CrossFit shouldn’t be this fun, but it is! December 31st we’ve invited CrossFit Southtown up for some fun at our box. We’re going to send 2011 out with a BANG! We’re having a little throwdown and CrossFitting for a cause. We are inviting all to participate as this will just be something we are doing for fun. So don’t be shy!! The cost will be $5 (or what you would like to donate) and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the River Heights Post High Program for Kids with Disabilities. We will be doing two WOD’s and you’ll get a taste what those that compete feel. We will keep things pretty simple so don’t be worried. If you would like an event T-Shirt they will be an additional $15 and you will need to have it ordered no later than Dec 21st.

I didn't think it looked too bad.  WRONG! 

 Wallballs are my nemisis!  But I did it. 

  I knew my time would leave something to be desired (and it did. ha!)  

But  I rolled off that rowing machine, my butt muscles

doing some kind of samba dance.   I fell into what must've  looked

like a sweaty lump. 

Once I caught my breath, I couldn't help but to feel the Crossfit Magic working me over.

I had a great sense of accomplishment knowing I finished.

Was  I the fastest?  Not even close!

Did I work just as hard?  You bet!

What a GREAT day at CrossFit Iota!!!!

Check your ego at the door.
Somewhere a high school kid is warming up with your PR. Remember there is always someone bigger, faster and stronger than you.

Clean up. Put away your toys.
Clean up your sweat, blood and puke. We wish we didn’t have to say this, but don’t spit on our floor, EVER. Pick up your used tape, pens, notebooks, scrap papers, chalk, band-aids, water bottles and sweaty clothes. Chalk is available for use but will tear and rip your hands. Use sparingly and clean up after yourself. Pack it in, pack it out, as they say. Put all the equipment you used back where it belongs. Stack the boxes neatly, put the bars in the racks, stack the plates in order, hang up your jump ropes.

Respect our equipment. Drop as a last resort.
Put things down gently. Dropping weight should be a necessity, not a convenience. Bumpers are designed for emergency dropping, not dropping every repetition.

Try hard. Effort earns respect.
Work hard. Don’t drag people down with a bad attitude. Be optimistic, have fun and push yourself and those around you to do better. NEVER SAY I CAN’T! Bad attitudes are very contagious. Remember, “It’s a Great Day to be Great!”

Don’t cheat. No one cares what your score was. Everyone cares if you cheated.
Be honest with everyone else, and be honest with yourself. You know what full range of motion is, so there’s no excuse for shoddy reps. If someone calls you out for doing something wrong, listen to them. The person standing around watching you work out has a much better perspective on what you’re doing than you do. They’re breathing gently and probably experiencing a restful glow and a sub-60 heart rate. You’re halfway through Fran. You’re biased, trust us.

Learn how to count.
If you lose count, the next number is always 1. If you know you have trouble keeping count, ask someone to count for you.

Family
We consider ourselves a family and thus are not politically correct. We are here to have fun and engage ourselves with other members of our family. We laugh, cuss, fart, yell, scream, grunt, and look funny doing it all at the same time. You will too.

CrossFit boxes as a rule are not that big on formality. Cussing? My delicate sensibilities can handle it. Grunts, groans, screaming? Hey, whatever gets you through the WOD. Blood, sweat, tears? As long as it’s not the 70s band, yeah, no worries. Short shorts, long shorts? Whatever floats your boat. Chalk? My life is covered in it. Knock yerself out!
 However, ahem, there are a few points of etiquette that should be covered. Good sportsmanship, support, and respect. That’s it. That is what we demand at CF Iota. Well, that and blood, sweat, and tears…but you can keep your firstborn. Seriously though, all three points go hand in hand and are pretty much a no brainer.

