KC: I support institutions that receive funding from a variety of entities to help manage the business of research, whether it’s NSF funding an oceanography study or a pharmacy company funding a clinical trial for cancer research.
CFB:Why do you workout at CrossFit Breckenridge instead of another gym?
KC: Before COVID, I traveled every week for work and used ClassPass – which is how I was introduced to CrossFit Breckenridge. When COVID hit, Crossfit Breckenridge allowed members to take equipment home and even provided recorded videos of at home workouts. CrossFit Breckenridge’s investment in and support of the community during a very challenging time made it clear this was a gym I wanted to be a part of, and I became a formal member in March 2020. Couple the support for the community with incredible training (always holding to the standard!), constructively pushing us to do more (pick up that bar!), and great camaraderie among members (we even no rep each other!) makes it an easy decision to stay with the gym.
CFB: Have you ever climbed Everest and if so, tell us how you pulled that off?
KC: Funny you should ask – I had the opportunity to summit Everest in May 2023. The characteristics of putting a successful summit team together aren’t much different than some of the characteristics I see with CrossFit Breckenridge. We had an incredible lead guide that knew the mountain and was very specific in the direction provided to the team. We supported and pushed each other, constantly checking in with each other to make sure we were doing well (which resorted to hand signals once we were at higher elevations and had our oxygen masks on!). And we were all united in a goal of a safe and successful summit while being able to appreciate our differences, which came in handy because we spent A LOT of time together over the two-month journey.
CFB: What is your least favorite thing you do in CrossFit?
KC: This is always changing as I end up liking movements once I get the hang of them. In the past, I didn’t like snatches and bear complexes – until I did. But I don’t see myself ever liking having a kettle bell on the backside of my forearm, which nixes movements like the Turkish Get Up or kettlebell snatch.
CFB: Do you have any current fitness goals? Tell us about them.
KC: I want to continue to find time to move every day, whether that’s at the gym, running, yoga, or any of the other outdoors activities we do in Colorado. And it would be fun to make it into the quarter finals of the 2025 CrossFit Open.
CFB: Tell us a secret.
KC: Perhaps something not known is I do keep a bucket list of adventures I want to go on. A few include ice diving in Lake Baikal, hanging out with gorillas in Uganda, witnessing the great migration in the Okavango Delta, taking a train through the Copper Canyon in Mexico, and exploring the Gates of the Arctic. Maybe in the next few years I’ll be able to knock a couple off the list!
You’re taking your supplements. You’ve got the micronutrients covered. What about protein powder? Everyone says you need it, if you’re working out. So, do we need it?
First of all, why do we need protein? Protein helps build and repair muscle tissue. If you’re lifting weights, you’re building muscle. However, this process will not work without adequate protein consumption. You should be aiming for 1 gram of protein per lb of body weight, as an active adult. Falling short of that number does not mean you’ve failed. Keep aiming for that number and you’re doing fine.
You don’t need to take any protein supplements. Ultimately, you should be eating your protein. You should be getting most of it from your food. Many people find that hard to do. Enter the protein shake. This allows you a very easy method of hitting your numbers when it comes to protein consumption. For most of us, it makes sense in our busy lives to add a protein shake into our daily routine.
What kind of protein should we take? There are so many different types of protein powders these days. It can be overwhelming to choose the right one. Proteins are made up of amino acids. There are 9 essential amino acids (we cannot produce these on our own). A protein source with all 9 is referred to as a complete protein. This is what you should be looking for when choosing a protein source.
Complete Proteins: Animal-based protein powders: Whey Protein Isolate Derived from milk, and easily digestible. Casein Protein Also derived from milk but digests slower than whey. Egg Protein A good option for those with trouble digesting milk proteins. Plant-based protein powders: Soy Protein Although a complete protein, it’s not easily digestible – It may cause stomach discomfort. It contains phytoestrogens which can disrupt hormone balance; not the best option for muscle growth and repair.
