DC Area Ups and Downs

I have this great weekend planned out in the DC Area.  I don't know how much of my plan is going to work out but we'll see how things unfold.... Here we go!!!!

(9/30) I crashed at my friends Red's studio apt when I got to town.  Luckily it was close to where I was going in the morning so it was a good choice.  I would soon be at the hotel with one of my big sis's, Rotten, and about 400of our closest friends.  First stop of the day was Balance CF (174) in Washington D.C.  As I finished helping with some back squat demo's for the class, I realized my rental car was "courtesy" towed down two blocks at the cost of $100 and ticketed for $100 bucks too! Most expensive drop in ever!
So the WOD was 5-10-4-20-3-30-2-40-1-50 MU and KB @ 1.5 (6:58) it was a good one, even if I was the only one at Rx.  The trainer was cool, he actually used to own CF Durham.  Sorry I didn't get to see you Dionne.

I stopped by District CF to say hi to Andrew and resident BAD ASS Jenn Jones was there.  I hadn't planned on a WOD but that damn girl is very convincing.  5rds of 5 G2OH / 10 Deadlifts / 15 Wall Balls (165#/20#)  in 10:24.  Damn you Jenn!  Your tired energy is awesome!

I stopped by the hotel to drop off my gear and grab Rotten.  We chatted on the way to CF Adaptation (175) in Arlington, VA.  She checked it out but didn't stay for the WOD.  I met Coach Curtis, played with the dogs, and then got to work. 

Deadlift 1x4 (315, 405, 455, 505) and then we took 70% of that 1RM and did this fun WOD:

305# 15DL, 400m run, 10DL, 400, 5DL, 400 in 8:10

I got beat by a girl doing maybe 1/3 the weight but it was cool, she was good!

After a snack we headed out toward Alexandria, VA.  I dropped Rotten off with our friend Dirty for drinks and then hit up one more WOD at Crossfit Capital Jiu-Jitsu (176) at Capital MMA & Elite fitness.  I was early, so I stretched a lot and then we got to work with a front squat ladder of 6x2, GO HEAVY!!  95-135-185-205-275-285, it was fun to me cuz I love front squats.  Then hit up the WOD: 8min AMRAP of 4FS@ 185 (cleaned from the ground and 8 pull ups.  I cleaned up here, completing 10 rds

Work for the day is done, now it's play time!

(10/1) I missed my WOD at MPH due to over sleeping....DAMN PATRON!

(10/3) Up early to hit CF Capitol Hill (177). 

Patrick, the owner, said I would be taken care of when I got there.  Little did I know we would be at a community center, in a second floor classroom!  No dropping weights here.  There was a good group of 14, including a deaf female athlete who worked at her own pace but was really strong.  We started with a long stretch and warm up and then did an 8 min EMOM of 3-4 Strict Presses @ 95#. It was interesting but very fun.  Then a quick class rearrangement led into a 15min AMRAP of 15 Air Squats and 30sec parallel bar hold.  16rds was clutch and only reached by 2 of us.  Fun times were had and there was even a random photo op in the other room. 

(10/4) I spent the day hanging with PB and Rotten.  They wanted to go to sight seeing in Georgetown and I wanted to WOD.....drop me off ladies and have fun.  The left me at Patriot CF (178) in Alexandria, which was fine by me.  I knew some of the trainers already since they work at Potomac CF as well. After some fun stretching we started a 10min death by of HSPU.  I made it thru 8 +3, which was pretty awesome to me.  Then we started to make preps for our WOD:
5rd: 5 Power Snatches @ 115, 10 Ring Dips, 15 K2E, and a 200m Run.  I finished in 14:20 and felt great after. 

Patriot has a great vibe and a super cool staff.  It's a bit out of the way if your in the city without transportation but with a car it's totally a great place to WOD.

(10/5)  I knew we were leaving in a few hours for Savannah but I had enough time for a quick lunch session at Primal Fitness (179).



