Blog Archive

If you have a friend, a family member, a colleague, an acquaintance, a date, a crush, or even just a Facebook friend who wants to try CrossFit, who happens to needs his or her car cleaned, and who maybe enjoys eating delicious baked goods and/or BBQ hamburgers, this Saturday, June 1st will be the day to kill three birds with one small stone. Or if you have always wanted to see Kermit washing cars in a bikini, you can kill this bird this Saturday, as well.

THE FULL DEAL: Saturday 10 am until all the cars are cleaned

A). Bring a friend to the 10 am or 11 am for a partner workout (workout will be designed so people who have never done CrossFit before will be able to get through it).

B). Car Wash Fundraiser for the CrossFit Vancouver Regional Team will be going on outside from 10 am onwards.

C). Donate some delicious baked goods for us to sell, or simply partake in the eating of the delicious baked goods. You can drop off your goodies on Friday evening or Saturday before 10 am.

D). If you want to help wash cars (I know it sounds tempting), we’d be THRILLED to have another set of hands. E-mail Sheppy if you’re interested in volunteering: theshepherd@crossfit.ca

MONDAY

Tech: Power Clean – work your way up to a 1 RM

Workout: “The Chief”

AMRAP in three minutes. 5 Rounds. One minute rest between rounds. Start each 3 minute AMRAP where you finished the last AMRAP.

3 power cleans 135/95 lbs
6 push ups
9 air squats
1 minute rest

SHEPPY with Eunice overtones

Kane ‘Pleasantville’ is leaving us. I’m not going to lie – I’m terribly sad about it. He was my first apprentice. But alas, he met a girl and fell in love in six seconds, and the result is he’s moving to Victoria.

Kane’s CF Vancouver history:

He came in a year and a half ago and was one of my best “First Day’ subjects ever. He had a smile on his face the whole time. I think he did about 30 strict pull-ups (it took him another 6 months to truly learn how to kip). After the First Day, while most people turn green and puke, Kane stuck around and rowed 10 km.

Last summer, he approached me about becoming an apprentice. I welcomed him, as did everyone else, with open arms because I could see that he was a good person. A good person yes, but a real person I wasn’t sure.

What I mean by this is that I had a hard time truly getting to know him. He was pleasant and all, but he was politically correct and censored his real personality – likely a bi-product of spending too many years in the fake service industry. If we didn’t already have someone named Dexter at CF Van, Kane may have ended up being called Dexter – I could see him slaughtering people, in a pleasant way, of course.

I still remember the first time Kane called in a group class.

“All right folks. If you’re here for the lovely 6 am class, gather around,” he yelled pleasantly in his happy voice, but with cynical undertones.

I knew at that moment that something was going to have to change. Kane had to become more honest and less Pleasantville if I were going to be able to handle hanging out with him five days a week.

I remember turning to Patty asking for advice. “This guy needs to show me who he really is or I’m going to have a hard time spending a ton of time with him,” I insisted.

Patty’s response was, “Eunice, you think YOU were cool to hang out with when I met you? I had to make you cool to hang out with.”

I thought about it for a moment and made the decision to not give up on Kane, to really attempt to get to know him.

Now I’m not about to take credit for “making” Kane cool to hang out with, but here he is nine months later, and he’s one of my favorite people to hang out with.

He’s genuine but honest and firm. In the comment section yesterday, Vince wrote:

“Thanks for the great coaching Kane!
 I’ve enjoyed your coaching style and honesty. (You’re the only one in 5 years of CrossFit to call me out on my sketchy wall ball technique – sincerely thanks!)
”

This is a testament to the fact that Kane has found a way to be more open and honest with students, which was always one of my first criticisms of his coaching.

The point is Kane, the school will miss you, and I personally might be lost without you (Kane has become my counselor, as well). Although you said I’m like your big sister, sometimes it feels like you’re my big brother.

What I’ll miss:

Kane has a huge heart. He really is a selfless person. And his resilience – his resilience is unmatched. He never complains about anything, ever. I never would have survived Haiti without him. Being around him is a calming experience.

Good luck Kane! Victoria is lucky to have you. And they’re lucky to have this body:

– Eunice

Saturday’s Workout:

Tech: 1 RM Thruster

Workout:  Grab a Partner.

