April 4, 2013 / by CFW / Make A Comment / Filed under Success Stories, Thoughts
For the last three years Coach has been really excited starting in February about, “The Open”. Each year I look at my gut, my inability to do a pullup, my “panic and ” at the mention of burpees and so on. I hear Coach saying WOD in and WOD out, “Get registered for the OPEN. You’re going to love it” and I think to my self there is no way I’m going to love it.
But something changed this year.
After participating in the Open as a gym rat the last two years I suddenly felt like I wanted to be an Open Athlete. It occured after I did 13.1. I hate burpees but love the Snatch. I was able to get 100 reps. Way more that I believed I could. In the middle of 13.1 I received a burst of confidence from an unexpected source. A guy that I had never seen in our Box before commented during my Snatch’s, “He has a good Snatch.” This guy’s comment spurred me on and I believe helped me finish the second set of burpees. I felt great after the workout. Then Dave Christiansen said, “Sign up for the Open, It’s not too late.”
So I signed up.
Since then I have been an Open fanatic (just ask my wife, Reba). My small group for church knows that I am an Open Athlete and that I was Internationally ranked. My co-workers know I completed 163 reps in 13.2 and my mom knows that I was only able to do the 3 Cleans on 13.4 cause, “I just can’t do T2B!” She was as upset as I was. (Hi Mom!)
What does all this mean to me.
I was looking today at my rankings and after 13.1 I was ranked 69,477 (out of 125,000 approx). After 13.2 I was ranked 59,184. After 13.3 ranked 54,384. And after 13.4 I am ranked 53,035 (out of 236,080). I have gone down in the ranks after each WOD. When I saw this it took my breath away. All the angst I had was gone. A big smile crept across my face. I didn’t think about only getting 3 reps on 13.4. I wasn’t concerned about the exhaustion and “burpee cough” at the end of 13.1. What I am thinking about is 13.5 and can I continue to keep moving down in my ranking. I am so fired up as I type this my heart is racing.
I will always be an Open Athlete.
From now on, as long as I can get to the Box I will always sign up for the Open. I will join my Coach in those funny little “Woo Hoo’s” that he is so prone too while dancing around the box. I’m not interested in seeing how ”bad ass” I am but to see how much I can improve and how I rank against other Open Athletes around the world; the Crossfit Community that I have grown to love.
Oh crap, It just hit me.
Panic and trepidation just hit me as I realized the 13.5 looms large on the horizon. What will this final WOD hold in store for the CF Community? Will I be able to do the movements Rx? My heart is pounding and it is more that 36 hours until the announcement. I also feel a heaviness in my chest. I think Coach got me sick with his cold!!!!! Josh H. is hoping for heavy. I’m just praying for NO muscle ups!
BTW. I am currently ranked 2455 for my age group internationally, 205 in the Region for my age group and 22 in our Box!
Well there is only one thing left to be said, ”3,2,1, GO!”
David “Tractor” Griesinger
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.”
February 6, 2013 / by CFW / Make A Comment / Filed under Athlete Spotlight, Success Stories, Thoughts
If you workout in the morning, you may know Barry. But did you know this- Barry is the Godfather of CrossFit Waxahachie. We joke about this but it’s kinda true. You see, Barry was the first person who told me about CrossFit. He was all excited about this website you went to to get your workout for the day. I looked at the site and really didn’t understand much of it. I just wrote it off and went on my way. Then about 3-4 months later I came upon it again in a search for exercise routines. I guess the workout for that day made sense, so I tried it out (I don’t even remember what it was). The next WOD was Helen and it crushed me. I kept scrolling through the times that people had posted for this WOD and couldn’t believe I was so slow-weak-challenged by this effort. That was it for me! I was hooked. That was September of 2007. I’ve been at it ever since.
CrossFit and CrossFit Waxahachie have brought many things into my life that I’m truly thankful for- a community of friends and better fitness are just a couple of the biggies.
Thanks, Barry!
The Godfather on his way to a CF Total PR.
January 23, 2013 / by CFW / Make A Comment / Filed under Athlete Spotlight, Success Stories, Thoughts
This was around the start of her CrossFit journey.
Sarah is another one of the few who have made the transition from BFC back in 2009 to present day CFW. Over that time she’s been working- HARD! She’s come a long way since she started with us and is still giving whatever it takes to move forward, improve and change her life!
