expect that. I knew that if I applied the training that I had put in that I would do well but to be in the top ten after 4 workouts was an amazing feeling. I was in the same heat as Games veterans Matt Chan, Chris Spealler, Zach Forrest, Peter Egyed and Pat Burke. That is a stacked line up! I knew that workout 5 would be my Achilles heel. So it figures that it is the one that I end up going head to head with some of the best CrossFit athletes in the world. Here is the video if you wanna see what a bug feels like when he hits a wind shield. No joke, I went to my happy place on this one. I finished in under the 8 minute time cap with a time of 7:28.<br />
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<a href="http://games.crossfit.com/video/south-west-regional-live-footage-mens-event-5">http://games.crossfit.com/video/south-west-regional-live-footage-mens-event-5</a><br />
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Workout 6-<br />
"Chipper"<br />
100 Double unders<br />
50 handstand push ups<br />
40 toe to bar<br />
30 shoulder to overhead (160lb axle bar)<br />
90 ft walking lunge with 160lb axle bar in front rack position.<br />
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My goal going into this one was just to finish. I did the 100 double unders unbroken then did the first 10 handstand push ups strict. I broke the remaining 40 up into sets of 5-8 reps. I managed to pace ahead of that and get through the toe to bar in two sets of 20. This was the only one of the 7 workouts that I had done multiple times in practice so I knew how much that axle bar was going to slow me down. I manged sets of 3-5. The walking lunge is nothing more than 90 feet of gut check. I yelled at every one of my last 10 steps just to keep moving. A finishing time of 13:19 not only put me ahead of the 15 minute cut off, it put me in 12th place.</div>
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Workout 7-<br />
4 rounds for time of...<br />
2 rope climb<br />
100ft run<br />
4 squat cleans (225lb)<br />
100ft run<br />
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That picture is no exaggeration, it really did suck that bad. I don't think this workout would have been as nasty at all if it wasn't for the 6 before it. I had no glutes left and by back was as tight as a drum. Every one of those 225lb cleans felt like 285. Honestly, I was just happy to finish under the 10 minute time cap. A time of 9:38 bought me my worst result of the weekend with a placement of 35th. <br />
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Vince Lombardi said, "I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious. " If that is true then this weekend was my finest hour thus far in my CrossFit journey. Today I will return to my gym in Denver and I will be able to look each of the athletes that I coach in the eye and tell them that I gave every ounce of myself, that I left nothing in the tank. And while in the grad scheme of things a 14th place finish may not sound too impressive, the amount that was necessary to give in order to achieve it was nothing sort of everything that I had in me. In that effort, I am victorious. Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-21641510460803112732013-05-21T07:53:00.002-07:002013-05-21T07:53:50.817-07:00CrossFit EminenceMan I love Facebook sometimes. Lindsey Marcelli, owner and coach at CrossFit Eminence posted an open invite to any regional competitors that wanted to come play with their axle bars that they would be doing Regionals workout 6 at 7:30p. Since it is really tough to visit other gyms a week before regionals because of the particular training specificity I was really excited to have the opportunity to drop in. Unlike a lot of CrossFit gyms, Eminence is very visible from the road, which is nice because despite my time as an Army Ranger I have a tendency to get lost sometimes. <br />
The inside of Eminence has a lot of character. I'm not sure who the artist is but those walls are overflowing with color!<br />
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<b>The workout </b></div>
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100 double unders</div>
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50 handstand push ups</div>
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40 toe to bar</div>
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30 axle bar shoulder to overhead (160 lbs)</div>
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90 ft walking lunge with bar in front rack position</div>
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I spent about an hour doing heavy jerks before heading over to Eminence and I could defiantly feel that within the first 5 handstand push ups. My time there was unacceptably slow. The Eminence crew cheered me through about the worst set of 50 HSPU I've ever had. Everything else felt okay. The last 30ft of the walking lunge was a gut check for sure but Lindsey and Kris cheered me on like we were at the Games. To be honest if it wasn't for those guys screaming at me I likely wouldn't have finished under the time cap of 15 minutes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUPmvYGS8tpfg6ujf2pLRmduZewYXHpxIEyrQeYQhCYPH4_x1ApaoR28v2fkkFTZmyY3rccL5SIzYaA86H4uGOd-VcBgaTLtr2dTrt8ljeXx0Bu7N94Sh3_4yHQCTZqFESf5Gv0P3aas/s1600/em3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUPmvYGS8tpfg6ujf2pLRmduZewYXHpxIEyrQeYQhCYPH4_x1ApaoR28v2fkkFTZmyY3rccL5SIzYaA86H4uGOd-VcBgaTLtr2dTrt8ljeXx0Bu7N94Sh3_4yHQCTZqFESf5Gv0P3aas/s320/em3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It says a lot about a gym that is so willing to open their doors to other athletes in the community to come and use their equipment to help prepare them for an event. Hell, Lindsey offered to let me borrow one of their axle bars until regionals!! That is an incredibly uplifting attitude toward our community. </div>
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<b>The T-Shirt</b></div>
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American Apparel YO! The color is boss, it's not quite an OD green and I am loving that the American flag is on the correct sleeve. The right one if you were unfamiliar with your "honor side" it's the arm you salute with. The flag should also always be headed toward battle never away from it, that is why it looks backward. I think I got the last one though so you are all shit out of luck. BOOM! Lucky day! </div>
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<b>The Score</b></div>
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The space is very open and perfect for CrossFit. The view out the bay doors is spectacular, the equipment is top notch and the coaches are awesome. I am giving CrossFit Eminence a score of.....</div>
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The first frosty cold beer after the last workout at Regionals!! </div>
Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-62371045917720051952013-04-03T09:59:00.000-07:002013-04-03T09:59:06.764-07:00CrossFit Venture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It has been a wild ride opening my new gym in the highlands. Between that and school I haven't had a lot of extra time for training or sleeping or breathing for that matter. Last week was spring break which meant that I got to grab a few hours for myself, how did I use those hours?? I visited other CrossFit gyms of course! I wanted to get out of town for a day or two and since I have been too busy this season to put any new dents in my Burton I decided to head up to the mountains. I have been meaning to visit Avon's only CF gym, <a href="http://crossfitventureavon.com/">CrossFit Venture</a>, home of "The burpee Queen" Natalie McLain. <br />
It is tough dropping into other gyms in the middle of the open since you have no clue what will be asked of you in the coming weeks. The idea of dropping in to a gym that doesn't post their workouts ahead of time is even more dangerous. I saw that Venture offered an Olympic lifting class and was excited about the idea of not being drug through the mud on a long hero workout the day before the announcement of Open workout 13.4. <br />
When I walked in I saw Sam on the floor stretching out by himself. I immediately felt like a shmuck. I had registered for the class online and even sent an email saying that I was coming but the thought of making the guy go through a class without any of the gyms actual members was not cool. He told me that one more person was signed up which made me feel better.<br />
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Sam explained that we would be working on snatch so he had us grab a PVC pipe and took us through the Burgener warm-up. With an empty bar he recorded us using an iPad, showing exactly where we were coming up short. He had us set up a couple of boxes and did a very useful drill with us to help us get under the bar faster. Now this is usually where I break down the class and talk about results but I am going to stray from my typical format on this one. Bare with me for a moment but I need to say this, Sam Matthews is a fucking amazing coach! I'm not sure if I have ever taken more away from any hour at any CrossFit gym as I did with my time with that guy. The guy has a great eye for human movement and delivers cues in a very easy to understand way. His excitement and passion for what he does is evident. <br />
Very very infrequently will I stray from the programming that I have written for my gym, however, I felt like the information that I received from my time at CF Venture was so valuable I didn't want to wait to implement it. When I got back to Denver the next day's training was simply <a href="http://rangerendurance.com/2013/03/28/snatch-3/#.UVxaRBfqmc4">"Snatch"</a> Every one of the classes at my gym spent a complete hour working on the skills that I took from Sam. We had several athletes break long standing personal records as a result. What I took away from my time at Venture was valuable both as an athlete and a coach. <br />
This class really shouldn't be missed. Even if your goal isn't to compete at Olympic lifting or at CrossFit taking this class will absolutely help you understand the movements better. Bottom line, if you live anywhere near Avon, hell if you live in Denver, and you miss a chance to train with Sam at Venture you are wrong. <br />
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<b>Shirts.....</b><br />
They don't stock them! Venture uses a site called <a href="http://www.wodcrusher.com/CrossFit-Venture-Stone-Mens-Shirt-CFVBB401.htm">"WODCRUSHER" </a>to distribute their shwag. I guess they are too busy being awesome coaches to worry about weather they should go with American Apparel or Next Level. The shirts that they have on that site are super sick. I went with the "coffee" color. So you can click the link above and buy any other color than that!<br />
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<b>The Score....</b><br />
A super easy to find location, awesome coaching and the ability to order a shirt online grabs CrossFit Venture a score of...... Top three finish at Regionals!<br />
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Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-92152925916619837262013-03-27T22:06:00.001-07:002013-03-27T22:06:21.640-07:00CrossFit Low Oxygen- Frisco <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5O-7LLAFMelK5DNO0Hw_Hew5WSNxApS_l3AlkEdiNBWukO6wxcE3QJIX3HINV1ujUhuw3-j3DC6rWDLujimbuKaVvd-ZwYpwPSmtGGSVmRDfTf1BMJBIJ5dKlOeu8xeHqU1Ah0NjYZNk/s1600/lowoxygen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5O-7LLAFMelK5DNO0Hw_Hew5WSNxApS_l3AlkEdiNBWukO6wxcE3QJIX3HINV1ujUhuw3-j3DC6rWDLujimbuKaVvd-ZwYpwPSmtGGSVmRDfTf1BMJBIJ5dKlOeu8xeHqU1Ah0NjYZNk/s400/lowoxygen2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>First Impression:</b></div>
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<a href="http://crossfitlowoxygen.com/">CrossFit Low Oxygen</a> was pretty easy to find. They are just a little bit off of the main road taking you to Brekenridge in Frisco. The front of the building has two really cool glass roll up doors that I would have taken a picture of had I not been in a hurry to get to happy hour immediately following the workout. </div>
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"Cool gym, but the view is terrible." I utter to the very muscly tattooed guy that I can only assume was the owner. The only view that I have ever seen that can top Low Oxygen's is MBS in Broomfield. If you have been there you know exactly what I am talking about. Low Oxygen has a free drop in policy for visiting CrossFitters they simply ask that you reserve your class online before hand. I have been to a lot of gyms and I don't think that I have ever seen this before. The free part that is. While most gyms will encourage you to buy a shirt I have think of another gym that advertises a free drop in to out of towners. It was pretty clear within 30 seconds of the start of class that they are very accustomed to people dropping in. Low Oxygen is located just minutes from half a dozen of the countries best ski resorts. </div>
