Just a reminder every month we have an attendance challenge, in which,  every athlete who attends 20 or more classes in a month will be put in a drawing for a cool prize! We had more people achieve this goal than any other month which is awesome!  In the month of March we had FIVE athletes complete the challenge and will be put in the drawing.

March Attendance Challenge Athletes

Abby Dinn- 22

John Smith- 22

Josh Hefner- 21

Bethany Sink- 20

Wendy Neal- 20

Great job!

1. Name:

Vic Smith

2. Age, Occupation:

59 years,  Semi-retired

3. What is your athletic background?

I played football, basketball, and track in high school.  Then, as an adult I played softball.

4. How long have you been doing cross fit and how/why did you start?

I started 4+ years ago.  I started to get in better shape and spend more time with my kids.  Also to be able to keep up and play with my 5 grand kids.

5. How did it feel emotionally and physically when you started cross fit?

When I first started I was nervous/scared emotionally.  Physically I was at the lowest I have ever been.

6. What is it about Rend Lake Cross fit that keeps you coming back?

The people and helping others.

7. What is one goal/personal record(PR) you would like to accomplish within CrossFit and what is one thing you have accomplished already?

I would like to be able to do a bar muscle up.  I have accomplished a lot of things, like a 300 lb back squat and running a 5 k.

8. Favorite movement and/or WoD and Least favorite movement and/or Wod.

My favorite WOD s are the tabatas.   My least favorite movements is wall balls.

Just a reminder every month we have an attendance challenge, in which,  every athlete who attends 20 or more classes in a month will be put in a drawing for a cool prize!  February was a tough month with only 28 days which made it extra challenging!  In the month of February we had three athletes complete the challenge and will be put in the drawing.  We will draw tomorrow(3/2) at the 4:15p class.

February Attendance Challenge Athletes

Abby Dinn- 21

John Smith- 20 (only repeater from January)

Josh Hefner- 21

Announcement:  Another Open Season is upon us!  This year is going to be bigger, better, and more fun than even last year.  Some of you are asking what is the “Open”?  The Open is the worlds premier test of fitness.  It is a 5-week long competition with a new WoD released every week for everyone to do.  There are tons of different divisions so there is one for everyone including Rx’d, Scaled, Masters, and even Teens.  Here at RLCF we use it as a 5-week long benchmark to see how much we have improved our fitness over the last year.  It’s also a time to build our amazing community here at RLCF and new this year it will be a time to build the Crossfit community in Southern Illinois as well.  This year we will be traveling to 3 other local Crossfit boxes to compete and cheer on them on as well.

Week 1:  February 24th.  Held at Rend Lake Crossfit for just our box!

Week 2:  March 3rd.  Held at Crossfit Henosis

Week 3:  March 10th.  Held at Crossfit Marion

Week 4:  March 17th. Held at Rend Lake Crossfit all boxes will be coming to join us!(I’ll need some volunteers for this and will have more information in the near future)

Week 5:  March 24th. Held at Crossfit Little Egypt

So don’t miss out on this great opportunity to see how fit you  really are or to just establish a benchmark to compare to each year.  Also, as seen above we are going in with CFM, CFLE, and CFH to purchase some awesome Open T-shirts.  Cost for Tees are $20.  Bring your cash and fill out an order form  by Monday(2/13).  Shirts will be available in both men’s and women’s sizes and different styles.

1. Name:

J.D. Freehill

2. Age, Occupation:

39, Electronics Technician, Federal Aviation Administration

3. What is your athletic background?

I quit smoking when I was 30 and decided to get back into shape. I began running (obsessively) and worked my way up in distance. I completed 3 marathons prior to starting CrossFit.

4. How long have you been doing cross fit and how/why did you start?

My first class was in August of 2014. I started CrossFit because I was plagued with overuse injuries from the running.

