Fundraiser and Paleo Potluck for Darlene

After you’ve gotten nice and sweaty at Murph Day, clean yourself up and come on over to Coach Boone’s house for a Paleo Pot Luck Party! We are raising funds to help Darlene get out to California for the 2012 CrossFit Games!

Where? 4529 Corran Ferry Loop (Boone and Aubrey’s House)
When? June 16th starting at 6 PM
What to bring? Your favorite Paleo dish!
How do I contribute: All donations are welcome and can be made in cash or by check (made out to Darlene Price). Additionally, all tips received at the bar will be donated to Darlene!

Want more details? Check out the facebook event!

*Please comment below to let us know what you’ll be bringing
and if you’d like to sign up for a bartending shift!*

*Email info@crossfitaustin.com for more info or if you’d like to take a shift bartending!

Bun Run 2012 with Austin Running Club

It’s time for the 30th Annual Schlotzsky’s Bun Run in downtown Austin, Texas!

In addition to offering the longest running 5K in Austin, The Schlotzsky’s Bun Run will offer a 10K  race for the first time ever this year! All proceeds of the run benefit the Austin Sunshine Camps, which through the support of the YMBL, has provided summer camping experiences and leadership opportunities for under served youth in the Austin area. CrossFit Austin and Austin Athletics Running Club are proud to offer the official training program for the 2012 Bun Run! Learn more here.

When: Sunday, April 29, 2012
Where: Auditorium Shores (across from Palmer Events Center)
Details: 7:00 am – 10K – NEW for 2012!
7:45 am – Kids K
8:30 am – 5K
Fees: 5K = $30
10K = $35

Ready to sign up???
Click here and sign up to run for TEAM CrossFit Austin
(located under the TEAM drop box on the registration site)

Testimonial Tuesday: Kristin Shanahan

I’ve been active the majority of my life. I started competitively swimming at the age of 4 and kept on until high school. I’d always been pretty self-conscious of my weight and tried several attempts at weight loss – always struggling with those 10-15 pesky pounds. I was successful once at ‘healthy’ weight loss after seeing a dietician in high school. However, I felt calorie counting was too hard and took too much time. So, in college I went back to attempting the low-fat diet and usually was able to maintain my 10-15lbs ‘overweight’ and just accepted that that’s just the way my body was (big-boned, thick, etc….) I majored in health and prided myself for my ‘knowledge’ about nutrition and exercise. I did my 3-5 days a week – 45 minutes of cardio and 3 sets of 10-15 weights. I continued this for years, was even certified as a personal trainer and spin instructor and worked in the fitness industry for several years after college.

In June of 2008, the dreaded year I turned 30 (gasp!), I decided it was time for my husband and me to think about starting a family. I’d been on birth control for many years and having heard many stories from friends about infertility issues, I was unsure if I, too, could have infertility problems…I also wanted to see if getting off of the hormones would help me lose those last few pounds that I’d been dying to shed for oh…20 years?! (Geez, us women, we’re so hard on ourselves…). So, I stopped taking birth control. The first month after getting off, everything was normal…but then crazy things started happening to my body. My cycles were taking longer to show up, I was gaining weight by the week and was starting to have crazy cystic acne (I’d never had acne my whole life). I’d known about CrossFit by both Google and CrossFit Houston owner, Carlos Ibarra. In early December of 2008, after 72 days of not having a cycle and putting on an extra 12 pounds (since June!!), I decided to take the plunge and call CrossFit Austin. Wes and I can thankfully laugh about our conversation now but I was probably the biggest pain in his butt since opening their doors. I basically grilled Wes about techniques, programming, etc for 45 minutes on the phone. In order for Wes to finally end the conversation (poor guy), he said, “Kristin, we can talk about this all day until we’re blue in the face or you can just come in and try it out….” Cue, “SHUT UP.” So, I meekly said ok and went in two days later for my assessment. I’ve never looked back since joining. (It’s been 3 years now…sniff, sniff.)

