The Road to Regionals

2012 Team Snatch Ladder

Tomorrow Micah and I will be headed down to Landover, MD. to prepare for the Mid-Atlantic Regionals this weekend. It has been a long road, but the time has finally come to see where the past few months of training has led me. While the journey has not always been easy, I can speak confidently when saying I am prepared to give my all.

As the sport of CrossFit has evolved, the competition among the elite has become increasingly stiffer every year. The level of commitment towards training and recovery can be compared to those of professional athletes. Some people are going as far as quitting their jobs to train full time and even acquiring sponsorships. While I am still waiting on my first sponsorship (cough cough Lululemon I heart you) I decided at the end of last year I really wanted to make a push and give my all towards training to see if I could qualify as an individual at the regional level. Despite a few setbacks due to injury, I devoted myself as best I could and came out of the open in 45th out of the 48 qualifying spots. It was a huge goal accomplishment and I am super ecstatic to have earned the opportunity to compete with the best.

Looking back on when I first walked into CrossFit 215 almost three years ago, I never had any intentions of competing, much less aspiring to be in the hunt at the regional level. When I first started I remember feeling extremely intimidated.  I was a skinny little Asian chick who could only really run kind of fast for about 30-60 seconds. I did not come to CrossFit very strong compared to where I am today. I had a 135# back squat, a 155# deadlift, terrible gymnastics skills and body awareness, and didn’t have a clue what a snatch was (the olympic weightlifting movement). But what I lacked in strength I made up for in determination and competitive drive. I still find it strange to hear, but some people tell me when they first met me they felt I was intimidating because I was always so serious. I assume my seriousness in sport comes from growing up as a smaller female athlete and  always feeling like I needed to prove myself to others. While I would never consider myself super naturally gifted, I made up for what I lacked in raw talent with hard work, which is the same mentality I employ today. As I became stronger and faster, the competitive fire inside of me grew and I began to enter some competitions to get my feet wet. Those experiences have been invaluable in helping me gain perspective on where my strengths and weaknesses lie, and how much I can learn from other great athletes.

While the physical and mental training over the past few months have been one of the hardest challenges I’ve ever had to face, I wouldn’t change the entire experience for the world. I have learned to embrace the struggles and setbacks as they lead me towards developing more mental toughness. All of the “bad days” have tested my will to push forward. I have a clearer understanding that sometimes simply learning from failure is more valuable then then any weight you can lift on the bar. When you’re in the trenches, forcing yourself to become comfortable with being uncomfortable is what separates those who truly want to succeed with those who think just they do.

As I prepare myself for this weekend I am keeping the memory of myself as a newbie CrossFitter in the back of my mind. My original goal was just to qualify and I am proud to say I have achieved that. I know I have done everything in my power to perform my best and whatever happens I promise I will leave it all out on the floor.

I want to thank the entire 215 community for their ongoing support of my athletic goals. Besides the physical changes I have gained over the years, one of the most rewarding benefits of joining and coaching in the CrossFit community has been meeting so many like minded individuals who want to challenge themselves in discovering their own path towards health and fitness. I am thankful to have found a new family of friends and fellow athletes who I continue to draw inspiration from. To everyone who made it a priority to workout with me the past few months merely to help motivate and push me, I cannot convey enough how grateful I am. A special thank you goes out to the coaching staff who has taken some workload off of my shoulders so I can train, prepare, and recover properly. And last to but not least, my coach and friend Micah for giving me the opportunity to chase my goals and believing in me. I could not have done it without all of you and I am sincerely grateful.

I hope to share updates this weekend via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! You can also follow my progress in the Mid Atlantic Regional on the games website leaderboard at www.games.crossfit.com 

Here is a longer reflection of my CrossFit Regional Journey on my personal blog as well as a video featured on the CrossFit Games site filmed the other week.

Thanks for the love…it’s game time!

Perrin

Farewell Jen, Sean and Erick!

Thank you to everyone who came out and stuck around after “Elizabeth” on Friday night. Stay tuned for our next community event soon!

Best of luck to Erick, Sean and Jen on your new life paths. Please come back and visit us soon. You all have a place to call home at 215!

Engagements and Birthdays!

Congratulations to members Adler and Christa on their engagement this weekend! Adler and Christa are one of the nicest people you will ever meet and we could not be happier for the both of you. They are also the first couple who have met and become engaged at CrossFit 215. Best of luck with the wedding planning!

Happy Birthday to Coach Kyle! Thank you for always going above and beyond day in and day out. Your work ethic and discipline are an inspiration to us all. From your family at 215, we wish you a very happy birthday!

Happy Hour Friday and New Weekend Classes

Everyone is encouraged to join us on Friday after the 5pm class to wish a proper farewell to newlyweds Sean and Jen, and Erick Ducet who will all be leaving us shortly. Please feel free to workout at 5pm and stick around afterwards to celebrate. We are formally canceling 6pm class in lieu of the festivities and will be providing some light refreshments and drinks!

