In case you’ve missed it (click here for original post), I’m 30 days (8 full sessions) into a 90 day CrossFit challenge at Emergent Fitness.

As of last week I completed the final Ramp Up Class (instructional workouts) and I’m now allowed to train in the regular classes. Beginning this week I’ll be attending Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7 – 8 am. My buddy Reza and I will be training together. Looking forward to hanging out with him.

CrossFit is like nothing I’ve experienced before. At it’s core its about self confidence, determination, encouragement of others and a healthy lifestyle. You experience and achieve these things in EVERY SINGLE CrossFit workout.

Self Confidence – 30 days ago I couldn’t image myself doing what I’m doing. I haven’t lifted weights since I was 14 and the concept of a completing a pull up was a far off dream. I’m not buff and I’m still pudgy but I’m ok with that because after only 30 days I feel different. I’m feeling stronger, more educated and most importantly like I can get to where I want to be with my body image, cycling ability and overall health.

Determination – It hurts and it hurts every time you workout. I feel like a lot of my life has been taking the easy way out. Quitting when it gets hard. The only way out with CrossFit is completing the workout, giving it all you have, no matter how badly you want to stop. Quitting isn’t an option. This experience and learning will transfer into my everyday life.

Encouragement of others - I’m sure some folks are successful with doing CrossFit on their own or in their own gym. I wouldn’t be. The coaching staff at Emergent Fitness has really been incredible. They encourage, critic and teach to allow for maximum benefit. I only have 1 hour a day, I want it to count. Also, the folks I’ve been training with have become friends and a support group for success. We encourage each other to push hard, complete the last set and to beat our previous times. Working out with others pushing to achieve the same goal not only holds you accountable but it pushes you to do your best.

Healthy lifestyle - To be successful in CrossFit you need to focus on things outside of the gym as much as in the gym. Proper eating, rest/recover, other exercise (cycling for me), CrossFit takes all of these elements into account and speaks to how to meet your goals. The first 15 minutes of each Ramp Up Class were spent covering diet, stretching, etc. Emergent Fitness’s business philosophy is “Train here, succeed out there”. That couldn’t be a truer statement.

I’m hooked, I’m sold, I love it! Squats, lunges, pull ups, push-ups, row machines, push press, thrusters, cleans. It’s a full body work out like nothing else…

More info on Emergent Fitness:
http://www.emerfit.com
http://twitter.com/emerfit

I’m looking forward to the next 60 days of pain! Many more updates to come…

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Shot entirely in HD, this 22-episode series is available to you for free at a number of locations. Every episode premieres on the Arc’teryx web site. You can have the HD version delivered right to your computer and find all the old episodes by subscribing on iTunes. Expect new episodes once or twice a week.

Episode 1 of The Season is now live at http://arcteryx.com.

More info on The Season: www.theseasontv.com

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Just another video I found that gets me excited for the 2010 games

While Andy loves figure skating, curling, and snow angel design (new trial sport you won’t see on the television). I am more than jazzed to see White kick everyone’s a$$ in the pipe, giant slalom, and the rest of the cold manly events the games will bring. I just hope I get the games on one of my two television channels otherwise I will be spectating by computer.

-DSheek
The Winter Olympics will never be complete without Cyclocross!

When sick at home I catch up on loads of junk like not doing the work I should and watching stupid videos.
However, I love it especially when I find knuckleheads such as these having too much fun.

I need a jump bike and some juevos so I can start practicing at Fabword (Magical hidden dirt jump trails in South OC created by the Fabricator and his prepubescent cronies). Then one day I can grow the hair I have left, listen to metal, and become part of this group.

-DSheek
Imagine me with shaved legs and lycra at the dirt jumps with a new Specialized Dirt Jumper… Awesome!

Bad Parent!
By Craig DeMartino
January, 6 2010

I will be the first to admit I live in a bubble. I can prove that by the fact that just last week, my wife had to inform me that a person from Yemen tried to blow up a plane that was headed to the States. What?! As far as I knew, that day was filled with freshies at Mary Jane with my kids, Mayah, 11, and Will, 9. Who knew people were in such a foul mood? But I also know that at times mine and Cyn’s parenting comes under scrutiny by others. Namely, my parents and family…

Click here to read the rest of the story and to see additional photos.

The 2 days that Craig was skiing the pass with his family he was sending me pictures messages from his phone. I’ll be honest, I did text him back an obscenity or two.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

In 2010 I’ve decided to step up my commitment to cycling. I’ll be racing as an official Category 4 racer with the Velo-One Race Team. Between coaching from Coach Dave, working out at Emergent Fitness and training with the Velo-One team, I think I can have a good year.

I need to:
- Stay healthy
- Limit work travel
- Not stress out about life (balance God, family, work and training)
- Drop 15 pounds
- Get a good bike fit

Sounds easy, sike!

A few races I know I’ll be doing for sure.

