For time:

Run 1600m
50 Push-press, 45#(35#)
Run 800m
35 Push-press, 75#(55#)
Run 400m
20 Push-press, 95#(65#)

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Why Pose Running?

The dreaded heel strike.  For those who may not know what I am talking about, the heel strike is what is referred to when you run heel-toe, heel-toe.  Your body is upright, and your knees and spine take the brunt of the impact, whether you think you feel it or not.  That’s why you are always asked to do those annoying POSE running drills.  You know, the ones where we try to train you to run toe-heel, toe-heel.  It’s only because we care. No, really.  I don’t want you to end up with wonky knees or a bad back because you are too stubborn to run the right way, a way that takes much stress off your body.  

Here’s a challenge:  Take your shoes off, and run barefoot down the street.  Try to do your heel-toe method. I guarantee it will hurt.  You will naturally want to shock the impact of your body running by landing on the balls of your feet first.  Now, imagine what you are doing to your body, in a small way, every time you strike your heel on the ground when you run.  Multiply the miles over years, and you start to understand why we don’t give up you.  You have 1 3/4 miles to run in this WOD (that’s an about 5,110 steps).  Let’s fight the good fight for great positioning today one step at a time.

Deadlift

1 – 10 – 1 – 20 – 1 – 30 for max load

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Community day at Verve!  Come join us for Sunday Funday, then we’ll get the grill going.  Remember we’ll have some beverages, you bring your proteins and food.  Then after we fill our bellies, we’ll make the trip to Coors Field via foot/bicycle/car to party it up as the Rockies take on the Mets at 1:10pm.  Hope the crowd is ready to see some Verve cheer spirit!

Beginning this week we have some new schedule changes to note, these programs have their own individual programming separate from the rest of Verve:

CrossFit Moms–Now at 9am on Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays.  Fridays we’ll meet at Commons Park (bring your stroller).  This program is dedicated exclusively to pre-natal and post-natal women of all ages and fitness abilities.  Open to all of our current athletes at no cost, or to non-member moms via punchcard.  Bring your baby, up to the age of three.  No childcare will be provided, but music will be quiet and you’ll have the ability to take care of your child whenever needed.  This is a flexible and like-minded environment for busy moms who are able to have their children at the gym while they train.  Each class includes a warm-up, a skills training component, and an individually scaled workout with a focus on conditioning and core strength.  Good for the body…good for the mind…good for your baby!

CrossFit Lite–Will begin May 1st at 6pm on Mondays/Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays and is designed for those who are newer to the CrossFit methodologies.  Smaller group sizes allow participants to get more attention and ease into CrossFit training by focusing on building a solid foundation of metabolic conditioning, basic gymnastics and basic weight lifting, focusing on, technique and core strength/stabilization.

Only 1 class today at 9am
Outside the Box – Red Rocks WOD

Six rounds for time:

Bounding bench leaps up
Run down

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Show up promptly and meet us at the stage by 9am to get started on an epic workout in the sun!

Best place to park would be the lower south lot 1 next to the Trading Post.  Then access the stage from there. 

“Fight Gone Bad”

Three rounds for total reps:
Wall ball shots, 20#/14#
Sumo deadlift high pulls, 75#/55#
Box jumps, 20″
Push press, 75#/55#
Row, calories
Rest 1:00

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What’s on your someday list?

What is it you’ve always wanted out of life?  People say they are searching or waiting or someday, what is your someday?  A friend of mine recently said to me “Cherie, today… This is your life, not your retirement, not your future today… this is your life!” That got me thinking about all the things I’ve always wanted to do.  I’ve always wanted to write a book.  Don’t really know what about, but one day! One day I want to Climb the face of Longs peak, even though it scares the bageebees out of me.  I would like to finish my degree, surf in Africa, and to climb where when you fall it’s into the ocean. I want a garden that I have the time to figure out how to grow my own food and the time to cook it for all my neighbors. I want to be surrounded by my family and friends and when it’s all said and done I want my life to have meant something, I want to have truly helped people.

Funny how when I sat down and thought about it, nothing that I want involved money or things!  I believe this is true for most people. Maybe the money to travel a bit or build my garden, but not tokens of wealth.  My tokens of wealth I hope to be my relationships and experiences.  So why is it that we chase our tails for things and argue about money, when relationships are where the true wealth lies? 

What’s on your someday list? Post to comments! 

COME ONE, COME ALL! THIS IS THE BEST FRIDAY WOD EVER!

We’re lucky enough to host Kelly Starett, mobilizing maniac, for an evening at CrossFit Verve.  Kelly is going to spend 1.5 hours mobilizing and prepping you for a heavy day WOD that you’re sure to PR.  Learn how to manage your mobility to ensure pain free, unrestricted movement.  Sign-up now!

If you already signed up for Friday’s classes, please note you will need to sign up again, as the time changed from 1 hour to 1.5!

Run 5k

How to become and overnight success at just about anything you want to be/do!

I mean seriously this works on anything you want it too.  Fitness, music, art, family, business, you name it, it’s the tried and true formula for success!

