CrossFit Austin will be hosting Murph Day Saturday (6/25/2022) honoring the memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy and all fallen veterans. Lieutenant Murphy was killed in Afghanistan on June 28th, 2005. This workout was one of Mike’s favorites and he named it “Body Armor”. We will honor a focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.
For time:
1 mile run
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 squats
1 mile run
*Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. **Teams of 2, 3, or 4 (max 4 people) are welcome. ***All movements can be scaled. ****Be sure to wear your twenty pound vest or body armor if you have it.
EVENT SPECIFICS:
REGISTRATION DETAILS
Event Registration + Shirt – Deadline – June 5th
$40 for participating athletes
Athlete entry fee includes registration & t-shirt costs and donations
Event Registration without Shirt
$25 for participating athletes
Athlete entry fee includes registration costs and donations
***Shirt ONLY (non-participant) – Deadline – June 5th
$25 for shirt only
All proceeds from t-shirt sales will be donated
SHIRTS – The image is the concept image and may have some slight changes to the final product.
Donations and proceeds will go to benefit the charity of your choice. As always, you may donate to The Navy Seal Foundation. In addition, we are including a local foundation near and dear to our own Bach Vu, the YMCA of Austin’s Annual Giving Campaign . You can read more about what they do HERE.
“I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.” – Vince Lombardi
Crossfit Austin, organized by Derek Fons is hosting a blood drive at our gym at 8708 S. Congress Ave Building C, Austin, TX. Lend a helping arm to support your community and save local lives. It is easy; just click here to make an appointment online or call (512) 206-1266. Appointments are strongly encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome.
Each month we spotlight a different CFA athlete who stands out and shows just how awesome they are. What is it that makes up an Athlete of the Month? It may not be the person that finishes the fastest, Rx’s every WOD, or gets a PR every time they walk in the gym. Although we love and celebrate when those things happen, the Athlete of the Month is made up of much more than physical ability. This person shows up, gives their best every time, and then gives a little more. They are hungry to learn and always ready to do the work. They support their fellow classmates and encourage them to reach their goals. This athlete embodies what we believe the CrossFit Austin Community should be about.
Our May Athlete of the Month is Laura Englund! Laura joined the CFA Family in just shy of 2 years ago, but came in with some years in the CF world. Laura quickly found her place among the midday crew, sweatin with the nooners, but these days you’ll see her in a few different class times. Laura is your go to gal for a good friend and a great time! She’s always down for a cold brew (or a popsicle) post class! She may sound like she doesn’t actually want to be in class sometimes (cue complaining about the warm up with T 😉 ), but she really is the picture of consistency. The only time we DON’T see Laura is if she’s off on an adventure! We’ve loved being part of the journey with her and celebrating the wins along the way! Laura, we are honored to have you as our May Athlete of the Month and as an awesome part of this team. Thanks for your all your hard work and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the years to come! Congratulations!
State your Name and/or Nickname please:
Laura
Words to live by? Everything happens for a reason
What is your fitness background? Not much actually! Played a lil bball when I was younger
How long have you been CrossFitting?
Almost 8 years
Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts today?
I was sore from the warm up, I think I did like 10 bootstrappers and had sore hamstrings the next day. I was also petrified to walk into the gym. Compared to my workouts today, I am still winded after the warm up 🙂
What’s your favorite part of CrossFit Austin?
The people I’ve met at the gym! Huge reason why I stayed in Austin! Also, the 400m run route was worse at my old gym
Current Training Goals/PRs?
Trying to recover my knee and every other body part I’ve hurt (outside of the gym). Also trying to get a 200 lbs squat and my pull ups in better shape
What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit?
Stretch! Take care of your body! So that Heidi doesn’t yell at you!
How do you balance staying focused in your training when life gets busy? I will almost always find time for the gym because that time is very important to me. I tend to focus mostly on just moving my body these days
What is your cheat meal go-to? McDonalds all day
How do you use your fitness outside of the gym? I use it to get to my 3rd floor apartment or to give my friends piggy back rides. Or to flex and open pickle jars for people
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your fitness journey? Changing habits outside of the gym to see better results inside of the gym (still learning of course)
Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout. During the open when I did 6 ring muscle ups! I was fired up
If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be? 10 minutes max double unders, or 1,000 double unders for time What keeps you going on the days you don’t feel like it? -Knowing that even if I don’t want to go to the gym, the feeling of finishing a workout always gets me there
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? I like going to see live music, I’m really big into the craft beer industry, I travel A TON.
