Today’s Workout

• Endurance WOD
• WOD make up day
• Open Gym

A WOD will be offered, but you will have some choices to make.  Skill work and Open gym will take place after the WOD.

Prologue
The hallucinations and pain continued. They weren’t real hallucinations, of course – nothing that would get you three squares in a State Hospital – but rather lots of conversations with myself that led to laughing. And anger. And a dismal feeling of this will never end.
“Pain, tired, cold, distance,” I repeated to myself, the mantra sounding increasingly demotivating. The agony was in both legs, radiating from the hips to the knees to the calves as constants. Sinusoidal waves of pain would have been more welcomed, for it would have allowed some respite during the “off-cycles” that would come between paroxysms of discomfort. “Run, you SOB,” I muttered. “RUN, YOU SONUVABITCH,” I yelled. “RUN.”
It would be another eight miles of pain, fatigue, chills and knowledge of the distance yet to cover before things would change.

Four months earlier
“Holiday Lake is the one you want. Fast and flat. Sort of like the Battlefield,” Jimmy said. “Yep, if you can do Battlefield, you can run Holiday Lake,” Phil echoed. I mused this over. Never a particularly fast runner, my best 5K being 21 minutes and my best marathon a 3:47, it seemed doable in the eight hours (EIGHT HOURS!!) allotted to finish Holiday Lake – billed as a “50K++.” Besides the daily Crossfit workouts, the training regimen most often repeated to me was “get time on your feet.”
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Todays’ Workout

For Time:

• 1 x Deadlift (225/155)
• 1 Round of “Cindy”
• 2 x Deadlift
• 1 Round of “Cindy”
• 3 x Deadlift
• 1 Round of “Cindy”
• … continue to 10 x Deadlift and 1 Round of “Cindy”

Post time to complete to comments.

We all come to RARE to live a healthy lifestyle and stay in
the best shape we can. I know a lot of us like to unwind and have an occasional
alcoholic beverage or two. I think it’s safe to say that we all know that
drinking, even in moderation, is not good for us. How many of us actually sit
back and think what alcohol is doing to our bodies? Bottom line is that alcohol
is toxic to the body and detrimental to everything we do at Rare. It can cause
severe dehydration and depending on the amount consumed, can take several days
up to a week for your body to recover. If you are dehydrated then you are at
greater risk for injury and muscle cramping. Alcohol also interferes with
lactic acid breakdown, which means that your body won’t recover as quickly as it
normally would and you will stay sore longer. It affects your quality of sleep
which in turn affects the way you feel and perform in workouts. I have listed
just a few of the adverse affects of alcohol; there is a ton of research out
there that states that it’s not good for your health or performance. I’m not
saying to never have another drink again, unless that’s what you choose to do,
but just keep in mind that there are plenty of reasons to limit your alcohol
intake. Checkout Alcohol
vs. Crossfit  for more information on
alcohols effects on performance and your overall health.

Today’s Workout

4 Rounds for Time:

• Row 250m
• 20 Burpees
• 20 Box Jumps

Post time to complete to comments.

I heard someone ask, “Will Crossfit ever get easier?”

I think that Crossfit never gets easier, and I don’t believe I would want it to get easier.  The Crossfit journey is long, challenging, and rewarding, but if it got easier, I think it might lose its luster.  It might lose what made me fall in love with it all along.  The unpredictability of my body’s response to the WOD is what made Crossfit so desirable.  Crossfit has always been quite magical for me.  I have never truly understood how it all works so well.  In general, if I show up and make an effort to get stronger and faster,  put the right foods in my body, allow for my body to rest, mobilize my soft tissues and stretch, Crossfit will do it’s magic and make me better.

But it doesn’t get easier.  I will always have to work hard, eat right, and rest.  Crossfit guarantees me the freedom of a fit life and that is what I signed up for.  It will never be easy.  And I am ok with that because I know I will be… Stronger than Yesterday…

Be Stronger2day!

- Coach Rise

Today’s Workout

Hang Squat Clean

5, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1

- And -

AMRAP in 10 Minutes

• 10 Hang Power Cleans
• 20 Sit Ups
• 20 Supermans

Post loads and number of rounds completed to comments.

It’s worth the read, especially because Mike thought Ryan, Phil, and I were crazy a little over a year ago for running ultras. -Coach Adam

Going into 2012 my primary goal in regards to CrossFit was very un-CrossFit, no max snatch or Fran, but rather completing the Lynchburg Ultra Series (LUS). The LUS is comprised of 3-50Ks and 1-50 Mile trail run, sounds easy enough… Even though my main goal was not CrossFit related, my training for these races would be provided through the same classes everyone attends at RARE, 3-5 times a week. The only training outside of RARE that I will plan to work in are weekend trail runs at the Quarry and Fredericksburg Battlefield (leisure fun runs), along with a few longer training runs 2 weeks out before each event, with mileage never exceeding 20 miles. Outside of the LUS I hope to find time to run a 50 mile trail race this summer, just incase a moment of insanity pops up and I get the proper blessings to run the Grindstone 100 in October as you need a 50 mile run completed within the specified time as a qualifier for that race.
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Today’s Workout

 3 Rounds for Time of:

• 15 Toes to Bar
• 15 Front Squats (135/95)
• 15 Burpees
• 15 Power Cleans (135/95)

Post Time to Complete to Comments

I think we all strive to be better at something.  I think it should be part of our goals in our lives to keep improving in some way.  So, what are you doing to be better?