Incomplete Proteins: Animal-based protein powders: Collagen Protein Although an incomplete protein, it has many benefits, like improving skin health and relieving joint pain. There are 29 different types of collagen. Types 1, 2, and 3 make up 90% of all collagen. These 3 types are what you’ll find in your collagen powder. They support hair, skin, nails, bones, tendons, ligaments, cartilage health, arteries, and intestines. It’s a pretty important supplement. I would suggest adding this to your shake on top of a complete protein powder, as listed above. There are also options out there that combine egg protein and collagen in one powder. Plant-based protein powders: Pea Protein This is the most commonly found plant-based powder out there. Unless you’re a vegan and do not allow yourself access to animal protein, this should not be your go-to option. It is less bioavailable than the animal-based options (meaning your body may not be absorbing the protein as intended). It also may cause bloating or gas. Due to its low bioavailability, you may be wasting your money with this option. Chickpea Protein This is another plant-based powder you may find on the shelves. Much like pea protein, it’s an incomplete protein and is not easily digestible in its concentrated form. It is also less bioavailable than our animal-based options.
What brand should you buy? There are a few considerations when choosing a powder, such as cost, ingredients, and sourcing. In my opinion, the less expensive options are not saving you that much money and may do more harm than good in the long run. Read your ingredients. The ingredient list should be short and not full of sugar. Avoid artificial sweeteners. Stick with powders sweetened with stevia or monkfruit. We have some great options for sale at the gym. How is the protein sourced? This is also important. Where your food comes from is a big deal. Generally, you want to look for animal proteins that come from sustainably raised, healthy animals (grass-fed cows, etc…) The grass-fed part doesn’t matter for the protein aspect as much as the fat and these powders had the fat removed. However, if a cow was raised in a good (pasture-raised) environment it was a healthier animal and therefore a healthier food source for you. You are what you eat. I will include a list of quality brands below.
What about Creatine? I’m sure you hear this a lot, too. If you’re lifting weights you need creatine. Once again, you don’t need to take it. But you should. What is creatine? Creatine is produced naturally in the body. It is synthesized in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas from 3 amino acids (glycine, arginine, and methionine). It is also found in red meat and fish. Creatine is converted into phosphocreatine (a form of energy that is used by muscles during exercise. Phosphocreatine is broken down into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), your primary source of energy. So, creatine can help fuel your workouts, which in turn will help build muscle. Creatine has been shown to increase muscle mass, improve endurance, reduce soreness, and improve recovery. Studies also suggest it may fuel brainpower, shield against neurological decline, guard the heart, and balance blood sugar. How much creatine should we take? It is recommended to take about 5 grams of creatine daily.
Is creatine safe? It is one of the most well-studied supplements on the planet, and there is a large body of research supporting its safety and effectiveness.
What brand should you buy? You should be looking for one ingredient and one ingredient only (Creatine Monohydrate). We sell creatine from the brand Momentous at the gym. Pick it up next time you’re in class.
When should we take these supplements? Get your protein in daily. It doesn’t matter so much when you take it. You’ll often hear suggestions that you should take it after your workout. This is when your muscles are doing their growing. Sure, that makes sense but it’s more important that you get your daily intake. Your body will do what it needs to with it, as long as it’s in there. For creatine, much like protein, when it’s taken is less important than taking it consistently. Get your creatine in daily. Take it when it’s convenient for you. Some suggest taking it pre-workout to provide you with energy. Some suggest taking it post-workout, to replenish your creatine stores and aid in muscle recovery. Do what works for you but get it in your body daily.
