For everyone that missed out, here are some of the highlights:

First: A Group Warm-Up from the Reebok/CrossFit Valley Ladies

Then it was time for some Grace action, 30 C & J for time.

Which was a bit easier with all the CFSB athletes cheering you on!!

Which lead to some incredibly fast times

Then it was time for some fun: Clean and Jerks and Beer!!  (which of course our local crew turned into shotgunning)

Gus won the Beer event…

Overall, it was a day of good food, fun times, and tough workouts while raising money for a great cause.  So again, thank you to everyone that donated or came out to support the event.

Workout of the Day

 
A. Push Press 5-5-5

B. AMRAP 15
10 Push Press (85/55)
10 Wall Ball (20/16)
10 Weighted Sit-ups (45/25)

(compare to on-ramp)

Fundamentals at 10am

A. Pull-up Progression

B. 2 Rounds
20 Pull-Ups
20 ABmat Sit-Ups
20 Kettle Bell Swings
650m Run

C. 2 Rounds
5 Air Squats/Box Jump on 5th x 4 (20 reps total)
10 Pushups
20 Mountain Climbers
5 Burpees/Box Jumps

We’ve all been there.  You stayed up too late watching Modern Family reruns and eating coconut milk ice cream, so you obviously slept through your alarm.  The shirt you planned to wear to work has a stain on it which causes you to do a last minute sweep through your closet for anything that MIGHT fit the bill for “business casual.” Your kid can’t find his left shoe and he HAS TO WEAR THE THOMAS THE TRAIN RAINBOOTS TODAY.  Clearly, today isn’t going to be one of those days where you quickly fry up some bacon and eggs, grab one of your pre-made frittata cupcakes, or even remember to grab your leftovers from the night before.  Breakfast inevitably gets skipped.

Same thing happens with lunch – our day at work gets too busy, we do too much running around, and all the sudden it’s time to go to CrossFit or start dinner for the family, and you’re so close to dinner that you figure, just stick it out until dinnertime right?

Skipping meals is a really interesting topic because scientific research on it has historically been confusing.  Personally, I was 100% sure skipping meals was a bad thing until I brought this topic up with Cody, who inspired me to look at both sides of the argument.  Here’s a little bit of what I found out:

Why skipping meals is bad for you:

We all know how we tend to get when a meal is skipped – side effects can include lethargy, crankiness, headaches, difficulty concentrating, etc.   It’s been shown that skipping a meal can lead to over-eating the next meal (ever skip breakfast and have that huge Mexican food lunch?  Yep, me too).   In one study, researchers found that skipping meals during the day and eating a larger dinner to compensate resulted in risky metabolic changes.  The study showed that meal skippers had elevated glucose levels and a delayed insulin response – conditions that, if they persisted long term, could potentially lead to diabetes.

To go elementary school on you guys (back to basics is always good): When you eat a meal, your body breaks up the food. Some of this food is stored as fat, while other parts of it enter your bloodstream as sugar, and work to provide you with energy throughout the day. When you skip a meal, your blood sugar drops dramatically. This not only can make you feel sluggish and tired, but it can also wreck havoc with insulin in your body. If you chronically skip meals, you can be setting yourself up for the development of diabetes later in life.

Of course, there are also the theories that discuss the fact that when you skip a meal, your body can slip in to “starvation mode” where it mistakenly believes you need to start conserving energy and as a result your metabolism slows way down, meaning that your body doesn’t burn fat and calories the same way throughout the day that it typically would.  A slower metabolism can mean a harder path to weight loss if some of you are looking to achieve aesthetic goals.

And, skipping meals sucks and makes you a raging b&^%h.  (I wouldn’t be talking from personal experience here at all….)

Why skipping meals can be a good thing:

Paleo as a culture tends to advocate what they label as “intermittent fasting” (AKA, meal skipping – sometimes for extended periods of time like 16hrs – 24 hours).  Mark Sisson of the Primal Blueprint recently wrote about this, and realized that numerous studies done over the past 15 years have suggested that periodic fasting can have dramatic results not only in areas of weight (fat loss), but in overall health and longevity as well.  A recent article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition gives a great overview of these benefits which include decreases in blood pressure, reduction in oxidative damage to lipids, protein and DNA, improvement in insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake, as well as decreases in fat mass.