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<b>The Warm up:</b></div>
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2 minutes of partner quad smash. (this was a basic myofacial release. Essentially we had a partner mash their foot into our quad.)</div>
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Row 500m.</div>
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10 kip swings</div>
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10 KB bottoms up press</div>
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15 Hand release push ups</div>
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<b>The Workout:</b></div>
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21-15-9 of....</div>
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Right arm KB clean and jerk, Left arm KB clean and jerk, Pull ups.</div>
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There was no "RX" weight. I chose a 54lb kettlebell and it seemed appropriate. I haven't done a KB C&J in a while so I wasn't sure how this one was going to go to be honest. By the third or fourth rep I set my goal on doing every set unbroken including the pull ups. This proved challenging yet manageable. I finished in a time of 7:12 and met my goal of all unbroken sets. To my surprise they didn't record anyone's times on the board. We were in the 5pm class and it looked as though there wasn't a score recorded for any of the classes so far. This was a first for me. I have never been to a gym that doesn't record their athletes times. Many gyms are using software like <a href="http://cfwhiteboard.com/">CF Whiteboard</a> to do online athlete score tracking but it didn't seem like that was the case either. </div>
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<b>The Shwag:</b></div>
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CrossFit LowOxygen has no shortage of awesome shwag choices. They had a couple of different types of hoodies, fight shorts, hats, water bottles, and a slew of different shirts. Choosing which one to buy was just about as difficult as the workout! I went with a super sweet burnt red shirt. </div>
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<b>The Score:</b></div>
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For allowing us to drop in for free, play in their space and take home a couple of awesome new shirts, I give CF Low Oxygen a score of..... Thirty second free standing handstand hold.</div>
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<br />Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-43806967710648279082013-02-25T20:03:00.001-08:002013-02-25T20:51:39.709-08:00 Conviction CrossFit's Abdominal Snowman Competition I signed up for this competition online several weeks before and hadn't been thinking too much about it because of the upcoming CrossFit Games Open that is set to start in March. Some people were curious as to why I would be doing a local comp so close to the world wide open. I have always been someone who gains a great deal from competing. I was looking at this like one final chance to knock off some cobwebs from being out of the game for several months. My last four competitions I had some form of injury or illness so I was very excited to be going into this one healthy. <br />
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<i>Cuspis Crew</i></div>
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<b>The workouts</b></div>
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CF Conviction had the workouts posted on video two days prior to the event. To be honest, when I first saw the workouts I was a little deflated. There was nothing for guys to lift over 95lbs and it appeared as if all of the time domains were the exact same. Furthermore, there was two original movements that most of the competitors had never seen before (Weight plate get ups and reverse wall ball). Now this is just my very humble opinion but I believe that the main point of a CrossFit competition is to find out who the fittest athletes are on that day. By throwing movements that only possibly athletes that go to the host gym have been exposed to and then programming the same time domain 3 times may not be the best way to do that. Again, just my opinion. That said, I think that each one of the workouts on their own were great. </div>
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<b>WOD 1</b></div>
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3 Rounds for total reps of...</div>
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1 min hang power snatch (65/95)</div>
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1 min push ups</div>
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1 min back squat (65/95)</div>
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1 min rest</div>
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I believe I completed 232 total reps. As I watched the heats after mine I noticed that several athletes were not being held to the same standard on their push ups. This happens, some judges will be more lenient than others. As a spectator I have NO BUSINESS calling out a judge. It is their call 100%. If a judge calls something a rep in a competition then that is what it is. Don't be that guy that stands on the sidelines and argues with a judge, it's quite tasteless. </div>
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<b>WOD 2 </b></div>
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AMRAP in 8 minutes of...</div>
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6 burpee box jumps</div>
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9 med ball sit ups</div>
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12 reverse wall balls</div>
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I got to the wall balls on my 8th round. I had the fortune (or misfortune depending on how you want to look at it) of being lined up next to a fire breather. We essentially went rep for rep for the first 7 minutes. I think that a couple of no reps on his part allowed me to pull ahead slightly. When I first saw the "reverse wall ball" movement I thought it was stupid. However, after doing them in competition I kind of became a fan of them. That's right, soak it up everyone, Leo is admitting that he talked shit a little too soon! The movement is great for accuracy and hip extension. I won't be programming it in a workout anytime soon but it may find its way into a warm up in the future. </div>
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<b>WOD 3</b></div>
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200m. run buy in </div>
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4 rounds of...</div>
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12 sandbag clean to back squat</div>
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9 toe to bar</div>
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30 double under cash out</div>
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(10 minute time cut off)</div>
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I liked this one the most. The weight and rep scheme was light/low enough to go unbroken throughout which meant that heart rate would stay up. </div>
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<b>Floater WOD</b></div>
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2 minutes, As many Reps as possible of..</div>
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weight plate get ups (25/45)</div>
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Here was another place where I saw some athletes being judged/scored differently. Some athletes were "no repped" for not having their arms fully locked out at the top of the movement when the video standard and pre-event demonstration stated that they didn't have to be. </div>
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The event as a whole ran very smooth. I believe that all of the heats started on time with maybe with the exception of a couple minute delay at the very end of the day. Heat times were conviently posted in two locations so athletes knew exactly when to start warming up. There was a decent sized area designated for athletes to warm up. They had coffee and I never once had to wait for the bathroom. The prizes for top finishers were more than generous. Reebok donated a pair of Nanos for the first place finishers and sports authority hooked up a killer gift card! It was cool to see a local company like SPN (Simply Pure Nutrients) with a table at the event. Had I known that the Paleo Wagon was going to be at the event I would defiantly have ordered from them instead of packing a lunch. </div>
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All in all this was a well put together, fun competition. It was my first time visiting Conviction and I would certainly return for a competition in the future. The people that were hosting were all super friendly and ultra helpful. It was clear that they cared about the athletes and the community. </div>
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<b>The Score....</b></div>
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I am rating the CrossFit Conviction Abdominal Snowman Competition a score of....</div>
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An extra large frosty glass of chocolate milk! </div>
Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-67468099968023561492013-02-22T09:20:00.002-08:002013-02-22T21:34:29.541-08:00The New Guard, CrossFit SanitasNo matter the size, location, time in business or name of a CrossFit gym I never get tired of stepping through the front door. It is like unwrapping a present. Most of the gyms that I have visited have been either modest or came from very modest beginnings and grown over time to their present size. There seems to be an emergence of CrossFit gyms that have significant financial backing. The result of this is a much more polished initial product. What does that mean for the CrossFit community? Do these models threaten the smaller garage style start up gyms that have been the staple of CrossFit facilities for the past decade?<br />
I had the opportunity to visit one of these "globo boxes" this week to see for myself. <br />
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On Wednesday I dropped in on the 9am class at<a href="http://www.crossfitsanitas.com/"> CrossFit Sanitas</a> to join them for a workout. They had only been open for a couple of weeks but you absolutely wouldn't know it when you stepped in the front door. The space is vast and feels incredibly open. A gentlemen noticed immediately by my wide eyes that it was my first time in. He was exceptionally polite and welcoming. The front desk was similar to what you would see at a larger health club. He had me fill out a liability waiver and inquired about my CrossFit experience. <br />
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I am directed to the locker room and on my way back Caleb introduces himself to me. His energy and enthusiasm is palpable. The website was down so I had no idea what the workout was going to be, which made me nervous considering I had a competition in a couple of days. I was relieved when Caleb told me that we would be doing sled pulls, push jerks and double unders. <br />
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The locker room was well kept and once again similar to what you would expect to see in a corporate type facility. I can't speak for the women's facilities but the men's locker room had three showers as well as an abundance of storage for your gear. <br />
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There was a "Base Camp" class starting at the same time as ours. Base Camp is CF Sanitas' version of an elements or on ramp class. At a couple of minutes before 9am Caleb took control of our group and had the others go with their respective instructor. We had about 10 people in our group and it looked like Base Camp had close to 15. Caleb's military service was made apparent in the way that he controlled the group and described the movements; using terms like "cease fire" instead of stop. Before the workout we performed the CF Standard warm up which includes squats, pull ups, dips, sit ups, and hip extensions.<br />
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<b>THE WOD</b></div>
Partner based. 5 Rounds for repetitions.<br />
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Person "A" pulls a weighted sled 20 feet while Person "B" does 10 push jerks (135/95). If person "B" finishes the jerks before "A" finishes the sled pulls then they will use the remaining time to do double unders. The workout was scored individually. The objective is to allow your partner the least amount of time to accumulate repetitions. There was no other time component. <br />
