Congratulations to Tom Borak and Jon Nickerson, newly certified CrossFit level-1 trainers!!!! They have started teaching classes already, so if you haven’t taken a class from them, you probably will soon!

As we’ve mentioned recently, we’re going to test market a 4:30pm class time for the month of June. Effective NEXT Tuesday, May 31, we’re going to add a 4:30pm class on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday every week ( It would have started next Monday, but that is memorial day and we’re going to have an abbreviated schedule).

We’ll gauge interest in the class and make a call at month-end on continuing the 4:30. If we continue we’ll also look at adding Thursday-Friday 4:30, but we do have staffing issues for these time slots, so we’ll have to see.
So, again, starting Tuesday, May 31, we will have Mon-Tue-Wed 4:30pm WOD classes

We’ve made an area for members to advertise their businesses to the gym. It is on the right-hand side of the bulletin board in the lounge. If your business handles products or services which you think would be of interest to gym members, please do post on the board! And if you could extend maybe a little discount to us, so much the better . In any event, I know that I’d rather do business with a known entity rather than a business name I just pulled out of the yellow pages.

The next XFD happy hour will be Friday, June 3rd! The location will either be The Yardhouse (downtown), or the Ale House (Highlands)….weather dependent, since the Ale House has huge outdoor patios. We will send another email that week as a reminder.

If you’ve ever wanted to see buffalo up close, and also see newborn buffalo calves, some of us are headed to Limon on Saturday, June 4 at 11:00 AM to tour the Prairie Ridge buffalo ranch. The owners, Ray and Debbie Thieman, are also hosting a BBQ that day, with lots of buffalo meat produced by their ranch. You can view the evite here:

http://new.evite.com/services/links/LZ2SS7JCLK

We have lots of t-shirts in stock now! We have the “doctor” t-shirts, as well as Troy’s “Power to the People” shirts, both in assorted colors. All our available shirt designs are on display on the wall of the lounge, along with pricing. The new doctor shirts are $14, PTTP shirts are $12 (they are one-sided). Get with Steve about purchase please.

We’ll probably hold off a little bit on printing Andrew’s sweat angel design, as we’ve done two runs of shirts this month.

As you may have noticed, we’ve got the new mat down in the garage! We need to clean up a little bit, but we’re pretty close to ready to start yoga classes. We’d like to hear from you if you are interested, and if so, what times of day you would like to do a class. We have a couple yoga instructors interested in teaching for us, but it’s a little up in the air as to when and how many classes we do. It will probably be a supplemental price to your normal CrossFit monthly dues, we’re thinking in the $20/month range.

Any comments or suggestions are welcome.

We’re getting rid of those old jump boxes I built years ago in favor of the new boxes which are stackable on the risers we have now. We currently have two 20” boxes left, we’ll sell those for $20 each. Please contact Steve if you’re interested.

8 of us traveled down to Manitou Springs Sunday to hike the incline. The weather was perfect, and the ground was a little more wet, so it was easier to keep your footing on the way down. We found a place to have brunch – WITH alcohol this year — fun was had by all, and we’ll be sure to make this an at-least-annual event going forward.

Jon N had the best time by far at 26 minutes, and even did his burpees by the time the rest of us trudged our way to the top.

What a motley crew…

We’re going to have some new cable ropes to play with by Wednesday evening. Rage has come out with a line of cable jumpropes that is better (I think) than the current cable ropes we have. I have one now, and I think it is much faster and smoother than the ropes we have. The cable is a bit thicker and also more pliable, plus they have three pivot points on the handle, so they’re FAST FAST FAST. They’re a bit more expensive, but I think worth it. So I’ll have them out Wednesday, you can try them. I’ll have an exact price Wednesday, but it will be under $25 each, so let me know if you want your own.

Don’t forget the HiTechGym website! The website is there for your tracking. If you don’t have a link, just look at the top-right corner of this page at the ‘members’ tab. Click on that, and off you go to the new site.

We also post some technique videos there, so feel free to check it before your workout. Also, if you’re posting on there, check the trainer comments for the day to see if there’s any particular way to post your results.

