As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:
250m Row
25 Push ups (hand release)
This time last year… Jonny wrote on Halloween Costume Winners.
CFC Community
-Sara Cook
We’ve been fortunate enough at CrossFit Chicago to have experienced a great amount of growth within the past 4 months. Whether you are in your 3rd week or 3rd year, you are a part of this community. The CrossFit Chicago community is one of the reasons why I love my job so much. Please read the following points and be proud to be apart of a community that is second to none.
1. We all have goals. Whether it’s adding 50lbs to your back squat, getting that first dead-hang pull-up, or as simple as just getting here two times a week. We may differ in that regard, but one thing we all share is the goal of progression and to be “Better than Yesterday.” Come on. None of us do this for NO reason.
2. Know your fellow athletes. We are on a first name basis here. Introducing yourself to someone new each day will gain you a friend and save you some burpees.
3. We are all in this together. Despite differing goals/athletic abilities, this is easy for no one. With that, builds camaraderie.
4. When we have parties … COME! It’s much easier to get to know athletes/coaches while chatting over drinks than it is before/after class.
What do YOU like most about the CrossFit Chicago community?
@ Crossfit Omaha
WOD
Skill/Strength
Pistols – Complete as many reps as possible in 30 seconds followed by 30 seconds of rest for 8 rounds.
(These need work)
Conditioning
Three rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
30 Kettlebell Swings, 1.5 pood
30 Hand Release Push ups
18:15…my pushups sucked on this one
Jerk Technique Work: Worked up to #225
Since we weren’t working to a 1RM I focused on sticking the finish position. Front rack position felt a little off as my lats were sore from Bradshaw yesterday, but #225 went up fairly easily.
Metcon, Rx’d: 7 rounds + 45 meters
Another good grinder. Good race, had Summers in the corner of my eye at the other end of the rowers. Core started to give on the last few rounds but tried to keep body as tight as possible. Intensity felt good throughout–have been getting more than 6-7 hours of sleep the last few days. Tried out magnesium last night and only woke up once versus the 3-4 times I usually have to get up in the middle of the night.
The community here is second to none. I’ve felt welcomed the moment I stepped into the box. Much like SaraC, I love working at CrossFit Chicago because the athletes and coaches are all passionate about bettering themselves and continue to push each other to reach new heights.
Jerks – worked with Radin and got up to 115#, but my shoulder wasn’t feeling great so I stopped after 1 set.
Metcon 15min AMRAP
250m row
15 burpees
6 rounds + 200m
Within this great community of ours is a wealth of knowledge which I’m extremely grateful. I frequent the blog not only to post and keep up with my own progress, but also to gain from the helpful tips others post. From the crazy (& hilarious) convos, to the youtube clips, to people just mentioning what their individual struggles are, it helps to make each of us better.
With that said, following a conversation with Kelly after the 8pm WOC last night, she recommended I tap into the community regarding a health concern. For the past couple months (probably started around August) I’ve been getting this itchy bumps (they originally appeared to be insect bites but at this stage I’m pretty sure they aren’t). They’ve moved all around my body (right foot, right forearm, right leg, left shoulder, right index finger) and they come and go. I’ve seen a regular family medicine doctor and an allergist and neither of them have a clue what it is. I’ve been prescribed an antibiotic as well as a steroid. Neither of which have prevented said bumps from appearing. If anyone has suffered from anything like this, or can recommend a doctor that can truly solve the problem, I’m all ears and very much appreciative.
@Krystal – I’ve had this before, and it has recently reappeared. Same symptoms… itchiness, bubbly skin w/clear fluid, traveling from feet to hands and back from season to season. Sometimes, I would actually feel it coursing through my skin to a new location. I used to have to endure it for months at a time, but it’s been years since I’ve had it for that long of a period. Although I haven’t seen a doc, it is eczema undoubtedly caused by diet and stress (for me at least). I’ve found that as long as I eat healthy (even 75% Paleo), I don’t see it at all. And I know it has recently appeared on my hands because I have just come off the Paleo challenge which made me hyper-insulin sensitive, and I’ve been on a Holiday binging diet. There’s also a higher level of stress, but that’s usually not a factor if I’m eating clean. I’m already weaning off the binging, so I don’t expect that it will an issue for much longer. Hope this helps.
