Safety First

• Tuesday, April 24th, 2012
• by amy

While things are settling down a bit, classes, especially the evening classes, are still somewhat congested.  Once school lets out, things will thin out a bit, but here are some suggestions to keep yourself and your CrossFitting neighbors safe during workouts.

1. Follow Your Bar!  Don't let it bounce off in to your neighbor's area.  I know that you're tired, but so is everyone else.  If you need a lesson in how to "drop" your bar while maintaining control of it, just ask.
2. In the same vein as #1, don't drop empty barbells or kettelbells.  That's a good way to damage the equipment, and possibly yourself.
3. Please be cautious of moving barbells.  Just because you want/need that set of 5#s, don't just walk around your fellow lifter to get them.  Wait until the bar is either on the floor or safely in the rack.
4. If you are not participating in class, please stay off the black for those who are.  Even if it seems like there's not much going on, it's a respect issue.  A coach will usually bark at you to get off the black ... help us save our voices!!
5. If your fellow lifter is going for a heavy work set, or is attempting a heavy PR, it is common courtesy to stay out of their line of sight and peripheral vision, as much as possible.
6. Please put your equipment away, and clean up after yourself.  While it can be a communal effort, just get it done.  That sometimes includes vacuuming up a chalk spill or dirty shoe deposit, or mopping up your sweat angel.
7. When in doubt, check out the House Rules.

A Prison Sentence

• Monday, April 23rd, 2012
• by amy

My best friend was diagnosed with pretty severe dyslexia when she was about 8.  She repeated kindergarten, and all the adults knew that something was up, but not exactly what.  This was in the mid ‘70s.  She also repeated the 6th grade, and Erin’s parents were told that she would probably never graduate from high school.

She received a prison sentence from those doctors. Thankfully Erin, her parents, and her teachers ignored the sentence.

Erin (yes, our daughter is named after her) now holds a Masters in Education, specializing in special education.  She finished her undergraduate degree in 4 years while competing on her school’s swim team all 4 seasons.

Last week I met a young lady who had a pretty severe foot injury a few years ago.  After her surgery, her doctor told her that his goal for her was that she would eventually be able to walk in supportive shoes for a few hours and experience medication-managed pain.

Yet another prison sentence.  My goal for her is to ignore the sentence.

We all know folks who have exceeded medical expectations.  They have disregarded their sentences, handed down from the Doctor-On-High.

I sometimes think about going back to school to get some more letters after my name so I can call BS.  I guess my BS, the rest of my alphabet soup, and my 20 years of experience doesn’t carry enough credibility.

The Paleo Ground Sloth

• Friday, April 20th, 2012
• by Carol

Thanks to Emily Thomas, one of our clients, for sharing her blog and a recipe!  The Paleo Ground Sloth is funny as hell and full of cool recipes and adventures (and a little French so watch for tender ears...)  Read on...

P.S. Check this response by Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms (located in Swoope, Virginia) to James McWilliams' editorial in the NY Times entitled The Myth of Sustainable Meat .  A$$ officially kicked.

From Emily...

A bit on my food philosophy: Paleo saved me. I was a vegetarian for 3+ years because I cut open animals on a daily basis and lost an appetite for them (smell VT's chickens and you'll soon know why...) During that time I developed a whole load of GI problems and was constantly in a state of pain or inflammation. Amy recommended Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution and I made the decision to eat meat again for my health - on one condition, the meat must be locally and sustainably produced. I am a huge advocate for supporting community agriculture. I always try to buy produce locally, and I think buying locally is vastly important for small, local economies and the environment.   I'd love to see a locavore revolution start from within the CrossFit Blacksburg community. 

When did my life flip flop?

• I get tagged in CrossFit pictures, rather than night-out pictures
• I'd rather spend my money on good food and Lululemon, instead of pricey designer garb
• I cook 99% of my meals, as opposed to frequenting local restaurants
• I eat meat! And no more tofu and whole wheat pasta!

Amen, sister!  Quality protein and heavy lifting...