Memorial Day is coming up soon. I hope to see you all at the gym for our annual party. On this day, we will be doing a special workout in honor of Lt. Michael Murphy. I know the workout looks scary to some of you. But it’s just a workout. It’s just exercise. Of course, you can modify the workout. As with all of our workouts, there will be a Green, Blue, and Black workout on the board. Your coaches will make sure you’re doing the appropriate workout on that day. After the workout, we’ll have some food and drinks. Memorial Day is a special day. It’s a day we remember the people who died serving in our nation’s armed forces. That’s always been what Memorial Day was to me as a kid and young adult. Then came CrossFit. In addition to it being a federal holiday of remembrance, it became the day I did the workout, “Murph.” Every year, since I began CrossFit, I’ve done that workout on the last Monday in May. For many CrossFitters, doing Murph is as much a tradition as having a backyard BBQ. So, what and who was Murph? Michael Murphy was a decorated Navy Seal. He died in June of 2005 in Afghanistan. The workout, “Murph” was one of Lt. Murphy’s favorites. He called it, “Body Armor.” We do this workout on Memorial Day in honor of Lt. Michael Murphy and the sacrifice he made. That’s a good thing to keep in the back of your mind, as you’re suffering through this workout.
On Memorial Day, we’re doing Murph! And we’re having a party! Murph heats start at 10am (sign up on the sheet at the gym). This is an excellent opportunity to mingle with your CrossFit friends outside of class. It is, also, a great time to meet members that you never get to see in the classes you usually attend. You can bring friends and family (kids too). If your friends want to do the workout, they can join in. If they just want to hang out, they can do that, too. You don’t need to do the workout, either. You can just come and hang out at our BBQ. Bring food and booze, if you’d like. We’ll have some there. I hope to see you all on the 29th.
I’m often asked if I take supplements. I do. People seem to be lost when it comes to which micronutrients they need to be getting in their diets. The truth is most of us are not getting enough of what we need in our diets.
What do we need? The most common things missing from our diets are: Vitamins and Minerals: A, B, C, D. CoQ10, iron, folate, magnesium, copper, selenium and zinc. Fats: Omega 3 fatty acid (technically a macronutrient but should be in this conversation). Probiotics (living gut flora or bacteria).
What supplements should we take? Hopefully you’re getting most of the necessary micronutrients from the food you eat but considering most of us do not, taking some supplements is a good idea. There are a lot of poorly made supplements out there. You shouldn’t need to take a ton of pills every day. If you are taking quality supplements that cover your needs, it should be minimal in conjunction with a balanced diet.
Organ Pills: Human beings have been consuming offal (animal organs) for a very long time. They contain most of the vitamins and minerals we need. Almost none of us still eat any organs regularly. There are lots of brands that make these types of supplements. A few of the brands I prefer are Paleovalley, PaleoPro, Trace Minerals, First Light Farms, and Wild Foods. What’s in them? Liver, Kidney, and Heart, etc… all from grass-fed cattle. What do we get with them? Vitamins – A, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, and B12, folate. Minerals – iron, phosphorous, zinc, copper and selenium. CoQ10. Amino acids – glycine and proline.
Fish Oil: Most people are not getting enough Omega 3 fats in their diet. This is especially true for active people. It’s a very good way to reduce acute inflammation. It’s a must for people who lift weights. Supplementing is the easiest way to ensure you’re getting enough Omega 3 fatty acids. The fish oil industry is saturated with sub-par brands. Many of them are oxidized and/or sourced & processed poorly. The best brand I’ve found is Green Pasture. They sell fermented cod liver oil. You can get this in liquid or pill form. The oil is extracted from the cod liver using fermentation. This preserves the nutritional content of the oil and allows for faster absorption.
Vitamin D: The best source of vitamin D is the sun. Most people do not get in the sun enough, especially if they live where we do. There are a lot of good brands selling this supplement out there. The brand I use is Primal Blueprint.
