CrossFit News and Updates - 07/29/10

It's been a while since our last newsletter and a whole lot has happened since. Staci and I enjoyed a nice vacation earlier this month while Kate Rawlings and Patrick ran the gym along with help from a few of our certified members. Thanks to everyone for helping them hold down the fort.  Then, of course, we took the trip to California to witness Kate Rawlings' spectacular performance in the 2010 CrossFit Games.  She did really well pitted against the best CrossFitters on the planet.  We're all very proud and excited for Kate. You can watch tons of archive video on the Crossfit Games website   Now it's back to the everday fun of running a Crossfit gym, helping other get in the best shape imaginable.  That's what Crossfit is really about. The Games are great, but they're really reserved for a select few.  The widespread appeal of Crossfit is due to the fact that anyone can do the workouts and everyone will see results, if they put in the effort.  You don't have to care about being better than anyone else, but you should care about being better than you were yesterday.     Crossfit Executive Fitness Program - new dates for September   We have four new group times beginning next month for the CrossFit Executive Fitness Starter Program.  You can get all the details here on our website, Crossfit Executive Fitness      CrossFit Summer Picnic Planned   Kim Williams has quite an event on tap for us all on Sunday August 15th at her home in Berlin Heights.  Kim works out with us in the evenings as well as belonging to Nick Strazar's CrossFit Box. She has invited CrossFit Cleveland members to join the CrossFit Box members for a cookout and Obstacle Course Challenge in her backyard.    Yes, I said Obstacle Course Challenge.  Kim and her husband have a full-on land of crazy shit constructed in their backyard, surrounded by hundreds of acres of farmland. There is a wall to scale, 20 feet of bars to swing across, a rope wall to climb, hurdles to hurdle and a few other objects guaranteed to test your mettle. Competition is optional, fun is mandatory.  Here are the details:   When: Sunday August 15, 2010 from 11:00am to 4:00pm   Where: 9703 Reiger Road, Berlin Heights, OH 44814   What:  Crossfit Picnic and Obstacle Course Challenge, along with volleyball, corn hole and other picnic activities   What to bring:  bring a side dish to share and your favorite beverage.  We will be providing burgers, grilled chicken and non-alcoholic beverages. You are welcome to bring your own items to throw on the grill if burgers or chicken aren't your thing.   Who: all are invited, but please R.S.V.P. so we can have the right amount of food.   CrossFit Cleveland folks R.S.V.P. to me at bill@crossfitcleveland.com or write your name on the sign-up board at the gym.  Members of other CrossFit gyms should R.S.V.P. at their gym or directly to Kim.   Here is a video of Kate taking on part of the Obstacle Course last month while prepping for the Games. Kate Rawlings as Spider Woman Jillian earns her CrossFit Level I trainer certification Jillian Neimeister traveled to the Chicago area after returning home from the CrossFit Games to attend her CrossFit Level One Certification Seminar. Jillian started training in our CrossFit Executive Fitness Program back in the summer of 2009, after a two year stint reading these email newsletters.   She told me she needed someone to kick her ass back in shape, and that is exactly what we did. I think she fell in love with CrossFit the day she realized that she is by far the strongest woman in our gym. Her deadlift is at least 100lbs. more than the next highest record, and higher than 80+% of our men. Jillian went to Columbus in March to compete in the CrossFit Games Sectional Qualifier. She did not make the cut this year but she did performed all of the workouts without modification, which is very impressive especially considering she was a first year CrossFitter. My money is on her to make it to Regionals in 2011.   Congrats to Jillian, we'll see if we can put her to work soon! Patrick Flannery approved as a new Crossfit Affiliate Our very own Patrick Flannery has been approved as a CrossFit Affiliate, Great Lakes CrossFit has been hatched.  Staci and I will be working closely with Patrick as he makes his entrepreneurial debut as the owner of his own CrossFit gym.  He will be opening a rather large facility in an eastern suburb this fall, hopefully soon after Labor Day.  We plan on having some reciprocal membership privileges between Great Lakes CrossFit and Crossfit Cleveland to benefit our members who work on one side and live on the other side of the bridge.  The "Crossfit Passport" seems to be a logical name! More details to follow as they unfold.   Patrick is highly motivated and extremely passionate about CrossFit training.  We are certain he will be a smashing success. Membership Waiting List for 5:00P.M. & later workouts We're still at capacity during the 5:00pm, 5:30pm, 6:00pm and 6:30pm workouts. We have started a waiting list for new members who wish to workout after 5:00pm. New members are able to attend any of the morning workouts and the 4:00pm and 4:30pm workouts Monday through Thursday.     *** Please note, current members who joined prior to the wait list are able to attend any workouts they choose as long as their membership remains current.  It's important to know that if you take a month or two off, you will be subject to the waiting list upon your return.   We do have expansion plans in the works that include additional workout times and more space. Please stay tuned for details.  Thanks to everyone for helping us grow this fantastic community. CF Cleveland's Organic Produce Co-Op - every Wednesday Staci and Tricia go down to the Cleveland Food Terminal every Wednesday and purchase organic fruits and vegetables by the case. They get a boat load of food for not a whole lot of money, then they split it all up into 6 equal shares. They spend $300 total, making each 'share' cost $50.  The minimum buy-in is $25 for 1/2 share of produce. If you are interested, please add your name to the sign-up sheet at the gym or email staci@crossfitcleveland.com. Payment must be received no later than Tuesday of each week. You can see a few pictures of the past couple batches of food here on our Organic Food Co-op post on our website.

Previous newsletters on our website You can read all the past email newsletters on our website.  I've made a Crossfit Cleveland newsletter archive page here, or you can find the link on our CrossFit Cleveland home page.

That's all for now. You can find all the stuff that used to be down below my signature here on the 'Old Stuff Archive" page. Regards,  BR 440-915-7856 (Cell & Text)    CrossFit Cleveland - RAW Fitness, LLC www.crossfitcleveland.com  My LinkedIn Profile  - http://www.linkedin.com/in/billrussellohio BR on Facebook = http://profile.to/billrussell/ CrossFit Cleveland's Fan Page on Facebook at http://www.companies.to/crossfitcleveland Follow us on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/CFCleveland