Battle Cancer by Lyndsay Wilkie

If I’m honest, when the cry ‘who’s up for putting teams together for Battle Cancer 2017,’ went out, my initial reaction was one of fear, ‘what if I’m not good enough to compete? What if I let my teammates down?’ 

However as a lifelong suffer of crippling FOMO (fear of missing out) and the fact that it was for such a great cause close to all of our hearts, when a spot came up on an all-female team I nervously put myself forward.

This was more than just a competition in Manchester; the fundraising in the lead up to the event really showed what Crossfit East Rocks is all about and why I love it so much. Everyone got involved and we supported each other, be that in our 26-hour Marathon Murph challenge, the burpee mile or individual challenges like Ronnie and Cam shaving their heads. Those not taking part in the challenges came and cheered us on, bought food and just generally kept us going, and we were all motivated to raise as much as we could for our coach’s chosen charity, St Richard’s Hospice Foundation, who had taken such good care of his mum. So heading down to Manchester, we were already proud of our achievements, nearly £7k raised!

When we met at the train station for the ‘party train,’ I could tell I was not the only one that felt terrified about competing the next day. The announcements of the WODs the week before had done nothing to help my nerves. The weights were certainly challenging (30kg power snatch and 40kg clean and jerk for the girls) and toes to bar with no scaling option was a bit of a concern, however the one thing about our box is that trying your best is always good enough, so that’s what I was determined to do.

The morning of Battle Cancer started with a hearty breakfast in the hotel whilst eyeing up the competition (team Spartan…this could not be more of an appropriate name), it was at this point I started to think; this is possibly going to be more serious than I thought! This thought was only confirmed when we arrived at the impressive Victoria Warehouse where we were quickly surrounded by rippling biceps and massive traps! The inside of the venue added to the growing anticipation, it was dark and a bit sinister and seeing the kit all laid out, it began to feel very real.

The Venue all set for WOD 2 

Some of those rippling Biceps ;)

After a play with kettlebells and bars in the warm up area and plenty of visits to the loo (!), in no time at all it was time for WOD number 1. We were lucky enough to be in one of the later heats so we were able to cheer on some of our fellow East Rockers, it was so good to be able to watch friends push hard and achieve so much. Watching competitors from other boxes was also inspirational; these guys were serious athletes with amazing form and great to learn from.

Then we were on….I certainly didn’t expect to enjoy it so much! The atmosphere, the music, the adrenalin meant that I went faster and harder than I have ever gone before. The support and camaraderie from my fellow teammates (the lovely Joan, Caroline and Ruth) made such a difference, I was determined not to let them down. Once WOD 1 was over, it just got better. A highlight for me was WOD 2, the one I was most scared about but ended up loving. Ruth cheering at the top of her lungs as we repped out the clean and jerks still makes me smile. And then finally WOD 3, who’d have thought triple Fran could be so much fun. We worked together as a team, and ok that might have lost us time due to more transitions, but this wasn’t about coming top (thank god when we were up against the Spartans) it was much more about trying our hardest and enjoying it.

The East Rock Bar Belles

I loved watching people in our wider team achieve personal bests, getting rep after rep at weightsthat they wouldn’t normally attempt at the box, and the look of accomplishment on people’s faces at the end of each WOD was so great to see. I also loved our night out, which if we’re truly honest, was why most of us signed up!

I am proud of how much money we raised for such a worthy cause and I have come back motivated to push on and work harder, as I know have many others….so watch out Battle Cancer 2018, we’ll be back, even fitter and stronger!

Battling Cancer and Turning Up by Jamie McNeill.

Jamie has been coming to CrossFit East Rocks since April 2016 and has become an important member of our community. I remember Jamie's first session back then and it's clear how much he has progressed. This is Jamie's Blog about the recent Battle Cancer competition we attended as a Box. It's brilliant. 