Sisson argues that this all makes sense from an evolutionary perspective, because our predecessors almost certainly went through regular cycles where food was either abundant or very scarce. The body may have established protective mechanisms to adapt to these conditions by sensitizing insulin receptors when it was critical that every bit of food be efficiently used or stored (as in famine), or by desensitizing them when there was a surplus, so the body wouldn’t be overly-burdened by grossly excessive calorie intake.  Beyond insulin sensitivity, it appears that caloric restriction and intermittent fasting may “turn on” certain genes that repair specific tissues that would not otherwise be repaired in times of surplus.

Also, through the research I did on this, although not “scholarly resources,” I did find several CF message boards, paleo message boards and CF affiliate posts on intermittent fasting that touted workouts at a higher intensity and setting major PR’s while fasting.  It definitely looks like many CF’ers swear by it.

Take-Aways

As I discovered by looking a little more into this topic, there are definitely two sides to this argument.  There are some pretty convincing points either way.  I definitely think, as with so many things in CrossFit, you have to listen to your own body and figure out what works for you.  For me and my body, if I go too long without eating (sometimes I accidentally skip lunch when I’m busy at work), I get super irritable and turn into something resembling a three-headed monster that is very, very cruel when provoked.  I also find it easier to stick to the Paleo diet when I’m consistently eating throughout the day – I’m more likely to cheat when I get into those depths of starvation when you wind up eating a tub of raw cookie dough because it’s the first thing you could find.  Try both ways and find out what gives you the best response, the best performance, the best looks – but most importantly what makes you FEEL the best.

RESOURCES:

http://crossfiteastbay.com/2009/06/crossfit-east-bay-rest-day-090-28.html

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/the-risks-and-rewards-of-skipping-meals/

http://www.athomefitness.com/blog/2009/07/20/exploring-the-negative-effects-of-skipping-meals/

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/3-reasons-skipping-meals-is-unhealthy.html

RECIPE OF THE WEEK:

COCONUT CRUSTED CHICKEN FINGERS

This week from Paleo Madeline (www.paleomadeline.com), we have one of my (and DEFINITELY one of Forrest’s) favorites – coconut crusted chicken fingers with mustard date dipping sauce.  Not only is this super easy to do, but it’s a great people pleaser for Paleo eaters and the non-believers.

Barbells for Boobs

Come participate in our first hosted Barbells for Boobs – Amazing Grace event at CrossFit South Bay on Sunday, Oct 2nd at 11AM. The event will be fully hosted by Mammograms in Action and will have special guest CrossFit superstar athletes Kristen Clever, Becca Voigt and Katie Hogan along with representatives from Reebok. The event will have free giveaways and a live DJ. Register today and help us achieve our goal!

To learn more about the event:

When breast cancer struck her best friend at only age 26, Zionna Munoz realized many women cannot afford to get regular mammograms. She saw an opportunity to help these women through the supportive CrossFit community.

Watch the video

Happy Hour

CFSB Happy Hour with South Bay Crossfitters Friday Sept 30th
Start time: 5:30PM
End Time: 8:30 PM
Venue Name: Ocean Bar
Address:1301 ManHattan Ave., Hermosa Beach, CA
Organizer: Cheli Nye, email chelicfsb@gmail.com
Cost: None, but no host bar.
Description: Time for another happy hour. This time though we’ve invited a few other local gyms to come out with us. We will be upstairs outside as long as weather cooperates from 5:30 till 8:30 (but that not a firm end time, and as Jeremy says crossfitters love Fenner’s). Hope to see you there!

Paleo Potluck After Barbells for Boobs

Start time: 3PM Sunday Oct 2nd
End Time: 5PM
Venue Name: Crossfit South Bay
Address:725 5th St., Hermosa Beach, CA
Organizer: Cheli Nye, email chelicfsb@gmail.com
Cost: None, but please bring a dish to pass, we will bring the meat.
Description: Barbells for Boobs are fundraisers for Mammograms In Action, a non-profit that provides funding for qualified low-income and uninsured women and men who need screening and/or diagnostic procedures in the prevention of breast cancer. Crossfit South Bay is hosting a Barbells for Boobs event this Saturday at 11AM Come out and compete or come out and support…..After everyone has worked out or cheer their hearts out and worked up an appetite, we will be grilling out and potlucking for a great lunch. Come join!

