CrossFit Intrepid » Rest Day

Athlete Profile: Kyle

Holley — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:00:58 +0000

Kyle’s birthday was yesterday as well, thanks to his college buddy, Nick, for his birthday post!

A big year for my good friend Kyle! Not only did he move out to California from the city known for its wonderful winters, Boston, he also got engaged and joined Intrepid (obviously one more monumental than the other…). Kyle is an extremely dedicated athlete and a fellow geek (we studied engineering together, what can we say). I knew CrossFit would be a perfect fit for him, so all I had to do was let the bug bite him. On a trip out here last March, I had him stop into Intrepid and the rest was history. He went back East, started causing a ruckus in the BU gym by doing CrossFit on his own and became instantly addicted. When work brought him out to the West coast, he jumped right back into Intrepid and has been a consistent 6 and 7 pm’er since. He is a great fit for the Intrepid family, and we jokingly said tonight that I see him more now than I did in college. It has been great working out and spending time with you over the past year, and I look forward to another one! Happy birthday buddy!

Now onto the goods…

Started Crossfit: March 2011
Favorite Movement: Running (did I mention he runs marathons?) and cleans
Least Favorite Movement: Pistols (he answered this one pretty quickly…)
Favorite WOD: Anything chipper-like (lots of movements, endurance)
Least Favorite WOD: Fran (agreed.)
Fitness Goals: To get better at running marathons without doing marathon-style training. May I add, Kyle has already shaved 15 – 20% off his 5k time with CrossFit and is planning to run the San Diego half-marathon in March to put CrossFit to the test!
Hobbies and outside interests: His Fiance (obvious choice), brewing beer, being a nerd

REST DAY 02.05.12

Intrepid Women in Dresses

Holley — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:00:40 +0000

To follow Ruth’s post this week about squats and women’s fear of “getting big,” I’d like to share a few photos of Intrepid women in dresses. If any newcomers have any fear of how you’ll look after years of CrossFit, just take a look at these photos. No, you won’t be the skinny model type, but between CrossFit and a protein and fat rich diet, you’ll be able to walk around in a body you’re comfortable with. Tell me folks, what do you think? Ladies and gentlemen, does this really look too big to you??? I don’t have access to photos of all of the women at Intrepid in dresses, so please more photos in the comments (click on the photo links to see full size images). Women of Intrepid = Strong = Beautiful! Love your body!

REST DAY 01.29.2012

Avocado Salsa

Holley — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:41:03 +0000

Now that we’re well into the football playoff season, people are gathering to watch the exciting games leading up to the SuperBowl. Try out this super simple avocado salsa to serve at your next party and serve it with carrots or crispy bacon, or even lettuce to make lettuce wraps.

Recipe:

2 Avocados

½ White Onion

2 Garlic cloves

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

½ Jalapeno

3 Tbsp Lime Juice

½ Tbsp Coconut Vinegar

½ cup Cilantro (or 4-5 sprigs Culantro)

½ Tomato

Sea Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Dice all ingredients and mix together.

Recipe courtesy of paleoeffect.com

REST DAY 01.22.12

Athlete Profile: Michelle

Holley — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:00:12 +0000

Today’s post comes from Michelle’s loving husband, Scott. Happy Birthday Michelle!

As I’m sitting here, with total writer’s block, trying to figure out what to say about the most amazing person I’ve ever known, I can’t help but remember my college commencement speaker. He shared that when he was struggling to write his speech, he wife told him…. “Don’t try to be smart, don’t try to be funny, just be yourself!” Um….thanks, love you too! We’ve already seen a well-written post from Mike this week, a caring post from Anna, and nobody can match Brian’s comedic ramblings…..so what’s left? Let’s talk in terms of Boston!

Today we celebrate Michelle’s “Larry Bird” Day (i.e., 33^rd birthday). In honor of “The Legend”, I’d like to share Michelle’s qualities that make her Legendary…. in my humble, only slightly biased opinion.

I’ve never seen anyone attack their “goats” with the drive and determination Michelle does. A little over a year ago Michelle couldn’t get a pull-up without bands, but today she’s cruising through WODs unassisted. Today she comes home and shows off her torn calluses as proudly as her fantasy football trophy. Today she complains that she only had 9 strict unbroken pull-ups. Apparently she still considers pull ups a goat.

Michelle somehow combines this insatiable drive to improve with the biggest, kindest heart of anyone I know. She works equally hard to be a perfect teacher, spending hours writing, reviewing, and perfecting her tests, quizzes, and daily classroom plans. She’ll stay up late baking cookies for Tom’s Gift Box or homemade coffee cake for a friend who is leaving the next morning. And she is always working hard to be the perfect wife (don’t tell her, but I think she already is).

Michelle, you’re an inspiration to all of us who are struggling with our own goats (cough… double unders). Thanks for pushing me to be the best I can be at everything I do. Thanks for bringing legendary determination with a smile to the gym every day. Happy Birthday!

