This passed weekend I went to the Crossfit Gymnastics Cert. It was really, really awesome! Tucker and Gillian are such great coaches! I learned about my body and were it is in space, from there how to move and use it more efficiently.

My shoulder allowed me to do way more then I thought it would and I would like to thank Gillian for working with me and being patient with my fears.

Tucker got me doing things I never thought I would do again. He also yelled at me a lot! Geesh! Tucker it was great to hang with you and have a few beers! I can't wait for you to come to Potomac Crossfit.

All photos are courtesy of Keith Wittenstein

Is Your vision all boxed up?

Or is your vision to big for any box to hold?

My Vision for myself and for Potomac Crossfit is way bigger then any box could hold.

The people I train at Potomac Crossfit will go out into the CrossFiting world and other trainers and trainees will see my/our vision.

This is part of the reason that we have a foundations class that teaches the nine basic movements before people are free to go to other WOD's. This is also part of the reason I try to learn and spend time with other coaches who are more skilled then I am.

When you walk away from training with me I want you to represent Potomac CrossFit which is part of an even bigger picture....CrossFit!

My goal is this, to teach skill and intensity which are not at odds with each other. (someone said this that I would love to give credit to but I don't know who it was.)

Thought of the day....Make your vision bigger!

Check out Erika one of our awesome coaches! She has a very good training eye is comes up with excellent cues on the spot! I'm proud to work with you!

I"m really excited to share with you that we are going to have a Kettlebell Training Workshop with Kettlebell Athletics at Potomac Crossfit on December 13!

How cool to have Jason and Pam in the box! I've been talking with them for a few years now and using them as on-line trainers to help me learn how to use KB's and coach others in the use of KB's.

Now I get to return the favour and get them down here in VA to do one of there awesome workshops. You should really look into it!


Click here to register!

Oh my beloved Kettlebell, you always take such blows from naysayers.

But really whats the big deal? kettlebells may not be the truest of Crossfit Tools but hell they work!
Read more here: http://www.kettlebell-athletics.blogspot.com/

It's been a while since I've talked about my WOD's(workout of the Day). Yesterday I did a WOD called "The Chief"

Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
135 pound Power cleans, 3 reps
6 Push-ups
9 Squats

Rest 1 minute. Repeat for a total of 5 cycles.


I used 75# for this workout. In the end I had 22 rounds but I did have to get on my knees to get a few of the pushups. Also, a few of my squats were not deep enough, I fixed that by not being able to count and I was doing 10 squats instead of the 9. Lets hope that covered my lack of depth.

How did I feel...sick. But overall It felt good to go all fucking out and not hold back one little once of anything...fuck yea!

HEY ALL, Today I'm sending out some CF love to Rudy and Christy of CF Alex. I suck because I've not made it out to there box yet. Yet it seems everytime I go to a cert or event for CF we run into each other and every time has been loads of fun!
Check out this video of Christy.

CrossFit Female Fran 3:35 from Rudy Nielsen on Vimeo.
http://www.crossfitalexandria.com/www.crossfitalexandria.com/Home/Home.html

Have you heard of Beast Skills? If not your totally missing out! Take a trip over to my friend Jim's site.

http://www.beastskills.com/index.htm

Jim is seriously talented, that's plane to see. What makes him more impressive in my eyes is that he's so humble and very encouraging to be around. Jim's able to do some very impressive things, yet he can get just as excited for someone else that has just learned how to do a wall handstand!

In the few times that I've gotten to hang out and play around with body weight movements with Jim it's apparent that he's also willing to learn and listen to new ideas.

On November 9th Jim will do a one day seminar at Potomac Crossfit. We are really excited to have him be our guest! It should be loads of fun. You can register for this session at http://www.potomaccrossfit.com/events/gymnastics-seminar-with-james-bathurst/

Annie of CFHQ sent me this discription of Maneaters.....

"Start by going down into a squat with your dumbbells and jump your feet into the push up position, as you would for a burpee. Do a push up and then a row with each dumbbell. Come up to the deadlift position and perform a clean into a thruster. That makes ONE maneater! Good luck!"

