Coach Liz

05.08.13 Who is ready to hit the beach?

DogTown CrossFit’s

DT Surf Club – Surf, Sand and Sweat

Hello DogTowner’s,

We are exicted to announce DogTown is hosting a Saturday class at the BEACH! The DT Surf Club will provide workouts 1 hour in duration. They will be performed outside on sand, grass, sometimes concrete, and possibly some water (don't worry, we will give you a heads up). The movements include body weight exercises (gymnastics) and cardio/plyometric exercises. The focus will not be about weight lifting, but external load will be used in some classes (kettlebells, medicine balls, etc.).

The concept behind DT Surf Club is simple:

1. Get outside (an average person spends 90% of their day indoors!)

2. Increase your cardiovascular conditioning and muscle endurance

3. Learn how to run with more efficiency

4. Have FUN

You will not be required to bring any equipment with you to class.

Now I know what you are thinking…this sounds like a commercial. DUH! But its more than that, we want you guys to take advantage of the beautiful California weather, and get a tremendous workout. Not to mention, that after every class, we encourage you to stick around and challenge your friends to volleyball, throw a football around, or have a picnic with some of your favorite gym mates.

At the end of summer, DogTown will host a team competition on Sept 7th “BASH AT THE BEACH”. Stay tuned for more details regarding that event.

Details

Starts: Saturday, June 15, 2013

When: Every Saturday Morning from 9am to 10am (last class Sept 7^th)

Where: Crescent Bay Park- 2000 Ocean Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90407. Ocean Ave at Bay St. We will meet on the grass near the bottom level. Look for the DogTown CrossFit Tent.

How: We will have a weekly sign up sheet at DogTown CrossFit where you can reserve your space for the Saturday morning beach workout.

Price: DogTown CrossFit members = $FREE, Friends and Family of DogTowners = $15 per session. Open to the public= $20 per session

Let’s have some fun this summer and train outside in beautiful, sunny Southern California! Let me know if you have any suggestions, concerns, or questions.

See you at the gym!

Coach Mike V, Coach Josh G

cue the music

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04.19.13 WLC Champions!!!

Whole Life Challenge Champions!

Well a week has passed since the demise of the Whole Life challenge and no doubt some alcohol has been shot, sipped or shaken, sugar warmly welcomed and possibly even some grains gone wild on your plate. Congratulations! If you were amongst the top 20 finishers you likely deserve the stomach aches! Then again I didn't finish in the top 20 and my tastebuds have dabbled with all of the above (in moderation of course

and in the form of a glass of wine, oatmeal and dark chocolate) so perhaps consider that food is not a reward, cheat days do not denote blowing your load and that you all learned an incredible amount about yourselves, your bodies, and your minds and for that you are all champions.

I know I don't speak as a lone soldier on this when I say that one of the coolest things about these challenges is the inspiration, spirit and proven results from so many of the participants. We have seen it before: pounds shed, medications lowered, and some l-b's added to your lifts but one of the best take aways is seeing people blossom as their confidence increases and they get a bit more pep in their step. No doubt I learned this in some rom-com movie staring Jennifer Lopez or Hugh Grant but when I go to a wedding while everyone is watching the bride walk down the aisle I glance back at the groom because in that moment he has a look of pure happiness. Last weekend in timing the baseline workouts and taking measurements I saw that same face on every whole life challenger .Take Jordan Siperstein, for example, if he gets to class early he hangs out quietly by the foam rollers but then lat Saturday I kid you not I am pretty sure I saw both his hands in the air as he threw down a little happy dance post the baseline workout. Or Becca Clason who has been with us for a few months, clocks in consistently 3x a week, ad post WLC has decided to give some "All Levels" classes a go! We are so fortunate at DogTown to have some of the top athletes in the world call our gym home and wow are they incredible, but do yourself a favor next week and take a look at the person to your right as I have a hunch they too are up to big things.

So on that note of passion for what we are ALL up to, without further adieu I bring you our 2012 Whole Life Champions!

Most Improved workout with a 22% increase in speed, Nikola Kantar!!!!

Most Improved (*) body measurements with an 11% decrease in inches, Omid Kahalil!!!!

Drum role please…..

Top Female with a 18% increase in speed, 12% decrease in measurement and perfect "check-in" score, Claudia Padula!!!!

Top Male with a 10% increase in speed, 5% decrease in measurement and perfect "check-in" score, Christopher Ambrosini!!!!

(*Note Omid was second in lost inches and Claudia first but in fairness we wanted to spread out the reward love. It is also probably worth noting that Omid and Claudia are tying the knot next month so they are obvi a solid team but also proof that there is power in doing things with others!)

