Let's take a vote. Who thinks that yesterday's workout will be the LAST running WOD of the year? (Bill, you're exempt from voting) I'm thinking the 65 degree weather was the very last "running worthy" day we'll see until 2012. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking.

4 rounds with 5:00 on the clock
500m row
400m run
max double unders
5:00 rest

This might look familiar. Well, that's because we did this back on 10/5. You might have noticed that we have 2 calculators hanging on the walls at the Fort these days. That's because math is VERY hard when you've just worked out. Right Andy? Ok, I have to tell the story. Andy finished the workout and was quite dismayed to learn that his score was lower than it was a month ago. Not one to be satisfied with this answer, he started double checking his numbers. I heard him say, "But that's impossible, because all my numbers were higher this time!" Fortunately Dolores was there to lend a helping hand. I hear she's quite daft when it comes to crunching numbers.

Reminders - Fishing Tournament is this Saturday - BE THERE FOR FUN-NESS! This event is open to everyone. I'm hoping some fellow CrossFitters will come out and play along with their families!

Our November Warrior Women Wednesday was a lot of fun! We had a small turnout, but I guess that's because I scared everyone with the talk of overhead squats. Well....while you ladies were at home, snug on your couches, Trish and Tiffany were CRUSHING their old overhead squat PR's! Trish's old PR was 29kg's and with a little coaching and a LOT of encouragement she got 40kg's last night! Tiffany's old PR was 40kg's and she got 45kg's last night! BOOM! I'm going to give the credit to the mobility work we put in right before our strength work. Oh and Nicki Minaj radio. That stuff was KEY!

[Read more →]

If there's one thing I can say about snatching, it's that you have to be "one" with the bar. Feel it's weight in your hands...connect yourself to the weight of the bar and drive all the force of your body into the bar. The bar is not separate from you, but rather an extension of your being.

Ok, maybe that's a little deep.

The WOD yesterday was
15-12-9
Hang Power Snatch (50/35kg)
pull-ups
burpees

I have to give props to Bad Tiffany for this workout. Her single rep max for snatch is 32kg's, and she used 25kg's for this entire workout! If I had to guess, I'd say it's time for a heavy snatch day...your single rep max is due for an overhaul!

In case you haven't noticed, I added an event for Girl's night In. I put this both on the blog and Facebook, so if you didn't get a facebook invitation, I apologize! This event is open to all current members of the Fort and it's always a total blast! Hope to see you there!

Coming up this Saturday at 5PM is our Fishing Tournament. I can assure you, there is NO skill required to play this game. It's a 4 minute game on the rower where you're trying not to get eaten by sharks. Come row with us while your kids run amok at the open gym that will be going on at the same time! I'll be making a giant batch of my world famous chili for us to enjoy. Bring the adult beverage of your choice or a dish to pass, and a good time will be had by all! (this will take place at the Fire House Gym in Spring Grove)

[Read more →]

One Sunday a month, CrossFit Fire will be hosting a hero WOD. These events will be free and open to anyone interested in honoring the men and women of our armed forces. Our first Hero WOD will take place Sunday, 11/13 at 8AM. We want to honor the men and women who sacrifice so much everyday so that we can enjoy the freedom that we have.

I set out to find a Hero WOD that honored a Navy SEAL by the name of Neil Roberts and six other service men that were killed in action in Afghanistan (Takur Ghar) on March 4, 2002. The incident was nicknamed The Battle of Roberts Ridge. The problem I faced was that there was no WOD for these heros. So instead of picking another Hero WOD I decided to come up with a WOD for Neil Roberts.

Before I go into details about the WOD, I want to give a brief summery about The Battle of Roberts Ridge. The mission was to insert two SEAL teams, Mako 30 and Mako 21, into an observation position on the peak of Takur Ghar Mountain. During the insertion an RPG struck one of the helicopters carrying Roberts in the left side electrical compartment. Once the helicopter was struck by the RPG it shook and turned violently causing Roberts to fall out the back of the helicopter as he was firing towards the enemy. For most of us this would have been it but for Roberts he kept going. Injured from the fall and only having his pistol and two hand grenades he fought till the end. Unmanned surveillance drones found Roberts and observed him crawling towards better cover as three al-Qaeda fighters began moving in on him. Roberts engaged the enemy with what he had but in the end a predator drone showed a puff of heat from an al-Qaeda rifle and the indistinct figure in front of it fall, it was Roberts. It was later reported that the enemy was wearing some of Roberts equipment, one being his helmet, which had a bullet hole it. It was clear that Roberts was wearing the helmet and that he was shot in the head. The predator drone later showed Roberts body being dragged away from the spot where he fell.