They sound awesome and I can't wait to try them myself! Better yet try them with the PCF Crew! Whoot!

It's 2:30am I can't sleep, I'm just laying here with thoughts running around in my head. Maybe this will help or maybe not.
Yesterday my two half sisters re-connected with me. Desiree who is the older of the two and Holly who's 16.
Where to start...

My mother Rebbecca had me when she was 16 and it was a short lived family we had. She took off when I was age two 1/2 or so.

She went and did what she did. I was with my Grandparents and father. My father has not been much of a parent. We don't speak now, I'm assuming it's because I'm gay but I could be wrong. Honestly I don't want to waste any more time trying to figure out why my parents don't want to and never have wanted to be "parents" to me. Because it's just to much to "process" for lack of a better word. To have 3 people, father, Mother and step mother all reject you as a child/adult. Who the hell could understand that?

When I was 30 I met my Biological mother briefly and her two children, Holly and Desiree. It's not like it is on TV when people met there long lost parents and it's all shiny happy people. When I met my Mom I felt an instant connection to her. It was deep and had been the very thing I'd been longing for. Yet, that connection caused me a devastating blow, once it became clear that she would not have the interest to continue a relationship. My mother has strong Indian blood in her as I do. Which as crony as it sounds causes this feeling of connection to the earth and the spirit side of things. Meeting her confirmed why I felt those things. I'm not going to get all into percentages. Just believe me when I say it's strong in my veins and hers and I'm sure Desiree feels the same, I can't speak for Holly.

After that brief introduction it was clear that my Mother had issues. With men and addictions to mention a few. Nothing I needed to be part of my life at the time. So I let it go. I knew she was going to be too selfish to keep up any kind of a relationship with me. Yes, it hurt.
It hurt to know that I had two siblings out there that had to deal with that day and night. That I could walk away from it was a point of guilt for me.

Now 10 years later, I've been reconnected to not a parent but to Desiree and Holly two very different beautiful people.

What's keeping me up right now is a raging anger inside me. I want to scream and yell. I know people all over go through tough shit. Somehow I put out of my head what they had to live with and what they will be dealing with for years. I'm fine with having to deal with the pain and rejection related to my parents. Nothing kills me more then knowing that my younger siblings had/have to deal with those same feelings and there's nothing I can do. I also have two other 1/2 siblings Jake and Casey. Who I've grown up with . They also have to deal with the rejection and abandonment from my father. It's painful to watch. In the climax of our family disaster I was the protector for Jake and Casey. The one holding them and keeping them physically out of harms way. I've never been able to keep them from dealing with the emotional pain that comes with all of this, it troubles me.

We've all had selfish parents. Parents who have in my eyes failed miserably. This is why I don't and wont have children. I fear that these genes are in my blood and will come out against my control. I just can't risk causing pain like this. I'm OK with not having children not everyone should be a parent and it wont complete me I'm complete as is.

It's a strange feeling being the oldest of this mess. It gives me sense of responsibility. How that gets acted out, I'm unsure. Know this, I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry our parents hurt you all. If only I could have protected you all in any small way. Yet, I realize that what you've had to deal with will shape and mold you into the adults that you are and will be. Take it and use it as a map that shows you were not to go. How not to act and how not to love. I've not done the greatest job with using this map at times but it has given me a reference point.

How can I twist this whole deal back to fitness you ask? Ha don't underestimate me folks!
One of the reasons I've been drawn to Crossfit was that gives me an outlet for working through things. It provides a supportive community that I find strength in. I spent a good part of my evening slamming a D-ball on the ground and letting thoughts run around in my head until they were worked through to a point of being able to write and verbalize. Which I will continue today after class.

Ok all, meet my beautiful sister Desiree. I will talk to Holly about pictures later today.

There's something so cool about coaching people.

It pulls from deep within me. Because it's really not just about coaching an exercise. It's about giving that person the ability to tap into areas of drive and passion that they may not even know they have.
You can see it on peoples faces when you've said something to them that's going to empower them for the rest of the day, week or month. For me that's what it's all about!

