The Space Between

“I have noticed that in our culture, transition is looked upon as ‘no-thing’, or a ‘no-place’ between places. The old trapeze bar was real, and the new one coming towards me is also real, but what about the place in between?  Is this place, as in my experience, our culture promotes, just a scary, confusing, disorienting “nowhere” place that I must go through as fast and as unconsciously as possible?  What if the trapeze bar was not real? My hunch is that this transition zone is the only real place, and the bars are illusions to avoid the void where real change and growth occurs.   Whether or not my hunch is true, the transition zones in my life are incredibly rich places that I honor and even savor. My imagination of fear and of being out of-control may accompany transition, but they are still the most alive, growth-filled, passionate, and expansive moments in my life.”  — Author Unknown

OUTSIDE the Box – New class begins July 27, 2009

CrossFit Central Outside the Box is a 6 week action packed program of trail running, mountain biking, swimming, and bouldering (sometimes all in the same workout!) with Crossfit-style training mixed in to create an adventuresome fitness experience! This program will meet 3x a week at various locations around Austin such as the Greenbelt, Mt Bonnell, Walnut Creek, the Veloway, Barton Springs, and more – True to Crossfit form, every workout will be different, challenging, and fun!

Schedule & Sign Up

Monday & Wednesday 6:30-8:00pm (traveling locations)

Thurs 6:30-7:30pm (Little Stacy Park – 1 mile south of the river off So. Congress)

July 27th – Sept 4th

To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.

“Most people run a race to see who is fastest.  I run a race to see who has the most guts.”  –Steve Prefontaine

Tips for tolerating heat & humidity

Humidity slows evaporation of sweat from the body because the air outside is too dense with water molecules to absorb yours.

-drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration

-slow down and cool off  if you experience a headache or shallow breathing

-overheating can cause serious, even life-threatening conditions such as heat stroke.

Dangers of heat include (from USA Today):

• Heat cramps: Exercising in hot weather can lead to muscle cramps, especially in the legs, because of brief imbalances in body salts. Cramps become less frequent as a person becomes used to the heat.
• Heat syncope or fainting: Anyone not used to exercising in the heat can experience a quick drop in blood pressure that can lead to fainting. As with heat cramps, the cure is to take it easy.
• Heat exhaustion: Losing fluid and salt through perspiration or replacing them in an imbalanced way can lead to dizziness and weakness. Body temperature might rise, but not above 102 degrees. In some cases victims, especially the elderly, should be hospitalized. Heat exhaustion is more likely after a few days of a heat wave than when one is just beginning. The best defense is to take it easy and drink plenty of water. Don’t take salt tablets without consulting a physician.
• Heatstroke: In some cases extreme heat can upset the body’s thermostat, causing body temperature to rise to 105 degrees or higher. Symptoms are lethargy, confusion and unconsciousness. Even a suspicion that someone might be suffering from heatstroke requires immediate medical aid. Heatstroke can kill.
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Congrats to CC coaches Carey, Crystal, & Lance

Qualifiers for international Crossfit Games in Aromas, California:

Carey Kepler

Crystal McReynolds

Lance Cantu

Boot Camp Field Trip

The Pease Park boot camp took a break from the heat by working out at Barton Springs yesterday.  We did a little trail running, push-ups, dips, with laps across the pool mixed in….we think we might move boot camp here.  :)

Be careful what you say to yourself….

The number one predictor of failed adherence?

The statement “I’ll start tomorrow.”