Magnesium: There are many different forms of magnesium. Different forms of magnesium can be used for different ailments. The bottom line is you probably don’t get enough magnesium, so supplementing with any form is a good idea. Since this is a complicated subject, I’ll refer you to a link that covers the various forms of magnesium and what they can do for you. Forms of Magnesium
Probiotics: Gut health is the key to overall health. Most people do not give their gut much thought. We should all be consuming quality fermented foods daily. Supplementation is the easiest way to stay on top of your gut health. All of our guts are different. They are made up of living organisms. The types of bacteria living in your gut, depend on many factors (your diet, environmental exposure, etc…). The only way to know what bacteria has colonized your gut is to get tested. These days, there are many online options to test your gut flora. Without knowing exactly what your gut needs, you can still take some basic probiotics that will keep your gut full of healthy bacteria. The probiotic industry is full of garbage products. A lot of the time, you can be spending money on supplements with dead bacteria in them. It’s important to do some research and find a quality brand. Here are some that I use: Primal Blueprint Primal Defense Ultra I also take Elixa. This is not a daily supplement but one that’s taken for 6 days, every few months.
You don’t need to be taking a hundred pills a day. Keep it simple. Don’t just take a pill because you saw it in the store and it says multivitamin on it. Know what you’re paying for. I tried to keep this simple but I have a lot more to say on the subject. If you have any questions, reach out.
I work in the Sales Guest Services department for Breckenridge Grand Vacations. My role is to collaborate with all of our Marketing teams and Sales Managers to strategize new ways to recruit prospective owners and find ways to retain happiness in our current owner experience. It is very customer service focused since our team is responsible for checking in all owners and guests staying with us to their sales presentation, setting them up successfully with their real estate agent on their property tour, and working with them throughout their time with us to make sure they leave wanting to come back to Breckenridge on their next vacation.
How long have you lived in Summit County? Why did you move here?
I moved from Raleigh, North Carolina to Breckenridge two years ago. When I got covid and had to quarantine during the summer of 2020, I spent my time working out and researching the different types of jobs in Colorado just for fun and to stay busy. I had no intentions or plans of moving out of NC when I was scrolling through random jobs on LinkedIn but when I came across one with mutual college connections, I reached out and decided to interview just in case it was meant to be. Even though I had never been to Summit County before, I trusted the process and that everything would happen the way it was supposed to and it did so I took the leap of faith and here I am!
Why do you come to CrossFIt Breckenridge?
I originally came to CrossFit because Signe Stimson had been talking about how great it had been for her over the years so I wanted to give it a try! I was a member of Psycle9600 in Breckenridge prior to joining CrossFit but that shut down because of covid so it was the perfect time to make the switch and commit to something new. The reason I keep coming back is not only because of the great workouts and coaches but also because of the community. The members of the gym are all incredible people. Everyone is so encouraging, supportive, and fun to be around that it makes me want to go to more classes and be more involved. Seeing my friends at the gym are truly some of the best parts of my week!
What are your fitness goals? Have you met any of them?
One of my fitness goals is to be able to do a pull up. I have been working on negatives for a couple of months now to gain strength. It has been a slow process but I do feel like I am improving. I would love to master strict pull ups before the end of September. It is hard to find time to stay after class to practice the movement but once I make it more of a priority, I know that I can get there!
What would be your go-to music during the workouts if it were up to you?
I like that all of the coaches play different types of music because it makes every class feel different. If it were up to me to be the workout DJ, I would play a bunch of pop music because it is upbeat and motivating. Coach Callie plays a lot of fun pop remixes during her classes and I love it.
Which movement do you feel you’ve made the most improvement with?
Double Unders! When I first started at CrossFit Breckenridge, I couldn’t even do one double under without tripping or getting frustrated and now I can link about 30 together at a time. Coach Dan helped me realize that it was more of a wrist movement than anything else so that has helped me get more in the rhythm of things. When I see double unders in the workouts, I look forward to it because it gives me a chance to practice and be better.
How do you think your life would’ve been different if you found CrossFit when you were a teenager?
