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July 10th, 2009

Posted on July 9, 2009 by thevales

Twitter Updates

I will be updating on Twitter after each event (and at any other relevant times) during the Games. I may not be updating the blog regularly during the weekend so this will be the best way to get personal updates from me. See some key sign up steps below:

Go to twitter.com.

Click the “Get Started” button.

Enter Name, username, pasword, verification code and then click create account.

From this point you will have to feel your way through it. Once you are logged in be sure and go to:

http://twitter.com/cfsnohomish

Then click the “Follow” button.

I also recommend going the “settings” button and then clicking on “devices.” Once there you can input your cell number to register your phone.  This will get your cell phone linked with your Twitter account and then as long as your are “following” me the updates will be sent to your phone as a text message.

If you get confused they have a very helpful “help” screen.

AM Class

Four rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
50 Squats

Post time to comments.

PM Classes

Happy rest day!

Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

July 9th, 2009

Posted on July 8, 2009 by thevales

The 2009 CrossFit Games

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Three of the fittest women in the Northwest got together for a WOD last week in preparation for the Games. Pictured left to right we have our very own Tooty, 15 year old CrossFit phenom Kallista Pappas of CrossFit LIS, and my sis Jenny Olson of CrossFit Redmond. To keep better tabs on the action in Aromas this coming weekend check out some of the links below.

2009 CrossFit Games

Crossfit Radio-Games Coverage

Games Structure and Scoring

Also of interest for a little pre-Games hype, checkout the following rankings of the Games competitors on some of the benchmark WODs:

Back Squat Rankings – [Male] [Female]

Diane Rankings – [Male] [Female]

Grace Rankings – [Male] [Female]

Press Rankings – [Male] [Female]

Fight Gone Bad Rankings – [Male] [Female]

Snatch Rankings – [Male] [Female]

Helen Rankings – [Male] [Female]

Deadlift Rankings – [Male] [Female]

Cindy Rankings – [Male] [Female]

Clean & Jerk Rankings – [Male] [Female]

Fran Rankings – [Male] [Female]

All Classes

Shoulder press 1-1-1 reps
Push press 3-3-3 reps
Push Jerk 5-5-5 reps

Post loads to comments.

Filed under: Olympic Lifts, Power Lifts | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

July 8th, 2009

Posted on July 7, 2009 by thevales

12:21 pm…food is fuel.

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So its 12:21pm. What is happening in 9 minutes at our house?I think you all know because CFS is your life therefore you have the training schedule memorized just in the off chance you are going to miss Murph and you want to sneak into another class. That’s right, it is training time and once again I have worked too long around the house and have left myself little time to eat before my ahtletes are upon me. What to do? I know most people would probably survive fine without food for an hour, but just let me give you a glimpse into the odd world called my brain. Here are the thoughts that are wasting my precious 9 minutes of eating time…”I did a 20 minute workout this morning- probably need some carbs to fuel glycogen stores…been running a little bit heavy so don’t want to get too carby an get huge-that would make pull ups and running really hard, but my Total might benefit, wait its summer gotta look hot, wait I’m a CFer I am not aesthetically motivated, wait yes I am I want my wife to think I look good, wait she doesn’t like me to get too skinny…12:22 pm…we are, after all, outside the magic post WOD window where glycogen stores are replenished with out all that insulin response, maybe the carbs shouldn’t be too high…2 blocks sounds good, there are 14 cherries, perfect…12:23 pm…legs are trashed from yesterday’s WOD so gotta have adequate protein for rebuilding…12:24 pm…grass fed animal is ideal, hey there is some left over grass fed ground beef but it only looks like a couple ounces…that is 2 blocks of protein…wait, no its not, 1.5 oz is a block so this isn’t even 2 blocks…should I round down or up?…well J-ro always says don’t get too particular, just get close… we’ll call it 1 block…12:25…need more protein…tuna is great, but it needs lubrication (for lack of a better word), but mayo is so high in vegetable oil, yuck too many omega 6’s…if only I had some of that olive oil mayo I saw at the station the other day…hey that “Nourishing Traditions” cookbook has a homemade mayo recipe that is much healthier…wow it is now 12:25 pm, probably not the right time to try a new recipe…what do I have for good fat? Organic coconut milk is a great source of fat that will taste great on tuna…well great might be an overstatement, but it will do…got the tuna adequately lubricated, but didn’t use much coconut milk to get there, I will die with that little fat especially with only 2 blocks of carbs…lets throw some peanuts on…12:26 pm…4 minutes left to enjoy it…down the hatch…12:30…ding dong…Hey Dave.” You see how interesting my life is? Maybe neurotic is a better term.  By the way…how come with all this thought I didn’t qualify for the Games and my wife did? She eats way more cookies than I do…oh yeah she is super human, I’m not. I guess nutrition can only take you so far. That was a just a side bar. What is the real point? Food is fuel. PUT GOOD FUEL INTO YOUR BODY…EVEN IF YOUR FRIENDS AND CLIENTS THINK YOU ARE A BIT WIERD!