The story of Roberts is just the beginning. A quick reaction force, consisting of 19 Rangers was assembled and sent to help the two SEAL teams that were still in the firefight. During the remainder of the fight six other lives were lost. Some of the hardships the Rangers faced to get to the SEALS was a movement up the mountain which was physically demanding and took over 2 hours under heavy mortar fire and in thin mountain air. They climbed the 45-70 degree slope, most of it covered in three feet of snow, weighted down by their weapons, body armor and equipment. Once they reached the enemy at the top, seven Rangers stormed the hill as quickly as they could in the knee-deep snow, shooting and throwing grenades. Within minutes, the Rangers took the hill, killing several Taliban fighters.

This heroic event is gripping and shows the sacrifices and bravery these men displayed during this incident. I wanted to capture this so you can better understand the WOD. For this Hero WOD I wanted everything to have a meaning so that when it gets tough and you want to stop you can dig deep down inside and relate what you are pushing yourself through to something these brave men pushed themselves through.

The Hero WOD "Roberts Ridge"

7 rounds for time: (1 round for each of the heros)
1 - 15 ft. rope climb = climbing the mountain
200M run with two 25lb DB (ammo can, water can, KB, any two items that are 25lbs each) = carrying equipment up the mountain
7 Cleans (70K/50K) = picking up and shouldering each of the 7 hero’s that died that day
400M run with 65lb/45lb sandbag = carrying one of the 7 hero’s that died that day home to their family

Like all WODs there are many scaling options and the most important thing is that you come out and put in your own sacrifice to show your appreciation for these heros and the freedom that we get to enjoy everyday because of people like this. This event is free and open to all CrossFitters and Affiliates, we just ask that you register in advance.  It will be held rain or shine so come on out to CrossFit Fire and help us celebrate the lives of these heroic men.

To sign up for a relay click on the link:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ak_hAyXH3IAVdDZrNmhCd1pET2pmTWJFaGRkZGZiWGc&hl=en_US#gid=0

"For he who sheds his blood (sweat) with me today shall be my brother/sister"

[Read more →]

Bri sent me a VERY excited text message last night saying that the workout was definitely pregnant lady approved!

3:00 max KB swings
3:00 rest
3:00 box jumps

Kettlebell swings are one of the movements that most of our round belly mommas can do throughout their entire pregnancy. KB swings and ball slams get substituted for a lot of the non-preggo friendly movements like burpees and double unders, so don't be surprised in a couple months when KTUCK and Bri are CRUSHING WODs using these movements!

Our strength work yesterday was 4-5 deadlifts, 2:00 rest, max pushups, 2:00 rest (5 rounds). Brad was in the same class as Drew, who is notoriously amazing at push-ups. Brad asked Drew, "So, do you just stop doing push-ups because you get bored?" Funny stuff you guys!

November Warrior Women Wednesday is tomorrow night at 7PM! This is a free class for all the ladies at the Fort, and we'll be doing an overhead squat clinic. Yes, we've already done this once, but I've had a lot of requests for it and I'm ALWAYS game for some overhead squats!

[Read more →]

Don't feel bad about failure....sometimes it's part of getting better! Our WOD yesterday was all about failing over and over!

12:00 AMrAP
max handstand push-ups
max ring dips
max push-ups

The idea was to do a many in a row without stopping, then move on to the next movement. Your score for this workout was your total number of reps. No need to feel bad about only getting 3-4 reps...there was plenty of time on the clock for more!

I have to compliment Mike B for his 2 press + 4 push press strength work yesterday. For his last set, he used his old single rep max rep for press, and did it for 2 reps! Nice work!

My other compliment goes out to Dean and his mustache. There are very few people I know who can grow a respectable amount of facial hair, and yours looked pretty solid. You could give Charlie a run for his money with that 'stache!

[Read more →]

[Read more →]

Our strength work  yesterday was kind of a 2-for-one deal. The goal was to establish a one rep max for "snatch + hang snatch". Essentially, snatch the barbell from the floor, bring it to the hang, and then snatch it again AS HEAVY AS POSSIBLE. We saw some great PR's for people's snatches! Jamie, Kinsy and Kristen C all PR'd their snatch and then followed it up with a 2nd rep from the hang! Nice work ladies.

This was sneaky hard. Looking at it on the board it didn't appear to be a complete suck-fest, but it was tough. Props to Matt, EJ and Hero Mike for their balls-to-the-wall effort for all three rounds!

One of the rules that we have at the Fort is that kids NEED to stay in the front room. We have been letting this slide a little lately, but we need to start enforcing this again. When we're moving weights, your bambinos need to be safely tucked away inside the front room. Is it WAY cooler to hang out and play? For sure. But for their safety and the safety of our athletes let's keep them corralled. Anyone have toys they'd like to donate to the front room?

[Read more →]