The little things are often the big things. – Keep it simple.  There is absolute joy and wonder to be had in the simplest of moments – like watching the sunset over the horizon or spending time with a family member.  Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things.  

Forget what everyone else thinks and wants for you. – One of the greatest freedoms is simply not caring what everyone else thinks of you.  Sometimes you need to step outside, get some air, and remind yourself of who you are and what you want to be.  The best thing you can do is follow your heart.  Take risks.  Don’t just accept the safe and easy choices because you’re afraid of what others will think, or afraid of what might happen.  If you do, nothing will ever happen.  Don’t let small minds convince you that your dreams are too big.  They aren’t.


Nobody else can do it for you. – Keep doing what you know in your heart is right for YOU.  Let your dreams be bigger than your fears... Live by choice, not by chance.  Make changes, not excuses... It’s your road, and yours alone.  Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.

"More people are killed by the FORK than the KNIFE!"

Another FUN Friday in the books...

Barbara

5 rounds

20 pullups
30 push ups
40 sit ups
50 squats

Joey lifts 400lbs!

The Foundation is Nutrition...

"If it has a food label on it... its probably not food" Greg Glassman

3 rounds

10 burpies
15 OVS
200m run

3 rounds

20 jumping back squats

20 Kb swings

Fotis does not look happy about having to do burpies

 Life is Heavier Than Any Bar

We deadlift so if a toddler falls in street we can pick them up before a car scrapes them off.  

We snatch so that when the flood comes we can toss sandbags high enough to build a wall to save our home. 

We pull-up so when our loved one is screaming we can go over a wall to get to them rather than search for a door. 

We climb ropes for fun, so that when we must climb ropes for freedom we can. 

We burpee so that no matter how bad the beating we can always take one more punch. 

We row so when the clouds surprise us in the ocean we can out-paddle the rain. 

We run for the day we need hurry to a friend in need. 

We lunge for that sweet burn that teaches us to handle the flames. 

We push-up so we can push back against those hurting the weaker. 

We squat for the time we’re hit so hard we buckle…yet we still stand.

2012 Games Open has come to an end

Five weeks of competition have come and gone. After the dust has settled, the scores verified, Team Badlands finds it self in 43rd place.

Hats off to the 'Team" not only the official team members but everyone at Badlands who came to the gym gave it their all, did the Open workouts, and showed their support for those competing for the right to advance to the next step. Our team spirit was #1.

Kaine finished in 43rd place and has earned the right to advance to the regionals where he will go head to head against the top 60 athletes from Western Canada!

There has been a lot of talk about doing an adventure obstacle course race again this year. Here are a couple of links. I know some of the crew have already registered. Deadlines are fast approaching for both of these races.  If there is enough interest we could look at renting a bus again like last year.

The Mud Hero takes place in the Kananaskis Country and there is a BBQ after the race. The Calgary Spartan will be in a different location from last year and promises to be more of challenge.

If there are any other race that look interesting let me know and I can post the links.

July 22nd 2012 - Up for some serious fun? Sign up for Mud Hero – the only rope-swinging, mud-crawling, ramp-running, wall-climbing, tunnel-diving, slide-slipping, net-crossing, tire-tripping, un-freakin’-believable obstacle run of its kind that’s 100% Canadian-owned.

Dreamt up by the totally insane Crazy Canucks team, Mud Hero is the ultimate place to scale new summits and conquer your fear of muck, madness and sheer mayhem. Crush the voice of your inner weenie as you crank up the adrenaline and push yourself, your friends and others to make it to end. Without falling over laughing. Then celebrate your epic achievement at the finish line with other totally wild and muddy gals, pals and spectators during the post-race Mud Bash, where there will be a BBQ, bevies, live music and more. You’ll grin. You’ll groan. You’ll enter the Mud Zone.

August 18th - Calgary Spartan Sprint - obstacle races are muddy 3+- mile events with 10 or more obstacles. The challenging 5k sprint trail races are a great way to get off your couch and start living. From beginner trail racers and mud run participants to hardcore warriors, tough guys and marathon runners, they all come out to test themselves on the insane obstacle races! 99.9% of all people who try this event will finish, and 100% will have their thirst for mud & trail racing fully satisfied!

"Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know that you can lose."

Family Challenge...

Hey crew we are into week 4 of the family challenge. Never too late to join the fun!!!

Max reps in two minutes of:
squats
push ups
double pumpers!!

Send me your results and pics

** I may know of a free agent if a team needs a another member :)

"Those who dance were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music"

Angela Monet

Fun Friday...

9am crew had fun at:

 5 rounds of
10 power cleans
10 burpies

Hendrix had fun on the parallel bars

Someone had fun in the kitchen :)

Gluten free pizza with chicken, roasted tomatoes black olives feta and arugula pesto 

(Yeah its square... but sometimes its fun to be square!)

The final WOD for the 2012 Games Open

 7 min AMRAP of thrusters and pull ups:

Men 100lb thruster Women 65lb thruster

Thruster, 3 reps 3 Chest to bar Pull-ups
Thruster, 6 reps 6 Chest to bar Pull-ups
Thruster, 9 reps 9 Chest to bar Pull-ups
Thruster, 12 reps 12 Chest to bar Pull-ups
Thruster, 15 reps 15 Chest to bar Pull-ups
Thruster, 18 reps 18 Chest to bar Pull-ups
Thruster, 21 reps 21 Chest to bar Pull-ups...