It hasn’t always been easy but Sarah has a knack for doing it anyway. Burpees, OK. Pull ups, sure. Hanging knee raises, yea. Don’t get me wrong, she likes these things about as much as anyone in her yoga class likes staying in chair pose for, “Five more breaths.” BUT- she does them. She knows that she can get through anything- one step, one movement at a time. Not only has she lost weight, her confidence has grown leaps and bounds over the last few years and it’s been awesome to watch!
I can’t tell you how many times we’ve almost come to blows over the WOD!
During a recent press workout, the weight just wasn’t going up. She was stuck in between two weights. The extra 5# jump was too heavy but taking them off was too light. What did she do? More collars on the bar. That my friends is being willing to do whatever it takes. That’s how I know Sarah will continue to move forward and meet all of her goals!
What do you do when you fail?
Surrounded by friends and a community that supports you, you can accomplish anything!
Ready to give CrossFit a try? Here are a few options coming up:
Elements- (our beginner class- more details HERE)
Thursday, January 31st at 5:15pm
Email me to save a spot.
Open Gym-
Tonight (and every Wednesday) from 5-7pm
November 21, 2012 / by CFW / Make A Comment / Filed under Athlete Spotlight, Events, Nutrition, Success Stories
Congrats to our Lean Turkey winners- Mistie Underhill and Branden Embry!!
Mistie lost just over 11.2 lbs!
Branden lost over 12.6 lbs!
In just 3 weeks!! AWESOME JOB GUYS!!! I have your prizes at the box!
Big thanks to everyone who participated! Gobble, gobble 
Thanks to our sponsors:
Bakery on a Hill in Cedar Hill
CFA Waxahachie
Tuscan Slice in Waxahachie
October 23, 2012 / by CFW / Make A Comment / Filed under Events, Nutrition, Success Stories, Thoughts
T in 2009.
T is for Turkey.
T is also for T…aka Coach T…aka the female winner of the first LTC in 2010. Here’s what she has to say about the LTC:
“Two years ago, I won the Lean Turkey Challenge by losing 18 pounds and 4 inches off my waist. It was the most successful weight loss program I have ever been a part of. I have been begging for coach to bring it back ever since. You see, the “whole 30’s” work for some but not for me. I like structure, I like measurable numbers and I LOVE competing. The structure of the Lean Turkey Challenge is perfect for me. The buy in creates an emotional investment. The food logs create accountability. The challenge with others creates the ability to say “no”. Best of all, the kick butt prize at the end is what has me coming back for more this year.
The program is set up to help you achieve your goals. Coach works with you individually to tweak your meals to honor those goals. The blog helps every turkey talk through any cravings we are having as well as provide each other with recipes to use for success. I am looking forward to LTC 2.0 (as I am calling it) to see what great offers are available to us through our nutrition partners. I am also super excited to do it with lots of newbies from the box. This program will jump start your new addiction to living healthy.
Warning: the prize really does rock and I am playing to win again. Game on turkeys! Let’s do this!”
T this past summer.
Speaking of prizes, here’s what we’re playing for:
- $50 Gift certificate to Burgundy Pasture Beef
- $25 Gift card to Tuscan Slice
- 50% off of December CFW gym dues
This is for each winner- 1 male, 1 female!
Check out the Lean Turkey Page for more details.
Want in? There’s still time! Email Chris@CrossFitWaxahachie.com to save your spot today! Spaces will be limited.
August 8, 2012 / by CFW / Make A Comment / Filed under Athlete Spotlight, Success Stories, Thoughts
KB has been working out with me since I started my very first boot camp program in April of ’09. The first workout I ever programmed was on April 7th:
As many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 15 minutes of-
5 jumping pull ups
10 modified push ups
15 squats
Kara 12 rounds +5 pull ups
Gena 6 rounds +10 squats
Chelsey 11 rounds +11 squats
Laura 12 rounds +2 pull ups
As a high school and college athlete, she had some pretty good skills coming into the workout. She did pretty good. But I can guarantee that the 2012 version of her would kick the 2009s tail! In fact, I’m pretty sure she could beat her previous score now with real pull ups and push ups on her toes. That’s what 3 1/2 years of dedication will do!
