When Did you start CrossFit: I began CrossFit Fury in November of 2011. Before that I dabbled in CrossFit in our garage gym or the base gym. When I heard that there was child care available at Fury, I was sold.

Why Did you start CrossFit: I started CrossFit because I wanted become stronger and more fit but my main goal was to lose the baby weight I put on. I also needed a workout that wasn’t boring. Treadmills and weight machines make me want to poke my eyes out.

What kept you coming back/motivated: Results. I am definitely more fit and I have dropped over 20 pounds and can fit into sizes that haven’t fit me in years. Fury is also a gym that I want to go to. I have belonged to other gyms where I dread going and just thinking about what I was going to do when I got there put me in a bad mood. Then I would workout and go home mad because I didn’t feel like I got in a good work out. Now, everyday I look forward to my workout and I get grouchy if I don’t think I will be able to make it to CrossFit Fury on a given day. I love that everyday is different and I just have to show up and work hard. I also really enjoy seeing my 8 am buddies.

How long did it take you to go from Basics to CrossFit Prep: I began in CrossFit Prep because I did have some prior experience.

What is the best thing you have gotten out of doing CrossFit: I feel better about myself.

What is the one thing you have done here that you never thought you could do? A pistol.

What is one goal you have reached? And one goal you still hope to reach? I would like to someday be able to do a muscle up and a strict handstand pushup.

How has your diet changed since starting CrossFit? CrossFit introduced me to the zone and paleo. I like to incorporate elements of both diets. I try to eat more greens and limit sugar, breads and pasta. I do think it’s a good idea if you are going to begin one of these diets to eat “strict” for at least 30 days because if you start out “cheating” you won’t know the true effects it will have on you.

How has the paleo diet affected your workouts/life? I have not yet done a pale challenge because I didn’t want to cut out milk products while nursing, but by making a conscious effort to limit sugar, breads, and pastas (bad carbs) I have definitely slimmed down and I continue to get stronger and faster in the gym.

Additional Comments: If you are looking to change your life, come to Fury. I want to be active and play with my kids and beat them in sports for as long as I can. If you are looking for fluff then fury is not the place for you. But if you want to improve your life (physical and mental) then put your excuses aside and give CrossFit a try.

Briefly explain your medical history: I was born with a rare brain tumor called a hypothalamic hamartoma. I have had 4 surgeries to remove the tumor. The first was when I was 3 months old and the last one was in May of 2011. I have had seizures most of my life but I haven’t let that stop me from playing basketball, bowling, enjoying photography and participating in Boy Scouts.

Where did you find out about our kids program? My mom started working out here about a month ago and when she heard about the kids program she said it looked like something I would love! She was right!

What were you hoping to accomplish by coming to the kids class? I have had to work hard to get my strength and coordination back after each brain surgery and with the last of the tumor gone now, I want to be able to do all of the things my friends can do, like: hike, ski, run and bike with confidence. I would like to run a 5k race with my mom one day too!
What did you first think about the class on your first visit? I thought a kids class would be too easy, but it turned out to be a real challenge and a lot of fun! I was a little sore, but it felt like a good sore. It felt like what I imagined an athlete would feel like. I knew I wanted to stick with it.

What do you enjoy most about the class? I really like becoming stronger! I also really like working with Josh. He encourages me to do new things and push myself a little harder each time. I really like the fact that Josh mixes it up every class so I don’t get bored. I appreciate it when the other guys give me pointers on how I can improve my workouts. It makes me feel like part of the Crossfit family!

How have you improved since starting Crossfit? I have improved in just about everything! A week ago I did a wall handstand for the first time in my life! That was cool!
What are some of the things you can do now that you never thought were possible? I can do wall handstands, jumping pull-ups, squats and run further than ever before!
What are some of your goals going forward? In the next few months I would like to be able to do 5 regular pull-ups, 5 regular pushups and be able to jug 1 mile in 15 minutes. I am thinking about the Paleo Challenge, but that might be a little too extreme for me.

CJ is a great kid and an inspiration. His life has been full of brain surgeries and medical complications, but he does not let that define who he is. Crossfit has made him feel like an athlete and the support of others in the gym makes him part of our gym family. It is awesome to watch him progress and to see how excited he gets with each accomplishment. If you see CJ, say hi. And remember, your obstacles do not define you.