Oh my, what an interesting morning.
PR on my jerk at 110#
Met con – 4 rounds and 18 knee push ups.
Thanks for being so welcoming to my cousin! She had a blast!
Bryce, Erin and Jonny, please sign up for CPR classes stat!
Amy don’t EVER do that to me again! Xoxo.
Besides the “I wouldn’t have done anything differently” comment from Bryce in regards to someone almost passing out and NOT knowing what to do….I rather enjoyed my first experience at CFC with my cousin Meg Raz! Everyone was so nice and accommodating. People introduced themselves, and I immediately felt like a fellow CF-er at their gym! Thank you so much for a wonderful WOD and I hope you welcome me back with open arms next time I’m around the area!
~ Em (fellow Arizona CF-er)
Oh,and I love the eye candy at CFC. Specifically Sara, Liz, a specific attribute on Lauren C and JK, of course! Brett Raz is nice to look at too. Thats what keeps me coming back.
jerk skill work – worked up to 95#; felt like I could’ve gone heavier but was working on getting deeper with my split and dipping without moving the arms
WOD:
15 min AMRAP
250m row
25 hand release push ups
5 rds + 235m
kept a pretty steady pace at the row, but had to collapse to the knees after only 10 regular push ups 1st round. My forearms were shot and couldn’t string together more than 5 by round 4
As for what I like best about the CFC community, it’s definitely the push I get from my comrades and coaches. (shout out to the 6 am’ers!) There are definitely things I wish I was stronger at, especially since I’ve been at CFC since the very beginning, but no one makes me feel weak for not being able to do everything. They push instead!!
@Meg Raz sorry! ;) And thanks for saving me!
Worked on some jerks. Got up to 85# and then thought I’d call it a day.
@Krystal, it could be a condition called “Folliculitis.” It is the inflammation of one or more hair follicles. The condition may occur anywhere on the skin with the exception of the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Folliculitis is usually caused by a new detergent, sleeping in hotel sheets, new bar of soap, shaving…etc. Anything out of the norm lately? Being in the wrestling world for so long has exposed me the full gamut of skin conditions. My brother or I could have a better idea if we checked it out! Usually the antibiotics would take care of it, I’ll give you the name of a cream when I get home if you want.
@Krystal – my brother suffered from what MarkF was speaking about, folliculitis. It was caused by a lotion and once he discontinued use, the symptoms went away after a week or so. Like MarkF mentioned, try to go back to when you didn’t have these symptoms and see if there is anything new that touches your skin. It could be a certain fabric, detergent, deodorant, lotion, etc.
Fun to visit the 9 am class – although my body was begging for a day off today!
4 rnds + 20 Knee push ups.
See ya’ll in the new year!
Oh and for Amy and anyone else asking about my “egg recipe”…. pretty simple. Chop up a bunch of broc., cauliflour, mushrooms, avocado, onion, tomato, and spinach and mix them with 18 eggs (5 or so yolks). Put it in a baking dish/pan. Cook some turkey bacon and cover the top of the mixture. Then just put it in the oven at 350 for around an hour.
another one of my favorites is chicken pot pie…
http://cosmopolitanprimalgirl.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/paleo-chicken-pot-pie/
So good!
What do I love about CFC – I am excited to see everyone each time I go in there and the coaches don’t let me get away with being lazy with movements when my body gets tired. Going to CFC is often the best part of my day, and it always makes the frustrations of my day disappear. I think about nothing but the workout and I always leave in a better mood then when I came.
5 rounds for time:
500m row
15 burpees
Time – 14:30
Goal was 13:30 or better so this was a weak performance with that standard in mind. Struggled a little bit with the row pace after round 1 being at 7000 feet elevation. Really difficult to manage the feeling of hyperventilation and the general intensity pain but we managed I guess
@Meg Raz….what about me?….I’ve developed a fairly notable “behind” from all of my squating as of late….