5. How did it feel emotionally and physically when you started cross fit?

When I first started I thought I was in pretty good shape, but soon realized that I was not as well-rounded of an athlete as I had believed. Although I could run fairly well, I could hardly jump on a 20” box. Also, my upper body strength and anaerobic stamina was terrible.

6. What is it about Rend Lake Cross fit that keeps you coming back?

The culture at RLC is great; I have always felt like there is a family type of atmosphere. I have always been encouraged to do my best and have never felt overwhelmed or intimidated. We as a box celebrate when a newer athlete gets their first pull-up just as much as we cheer for the one who pulls a pound 450 lb. deadlift for the first time.

7. What is one goal/personal record(PR) you would like to accomplish within CrossFit and what is one thing you have accomplished already?

I am currently working on learning to handstand walk. I also got my first ring muscle up in 2016, which was a big one for me.

8. Favorite movement and/or WoD and Least favorite movement and/or Wod.

I still love to run during METCONS and 400’s are my preferred distance per round. I also enjoy back squatting for strength. My least favorite movement (and I am pretty sure I am not alone) is the overhead squat.

Starting in January we decided to start something new without even telling you guys.  We started an Attendance Club!  Every athlete who attends 20 or more classes in a month will be put in a drawing for a cool prize!  In the month of January we had four athletes complete the challenge and will be put in the drawing.  We will draw tomorrow(2/6) at the 4:15p class.

January Attendance Challenge Athletes

Amber Smith- 20

J.D. Freehill- 21

John Smith- 21

Vic Smith- 21

It’s not to late to get in the drawing for February all you have to do is come to class and sign-in!

A lot of you have been asking for a new “Challenge” so here it is.  Everyone loves rowing so I figured why not do a ROWING CHALLENGE!  The challenge is to row a marathon(42,195m) in under 5 weeks(no big deal right).  Why rowing you say.  Rowing is a full body workout. It uses almost every major muscle group in your body. Rowing hits the lats, quads, hamstrings, glutes, abs, obliques, lower back, shoulders, and both biceps and triceps. And since you’re using so many muscles at once, you will most certainly be elevating your heart rate.  You can easily burn over 1000 calories/hour on a rower.  Most of all it will help your performance in the 2017 Crossfit Games Open.  How the challenge works is that you pay $20 to get in the challenge everyone who completes the challenge spilts the money in the pot.  For example, let say 15 people get in the challenge there would be $300 in the pot.  Lets also say only 8 complete the challenge each person will recieve $37.50 and be amazing rowers.  You have until Tuesday January 23rd to sign-up but the challenge will start this Friday January 20th.  We will have sheets at the box to track your meters rowed and to keep everyone accountable.  Be aware we only have 4 Rowers to share so you better get on them anytime one is free.

What:  Row a Marathon(42,195 meters)

When:  1/20-2/23

Cost:  $20

Abby Oct 2015 one month before starting at RLCF

October 2016 at Inflatable 5k

1. Name: Abby Dinn
2. Age, Occupation: 45, Assistant State’s Attorney
3. What is your athletic background?

I have absolutely zero athletic background.  I was the smart kid in high school with no coordination. That carried over into my adult life. For a few years after my youngest son was born (15 years ago), I rode a bicycle daily during the summer and loved it, but for the five years prior to starting CrossFit, I always used the excuse that I was too busy with work, school and raising a family to exercise. When I began CrossFit, I was the heaviest I’ve ever been and in the worst shape of my life.

4. How long have you been doing CrossFit and how/why did you start?

I started CrossFit on November 13, 2015. Getting into shape and losing weight were the furthest things from my mind when I started. In April, ‘15, I spent a week in the hospital with bi-lateral pneumonia. That was a wake-up call as to my health, but it wasn’t the only catalyst. I had become so stressed with issues in my personal life that my doctor and I were frustrated with traditional treatment. My blood pressure was consistently high, I was having constant headaches, and I had developed TMJ such that my jaw was locked shut from grinding my teeth at night. Doc suggested Rend Lake CrossFit at my check-up on November 11, 2015. I left his office and drove straight there. Being a holiday, I was lucky to catch them just as they were finishing the only class of the day. I set an appointment with Joseph for the Introductory Class two days later and started the Foundations Class the very next week. I’ve been hooked ever since.