Workout of the Day 9/29/2011

A.  Clean and Jerk 3-3-3

B. For Time:
15 Clean and Jerk (115/75)
Run 400m
12 Clean and Jerk (115/75)
Run 300m
9 Clean and Jerk (115/75)
Run 200m
6 Clean and Jerk (115/75)
Run 100M
3 Clean and Jerk (115/75)
Run 40m

Fundamentals 1

A. For time:
300 Row
30 Wall Balls
300 Row

B. AMRAP 10
40M OH Walking Lunges
15 KB Swings

Last year’s CFSB Grace Crew

Everyone that participates will be doing “Grace”, one of the original girl workouts.  ”Grace” is 30 Clean & Jerks (135/95) for time.  Scaling will be allowed and encouraged.  However, even if you don’t plan on doing “Grace”, make sure to come out and enjoy the event.

Register or Donate Here.

Details
What: AMAZING GRACE
Where: CrossFit South Bay (725 5th Street, Hermosa Beach, CA)
When: 11AM October 2
Why: To Have FUN!!! And raise money for a great cause

So, I have had a bunch of people asking me why I am involved with Mammograms in Action and B4B, so here is my story:

When I was in middle school, my mom was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.  In one year, her mammogram had gone from clean to having a golf ball sized tumor.  Also, the cancer was already spreading to the lymph nodes in the local area.  After 6 months of chemotherapy to reduce the tumor size, she had a full mastectomy followed by another 6 months of radiation to ensure the cancer was eliminated. Let’s just say she was a fighter and was determined to overcome it.  Unfortunately, at the time, I never realized the full extent of its seriousness or its impact on our lives. All I knew was that my mom was sick and that she was getting treated for breast cancer, then she beat it, and the cancer was in remission.  That was about all I understood.

However, in 2010 she was again diagnosed with breast cancer, now on the other side; the doctors had neglected to inform her that there was over a 90% chance that the cancer would re-occur on the opposite side.  Thus, after some more rounds of the fight, she had her second full mastectomy in October of 2010.  Unfortunately, I now lived 2000 miles away and was unable to physically be there, yet, realizing how serious my mom’s condition was and the fact that she had to experience it for a second time, I was looking for any way possible to support my mom even while living far away. Additionally, it was only now that I realized the extent of what my mom had experienced when I was younger, making me even more dedicated to help.

First Experience with Amazing Grace at the CF Games 2010

Luckily, I found the perfect way through the local “Amazing Grace”, Barbells for Boobs, events. “Amazing Grace” was a CrossFit event that raised money to pay for mammograms for women whose insurance will not cover them.  There are hundreds of “Amazing Grace” events hosted around the world during October, with a bunch being hosted in Southern California.  However, I was recovering from finger surgery, and thereby only had the use of one hand.  Still determined to do “Amazing Grace” regardless of my injury, I ended up doing a “1/2 Grace” (15 Clean and Jerks @ 135 with one arm) at two separate events.

First at CF 714 with the CFSB Crew (who swept the event)

Once the organizers realized that I wasn’t just crazy, and that I had a passion for getting involved, I was offered a chance to be on the Mammograms in Action team. I jumped at the chance, hoping to help others avoid the same situation my mom experienced.

Then again at the Final B4B event in Orange County

During the past year that I have been involved, B4B has made some amazing strides with the help of the CF community to fight breast cancer and make waves internationally as a charity organization.  They have continued to expand the number B4B events held year round, including Helen-Meets-Grace, Burpees 4 Boobs, Box Jumps 4 Boobs, etc, while focusing on “Amazing Grace” as their premier event.  With the fundraising, they have donated thousands of dollars to Susan G. Komen to support cancer research and have paid for hundreds of mammograms for women whose insurance wouldn’t.

