Snatch 61 during CF Games Open WOD 12.2

Hometown:
Portland, Oregon

Occupation:
Right now I’m staying home with our kids, but in June I’ll be in school. I’m going back to school to become a teacher.

Favorite quote:
The Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything, its your mind you need to convince. -Vince Lombardi

How did you find CrossFit:
From the most beautiful woman in the whole world……My wife.

Favorite WOD or Lift:
Anything with cleans or snatches in them. I love most all the lifts. Any WOD that pushes my endurance. I enjoy the 20 min. AMRAPs with no rest. If I have sweat dripping off me and we’re only half way done, I’m loving it!

Least Favorite:
Russian Twists and Farmers Walk

Favorite activity outside of the gym:
Traveling, spending time with my family (those go hand in hand), and at one point I snowboarded quite a bit. I only go a couple times a year now, but I love it. Being outdoors, running, swimming.

Goals:
My top goal right now is to get a muscle up before the end of the year. I want to also continue to increase my weight on all my lifts and impove my endurance. I’ve been watching my times get better and better. I need to get my lower body strength (deadlifts and squats) up to par with my upper body. I spent most of my 20′s in the gym working on chest, back, shoulders and arms. I would only do legs if I was working out with someone who wanted to do them. Now I need to put in the time to get them stronger.

Achievements:
I just recently achieved my goal of 10 handstand push-ups. I did 3 rounds of 10 as part of a WOD and surprised myself as I was doing them. It felt really good. I competed in the CrossFit Games and really pushed myself. I had personal bests in my front squat and snatch during that time and my times in my WODs are improving every day. I would have to say my biggest achievement is the fact that at the age of 37 I am in the best shape of my life. I look and feel better than I ever have.

Something we don’t know about you:
I love to cook and cook almost every meal for my family.

Advice for someone new to CrossFit Body & Fuel:
Take it slow. You may feel like you can lift more, but if your form is not there you need to ease into it. Form is everything, and it’s much more important than a time or an RX. If you feel your form starting to go during a WOD, take some time to rest. It probably won’t hurt your time at all. Bad form is slow and will cause you to miss a lift (or hurt yourself), while correct form is crisper and more powerful which is also faster. On the other side of that, if you are doing endurance skills and have to take a rest, always go back to it before you plan. Push yourself and your body will respond.

Today @ CFBF:
STRENGTH
Back Squats 3×5 @ 50% 1RM

WOD
1000m Run
30 Sit-ups
5 Dead Hang Pull-ups
1000m Run

Hometown:
Portland, OR

Occupation:
Veterinary Assistant at the Oregon Humane Society

Favorite quote:
“It doesn’t have to be fun, to be fun…” and “I need more chalk!”

How did you find CrossFit:
I think most Crossfit athletes would say that it was the gym that introduced them to the Paleo diet and lifestyle, but for me it was the opposite. I’ve always been obsessed with researching and experimenting with diet and nutrition, and one day I stumbled across Robb Wolf’s The Paleo Solution podcast on ITunes. Having a academic background in evolutionary biology, the paleo diet just made sense to me and it was impossible to ignore the truth behind the theory. The podcast was filled with “WOD” blah blah… and “Crossfit” yada yada… so a couple of Google searches later, I knew that Crossfit was a program I had to try. I kept putting off actually joining an affiliate until last August when I saw CFBF’s awesome Groupon that I couldn’t pass up. So 6 months later, here I am!

Favorite WOD or Lift:
Cleans! All day long!

Least Favorite:
Wallballs. This is one of the many skills where my height definitely works against me, it took me forever to get these Rx’d, and I always manage to take one smack in the face at least once during a WOD.

Favorite activity outside of the gym:
Margaritas!

Goals:
Haha, here we go… bodyweight snatch, 150lb clean, 200lb back squat, 2x bodyweight deadlift, muscle ups, <5min Fran, pistols, freestanding handstand, butterfly pullups, 80lb shoulder press… to name a few Basically I want to “specialize in nothing, excel at everything” like all the badass CF games athletes!