Dude, Gina P.. That goes without saying!
@ Krystal, to go along with Ben and Mark on this, I used to have really bad skin that would break out very quickly. The two biggest changes that I’ve made to help this out are cutting out gluten and using fragrance free detergents.
Got in a 9am class before heading to Colorado to ski for the rest of the week.
Worked on Jerk form up to 125#. I knew I would need my arms fresh for the WOD, so I figured I was better off working on form at a lighter weight. Still need to split harder under the bar.
AMRAP: 5 Rounds and 185m Row
Tough one today. First round push ups unbroken then much, much harder and slower after that.
Happy New Year everyone! Looking forward to hanging with everyone in the CFC community more in 2012.
I’ve been having an off week and today was certainly not an exception. 4 round + 150m ; Push-ups were modified on knees and still a weakness for me to keep those arms in and rowing was too slow. Time for some rest to re-charge.
@Krystal: I agree with the above comments. Try keeping a log of what your eating/using as products throughout the week and see when the bumps are present; Maybe having this data will show some trends and you can hopefully start honing in on if it’s something your eating or wearing..that would be a good start. I had a similar problem, however it was with caffeine.
@Krystal… I forgot to mention that if it is folliculitis using a product called AmLactin has been proven to help that condition. It’s over the counter and you can get it at CVS. I’ve used everything to try and treat it (have it on my left arm for years) and this is the only thing that has helped mitigate the symptoms !
All, thanks for the comments and suggestions. I haven’t changed my deodorant/detergent/body wash/etc at all since these things have popped up. Originally they came pretty frequently (one would come for about a week, then go away and a another would pop up a day later) but now they are a little more spread out – about a week or two between each “outbreak.” They appeared pre-paleo challenge, during paleo challenge, and post-paleo challenge when I scaled down to about 70-80% paleo. Ben, they don’t have any clear liquid in them. At first look, you would think they are insect bites. Mark, I’m def open to another set of eyes…what class(es) do you normally attend?
@Krystal…This is my first post, so I would hate to make a mistake, but it sounds heat rash. I had it once and it was similar to what you describe. When you workout, do you wear long sleeves on your arms or legs? If you do, it might irritate your skin and not let you cool off, which can lead to heat rash. According to WebMd there is no real treatment for heat rash other than making sure you keep the area clean, cool, and dry. Here is the link to the information on WebMd: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/heat-rash-directory.
@Krystal You may have tried this already, but while you’re trying to figure out the cause you could try applying coconut oil a few times a day. I’ve heard lots of stories of pure CO clearing up all kinds of rashes and skin conditions, and at the very least, it might give you some relief from the itching. Good luck!
Push Jerk work after getting some shoulder mobility pointers from Bryce. Worked up to 205 push jerk that felt good.
Metcon: 7 Rounds. Was fun to go round for round with All-day, but in the end he was a bit mentally tougher today and pushed through the last round of push-ups to jump back on the rower for a few power pulls. Good times.
@ Zach, thanks for your input. I’m kind of all over the place with what I wear. 40% short sleeve shirt, 40% no sleeves & 10% long sleeve. my pants are usually right below the knee length. i’ll definitely investigate this some more though.
@ Lizzie, thanks, I’ll try that. Most of the topical creams I have haven’t done much for the itching or the swelling. At this point, I’m desperate and will try anything! lol
@Krystal–I’m an esthetician. I’ll be at crossfit Thursday for the 8pm class. Otherwise, you could email me (marisa.overton@gmail.com) a photo of the “rash” and I can help you deduce what it may or may not be and a course of action.
First day back in a few weeks…only my second CF workout in Dec and it showed!
3 Rounds + 16 push-ups.
Push ups were completely lost in the 3rd round. Looking forward to hitting it hard for a couple months leading up to the open.
