Rainier CrossFit

inflict some pain

A lacross ball can get into those tight spaces where the "tender bits" hide.

Artisanal And Authentic, The Flavors Of The New Year

Come 2012, there's a new food vocabulary: authentic, craft, small batch, artisanal, rustic and, of course, local. It's the opposite of processed, mass produced and factory farmed.

What might be called urban neo-ruralism has apartment dwellers canning tomatoes, keeping bees and churning butter.

The small farmer is the new gastronomic superhero, sourced on restaurant menus. Independent butcher shops are opening across the country with unfamiliar cuts like Denver steak, petite tender, flat iron. Expect more specialty meats, too, like bison, elk, goat and rabbit.

close

close

clearly

Mandy's beautiful OHS. You've come a really long way in a short time.

We often talk about a full range of motion- that each movement has a start and a finish, a top and a bottom.  The bottom of the squat is when the crease of the hip is below the knee. When a marble placed on the knee would roll back toward the hip. With the Opens coming up quickly, it's your job as an athlete to show your judges that you CLEARLY, WITHOUT A DOUBT meet the standards of the movement. Anything in the grey area won't count.  It's not your judges job to decipher- it's your duty to display it clearly.

So what are the CrossFit Opens?  They are a world wide, open-to-everyone, CrossFit competition.  CF will announce a workout, complete with movement standards, for participants to complete. You do it, in front of a judge who makes sure you're  meeting (in our case- exceeding) standards. You submit your score, and each week for 5 weeks you're ranked among the tens of thousands of CrossFitters based on your score. 

The Opens are designed for 2 things: to flesh out the top competitors and invite them to Regionals, AND to allow a competition where almost everyone can participate.  Anyone even the slightest bit competitve should create a profile and beginning February 1 you'll be able to register as an athlete.

EVERYONE can participate. The more the merrier.  Create your profile here.

get off your ....

I don't think DJ could *sit still* if he tried.

Here's your Sunday reading from Lifehacker:

How Sitting All Day Is Damaging Your Body and How You Can Counteract It

Do you sit in an office chair or on your couch for more than six hours a day? Then here are some disturbing facts: Your risk of heart disease has increased by up to 64 percent. You're shaving off seven years of quality life. You're also more at risk for certain types of cancer. Simply put, sitting is killing you. That's the bad news. The good news: It's easy to counteract no matter how lazy you are.

 

Mt. Rainier Snowshoers!

We're leaving out of Paradise which is the south entrance to the park by Ashford and Elbe.

Carpools - caravan leaving RCF at 7:55/8:00 am. Meet at RCF then or the Jackson visitor center at 10am.  It's $5/person to get in the park and $4 for snowshoe rental.

They say to wear boots/gloves/hats. There's a pretty good chance of rain tomorrow too- which may be snow there so waterproof is a good idea. The kitchen sink principle applies- bring it all.

it's all in the single

I still maintain that the jump rope was fun when we were 7.

Trouble with your double unders?  Look at your single. 

How's your bounce? easy, relaxed, on your toes? 

Where are your arms? Are your shoulders relaxed, elbows in close, and hands slightly down and in front?

What propels your rope? It should be your wrist and not your elbows or shoulders. 

Can you vary the rate? fastfastfast, slow--slow--slow?  This is a good drill to work on timing.

Without a solid single those doubles are going to be difficult, inefficient, and frustrating.

 

hi-five

After a couple of near misses Evan and Lisa make contact.

Burpee hi-fives, twisted wall ball, anchor chain drags. Whats the most "unusual" thing you've done in a CrossFit gym?  (Why yes, I did leave that wide open) What's been your favorite?

Go read this- It's from Lis so you know it's worth a few minutes.