REST DAY 01.15.2012

Paleo Breakfast Bake

Holley — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 14:00:56 +0000

For me, breakfast is one of the hardest meals for me to keep “clean.” I get sick of eggs pretty quickly and I don’t really like them without cheese. I was talking with a friend about this and she recommended this paleo breakfast bake. It looks delicious and I plan on trying it out soon.

What you need:

8 eggs, whisked
1 sweet potato, shredded
1 sweet onion, finely diced
1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed
1 tablespoon tarragon
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fat (I used bacon fat)

What you do:

Preheat your oven to 425.
Cut your spaghetti squash in half. Spoon out the seeds and discard. Don’t be afraid to put some back into it.
Place spaghetti squash cut-side down on a cookie sheet. Bake for around 20-25 minutes of until spaghetti squash is soft to the touch. It should give a little.
While your spaghetti squash bakes, crack all your eggs into a bowl and whisk together.
Then shred your sweet potato. I used my always wonderful shredding attachment on my food processor.
Now you can either send your onion through the food processor or chop it yourself.
After they are done shredding away, add your fat source to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Plop in your sweet potato and onions and cover to let cook down.
Randomly flip the sweet potatoes and onions and stir them up a bit to be sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Keep covered until the sweet potatoes are soft and delicious.
Remove from heat.
Your spaghetti squash should be done at this point, so take it out of the oven and use a fork to remove the threads. Add them directly to your egg mixture.
Turn your oven down to 400 degrees.
Then throw your sweet potato and onion mixture in the bowl with your eggs and spaghetti squash and add all your seasonings.
Mix together. Add some salt and pepper as need.
Now grease an 8×8 glass baking dish. Pour your egg mixture in the dish.
Bake your egg casserole for around 25-30 minutes. The bake is dense so make sure it is cooked all the way through before you pull it out to rest. I checked it out by pulling it out of the oven and poking at the middle part of the egg dish. If my finger sunk in, it wasn’t done. It should bounce back at you. Like fluffy eggs do.
Let sit for 5+ minutes to cool and meld all together. I even ate this cold the next day.

Coming next Sunday: Intrepid of the Week

As CrossFit Intrepid is growing and more class times are offered (awesome!), it’s becoming a little harder to really get to know everyone at the gym. So each Sunday I will be posting about an Intrepid. I will be making the selection at random, so expect a questionnaire coming from me sometime in the near future. Get excited to learn fun facts about your fellow Intrepids!

REST DAY 01.08.2012

Number 2

Holley — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:00:23 +0000

It’s a brand new year, and usually this day is reserved for making resolutions. Stereotypically resolutions are centered around health and well-being improvements, so this year, how about making a resolution for better health just by doing something you already do everyday (hopefully). Let me introduce you all to something called the “Squatty Potty.” That’s right, I’m talking about squat form while you do the number 2. Believe it or not the invention exists, check it out for yourself at www.thesquattypotty.com. Happy New Year everyone, and happy squatting!

REST DAY 01.01.2012

Christmas Thank You

Holley — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 14:00:50 +0000

The big day is finally here, Merry Christmas everyone! Today I hope to find everyone spending time with family and friends, enjoying this joyous holiday.

I’d like to take this time to give a special thank you Tom and all of the Intrepid family with friends and loved ones serving our country during this holiday season. We greatly appreciate the risks and sacrifices you’ve made to protect our freedom. There’s no way to fully express our gratitude, but know that you are a true blessing to all of us and are in our thoughts and prayers throughout this holiday season.

WOD 12.25.2011

“Christmas Chipper”

Hugging

Smiling

Laughing

Present opening

Thank youing

Carol singing

Egg Nog drinking

Cookie eating???

Holiday Drinks

Holley — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:00:38 +0000

Now that we’re in the midst of the holiday season, Starbucks is carrying all of their delicious holiday drinks. My personal favorite was the white chocolate peppermint mocha, hello SUGAR! Curious just how much sugar is in one 16 oz drink? Take a look:

Drink	Calories	Carbohydrates (grams)	Sugar (grams)	Caffeine (mg)
Peppermint Hot Chocolate	440	68	61	25
Gingerbread Latte	320	40	37	150
Pumpkin Spice Latte	380	51	49	150
Peppermint Mocha	410	63	54	175

Source: http://www.starbucks.com/menu/catalog/nutrition?drink=all#view_control=nutrition

For those of you who are still interested in indulging in the holiday coffees, but are horrified by the amount of sugar in one serving, check out these alternative recipes that I found posted on Robb Wolf’s blog. I’m guessing they can be made for a lot less than $5 a cup too!