Kara is probably going to hate this post, but those of you who know her know that she’s hard-working, focused and driven as a mom, wife and athlete. It’s been a privilege to coach her over the years and see her grow. She truly is CrossFit!
This level of growth and development is available to all of you guys who are seeking it. Show up, work, eat to support your goals, and keep doing it (this has kinda been a theme lately).
Check out one of the most exciting times ever at CFW, the Browne Family Fran-Off!
May 18, 2012 / by CFW / Make A Comment / Filed under Athlete Spotlight, Success Stories
49 days.
Our friend, Jason, is competing in Ironman Texas tomorrow. He’s going to swim, bike and run a long way! After a 2.4 mile swim, he’ll jump on the bike and pedal 112 miles. He will finish the day with a 26.2 mile run. When he’s done, no matter the time, he’ll be in rare company as an Ironman!
As his strength and conditioning coach, I’ve had the pleasure of watching him progress over the last year. But it’s just the last few weeks that have been the most eye opening.
When he first called me the one thing he wanted to know was, “Will CrossFit training make me a better distance athlete?” Since I was on a 5 day, 365 mile bike ride from Waxahachie to Lubbock during this conversation, I told him, “Yea, I’m pretty sure it will!”
Jason jumped right in and went to work! He had enthusiasm and really pushed himself in the challenging workouts I threw at him. His goal was the Ironman. Everything he did was in preparation for obtaining that goal.
He ran long, he biked, and he swam. He did intervals and tempo runs on top of his strength work. He especially liked when we had running days at the box. Often he would come back in the afternoon for a second chance at those workouts!
One of the best things he could have done happened near the end. Jason found out what would happen if he went on a strict Paleo diet. And an already seemingly fit athlete lost body fat (from an already lean frame) and got faster.
Kudos, Jason! Your CFW Family wishes you the best during your race tomorrow! We’re already proud of you!
March 14, 2012 / by CFW / Make A Comment / Filed under Success Stories, Thoughts
Monday morning I walk into a gym on an Army base in southern Arizona. I know exactly what I want to do. I have a plan. Do they have the right equipment? Surely they do, since all I want to do is front squat heavy and then hit a quick conditioning WOD that involves bodyweight and a 50# dumbbell. No gym worth it’s salt would be without a squat rack and some heavy iron. As I move through my warm-up and into the front squats, I’m curious about my gym-mates. What are they doing? What are they trying to accomplish? And why is that lady jumping up and down on the baseplate of the GHD (about 6 inches) while holding onto the handles?
Pull ups > Curls
It’s about what I expected. I haven’t set foot in a “regular” gym in about 3 years but it appears as if nothing’s changed. A lot of bench pressing by bird-legged dudes whose forearms are bigger than their calves. A few dumbbell flys and some type of lateral/front raises to finish out the shoulders. And of course curls. Lots of curls. Straight bar, curved bar, preacher, dumbbell. Take your pick. It’s all going on.
As I finish my last set of front squats for a 3 RM at 235#, my eyes bulging and face red, I remember something, “That used to be me.”
I would wander into the YMCA gym in Corsicana with three things on my mind- chest, biceps, and abs. I was consumed by the idea that I needed to cycle through- chest and triceps, back and biceps, and legs (rarely done and always on a hack-squat sled, leg curl/extension machine and calf raises). Abs could be fair game at any workout (mostly crunches) and I’d occasionally run afterwards to “get in some cardio.” After that I’d hit up my favorite Chinese food place and eat beef and broccoli with tons of rice. I was clueless.
My arms got really big and I felt OK about what I was up to. I didn’t want to be HUGE like the guys in Muscle & Fitness. I just wanted to be fit.
Toes to bar = Abs of steel.