Battling Cancer and Turning Up

Everyone knows someone who has/had/is having a cancer experience. It might be a friend, a spouse, a child, a parent. They might even have had a brush with the Big C themselves. The older I get the more people I know with cancer. The ugly thing seems to be swimming closer and closer to my boat. I hate cancer for a number of reasons. It’s a big factor in the increasing number of funerals I attend. No, it isn’t the death sentence it was even a few years ago but getting better is so painful. Your body is poisoned with chemotherapy to kill the cancer cells but it hurts you too. And you have to watching closely to make sure it doesn’t come back. Research has come a long way the odds of recovering much better but I hate that paralysing dread and feeling of utter uselessness that threatens when you find out someone has cancer. I still don’t quite know what to do or say when someone tells me they have cancer. I didn’t know how to tell my wife it would be okay when her father died from cancer. I couldn’t bring my friend’s wife back for him and his daughters. When an old family friend died last year all I could do was turn up to mourn with his sons. Those in the know say that just being there, just turning up is most important. So when Lawson, the coach/owner at Crossfit East Rocks, suggested that the box enter a fitness event fundraiser called Battle Cancer I really wanted to turn up. It’s all I thought I could do. Not much, not a cure for a cancer but something.

Of course you have to get there first. When you have five kids within six years of each other, broaching the subject of going away for a week-end requires some tricky negotiating. People are more than willing to donate something to help you raise money for a cancer charity, helping to arrange childcare so you can actually do that? Not so much. So once I had convinced my better half to let me go to Manchester (for a weekend, leaving her with five kids, at the end of the summer holidays) it dawned on me that this might be challenging in more ways than one. I haven’t really travelled that much, I’m an introvert, the train is going to be busy, everybody is going to be fitter than me and Manchester is a big city. I’m a country boy. Big towns are a challenge. When the day came around I was sitting on the train listening to people talk through the WODs thinking this is way out of my league. Arriving at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse the next morning didn’t set my mind at ease either. It was wall to wall muscle with me trying to suck my stomach in and look fitter than I felt. I didn’t really have a clue what I should do I just turned up. 

After WOD 1 I wished I hadn’t. It was hot, close and it was a miserable performance on my part. But I turned up for WOD 2 and I would turn up for WOD 3, even if I crawled out of the arena at the end. Somehow it got better. Body, mind and spirit decided to work together to help me do things I didn’t think I could do. Watching my teammates do “Fran” (21-15- 9 thrusters and pull-ups) at a weight they thought impossible inspired me to keep going. It was a quasi-spiritual faith building experience! I ached the next day but I was happy. I hadn’t cured cancer but I had done something to help make the lives and deaths of those in hospice care at St. Richards more dignified. I had been bent but I wasn’t broken.

My participation in Battle Cancer hasn’t miraculously eradicated cancer or conjured a cure but it has given me pause to reflect. Watching people go through the bar-house brawl that is the road to cancer recovery incites thoughtfulness. About life, love, the hereafter, about what kind of human being I want to be remembered as. Battle Cancer challenged me but it also showed me that I am capable of doing the things I’m afraid of. Many movements in Crossfit appear intimidating, more so during an event. It’s not doing well I found fulfilling it was turning up anyway. Beyond that it reminded me again that life is fleeting and unpredictable. I do Crossfit to live healthier but it’s no guarantee of a trouble free life. Crossfit Games level fitness still won’t stop a bus, unemployment or a divorce. Bad things happen, how we choose to respond to them defines us. Like getting through a WOD, it’s often putting one foot in front of the other. Personally, Crossfit’s best aspect is the culture of cheering the strugglers and stragglers the loudest. If there is anything we can apply to our communities and families outside the box, that’s probably the most rewarding thing we can offer. You know, I was a whole lotta sore the next morning but I felt a lot less powerless too. I had contributed, however small that may be. Will I do it next year? My spirit shouts “Bring it on!!” You might have to give my body a few weeks to come round to the idea.

A big thank you to Crossfit East Rocks for getting behind us and raising close to a phenomenal £7000 for St. Richard’s Hospice. Big shout out to all the teams and families participating and supporting us. And a massive Thank You to Team Scots on the Rocks – Liz, Andy, Rhian and Coach Jones. A great experience participating myself made better watching you surprise yourselves during the WODs.

Keep moving forward by Sarah Macdonald

This summer at CrossFit East Rocks has been fantastic - New Timetable, Goals Meetings, Kids’ Sessions, and buzzing WoDs - all set in one of the world’s most beautiful boxes. Aren’t we lucky?! We have made new friends, gotten stronger and fitter, and had a blast.

This week and next, goals programmes are being sent out and made available at the box for those we have met with throughout the summer (if we haven’t met with you - get in touch! We want to help you thrive and get the most out of your time at the box!).