Get some…

Workout of the Day

A. 3 Rounds:
Snatch x 3 Reps
Rest 30s.
Max Frogstand Hold
Rest 90s.

(Advanced athletes, use a tuck on Frogstand Holds)

B. 4 Rounds
5 Power Snatches (115/70)
15 Burpees
25 Air Squats
60s Rest

(Advanced athletes must hit full ROM on all movements, or no rep will be issued)

Before the cert., I was talking to Forrest and Mariessa and they both agreed that if Coach B wasn’t there, its almost not worth the experience. Who is Coach B? Coach Mike Burgener is a California native that has over 4 decades of olympic lifting experience. He is the father of three boys and one girl, all whom still lift and have ties to the CrossFit community. At an earlier age, Coach Burgener was a Marine. Coach B is the Senior International Weightlifting Coach for USA, a Highschool Strength Coach, he is the Junior World Women’s Weightlifting Coach and one of the most recognized names in the sport of Olympic Lifting. Did I mention he was a Marine? thats exactly how he runs his seminars. I think it must have been somewhere after lunch on the first day after doing the Junkyard Dog Warmup twice, (I am sure my afternoon classes can tell you how much that “warmup” sucks if you’ve never done it), while doing his YAY BURPEES, I realized what Forrest and Mariessa were talking about.

Moving into the meat of the topic, trying to teach someone the proper mechanics in the olympic lifts is a hard feat to achieve in two months. Now trying doing that in two days, with 50 people that all have their own deficincies that need to be corrected. Thats what Coach B and his staff had to work through for two long days, and they did a damn good job of it. The first half of day one was spent teaching the class the Burgener Warmup, as well as the Skill Transfer exercises. Here is a breakdown of what those two pieces look like and what they are trying to achieve:

Burgener Warmup & Skill Transfer Exercises

1. Down and Up-Speed through the middle
2. Elbows High and Outside-Keeping bar path close
3. Muscle Snatch-3rd pull
4. Snatch Lands-Footwork
5. Snatch Drops-Footwork
6. Snatch Push Press-Strength
7. Overhead Squat-Core Strength
8. Pressing Snatch Balance (Press Under)-Strength under bar
9. Heaving Snatch Balance-Getting under the bar with speed
10. Snatch Balance-Footwork with speed under the bar
11. Hang Snatch-piecing it all together

                          

A CrossFit camp?? How fun does that sound? The week of Aug 15-19, CFSB will be hosting our first annual Crossfit Kids Camp. Children ages 9-12 will be learning CrossFit’s basic movements and philosophy. We will take them through a daily mobility session, and give them nutrition guidelines including a healthy (and tasty!!) lunch. Oh, and games, games, games! Camp-goers should expect at least one game a day.
On Torrance Beach from 9am-12pm every morning, CFSB will coach campers through technique work, workouts and games. We have such fun in store for these kids. If you know of a 10-12 year old that would enjoy a fitness camp, please call or email Mariessa: 714-452-7121, mariessa@crossfitsouthbay.com.

In addition to strength building and correct movement, another key goal is to build confidence. We want an understanding of the basic movements, and postures and how they apply to sports and everyday life. Our discipline on form will instill integrity. Our team workouts and games will help to build teamwork and communication skills. We have a “don’t be afraid to fail” policy, where the only failure is not trying. Each day we will encourage campers to have fun above all else. Just as in the gym, coaches will foster an environment of encouragement and success celebration.
A lot of the stuff we are going to do is hard. It’s hard for most people who are new to CrossFit. If we offered an easy route to fitness, we would be selling a joke. Getting fit is hard work, but doesn’t have to be miserable. We will show kids that getting fit is tough AND can be an absolute blast.
Each day at camp will consist of a quick review of the day’s agenda followed by a warm-up. Workouts, games and skill work will differ in type and combination. The day will draw to a close with an instructional mobility (muscle maintenance) session and lunch. We will insist that the kids take many water breaks throughout the day. Please keep in mind, though, that hydration starts long before the first hour of camp. A lot of water is required both before and after camp as well.
Basic Movements
Our first day will kick camp off with the squat movement. Campers will learn correct squat technique, apply it in a workout and understand how it will help their sport of choice and/or everyday life. Camp will continue with new basic movements each day; including presses, deadlifts and running. The basic CrossFit movements are keys to the elite athlete. At CrossFit we understand that power initiates from the core of the athlete, then radiates outward to our limbs. All technique work will include safety in execution of the movement. Movements done properly will require correct breath control and abdominal contraction to ensure the spine is supported.

