Wellnessmama is a great website that I found this week. All of the recipes are grain-free and pretty simple. This muffin recipe is fantastic - our kids gobbled them up and they take less than 30 minutes to make from start to finish. Bonus! I added chocolate chips to the second batch that I made but you could add just about anything: coconut, seeds, nuts, dried fruit...Find the recipe here...
.jpg)
For the most part, I feel better and move better now than I did 20 years ago. I often hear from people in the box, "I wish I had CrossFit when I was younger!" While that would have been nice, the important part is that you have it now. Yes, after some workouts you may feel like you're decrepit, then you come back stronger. You've got CrossFit now, so take advantage, and continue to feel better.
One of the main things we talk about as coaches is how people move, not necessarily how strong they are. The better somebody moves, the easier it is to make them stronger. But the greatest reward we have is to help folks improve their movement. Helping someone develop a good squat will improve almost every function of daily living, and seeing the progress is a true pleasure!
So keep at it! If you've been with us for a while, or are just getting started, remember that our main goal at CrossFit Blacksburg is to make your life outside of the gym better, and to make you feel not as old as you did last year!
Pullups can come a variety of ways
And if you want to feel younger, listen to Amy's sister Sarah Play the fiddle...
You might not know it from the past few days, but spring is upon us. And with spring comes the prospect of fresh fruit and vegetables! There's nothing quite like eating some local produce; it usually tastes superior to "store" bought produce, has a better nutritional profile than it's far-flung counterparts, and I really like the idea of supporting local small businesses. Yes, it's more expensive, but you get what you pay for!
The Blacksburg Farmers' Market will be kicking off its summer schedule next week, meaning expanded hours on Saturdays and the opportunity to shop on Wednesday afternoons too. There are also many options for CSAs (community supported agriculture) - this is when you pay for the season's produce up front at a somewhat discounted rate, and are promised a share each week of the bounty. While many of us were duped by an upstart CSA last summer, that's not a reason to give up completely. We can't speak highly enough about Tenley Weaver and Dennis Dove of Good Food Good People(goodfoodgoodpeople@swva.net)! We've been buying produce and seedlings from them for years, and they have many CSA options available this year, including separate fruit and veggie shares. Excellent produce from these folks! There are also other local suppliersand vendors. Crows Nest, for example, is not simply a great place to buy flowers and landscaping; it is an excellent source for local veggies, especially asparagus and berries. There are a good many farms out in Giles County with pick your own berries as well. See what's available in our area!!
Don't forget your meat! There are many local options, most with availability for fall. While buying in bulk up front is a big cash outlay, the meat is superior to anything you've ever tasted, and it's so much better for you and the animal! It's an opportunity to invest in your health and future. Check out our resources page for some local farms, and this spring, we'll be buying some beef from our egg supplier Griffin Farms. If you're interested in more information from them, let me know.
Starting today, we are going to be selling local eggs! We've created an arrangement with Griffin Farm in Carroll county, and Marilyn Griffin will be dropping off eggs on Tuesday mornings before the 10 AM class. These eggs come from pastured, happy, and healthy hens, and they are delicious! I've purchased them from Eats before, and they pass our taste test! If you've never had local eggs, you're in for a treat! We'll be charging $4 plus tax, which is less than the prices at Eats and Annie Kays for the same quality egg. These eggs will be sold on a first come, first served basis. We will not hold any eggs. We're starting off purchasing 12 dozen each week, and we can go from there, depending on the response. Brett had the great idea of hard-boiling them and having them available after workouts. That is certainly not out of the question - let us know if you'd be interested in something like that. If you don't quite know what all the brew-ha-ha is about local eggs, check out this article to see why we spend the extra $ on these yummy ova.
And THANKS to Cheetah (Michelle G for those of you not in the know) for the great sausage, sweet potato, and kale soup recipe. We made it last night and it was super yummy, pretty inexpensive, and very simple ... all things that I like! The girls gobbled it up, and everyone in our family gave it a thumbs up! Besides being really good, it was very filling, which is a big plus for us. As an aside, Cheetah is a great example of someone who is committed to CrossFit, and is will to scale movements as necessary for an injury. An injury doesn't mean time off, it just means time off for the injury and scaling/adaptation when necessary. Keep up the great work Cheetah!!
Sweet Potato, Sausage and Kale Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chopped onions
1 tsp salt
6 garlic cloves
1 lb (or more) sausage (Italian, smoked, Andouille etc) sliced in bit size pieces or remove casing and break up into bit size pieces when cooking
6 cups coarsely chopped peeled sweet potatoes
5 cups water
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 bunch of kale (about 16oz) torn
Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, saute 5 min. Add 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and garlic, saute 1 min. Add sausage to pan and cook until sausage is lightly browned. Add potatoes, water and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes. Gradually add kale and remaining salt. Cook 10 min. or until tender.
Every woman who's had a child knows about them. Most likely their husbands know about them too. We're talking about an exercise that focuses on a specific area. Yeah, I know we're not supposed to do that in CrossFit, but here we are talking about it.
