Rainier CrossFit

Memorial Day weekend

Here's the schedule for the upcoming holiday weekend and the following chaos---

Saturday May 25th - Regular Saturday hours, 101 at 9am, Saturday Suck at 10am
Monday May 27th - Saturday schedule, open at 9:30, go at 10am NO 101
Tuesday - Wedneday - normal hours

Thursday - Friday NO 101. We're trying to be open regular hours these days. Watch here for updates. We may have to close if our whole staff is at Regionals.

Saturday May 31-- CLOSED for the Crossfit Games NW Regional

Back to Regionals

I spent the last couple days on some recent developments within the Fragile X community, but today it's full speed ahead back at Regionals.

Two (yes, 2) semi's will get unloaded a week from now and set up will begin Thursday morning. We've got another weekend to learn what we can about running a flawless event. Once again, the hardest thing is to get all of the information out to everyone. 

By now, everyone should have a pretty good idea of what your job is - weather it's to compete, cheer, judge, move equipment, or write on people with sharpies. (THAT'S the job everyone wants --- surprise!!)

If you're a regional volunteer and you need some help, email northwestvolunteers@crossfitgames.com. If you're looking for answers to some FAQ's, check the regional facebook page FAQ's.  

A little more

So yesterday, I let you guys know a little about the news rocking the Fragile X community recently. 

While Casey is not involved in this study, I know how Casey's world would be affected if all the sudden someone told me I couldn't bring him to RCF anymore. A really good thing in his life would be taken away and I'd fight with everything I had to keep it. 

Yesterday, you guys were introduced to Parker. I chose Parker's story because his mom Holly is so clearly wrecked and determined to support Parker. 

Wrecked. and Determined. 

Sounds like round 3 of Fran, huh?

I don't know if it will help, actually I don't even know if it's the right thing to do (to ask government to intervene in private business) but a petition had been created - by Parker's mom, no less - to ask the government for financial help keeping Arbaclofen (aka stx209) available to these kids while the FDA finishes it's approval process. 

I know I'd be asking everyone I could think of if it were me.

I'm asking you then, to go sign the petition. You have to register, and then confirm your registration by clicking an email link. It takes a few minutes of your time. I'm not asking for anything more than that.

 Here's the link 

The National Fragile X Foundation has more information, in case you're wanting to read more. 

Casey is on the verge of starting a clinical trial that involves a drug that acts on the same pathway as Arbaclofen. We hope it will be as sfe and as successful as stx209 has been.  

opposite directions

Like a barbell tipped on one end- something is *off* here.

Every once in a while, I post about Fragile X here because it affects Casey, our Casey. 

We put on RCF's Strongest Man and Woman (shameless plug for this years September 21st event right here) as a fundraiser for Fragile X Research.  All the money we raise goes to FRAXA and FRAXA funds research grants for Fragile X. So far we've sent over $45,000. 

Last week, one of the most promising treatments was pulled from clinical trials.

You see, in 10 days I'll have 5000 people (ish) attending an event that I'm orchestrating. It's taking up a big chunk of my time right now. I'm right where I need to be on my 10 page to-do list in order to make sure than I's are dotted and T's are crossed come May 31st.

It leaves very little time to jump headfirst into another crisis.

But the current crisis has my heart. Regionals may have my brain and my email, but my hearts all worried about STX209.  

STX209 is Seaside Therapeutics drug that targets an overactive pathway in the fragile x brain. This drug, true of many drugs in clinical trials, works for some but not for all. But the ones it was working for will lose it. They'll have to taper off of it in the coming weeks because Seaside doesn't have the money to keep making it. It's not FDA approved so no one else can make it, either.  Even if it were made, it would help such a small population that it would probably never make money.

Here's the heart breaking part- nevermind. Just go read this. 3 1/2 years... When a drug trial ends...

Parker could be Casey. Casey could be Parker. My heart is broken.

More tomorrow. Today I can't see the keyboard through my tears. 

two weeks

Two weeks from today we'll be setting up the ShoWare center for the CrossFit Games NorthWset Regionals!

A lot of our focus is going there right now so if I'm slow to return emails that's why. We're spending every available second getting ready to put on the best CrossFit event in the northwest.  On Sunday, you'll be able to watch a live stream of the final events from one of the first regionals on the Games site: www.games.crossfit.com

weekend prank

So it's pretty widely known that we prank Kurtis when he's out of town teaching at CrossFit Level 1 seminars. That's how the "feminine itching and burning cream" ended up in the men's bathroom and why the hulk was sporting a pink tutu for a while.

