August 2018 - Volume 18
Festivus Team Comp!
What are the Festivus Games? They are a WORLDWIDE FUNCTIONAL-FITNESS COMPETITION FOR BEGINNER AND INTERMEDIATE ATHLETES (No fire breathers allowed!). 8,000-10,000 Athletes will compete Worldwide, all on the same day, in this amazing one-day event, and CrossFit Ripcord is hosting!!
No athlete, whether six months in or brand new, will need to scale any of the events. Festivus Games is about capacity more than a high degree of skill. This is a two person same sex team comp, so grab your gym bestie (or beastie) and sign up! SIGN UP HERE!
WHEN: The comp is Oct. 13th but you need to sign up by Aug. 31st to get a FREE T-shirt! You can sign up after Aug. 31 for the comp but won’t get the shirt! We will start around 8:00 am and hope to finish before 4 pm.
WHERE: CrossFit Ripcord
There are three divisions, Novice, Intermediate, and Masters. If you are not sure what division you would fall in, there is a handy guide to help.
If at least four of these six guidelines are true for you then we suggest you go Novice. Otherwise we suggest you go Intermediate.
- Unassisted unbroken pull ups less than 5/2 (Male/Female)
- 1-rep max deadlift is less than 300/225 (Male/Female)
- Mile run is over 10 minutes
- 2000-meter row is over 8 minutes (Male) or 9 minutes (Female)
- You have no clue what your Fran time is
- You’ve been Crossfitting less than six months
This competition is designed for athletes who are not pure Rx or firebreathers. The goal is to promote a friendly, yet competitive environment for those who routinely scale WODs and wish to challenge themselves. You are probably over qualified for The Festivus Games if you have several of the following bench marks equal to or better than:
- You compete in the Crossfit Open and Rx every WOD as an Athlete under age 40
- 4:00 min Fran
- 10:00 min Helen
- 3:00 min Grace
- 6:30 min Annie
- 25:00 min Kelly
- 18+ rounds of Cindy
- 1-rep max deadlift 500/300 (Male/Female)
- 275/185 C+J
- 2000-meter row less than 6:30-minutes (Male) 7:30-minutes (Female)
- You are automatically over-qualified if you placed in the top 10% of this year’s Open but not as a Masters athlete.
- You are automatically over-qualified if you placed in the top 5% of this year’s Open as a Masters athlete.
Even if you can’t compete, you can come and cheer on your friends or ask us about volunteering! We promise it will be a day of fun and fitness!
What is the Lurong Living Challenge – Jen Corsi
So you’ve most likely seem my post and heard a little about The Lurong Living Challenge but you’re probably wondering what the heck it’s all about. It’s awesome! I have competed in this series 3 previous times. It is a series of 3 yearly online competitions focusing on nutrition, fitness and lifestyle. There are 3 WOD skill levels from novice to advance. You are NOT locked into a skill level except for the first benchmark WOD which you will repeat at the end of the challenge for improvement points. So if one WOD has skills that are beyond your reach for Level 2 then by all means, crush Level 1 or if you are capable of doing Level 2 but feel like you could push yourself for Level 3, do it! There are also 3 levels of age categories such as open, masters and masters+.
From the beginning of the challenge you are tasked with choosing your nutrition path (either Classic Diet or Macros) and you enter your info daily. There are a few videos that teach you how to do this and don’t worry, if you forget a day you can enter it the following day. Their customer support via email and FB messenger/Lurong Private FB page is excellent!
Each WOD has points assigned as well as prized to be won if you submit a video of yourself performing the WOD. This is not as bad as it sounds! WODProofLite is the app I’ve used for the past 2 challenges and I would recommend it. You do not have to submit a video to earn points for the Ripcord team but videos can mean prizes! The prizes from the past vary from a shaker bottle and protein powder to a 5.11 tactical weight vest! If you don’t submit a video then it’s important to have someone counting your reps and making sure you are performing the movements according to the WOD standards (of which there are videos posted online on proper technique).