All Classes

“Eva“

Five rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
Kettlebell swing, 30 reps
30 Pull-ups

Post time to comments.

Filed under: Girl WODs | Tagged: | 3 Comments »

July 7th, 2009

Posted on July 6, 2009 by thevales

Post Workout Nutrition with Robb Wolf

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Here is a great post by Robb Wolf, CrossFit’s go-to nutrition guru and owner of CrossFit NorCal.  Post workout nutrition can be a bugger of an issue especially when trying to manage carb intake and insulin levels. I think Robb makes it really pretty simple in this article. If you are trying to lean out don’t worry about eating extra carbs post workout to take advantage of non-insulin mediated glycogen uptake. Your goal at this point in your progress is to continue leaning and increasing insulin sensitivity at all costs. Once you are lean enough, an issue primarily dictated by performance, but Robb does tie some body fat numbers to it in this article, you can then begin doing a bit more carb loading immediately post workout without detrimental effects on your insulin sensitivity and the size of your gut or butt. The point of this higher carb meal is to restore glycogen stores after a long hard WOD to aid in recovery and prepare you for thenext WOD. Now that you have read my little synopsis of the post  go read the real thing it is much more informative.

AM Class

Happy rest day!

PM Class

Run 1600m

Rest 4 minutes

Run 800m

Rest 3 minutes

Run 400m

Rest 2 minutes

Run 200m

Post times to comments.

Filed under: Nutrition | Leave a Comment »

July 6th, 2009

Posted on July 5, 2009 by thevales

AM Class

Run 1600m

Rest 4 minutes

Run 800m

Rest 3 minutes

Run 400m

Rest 2 minutes

Run 200m

Post times to comments.

PM Classes

Happy rest day!

Filed under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

July 4th, 2009

Posted on July 3, 2009 by thevales

Challenge Wrap Up

So I hope it is crystal clear after some of the amazing body changes we have had in the last three months what a profound effect food has on the size of you. More specifically, if you take a good look at some of our most drastic changes you will notice a not so shocking (at least if you have been around here for a while) common thread. Reduced carbs, especially refined carbs, and even some limitation of fruit. Let me just put it as simple as I can. If you want/need to aggressively lose weight eat meat, fat and veggies. This is the most simple basic thing you can do to drastically change your body quickly. This is a great place to start. You don’t have to count your calories or blocks. You don’t have to watch your fat intake or what types of meat you choose. Just eat meat veggies and fat. Down the road you may need to dial things in a little more to fine tune body composition and performance, but this simple plan will get you most of where you want to be. Once you get where you want to be things get much easier. There is much more wiggle room. Keep up the good work that you have started everyone.

8:30 AM Class

“Randy“

75 pound Power snatch, 75 reps for time.

Post time to comments.

Filed under: Hero WODs | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

July 3rd, 2009

Posted on July 2, 2009 by thevales

Tony is the Winner!

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Shocking! What more is there to say. I am so proud of Tony. The pictures are nice, but just imagine what is going on on the inside! That is where the real magic is. Read below to see how to have results like these!

What dietary approach did you did you take for the challenge (ie. Zone, Paleo, your own special blend of programs etc.)?