"Natural athletes are visual learners".

~Coach Mark Rippetoe ~

Is it true? If so why do you think that Natural athletes learn better that way?

I learn visually for sure, but does that make me a natural athlete(or just special needs, Ha ha)?


OR

"Mediocre athletes that tried like hell to get good are the best coaches".

~Coach Mark Rippetoe ~

Is this you? Or me? Hummmm, not sure but that's one hell of a photo!!


On to another completely unrelated topic.....

Early morning and me. It's my best time. I start most of my days at 4:30am. Most of the time I enjoy the time alone and the quiet.
Yet to be honest there are times when I feel like saying, hey where is everyone? No ones on google chat no one rocketing emails back at me. My cell phone will not ring(unless I've forgotten to go to one of my jobs and Brian or my ER boss is calling....this is never good!)

When I was really young maybe like 8 or so I would get up get some cereal and go to the front yard of our house which was on the main road out of town. I would sit under the tree and wave at everyone going to work. It was mostly for my Grandfather who was and will be forever my hero. Yet, later in high school and after people would come up to me and say, "Hey, your little Jennifer Conlin who sat under the tree and waved at us on our way to work."

Well, ya see that I was cute at one point! Ha ha!

Precordial thump! What? Who the fuck does that anymore? Well apparently me.

A patient passed out during a Chest Xray, I just happened to be slacking at work and hanging with my Xray buddies.

We heard the yell for help from two X-ray students. (Now most of you don't know me. I move fast..ER fast. I know our hospital very well and I'm a responder within it. I'm known to beat most everyone to the scene. Five or six flights of stairs whatever, I will be there! And I know where everything is in the hospital equipment wise.)

Next I was standing over this forty something man. He had snoring respiration's and was very diaphoretic(sweaty)

Someone said he was there for Ventricular fibrillation known as V-fib. POP! I hit him mid chest. hard! It shocked even me. As fast as I hit him he was back, then the doctor showed up and looked at me like Holy shit Jen! Yeah, I know!
Once he was back in the ER and on our monitors we realized that he had also converted back to a normal rhythm. Sweet!

Did I save his life, no I don't think so. Well maybe....truth is we don't know.

What the hell does this have to do with Crossfit? Am I being an ego crazed Leo? Maybe.....just a little! Ha!

I've been around these kind of things for so long they've become second nature. It's like muscle memory.

As I was watching some of our Potomac Crossfit Athletes learn new movements it became clear.
Work on your movements basic and complex.

Not with huge loads all the time. Step back and go lite. Repeat and Repeat.

Watch others and make sure to know and understand your flaws. I promise in time, maybe a long time it will all come together and one day you'll just move through a movement and it will feel like second nature.

Just getting outside and moving! No task other then to enjoy the sun and open roads. That was the plan. To smile at local cyclist and runners and see the damage from the floods.

It was nice and chill, no heart rate worries or tabata sprints. Just roll!

Do you drive the people in your life nuts with your constant pushing of your limits and theirs? I do! I drive myself nuts sometimes.

Enjoy your fitness it will make the world a happier place!

Bonding in the glory of pain!

Why is it when we suffer together we bond? I'm not sure I know, but it does happen.

I could taste the blood in my mouth, the burn in my lungs. My legs weren't functioning correctly, but I knew Erica was right there with me in the glory of the pain.

Fifteen minutes and we could be done, fifteen minutes of "putting out" what we had. It draws on peoples bonding needs.

Erika and I've been working on the development of Potomac Crossfit for months.

Between being busy and my shoulder not allowing me to always jump in we've never done a WOD together. So this is why they call it Crossfit! It creates a unexplainable bond that at times allows for friendship, that may not be there otherwise. Strange? Who cares!

Erika , you rock! Next week we are on!!!

The WOD:

5 Hang power cleans@ 75#

10 Box jumps

15 mins for rounds

I think I had 9 and Erika had 10.

Athletes for a Cure is a fundraising and awareness program of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. It is designed to assist individual athletes in their quest to raise money for better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer.

