May 2009

Our very own Megan Brady had the brilliant idea of using our new client lounge as a rotating gallery featuring the work of the artists from the CFO community. In just a few days, the walls will be filled with her work -- the first of many shows to come!

Megan's Artist Bio:

I started working with black and white photography when I was 15 years old. After discovering the work of Diane Arbus and Robert Frank, I realized there is so much more to learn and that the lessons would take a lifetime. In college, I learned how to develop color prints and continued, post graduation, with many photo classes at CCA in Oakland.

I favor portraits because of their relatability and unanswered questions. Photographing strangers creates a great rush by having to move fast and being careful with my subject’s trust for the seconds that they surrender. Wandering the streets with a camera to fulfill a personal project is similar to creating my own fantasyland, my own world. For inspiration, I browse the work of Nan Goldin, Larry Sultan, Alec Soth, Joel Sternfeld and Bruce Davidson, to name a few.

July's Featured Artist: Tom Campitelli

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How do you explain CrossFit to people who ask what workout you do? Post your best explanation to comments.

Effective June 1, the 7am Fundamentals class will no longer be offered.

That being said, we're starting a Fundamentals class June 1 that will run from 6pm to 7pm every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The purpose of the Fundamentals class is to expand on the foundational movements you learned in your intro sessions. In each session, we will cover one key CrossFit movement, with a big emphasis on technique development and refinement. The session will finish with a workout that often incorporates the foundational movement covered in that same session. In addition to teaching you our foundational movements, we'll give you progressions for developing key bodyweight movements such as pull-ups, push-ups, and ring dips.

Each session will involve a warm-up, a skill development module, a workout, and a cool-down.

We highly recommend the Fundamentals class for everyone new to the program and fresh out of their intro sessions. This will be a great on-ramp to the standard CF group classes.

The Fundamentals class will be run concurrently with the usual 6pm CF group class (we now have a space that will allow for two classes to be run at once).

Tomorrow's Nasty Nine WOD:

Squat Clean 3-3-3-3-3 Reps

In this workout, you basically have five opportunities to find your 3-rep max in the squat clean (5 work sets of 3 reps).

You can drop the bar and reset, but rest time between reps must be minimal. Basically, once the bar comes to rest, you need to re-grip and go.

Dr. Jason E. Barker at www.drjasonbarker.com is a great resource for information on nutrition and certain supplements. He's a naturopath, specializing in nutrition and therapies for athletes. I found the following article in his newsletter archive to be particularly useful.

Natural Pain Medications & Therapies

Athletes are undoubtedly susceptible to various aches and pains resulting from physical activity. Alleviation of these symptoms is important for two reasons, one being a prompt reduction in pain in order to continue performing, and the other to halt the pain-inciting inflammatory process prior to development into a chronic inflammatory condition.
Tendonitis, bursitis, arthritis, sprains, strains and other inflammatory conditions resulting from athletic activity have been treated traditionally with over the counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS). However, these medications do not provide the most desirable results for inflammatory injuries, as NSAIDS are associated with increased cartilage degeneration via inhibitory effects on cartilage growth. Additionally, NSAIDS can slow the production of the protective stomach mucus, resulting in stomach pain and ulcers after time.
Various plant-derived anti-inflammatories can be used to achieve immediate prevention of inflammation in acute and chronic injuries.

Bromelain:
An enzyme derived from the pineapple, bromelain can halt the inflammatory process as a result of over exertion and swelling. Bromelain can also provide some measure of pain relief as a result of its effects on the inflammatory process. Bromelain should be taken away from food for best results; when taken with food it will assist in the digestive process (not always a bad thing…). Bromelain has few side effects-the most notable is a ‘warm’ sensation when taking on an empty stomach.

Curcumin
Curcumin is the yellow pigment of the spice turmeric. Curcumin displays various properties that are beneficial for the athlete. Namely, curcumin acts to stimulate tissue repair, which allows it to assist in muscle regeneration after traumatic injury. One recent study showed that muscle regeneration is greatly enhanced following the systemic (taken by mouth) administration of curcumin. Because of curcumin’s role in regulating muscle growth, it is an applicable treatment for sports-related muscle injuries. Additionally, curcumin has long been known as a potent anti-inflammatory agent, working to inhibit various aspects of the inflammatory process. Similar to bromelain, curcumin shares similar side effects such as stomach warmth.

Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy is an extremely safe orthopedic procedure that stimulates the body's natural healing processes to strengthen ligaments and tendons weakened by traumatic or over-use injury. With a precise injection of a solution directly on the site of the torn or stretched ligament or tendon, prolotherapy creates a mild, controlled inflammation that stimulates the body's natural healing mechanisms to lay down new collagen fibers on the weakened area. In effect, prolotherapy is "spot-welding" for your body.
Prolotherapy may be helpful for chronic musculoskeletal pain, including:
• Partially torn tendons, ligaments and cartilage
• Arthritis
• Knee pain
• Neck pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Sciatica

Trigger Point Therapy
Trigger points are intensely spasmed areas of muscle that can be quite painful, inhibiting normal use of the affected muscle. Sometimes pain will radiate away from the muscle leading to pain in other seemingly unaffected areas of the body.
Trigger point therapy is directed at muscle spasms that do not resolve on their own. This involves injecting a small amount of local anesthetic directly into the spasmed muscle, or trigger point. The anesthetic, in addition to relieving pain, ‘resets’ the nerve impulses that are causing the muscle to spasm. This allows the muscle to relax, resulting in no more pain. Improved range of motion and mobility, less pain, and healthy muscle function are the result. Trigger Point Therapy is used for acute or chronic muscle spasms.

**********Nasty Nine Workout for tomorrow 6/1***********

"Helen's Gone Hyphy"
3 rounds for time:
400m Run
12 Kettlebell Swings (53#/35#)
21 Pull-ups

My body has taken a beating from the last three workouts. How have you been tending to your sore, tired muscles? Post to comments.

The Ranch

After many months of preparation, the NorCal Qualifiers weekend is here! We are expecting loads of spectators and over 200 competitors.

Check out the latest release about Sunday's WOD here.

Post your good luck wishes to comments.

As expected, CFO represented at the NorCal Qualifiers today.

Everyone absolutely laid it on the line today and it was inspiring to see. There were several PRs and among many other firsts, Journey got her first 3 muscle-ups ever, and from the full lockout no less!

We have four athletes who advanced through to the second day, still in the thick of things for a top-five spot:

Candace (tied for 1st)
MJJ (13th place)
Manwell (15th place)
Daniel (24th place)

Daniel goes tomorrow at 9:45am. MJJ and Manwell go at 11:15am. And Candace goes at 12pm.

Send some strong psychic energy their way and wish them the best of luck in comments!

First, I have to give a shout out to everyone who competed at the NorCal Qualifiers this weekend and to those of you who came out in support-you all are awesome! And a HUGE thank you to Mike, Nicole, Franklin, Robyn and the entire staff who hosted an exceptional event. Also, thanks to Lance and the Fuel2Go crew for fueling our hungry bodies-we were are so lucky!

When I returned from Aromas this afternoon, I collapsed on the sofa and started flipping through my cookbooks for a hearty soup recipe. After a chilly, rainy weekend at The Ranch, I longed for a steamy bowl of soup. I couldn't think of a better way to end an exhausting weekend of workouts, nervous butterflies, and lots and lots of cheering than a pot of yummy soup. This dish always has a calming effect and helps to soothe achy muscles. Plus, soups are inexpensive and really easy to make. Simply toss a few of your favorite vegetables into a pot of water with an assortment of herbs or spices of your choice and viola!

Here's one of my favorite soup recipes:

Spicy Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
1 med. head of cauliflower, chopped
1 med. head of broccoli, chopped
1 red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can coconut milk (you can find this at WF or TJ's)
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tsp. cumin
1 Tsp. turmeric
1 Tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chicken broth
top with sour cream (optional)

Directions
1. Sauté onions in coconut oil on low to medium heat in soup pot for 10-15 minutes.
2. Add garlic and continue to sauté for 10 minutes.
3. Add cauliflower, broccoli, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper, and sauté for 5 more minutes.
4. Add chicken broth and bring soup to a boil. Cover and let simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.
5. Blend soup in batches in a blender or food processor.
6. Finally, return the soup to a pot and stir in the coconut milk over low heat. Serve, share and enjoy!

Kick your feet up and enjoy the rest of your Sunday evening- you deserve it! What are some of your comfort foods? Post recipes to comments.

