Friday is Day 3 in our CrossFit cycle.
**Note: Russ’s reflection is below Kim’s.**
It's been a great ride.
Kim’s Perspective….Russ to follow.
My stomach has a few “flutterflies” going ’round. I still remember that Sunday morning waking up and telling Russ “I think I want to start a CF Affiliate. I think I can help people.” From the beginning he was on board and spent countless hours and dollars helping to create CFP out of our garage. Thank you Russ~ I Love You.
As I reflect on January 17, 2009 to present I believe I can honestly say I helped people. And with that, I REMEMBER WHEN:
Donna and Mel made their first appearance at CFP 1/17/09. They were sick and tired of feeling “frumpy” and made a commitment to themselves. These 2 ladies started with a PVC for barbell work and pull ups in a green band with assistance from me to get their chin over the bar. Today, they have kipping pull ups and confidently load barbells.
Everyone started keeping a notebook to document their achievements. I think athletes feel “lost” without their books now.
Tape grips became kind of our CFP trademark~they certainly do help though!
The rite of passage to a new level of “tough”is when you rip for the first time.
Kathy C. loved posting about S-N-A-T-C-H WODs. Remember when she put “Michael” up on the white board as 4 rounds and it’s only 3!
We got so excited about GOLD, SILVER, & BRONZE podium spots for the new post!
I put Lisa and Jodi through their first “Murph”. At the end Lisa had a headache the size of Yankee Stadium! They both kept hoping a car would run ‘em over on that second run.
McGraw wanted a personal DJ to pump out motivational tunes while she WODed and would blow off a WOD to do “Thong Class”. I also remember her gaining crazy strength gains on the barbell.
Meme got her first kipping pull up and pulled a 210# dead off the ground.
We all had to finish our runs up that God awful hill of a driveway at CFP HQ!
Caleb did his first WOD in the garage~ FGB and nearly died. I also remember him doing his first “Murph” and Ian and I kept cranking the speed on the treadmill in the basement. He nearly fell off the treadmill when he finished and we had a bucket by his side just in case!
Carrie got “caught” doing bicep curls and was then dubbed “Bicep Bowman” by Caleb. I remember Carrie HATING the barbell and now being OK with it and even liking the S-N-A-T-C-H!
Being so PUMPED about our first “Fran” in the garage~ I scared the crap out of Stacy Dykins….she hasn’t been back since!
Tommy V. was suppose to be at work but came to help out on Good Friday 2009~ it was a CrossFit Total and the garage was crawling with sooo many people b/c the had the day off.
On that Good Friday 2009 Animal Control showed up and we all thought it was the police~ Jason Blyler was going for a back squat and very quietly backed away from the squat rack.
There was a sea of pink and white tank tops running the first Bill Landers 5K and Carrie taking first place in her age group!
We borrowed Dave Berger’s Modern Plumbing box truck to move equipment from the garage to CFP’s current location….I was in hysterics with Jason driving! I also remember feeding all the kids a pizza lunch and their dining area was the back of the box truck!
Tommy V. was bench pressing Diana on my kitchen floor at one of our CFP parties.
Gail worked and worked on the timing of a kipping pull up but still resorted to doing dead hangs in a WOD~that’s one strong lady!
I yelled at Barb to get deeper in her squat during wall balls and she turned with daggers in her eyes and did a karate chop to her crotch indicating that the squats were killin’ her!
Mrs. C would yell out loud “C’MON CARLA” when she got pissed at herself during a WOD! You have come so far with CF Mrs. C….keep at it girl!
Rielly did 11 rounds of that pull up ladder summer 2009~ 1 pull up the first minute, 2 pull ups the second minute, etc…until you can’t get the # of pull ups done in the minute.
The kids would make up their own work outs, do them, and then make up more to do at Minnechaug.
Donna bought 2 log books at one time so they matched..wonder what’s going to happen when this one is all used up.
Mel would get confused with some WODs and add/delete reps or rounds~ kind of like I did for “Jerry” earlier this month.
Kimberley faced that barbell and pull up bar conquering them both!
Pam warmed up with various dance skills before WODing.
Carlos did a guest Boot Camp class for us~we were all fired up!
Carlos’s client Don~ age 70 with Parkinson’s did a 16″ box jump!
