• Open to all members for FREE (Beneficial to any member, but geared towards members who have been with us 3 months or less)
• Friends and/or family who are interested in learning more about CFA are welcome to come along with any current members!

Includes:

• Presentation of CFA’s Goals and Core Values
• Discussion on the importance of nutrition and recovery
• The “what” and “why” of functional movement
• Keys to Success

When: February 15th, 2012 (Wednesday) from 7:00pm to 8:00pm

Where: CrossFit Austin (8708 S. Congress Avenue, Suite A-190)

Sign up here!

Welcome, new members! We’re so happy to have you here!

*If you are a new member and haven’t had your picture taken, please talk to Caitlyn! 

It’s that time again! The 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games Open is here! With registration beginning tomorrow (February 1), and the release of the first WOD on February 22nd, CrossFitters from all over the world will be able to showcase their abilities in hopes of being crowned the “Fittest in the World.”

Last year’s Open at CrossFit Austin was an amazing experience, and one you can join in this year! You may not be striving to become the next Annie Thorsdottir or Rich Froning, (and even better if you are) but I can assure you, the dynamic of CFA during the Open is electric and something you WILL want to be a part of! Instead of spouting off reasons as to why to join the Open, I’d much rather recap last year’s CFA experience in hopes that it will get you excited to be a part of something that not only is fun but makes our CFA family that much more motivated and supportive.

I remember when the first WOD of the Open was released. They were late in releasing it, causing everyone to stay up well beyond their normal bedtime, hitting “refresh” every five minutes on the CrossFit Games website. As soon as it was released, Facebook exploded with CFA members updating their status’ with the Open’s first WOD. The road to the Games had begun!

Every Wednesday (this year is will be Thursdays) for 6 weeks, CFA’s WOD was that of the Open. Whether you were registered for the Open or not, you were doing the WOD that CrossFitters from all over the world were doing. It was a big deal! Members were coming in early and staying later to support others who were doing the WOD (registered or not). I remember some coming in at 4:30 pm to cheer others on, get their shot at the workout at 5:30 pm, and then stay to support others in the 6:30 pm class. Every Wednesday, CFA turned into a mini-competition arena with music blasting and our members playing the roles of competitors, spectators, judges and coaches – all at once. We even had the “media” there, as I remember Geno recording the evening classes as they completed the WOD. We had athletes of all levels performing the WODs which brought out a newer and higher level of intensity from everyone!

I know for a fact the Open brought a stronger sense of community and pride to our CFA box. It was a great way for members to push themselves and others beyond normal limits. It added a competitive edge where we could check our individual standings and also see if our efforts could keep CFA within the top 30 boxes in our region. The Open allowed for more work to get done faster among CFA members as everyone’s hard work and intensity motivated their fellow athletes to push even more. Rankings among individuals within CFA were going up weekly because they had friends, next to them, pushing them to produce bigger numbers.

For the most part, the Open took over the lives of CFA coaches and members for six weeks. It was six weeks of having set times or days to perform the Open WOD. It was a great opener that unknowingly prepped CFA for the proverbial “Road to the Games!” Last year, after the final scores of the Open were tallied, we had two people qualify as individuals to advance to Regionals, we had a high enough score to qualify a team to represent CFA at Regionals, and we had our very own Darlene Price qualify to compete at the Games in California in hopes of being crowned the “Fittest Woman in the World” in the Master’s Division. That being said, CFA had no idea how well we’d actually do. Miguel finished strong with a 15th place finish in the individual Men’s Division at Regionals. Our team went into Regionals ranked 19th and left with a solid 7th place finish. And Darlene? Well, if you haven’t heard, she went to the Games in California and came home as the 2nd Fittest Woman in the World!

All of these things couldn’t have happened without the community the Open had strengthened within CFA. I can NOT wait for this year’s Open and am excited to see our CFA members, new and old, exceed all my expectations again. Again, I encourage everyone to participate (if you don’t, I will personally stalk you and make you do wall balls until you do)! Throw yourself into the adventure of the Open and get excited for the hype and improvement it will bring to you and your fellow CrossFit Austinites! You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain! If anything, it’ll help solidify why you joined this crazy community we call CrossFit Austin!

GET EXCITED!  -Coach Leigh

Want to get involved? Sign up for the Open here!

Friday 5:30 AM – All Levels Group Class
Friday 5:30 PM - Level 2 Open Gym*

*Open Gym will last from 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM (1 hour) and you must sign up for it like a regular class. It will not be lead by a coach, but you will have all access to the equipment. Coach Shane will be around to monitor and make sure that everything is put back in it’s proper place.

**For a complete listing of class schedules, please click here.

The Dust has settled on the Fittest Games and we want to congratulate all of our athletes that participated! Also a huge thank you to the  #paintitpink Army that came out to support the athletes this Weekend! Final Results are below:

• Alex, and Miguel’s team took home 3rd place 
• Shane, Leigh, Stacey, and Boone finished in 5th 
• Blake, Sleeves, Carissa, and Christy finished in 21st

The CrossFit games season has officially begun and now is the time for EVERYONE to get involved!
Keep reading below for important dates, information, and details.

1. Sign up for the CrossFit Games opens on Wednesday February 1st!
We would love for as many people as possible to participate!

• Support: By signing up you can score points to help send the CrossFit Austin Team to Regional’s 
• Challenge: Gauge your abilities against CrossFittters worldwide !
• #paintitpink: The team with the most open participants in the region  receive free tickets to Regionals April 27th-29th.
  