I used a blend of atkins, paleo, and zone. I did atkins style induction for a couple weeks then went to paleo by adding in some veggies and nuts. I also tried to minimize my blocks after the first month I went to 4 blocks proteins and 2 blocks carbs. No fruits the last month and only green veggies, i.e. broccoli, chard, kale, fibrous carbs mostly.

What was your biggest struggle nutritionally?

My biggest struggle was after dinner. I always like a “palate cleanser” something sweet to finish. And yes drinks too. We(team McKay) like to do fun summery drinks when its nice. We switched to mandarin vodka and soda and only a couple and used that as a bad block.

What do you consider a go-to healthy meal that you used extensively during the challenge?

My go to meal is easy….. and I have two.  Tuna 1 can w/ mayo pickle and a spoonful of almond butter.
or grilled chicken breast and some of whatever veg is handy (always have a salad or cooked broccoli in fridge)

Was your eating plan difficult to live with? Did you feel deprived?

My plan was almost too easy and filling during the last month I had trouble eating enough. I was not working out due to injury so I would eat eggs in the morning and not be hungry again until dinner and even then had to just say go eat something! As far as feeling deprived if I had a hunger pain I would drink a big glass of water, eat a spoonful of almond butter, and do something to take my mind off hunger, read, walk around, play with dog!

Did you have any cheat meals?   Were they planned or did they just happen when they happened?

Did I have cheat meals..HECK yeah I did! Usually on pay days. I planned them but even then it was go out to dinner and still make very conscious choices about my cheats. Eat a good meal and have another drink or dessert instead of chips and salsa or the bread basket. In fact if I was cheating that night I would tell them to take that away and keep the starch off the plate and bring more veggies. The bad thing about cheating is you feel bloated after and not so good the next morning so it makes it hard to get excited about doing it even every two weeks!

How do you feel eating this way has or will help your performance?

I feel that losing 30 pounds during this challenge will for sure help my performance when I get back! I feel more energetic, I am sleeping better, and I feel as strong or stronger then when I started this. I have not been this weight since 1997 and that was after 13 weeks in drill school. And since I started crossfit I have lost over 50 pounds in less then a year! And I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Jeff & Charity for always supporting all of us in every aspect. Those two and my amazing third place wife are all the inspiration I needed. I am almost off my soap box I promise…I have to say I was in awe of everyones changes and felt like if I win this its by the narrowest of margins. I love to see the determination that everyone put forth on this challenge but it shouldn’t take a challenge to live a life worth living. We all should all be eating well and working out to maximize all of lifes amazing gifts( kids, dogs, spouses, & life in general) so that we can enjoy them long into the future!  It just took a swift kick in the ass for me to realize that and a year of hard work to see why I should! I for one plan to go even lower in weight. Next stop 215! Congrats to all of us not winners or losers or first or second but all of us as crossfitters!

AM Class

Complete as many rounds as possible 20 minutes of:
95 pound Thruster, 5 reps
95 pound Hang Powercleans, 7 reps
95 pound Sumo Deadlift High-pull, 10 reps

Post rounds completed to comments.

PM Classes

Happy rest day!

Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: | 5 Comments »

July 2nd, 2009

Posted on July 1, 2009 by thevales

Casey is the 2nd Place Winner!

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Congratulations Casey on a miraculous change! Your discipline has visibly paid off. The picture on the left is from March 25th this year and the one on the right is from June 25th. Check out the Q and A with Casey below to find out the secrets to his success.

What dietary approach did you did you take for the challenge (ie. Zone, Paleo, your own special blend of programs etc.)?

Paleo plus dairy in 18-block Zone proportions.  I kept my carb blocks at half of prescribed.  I also cut my coffee intake to 1 cup per day (from about 3).

What was your biggest struggle nutritionally?

I didn’t feel like it was a struggle at all.

What do you consider a go-to healthy meal that you used extensively during the challenge?

Breakfast is usually: 3 scrambled eggs and 2 oz of another protein, a tablespoon of sunflower seed butter and maybe a veggie or fruit.
My favorite snack is my evening snack which is usually: 1 oz cheese, half an apple and a small teaspoon of peanut butter.

Was your eating plan difficult to live with? Did you feel deprived?