This pattern continued through college and into my early days at The Lord’s Gym in Waxahachie (except for a brief stint where I thought I was a marathoner and ran 3 in about a year and a half to find out that it just wasn’t the case). Then it happened, I started training with Daniel. Daniel Ortiz is one of the top trainers in Waxahachie and has a long list of clients and their accomplishments. He took what I was doing and turned it up to 11. I was now at his mercy and he added pull ups to my workload. Lots of pull ups. When I couldn’t do any more (normally after 8-12) he would shove me from behind to the top of the bar and bark at me to stay there! I got better at pull ups. More importantly, I got stronger. I vaguely remember him trying to teach me dumbbell cleans and I think I looked more like a fish flopping around on land than anything athletic. While the workouts were challenging and I was improving in a lot of areas, I still didn’t have a good balance. At the time, I was also doing a lot of mountain biking and a lot of my workouts (especially heavy leg days) left me feeling too spent to enjoy the trails. On one particular trip down to a south Texas hotspot called Comfort MTB Ranch, my legs were useless to me on the first day of the trip. After being unable to chase down the pack for 5 miles, I called it a day and headed back to camp. I was pretty bummed. I was working hard in the gym but it was interfering with something that I loved. I had to find that balance.
Enter CrossFit
Quick. Powerful. Explosive. And nothing like how I used to train.
I tried one workout and it crushed me. Then I tried another one. Crushed. I was intrigued. I was motivated. I was having fun (except for getting crushed). I was learning a ton about exercise and fitness. I was devouring everything I could get my hands on- vids on technique and prominent CFers blasting through the same WODs that were annihilating me, the CrossFit Journal, and of course the comments section on .com. It was so exciting! I would wait each night to find out what tomorrow would bring. Many times getting my butt handed to me by the workouts that I thought looked kinda doable. I kept at it. I signed up for my Level 1 Cert. I was hooked.
This was 2007.
I wasn’t mountain biking much at this time. I had moved on to doing a couple of sprint triathlons and running a handful of 5Ks, half marathon and even a 25K. I was enjoying my time on the bike and as my fitness improved with the CrossFit workouts. I found that even though I was working out less, I was having an easier time at almost every effort or distance. I was spending less time in the gym and more time just enjoying the benefits of fitness. I’ve put the training to the test in the last few years by running a half marathon without building up the usual training miles and riding 365 miles from Waxahachie to Lubbock with my brother without a lot of long distance riding. The latter kinda bit me in the backside, literally, but my fitness was up enough to easily take on both tasks.
Where have I been going with all of this? This long history of my workout career. I’m not even sure if anyone will make it this far into my diatribe. But if you have, the moral is this- you’ve got to know what you want. And then you have to go get it.
I love talking all things fitness.
For a lot of years, I didn’t. I thought I was doing the things I needed to get fit. I’ve found more fitness in the last 5 years than I ever did in my previous 33. I’ve found what I’ve been looking for. I love the broad, general and inclusive fitness that CrossFit builds. I like to know that at the drop of a hat I can do just about anything. Pull ups by the bucketloads have replaced curls, heavy squats and presses are constants and Olympic lifting gives me something to continue to refine. I feel good about where I am now. I’m enjoying the competitiveness of our workouts and couldn’t be happier with the friends I’ve made over the last few years.
I’m not clueless any more. And Daniel, I can do 33 pull ups without coming off the bar (kipping of course).
August 30, 2011 / by CFW / 2 Comments / Filed under Athlete Spotlight, Success Stories
Britt in March 2011.
Its funny how much can change in 1 year.
This time last year I was 25, about 25lbs heavier, and was diagnosed with high cholesterol, PCOS, and pre-type 2 diabetes because of insulin resistance- and to top it off, because of this, it would probably be hard for me to have kids oneday. It was quite a rude awakening. What had I done SO wrong to my body, at 25, that caused this? To most people, I looked pretty normal- pretty average.
My normal workout routine: I took a couple zumba classes a week, signed up for a 5k every few months, and hopped from gym to gym using the machines till they got old. I was active.
My normal diet: I figured that if I took a lean quizine or weight watchers meal for lunch every day I was eating healthy. I tried to eat wheat bread on my many subway sandwiches, tried to drink more milk because it said on T.V. that doing so would be really good for me, and stayed away from ANY red meat because I’ve always been told that its horrible for you. I ate ‘light’ yogurt, drank ‘diet’ sodas if I had one, got kids meals from restaurants and snack packs from Chicken Express (my favorite place!). I had a drawer full of mini laffy taffys at work that I snacked on throughout the day, they were tiny… couldn’t be that bad… I would skip breakfast alot because I just wasn’t hungry- figured it would help me get smaller if I didn’t eat as much too. I looked at calories-ALOT- but I never really cared what it was that I ate. As a kid I ate what all the other kids ate, hotdogs, chicken nuggets, mac’n'cheese… school lunches, pizza, cheese fries, “gravy day”- sometimes I would use my lunch money for ice cream instead of lunch- but hey, I was skinny- why should I eat healthy?
