Rainier CrossFit

you need this

Not L pull-ups. You don't *need* those.

We know that there are many health benefits of getting enough shuteye, and that thenegative impacts of sleep deprivation can be severe. When it comes to turning off the TV or iPad, setting aside our work, and tucking in at 10 p.m., though, many of us have a tough time actually making it happen.

Read:  Sleeping Tips: 7 Ways To Get To Bed Earlier Tonight

floor press returned

How excited were you to see your second favorite thing to do while laying on the floor show up last week? (We all KNOW your true favorite is abmat sit-ups.)


Read:  Where has all the Playdough Gone? A Father’s Day Reminder to Stop and Smell the Roses


In my experience as an aging athlete (aging used relatively as I’m 43) and with other Masters athletes, the concept of seizing the moment and making the most of what we have is part of the Masters gig.  Nagging injuries and the fear of a significant setback are omnipresent.  The balance between pushing to one’s limits to get stronger, faster, and better while recognizing one’s limitations and stepping back as needed, is a tricky one to navigate.  What strikes me in the context of this article is how challenging it often is for older athletes to appreciate how much we are able to do.  There is so much focus on the “What if’s” and the “I used to’s” and not enough focus on the “How cool is it that I can’s.”   

front squat - kinda

The summer strongman season is beginning around here - in preparation for RCF's Strongest Man and Woman 8 happening on September 21st. 

Hey Tom, why does your front squat position with a 200 pound altas stone look *so much* better than any front squat with a barbell? Just do it like that ^^.

Learning From The Cat from CrossFit Lisbeth

Saw a black and white cat today, sauntering through the grass in the park, a mouse of the deceased persuasion gently cupped in her mouth.

There was no group of cats standing to the side, judging her. “Are you really going to eat that?” “Wrong! Eating animals is murder!” “Here, try this veggie burger instead.”

Not once did that cat stop and look at herself in a puddle or a mirror, comparing her appearance to that of other cats — although in truth she looked a tad “healthy” as my mother would say in her polite manner of avoiding the word “chubby.” (“She does her job well,” the park ranger said this morning of the cat, not of my mother — although I suppose my mother did her job well too.) Not once did the cat think about catching fewer mice, or worry that she was working too hard, or fret that she was getting “bulky.” I’m betting she took a nap in the sun too.

The cat ran when she had to, jumped when she needed to, used her strength in pursuit of her function, and “killed” her workout. She did what cats do, and didn’t even stop to worry about things that were not of importance to her life …

 

maiden voyage

A little whiteboard shorthand: 
RX = you did the workout exactly as described: movement standards, weights, etc.
PR = personal record: your best recoded effort to date on something we repeat 
MV = maiden voyage: your first effort (and there for a PR) on something you will repeat at a later date

Sage advice from our facebook page:

This is for all my RCF peeps: noticed yesterday that we have some newer members in the gym, some of whom seem to be off by themselves on the sidelines. Your mission: assimilate those unsuspecting fools! If you see a person in the gym that you don't know by name, introduce yourself, make a friend. If they're new, invite them to join you on your warm-up run, or to share a barbell on lifting day, help them out if they have a question you can answer, pull that stubborn black band down so they can get a foot in and out without losing an eye, and introduce them to your posse. They're new family members, but they're likely to become good friends, you just might have to make the first move, so give a little spit-shine to the comb-over, straighten that bow-tie, and get up in their grills (yo)!

 

right at home

Casey's most comfortable right near the action. 

School ends for most of our kids in the next few days. We expect an increase in the number of kiddo's present in the gym. As they get more numerous, it will become imperative that they stay in areas designed or designated for them. Getting the new kids area set up is on top of our list right now. It's our hope that with the new expanded kids area, that we'll provide a place where all kids can comfortably enjoy their time in the gym and be entertained while their parents work out.  It's a tough balance between making sure the kids have fun (thereby allowing mom and dad to continue to pursue their fitness) and keeping them safe and out of harm's way.  Spinning jump ropes, swinging kettlebells, and dropped barbells aren't the usual things kids look out for and it's really important to us that they are safe inside the gym. We welcome kids inside the gym at all times, but we ask that parents help us out in making sure they know the rules and stay in areas where they're allowed. 

If you have suggestions, we'd love to hear what would help your kids enjoy their time at RCF. Leave a comment! 

One more (5)

At the very last minute, our friends at King CrossFit let us invade their gym, keep them out late, and let us gather as volunteers for a fun, relaxed evening. THANK YOU for the hospitality and the home away from home!

 

SO MANY people are instrumental in making regionals a terrific event. Kurtis and I hear the bulk of the post event "thank you's" and it's only fair if we pass them on to you guys. If you were a part, any part of regionals, know that we value you, we can't do this without you, and you make this event FUN.  We wouldn't want to do this without you by our side. 

 

THANK YOU. 

 

I'm finally wrapping up Regionals and getting back to normal. Regular posts should be back tomorrow - unless I think of someone else to thank.

Regional Thank You (4)

We couldn't do this without a crew of judges.  They undoubtedly have the most visible, most questioned job at regionals.  This crew of volunteers are all CF-L1's who offer their time to make regionals fair and as  evenly applied as possible. They endure countless hours of meeting, briefing everything from movement standars to how to fill out the scorecards for the scoring people. While they frequesntly get thanks by the athletes themselves, they're often second guessed by the spectators in the stands. WE KNOW they bust their butts to apply the standards as evenly as the human eye can, they seldom make mistakes, and they keep the northwest region well regarded as far as upholding the ideals set by CrossFit.

Well done, judges!

Equipment crew! Regionals (3)

Once again the equipment crew kept the competiton floor set-up, on time, and spotless. Their attention to detail means that Regionals goes off without a hitch. Starting Wednesday morning and ending Sunday night, they hustled to make sure each piece of two semi's full of equipment was cleaned, aligned, and in its proper place. This group is the engine that drives regionals- making it happen day in and day out with marching band precision.

Job well done, equipment crew!

(A regional story you probably haven't heard-- the mid-day change over on Saturday was allotted 15 minutes.  Media filmed the crew, wondering if it could be done in that time frame as it hadn't been accomplished in any other regions.  Their time? 14:55. PR) 

Hola bitc$#s! Regional recap (2)

Regional weekend wouldn't have run as smoothly or been near as fun without the bitc$#s. I wanted to take everything I do, break it into pieces, and give a chunk of it to someone else, in essence duplicating myself. That way, there would be two of us who could handle any crisis that might arise.

I can't thank Corina, Hekia, Ezra, Amie, Sharon, and Carrie enough. I know I leaned on some of you more than others but I know you all had my back and could manage to pull off any magic that became necessary on very short notice.

I've never laughed more at a regional event than I did last weekend. I'm certain that was the most fun I've ever had running for 12 hours straight five days in a row. You guys are rock stars. THANK YOU for being so instrumental in the execution of regionals.  I am so truly lucky to be surrounded by such kick ass ladies.

And that was the BEST Americano ever :)

Regional recap (1)

It's going to take me all week to get everything out that I think I need to.

First, I want to give big props to Marisa who competed this weekend, PR'd her "Jackie", overhead sqautted 160, and got 2 muscle-ups in competition. We are proud of your dedication, effort, and hard work. It's been fun to watch you discover CrossFit, fall in love with it, and excel to the top levels of it so quickly. Can't wait to see what happens next!

Congratulations Marisa!!