Warm-up
Warm-ups will take into account the previous day’s work, and the present day’s agenda. Warm-ups may be focused on warming up the hips or the shoulders for example. There may also be a game just to get the heart pumping. When the warm-up is complete campers should feel loose, mobile and have a good sweat going.
Workouts
Our workouts are tough. We perform explosive movements at intensity. Our goal is perfect form for every rep. Tough does not mean impossible. We expect every camper to work to their fitness level and we will scale each workout to the individual. We also are trying to beat the clock, fellow camper or other team. Camp workouts are similar to the “B” WOD metcons in our gym. Kids may be asked to perform as many rounds of a group of exercises in a certain amount of time. WODs can also be measured by points earned or the time it takes to completion. The WODs not only include the basic CF movements, but also box jumps, burpees, bear crawls, kettlebell swings and more.

Skill Work
Skill work is included before every WOD. In CrossFit correct form and safety is imperative for all movements, not just the basics. Skill work will focus on teaching correct box jump and bear crawl technique, for example. Think you know how perform a pushup correctly? Prove it. If your chest doesn’t hit the ground and your arms don’t lock out, you are not doing it right. You will also not get the full benefit out of each pushup if you short the range of motion (ROM).
Weights
The kids will be exposed to weightlifting. They will lift weighted bars, dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls and sandbags. The weight prescribed will be based on the athlete’s fitness level. If a child is performing a movement incorrectly because the weight is too heavy, we will reduce the weight accordingly. Keep in mind that we check movement proficiency in both technique and skill work with little to no weight involved. We also want to push the campers to achieve that which may be limited by self expectations. Form and safety will be closely monitored at all times.

Nutrition
On day 1 of camp, we will give a 20-minute talk on nutrition. Nutrition and sleep are at the base of a healthy, fit athlete. All parents are invited and encouraged to come listen and learn. Parents and campers will be encouraged to ask questions during the talk, and bring any new questions to the coaches throughout the week. Camper’s lunches will consist of a healthy meal made yummy. Our very own Brian Pink of Brian’s Bowls will be providing midday nourishment for campers.
Mobility
Mobility is instrumental to an athlete’s success. It really doesn’t matter how strong or fit you are if your muscles and joints are too rigid or tight to move efficiently. Exercise while essential to fitness is hard on the body; but all hard work is lost if soft tissue and joint maintenance is not performed. On top of that, these kids are starting some major growth spurts. A child’s bones will grow, but a bit of time will elapse before the muscles and brain have time to catch up. The child will experience temporary loss in both flexibility and coordination. Mobility will help the muscles, other soft tissues and joints lengthen to catch up with the bones. Mobility will also help alleviate tightness and some soreness. Campers will learn how to maintain their muscles and joints with foam rollers, lacrosse balls and stretching techniques.

Games
Who doesn’t like to play games? If you like team sports, you like games. Our campers will enjoy volleyball, dodgeball, tug of war and more throughout the week.
Staff
Our coaching staff is dedicated to the sport of CrossFit. They love to study up on the movements, and are constantly striving to find ways to better themselves and their athletes. We all have a goal of getting kids on the right path towards fitness. Every one of our coaches who has said, “I wish I knew about this stuff when I was a kid.” We are sharing our knowledge in hopes of sharing the beauty of fitness.
For information on how to register click here.

Workout of the Day 8/2/2011

What is your passion??  This is normally what would you do for free if you didn’t need money to maintain your standard of living. So what is it?? Would you teach, help the homeless, build cars, run marathons every day, get drunk (I bet you wouldn’t last a month), learn to fly, go travel??  Would you continue doing what you are doing, or would you give your two week notice tomorrow??

Not a long, drawn out post, just something to contemplate today, we don’t always have to pump you full of new info to incur greatness…  If you are feeling extra talkative, feel free to post your passion to the comments.

Upcoming Events

CrossFit Games

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of this week are the CrossFit Games, the biggest and baddest show of masochistic tendencies and human sacrifice on the face of the planet.  Seriously though, some of the best athletes in the world are throwing down right in our backyard at the Home Depot Center for the title of the “Fittest Man and Woman in the World”, “Fittest Affiliate in the World” and “Fittest Masters Man and Woman in the World”.  More info and tickets can be found here: games.crossfit.com

If you haven’t heard of this, go check it out, it is humbling to see what these “humans” are capable of.

