As the temperature heats up, so does the programming at both gyms.  In June you’ll see a few benchmarks and a few twists to some benchmarks.  Things to look forward to include: Annie’s Got the Runs, Fran, Loredo, a DT/Mary mash up, and Zembiec. 
 
Olympic lifting, two heavy lifts, midline, and either mobility or skills continue to show up each week.  Please keep in mind that if while we do work midline once a week and mobility every other week, it’s important to make these two things a part of your regular gym routine.  Your lifts are only as strong as your midline, and you only move as well as your mobility (or lack there-of) allows.  Making these a priority will definitely help your improve your strength and fitness.  
 
In addition to all of the above, you’ll see a good mix of long grinders, AMRAPs, sprints, and both basic and complex movements. 
 
With summer in full swing, let’s remember to hydrate (both in and out of the gym) and please bring a towel with you to class to keep your sweating to a minimum.  I know it’s summer and we all want to make sun, sand, and fun a priority, but remember to keep making your health and fitness a priority, too. 
 
Work hard, recover well, and drinks lots of water.  

- Coach Linsey

When I woke from the coma I had to learn to talk and walk again, even though they said I would never walk without a walker or a cane. I remember looking around at my family and they looked so sad. I looked at the doctor and said, “Well, that’s not the plan.”
In the fall of 2001, right after the attacks on September 11, CFA member Janeen Porche suffered a ruptured AVM (arteriovenous malformation - a tangle of abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the brain). In layman’s terms, she had a brain bleed. She slipped into a coma and her initial diagnosis was pretty grim and doctor’s feared her mobility would be severely limited. Janeen had to relearn basic activities such as walking and talking.
The bleed also caused a condition called ataxia which is loosely translated to a lack of muscle control. It extends to her arms, legs, core, and even her tongue (despite many hours of speech and physical therapy). To date, she still works on battling this condition. One of her big concerns is having weight over her head because of fear her arms will start to shake. However, Janeen says, “Even though I hate it, I have been working on it. This also goes for box jumps…but sorry I don’t know if I will ever do those…lol. “
Janeen spent six months in rehab, sharing time with many of the brain injury victims from the Pentagon. She spent three months in a wheelchair, one month with a walker, and over a year in physical therapy.  Throughout this process, Janeen’s doctors explained to her that one of the best things she could do for herself was to keep working out – it would help with her muscle memory and strength and hopefully prolong a potential to return to a wheelchair when she gets older. So workout is what Janeen did.
Initially, she slowly worked her way into exercise – doing mainly yoga. She told me “it took a long time to find the confidence to start running.” In 2011, that confidence was found and Janeen started running. She immediately signed herself up for a half-marathon, a distance previously unknown to her. Why? “Because,” she says, “apparently, I don’t do anything half-assed!” In March of 2012, Janeen completed that half-marathon and to this day she can be found putting 15-20 miles on the pavement each week – a far cry from someone who doctors feared would never walk again.
Fast forward to 2013, Janeen was introduced to Crossfit when her gym buddy became pregnant and she was looking for some motivation at the gym. She tried the free class at CFA and was hooked from that point. That August she was at her first Elements class at CFA with Coach Aviv.
Initially, Janeen looked at Crossfit as a compliment to her running. However, in August 2014, she changed her approach - run much less and concentrate on getting stronger. In recent months she has made considerable improvements in speed on her half marathons.   However, she laughs, “don’t expect me to whiz by you in any WODs.” You can find Janeen at the gym up to four days a week, often doing supplemental work to get that first pull up. She is also a regular at the November Project DC and she has also tried several of the Nutrition Challenges. She says these have taught her alot about how to properly fuel her body.
When asked how Crossfit and CFA has influenced her life Janeen says, “There are some top notch coaches that saw my potential before I ever did.  I just want the coaches to know that they are more than coaches - they have made an everlasting impression on me. When I have asked how I can improve - I have been provided guidance. If someone asked me years ago if I would be doing half the stuff that I do now, I would have told them they were crazy. Now my response is ‘I’ll give it a try’”
I asked Janeen what advice she would have for someone who was new to Crossfit but maybe unsure if it was for them. She says, “DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE LEADERBOARD. As a matter of fact don’t worry about what the other people around you are doing. Worry about your workout and what you can achieve THAT day. Every day will be different.”
So, fellow athletes, get to know the person on the bar next to you. Get to know their story and share yours. Their fight and their triumph may be the very motivation you need when to get back at it when you think you can’t.
Like Janeen, be bold. Be fearless. Be better today than you were yesterday.