Maintain good sportsmanship at all times. Don’t whine about the WOD being hard. I know it’s hard, We programmed it to be that way. Everyone else knows it’s hard, they are doing it. Do not get overly upset if you don’t make a lift. Do not angrily slam the bar to the ground, kick or hit it or any other equipment. Do not pout or sulk or walk around cursing. There are legions of people out there that would practically kill for the ability to attempt the lift that you are crying about. Don’t argue with a coach over form or ROM. Just do the rep again and shut up. First off, the coach is right; secondly, it’s only going to make you stronger; and besides, it’s only a workout anyway. And never ever complain about the record board. That is about as crass as it gets.
Respect. A CrossFit box is a temple. It is a place where lives are literally changed. Treat it as such. No, you don’t have to whisper or light a candle or get down on your knees (you’ll be flat on your back soon, though). But, have some respect. Clean up after yourself and don’t leave your stuff lying around.  Throw away your scratch paper. Clean your blood off the bar and your sweat off the floor. You know, respect.
Support. Hey... listen up, just because it’s last doesn’t mean it’s least. You don’t have rivals here... you have teammates. You don’t have competitors... you have people who push you to do more, go faster, be better. Support them. Don’t just talk about yourself and your numbers, ask them how they are, what big lifts they have done recently, how is their training going. If you are done with your workout, run with someone on their last leg, gather around and cheer them on their last rep. Slap hands and pat shoulders, telling people what a great job they did, and mean it. If you see someone new, be friendly, introduce yourself, don’t be a hifalutin rock star. I remember when everyone at CF Iota first started and no one was hot sh#!  in the beginning. Try to remember how you felt at your first class. Absolutely be stoked about your progress and scores, but be stoked about everyone else’s too. If you are just hanging out, help out, never be too cool for school. Support. We are a community, Ladies... a pretty great one!  And that is thanks to all of you.

No, this isn’t a recipe for some magical pie that tastes just like Mom made, only with zero sugar and no artificial ingredients.  This is a recipe for your brain.  A recipe for decision-making.  I know you’ve made many positive changes, and may be nervous about derailing your progress during the holidays, and especially this one which centers around the dinner.  If you follow this recipe, I promise you won’t fall off the wagon, and yet will still enjoy yourself. 1. Remember that sometimes, food is about more than just nutrition.
During the meal, try not to think too much about carbs, glycemic index and all that jazz.  Enjoy the company of your friends and family and just relax and eat like normal.  Why do I say this?  Well if you’ve been making good habits, “eating like normal” will be fine because you are naturally reaching for better stuff nowadays.
2. Addition is easier than subtraction.
Feel free to gorge!  Just do it with the good stuff.  Load up on turkey, salad, greens, and sweet potatoes.  Make some paleo friendly recipes if you’re going to contribute a dish.  Don’t even mention that it’s paleo friendly!  It’ll be good and people will enjoy it.
3. Don’t “cheat,” just make a choice.
Every food choice either “supports goals” or on the other end, it “hinders goals”. Some choices are less optimal than others, but there is a cost/benefit factor here.  If Pillsbury cinnamon rolls are a Thanksgiving breakfast tradition, and you love them dearly, then eat the cinnamon roll (just one, and eat some eggs too).  If you know your moms pecan pie is just pecans and corn syrup, but it’s your favorite pie, then have it for desert.  It’s not a big deal!  You’re enjoying it, and you made a choice based on a thoughtful cost/benefit analysis.  It’s not a cheat.  Why not?  Because…
4. THIS is moderation.
Why am I suddenly saying it’s OK to break all the “rules?”  Because THIS is moderation.  Eating the pecan pie at Thanksgiving is moderation.  Only having a doughnut on Wednesdays when the guy brings them to the office is NOT.     This won’t derail your efforts, because it is only one day in a long while of (now) good habits.
So remember, there is your everyday habits, and there are special occasions.  Let the special occasions be what they are, and enjoy yourself!   Happy Thanksgiving!

Integrity...So I want to address this, and let all you know the importance of being honest with yourself.  Especially in the situations that are very hard to be.  Situations like you face almost everytime you are in the 'CrossFit Mean Streets".

The magic of the WOD happens not when you finish, but in those final moments when you are in a territory you have never been in.  You know when this happens because you might barely be able to stand, or breathe, or keep your food down,....Like todays wod...I was faced with putting a barbell over head that I was barely holding with my shoulders.  It was in this situation that I didn't know,...and...against all other wishes my body may have had, I kept going.   I  gathered all the strength I had, both physically and mentally.  Heck...I found myself thinking back to a time when I was stronger to get me though this dilemma.  I took a second to tighten up every rep.  Whatever it was, and however it plays out, I was going to get through it.  I was in a place I have never been before,...and I pushed through it.  I gained access to that territory.  I got my last 15th rep....It was MINE!

