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Bigger groups create more energy and result in more fun.
Did you guys notice the energy and excitement on Saturday? It wasn't because burppes are edge-of-your-seat thrilling. It's because a group of people brought together for a competition style WOD is FUN. It's LOUD. The energy is palpable. You perform better. For all practical purposes: it sucks less.
There are a couple more covert reasons for getting together as a big group and doing these Open WODs all at one time. You're told beforehand when you need to perform. You plan for it. Fuel for it. Prepare mentally for it. It's more like competing in the real world. You don't start a Sunday NFL game "when you feel ready". There's a start time, and you need to be ready. Deadlines are good for us and they're a very real part of competition.
It's also important to test drive performance under pressure. Do you rise to the occasion or do you crack? Do nerves get the best of you? How can you best capitalize on butterflies?
We have an opportunity to travel to complete the final Open WOD. This would involve preparing food, planning warm-up strategies, packing for competition. All things that become hugely important if you want to succeed in CF outside of our home gym. If you're interested in a short little field trip- let us know. We'll be asking for your input over the next few days.
Open WOD 12.1 is in the books. The next one will be announced Wednesday at 5pm.
WE CAN'T DO SATURDAY for the Open workout this week because we are hosting a CrossFit Kids trainier course next weekend. As fun as it was to have the big group, the energy, and the loudness I think we'll do 12.2 on Friday during all of our open hours with the big push in the afternoon.
If you can plan on being judged on Friday between 3:30 and 6 (I'll need help from my L1's) then lets go with that. If you need to be judged at at time other than Friday afternoon you need to email, call, text, or tell us in person a time that works for you. If you're not on the schedule with an appointment we may not have anyone around to judge for you. We can do it at other times but you need to tell us. There are a few people who need a Sunday time this week so we'll work on that.
Congratulations to everyone who completed 7 minutes of burpees. That was a nasty little number to start us off!
Yup. Thats Jim on top of the WORLDWIDE leaderboard for Masters men 60 and over. The top 20 individuals in each Master's category advance directly to the CrossFit Games in LA. Aaron said he spent 7 minutes with the biggest grin on his face just watching Jim pound out the burpees.
Now for more fun: How a wife should undress for her husband (1937)
Turn-about IS fair play. How a man should undress with dignity and charm. (also 1937)
Notice neither one had to hold on to their wingman to get it done:)
Tim heads up the mens side of the leaderboard with 98 burpees but Marisa's our overall leader with 106.
This morning is the big day for Open WOD 12.1 at RCF. The first heat will go about 10 and we'll run as many in a heat as we have judges. We'll keep the heats going until we're all burpeed out.
After you perform your burpees and swear to never fall on your face again, you still need to SUBMIT YOUR SCORE.
Log back into the Games site using your user name and password you set up when you registered. Over on the right side, under "workouts" click on submit workout 12.1 score, the performed at an affiliate, then type in Rainier. We'll pop up on the drop down menu and you'll need to select us. Typing it in won't work. Enter your score and submit.
Only after you follow these steps will I be able to check into the system and with scorecard in hand, validate your score. It just takes a few moments after I validate for you to show up on the leaderboard. If you don't submit your score you won't get credit for it. I can't do it for you. It must be in by Sunday at 5pm to count.
7 minutes is a long time for a single movement. Good luck!
Hair takes the best pictures :)
Here's the recipe I was talking about- first person to make it has to report back!
A co-worker of mine is currently on a special diet and has been experimenting with several low-carb dishes. One day a few weeks ago, she dropped by my office to tell me about a recipe she’d found – pizza crust made of cauliflower! Yes, it sounded a little strange, but I was definitely intrigued. Since she’s a culinary school graduate and enjoys food as much I do, I trust her judgement and wanted to try it.
1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt
olive oil (optional)
pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings*
(directions on the website linked above)
Nice to see Dave back-- even if he's still one handed.
Starting February 26th (Sunday) UW will offer a couple of free Paleo presentations online each day for 8 days. They are free to watch online and you can purchase the entire series.
Just wanted to give you guys the heads up in case you're interested in watching!
http://paleosummit.com/
The first open workout will be announced tonight at 5pm. I'm betting it WON'T have weighted lunges.