– Coach Sue

Summer is right around the corner.  That means the temperatures and humidity will rise, and staying hydrated is very important to keeping yourself healthy and crushing your workouts.  Making sure you're properly hydrated might seem like a minor thing, but it's importance cannot be overlooked.  First off, why is staying hydrated important?  Well, symptoms of being dehydrated include dry mouth, fatigue, over heating (which can lead to heat stroke), decreased urine output, dizziness, and fainting among others.  As you can see, those symptoms would not be beneficial when trying to get your training in, and also affect your overall health.  Checking yourself for dehydration is quite easy.  The easiest way is to check the color of your urine.  When you're properly hydrated, your urine should be almost clear, with a little yellow tinge.  As you become less hydrated, your urine turns a darker yellow, and when severly dehydrated, your urine may become orange or brown.  Another quick sign to see if you need to drink some water deals with your sweat.  If you're in the middle of your workout, and stop sweating, you're body is telling you you're dehydrated.  Not sure how to drink more?  Here's some tips to help keep yourself hydrated:

• Drink a glass of water with each meal
• Have a drink after every time you go to the bathroom
• Make sure to have some water before, during and after working out
• Fruits and vegetables have water naturally in them, so snack on some during the day 

So remember to stay on top of drinking your water.  When you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated, so stay ahead of it. -- Coach Stephen

At CFA and CFFC we always welcome feedback.  In the past few months I’ve met with several members who have voiced concerns or had helpful suggestions which we always take into consideration.  Equipment concerns, ideas for workshops, or anything that you think will help us improve.  So please, if you have any concerns you would like to discuss then don’t hesitate to email or call me, Dave, Linsey, or any of our coaches.

We value your opinions and ideas so let us know how we’re doing!

--Coach Curtis

DMC Measurements will be on-site at both Adaptation and Falls Church performing body composition measurements for all interested members during the second week of June (dates, times, and sign-up sheets below).

Using a state of the art bio-electrical impedance testing process, DMC Measurements delivers the most in-depth and comprehensive body composition analysis available. DMC not only provides clients with the standard Fat Mass (BF%), Fat-Free Mass, and Estimated Resting Metabolic Rates, but they take it a step further by providing the following:

• Segmental Skeletal Muscle Mass - The mBCA takes the skeletal muscle mass measurement a step further by providing muscle distribution of each arm and leg.
• Fluid Module - The mBCA’s Fluid module measures Total Body Water including extracellular and intracellular levels. These measurements are important to determine your Hydration level, which is also provided. Proper and consistent hydration habits contribute to peak performance.
• Health Risk (Phase Angle) - Phase angle is an indicator of cellular health and integrity. Understanding the phase angle allows conclusions to be drawn about a person’s nutritional status and health.

A DMC representative will be at Crossfit Falls Church on Monday, June 8 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM and Crossfit Adaptation on Wednesday, June 10 from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM. Pricing and sign up sheets are below. Slots are limited, so don't delay!
Falls Church sign-up
Adaptation sign-up
(Enter your name into the preferred time slot, then complete the sign-up form linked at the top of the spreadsheet)
Test pricing:
$50 - single (1) test
$90 - two (2) tests
$170 - four (4) tests within a year

A couple of months ago CFA and CFFC partnered with Box Pass, which is a group of affiliates nationwide allowing free drop ins for a monthly BP membership fee.  If you’re away each month that you would drop in at least but the waiver and coordination take up too much time and money then BP is for you.

The monthly Box Pass fee is $50.  In return, you can drop in at any of the listed BP affiliates up to ten times per month (no more than three times at any one location).  They’ve landed a lot of major cities with come pretty big name affiliates.  For more info go to www.theboxpass.com/enroll.

--Coach Curtis

www.CrossFitAdaptation.com


www.CrossFitFallsChurch.com