Three weeks after joining, I had a doctor’s appointment to figure out what was going on with my body. Just as I’d suspected, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is the leading cause of infertility. It is also a precursor to many health problems including diabetes and heart disease. This scared the crap out of me. I asked my doctor what the options were – his response “Well, if you don’t want to gain 20lbs you should just get back on birth control…oh and you’re probably going to have a hard time getting pregnant.” As a woman, hearing your body isn’t going to do what it’s supposed to is pretty upsetting and I left the office in tears. I went to the gym and spoke with Boone and Wes about the diagnosis (they graciously listened to TMI). Both of them encouraged me to try Paleo. The pride of my education wanted to take over but another part of me said “what the hell do you have to lose in trying this?” So, I embarked on the Paleo diet, making small changes over time (I can’t eat a low-carb tortilla??). My body slowly started responding; my cycles weren’t perfect but weren’t all over the place anymore. Robb Wolf and I sent several emails back and forth, and he referred me to a naturopath in Arizona, Garrett Smith, who helped me with a few more supplements to help get my hormones back on track. Things weren’t perfect but I was losing weight and at the same time getting stronger.

By August of 2009, I’d lost 18 pounds, without birth control. And in December of 2009, after feeling ridiculously car sick on the way home from Houston, I took a pregnancy test and it was POSITIVE. Wait, what happened to it being hard for me to get pregnant? We weren’t even ‘trying’! 🙂 I crossfitted through my entire pregnancy (I did Karen with a 6lb ball at 32 weeks!!). Anna Rose Shananan was welcomed into the world on August 11, 2010.

I will NEVER be able to truly convey my gratitude for CrossFit Austin. It has become a staple of who I am. I love walking in the doors of the gym to talk a little crap to the coaches, sweat next to amazing athletes who never stop encouraging me and laugh with what has become my second family. CrossFit has taught me so many things but above all it’s taught me humility, confidence and to never, ever stop trying.

Would you like to share your CFA story? We’d love to hear it! Send your testimonial to caitlyn@crossfitaustin.com.

Happy Hour 3/1

CrossFit Austin will be having a Happy Hour on March 1st at 7pm at the South Park Meadows Little Woodrow’s.  We hope you’ll join us as we catch up with old friends and meet new members! Hope to see y’all there!

When: March 1st (Thursday) at 7:00pm

Where: Little Woodrow’s (9500 S IH-35, Austin, TX 78748)

Who: You!

 

Black Box Weightlifting Championships

 CFA members Liz Yankiver and Cody Skinner will be competing in this upcoming weightlifting meet. Best of luck to both of them!

Date: Febraury 25th 2012

Schedule:

  • Women weigh-in at 10:00am and lift at noon
  • Men weigh in at noon and lift at 2:00pm

Venue:

  • BlackBox Fort Worth
    3518 W Vickery Blvd
    Fort Worth, TX 76107
For more information, click here.

 

February Athlete of the Month: Jennifer “Machine Gun Jenny” Felps

State your Name and/or Nickname please.        
Jennifer Felps aka Machine Gun Jenny

Occupation?
Senior Business Systems Analyst at AMD

Words to live by?
“The service you do for others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.” Muhammad Ali

What is your fitness background? 
I was certified to teach aerobics in high school (yay step!).  I’ve always loved lifting, but I was really a 30 minute elliptical, light lifter, 3 times a week for many years.

How long have you been CrossFitting?
I started On Ramp in March of 2010.

What’s your favorite part of CrossFit?
My favorite part is the support from all the other athletes and coaches.  No one is ever derogatory.  Not ever.  The last person in (usually me) is cheered on like a first place finisher.  It’s amazing every single time.  I was afraid when I started that there would be days I would have to sit out because of my leg injury.  There has not been one single WOD that the coaches have not been able to mod for me in nearly a year of classes.  It really makes me feel like part of the team, and not like I’m a burden or in the way.

