BTSCF Newsletter - October 2019
We are in the heat of Open Season with three weeks now completed and two weeks to go. Our athletes have been pushing themselves to be the best that they are capable of being. There are personal battles being won everywhere you look in the gym and there is plenty of inspiration to be found.
Barbells and Babes
On Sunday, October 6, 2019 two of our BTSCF Athletes competed in Barbells and Babes which was hosted by our friends at CrossFit TakeBack. This competition was an all women’s liftoff to raise awareness of Breast Cancer and to raise funds for families who have been impacted. BTSCF Athletes Lindsay C. and Nicole H. competed in three events. They had three attempts to achieve a one rep max Snatch, Clean and Jerk, and then a Metcon drawn from the hopper, which ended up being 21-15-9 Calories on the Rower and Burpees over the Rower. Lindsay reached the podium, taking third in the event. Both athletes achieved personal records in their olympic lifts. Nicole earned a new power snatch PR of 95 lbs. and a power clean and jerk PR of 130 lbs. Lindsay’s final clean and jerk attempt earned a PR of 170 lbs. Congratulations to both of these strong, determined athletes.
BTSCF Athlete Lindsay C. completing a successful snatch attempt at the Barbells & Babes Liftoff.
BTSCF Athlete Nicole H. sets up for her final clean and jerk lift attempt which would be a successful PR lift at the Barbells & Babes Liftoff.
The CrossFit Open 20.1 Announcement Throwdown
Tonya A. performing a ground to overhead as part of the CrossFit Open workout 20.1.
Part of the CrossFit methodology is to prepare an individual to be able to tackle the unknown and unknowable at a moment’s notice. Several of our athletes put that to the test on Thursday, October 10, 2019. These athletes came together at the box to watch the Open Announcement for 20.1, then immediately jump into their warmups and throw down. Completing in an Open workout in this manner presents an entirely different challenge. There is a very short window to develop a strategy and prepare for a difficult workout. We are very proud of our athletes. They showed up and put forth their best efforts. They adapted and pushed themselves. What better way is there to kick off the Open Season?
BTSCF Athletes Robb R. and Sean A. taking on 20.1 right after it was announced.
BTSCF Athletes Jon T., Mackenzie D., Colleen C., and Lauren N. kicking off the CrossFit Open during the 20.1 Announcement.
Ragnar Trail Waywayanda Lake
A team of eight BTSCF Athletes completed the Ragnar Trail Relay on October 11 - 12, 2019. The relay totaled 126 miles with each athlete taking turns to run each of three loops. These athletes faced cold weather, very little sleep, a few rolled ankles, and a bear and her cubs while they ran through the dark. Congratulations to BTSCF Athletes Robb R., Heather S., Bonnie H., Lindsay C., Dee A., Erin S., Sean A., and Tonya A! It is a year away but they can’t wait to get back out there and do it again!
BTSCF CrossFit Open Friday Night Lights
Larry C. pushing himself hard during Open Workout 20.3.
Now that The Open has been moved to the Fall, it’s not just the High School Football players who get to have fun and compete on Friday nights. Our BTSCF Athletes have come in beginning at 4:30 in the afternoon to warm up, compete, and support each other into the evening. The atmosphere is great and exemplifies what a community coming together looks like. Congratulations to all of our athletes who have stepped out of their comfort zone and into the bright Friday Night Lights. They have all learned something about themselves and inspired others.
BTSCF Athlete Jim M. tacking a grueling 20.2 workout.
This year Burn the Ships CrossFit has added another layer to the Open. All of the athletes were split into two teams. During the first two weeks, Team Blue took the win. Team Orange bounced back in week three to bring the score to 2-1. Looking forward, will 20.4 bring a victory for Team Blue, or will Team Orange even the score?
Three weeks down, two more to go. If you haven’t been out to see a Friday Night Lights, come check it out on November 1st and 8th. Our athletes would love the support.
BTSCF Athlete Joanna N. during 20.1.
The Lifting Doc
When you workout like our athletes do, you put wear and tear on your body. As important as exercise is, the steps athletes take for recovery is even more important. Sometimes recovery is in the form of extra stretching or foam rolling. Sleep is always key to recovery. Other times, a little extra body work needs to be done. That is why we were thrilled to have Dr. Raphael Castro, The Lifting Doc visit to provide chiropractic adjustments and rock tape application for muscle support to our athletes. Stay tuned for details on his next visit.
September PR’s
BTSCF Athletes continue to break through their ceilings. Here’s to another month of hard work.
Pete V. - 190 lb. Snatch
Heather - 25 lb. Weighted Pull-Up
Rose - 1st Rope Climb
Darci - 16” Box Jumps
Kristine - 103 lb. Deadlift
Jess F. - 135 lb. x 5 Back Squat
What Else Is Going On At BTSCF?
Open Wrap Up Party
On November 8, 2019 following the 20.5 Friday Night Lights Throwdown, we will be hosting a wrap up party for our athletes to relax and celebrate their victories during the Open. We are excited to announce that our friends at Log Tavern Brewing Co., New Mindset Massage will be coming to visit and food will be by Katery.