It was a pretty liberal place set inside of an old firehouse.  The lunch time coach was super chill and let me get at their strength day aggressively.  5x4 Front Squats all at 275.  Good speed out of the bottom and all solid reps.  Did some accessory work while I was there as well.  Thanked coach for letting me drop in and bounced.  I didn't get to chat as much as I liked to due to an intro/boot camp class but hey, it happens. 

I know this one seems short but sometimes there just isn't much interaction between the trainers and drop-in clients.  Time to get on a train car full of crazies and head down to Savannah GA!  God only knows what is about to happen. 

Fishing and Football

If you haven't figured it out, I took a few travel days off to go thru promotion training.  I'm a Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy.  I got a fancy new title, LSC(SS) "Navy" Mike and a fancy new uniform. Enough about that though, back to the WODs!

(9/24) I'm back in Charlotte, NC to visit two of my favorite people in the world, Shawn and Gen Caplette.  They have been better than family to me over the last 12 years and I love to go see them from time to time.  I took MEG, another co-worker, with me so that he could go fishing and see some football with us.  I got up a little early to hit a box or two before the fish started to bite. I found myself first at CF Strength (171) early this Saturday morning. This wasn't your normal looking box by no means.  It was attached to another gym but just barely.  It was hard to explain how crazy it was walking in but once you were in, you knew you were home.  Awesome platforms, tons of creativity, and Bostonians made this place what it was. 

Our 1st WOD was 5rds of 15 Wall Balls and 15 Aussie Push Ups (APU are pulling versions of push ups with your body in that plank position) 7:14  I felt alright after so we took on their WOD "STRENGTH" 5rds of 50m sled push and burpees.  This was 5:10 of hell! Fun but Hell!



Tony and Steph DiLiegro were awesome to work with and really know their sh*t, were Sox fans and they are super strong too!  Glad I could make it in, thanks again!

I had some time to kill before I had to be at the dock, so I figured I'd hit up one more box on the way to the dock.  CF Eternal (172) was on my route, so as always why the hell not.  They had planned a park WOD but I wanted to get a pic of the sign for you all.  When I got there I saw some demo work going on and a guy was building a wheel barrow.  Little did I know that it would be my buddy from this years CF Games, and CFE owner, Josh Elmore. I worked with Josh a lot during the games to make sure everything went according to plan for the Masters Athletes.  I also met some of his athletes, family, and even his wife during this visit  I helped a little bit the the cinder block clean up and then took my turn at "Elizabeth" (21-15-9 Power Cleans and Ring Dips (6:15))

It was a quick and dirty but I really had to get my ass to the dock.  I can't wait to see what the place looks like next time I get to visit.  Thanks bro for letting me use your space.  You and the family are good people, next time I'll try and hit the paleo meal night you guys have. 

As for fishing, we caught two fish and got some great sun.  Football was a bit wet to say the least!  At least the Panthers won!

(9/27) I popped back into GSS CF to see my BFF Cheryl and hit a WOD with her.  Air Force WOD (20 Thrusters, SDHP, Push Press, OHS & Front Squats @ 95# every min do 4 burpees) I finished in 6:54 just so I didn't have to do anymore burpees.  Cheryl kicked butt too!

Then I headed over to meet my friends Tony and Steph for a redo.  I say redo because I've been to this box before but it changed affiliate names and now it's called Hybrid CF (173) in Va Beach, which is part of HTC.  We got into the TRX/CF class, which they both love.  Steph beat me on the first half of the WOD which was TRX Cindy (6 Full Rds) but I got her back after the 2min rest though. 8min of 8 TRX Roll ups, 10 Y Squats, and 12 Hami strains (11)



After a bit of horseplay on the rings and bars, we said our goodbyes and I headed back to my hotel for some rest and to get ready for my upcoming adventure to DC.  Just wait for the most expensive box visit ever..........with no drop in fee!

