When Deanna opened up shop here in January 2008 she was embarking on a brand new adventure. I’ve seen pics from early in the year and there was a massive amount of work to be done before this space could be usable. With tons of help from her friends and family, and huge dedication and personal sacrifice, Coach D created a home for CrossFit Zone. It was a big leap forward from training in parks, offering a solid central location, somewhat protective from the outside environment 🙂 , and with a bathroom, lounge and office space.
Five months later was the Grand Opening, when the CFZ community was still small in numbers but huge in energy and passion. I remember walking into the gym on that day and knowing that this was the place I wanted to be. Coach D, Shannon, KDF, Jer, Tom, and a bunch more. The people, the energy, the passion. A week or two later I asked D if I could help coach in trade for a membership. She took pity on me and said yes. Two months down the road I was in negotiations to become partial owner.
Membership grew through the summer, bars broke, plates chipped, dumbbells and pullup stations loosened. Bars were replaced, new plates purchased, dumbbells and pullup stations tightened, and membership grew. And grew. And grew. It was a lot of word of mouth, members inviting friends and friends of theirs came too. Leaderboard numbers started changing on a weekly basis and members of all levels saw vast improvements in their fitness as they achieved goals they never thought possible.
The fall saw new challenges and new rewards. Rob and Donald who had joined in the summer, grew into legends that we all could talk to via their ability to stay completely grounded and modest. One day in September raised $2000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters Victoria, inspired by our two heroes and campaigned for by many others, both in securing bids and by putting out immense physical work in FGB. Seven days in October showed us the strength of will that humans can have and the sense of community of CFZ as we banded together in support of the cause.
September and October were our biggest growth months yet. There are many new faces, busier classes, and the reality that change is good and growth is better. Deanna and I are implementing a progressive apprentice coach program to ensure that we can deliver quality to our members in coaching. You’ll see Toby and Lani around a lot more as we integrate these two great people into our coaching ranks. To add value of knowledge to our community, Deanna has set out to find experts in the areas of performance, wellness, and nutrition to put on seminars on an almost weekly basis.
Our programming evolves as Deanna and I alternate planning weeks of training and discuss the pros and cons of how we arrange the workouts. We do our best to blend the science with the art and variety of training to provide what we feel is the best representation of all around fitness training for our CFZ family. This process helps us to prepare as new challenges await on the near horizon – the CrossFit Winter Challenge, CFZ Nancy Challenge, and the potential for putting together a 2010 CrossFit Games team. It also helps conquer firsts – first kipping pull-ups, first ring dip, first 5k run, first full-Elite WODs.
Through these evolutions and those to come we rely on you, our members, our team. You are our sounding board for ideas, results, and questions. We have plans to purchase new equipment and to try new programming and systems but many minds are better than two. Let us know what you think on the blog, via the suggestion box, or face to face.
We ask that you welcome the new faces into our family and help them get up to speed. The physical and psychological challenge of a CrossFit WOD is more easily conquered in the presence of friends. There will be classes in which technique coaching might take a little longer but in the long run we will all benefit from a safer, stronger, and more successful fitness community.
Lastly we ask that you remember we are a team and we are only as strong as we are united. You don’t perform WODs in a vacuum – let’s hear you work with each other to reach higher heights. No matter how tired you are, you can always muster a “let’s go” or “good job”… we pull each other along on the strength of our combined will.
I’m excited to be a part of this. I feel like this is where I am meant to be and I’m really happy that you are all here with Deanna and I. We are the “little gym that could” and trust me, as we continue to evolve, it will only get better from here.
Yours in Fitness
Coach Turts and Coach (AK) Deanna
Today’s Workout:
Buy In- Muscle Snatch – from high hang to overhead focusing on hip drive and arm movement (PVC to light bar/ weighted bars for advanced) – 15 min
Watch Dutch Lowy (CrossFit athlete) perform the muscle snatch – feet in jumping position but the movement occurs through a fast extension of the hips and “whipping” of the arms overhead to catch in a full standing position. The hips HAVE to move fast and the arms HAVE to move fast to
get the bar overhead. Notice there is only slight arm bend.
WOD – “Team Rowtations”
* In Teams of 4-6, one at each station
* Athlete on rowing machine dictates the time at each station
* Each person rows their first round at 500m, second round at 300m, and third round at 150m
Stations are:
• Row
• Double Crunch
• Double Unders
• Squats
• Rest (if teams of 5)
*Add reps continually at each station until everyone has done three rotations through the row
Cash Out- Read and comment on the blog “the evolution of crossfit zone”