Work. Really hard. For years. And when a door opens, run through it. When opportunity presents itself, don’t just grab it — knock it down, toss it on your back, and sprint until you’re ready to throw up. Suck in more air and run even harder. Ignore the pain and head for the light. Run as if darkness itself is chasing you and failed steps will take your soul.

There is no such thing as an overnight success. There is only the dream of the overnight success: the myth, the legend, the want that we all have.

Lasting success is the result of hard work. Period. Dot.

If you want something, go get it. But don’t think it will come overnight. It never does. Be prepared to work hard, for years.

Expect to be attacked. Expect to be ridiculed. Expect to be ignored.

Breathe. Hurt. Suffer. Smile.

And maybe, one day, you’ll find yourself wondering how you got so lucky — and you’ll realize it wasn’t luck at all.

Now, get back to working on your dream.

– Thank you Lisbeth (courtesy of CrossFItLisbeth)

21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps for time:

OH walking lunge steps, 25# (15#)
Sit-ups
Ring dips

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For time:

30 Muscle-ups

SUB:
Have a partner gently assist you through twenty consecutive muscle-ups.
Switch.
Repeat.

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“Bradley”

Ten rounds for total time:

Run 100m
10 Burpees
Run 100m
10 Pull-ups
Rest :30 seconds

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Lots of fun to be had at with us at CrossFit Verve in the coming weeks.  Some important dates to mark your calendars and set your reminders to join us:

This Saturday, 4/21 at 9am is our Free Saturday Intro Class.  This is your chance to come try out CrossFit, see our facility, and meet some of our awesome community and trainers.  Sign up here.

Tuesday, 4/24 at 6pm our infamous CrossFit Verve Nutrition Workshop.  There will be no 6pm WOD.  This is free to the community.  Come one and come all!  Join us for an hour to brush up on the most important part of your fitness and address your athletic base.

Next Friday evening, 4/27.  All Verve PM classes will have a guest coach–the one, the only, the supple leopard himself–> Kelly Starrett.  Come experience the innovator of the MobilityWOD, famed CrossFit coach, and chupacabra slayer himself.  Also, between classes we’ll be hosting a Verveopolis CrossFit Games Regional poster making extravaganza.  We’ll have the supplies, you just bring the smart, sassy, and memorable slogans to cheer on our athletes at the upcoming Southwest Regional Games in Castle Rock on May 4th–6th.

Next Saturday, 4/28 class will  go out of the box to Red Rocks for a fun in the sun drenching WOD with Matt.  Don’t miss it!

Next Sunday, 4/29 after classes, bring your favorite goodies to share and throw on the hot grill to visit with us and then head down to the Rockies Game.  Group tickets have been bought, so pay for yours and fill out the sign up sheet at Verve.

What’s your best Verve poster idea for the Upcoming Southwest Regionals? Please share to comments.

“Isabel”
30 Squat snatches, 135#(95#)

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The preservation of our health is easier than the cure for disease – B.J. Palmer

Sleep – how can we get you all to get more of it?

Maybe start by reading this book  Lights Out! Sleep, Sugar and Survival.

-or reading this bit by Robb Wolf…

Sleep deprivation mimics many elements of the aging process. One could make the argument that how you feel when you are sleep deprived is likely how you will feel if you are both diabetic and old (sleep deprivation dramatically impacts insulin sensitivity). Improved sleep time and quality will help you: Lean out, avoid depression, autoimmunity, heart disease…it might even help you be a better athlete. 

-or this bit by KStar of San Fransico CrossFit 

Here goes: Sleep is important. Check.
Obviously brain function is slightly (ironic tone) decreased with missing sleep. But how smart do you really need to be?

The real reason sleep matters is because all of the good hormones and growth factors that are released during the deep sleep, stage 3 and 4 periods. This is your body’s time of peak anabolic activity (build muscle, burn fat, repair tissues, etc.) and occurs throughout the night but with diminshing efficacy.

If you aren’t getting enough of this deep, quality sleep, chances are you aren’t optimizing recovery or performance. You are in fact creating stress hormones that are trying to kill you. 
Your body treats lack of sleep like a direct stressor, the same as starving, or being chased by a lion. So quit being so cavalier about your late nights and crappy sleep. 

The goal is to get as much stage 3 and 4 sleep as possible. To this end, here are a few sleep hygene guidelines. 
1) Try to go to sleep at the same time every night.
2) Avoid coffe and alcohol before bed.
3) Sleep in the blackest, darkest room possible.
4) Sleep in a cool room.
5) Treat your sleep as importantly as you treat your workouts and protein blocks.

Think of sleep as recovery. And recovery completes the exercise and nutrition trifecta.

Mission: 
Keep a sleep journal for a week. Track hours slept/bed time/awake time/ and note when and how much caffeine/alcohol was consumed before sleep. Also note how your performance was during the day. See any patterns? Are you trashed by the weekend. How much “blue time” are you serious about getting in the chart above.

Sleep rules so lights out!

“Michael”
3 rounds for time:
Run 800m
50 back extensions
50 sit-ups

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The CrossFit Method