Emily's Fire-Roasted Bacon Bison Mini-Meatloaves:

• 1 lb Ground Bison (Annie Kay’s) - some of our ground beef at CFBB would probably work great, too...
• 3/4 lb Bacon, minced – I used plain side meat from Bright’s Pork, but Applegate’s uncured bacon would add some really nice flavors (both Annie Kay’s)
• 14 oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes (Muir Glen – BPA free, Kroger)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 Red bell pepper, chopped (on sale at Kroger, 4 for 5$ at the moment)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Cajun/Creole seasoning, no MSG - I used Todd’s Dirt, which I bought at Whole Foods but it can also be ordered online, or replicated at home:
o 1 tsp. white pepper
o 1 tsp. garlic powder
o 1 tsp. onion powder
o 1 tsp. ground red pepper
o 1 tsp. paprika
o 1 tsp. black pepper
o **Makes 2 tablespoons**
• Salt and pepper to taste

PaleOMG Ketchup:

o 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
o 1 cup vegetable broth
o 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
o 1 tablespoon garlic powder
o 1 tablespoon onion powder
o 1 tablespoon Raw Honey
o 1/4 teaspoon allspice
o Salt, to taste
o Pull out a medium sized saucepan and place over medium heat.
o Add your broth, tomato paste, and apple cider vinegar and mix to combine.
o Then add your spices and salt.
o Let simmer for around 5-7 minutes under low heat. 
o Let cool then place in a sweet, extra cool squeeze bottle. Duh.


Seems pretty simple, huh?


 

Oh The Times, They Are A Changin’

• Thursday, April 19th, 2012
• by amy

The schedule is about to change for the summer season.  Starting on May 14, our new schedule will go in to effect.  There aren't a lot of changes ... the main differences is that almost all evening classes will be level classes.  That means that you'll be figuring out if you're a beginner athlete, an intermediate athlete, or an advanced athlete.  We'll help you with your decision if you need assistance.

The really BIG news for our schedule is the start of a CrossFit Ladies class.  This class will be at 10 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  We can't wait to get more ladies in on the CrossFit Blacksburg action!  We'll be adding a T/Th 9 AM All Levels class to accomodate those folks who need to train on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Copies of the new schedule will be available at the box, and the website will be updated as necessary.

Character

• Wednesday, April 18th, 2012
• by amy

Golfers call their errors, even when no one else is around ... at least they're supposed to do that.  If the ball is hit in to a water hazard, there is a one stroke penalty.  Golf is a sport of honesty and integrity.  I could say that I'm a scratch golfer, but that would be a lie.  I could also say that I have a 3:30 Fran, but that would be a lie too.

What about CrossFit?  Do you call your reps back when you know that you didn't complete the rep?  After your coach admonishes you to get deeper in your overhead squat, and you're still not getting there, do you count the rep?

Character is doing what is right when no one else is watching.

Now that's a legit KB swing from Scinju!

Better than yesterday?

• Tuesday, April 17th, 2012
• by neil

We keep "score" (at least you better be!) in CrossFit to see how we are improving in our overall fitness.  Your journal is a vital tool - the more information you put into it the more you will learn from it.  Yesterday's workout, "32 Hokies", was a good test for me.  I did it two years ago in 23:35, and yesterday I did it in 16:40 at the same weight.  Two years ago I wrote that I didn't do the double unders very well, and yesterday I did, getting straight through four rounds, and only missing once in two others.  Yes, I am also stronger, so I was able to get through the cleans and deadlifts a little faster, but the majority of my improvement came from getting better at the skill of double unders.  If it wasn't in my journal though, I would have no idea why I was so much faster.

Today is a chance for you to measure your progress.  You have all done the baseline at least once, and you're doing it again today.  Make sure you compare your notes, what scaling you used, etc.  I did the baseline just a few weeks ago when we visited CrossFit Jax in Florida for a conference.  10 seconds slower than my PR, and it was all in the squats.  Maybe spending 9 hours in the car the day before affected things?  I don't know for sure if that was the reason, but I noted it in my journal.  

Are you better than yesterday?  Keeping score sure helps figuring it out.

Jordan taking a break during "32 Hokies"

• 3 Comments

April 16

• Monday, April 16th, 2012
• by neil

Today is an important day in the lives of anyone with any connection to Blacksburg or Virginia Tech. We will always remember where we were when the news first broke, and most importantly, we will always remember the 32 lives that were lost in such a short time.  Today is the first time classes will be held on this date since 2007.

Today, as we have for the last several years, we shall honor and remember those 32 souls who left our community too soon.  We can only offer our sweat and our tears - and the promise to never forget.  Today, as never before, commit yourself to giving all you have to the WOD "32 Hokies".

Pecan-Crusted Pork Chops with Apples and Vidalia Onion

• Friday, April 13th, 2012
• by Carol

Now is the time to pick up fresh greens at the Blacksburg Farmer's Market...visit Stonecrop Farm for a dazzling array of chard/kale, salad greens and spinach.  All greens are washed and ready to eat - Gwynn and Robert are super people!