Kegels help strengthen the pelvic floor, which is a combination of muscles, ligaments, and tendons that support the organs of the lower abdomen and stabilize the pelvis. A strong pelvic floor is critical in maintaining midline stability and a tight core. The pelvic floor can become weak through child birth, inactivity, and chronic coughing. Many, many women are reluctant to jump rope or box jump because of a weak pelvic floor, which can lead to incontinence.
Here is a good article from the Mayo Clinic on how to perform Kegels for women, and here's an article for men regarding Kegels. Either article might be of benefit to you, inside the gym and out!! The beauty is that you can perform these exercises at any time ... no one will know you're doing them!
Amanda with a nice overhead squat!
We made a huge pot of these on Sunday night - super-easy, filling and yummy! First, we baked up a large spaghetti squash earlier in the day (cut in 1/2 lengthwise and bake in a dish with a little water for about an hour at 400 degrees - scoop out seeds before serving). By making homemade tomato sauce, we were able to avoid all of the additives/sugars that you'll find in pre-made sauces...here is the recipe:
Meatballs:
2 or 3 lbs. ground meat of your choice (we used pork and beef)
1-2 tsp. or so of each:
-oregano
-basil
-sage
-thyme
salt/pepper to taste
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped finely
Mix all ingredients thoroughly into the ground meat. Form meatballs - we make ours into about 2" diameter. Bake for about 30 or 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
Sauce:
2-14 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
3 TBSP olive oil
Same herbs/spices that were used in the meatballs
Juice of one lemon
Quickly saute the garlic and onion in olive oil until fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, lemon juice (brightens the flavors!) and the spices. Simmer while the meatballs are baking. Once the meatballs are finished, add them to the sauce and simmer for another 30 minutes or so. Serve over heaps of spaghetti squash...
.jpg)
These disappeared quickly...
We have some new people at the box who are not only embracing CrossFit, they are also jumping into the paleo diet with both feet. One of the questions they've been asking is "What do you eat"?
It takes a while for your body to make the adjustments you are throwing at it. First, your body is probably not used to working at the intensity level that CrossFit workouts demand. Second, your body is also used to burning carbs for fuel. It takes at least 30 days to make the adjustment - for each one of these changes. You need to figure out how to push yourself to the edge of the cliff while you're working out - without falling off. Your system also needs to learn how to use protein and fat for its primary fuel source. Both of these adaptations take a while. So even if you've been with us for a while, and are just now making the diet change - expect some difficulty.
One thing a lot of people neglect is post workout nutrition. You need to eat as soon as possible after working out! It's the best time to consume nutrient dense carbs such as sweet potatoes. The key is, this an extra meal! You need to still eat your regular meals. I think a lot of the problem people have is not eating enough! If you've just changed to the paleo diet, you have a lot of calories to replace - do it!
There has been some interest expressed in a support group for our wacky way of eating. It could be a recipe exchange, bi&ch session - a chance to get together. Interested? Sound off in the comments.
Wide angle view
Lots of athletes, and coaches too, have been experiencing some calf/lower leg/heel cord tightness lately. Perhaps it's double unders, or the running drills that are getting to you. No matter the cause, there is a solution. Why it's Kelly Starrett and his mobility WOD that will help you achieve posterior lower leg greatness!! Performing optimally, whether you're a competitor or not, requires that you take care of your body. We pack our 60 minute classes chock-full of strength, skill, movement, and workouts. It is your responsibility to take care of some of the extra things on your own. If KStar's website is new to you, start at day one ... it's worth it! Check out the video below to see how to tackle your heel cord issues.
You've seen the list of competitors on the white board with their scores for week one next to their name. Want to join the fun? The first week of the CrossFit Games Open qualifier has been extended one week...which means YOU can still sign up! You'll have the opportunity to do, or re-do, the week one WOD again on Friday. It only costs $10 to register, and you get to compete with over 20,000 athletes around the world! Give it a whirl, register here.
We received a new shipment of T-shirts over the weekend. They are the American Apparel 50/50 blend - great for doing your workouts in. Samples are hanging in the lounge and there are a few color options. Get em while you can!
.jpg)
Chelsey going ground to overhead
Yeah, I'm sure you're tired of hearing it. We believe that most, if not all of us are sensitive to grains, specifically gluten. "But I don't have celiac disease," is a common response. I like to think of most folks' sensitivity to gluten and other grains as being similar to the Claritin ad. Everything looks fine, then the "film" is lifted off, and everything is better.
Check out this article from the Wall Street Journal. It sheds light on a study from BioMedCentral Medicine, which concludes that "gluten can set off a distinct reaction in the intestines and the immune system, even in people who don't have celiac disease."
There is much anecdotal evidence, at our gym and abroad, that support these findings. So many people are reluctant to believe it, and I can appreciate a healthy dose of skepticism. However, what do you have to lose by eliminating all gluten, and better yet all grains, from your diet for 30-45 days? If you start feeling better, including things you didn't even realize were a problem, then great! You can always challenge the hypothesis by introducing gluten back in to your diet and see what happens. My money is on the fact that, if you've been really clean, the gluten will make you feel like doo-doo.
If you want to maximize the work you're doing at CrossFit Blacksburg, give it a try. If you want to keep living in denial, that's fine too. Just don't ask us why you're not making any progress ...
Randall getting way over the bar!