If I started CrossFit when I was younger, I think that I would have more confidence with trying certain movements that can sometimes look intimidating. I also think that I would have developed better eating habits earlier on. Healthy eating is something I have been struggling with for the last few years but since I joined CrossFit, I have definitely kept myself more accountable. When I start my day with a good workout, I am more on track for the rest of the day nutritionally and mentally.
Presently, I am a desk bound, morally ambiguous mercenary, who sends out exorbitant invoices whether I win or not. I used to get paid to travel the world, indulge heavily and play recordings of other people’s music through a stereo. However, my life expectancy at that job began to rapidly approach zero so I was forced into a more relaxed career. I also like think of myself as somewhat of a philosopher, but, like, a really lazy philosopher, so much so that some people would probably use the term “ski bum.”
Why do you workout at CrossFit Breckenridge?
The easy answer: There are lots of studies correlating the high intensity/medium duration design of CrossFit to dramatic gains in cardio, strength, weight loss etm. It works. In school I was a three-sport, four-year captain in gymnastics, wrestling and track. CrossFit is literally all the athletics I have been doing since I was 6 years old. It augments perfectly the activities that are life in the mountains. Nobody wants to tap out at noon on a powder day because their legs are spent or miss a whole season because they blew out their ACL. I have also discovered that in order to be a parent of two small children, one must train. That is literally what functional fitness is for.
The honest answer: The high intensity/medium duration workouts provide a distinct cognitive effect for me. My head is a notoriously loud and complicated place. But, when I flood my circuits with mechanics, technique, strategy, pacing, heart rate reduction, breathing, pain, exhaustion and timing, there is no left room for the superfluous mayhem that typically occupies my head space. For one hour a day, preoccupations like, was I a good father in that moment, is my loved one suffering or if it turns out that Foucault was right, am I obligated to apologize to my college roommate, are displaced and my bandwidth is liberated. That cerebral surge and purge goes a long way toward healing all the self-inflicted brain damage I have incurred since the prior workout while simultaneously clarifying and illuminating my onward contemplation.
I live in Leadville. We have a gym there. I also pass a gym in Frisco on my way to CrossFit Breckenridge. Physically this gym is just four walls and some weights in a commercial development surrounded by weed stores but the people inside CrossFit Breckenridge have brought me back to life more than once.
Most recently, following the lifting of the pandemic restrictions and closures, I had been absent from CrossFit Breckenridge for about a year and a half. Said duration was not an exemplary period of my life. I expect it was that way for a lot of people. I have the deepest empathy for everyone who fell apart or who is still falling apart catalyzed by the seeming perpetuality of the whole damn world being on fire. I most certainly did. And I almost didn’t get back up. Then, one morning that was in no way significant that I can recall, I just sort of decided I was done grieving and that I would try to heal somehow, in some way. The only move I could really think to make was to just plain move.
So, in mid-July, 2021, having recently returned from out of state following my father’s memorial (and two of my own hospital stints prior to that), I just showed up at the gym. I remember being so anxious I was practically stapled to the ceiling and trying to hide my muscle spasms, all due to heavy lingering medication withdrawal from the hospital. My head was so loud, I remember virtually nothing else. I arrived wounded to the core, more damaged than I had ever been (which is a really high bar by the way). Nobody asked any questions or passed any judgment about my extended absence or disheveled appearance. In any other setting it would have been totally valid for an observant, concerned citizen to ask, “have you been playing in traffic?” or “Perhaps rodeo clown and cotton candy vendor isn’t a good career combination for you?” Instead, everyone was happy to see me and apparently, I survived and returned the next day.
By the end of the summer 2021, I was attending 3 classes a week and ascending the Rx chart. I wasn’t sweating while I ate anymore and was again rough housing with my sons. Exercising had evolved back into training and for all the physical healing that had occurred, my head was coming back on line too. Then, in October 2021, only about 3 months since restarting my fitness journey all the way back at “go” (without passing go or collecting $200), something I now consider profound happened. I noticed at the end of a particularly cardio heavy workout, a conscious mustering of a kick-ass effort.
