ALBANY CROSSFIT

Party of the Year!

We've done it again!  With all of your help that is!  Saturday's party was a night that will not soon be forgotten.  By all accounts, this was without a doubt, the party of the year, if not the best party EVER at Albany CrossFit!

The evening started off relaxed and mellow, as we all were able to enjoy some delicious grilled Paleo meals and refreshments, setting the mood for the events to come.  Thank you to all who helped cook, serv, and contributed to helping everything run smoothly.  Full and content, the entertainment was ready to begin!

We had the pleasure of bring 14 acts to the "stage," showing some guts to stand up in front of the rest of the community and put their talents out there for all to see.  With KeHo and Pat as the MC's, Jamie started it off with a crowd stirring set on the drums.  He then passed the torch to the beloved Tom D, who demonstrated the epic feat of eating an entire roasted chicken in under 5 minutes! The only to way to follow that up is with Teef belting out a classic sing-a-long.  There was some more musical talent displayed, as Carissa and Sarah both played on the flute.  From there we had a little more fun with Shye and his juggling act, and Murph getting a laugh out of the crowd as he "lost weight" before our very eyes.

The evening continued with interpretive dance from Niki, followed up with some poetry from Leb.  Abby flashed her skills on the fiddle, and Kathryn and Phil did a little number rapping about Jason's shapely butt!  And the show still had more!  Another dance number from the Amit, Sarah, and Rachel giving us a little Bollywood flavor.  Swells' "Worst Nightmare" came on as Rhi and Kayla showed the craziness that coaches deal with!  It wouldn't be a party if we didn't get some laughs with a classic Lenora stand-up, taking some friendly shots at the new job titles of some of the coaches.  And finally, last, most certainly not least, we close out the show with a resounding performance from the birthday man himself, Jason, as he played guitar with Fran, Sarah and Rachel serenading the crowds with an awesome set list.

As if that would be the only thing we do at a party, we still raged on into the night.  Beer pong tournaments, raffling off prizes, and a cozy bonfire outside to relax to.  What more could you ask for in a night out with your favorite "gym"?  We could not have thought of a better way to celebrate and come together as a community to support the Affiliate Team.  The bond we all share is now that much stronger.  Nothing like an epic social night out to bring people together.  To those who were not able to make it, we wish you could have joined us on this special evening.  Thanks again to all who made the night possible.  We look forward to the next party!

 

"Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think." --Horace

Memorial Day - The Video

brought to you by:

Mirkovic, Lambert and Teal | A financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.

to learn more, please visit Sasa or Ryan.

Schedule an appointment, "Coffee and a second opinion" and receive a $100 gift certificate to Albany CrossFit!

"If I decide to be an idiot, then I'll be an idiot on my own accord." --Johann Sebastian Bach

Let's get this Party Started!

The moment you've been waiting for is finally here!  June 4th, 6pm.

• It's a benefit to support our Affiliate Team. $5 at the door, all proceeds going to support those who will be representing us come Regionals.  With your entry fee, you also get 7 tickets to our raffle.  Which includes such tremendous prizes as:

• Albany CrossFit T-Shirt
• Albany CrossFit Shorts
• Personal Sessions with Dean, Leb, KeHo, Jay, and Sean
• Private KB with Kia and Viv
• Squash Lesson with Shye
• ½ off Rock Climbing Party
• Personal Pilates Session with Shye
• Dr. Bianca Chiropractic Assessment
• Mani/Pedi
• Restaurant Gift Certificate
• Bar Tab Cleared out
• Free month for Friend

• The members of the team will be selling and serving food (burgers, steak, bacon, chicken, asparagus).  Food will be cooked to order.

Prices as follows:

    Steak - $5
    Chicken - $5
    Burger - $3
    Asparagus - $2
    Bacon - $2
    2 Waters - $1

• It's the day before Jason's Birthday, this in of itself if enough reason to come in.

• We have a talent show planned!  Highlight of the event will most certainly be our fearless leader making his musical debut!  Talent show kicks off at 8:30pm.

• Beer Pong Tournament. Beer will be provided. $10 per team. As with the Talent Show, please sign your team up on the white board.  This will assuredly end up in an epic show down!

• To give a little liquid courage to our performers, we'll be selling drinks

Cheap Beer - $2
Good Beer - $3
Shots/Mixed Drinks - $3

• As if all of that wasn't enough, we're even going to have a bonfire. 

Do we know how to throw a party or what?

Early prediction: this will be the party of the year! Be there!

