W.O.D.
A. 15 Russian KB Swings AFAFP (70/50/35), R90 x6
B. 20 sec row sprint, R2 x 6
C. 10 Mins Double Under Work

W.O.D. – AmRap – 5 Min on: 3min off x 5
10 Box jump, 24″/20″
10 Jumping pull-ups
10 KBS, 50/35
10 Walking Lunge steps
10 KTE
10 Push press, 45 pounds
10 Back extensions
10 Wall ball 20/14
10 Burpees
10 Double Unders
*Pick up wherever you leave off after each segment

Last Chance to Sign Up for the Open!

The 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games Open starts on Wednesday! If you have not signed up yet, what are you waiting for?!? We have received a few inquiries from individuals regarding schedule conflicts. Due to the level of participation we will be running the open workouts for those who cannot come in on Saturday mornings on Thursdays at 6AM and 6:30PM. If you absolutely cannot make it on Saturday morning we will arrange to have a coach judge and score your workouts at this time. We are still encouraging everyone to try their best to complete the workout on Saturday – this will foster the best competitive environment for everyone. If for some reason you are out of town for the entire week or cannot attend Thursday or Saturday’s workouts please see Micah and we will handle it on a case by case basis. PLEASE DO NOT show up to a class expecting to do the workout officially without letting someone know in advance. All scores must be posted and validated by 8PM Sunday and you MUST post a score for all five workouts for any of your scores to count. For a more detailed outline of the rulebook, please see the PDF here.

CrossFit Apex Combine

As some of you may or may not know, five of our athletes and coaches traveled to CrossFit Apex to compete in their 2012 Winter Combine. Please join me in congratulating Morgan Russo, Jeff King, Anthony Masicieri, Carlos Gibson and Kyle George on their achievements this past weekend. This was the first individual competition for Jeff and Anthony and they represented CrossFit215 in fine fashion. Full results and a breakdown of the workouts can be found on CrossFit Apex’s site here.

CrossFit215 Athlete Inspiration

As the CrossFit Games Open rapidly approaches it is easy to get caught up in all of the hoopla surrounding “The Games.”I know many of us, including myself, tend to look for inspiration from the elite Games competitors who have graced the podium over the past few years. The CrossFit Games website is filled with stories of how many veteran firebreathers are preparing for the competitive season. These athlete’s impressive feats of strength and seemingly superhuman stats are enough motivation to get anyone fired up. But sometimes the most inspirational athletes are the ones standing right next to you in your own gym. With that being said, I would like to take the time to highlight the achievements of Morgan Russo this past weekend. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to see it in person, but I was extremely impressed and proud to hear that she pulled 255# on the deadlift ladder workout – a huge PR! For those of you who may not know Morgan well, she is one of the most entertaining and positive people I have ever met. Anytime I see Morgan I am always greeted with a smile. I even had the pleasure of competing alongside her back in November during the OTG competition. This was Morgan’s first individual competition and she was extremely nervous. One thing you may not know about Morgan is that she suffers from a severe anxiety disorder that creates an extreme physiological response when she has a panic attack. If she becomes too overwhelmed, usually when surrounded by lots of people in a claustrophobic setting, her entire body freezes completely leaving her unable to move or speak. These attacks have created ER visits in the past, therefore she forewarned us during the OTG competition that this might happen. Her bravery to even attempt to compete under these circumstances literally floored me. All I could think was, “wow this girl has got guts.” Luckily, Morgan did not have any severe panic attacks that day. She faced her demons and persevered through every workout. Since then Morgan has participated in two additional individual competitions. Speaking with Morgan before each one of them I recognized her attitude was always the same. She mentally prepared herself going into them not to worry about anyone else, but just do her best. I cannot tell you how much I admire this characteristic because it is something I struggle with often.  Morgan’s positive attitude is a great testament to the fact that even though it is easy to get caught up in your own insecurities, if you can learn to set aside your fears, you will experience great success.