Tough Love

See, success in one path, or many paths, is not easy. It’s not enough to have a gift, or a talent, or a skill set. Not enough to have  drive, persistence, and dedication. You need to bring it all — and at the right time. So a good coach can be a big old pain in the ass. They’ll bug you to hit the right points, the right speed, the right bar path. They know if you have the talent and the heart and the gumption and the soul — and they want to see you bring it all. Their job is to to help you reach your potential. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it. In the end, you’ll both be better people because of good coaching, whether it’s in the gym or in school or the home or whatever. Good coaches have many names: friend, parent, partner. They’re in more areas of your life than you realize. Anyone helping you to be better is coaching you, whether you think of them in this light or not.

  

What d'ya bench?

We used to tell our football players that if they were laying on their backs pushing weight away from them they'd probably just gotten their @ss kicked...

Not everyone bench presses- but according to IronMaven

Everyone Squats

"No we don't need to squat a house, but we do need to learn how to lower & raise our bodies, within the context of gravity, in an effective manner. Start with a sit to stand from a chair, then progress to a med ball squat. Learn to hold the bottom position and feel it. Feel the floor; learn to push it away. Then if appropriate, use a Hexlite bar, weighted vest or barbell to increase the resistance. Teach the basics and then give the patient movement problems to lift and solve."

group high five

Congratulations to Andrew, Aaron, Seam, Danielle, Emily, and Marisa for a job well done over the weekend. I know Saturday was a really long day but I'm glad you guys returned and had such a good time on Sunday!

We are 4 weeks away from the CrossFit Opens, the first step in qualifying for the CrossFit Games. The second step is of course Regionals- with the big date announcement happening yesterday. Our NorthWest Regional will be Memorial Day weekend - May 25-27 with a set-up day on Thursday the 24th.

A couple of changes to the Opens this year- it's 5 weeks long instead of 6 and the WOD's are announced on Wednesday instead of Tuesday. 

Registration for the Open is rumored to be starting on Wednesday, Feb 1st.

The sport of Fitness

 

The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived – And It Just Might Save Us All… from CF West

Today was a special day for CrossFitters everywhere. National exposure. National recognition. (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, watch the above video which played on network television today). The sport of fitness has truly arrived – and for the naysayers out there, for the people that thought CrossFit was a fad, for the people that thought it was too hard, not scientific, too small of a niche, not “for everyone”, overly-randomized, dangerous, or, just plain silly. Well, I’m sorry to report to you, we’re here to stay.

And mind you, the sport of fitness has arrived because our nation, our world, is dying for it – literally. This is not a marketing campaign, not a convoluted attempt to sell more “widgets”. This movement, this community, this “thing called CrossFit” is a response to a way of life that is wreaking havoc on our planet and killing more people than any disease or war we’ve ever seen. CrossFit, in my opinion, is one species’ survival mechanism finally kicking in; it is Homo Sapiens’ effort to combat laziness, mal-nutrition, and apathy. It is our last ditch effort to derail this trainwreck consisting of obesity and disease. For thousands of years, across cultures, mankind has celebrated, studied, and developed the sacred trilogy of “mind, spirit, and body”. With CrossFit, we are reclaiming the third which has been sorely forgotten in the past century, and if nothing else, is our god-given right as living/breathing animals on this planet. Fight for your right.

And for the naysayers? Well, as for your wish to hold on to a simpler, easier, and more comfortable way of life – your fate will be your just reward.

A healthy gut

The many faces of the post WOD recovery position

Let's talk digestion! Here's your Sunday reading.

It's All in Your Gut! How to Enhance Mood, Immunity and More Through Digestion 

If you have ongoing digestive or immune issues, it is possible that you may have an undiagnosed gluten sensitivity, which is common for many people. Gluten-dense foods can interfere with digestive capacity and have also been found to contribute to the onset of inflammatory conditions, autoimmune disorders, neurological and behavioral illness, skin diseases, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue and a host of other degenerative conditions. A growing population presenting such symptoms have tested negative for gluten intolerance or Celiac disease, an autoimmune condition where any intake of gluten damages the lining of the small intestine. However, after following a strict gluten-free diet for even as little as a week or two, their symptoms clear up dramatically.

taking names

Betty- getting stronger, faster, more flexible. Kicking @ss and taking names.