Not sure about this crew that came out for the April '11 Sven Challenge.
My life wasn’t really that different than the normal American- I even thought that because I was running a little and taking Zumba that I was doing more than the average person. Right after the Dr. diagnosed me, she immediately told me about the Meds that she was going to start me on to counteract the insulin resistance (that’s when your body has been fed too much sugar and doesn’t know how to process it anymore)- and she told me that we would just have to keep upping my dose as my body got used to it. I asked if there was another solution. like with nutrition, she said no- just watch what I ate (whatever that meant). So I started meds, dealt with side effects, and accepted the fact that I potentially had a hard road ahead of me.
A few months into this, a girl I worked with (AMY GLASS) came into work and said, “Hey Britt! I know that you’ve done a 5k and my CrossFit group is doing a 10K in Feb.- would you want to do it with us?” I thought about it, figured it would be fun and challenging, and nervously agreed to do it.
[See, I had no idea what CrossFit even was- All I knew was that Amy and the other couple people that did it wore crazy socks, and got REALLY excited when they saw each other, and always ended up jumping around and talking about weird workouts- it kinda freaked me out. In fact... She had one of the Coaches come up to work and do a weird "Lean Turkey Nutrition" meeting one night and I LITERALLY tried to sneak out the front door doing everything I could to not make eye contact with anyone! They reminded me of hippie people. Freaked me out a little.]
A couple weeks later, I went to a CrossFit workout strictly to meet the people that I would be running with. That day was the last day at their old Crossfit Waxahachie location, so there were double the people there just because they thought it would be fun to have a big last workout together. When I walked in, the room was filled with laughing and talking and crazy socks- I saw rows of barbells on the ground- and thought, ‘surely that that was what the Guys must be using to workout- not us girls’. They were about to do a strength workout. I didn’t know I was going to work out that day, but I jumped right in and started learning! At the end of the 30 min workout, I was able to lift a barbell from the ground to overhead! I had NEVER touched a barbell before, other than the VERY few bench presses we had to do for highschool tennis. It was empowering! Everyone was motivating everyone! It was fun… what a concept! I was SO sore the next day! I realized why Amy and her friends were so happy when they talked about working out. Because it wasn’t just working out. It was a community- a community of friends of all ages and shapes and sizes that do crazy workouts together and have a blast while getting their butts kicked! I’ve never walked into a gym or a class with that kind of atmosphere before. I was hooked.
I started crossfit a couple days a week and Loved it! A few weeks later, at lunch one day, Amy and I talked about the Meds I was taking- She immediately said, “BRITT! I’ve been on that! You do know that you can reverse that with nutrition, right?? I’m totally off that now!” -I was skeptical because of what the Dr. told me, but figured I could give it a try. See, another part of CrossFit is that they promote nutrition as the foundation of their program. She and her friend Jeanye Mercer (another CrossFitter) teamed up and kinda took me under their wing and told me about eating “PALEO” (short for Paleolithic- the cave man era). Basically- it’s eating like the cavemen would have eaten… the way God created our bodies to eat. Eating: Meats & Veggies, Fruits, Nuts & Seeds, Little Startch, No Sugar. Cutting out Grains, Pasta, and Dairy (Some people can do Raw Dairy, but most people’s bodies can’t). Getting away from all processed and fried foods, and getting away from all artificial foods/sweetners. I started googling everything I could about Paleo, and decided to take myself off of my medicine for a month and give it a try.
30 days of eating pure… 30 days with no sugar… only veggies, fruits, meats, nuts, and seeds. It was hard- I had cravings- I almost cried when I had to make cupcakes with the gooy icing for Josh’s baseball team and couldn’t lick the bowl… but I did it. And ya know what… It changed my life. I felt more energy than I had in years- my complexion looked better, I lost weight- my body made some huge changes. I’ve had zero problems with my health, my body started to fix itself- no more Meds- no more PCOS- no more insulin resistance. I haven’t taken a pill since. And I’ve never felt better. I’ve lost over 25lbs and had to go out and get a whole new wardrobe because my clothes are falling off of me now. That’s huge! The funny thing is that now, I could care less about the scale- knowing I’m healthy and seeing muscle where there used to be fat is so cool! Do I eat a cupcake here and there for a special occasion? Sure- but 95% of the time I do everything I can to actually feed my body what it was created to need. It’s Do’able. It’s worth it.