Extended Labor Day Weekend '11

So Labor Day Weekend was a blast! Not only was I on travel again, I got to visit 5 boxes!!

(9/3) I was working in the south again, this time near Raleigh, NC.  It was a special WOD day across the country as we had all banned together to do "31 Heroes" in honor of our fallen brothers of SEAL TEAM 6.  I contacted CFL2 Trainer, 2011 CF Games Teams competitor and all around bad ass chic, Christmas Abbott about hitting up her box, CF Raleigh (166) and helping support this great cause.  She wouldn't be there due to her L1 cert training schedule but I was assured I'd be in good hands.  As I got there they were already starting the WOD demo, announcing heats and partner assignments.  I got Ryan Lowden, a relatively new athlete to CF but full of heart.  Our 31 was modified from the original due to low ceilings but none the less it was brutal and rewarding
"31 Heroes" CFR Mod
31m AMRAP Partner 1 works on AMRAP while Partner 2 runs a 400 with a 30# Db
8 thrusters @ 135
6 strict pull ups
11 box jumps @ 30"
Then switch and carry on rep count. 

Ryan and I got thru 9+ rounds, which was pretty solid work.  We pushed each other hard and I couldn't have asked for a better partner.  Everyone in heat 1 (our heat) cheered on group two as they took on the task at hand.  It was a great atmosphere with solid people and a great feeling of camaraderie.  Definitely check out CFR if your in the area, maybe it'll be Christmas' turn to give you a present..of pain...if your nice!

(9/5) After a solid rest day, I ventured back out to enjoy my Labor Day with some good old fashioned fun. This time I was at CF Local (167) in Chapel Hill, NC.  So, by old fashioned, I mean hard and fast!!! FRAN was on tap for this crew.  There were around 25 members in the box this morning, so we went off in 5 different heats.  I waited to go last with the owner, Chad Edwards, to push him and little did i know he was pretty much a beast and didn't need my help.  3-2-1 GO!!! Fran was over and done with a PR time for me in 3:22.  I got Chad by 2sec but it wasn't about winning, it was about everyone giving it everything they had and getting thru this fun.

Everyone here was really friendly and super welcoming. I even met a friend of local Pittsburgh Crossfit Shutter Bug, Chris Nolan, while I was there.  Definitely a great place to get your WOD on in the Tar Heel State!

Having a bit more time to kill in the morning, I ran over to Kroger and grabbed some grub before what I thought was my next WOD.  I went to CF Exchange (168) in Raleigh, NC to possibly grab one more WOD before heading back to work.  I waited in the parking lot for a bit and then checked my e-mail to find out that they were closed today.  I went to put a flier for "Make It Paleo" in the mailbox and a nice woman came out to greet me.  Sue DeMaria introduced herself and invited me in.  After some chatting, she offered me what I couldn't refuse.....a WOD. how could I pass up a brand new box all to myself.
15m AMRAP of 10 OHS @ 95#, 15 T2B, & 20 DU
I made it thru 5+2 DU which was good since Fran was still fresh on the old CNS.  I even filled out the waiver mid WOD, it was funny cuz she came toward me and I just started telling her info to fill in.  I'm so lucky that I was getting out to hype a great book and she just happened to see me.  MY whole hearted appreciation goes out to Sue and CFE, you ma'am are amazing. RAISE THE BAR!!!

(9/7) Yes my Labor Day weekend carries beyond conventional boundaries, deal with it.  I travelled my ass over to Va Beach and ended up on Dam Neck military base..I got an ID, I'm good.  After a scenic drive of military personnel and sand dunes, I found my way back to the farthest part of the base where they did some marine training.  Here in this small area was where CF Dominance (169) held court.  All outdoors, even the rig.  10Rds of Hand Release Cindy with a C&J of 135 to start each round. 3-2-1 Go meant that 15 soldiers and sailors went to town on the WOD all at once.  This was tougher than it looks I must say.  16:04, not great, but fun.  Everyone was really cool and had to run back to defending the country so I really didn't get to talk to too many people after.  I'm glad I could check it out though, it was cool being back on a base for a change.