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This was a gasser, no doubt. Like most people I have a tendency to use one movement, or the transition between movements as a rest period. Any slowing would result in a higher score for someone else. As the semi competitive person that I am, I worked a little extra hard to make sure that didn't happen! I think my partner had a little of that competitive GFY because by the last two rounds of the workout I wasn't even getting through the 10 reps. He was pulling that sled FAST! While it would be difficult to score a workout like this at a competition, you have to love any training that brings out that level of increased competitive drive in someone. (See <i><a href="http://rangerendurance.com/2013/02/15/why-compete-at-crossfit/#.USebgh3qkww">Why we Compete</a></i>) <br />
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The post WOD skill development was cool. Caleb had us practicing a handstand transition from bakasana (crow pose) on the astro turf. Yeah, I said astro turf. CF Sanitas has it's own astro turf! Following our handstand skill development we worked on shoulder mobility. All in all it felt like we got a lot done in an hour. <br />
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<b>The equipment </b></div>
This is going to be short, Sanitas is not short on anything. I have never seen a gym so well equipped in it's first month. Judging from the box after box after box that was being brought in from FedEx during our workout I am guessing that they still only have a fraction of their toys on the gym floor. <br />
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So are the rest of us small box owners in trouble? Are gyms like Sanitas going to steam roll us by having deeper pockets? I don't think so. There may be a paradigm shift at work, however. Gyms like Sanitas provide a certain level of transitional comfort. For most people who have been working out in a traditional "globo gym" for years are typically pretty surprised and put off by the idea of spending 2-3 times as much to train in what looks like a garage or warehouse. By creating an environment that is similar to the gyms that these people are accustomed to it increases the likelihood that they will give it a shot, further expanding our community. The service that they provide is really quite similar to that of any other gym that has highly experienced and trained coaches, the difference is there presentation. I understand better than most how tight a budget can be for a new gym and how difficult it can be to provide all the little extra amenities that you want to. That said, I believe that small gym owners would do well to look at what gyms like Sanitas are doing. I have always despised statements like, "It's a CrossFit gym, people don't mind if the walls are beat up and the floors look like shit." As our community grows, so should the expectations and quality of our facilities. There will always be a place for the garage gym, there will always be people that want that grit. Hell, I am one of them. My favorite gym of all time remains my CrossFit OG training partner Jess Fisher's barn gym. Sanitas, however, is setting the bar very high and appears to be leading the way for "The New Guard"<br />
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<b>The Score</b></div>
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For it's progressive approach in staffing, business operations, marketing and athlete development, I am going to give CrossFit Sanitas a score of......</div>
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20 pound Snatch PR. </div>
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Ohhh..... the shirt! I got set up with an American Apparel long sleeve thermal, which was perfect for enjoying a post WOD coffee on a chilly Boulder morning! well worth the $25!Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-75289023908445476672013-02-16T08:10:00.000-08:002013-02-16T08:28:55.320-08:00CrossTown ThrowDownNormally I would attempt to bait you with some interesting line about competitive drive or a thought provoking nugget regarding tiny shorts and baby oil. Well guess what, I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to promise pictures of highly fit, half naked people in this post (Don't worry, I wouldn't dare leave them out) Nope, all I am going to say is, Competing at CrossFit is fucking RAD! Gather around the camp fire kiddos and let uncle Leroy tell you about the time that he threw down at the CrossTown ThrowDown.<br />
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No shit there I was....</div>
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It is 24 hours before the start of my first individual competition since last July and wouldn't you know it, I have a bout of something that makes food not stay in your body so well. I am convinced that it was some form of food poisoning (my clever friend informs me that it was a virus but he went to a half rate medical school so I don't pay him too much mind) Regardless, I loose about 12 pounds in a 36 hour period, I can't keep anything down, I can barely stand up and it feels like I've been hit by a Mack truck. So it is only logical that I would do a competition that entails multiple high intensity workouts in a single day. </div>
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The CrossTown Throwdown was being hosted by <a href="http://crossfitstapleton.com/">CF Stapleton</a>. Any one who knows me knows that I often speak highly of this place. I have done workouts here before and I am always impressed by the coaches knowledge and professionalism. That said, I had high expectations going into this event. I hate to spoil the end of this little review for you but those expectations were exceeded. Let's hop right to the meat of this samich...<br />
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WOD 1- Run 1 mile. <br />
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WOD 2- (Begining within 4 minutes of finishing WOD 1) Clean and Jerk ladder starting at 135#<br />
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WOD 3- 4 rounds of- 250m row, 7 thrusters (95#) max rep double unders (in two minutes total) rest 1 minute<br />
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WOD 4- 30 snatches (115) 5 rope climbs, 50 wall ball, 30 toe to bar, 25 burpees<br />
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FLOATER- Max rep unbroken pull ups<br />
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Typically I would discuss my results and where I could improve but I am going to forgo all that and say that I performed as well as could hope for having food poisoning. In fact, less than a minute before the one mile run I was still actively vomiting. (Sorry guy in heat 3 whose shoes I Spackled) <br />
It's no secret, I am a programming geek. So much of how I rate a competition is based off of how it is programmed. Here is why this competition did better than regionals to determine who was actually the fittest athlete there. <br />
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How do we determine the fittest athlete? A broad range of tests. The ThrowDown had a heavy pulling and pushing component, a max repetition effort component, a mono-structural component, and interval based metabolic component and an chipper that stressed oxidative phosphoralation. Athletes with proficiency in high skill level movements like double unders, rope climbs and snatches were clearly rewarded but were punished for not having high end strength or capacity. So many competitions (Regionals included) test the same thing over and over again. I understand the logistical restrictions that are placed on competitions but with just a little thought those things can be overcome. <br />
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Programming isn't the only thing that makes a competition. Having a (close to) up to the minute online athlete score sheet was an very cool touch. I have competed at other events where this has been used and it is very cool to be able to email a link to your grandma so she can see how fucking bad ass you are! <br />
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The throwdown had coffee and water bottles for athletes as well as one of my favorite eateries,<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paleo-Wagon-Food-Fit-for-a-Barbarian-by-Simply-Pure-Nutrients/172743416121321?fref=ts"> The Paleo Wagon</a>, dishing up lots of amazing food that my stomach wouldn't have been able to tolerate given my condition. The shirts...... you knew it was coming! The shirts were very cool. I honestly wasn't expecting to get one since the entry for the event was so low. The flag on the sleeve was a super cool touch. Honestly, as someone who has put these events on I don't think that they made a dime off of there hard work. There was simply too much offered for such a low price. <br />
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The only suggestion that I would give for next year is to possibly have a designated athlete warm up area for competitors.<br />
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Somehow, despite being sick, I managed to make it to the podium. The prizes were rad, I came in second and got a brand new 30lb slam ball and <a href="http://www.ragefitness.com/">Rage Fitness</a> speed rope which have both already seen use in my new gym. <br />
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Based off of having videos posted of all workouts before hand, excellent programming, great prizes, and how smoothly the entire day went, I am giving the CrossFit Stapleton's CrossTown ThrowDown a score of <i>All you can eat steak and potato dinner!</i></div>
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Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-40576005330555235542013-01-23T21:56:00.000-08:002013-01-23T21:56:18.697-08:00CF MHF <span style="font-family: inherit;">I first met Shawn Mack at the CrossFit 719 grand opening competition. How do I say this... I was terrified. Besides being well over 200 pounds and without an ounce of body fat the guy was wearing the smallest shorts I have ever seen. I wanted to make a comment but feared that he would crush me like a tiny little bug.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well come to find out he is one of the nicest guys in this community (which says a lot). I told him back in July that I wanted to come visit his gym. Shortly after, I was told that I needed to lay off of high intensity training for a while. Shortly after getting cleared I went to check out <a href="http://www.crossfitmhf.com/">CrossFit MHF</a> in Wheat Ridge. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even though I had been invited (several months prior) I wanted to make sure they knew I was coming. I sent an email several hours before the 4:30 class that I hoped to attend. I didn't hear back but REALLY wanted to try the workout they had programmed. So I broke one of my rules and just showed up. Don't do this people! Most every gym owner will welcome you with open arms but it is good form to make sure that they know you are coming. I found out that the reason that they hadn't responded was because they were dealing with a burst pipe for most of the day. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Shawn didn't recognize me at first due to the extreme face sweater that I am currently rocking. Rachel however knew who I was immediately which was impressive considering. Even though I was a couple of minutes late (Don't do that... seriously it's rude and I should have waited until the next class) I was welcomed in and introduced to everyone in the class. I felt instantly welcome there as though I had been going to that gym since they opened. There was some additional commotion going on in the form of a new puppy that was showing off how damn adorable he was to anyone that would pay attention. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rachel was coaching and did not in anyway disappoint. Her energy level and enthusiasm was about the best I have ever seen in a CF gym. The warm up was self paced. It was clear that everyone in the class was experienced and didn't require any hand holding going through the movements. We were given a set amount of time to prepare ourselves for the WOD.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">THE WOD</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1.) 2-2-2-2-2 Squat Cleans @ 90% 1RM</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2.) 12 min AMRAP of...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">10 BB Lunges @60% of BW</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">10 KB Swings #45 / #35</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">15 Second "L" Sit</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First of all, I love this type of programming. Do heavy technical movement first then follow with a 8-15min met-con. I had never done L-sits in a met con before so I was excited for that part.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For the squat cleans I went with a little more than 90% of my current 1RM at 245#. Touching down and hitting a second SC without a pause at the bottom proved to be a challenge. I dropped to 235# which was 89.8% of my 1RM. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For part two Shawn decided to hop in. I know the guy is an animal, but my first thought was <i>this is a light weight WOD, He's strong but he's not going to keep up. </i>WRONG! We stayed just about rep for rep through the first three rounds. I started to think, <i>He went out too fast, He's going to blow up. </i> WRONG! rep for rep for 12 minutes! and he was using a considerable amount more than I was on those barbell lunges. Normally I post my time/score but I am not sure what it was. I think that we were 7 reps into the 11th round by the end of the 12 minutes. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">THE SHIRT</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am not usually a fan a V-necks but this is a very minimal V. It's a "lower case V-neck" I dig it. When you visit, size up cause they run tight (or maybe I'm just finally getting some man muscles like Shawn) I will post a picture soon! Features the slogan "Caution, Athletes at work" on the back, which is pretty boss if you ask me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">The SCORE</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Based off of my typical scoring chart (the enthusiasm, knowledge and genuine kindness of the coaches and athletes as well as the kick ass programming, the awesomeness of the T-Shirt and how attractive the ladies are)....</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I am proud to give MHF a score of a 54" box jump!</span></span></div>
Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-78624966193521209202013-01-20T08:45:00.000-08:002013-01-20T09:02:31.269-08:00This is the rebirth I have neglected my obligation to you all and for that I apologize What's that you don't except. I will punish myself with 100 burpees.... Satisfied?? I thought so you sickos! So I took a little break from CrossFit because my doctor told me I was weak. So I got strong and now I'm back. A lot has transpired since my last post. Did my first Olympic lifting competition (I love wearing singlets, always have) participated in my first partner competition, grew an amazing beard and I lifting a metric fuck ton of weight each day. I have visited a number of kick ass gyms in the last few weeks and will be giving my feedback on each of them in the coming days. I also left my "home box office" (Crossfit Lodo) due to a difference of opinion with the other owners. So I've assembled a new team of bad asses and we are opening a new gym. For the record this is the fourth gym that I have owned. So here we are, it's 2013 the open is upon us and you want some tips on how to not suck at it. Well don't worry, daddy is here and he is going to make everything okay. The nature of this little project has just expanded from simply reviewing local gyms to delivering coaching ques and advice on how to make the most out of your Crossfit experience. <br />
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Diana and I competed at <a href="http://www.crossfitsoco.com/">CrossFit SOCO</a>'s "FrostFit Challenge" yesterday. It was my first time competing on a team. Instead of a long winded review I am going to point out a couple of things that I noticed.<br />
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~ The entire day was scored based off of total pounds lifted instead of reps or time. I believe this slightly devalues body weight movements but is an effective an interesting approach to scoring. <br />
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~Each workout had a single bar with a single weight that teammates had to share. This meant that for the co-ed teams the entire day would be decided based on how strong the women was and left the guys doing warm up weight throughout. <br />
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~ Every workout, with the exception of the finals WOD, was a 6 minute time domain. That goes against the "broad time domains" aspect of Crossfit but I understand why they did it. They had 60 something teams to cycle through 6 workouts in a 7 hours. That is no easy task and they did great at keeping on track.<br />
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~The WOD's were very interval based. Attack, recover, repeat was kind of the theme of the day. I love interval training so, hell yeah!<br />
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~The CF community in Colorado Springs is awesome! Diana and I were vagabonds of sorts at this comp wondering around, panhandling. Not really, but the awesome folks at <a href="http://crossfit719.com/">Crossfit 719</a> and <a href="http://www.crossfitpandorasbox.com/">CrossFit Pandora's</a> box invited us to hang out with their groups.<br />
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~ The podium prizes were awesome! I have placed top 3 in over 40 endurance events and never received such a hearty bounty! it made me be stoked!<br />
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If you are interested in the details of each workout, you can find them here....<a href="https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=cccca0e07b&view=att&th=13c4c50abe33237f&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P-glpry7e-F16GRNAn5stdd&sadet=1358696929997&sads=935pr2E7TiYss6QHqoBr6ikYOdw">Frostfit WOD's</a> If you are looking for a well organized comp with good shwag invest in CrossFit SoCo's next competition. <br />
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I give the Crossfit Soco "FrostFit Team Challenge" a rating of..... a gallon of Chocolate milk and two rows of fig newtons! Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-36484100692769800652012-07-27T11:25:00.000-07:002012-07-27T11:31:03.815-07:00Why do we do CrossFit??<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<em>CF LoDo athlete, Young Yang competes in the Colorado State Games-CrossFit</em></div>
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Last week was the Colorado State Games, an event that I have been looking
forward to for some time. Personally my experience was not a positive one. In
all the wrestling and Ju Jitsu tournaments, of all the 50+ endurance events, of
all the MMA fights I have done, I have never had to withdraw from an event.
Following the 1st workout of day two I knew that I was not going to be able to
continue. Due to a pre existing heart condition I was unable to get much needed
blood to my body. An hour after the sub three minute workout my heart rate was
still close to 140bpm and my blood pressure was below 90/60. I had no intention
of doing the second workout that day. When I came back to support one of the CF
LoDo athletes who was competing, my competitive drive silenced my common sense.
I did that workout and within the first 2 minutes knew it was a terrible
mistake. My heart was not capable of pumping the blood that my body needed. I
felt dizzy and watched spots dance around my field of vision for the next 10
minutes. It is a scary thing. I had to sit for several minutes afterwards
knowing that there would be no way that I could continue. I have been faced
with adversity so many times in competition. I have had my nose completely
caved in only to secure a definitive win seconds later in an MMA fight. I have
come off of the bike in 1st place in a half ironman just to have my legs
completely seize up causing me to walk for most of the 13 mile run course to
finish in 12th place. I have had two ribs broken in a wrestling tournament and
continued on for three more matches. But this was different, this was my heart,
this was my engine and it had no intention of working properly. As I sat there,
I asked myself this, "Why do we do CrossFit? Why have you been doing this for
nine years?" The only answer that came to mind was, "To be healthy. This is
about being healthy!" There is nothing, NOTHING healthy about what I just did!
I didn't listen to my body, In fact my body was screaming at me not to push it
and I told it to shut up. Stupid arrogant pride. Stupid! <br />
If anyone was offended by my withdraw, I appologize. No one wants to not finish an event, least of all me. People need to understand that what we are doing is working out in front of a crowd. <br />
I took
the next three days off. My first set back was simple, 1 squat clean every 30
seconds for 5 minutes. Directly following the last rep everything turned white
and when I came to I was on the ground. The only thought in my mind was, get
up! get up now! I half crawled to a bench and sat for a few minutes. This is
worse than I thought. This may require a visit to the doctor. The diagnosis
was exactly what I had expected and it appears that open heart surgery is not
just for old people with poor diets! C'est la vie right?! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I
did take something very positive from the event. I have commented before about
what it is to be a professional coach on this site. That post was met with
mixed reviews. What I saw this weekend was the perfect example of what a coach
should be. <br />
<br />
Our sport is unique in the sense that it is very common
for coaches to be competing along side the athletes that they coach. It is
common to see coaches cheering for the people they coach right before it is
their turn to do the same WOD. What I saw this weekend was above and beyond
that. I saw gym owners who drove over 100 miles and spent their weekend
supporting their athletes. I witnessed coaches providing not only helpful
workout tips but emotional support to their new athletes. A real coach is there
when you need them to be, NOT just for the 60 minutes that class is happening.
<br />
<br />
I saw coaches from CF Stapleton, CF Unbroken, Progressive Fitness CF,
and Glenwood springs supporting their athletes every step of the way. I have, in recent months, competed against some of thse same coaches. What I found interesting is that I have never
seen some of these guys get that pumped up for their own competitions! They
were genuinely more excited for the people they were coaching than they get for
their own performance. It was evident that these people have a great deal of
pride in what they do. It was clear that these people are "Professional
Coaches"<br />
<br />
On a side note, I was interviewed for the Gazette shortly after that competition. The article has since been republished in many other places, including Stars and Stripes. Here is the link to that article.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.stripes.com/sports/crossfit-athletes-appreciate-each-other-1.183853#loop">http://www.stripes.com/sports/crossfit-athletes-appreciate-each-other-1.183853#loop</a><br />
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Ohhh and just to remain consistant.... There was no shirts at this event....Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-1435026525714404412012-07-04T12:53:00.000-07:002012-07-04T14:04:06.923-07:00CrossFit Surge 7/3 4pm class<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Initial Impression</strong></div>
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I was fortunate enough to compete with Brandon at this years regional competition but didn't actually meet him until he stopped by CF LoDo a few weeks back. This is when I formed my initial impression of his gym. Although I had never stepped foot in CrossFit Surge, I knew when I met Brandon that it was a very welcoming place. Brandon Mercile is a great representative for not only his own gym but for CrossFit as a whole. <br />
Upon entering Surge Brandon was mid workout. As a gym owner it can be difficult at times to get your own training in when you need to. Often we must fit it in just before a class starts. Brandon was doing what appeared to be a God awful suicide sprint/lateral jump workout. And while I am sure that the distraction of Georgia and I walking in was a welcome pause from such torture, we couldn't help but feel a little bad. In true professional form, Brandon stopped what he was doing, welcomed us to his gym and made us feel immediately welcome. In fact, every member of CF Surge made us feel very welcome. Each member came up to Georgia and I and introduced themselves. This says a lot about the overall vibe and sense of community at their box. I truly appreciate how welcome I was made to feel. <br />
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<em>That is Brandon behind me actually doing hang cleans as I stomp, grunt and spend 3/4 of the workout staring at the bar.</em><br />
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<strong>The Warm up</strong></div>
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We did a series of line drills including some band work that I have not done in a very long time. Each movement was shown and led by Brandon. I felt like it was an appropriate blend of mobility and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. We finished our warm up with,<br />
3 rounds of...<br />
5 pull ups<br />
7 push ups<br />