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the qualifiers this past weekend, the grit, athleticism, and camaraderie shown by everyone was impressive AND inspirational! As usual, the CFO community came together to feed, coach, cheer, and generally provide each other with the support needed to get through a very challenging weekend of grueling workouts in the rain!

On to the Games in July! Time to work on the CFO Team...

Post your most memorable moment to comments.

Angel, of San Francisco CrossFit, at the top of a 315# deadlift at last weekend's NorCal Qualifiers

Just a quick reminder: San Francisco CrossFit is hosting an Affiliate throwdown this Saturday, May 9 at 11am.

This will be a great opportunity to participate in what promises to be a creative, challenging team workout. The details of the workout have not yet been released, but you can rest assured that it will be something well thought-out and brutal (in that really good way).

It would be great to see a strong turnout. Let's get as many teams going as possible.

Post your participation status to comments so that we can put together the teams.

Go Heavy or Go Home!

We want to thank Brad for his generous contributions and support of CFO! He's provided the most swank party venues (Hiller Highlands Club) for several parties, the booze to make it fun, and most recently, some very nice track suits for CFO competitors. We love and appreciate you Biggie--thanks from all of us!

Post your love notes to Bad Brad in comments.

***Reminder***
CFSF Affiliate Throwdown is Saturday at 11a.m.! Everyone is encouraged to participate.

Dawn showing off her Olympic lifting skills

We're excited to announce a seminar that's been long overdue: Post-Workout Recovery.

Or in other words, what to do once you've picked yourself up off the floor after that brutal workout you just finished.

Dawn will be walking us through the cool-down and recovery process during this seminar, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 16 from 11am to 12pm. The cost is $20.

This cool-down clinic will be critical to your development and longevity as an athlete. You won't wanna miss this.

Trunk strength, (or so-called "core" strength) goes beyond the surface muscles and asks us to utilize our deep internal muscles to maintain stability in motion. The "core" actually consists of many different muscles that stabilize the spine and pelvis and run the entire length of the torso. These muscles stabilize not only the spine, but also the pelvis and shoulder while providing a solid foundation for movement in the extremities.

As you may have noticed, CrossFit does not encourage exercises that work the abs in isolation from the rest of the body. We don't wrap up the class with a set of 100 crunches--instead we focus on "mid-line stabilization". The mid-line, according to Coach Glassman, is the “line that trisects the spine and bisects the pelvis.” He goes on to say that, “maintaining rigidity while engaged in functional movement is the essence of midline stabilization. This is the standing definition of core strength, of which abs and ab strength is but a portion.”

If you feel like a eucalyptus tree blowing in the wind while in an weighted overhead position, chances are your trunk is screaming for some more focused attention! We recommend you heed the warning and get busy tending the trunk!

Post to comments.

We thought we'd give everyone a sneak peak of CFO's new space, effective June 1. That's just 3 weeks away!

Post first impressions to comments.

I found this article a while back and thought I would share it today, being that it's Mother's Day today.

Kids' Mimic Parent's Diet

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Parents who want their preschoolers to eat their vegetables may need to take a hard look at their own eating habits, new research suggests.

In a study of 120 young children who were allowed to "buy" food from a play grocery store, researchers found that even 2-year-olds tended to mirror their parents' usual food choices.

Children who stocked up on sweets, sugary drinks and salty snacks generally had parents whose typical grocery list featured such items. Similarly, children with the healthiest shopping habits seemed to be following their parents' lead as well.

The findings, reported in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, suggest that even very young children do not indiscriminately reach for candy when given the chance. Instead, they seem to already be forming food preferences -- potentially lasting ones -- based on their parents' shopping carts.

"The data suggest that children begin to assimilate and mimic their parents' food choices at a very young age, even before they are able to fully appreciate the implications of these choices," write the researchers, led by Dr. Lisa A. Sutherland of Dartmouth Medical School in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

That, the researchers say, means that the grocery store can be like a classroom, where parents teach their children that foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains take priority over snacks and desserts.

For the study, Sutherland's team had 120 children aged 2 to 6 years old each take a turn in a play grocery store. The children were told they could buy anything they wanted out of 133 items: "healthier" foods included fruits, vegetables, whole-grain cereals, bread and milk; "less healthy" items included desserts, candy, potato chips, soda and sugary cereals.

Parents completed questionnaires on how often they bought specific foods and beverages. All said they brought their children with them on grocery store trips.