Along with the CrossFit Games come the CrossFit parties:

1. CrossFit LAX Buy-In
1. Thursday afternoon from 1-6 on a hotel roof in Long Beach, more info here: http://games.laxcrossfit.com/the-buy-in/
2. Discounted tickets here: http://buyin.eventbrite.com/?discount=CFSB
2. CrossFit LAX Boom-Box
1. Friday night after the Games at CrossFit LAX, more info here: http://games.laxcrossfit.com/boombox-party-lax-crossfit/
2. Discounted tickets here: http://laxboombox.eventbrite.com/?discount=CFSB
3. SICFIT Games After Party on Sunday night after the CrossFit Games are done, more info and tickets here: http://www.sicfit.com/coverage/238884-The-After-Glow-The-CrossFit-Games-After-Party

Workout of the Day

A. 3-4 Rounds:
5 Med Ball Leg Throws (12/10)
5 Med Ball Overhead Throws
5 Med Ball Left Rotation Throws
5 Med Ball Right Rotation Throws
5 Med Ball Overhead Throws
5 Med Ball Shoulder Throws
Rest while throwing ball for partner

B. “Fran”
21-15-9
Thrusters (95/65)
Pullups

Compare to 1/31

Cheering on mom!

What a great event this weekend! Sunday was an absolute blast. Ashley is to blame for any and all fun you may have experienced. We had families and friends join our CFSB craziness in a team WOD, and then pigged out at the potluck.

Ashley planned such a great day! After a quick 300m run/walk, she led a dynamic group warm-up in our parking lot. I saw so many people laughing and enjoying every movement. Ashley created a very cool WOD scalable for all ages and fitness levels:
4 Rounds
40m Bear (not Baer) Crawl
12 jump ropes
10 box jumps
8 medball front squats
4 V-ups
Only one person could do work while the others cheered them on.

The Baer family did not disappoint with their competitiveness in full swing. Momma Baer (haha!) was spotted dabbing her sweaty brow with a paper towel in the bathroom after the WOD. Though sporting some rockin’ Nike workout garb, she didn’t realize she was going to be involved in SUCH a workout. The sister Baers look so much alike many of us did a double and triple take. Even Craig and Lauren’s sweet bulldog, Mia, came to team up with Cappie. The Baer’s are such a strong family!

Papa Baer

The Barnett clan was kicking some serious butt! Reec and Max are awesome athletes, and hit every portion of the WOD with a vengeance. 18-inch box jumps? No problem!! Our very own Momma Arian and Grandma Jeanie had a blast cheering on the boys and showing them a few things too!

The Peterson 2 year old twins were a hoot!! Nathan and Andrew were rockin’ the warm-up with Frankenstein walks and high knees. Before long they were over the v-ups and found the chalk. CFSB has never looked so good. The boys’ artwork really livened the place up! Betty and John have their hands full with two amazing boys. They are a blast!

Chalking up!!

We had friends, roommates, parents, kids, brothers, sisters and dogs join our crew for some crazy fun Sunday. The potluck was awesome: yummy food! We had a paleo-friendly and a paleo-optional category to satisfy everyone’s hunger and thirst.

Skylar relaxing in the daddy chair

Thanks so much to Chris, Scarlett and Skylar for bringing the tent, chairs and the grill. You guys gave us shade, a place to sit and sip our beer and some excellent grilling. Chris, you are the grill master!

Puppy love

Thank you to everyone for participating in such a fun-filled gathering of the masses!! Post your favorite moment of the day, and let us know if you would like a Family Fun Day sequel in the near future.

Workout of the Day 6/28/2011

A. Romanian (Straight-Legged) Deadlift 3-3-3

B. AMRAP 12
5 Ring Dips
6 Ring Rows
7 Air Squats
8 Burpees

10AM, 11AM, and 12PM

Also, Run Club and Swim Class are cancelled tonight (Sunday).

A little bit about the man we are honoring (information found here):

Lt. Michael P. Murphy, fondly referred to by friends and family as “Murph,” was born May 7, 1976 in Smithtown, N.Y. and grew up in the New York City commuter town of Patchogue, N.Y. on Long Island.