Sean started at CrossFit 215 in July of 2010. We have had the pleasure of watching him evolve as an athlete and strongman throughout the past three years. While the CrossFit programming has helped him become a stronger and more well-rounded athlete, his passion quickly drew towards the sport of strongman. One of the highlights of Sean’s time with us was competing in the Hybrid Athletics Strongman competition last year. Sean showed tenacity and perseverance by competiting with guys almost twice his size and hit some major PR’s in the process. Sean will be graduating from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) to pursue his residency in Richmond, VA specializing in physical medicine and rehab.

Jen soon followed in Sean’s footsteps and came to us in December of 2010. Jen’s consistency and infectious spirit has been a positive addition to the CF215 community for many years. Jen is a great example that you don’t have to necessarily be competitive in the sport of CrossFit to enjoy your experiences and still and grow as an athlete. Jen also will graduate from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) and pursue her residency in Richmond, VA specializing in family medicine.

Erick came to 215 in June of 2011 and has been a pleasure to watch grow as an athlete since! Erick is one of the friendliest people you will ever meet, and at 40 years young he has worked hard and consistently to accomplish huge gains throughout his time here.

Erick is finishing his residency in Psychiatry and has joined a group practice in Chicago. He will be working in two psychiatric hospitals in the western part of Chicago starting July 1st. We wish Erick the best of luck as he continues his CrossFit journey in the windy city!

Partner Saturdays and Endurance Sundays

We have moved parter/team workouts to Saturday mornings and Sundays will now be endurance days. Parter Saturdays are a great opportunity to meet new members and work together to accomplish your goals! Everyone is encouraged to attend Endurance Sundays at least once a month to brush up on your running and rowing skills, not to mention get some Vitamin D!

Memorial Day Schedule

We will be having one class on Memorial Day at 10am. There will be the option of two different hero workouts, “Murph” and “Manion.”

Come get your workout in early and enjoy the holiday!

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. -Joseph Campbell

Spectating at North East Regionals

This past weekend Micah and I drove up to Reebok World Headquarters in Canton, MA to watch the first week of regional competition in the North East region. For those of you not familiar with the sport of CrossFit, there is an entire season of competition starting with the Open and ending with the CrossFit Games in July. After the Open concludes, the top 48 individual men and women, plus top 30 teams from each region move on to their respective regional competitions to compete for their chance to make it to the CrossFit Games. While the Open delivered some nasty workouts, the regional competitions are a whole different ballgame. Athletes must participate in seven workouts over three days, which include some brutal combinations that are sure to test both athleticism and mental will.

I felt very fortunate to watch some amazing athletes this weekend put up impressive performances. As I prepare for the Mid-Atlantic Regionals in a few weeks, I have been testing these workouts myself and can testify that they are no joke. I watched some men and women throw around heavy weight like it was a walk in the park. It was apparent that everyone had put in the time and work to get to where they were, which was inspiring to watch and helped reignite my fire to keep pushing hard through the training process.

I was also very impressed with how professional the regional competition was run this year. I had never been to the North East Regionals before, but in comparison to what I experienced at the Mid-Atlantic Regionals last year when CrossFit215 made it as a team, I can say that the sport of CrossFit is definitely advancing rapidly. It is evident CrossFit is trying to become a spectator sport. The workouts were set up in such a fashion where athletes needed to advance to different stations after completing the required amount of reps of each movement. This gives the spectator the ability to track each competitor more easily in a race type format. Each competitor even had custom signs with their names on it displayed at their station so the spectators could easily spot who was in each heat.

Woodstock for competitive exercisers

Outside of the competition there were lots of vendors, spectator activities and food to enjoy in between heats and events. “Tent City” was where affiliates could put up tents and relax or play games during their down time. It was very interesting to see how “The Sport of Fitness” competitions have become a tailgate so to speak for spectators who were not competing. I took it upon myself to find other ways of occupying my time like roaming around the Reebok Headquarters campus and taking pictures like this

All in all, I am super appreciative of the opportunity to get to watch the competition as a spectator for once. I know when the Mid-Atlantic Regionals rolls around I will not have the ability to soak it all in the same way I did this past weekend. While it was a nice temporary break from the gym, I still needed to try and fit in my training which became a difficult task considering most of the local gyms were either competing or spectating at regionals and had limited class times. Luckily, I was able to find a gym not too far away that let me use their facility on two occasions. I am incredibly grateful for their generosity in letting me do my own thing in my attempt not to derail my training. One of the beautiful things about the CrossFit community is how supportive everyone is, even if you are a complete stranger. Thank you CrossFit 781 for your hospitality!

