Sumo Tournament

Strength WOD:

Hang Power Clean 

3/3/3

Check Out WOD Immediately After:

With a continuously running clock perform the following every minute on the minute:

Sumo Deadlift High Pull plus 1 rep (95#/65#)

* Add one rep each consecutive minute, meaning 2 the 2nd minute, 3 the 3rd minute, and so on. Continue until you cannot complete the required number of reps in the given minute.

Score total rounds and partial reps in the last round completed. 

Results

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Sumo stance, hips flying open, elbows high, bar under chin:

Sumo Tournament

Eric_SDHP Lucy_SDHP

Six of you completed the Whole 30 Challenge from Whole9 recently including Michelle. Huge props! All lost weight, stayed strict, and have seen results improve. They also made some changes to their nutrition to cut down on “cheats” and stay focused on continuing to make progress. Way to lead by example!

Speaking of nutrition. I am reading “the Paleo Solution” by Robb Wolf. It’s outstanding. So good we are going to order a couple copies for the box, make them “loaners” and have them on hand to check out. We encourage anyone who is motivated and interested in how important nutrition, exercise, rest and recovery can literally save your life to go buy a copy or borrow one when we get it. It just may save yours!

Whole9’s Fish Oil FAQ (Fish Oil order from Barlean’s went in and we will have it for sale by next week)

Notes:

Register for Barbells for Boobs! It’s 10/16 at King CrossFit. That Saturday morning we will field trip over to King CF and fight breast cancer together. No class at SRCF that day.

Today we are starting a new push-up challenge for 30 days. It was supposed to start on the 1st but I missed mentioning it. If you are doing it already continue on the schedule, otherwise jump in:

Push-up Challenge: 

  1. Do 30 strict push-ups a day for 30 days. Use good form and perform the KStar push-up (form a triangle from the plank position with your hands and nose, then rotate your elbows to point behind you, complete the push-up). 
  2. Break them up as needed. 
  3. Push-ups as RX’d are with full range of motion meaning elbows are at least at a 90 degree angle or your shoulders are below your elbows and you maintain a plank. If you lower yourself to the floor that is fine just make the rest brief and stay rigid when you push up. 
  4. Scaled push-ups do 1 RX then 29 scaled, adding 1 to the RX total and 1 less to the scaled position each day until Day 30 (i.e. day 2 = 2 RX, 28 scaled). 

The point is to get better at them. Do them in the box or at home. If you miss a day then you must make it up. Hang in to the end!

800m of Hell. Repeat. Four Times.

4 Rounds For Time:
800m Run (Max Effort)

Rest as needed between intervals, post time per run

Results

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Squatch Kids jockeying for position:

Running Buddies

This one burns. Tough and taxing, running sprints for half a mile really is a workout. It takes so much out of you and leaves you gassed at round three. Requiring speed and endurance, this one is a long sprint. There is technique to it besides “being fast”. You need good running form (think sprinter). You need controlled breathing. You need strategy. You need to endure pain. Running the longs, riding the inside lane, and finishing strong are key. Always run through the finish.

Ready Line
 

How to Run the 800 Meters – ehow.com

Men’s 800m World Record – 1:41.01

   

How does he not fall over on his back after this. Maybe he should do “Fran”!

Notes:

Light day today! Where was everyone? Wednesday morning class at 0730 was another no show. We are looking for feedback on this time slot to determine if we keep it or adjust it.

The Triplet

As Many Rounds As Possible in 10 Minutes:
6 Squat Clean (55kg/30kg)
12 Pull-ups
24 Double-Unders

Results

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 Dodging Doubles:

Dodging Doubles

Justin and Sean bow down to Whitney:

Justin Gassed Whitney Cleans Sean Gassed

Today was “The Triplet” from the CrossFit/USAW Open this past weekend. How surprised were all of you by the number of rounds you got for this WOD? Brutal combo, that’s for sure, and we are only at 1000′ of elevation!

Bring your running shoes and your best Carl Lewis impersonation tomorrow! It will be nice weather so the WOD will take advantage of it.

Notes:

Amazing Grace Fundraiser: 10/16 at King CrossFit (in Renton) from 8:30am to 12pm. There will be no Saturday AM WOD at SnoRidge that day as we are all invited to King CF for the “Barbells for Boobs” event to help fight breast cancer. Click the link on the right side of the page, register as an individual and select SnoRidge CF as your affiliate.

Fun For A Cure Fundraiser:

Ctf invite

Lucy is organizing a great fundraiser for the Children’s Tumor Foundation in Issaquah on Nov. 6th at 7pm. This is a personal cause for her and certainly a very worthy one to support. Here’s some info from Lucy below:

“It’ll be a fun night of music, chocolate and wine with live and silent auction and tickets are $40 each.