Caleb took on evening hours and has done really well by his night athletes.
Tommy V. and Russ believed that I would make it to the 2009 Games in Aromas, CA.
Lara did a walking lunge WOD summer 2009 and it was dumping rain outside~ she dug deep and kept on lunging in and out of that garage bay.
Jane & Eileen being 2 of the strongest ladies I know~ talk about raw talent for the barbell!
Adele was in the green band for pull ups and now she’s in the red and on the cusp for not needing any band!
Feeney would WOD and help out and get us all laughing. I remember Feeney fulfilling her dream of opening 180 Nutrition~Congrats Sarah and never lose that fire in your belly.
Meme was SO EXCITED about her lifting shoes birthday gift.
My dad had PERFECT air/ back/front/overhead squat and deadlift form back in the garage with no formal training.
Russ taught J.T. how to do a muscle up a few weeks ago.
I saw some of Justin’s weight load numbers posted on the white board~ he is STRONG!
Gram & Poppa worked on press, KB swings, and deads when they visited in September 2010~ 85 and 87 years old tearin’ it up!
Thank you everyone for choosing CrossFit Persevere to help you on your fitness journey. CrossFit isn’t just another work out, it’s a lifestyle filled with genuine support and enthusiasm for each other. 3-2-1 GO! to creating more fun filled CrossFit memories and PR’s at CrossFit 033!
Wishing all of you good health and lots of happiness. Love, Kim/Kimmie
Feel free to add on any of your “Remember When” moments to the comments section.
Russ Comments:
Great post by Kim…. I remember the day it started, and today, the day CFP ends – I went to CFP today and did the final workout as CFP – 30 Muscle Ups for Time (for Kim & her gymnastics excellence) time: 7:34 -PR by over a minute! I picked this workout because when I started I could do zero muscle ups, and at one time, I thought is was impossible to break 10 minutes, and 3 years later – it’s great to continue to improve and end on a personal high note. – and I continue to encourage everyone to keep pushing and improving! I love how CFP started… and while it’s the end in a way, there’s a very good path forward. And for all of us, we can learn more, get stronger, and be fitter together – which is what it’s always been about, and why we all started CrossFit!
Kim was always the heart of CFP – the drive. I always considered myself the “soul”…. much less chatty on the blog, much less of a CrossFit celebrity, and not there dealing with all of the day to day at all. What I liked most about CFP was the opportunity to share my passion for fundamental CrossFit with all of you. Some of my earliest memories were when Kim first tried CrossFit, and how well she did….. and when she started she kind of worked it into her workouts at The Wellness Center…. seems like a lifetime ago! At the time I was working out with my brother who was a great CrossFit partner….. Kim just kept getting better and better – and working with her, and seeing her rise to be a CrossFit Games competitor (and subsequent celebrity) was a real charge for me! Her ability to take a negative, channel her energy, and come through the other side stronger – and then share with people was really what got CFP going, and it’s all be worth it and then some!
The garage was great, and I remember our first member (Tommy V), and he was just scary intense…. and then all these people started showing up, and as they all took to it, I was amazed how hard you all worked, and how well everyone did! Some of my favorite memories include when Kim did her first Muscle Up (ancient history) when all the great people helped us move. There were so many good memories of people just improving their squats, getting a pullup, or learning a technique – and I really appreciate being able to share so many of those moments! I remember Donna getting her pullup, Mel getting her pullup, Meme getting her pullup; working squats with Mrs. C; working squat with Dr. John and Jason Blyler……and so many other milestones…. and some of my favorites were when Caleb, Ian, and JT got their muscle ups!
Overtime I focused more and more on fundamentals – and I’m really proud of how well the people who came and trained perform the basics. I honestly believe the core people who trained consistently with CFP have the heart, and technique and attitude to do well at any CrossFit gym – and that’s a great feeling, and a tribute to Kim and everyone who trained at CFP! In addition, I’ve made some good friends, and we’ve all shared some great moments – so thank you all!
I am also really proud of Caleb. This kid showed up in good shape, but with an overhead squat of about 95 pounds, and over the last 2 years has taken his knowledge and expertise to another level. From a martial arts perspective, one of the greatest things that can happen is when the student’s knowledge exceeds the “teachers”. Caleb has done this, and he’s sought out the best CrossFit people, and continues to take his game higher. He’s really joined Kim as a CrossFit Elite, and I’m sure he’s going to continue to do well. I really wish him success, and I’ll be cheering for him!