If I am being totally honest, I had no longer thought myself capable of any sort of “Eye of the Tiger” type intensity at that point. I had assumed it just died along with so much else in me over the course of the recent catastrophic hellscape life had become but that fight was indeed alive in there somewhere. In that moment, I realized instantly that despite having grown comfortable merely enduring the so much unfairness of things, I still had some punches left to throw. Now, that fight can be hard to get at and turning the smolder into a flame it is still often a struggle but I know it’s in there somewhere now.
And all of that is why I go to CrossFit Breckenridge. Because life is arbitrary and absurd but getting together with a few decent people for an hour a day, no matter how defeated I am or hurt in one way or another, no matter how far down my throat circumstance has wedged itself, when I walk in the door and my friends cheer me on, I can still dig down deep, find that fire and throw the best smoke I’ve got before the devil knows I’m dead.
Here, the athletes are invested in each other regardless of ability. One drop of sweat is the only prerequisite for the enthusiastic support of your comrades. At work, by definition, there is always someone on the other side at least as smart as me (and by that I mean smarter than me) trying to undo everything I just did. At home, everyone is trying to break everything I just fixed, eat everything I just cooked and spend all the money I just made. At our gym, a cop, a lawyer, a judge, a real estate mogul, a handywoman, a pro snowboarder, a first-year ski bum, a line cook, a couple visiting from Ohio and any and all other absurd combinations of regular people form a daily motley crew and push each other through what is designed to be the hardest hour of the day. A one-hour workout can become an existence affirming experience before everyone, a break from the big struggle by mindfully embracing a small one. Plus, I wouldn’t do shit if I worked out at home by myself.
What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve done as an adult?
My moral compass has always been horribly calibrated and my self-confidence frequently lacks a proportional foundation. Thus, a healthy part of my daily decision making consists of things that should embarrass me but just never register. Shame is what you make of it. Having said that, I feel like sharing highlights and glamourizing some of my notable antisocial behavior is probably not the goal of this exercise either. Therefore, I will go with this story:
Shortly after my first son was born, I had a jury trial scheduled in Lake County. I was nervous having not been in court following paternity leave and it was a criminal trial so the stakes were high. I sat at the defense table with my client, and suddenly I smelled the most biologically depraved odor I had ever encountered. My first thought was that since my client as he had been languishing in jail since his arrest and that particular jail wasn’t exactly known for the humane treatment of inmates, it must be him.
The smell seemed to go away when I stood up and walked toward the lectern but reappear when I sat back at the table. I kept covertly sniffing my under arms and looking at my shoes to see if I had stepped in something but.
Eventually, I walked to the lectern to give my opening statement. I rose from the table, smoothed out my tie and began to button my suit jacket when I realized that something sticky had transferred from my tie on to my hands and jacket. I looked at my hands, smelled them and I had my answer. I had had been wearing a streak of sticky green baby shit on my tie all morning and now the Judge knew it, the jury knew it, the prosecutor knew it and my client felt that was the appropriate time to tell me he was glad it was the tie because he was getting worried about me.
What are you best and worst at in CrossFit?
As with so much else in life, my strengths lay at opposite edges of the sport. I am a strong lifter, both in the power and Olympic lifts, which makes sense as I am a big guy. I am also composed primarily of fast twitch muscles making me quite light on my feet. The gymnastics along with the finesse and agility movements are a good place for me to rack up reps or shed time. I have gotten pretty far on good form. You don’t do this for as long as I have and still preserve my prosperous physique without being able to find the easiest, legal route to the finish line.