It’s inspired by my friend’s son, Hayden, he is also Finns best pal and he is currently battling with three brain tumors. (He was featured on komo4 this weekend)

Attached is an invite (all are welcome), there are going to be some amazing auction items ie Ferrari day out, trips to Maui and NY, Balloon rides, weekend getaways and lots more….. plus of course a month of free CF at Snoridge!”

Media:

“Isabel-Off” with Josh Everett and Dave Lipson at the CrossFit USAW Weightlifting Open video [wmv] [mov]

A recap of the USAW/CrossFit Open and the impacts for both sports: “New Friends” from the CrossFit Journal

   

"Jack"

As Many Rounds As Possible in 20 Minutes:
10 Push Press (115#/75#)
10 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)
10 Box Jumps (24″/20″) 

Results

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Jack

Army SSG Jack M. Martin III, 26, of Bethany, OK, assigned to 3rd BN, 1st SF Group, Ft. Lewis WA, died Sept. 29, 2009 in Jolo Island, Phillipines, from the detonation of an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). He was also a CrossFitter from Rainier CrossFit. Rest in peace.

Jack Hero WOD - 1 Jack Hero WOD - 2 Jack Hero WOD - 3

Testimonials

“What is Crossfit to Me?”–it seems appropriate as we celebrate Marc’s 41st birthday, to say Crossfit has been both a life changer and a life saver.  One year ago (10 months ago really) there is no way Marc or I could possibly have performed a WOD.  You guys have been incredible trainers, motivators, and friends.  We can not say THANK YOU enough for what you do every day in the box.  I truly believe Crossfit has added quality and quantity to our lives.  Really need to have Marc remind you of all the health issues he used to have–high cholesterol, bad ankles, etc…  Issues are gone now and we are having a blast with our friends and family!”

 

Laura M.

“I am proud!  I am doing things in that gym that I never thought I would be able to do in my life.  I feel better and have more energy than I did 10 years ago.  I don’t think you and Michelle realized how much yall have impacted our lives.  I am sure many other people in the gym can say that too.  “

Fran L.

 

“Tom Thanks for all the coaching and help…You have been a big part of my training and my success of NO injuries or down time!  Will represent great on Saturday I know it!!!!!High Fives all around!”

 

Annie M. ~ How CrossFit benefited her Ironman Training

“Just wanted to say a big thank you on many levels…Thank you for making this weekend happen for us, so much time and effort on your part. It has opened my mind to what is possible, I learned a lot about myself and what I could do (maybe) one day! Seeing the best in action was awe inspiring. I will be raising my game after this…

Thank you for being the kind, open people that you are and setting the tone for SRCF, which, I think, has the best bunch of FOLKS around! Thank you for picking me up and dusting me off during my weepy moment,… boy…. who thought dead lifts could be such an emotional endeavor! I am so looking forward to what the next year might bring!”

Lucy M.  

I just wanted to tell you guys – Thank You!  When I joined Crossfit over a month ago I had no idea the difference it was going to make, I just knew I wanted to try something different because I was sick of forcing myself to exercise.

Crossfit has reminded me how much FUN pushing yourself physically can be – I haven’t felt this jazzed in awhile. 🙂

In addition I’ve seen definite performance improvements.  I have to be honest when I was told by multiple people I could improve my running pace by just doing Crossfit I was leery.  I was so used to having to do 4 to 5 runs a week to feel “prepared”.  But I was at a breaking point and couldn’t fathom doing only running anymore – I was bored.  So I focused on Crossfit and have only squeezed in 1 or 2 runs a week.

Well GUESS WHAT!?!?  I did the 5k Turkey Trot today and shaved 2 minutes and 24 seconds off my time from last year!  I’m a believer 🙂

I felt amazing after the run and the best part was – I had fun running that 5K.  I had a goal to beat my time last year and I felt good doing it and was having fun.  I wasn’t dreading the run.  Crossfit has made ALL the difference – being physically active is something I enjoy again.

Thanks Tom & Michelle

Amanda L.


CrossFit/USAW Open. It's in the books!

Sean Triplet

The CF/USAW Open event held this past weekend in Colorado Springs, CO consisted of the following:

Snatch 1 rep

Clean and Jerk 1 rep

“The Triplet” 10 Minutes Immediately After:

As Many Rounds/Reps As Possible in 10 Minutes:
6 Squat Cleans (55kg/30kg)
12 Pull-ups
24 Double-Unders

Combine the best of each lift and total of Triplet reps for a Total Score.