When we started, we talked about what people should expect from CrossFit. At some level, all of us share a desire to be fit – and to evolve and improve. Against the backdrop of age, we all push ourselves to the edge of our abilities – and I believe this drive makes us more alive, more engaged – and better people. We all need to measure ourselves against ourselves – and that’s why our motto was – “You are your own yardstick”. To be alive is to grow; when we stop growing we stop living. In many ways, fitness is a metaphor for life – and CrossFit is a great system. I sincerely hope you all continue on your CrossFit Journey, and continue to achieve goals that you at one time thought were not possible.
“There is no finish line”
Best to you all -
Russ
GOLD
I remember when Berger, aka Mango, ate bad fruit for breakfast and then joined us for a WOD!
hahaha…funny now, but that day Berger was GGGRRREEENNN! McGraw hasn’t called Donna “Mango” in a long time!
Silver ~
I remember Tommy V. coaching Kimmie with the eye of the tiger…”don’t you stop!”
oh, yes….I shudder just thinking about it! I mean that in the most positive way to Tommy V.!
I just shuddered thinking about you on my a$$ during “Fran” and a SDHP/PJ 21 to 3 thing back in Aug.!
Wow kimmie that is quite a synopsis! You could go on many pages more with all of the agony and fun and of course real results! Thanks for making me push myself a little harder…Thanks for making the transition to the new owner so easy! You have certainly helped me do things in the gym that I never thought I could do!
We are up WAY too late!
Way too many memories to list. I miss you guys. Best of luck in the next chapter. Keep on kickin’ butt, everyone!
CFP has been one helluva a crazy, fun, and challenging ride for me. The personal gains for me have been huge (never before would I think of doing the things that we do) but more importantly it has been the great friends and memories created along the way that have made an even bigger impact. The support and enthusiasm in and outside of the gym is priceless. It has been an honor to be part of such a great group of people and I look forward to many more memories and PR’s in the future.
Knock em dead with the final CFP WOD today morning crew! Wish I was there but I’ll be there in spirit yet in NH with wallet
Oh my Goodness. I couldn’t stay up last night to claim the GOLD spotski!!
Kimmie, great trip down memory lane. There are so many memories…..it has been awesome to have been with you on the CrossFit journey since the beginning; the raw beginning, of doing WODS at “Healthcrax”;…. seems so long ago. We have all come so far in our fitness levels, and our personal growth as athletes, all due to CFP! Like “Mango” said (ha), alot of us could not imagine that we would ever be challenging ourselves with the types of workouts that we do, on a daily basis.
Today is the last day of the “old chapter”, but just the beginning of a new and exciting chapter that we are all both excited and anxious to begin!! BRING IT ON CROSSFIT 033!!!
Many many memories Malz’s! Loved being at the garage! I remember my first day. I walked “into the Malz home” so weird! And then into the garage…kim introduced me then to her private garage. She put me through 3 rounds of warm up and my ass wass officially KICKED…I grabbed my water bottle and I was DONE. she told me we Now gotta do a workout, girl!…..I Was Crying inside!!! It wasn’t too long after that that I fell in love with the crossfit concept….thank you Kim and Russ…..miss my Tommy V too! Have thouroughly enjoyed working out with you, Justin! Justin….you need to post soon! Hurry!
Kimmie when did you start writing all this stuff????????????Great comments and awesome thought put into every person. Nicely said.
Great people and great friends.
Love Mrs. C
Some of my fondest memories are the times when several of us were grinding through some long-a$$ WOD at the same time, cheering each other on here and there while catching a quick breather, the laughs before and after, and celebrating each others personal accomplishments. I’m grateful for the friendships as well as the the fitness that CFP brought into my life.
It’s been an enriching, empowering and truly fun journey, here’s to the next leg of the journey with CF 033
Mel I have to agree with you. Very well said. Will miss those days. Mrs. C
The days are STILL GOING TO BE FUN, CHALLENGING, AND FULL OF LAUGHS…I have no doubt Mrs. C!!
I’ll expect to see you at CrossFit 033 Tuesday morning.