On the team side of things, it was obvious very quickly that there were some highly competitive teams in the South West which left no room for error. As you read in our Day One and Two Recap Hacks Pack UTE and Front Range CrossFit came to win but obviously the Bomb Squad had our sights on the Games as well. Two third place finishes in day one set us up well and we started day two with a first place finish which really heated things up! Unfortunately very tough standards in the fourth workout dropped us down to a sixth place finish but we were able to hold on to third overall. Coming into the final day we had to shake off any disappointment from the previous day and kill the next two workouts… and thats exactly what we did!

As a team we shined on the snatch ladder but Deana and Will lit the whole arena up with a 150lb pr and 255lb pr respectively! If we had an athlete of the year award these two would have to knife fight for it…

Following this was the final team workout which included Muscle Ups, Dead lifts, Wall Balls, Partner Carries, Buddy Box Jumps and of course more Muscle ups. Entering this event the Bomb Squad was in third but only two points away from second which meant we had to beat the second place team by two and we were focused. Will and I got through the mens portion in third place, but ahead of the second place team Front Range and handed off to the ladies. Aimee and Katie jammed through the muscle ups, booked it through the wall balls and killed the buddy carry. It all came down to which team could get through the last two muscle ups fastest. MBS and Hacks finished first and second, then the Bomb Squad and fourth was CrossFit the Club. At this point we were tied in points with Front Range and they still had one more girl who needed a muscle up. At the same time, CrossFit Max Effort completed their first muscle up and were attempting the second, as the seconds passed emotions ran high and Front Range finished securing their second place spot.

With Regionals now behind us and emotions settling down, lets take a few moments to remember what is most important. First and foremost regardless of how the odds apear to be stacked against you never give up because anything can happen. Looking at the workouts a few weeks ago, it could be assumed no male under 180lbs would have a chance of qualifying. With high reps of heavy barbells and a Snatch ladder that climbed to nearly 300lbs you would think all smaller guys would be out. However determination, heart and great training goes along way and I am not only talking about Chris Spealler here, but many other athletes from our own great state! Now with almost two months till the Games we will continue top refine our strength and focus on our weaknesses. Thank you to each and everyone of you for you support through the weekend and you have absolutely no idea how much it means to us!

Peter, Will, Deana and Katie Jo took on team Diane and finished in 5:15, for third place in the region and fourth so far world wide in that workout! Front Range set the world record for this workout with a time of 4:55. All Fury competitors we amazingly in sync on the deadlifts and killed the handstand push-ups. The Bomb Squad’s key to this workout was going unbroken on the deadlifts and keeping the handstand push-ups to one round per athlete. On the individual side, Games veteran, Chris Spealler broke the world record for the men’s individual Diane with an amazing time of 1:53! An absolutely spectacularly quick thing to watch!

The second team workout started mid afternoon, with Josh, Deana, Peter and myself taking on the 1000 meter row, 25 pistols and 15 heavy hang cleans. The Bomb Squad had run through the workout in a few different variations and was confident they would finish well under the 25 minute cap. I started off the workout, followed by Josh then Deana and Peter brought it home with a time of 18:36, tying CrossFit Evolve for third place in that workout. Hack’s Pack broke the team world record in this workout with a time of 17:21-ten seconds faster than any other team worldwide. Another Games veteran, Matt Chan, broke a world record on the Men’s individual workout cruising through the 2000 meter row, 50 pistols and 30 hang cleans in 12:04!

Fury ended the day in third place with 6 points and just 3 points behind Front Range and UTE who are both tied for first with 3 points.

Today, the Bomb Squad took on two more heavy and intense workouts starting with the heavy dumbbell snatch and sprint wod. Will and Deana got the call and they killed it! They were both steady and strong throughout the whole 5 minutes and 46 seconds it took them to complete three rounds of 10 alternating dumbbell snatches (Will’s at 100lbs and Deana’s at 70lbs) followed by a decreasing sprint. The Bomb Squad took first in the wod, a good 26 seconds ahead of any other team. Games veteran, Jasmine Dever continued the streak of world records, crushing the ladies’ dumbbell/ sprint workout in 4:57.

Workout two or the “Human Rack” workout proved to be a lot tougher than we thought not because we weren’t prepared but the squat standard was extremely tough and cost the team quite a few reps. The workout consisted of a variety of squats, pull ups and push presses with the team working together so that the bar never touched the ground in between partner changes and pull ups! The Bomb Squad pulled through and finished 6th overall. Still no team has finished the workout under the 25 minute cap.