So here's our plan for the Opens.
CF will announce the workout on Wednesdays at 5pm. You'll have a chance to play with the pieces but we'll only be judging these WOD's on Saturday mornings. You will only be able to do them once in front of a judge.
First- DON'T PANIC. If you can't come in on Saturday we'll arrange another time for you but you must get a hold of us ASAP.
Second - here's why. Once the workout is announced we'll be able to program the rest of the week around Saturdays demands. That means you won't be doing heavy deadlifts 2 days in a row. We'll have a couple days to break the workout into its components and PLAY with it - not perform it in it's entirety.
Last year we learned a couple of things-- repeating a workout (once, twice, three times) NEVER worked. It WRECKED people and may have resulted in a score that improved by a point or two, but usually scores declined by a few points or more. Repeating a workout simply wasn't worth it.
Attepmting the Open WOD multiple times in a week resulted in stalled progress in every one of our markers of progress. Attendance dropped, PR's lacked, injuries increased. People got burnt out, tired, and over-used. At the end of the Opens we'd spent 6 weeks being exhausted with nothing to show for it. We've learned.
We'll make the Open programming fit into our schedule this year. We will continue to improve as athletes during this 5 weeks of competition. We won't get all wrapped up in a few certain movements to the detriment of everything else we strive for.
Judging will be by our staff of keen-eyed L1's and will uphold our strict standards. We will only validate scores that take place in our presence. 2 people meeting at RCF during the dark of night and "vouching" for each other doesn't jive with our standards.
If you need to be judged at a time other than Saturdays, schedule it with us. We'll make it happen. If your plan is to go down and judge each other outside of regular hours, call us. We'll make sure either Laurie or Kurtis is there so we can honestly "validate" the scores.
Welcome to the Opens- Good luck--- AND HAVE FUN!!!
Brian pre-dates On Ramp.
RCF's "On Ramp" is the second most tested On Ramp program in CrossFit. On Ramp originated with Nicki Violetti who shared her program with me in February of 2008 before she made it public for the entire CF community. We ran it, as written by her a couple of times before we started with some minor changes that fit our gym a little more specifically. In the past years, we've run 25 sessions of On Ramp spanning 4 years and 5 re-writings. We've toyed and tweaked, tested and changed. We've shared our version with over 30 affiliates both in and out of Washington. It's free for the asking - we're happy to share it with anyone. Use it as written, or as a jumping off point for your own affiliate. Make it your own, and make it work for you. We share, freely, with our friends as Nicki shared with us so many, many years ago. On Ramp is the foundation of our beginner program at RCF.
From the blog of Vern Gamebtta:
If you are going to build a strong, long lasting stable structure you must build a sound foundation. You are thinking, well that is obvious. Well if it so obvious why do we persist in fast tracking our athletes, specializing them early without giving them the proper foundation? If the building materials we use to build the foundation is of poor quality or an ingredient is omitted it will show up later as deficiencies in the final structure. Look at it from the positive side; great athletes who have flawless technique and are injury free have foundations built on fundamental movement skills and basic physical conditioning. Nothing fancy, just the basics well taught and mastered. Without this foundation sooner or later the structure built on the weak foundation will fail. Most often it will fail under stress. The stress can be increased training load or tougher more frequent competition, but failure is inevitable.
The message is clear, build a solid foundation made up of good construction material. Develop fundamental movements so that the athlete has the movement vocabulary to progress when appropriate to basic sports skills. The same with physical conditioning give the athlete the basics of strength, speed, endurance and flexibility and then progressively build on that. No need to be in a hurry, move step by step, insure mastery of each step before proceeding to the next step. As part of the foundation teach good training habits and routine. Encourage learning through discovery. Time and effort dedicated to building a strong stable foundation will insure the probability of long success.
I'm pretty sure everyone single person from RCF joins me in wishing Alicia the best of luck with her move, her new home, and her new start. Such exciting times for you!! We'll always be here for a visit when you need us. You've been an immeasurable part of our family for a long time now, it's been one of our greatest pleasures to watch what you've done inside and outside of the gym. We will miss you more than you'll know.