I don’t know about you all, but I feel like life has picked up and gotten super busy now that we’re back into school mode, work life, etc. This is where the rubber meets the road with those goals of yours...it’s so easy to get busy and these things take the back seat.

Sometimes with goals, you see the end point of where you’d like to be and what you want to accomplish and it can be quite daunting and overwhelming…”how the heck am I going to get there when I’m here right now?!”. That’s where your big goals need to be broken down into smaller steps and “mini goals”.

With your programmes, as coaches, we’ve tried to break down your goals into smaller steps that, with persistence, you’ll see growth and progress little by little over time, leading you to hit the target of your overall goals. 

I’d encourage you to look at it as “one day at a time” - what can you do today to make progress moving forward? Every little step forward adds up to the greater distance you are wanting to go.

You are made for bigger things and you are your body can do a whole lot more than your mind thinks you can - keep pushing forward...your mind will catch up and you’ll surprise yourself!

I love how everything we do at the box directly relates to the bigger picture of our lives. The things we do at the box, through physical and mental measures, strengthen who we are as people and strengthen our resolve and character.

So, here we are with these goals being direct reflections of pushing forward in our lives. Work, family and life in general can be overwhelming at times. We see where we’d like to be and we’re not there yet...

One day at a time, step by step, keep moving forward knowing that you are making progress even when it doesn’t feel like it - just keep going. You’re not alone and you have a huge community of people cheering you on and and wanting to see you thrive. Let’s do this - together. See you at the box!    

CrossFit East Rocks fantastic new timetable...

As coaches at CrossFit East Rocks, our hope is to see each of our members truly benefit from and enjoy their experience at the box. With that in mind, we have been meeting with those interested to individualise their training and propel them forward in achieving personal goals. 

To aid in this endeavor, we have expanded our timetable to offer more opportunities to train, specialise, and make the most of your time at the box. These opportunities include WoDs, Open Gym, Weightlifting, and Aerobic Capacity sessions.

With that being said, below is the new timetable we will be launching as of Monday 8 August 2016. We are very excited about this and the huge potential to see all of our members get stuck in and thrive.

The new timetable is as follows -

Monday:

6:00am - Open Gym

6:30am - WoD

10:00am - WoD

11:00am - Open Gym

6:00pm - WoD

7:00pm - WoD

8:00pm - Aerobic Capacity

Tuesday:

6:00am - Open Gym

6:30am - WoD

10:00am - WoD

11:00am - Open Gym

6:00pm - WoD

7:00pm - WoD

8:00pm - Weightlifting

Wednesday

6:00am - Open Gym

6:30am - WoD

10:00am - WoD

11:00am - Aerobic Capacity

6:00pm - WoD

7:00pm - WoD

8:00pm - Aerobic Capacity

Thursday

6:00am - Open Gym

6:30am - WoD

10:00am - WoD

11:00am - Open Gym

6:00pm - WoD

7:00pm - WoD

8:00pm - Weightlifting

Friday

6:00am - Open Gym

6:30 - WoD

9:00am - WoD

10:00am - WoD

9:00am-11:00am - Open Gym

Saturday

7:30am - Open Gym

8:00am - WoD/Aerobic Capacity

9:00am - WoD/Weightlifting

10:00am - WoD

11:00am - Open Gym

Sunday

GET OUT OF THE BOX!!! Closed!

A couple of additional points - the Open Gym Classes are for 30 minutes and if you are attending a WoD you are more than welcome to stay on. Dropping in to an Open Gym class if you've not been at the WoD will cost £5.

From the 1st September there will be a change to the membership structure too. Important to note now is that the weightlifting and aerobic capacity classes will cost £7 unless you have an unlimited membership.

So, loads of opportunities to train and have fun. See you at the box.

R.I.P. "Can't"

R.I.P. “Can’t”
By Sarah Macdonald

I’ll never forget the huge life lesson that my P7 teacher taught me on the very first day of school. Her name was Mrs. Jedlicka and she handed each of us students an index card and told us to write on the card something we thought we can’t do. Everyone’s answers ranged from “I can’t do maths” to “I can’t shoot a hoop at basketball” to “I can’t swim”, etc. I think mine was something cheeky like “I can’t fly”, but that’s beside the point… 

Our teacher then took us out on a walk on the school’s nature trail and she found a spot and dug a big hole in the dirt. She said, “From now on, in my classroom, CAN’T is a word that is not allowed. There is nothing you can’t do. Something may be hard, but that’s when we learn to persist, keep trying, and one day you’ll get it. So no more ‘I can’t’!”