Tell us something we don’t know about you…
lol if you’ve met me you already know I tell people everything, but maybe you don’t know that I lived in a van for 4 months with my sister while traveling around the country (but you probably already know that)
Leave the fine folks of CrossFit Austin with some parting words…
Show up every day, move your body, be proud of little accomplishments, and don’t feel the need to cheer me on when I’m the last one to finish a WOD 🙂 love y’all!
Each month we spotlight a different CFA athlete who stands out and shows just how awesome they are. What is it that makes up an Athlete of the Month? It may not be the person that finishes the fastest, Rx’s every WOD, or gets a PR every time they walk in the gym. Although we love and celebrate when those things happen, the Athlete of the Month is made up of much more than physical ability. This person shows up, gives their best every time, and then gives a little more. They are hungry to learn and always ready to do the work. They support their fellow classmates and encourage them to reach their goals. This athlete embodies what we believe the CrossFit Austin Community should be about.
Our April Athlete of the Month is Derek Fons! Derek joined the CFA Family in June of 2021, but joined us with some experience under his belt. Immediately, it felt like he’d been part of the family for years. Derek has such a great mindset when it comes to training and he’s always a pleasure to coach. He is also providing an awesome example to his son when he brings him into class. We love seeing parents model a healthy lifestyle for the little ones! We’ve loved being part of the journey with Derek and celebrating the wins along the way! Derek, we are honored to have you as our April Athlete of the Month and as an awesome part of this team. Thanks for your all your hard work and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the years to come! Congratulations!
State your Name and/or Nickname please: Derek Fons
Words to live by?
Get comfortable being uncomfortable
What is your fitness background?
The only fitness related activity I did was riding BMX bikes in my teens and some mountain biking. Never got into sports or had any workout routine that stuck before CrossFit.
How long have you been CrossFitting?
8 years
Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts today?
I don’t remember the first day exactly. I remember doing the on-ramp class for a few weeks and being very overwhelmed by all the movements and terminology. CrossFit wasn’t love at first sight for me though, but once I was in the actual group classes I really quickly became addicted. I remember being so obsessed with making it to my favorite class time that I would always cut out of work early and race to the gym; not much is different today. I do feel I have a better sense of my capabilities going into a workout and am less afraid to modify to make it a good and safe workout for myself. What’s your favorite part of CrossFit Austin? Community. The gym is my only opportunity to socialize and I have met so many nice people. I especially love how warm others are with my son. It’s also really nice that we have so frequent opportunities to meet up, like the birthday socials.
Current Training Goals/PRs?
To focus on making what I do in the gym be my mental and physical therapy so I can be happier and feel better in everything else I do. What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit? Enjoy the journey, you aren’t going to be awesome at everything and that’s kind of the point. How do you balance staying focused in your training when life gets busy? My big life hack has been bringing my son Banner to the gym everyday after I pick him up from school. It’s a good way to give the wife some time away from the dudes, plus Banner gets exposure to fitness and to some really awesome people. Most of the time he is on his iPad, but it’s still our routine and most of the time he seems to like it. What is your cheat meal go-to? Chicken and dumplings from Cracker Barrel. How do you use your fitness outside of the gym? Attempting to wrangle my son and lifting more groceries than I should.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your fitness journey?
When I started, as most people experience, it’s PR city. For the first few years it was just gains after gains, but age and life have other plans and thats actually a good thing. For me it’s been discouraging at times to have to be ok that I am not where I once was and may not ever get back there. I believe CrossFit is good for everyone and is something I will do for my life, constantly varied functional movements performed at relatively high intensity, but the realization that it’s not just a continuous ladder of wins was tricky and something I still have to remind myself of. Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout. I always find workouts more magical when I can make it more about just my performance and connect with others in the middle of suffering. That’s why partner workouts are my favorite. In recent memory I recall a couple of non-partner workouts where I was able to sync up with a friend in a workout and help keep us both on a pace. It’s a great feeling at the end of workout to know that I might have helped someone with their fitness.
If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be?
I am a big fan of the simplicity and effectiveness of the burpee, so that would be a must. I especially like short sets so you can really sprint on them. I also really appreciate body weight workouts, maybe that’s some weird stockholm syndrome from the lock down days. Like I mentioned earlier, I also really like partner workouts, so this I what I would come up with off the cuff…
30 Minute Partner EMOM
One person works at a time, partner A works for the first 30 seconds and then partner B does the second 30 seconds of the minute
Minute 1, Burpees
Minute 2, Air Squats
Minute 3, Sit ups
Repeat for 30 minutes
What keeps you going on the days you don’t feel like it?