Something to be said about "short duration, high intensity". Even the NYT is talking about it.
“The hard work is short,” she points out, “so it’s tolerable.” Members of a separate, exercise control group at the rehab center, assigned to complete standard 30-minute moderate-intensity workout sessions, have been watching wistfully as the interval trainers leave the lab before them. “They want to switch groups,” she said.
The first CrossFit Open workout will be announced on Wednesday at 5pm. You have until Sunday at 5pm to register, complete this WOD, and submit your score.
The Opens are for EVERYONE. We had 6 weeks full of firsts, new PR's, and "I didn't know I could do that's" last year. The workouts are designed for (almost) everyone to accomplish. They might be on the slightly heavy side (no worries for us!) and offer a few more technical challenges (muscle-ups) but they are designed to be performed by the majority of crossfitters. YOU CAN DO THIS. Everyone can. It's your chance to do the very same workouts as Iceland Annie and Mikko Salo and see how you stack up.
We will be doing these workouts anyway, as a gym, so you may as well sign up!
Did I mention- GO HERE to sign up?
That's your Sunday homework. Happy rest day!
You know those stubborn spots- those painful little knots in hard to reach places? Try getting in there with a lacross ball (tennis or raquet balls are softer). Get the ball right in the painful spot and leave it there. Now move your arm to over your head either going straight out in from or around to the side - try both. It's a little different way to apprach sore spots. We can roll over the sore spots by moving the ball or we can dig into them and then move the tissues over the unmoving ball. Two different approaches to solving the same issues.
Be careful when you're first starting out- it's really easy to bruise yourself.
The Maltz Memorial Challenge returns on Friday, March 23rd from 10am to 1pm.
You can PRE-ORDER t-shits, they are $20. Talk to Laurie to get that done- in person or via email.
You need to REGISTER for this event, even though it's a free event. We need a head count!
The gauntlet has been thrown, the Challenge issued, the race is on the build the best teams. RCF- we will be challenged by the KCSO, the DEA, and the WSP--- IN OUR OWN HOUSE!! Lets show them how we do this thing.
Want to know more about Micheal Maltz and the challenge in his honor? The website is http://deamaltzchallenge.com/index.html There is a registration set up there but don't use that one- I need you guys to go here, to our registration system, so we can get an accurate number for ordering lunch!
I'll get you guys more details about the workout, start times, etc in the coming days! But please, if you want a t-shirt let me know NOW as the pre-order will be over shortly!
With no identifying features you're supposed to get to know Brenden. I suppose now you know his elbows AND if you see some guy walking around on his hands carrying a medicine ball with his feet you can safely *assume* it's Brenden.
Like Riley, Brenden is a "transfer". He comes our way from Yakima CrossFit, coached there, and competed at Regionals in both 2010 and 2011. We're excited to have him in the gym bringing a new face to competition and pushing many of our top guys. Welcome, Brenden!
Does it feel like there's lots of new faces in here? Like you don't know anyone and you miss the "old crowd?" While spaced out, the OG (old guard) is still around but I really urge you guys to get to know this young (CrossFit speaking) crowd. We're are lucky to be surrounded by some pretty cool characters, diverse humans, great athletes, goofball kids, and kick-ass grown-ups. Did you know you're not a "grown-up" until you're 50? Ask Sam, it's true.
Andy stops laughing long enough to help Ezra get upside down on the rings.
I asked on FB yesterday for a few words the describe CrossFit. Here's what we got:
ADDICTING!!
effective
Real
Intense.
Tough!
Exciting
Cult-ish in a totally good way!
Underground!!
Friends, family and F-ing hard!
Empowerment. Family. Enduring.
sore somewhere different every day and lovin it
Life changing
Accomplishment!
Community
Raw Power
Relentless
A gym where you can do things you never thought were possible, where you can challenge yourself and feel good about it. Where you get stronger with every workout.
Torture ... In a really great rewarding kinda way. Something that can build you up to heights unimagined and the next day can bring you to your knees.
Humbling!