Dead Dog Classic – June 26 – 27, 2010
Triple Bypass Century – July 10, 2010
Mt. Evans Hill Climb – July 24, 2010
Rocky Mountain Stage Race – August 6 – 8, 2010 (local Fort Collins race)

The ACA still has not updated their 2010 calendar so I don’t have a complete picture of all of the road races available. I’ll probably stay away from Crits and focus more on road racing and hills climbs. After a fun spring and summer it’s all about fall/winter cyclocross!

Here’s to riding in-doors for the next 2 months,

Andy B
outsideallday.com

This was my first official week of CrossFit at Emergent Fitness. I had 2 structured workouts at the gym, Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Tuesday night was an orientation to meet the other class members, understand the philosophy of CrossFit, and a gym walk thru. We focused on the correct way to do a push-up, sit-up, pull-up, air squat and the row machine. The evening ended with a fit test.

10 pull-ups (beginner pull-ups using the rings)
20 push-ups
30 sit-ups
40 air squats
250 meter row

My time was 4:31. We will test again at the end of January. I know I will beat that time.

Thursday night was 100% exercise. Started with a warm up and went right into the proper technique for the “dead lift” and “shoulder press”. By the time we finished the “practicum” portion of class I had done around a dozen sets (10 reps) of each the lifts learning the the correct form.

But……………….the evening ended with the “10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1″. This included 10 dead lifts and 10 shoulder presses, then 9 dead lifts and 9 shoulder presses, etc all the way down to 1 rep. I could have sworn that my death was 100% going to happen around reps sets 7 – 6. After those sets I could see the light at the end of tunnel.

I left the Emergent Fitness gym that evening excited about CrossFit. It was a confirmation on how badly I need this type of training in my life.

My legs are still sore from Thursday, no joke,

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Triple Bypass
22nd Annual Triple Bypass
Saturday, July 10, 2010
More info at: www.teamevergreen.org/node/2

Ride description:
Ride from Evergreen to Avon over three mountain passes. 120 miles from Evergreen to Avon over Squaw (11,140 ft.), Loveland (11,990 ft.), Swan Mountain and Vail (10,560 ft.) passes, with over 10,000 ft. of lung-busting gain in elevation!

*Triple Bypass registration begins January 13th at Noon (MST) on Active.com.

I’m hoping to recruit a few Velo-One team mates to suffer along with me. This will be the first time I’ve done this ride, I’ve heard its a must do for all CO road riders. I really enjoyed the Sunrise Century last year and from what I hear this ride is even more beautiful.

The current plan is that my family but my in-laws (Alison and Alex) will drop me off in the morning and meet me in Vail 7 hours later. Stay the night in Vail and cruise home the next day. Sounds fun to me.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

BikeReviews.com
January 8, 2010

Specialized is one of Team Astana’s sponsors, and with Alberto Contador being on the team, plus he signed a contract with Specialized, it was only a matter of time before a Specialized road bike would show up. Moving forward, here are the official photos of Team Astana Specialized Tarmac SL3 Road Bike, and a nice choice by using Specialized top tier road bike. As we can see, the Team Astana Tarmac SL3 uses the colors yellow, sky blue, black, and white, which are all located on Team Astana’s jersey. Other small details make the SL3 Tarmac Road Bike Team Astana edition more desirable, like the designs at the rear plus “Astana” decals. We can not wait to see this bike built up!

Click here for the rest of the story and a ton of additional photos.

I heart the SL3.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

I’m 3 chapters in and really enjoying the story so far. Its a true story about an Everest expedition gone wrong in 1996 leaving several people dead. Great story, sad, adventurous, exciting, etc. I love my Kindle!

Andy B
outsideallday.com

This might just be my new dream bike. I call it the, “DreamBikeCondoSaver.”

I figure with the camper bike, I wont have to pay rent. I can live where I want every night and now I have to go to the gym to shower so my core workouts will have to happen daily. Watch it Cavendish I might produce 2,000,000 watts in a sprint after a year of pedaling this thing.

If someone makes a 29er or Cyclocross version, I am definitely sold. This way I can take my portoplace down any road.

To see all the photos go: http://www.kevincyr.net/index.php?/project/camper-bike/

-DSheek
Money Saving 2010

* Travel and accommodations for you and a friend
* VIP access to the athlete tent
* A day of snowboarding with a The North Face® Athlete
* All mountain access lift tickets

Enter to win by February 2, 2010.

I entered earlier today, its takes less than 30 seconds.

More info on the contest: www.thenorthfacemasters.com

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Trainers ‘worse for joints than barefoot running’
By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor
Monday, 4 January 2010

The average running shoe used by millions of jogging enthusiasts does more damage to the joints than tottering along in a pair of high heels, researchers have found. Although running shoes protect the foot by cushioning the impact, they impose greater stress on the joints in the ankle, knee and hip than running barefoot, they say.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

After reading Born to Run (where this subject is addressed in depth) I’m fascinated with this concept.

HT Chris Davis for the story.

Andy B
outsideallday.com