9 kettle bell swings.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>The Workout</strong> </div>
<br />
Strength -<br />
Bench press <br />
10 @ 70% 1RM<br />
8 @ 75% <br />
6 @ 80%<br />
<br />
There was also a very helpful Dead Lift component that I chose to skip because I did 4x5 DL's @ 380# the day before.<br />
<br />
WOD-<br />
<br />
6 rounds for time of....<br />
9 dead lifts<br />
1 rope climb<br />
6 jerks<br />
3 weighted pull ups<br />
<br />
The "RX" weight was 155# for the DL, and the Jerk movement was meant to be done at the same weight. I chose to go 165# for both, not because I am strong or tough but because the 35 & 25# bumper plates were the easiest for me to access. I know what your thinking and the answer is yes, I am so lazy that I would rather move an extra 10# in a workout than walk around looking for the appropriate weight plates. I chose 35# for the weighted pull ups and situated a single dumbell between my feet. <br />
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When I finished the first round in 1:27 I thought I might have a chance at besting Brandon's blazing fast time of 9:44 that he set earlier in the day. By the end of the third round I decided that I no longer had the grip strength to come off of the rope climb and immediately pull 165 to my shoulders. I set my new goal at a 2min round. I thought to myself that if I am using 10 extra pounds it is fine if I am a minute slower. When I finished I took note of the board and the weight that Brandon had used (175# and 40# for the pull ups) HA!! And THAT is why Mr. Mericle placed 8th at Regionals and Mr. Jenkins placed 34th! Well, that and I am pretty sure that he is some kind of a cyborg. <br />
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Time: 11:56<br />
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<strong>The T-Shirt</strong></div>
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I am into the stopwatch logo on the right sleeve for sure. The motto "Live Sore" on the front is one that I can certainly appreciate! <br />
Georgia came away with a great blue racer back tank! <br />
Courtney made sure that we were set up right! She continued the theme of "super nice people at CF Surge"<br />
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<strong>The Score</strong></div>
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This is a tough one for me. I was so impressed by the coaching, the programming and the genuine nature of everyone at Surge. The class ran very smooth and the energy was great. I honestly believe that the members of Surge are very fortunate to be training there. Not all gyms are created equal because the individuals that create them are not equal. Surge is a standout for sure. They are certain to be a great success in all that they do.<br />
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CrossFit Surge scores a....<br />
Sub 6 minute "Jackie" WITH an extra 10# on the thrusters!Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-24660429727596987032012-06-17T23:27:00.002-07:002012-06-17T23:33:34.319-07:00Alpine CrossFit hosts "The Legends Competition"<br />
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First I have to admit that I have done a workout at Alpine prior to this. Alpine is one of my favorite local gyms for several reasons. The people there are genuine and well educated. The standards are well known and always implemented. Robby has a clean, well stocked facility that is a great place to train. I was fortunate enough to come out and watch the Olympic lifting competition that he hosted a few months ago so the expectations were high for his Legends Competition this weekend. Let me say this, he didn't disappoint.<br />
There was an athlete village with several tents, cool vendors, free water bottles for all the athletes, online athlete tracking, and a designated warm up area. The set up couldn't have been better. Everything flowed very well all weekend. <br />
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Let's talk about how to program for an event.... <br />
First event is a 2,000m run. Immediately following the run the athlete has 3 minutes to achieve a 1RM Jerk from the rack. At exactly 20 minutes following the start of the run the athlete is to complete 100 seconds of bear complex (Clean, front squat, push press, back squat, push press) at 135/95#. This was scored as three separate events. Personally I thought this was absolutely brilliant. Give the small fast guys a chance to score some points then give the bigger, stronger athletes a chance to come right back. <br />
The way the heats were broken up and the amount of racks and weight ensured that everything ran very smoothly. Hindsight I would have requested to be in a later heat to see what some other guys were putting up. I believe most people work harder if they know what benchmark they have to hit. <br />
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Event 1, 2, & 3 results....<br />
Run- 7:48 ; 2nd place<br />
Jerk- 250# ; 7th place<br />
Bear- 47 reps ; 11th place<br />
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The second day starts with 8 minutes of nasty!<br />
2 rounds of....<br />
1min max rep hang snatch @ 95#<br />
1min max rep box jump <br />
1min max rep handstand push up<br />
1min max rep front squat @ 95#<br />
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My goal was to average 20 reps per movement per round. Honestly, I went out a little hard and averaged 25 across the board in the first round. Grabbing the bar in round two was terrible. I fell off considerably and ended up with 152 total reps which was good enough for 5th place. <br />
This was a GREAT competition set. Upper, lower, upper, lower. It didn't favor a specialist, it favored someone who was good at CrossFit. <br />
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I was looking forward to WOD 5 since it was posted. A fun new twist. As if doing a lateral burpee over a 24" object isn't tough enough, let's put it in a sand box!!! ohhh wait, that isn't going to blast people enough.... let's pair it with 245# deficit dead lifts!!! This WOD was a pain in the ass, literally. My glutes were on fire by the last round. Loved it! SO EPIC! <br />
3-6-9-12<br />
Deficit Dead Lift @245<br />
Lateral burpee jumps @ 24" (IN SAND)<br />
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Time- 3:09, Place- 2nd<br />
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WOD #6 was a mixed bag for me. I love the workout Cindy, and I love double unders but I have had no exposure with an atlas stone. I was excited to try something completely new in competition and see how my body responded. <br />
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6 rounds of...<br />
5 chest to bar pull ups<br />
10 hand release push ups<br />
15 air squats<br />
Then....<br />
20 ground to shoulder with a 115# atlas stone<br />
60 double unders<br />
120m stone carry.<br />
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Everything was going great until the stone carry. My hamstrings completely seized up. I had to stop 3 times. It was nasty. <br />
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^^^^ YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG ^^^^</div>
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Time- 10:42, Place- 4th<br />
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Point total by the end of the weekend was 43 which put me 1 point from 3rd place overall. I said going into the competition that I would need to put up less than 40 points total to be successful. This was a great opportunity to go head to head with some amazing athletes. Sean Turner came out for a second place finish to bring us to a 1-1 tie for the month.... I'm sure I will be seeing him again soon. Kevin Ogar is a monster. The guy looks like Juggernaut from the X-Men movie, the funny thing about Kevin is he is one of the most laid back, funny guys out there. I think that is why making the transition from triathlon to CrossFit competitions has been so easy. The people competing are fun to be around, they understand that they are competing to see who the best is at working out. No one takes it overly serious but everyone gives it everything they have. <br />
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I joked with Robby that after that ass kicking I would rather volunteer to be a judge next year, but in all reality there is no way that I would pass up an opportunity to compete at such a well organized fun event. And next year I get to be in the 30-40 age group!! <br />
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CrossFit LoDo was so very well represented all weekend. Such a great group of ambassadors for our gym. Diana, Jenny, Caroline, Young, Adam, Todd, and Donny did all of the coaches and other athletes at LoDo so proud. Their positive attitudes were infectious all weekend. Diana and Todd both brought home 2nd place finishes!<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">The SHIRT</span></strong><br />
the T-shirt was seriously cool! I expected to see a little more green to be honest but I like it. The price was perfect, Free for athletes! BOOM! I rocked it at the noon class at LoDo today. <br />
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I give Alpine CrossFit, all the volunteers and The Legends Competition a......<br />
335# Jerk after a 5 minute mile run!Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-50988891073720940312012-06-17T12:26:00.000-07:002012-06-17T12:26:24.826-07:00CrossFit 719 Grand opening!It is always really cool to be able to say that you were one of the very first people to d a workout in a brand new gym. I had that opportunity at the grand opening of CrossFit 719 in Colorado Springs on June 9th. Josh C. (Proud new papa of 719) called my coach GA and let her know that there was going to be a competition in conjunction with his gym's grand opening. The first thought that I has was that he must be a serious glutton for punishment. I have opened two gyms and the amount of work that goes into just getting the doors open is incredible. Add to that the coordinated effort required to put on a competition and it adds up to several nights without sleep. Josh handled it with grace and great composure. <br />
When we arrived there was a palpable excitement, a nervous anticipation of all the great things to come. The gym was like a brand new pair of climbing shoes, fresh and without the marks and sweat stains that tell of great struggle and accomplishment. The competition was held in the parking lot. It was hot! As a friend of mine would put it "It's Jabuti Africa hot out here!" There was two workouts and a "Floater" which means that you could do it at your discretion anytime throughout the day. The floater was 90 seconds of max rep thrusters at 85# for boys. Now, if you know me then you know that I hate thrusters, they are the bane of my existence. I was not happy when I heard I would be doing this. Here is how the day broke down....<br />
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WOD #1<br />
3 rounds for time of...<br />
10 power cleans @135#<br />
20 Kettle bell swings @55#<br />
30 Lateral bar hops.<br />
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I was in the second heat and finished at 4:57. Sean Turner went in the first heat and put up an impressive 4:58 while Hunter Lea was in the third heat and finished in 4:56! So there was less than two seconds of separation between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place! <br />
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I am not too proud to admit that I spent the next 2 hours with ice in my armpits and groin, throwing up under a tree. (Sorry laundry mat on the corner, I am sure that I scared away some of your patrons) I had to do my Thrusters before the second WOD and I was not pleased, so much so that I decided that flip flops would be appropriate foot wear. <br />
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I think I did 38 in a minute and a half. I honestly didn't care. It is a terrible terrible attitude to have I know. But like I said before, I had been puking for hours and I HATE thrusters! don't get me wrong, it is probably one of the best movements in CrossFit due to the sheer number of muscle fibers that are recruited and the complexity of the breathing pattern associated with it. </div>
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The second WOD started about 30 minutes after my thruster shit show. In warming up for event two I vomited two more times. I knew at this point that I had a pretty severe case of heat exhaustion. My head was tingling and I was seeing spots before we even started. I knew what I needed to do though. I knew that pretty much everyone scored better than I did on the thrusters. I needed to flip the switch. </div>
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WOD #2</div>
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15 bar facing burpees</div>
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20 box jumps (24")</div>