Now I couldn't get outta town without trying one more box.  Nansemond CF (170) in Suffolk, VA has less than normal hours and I was there on a not so normal day for me, so what the hell.  I thought I was lost when I got there since it was actually in the garage of Brian Ross, the trainer and owners home.



His garage had everything a box needed, even rings high enough for muscle ups.  After playing cars with lil Brian, a few more people showed up and we got started.  Shoulder mobility was the focus today and we worked extensively on getting things back to where they belonged.  Now it was WOD time: 10 MU, 25 K2E, 15 HSPU, 35 Ring Rows, & 40 Push Ups in 9:44
This was way too much fun and definitely harder than it looked.  Thanks for a great time Brian, if I can ever make another class, I'd love to come back and meet more of your crew.  Keep getting stronger!

Now that was a busy yet fun extended weekend.  Next time, I'm going back to Charlotte and go fishing!

Mother Nature

As always nothing ever goes as planned but hey, that's life.  I had a great week. My co-worker made it in safe and sound from the west coast and now fun was scheduled. 

We headed east toward an area that holds a special place in my heart, Tidewater, VA. As always though, we had to make a quick stop to a new box.  This time it was once again in Richmond, VA but now we were at CF Full Circle (164).  This place seemed pretty cool, it seemed like a multi use place with MMA, jujitsu, and wrestling all going on.  This day was a skill day with Coach Jason Struck so we stretched and got to work on our overhead skills and I mean all of them! 
3-2-1-1 Push Press: 185-205-225-245
3-2-1-1 Push Jerk: 185-205-225-245
5x4 Strict Press: 135

He was really helpful with the few people that were there, very attentive and knowledgeable.  If you have the time, take a chance and check out CFFC. 

So as you know I work in odd places and this week was no different.  I was ready to go and go word there was an accident that would hold me up.  So I waited a day. Next day a Earthquake. Wait another day. Next day Hurricane.  Well this sucked even though the police force where I was at let us use there gym and showers.  After 4 days of waiting, work said bring your asses home.  So following orders, we got shit packed and hit the road. 

8/26 As we were headed home my partner in crime AK said "where's a new box?" This guy loves this 200 box goal almost as much as I do!  We headed west to Charleston, WV and hit CF WV (165). 

After a quick warm up and some bench press skill we got down and dirty with a fun wod:

4rds of 20 Lateral Jumps / 20 Hand Release Push Ups / 10 Thrusters @ 115 (9:47)

I absolutely loved this wod! The crew was totally cool and super supportive of one another.  Coach Rachel was a good trainer and a cool all around chic.  They have a great down and dirty box and they are they only show in town.  If your ever passing that gold dome in WV, know that you are by one of the better boxes in the state.  Beside they have one kick ass logo!

 

Labor day weekend and 31 Heroes WOD report next.  I'm getting there, I promise!

24 Hours in Winston-Salem, NC

I had some time to kill, so I went to visit an old friend in Winston-Salem, NC. unfortunately my friend had a softball game to play and I was never gonna make it to the start.  Fortunately for me there was a box close by their house and it was a perfect place for me to kill time while waiting for them to finish. 

I was lured by the loud music and sound of bumper plates hitting the floor.  I knew I was in the right spot, CF Winston-Salem (161) !  I was greeted by the owner, Bryan, as I walked in.  After a few introductions and a waiver, I got to watch the end of the previous class finishing up some split jerk practice.  I even helped Bryan work on his technique since there is rarely anyone ever there to watch what the coaches are doing and give them pointers.  I needed this practice, so I was excited to jump in to this strength day here at CFWS.  6x1 was the prescription but once again I was all messed up the silly metric system.  My lifts looked like this: Red, Red/Green, Red/Yellow, Red/Blue, Red/Blue+4.6, and Red/Blue+2.3 or 155, 205, 255, 245, 255(f), 250(f).  Not bad overall, I got to work on some fork work which was key. 