Most of the children, the researchers found, bought some sugary, salty treats; on average, their carts were filled with equal parts healthy and unhealthy items.

However, 35 children bought significantly more healthy fare than junk food. In general, the study found, the health-consciousness of a child's shopping cart mirrored that of her parents' grocery list.

"Nutrition interventions for children most often begin with school-aged children," Sutherland and her colleagues write. "This study suggests that preschool children are already forming food preferences and are attentive to food choices made by their parents."

Giving preschoolers a taste for healthy foods, the researchers add, could ultimately make it easier for them to keep up a lifetime of smart eating.

SOURCE: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, November 2008.

After spending the day with my mom I realized that while there is absolutely no physical resemblance, we do share a fondness for sweets. As a kid, I remember having dessert after every meal--even breakfast! And on our way home from church every Sunday my family would make a pitstop at the local candy store for a special treat. Those days are long gone, but every day is a battle against my sweet tooth. Sometimes she wins.

Did you inherit your eating habits from your parents? Share thoughts to comments.

We will be meeting at the entrance of the Strawberry Canyon Fire Trail at 5p.m. tomorrow to do some hill repeats! Everyone is welcome!

About the Trail:

The Strawberry Canyon Fire Trail is is about 1/2 mile up the road from the stadium, on your right, or the south side of the road. The Fire Trail climbs about 300 feet in the first 0.8 mile at which time you will have reached the end of the "lower Fire Trail". The very steep, approximately 30 degree slope, 200 meter segment connecting the lower to upper fire trail, is called "The Connector". Once on the upper Fire Trail you can run from about mile 1 of the Fire Trail to the end at 3.7 miles at the Space Sciences Lab.

-From Run the Planet

Post to comments if you are planning on coming.

There have been a lot of questions about how the CFO Affiliate Cup team is going to be assembled for the CrossFit Games.

What follows is an attempt to answer that question and lay out the process.

First, the basics:

* There can only be one team per Affiliate.
* The team can have a maximum of six people, with at least two men and two women.
* The workouts will be four-person workouts, with both men and both women competing as a team at once.
* The team competition will take place on Friday, July 10 and Sunday, July 12.
* Only the top five teams from Friday's competition will move on to compete on Sunday.
* The team workouts (as well as the individual workouts) will be announced the week of the CF Games.
* Registration is now closed for the team competition. There will be 75 teams competing at this year's Games (as of the time of this writing).

We'll be filling spots for the Affiliate Cup team by taking into account an individual's performance in a series of workouts over a two-week period, as well as taking into account what the workouts will be at the Games (since they'll be announced ahead of time).

Let's tackle the first part of that equation. We'll be holding a two-week internal throwdown from Tuesday, May 26 to Tuesday, June 9. This will allow us to get 4 three-on/1-off cycles in during that period of time. The workouts will most likely be programmed in-house (i.e., not part of the national site cycle), but this is still being determined. Whatever the source of the workouts, expect them to be physically and mentally challenging (we'd expect nothing less, given that our aim is to send our six best to represent CFO at the Games). This will also let us finish up with hard, physical training a month out from competition, which will allow for a nice taper heading into the Games. Look for a sign-up sheet at CFO for this two-week throwdown. All are welcome to participate.

What this two-week cycle will give us is a strong pool of candidates for the team, but it won't be the be-all and end-all.

The final decision will ultimately come down to what the workouts are. We can spin this a million ways to Sunday, but the bottom line is this: what comes out of the hopper matters. End of story.

So the two-week throwdown will give us a pool of candidates (think primary elections), but the final vote will come down to yours truly, based on whatever HQ throws our way in terms of team workouts.

And one last thing (for now)...

Brandon has graciously accepted our offer to be team captain. Let's explain what that means, exactly. We'll be calling on Brandon to make sure that anyone who's expressed even a scintilla of interest in competing on Team CFO be a part of the two-week throwdown. In addition, Brandon is also putting together some dates and times for Affiliate Cup candidates to get together, team up, and compete against other in-house teams in workouts, so that we can prepare for 4-person workouts.

Basically, Brandon is your point person for all things Affiliate-Cup-related.

And one last point related to the captain position. Just because Brandon has assumed the captain seat, it does not mean he is guaranteed a spot on the team. He'll be subject to the same vetting process as everyone else. There are no guarantees.

Post to comments if you're interested in being a part of the Affiliate Cup team.