"Maximum strength capacity reaches a peak sometime around the 2nd or 3rd decade of life and by the fifth decade begins a gradual decline. The good news is that 20 weeks of resistance training in older adults can result in a 1 kg increase in lean body mass. This is in contrast to a 0.18 kg annual decline that often occurs with a sedentary lifestyle beyond 50 years of age.Remarkably it is never too late to improve muscle function. Significant strength adaptations have been shown in subjects aged 85 to 97. Procrastination however is not recommended as it is expected that early intervention will translate to better outcomes."

Follow the link to Lifelong Exercise and Strength Training in Older Adults It had a couple of really interesting pictures that everyone should see.

Back in business

We're OPEN!

Lights are shining, heat is blaring, come on in and get your sweat on. Hang out, recharge, blow dry. Whatever you need. We're back!

competitors

aaron is just one of our competitors for this weekends competition in Lynnwood. We have 4 mixed teams competing Saturday and Sunday. Come up and cheer them on!

I'm fairly certain (If Aaron has anything to do with it) that the horse trough will be making the trek north. As cold and miserable as it is during the dunk - we know from experience that icing during multi- event days helps us. 

Of course the "experts" say empirical evidence be damned.

Why Ice May Be Bad for Sore Muscles

Ice remains an accepted therapy for an acute injury and is popular with many athletes to help them to recover after exercise. But relying on ice to get you back into that senior-league basketball game or onto the running track when you’re already sore is inadvisable. “Athletes should consider that pain is usually a sign that something is wrong with your body,” Dr. Bleakley says. Listen, and stay out of the second half of the senior-league basketball game or skip a day’s run. You have the rest of 2012 to fulfill your resolution.

sprint!

Casey joins the group. Thanks to everyone who makes room for Casey when he decides to jump in.

Check out the sky in the picture above.

To everyone competing this weekend- what's in your bag?  List the things that you take with you to competitions. I'll start even though I'm not competing. As the gym mom here's my list: the first aid kit with lots of tape. Water. food in a cooler. the camera. jump ropes, stretch bands, lacross ball, and a foam roller. extra socks. sunscreen. (ok, maybe not this weekend) towels. ice.  I may even wear my "swiss army coach" t-shirt.  Gotta live up to expectations :)

I'll urge you to remember your lifting shoes, extra clothes, your favorite jump rope. fuel.

Your list may help a newer competitor. Post your "must haves" to comments.

ps- the van leaves RCF at 5:45 Saturday. Do you need a ride?

 

not quite right

The lay on the floor method isn't a good warm-up strategy, either.

Too Many Athletes Warming Up Wrong Says Australilan Sports Scientist

Do you know the difference between static stretching and dynamic warm-ups? Did you know that doing the wrong one of those two can decrease subsequent athletic performance while doing the right one can increase it? If your answer is yes then perhaps you are not one of the athletes that James Zois from the School of Sport & Exercise Science at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia is referring to when he says athletes are warming up wrong.

Earlier this month, Zois talked to the press about the research he is doing on the effect of pre-competition static stretches and dynamic warm-ups on athletes' jumping performance.

He found that static stretching decreased jumping performance by nearly 8%, while dynamic warm-ups increased athletes' vertical jump by 3%.

Static stretching includes things like calf, quad and hip flex stretches. Dynamic warm-ups are range of motion activities such as high knee raises, leg swings and run-throughs, or physical tasks that involve change of direction.

Zois said too many athletes are over-using static stretches as pre-competition warm-ups, and this can be counter-productive. Over-using them just reduces your performance power.

Get warmed up

Wall ball - NOT a warm -up.

There's been a lot of talk about warm-ups lately. About how the goal of a warm up should be to *prepare* you for whats coming. It shouldn't wear you out, it SHOULD address the demands that are about to be placed upon you.

We don't dictate your warm-up. We guide you, give you ideas, suggestions. We create an independant CrossFitter who can look at the day's workout and know what you need to be prepared.  We know it's not the same for everyone.