What are your training goals? 
I want to compete in my first powerlifting meet in the spring (Thank You, Coach Blake!).  That is so exciting!  I just want to keep getting better at everything – higher jumps, faster times, smaller bands on my pullups, bigger CFT numbers.  I’m perfectly fine with taking baby steps to get there.

Favorite sport or activity?  
My favorite activity is playing with my son, Rooster (whose favorite activity is coming to CFA to monkey around).  The 630AM Strength Days at CFA are a very close second!

Recent adventure you’re planning?  
James and I are going to see Liz and Cody lift in Fort Worth at their meet in February.  We are bringing a little CFA to Cow Town!

Tell us something we don’t know about you? 
I have 2 3-legged cats, Cleo and Stinker.  I got them that way from the shelter.  I guess I don’t believe in throwing something away because it’s not perfect.  Nothing wrong with the scratch-and-dent models.  I’m sort of one myself.

Longhorns or Aggies?  
Gotta be Longhorns.  I graduated from UT Austin in 1998.

Best quote that you’ve said within the walls of CFA that was never recorded on the quote board!?
Oh dear.  I said something the other day about not wanting to have Big Bertha between my legs…9am immediately pointed out how lucky I was that the quote board wasn’t up yet.  I know I was 3 shades of purple.

Leave the fine folks of CrossFit Austin with some parting words? 
I’m incredibly honored to be thought of as an athlete by a group of athletes I respect and adore.  WODs at 630am are not always pleasant, but every freezing cold morning I run to the car I know I will be seeing my friends.  And I’m excited every single day.  CrossFit has made me a better person in a million ways that have nothing to do with bands and bars and kettlebells.  I’m so grateful to have such a huge motley crew of new friends to rely on, and to cheer on every day.  You all make Fran tolerable.  There is no greater complement than that.

Men’s Night 1/22

The men of CrossFit Austin will be getting together for a laid-back afternoon at Red’s Porch for the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, January 22, 2012. Come out for some fun and football with some friends!

When: Sunday, January 22 at Noon
Where: 3508 S. Lamar Blvd.

Hope to see you there!

Ladies’ Night 1/11

The Women of CFA will be having their first Ladies’ Night of 2012! 

Please join us on Wednesday, January 11th at House Wine starting at 7:00pm.
All CFA Ladies are welcome to come as we hang out, have fun, and catch up with familiar faces and new friends!

When: Wednesday, 01/11, at 7:00pm
Where: House Wine (408 Josephine, Austin, TX 78704

We hope to see you there!

Circle of Awesomeness Challenge 2012

“If you look good, you feel good, If you feel good, you play good, If you play good, they pay good.”
-Primetime

Ah, yeah! If we’re quoting the patron saint, it can only mean one thing… CrossFit Austin’s  annual “Circle of Awesomeness Challenge” is just around the corner.  2012 is here, so it’s time once again to crank things up to 11!  Just like Neon Deion said, looking good, feeling good, and playing  good is the motto around these parts, but sometimes we need a goal and proper motivation to keep us inside the “awesome.”  So, once again, we are excited to present  the Circle of Awesomeness Challenge (from January 28th – March 10)!

The COA Challenge consists of 3 Primary Competitions over the course of 8 Weeks (January 28th-March 10th):

  • Fitness Challenges
  • Nutritional/Body Transformation Challenge
  • Fun, random, weekly  challenges

Fitness Challenges:

Challengers will be tested and retested in 3 different categories of fitness challenges. Each catagory is comprised of 3 tests, for a total of 9 tests.
The categories are:

  1. Work Capacity
  2. Power
  3. Athleticism

Each test will be scored on initial top performance as well as most -improved on all tests. The tests will be announced on Jamuary 28th at the Challenge Kick off.

