"A Stable for CrossFit's Dark Horses"

First of all we want to welcome Kent to our family of CrossFitters, he went through his trial by fire called B2B Tabata Squats today and displayed exactly the type of character we have come to expect from the athletes we train with here.  Looking forward to hitting it hard with you tomorrow, dude.

I also want to thank both my little sister Ashley and our buddy Joe for taking some awesome pictures over the last few days, we were all too busy trying not to throw up and/or scooping CrossFit corpses off the ground and we are lucky to have had them around to chronicle the madness exhibited.  

Now, before we describe exactly what madness transpired inside our little realm here I think some words from a top CrossFit trainer should be mentioned, it will add a new context in which to view the kind of work we are all putting in up here in such a remote and austere type of CrossFit Affiliate.    

Chuck Carswell was one of the trainers that ran the Level 1 CrossFit cert that I attended down in Charlotte last December, and recently he was featured in a CrossFit Journal Video Interview which centered around the CrossFit Games topic.  Chuck was an awesome instructor, and he is going to be fun as hell to watch tear things up at his qualifier and hopefully the Games this year, but he said some words that rang true for a lot of the guys and girls that train way up up here in New Hampshire.  

When asked to outline his personal expectations for both performance and success for the Games Chuck made note of the extremely tough competition that will be out in force during the Regional Qualifiers, the ranks of which will be concentrated into some truly elite fire-breathers by the time everyone gets to Aromas California.  Chuck continues on to mention that he only hopes to survive the daily HQ WOD for the time being, and I don't think there is a CrossFitter on the planet that would disagree with that mental disposition, but the best part of the entire interview for me was what came next... Chuck C. brings up the "Dark Horses" of CrossFit that are out there "under the radar" just "crushing it" everyday in some garage or basement.  How could I think of anyone else besides the athletes we've got around here training in our dirty little shack, some of them driving for a couple hours to get into this place that was described once as "the inside of the shed from the Shining".

These Dark Horses have been amazing themselves and each other constantly over the past few months as they toil away seeking some new elite level of human performance, but as it turns out the true measure of potential around here has yet to be realized.  The last several days everyone started to notice something changing in the environment here which was pretty obvious because we have been talking about it constantly.  It's not just a ratcheting up of intensity either, which would be great on it's own, but there is definitely some more depth to it.  I really can't explain it just yet, but to see it makes things clearer and I hope the pictures below can help tell the story better than my words.

    

During the weekend I was just one of several bystanders watching the training take place, honored just to be able to contribute in whatever capacity I could in helping all these guys and girls drive towards that next level of elite fitness.  Viking Fran was only one of several different challenges undertaken up here and it became obvious that the intensity from one crew was bleeding straight into all the others, most guys hung around after training just to watch in awe as the next group got ready to hit it hard (some of our best came in just to provide support for other athletes).  Even the absolute newest members among our ranks are foaming at the mouth to get in here as often as possible, despite the fact that they can barely walk from the previous day's training... it's what happens once you sip the Kool-Aid, I guess.

It would probably take me writing for days before I was able to explain the intensity in here during the last week but instead you can just go look at the pictures and read up on the scores to get an idea for yourself.  This has become a place where we live and die by the success of our athletes, and CFNH is honored to keep it's home in the shadows as a Stable for all the Dark Horses of CrossFit. 

There are just about seventy days left until the CrossFit Games Regional Qualifiers, and the excitement is already building to a pitch.  It's been incredible watching everyone smash through previous weak points or goat lists, and I can only imagine the mayhem that is ahead when we stalk down to Albany to support our athletes as they fight desperately for a spot in the contest that will define the fittest humans on earth.  Thanks to all our athletes for making the training the past few days become something above and beyond anything we have experienced in our garage so far.  Can't wait to get everyone back in here tomorrow for the next metabolic slaughter-festival.

"Viking Fran"
Complete 3 Rounds for time of the following
Row 250 m
15 x Thrusters (135lbs)
15 x Pull-ups (20lbs)
Row 500 m
12 x Thrusters (135lbs)
12 x Pull-ups (20lbs)
Row 750 m
9 x Thrusters (135lbs)
9 x Pull-ups (20lbs)
Scores
Mike 15:36
Jefe 12:21*
Wes 17:21
Enrique 17:37

6:00 AMRAP of
5 x Thrusters (45lbs)
5 x Pull-ups
5 x Burpees
Scores
Don PePe 5 rounds
Jared 5 rounds

Time Trial x 2 WOD (03.08.2009)

2 rounds of 1000m Row x 2:00, attempt to hold your second Time Trial within :20 seconds of your first.
Scores

Chalupa 3:40/3:58* (new personal best for Chalupa's 1000m time trial)

Fundamentals WOD (03.10.2009)
3 Rounds for time of (pick either 45 or 65lbs for load, use the same weight for all three mvmts)
Run 400m
12 x Deadlift
9 x Front Squat
6 x Push Press
Jill 10:42*
Kristie 11:21

Fundamentals WOD II (03.10.2009)
3 Rounds for time of (85lb barbell for all three mvmts.)
Row 500m
15 x Deadlift
12 x Front Squat
9 x Push Press
Score

Mike 14:09*

"Tabata Why?!" (03.10.2009)
Perform the following 5 movements following the traditional Tabata protocol of 8 rounds for :20 max reps possible x :10 rest, completing all 8 sets before moving onto the next movement.  Each rep completed is one point (calories for the rowing machine), score is total points earned.
-Air Squats
-C2 Rower
-Pull-ups
-Push-ups
-Atomic Sit-ups
Scores
Don PePe (1/2 volume) 164 pts
Jared (1/2 volume) 196 pts
Jefe 493 pts *
Enrique 438 pts
Hore-Hay 439 pts