USA and UK: CrossFit in Denver, New York, Quantico, London, and Edinburgh

Ems and Suz by Loch Lomond on a wintry, snowy day!!

Off Track.

OK,  so I haven’t posted about much lately (let alone about CrossFit or Paleo)….and that’s what this journey was meant to be about (amongst other things)!! So I guess this will be a long(ish) one. For those that ‘actually’ read this I’m sure you won’t mind. And everyone else probably haven’t noticed anyway, so no biggie. You’ve no doubt all been busy with Christmas and holidaying and all… Anyway – I’ve kind of gotten off track and for the last few weeks I’ve mainly been visiting friends and family and have had less time for writing than I have had for much of my journey. And, being hosted by friends and family, it has ironically been much harder for me to stay on track with diet and CrossFit….what with all the additional pressures involved.

Out running on a cold Scottish morning in the Kilmacolm countryside….

But I’ve managed to get out running a bit (despite the cold temps) and it hasn’t been the end of the world… I don’t regret it, because it’s been nice not having to worry about it all for a while. But anyway, half the purpose of this blog is keeping ME on track while I’m traveling and as a means for sifting my random thoughts into a useful order, so bear with me. December was interesting for CrossFit. The focus was snowboarding, but I was in a bit of a travel and motivational rut, where I was ‘over’ pretty much everything and feeling sorry for myself. And worrying about “stuff” back at home. Anyway, that meant that for a while I wasn’t CrossFitting all that much or eating that well at all (Paleo pretty much went out the window) and drinking quite a few alcoholic beverages (Christmas, New Years, New York, and staying with friends and family….I’ll leave that to your imagination….). And usually when I get off track for more than a week it’s not good. I get tired and grumpy and it takes a bit to get back on track. That’ll teach me. But I managed to find a cool box near the resort I was staying at in Winter Park, checked out a few different boxes in Denver, and then after Christmas in Ottawa when I got to New York I found another cool box in Queens around the corner from where I was staying. And then my first intro to CrossFit in the UK….2 boxes in London and one in Edinburgh. Surprisingly, not as popular as back in NZ / Aus (by a long way)…..  Gee….I didn’t realise how long it’s been since I posted!!! Here are some of the highlights from the boxes I’ve visited recently….

CrossFit Thin Air  – Fri 14 Dec, 6.30pm and Sat 15 Dec, 7.30 am

CrossFit Thin Air (CFTA) is about 15 minutes from the Winter Park (WP) ski area. It is a real example of a truly rural box that brings people in from all walks of lives. Teachers, mums, resort workers, professional skiers and boarders etc etc. Visiting CFTA was an unexpected surprise. I had been checking out the CrossFit affiliate locator website and noticed a small pin near Fraser, just down the road from the Winter Park Village where I was staying. I was suffering from a bit of CrossFit withdrawal, so it was an absolute godsend!! I contacted the owner Dave Zink and he was quick to get back to me and also offered to organise members to pick me up and drop me off. Awesome!!! When I arrived, I was impressed with the layout and organisation of the box – it’s perhaps the tidiest box I have seen, with the best and most efficient use of space!!

Genius!!!

It has to be because it’s small and has a busy membership!!!  And what a location!! – if I were to choose somewhere to base myself in the States, I’m sure it would be around here somewhere! There was also a super friendly vibe at this gym…you don’t get that everywhere by the way. There is a cool video on the CrossFit Community website that emphasizes this and how the box brings people together from all over the community. Everyone knows everyone else and they seem to have a lot of fun. Thats what it’s all about at the end of the day. Some of the members picked me up and dropped me off at the resort (thanks Michelle and John, Sue and Sarah!!!). Lots of people introduced themselves to me and asked what I was doing there. I was invited to the Sat night Christmas party, but had some other plans already so had to decline. Anyway – the box itself is in a converted shed / garage with two stories and plenty of room outside. Acres in fact. The website is easy to navigate – it has great nutritional information and recipes and an easy to use check in system Zen Planner). It’s a bit out of town, but most everyone around here has a truck or wagon of some description, so not a worry. The WOD’s were tough and quite oly lift focused (Hang snatch ladder, press / split jerks, followed by metcon with pull-ups, KB snatch and burpees. The coaching was good, and the athletes at the gym impressed me. A great experience.