Kim & Russ,
Thanks for the great ride! You folks have been wonderful to work with. I’ve been around the fitness industry for a long time and I can honestly say that your the “fittest” couple I’ve ever seen. Kim – keep inspiring, because to preach / teach the gospel of FITNESS you must be the “product of the product”. Bowman and McGraw – you two are definately Summa Cum Laude students when it comes to being Female Fitness Studs! To all the other folks, please remember that for this S#@T to work you must “leave your comfort zone”. The endorphins must dance!!! Happy HEART pumping!
Carlos
Carlos, you are an amazing trainer. I will miss being able to observe and soak it all in you as you train your clients.
You have a wealth of knowledge and an amazing energy about you! You are inspirational to many!
Make sure you stop by and WOD with us occasionally. Let me know where you end up teaching BOOT and I will be all over it!
Carlos,
I am honored to be looked at as “the fittest couple” and “a product of the product” from your perspective~thank you!
Get goin’ on those boot camp classes at Mission Fitness..I need a good Carlos beating without getting kicked out of the building!!
Thanks. I think your the bomb!
Carlos, thank you so much for the compliment; you are too kind!! I will miss your positive attitude and smiling face and watching you motivate and train the various athletes that you have brought through the doors of CFP!! Keep motivating people and making them better athletes; it is truly your calling!
What a morning!! First of all, thanks so much Gail for the edible arrangement; i did forget to take a chocolate covered strawberry though before it headed out the door!!
Nice having our crew together this morning, everyone working on various WODs…..could i have procrastinated any more before finally staring “Grace”?? I am still pretty sore from the snatch WOD on Wed, so i was in no hurry to do this one!
Grace
30 reps for time:
Clean & Jerk: Did 80# (85 would be what i would have done if i wasn’t so sore, but this was a good weight for me today!!)
Time: 4:33
Worked Wendler backsquats with Barbie Beefcakes and Mel;
115X3, 130X3, 145X1
Then talked myself into running a 5K with Mrs. C!! Thanks so much for keeping me company on the first part of the run Mrs. C; i was nervous about crossing Hebron Ave….and sooooo sorry i stopped the watch; UGH!! My time was 25:02. I thought i would go into cardiac arrest after i crossed Hebron Ave. on the way back as i was sprinting across to avoid getting knocked off by a car!! No lie!
Nice work everyone; shed a tear to say goodbye to the old CFP,and raise your glass to the new 033!!
Off to the Uconn W. VA game tonight, we will freeze our A’s off while tailgating and watching the game; WHOOPIE!!!!!!!!!!!
It’ll be a continued adventure for us all Pam!!!
walking in to persevere in a bad mood and leaving almost in tears because I was now in a good mood feeling cared for.
Getting a birthday card with everyones name in it!!
learning life lessons as I went along with proper form and technique.
Blacking out on the rower at the 09′ regionals.
Helping Ian loose 70lbs.
Hi to all CFP peeps. glad I was able to stop by this am for the official last day of CFP. I do not feel sad because come Monday am, I will still be WODING with all of you. Gail, you will be missed, but I look forward to you dropping into WOD with us once in awhile.
Although change can be stressful and anxiety provoking, it is always good. We are all familiar with getting OUT OF OUR COMFORT zone on a regular basis since beginning our journeys with crosfit. I think we would all agree, that only good things have come from it!
I remember when Kim first told me about crossfit. That I was not that interested in the beginning is an understatement. It took me a LONG time to wrap my head around it all and fully commit. And really, it was a lot of other CHANGES that occurred that sort of “forced” me to go ALL IN with crossfit. And, as I stated above, only GOOD came from that!
Thank you to Kim and Russ for providing us with a starting point with this amazing discipline. The friendships I have stengthened and the new ones I have formed I am thankful for.
I look forward to what this new chapter brings. I imagine it will all be good!
See you all on Monday morning ready to ROCK AND ROLL!!!
When you committed, you wrapped your head around CF with continued improvements and solid WOD performances Carrie!
Caleb~ GREAT REFLECTIONS. Thank you for sharing. I remember your row at the ’09 Regionals vividly!
Thanks Caleb for all your help. Iam still verrrrry , very sad tonight. It was a very big part of my life with having no kids home and something fun to do. I will miisss all the posts and I have tears in my eyes reading them all from such wonderful people that I have meet in the last year in a half. I am sad. Mrs. C
Well said Carlos so true..