No, I really enjoy eating like this and do not feel deprived.  If I feel like I need something more dessert-like than an cheese/apple/PB, I sometimes make a coconut milk and fruit smoothie.

Did you have any cheat meals?   Were they planned or did they just happen when they happened?

Yes, I had cheat meals now and then.  I don’t plan them.  Sometimes it just works out that I’m at someone’s house or just out and there are no other options.  I don’t let it get to me.

How do you feel eating this way has or will help your performance?

YES!  Since starting this challenge I’ve set PR’s on almost every single workout and have been feeling awesome.

Challenge Prizes

1st place- One free month of CFS membership

2nd place- 25$ gift certificate to Sno-isle Food Coop in Everett (home of many grass fed, raw dairy products and pastured eggs and meats)

3rd place- One dozen Jumbo Sky Valley Farms delicious and nutritious pastured eggs and a half gallon raw grass fed Jackie’s Jersey Cow Milk

AM Class

Hang power snatch 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps

PM Classes

Complete as many rounds as possible 20 minutes of:
95 pound Thruster, 5 reps
95 pound Hang Powercleans, 7 reps
95 pound Sumo Deadlift High-pull, 10 reps

Post rounds completed to comments.

Filed under: Olympic Lifts | Tagged: , | 5 Comments »

July 1st, 2009

Posted on June 30, 2009 by thevales

The “Before and After” Challenge 3rd Place Winners

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Steph (pictured first) and Suzanne (pictured second), congratulations. you both tied for 3rd place in our challenge. You have made great gains and I look forward to seeing them continue in the future. Keep up the good work! The pictures on the left are the “before” pictures and the ones on the right after the “after” pictures. Following is a little Q & A with both ladies to let us all in on the secrets to their success.

What dietary approach did you did you take for the challenge (ie. Zone, Paleo, your own special blend of programs etc.)?

Steph-Mostly Zone-ish which helped reduce portions and  alcohol consumption.

Suzanne-My own blend but keeping in mind good carbs vs. bad and only eating carbs at the right time.

What was your biggest struggle nutritionally?

Steph-Sweets and yummy fruity cocktails!

Suzanne-Burgers just are not the same without a bun, however I only eat them when we are out, good burgers that is and usually chicken but the bun does serve the purpose of holding them together so I would ask for a plate and a fork, it worked great.

What do you consider a go-to healthy meal that you used extensively during the challenge?

Steph-Any sort of grilled meat with sauteed veggies because it is quick and easy.

Suzanne-Cottage cheese and fruit with nuts.  It is easy and often served as dessert

Was your eating plan difficult to live with? Did you feel deprived?

Steph-The plan was easy most of the time except occasionally I would get something on my mind and then I couldn’t forget about it. Once I got some momentum in the right direction it became easier to continue that way and keep my focus. It also helped to have Tony eating the same way.

Suzanne-No, No

Did you have any cheat meals?   Were they planned or did they just happen when they happened?

Steph-Yes, it was usually planned around pay day so twice a month we would go out and splurge a little.

Suzanne-Yes, But I did not refer to them as cheat meals but rather they appeared to me as a “Poor Choice”, I often felt horribly both mentally and physically after.  It seems to me that once you truly understand food, it just makes sense to eat the “good for you” stuff!

How do you feel eating this way has or will help your performance?

Steph-It has helped my performance by improving my sleep, making my stomach feel better and just improving my overall health and well being. I also feel stronger and lighter. The visible changes are very inspiring as well!

Suzanne-I sure can compare the days when I ate right versus the days I ate poorly, it has a direct effect on performance.  Running is more difficult, focusing is more difficult and energy lags.

AM Class

“Nicole“

Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
Run 400 meters
Max rep Pull-ups

Post number of pull-ups completed for each round to comments.

PM Classes

Hang power snatch 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps

Filed under: Olympic Lifts | Tagged: , , | 4 Comments »

June 30th, 2009

Posted on June 30, 2009 by thevales

AM Class

Front Squat

3-3-3-3-3

Post loads to comments

PM Classes

“Nicole“

Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
Run 400 meters
Max rep Pull-ups

Post number of pull-ups completed for each round to comments.

Filed under: Girl WODs, Olympic Lifts | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

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