CrossFit Lakewood  –  18 Dec, 5 pm

CrossFit Lakewood was around 30 minutes from where I was staying in Denver (by bus). It was on a main thoroughfare in a suburban strip mall with lots of good parking. The box itself was a “L shaped” with an open area that could be used by two concurrent classes. I had been late for the 4pm class so was plenty early for the 5pm class and had lots of time to warm up and roll out (plenty of foam rollers yah!!!). Orion, the owner was really friendly and the other coaches were constantly roaming the class and correcting members and providing direction as required. The members were friendly and introduced themselves and chatted which was nice. You don’t always get that. The WOD blew me away. Strength was good with split snatches (first time with these) and then there was a rather long metcon. I was humbled (a triplet with heavy push jerks, rows and KBS). Slick, professional class. One of the better boxes I’ve been to!!

CrossFit Broadway and CrossFit Undeniable

CrossFit Broadway  –  19 Dec, 4 pm

I visited CrossFit Broadway after a day of shopping in Denver. It was walking distance, so handy for me. I’d been in touch with Juli Bauer (who has a really cool food blog called paleOMG: and here’s a utube clip of her talking about CrossFit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4n4K3fhHb4. Anyway she’d told me that the owner was an expat kiwi rugby player Jason. I didn’t get to meet him, but there was evidence of this with lots of rugby memorabilia adorning the walls.The WOD was more squat snatches, then a metcon with push jerks, KBS and burpees (arrrggghh!!!)…. and also box jumps. The class was run at a fast pace and no mucking around which I liked! There was lots of work, a real gasser which was kind of humbling again looking at some of the scores from previous classes!! Made me realize how de-conditioned I had become. Liked the rugby memorabilia. I also liked Juli’s coaching style….outgoing, yet involved and active with all the members in the class. Perhaps not so good was that the box itself…seemed to be a bit unorganized. It had pretty much everything you would need…just that there were a holes under flooring and some of the equipment was in disrepair eg, cracked bumpers. A cool box that just seem to get on with it and work hard!

Sweat angel after filthy fifty!!!

CrossFit Undeniable  –  20 Dec 12, 9am

CrossFit Undeniable is a new box, having opened just at the end of last year. Co-owners Zac Wilson and Israel Campbell met while on active duty in the Marine Corps, where  a shared passion for fitness and a better life brought them back to Colorado…and to the opening of CrossFit Undeniable! I met Zac when he was spending some time in NZ and training / coaching at MAD CrossFit in Petone, Wellington. The new box is huge. A big open space with a large pull-up structure in the centre, plenty of wall space and all the equipment you could need!! And there is a mezzanine floor where an office and chill-out area will be going in.  As Westminster was quite a bus ride from where I was staying I had organised to attend the 9 am class, but no-one had booked in for it so it was just myself, Israel and Zac’s sister and brother-in-law who were visiting Denver. The WOD was Filthy 50 (one of my favorites), although not sure about my time. CF Undeniable have a nice website and social media presence and use the ‘influx’ online booking system. I like the inspirational ‘quote of the day’ or training tips / useful links that are posted with each WOD. These guys are still getting the box organised, (which is understandable) and even though the client base is small at the moment, but I have no doubt that it will grow in the new year with the amount of effort that they are putting in. This box will be awesome I have no doubt! Good luck guys!!!

CrossFit Queens – 4 WOD’s on 29, 30, 31 Dec 12, and 1 Jan 13.

I was staying with a couch-surfer in Queens and it just happened to be about a 10 min walk to CrossFit Queens. Very handy!! Anyway I was really needing it!! I was greeted by the owner Brandy and rolled out while filling out the waiver (on iPad very cool) while the 11am class was finishing up.  The 12pm class was an advanced class with a few of the coaches and other members doing the ‘Outlaw Wod’. 1RM’s snatch and C&J, front squats and a decent Metcon. Also met Nick Lobowski who knew some people I know back in NZ (it’s a small world after all).

29 Dec: 1rm snatch 60,65,70,75,80, 1rm c&j 60,75,85,95. Front squat  5×1 at 80% (103), every 30 secs, 1 min rest, 5×1 at 85% (113), every 30 secs, 1 min rest, 5×1 at 90% (118), every 30 secs, 1 min rest. Metcon: 1000m row, 3 RFT 25 x HR pushup, 25 x jumping back squat 45#, 25 x KBS 16 kg. 22.38

30 Dec: Warm up of 3 mins skipping and PVC drills. Then split in 2 heats and: A. 3RfT of: 7 power snatch 55#, 14 OHS, 21 OH lunge. B. tabata row, rest 5 mins, tabata row (1st rnd 330, 2nd end 345).