On a small and large scale you are experiencing new territories like this every day...and to take that away from yourself by, for instance, counting that last pull up when your chin wasn't over the bar, or doing 10 reps when you should of done 21, splitting out early on the 400 meter sprint....is blocking this magic from happening.

Everyday you do a WOD.  And everyday your name is written on the whiteboard, next to the score you got.  I can't imagine making up a score for you and writing it next to your name, but this is what you are doing if the standards aren't met.

Last Saturday I PR'd on a 2k row.  I beat my last time by 2 seconds.  But I earned those 2 seconds...It took everything I had in me (and then some)...and that measely 2 seconds made a world of difference about how I felt about myself...that is after the temporary pain of the WOD went away.  If I were routinely fudging my scores, skimming numbers here and there...making up times, or not hitting the standards...that 2 seconds wouldn't have made a difference.  Hell, I could just go to the whiteboard and reduce my time by 10 seconds....that would be alot easier.  BUT...I would have missed out on SO MUCH!, and I wouldn't of truly known or represented myself with integrity.

So remember this.  When the pain is so much you cannot bear it, do not give in to thinking shortcuts don't really matter.  You will be missing out on everything if you complete only 98% of the workout.  It's that last 2% that make you great.....And I want you to be great!

This is a little info from her mom, Coach Tami;

Her full name is Jade Hope Rigby. At my ten week appointment I was told she had a about a ten percent chance of survivng and being normal.  At about twenty five weeks her heart was 70% of her chest so we had to go to the heart specialist at primary childrens.  Needless to say they really didn't know what was wrong the first time we went.  And they didn't really figure it out until she was born.   Every week I had an ultra sound with her.  She stopped growing about 33-34 weeks inside of me and no one knew why.  She is our little miracle.

Congratulations Coach Tami!  She's absoloutely beautiful! 

PS...SO glad to have you back at the box!

How many times have you looked at the clock and realized "oh my gosh!  It's already noon and I haven't even eaten breakfast yet"?  Well, I have done it plenty of times.  The worst part of it is I usually grab the first thing I find to eat...and thats usually not good.

If you are really serious about cleaning up your diet, I suggest packing a cooler.  Does the thought of filling a cooler freak you out?

 

  Follow these simple rules to make packing a clean-eating cooler a breeze.

*  Never boil one egg when you can boil a dozen.  It takes the same amount of time and far less work to do a bunch.

*  Buy family sized packs of chicken breast and gril or bake them all at once.  Have one for dinner and voila!  The rest will do for meals during the week.

*Look for large turkey breasts at the grocery store and roast it up for dinner and the next days meals.  The bonus here isthat your roast turkey is not loaded with sugar, sodium and other hidden ingredients.

*Pack easily portable foods.  Like apples, bananas and pears that are a complete serving in themselves.

*Put a small jar of natural peanutbutter in your cooler soyou can reach for it when something quick.  Pair it with a crunchy apple for a perfect midday snack.

*  Carry a pre-measured amount of whey protein powder in your cooler at all times.  Mix it with water when you need something fast.

* Carry wraps.  Whole grain wraps aare ideal low-fat ways to transport food both to work and to your mouth.  They keep well and are inexpensive.

*  Low-fat dairy.  Like cottage cheese, string cheese and unsweetened yogurt are great to toss into the cooler as well.  Look for plain varities which can spice up yourself with berries and fruit.

*  Don't forget to prepare loads of raw veggies.  Slice them and store in an airtight container.  Veggies are excellent complex carbs to munch on with lean protein- The PERFECT combo!

*Complete your packing with water.  Remember, you will need about 1 to 2 gallons per day.

One of our female CrossFitters from Crossfit Iota shared

 the Protein Pancake Recipe I placed in the  "Recipe of  The Week". 

 I enjoyed it so much that I thought I'd pass it along. It's a keeper.

 Thanks Sue!