This is a timed workout. If you complete the round of 21, go on to 24. If you complete 24, go on to 27, etc.

4 rounds

15 deadlifts
25 lateral jumps over the bar

“Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.”

Mary Ann Radmacher

 Joey and daughter Nena doing squats for the family challenge

like father...

like son... James pressing "real weights like my dad"

30 Ground to Overhead

30 HR Push ups

30 Glute Ham Sit ups

30 Squat cleans

30 KB Swings

30 Pull ups

30 K2E

... Hello Spring!

Morning Classes are cancelled...

Send me your First Day of Spring pics...

In Canada and the rest of the northern hemisphere, the first day of the spring season is the day of the year when the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving northward (on March 20^th or 21^st). This day is known as the Vernal Equinox.

This season brings increasing daylight, warming temperatures, and the rebirth of flora and fauna.

"... this has been an unusually mild winter, especially for those living east of the Mississippi. Not a few people have noted that spring seems to have come early this year. Of course, in a meteorological sense that could be true, but in 2012 it will also be true in an astronomical sense as well, because this year spring will make its earliest arrival since the late 19th century: 1896, to be exact."

http://www.space.com/14951-spring-equinox-early-arrival-2012.html

Ok I'M done with the trivia back to shoveling :)

Time flies when you are having fun!

Week four is done and one more week to go in the 2012 Games Open... where does the time go.

Team Badlands finds them self in 42nd place.

Hats off to Cole who is just 16 years old and has been juggling school hockey part time job but still has managed to come out every week to help our team out. On Saturday he worked through his double unders and banged out one muscle up before the time was up.

Yeah Wayne they were not pretty but he whipped through all 90 double unders after smashing 150 wallballs in just over 6 min.

Go team GO!

Happy St. Patricks Day

Saint Patrick was a gentleman,
Who through strategy and stealth,
Drove all the snakes from Ireland,
Here’s a toasting to his health.
But not too many toastings
Lest you lose yourself and then
Forget the good Saint Patrick
And see all those snakes again.

Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.
But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.


'Beannachtam na Feile Padraig!'
Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The 4:30 crew rocking the wod!

Yep the Games #4 WOD was a tough one, definitely a mental challenge as well as a physical one,  and there were a some strategies that a few of you came up with to help you get through. I especially liked Clarkes'... 

Like the ball...

Love the ball...

Be the ball...

and yes then someone who has been working hard to overcome her extreme issues towards the wallball chimes in "f**k" the ball". Yeah I liked that one too but, Colleen, we need to still work on that attitude!! :) Awesome job everyone!

Now here is another joke to help ease the pain in those quads and maybe help you forget who asked you to do wallballs twice in one week ;)

LAST TRIP TO COSTCO
Yesterday I was at my local COSTCO buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Jake, the Wonder Dog. I was in the check-out line when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog.
What did she think I had an elephant? So because I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.
I told her that it was essentially a Perfect Diet and that the way that it works is, to load your pants pockets with Purina Nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)
Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care, because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I stepped off a curb to sniff a poodle's butt and a car hit me.
I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was Laughing so hard.
Costco won't let me shop there anymore.

Games Open Wod #4

12 AMRAP

150 Wallballs
90   Double Unders
30   Muscle Ups

...thought I give you a little something to laugh about, you will need it after doing this WOD :)

The perfect runner...

An interesting article on running... and what shoes to where when running :)

This is also going to be aired on the Nature of Things (CBC)- The Perfect Runner- on Thursday.

 

The perfect runner - the Nature of Things

Another great day...

Some did pullups...

Some went heavy...

but all went HARD!!

Newest Badlands Member!

Congratulations Ursala and Josh! A baby brother for Layla and George

Teddy

Wall balls
Kb Swings
Tire Flips ... now doesn't that sound like fun!

Three down, two to go!

Oh this weeks Open Wod was a good one!

The community generated just over 335,000 total rounds (12 million reps) in the past four days, for an average of 35 reps per second sustained for 96 hours.

Our team worked hard...  Kaine completed almost 10 rounds and Pam a little over 8! Hats off to Samantha who while on her honeymoon manage to find time to complete the last two wods!

The WOD's for next week ;)

Monday
Beat around the bush
Jump to conclusions
Climb the walls
Wade through the morning paper

Tuesday:
Drag your heels
Push your luck
Make mountains out of mole hills
Hit the nail on the head

Wednesday:
Bend over backward
Jump on the Band Wagon
Run around in circles

Thursday:
Advise Prime Minister Stephen Harper on how to run the country..
Toot your own horn..
Pull out all the stops..
Add fuel to the fire.. 

Friday:
Open a can of worms..
Put your foot in your mouth..
Start the ball rolling..
Go over the edge..

Saturday:
Pick up the pieces..

Sunday:
Kneel in prayer..
Bow your head in thanksgiving..
Uplift your hands in praise..
Hug someone and encourage them..

open wod #3

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 18 minutes of:

15 Box jumps (M 24" box / F 20" box)
12 Push press (M 115 lb / F 75 lb)
9 Toes-to-bar

Snow Day Fun...

 

 

Watch out for that....TREE! 

Getting a little snow in the face! 

3-2-1-GO! sled pull up hill!