Movable Type – Page 185 – SNORIDGE CROSSFIT

Butterflies

7 Rds for time:

10 Burpees

10 Medicine Ball Cleans (20#/14#)

Today was progress for all of you. Bridget and Sherry both completed their second Elements session. Everyone drastically learned and improved their form with the medicine ball clean. After instruction and practice, the reps mounted as the WOD wore on and helped cement the technique. Michelle was also happy to get a boost from working out with the late crew.

Curtis, Jim and Travis all mentioned something similar today. They each commented that coming to CrossFit brings butterflies. The nervous energy, the anxious feeling, the partial dread and the feeling that they each had before a game or meet back when they played competitive sports. It’s a common feeling. The “gnawing in the pit of your stomach” feeling is almost universal to those who go to a CrossFit gym to do the workout of the day. I get it every time I am about to do a WOD, either here or at another box. Michelle does too. Wondering just what is going to be on the whiteboard becomes a recurring theme for many.

That anticipation is one of the draws for many about CrossFit. You get that butterfly feeling because you know it will be hard. You know it will require you to push, to work, to feel discomfort and pain, and that it is the key to results. Nothing comes easy. When you are finished however, you know that you earned it. No matter how you finish, you finished. You competed only against yourself. Sure you can try to beat others, but really you competed against your own body, against your own mind. You will stand taller the next day or feel good about yourself going home. You know that you are one day fitter.

Notes:

We regretfully will need to charge sales tax. Please help us remember when you pay your dues!

Shirts are ordered and will be in soon. We also have another design that rocks and will be adding a slogan on the back (“Brutal Fun” is the leading contender). For women we will also get tank tops. Design posted below. Post your comments and let us know what you think of it.

CrossFit in the Local News

The Seattle Times featured CrossFit today in their Pacific Northwest Sunday Magazine. The article is titled: CrossFit becomes an international phenom with its brutal online workouts.

I have to admit it was surprising to be standing in line at the Ridge IGA Market to see a picture of a guy holding a barbell with bumper plates on the upper corner of the newspaper. One look and I thought, “that’s gotta be about CrossFit”. Sure enough it was. Give it a read, it’s a good article with great examples of its growing appeal. Also nice to see was a video on the Seattle Times web page that covered the NW Regional Qualifiers last month.

“CrossFit is Brutal Fun”:

Quote of the Day by Fran Mason, CF Seattle Trainer:

“Working out day after day is like putting money in your 401k, literally we’re investing in our old age by doing this.”

The Proof Is In The Pudding

“Every time I suffer I am a better man because of it.” ~ Lance Armstrong

I have a new found respect for trail running. Particularly trail races. Today I ran the North Face Endurance Challenge 10k in Bellingham with a good friend. It was no joke. Basically for me it was an hour long WOD. Kind of like “Murph” without pull-ups and push-ups but the trail pounded my body anyway. It was a beautiful course, highly challenging, fast and constantly winds it way up and down. I think I prefer this type of running to pavement.

The course description was “Elevations bounce between 200 and 2,500 feet, but do not include any huge, sustained climbs. Rather, the course is always heading up or down. Traverses of broken ridgeline require nimble feet while highly technical sections demand mountain goat skills. Overall, an impressive trail-running test that delivers a balance of fire roads, single track, and double track”.

I would agree with all of that description except the part about not including any huge, sustained climbs. If you say a section of a mile and half of steep, sustained, hill climbing midway into the race that induces the effect of having just completed 100 squat cleans doesn’t count as huge and sustained then you must be one of the people who ran the marathon and ultra marathon distance!

That said I wanted to write this post really to share some observations I received and my reflection on how CrossFit benefited me. Previously being a more disciplined runner that tried to keep my running schedule and weekly mileage consistent I have recently found less time to run daily or to run far. I have relied more on CrossFit for the cardiorespiratory endurance benefit it provides knowing that it would serve me well when needed.

I finished well with a time that for myself was pretty satisfying (40th place out of 179 runners at 1:01). I was smoked at the end of the race with pretty tired legs from the pace coupled with the pounding of flying down sections of trail to try and either catch my running partner or briefly keep him behind me. He easily beat me by a minute and was a very respectable 33rd. The difference between us is he doesn’t CrossFit but is a long distance runner. He most recently was training for a marathon and had up until a couple weeks ago been logging very heavy mileage preparing for a race. I was not. This is not to take anything at all away from him as a runner. Actually it’s the opposite. He really dominated the race well. He is runner that excels in longer distances. The fact that I could keep up with him is a testament to CrossFit knowing I have been relying on running from WOD’s sprinkled with the occasion 2-4 miler here and there.

Which is what leads me to the point of this post, CrossFit works. It specializes in not specializing. It prepares you for a wide range of physical challenges. It’s ability to increase your functional fitness and work capacity such that you can tackle a race, a sport, or physical challenge is amazing. The effect the daily WOD has on your mental toughness is powerful. CrossFit prepared me well enough as an athlete that I was able to accomplish this race today with minimal running preparation and to do it competitively. When I needed it today it was there.

Notes:

That said, we have Curtis and Deb in for the Snoqualmie Railroad Days Run with us on August 22nd. Who else is with us? Race info is here.

"Dirty Thirty"

30 reps each for time of the following:

Box jumps (20″)

Jumping Pull-ups

KB Swings (44#/36#)

Lunges

Knees to Elbows

Push Press (45#)

GHD Back Extensions

Wallball (20#/14#)

Burpees

Double-Unders (or 90 Single-Unders)

This is the red-headed stepchild or second cousin to the Filthy Fifty (which we will do at some point). Great effort today from all and especially Curtis and Jim for going prescribed with good form. Stretch those hamstrings and anywhere else that is tight! This will leave you sore.