We do include some mobility work in the warm up, which can fall into the "static stretching" category.  The truth is, the mobility prep work is way more important than a tiny but of power you may lose.  We're not competing in the Olympic games today. We're training. The time you spend between mobility work and the actual 3-2-1 Go! is plenty of time for your CNS to organize itself and be ready.

 

This weekend is Lynnwoods Cretus Ex Duellum. I'll be driving up both days in the go-go minivan if anyone wants to carpool.  Athlete Registration is at 7am on Saturday morning so lets leave RCF at 5:45am.  I'll be there at 5:30.  Bring everything you need for the day - clothes, food, drinks, etc.  Please let me know if you want a seat in the van!

The commercial

 

Have you seen THE commercial everyone in CF is talking about? What do you think of it?

 

community

Having never been a member of an "Elks" club or other social/service organization I can't speak to "community" much outside of a college sorority and CrossFit.

Apparently there's a community in Seattle centered around a mini-market and some good beer. Sounds really familiar.  Here's your Sunday reading.

A Postmodern Elks Club Serving Some of the World's Best Beer

BEER = FRIENDS

Convenience stores occupy a strange niche in our landscape. We're always grateful for them when we need them -- that midnight run for smokes, or cough syrup, or overpriced milk for the baby. Yet who doesn't feel a small relief to escape their racks of porn and their late-night flourescent melancholy? You don't linger at the mini-mart. Their whole raison d'être is speed: You get in, you get out.

That's why perhaps the most interesting thing about Super Deli Mart isn't the beer at all, but what beer has wrought: community.

Chung had larger ambitions when he tapped that first keg in 2009. "I didn't want the place to be just a convenience store, or a stereotypical convenience store," he says. He'd come to this very store himself as a child. It was part of his upbringing. He knew it had been an understated presence in West Seattle since the 1940s. "You know the old-time general store -- a drugstore that was a gathering place?" he says. "That's the type of feel I wanted."

The community seemed to crave that, too. With their pints, more and more people started to linger. Now in one corner of Super Deli Mart sits a thick fallen-cedar table courtesy of a regular that would look more at home in some Northwest-chic hotel. A regular group of up to 20 locals gather around that table every Wednesday evening to argue beer styles and grouse about the Seahawks' latest disappointment -- as if Super Deli Mart was some postmodern Elks Club.

Have you read it?

Simple minds are easily entertained. They're watching wall ball....

Have you read the ingredient list on your favorite energy drink?  If you haven't, you should. If you have and you're still wondering what some of that stuff is- check this out. It's almost as scary as Friday the 13th...

Energy Drink Ingredients

Its seems energy drink companies are cramming more and more ingredients into their products.

“What do all these ingredients supposedly do to/for my body?”, has become a common question among consumers.

Here is a list of the most common ingredients and their believed effects on the body. While ingredients such as caffeine have been widely studied, others haven’t and are using manly anecdotal evidence as justification of their use.

***PARKING REMINDER****  Please do not park in the first four spaces of the building across from us (#13720)  Those spots are reserved for the business that is there. I know there isn't any signage but we're trying our best to be good neighbors. The four spots are in front of the 2 garage doors and 2 man doors across from us. Our entire building, the rest of that building, and along the back drive are all open parking.

waste some time

Why the "deer in the headlights" looks, gentlemen?

 

I know you have a hidden talent. What is it? Can you do the splits? Play the flute? I want to hear about the amazing things you guys do outside of RCF. I know you take down bad guys, put out fires, inspire our youth, save lives-- but what about the really cool stuff? Tell me about it!

while we're at it

How many times have you heard "a straight line" used when talking about an overhead position, full hip extension, a start position. Vicki shows us what a "not straight line" looks like. Take your pencil (you have one, right?  If not, a knitting needle will work) and see if her hands, shoulders, point of the hip and heel make a staight line. 

Really, go ahead. I'm waiting.

They don't, right?

So Vicki isn't passing the straight line test.