Achievements:
1. Getting my boyfriend, Brendan to join CFBF because now it’s all we talk about. Seriously. 2. Signing up for the games this year has been really fun. It’s amazing motivation because you see how you compare to all the incredible athletes around the world, and you realize that just when you think you really have something down there will always be someone out there who can do 20 more reps, 30 more pounds, or the whole thing 10 times faster with a smile on their face. I hope to sign up again next year when I have some more experience and am no longer a CF rookie! Bring it!

Something we don’t know about you:
I rode competitively for the U of O equestrian team in college, and I have two awesome Munchkin cats at home (It’s a breed, Google it and thank me later).

Advice for someone new to CrossFit Body & Fuel:
Don’t get hung up on the specific one or two skills that may be difficult for you. Everyone has their niche- and remember that progress, not necessarily performance is what’s important from day 1!

Strength
Floor Press
5-5-5-5

WOD
Partner Up!
AMRAP 13
Partner A

• Row 250m

Partner B

• 5 Burpees
• 10 Box Jumps 24/20
• 15 KB Swings 1.5/1p

The partner on the rower is the pace keeper. The other partner will work to complete rounds of the exercises listed above.  Once partner A completes the rowing, they will switch places. When partner B completes rowing he will start wherever he left off in the exercises.

Nichole is a regular at our 5am class. She always works hard and is always smiling!

Hometown:
Vancouver, Washington

Occupation:
Kindergarten Teacher

Favorite quote:
It’s perfectly okay to want to quit–as long as you don’t. ~Fran Tarkenton

How did you find CrossFit:
Shawn Smith! I tried one workout when B&F first opened and knew I liked it, but was afraid of the cost. Every six weeks sitting in her salon chair we would talk about CrossFit, how bored I was getting at the gym and in need of a challenge. Last spring I got the Groupon and thought I would try it during the summer while I wasn’t working and that would be it. Boy, was I wrong! After just a week of going to classes, loving the workouts, coaching and making new friends, I knew there was no going back and would sell any body part that would allow me to still workout and afford it.

Favorite WOD or Lift:
Any WOD that has squats, burpees, pistols, handstand push ups or back squats.

Least Favorite:
Pull ups or Double Unders, but hopefully not for long.

Favorite activity outside of the gym:
Traveling, Snow Skiing, Shopping, Reading, Volunteering, spending time with my Family and Friends.

Goals:
200# Deadlift, unassisted pull ups, double unders, get leaner and stronger.

Achievements:
Waking up at 4:30 every morning and actually being happy about it , making it on the board for CFT, running Hood to Coast with the CrossFit Chicks, doing many of the WOD’s as RX or at least close.

Something we don’t know about you:
Everything in my closet is organized by color…even the shoes!

Advice for someone new to CrossFit Body & Fuel:
Short or tall, thick or thin, you can be successful here! If you want an environment with encouraging coaches who each push you in different ways, something challenging everyday, as well as making friendships that for me have extended beyond the gym…then Body and Fuel is the place for you!

Today @ CFBF:
Strength
Warm up to 75% of 1RM for Clean

WOD
6 Rounds
5 HPC at 75% of Clean 1RM
200m Sprint
Rest 1 minute

Hometown:
I was born in Portland, but I grew up in Aloha, which is an unincorporated area between Beaverton and Hillsboro. For a few years, I called Connecticut home, but I was always an Oregonian at heart.

Occupation:
I’m an attorney. I work in the surety bond department of a large insurance company. Before joining the legal profession, I worked for several excavating companies (I was a ditch digger), I also worked in a pharmaceutical warehouse, and I washed dishes in a bar. I prefer my current desk job.

Favorite quote:
I’m fond of two quotes:
“I can’t say as ever I was lost, but I was bewildered once for three days.” Daniel Boone

“They are in front of us, behind us, and we are flanked on both sides by an enemy that outnumbers us 29:1. They can’t get away from us now!” Lt. General, Lewis “Chesty” Puller.