Jerk technique 3 reps: 50-60-70-80-90 x 1-100 x 1 PR
Worked on splitting my legs. Decided to try to go for my 1 rep max after 80#. Failed at my first attempt at 100#, got it up but couldn’t stabilize it. Finally got it on my 2nd try. Thanks Mandie for pushing me to go for my pr, cuz you know I wouldn’t have :)
Metcon: 4 rds + 11 pushups
Holy crap. I’m an idiot. I only did 15 PU’s/round! I don’t know why I thought that was the rep count! Duuuuuuh :( So much for my 6+ rounds :(
First wod in over a month. CFC I have missed you!!
Of course I come in for a rowing wod…
5 rounds + 26 meters
(knee push-ups)
3 rounds +17 pushups… fun stuff.
Loved the workout today!
Jerk Techniques: I think I did 113# 3 times for my highest rept. My back was sore from the Bradshaw DL’s but felt good on technique.
Got 5 rounds in with 60 meters, only went to the knees on the last 1 1/2 rounds. My arms were shot!
~6×5 jerks at 50#
2 rounds + 10 pushups
Jerk technique: worked up to sets at 95#, need to get lower and longer into my split. Had fun working with SaraC on this one!
metcon: 5 rounds + 70 meters
I had a goal of 5 rounds and was pushing it when the time was getting close. I did push ups from the knees – they felt so slow.
I will second what sommer said above about the CFC community. The best thing about this place for me is that no matter what my day has been like, when I leave CFC I feel better in almost every aspect than when I walked in. Not many other places can do that. Keep up all the great work you guys do!
Went to the Oly Class where Coach GlennC helped me with technique on my squat cleans.
A good warm-up got me ready for the 3-position squat cleans (Squat Clean, Hang, High Hang).
5×3 @ 95-95-105(accidentally did 5 reps)-105-105
Form started to really go on the last set so called it day. High Hang really helped me drop down faster. I Highly recommend the class.
Push Jerk Skill Work: Worked in Power Clean and Jerks from the ground instead of the rack due to comfort. Went up to 205.
Metcon: 5 Rounds 19 Pushups
Kinda disappointed with my results, but I am proud I gave it all I had. I honestly had no gas left in my pushup tank. Thank you Kelly and Glenn for the motivation and pointers! I will get at this one next time it comes around.
Did this at the 6a WOC class. Push jerk – 60# felt comfortable, got to 70# a few times but I would get a mental “block” and not be able to jerk it after a few rounds.
Metcon was 5 rounds + 18 knee push ups. I liked this one a lot!
Did this Thursday morning.
5 rounds even. This one was tougher than I expected. Had to break up the push-ups 10-10-5 starting at Round 3.
Jerk technique: worked up to 3x 135#, Really focusing on technique. Definitely could have gone heavier, but jumped right into the metcon.
metcon: 5 rounds
I thought I could get 7rounds easily and wasnt even close. I finished my last push up after time had been called. Push up were tough and my chest and arms were on fire, shaking afterwards.
Warmed up with the WOC 5pm then knocked this out with the coed 5pm. Thanks for letting us join in!
5 rounds with about 60-80m row.
I’ve learned it is near impossible for me to do math while rowing. Ha.
583+250= umm row row pant pant mmmm So I did a little over 250m each time just to make sure.
I had to do this one at the building gym…
6 rds total…push ups were all over the place but the rows were pretty consistent. I actually messed up my timer and did 2 rounds before i noticed the timer did not start. rested a couple of minutes and kicked it off again.
@ Marisa, THANKS!! I’ll be at that class also. Looking forward to meeting you.
Jerk – worked at 205. Weight felt good going up and landing felt solid. Had a little trouble with stability when coming out of the split position to standing.
Metcon: 5 rounds + 2 pushups. Fatigue set in fast on the hand release pushups and this was the limiting factor.
Skill – Jerk
Just worked up to 75#. Kinda lazy that day…
Metcon: 5 rounds + 12 push ups (knees)
Sad when the row feels like a break. JK was sweet and tried to yell encouraging words during round one because my push ups looked like crap, but I was a lost cause. He did say my push ups improved in later rounds. I tried.