Actually- she did. In coaching Vicki during this workout I asked her for a straight line and she continued to stand up tall, press that bar toward the ceiling (active shoulder) and tighten her abs. The result was a beautiful overhead position that passed the straight line test - but was missed by the camera.

knees out

Knees need to track out wide and over the foot in order to get all the way down to "crease of the hip below the patella"  If that knee caves in, it's not the knees problem - it's a weakness in the external rotators of the hip. It will, however, affect the tracking of the patella and can cause generalized pain around the front of the knee.

Sunday we asked the question on FB about how you spend your rest days. Yoga was a popular option. Might be safer to take up bull riding...

Proof that everything can be dangerous-

How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body

"After class, I asked Black about his approach to teaching yoga — the emphasis on holding only a few simple poses, the absence of common inversions like headstands and shoulder stands. He gave me the kind of answer you’d expect from any yoga teacher: that awareness is more important than rushing through a series of postures just to say you’d done them. But then he said something more radical. Black has come to believe that “the vast majority of people” should give up yoga altogether. It’s simply too likely to cause harm."

starting today

Lisa competed at the CrossFit Games last summer in LA. I bet she never even dreamed of how far she could go on her first day.

Welcome to our newest group of On Rampers today. 16 of you will start this crazy ride we call CrossFit today.

There's a writer in our community named Lisbeth. We call her Lis and we see her on the Affiliates Blog, the Facebook page- she's the social media diva for CrossFit. She's got this uncanny ability to say just the right things.

Some of you starting today will end up here: Scrappers

Some people just have more of it and you can see it: the fight, the fire inside. They may not be the biggest or the tallest or the person you notice first when you walk into a room, but they’re the people you’re still thinking about long after you left the gym.

Scrappers. Fighters. The never-say-die folks. The people who would really rather bleed — a lot — than quit. The ones with fire in their eyes as soon as their feet hit the floor in the morning. The folks who grab each day and smash through it like every single breath was their last.

You know these folks. You grab them for a team WOD whenever you can. They may not be the strongest or the most talented, but you want them on your side because you know they’re never going to quit — and they’re not going to let you quit, or let up, or ease up for more than a second to catch your breath.

It’s not just that they want to win, but that they simply can’t live with less than 100% effort.

 

They piss you off sometimes. On days that you don’t feel so good, you look over and still they’re going hard: fighting, struggling, clawing to keep going. Why can’t they just stop being so intense? Ease up. Allow the rest of us a chance to relax too. Give everybody some more SOYA (Sitting on Your Ass) time.

And that’s exactly why you like them too. Because they won’t stop. They can’t stop. Ask them to dial down the intensity and you might as well ask them to breathe less. They’ve been scrapping all their life and they’ve just got to keep going. It’s the only way they know how to live. And, somehow, just by pushing harder, they make you want to push harder too.

So here’s to the scrappers: people who make us all better just by being there. Folks who are living proof that it’s never been the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. Thank you.

  

Bear crawls

They were fun when you were little.

Your Sunday reading. This came out a while ago and maybe you've read it, but it's a little long and better suited for a Sunday.

The Fat Trap from The NYT

"So where does that leave a person who wants to lose a sizable amount of weight? Weight-loss scientists say they believe that once more people understand the genetic and biological challenges of keeping weight off, doctors and patients will approach weight loss more realistically and more compassionately. At the very least, the science may compel people who are already overweight to work harder to make sure they don’t put on additional pounds. Some people, upon learning how hard permanent weight loss can be, may give up entirely and return to overeating. Others may decide to accept themselves at their current weight and try to boost their fitness and overall health rather than changing the number on the scale."

 

Why we're not a "box"

We're not a box because you can't do thrusters inside a box. (Have you ever tried it? that would have to be one huge cube of cardboard.)

I can't pinpoint why, but calling RCF a "box" has never sat well with me. Perhaps it's the slang meaning of "box"  (check unban dictionary) Y'all don't get to come play in my box.