How did you find CrossFit:
I belonged to a big gym that I didn’t enjoy. I knew that I needed something more engaging and challenging. My wife suggested CrossFit, and after a bit of online research, I signed up for a class. That first WOD was a killer. When I finished, I was pretty much exhausted, but I had a great time. There was a team attitude that I hadn’t felt in years, and I had a coach to provide encouragement. I found exactly what I was looking for. Thank goodness for the internet!

Favorite WOD or Lift:
31 Heroes was my favorite. The WOD honored the service members killed in Afghanistan on August 6, 2011. The WOD was tough, but it felt great to participate.

Least Favorite:
FRAN! (21-15-9: Thrusters & Pull-ups)
I don’t know who invented Fran, but I’m certain that he or she wanted to make me suffer.

Favorite activity outside of the gym:
During the week, I sit in a cubicle for 10+ hours per day, so anything that gets me outside is great. I enjoy shooting sports, running/jogging, I mountain bike a little in the summer, and I ski occasionally in the winter. I wouldn’t characterize myself as a gardener, but I like to cut the grass and putter in the yard. When it is too nasty to be outside, I like to read (fiction, nonfiction, magazines, etc.).

Goals:
At present, I’m focused on handstand push-ups, pistols and cleaning up my pull-ups. As for lifts, my shoulder press needs attention. I would like to lift 125 pounds. I have a ways to go.

Achievements:
When I started CrossFit, I weighed about 167 pounds, I could do 1 dead hang pull-up, and I could deadlift about 190 pounds. I now weigh about 153 pounds, I can do 10 dead hang pull-ups, and I can dead lift is 315 pounds.

Something we don’t know about you:
I don’t like dark water. Specifically, I don’t like being in water at night (lighted pools are okay, the ocean is not). This may stem from my early childhood exposure to the movie Jaws, but I like to think that my phobia is founded in nothing more than common sense.

Advice for someone new to CrossFit Body & Fuel:
Focus on technique. If you don’t have to overcome bad habits, speed and strength will come that much faster.

TODAY AT CFBF:
Skill
Pull-ups

Strength
Deadlift
3-3-3-3-3

WOD
21-15-9
Clean 135/95
GHD Sit-up

Hometown:
Only the best place in Oregon…Bend. Why you might ask!? Because you actually get to see the sun more than one month out of the year…I miss vitamin D!

Occupation:
Accounting Manager at Holiday Retirement. The funny thing is I originally went to Oregon State to be a veterinarian but when I volunteered at the animal hospital my Freshman year and realized you would actually have to encounter death I decided to switch majors. And naturally I gravitated to a similar major….Accounting.

Favorite quote:
“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching, Love like you’ll never be hurt, Sing like there’s nobody listening, And live like it’s heaven on earth”. If you’ve come to 6 am you have probably witnessed a few of my “special” dance moves…Dawna and Shawn like to encourage all physical activity and the laughter that follows burns calories too!

How did you find CrossFit:
A friend from Bend who owns a CrossFit gym invited me and Ashley (fellow CrossFitter) to a WOD and we never turned back.

Favorite WOD or Lift:
Push Press. For some odd reason I seem to be pretty strong overhead and every time I do this lift I feel like I want to try out for American Gladiator.

Least Favorite:
Anything involving Over Head Squats and/or burpees …my wrists always hate me after OHS and burpees just make me ill.

Favorite activity outside of the gym:
Does happy hour count as an activity?? How about spending time with family and friends?? Okay, combine the two and now we have something

Goals:
I would really like to be able to do Hand Stand Push Ups prescribed in a WOD, slowly working towards it but not quite there yet. A continuous goal of mine is to work on making more health conscious choices when I go out to eat. I think CrossFit has really made me realize that what you put into your body is the fuel it uses for the rest of the day so if you expect a lot from your body then you need to fuel it with the proper foods…and of course a little wine never hurt anybody

Achievements:
I think getting up at 5:30 am with a smile on my face is an achievement in itself  I would have to say that being able to do the majority of the WODs prescribed has been one of my biggest successes. CrossFit is one big mental challenge with yourself…”I can’t jump on a 24” box”, “I can’t lift that much weight”, “I can’t climb that rope”, “I can’t pull my body weight up over that bar over and over again”…and the truth I have found is “Yes I can”. I just have to try and try until I succeed.