The initial test will be on the following days:

Saturday 1/28: Tests 1 & 2
Tuesday 1/31: Tests 3,4, & 5
Thurday 2/2: Tests 6 & 7
Saturday 2/4: Tests: 8 & 9
*You will be able to make up any and all tests if you can’t make it to the gym on these days. However, it will decrease your total training time between tests.

Nutritional and Body Composition Challenges:

Challengers will be tested and retested on body composition and nutritional accountability. Challengers will be scored for most improvement in the body comp score and best adherence to  nutritional and lifestyle guidelines, as set forth in the initial Challenge Kick Off Seminar on Saturday, January 28th.

What’s in it for you?

You can win:

  • 1st Place – $225 cash + 1 month of FREE group classes
  • 2nd Place – $100 cash + 1 FREE advanced assessment and consultation + 2 FREE one-on-one training sessions
  • 3rd Place – $75 cash, 1 FREE advanced assessment and consultation
  • Bonus Prizes (Think Awesome CFA Merchandise Packages) include:
    Most Improved Male and Female
    Top Male and Female Performances
    Most Accountable
  • More bonus prizes for will be awarded for to the winners of  3 fun, bonus challenges
You get:
  • A Kick-off “Success Seminar” with the CrossFit Austin staff
  • 2 Body Composition Assessments
  • An official CrossFit Austin Nutrition Guide, complete with shopping guides and healthy recipes
  • Before and After Photos (not required, but recommended!)
  • Comprehensive conditioning tests with analysis
  • Comprehensive strength tests with analysis
  • Weekly Food Log analysis
  • 6 weeks of accountability, motivation, and lots of fun(!!!)
How it works
Once again, you will be able to score points by initial score, improvement, and “effort” bonus points.

3 ways to score:
Initials Scores, Most improved, and Bonus Points

Primary points: Top performances on initial tests
For each test, the challengers will be ranked according to performance. They will then receive a corresponding amount of points according to their rank amongst there fellow challengers.

Primary Points: Most Improved
Challengers will be ranked for the most improvement by pounds, reps, or seconds. They will then receive a corresponding amount of points according to their rank amongst there fellow challengers.

Bonus points: Accountability Challenge
Challengers will be awarded bonus points for their participation in the Accountability Challenge.  Each week, challengers will have the opportunity to earn up to 16 bonus points by adhering to the guidelines of the Accountability Challenge.

Total Score
The final score will consist of adding primary points (initial tests) + primary points (most improved) + bonus points.

The entire scoring system will be explained in full detail at the  January 28th Challenge Kick-off.


Success Seminar and Challenge Kickoff
January 28th Schedule of Events

  • 10:00am – 10:30am:
    Fitness Test 1
    Initial Body Composition Testing
    “Before” Pictures
  • 10:30am – 11:00am: Fitness Test 2
  • 11:00am – Noon: Challenge Success Seminar
    Detailed explanation and Q & A on Challenge Scoring System
    Detailed explanation and Q & A on Accountability Guidelines and Scoring System
    “Keys to Success” Seminar
  • Noon – 1:00pm:Well Fed signing with Mel “Melicious” Joulwan
Re-Test Schedule

  • *Floating Tests: Vertical Jump + L-Sit Hold
    (will be taken with body comp, and reweigh)
  • Sat, March 3rd: 2-Mile Time Trial
  • Mon, March 5th: 1 RM Power Snatch +“Karen”
  • Wed, March 7th: Make-up Day
  • Thurs, March 8th: 1 RM Clean to Thruster +5 RM Front Squat + “Annie”
  • Fri, March 9th: Make-up Day
  • Sat, March 10th: Fight Gone Bad + Post-Challenge Fiesta

If you cannot make it to the retest or a make-up day you must contact us and schedule your retest BEFORE the finale on March 10th.

You are free to schedule a retest anytime before the retest week please email aaron@crossfitaustin.com and tristy@crossfitaustin.com