Sure, it's easy to say. Single syllable and all. Ox. Fox. Box. Dr Seuss would have a ball.  (Oy vey)

Perhaps it's because what goes on in here is way more complicated than a cardboard cube. Kurtis would argue thats it's " corrugated fiberboard". Cardboard is mere paper.

It takes strength, durability, and weatherproofing to contain us.  Boxes left out in the Washington rain become mush. Something we will NOT do.

It just seems 'box" is a simple term that doesn't stand up to the greatness that goes on in here. So what are we?  Thats simple, we're RCF.

This IS you guys.

This is actually Casey and Sam with my parents and the puppy at Thanksgiving.

What I mean by This IS you guys is this:

Carrie told me about a story on King 5 about Fragile X. The kiddo in the story participated in the same minocycline trial at UCDavis as Casey did.  Guess who funded the studies that found the minocycline/Fragile X relationship. Yup. FRAXA. 

Guess where every RCF's Strongest Man and Woman dollar goes?  yup. FRAXA.

I can't stress this enough. THIS IS YOUR DONATION AT WORK.  You guys did this. Your dollars did this. It's an amazing display of what a community can do when we come together for a common cause. Your donation doesn't go to some vaccuum, never to be seen or heard from again. It's working- for Casey and lots of kids like him, including this little girl.

You guys kick ass.

Drug studied for Fragile X, autism symptoms

by HealthLink Team

KING5.com

Posted on January 3, 2012 at 6:00 AM

Holly is her mom's little princess. But her fairytale started with a scare. Her mother, Vicki Davis, learned while pregnant with Holly, that she was a carrier of Fragile X Syndrome.

"I had never heard of it. I had no clue what it was," said Vicki Davis.

It's a mutation of a gene on the x chromosome, that leads to a lack of protein production, critical for development. It's one of the most common causes of mental retardation and autism.

"Thirty percent of individuals with Fragile X Syndrome have full autism. Another thirty percent have autism spectrum disorder," explained Dr. Randi Hagerman. Dr. Hagerman is Medical Director of the MIND Institute and Professor of Pediatrics, at University of California Davis Medical Center.

Dr. Hagerman met holly when the girl was just months old. Her Fragile X Syndrome was subtle. Still there were issues.

"She was extremely delayed," said Dr. Hagerman

As part of a clinical trial, Holly started taking a serotonin medication. Then minocycline, a common antibiotic normally used to treat acne, was added to her regimen.

"Her developmental testing just improved remarkably," said Dr. Hagerman.

Holly didn't start talking until she was two and a half. Vicki Davis says additional minocycline treatments around that time helped her catch up, even excel. At just four, Holly started reading.

"The medication really created some of those pathways that taught her how to learn," said Davis.
The drugs that treated Holly have some side effects. They include gastro-intestinal issues, and in rare cases, severe headaches.

Dr. Hagerman hopes the treatments that helped Holly could do the same for autistic kids. That could mean a lot more children living happily ever after.

Dr. Hagerman Said the treatment can be used in older kids with Fragile X Syndrome. But the results might not be as dramatic. The researchers are currently testing other drugs to improve symptoms for 5 to 25 year olds.

some fast help

Sometimes you need to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n and sit while you get chalk. OK, not really.

Sure, you could task your favorite kid to do your chores for you. You could hire them out. Safeway delivers groceries.

One of my favorite "tools" is the crock pot. Throw the ingredients in and a few hours later you have hot, tasty food waiting for you. A friend of mine once refered to her Crock Pot as the maid. "My maid is cooking dinner right now".  Sounded good to me so I hired one, too.

This is for my friend Sydney :)

Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic from PaleoMama

I know what you’re thinking. 40 cloves of garlic?!?!?!! I know that vampires have been the in thing lately, but isn’t this a little TOO much insurance? Won’t my breath demolish anyone I meet for a week after eating this?

Never fear. The garlic cooks down in this slow cooker dish, so it is no longer potent and overwhelming.