Something we don’t know about you:
I grew up in a preschool/kindergarten called “Bright Beginnings” that my parents use to own. The bottom floor was the school and the top floor was our house. My dad was the principal and my mom was a teacher so instead of daycare me and my sister got to go play with all the kids all day. They use to call me “little Lisa the social butterfly” because I  used to strut around from classroom to classroom visiting all my friends like I owned the place…weird that’s not at all like my personality now ;o) I miss childhood!! Oh AND I got engaged  November 5^th...YAAHOOO

Advice for someone new to CrossFit Body & Fuel:
If you start out with the expectation of gaining strength and fitness by continuously challenging yourself instead of winning you will be successful. CrossFit is meant to be a well rounded fitness program that is constantly changing to test all of us. The WODs are designed to highlight different strengths and weaknesses…because of this we all have our good days and bad days but in the end it’s okay because we ALL finish in the same position…passed out on the floor from exhaustion ) Now that’s a good workout!!!

WOD
4 Rounds
2 min. rest between rounds
40 Double Unders
20 Russian KB Swings 1.5/1p
10 Plank Burpees

Hometown:  
Peoria, IL.  My dad was a lifetime Caterpillar Tractor guy and we lived in Australia and Switzerland while I was growing up.

Occupation:
President and janitor of Pavlenko Enterprise.  I raise money for not-for-profit organizations of faith.  I’ve spent most of my working career in the world of churches and church organizations.  I spent about 25 years working in the system of a major Protestant denomination before setting up my own consulting firm.  I’m much happier choosing my clients and working with groups with faith values that match my own.  I wish I could choose my WODs the same way!

Favorite quote:
“When I grow up I want to be just like Mike/Dawna/Maggie/Shawn/Matt/Chelsie/Shelley/…….fill in your own name!”  Growing up is something that I’ve avoided for 64 years.  If I decided to do it, I would use the model of seasoned CrossFitters.  There is a determination and work ethic that are worth emulating.  All of the physical work that the seasoned veterans display is inspirational.  The sense of community is an added extra that keeps me coming back.

How did you find CrossFit:
My son, Nick, has been doing CrossFit in St. Louis, my home town, for several years.  He has a CrossFit gym in his garage.  I’ve seen the results of hard work with him.  When I grow up I want to be just like my baby boy!

Favorite WOD or Lift:
Murph!  Probably one of the most challenging WODs.  I appreciate the fact that is a WOD named for a fallen soldier.  I’m a very patriotic person and I respect each soldier that died defending our country.  Their sacrifice is total.  The least I can do is sweat and strain through a tough WOD.  My next favorite is the 400 meter Beaverton Bakery Run.

Least Favorite:
Any that involve double unders.  I have done 11 of them in my CrossFit career.  They are on my list of goals.  In the meantime I have to do 5X single jumps and I’m too old for that!

Favorite activity outside of the gym:
I’m an avid reader and coffee drinker.  The 2 hobbies combine well in the Portland area – lots of great coffee shops.

Goals:
To be able to do more WODs as prescribed.  My short term goal is 50% of them and some day, when I grow up, I want to be just like Mike/Dawna/Maggie/Shawn and do everything prescribed.

Achievements:
Being able to walk out of the gym everyday is an achievement for someone my age!  I’ve strengthened my core, toned my arms & legs, my cardio system is the envy of my doctor.