Just reminding myself that after I do workout I am always happier. What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? I am a software developer for a living, but I do that even for fun. Big fan of music, like punk, hardcore and hip-hop. I use YouTube and Podcast to further my knowledge on topics like fitness, cooking, home repair, wood working and technology. I like to read comic books. My favorite date with my wife is going to the Alamo Drafthouse. Tell us something we don’t know about you… I like butt stuff…yeah, anything that really targets the glutes I am a fan of, like squats. Oh and I am straight edge and haven’t had alcohol for 20 years. Leave the fine folks of CrossFit Austin with some parting words… Thanks for being awesome and looking forward to the next time we sweat together!
Each month we spotlight a different CFA athlete who stands out and shows just how awesome they are. What is it that makes up an Athlete of the Month? It may not be the person that finishes the fastest, Rx’s every WOD, or gets a PR every time they walk in the gym. Although we love and celebrate when those things happen, the Athlete of the Month is made up of much more than physical ability. This person shows up, gives their best every time, and then gives a little more. They are hungry to learn and always ready to do the work. They support their fellow classmates and encourage them to reach their goals. This athlete embodies what we believe the CrossFit Austin Community should be about.
Our March Athlete of the Month is Spank! Spank joined the CFA Family just over a year ago and has established herself as a staple in the lovingly termed “6:00 pm Ass Class.” She comes in and works hard, no matter what the day has thrown at her and we love that she is willing to come in and move her body at the level she’s feeling for the day. We like to call that “fitness maturity” around here. Spank is one of our biggest advocates, always spreading the good word of CFA and we are forever grateful to her for that! We’ve loved being part of the journey with her and celebrating the wins along the way! Spank, we are honored to have you as our March Athlete of the Month and as an awesome part of this team. Thanks for your all your hard work and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the years to come! Congratulations!
State your Name and/or Nickname please:
Spank …and only Spank
Words to live by?
Currently, movement is medicine, just keep showing up.
What is your fitness background?
Fast pitch catcher, half-marathons, competitive roller derby and now the cult of crossfit.
How long have you been CrossFitting?
Informally, two years (I worked out 1:1 w/ a CF Coach), formally a year at CFA.
Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts today?
My first day of cross fit was in a gym in Portland OR and I injured myself in the first workout. The second time I did crossfit was in another gym in Portland and I injured myself again in the first work out. It wasn’t until my friend Dan (^coach above) worked with me 1:1 in Austin to show me that CrossFit could be safe and it was all about the gym, the coaching and being smart. Today, I’m surrounded by an entire team of family and friends who ensure I keep moving, but in a way that doesn’t hurt me.
What’s your favorite part of CrossFit Austin?
The 6:00 PM Ass Class. Yelling at people for dropping their bar bells….so gauche. Writing inappropriate things on Stacie’s work board.
Current Training Goals/PRs?
I love doing handstands, but a recent shoulder diagnosis means I have a long road ahead of me to get back to overhead strength. Ironic, considering my first 9 months at CFA, I couldn’t use my legs and I was the strict press queen. 🙂
What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit?
Listen to your body, forget what other people around you are doing, FORM FORM FORM FORM. Educate yourself so you don’t wreck yourself. Just show up. Some days I just sit in the corner on a rower, but I’m still there and I’m still moving.
How do you balance staying focused in your training when life gets busy?
CFA has pretty much saved my mental and physical sanity. I generally place making it to the gym above just about everything else. I make it clear to my co-workers, friends and family that not making it to the gym is bad for them. lol
What is your cheat meal go-to?
Grilled cheese sammies or Velveeta Mac n Cheese
How do you use your fitness outside of the gym?
Yard work, home projects, flexing in no-flex zones.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your fitness journey?
10 years of roller derby fairly well destroyed my body. There really isn’t a day that I show up where something major isn’t hurting. Ibuprofen is my bestest friend.
Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout.
Increasing my front squat PR by 40% and the moment I was able to do my first box jump after breaking my leg.
If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be?
“What fresh hell is this?’ – Rowing, Burpees, Deadlifts, Situps
What keeps you going on the days you don’t feel like it?