Constantly awesome
Sounds like fun, huh? On Ramp was supposed to start today but we've delayed it a week. It will now run from Monday February 20th to Friday March 16th from 6-7pm. We have 2 open spots if you want to get in on a little of the above list. You'll need to call to reserve your spot, online registration is no longer active.
Aaron's registered for the CrossFit Opens. You should be, too. Go here.
Not sure if you guys read the comments section ofCF.com but every rest day in January, a guy who calls himself "Bingo" explains the what-what to all of the newbies joining CrossFit that month. He does a really nice job as the one-man welcoming committee and keeps his own blog as well. This is from him:
The CrossFit Games season is upon us. The Open begins in 10 days. Do you care? Should you care? Why?
You, me, we are the 99% of CrossFit. Seriously, the chances that you or I will make it to the Regionals is pretty similar to the proverbial snowball thrown across the River Styx. It ain’t gonna happen. Is that the kicker?
The Open is going to be too heavy and too long for you and me. It sure as heck was last year. I don’t expect that we will see too much more in the way of load this year (I think Tony Budding and Dave Castro did a remarkable job making it inclusive last year), but I also don’t see it being any lighter, either. Will that be your tipping point?
It’s impossible to plan for the Open WOD’s. They come right in the middle of the week, and if you push your Open attempt back to the weekend you have to decide how you will prepare once you know what’s coming. It wreaks havoc with your training and your schedule. What’s gonna give?
Do you care? Yes, you do. Why? Because where else can you play Pebble Beach, the same track as the big boys and girls, for $20? The Open is your chance to take a few laps at Indianapolis Speedway or that fancy-dancy roadway in Germany whose name no one can pronounce. Old or young, big or small, you get to dig in at home plate and take your hacks at Fenway Park, field a punt at Candlestick, line up your PK at Wembley.
You are part of a much larger whole, whether you are a member of an Affiliate gym or a solo CrossFitter in a Globo. This is the time of year when everyone still comes to a central cyber-gym, congregates around the CrossFit table, and dines on our particular fitness cuisine. Together.
You…me…we are the 99% of CrossFit, and the Open is ours. You do care. You’re damn right you’re in. Register. Post.
Occupy the CrossFit Games.
Newcomer to RCF Riley didn't even lose his hat to skin the cats. He's "transfer" from CFSnohomish brought this way by a job. He's not alone as we see more and more CrossFitters moving around and switching affiliates. The cool part is that *almost* wherever you go, there will be an affiliate for you. Except maybe in Tatonka, right Holly?
The second thing I want to share with your from dontbuyads.com
A year and a half ago, I wrote an essay called, "Cowboys Vs. Shepherds." In subsequent posts, I cautioned that it was important to have BOTH types of Coaches on staff - both those who led from the front, by example, and those who led from the middle or back, through support.
The Firebreather Coach - of which we have several - creates a sense of awe. They dangle the carrot. The question they're most often asked? "How long have you been doing this?" - covers what the new client really wants to know: "Can I REALLY get to where YOU are? How long would it take me? Is it even POSSIBLE?"
These are important role models. In a world newly obsessed with meeting the MINIMUM standard, CrossFit has largely risen to prominence through its example of excellence.
In your business, though, the Shepherd is usually the one who builds your Affiliate Family. While the Cowboy is focusing on their OWN excellence, the Shepherd will forgo today's workout...if it means fitting you in on short notice. They won't hesitate; their job is to recognize those who may fall off the back of the pack, and gently nudge them back into the herd.
I'm at the back.
Thankfully, my reputation is not that of Optimus Prime. I'm on the bubble to make my own Affiliate Team, and everyone knows it; I likely won't qualify as an Individual for Regionals. When you have a problem, though, you call me. If you're missing workouts, I'm going to call YOU. If you're struggling to pull a deadlift PR, I can help because I've BEEN there. Things don't come easy for me, and that's part of my strength as Coach.
Running a Box will have you up at 4am. It will have you up until midnight, sometimes on the same day. On some days, you'll grab food when you can, and hug your wife hard after the noon group, because that's the only time she'll see you awake that day. It's fulfilling, from start to finish, bottom to top.....IF your fulfillment comes from helping others. If you're a Cowboy, hire a good Shepherd; if you're a Shepherd, find a Cowboy leader from among the ranks, and get them started as a Coach. You NEED both in your Affiliate.