Something we don’t know about you:
I was a runner when I came to Body & Fuel.  Early this year I dropped my running program to focus on CrossFit.  I’ve designed several tests to see how CrossFit has prepared me for life “outside the box”.  Several weeks ago I climbed Mt. St. Helens – 4.5 hours of hiking/climbing uphill and 3.5 hours of downhill.  I passed that test.  I ran a 1/2 marathon on the 23rd of October (my 1st wedding anniversary!) without any running prep.  I’ve done over a dozen 1/2s previously.

Advice for someone new to CrossFit Body & Fuel:
There are a lot of physical benefits at Body & Fuel.  The WODs and the food advice produce health and fitness.  The unadvertised benefits are subtle and possibly as helpful.  The personal attention to each athletes physical condition and level of development is very helpful.  I feel that each trainer knows my capacities.  There is a sense of community that is encouraging and keeps me coming back.  I’ve worked out in other CrossFit gyms in other parts of the country.  The community spirit isn”t as strong.  There are also athletes working out alongside of us who are trained and certified and who offer advice and encouragement.  It’s like having extra trainers.

WOD
AMRAP 15
20 Lateral Bar Hops
10 Power Cleans 75/55
5 OHS 75/55

Hometown:
St. Helens, Oregon

Occupation:
Currently stay home with my 2 children.  Prior to motherhood Geriatric Social Service consultant.

Favorite quote:
“Keep going don’t stop”  I say this to myself a lot during the running portion of a WOD.

How did you find CrossFit:
The first time I heard about CrossFit was from a friend.   She was having trouble walking one day and I asked her what she did to herself.  She said she had started a new gym called CrossFit and had done  a crazy amount of squats.  At first I thought it sounded crazy but I was also intrigued.   Soon after I decided to give it a try.  The first day I was hooked.

Favorite WOD or Lift:
Any WOD with sit-ups, push-ups, squats, and pull-ups.

Least Favorite:
Running. Running is a love/hate relationship. When I see it on the board I complain but after I have completed the WOD I feel great!

Favorite activity outside of the gym:
photography and scrapbooking.

Goals:
unassisted pull-ups, rope climb (I’m so close), and stringing together my DUs.

Achievements:
Every time I complete a WOD prescribed.  Sharing my love for CrossFit with my husband.  I love the days we get to work out together.

Something we don’t know about you:
2 1/2 year ago I lost 49 pounds and have kept it off (give or take 5 pounds)

Advice for someone new to CrossFit Body & Fuel:
Stick with it!!!!  It gets easier.

WOD
“Barbara”
5 Rounds
3 min. rest between rounds
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats

Hometown:
Gladstone, Oregon

Occupation:
Critical Care Nurse

Favorite quote:
“Attitude is everything”. You can literally apply that anything. Think you’re going to have a bad day at work and you will; think the WOD is going to suck and it will. However, approach it all with a positive attitude and you can accomplish anything.

How did you find CrossFit:
I was first introduced to CrossFit last year during Hood to Coast. Two of the guys in my van were doing CrossFit. It was a lot of WOD this, Rx that, Paleo what? I thought, I can never do that, look at how fit these guys are, but I checked it out the website anyway. Fast forward several months and now I’ve injured my foot and can’t run. So I signed up for my free week at the end of February and I’ve been addicted ever since.

Favorite WOD or Lift:
I’m not sure I have a favorite WOD. I like them all after we’re done. As for favorite lift, that would have to be over-head squat.

Least Favorite:
Least favorite is anything with pull-up’s. I feel like no matter how hard I work, I’ll never be able to do them without a band.

Favorite activity outside of the gym:
Running is still my first love, but I haven’t let it interfere with CrossFit. Several times a week, I’ll go running in the morning and then hit up CrossFit in the afternoon. What can I say? I’m addicted! Not to mention, that CrossFit has helped me improve my running.

Goals:
Pull-up’s without using a band and double-unders without having to jump two-three times in between each one. Oh yeah, flat back and fast elbows!

Achievements:
Shortly after I started CrossFit, my doctor placed me in a walking boot due to my foot injury. So, just being able to complete the workouts as prescribed is huge for me.