Option 1: Paleo Pumpkin Spice Latte

Ingredients:
1 cup coconut milk
1 ½ T. pureed pumpkin
2 T. organic vanilla extract
2-3 T. raw organic honey (optional)
½ t. ground cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
½ cup strong coffee
Pinch of cocoa powder

Directions:
1. Brew 2 cups of strong coffee
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat coconut milk, pureed pumpkin, and honey until milk is steaming
3. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg
4. Fill bottom half of cup with milk mixture, then fill the remaining space with your coffee
5. Sprinkle with cocoa powder

Option 2: Primal Eggnog

Ingredients:
4 beaten egg yolks*
3 cups of coconut milk, almond milk, or whole cream
1 t. maple syrup or sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
Ground nutmeg/cinnamon to taste

Directions:
1 Mix egg yolks, 2 cups of coconut milk, almond milk, or cream, and sugar. Stir gently but constantly over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens enough to cling to and coat the back of a spoon, about five to ten minutes. Be patient with this process – if you turn the heat up too high or don’t stir, the egg yolks might turn into scrambled eggs
2. Remove from heat and set the pot in a larger bowl filled with ice water (careful, so no water overflows into the eggnog!) and stir for 2-3 minutes then add the last cup of milk/cream and the vanilla.
3. Stir in brandy, rum, or whiskey at this point (if you’re feeling a little naughty this year)
4. Let the mixture cool down to room temperature then chill for a while longer in the fridge. The longer you let the eggnog chill, the thicker and more custard-like it will become.

Before serving, generously dust with cinnamon and nutmeg. If you can, buy whole nutmeg and grate it yourself (a microplane zester works great for this).

Option 3: Instead of adding a shake of cinnamon or nutmeg to a cup of your favorite drink after it is brewed, try sprinkling spices on the grounds in your machine or french press. Options include: ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, cloves or whatever spice you’re feeling!

Option 4: For those who include dairy: cold heavy cream whipped with cinnamon or other spices can provide a nice smooth addition. If you order this at a coffee shop, you have to be specific that it is heavy cream that you want to avoid being served half and half or actual whipped cream – you laugh, but it happens.

REST DAY 12.18.11

NLI Results

Holley — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:00:19 +0000

Yesterday was an exciting and busy day for the Intrepid family. The day began with Mike competing at the Next Level Invitational at the OC Fairgrounds, and finished with the Intrepid holiday party. The first WOD was definitely to Mike’s strength, a 4.4K run which he finished in a blistering 18:30. The second WOD was 4 minutes to max hang snatch and Mike tied his snatch PR of 125#, and was so close to 135#. After a 1 minute rest, they moved on to a 1K bike, which I can only imagine the difficulty after just running a 4.4K. Mike sprinted though the 1K bike in 1:28. The final WOD of the day was a chipper WOD similar to the one everyone did on Friday. The most challenging part of the workout was 20 handstand push-ups, but Mike fought his way through them and made it most of the way through the WOD. Mike ended up finishing 46th out of over 100 athletes. We were all so proud of what Mike accomplished and it was really fun to watch him compete! Great work, Mike! Way to represent us!

The night ended with the Intrepid holiday party with great friends and tons of delicious food! The CFI Christmas gift was presented and we will be expecting our brand new yoke to arrive soon! I’m sure we’re all looking forward to seeing it show up in a WOD sometime in the near future. Thanks so much to everyone for your contributions!

REST DAY 12.11.11

From the CFI Vault: Sweet Potato Chowder

ruth — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 14:44:34 +0000

This is an oldie-but-goodie comfort food appropriate for the colder weather. I also made this soup throwing in Thanksgiving leftovers in it and it was fantastic! Hope you enjoy!

I’ve been searching for new and interesting comfort food recipes to try recently and stumbled on Growing Up Paleo, a blog written by Chrissy Gower about paleo pregnancy and raising a paleo child. She’s also a trainer at Robb Wolf’s NorCal Stength and Conditioning, and leads the Paleo Talk Seminar with Everyday Paleo‘s Sarah Fragoso.

Her Sweet Potato Chowder caught my eye and it’s on my to do list this weekend!

Ingredients

2-3 large sweet potatoes

2 cups of cut up chicken (I used a rotisserie style chicken)

2 cans of chicken stock or broth

1/2 cup of coconut milk or heavy cream

1 small onion chopped

2 celery stalks chopped

2 jalapenos chopped

2 TBS butter or olive oil

Bake your sweet potatoes at 350 it will take about 1 hour or until soft (I quartered mine and wrapped them in tin foil to cook them faster). Once sweet potatoes are cooked remove the skin and place sweet potato in a food processor or blender and puree. I added a little bit of my chicken broth during the puree process to help smooth it out. Saute your onion and celery (next time I would add carrots too) in the butter or olive oil until tender. Add pureed sweet potatoes, remaining chicken broth and bring to a slow boil. Add the 1/2 cup of coconut milk, jalapenos, chicken, and a little salt. Reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes and enjoy!!