Congratulations to Alicia - our newest CF-L1. (she got the happy "you passed!" email this week regarding the test at the end of the level one seminar)
From dontbuyads.com
(this is the first of two posts I want to share from him)
Coaches differ in personality, but that doesn't mean that one style is better than another. Different styles attract (and keep) different clients.
Consider two styles of animal control, the Cowboy and the Shepherd:
The Cowboy:
The Shepherd:
Both:
Of note: though the 'cowboy' figure is more romanticized, it's no coincidence that the largest grassroots-driven movement of all time refers to its Messiah as "The Good Shepherd." If people can relate to you as one of them, part of The Resistance, a leader in name and action, they're more likely to follow. It's sometimes easier to convince the flock to move in a single direction than one single wild stallion. So says me, but hey - I come from generations of shepherds.
Bring back your inner athlete.
Were you an athlete? Even a marginal one? I played ____ in high school. Baseball? Football? Tennis?
I used to ski but now my knees ache. I ran track, placed at State but that was 20 years and 20 pounds ago. I was captain of my swim team.
Gone are your glory days, right? Replaced by carpools, toddler gymnastics, and pee-wee hockey. You’ve turned in your jersey and signed up to be the soccer mom. You even have the mini-van to get the job done.
Your truck is full of orange cones, a mesh bag of basketballs, and a whistle. Your only pick-up game is an hour long at the Y on Saturdays with a whole gym full of 8 year olds running in the wrong direction.
Somewhere inside, you miss the “team”, the road trips, the nick names, and the Friday night lights.
Let me tell you, they miss you.
I’m not about to tell you to join that adults only dodgeball league. I’m going to tell you to join a CrossFit gym.
The team is back, made up of your closest friends, all cheering for you, working together, and striving toward a common goal. You’ll suffer together, you’ll triumph together, you might even travel together. You’ll set goals, you’ll reach goals, you’ll set new ones. You’ll blow your old self right out of the water. You’ll bring back your inner athlete.
All of this by joining a gym? We’re not just a gym. We’re a cohesive team. A school of fish swimming together, turning together, accelerating together. The camaraderie, the support, the encouragement, the friendship, the training, the challenge – you’ll find yourself back on the team in no time. What you won’t find are long rides on school buses, awkward locker room showers, or smelly uniforms. (You’re a grown up, do your laundry!)
Ready to join the team? Start in the gym. Then take it to the streets, the slopes, the court, or the field. You’re inner athlete is just hidden, not gone. Find it here.
Originally posted a year ago but still appropriate today. BTW - Have you signed up for the Opens yet? They start Feb 22nd.
How about The Big Climb? I hear there's less than 100 spots left until it's SOLD OUT. Get on this, peeps. Next week is too late!
Three generations-- and our "newest" friend Collin!
Heels- Love 'em or hate 'em? A Scientific Look at the Dangers of High Heels
How shoes affect human gait is a controversial topic these days. The popularity of barefoot running, for instance, has grown in large part because of the belief, still unproven, that wearing modern, well-cushioned running shoes decreases foot strength and proprioception, the sense of how the body is positioned in space, and contributes to running-related injuries.
Whether high heels might likewise affect the wearer’s biomechanics and injury risk has received scant scientific attention, however, even though millions of women wear heels almost every day. So, in one of the first studies of its kind, the Australian scientists recruited nine young women who had worn high heels for at least 40 hours a week for a minimum of two years. The scientists also recruited 10 young women who rarely, if ever, wore heels to serve as controls. The women were in their late teens, 20s or early 30s.
The scientists asked the heel-wearing women to bring their favorite pair of high-heeled shoes to the lab. There, both groups of women were equipped with electrodes to track leg-muscle activity, as well as motion-capture reflective markers. Ultrasound probes measured the length of muscle fibers in their legs.
All of the women strode multiple times along a 26-foot-long walkway that contained a plate to gauge the forces generated as they walked. The control group covered the walkway 10 times while barefoot. The other women walked barefoot 10 times and in their chosen heels 10 times.