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25 dead lifts @ 225#</div>
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400m plate carry run @ 45#</div>
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25 dead lifts @ 225#</div>
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20 box jumps</div>
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15 bar facing burpees</div>
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Finish time 6:40. It was good enough for another 2nd place finish and 2nd overall in the competition. </div>
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A great event put on by some terrific people! The athletes that participated were all amazing. I got the chance to meet several Crossfitters that I have known about for some time. Sean and Hunter are two of the coolest people. Tom Ashby is always a class act at every local event, cheering for his fellow competitors. And even though Robby Z. refused to do my thrusters for me, it was still really cool getting to hang out with him and some of his crew from Alpine. I tried to get him to divulge some of the workouts from his upcoming "Legends" Competition but being the fair and honest guy that he is he just smiled and said "You'll do fine." I'm not much of a writer so consider that as my segue into my next post which will be on The Legends Competition by Alpine Crossfit.<br />
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</div>Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-18642397379435633672012-05-25T09:33:00.000-07:002012-05-25T09:33:11.309-07:00"300" @ 8,000So GA and I need to have a work meeting, what better place to have it then the 30 minute drive up to <a href="http://crossfitevergreen.com/">CrossFit Evergreen.</a><br />
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I noticed on their site that the Workout Of the Day was "300" which made me a little extra motivated to get up into the pines. I knew that it would take 30+ minutes to get there from Denver so we would be cutting it close to make the 12:15 class. Georgia called ahead and let them know that we may be arriving right at the start of class and to make sure that it was okay that we dropped in. Mike let us know that we were more than welcome but this was a very challenging workout. GA said, "Listen, I am awesome and won't have any problem crushing this thing like an empty Dr. Pepper can!" (okay, she probably didn't say any of that...) <br />
We arrived right at 12:15 which is poor form but Mike and Allison were both so inviting and didn't seem annoyed at all. They were very welcoming. The class of about five others were already warming up. After filling out the necessary waiver, GA and I jumped in. <br />
There was some small construction projects going on which I always appreciate. It looked like they were in the process of building a kids play area. I honestly appreciate that little bit of dust on the floor. CF gym owners have so much on their plate with programming and coaching and marketing and all the little tedious parts of running a business. When I see that they are also working to improve their space for the sake of their members it makes me very happy! This is a community, and it was clear that Mike was making an effort to make his space better for his community members. Thumbs up!<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">The Warm Up:</span></strong><br />
The warm up was appropriate. We went through a series of mobility movements and dynamic stretches as a class. We then performed 4 sets of 10 med ball squat cleans. The instruction for this movement was good. I believe that they had been working on it for consecutive days, everyone in the class seemed to show proficiency. <br />
The explanation of each of the movements for the workout was quick. We had a couple of minutes to set up. The workout began with very little warning, just the "Going in 10 seconds" Depending on the experience level of the class this can be helpful. I always try to give people a two minute warning so they can go to the bathroom or grab a quick drink, or tie their shoes. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The WOD:</strong></span><br />
"300"<br />
25 Pull ups<br />
50 dead lifts (135/95#)<br />
50 box jumps (24/20")<br />
50 push ups<br />
50 wipers (holding a 135/95# bar overhead)<br />
50 kettle bell clean & press (35/25#)<br />
25 pull ups<br />
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Time- 14:07RX<br />
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Personally I LOVE chippers like this. I love that when I am done with box jumps I don't have to go back to them. The wipers were the slowest movement for me. I had to set the bar down after the first 30. I suppose I could have kept going but I watched a friend drop that much weight on his face once and let's just say.... he ain't that pretty anymore! actually, he wasn't really that pretty before that happened. Our coach was very helpful. I saw her help a couple of athletes that were having some issues with mechanics. I think this is a necessary part of being a coach. Although we do everything we can to motivate athletes, our job is not to be a cheerleader. Our job is to correct things that need correcting. Our job is to stop you if you are doing something incorrectly, regardless if that results in a slightly slower time. This is exactly what she did. Thumbs up! I have watched "coaches" at other gyms look at, and walk past athletes using terrible form. Do your job!! <br />
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<em>Is this good form?? I say..... indeed!</em></div>
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The cash out was 100 flutter kicks. I didn't do this because I knew that I had another training session later in the day. Also, I am a weak little thing that trembles at the thought of doing more work than I absolutely have to! <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The T-Shirt:</strong></span><br />
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I actually start looking for where they keep the shirts right when I walk in now. I am officially <em>THAT</em> guy! T-shirts were on order so they didn't have any on hand. (sad leo) <br />
In an effort to keep me from balling uncontrollably, Allison promised that she would email me as soon as they came in. I felt better and wiped the tears from my cheeks. <br />
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As we left in search of some delicious chocolate milk we noticed the Walgreen's across the street offered the same deal that CrossFit Evergreen does.....<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The Score:</strong></span><br />
Beautiful people, beautiful views, fun chipper WOD, friendly coaches, and the BEST oly bars I have seen at any gym I have visited to date (seriously their barbells were awesome!) gives CF Evergreen a score of .... "Nate" RXdLeonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-66991899427713520992012-05-22T15:24:00.001-07:002012-05-22T15:24:27.703-07:00CrossFit Breckenridge - 5/19 Open Gym<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After missing out on a chance to visit CrossFit Bonedale in Carbondale Colorado, Georgia and I were so excited that CF Breckenridge had open gym time on a Saturday afternoon. 11:30-3:00 on a Saturday is a very uncommon time for a CF gym to be open. We beat feet down I-70 in anticipation of doing a workout at the highest elevation CrossFit gym in the world!! That's right.... CF Breck is at nearly 10,000ft elevation! <br />
When we pulled up the place looked closed. The door was locked. AHHHH SHIT! That makes us 0 for 2 today! I decided to call instead of listing to GA. Yes, she wanted to throw a rock through the window, do a 2 minute workout, grab a shirt and take off. Lucky for my criminal record we didn't because Scott was inside and answered by the second ring. <br />
Scott jokingly admitted later that he only answered the door because, as he said, "I thought you were Matt Chan at first." Which, by the way is the third time I have been mistaken for him despite being about 1.5 pood on his lighter side! A serious complement in the CrossFit world never-the-less. <br />
The gym was very clean and organized. It was open gym so it was up to us to decide what we wanted to do. I decided that it would be cool to do a bench mark "girl WOD" at this altitude to see how much it affected me. Scott told me that they get a lot of drop-ins that wanted to do the same thing. We didn't have a lot of time and their high rings looked like they had some dust on them so I decided to do "Amanda" GA went with 100 push ups for time. <br />
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"Amanda"<br />
9-7-5 of....<br />
Squat snatch (135#)<br />
muscle ups<br />
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Yeah, altitude makes a difference!! I was about a minute and a half slower than the last time I did this workout. All the muscle ups were done unbroken, but by the time I dismounted the rings, I was huffing so hard that it took me an extra 30 seconds to be ready to do my first snatch. A humbling experience for sure! I have a totally new respect and understanding for what our sea level drop-ins feel like when they come to Denver. <br />
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GA- 100 Push ups for time</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">The T-Shirt:</span></strong></div>
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The shirt is really really cool! The crest on the front is very similar to the Ranger crest! It's got an eagle on it! That is about American as it gets!! And that's what I'm all about 'MERICA, HELL YEAH!!</div>
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I got me a short sleeve, you know, cause the ladies love them some "Matt Chanish Biceps"</div>
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GA opted for the long sleeve tech number, which was also bitchin! </div>
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I was so excited about rocking my new CF Breck shwag that I wore it to our Paleo Pot Luck later that night at CrossFit LoDo!</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">The Score:</span></strong></div>
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Honestly, meeting people like Scott is a big reason why I wanted to do this. He was so willing to hang out while we enjoyed his facility. He put on the music that we wanted for our workout and gave us free reign to do what we need to. I am going to suggest that every single one of my athletes at LoDo make the drive up to the highest elevation CF in the world and do a WOD. The gym is pretty close to the mountain so there is no reason to miss a chance to drop in after your next ski/snowboard trip.</div>
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I rate <a href="http://crossfitbreckenridge.com/">CrossFit Breckenridge</a> a frosty six pack of New Belgium Fat Tire after a long day on the slopes!</div>Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-34367150586195094552012-05-22T12:49:00.000-07:002012-05-22T12:49:27.669-07:00CrossFit BonedaleI emailed one of the coaches at Bonedale about doing a drop in Friday evening. I got a response back on Sunday. There website advertises a free Saturday workout in the park at 10am. We got there at 9:45. we waited until 10:15 and never saw anyone getting there awesome on. We then drove to the exact location on the CF Bonedale website. There was just an empty warehouse with a "For Rent" sign on it. I am sure that Bonedale is still in business, we just couldn't find them anywhere. <br />
After about an hour of searching we pulled out our handy dandy smart phones and began looking for another local box. As fortuitous a thing can be, CF Breckenridge has Saturday "open gym" from 11:30-3p! and was only two hours away!!!<br />
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Let the journey continue!</div>
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Sorry Bonedale, we'll catch you next time.</div>Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-30601151760286097002012-05-22T10:40:00.002-07:002012-05-22T10:40:53.225-07:00GlenWood Springs CrossFit - 5/18 - 6:30p classMy coach and I were going to try to make it all the way to CF Bonedale after coaching the noon class at LoDo. That is about a 3 1/2 hour drive, well that is to say it is a 3 1/2 hour drive if you don't stop off at Tommyknockers brewery in Idaho Springs for the most amazing sweet potato tots this guy has ever tasted!!!<br />
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Making it to the 6:30 would be cutting it too close. It is very very poor form to show up right at the start of class if you are dropping in.... and we are ALL ABOUT GOOD FORM at LoDo!! So we went to our plan B, Glenwood Springs CF. We couldn't have been happier that we did.<br />
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<strong>Elbows up Coach!!!</strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">First Impression:</span></strong><br />
