"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!  We have to run 800m 3 times?"  Oh yeah, Baby and you're gonna LOVE it!  I think everyone did too.

In teams of 4 complete the following:

800m Run

Deadlift (100/65)

800m Run

Burpees

800m Run

Pull-ups

While two members of the team run, the other two are crushing reps out at the given movement starting with DLs. When the runners return the members switch.  Awesome support amongst the teams as they tore through three very tough movements.  Burpees and Deadlifts together ALWAYS seem to bring out the best in an athlete's legs; not to mention the running!!

Team Jeff, Carrie, Tom and Jessica came out on top with a whopping 587 total reps.  Nice work team.

Team Saturday Champs!

We had some visitors from CrossFit Las Vegas.  Joe and Renee joined us on Team Saturday.  Joe has been trying to stay strict to a specific program. Joe was very polite and asked first if he and his wife could do their own thing. I threw a wrench in his gears when I told him that just wasn't gonna happen.  We both agreed that it's better to join the class.  I think it worked out GREAT.  Him and his wife looked like they enjoyed the workout .

It brings up an interesting topic though.  The "Traveling CrossFitter" is always welcomed with open arms to the Fort.  We will treat you as one of our own.  With the competitive nature of CrossFit and the Games' thriving so well, it should be expected that some athletes will want to train a very specific way.  I guess it will be much like nutrition when you are traveling: you're not always gonna weigh and measure the Big Mac and large fry...  That's a joke by the way.  I would NEVER get a large fry .

Lately, WE have had some CrossForters on the road.  They come back always with positive feedback about their experience at the other affiliate.  What is it about CrossFitters that makes us all so welcoming?  Is it that we know the hellish fever one can get after Fran?  How much "suck" is endured during a 2000m row? Or is it that we know we are an elite few who are proud to share what we have with others but feel safest with our fellow CrossFitters?What do YOU think?

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Three PRIME examples of how marketing campaigns will try to snuff your progress.  You'll notice the first example may seem fine... Look closer!  The last two examples should be blatently obvious.  If they are not then you are dumb.

Here you will notice that this specimen of Avocado has been genetically re-engineered to yield "50% less fat AND calories".  Who gives a "F" about the calories?   Why would you take my fat away?  That's why I friggin' eat Avocados!  Now, my once healthy choice, has been Frankensteeeeeen'd into a potential catalyst for my body to progress a degenerative disease!  Damn it!

Here you will see, again, the display of "1/2 the Fat". Guess what? If you compare Edy's Brands, this supposed healthier option has more SUGAR. Well, that's based on my poor memory so check for yourselves. That is, if you can control yourself in the ice cream isle! Anyway, back to my story...  This packaging is trying to get the buyer to believe that eating this product will help quench one's "blues". I am here to tell you, BULL. SHIT. As someone who suffers from mood swings, my most uncontrollable urges come quickly after eating a high carb meal. I'd feel good while I was eating it cause it's friggin' delicious, but when I was done I'd want to kill myself.

Are you serious? I know I am not supposed to cuss on this blog because we want to stay "family friendly", but me using the word "fuck" to express my eternal disgust with this picture pales in comparison to the damage done from the impression this is leaving on children. Worse yet, the people buying this shit which is most often the PARENTS! Helllllllooooooo?! McDumbass! Anybody fucking home? It's bad enough that we sell candy bars as health food in the form of "Zone Diet bars" or "Snickers Sports" and attach a pic of a sexy man or woman on the wrapper. But to sell on the hopes that being "Chubby" will appeal to the buyer? I've lost my God damned mind on this one.

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Lifestyle changes are so much easier when you can make them together.

I don't need to read some hub-bub study to know that being with people that share my interests will be healthy.  If I am out with some CrossForters and whip out a bag of french fries, they're going to look at me like I'm about to heat a spoon full of smack.  On the otherhand, if I am out with my friends that DO smack and order my roast beef sandwich without a bun, they're gonna look at me like I started turning tricks to feed my fix.

YOU are the company YOU keep.

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Do you ever face adversity as a CrossForter? Do you ever feel at wit's end when trying to relay your passion for CrossFit to friends or family? How about the scoffs you get when you turn down free pizza at work? Yeah, I know. I know the feeling. It isn't a happy one. So I am here to tell you that you don't have to feel victimized anymore for this so called "cultish" lifestyle which you choose to follow...er...eh...that is, live.

