Just One of Those Days

This was one of those days when everything came together just right. It reinforced to me what it is that I love so much about coaching, CrossFit and working out with your buddies. I am going to sleep the sleep of a contented man tonight.

At 6am, I met a new CrossFit SurfCity member for an early morning workout. We opted to go through my Olympic lifting teaching progression instead of jumping into the 3 Bars of Death. This guy is a solid athlete and picked up on each of the movements with no problem. A natural. I had a great time coaching him. We are going to get another session in tomorrow morning before we both have some vacation time. He'll be cleaning and snatching in no time. So welcome to the club!!!

Then, at 5PM, the crew hit the park once again for a dose of Frelen. Unfortunately, Frelen was not in a good mood today an she took it out on us. She's actually kind of a b!%ch. 5 torturous rounds of: 800m run/15 95lb Thrusters/15 pullups. Although he definitely wasn't invited, Pukie came by and killed some grass.

As I was suffering along with my boys, I couldn't help but swell up with pride. As tired as we were, everyone was burying the squats on the Thrusters nice and deep. Heck, guys had grass stains on there shorts they were sitting so low. Pullups were being hammered out and there was no rest before starting the Bataan 800m. Aside from the occasional encouraging word, hard breathing and effort was all that could be heard. As the sun set on this group in the park, we all crossed the finish line. Frelen was done and we kicked her back to the curb where she belongs.

Exhausted, we drank water and recovered....and took over the babysitting duties because now it was the Moms' turn. Picture perfect, deep Thrusters and an impressive display of mental toughness was the result. Very cool watching tough hotties smack Frelen a couple in the chops.

To cut a long story short (yeah, I know...too late) we went out to eat meat and celebrate another great workout for CrossFit SurfCity.

The only blot on the day was the absence of one of our studs, a loyal CrossFit SurfCity member and just the guy to put Frelen in her place. He will be taking on this nasty chick tonight, alone. Good luck brother and see you at the next one. Goodnight and see you at the park.

Times:
DJ-43:23
SR-32:34
JC-34:00
Sgt: 23:09....what? Yeah you heard me. Freak. Nice work, cyborg. Hey who's the chick on the back of your bike? Oh, its Frelen. Out.

October Calendar Posted

Training dates have been posted for October (see Workout Calendar link in right margin of blog). I am off work the first week and that will be family time, so no organized workouts.

Please note, the time posted is when I will be at the park. If you can't make it at 5pm, e-mail me and let me know and I'll accommodate you. Also, if you want to do morning workouts, e-mail me and let me know.

CrossFit SurfCity is small right now and just looking for a chance to grow. I will be very flexible with workout times, and coaching topics. Bring your friends and family members. Become charter members and we can grow this thing fast!!!!

E-mail me your questions and suggestions. I'll respond to all feedback!!

CrossFit SurfCity Afflicted with Rare Skin Disease

In what has been described as the "strangest of all phenomenons", all CrossFit SurfCity members who participated in yesterday's Fight Gone Bad have been infected with a rare and troubling condition. The symptoms include soreness in the traps, low back, legs and calves, as well as a red abrasion on the back of the neck. No treatment exists for this affliction. At last word, the SurfCity crew was said to be at home in their respective beds, sound asleep, sucking their thumbs. We can only hope the shock of tomorrow's WOD (9-13-06) won't aggravate the conditon. Yeah right. It's on.

Laying the Foundation: My original post

Just to remind visitors what CrossFit SurfCity is about, I thought I'd reprint my original post here at the top (for you people who never make it to the bottom!!!) Please check out all the posts to see what we are REALLY about. And feel free to make any comments!!

"The original CrossFit started with some forward-thinking people tossing their awesome workouts out into cyberspace hoping someone might be interested in seeing what this crew was up to. Sort of a modern day message in a bottle. We all know what happened after that (check out crossfit.com if you stumbled into my blog by mistake.)Physical fitness is a passion of mine so I thought I might borrow from the CrossFit model. For now, I have a park, and some equipment I've collected over the years. And this blog where, if I can figure it out, I'll post my random thoughts for anyone or no one to see.

The Plan: I have an irregular schedule with my work. So, around the middle of the month, I will be posting my workout days for the following month. You will find me at the park on those days at the time listed. I'll train early in the AM or in the early evening. The workout will be the CrossFit WOD as written or with substitutions based on equipment. I also plan on teaching at these workouts. What is taught will depend on who shows up and what they want to learn.