Also welcome to Bridget who started Elements with us today. If any of you feel like you missed out on the Dirty Thirty we will gladly make sure you get a shot at it soon.

One last note, the Snoqualmie Railroad Days Run is scheduled for Saturday, August 22nd and they will have a 10k, 5k and 1k kids race. I ran the 5k last year and it was fast and fun. If any of you would like to run it let us know and let’s get a SnoRidge CF Team out on the course. Kids too!

"The Chief"

Max Rounds in 3 Min. of:

3 Power Cleans (135# / 95#)

6 Push-ups

9 Squats

Rest 1 minute. Repeat for 5 Cycles.

Complete as many rounds as possible in each cycle. Goal is to maintain that max number of rounds across the 5 cycles.

Read here for a description on why this is named “The Chief”.

Great job today by Adriana, Deb, and Travis. Each of you all commented on how deceptive this WOD is. Looking at it you think, “piece of cake”. Then you start doing the math and realize how many reps this adds up to. Usually when a WOD earns a name there is a reason.

Virtuosity: Defined as showing great technique or skill by someone who excels at something. Or doing the common uncommonly well.

One theme we heard today was how each of you were somewhat struggling in different areas of the Power Clean. All of you said that despite the clock running you were each focusing on remembering your cues and trying to get perfect form on each lift. When you didn’t, you felt frustrated. You felt like you needed to get each rep right, to get the integrity of the movement, or to not “cheat” it up. I would tell each of you that’s a good thing and to be patient. I also would say that Michelle and I take that as a compliment. We focus on form for a reason. To see each of you come in and care more about doing a rep or movement correctly and with proper technique or range of motion is paramount to being successful in CrossFit. This is also key in avoiding injury. Don’t be in a rush to learn it all and pile on the weight. We will help coach you, provide cues to what you are or are not doing right, and push you when you need it.

Whether or not you see your improvements we both have seen major strides in each of you. Master the basics, keep pushing hard in each WOD, don’t beat yourself up, and continue to strive for virtuosity. Practice makes perfect. Perfect practice makes for perfection.

New Faces

Welcome Sherry and Neil who joined us today and started Elements! They both learned three of the foundational movements quickly; the air squat, front squat, and overhead squat as well as abMat sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups. Then they pushed each other through their first workout at the end of the session.

They each did the standard first time WOD for SnoRidge CF:

2 rounds of Row or Run, then 40, 30, 20, 10 of Squats, Sit-ups, Push-ups and Pull-ups. Jim came in and did yesterday’s WOD and despite meeting for the first time today it was great to see them all cheer each other on. We look forward to seeing them learn the overhead press movements in their next session.

Back in the Swing of Things…

Today was our first day back from California and we borrowed this WOD from our visit to CrossFit Centurion.

After Warm-up:

Deadlift 3×3

3 Rounds for Time:

400m Run

12 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (SDHP) 95#/65#

12 Box Jumps

12 Pull-ups

Everyone’s pull-ups are moving along nicely. Jumping pull-ups are more powerful with full ROM (range of motion), some have “graduated” to less assistance on the bands, and Curtis got his first rx’d pull-ups today in one full-round of the WOD! We will focus more on these later in the week with pull-up ladders and kipping instruction.

Notes:

I also wanted to congratulate my brother Jim and six of his fellow soldiers from the Texas Army National Guard who all were Level 1 Certified this past weekend at Alamo CrossFit in San Antonio, Texas. This group will become the core cadre for leading CrossFit PT for their units at Camp Mabry in Austin to ensure that those who protect our freedoms are at their fittest.

Camp Mabry National Guard Level 1 Coaches and their CFHQ Cert staff:

Magic Pill?

Rest Day or if you are so inclined here’s a WOD:

4 Rounds for time:

400m Run

50 Squats

Read “Dangerous” by Patrick Cummings of Again Faster. This quote comes to mind: “There is no substitute for hard work and high intensity.”

Curtis recently shared with us this email:

“This afternoon I forgot to tell you that my general fitness was tested this weekend while I spent close to 14 hours doing heavy yard work – lifting, digging, pulling, punching, stabbing, cursing, etc. I noticed that my body awareness (form), strength and endurance were all at higher levels than I can remember. I am very excited about my early results with your leadership through CrossFit.”

There is no magic pill to losing weight or to becoming functionally fit. You cannot put half the work in and expect more than half the results. It takes discipline, consistency, and hard work.

For those of you who have started with us recently, what observations or results have you seen? Or have you seen none? Please post your thoughts to comments.

We are wrapping up our vacation and heading home. We look forward to seeing all of you back in the gym. Once again we were reminded of the incredible community of CrossFit. We were fortunate enough to visit Ian and Allison of CF Centurion twice this weekend in their very spacious, new box. They have a first class gym with first class people. Everyone went out of their way to welcome us and we made some new friends. Toby, who we had met before at CF Sacramento also dropped in for the WOD today. The community and brotherhood/sisterhood aspect of CrossFit is something you just don’t find too often. Once you do you’re hooked.

5k Run

For Time:

5k Run

Enjoy the sunshine and go for a run with a great view of Mt. Si and the Cascades! We’ll do the same in Granite Bay, CA. Post your time to comments.

Walking Lunges

400m walking lunges for time.

Keep the knee behind the toe box, let it gently kiss the ground. Hands off the knees while lunging and keep the chest up. This WOD is tougher than you think.

Jim practicing.