"We all go through the same things - it's all just a different kind of the same thing." --Susan Glaspell

Passionate One

As coaches, we are blessed, we truly get to do something we love and enjoy on a daily basis.  However, there was definitely an extra bit of twinkle in all of the coaches eyes on Wednesday.  Not because everyone was so fast, or because there were so many PRs, but because the athletes of Albany CrossFit really stepped up and rose to the challenge.

We are sure seeing a 10k on our WOD page was a big disturbing to many of you.  The easy thing to do would have been to quickly say, "looks like tomorrow will be my rest day" or "guess I'm doing yesterday's WOD" but so many of you decided, no, I will do the 10k, I will run further than I ever have, I will challenge my body to do more than my mind thinks it can.

All of the coaches at Albany CrossFit were athletes first.  Be it CrossFit, wrestling, equestrian, track, or other endeavors, we understand your pain.  We know how bad workouts can suck, we know there are times your body thinks it doesn't have the ability to do one more rep.  We also know how great it feels to push beyond the comfort zone and come out successful and a better person. 

Everyone of you that came in on Wednesday did just that.  You stepped out of your comfort zone and grew as athletes and as people.  Whether you hit the full 10k, scaled to a 5k, or did one mile, you all should be proud of yourselves.  We are proud to call you the athletes of Albany CrossFit!

“...If you can make a girl laugh - you can make her do anything...” --Marilyn Monroe

The Secret of Life

If you are interested in volunteering in the 2011 Northeast Regionals, please contact Jason by the end of the day Friday.  By volunteering you will receive free access to the entire Regional event.

What is the secret to life? I don’t claim to know the secret to life; however I will say that through my experiences I have learned a lot. Through both ups and downs, good and bad I have tried my best to learn from such experiences and grow to be better person. Here are some things that I have learned that may ring true to you…

Take care of you!!! I know, sooo typical coming from Dean, but seriously, like anything, the more time and energy you spend into something the more you will cherish and appreciate it (relationships, stocks market, CrossFit). So what I am trying to say is, stay healthy!! If you don’t respect yourself enough to take care of you, no one else will.

Enjoy yourself!!!! There is very little reason to go through life unhappy. Now I am not telling you to tell you boss to suck it, or file for divorce, but if you’re really not happy consider making some changes, mix it up, and be spontaneous, because life is too short to live it unhappy.

Find a passion!!! For real, find what makes you burn to live life!!! Nine times out of ten this very thing gives you meaning or purpose in life. If you don’t have a purpose, find one (you can always contact a coach and we will be happy to help lol)!

Share life (love a lot)!!! This could manifest itself in many ways: a meaningful relationship, random acts of giving to the needy, good friends. However it works for you, share important and meaning moments with people who need it or someone special to you.

For me it is essential that I stay healthy, no one else will do it for me, so I have to do it. I have watched people very close to me (friends and family) waste away into decrepitude. It is because of these experiences that I choose to eat right and do CrossFit. I enjoy my life very much, I am so very blessed to have a job that I enjoy, and of course, work with Jay, Leb, and KeHo (it really is quite an experience lol).

I am also lucky enough that my passion and profession align. I am so very passionate about being healthy, and I desire that for every person I meet, I want it for my friends, family, and my future family (little deans lol) to understand the importance of being healthy and living long full lives.

Let me re-iterate, share life (love a lot). I practice this in two ways, random acts of giving, and surrounding myself with people who I love. Recently I cleaned out my closet and gave a huge amount of my clothes to the Salvation Army; this is something I try to do once a year. In essence share with those you love, or those that need, regardless you will become a better, happier and more content as a result.

What are some of your secrets to life ???

 

"Every human being is the author of his own health or disease." --Buddha

Presenting: EMPOWERMENT THURSDAY

When each and everyone of you walked through our doors, you had a purpose. This was probably some version of you coming in with an image of your "Real Self", and a gap between that and your "Ideal Self". Most of you had hopes that CrossFit would help you to...well, quite simply... look better naked. 

I learned my lesson a long time ago. Never judge a person when they first walk in the door. There is no specific "I wanna try CrossFit look". It is a measurement of heart and drive that looks alone do not fully tell the story. Think Susan Boyle. I have made wrong assumptions in the past, and many of you have proven me wrong.

I want to talk to all of you about empowerment. It means different things to different people, but one thing is for sure; we are all better versions of ourself since first walking through the door of ACF. Getting your first pull-up is empowering. Hitting your first 20" box jump is empowering. Beating a previous PR is empowering. Buying new clothes, because the old ones just don't fit right anymore...is empowering.