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We drove past a couple of times because there wasn't a sign outside at all. We noticed a very fit looking gent running with a look of agony that would suggest only one thing.... CrossFit was happening nearby! The WOD wasn't posted on the site so it was going to be a wild card. Georgia (my awesome coach) said that if it had burpees that we would be immediately leaving. I agreed to her conditions. We followed the hypoxic man to a driveway behind a burm to find a hidden gem. <br />
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Shortly after walking in we were greeted by Thaddeus and Makenzie, not just two very cool people, but two people with REALLY cool names!! They were very inviting and welcomed us with open arms. I introduced myself and Georgia, and for the very first time ever....I was recognized as a CrossFit athlete! Thaddeus and Makenzie had both been judges at the SW Regional competition a couple of weeks prior and must have seen me getting my lunch money taken by the big kids on the playground. Regardless of why, it was really flattering having someone recognize us hundreds of miles from home. </div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">The Warm Up:</span></strong></div>
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The warm up was conducted by one of Glenwood Springs newer coaches. Thaddeus sat back and observed which I found very cool. I am a firm believer that the level 1 cert that CF provides is a good starting point, but in order to be an effective coach it is necessary to be mentored by someone that has been coaching for years. This was exactly what was happening at this gym. It was refreshing to see. </div>
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We did a very appropriate warm up for the upcoming WOD, including the burgener protocol. There was five of us in the 6:30p class and everyone seemed experienced. The warm up was appropriately geared to our ability level.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">The Workout Of the Day:</span></strong></div>
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It was one of there members birthday (I'm guessing she turned 30 given the rep scheme)</div>
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3 rounds for time of.....</div>
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10 chest to bar pull ups</div>
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10 power cleans (135/95#)</div>
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10 hand stand push ups</div>
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10 toe to bar</div>
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10 overhead squats (135/95#)</div>
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400m run.</div>
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It's funny, four months ago I would have dreaded the bar movements and been so looking forward to the run in the WOD. It was the opposite feeling when I saw the white board. I thought to myself, OHH YEAH.... light Power Cleans and OHS!! </div>
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Time: 15:20 RX </div>
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This workout was awesome! don't be too surprised if you see it in the rotation in the next couple of weeks at LoDo!!</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">The T-Shirt:</span></strong></div>
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Lots of fun colors..... but no mediums! I ended up buying two anyway. One was for my coach, the other was for my hommie Ryan "Gloves McGee" Anderson since he stepped up while GA and I played hookie for the Saturday morning WOD at LoDo.... Thanks again brother!</div>
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The shirts were cool, logo up front, "You vs. You" on the back. subtle yet colorful. I will slam a picture up of Ryan & GA modeling them the next time I see them rocking them out.</div>
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Cost was $25 each but I got hooked up.... 2 for $44. WHAT A STEAL!!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The Score:</strong></span></div>
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Amazing gym! It is so good to know that there are coaches and gym owners that are in it for the right reasons.... that is 100% Thaddeus and Makenzie! Keeping it real in Glenwood Springs!</div>
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<a href="http://www.glenwoodspringscrossfit.com/">Glenwood Springs CrossFit Strength & Conditioning</a> scores <em>a <u>sub 7 minute Helen!</u></em></div>Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-67110200563726982012012-05-21T13:45:00.001-07:002012-05-21T13:45:19.818-07:00D-Town CrossFit<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Initial Impression</span></strong></div>
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Right off of I-25, D-town was easy to find. Beside it being well marked, having athletes running with med balls tells me that there is definitely some CrossFit going on nearby. The entrance was very professional and clean, lots of T-shirts hanging up!! The gym as a whole is the the most colorful and vibrant that I have ever been in. The pull up apparatus in the center of the gym was awesome! I have been wanting to play on it since I saw the pictures on their website. <br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Warm Up</span></strong></div>
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The warm up was long. It had multiple components. We warmed up with dynamic stretching and mobility movements as a class for about ten minutes before moving on to 3 rounds of 10 slam ball, 8 ring row and 5 wall ball. We spent a few minutes going over the movements for the work out.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Work Out of the Day</span></strong></div>
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The WOD featured a movement/weight scheme that I had just done at regionals. .It was a take from workout #4, which if you were at the SW Regional you may have seen my lower back completely seize up half way through. <br />
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800m. Med ball run</div>
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25 back squats @ 135#</div>
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400m Med ball run</div>
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25 front squats @ 85</div>
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200m Med ball run</div>
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25 Overhead squats @ 65</div>
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I had little desire to mess with changing out the weights between, so I went with 135/95/95. I had already done a long set of overhead squats earlier in the day. I wouldn't have done them except the workout that was posted on D-Town's site was different than this one. It threw me for a loop at first. I was expecting to do AMRAP in 10 minutes of double unders and 135# power cleans. "Constantly varied" I suppose. </div>
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Time: 11:34 RX+<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">T-Shirt</span></strong></div>
D-Town did not disappoint in the T-shirt category! They not only had a large selection, they had quality shirts. American Apparel. <br />
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They were so nice, I got one for my coach!</div>
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We got huge in them at the home box office..... CrossFit LoDo!!</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">The Score</span></strong></div>
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The overall feeling in this gym was a little different than most I have visited. It seemed like people were interested in getting down to business. The gym was very well organized and clean.</div>
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I give CF D-Town a half a box of chocolate chip cookies. Soft baked.... Duh!</div>Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-37503336087457767412012-05-13T23:04:00.000-07:002013-02-22T21:37:10.144-08:00ohhh lazy me!!So I had to pause my epic journey for my last minute preparation for the 2012 CrossFit Games SW Regionals in Castle Rock (and finals.... don't take 6 classes and try and have a life!!) Well all that is done and I am ecstatic about getting out this week and meeting some of my fellow Colorado CFers!!<br />
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Since I am here I thought I would take a moment to fill you in on how regionals went. They were awesome!!! that is all.<br />
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Okay, when have you ever known me to be short winded?!?! <br />
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First of all this was my first true CF competition. I did a small charity event at <a href="http://www.crossfitlongmont.com/">CF Longmont</a> on st. Pattys day, which was very well put together and in fact is the background picture on this page. I will do a review on CF Longmont this week. Regionals was, by far, the coolest sporting event I have ever been a part of! It was so well put together and featured a group of some of the most impressive athletes I have ever competed against. I had the honor and privledge of being in the same heat as Chris Spealler, Matt Chan, Zach Forrest, Pat Burke, and Matt Hathcock. I honestly couldn't stop smiling the entire time! I wasn't holding my breath for a heat victory with this group so my goal was to have a good time. I was dreading this workout too, as it featured 30 hang cleans at 225# My 1RM for this lift was 205# at the time the workouts were released the week before. I worked every single day to get to a point that I could move that weight. I managed to get just 2 more than the minimum requirement of 10 and advanced to the second day of competition. From that point forward I was just thrilled to be there. The fans, the athletes, hell.... even the judges were amazing! Did I mention that all competitors got THREE T-SHIRTS?!?!?! I almost shit my pants! Bottom line, I CAN NOT WAIT for next year!! I have decided to not do any endurance events this year. I will be focusing 100% of my attention on qualifying for the CF Games in the next 3 years.<br />
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Here is how I fared last weekend...<br />
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WOD 1</div>
"Diane"<br />
21-15-9<br />
Dead lifts (225#)<br />
handstand push ups<br />
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4:48<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTDpJlC0zcJcTe3n1dnljziHYfm9rxFA4-A-2htLzl5lhtHTf5WBBfGku6guQa1QQ3Nq_GkCXh7w4qmW1Iodl2XpUhX9_LsLIpTaCVkIJ5CYh81Qv-murpo760Flr0by6FTA1eyi3jks/s1600/DSC_0978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTDpJlC0zcJcTe3n1dnljziHYfm9rxFA4-A-2htLzl5lhtHTf5WBBfGku6guQa1QQ3Nq_GkCXh7w4qmW1Iodl2XpUhX9_LsLIpTaCVkIJ5CYh81Qv-murpo760Flr0by6FTA1eyi3jks/s320/DSC_0978.jpg" width="212" /></a><br />
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WOD 2</div>
2K row<br />
50 pistols<br />
30 hang cleans (225#)<br />
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17:19<br />
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WOD 3</div>
4 rounds<br />
10 dumbbell snatches (100#)<br />
50M sprint<br />
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7:23<br />
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WOD 4</div>
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40 pull ups<br />
30 shoulder to overhead (135#)<br />
50 front squat (85#)<br />
40 pull ups<br />
30 shoulder to overhead (85#)<br />
50 overhead squats (65#)<br />
40 pull ups<br />
30 shoulder to overhead (65#)<br />
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23:10<br />
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WOD 5</div>
Snatch ladder, on the minute<br />
20 double unders <br />
1 snatch (155,165,175,185,195, ext)<br />
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175.22<br />
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All in all I did everything I possibly could with what was put in front of me. I need to get stronger and that is EXACTLY what I am going to do. This experience was invaluable.<br />
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I would be absolutely wrong to not say thank you thank you thank you thank you to...<br />
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My Pops! Bruce flew up from Phoenix to watch me compete but that isn't the coolest thing. He listened and learned all about CrossFit. Every time I called him during the open he was like "How do you feel about 12.4?" he isn't a CrossFitter, but he learned all about this stuff because he knew how important it is to me. Best Dad anywhere!!<br />