There are many days where pain, depression, and introversion keep me from wanting to show up… but I know that not showing up would just compound those problems. So I drag myself there, even if it means I’m crying while working out…because 9 times out of 10, when I show up… I don’t cry…I laugh, I get hugs, I get to swear a lot, and loudly.
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit?
I have a car-caine addiction, I like to garden, I enjoy prepping for the zombie apocalypse, I’ve been told I can cook.
Tell us something we don’t know about you…
I’m a Santa Muertista.
Leave the fine folks of CrossFit Austin with some parting words…
Not all crossfit gyms are created equal. CFA is about family, community and love. I have never worked out with such a diverse and supportive group of humans. I’m going to keep referring people until I get stock options
Each month we spotlight a different CFA athlete who stands out and shows just how awesome they are. What is it that makes up an Athlete of the Month? It may not be the person that finishes the fastest, Rx’s every WOD, or gets a PR every time they walk in the gym. Although we love and celebrate when those things happen, the Athlete of the Month is made up of much more than physical ability. This person shows up, gives their best every time, and then gives a little more. They are hungry to learn and always ready to do the work. They support their fellow classmates and encourage them to reach their goals. This athlete embodies what we believe the CrossFit Austin Community should be about.
Our February Athlete of the Month is Ryan Vonier! Ryan joined the CFA Family just over a year ago, but he was no stranger to CrossFit when he came on board! Ryan jumped right in with the 5:30 am Power Hour (aka Cash Out) Crew! He knows what it takes to stay consistent and he’s gotten the whole fambam moving and grooving with CFA. We love seeing his wife and 3 daughters (wow, a little outnumbered there aren’t ya Ryan?? 😉) in the gym growing together. We’ve loved being part of the journey with Ryan and celebrating the wins along the way! Ryan, we are honored to have you as our February Athlete of the Month and as an awesome part of this team. Thanks for your all your hard work and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the years to come! Congratulations!
State your Name and/or Nickname please: Ryan Vonier
Words to live by? Go big or go home..
What is your fitness background? I’ve played sports my entire life (football, baseball, basketball, track&field, etc) When I was in JR high, I started taking fitness pretty seriously. I begged my dad for a weight bench for months and finally got one for my birthday and I lived on that thing for many years. Almost exclusively to Bench Press
How long have you been CrossFitting? Signed up for a 6-week Crossfit challenge in April of 2019 – I’ve been hooked ever since.
Take us back to your first day ofCrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts today? I was definitely intrigued, but I was pretty suspect of the whole scene. 5 minutes into the warmup, I knew that this was what I needed to be doing with my life. My first workout was FIGHT GONE BAD and although it kicked my ass, I absolutely loved it. I’ve completed that workout a few times since and its cool to look back out my old scores and how much progress I’ve actually made.
What’s your favorite part ofCrossFit Austin? I think the programming is awesome! I really enjoy the strength and skill cycles along with the scaleup and cashout options. I’m also a huge fan of all the members and coaches! Its been a great transition for myself and my family moving to Austin last year.
Current Training Goals/PRs? Consistent BMU’s, Consistent DU’s, and somewhere in the not so distant future, handstand walks and pistols
What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit? Load it up and go unbroken
How do you balance staying focused in your training when life gets busy? Not easy, getting myself in the habit of waking up at 4:45am everyday and get some training in at 530am has been such a huge benefit for me. This allows me to to get a good workout in and go about the rest of my day as I normally would. I hate when I’m unable to workout first thing in the morning – I just feel lethargic and gross.
What is your cheat meal go-to? I would have to say pizza, beer, and cereal..
How do you use your fitness outside of the gym? Playing with my 3 active daughters and keeping up with them. I also still enjoy playing recreational sports. Shout out to the CFA volleyball team! I played competitive softball for several years, but haven’t played in a couple years now, looking at getting back into it. So if anyone is looking for a token old man pitcher with some pretty serious pop in his bat…just let me know
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your fitness journey? Not being able to perform all movements. When I first started crossfit, it was pretty discouraging, but I was confident that I would pick everything up in the first few months…WRONG! I still struggle with many movements, but I’ve come a very long way. My aspirations to be a Masters athlete have faded, but I still have plenty goals I look forward to hitting, no matter how long it takes.
Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout. There are actually several, but my favorite/proud moment to date was at my previous Crossfit box. Long story short: I was about 1 year into crossfit, and we had a new young guy drop-in (all sorts of fitness experience and in real good shape but he had never done a WOD before). We had an instant rapport, as he was very competitive and into sports, etc. He was also talking all sorts of friendly smack before the workout ( 5 rds: 400m run, KB swings, and goblet squats) The first 3 rounds he kept up with me, but on the 4th run I pulled away, and when I went out for the 5th run, I found him on the backside of the bldg. keeled over and throwing up. He was physically ok, so I kept going – after the workout though, it was great to see how humble he was and his new found respect for crossfit athletes. We had a good laugh about it, and he actually ended up joining the gym.
If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be?
“LET’S GO!”
5RFT:
(buy in 30 burpees)
5 rope climbs
10 bench press (205, 135)
15 pullups
20 wall balls (30, 20)
25 situps
400m run
(buy out 30 burpees)
*scale up – weighted vest (20, 15)
What keeps you going on the days you don’t feel like it? Knowing how crappy I’ll feel if don’t put in the work. I’ve done it once or twice and I’ve regretted it every time. My body doesn’t respond well to rest..
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside ofCrossFit? Big sports fan – not as invested as I used to be but my mood is still affected whether my teams win/lose (Raiders, Detroit Tigers, and Ohio State). I still enjoy playing any sport or game. Mostly, I enjoy spending time with my wife and kids – which usually revolves around playing sports and games.
Tell us something we don’t know about you… I may come off as super tough, rugged, barrel-chested man HAHA, but I’m honestly a pretty big softy, I cry way too often watching movies or watching my daughters succeed..
Leave the fine folks ofCrossFit Austin with some parting words… Take a deep breath and go unbroken.. 😉
The 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Open – New Sponsor, no Dave Castro, we literally have no idea what to expect, but we DO know we’re going to have a dang good time either way! Yeehaw!
We’re already taking some steps to help get you ready. You’ll be seeing more specific skill portions in class, working past Open WODs into the programming, doing some extra PT sessions… all in hopes of preparing for the next Open.
More details will come soon with specifics on teams and game outlines, but for now we just wanted to get the word out because when the time comes, we’re going to have to act fast!
Who:
Open to all CFA members of all skill levels.
What:
The Intramural Open experience is a team format take on the CrossFit Games Open. All participants will be placed into a blind draft (Feb 19!!) and then drafted into different teams managed by your Team Captains.
Points will be earned by things like:
Participating in the Open Workouts
Top performance in the Open Workouts
Team Spirit
Team Outings
And more… To be determined, but will be established before we begin!
When:
Starting on February 24, one workout will be released from CFHQ each week for 3 weeks on Thursday evenings. We will program the workouts as part of the normally scheduled programming on Fridays AND we will have an additional schedule that will be the BIG time for teams to gather and have a fun time together on Friday evenings. Special make ups outside of the classes/events may be requested and addressed on a case-by-base basis. The Intramural Open experience will wrap up with the final WOD announced on March 10th and we’ll have our wrap party Friday the 11th!!
Where:
The workouts will be run at the gym as part of the normal class sessions and during a special events schedule Friday evenings. If you are traveling during this time period, you may also find an affiliate to complete the standard workouts with to earn your participation points.
Why:
Because it’s fun and we believe it’ll make you better in more ways that just improving your health and fitness. Cheering each on other on in this environment gives you an experience that you can’t find anywhere else. The Open is a great way to test to see where your current potential is. I encourage everyone to participate because it’s the path that’s going to allow you to pursue your most positive potential and be able to connect with other fellow CFA family members.
For those that want to submit scores via the CFHQ Open, please feel free to do so, make sure you have a judge for your workout, and we will validate your scores via the CFHQ system accordingly. Please note, it is NOT a requirement that you sign up through HQ in order to participate with us. Signing up through HQ will allow you to see how you rank with the rest of the world, but we don’t require it for IMO.
How:
Sign up online through the Triib Events HERE!! The registration fee is $40. This includes your t-shirt, entry fee, and funding for the finals party and winning team’s prizes
REGISTRATION DEADLINE – Saturday, February 19th – The draft happens on the 19th and then we’ll order team shirts!
Again, you DO NOT have to register through CFHQ to register for the intramural open. You ONLY need to register with HQ if you want to submit your scores worldwide.
PRIZES
The top team will earn a GRAND prize. Details released soon!
Our focus is on FUN. We want participation because it will make you fitter, and it will get you high-fives and you’ll be happy and love life more and glow and stuff.
Please don’t hesitate to ask questions or if you have any reservations about any unique challenges, I’m positive we can work it out.