Potomac Crossfit is going to be part of this challenge and so will I. We have a team that if your in the area your welcomed to join or you can support one of us in raising money to fight Prostate cancer.

FGB III is set for Saturday, September 27, 2008.
The Fight Gone Bad workout consists of five exercises, performed for one minute each, with one-minute breaks given after all exercises have been completed. This grueling five-station rotation is then repeated three times per person.

Check out our friends over at Crossfit challenge last year!


If you want to support me in raising money to fight Prostrate Cancer please follow this link http://athletes.kintera.org/crossfit08/conlin

If you would like to be on the Potomac Crossfit Team or support one of my teammates take a ride on this link http://athletes.kintera.org/crossfit08/potomaccrossfit

When I'm moving fast for short periods of time lets say sprints I get a rash all over my legs and abdominal area. It's so itchy and it burns like crazy. I've been asking my doctor friends and finally I have an answer.

"Exercise urticaria, sometimes mistaken as exercise allergy, itchy legs, itchy legs syndrome or itchy pants syndrome, is a form of urticaria that happens during exercise. It is characterized by itching, swelling or hives on the legs, arms, torso or neck during or after exercise.
Cholinergic urticaria is brought on by a physical stimulus. Although the physical stimulus might be considered to be sweat, the actual precipitating cause is increased body temperature. Lesions usually appear within a few minutes of sweating, and may last for 30 minutes to over an hour.
In extreme cases, the condition can progress to an anaphylactic reaction, causing the person to pass out or suffocate due to blocked airways. People suffering from cholinergic urticaria may carry an epinephrine autoinjector (such as an EpiPen) in case of anaphylaxis."

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/injuries/737.html

Ever since High school I've gotten this. It's a pain in the ass. LOL! There are times on a run or ride or mid WOD where I want to rip my pants off and scratch the living shit out of my legs and hips. The welts I get are huge but only last about 45mins or so. If it gets really bad my face can even break out. Overall it happens mostly while running, it can really make me crazy. What I mean by that is that it's painful and I'll have to stop.
Our bodies are strange and amazing at the same time!

This past week I attended my Level two cert. I did not pass it, which is a tough blow for me to deal with.
Why I did not pass it is not because I lack so much understanding of each of the 9 movements. It's because I lacked the confidence to not be over come by my insecurities. It's a simulated environment much like being on stage. Which I've never do well with. I was not in charge of my emotions at all. I'll also admit to feeling uncomfortable using the exact cues that the CF staff wants you to use. Although I completely see the importance of them being strict about there use.
It's was not the above reasons that caused me to fail. It was because I let them blind my eyes to peoples faults that I should have and in my everyday coaching at Potomac or CFDC I would see.

The end result? I can't explain how much I learned. Really it would be hard to narrow down the amazing amount of learning I received.

I'm wiser for just being there.

I'm more than happy that Crossfit HQ has such high standards.

I will not Relent! EVER!

Yes the Dodgeball party was fun!!! It's really not a party to miss! Oh,, and by the way yes Crossfitters are intense! We can't help it....so suck it up and deal!

What's been going on outside of Potomac Crossfit?


Ani Difranco smiled at me! That was sweet!

We went to a Redskins game Vs Bills(my team)



I've been spending time with Jamie, my favorite nephew!













last night we went to Brew in the Zoo...how could that not be fun!




All smiles after a few beers!


Diane, Mai and "talk dirty to me" Kathy

Today we had the first Foundations classes at Potomac Crossfit.It was WAY exciting for me to get this thing started! I could hardly sleep last night thinking about going in to PCF and coaching!
Our WOD at 6am and 7am was a 10 min "Cindy".
Cindy is
5 pull-ups
15 squats
10 push-ups.

This workout provides a chance to work on three really important skills that we use so much in Crossfit.
The squat in my opinion is the corner stone of not just Crossfit but fitness!
As for my personal WOD it went like this.
50 Box jumps
50 squats
With a 20lb weight vest: 4:30

Now I'm going to hit another short blaster!
Of
50 lunges with a 16k KB at chest like a goblet
50 KB American swings 16k
5:54