Morgan is great example of how the athlete who might appear to be very unassuming on the outside, is actually way stronger than one might perceive both internally and externally. If you compared Morgan next to 2011 CrossFit Games champion Annie Thorisdottir you may conclude very quickly that Annie is obviously the superior athlete. But external assumptions only go so far. The misconception of what some people may define as a great athlete can be compared to the fallacies of how some view the definition of being well educated.  Being well educated doesn’t necessarily mean you had to have great SAT scores, an above average IQ, and a degree with an Ivy League stamp. The word educate is derived from the latin word “educo,” meaning to educe, to draw out, to develop from within. It isn’t about how much knowledge you can absorb and regurgitate, it is about how you organize and use that knowledge after you acquire it. The same goes for how we can distinguish the characteristics of a good athlete. You don’t necessarily have to be the strongest or win every competition you enter. More importantly, what separates the good athletes from the rest of the pack are the following attributes: confidence, a teachable spirit, pride, accountability, competitive perseverance, and discipline. Morgan is a great representation of all of these qualities. She celebrates her own accomplishments but doesn’t gloat. She has drive and determination to constantly improve her weaknesses. She embraces constructive criticism and exhibits eagerness to learn. She acknowledges her mistakes, but turns that into motivation to improve next time. Lastly and most importantly, she does not give up – ever.

I continue to discover that you can learn a lesson from every person you encounter throughout your lifetime. Often, those influences will come from the least likely sources and slip in the back door. Morgan has now become one of my main influences. Despite the fact that I have been doing CrossFit longer then her, Morgan has  participated in 3X as many competitions as I have. Additionally, she has a better deadlift, she leaves me in the dust on the ERG, and most recently I discovered that she can whoop my butt in the water.  She may not be the most accomplished CrossFit athlete in the world, but she represents all of the qualities every athlete should strive to have and embodies everything we stand for at CrossFit215. Morgan has inspired me to stay humble and appreciate every individual victory I achieve. Her influence has reminded me if we do not take the time to look back and celebrate our victories we will never realize all of the hard work we put in.  I wish I were able to witness Morgan’s most recent accomplishments this past weekend at the CrossFit Apex Combine, but luckily I will not have to wait very long to see the next competition on her agenda. The 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games Open starts on Wednesday and this time we will both be competing side by side.

W.O.D.
A1. Back Squat 4×4. (Chains/Bands) R2-3
A2. GHR 4×6-10 (depending on level) R2-3
B. 5 Mins
2.4.6.8.10…
OHS (115/63)
Pull-ups (Scale – ring rows, no bands)

W.O.D.
A. Everything Strongman!!!
We will be doing various lifts and movements.
B. “Strongman Gone Bad”

Dragon Training
A1. Bent Over Barbell Row 4 x 8
A2. Back Squat 4 x 4
+
Team Workout – Each person starts at a different station and you then rotate when your teammate is done the row. Three times through each sequence.
Sequence 1 – 3 Rounds
250m Row
Wall Ball
Rest
Sequence 2 – 3 Rounds
250m Row
OH Sit-Up
Rest
Sequence 3 – 3 Rounds
250m Row

If you missed a training day this week you may also com in and make that up. This is not open gym time, only previous day’s training can be done between Monday and Wednesday of this week. Go do yoga or something!

W.O.D.
A. RFE SL Squat 4x 6-8 @ 20X1 R2
B. 3 Rounds
(15-20-25)* Ring dips
15 OH lunge (45/33)
(35-55-75)* Double Unders
*depends on Level

RFE – Rear Foot Elevated
SL – Single Leg

A. Bench Press 4×5 @ 20X1 R2
B. DL x 10 (155/115)
15 sec. banded sprint
rest 90 sec. x 4
+
6 KB swings (Russian) (70/50)
10 sec. banded sprint
rest 90 seconds x 4
+
200 meter row sprint
rest 90 sec. x 4

Saturday Competition

Congratulations to everyone that came out and competed this Saturday!! It was a fun battle that came down to the last heat for the men. Tune in later in the week for the highlight video….

Our regular competition was nothing compared to the Dragon Ladies, they were FIERCE!!!

Hope to see everyone else next time around!

RX Division
1st – Meredith (not shown here)
2nd – Alli
3rd – Kelly

Men’s Division
1st – Beryl
2nd – Jeff
3rd – Mather