It was obvious, as the scientists had suspected watching the woman during their coffee break, that the women habituated to high heels walked differently from those who usually wore flats, even when the heel wearers went barefoot. But the nature and extent of the differences were surprising. In results published last week in The Journal of Applied Physiology, the scientists found that heel wearers moved with shorter, more forceful strides than the control group, their feet perpetually in a flexed, toes-pointed position. This movement pattern continued even when the women kicked off their heels and walked barefoot. As a result, the fibers in their calf muscles had shortened and they put much greater mechanical strain on their calf muscles than the control group did.
Drew's first fight as a pro is Saturday Feb 18th at the Snoqualmie Casino. A big group of us are getting together to go watch. Plan to join us if you can, Drew has tickets.
Even the Harvard School of Publin Health sees the light... sort of.
Time to Stop Talking About Low-Fat, Say HSPH Nutrition Experts
It is time to end the low-fat myth, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) nutrition experts told food industry leaders at the seventh annual World of Healthy Flavors Conference held in Napa, CA, from January 19 to 21, 2011. The conference, co-hosted by the Culinary Institute of America and HSPH, brings together nutrition researchers with representatives from schools, supermarkets, and food industry goliaths such as Burger King, The Olive Garden, and Panera Bread to share strategies for offering Americans healthier menu options.
HSPH nutrition department chair Walter Willett and associate professor of epidemiology Dariush Mozaffarian, along with Ron Krauss of Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, presented on the “Focus on Fat” panel. They encouraged audience members to avoid “low-fat” terminology and thinking, since diets low in fat are often high in sodium and carbohydrates from sources such as white flour and rice, refined snacks, and sugary drinks. Instead, the panelists said, chefs should focus on cutting trans fats from their menus and educating consumers about seeking out healthy fats.
You can't get away with anything in here --- someone's always watching. (Right, Brian T?)
New Playgrounds Are Safe—and That's Why Nobody Uses Them
Playgrounds don't look like they used to. Steep metal slides and wooden towers have given way to slow, plastic slides and carefully penned-in climbing contraptions. And forget about seesaws -- they're a thing of the past.
When kids are bored by unimaginative (read: safe) playground equipment, they're less active as a result, and with childhood obesity at epidemic proportions, that's a danger, too
An interesting new investigation looks into this phenomenon. Researchers visited 34 daycare locations in suburbs and cities, including Head Starts, Montessori schools, YMCAs, and facilities at universities, corporations, and churches. Workers and parents were questioned about what they thought the main barriers to children's activity were. Injury concerns, financial constraints, and a wish to put academics first were among the chief reasons cited by parents and daycare employees for not encouraging more active play.
According to the study, the new, safer equipment often became boring because children mastered it so quickly. To make it more challenging, kids tended to improvise, walking up the slide the wrong way, or using supports as a climbing apparatus. Sometimes younger children were drawn to the older kids' equipment, presumably because it presented a more interesting set of challenges.
Lead author Kristen Copeland, a researcher at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, commented that some participants said that overly strict safety standards made much of the climbing equipment uninteresting, thus reducing children's physical activity.
Tim coaches a group of local high school athletes.
It's getting busier in here, especially in the evenings. Tim had a couple groups in last week for a test drive. We see that its crowded and we're working on a solution. :) In the meantime, keep some suggestions coming of the things you'd like for us to do to serve you better.
CONGRATULATIONS to Alicia who spent the weekend at our CrossFit L1 Trainier seminar. Her heads bound to be swimming with lots of new information so pepper her with *tough* questions, please.
This should be a pretty normal week around here- we'll finish up the last 3 Open WOD's from 2011 and the next batch of On Ramps start in a week. I need a couple people who want their overhead squats picked apart to be guinea pigs for Saturdays "train the trainer" from 8:30-9:30am. If you want to volunteer talk to Laurie.
Welcome back, another week of hard work begins. 3-2-1...GO!