The more people I share this with, the more people I realize have a similar begining story. If Amy wouldn’t have reached out to me and told me how CrossFit and eating Paleo could change my life, who know’s where I’d be today- how hooked my body would be on meds- how many fertility Dr’s I would have had to see in the future– This stuff works. I am one of thousands that have realized it. This is why I’m so passionate! It’s not just a Workout. It’s not just a Diet. It’s a Lifestyle. -A lifestyle that has changed me for the better forever.
Britt "At The Bridge" this month.
August 10, 2011 / by CFW / 4 Comments / Filed under Athlete Spotlight, Success Stories
BootCamp- June 2009
Meet Jeanye, AKA J1 or Mad-Dog. She’s been at CrossFit Waxahachie since before it was CFW. In fact she was the very first person to willingly let me train her with full on CrossFit methods. I still remember her first Fran. She did PVC pipe thrusters and jumping pull ups on the old rusty bridge at Chapman Park. It seems like yesterday and eons ago at the same time. But enough of me talking, I asked her a few questions so sit back and check out more about my friend, J1:
When did you start CrossFit?
I started working out with BFC Bootcamp in June of 2009. I started doing CrossFit right after Chris said, “Let’s start doing CrossFit for real.” I think it was May 2010.
Describe your first experience with CrossFit.
I remember a lot of stomach aches on the way to the workouts. And I remember looking at Chris like he was crazy when he would tell me what we were going to do. I remember trying to do a push jerk very early on, missing the lift and hurting my wrist trying to catch the weight instead of dropping it. Looking back I’m amazed that I kept coming back for more. But I did. I think it was the fact that no matter what I couldn’t do, I would still do as much as I could, which always turned out to be more than I could have imagined.
What brought you to CrossFit?
Midlife crisis?
Hanging out with T.
What keeps you going with it?
I love the community. I love feeling strong. I love challenging myself in ways that are just plain crazy. I love that Superman and I can workout together and both of us get what we need from the workout. I love the encouragement from the other CrossFitters. I love the Coach! I love the fun!
What are some of your accomplishments so far?
I’ve lost about 25 pounds and 2 sizes. (3 sizes if you count my skinny jeans!); I can string 24 double unders! I am CrossFit Level 1 Certified and CrossFit Kids Certified. I have a 190# DL PR. And I can now put weight over my head without crying.
What goals do you have going forward?
My goals include showing up, working hard and having as much fun as possible for as long as possible.
Who are your role models or what motivates you?
My mom and dad are without a doubt my role models. They have taught me how important family is and what unconditional love looks like.
What is your favorite exercise?
I love Deadlifts. We should definitely do more deadlifting!
CrossFit- August 2011
Favorite workout?
It was hard to choose just one. I love that each workout is different. But if I had to choose one I would go with Linda, aka 3 Bars of Death – but only if Coach lets me finish!
Least favorite exercise?
Jumping on or in or over things.
Worst workout you ever did?
It’s a toss up between Seven Rounds of Hell (That’s what I named it.) and 400m lunges.
What motivates you during a workout?
I definitely enjoy working out with a group of folks who are encouraging me and are working hard themselves. I try to think positive thoughts and use mantras like “You are strong!” or “You can totally do this!”
If you had to pick one thing to eat at every meal, from now until forever what would it be?
BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad from Cheesecake Factory. (You didn’t specify Paleo!)
If you could become one animal what would it be?
Something that runs fast. I would love to know what that feels like.
A CrossFit couple for sure!
Will CrossFit be a part of your life for years to come?
To quote Jenna Grace, “Heck to the yes!”
What advice can you give everyone out there?
Put your heart in it!
Describe yourself in 5 words: Superman-loving, Life-Coaching, Food-Evangelizing, Mad-dog CrossFitter! (from Chris- I’m not sure if that’s 4 or 9?)