Murphy attended Penn State University, where he was an exceptional all-around athlete and student, excelling at ice hockey and graduating with honors. He was an avid reader; his reading tastes ranged from the Greek historian Herodotus to Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.” Murphy’s favorite book was Steven Pressfield’s “Gates of Fire,” about the Spartan stand at Thermopylae. In 1998, he graduated with a pair of Bachelor of Arts degrees from Penn State — in political science and psychology.

Following graduation, he was accepted to several law schools, but instead he changed course.  Slightly built at 5 feet 10 inches, Murphy decided to attend SEAL mentoring sessions at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point with his sights on becoming a U.S. Navy SEAL. Murphy accepted an appointment to the Navy’s Officer Candidate School at Pensacola, Fla., in September, 2000.

Murphy was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy on Dec. 13, 2000, and began Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, Calif., in January 2001, graduating with Class 236. Lt. Murphy earned his SEAL Trident and checked on board SDV Team (SDVT) 1 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in July of 2002.

In early 2005, Murphy was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 as assistant officer in charge of ALFA Platoon and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

On June 28, 2005, Lt. Murphy was the officer-in-charge of a four-man SEAL element in support of Operation Red Wing tasked with finding key anti-coalition militia commander near Asadabad, Afghanistan. Shortly after inserting into the objective area, the SEALs were spotted by three goat herders who were initially detained and then released. It is believed the goat herders immediately reported the SEALs’ presence to Taliban fighters.

A fierce gun battle ensued on the steep face of the mountain between the SEALs and a much larger enemy force. Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds himself, Murphy is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates. Murphy, intent on making contact with headquarters, but realizing this would be impossible in the extreme terrain where they were fighting, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his own life moved into the open, where he could gain a better position to transmit a call to get help for his men.

Murph and his men

Moving away from the protective mountain rocks, he knowingly exposed himself to increased enemy gunfire.  This deliberate and heroic act deprived him of cover and made him a target for the enemy.  While continuing to be fired upon, Murphy made contact with the SOF Quick Reaction Force at Bagram Air Base and requested assistance. He calmly provided his unit’s location and the size of the enemy force while requesting immediate support for his team. At one point, he was shot in the back causing him to drop the transmitter. Murphy picked it back up, completed the call and continued firing at the enemy who was closing in.  Severely wounded, Lt. Murphy returned to his cover position with his men and continued the battle.

On the ground and nearly out of ammunition, the four SEALs continued to fight.  By the end of a two-hour gunfight that careened through the hills and over cliffs, Murphy, Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny Dietz and Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew Axelson had fallen. An estimated 35 Taliban were also dead.  The fourth SEAL, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (SEAL) Marcus Luttrell, was blasted over a ridge by a rocket-propelled grenade and knocked unconscious. Though severely wounded, the fourth SEAL and sole survivor, Luttrell, was able to evade the enemy for nearly a day; after which local nationals came to his aide, carrying him to a nearby village where they kept him for three more days. Luttrell was rescued by U.S. Forces on July 2, 2005.

Only survivor from Operation Redwing: Marcus Lutrell

By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit and inspirational devotion to his men in the face of certain death, Lt. Murphy was able to relay the position of his unit, an act that ultimately led to the rescue of Luttrell and the recovery of the remains of the three who were killed in the battle.

Lt. Murphy was buried at Calverton National Cemetery less than 20 miles from his childhood home. Lt. Murphy’s other personal awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Ribbon and National Defense Service Medal.

Lt. Murphy is survived by his mother Maureen Murphy; his father Dan Murphy; and his brother John Murphy. Dan and Maureen Murphy, who were divorced in 1999, remain close friends and continue to live in N.Y.  Their son John, 22, attends the New York Institute of Technology, and upon graduation will  pursue a career in criminal justice, having been accepted to the New York City Police Deparment.

Murph

Yes, this is a long workout, but it can be scaled, and it isn’t much harder than many other workouts you have done.  Also, you shouldn’t skip this workout because it is hard.  You should do it in remembrance of a fallen hero.  You will be amazed at what you are capable of if you put your mind to it.

Saturday May 7th you’re invited to join us on a road trip to DeyDey’s farm open house/BBQ north of Santa Barbara. CrossFit Pacific Coast (CPC) is welcoming us for a WOD on our way north. All you need to do is sign up for the BBQ ($10 donation for food) and email Remy to coordinate cars. If we’re not too wiped, we’ll hit up a dinner in SB for our way back and perhaps a wine tasting (it’s still paleo if you don’t swallow … that’s what she said).