There is still hope for you! You can develop the skills necessary to become good... No, wait! Great at teaching those you love about what it's like to be a CrossFitter. In the following video you will learn how to approach people and get what you want from them! Except maybe for the killing portion of this video, I condone it all. Although, there sure are A LOT of unclaimed log books in the cabinet above the stereo...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnNSe5XYp6E[/youtube]

Part 2 will cover how to determine if you are in a cult and what to do when you make that realization. Until then, don't forget to drink your Kool-Aid!

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Hey guys and gals and peeps and CrossFitters and YOU! Most of us have followed Garth's picture-posts or Jennie's comments on Facebook. Maybe some of you have been texting too! I just wanted to drop it while it's still hot...

CrossFit Fire busted their ass in the competition on Friday and placed 60th out of 99 teams! Way to represent. This is the first CrossFit HQ sponsored competition for CrossFit Fire and a great team came together and made us all back home very proud to be a CrossFORTer. Much love. Can't wait to get you guys back!

Team Saturday garnered a great turnout. I think it was somewhere just under 40 people! Like 12 or something... There were TONS of people there this morning. OKAY? It was f^$%*@g awesome. Some last minute changes were made depending on the number of attendees. I ended up making it an even twelve so I paired up with Giles and we busted some ass along side 5 other teams. Jeff and Dave came out on top with 9.5 rounds! Congrats Team Jave! Or Deff? Whichever you prefer...

Everybody did a great job grinding out this 35 minute AMRAP:
5 push-ups
20 sit-ups
5 pull-ups
Team tire flip and jump through
400m run

I will use the Champs to illustrate the way this worked. Dave ran 400m first. While Dave was running Jeff rep'd through the push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups. When they were both finished, together they flipped the tire and then individually jumped through the tire to the other side. When the last person jumped through, they could each begin the next exercise. In this case Jeff would now run while Dave reps it out. Make sense? Well it would have if you were there! Ohhhh SNAP! That's right. I said it!

Team Saturday Champions!

My apologies to the Champs for forgetting my camera. This pic was on my phone. If I made it any bigger it looks too crappy. It's amazing how we were able to fit ALL that CHAMPION into one little photo!

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Well, well, well! Look who got blogging rights again! You guessed it, that guy with the dirty keyboard. It's been a while since I have last posted and I think it had to do with all the f-bombs I was dropping. Jennie got back and her hair nearly fell out when she read even just a few sentences. I was Court Marshaled by the CrossFit Blogger Committee (Oh yeah, they're out there. And they're watching...). So, needless to say, my blogging license was revoked and I was put on probation. Fear not and stay strong. I will serve my time and I am back once a week (for now). I might be able to work out early parole for good behavior. That's the skinny anyway; let's get down to the fat!!

Lot's has happened in our community since. A well known CrossFit Firebreather, a.k.a. the King of Pop passed away (tear). If you didn't know that then you certainly must have noticed the onslaught of Mikey-hits rockin' the Fort lately, right? No? Well start paying attention! At least you knew he was a CrossFit Firebreather. I mean, everyone knows that. If you didn't you'd just be a...uh...oh God...an idiot. (Whew, that was close. I felt a STRONG urge to drop an f-bomb there. Stay. Strong.) The King O' Pop is dead and you need to start illegally downloading his hits pronto! Let's see, what else happened? Oh, well Bill and Jennie got back from their honeymoon... blah blah blah. That's all boring stuff. Let's talk about you and me. Let's talk about camaraderie, Baby.

More specifically (dun-dun-dun), let's talk about those last few minutes of a WOD. Those last minutes when only a few CrossFORTers are finishing their kill. They've landed the antelope (Nicki?) and they just have to slice it down the belly to start draining the entrails. We'll assume that point in the WOD as "fourth quarter". They're owning this WOD (antelope) and it's time to finish. So there they are: grinding through a grueling metcon while the rest of you early finishers are wading in your pool of sweat and, possibly, victory (victory if we are talking about the 1:10 ratio between Tom and Garth...). You "early-finishers" are already flipping your antelope filets (low and slow, right Bill?)! Meanwhile some of your fellow CrossFitters, who you STARTED the METCON with, are still busting their asses. Great job by the way guys/gals, way to crush that WOD! That's not the point though. The point is you started together, you finish together.