We were then instructed to take our cards with our “I can’t” statement, rip it up, and throw it in the hole. She buried our can’ts, and that’s where they stayed. R.I.P. “Can’t.”

It was a lesson that stuck with me on so many levels. In owning that quality and living it out, I quickly learned that to get from something I wasn’t able to do at the time to actually achieving what that thing was, there was a whole lot of struggle, failed attempts, and frustration. But, always with the hope that things weren’t going to stay this way forever - keep pushing, keep going, things will change, get better, and become easier.

This is so applicable to what we do at the box. CrossFit presents so many skills - some harder than others. But the thing I want to encourage us in is to eliminate “Can’t” from our vocabulary.

“Can’t” does nothing but hinder and hold you back from what you’re truly capable of. It makes you miss out on the beautiful, gruelling, and satisfying process of getting from “not able to right now” to “Yup, I’ve got this.” It’s coming to a place of embracing the struggle and the process that we find joy in the journey of reaching goals and scaling heights.

Want to finally be able to run a full 400m? Each time you come is a chance to get one step closer, run just a bit further - it’s hard and it burns, but let it burn...you’re getting better! Want to hit that PR snatch? Know there are going to be many missed attempts, barbells and weights clanging on the ground, tweaks to technique, but you’re getting closer. The process is messy, hard, and sore, but so worth it.

Why am I so passionate about these things at CrossFit? Well, one, it’s fun, but two, these physical and mental elements we encounter in our training always breaks out of the box and spills over into our lives and can be directly applied to spur us on to greater things. Life is not perfect and easy - it’s messy, there’s bumps, setbacks, and turns. But it’s the process, the struggles, that bring depth and richness to the things we hold dear in our lives. Things that are valuable come at a price. Want a great career? A great marriage? Great friendships? Great family? A great life? Having these things isn’t always smooth sailing. These aren’t things you can’t have - you absolutely can, but we must embrace the struggles that inevitably come with anything worth having and not bail before these things reach their full amazing potential.

Finding the bigger vision for our lives and having “life PRs” we want to achieve are big keys to pushing us forward and pushing “can’t” out. Where do you want to be at the end of it all? What do you want to achieve? What do you want your life to look like looking back on it? Big, heavy, but important questions - ones that are so worth exploring and pursuing. YOU are worth it and YOUR life MATTERS.

I’ll leave you with one of my most favourite motivational clips from a film called, “Facing the Giants”. Doesn’t matter how many times I see this, it moves me. Enjoy and see you at the box!!

Lisa's Recipe #1 - Nourishing soup

Here's our attempt at looking after you properly - to provide you with some delicious food to fuel your life. We'll share these recipes which are courtesy of the super talented Lisa Johnson from Duke Street Cook School and Provisions 

Please try it out and let us know what you think. 

Leafy Greens with Indian spices & Coconut

(You can add some rice to fatten up, Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 200g swiss chard, trimmed, leaves and stalks.
• 150g cavolo nero, stalks removed, cut into 4cm-wide pieces
• 200g curly kale, stalks removed, cut into 4cm-wide pieces
• ¼ small white cabbage, cut into 1cm-thick strips (250g net weight)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3.5cm piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Indian spice mix (Equal amounts of fenugreek, fennel, black mustard, nigella and cumin seeds).
• 440ml coconut milk
• 500ml vegetable stock
• Salt (to taste)
• 15g coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• Grated zest of 1 lime, plus 1 tbsp juice
• 60g freshly grated coconut (optional) 

Method

Add all the cabbages to a large saucepan of well-salted boiling water,

boil for three minutes, then drain.

Put the coconut oil in a large pan on medium heat. Fry the onion, stirring until

caramelised and soft. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli and spices, fry for a couple

of minutes, for the garlic to take on some colour, then add the coconut milk, stock and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, and simmer for five minutes.

Add all the cabbages to the pan, simmer for five minutes, until soft, then take off the heat. Stir in the coriander, lime zest and juice, sprinkle on the fresh coconut, if you have, and serve.