Heading into Day 3, the Bomb Squad is in third place with a total of 13 points, just two points from second place behind Hack’s Pack and Front Range CrossFit. Tomorrow, the team will take on the snatch ladder where all 6 athletes will get a chance to snatch their heaviest weight for a team total. Look for that to begin at 8am (7am in Phoenix). The second workout will bring Peter, Will, Katie Jo and myself together for a crazy workout that has the men going first. The workout includes everything from muscle ups, to static holds and partner farmer carries-it’s sure to be a good one to watch. Hang on Fury fans, we are almost there!

Speaking of Fury fans, huge shout outs go out to Bob and Tyleen Rentfro, Julio and Melanie Laboy, Jen Lord, Brandi Kalafat, Stephanie Savage, Julie Brown, Mark Schurkens, Rachel Aja, Kelly, Alyssa, Jocelyn, Big Pete, Uncle Curt, Zoli, Alfred, Carren, Aubri and of course Ryann and Teri Roberts. Thank you for all making the trek to Colorado with us and being a HUGE presence in the crowd for us! We had such a presence, they sent a media crew to our tent in Tent City to interview our amazing members.

The relationship with the club began last year following their regional tournament. Unfortunately, a squad from California defeated the boys but it only served to light the fire for this year. We were more than happy to make members of this squad some of our initial Breathe Later Foundation Scholarship Athletes, as they represent the ideal student athlete by balancing a demanding travel soccer schedule and class work. Several of the scholarship athletes boast above 3.5 GPAs, proving they have what it takes regardless of what comes their way.

During our time together, we have seen the boys take off, in and out of the gym. They have refined their skills and have taken to our brand of unique fitness extremely well. On a typical Wednesday night at Fury, you walk into the gym and are blown away by the dedication and discipline of an outstanding group of 13-year-old men squat cleaning, box jumping, and basically destroying WODs like professionals. These young men have been working their tails off with an eye on revenge this season. All year long we have worked with the goal of defending the Arizona State Cup and winning the Regional Championship in our eyes.

The march continues on this weekend, as Fury’s own Banat Gold takes on the state semifinals and finals this Saturday and Sunday in Casa Grande. It has been amazing to work with this caliber of young men. They inspire me to train that much harder to keep up with the next generation of Bomb Squad athletes!!!! It will be a pleasure next week to be able to introduce myself as the strength and conditioning coach of the three time defending Arizona State Cup Champions. Go Banat!!!!!!!

Starting with the kids program, there will be no kids classes Wednesday (5/2), Thursday (5/3) or Saturday (5/5). They will resume on Monday, May 7th at 5:30. On Thursday, we will have Detention, Yoga and Open Gym. We are asking all Student Athletes to come to Detention at 5pm and Open Gym will be from 4:30-6pm.

On Friday and Monday we will have holiday hours with combined classes of Basics and CrossFit at 5, 6, 8, 9, 11am and then 4, 5, 6, 7pm. We are asking Masters athletes to attend one of the combined classes-the workouts will be scaleable for all levels. We will be closed Saturday and Sunday but encourage everyone to get outside and run, hike or bike while the weather is still somewhat nice.

We will resume to regular schedule on Tuesday, May 8 with one small change to the Prep schedule for the next few months. We will be moving the 6am Prep class to 5am.

For all those looking to keep up with the acton in Denver, we will try and keep Facebook and Tweeter up to date and the Games will have nightly updates with recaps from the days’ events. The Bomb Squad is excited for Regionals and ready to represent Fury.

Shortly after, I decided to try the Paleo Challenge and went to Sprouts with Peter and the group to learn about Paleo. I had already been gluten free for about a month – I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1999 and after reading that eliminating gluten could help reduce MS symptoms, I had decided to give it a try. So all I had to do now was eliminate dairy and sugar and I would be on my way. I did the best I could, but the holidays proved to be especially challenging and I just didn’t stick with it.

When the Paleo Breaking Barriers Challenge was announced, I decided I was going to try it again, but this time, I would give it my all. The first 30 days were the hardest, with a few minor infractions, but I hung in there and stuck to it. My challenge partner, Melanie, and I just did our baseline workout again and we improved by 130 points. Fatigue has been my number one MS symptom through the years and since I have changed my diet I can definitely say that I sleep better and have more energy.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy to do CrossFit with MS but you can definitely do it. Some days are harder than others depending on the workouts but isn’t that the case for everyone? The main glaring benefit for me has been the combination of the mental and physical strength that I have learned is inside me and thus given me the confidence to deal with my disease with a heck of a lot more confidence than I had before. I think there is a slight misconception that people with MS can’t do CrossFit but I think people with MS should do CrossFit. MS can cause balance and endurance issues, both of which are addressed everyday in CrossFit (and are two of CrossFit’s ten components of fitness).