Huge thanks to Dogtwon, Brian's Bowls, WOD Gear, Hylete, SFH and Ventura meat in your generosity for our winners circle! Winners please see Liz or Josh for your prizes!

As for the rest of you players, great job don't lose now and in the words of Nas "play on playas"

Incredibly inspired but all of you. Your teammate,

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08.27.12 Why Shana Barry is Doing Crush Cancer

In the fall of 2003, my mother found out that what she thought was just a cold sore on her tongue was in fact squamous cell carcinoma. Her doctors decided to gather a team together before the holiday season in order to do surgery and begin treatment. I was a senior in college and had just arrived home in Connecticut for winter break. On the ride home from the airport, my mother broke the news to me that she was going to Yale New Haven that weekend for treatment.

My mother's surgery was a success, but very aggressive. Graphs were taken from her arm and leg to help patch the area that was operated on and then to patch those areas. Unfortunately my mother had a high ability to clot. Except for when she gave birth to my brother and I, my mother was never in the hospital so this wasn't something that could have been caught in her medical history. Just after New Years, a clot traveled up my mother's leg and into her lungs. She passed on January 4th 2004. She was 51 years old.

Two years later, my father was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. As a retired teamster, my father began going in for his treatments with a great attitude and treating his visits as though he had a part time job. My brother, who was now in college, would come home and visit my father, bringing his fraternity brothers during the fall to help do the yard work. Still living in California, I was once again removed from the reality of my parent's illness.

I received a phone call from my aunt one day when I was about to step out for lunch. She was adamant that I come home. My father had caught a cold, but due to the myeloma, his immune system was compromised to the point of having none. I flew home that night to arrive the next morning to find my father in the ICU. He was coherent that first day but his condition grossly digressed from there on out. My father lost his battle on April 17th, 2008. He was 59 years old.

Over the years, I've had to face cancer straight on more than I would have liked to. My aunt is a two time survivor of breast cancer. At 61 years old, she is now battling cancer for a third time but opting for a more holistic treatment. My dear friend Ray and my friend's mother Linda are also breast cancer survivors. I have another dear friend who is currently undergoing treatment for testicular cancer. Even Adam, one of my coaches, is a survivor.

It's no surprise that DogTown's Crush Cancer event is one that is dear to my heart. In honor of those who have survived, in memory of those I have lost, and in support of those still battling, I always do whatever I can to get friends and family members to help donate towards finding a cure for cancer. Any amount counts. It's the idea of raising awareness that in some way, if not already, we will all be affected by that b*tch of a disease called cancer. The 17 minutes that we endure is nothing like what our family and friends endure during treatment. It's one thing I know I can do to show my honor, love, and support.

Let's get 'em DogTown!

~Shana

Donate to Shana here!

http://www.crowdrise.com/shanabarry

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08.21.12 Thoughts From Liz : )

Good Day DogTowners!

For those of you who’ve been CrossFiting for a while, I want to take you back, back to the days when you were brand spanking new to CrossFit. And for those of you, who are brand new, just know we’ve all been there!

Remember those exciting days, when you were so nervous to come to class? You looked up the workout and its’ something called “Fran”. First you thought, “Who the heck is Fran?” Then you were like “Thrusters? What’s that?! It’s only 21-15-9, doesn’t look that bad”.

Next thing you know, your workout was only 10 minutes long, but you can barely breathe, your stomach is in your throat, and some dude next to you just did the same workout with 20 more pounds in half the time! You were thinking, “Holy crap, am I ever going to be as good as that guy?”

You can totally be as good as that guy! Even better! CrossFit will never be easy, but you will improve if you put in the time and effort. We have a great community at DogTown, so don’t be shy and ask around if you need help. Trust me, we’ve all been there before!!

I remember my first CrossFit workout. It was with Adam, and it was weighted pull-ups. I thought, “these people are nuts, I can barely do a pull-up and they want me to add weight!?” I was out of my comfort zone, but I couldn’t wait to come back for more! I also remember the first time I did Fran. I had Val in my class. Side note: (If you don’t know Val yet, you will! She’s like super human athlete who beats most of the guys with the men’s weight. She placed 5^th at this year’s CrossFit Games after having a baby just over a year ago!) Needless to say it was intimidating!

Back to my point…my point is, newbies stick with it and have some fun! You are improving your life and I couldn’t be more proud of you for taking that first step!

For my Original Gangsters, don’t forget what it was like to be new and help someone out. Set the example. Check out the New Member Board and introduce yourself to someone new.

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02.20.12 CrossFit Open Starts This Week

Hi Everyone,

It’s that time of year again; athletes are gearing up for the CrossFit Games. You might be wondering what that means for you and the gym so I’m here to shed some light!