After class I got to spend some time chatting about CrossFit and learning about the other boxes in the area.  All in all, this was a positive example of what the community is all about and I'm glad I got to meet Bryan, his crew, and his box.  Thanks CFWS!

Now after a fun night of catching up and Trivial Pursuit, the last thing I really wanted to do was get up and get back to work.  I figured I've had a few hours to play with so I headed over to CrossFit 24/7 (162).  This wasnt' your normal box but a 24/7 fitness facility.  I was the only person in the 7am "class", now normally I'm OK with some individual training but today I felt off.  I was off because the "trainer" left me to do "Cindy" by myself.  He literally went to another room with a personal client and ignored the fact that I was there.  I don't know about you but this is disheartening and unmotivating.  He actually only spoke to me three times during the WOD:

1. "Half way done"
2. "2 minutes left"
3. "Can you please put on your shirt? Your embarrassing the other trainer"

I hate saying this, but if you have to option to hit this affiliate or sleep in, SLEEP IN and find a later class at CFWS or CF Downtown Winston (163). Oh Yeah, did like 13 rounds of "Cindy", like I said uninspired.  So I found a great little restaurant, got some eggs and bacon and then got ready for that later class at CFDW.  CFDW had a cool studio vibe to it.  Multiple lifting platforms and a spacious middle area made this place I wanted to be at.  We warmed up and then did some skill work with OHS finding a 3RM. I did 200# for 3, which isn't all that bad.  Then we took 70% of our 3rm (140) to our wod of 9 OHS/ 18 Pull Ups/ 6 OHS/ 12 Pull Ups/ 3 OHS/ 6 Pull Ups. Killed it in 2:23!!  The trainer actually thought it was too easy and I should have used more weight. I told her that it was her math problem.  All in all it was a good time with good instructional cues and some good take home tips. Thanks again to CFDW for taking care of me on short notice. Check it out if your in the area and don't forget about the restaurant around the corner, it was AWESOME!

So I hit every box in the Winston-Salem area in under 24 hours. It was mostly a great time and a good area for the CF community. 

 
 

The Traveling CrossFitter Cooks: Pumpkin Soup

So I spent the weekend hanging with blogging and foodie sensations Diane Sanfilippo from Balanced Bites and Bill Staley and Hayley Mason from the Primal Palate.  Being in their world sounds like this....click, click, click, chomp, chomp, chomp, ZZZzzz, ZZZzzz, & ZZZzzz.  You had to be there but it's totally true and I loved it.  I learned a lot about presentation, photography, and even the business side of Make It Paleo, the newest and best Paleo Cookbook on the market.  So after this weekend of awesomeness, I got inspired so here goes my first soup attempt.

Pumpkin Soup

1 med pumpkin, cut in half and seeded

1 qt gluten free chicken broth

½ cup coconut milk

½ med sweet onion chopped

1 tsp pumpkin spice

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 tbs coconut oil

16oz organic pumpkin pie filler

 1.       Preheat oven to 450. Place halved pumpkin in a glass dish with about 1in water. Steam pumpkin for about 45-55 min. You should be able to poke thru the skin of the pumpkin fairly easy when it’s ready.  Remove from over.  Scrap insides of pumpkin from skin and place into food processer or mixer and puree it.

2.       Sauté the onion with the coconut oil
3.       Place chicken broth, coconut milk, cinnamon, salt, pumpkin spice, and sautéd onion into larger pan and let simmer
4.       Add the pumpkin puree and pie filler to broth mixture
5.       Let cook on medium for about 30 min
6.       Serve!