The HTG site is still fairly new, so we’re working out some bugs. I talk with the developer at least every week, so if you have any thoughts about improvements, please do let me know. Troy already made a great suggestion that would give you the option of being reminded to post your performance via email, along with a link to the workout. Other ideas? Bring them on!!

The gym rules are posted all around the gym, please do have a look at them at some point. Note the section about cleaning up after yourself, I’d really rather not have to clean up people’s tape where they’ve pulled it off and chucked it onto the floor, anymore. Also, if you bring a water bottle, or get a water bottle from the fridge, please take it away with you or throw it away. We would have a thriving water bottle business if we were to start selling personal water bottles left at the gym.

Please read Jon Nickerson’s note below:

Since moving out to Denver, I have been working as a member of the KIPP Advisory Board for the KIPP charter school program here in Colorado. KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools with a track record of preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and in life. There are currently 99 KIPP schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia serving more than 27,000 students, including 3 schools currently in Denver. This is a great program doing great things for kids around the country.

We are hosting a Canvas and Cocktails event on June 7th to support the school and would love it all of you could come. If you don’t think its for you, then passing it along to a bunch of friends would be a huge help as well.

To sign up call Canvas and Cocktails: Cherry Creek, directly at (303) 333-3208

Information on the event:

Tuesday, June 7th 6:30pm
$40 ($10 of the $40 goes to KIPP: Colorado Schools)
Canvas and Cocktails: Cherry Creek
248 Clayton Street, Denver, CO
303-333-3208 (Please call and make a reservation asap)

http://canvasandcocktails.com/calendar.php?location=CherryCreek&month=6&year=2011

Alli Aman is looking for a roommate for her place in the Highlands-Berkeley neighborhood off of 47th & Raleigh. If interested, please contact her via email Allison.Aman@go.doe.gov or Allison.Aman@gmail.com or 303-947-5233.

So you may have noticed some construction type things happening at the gym recently.  Well, we’re working on a remodel right now.  We have three main projects:

1)       Putting in a soft mat in the garage.   I’ve purchased a soft mat (actually my old karate school’s mat) for the garage area.  We’re going to start offering yoga classes, some martial arts, and women’s self-defense classes in there.  The mat will feel much the same as the grey mat over by the pull-up bars.

2)      Finish out the rubber mat.  We’re going to pull up the green turf in the back-left corner and replace it with the same black rubber mat we have throughout the rest of the gym.  In addition, we’ll be extending the mat all the way to the edge of the lounge, and reducing the size of the current lounge, by moving the grey soft mat into the current lounge area.  So we’ll have active mat space all the way up to the edge of the pull-up bars closest to the lounge, and the lounge will be roughly half the size.  But still plenty big enough to sit and chill out after a workout.

3)      Showers.  You probably noticed that we moved the changing rooms into the back room.  This is part of a larger effort we’re working on.  The front room (where the changing rooms used to be) will become office space.  We’re going to cut a door from the mat into the back room, so it will be more direct to get into the changing rooms.  Once everything else is done, we’re going to cut some drains into the floor and add 3 more private showers into that back room.   Just FYI, the new office space will be used by Tim Loar and Tom Borak, who are partnering with Randy to start a new corporate/team fitness business called Exponential Fitness.  Stay tuned for more details there.   Also Tom is getting CrossFit certified next weekend and you’ll probably be taking a class from him in the not-too-distant future.

OK, having said all that, the order of completion will probably be cutting the door to the changing rooms first, then mat the garage area, then finish out the mat in the gym, and finally showers.  I’m not going to commit to a time schedule because it will be wrong almost by definition.   If you have any questions or concerns please contact me (Steve) private.

In relation to the above item, we’re going to have a CrossFit work weekend May 7^th & 8^th (next weekend).  If you’ve got some time and would be willing to come in and help out, I have approximately 735 projects that I want to get done.  We may not get to all of those.  If you’d be willing to lend a hand either or both days, I’ll pony up food and beer, and also throw in a t-shirt.  I’ll send out a reminder email next week.  No need to RSVP, I’ll just put people to work as they show up.  Note:  NO PAINTING THIS TIME! J

Troy’s “power to the people” t-shirt design is printed on t-shirts and available in the office.  Colors are green, turquoise, purple and white for girls; blue, grey, and white for guys.  There is an example on the wall in the lounge, the purple t-shirt.  Stop by the office if you’re interested in getting one.  We’ve got more of the “doctor” t-shirts on the way, and Andrew’s “sweat angel” design in the pipe too.