We don't have to be THIS camaraderie-listic!

Is everyone following the antelope analogy? No? Okay, I'll keep going...

I've seen it before and I saw it again this morning. The ultimate display of affection from one CrossFitter to another.

SCENARIO: CrossFitter-A has finished the WOD. CrossFitter-B is struggling to stop that clock; CFer-A sees it. CFer-A is remembering the pain and how he/she gasped for air with exhausted lungs. So what does CFer-A do? He/she get's shoulder to shoulder with CFer-B; grinds it out with CFer-B to the bitter-sweet end.

Camaraderie; feeling each other’s pain and being there to help one another get through their struggles. Encouragement, plain and simple and I LOVE it.

There is an irreplaceable feeling of community and camaraderie at the Fort. No questions asked; hands down; without a doubt! (Feel free to insert your own cliché here). Can you remember a time when sideline cheering helped you gut it out? When someone's words helped you reach down and finish even just seconds earlier? Perhaps you wish everyone would ignore you as you discretely finish your WOD? Probably not going to happen at CrossFit Fire but tell your thoughts anyway.

Comment about your favorite WOD and the sideline cheering that went with it!

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Back again to start a new week!  What a wonderful feeling, isn't it?  Coming off of a weekend of which you anxiously awaited completion simply to begin WODing amongst those familiar faces!  Yesterday the 6pm class was a rather large class.  We had  ____, _____, _____,  ____, _____, _____,  ____, _____, _____, and ____.  Did I forget anybody?

Everyone pauses as Clark does a runway walk with his shirt off to catch his breath.

Well, the only thing that matters is everyone endured another burpee WOD with great success.  Might I add that during front squats for the MetCon portion of the workout EVERYONE was driving through their heels.  AWESOME stuff guys.  The entire day was great.  The GYG showed nothing less than their usual "grab the WOD by the balls" attitude and crushed the workout.  Garth has his eye on Tommy Mo while Tommy Mo confidently looks over his shoulder to see if Garth has caught up .  I love the commraderie and the competition that CrossFit's definition of fitness harvests!  

"Something about having a high score will drive an athlete harder than anything else."  

That is a lacking re-incarnation of a quote by the Godfather of Fitness, the one and only Coach Greg Glassman.  Please take a moment to pay homage to a man so great that he is ablt to get away with creating WODs such as "30 Muscle-ups for time" or "Fran" while haivng thousands of hungry CrossFitters begging for more.  A man so great that his scheme of fitness is practiced and certified on an international level!  A man so great that I dream about him in my... uh... dreams.  Oh God!  I've said too much.  Don't tell Tommy Mo that I dream about another man.  Don't tell Kilo either.  Oh shit, you got me, might as well just blanket that with ALL the guys at CFF... heh... I'll stop now.

Whew... anyhoo... where was I?  Ah, yes!  Things were fierce at the 6pm class and per usual died down for the 7pm. Poor Amy had to WOD by herself.  Boyd hung around for some good conversation and extra moral support.  Thanks Boyd!  Amy, you did great yesterday.  I think I speak for everyone when I say that you need not be so hard on yourself!  Keep on truckin', girl!

On a side note:  Check out the comments for the previous post.  Pete and Stacy want to invite people over for some good 'ole fashion hangin' out.  Baggo, Beer Pong, food and fun.  Hit one of them up for more details.

Finally, I want to suggest another nutrtion challenge (to start AFTER Pete and Stacy's...).  Perhaps we can rehash the Sugar Challenge from earlier this year?  Start brewing ideas through the comments so we can have something started next week.  Keep it simple and or personal.  Perhaps we simply leave it to the individual but we hold eachother accountable?  We have 6 athletes heading to the Games in July to represent CrossFit Fire.  It'll be like Lent.  Everyone not going to the Games will make a nutritional sacrifice...  No?  Bullshit, "No"!  This is CrossFit Fire's Affiliate Cup Challenge and everyone will be expected to support those athletes through any means possible. 

Okay!  I think I am done here.  Wow!  Can you believe it?  A whole post without using "f___"!  Awe shit!  Couldn't help myself.  Have a good night y'all (shout out to Kelli) and get some sleep!

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