Training Beyond the Physical

Training Beyond the Physical
by Sarah Macdonald

I was 16 and at the end of an hour long softball pitching lesson, refining a skill that I was hoping was going to take me places and achieve life-long dreams. My pitching coach then informed me it was time to do 20 shuttle sprints; each time I hit the line to change directions I had to touch a dot she had marked on the floor with my index finger.

Okay, fine, let’s get this done...3,2,1, go! First 10, no problem, I was sharp, quick feet, hit the line, touched the dot, plant, drive, go. Then I started getting tired and things were becoming a bit more sloppy - feet weren’t as quick and I’d bend over to touch the dot, but I wouldn’t quite make it all the way to the ground.

In my mind, it counted - I’m doing the work, right? Coach yells, “Touch the dot, Sarah! That one doesn’t count!” I roll my teenage eyes and keep going, still tired, same thing when I get to the line - I don’t quite touch the dot. “Doesn’t count, Sarah - touch the dot! I can be here all day!”

Frustrated, I huff back, “Ugh! Coach!! I’m doing the sprints, why does the stupid dot matter?!” Annoyed at me, but seeing a teaching opportunity to help me to the next level she replies:

“Sarah, it’s not just your physical body we’re training here. We’re training excellence, discipline and focus. The dot matters. When you’re tired or things get tough and aren’t going your way are you going to half ass it and just do the minimum to get by? No. I want more from you and you should want more. Focus, do it right, be excellent! That’s what it’s going to take to win!.”

I knew she wasn’t just talking about softball, but that this was also extremely crucial for my life.

I’m so grateful for the life skills and character qualities that sport taught me at a young age. Now fast forward 15 years and I’ve been immersed into the phenomenal realm of CrossFit and through this training, it’s once again brought up those experiences I had as a teenager…

Bigger Picture CrossFit

CrossFit has proven to be exceptional at helping individuals achieve physical well being and fitness beyond what they could have imagined for themselves. It’s fitness that works and oozes in and affects every area of your life - you feel better, move better, and live better.

The beauty of this sort of training is that it’s not just physical - just like our muscles and bodies need to be worked to grow stronger and fitter, so do our character “muscles”. CrossFit and sport provide fantastic “mini-life” arenas to work those character muscles. Let’s dive into those…

Strength for Life

• Mental toughness and Perseverance - “R.I.P. Can’t” (this is a whole other blog post for another day). We all know those WODs…you see the board and immediately think, “$%@&!! I can’t do that!” But, you get started and guess what...YOU CAN! You work that preserving, mentally tough muscle and you get through the WOD, you finish it, and you come out stronger and better on the other side. You leave the box ready to take on anything life has to throw at you - because you’re strong, tough, and YOU CAN!

• Integrity - This plays a huge factor especially when it comes to rep count. 100 burpees the board says…”well, I did 97, but everyone was already done, so who’s going to know or care?” Sure, no one may notice, but YOU know, and is cutting yourself short and not finishing the workout making you any better? Work that honesty and integrity, even in the smallest of tasks, and it will carry over into your day to day life.

• Discipline and Work Ethic - It’s important to have goals in life. In order to reach those goals, you have to put in the time and the work. Fact. No shortcuts around it. Same goes for at CrossFit - you want to hit that PR or finally get that first muscle-up? You have to be persistent and put in the work. Some of the most disciplined athletes I’ve known are also the most disciplined students and workers - these traits spill over.

• Excellence and Focus - Hitting a proper clean and jerk, snatch, or any skill you come across in CrossFit takes a huge level of focus to get the form correct. Without correct form, you’re not going to hit the lifts or skills and even worse, you could wind up injured. These qualities work hand in hand with work ethic to achieving goals you set out for yourself. Without excellence and focus, you’ll cut yourself short of realising the full potential of what you’re capable of.

• Teamwork - This one is my favourite. We are not meant to walk this life alone. At CrossFit, you have the huge benefit of being engulfed in genuine community - a team - where people really care and want to push you forward. You get to observe and take an active part in genuinely caring for the success and well-being of those around you. It’s a beautiful sight and one that hopefully breaks out of the Box.

I find seeing the bigger picture in what I’m doing at CrossFit helps to make the day to day workouts more meaningful and significant. It matters. Every rep matters. YOU MATTER. Let’s get to work, get better, and live better! See you at the box!