You never know what the people you work out with do for a living, and many own or are involved in service businesses.  We’re going to set up an area on the bulletin board in the lounge for those members to advertise their businesses.  I for one would rather do business with someone I know and trust rather than a name from the yellow pages or google search.

We’ve gotten CrossFit Denver bumper stickers printed up!  Grab a couple and put them on your bumper or elsewhere.   Thanks to Monica for getting that going!  We’re also working on getting the girls and heroes back up in the lounge and lots of other stuff.

Don’t forget, you can track your workouts on our new website at HiTEchGym.  There is a computer in the lounge connected to the TV on the wall, just move the mouse to wake it up.  As a trainer to help you with it if you’re unsure how to log in.

You can also log in from home, here’s the website address:  http://www.hitechgym.com/hitechgym.asp?gym=Crossfit%20Denver You can also get to it from crossfitdenver.com by clicking on the ‘members’ link in the top-right corner of the page.

You may not even see this in time, but a few of us are doing a pub crawl Saturday, April 30, please join us if you’re free:

Get Your Pub Crawl On!!

Please join us this weekend at the Denver Gaels pub crawl! April 30th, 4 PM start at the Fainting Goat 846 Broadway Denver, CO 80203 FREE bus rides to all 4 pubs (Fainting Goat, The Celtic, Scruffy Murphy’s, and Dougherty’s) FREE beer on the bus FREE pub crawl mug Only $30 for a night of good ol’ Irish fun! Register today at our website: www.denvergaels.com

As we’re coming into another beautiful Colorado spring and summer, we’re going to start doing every weekend at the park, rather than alternating weekends inside/outside. We’ll still put reminders on Thursday & Friday so no one shows up at the gym by mistake. This change takes effect this weekend, April 2.

We’ve printed up some gym rules that will be posted on the walls in the near future. But just to give you a heads-up, here they are. If you have any questions, please contact Steve.

1. Arrive early and stay late. Cheer, clap, and encourage others. You don’t want to cheat yourself of the full CrossFit experience.

2. Be positive. We may talk smack, but its all in fun, and we are all here to help each other get better. If you get off on showing people up or making people feel bad about their workout, GO TRAIN SOMEWHERE ELSE.

3. If you are late, YOU are responsible for your warm-up. If you show up late and jump straight into the WOD without doing any warm-up and pull a muscle, you run the risk of serious injury. Make sure you warm up thoroughly, even if everyone else is starting the WOD.

4. Accidents and injuries happen and usually come as a result of impatience. Slow down. Ask for help if you’re not sure. The trainers are here for YOU.
Check your ego at the door.

5. EMPTY BARBELLS were not made to be dropped (neither were dumbbells or kettlebells). We don’t want our toys, our rubber flooring, you, or someone else broken unnecessarily. If it is a choice between dropping something or hurting yourself, BY ALL MEANS DROP IT. But don’t drop things just because you’re tired or it makes a cool noise.

6. DROPPING BARBELLS (with weights) is OK, within reason. But CONTROL the weights so you’re not a danger to others. No throwing or uncontrolled drops, and be smart about how close you are to others when you set up.

7. If you rip your hands or otherwise bleed, STOP IMMEDIATELY, clean it up and tape up before continuing.

8. Clean up and put away all equipment after you use it. Clean up sweat, spit, blood, chalk, dirt, vomit, handprints, and whatever else you’ve left behind.

9. Grunting, screaming, cussing and otherwise making noise are all welcome and encouraged during a workout. There is such a thing as gentle, quiet strength, although most of us haven’t mastered that yet. Also remember that there can be such a thing as too loud, crass, gross, or rude. Please be respectful.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we have rolled out our new member website for your use.  It can be found here:  http://www.hitechgym.com/hitechgym.asp?gym=Crossfit%20Denver Remember that WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO YOUR TRACKING FOR YOU.  If you’re interested in keeping track of your workouts, the website is there for your use.  There is now a computer in the lounge, hooked up to the TV on the wall.  Its normally in sleep mode, but just move the mouse and it will wake up.  You’re welcome to use that computer to log your results while you’re still at the gym.  Or, bookmark the link above and you can log from your computer at home.