Tip 1: add crushed walnuts for texture and perfect secondary flavor

Tip 2: if you can’t make puree, add the pumpkin scrapings to the broth mixture and use the mixer on it.  Be careful, this could get a little messy
Tip 3: microwaving the pumpkin halves will reduce the prep time. Microwave each half for 10 min each or until insides are soft

Serves 6-8
TC version of the MIP difficulty scale – 1 whisk


I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks again to Diane, Bill, and Hayley for the inspiration.  I won't be a paleo blogger but just another adoring fan.

Aug 3/3 but need 4/4

OK...OK....OK
I know I'm a little behind but damn, my schedule is tighter that a sock monkeys ass frozen in a block of ice.  Wait for that visual....GOT IT?....GOOD!

8/14 - I headed down to CF Durham (155) in Durham, NC for a little Sunday action with the Lumberjack 20.  L20 consists of 20 reps of 275# Deadlifts, 2p KB Swings, 115# OH Squats, Burpees, C2B Pull Ups, 24" Box Jumps and 40# DB Squat Cleans with 400m runs after each round. I finished in 26:16, Fun Times! Coach Doug was really encouraging and explained the moves so that everyone could understand them. I had a blast in my short time there and is a gym definitely worth visiting again. 

8/16 - Since I was back in Tidewater, I figured I get a box or two in. 1st stop was Compound CF (156) in Chesapeake, VA.  Raw and Loud was what I walked into and I liked it. The WOD was a little different, even for me! 200 DU then 4 Rds of 5 Burpees Power Cleans @ 155 & 30 T2B then 200 DU. Forearms, hands, and shoulders = CRUSHED! Finished in 32:25 which was pretty damn good overall.  All ages were in this class and I mean 21 to 65.  It was great to see so much work getting done by everyone! I can't remember who was teaching but I do remember Stephanie, she is a trainer there and a beast to WOD with. 

2nd stop on this trip was to Clique CF (158) in Va Beach, VA.  This trip was unlike most as in I didn't meet the trainer due to another engagement but I did meet one of his long time members Deany Dormer. She let me do whatever I wanted so I hit a Death By WOD. DB SDHP (75#) and Ball Slams (20#). I made it thru 9 rounds, may have had more in me but my hands we tore open from all the T2B not too long ago.  I did get to earn my purple by doing (25) 30" box jumps in under a min. Maybe next time I'll get to meet you Mr. Bennett. 

8/17 - TRIPLET DAY! My old friend Chris was enjoying his last free week before he had to go back to school. So what do you do on a completely open day where WODing is your only option...WOD...A LOT!   1st stop was CF Forward (159) in Spotsylvania, VA. This was their last week in Coach Lindsay's garage, we loved the garage, and we were so glad to get to WOD there.  After some bench press work, we hit our WOD of 1 rd FGB...Balls Out!  I got a 135, not the greatest but it was fun!  Thanks Coach Lindsay and I can't wait to see the new box!



WOD 2 was more of a long term promise visit to Lisa Quinn at CF Spotsy (159) in Spotsylvania, VA.  Lisa was an intern at my L1 and I was her judge at the 2011 Games.  After some big hugs and catching up we hit some strict presses then the WOD of 3Rds 21 Front Squats @ 95#, 30 Sec Handstand hold, 25 GHD Sit Ups, & 30 Sec Hold again.  This was a blast!! Big props to Sheena Phelps who made this WOD a race and a battle! Leg fighting holding HS is fun.  Finished in 11:26 and finished their MAN test in :46 sec.  I had more fun that should be allowed but on to more.  Thanks again for this one Lisa, it was spectacular!  GO HERE IF EVER IN THE SPOTSY AREA...WELL WORTH IT!

For the third and final WOD today we hit up RARE CF (160) in Fredericksburg, VA. I hate to say it but this was unfortunately the least memorable of the day.  21-15-9 DB Burpee DL, Pull ups and Box Jumps.  Blew thru in 9:56 and then we were pretty much out the door.  It was a descent place, must have been a bit off that night though.  Oh Well, it was fun and it was it for the day.

Well that's is for now...more to come soon