Since you're just sitting around today here's what you need to do:
1. Get your credit card, you'll need $20.
2. Go here: http://games.crossfit.com/
3. Click top, right hand corner. It's red. It says "Sign in"
4. Create your account. You can make up your stats (except your bithday). Have fun with it.
5. Pay the people.
6. Select Rainier CrossFit as your affiliate
7. JOIN OUR AFFILIATE TEAM FOR THE CROSSFIT OPENS!
Here's the deal on the Opens: It's the way the top people qualify for Regionals and then the Games. It's also a chance for **everyone else** to compete in a world-wide, 5 week long, CrossFit competition. If last year was any indication, everyone who has the basic CrossFit skillset can play. It's not just for firebreathing twenty-somethings.
You'll be doing these WOD's each week at RCF anyway, you may as well sign up and see where you rank in the gym, the region, and the world.
No reading today - but you do have homework. Happy Sunday!
Your mom always hounded you about your posture, now there's a company making clothing to help when your mom isn't close by.
Product aims to perfect posture
"The products have also garnered attention from big institutions. UC Irvine has done a study with its male volleyball players using the shirts.
The company's website quotes orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Shepard, who works with UCI athletes, saying: "After the first year, for the first time in recent program history, no incidence of shoulder injury was recorded with the athletes from the men's volleyball team who wore their IntelliSkin shirts for practice, training and recovery."
Throw this crew in your crock pot and you'll starve.
But if you plan ahead you could have tonights dinner ready already. Here's one of our favorites:
Paleo Mama’s Infamous Paleo Chili
2 lbs lean ground beef (I look for 90/10)
1 large steak cut into chunks (or stew meat, whatever you prefer)
1 large can crushed tomatoes (look for the one where the only ingredient is tomatoes)
1 can diced tomatoes and chilis (again, look for natural here)
1 small can tomatillo salsa (in the Mexican food aisle, look for natural ingredients in this)
large onion diced
1/8 cup almond flour (this is optional for thickening, omit if you have a nut allergy)
about 2 cups of beef broth
3 cloves garlic minced or about
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbs ground cumin
3-4 tbs chili powder
olive oil
Directions:
Put about 2 tbs olive oil in a pan and get it screaming hot. Sear the chunks of steak in batches (don’t crowd or it won’t brown). It doesn’t have to be cooked at this point, just brown and pull it out. Add a little more oil if needed and add diced onion to kind of brown a bit. Add the beef stock and let it cook until it is reduced by half (this gives a really meaty base). Add in ground beef and almond flour. Stir until it browns a bit. Add garlic, spices, tomatoes, and steak chunks. Simmer on low heat for a couple of hours. It gets better the longer it cooks.
I serve with diced red onion on top. It’s good without it too.
Greg is "not" napping
This one is for Emily- the "under her desk" napper:
Imagine: It's lunchtime, and you're exhausted. You've been skimping all week on sleep to keep up with tight deadlines at work, household chores and that old thing called a social life. You know you've got another late night ahead of you, so you head off to the office quiet room for a few minutes of shuteye.
Now imagine a world in which napping on the job wouldn't only be a thing of sleep-deprived daydreams. While more and more bosses are coming around to the idea of some afternoon shuteye, it's still not exactly widespread, says Lawrence Epstein, M.D., chief medical offer of Sleep HealthCenters and co-author of "The Harvard Medical School's Guide to a Good Night's Sleep." Instead, "the misguided opinion that [sleepiness] is a sign of laziness rather than a physiologic reaction" persists, says Dr. Epstein.
That could be changing. The NSF estimates that sleepy employees rack up billions of dollars in costs due to lost productivity and sick days, making it in companies' own benefits to provide us all with a few extra minutes during the day to recharge.
Carrie and her hamstrings in zen mode. Which has nothing to do with this next part.
THE most unlikely source pointed me to this website which compares "the bounce" allowed by various brands of sports bras. (Maybe it's not unlikely at all- maybe it's a guy thing.)
Anyway, the "correct" foundations are critical to support and comfort during much of what we do. Think running, double unders, box jumps. LIttle to no support can be painful and embarrassing in the short term, and can lead to stretching of the Coopers ligaments over the long haul.
So HerRoom.com has videos showing some of the most popular sports bras in action. This might be a good starting place if you're looking for some new support for your girls.
(some of the favorites around here are from Lululemon but the Enell works awesome, too.)