If you don’t see a previous workout (since the first of the year) on the new website, we do take a picture of the whiteboard every day.  However, the new website isn’t great at processing high-quality photos.  I’m working with the developer to correct that, but for now we’re going to maintain our whiteboard photos on the old, or “public” website.  If you didn’t get your performance recorded on a particular day, you can go to this page:  http://www.crossfitdenver.com/gallery/?album=2&gallery=16 and get your results so you can log after the fact.  If you hover over the picture it will show you what day it is.  We don’t unfortunately have EVERY day for whatever reason, but we have most.  Note:  If you can’t read your numbers, email steve@crossfitdenver.com and I’ll look up the whiteboard photo on my computer which may be better quality.

Remember that this new website is not 100% yet.  If there are things that don’t seem like they are working like they should or as you’d like them to, PLEASE tell me so I can go back to the developer with this feedback.  They are very interested in making updates to the website right now, so lets take advantage of that.

So you all have your own login IDs on our new website.  Or should.  If you don’t have one yet, please email steve@crossfitdenver.com and I will set you up and reply with your password.  Once you’ve gotten logged on, please update your profile!  You can do so by clicking on the small pencil icon to the right of your name in the upper-left of the page (below our address).  PLEASE upload a photo!  Its nice to have a face to a name you see on the website.  If you don’t have one suitable and would like us to take one, we’ve got a camera at the gym.  Also please post your birthdate.  Don’t worry, no one will see the year .

When you log on, you’ll see a comment area to the right of the WOD.  This is for you!  Tell us what you thought of the workout, talk a little smack, tell Steve you think his choice of movements for a deck of cards is too mean, etc.  I’d really like people to start sounding off on the new site.  Lets keep it positive (unless you’re talking about Linke), but feel free to share your thoughts!  Pretend its facebook, just without all the farmville crap.

We’re shooting a video for the website at the gym on Sunday morning, April 10th (next Sunday).  We’ll also be asking some people for testimonials and what not.  We’d love to have a ton of people show up and help us get some great footage to choose from.  If you’d rather not be on video, no worries, just let us know and we’ll make sure we don’t use any of your footage.

A guy stopped by the gym the other day with fliers for a 70-mile 6-person relay trail run in Moab, UT.  If you’ve never been there, its BEAUTIFUL.  Read more about the run here:  www.redrockrelay.com If you’re interested in being on a team, email steve@crossfitdenver.com.  If we get 6 or more, we’ll put a team together.

We are currently doing a redesign of the back room (the massage room) to change it into three additional private shower rooms. This new area will be accessible thru what is currently my tool closet (the door just behind the lounge). It will probably be a month before we’re done, but we think you’ll be happy with the results.

Additional future enhancements: 1) putting a soft mat into the garage area for martial arts/yoga, and 2) finishing out the rubber mat in the back-left corner of the workout area. We’ll work hard to get these things done, as we get money/time to do them.

March 1 is the start of the burpee challenge. What is the burpee challenge you say? It is a progressive workout over 100 days, where you start with 1 burpee on day 1 and end up at 100 burpees on day 100. You can do the burpees any time you’d like, break them up any way you want. If you miss a day, you have to make up those burpees the next day (effectively doubling that workout).

Genesis Fitness is talking smack about CrossFit. We’re having a friendly competition with them to see who will get farthest. In our case, it will be to see how many of us make it to 100.

Before you ask, the burpee challenge is IN ADDITION to the regular workout. So, if there are burpees like in Tuesday’s workout, you do your 30 burpees for the workout, and then one more for the challenge.

The whiteboard in the hall is set up for the burpee challenge. If you’re interested in participating, just put your name up! I’d really like everyone in the gym to at least try it and see how long you can go. When and if you tap out, record your last successful day…

As you may recall, we recently had a t-shirt design contest, which you voted on and selected:

1) Troy Lerner’s “power to the people” design.

