There really is no other fitting name for yesterday's workout other than "pain celebration". Bill likes to punish those of us who choose to workout on holidays. (that's my theory at least) The workout yesterday was absolutely amazing. Here's what we did for time:

25 Walking lunge steps
20 Pull-ups
50 Box jumps, 24 inch box
20 Double-unders
25 Ring dips
20 Knees to elbows
30 Kettlebell swings (24kg/16kg)
30 Sit-ups
20 Hang squat cleans (40kg/30kg)
25 Back extensions
30 Wall ball shots (20lb/14lb)
3 Rope climb ascents
DIE

Just to make sure you're paying attention, the last thing we did was 3 rope climbs! As Melissa Byers would say, that's Tom Crusie crazy! Even though all of us looked at the WOD and groaned, almost everyone finished in under 30 minutes. Amazingly, Kelli climbed that damn rope 3 times! Bill and I were ready to catch her on her 3rd climb because it looked like her grip was giving out...but it didn't. She's such a trooper! I also looked around and caught a glimpse of Kris working out. I know I've said it before, but she busts her BUTT during every workout! She claims she just sweats a lot so it gives the illusion of working hard. Uh huh...sure Kris. Don't be so bashful!

Absolutely EVERYONE did a phenomenal job. Thank you for starting off the new year with us! Don't forget the no-sugar challenge!

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A special thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday at the Firehouse Gym to celebrate New Year's Eve.  I think everyone had a good time, right? Susan and Tucker, you two are a BLAST.  The Firehouse hosts birthday parties too ya know...you could always have your next bash there! 

The workout yesterday was Jackie on Steroids.  C'mon Bill...really?  Is there any reason we need to do any workout that has "on steroids" at the end of it?  Sheesh.  The workout started with a normal round of Jackie: row 1000 meters, 50 thrusters, 30 pullups.  Then came the "on steroids" part.  We THEN did: row 750 meters, 25 thrusters, 15 pullups, row 500 meters, 15 thrusters, 9 pullups.  OW. That's all I can say...ow.  

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3 things:

1. As everyone already knows, CrossFit Fire will be hosting a New Year's Eve celebration tonight at the Firehouse Gym in Spring Grove. Everyone and their families/significant others are welcome. We will be heading up there immediately following our 6:00pm class. If you would like to join us, please bring your own beverages (yes, alcohol is allowed).
2. Tomorrow, January 1st, is the beginning our month long "No Sugar Challenge". Anyone who is interested in participating needs to add their name to the whiteboard at the Fort. There will be prizes awarded at the conclusion of the challenge.
3. We need to find out who is interested in participating in the Polar Bear Plunge on Saturday, March 7th. There will be live music, food, and plenty of cold water! The larger the group the better.

For additional details, click on the Events tab at the top of this page. If you have any questions, post to the comments or contact Billifer.

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Yesterday we set a new attendance record for the month - 20 people went through the Fort yesterday for a workout!  We also had two people drop in to say hello and check out our facility.  If you are intereted in watching a class, please feel free to stop by during any of our class times.  We welcome all visitors!

The workout yesterday was 10 rounds for number of reps of 1:00 deadlift and 30 seconds of rest.  The prescribed weight was bodyweight, and Bill even had his scale on hand to make sure we were all telling the truth.   I was looking at everyone's scores, and it would appear that this workout kicked everyone's butt right around round 6.  Congrats to Mills for over 140 reps!  You da Man! 

I want to thank everyone for their kind and encouraging words about Bill's job offer with the ATF.  It was an incredibly hard decision for us, and it helps that our CrossFit family is being so supportive.  A few of you have even offered to get CrossFit certified so you can pitch in and teach some classes - that means more to us than  you could imagine.  THANK YOU.  I hope to see all of you tonight for the New Year's Eve party!  If you  need more info, check out our events page.  

Brandon and Rudy

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Yesterday we put our arms and shoulders to work!  We did 5 rounds for time of 5 press, 10 push press, and 15 push jerk.  Prescribed weight for men was 40kg, and for women it was 30kg.  We are all VERY strong....but there were still very few of us who did this workout as prescribed.  Everyone did a GREAT job!

REMINDER: We will not have a 7PM class tomorrow, on New Year's Eve!  Instead, we will be gathering at the Firehouse Gym for a fun evening of food, drinks, trampolines and tumbling!  Everyone is welcome to attend - bring the kids too!

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To all of my friends at CrossFit Fire,

It is with great sadness that I sit here and write this today. As some of you already know, Jennie and I were faced with a very difficult decision recently. You see, long before I had ever even heard of CrossFit, I began chasing the dream of becoming a Federal Law Enforcement Officer (“Special Agent”). In the fall of 2005, I applied for a position with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). After a very long application process, I finally received an offer of employment from the ATF on Friday, December 12th. After a few very long days of going back and forth, Jennie and I decided that we could not pass on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

This means that I have to report to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), in Glynco, Georgia, for training, beginning on Monday, February 2nd. I will spend the better part of six months down there. Upon graduation, I will have to report to the Columbus, Ohio Field Office.

While away at training, I will still be involved on a daily basis, just not in person. If any of you have any questions or just want to stay in contact, please don’t hesitate to call or email. I will miss everyone and the Fort more than I could ever express!

Jennie will be in charge of coaching classes through August. Therefore, we will have to cut our hours back to what they were when Jennie and I were both working full-time jobs outside of teaching CrossFit. In addition to cutting hours, we will also be utilizing Zach’s knowledge and passion to share the training load with Jennie. It is merely a coincidence that Zach was already scheduled to attend the CrossFit Level 1 certification the first weekend in January. I ask all of you to be open minded and patient during the transition period. Jennie and Zach are both excellent coaches, but will have their own unique styles. We have many more members now than when I was first learning how to run classes. That will make it a much more daunting task, but I know that all of you will do your best to help them grow as coaches.

Over the next several months, we will have to begin planning for when Jennie and I have to relocate to Columbus. As soon as we decide on the path to take, we will be sure to let all of you know. Please don’t assume that this is the end!

I want to make it very clear that this was not an easy decision at all. I have grown to absolutely love coaching all of you and watching every single one of you work hard towards your goals. I will truly cherish the countless hours we have all spent training and laughing together at the Fort.

Yours in friendship (and the occasional training),

Bill

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Saturday mornings have become one of our biggest and most popular class times. I'll tell you honestly that getting out of bed early on Saturday mornings is totally worth it when I get to see all my smiling CrossFitters! Unfortunately, the smiling didn't last long once the workout started. We borrowed a workout from CrossFit Boston, and did breathing thruster ladders. Start with one thruster, then take one breath, then do 2 thrusters, take 2 breaths, 3 thrusters, 3 breaths, until you get to 20 thrusters, 20 breaths. THEN work your way back down the ladder to 1 thruster and 1 breath. We got about 12 rounds into the workout and Bill made the decision that 15 was our new target number, not 20. GOOD LORD. I plan on writing to CrossFit Boston and telling them that posting a workout with fake finish times on their website isn't very nice.

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