For Time

Fran

21, 15, 9

Thruster (95/65 lbs)
Pull Ups

X 3

That’s right. You and you partner are going to do 3 Frans. Only one of you can work at a time.

Mucho Amore,

The Shepherd

Two things about psychology today. Please post your thoughts to comments.

1). This video is fascinating. Even monkeys get jealous and rebel when they sense inequality.

2). Social Psychologist Damian ‘Donkey’ Murray is defending his PhD on June 17th. Here’s a recent academic paper he had published that links government to disease. Interesting stuff.

Donkey Paper:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0062275

Speaking of psychology – Sheppy has lost his MIND. Christmas in MAY???

Workout:  ITS CHRISTMAS IN MAY!!

Had a special request for this workout. Its always a crowd favorite.

The 12 Days of Christmas

For Time:

1 Burpee
2 Turkish getups (20lbs/35lbs)
3 Cleans (85 lbs/135 lbs)
4 Box Jumps (20”)
5 Push-ups
6 Air squats
7 Sit-ups
8 Wallballs (12lbs/20lbs)
9 Double unders
10 KB swings (red/black)
11 Pull-ups
12 Mountain climbers

It goes like the song…

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me – 1 Burpee
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me – 2 Turkish Get Up and a Burpee
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me – 3 Cleans, 2 Turkish Get Ups and a Burpee

Thank Shelley for this one.

Hit it hard!

Sheppy

If you missed getting your car washed two weeks ago, here’s your second crack at it. Next Saturday, June 1st, the CrossFit Vancouver Regional team who will be competing at the Richmond Olympic Oval at the Canada West Regional on June 7-9th will be hosting a car wash fundraiser and bake sale.

Come to a morning class on Saturday at 10 am or 11 am and get your dirty car cleaned. We will keep going until all the cars are washed!

Three options for you all:

1). Bring your car to get washed
2). Buy some delicious baking
3). Donate some delicious baking for us to sell!

If it’s nice weather, we’ll also BBQ some hamburgers, so come hungry!

It doesn’t have to be paleo baking, although anything with bacon is always appreciated.

If you haven’t checked out the Regional competitions that started last week, you should. Check out results and videos on the GAMES site.

Thursday’s Workout:

Warm Up:  Burgener or Girrard Warm Up

Tech:  Snatch and Rope Climbs – Work the brush and the scarecrow. Close the triangle.

Workout:  12 Minute Amrap

5 Snatch (135/95 lbs)
1 Rope Climb

Many of you may remember this one from your days in PT. Enjoy the new ropes.

Have fun and look good doing it!

Bring a long sock!!

Mucho Amore,

Casa Del Shepardo

Our very own Claude Abrams is leaving us.  He and his family are headed back to jolly old England after a more than 2 year tour of our glorious planet. Claude has plans to partner up with a friend and open a CrossFit Gym there. We wish him abundant luck and prosperity in his future endeavours.

He has a website that has detailed the journey. Check it out here. Pretty amazing!

Its his boy Zenchai’s birthday today too! The Big 7! Sweet tattoo on Cobra. Tiger!

It was great to meet and work with you Claude. You dedication to improvement, knowledge and love for life and your family will carry you far. You might be the first vegan I met and liked.

Claude had these words to say:

“Thank you to the amazing CFV community for making me feel welcome from Day 1 and a part of the ‘family’ during my three-month out-of-town apprentice program, which, remarkably, has now ended. Special thanks to all the coaches, who gave me their time and knowledge when I needed it. Thank you in particular to Patty, for accepting me on to the program and allowing me to pick his brains, and, of course, my coach, Sheppy, who not only has moulded me into a better trainer, but developed me as an athlete and person. I learned from him in a short time more than in my previous 18 months CrossFitting combined. The path I am on is now so much clearer for this experience. Thanks to everyone at CFV for sharing that with me and being a part of my memorable journey.”

The pleasure was all ours Claude. Stay in touch.

Wednesday’s Workout: Continuing with our triple test days. Hit these hard!

Workout #1)  1 Mile Run

Workout #2) Canada West Regional 2010 Tester

50 Double Unders
10 Burpees
40 Double Unders
10 Burpees
….
10 Double Unders
10 Burpees

Workout #3) 2000 m row – Try and improve on your last go at this beast (we did it May 2nd). Drive – Pry – Pull! This will be the Leaderboard.
Cheers!

House of Sheppy