You all motivate me everyday. You are all strong, and you are all beautiful. Nobody at ACF is an underwear model, but we know...Strong = Sexy. Because of that simple fact, we are making every thursday from here on out: Empowerment Thursday! What does that mean? Wear those shorts your not sure if you can get away with. Take of you shirt, we know your body is not perfect...nobodies is. Show off your sports bra! 

Guys and Girls are all encouraged to workout every Thursday with their shirts off. It is Empowering, itt gives us validation, and darn it...its real hot in that WOD Room! Some people (Lebby) may call this incredible day "No Shirt Thursday", but make no mistake...it is all about Empowerment, and you.

 

"We must become the change we want to see." --Mahatma Gandhi

Murph Recap

Once again, the heart of Albany CrossFit has shone through as athletes showed up in droves to participate in the 4th Annual Memorial Day Murph. On a day where we take time to honor those who protect our freedoms, we showed unity and dedication with over 50 athletes participating in one of the most brutal CrossFit workouts.

Before the beginning of the workout, we took a moment to remember what brought us together, as Kevin read an exerpt from the "Lone Survivor" detailing the sacrifice made by LT. Michael Murphy.  The discomfort to come in the ensuing hour, pales in comparison to the un-imaginable challenges that present themselves to those who face the ugliness of war and battle.

A brief warm-up, and everyone was off.  Athletes of all ages and abilities rallied together as they set out on the first mile.  Many wore vests and some of our military and police officers strapped on their body armor, adding an extra challenge to the already daunting workout. No matter the scaling option, there was no giving in.  No tapping out.  No quitting.

The rooms buzzed with excitement. Masses of bodies moving harmoniously through the 100 pullups, 200 pushups and 300 squats.  Outside, cars passed by, staring in awe at the stoic display of devoted CrossFitters swinging from the pullups bars and sweating under the sweltering heat of the mid-day sun.

As the workout drew to a close, many who finished early went back to encourage others still completing the run.  This truly was a team effort.  This was a community coming together.  This was Albany CrossFit at it's finest.  Thank you to all who made it such a special day.  We look forward to continuing this amazing tradition, and making next year even better.

What was your favorite moment of Memorial Day Murph 2011?  Post to comments.

  

"It is not enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it." --Martin Luther King, Jr.

Memorial Day Murph 2011

Come join us this Memorial Day (Monday, May 30th) at 10am honor a true American hero in our 4th Annual Memorial Day Murph.  We will be collecting donations going to the Lone Survivor Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project, and the LT. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation.  Post WOD will be a BBQ ($5 per person) and we would love to see all of you there.

This being our 4th year of participating in the Memorial Day Murph, it has become a tradition near and dear to our hearts.  Coming together as a community, not only in Albany, but with CrossFitters around the world, shows the close-knit bond we share.  It has grown far beyond the simple notion of putting dedicated athletes through a brutal workout.  On a day where we commemorate those who sacrifice so much to allow us the freedoms often forgotten, this workout symbolizes our appreciation for what we have and by unifying under a workout devoted to a man who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

Check out how it's expanded from the first year to last year's "Murph." Let's make this year even more memorable and build on this already amazing tradition.

Memorial Day 2008

Memorial Day 2010

We would love to know your take on what doing these types of workouts means to you.  Please post thought to comments.

 

"The important thing is this: to be able, at any moment, to sacrifice what we are for what we could become." --Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Sunday School

Watch as Leb learns some life lessons from one our most beloved members, Dona.  Enjoy!

 

brought to you by:

Mirkovic, Lambert and Teal | A financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.

to learn more, please visit Sasa or Ryan.

Schedule an appointment, "Coffee and a second opinion" and receive a $100 gift certificate to Albany CrossFit!

"Maturity is achieved when a person postpones immediate pleasures for long-term values" --Joshua Loth Liebman

Rise

“The key is to rise, no matter what happens. Always rise. Just like in life.”

I heard myself say those words last week while coaching and they sounded dumb yet somehow right. Always rise. So stupid, and yet so simple. And really, the key to everything.

Chest up. Eyes straight ahead. Hold your breath. Go deep into the hole and  . . . rise.

I could write a million words, but none could make the message any clearer for your squat and your life. You really only need one word today, and all these days: Rise.

CrossFit Lisbeth

“Accept everything about yourself--I mean everything. You are you and that is the beginning and the end--no apologies, no regrets.” --Henry Kissinger