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All of you crazy <a href="http://www.crossfitlodo.com/">CF LoDo</a> athletes and coaches that came out and screamed at me when it hurt, that showed up on Saturday mornings to push me harder than I would have on my own. Thank you guys from the bottom of my heart! I couldn't ask for a better group of athletes to coach or a better group of coaches to work with!! <br />
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I am truly blessed to represent all of you every time I lace up my old wrestling shoes!! <br />
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Watch out Speal!!! I am coming for you next year!!Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-19990742572268562962012-04-13T11:40:00.002-07:002012-04-13T11:49:31.965-07:00CrossFit Stapleton 4/13/12<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEuJyi5XOM_v1Y0kAdNTGZpAyaaqeAY-iSaCJoJdxePE3fD5jKBqYXZUMZAmfNIVRGuuFc8z4wkbYINCPNmPQIA3MNo3ENIFhG5SZS6H2CmkTd03k1fN84rgsn83kQV7I6NWMaumAXgCQ/s1600/cfs3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEuJyi5XOM_v1Y0kAdNTGZpAyaaqeAY-iSaCJoJdxePE3fD5jKBqYXZUMZAmfNIVRGuuFc8z4wkbYINCPNmPQIA3MNo3ENIFhG5SZS6H2CmkTd03k1fN84rgsn83kQV7I6NWMaumAXgCQ/s320/cfs3.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Initial impression</strong></div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;">The first thing that I noticed about <a href="http://crossfitstapleton.com/">CrossFit Stapleton</a> was how easy it was to find. It was conveniently located about a block from I-70 and was very clearly marked. No driving around in circles like a lost tourist for this guy! The entrance was really professional and clean. In fact, the entire gym was very clean, very open and very well equipped. Nicole greeted me as I walked up to the door. Aside from being very beautiful, Nicole was about the nicest person I could imagine. She was very very welcoming and seemed genuinely excited that I chose to come the CFS. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Warm up</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">I really liked the warm up. At one point I mumbled under my breath that I may DNF before the actual workout started. </div><div style="text-align: center;">21-15-9 of...</div><div style="text-align: center;">Med ball cleans</div><div style="text-align: center;">push ups</div><div style="text-align: center;">sit ups</div><div style="text-align: center;">calorie row or ride</div><div style="text-align: center;">KB snatch</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sean showed each of the movements. His explanation of the KB snatch actually helped me quite a bit. Sean's experience with CrossFit was absolutely apparent. He controlled the tempo of the class and was able to easily manage all 12 participants with ease. Nicole was floating around and doing an excellent job of demonstrating movements as well.</div><div style="text-align: center;">The warm up was very appropriate and I felt well prepared for the main WOD. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Following a second explanation of the workout, we were given a 90 second time hack to set up our stations. There was no putsing around, no time to get cold after the warm up. Great time management.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Work out of the Day</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">5 rounds of...</div><div style="text-align: center;">15 Ground to over head weight plate (45/25#)</div><div style="text-align: center;">20 air squats</div><div style="text-align: center;">25 double unders (which I was made to do unbroken)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I really enjoyed this workout. I honestly would never have done a G2OH with a weight plate in my own programming. Sets were long enough to provide a challenge but short enough to keep the pace up!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Time- 6:26 rx (first round 1:10)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>The T-Shirt</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">They didn't have blue in my size.... I cried on the way home. No I didn't. I got the black one, which is quite form fitting, which is helpful in attracting the ladies! hey beach muscles, yeah! It's a "next level" which is pretty close to "American Apparel" The logo is pretty massive, I usually go for the subtle look, as you know I am VERY humble. ha. They had beanies, which if it hadn't been 75 degrees out I would have jumped on!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Score</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;">I called my coach, Georgia Maxey, as I left CFS. I believe I told her "I want to live there!" Honestly, a great group of experienced coaches. They seemed genuinely excited and happy that I was going to regionals. They knew how to run a class, they knew what they were doing!!! that is HUGE for me. On top of that the space was open, bright and well stocked. I would recommend this box to anyone and everyone in a 5 mile radius!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Arbitrary score based off of; coaching experience, programing, facility, shawg and attractiveness of female coaches and athletes...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I give CFS a score of....2:33 Fran time.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-68782481238177656572012-04-06T19:53:00.002-07:002012-04-06T20:08:45.661-07:00CrossFit Arvada 4/6/2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKje7SjFtVHqxr4byeBIPYIlbpS1MQwD8V5nZGQs0SjlWI64v9g_jUWcmRtb123cGXg4i7-lr7xw1pc_4075W7LaAbrGNPnqnQo6Y2sEBRtd2WnOw9y0iaecSw110dFdDbUypIbnJnTbk/s1600/CFA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKje7SjFtVHqxr4byeBIPYIlbpS1MQwD8V5nZGQs0SjlWI64v9g_jUWcmRtb123cGXg4i7-lr7xw1pc_4075W7LaAbrGNPnqnQo6Y2sEBRtd2WnOw9y0iaecSw110dFdDbUypIbnJnTbk/s320/CFA.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><em>I took this picture from Arvada's website. In the future I am going to try to make sure to take my own!</em></div><div align="center"><br />
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</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><strong>Initial impressions</strong></div> The first thing I noticed about<a href="http://crossfitarvada.com/"> CrossFit Arvada</a> is that I couldn't find it on google. I found it on CrossFit main page. No big deal. The next thing was that the Workout of the Day (WOD) was not posted as of 9am that day. Now, I understand that things get busy and posting a workout is about the least important part of coaching/owning a gym. When I called to see if it was okay to drop in I got a chance to talk to Keith (owner of CFA) He told me what the WOD was and that it would be fine if I did a drop in. <br />
The first thing that I noticed when I pulled up to CF Arvada (30 minutes early) was that the bay doors were open and people were coming in and out. I really liked that, it was rather inviting. Keith found me wandering around, I guess I looked lost. He directed me to the locker rooms, which were nice (two showers!) The box is very large (12,000sf I believe) and very well stocked. They have a full astro turf section and batting cage. I believe that they share a space with another strength and conditioning business.<br />
Before we started the WOD I got a chance to meet, one of the other coaches named Tom. Tom was awesome! Having been recently deployed to Afghanistan as a medical officer, we had an instant commonality. He was very inviting and welcoming. He made me feel like an instant member of his gym.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>THE WARM UP:</strong></div> The W/U was written on the board and there was little instruction so I followed the lead of the other members. It was self paced, which I personally like. It's how we do it for our Level 2 classes at CF LoDO. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>The WOD:</strong></div>400m run<br />
21 front squats @ 75% body weight<br />
1 min wall sit<br />
30 split box jumps (I have never done this movement before, I loved it!!)<br />
1 min wall sit<br />
200m run<br />
1 min wall sit<br />
30 split box jump<br />
1 min wall sit<br />
21 front squats @ 75% BW<br />
400m run <br />
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Time- 14:16RX<br />
<br />
This was a quad cooker to say the least. Typically I love run based WOD's..... Ouch!! It was the good kind of hurt though! Very well programed, very good mix of static and dynamic movement. There was 5 of us at the 11:30a class. Everyone of the other athletes was very nice and introduced themselves to me. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <strong>The T-SHIRT!</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"> Olive drab (military green) they also had black, but the last thing I need is another black T-Shirt! </div><div style="text-align: left;">The quality is pretty good, not quite American Apparel but definitely better than a Haynes 50/50 The logo is the new evolution of man. Cost was standard, $20. I only had $19. Keith said that it would be okay and that I should be more responsible with my money. He didn't really say that! The shirt is comfy as can be, I'm wearing it now!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Score</strong> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I have decided to affix a score to each gym that I visit, because frankly we CrossFitters love to score things regardless of how arbitrary it is! I based scoring on overall atmosphere, coaching ability, programming, how cute the girls are and how boss the shwag is. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2VkrIHAPDqTmj6KvVtU0lOiSJjEmJ8gm1s7bTUTDuPJp5cGRSXvve2j0AI60jFlwkfI5Yl6oUTp1UfLfW7t9CGvcW5SFHVwtHg-8xYefa9gusRFZB5wfP0XOdJyENhfmwTP12iXC4sQ/s1600/040612204413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2VkrIHAPDqTmj6KvVtU0lOiSJjEmJ8gm1s7bTUTDuPJp5cGRSXvve2j0AI60jFlwkfI5Yl6oUTp1UfLfW7t9CGvcW5SFHVwtHg-8xYefa9gusRFZB5wfP0XOdJyENhfmwTP12iXC4sQ/s320/040612204413.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> CrossFit Arvada scores 11 cupcakes out of a bakers dozen! </div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"></div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"></div>Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126429851458063886.post-5663817299924172392012-04-06T15:44:00.001-07:002012-04-06T15:50:05.365-07:00The first "Box Jump" In the wake of the recent CrossFit open I have heard the term "CrossFit Community" tossed around more times than I can count. While I have been participating in CF for over 8 years and have had ownership in three different gyms I'm not sure if I actually belong to this "Community" that everyone keeps talking about. In fact, up until this year I had never done a CF workout in an affiliate that I didn't own. While I may be a slightly extreme case it seems to me that the "Community" is a little cliquish, for lack of a better term. Some gym owners are apprehensive about having someone who coaches at another gym workout with their classes. Why? Do they believe that they will poach clients? Are they insecure about their own coaching abilities and background knowledge?? Or are they just so damn busy running a gym, coaching, and trying to keep up with their own personal fitness that they haven't been able to look outside in months let alone explore their own community??? <br />
Owning and running a gym is not as easy as most people think. I would say that in my first year I worked between 80-90 hours every week, without a full day off for 5-6 months at a time (Thank you Christmas) with a take home pay that averages out to be around $2 an hour. I am very fortunate to be in a position that will allow me to see the light of day a few times a week. How do I intend on spending my hard earned time off from the gym??? By visiting other gyms!! I know, I know....<br />
I know that, like many athletes, I have become comfortable in my training environment. In an effort to break out of my comfort zone and give myself a slight psychological edge, I thought it would be a cool idea to drop in to a different gym each week to better prepare me for this years South West Regional competition. The first gym that I chose was <a href="http://crossfitarvada.com/">CrossFit Arvada</a>, who will be the subject of my first official "Box Jump" report. As I was leaving CFA, I had a mini epiphany! How cool would it be to do a WOD in every single CrossFit affiliate in the state of Colorado!!<br />
At present count there are 110.... WOW!!! 110 in the state!!! At risk of sounding like "that guy" there was only 12 affiliates WORLD WIDE when I started CrossFittng! 110 in the state!!! That is a pretty large community. Lucky for me I love doing 2 a day WOD's and I love T-shirts!<br />
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Follow me as I jump from box to box and share my thoughts on each gyms atmosphere, experience of coaches, programing, my overall experience and most importantly how cool their T-shirt is!Leonidashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03244523856062404612noreply@blogger.com1