5. How did it feel emotionally and physically when you started?

Emotionally, I fell in love. My doctor was right. During that one hour of the day, I thought of nothing else in the world except what I was doing that very moment. It quickly became, and still is, my escape, my therapy. One full hour of the day set aside for me . . . only me. I began to protect it at all costs. Physically, I had never been so sore in my life. But as time went on, I began to feel alive again. I began to feel and see muscles in places I had never seen them before. It was exhilarating.

6. What is it about Rend Lake CrossFit that keeps you coming back?

Where do I begin? My CrossFit family have become some of my favorite people in the world. It is my home. Nothing builds more camaraderie than forging through some of the most physically challenging workouts side by side. We cheer each other on. We dread workouts together then we share the feeling of triumph when we’ve survived and conquered them.

Regarding technique, the coaches at Rend Lake CrossFit stress mobility, stretching, warmup, and form. They are phenomenal instructors, watching every member closely and correcting us when necessary so we don’t injure ourselves. They encourage us. They know our strengths and weaknesses and instruct us accordingly.

7. What is one goal/personal record (PR) you would like to accomplish within CrossFit and what is one thing you have accomplished already?

From day one I’ve been fascinated with Toes-To-Bar and the other gymnastic movements. I’m dying to swing from the pull-up bars and rings like I did on monkey-bars when I was in grammar school. As for current movement accomplishments, I’ve been doing hand stands, cartwheels, and box jumps like a teenager for several months now. One year ago, I’d have laughed hysterically at the thought of ever doing another cartwheel in my lifetime.

I’ve completed a 5k, enjoy playing baseball and backyard football with my kids again, and I’m always up for a physical challenge. As for my health, I’ve lost 65 pounds, I’m in a size dress that I haven’t worn in 29 years, and I feel better than I’ve ever felt in my life. (I know that’s more than one accomplishment, but they are all so fantastic, I couldn’t pick just one.)

8. Favorite movement and or WoD and least favorite movement and or WoD.

Favorite: Murph – by far the most challenging physical work I’ve ever done, but the feeling of accomplishment when it’s over is unparalleled.

Least Favorite: Burpees, duh.

Announcement:  Another Open Season is upon us!  This year is going to be bigger, better, and funnier than even last year.  Some of you are asking what is the “Open”?  The Open is the worlds premier test of fitness.  It is a 5-week long competition with a new WoD released every week for everyone to do.  There are tons of different divisions so there is one for everyone including Rx’d, Scaled, Masters, and even Teens.  Here at RLCF we use it as a 5-week long benchmark to see how much we have improved our fitness over the last year.  It’s also a time to build our amazing community here at RLCF and new this year it will be a time to build the Crossfit community in Southern Illinois as well.  This year we will be traveling to 3 other local Crossfit boxes to compete and cheer on them on as well.

Week 1:  February 26th.  Held at Rend Lake Crossfit for just our box!

Week 2:  March 4th.  Held at Rend Lake Crossfit all boxes will be coming to join us!(I’ll need some volunteers for this and will have more information in the near future)

Week 3:  March 11th.  Held at Crossfit Marion

Week 4:  March 18th. Held at Crossfit Little Egypt

Week 5:  March 25th. Held at Crossfit Henosis

So don’t miss out on this great opportunity to see how fit you  really are or to just establish a benchmark to compare to each year.  Also, as seen above we are going in with CFM, CFLE, and CFH to purchase some awesome Open T-shirts.  Cost for Tees are $20.  Bring your cash and fill out an order form  by Tuesday(2/9).  Shirts will be available in both men’s and women’s sizes.

Announcement:  Yoga today from 9a to 10a!  Bring 2 beach towels with you.

Metcon

TBA