You can also earn points from answering various weekly lifestyle questions like “I turned off all screens 30 minutes before bed” or “I ate a seasonal vegetable today.”
Our Ripcord team will either fall into the small teams or large teams category based on how many people sign up and there are overall prizes for the top 3 in each. If you’re thinking “I don’t want to let my team down so I won’t sign up.” I can tell you that we will not be let down! Give this an honest effort! Everyone is welcome to participate because that’s what this gym is all about from what I’ve seen. When I first started in February I was encouraged to do The Open and to perform skills that I thought were outside my range but to give it a try anyway. THAT is the spirit of what I hope our Lurong team will have and how we will encourage others.
- Aug 24 – Short info session about our Fall Nutrition Challenge, starting right after class (6 pm). Attendance not required to participate, I’ll put everything on our members FB group.
- Aug. 31 – Last day to register for Festivus and get a T-shirt!
- Sept 1 – Return of the Nutrition Challenge! This one will wrap up before the Thanksgiving Holiday.
- Sept 7 – First Friday Free Community WOD @ 5:30 pm. Pitch in to follow, see Facebook for the theme and the sign up!
- Sept 17 – The Lurong Living Challenge begins! Click here to sign up and join in the 6 weeks of fun! https://challengeseries.lurongliving.com/champ18/register-athlete
- Oct 13 – Festivus Team Comp! Get registered before Aug. 31st to secure your T-shirt! Click here: https://festivusgames.com/register/29521/
Member Highlight
Ryan Coy
- How long have you done CrossFit?
-
I joined 812 in September of 2015 but only for Open Gym. Joined full time when Ripcord opened in ’16
-
- What is your favorite CrossFit movement/WOD/lift?
-
Anything with a barbell, but both Snatch and Clean have always been my favorite movement.
-
- What is something that most people at the gym wouldn’t know about you
-
Close to 20 years ago I stepped on the scale at nearly 275#. That day was the start of my fitness journey and promised myself I would never be that person again! Also, in November of 2014, I was diagnosed with Kidney Cancer and had my right kidney removed which included a tumor roughly the size of a softball. Extremely blessed that only surgery was needed and have had no further complications since! From this experience, our family motto has been, “Faith over Fear”, from Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
-
- What is a fitness goal you have for the upcoming year?
-
I have always struggled with pull-ups, so I continually look to improve in that area. Figuring out Hand Stand walks is also on my list!
-
- What is a hobby you have that is NOT CrossFit related?
-
I really enjoy travel and spending time with the family. With two little ones (Parker – 4, Kennedy – 6), most of our free time is spent making experiences with them!
-
- What advice would you give someone who is afraid to try CrossFit?
-
Don’t buy into the stigma that it is too hard or that you can’t do it. Everything can be scaled to your level of ability, so start where you can and set goals. You don’t have to be a Games athlete, just put in the work to make a better version of yourself. Embrace the community. Create relationships that hold you accountable. Enjoy the benefits of your hard work!
-
- Tacos or Pancakes?
-
Tacos. The answer is always tacos!!
-
Creamy Ranch Chicken – AKA Crack Chicken
There is a recipe that makes the rounds of different FB nutrition groups, fondly referred to as Crack Chicken! I’ve made, you might have tasted it at a pitch in, but what I didn’t realize is that Hidden Valley Ranch has embraced the name! Original Recipe found here: https://www.hiddenvalley.com/recipe/slow-cooker-crack-chicken/
INGREDIENTS:
-
4 chicken breasts – or about 2-3 lbs of chicken tenderloin strips
-
16 oz. cream cheese – use low or no-fat for fewer calories!
- Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-6 hours, until chicken is cooked through. Or use your InstaPot and have crack chicken ready in under 40 minutes!
- Uncover. Shred the chicken and mix all ingredients until incorporated.
- Serve with rice or just enjoy it alone!
Note: I’ve also incorporated veggies such as onions and peppers in mine and it is tasty!
Click here for an InstaPot version of the Crack Chicken made into NACHOS!!