The Stone Challenge
BTSCF Athletes train hard to improve their health as well as being physically prepared for what life throws at them. They are always looking for new and fun ways to test themselves learn more about their abilities. On November 23, 2019 a number of BTSCF Athletes will be participating in The Stone Challenge. Each athlete will select a stone weighing between 5 and 100 lbs. The stone will be left at the bottom of the mountain, while the athletes begin the race at the top of the mountain. Each athlete will run 1.2 miles down the mountain to collect their stone. Once collected, they will then carry the stone back up the mountain. Interested in joining in? Talk to a trainer or visit Port Jervis Stone Challenge on FaceBook for more details.
BTSCF Feature Athlete
Meet Mackenzie Decker: It’s in the Recovery, Nutrition, and Details
BTSCF Feature Athlete Mackenzie Decker completing his first ring muscle up.
Take a step into the box and there’s a good chance you’ll see Mackenzie Decker there. He enjoys coming in and working out. He’s always smiling and friendly. The other thing you’ll notice about his time in the gym is for the time he spends doing a workout, he’ll dedicate even more time to practicing quality recovery protocols. You’ll see him sprawled on the floor with a band, a roller, a lacrosse ball, and anything else he can get his hands on to help his body recover. For Mackenzie, his next workout starts with the way he recovers from his last workout.
Mackenzie started doing CrossFit in January 2019 at Burn the Ships CrossFit. He was looking for a different kind of training as well as a more intense variation of different movements. Outside of the gym, Mack is a police officer, so he knows his health and fitness is important to being able to efficiently perform in his job as a first responder.
Since joining BTSCF, Mackenzie has shown dedication to efficiency. He recognizes the value in paying attention to details. BTSCF Owner, Mike Simmons notes, “One of the things I appreciate most about Mackenzie is his willingness to want to do things the right way. This attention to detail about learning the movements the correct way will pay huge dividends in the future.” Everything Mack does in the gym is with purpose. The way he moves, works out, and recovers is all done in a way for him to maximize his potential and to continue to improve daily.
“From many of the conversations I have had with him, I know that he focuses a great deal on recovery and his nutrition,” adds Simmons. The biggest keys to recovery are Nutrition, Bodywork, Sleep, and Rest. For Mack, he’s been carefully selecting the foods he consumes. He spends time doing bodywork, taking extra time to stretch and perform self myofascial release. He also listens to his body and takes time off when needed. Regarding sleep, Mack has to contend with a difficult work schedule which presents challenges but he does not make an excuse of it. He has researched and embraced using tools to track his sleep so he will know how best to take care of himself each day.
BTSCF Feature Athlete Mackenzie Decker waiting for the wall ball to come back down.
Mackenzie has learned a lot since he began CrossFitting. He has a better understanding of his capabilities as an athlete, but most importantly he has learned about how inspiring and motivating the CrossFit community can be. That’s part of why Mack will tell someone on the fence about CrossFit that they should just give it a try. He recognizes the hardest part is to walk in the door the first time, but once you do and you see how supportive everyone is, you’ll really enjoy it.
Mackenzie has found other benefits from his time in the box. He has found that the social component of CrossFit has helped him with his job as well. Compared to a “globo gym” where you walk in and quietly do your workout with headphones on and ignore everyone, the CrossFit box offers opportunities to talk, laugh, and compete with people around you and everyone wants to see you succeed. Mackenzie feels that this has helped encourage a more humanistic approach to everyday encounters he has while on the job.
BTSCF Feature Athlete Mackenzie Decker performing hand stand pushups during Open Workout 20.3.
When he isn’t working or in the gym, Mackenzie loves to be outside. Hiking with his dog is his go to activity. He enjoys traveling and good food so when he has the time he will try to take a trip or find a new restaurant.
We hit Mackenzie with some lightning round questions, here’s what he had to say:
Q: What super power would you give yourself?
A: Telepathy
Q: What is your favorite healthy food?
A: Sweet Potatoes
Q: What is your favorite not so healthy food?
A: Pizza
Q: What TV sitcom family or group would you be a member of?
A: I wish I could be a member of The Office.
Q: If you were famous, what would you be famous for?
A: Acting? I think that would be pretty cool.
Q: If you could write your own fortune cookie fortune, what would it say?
A: Baby shark doodoodadoodadoo
Q: If you were a professional wrestler, what would your finishing move be called?
A: GNB (Good Night Boy)
Q: Who do you look up to for inspiration at BTSCF?
A: Mike Simmons
Q: What is your favorite movement?
A: Snatches
Q: What is your least favorite movement?
A: Burpees
Q: What is the one thing you’ve done at BTSCF that your old self wouldn’t ever believe?
A: Entered myself into workout competitions.
Hack Your WOD: Wall Balls
Wall Balls are a movement that everyone loves to hate. We have not seen them yet in the Open thus far, so there is a good chance we could see them pop up in the last two weeks. Here are a few tips to improving your wall balls.
PUT THE BALL DOWN - For most people, the “worst” wall balls are the first couple within each set. This is normally caused by where you put your feet. If you are not set up with the right distance, your wall balls will be more challenging. Here’s a simple fix. Once you have your optimal wall ball position, put the ball down between your feet. Do this at the end of each set so you know when you come back to the ball to put your feet on each side and you’re ready to go. Don’t throw the ball for your last rep and let the ball fall to the floor and roll around. The extra second it takes to place the ball on the ground each round will pay off in the long run.
USE A TRIPOD - We all know that three points of contact is more stable than two. Check out this video which shows how to achieve better stability with a tripod setup.