Lately, people have been telling me that I look great and want to know what I’m doing differently. I tell them all about Crossfit and Fury, but especially about Paleo. Then, this past Friday, Aimee sent me my before and after pictures and I was stunned! I always thought I was in pretty good shape – I eat pretty well; go to the gym 5 days a week… but the transformation in these pictures is proof positive for me that changing my diet has transformed not only my body for the better, but my life as well.

I have another MRI scheduled in about a month and I am convinced that there will be no progression of the disease. I truly believe that eating Paleo and exercising this way is what will make the difference and keep me out of a wheelchair!

Next we are kicking off the next Paleo challenege, the New Frontiers, will kick off this Saturday with a shopping trip to Sprouts at 12pm. Peter is leading the charge on this challenge and it is sure to be a success as Peter and the Bomb Squad are getting serious as we prepare for Regionals in little over two weeks. The challenge will be eight weeks-four weeks intensive, hands on coaching. The final four weeks will be more observing from afar seeing how you manage on your own. If you have been thinking about doing a challenge but aren’t sure you are ready, let’s take a page out of the Nike slogan and just do it! It will only help you, never hurt you. See Aimee or Alyssa for details/prices.

A few others things going on include a car wash hosted by our Desert Edge Wrestling team this Saturday from 7-11am at the Circle K on Litchfield Rd and the I-10. Please support our student athletes by getting your car washed this Saturday! There is also a Greater Phoenix Gluten-Free Expo going on from 10-4pm at the DoubleTree Resort in Scottsdale this Saturday. Past visitors have said it’s worth going for the freebies alone not to mention all the knowledge you will gain about gluten free living! Admission is $5 in advance or $7 at the door. Go to Gluten Free Expo for more information.

Lastly but definitely not least, we are rolling out a new women’s tee this week and it’s a Wilfred Industries original! This ladies’ tee is available tomorrow and will go fast so get your’s while supplies last. Again no emails, texts or facebook messgaes to save you one-just get it next time you are in the gym.

See you around the gym-don’t miss out on all the excitement leading up to May and the 2012 CrossFit South West Regionals.

With that said it gives me great pride to introduce the 2012 Bomb Squad who will be representing Fury this Games season. For the ladies we will be led by Aimee, Deana and Katie Jo and on the mens side Will, Josh and myself round things out and we are committed to taking it all the way. Let it be known that tough decisions were made by many and this in no ways signals the end of individual competitors from Fury. We are more then confident in our individuals, from this experience we will train and produce teams that compete in the Games for years to come. The Bomb Squad is here to stay and this game is ours.

There is less then four weeks until regionals, are you ready?

When Did you start CrossFit? Early-mid January

Why did you start CrossFit? I was going through a crazy time in my life. I wanted and needed a change and my sister and my dad introduced me to CrossFit Fury.

What kept you coming back/motivated? I’m really competitive and want to be the best at whatever I do. Everyone was kicking my ass, including my 53 year old dad and my sister. I was pretty upset so from that point on I told myself I am going all out at this CrossFit thing. I also miss competitive sports and the military and this reminds me a lot of both.

How long did it take you to go from Basics to CrossFit? 2 to 3 weeks

What is the best thing you have gotten out of doing CrossFit? I feel better and healthier. I know I am healthier. You always hear CrossFit is a way of life and it’s true. It’s changed my life for the better.

What is the one thing you have done here that you never thought you could do? GO on a DIET!!

What is one goal you have reached? And one goal you still hope to reach? I haven’t reached my goal yet and that is to eventually compete at the individual or team level. Oh, and to be able to do double-unders without throwing my jump rope with frustration!

How has your diet changed since starting CrossFit? Ha my diet has completely changed. It went from junk food, fast food, soda, and alcohol to water, meat, eggs and vegetables!

How has the paleo diet affected your workouts/life? Honestly, this diet kicked my ass at first. But over time, I feel better, faster, stronger and have a lot more energy. My cardio has improved drastically. I feel healthier.

Additional Comments: First off, I want to thank my family for introducing me to CrossFit Fury. Then, I want to thank the entire Fury staff for everything- all the help, the guidance, the motivation, the soreness, aches, and pains!! I just want to say that CrossFit Fury is a one of a kind gym- the staff is superior, knowledgable, and bad ass! They run a great program and the members make it that much better, especially compared to any ordinary gym!