That is the difference between a gym rat and a crossfit girl. I need to make that leap.
wow that is hard.
I walked into CFP this morning with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes. I don’t like endings and am not very good at saying good bye…But Coach was right there in the lobby and the usual AM suspects were milling around in the gym, and we chatted and shared the Edible Arrangement (compliments of Gail) ~ maybe procrastinated a bit more and the CF comradarie feeling was still there – it didn’t leave. And everyone took on Wendler BS and their WOD of choice.
As I reflected throughout the day on my nearly two year CF journey, I came to realize this change is not about me. I have no right to be sad! It’s about Kim. CFP was born of her desire to help people and she and Russ brought that dream to fruition. My belief is that this allowed Kim to focus on others ~ always the teacher, as another part of her healing cycle. Countless people have reaped the benefits of her knowledge and dedication to CF. Time marches on. Things change. This is Kim’s well deserved time to focus on herself and her busy family. I celebrate you Kimmie and can’t thank you enough for all your training, encouragement and push. I am a better person for it.
Here’s to the next chapter at CF 033 ~ 3-2-1-GO!
Whats the word on the TOTAL? Anxious to hear how things went!! Let us know…..
By far, the best part of the day was watching Mom lift. Although she didn’t technically place, she was very inspiring and fun to watch. Awesome lady! (425 pts.)
Kim took 2nd Place in the Women’s Division. Grace on Thursday was the Kiss of Death. Great job, still! (617 pts.)
Melinda did pretty well also. I don’t know her so hopefully it matches or exceeds her regular gym performances. (440 pts.)
You ladies really made the place fun and I look forward seeing you and some of your cronies next Saturday for a couple of hours of O-liftin’.
Thanks for the update Randy! I look forward to meeting you next Saturday!
Randy, thanks for your kind words for my Mom….I agree, she is a CF hot ticket! It is almost her 2 year CF anniversary and today was her first CF competition…way to get out of the comfort zone!
Mel~ standing ovation to you as well! Mel put herself out there in her first CF competition and after being initially rattled about a “failed BS” she regained her composure and nailed it! And, her dead lift PR of 215# went up like BUTTA’….probably didn’t feel like BUTTA’, but it looked great!
Thanks for the FB and website shout outs~it was a fun experience and hangin’ with CF people is a good time!
Randy ~ Many thanks for your kind words! To say I was nervous about the competition today (my first…) is an understatement, but your warm welcome and encouragement made this a great experience for me.
Looking forward to next Saturday!
Randy; thanks for the update!! I wish i could make next week’s event; it would be a great way to improve and learn some new things…………
GREAT WORK MEMS, KIM AND MEL!! CONGRATS ON 2ND PLACE KIMMIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NICE WORK GIRLS!!!
Thanks! I was really proud of Mel and Meme for putting themselves out there…..competing 1 person at a time with all those eyes on them, using all metal plates and no bumpers, and the strict rulings….they did SUPER!
Thanks Carrie ~ Talk about getting comfortable with the uncomfortable!!
thanks Pam!
Thanks McGraw! It was a really fun day
Thanks girls! It was fun
I commented yesterday afternoon but it says “waiting moderation” wassup with that? I’ll try to cut and paste it!
Hey McGraw! It was a blast. Kimmie beefcakes got 2nd place!!!! Meme & I were pretty dang close to 3rd. VERY scary at first, even missed my 1st BS attempt, “no lift” due to not enough depth, SUPER embarassing, but then went on to get a 215pr on deads.
Glad I went, definately a good experience, Randy’s a good guy, the Oly seminar should be great next weekend.
See you all Monday:)
I remember when Vickers and I set Kim up to do Diane. She did it in sub 3 minutes. When she was done we let her know that she actually did it 20lbs heavier then rx’d
hehe!
Thanks Kim/Russ. Its been a great couple of years. Terrific instructors, better people. I miss the garage, with the eternal driveway. It was always fun with a great group of people always helpful no matter what level the athlete was at.
Thank you for all your help and the winning positive attitude that was evident no matter the location.
thanks Justin!
Feeney~ I remember that “Diane” day VERY VIVIDLY! I am very careful to check my loads now!!