Results

Sean completing the Total and the Triplet at the CrossFit / USAW Open in Colorado Springs:

Sean C and J

Sean_Snatch Sean_Triplet

It’s in the books! Sean went and competed in the 85kg Men’s class and turned in a performance of heart and determination that should make all of us at SnoRidge proud! He posted a total of 179kg in the two lifts and 180 reps in the Triplet for an Event Total score of 359, placing 23rd in his division (out of 27). He is officially a badass in my book for having the Cajones to step in front of a crowd and face the stresses of performance, competition, work capacity, and altitude. Congratulations on an incredible job and for persevering under tough circumstances. Scoring a total including a bodyweight snatch is damn impressive.

The event was spread out by weight class over three days. The field consisted of 165 competitors (61 Women and 104 Men). However this field of competitors contained beasts of all sizes. Men and Women’s divisions included previous CrossFit Games competitors, past Games champions, and top regional performers. Olympians, medalists, USAW National Team members and Olympic lifters of both experience or reputation. Some names were truly big ones for their respective communities. It was also made up of CrossFitters and Oly athletes who were brand new to either competition or the opposite of their chosen sport. All of these athletes put on the first combined USA Weightlifting and CrossFit event of its kind. It was extremely well run and organized overall and the location was well suited for both athletes and spectators. Besides the soul sucking effects of high altitude there were no major complaints.

I was honored to be Sean’s coach for this event and it made me reflect at several points throughout the weekend about my role and what Sean was preparing for. Knowing his capabilities and previous PR’s and lifts, as his coach it was going to be a tough task to balance the desire to make a PR lift with the prospect of staying a little lighter so that the initial lift could go up on the board successfully. Keeping him loose, prepped, positive, and confident in what he was going to do was really fun for me. For anyone who has been part of an individual athletic competition, it is far different from team sports. In team sports you can always rely on the performance of the team. Sure you will be on the spot at times in the game, but the pressure of competition and judging is shared. In an event like this, you are exposed for all to watch. In front of your friends, family, loved ones, fellow athletes, and strangers you are in the spotlight. Alone, you must make the lift or face failure. What you do is solely resting on your shoulders; literally in the case of an Olympic lifting competition. 

Pushing through a WOD like the Triplet is the same thing. Like any CrossFit competition, you have to go beyond comfortable and stay there; pushing through a constant state of pain, anxiety, fatigue. You must do it in front of people, as well as with a judge who is there to score your reps and take some away. This is hard to do. You aren’t in the safety of your box, counting your own reps. There is an audience, the set up is unfamiliar and the other athletes are surely as good if not better. They all want to beat you and beat each other. The intensity takes on a higher level and the prospect of finishing low or last pushes everyone to better results.

Factor all of the above in and what Sean did this weekend can be summed up in one over-used but perfect word: EPIC. 

Well done Sean, keep doing epic shit!

Notes:

Two new events coming in October and November:

Video I shot of Olympian Chad Vaughn with a 141kg Snatch at the USAW/CF Open: 

   

"The Incline"

In Teams of 2 Alternate or Complete Individually For Time:

250m Row and 200m Run
500m Row and 400m Run
1000m Row and 800m Run
500m Row and 400m Run
250m Row and 200m Run

Results

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What is “The Incline“?

The Incline Trail

Up A Mountain, Olympic Dreams are Carved” NY Times

Before:

Before

I’ll try to answer that question here. In short? It’s a WOD, a benchmark even. It’s 1000 barbell front squats for time. At altitude. Epic suckfest. It’s a test more of your mind than your body, as willing yourself to keep climbing is the tedious part. This afternoon I accompanied good friends Derek, Mike, and Kristen from CrossFit Morristown/ CrossFit Bernardsville up “The Incline” in Manitou Springs, CO. It’s a very visible, very steep trail cut straight up a small mountain. It gains 2000 ft. in elevation in 1 mile. It is a series of stairs made mostly from railroad ties but also rocks, dirt, and even metal piping. It is hard. Oh and did I mention steep?

I was initially under the illusion this was a run. Having read the story above about Olympians training on it I was seriously interested. Constantly varied right? As we drove over late this afternoon Mike pointed out the ‘scar” in the forrest on the small mountain in the Rocky foothills. As it snapped into view I instantly said something to the effect of “Are you f’ing kidding me?” From that point until we found parking at the trailhead the conversation drifted from a half inspired pep talk of doing the mountain to “what coffee shop is nearby to go to instead”. Running out of excuses we finally found parking and headed out. After a few words of warning from some locals we were ready to get this over with. Looking up the endless set of stairs going practically straight up the mountain we could make out lots of people all plodding away up the slope.