I’ll start by explaining the process of qualifying for the games. There are two different routes athletes can take; Individual and Team. Teams consist of 3 men and 3 women. No matter what route an athlete takes, they must sign up for the CrossFit Open. Anyone worldwide can sign up for this, including you. Here's the website. It’s $20 to register. https://games.crossfit.com/mygames/
If you would like a shot at the team, join the DogTown Affiliate and then join one of our teams. Team A orTeam B.

More on the CrossFit Open:
Beginning Wednesday February 22 CrossFit Headquarters will announce one workout a week for the next 5 weeks. Athletes are required to complete this workout within the week and have a qualified gym validate their score. DogTown is a validated gym and we will make sure all scores are true and correct.

Upon completion of the 5 weeks of workouts, the top Individual men and women and teams worldwide will be selected to compete in Regionals. This is the next step to the games. Regionals for the Socal Region will be held May 11-13. It has been rumored that the event will take place at the Pomona Fairgrounds.

From the Regionals competition, the top 3 individual men and women and the top 3 teams will move on to the CrossFit Games. The CrossFit Games are to be held July 11-13 at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

DogTown's Valerie Voboril is competing for an individual spot and several others are competing for spots on the Teams. We hope to send our best athletes and go all the way to the games this year!

Anyone can sign up for the Open and Register for the team. The Open workout from CrossFit Headquarters will be our class workout every Friday with Sunday being a makeup day during Open Gym. Even if you’re not competing, it will be fun to do the workout or a scaled version as a gym and see where you stand within the rest of the world.

Here’s a link with more info: http://games.crossfit.com/about-the-games

Please contact me with any questions: liz@dogtowncrossfit.com

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10.19.11 Crush Cancer Details

Crush Cancer Details

Address:9300 Culver Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232

Parking:Trader Joe’s Parking Structure

Check-In:9:00am (all athletes must check in)

Heat Schedules:To be posted soon! Stay tuned.

How to Donate to: Go to https://secure.standup2cancer.org/custom/?c=team&a=donate&id=5217

Make sure your donation goes to Team DogTown!

Questions? Call 310-558-4496

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10.17.11 Crush Cancer Countdown!

DogTowners this is the final push before Crush Cancer this Saturday, October 22! Start time is 9:00am. Heat schedules will be sent out this week. If you have not emailed me letting me know you are participating in the workout please do so ASAP! Include what weight you are using!

We are currently at $29,000. With your hard work we can make it to $50,000! Please help in this final effort!!!! Thank you for all you’ve done for this great cause! DogTowners truly are amazing people!

We also need your help setting up for the event. Please email liz@dogtowncrossfit.com if you can help at any of the following times:

Friday Evening- 7:00pm- Load Equipment @ DogTown

Saturday Morning- 7:00am- Unload Equipment @ 9300 Culver Blvd. (event site)

Saturday Afternoon- tentatively 12:30pm- Load Equipment @ 9300 Culver Blvd

Saturday Afternoon- tentatively 1:30pm- Unload Equipment @ DogTown

Thank you,

Liz

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10.11.11 Only 11 Days Left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DogTowners and Friends!

We are down to only 11 days left until our October 22 Crush Cancer Event! All proceeds are being donated to Stand Up To Cancer. Currently, we are at $25,000 raised. Our goal is $50,000!!!!! We need your help!

Tell your friends and family to go too: http://www.standup2cancer.org/custom/?c=team&a=index&id=5217

Donate to Team DogTown! Or make checks payable to Stand Up To Cancer. Liz is collecting checks to send in.

If you cannot complete the workout on Saturday, October 22 we will schedule a makeup day for you!

Tell your friends to join us at the event so they can watch you Crush Cancer! Send them the details:

When: Saturday, October 22

Where: 9300 Culver Blvd. (Park in the Trader Joe’s parking lot)

Time: Check in starts at 9:00am first heat goes at 9:30am

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10.08.11 Shopping For Charity!

When: Saturday, October 8^th

Time: 1:00pm-4:00pm

Where: Madewell, Century City

Details: Receive 15% off your purchase between those hours, and that 15% will go directly towards Team DogTown’s Stand Up to Cancer Fundraiser!!!!

Check out their website: http://www.madewell.com/index.jsp

Bring your friends, family, tell the world! You don’t have to be a DogTown member to receive the discount!

A special Thanks to Sharon Louchios for setting this up! DogTown loves you!

Hope to see you there!

Liz

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09.13.11 Need a New Jump Rope?

Hey Guys,

With the Crush Cancer Workout right around the corner you might want to invest in your own jump rope. Especially if Double Unders are something you're working on. Here are a few I like:

RX Jump Ropes: http://store.rxjumpropes.com/

Again Faster Cable Ropes: http://www.againfaster.com/jump-ropes/

Chime in with comments if there's a rope you really like!

Cheers,

Liz

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