2) Andrew K’s “sweat angel” design.

After talking with some people, we’ve decided we’re going to try a couple different approaches here.

First, our shirt vendor is happy to apply the design to whatever we’d like to put it on (fabric anyway). So if you have a shirt/jacket/sweatshirt/whatever that you’d like one of the designs on, bring it in and tell me (Steve) what you’d like. Prints onto your personal shirt will be $5 each.

Second, if you want a shirt of either design printed up on their shirt stock, we’ll give it to you at cost if you pre-pay before the order is run. Not sure what cost will be, but should be in the $10-$11 range.

We will also get some shelf stock made for each shirt, but those will be priced at normal retail. So if you decide after the fact that you want some, we will have some available.

The designs are ready to go, and we will be placing the order March 15th, so make sure you get with me before then with your preference

If you’re doing paleo and have trouble with having portable food, I have a limited number of yummy tasty grass-fed paleokits for you to sample. I have the larges, which are a meal replacement. Paleokits are jerky, dried fruit, and nuts in a vacuum sealed package. Each paleokit is $6, and I have several in the office, let me know if you’d like one.

Just mentioning one more time, we are hosting a women’s self-defense seminar at the gym this Saturday from 10a-noon. You will learn a number of useful techniques, and at the end I will dress up in a “red man” suit and you can beat me up to your heart’s content. If you didn’t get signed up the first time, just let me know you’d like to attend, we have room for several more. Also, if you have a friend you’d like to bring with, feel free! Just let me know total number.

FYI, If you’re interested in purchasing any personal equipment for use in the gym or at home, please do contact me about it. If you like a certain type of jumprope, or want some weightlifting shoes or whatever, just ask. I’m sure we can get you what you need. As I mentioned earlier, we’re going to have a rack for personal ropes, so you can keep them in the gym. Also working on a shoe rack for weightlifting shoes, etc.

We’ve just bought two 15-lb aluminum bars and another smaller 33-lb bar, so we have some more less-fragile bars lighter than the normal 45′s. Also finally got our new 1 1/4″ narrower grip pull-up bars. Its going to be a job to put them up, will need several hands to help with it, but we’re close now.

Our Buddy Lee jump ropes have dwindled down to virtually none.  They are a favorite for some of you, and I’m going to order a couple more for the gym.  However, if you’d like to get a personal rope, they are $27.95 each, and if 6 or more people are interested the shipping will be free.  So if you want one, please do let me know ASAP.  We want to make an order by Monday.  Remember, we’re making a rack for personal ropes; so if you order a rope and keep it on that rack, only you will be allowed to use it, which will obviously prevent wear and tear…

I’m going to put out all our lost and found items on the table in the lounge.  Please see if anything is yours.  We’ll leave them all out for a few days, then take the remainder to goodwill (Monday evening).

Please do not park in front of DVH (the painting business to our immediate north, or ‘left’ as you’re facing the building).  The four angled spots along the picket fence on the far north (left) side are their spots, so please leave them alone.  6am-ers, they get in EARLY, so they want their spots shortly after 6.  6:30pm and weekends is fine, but no others, thanks!

A friend of mine runs The Women’s Self-Defense Institute, out of Phoenix, AZ.  He’s coming up the weekend of March 5th to certify me and several others as women’s self-defense instructors.  On Saturday morning, March 5th, from 10a-12a, Brad will be putting on a class for us.  All women who are interested in attending the class are welcome.  You will learn practical self-defense for real-life situations, which have proven to be effective in actual situations.  Also, I will be putting on a “Red Man” suit later, and you will all get to beat the crap out of me. We are asking for a $5 or $10 donation at the end of the class if you feel that what you learn was worth your time.  As I will be an instructor, I plan to put on these types of classes frequently, maybe even once/month if we have enough demand.  In the future, your friends and family members will be welcome to attend as well.  SO, please do let me know if you’re interested in attending.

We are considering changes to our class schedule, as our 5:30pm class is becoming quite full..  Can you please indicate below, what class(es) you would be most likely to attend?