Something we don’t know about you:
Umm, I don’t know. My favorite color is black.

Advice for someone new to CrossFit Body & Fuel:
Don’t be intimated. No matter what your fitness level or whether you have certain limitations, the trainers there can tailor the workout to meet your needs. They helped me when I had to wear a boot for 6 weeks.

WOD
OHS 5RM

Matt and his mad jumping skills!

Hometown:
Beaverton, OR

Occupation:
ICU RN

Favorite quote:
Pain is just weakness leaving the body.

How did you find CrossFit:
My wife beat it in to me and now I thank her for it.

Favorite WOD or Lift:
Chippers and as far as lifts I am digging OHS and C&J right now.

Least Favorite:
I am not a fan of the deadlift, which really just means…I need to work on my deadlift.

Favorite activity outside of the gym:
Hiking, biking running… the more you move the more you can eat.

Goals:
Top 100 for regionals would be awesome.

Achievements:
About to take on the challenge of a being a dad which I am pretty scared and stoked about at the same time.

Something we don’t know about you:
Ashley and I have been together for 17 years this November.

Advice for someone new to CrossFit Body & Fuel:
Eat right, come often, do proper form and the RX’s and faster times will follow.

WOD
“Helen”
3 Rounds
400m Run
21 KB Swings
12 Pull-ups

Sasha preparing for world dominance.

Hometown:
Waco, Texas. Thanks David Koresh and clan for putting that one on the map.

Occupation:
Aspiring superhero

Favorite quote:
Hmmmm, I can’t think of any that don’t need censoring…..

How did you find CrossFit:
My husband Anthony starting doing it in Salem first. He’d come home telling me what his workouts were and then I’d see him the next day barely able to move, complaining about his uterus hurting or something. I thought to myself “Why the hell would I want to put myself through that?!” He tried to pressure me into it, telling me he thought I’d like it. I fought back with, “But I’m not the competitive type!” Several weeks later I finally caved and tried it out. A little thing called Fight Gone Bad was one of my first CrossFit workouts ever. I was too scared to jump the 20″ box and definitely did not do the workout as prescribed. This is when I discovered wallballs were the enemy and that there were some really amazing athletes out there. I quickly realized if I wanted to get better at any of these things I needed to start crossfitting more often. My one or two day a week crossfitting progressed into much more. Apparently I AM the competitive type.

Favorite WOD or Lift:
Overhead squats and any workout involving 50% of my bodyweight

Least Favorite:
Deadlifts, I can never seem to get the big number I would like.

Favorite activity outside of the gym:
There is life outside CrossFit?! Well, if it exists, I like to do anything outdoors like camping, hiking, and my new favorite, rock climbing. I also enjoy making art and turning myself into a pretzel routinely, although some call it yoga.

Goals:
Being able to do all the games workouts as prescribed for next year’s Crossfit Games Open and a bodyweight overhead squat would be amazing. World domination would be next.

Achievements:
I came to CrossFit without being able to do a pull-up at all. After much yelling (all the encouraging type of course) from Dawna and a ton of failed attempts, I finally got my deadhang pull-up. I thought I had cheated the moment it happened. I had to ask Anthony if I was in fact doing it correctly. Then the day I was finally able to do a workout involving pull-ups without using a band was a freeing moment. I knew I never wanted to go back. I also just did FGB as prescribed and increased my score by more than 30 points and I can say I am the strongest I have ever been in my life, despite me not getting any younger. A BIG thank you to everyone at the gym for helping me get to this point. You all motivate and inspire me everyday.

Something we don’t know about you:
I have a yard gnome in my front yard. He’s a killer.

Advice for someone new to CrossFit Body & Fuel:
Relish in your strengths and work on your weaknesses. A fast time is never worth sacrificing form. Oh, and don’t be skeerd!

WOD
4 Rounds
1 min. rest between rounds
400m Run
20 Burpees