If you have never been to a CrossFit competition before I highly encourage attending one. There are not many sports out there where the competitors and the spectators are so closely tied to one another because they all do the same thing day in and day out in their own gyms. One of the most prominent differences you will notice about CrossFit athletes is that even if they are competing against each other they always encourage one another. It is always awesome to see competitors cheering on the last person and showing their support and respect for one another. It makes me proud to be a part of this community and excited to get my own opportunity in a few weeks. As for my own training, it’s time to get back to business! See you in the gym!

Athlete Profile – Chapter 2

For those of you who didn’t know, every couple months the staff gets together and decides on a new athlete to feature. This athlete is chosen based how they represent CrossFit 215. In continuing with our athlete profile series, we had trouble choosing between two athletes, therefore we decided to choose both of them. You will often see these two together workout out, supporting and encouraging each other day in and day out. These individuals represent hard work, dedication, commitment and integrity. For over two years we have watched these guys make huge gains during their time here and couldn’t be more proud of their progress. Congratulations to Jeff and Mather for representing everything the CrossFit 215 community stands for! Thank you for being a part of our family and we look forward to watching you grow as individuals and athletes throughout the future.

Check out the latest installment in our athlete profile series below.

Congratulations Jen & Sean!

Congratulations to Jen and Sean who tied the knot this past Saturday! From your family at CrossFit 215, we wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

Jen and Sean have been members of CrossFit 215 for almost 3 years this summer, but will be leaving us soon to pursue their medical residencies in Richmond, VA. We will be having a Happy Hour/Going Away party on Friday, May 31st to wish them proper farewell. Please mark your calendars and hopefully everyone can join us! Details to follow.

Sweatshirt Pre-order + Coach Micah in Men's Fitness!

Last Chance for Sweatshirt Pre-Order!

The last chance to sign up for the sweatshirt pre-order is this Friday! Please write your name and what color (blue, red, or both!) you want on the clipboard hanging across the reception desk. Many people have had questions regarding sizing. We ordered multiple sweatshirts in each size so you will have an opportunity to try on the sweatshirts when they come in and ensure you receive the size you want. If you don’t sign up for the pre-order there will be plenty extras for sale. For those signed up for the pre-order please expect a receipt from Mindbody regarding payment.

Micah’s Feature in Men’s Fitness

Coach Micah was interviewed in the latest issue of Men’s Fitness! Read the article here!

Next On Ramp Begins Monday, May 6th!

Our next On Ramp Cycle begins in a few weeks. If you know anyone interested in joining have them email [email protected] for more information!. On Ramp is a unique fundamentals course for all new athletes to ensure knowledge and safety in the CrossFit 215 methodology. This course will consist of 5 elements classes, meeting 2x-3x per week, and the opportunity to attend group classes upon completion of the On-Ramp program. All new athletes must complete the “On-Ramp” program before graduating into regular classes.

In Memory of Boston

The event’s that took place in Boston have weighed heavily on the hearts of our country. CrossFit Southie is hosting a fundraiser event for the Richard Family of Dorchester, MA.  The Richard family lost their son (Martin) and the mother and sister are in critical condition.

There are a bunch of gyms in the New England area participating in this event to support and help the Richard family.  In memory of the tragedies of those who were effected, we will be completing a partner version of “Marathon Monday” today.

From CrossFit Southie

Those of us that live in the City of Boston are boastful about our beloved beantown. The Boston marathon is one of the best weekends of the year, because crowds of people have the opportunity to enjoy the energy and the infrastructure of the city for the first time since before the winter months. The air is fresh, people are happy, and the community feels stronger than ever…you feel proud to call Boston home.  

Even if you were not at the finish line of 4/15/2013, it still feels incredibly personal. The event has violated our sense of security, and has left us with heavy hearts. The Richard Family is from Dorchester, which borders Southie. Many of our CrossFit Southie members live in Dorchester, and as much as we would like to help all of the victims, it seems more realistic to raise money for one local family. Martin Richard died from the impact of the blast, and Martin’s mother and sister are both in critical care with injuries that will change their lives forever.

We are going to fight the best way we know how- WODing. Even if you cannot afford to give money to this fundraiser, please do this WOD in support of all of the victims.

If you are a box owner please honor our city and this family by completing this WOD with your community. If you could please urge your members to donate anything they can to help the Richard family, it would be beyond appreciated.

Please donate here: https://www.youcaring.com/mmwod

“Marathon Monday”

5 Rounds

4 Squat Clean and Jerks (185,125)

15 Chest to Bar Pull-ups

13 Burpee Lateral Jumps

After 5 rounds are complete:

800m run

Each partner will work one at a time, alternating partners after the completion of each movement. The 800m will be run together by both partners after 5 rounds are complete. I.E. Partner 1 does 4 squat clean and jerks, Partner 2 does 15 C2B pull ups, Partner 1 does 13 burpee lateral jumps, Partner 2 does 4 squat and clean jerks, etc.