Fun facts about DeyDey’s ranch:

• CFSB members will have purchased 2.5 steer (lowlines if you were curious) from DeyDey after this weekend
• Stuff on the agenda for 5/7: their practices of grazing, breeding, animal health, ranch tour

Fun facts about CrossFit Pacific Coast (looks like we have a lot in common with them):

• “We do our best to take as little as possible seriously with the exception of training and the coming zombie apocolypse.” (sound familiar?)
• 2 blocks from the beach (they beat us there)
• Have just over 100 members (we’d prob have the larger zombie apocalypse army)
• Share a wall with and are otherwise surrounded by world class wineries (we share a wall with a Benz shop, but we do have some world class wine-o’s)
• Sweet video:

Announcements

Also that weekend:

• Saturday 5/7 is the Next Level Invitational competition in which some of our outstanding CFSB athletes will be competing! Post to comments if you’ll be showing our athletes support that day!
• Sunday 5/8 is Nutrition 101 — there are still spots available! If you’re competing in NLI, come for free (you will have earned it). If you’ve got a family member or friend who wants to come for 1/2 contact Remy!

Road trip to visit Sergio?

Workout of the Day 4/28/2011

A. Power Snatch 3-3-3

B. 5 Min row calories
4 Min Power Snatch (75/45)
3 Min burpees
2 min double unders
1 min air squats

Chad going hard

There are a large number of CFSB athletes that stepped up the bar, week after week, to test themselves. While they knew they wouldn’t be “the best”, they wanted to know “their best”. They tested themselves over and over again, forging their will and fighting to overcome. They were testing their heart. How often do you get to test your heart?? While it may have just been a “Games WOD” for most, realize that every day you CrossFit, you are searching within yourself to find your true feelings for the day: do you shrink down and accept defeat, or do you rise to the occasion and push yourself to the end, leaving your body on the floor, but your spirit soaring??

Angy finishing strong

I could start by recognizing some of the amazing performances that our top athletes put out:

• Jon Markovich getting 18th in the world on thruster workout.
• Lauren Baer getting 57th in the world on the AMRAP 20 workout.

There is the smile I like during CrossFit workouts

Yet, while those performances were stellar and the athletes should be recognized for their achievements, there were some other performances that while maybe not “Top 100 in the world”, they were the ones that truly stood out as being amazing. There are a couple I want to relate.

• There was one athlete at the gym that fought her heart out to get 110 over her head, repeatedly cleaning her PR over and over again, only to be defeated at every turn with the jerk. Yet she left smiling, happy to give it her all.
• Another athlete at the gym had a overhead PR equal to the 110 lbs required in the thruster workout… Yet she got it overhead a total of 6 TIMES during the 5 minute AMRAP.
• Another athlete was thoroughly frustrated with her Games workouts, feeling like she had lost progress since her last competition. Yet, she overcame the frustration and now is looking forward as to where to make improvements.
• Yet another athlete was turned away on her first go at muscle-ups in the Games WOD. Vowing never to do that workout again, she left the gym defeated…. However, two days later, with a changed strategy and a new focus, she got 3 muscle ups in the workout, snatching victory from defeat.
• And even from the CFSB’ers that weren’t competing, there were a ton of other athletes that performed scaled versions of the Games WOD’s every Saturday, coming to cheer on their friends and help them to achieve their best, while working to increase their own fitness.

These are the reasons that I love CrossFit. Truly, “the greatest adaptation for CrossFit takes place between the ears” (courtesy of Coach Glassman). Only by challenging yourself and searching within yourself will you truly find the value of something that pushes you to the edge.

Always working to improve

Suggestion Box

Last week, we had a test run of a Pilates class for CrossFit’ers. Seemed like those that participated enjoyed it…

But what is it that you want?? What do you want to add to the gym, what do you want more of, less of?? New classes, shorter workouts, longer workouts, more weight, less weight, etc. Speak up, because you define what comes next!!

Workout of the Day

A. Front Squat 2-2-2-2
B. AMRAP 12
5 handstand push-ups
5 Front squats (135/95)
15 box jumps (24/20)