Stonecrop Farm's Signature Braising Mix...

This recipe turned out great the other night and it didn't take very long once the ingredients were assembled.  Saute up the braising mix to serve as a side...

Pecan-Crusted Pork Chops with Sauteed Apples and Vidalia Onion:  recipe/shopping lists are on the freezer!  

6 thick-cut pork chops - pastured, bone-in are best (try Weathertop Farm - they are taking orders now for Fall 2012/Spring 2013 pastured pork and they sell out quickly...plus they have an outstanding website!  Check it out when you get a minute...)

3 or 4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped

1/2 large sweet onion, chopped

1 cup or so processed pecans 

EVOO - 4 or 5 TBSP

Butter (optional)

Seasoning of your choice - I used Penzey’s Bangkok Blend

Garlic/Onion Powder

Paprika/Turmeric

Salt/pepper

Preheat oven to 300.  Mix your choice of seasoning with 4 or 5 TBSP EVOO in a large bowl.  I used all of the ones above together with some salt/pepper.  Add the pork chops to the bowl and coat each one with the mixture.  Heat a saute pan with EVOO and brown each chop then put them into a baking pan.  Then, saute the apples and onion briefly in the same saute pan.  Top each chop first with the processed pecans and press down firmly to form the crust.  Then, top each the apples and onion and a pat or two of butter.  Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes.  The lower heat keeps the chops juicy and tender.



 

Recalibrating

• Thursday, April 12th, 2012
• by amy

This post comes from Becca Borawski, former coach at CrossFit LA, and current managing editor of Breaking Muscle.  This e-zine, if that's the right word, is a great source of information and interviews about not just CrossFit, but various martial arts, general fitness, and life.  Check it out!  Anyway, this blog is about giving yourself a gut-check, but not about slacking off.  I'm 41 years old.  I'm stronger than I've ever been, however I need to be smart.  I just can't train the way I did even 5 years ago.  Becca speaks words of wisdom.

I mentioned here on the blog in passing last week that one thing I've learned over the last six months is the purpose I've been training with for the last...oh, ten to twelve years is no longer suitable for my actual goals and the rest of my life. I've come up against a series of injuries and chronic situations that if I continue to train as I've always trained, will continue to bother me as they have been bothering me, or in fact, might get worse.

I talked with my yoga instructor at length about it a while back. I told her it's hard for me to dial things down and still feel like I accomplished something. I'm used to (literally) destroying myself in a workout. So as a result I end up going too hard, even when I don't think I am, injuring myself, and then having to take a break. And then repeat that cycle...for the last nine months.

My yoga teacher drew me a picture of a thermometer and asked me to imagine my range of 0-10 in terms of workout intensity on the thermometer. She suggested it wasn't that I needed to scale back my workouts, but that I needed to shift my entire scale of 1-10 to a different place on the thermometer. That my old "7" was maybe my new "9" and therefore shouldn't be visited as often. And maybe my new "7" was like my old "5," but instead of beating myself up over "only" working out at a 5-pace, what I really needed to do was recalibrate and let my 7 be my new 7.

Maybe it's silly, or simple, but that kinda blew my mind.

What I needed was to reexamine the situation and see recalibrating not as letting myself off the hook, or failing to be what I "used" to be or am "supposed" to be, but instead see it as taking care of myself for who I am right now.

I plan for this vessel, my body, to last a really darn long time. I need to start acting that way.

Ryan recalibrating to being a dad.  Looks like he's doing a great job!!  

Elevated Cortisol Concentrations In ... ?

• Wednesday, April 11th, 2012
• by amy

... yep, you guessed it, endurance athletes.  According to this study, excessive endurance training leads to elevated levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.  I'm not picking on endurance athletes (much), as I used to be one myself.  Do you love those long hard bike rides?  That's fine, but realize that you're doing it for the enjoyment, and not for the health benefits.

These data suggest that repeated physical stress of intensive training and competitive races among endurance athletes is associated with elevated cortisol exposure over prolonged periods of time. These findings may have important implications with regard to somatic and mental health of athletes which should be investigated in future research.

Check out the synopsis here at Psychoneuroendocrinology (no, I didn't make that up!).  To view the complete research article, you need to sign in to ScienceDirect.  

In effort to lower your cortisol levels as much as possible, ALL of our T-shirts are on sale for $15!  We're going to be getting a new order in next week, and we need to make way for the new gear!  Get yours now!

Andrew H., husband of Sam H., representing CFBburg on Iwo Jima - he's in the Navy stationed in Japan