2. Team CrossFit Austin One:

• Team CrossFit Austin One will consist of 3 men,  3 women, and 2 alternates (1 man, 1 woman)
• Team CrossFit Austin One currently consists of:
  Women: Alex Janss, Leigh LeGare, Stacey Magnesio
  Men: Shane Stephens, Miguel Garza 
• We need one more male athlete, as well as male and female alternates. If you are interested in training with, competing, and/or just want to help score points during the open for Team CrossFit Austin One, please email me at Wes@crossfitaustin.com
• As with any sport the head coach will make any and all final personnel decisions.  We will use the open, and multiple assessments to determine the final team, but ultimately all final roster decision will be determined by me.
  
• This year affiliates are allowed to have multiple teams. If you are interested in forming a team outside Team CrossFit Austin One please let me know via email and I will let you know exactly how to form the team under CrossFit Austin.
  

3. Registration closes on February 21st and the Open will kick off on February 22nd. All updates to us are at the mercy of the CrossFit Games Website, as soon as we get more info we will forward it along asap!

What: Book Signing with Mel “Melicious” Joulwan
Date: Saturday, January 28
Time: Noon

Mel is offering the book at $24.95 ($5 off the cover price), so get your hands on Well Fed. It’s packed with 115+ recipes that are 100% super-strict, paleo compliant — and 100% tasty. Learn more about the book, read reviews, and download a free PDF sampler here.

Here’s a sample recipe from Well Fed to whet your appetite:

Egg Foo Yong
Prep 5 min | Cook 20 min | Serves 2

Egg Foo Yong has a deliciously confused identity. It’s not quite an omelet, almost a pancake, and somewhere beyond a fritter. It has become a 100% American dish, although its culinary roots reach back to Shanghai, and its Cantonese name has at least six accepted English spellings. Egg foo yong appeared in the first Chinese cookbook for American cooks in 1912, but reached the pinnacle of its popularity after World War II.

I use pancake rings to make 3-inch egg foo yong patties; you can also make large, skillet-sized omelets instead. No chicken in your fridge? Replace the grilled chicken with just about any cooked protein — beef, pork, and shrimp are all great!

INGREDIENTS:
Egg Foo Yong:
4 large eggs
4 ounces grilled chicken thighs, diced
2 cups steam-sautéed cabbage, minced
4 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced
2 teaspoon coconut aminos
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons coconut oil
additional scallion tops, for garnish

Spicy Secret Sauce:
2 tablespoons homemade mayo (http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/06/03/the-secret-to-homemade-mayo-patience/)
1 teaspoon coconut aminos
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 clove garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
pinch cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 300 F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk or fork, then add the diced chicken, cabbage, scallions, coconut aminos, five-spice powder, cayenne, and sesame oil. Blend well.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes. Add coconut oil and allow it to melt. Place pancake rings in the skillet, and pour 1/4 cup batter into each ring. Cook 5 minutes, remove the rings, and flip the patties to brown the other side. Cook about

5 minutes, then remove to the baking sheet and place in the oven to keep them hot while you make the rest of the patties.

To make the Spicy Secret Sauce, place all the ingredients in a small bowl and use a fork to mix until blended.

To serve egg foo yong, stack the patties on a plate top with a dollop of Spicy Secret Sauce, and sprinkle with sliced scallion tops.

The athletes at  CrossFit Austin will represent the Push-up Man at The Fittest Games on 01/21/12. We will have a group cheering them on and encourage everyone to wear their neon pink CFA shirts to #PaintItPink at The Fittest Games. We hope you’ll join us as we cheer them on – in the gym and at the event!

The Event will be 7:30 AM – 5 PM @ 507 Calles Street  Austin Tx, 78702. We will have a group there all day!

Can’t make it? Check us out on facebook and twitter for information and updates!

Join your CrossFit Austin family as we get together to watch the CrossFit Games Marathon!
We’ll be setting up camp at Third Base in South Park Meadows from 2pm to 6pm on January 1st. Hope to see you there!

When: 01.01.12
Where: Third Base (South Park Meadows)
When: 2:00pm – 6:00pm

For more information, check our facebook page.

Women’s Division:

1st Place:  Team Lady Plankstas (Dayna Lowke, Josie Wilson, Laura Gale/Coach Tristy)
Total Time: 11:22
2nd Place: Team Walkerttes (Julie Kimball, Jessica Villarreal, Michele McLendon/Coach Walker)
Total Time: 12:56
3rd Place: Team BTY “Better Than Yesterday” (Tasha Gabriel, Janice Trinidad, Chapel Ham/Coach Rob)
 Total Time: 14:27

Men’s Division:

1st Place:  Team Power Tower (Chaz Darling &  Charlie Koehn/Coach Boone)
Total Time: 12:00
2nd Place: Team Old Dutch Ninja Hobos (Alex Gale & Mikey Muna/Coach Wes)
Total Time: 13:44
3rd Place: Team Lanimal (Lane Lowke & Dan Morice/Coach Blake)
Total Time: DNF

The Push-up Man and Woman of the year exemplify everything that we love about our athletes, our community, and the human spirit. Not only do these people walk through the doors of CFA day in and day out, and work hard to improve themselves; they go out of their way to lift up everyone around them. They make their friends and families a priority over themselves. They lead and encourage by words, actions, and example. They represent the burning spirit of what makes our little South Austin gym unique and special. We at CrossFit Austin can humbly bestow no greater honor on a person. We give our utmost heartfelt “thank you” for choosing to make our gym, business, family, and lives a better place!

Congratulations, and thank you, to
Mikey Muna and Julie “Crash” Shamblin
Push Up Man and Push Up Woman 2011!

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