It should also explain the raccoon. Kind of.

So Big Sam shows up and asks us if we want to see his raccoon. WHAT??!!  Yup, he has one in his truck. The story of how it got there is even more fantastic but you'll have to ask him.

So of course I ask if I can borrow it and we gingerly set the rabid, matted creature up on the log. (Sorry Joey).

The best part of the story comes from Cheryl who sees it out of the corner of her eye and thinks "how in the world **with expletives, I'm sure** am I supposed to get that rodent out of here. It's hard enough when a stray bird flies in here"  

So Kurtis doesn't even notice Rocky the Raccoon until Kristin brings it to his attention.  I still not sure if he knows it belongs to Sam...

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing a Happy Mother's Day to all the RCF mom's- if you're a mom, a soon-to-be mom, or our mom. Gramndmothers, aunt's and the one's we count on to be our mom's when we need one. Have a great day!

Wise words

 

Jon Gilson, owner of Again Faster, posted this on Facebook yesterday. It's spot on. If you're considering CrossFit, read this. 

 

 

Something is stopping you from CrossFitting. Perhaps you believe you're not fit enough to begin. Perhaps you believe it's too hard.

Fair enough; casual observation would lead to the erroneous conclusion that everyone in the gym began life as a superhero, chiseled out beef and granite

They didn't. They were just like you, carrying ten pounds of fat where there should be ten pounds of muscle. They were unsure of high intensity exercise, intimidated by movements demanding coordination and strength, scared of looking stupid. 

Unfortunately, you don't get to see the history, the place where every one of those people started. You should. You should get a time machine, you should see where they began. 

It would give you courage. 

My first day of CrossFit, we jumped rope. More accurately, other people jumped rope. I stumbled around the room, arms and legs in a tragic, asynchronous excuse for athletic movement. 

I expected laughter. Instead, I got help. A girl stopped, mid-workout, unconcerned with the time on the clock, and showed me what to do. Patiently. Like she gave a sh*t about me, about making me a part of the group, about quelling my anxiety. She helped me, and I left with a new skill, a little less awkward.

I know your experience will be the same. Someone will help you, unbidden. You will be aided, taught, encouraged, and loved by the people in your gym. You'll be hugged and motivated and coached. You won't even have to ask.

Then, you'll look around one day at what you've become, and you'll realize that no one started that way, but everyone ends up that way. You'll realize that no one is a superhero. You're surrounded by normal people doing extraordinary things, and you're one of them.

You'll know that you got there because you took the first step. You started. You ignored your fears, just like the people in the gym will ignore your shortcomings. You started, because you realized that nothing is stopping you from CrossFitting. 

Nothing.

Muscle-up Marisa

The last piece of Marisa's regional puzzle fell into place with 23 days left. SO PROUD of you!!!

Read this: FED UP: Why We Must Cook Our Way to Health

There were no ingredients to make real food, only pre-made factory food science projects with unpronounceable, unrecognizable ingredient lists. Unless you look at the glossy pictures on the front of those packages, there is no way to know if what’s inside is a Pizza Stuffer, Pop-Tart, Cool Whip, a corn dog, or Hamburger Helper. They all contain the same processed ingredients: high fructose corn syrup, flour, salt, hydrogenated fats, MSG, colors, additives, and preservatives, all squeezed into injection-molded inventions of different colors, shapes, and textures, but all containing nearly the same ingredient list. 

They had been hoodwinked by “health claims” that made them fat and sick, including “low fat,” “diet,” “zero trans fats,” or “whole grain.” Whole grain Pop-Tarts? Zero trans fats in Cool Whip? It is 100% trans fat, but since the serving size is small, and the food lobby forced Congress to permit them to label a “food” as having zero trans fat if it has less than 2 grams per serving, they can legally lie.  

More planning

Taking care of our regional volunteers! Meeting with the caterer (yup, caterer who mentioned salmon lettuce wraps) getting you guys a credential that's NOT a plastic wristband. I hate those things. Planning the volunteer appreciation cocktail hour.

If you're a regional volunteer you should be able to log in your volunteer account from the Games site and see the days you're scheduled.

If you'd still like to volunteer, I have a few remaining spots left for mechanically inclined folks to help with the structural changes to the pull-up rig thought the weekend.

Shoot me an email if you're interested.