 

Share your favorite time savers in comments!

time stealers

Sometimes it just needs to be done- in heels.

So that "time" thing we touched on yesterday- there's a lot of money to be made in "time".  Drive thru Starbucks? check. (a lifesaver for mom's with little kids on rainy days, though!) Rotisserie chickens? check. New flavor combinations for Velveeta Cheesy Skillets Dinner Kits? fail.

Food companies try to market products to us that appeal to our sense of "saving time". After all, who wants to wash dishes when you can just toss paper plates?  (bring on the palmolive, thanks)

Coming Soon to a Store Near You: More Highly Processed Foods

You may be interested in how real foods improve health and wellbeing, taste better, reduce waste, and are friendlier to the environment.

But such foods, alas, are much less profitable than those highly processed.

Caroline Scott-Thomas of Food Navigator USA gives us a preview of what Big Food has in store for us next year. Coming soon to a store near you:

From General Mills:

• Dulce de Leche Cheerios
• Peanut butter Cheerios

And from Kraft:

• BelVita breakfast biscuit, a cookie-type product made with whole grains and fortified with vitamins and minerals
• MilkBite Milk and Granola bars with as much calcium as an 8 oz glass of milk
• New flavor combinations for Velveeta Cheesy Skillets Dinner Kits
• New Kraft Sizzling Salads Dinner Kits to which you can add your choice of meat and vegetables

The rationale for this last one?

Americans are having more interactive experiences with food and want the opportunity to do some of the cooking themselves. With global influence and the merging of different cultures, consumers are open to new flavor combinations. Being able to customize the flavor and texture to enhance the end dish is important and Kraft Foods is delivering.

Real food anyone? Or -- how's this for an idea -- real cooking?

it's about time

We all have the same 1440 minutes in each day so why do we see some of you so often and others of you so infrequently?

The simple answer is you. If you make this a priority in your day, and in your life, you'll find the time to get here. Find that time to get here and you'll like the results you see.

Since there's no way to add minutes to our day, and we all know what happens if we steal minutes from our sleep (nothing good, right?) then all we can do is use our minutes more wisely.

It Will Be Hard To 'Save Time' In The New Year

" How many mornings have you awakened and frantically exclaimed, "I can't do this, I will never get everything done today?" We have been bombarded with books on how to save time, become more efficient and gain more time for leisure, family and, yes, even more work. Computers, smart phones, the internet and FedEx all claim to save us time and enhance the quality of our lives. But can they really deliver on this promise?

It is a fact. You can't save time. According to Gleick, time is what we live in and we never really have it to lose -- "time is just life as we live it." There are only 1,440 minutes in a day and it is up to each of us to decide on how to use them. Most of us don't really mean that we want to save time. What we really want is to do more."

homework

Sometimes you need a helping hand.

We have 2 broad categories of athletes at RCF. Those who just want a good workout, who come back for the programming, the coaching, and the supervision. These people aren't likely to keep a log book, enter competitions, care who they beat or who beats them on the board. (me, roughly- though I do keep a book) The other type is the "I want to get better, compete, kick ass, reach new PR's, and check items off my CF bucket list" 

If you're the second type you have homework.

On the counter are some sheets of paper for you to fill out and turn in. They're due by the 15th. The top page is a "what I accomplished in 2011 and my goals for 2012" the second page is a list of our movements where you get to rank yourself anywhere between "I'm really good at this" and "I suck at this"

If you're client A, above, you're welcome to fill these out but you don't need to.
If you're go-getter client B above, please spend a few minutes to evaluate yourself. It's a worthwhile time expenditure as we enter Games season. Plus, it's a new year. Time to take what we've learned in the past an apply it to an entirely clean slate.

 

 

I am the new year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time. I am your next chance at the art of living.

I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months.

All that you sought and didn’t find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it out with more determination.
...
All the good that you tried for and didn’t achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.

All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed but did not have – these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose.

I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to Him who said, “Behold, I make all things new.”

I am the new year.

~ author unknown ~