tHe eLeMeNt oF pLaY

I first discovered Crossfit in February of 2006.  I was in grad school at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California.  My personal training at the time consisted of spending time with my clients outdoors for agility, speed, and endurance work while spending time indoors for strength and conditioning development.  I was coaching outdoor fitness camps for women during the summer in Vermont and having a ton of fun with that….combining mountain biking, trail running, and yoga with medicine balls, bands, and ladder work.  I also coached track and cross-country and was seeking new ways to challenge my high school athletes.  Crossfit hit the mark for many reasons. A few months after doing the WOD on the Crossfit HQ website, I took a 3 day certification seminar in Santa Cruz to become a Crossfit coach.  By Sunday afternoon, my body was beat but the spark that puttered along with me for the last few years had finally been lit.  I found what I was missing both personally and professionally. After finishing my program at Cal Poly, I returned to Vermont to teach for another year and started a Vermont affiliate.  I offered boot camps to the community and introduced Crossfit in my physical education classes.  I knew I was on to a good thing when the teenagers were getting fired up about our workouts and when 24 people showed up for my first boot camp.  Turns out, it wasn’t just me that was seeking a new element in my fitness routine. On a personal level, Crossfit reminds me of being a kid again…and that’s the hook.  I love the anticipation of logging on to see the workout of the day.  I love that every workout is different.  I appreciate age-old rules being discarded…doing squats 3 days in a row, specifically losing specificity, and the concept of differentiating by degree not kind. So don’t forget to play when you work out….while on a run jump onto and over boulders and rock walls….climb over the jungle gym at the playground rather than run around it….do cartwheels across a field and then keep running….play like a kid again.

Who’s your Pre?

November 4, 2008 Election Day, 2008.  Finally.  Dedicate your Crossfit workout today to your favorite candidate or Austin proposition.  And then contemplate what it means to be a good winner or loser (in politics or sport) and then be it.

What is the greatest ideal of myself that I can be today?

Joe Dispenza, from “What the Bleep Do We Know” asks the question: “What is the greatest ideal of myself that I can be today?” each day before getting out of bed.  Try this for a week.  Notice the word today in the question.  Implying that you are in control of setting your standard for the day given your particular challenges, potential, and limitations.

21,000 Strong

This morning Austin hosted the annual Race for the Cure 5K.  Over 21,000 runners participated.  The weather was perfect and the crowd was full of optimism and pride.  Some races you do for fun, some for competition, and others to symbolize significant events in your life.  I dedicated this “race” to my new best friend and my commitment to support her on her recently discovered challenge with this crazy disease.  I was one of many who crossed the finish line in dedication of another and felt empowered by our collective intention.  To run and to give strenuous effort in this way gives exercise new meaning. On a side note, a wonderful benefit of Crossfit is the strides (pun intended) one makes in improving their 5K time while only doing Crossfit workouts.  A true testiment, indeed, to the functional application of random and varied.

Who needs a gym membership?

One of the things I was most excited about when I moved to Austin from Vermont a little over a year ago was leaving the month of November behind.  In Vermont, November is like Crossfit’s Fight Gone Bad  — testing the readiness, the hardiness of the souls who call themselves Vermonters (or in the case of FGB-Crossfitters).  The sky is perpetually grey.  The leaves have all fallen and left the trees bare.  It’s bitter cold, often with freezing rain, maybe a snowflake or two but rarely, if ever, significant powder to play in.  It’s dark by 4:30pm.  Everyone heads to the gym.  Treadmills and Ellipticals have a waiting list and the Cybex stations are full.  30 days of this seems like eternity.  In December, it is more hopeful that the grey might turn to a blanket of white while skis and snowboards are excitedly pulled from the attic.  Holiday parties begin during the first weekend which finds your subcutaneous winter coat eyeing the cake and brownies.  But for now, it’s November, and life is elsewhere.  NOT!  You’re in Austin, Texas dude.  Get out….ride the greenbelt, run dry creek beds, swim in Barton Springs, praise the sun, the weather, and be grateful that you live in a town with such amazing recreational resources.  I have not been on a treadmill in over 18 months….I challenge you to do the same!

Under the Bridge

Some of my favorite Saturday mornings are under the bridge.  Crossfit Central’s free community workout occurs once a month under the Mopac bridge at 8:30 a.m.  It’s a good time and place to be alive in Austin.  The temperature is usually perfect and the buzz of energy from the walkers, joggers, cyclists, and rowers makes you realize what a special place this is.  And then our  warm-up begins….high knees, running in place, squats, push-ups, (if you know what comes next-you too may be addicted), rotations, agility ladders, lunges, etc…the energy under the bridge escalates from a buzz to a rhythm to a roar as the workout gets underway and all 70 of us contribute with command to the collective energy of Saturday morning in Austin, under the bridge.