Here are some thoughts…

• Drinking more water
• Stretching for mobility
• Lifting weights to get stronger
• Running, rowing, or jumping rope
• Eating whole foods
• Getting enough sleep
• Caring for and preventing injuries
• Learning new things
• Spending quality time with family
• Spending quality time with friends
• Starting a new hobby

What makes you better?  It is a work in progress, I hope.  Better everyday!

Be Stronger2day!

- Coach Rise

Today’s Workout

• Endurance WOD
• WOD make up day
• Open Gym

A WOD will be offered, but you will have some choices to make.  Skill work and Open gym will take place after the WOD.

I stumbled across this list the other day which ranks sports
and fitness activities based on “physical difficulty and overall hardcoreness”.
It ranks Crossfit at number 8 out of 47 different sports and activities. I’m not
saying I necessarily agree or disagree with the list, but it did make me start
to think about where I would rank Crossfit in the things that I have
accomplished in my life so far. So what are your thoughts… where does Crossfit
rank with you? Is it the toughest workout program that you have ever tried? If
not what sports or fitness activities were more challenging? What do you like
and dislike about Crossfit? What keeps you coming back to Rare? Is it the
people, the coaching, the competition, camaraderie or being challenged in a new
way everyday? Post your thoughts to comments and let us know what you think!  Check
out the full list of rankings.

Today’s Workout

1 Round for Time:

• 10 Burpee Pullups
• 20 Box Jumps (24/20)
• 30 KB Swings (55/35)
• 40 Push Ups
• 50 Double Unders
• 40 Push Ups
• 30 KB Swings (55/35)
• 20 Box Jumps (24/20)
• 10 Burpee Pullups

Post Time to Complete to Comments

Before I do things, I like to have a plan.  I don’t always have to have one, but I perform any task better if I have a plan.  I like to make lists and see how much of the list I can complete.  The lists are usually part of the plan.  I even strategize a bit before I workout to see how I might most efficiently get the work done.  At the beginning of every year, instead of a resolution, I make a plan.  I map out how I will reach my goals I have set.  I always achieve more with a plan.

• I plan to be successful.
• I plan to be motivated.
• I plan to be more than when I started.

It all starts with a plan…

What is your plan?  Do you have a plan?

Plan for your success… get your lists started, set some goals, get ready to be more!

Be Stronger2day!

- Coach Rise

Today’s Workout

5 Rounds for Time:

• Run 400m
• 15 Thrusters (95/65)

Post time to complete to comments

Holiday Lake 50K was two days ago on Saturday and 6 RARE Athletes, including 4 first time runners, all finished the race! Ryan and Jimmy have done this race before, but it was the first time for Al, Ben, Mike, and Robby. Actually, it was the longest any of the four of them had ever raced. So, how did they train and what did it take. Well, CrossFit was pretty much the staple of their training. I remember Robby saying the other day the only time he ran was when he actually ran from his house up to RARE CrossFit, about 6 miles. He only did this four times in the last couple months, awesome huh? Ben, not sure, because he suffered a stress fracture a few months ago and stopped running all together. He wore a boot for about 6 weeks and considered not starting the race. We spoke and decided he should try it anyway and see how it goes…I don’t have to tell you…but I really…really want to…Ben did awesome and finished the race with no problems. Al, well he is 56 years young and has had his fair share of injuries. I don’t think many people thought he would finish this race (just being honest folks), but Al is a trooper and was determined to finish. At the second to last Aid station Al was told he did not make the cutoff time and would not be able to make it to the end. I don’t think he liked this too much so he decided to not only finish the race, but finish with more than 20 minutes to spare! Mike has run this distance before, one time with a group of RARE Athletes, just for the fun of it and covered 41 miles. There was no pressure of going fast or pressure to finish, he just had to run however far he wanted to that day. This is totally different from being in a race, especially for your first time. Not only did Mike finish, but he crushed this race and finished under 6 hours in a time of 5:51.

I just wanted to say how truly AWESOME each and every one of you are!

Don’t ever doubt yourself or what any of us can ever do…the sky truly is the limit…so aim for the stars… and make your dreams come true!
-Coach Adam

Today’s Workout

AMRAP in 3 Minutes of each of the Skills listed:

• Rope Climbs
• Box Jumps (24/20)
• Push Ups / HSPUs
• Air Squats

Rest for 2 Minutes between each skill

Post Number of Reps Completed to Comments.

Tomorrow morning some of our RARE Athletes will be running the Holiday Lake 50K. The start/finish area is at the Holiday Lake 4‐H Educational Center in the 19,000‐acre Appomattox‐Buckingham State Forest. The 4‐H Center lies on he banks of the beautiful clear Holiday Lake. The 4‐H Center is 15 miles northeast of Appomattox and 37 miles from Lynchburg. The course is two loops. The first loop will be run clockwise. At the end of the first loop, runners will retrace their steps and run the course in the opposite direction (counterclockwise). The course is shady with rolling hills and consists of trails, forest service roads, and dirt roads.
Good Luck everyone! We know all of you are going to do awesome!
-Coach Adam

Todays’ Workout

On the Minute … with a continuously running clock

- Push Press (95/65)

(perform 1 push press on the first minute, 2 on the second, etc. until you are unable to complete the number in a minute)