31 Dec: Snatch 80% 1×5, 90% 1×3, 95% 1×2, 70% 1×8 (65,75,80,60) Metcon: 100 Du’s, 90 air squats, 80 kbs, 70 sit-ups, 60 lunges (75#), 50 burpees, 40 hpc (75#), 30 hspu (sub push-up), 20 OHS (75#, subbed front squat), 10 muscle up (sub toes to bar). Snatches feeling a bit better, but Killer wod!! Met Jess P (former games competitor) who is still a beast!!

1 Jan:  Indian run 400m track, plank holds and burpees.

CrossFit Woodbridge

CrossFit Woodbridge (near Quantico) –  5 Jan 13, 9am 

CrossFit Woodbridge  is around 20 mins drive from where my friend is studying at USMC Base Quantico. He introduced me to a course-mate of his who does CrossFit there – Elvin from Singapore. Anyway, the box has been around for a while and has just extended its floorspace within the current location. It’s a reasonable size box now and the class I went to had around 20 or so people. Busy on a Saturday morning!  Dan, the owner is ex-military and he grew up in these parts. He was really welcoming and ran a well structured class. We went through a traditional ‘military’ style warm up and then some specific warm up exercises for the WOD. And the WOD was “Baseline” – ironic really as I had been talking to my friends the night before and had told them about baseline. Anyway – not my best ever time, but really feeling it on the push-ups and pullups. 4:38. Also did 10 mins volume training on each of ‘Pistols’ and ‘TTB’. Oh, and it was nice to be in a box that have foam rollers and lacrosse balls to roll out with!

CrossFit London (UK) – 11 Jan 13, 12.30pm.

I walked to CrossFit London from my sister’s house in Islington and it took around 45 mins  – a nice warm up in the cold weather. It was near Bethnal Green in East London – an up and coming ‘hip’ area, and the box itself was in a wee service lane with mechanics and the like. The main WOD area in the box was kind of small and felt a little make do and cramped. The equipment was stored mainly on the floor, to the extent that the kettle bells became a hazard when we were doing split jerks from the racks. Anyway, there was a short warm up and straight into it (felt kind of rushed). Seemed like most of the people in the class didn’t know each other and it was a kind of weird atmosphere. No warm down or stretch after the class and no opportunity to either as the coach had to leave quickly to go to another class somewhere else (I know it was meant to be an ‘express 30 min lunch class’, but it was cutting it a bit fine). Strength was 3 x 5 Jerk (30, 32.5, 35, 37.5, 40 kg…nowhere near a decent 1RM). Metcon: 7 min AMRAP of manmakers (7.5kg DB), 1 min rest, 7 min AMRAP of manmakers (7.5kg DB). OUCH!!

CrossFit Central London –  13 Jan 13, 10am. 

CrossFit Central London is located in a business district near the Bridge of London, up a service alley with lots of road works nearby. But despite all that, and the fact it was pretty hard to find, it’s a cool box. But, when I finally got there, it was all good. There were two main WOD areas, one more for met-cons and one set up for lifting. There was a large pull-up structure in the middle and plenty of equipment stored neatly along the walls. I know a box is well set up when I arrive if there are plenty of foam rollers and mobility tools like rubber bands etc. Just saying. A good thing too, as I was kind of stiff and had a sore lower back from sleeping on it weird on the plane from NYC…. Anyway, it just happened to be a Hero WOD the morning I turned up. Great.  Coach Naema was really cool – an ex Israeli DF Krav Maga expert who lived for many years in the US and moved to the UK just over 6 months ago. She helped me out with some mobility and stretches for my back which was great. The WOD was  “Jerry” – 1 mile run, 2k row, 1 mile run. 25 mins 10 sec. Ouch. I think it was a good 28 mins or so…..

CrossFit in Edinburgh – 16 Jan 13, 5.30 pm. 

CF in Edinburgh was just around the corner from where I was staying, not far from Holyrood Park and down a semi industrial lane in a mainly residential part of town (parking was kind of difficult). A small box that has only been open since around Oct 2012. It’s fairly sparse on equipment and still building members. No foam rollers ;-( Not much to say really. The WOD made me realise again how out of shape I am and how much work I will have to do when I  get home. Jamie was friendly and had a unique coaching style…. very focused on the newbies in the class which was good!!! The WOD was 5×5 Back Squat (around 10-15kgs lighter than my usual), then a 5 min or so metcon with squat thrusts, goblet squats and dyna push ups (first time for me). (21-15-9). Thanks to Jamie and the 5.30pm crew for a nice warm welcome. And, the paleo snacks / coconut water were awesome!!