We started our watches and one by one started running. Shuffling along, stair after stair I ran. Maybe 3 minutes in I thought, wow it’s kinda hard to breathe. At around the 4 minute mark I thought, “my heart might explode. WTF!” Feeling like I was completing “Fran” in my lungs and with my head starting to get dizzy I quickly looked up and saw that our group also stopped running at the same point. We all began walking basically in a file up the stairs. We walked, climbed, scrambled, pulled with our arms and went up, up, up. Every time someone would stop to catch their breath the threat of being passed or getting behind made us go again. After reaching the false summit we were warned about we picked up the pace (if you can call it that) and tried to push through to the end.  

Almost There

After 40 minutes (40:44 for me) we were all done. Not bad considering 50 min. plus is expected for people not from here. Standing atop the mountain we could see all of Colorado Springs in a beautiful view. After a brief stay and a handstand or two, we all ran the 4 mile Barr Trail back down. Great experience, great challenge, and great memory. Despite the pain our quads and glutes endured, it was well worth it. What’s for tomorrow?

Awesomeness Achieved:

After

Birthday WOD

For Time:

37 Hang Squat Clean (95#/65#)
28 Double-Unders
9 Overhead Squats (125#/85#)
28 Double-Unders
9 Muscle-Ups
28 Double-Unders
9 Overhead Squats (125#/85#)
28 Double-Unders
37 Thrusters (95#/65#)

* Men load a 45# bar with 25# bumpers for cleans, then load/unload 15# bumpers for OH Squats

** Women load a 33# bar with 15# bumpers for cleans, then load/unload 10# bumpers for OH Squats

*** Scaling: Sub 28 Ring Dips for Muscle-ups

Results

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Thanks Mark and Jeremy for programming this birthday WOD for me this week. It was so good I had to share!

Birthday Wod - 3 Birthday Wod - 4 Birthday Wod - 5

The CrossFit/USAW Open is here and Sean lifts tomorrow. He is ready to rock and roll.

CF USAW Logo

Watch it LIVE

Chris Spealler on his way to qualifying for the USAW Nationals and taking 1st for his weight class and possibly 1st overall in the triplet with just shy of 9 rounds.

Speal_Jerk

Speal_Triplet

"Frogger"

For Time:

400m Run 
21 Dumbbell Push Press (40#/25#)
21 Broad Jumps (6’/5′)
400m Run 
15 Dumbbell Push Press 
15 Broad Jumps 
400m Run 
9 Dumbbell Push Press
9 Broad Jumps

Results

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   Quote of the day: 

5 Yr. Old Audrey to Sean and Jenna as we are heading to the airport: “Why is the gym guy in our car?”

Sean and Jeremy get their Mobility WOD on with some tools of torture:

Mobility WOD

Who’s doing a Mobility WOD each day or each time they come into the gym? Flying into Denver today for the CrossFit USAW Open with Sean was a perfect opportunity to try out the plane mobility WOD (Surviving the Airplane Seat). After some reading, computer work and a cat nap I decided to work on my “business” and get the kinks and soreness out from a week of abuse from some tough WOD’s. With my trusty lacrosse ball in hand I proceeded to make the two people in my row really unsure just what the heck I was doing. By the time we landed though I had worked several areas and felt none of the customary tightness I get when flying. If you travel, try it. Buy a lacrosse ball and throw it in your bag. Your body will thank you for it.

Sean catching a cat nap. He is taking this event so seriously he won’t stop wearing his singlet everywhere.

Sean Napping in his singlet

By the way he lifts on Saturday tentatively at 2 pm after a 12pm weigh-in. Watch it LIVE.

"Burpee Hell"

10 Rounds for time:

10 Pull-ups
10 Burpees

Results

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Compare to Dec ’09 and April ’10

Coaches Round

 
Nan_Burpees Couples Burpees 

The third time’s a charm. Today we tackled this brutal couplet for the third time. It was also “Burpee Wednesday”. As Cristin noted recently that we have been doing lots of burpees usually right in the middle of the week. I told her once someone notices a pattern in the programming I try to change it. My change? Throw more burpees back into Wednesday. Remember to keep those jumps high, hands clap overhead and not in front, and hips open at the top. You can’t fail a burpee!

I am off to the CF/USAW Open to root Sean on! This will be an amazing and fun event and I’m personally stoked to see Sean chase a PR in his Oly lifts. Look for updates after his heat is complete on Saturday.

Miranda Prepares for the CrossFit/USAW Open [wmv] [mov]

SNORIDGE CROSSFIT