What do I have to offer? I did practicum hours in the weight room at Ohio University and was able to learn from one of the greatest strength coaches around, Ethan Reeve. I then worked as a strength and conditioning coach at UCLA with non other than CrossFit Superstar Josh Everett and Stephanie Tracey. Both are currently D1 strength coaches and former coaches under Ethan Reeve. While at UCLA, I began learning from and competing for Coach Burgener...America's Olympic Lifting master. Later, I coached at Indiana University. Along the way my little brain was a sponge. I have volumes of notes, books, workouts and thoughts I gained from these incredible coaches and from working with some of the top athletes in the nation. O-lifts, kettlebells, speed and agility, basic strength....whatever your goals, I'd love to share what I've learned with you. As Dan John says, all you have to do is show up. See you at the park.

What Do I Charge?

There are no fees posted on my site. I don't list an hourly rate, group rate or monthly membership fee. Why? There is no charge. My goal is to open a CrossFit facility similar to CrossFit San Diego (Eddie Lugo is a genius). The first step in my plan is to develop a strong base of CrossFitters who enjoy training with me, find my coaching style motivating and want to become part of my vision. For now, I train at a park with the equipment I have. And there is NO charge. However, free training does not mean the quality will be compromised. I will give you the best I got and share what I have learned from some of the best coaches ever.

Of course, when the facility opens (and trust me I'm looking for warehouse space to keep costs down with no money spent on chrome and fern), fees will have to be paid. However, one of my top goals is to make CrossFit accessible to all. I will strive to keep costs low and pass the savings on to my members.

Coach Mike Burgener trained me for years, let me stay at his home, fed and watered me (with beer) and never once took a single penny in payment. Whenever I visit, he opens his home to my family and once again shows his incredible generosity. He told me just to pay him back by sharing with others what he taught me. And that begins now. So come train with me, learn good stuff and leave your wallet at home.

Fight Gone Bad...oh so bad

The CrossFit SurfCity Crew got together again today and took a swing at Fight Gone Bad. And FGB hit back hard. Some newbies combined with the regulars. Pukie visted one, everyone suffered some pain but great performances were turned in. A very satisfying workout at the park. We finished with some muscle ups and it was inspiring to see new members hit a muscle up on their first attempt. Nice work Crew!!! Pictures will follow shortly. And remember, all CrossFitters are welcome to join us at the park. See you soon.

P.S. Shout out to our leader, The Sgt., who couldn't be here. You'll do your FGB in full BDU's with a vest upon your return.

Josh Everett's Times Questioned on CrossFit

A friend of mine mentioned Josh Everett's "Diane" time of 3:56 was challenged by someone. Fair enough. It is always good to ask questions. We can learn from the exceptional performances of others. I perused the posts and saw this individual actually challenged Josh's integrity. (Insert dumfounded moment of silence here.)
Well, numbnuts, whoever you are, here is my advice: Check yourself before you wreck yourself. Josh's feats are legend in the CrossFit community. In my 2 years working with him at UCLA and UCR, the weight room staff just shook their heads and muttered "freak" at most of the stuff he pulled off. 500lb back squat, 500+ Deadlift, Kettlebells for hours, and all this before breakfast....I got stronger just watching his workouts. AND Josh is the most honest guy I know. He has untarnished integrity. He is a loyal, hardworking, scrupulous and devoted friend. You can never doubt the numbers he puts up.
Guys like Josh and Greg set the standards we try to follow. Attacking them is attacking CrossFit. I was pleased to see several posts supporting Josh. The CrossFit attitutde is epitomized by cheering someone on to a better time than yours. There is no room for petty, unsubstantiated jealousy.
Josh is a member of CrossFit SurfCity and will be making appearances as his time permits. We will do our best to have Josh available for special teaching events so we can all learn from his vast knowledge. At these events, anyone who wants to challenge Josh's Fran time can. But you gotta put your money where your mouth is: $100 bones in the pot. See if you can walk away with the cash. (Hey, Josh we'll talk later about how we're going to split up all our cash...)
Thanks for letting me vent a little in support of a great CrossFitter and even better friend. Wait this is my blog-I can write whatever I want. Well then, I did "Diane" in 3:55....What? Why are you guys all laughing? Bastards :) I'm out.

New Gear!!!

CrossFit SurfCity Crew sporting new CrossFit tees. It's what the sweating, panting, puking man is wearing this fall. Whether you want to lift kegs, kettlebells or barbells, run, jump or climb, come join us for some fun!!!

No it's not tapped!!

After "Daniel," a little impromptu keg lifting...

Honoring a Hero

The CrossFit SurfCity crew got together for another workout. We were in the mood for a butt kicker and the gauntlet was thrown down: Daniel. Named after a true American hero, a soldier who made the ultimate sacifice, this workout seeks out weakness with a vengeance. We attacked it at the park and paid the price. Another beautiful day in a CrossFit world.