Workout for the Warriors

Continuing our tradition of working out for the Wounded Warriors over Memorial Day weekend, we will kick things off on Sunday, May 27th, with the Fourth Annual Trail Run for the Wounded Warriors at Eagle Creek Park.  We will meet in the parking lot just inside the 56th street park entrance.  Please note that unless you have an annual pass, there is a $5 park entry fee.  The run begins promptly at 3:00pm so please plan to arrive early and be warmed up and ready to go at 3:00.

As in the previous 3 years we will do our usual loop which is just over 5 miles.  The pace will be easy to moderate and the route is mostly non-technical trail.

Everyone is invited, regardless of ability.  There are options for shorter routes and walkers are welcome to join us for a shorter route as well.

Monday:  The fun and honoring of our Wounded Warriors continues on Monday with our Third Annual Workout for the Warriors at PR Fitness. Once again we will be doing the workout we created and named “RJ”, which we do in honor of Marine Sergeant Robert “RJ” Cottle (relative of Joyce Hertko, long time student of Chris’).  RJ was killed in the line of duty while serving in Afghanistan.  You can read more about this amazing man and his sacrifice by clicking HERE.  . The workout starts at 10:00am and will be the only class offered on Monday – all other Monday classes are cancelled.

To participate, we are asking for a donation of $25 for a single event, or $35 for both events, though you can donate as little or as much as you can afford.  In years past, we have had donations of up to $100 and last year we raised over $600!  Can’t attend the events, please donate and support the Wounded Warrior Project.  You can learn more about WWP by going to there website HERE.   Also, click HERE to check out this video from two years ago where you can hear a great report on how WWP project directly assisted one of Chris’ Bridging the Wellness Gap Students.

ONLINE DONATIONS ONLY!! All donations are done online via Chris’ WWP donation page. Can’t attend? Feel free to donate and support an amazing organization. To make your donation, click HERE to donate, or go to this link.

It’s Official!

PR Fitness now has two Apprentice Coaches who will eventually be heading up classes of their very own, including our upcoming kids class.  If you have been at PR for any length of time, you know both of them quite well.  Kelly Rota-Autry and Kelly Wallance, better known as “OG Kelly” and “K-Dub”.

OG Kelly has been a student of mine for the past six years.  She started off as one of my yoga students and later was a standout in the first official round of my “Bridging the Wellness Gap” program (2008).   Kelly was also among the original group that started training out of my garage and what would later become PR Fitness (hence the nickname “OG”).

OG Kelly during the recent PR Challenge... although she might kill me for posting this picture, I think it's pretty awesome and expresses her commitment and focus.

K-Dub has been training at PR for nearly two years (in July) and has fully embraced the philosophy and lifestyle that is PR Fitness.  Kelly came to PR a true beginner and has put in the hard work and discipline to make an incredible transformation to her health and her life.  To learn more about Kelly’s transformational journey, check out this PR blog post from last year – click HERE.

The quiet strength of K-Dub. As they say, you gotta watch out for the quiet ones.

Coach D and I are excited to lead our Apprentices along the path of becoming an official Coach at PR Fitness and to share/impart all that we know.  We are confident that with their own personal skills and experiences, along with completing our apprentice program, they will both rise to be outstanding coaches.  Please congratulate them and show them your support.

Sunday’s PR Challenge

This past Sunday was our first ever “PR Challenge”.  Eight weeks prior, our Crew completed a workout and posted their benchmark time.  We’ve trained hard over the past two months with a slight bias towards improving our performance for the challenge.  However, we did little “specific” training, sticking close to our typical programming.  This programming ran in conjunction with a 12 week strength cycle, which we started at the first of the year.  Enough about our programming, what about the results?

Michael at 155#

Cassy - practicing calmness before the storm...

The point of the Challenge was to see who had the greatest overall improvement, based on a percentage of their benchmark time posted.  We had several divisions ranging from those who did the workout at the posted weight down to a “light” division.  We also recognized the overall fastest time for the event.

No caption needed...

 

The most improved award went to Katie E. and the fastest time award went to K-Dub.  It was a VERY close event with only seconds separating the top finishers.  Here is a closer look at the top three:

Katie – 13.28% improvement

Lori S – 13.2%

Kim C – 13.04%

K-Dub had a finish time of 10:47

Katie and K-Dub on the winners "podium"

For more pictures captured by Lori S and Brian H, please check out the links on our Facebook page:

Lori’s pictures:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150674159288045.392941.710843044&type=3&l=2b5dd621ab

Brian’s pictures:  http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.641644802015.2089388.50400364&type=1&l=78322a2743

Special "thanks" to Jody (and Christian) - if anything went "right" on the day of the event, it's due to her efforts... I'm not joking.

 

Today’s Workout and Congrats

No workout will be posted on the PR “members page” for today. Even if I posted it, it would make little sense to most. I can tell you this – We will be whacking tires with sledge hammers. We will be picking up heavy stuff and carrying it around. We will be moving our bodies in really cool ways that most people will never explore. And, there will be a Mobility a-go-go segment to top it off. Be there!

Congrats to the Howenstein’s and the arrival of their daughter, Liesel (sorry if I got the spelling wrong, guys!). We think she was destined to be a part of the crew, as she set a PR on her birth date by arriving about a month early.  Everyone is home and doing well.

Guest Day is Here!

This Friday is “Guest Day” at PR Fitness.  We are looking forward to meeting a whooooole bunch of friends and family of our PR Crew and sharing with you a little sample of what this Crazy PR Community is all about.  See you soon!

Some of the Wednesday Crew practicing the 1-Arm Overhead Squat - part of a Kettlebell Complex that included the 1-Arm Swing, 1-Arm Overhead Squat, and Waiters Carry. Throw in a rope climb and you have a whole bunch of awesomeness.

Get Some!

A great example why it is reasonable for EVERYONE, not just top level CrossFitters, to take a stab at CrossFit Games Open Qualifier workout 12.2.  Warning, not only is the lifting form foul, so is the language.  So, if you are offended by either, don’t watch.  Consider yourself warned…

p.s. – is that Woody Harrelson doing the commentating?

Believe it, or not…

A rare sighting – Michael “resting” after last Tuesday’s class. I still think Coach D tripped him and quickly snapped the shot