My weakness is definitely the more endurance/conditioning-based skills. Long runs, rows, burpees etm. I can hang with sprints but once we start getting into 800m and miles, I fall off pretty fast and I don’t recover as well. If I see a chipper with big burpees at the end I think, “Looks like the rest of the gym is about to spend their lunch break watching me do burpees.” I have been forcing myself to the gym on the days where longer, conditioning WODs are scheduled. I am also quite aware that cutting 20lbs., quitting the flaming coffin nails for good and reducing my ice cream intake to eating one bowl a week from freebasing a bowl every night at bedtime would go a long way toward improving my cardio game.
Who is your hero? Why?
I have lots of heroes but seeing as this is for CrossFit Breckenridge, I will go with some sports heroes.
First, I will go with Australian sprinter Peter Norman. Norman won the silver medal in the 200m at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. In that race, Norman was bookended by Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos winning gold and bronze respectively and who are both African-American. During the medal ceremony, Smith and Carlos each donned a black glove while raising their fists in the air in protest for human rights and racial justice. This became and iconic photo of the 60’s. Today we all agree this display was wonderful and necessary but in 1968 it was not well received. Norman is third man on the podium, standing respectfully with his arms at his side. Prior to the ceremony, Smith and Carlos told Norman of their plan and Norman gave his blessing.
Peter Norman’s acquiescence to Smith and Carlos’ protest would ruin Norman’s athletics career and arguably his life. By passively enabling the African-American athletes protest, Norman was blacklisted from athletics in his home country. Australia did not select Norman for the next Olympics despite being a contender. At the time, the Australian Olympic Committee issued statements claiming it was Norman’s participation in “political activities” that informed their decision but today everyone agrees that in 1968, Australia was a savagely racist place too. Norman would eventually descend into debilitating addiction. Norman died twice divorced and relatively young, having suffered and pain pills a heart attack inspired by years of hard drinking.
I would posit that no man has simultaneously both accomplished and relinquished more by merely standing still. Norman lost everything and then he died. There was no comeback story, he didn’t get the last word, he died having likely caused serious pain to the people he loved most. Very few will likely remember Norman for his wheels, his silver medal, or even as a disgraced addict but history (as well as Smith and Carlos) has recorded Peter Norman as a hero, full stop. Norman isn’t a hero because he was a world class sprinter. Norman is a hero for what he did with the moment that being a world class sprinter afforded him.
Second, professional golfer John Daily. No man (and I say man because we all know that in today’s image obsessed culture, his celebrity business model would never work for a woman) has ever gotten more milage from wringing every single, tiny, last drop of talent and charm from a seemingly long exhausted genetic well in an effort to avoid doing any actual training or work. He is the purest example of American privilege you could ever find. Nobody other than John Daily could have gotten where he is today while simultaneously being John Daily. He will probably outlive us all too, just to give himself a laugh.
Tell us something about you that would surprise us.
My most significant athletic endeavor which has most affected my adult life is my training in Russian ballet and modern dance. I began dancing in the 7th grade to improve my gymnastics floor exercise score. I started in Nebraska in the 90’s, where a boy with a big vertical leap and good upper body strength willing to throw on tights was the ballet studio equivalent of Bigfoot riding a unicorn. On day one, I was thrown into ballets I had no business being in because so many ballerinas just needed a partner. My primary partner went on to a career as a professional dancer. All I had to do was lift her up, jump around a bit while she made me look good.
Initially, I took serious heat from middle school peers for this venture. However, my willingness to don a bodysuit and put myself out there eventually became the ultimate masculine flex. I probably drew less heterosexist fire than some other male dancers starting out, as I was already the fastest, strongest kid in the school (it is kind of hard to bully the guy the school has designated the bully enforcer) but I can still remember some specific brutality to this day. The last word was mine though as about the time I started going to dance conventions on buses full of girls, the haters wilted and I was recognized as the genius I am.
In my 20’s and 30’s, when wooing potential mates in bars and night clubs had not yet been realized as the bad idea it is, my sense of rhythm was invaluable. And my fleet of foot made me a highly sought-after wedding date. In fact, when I got to college, the tiny little dance program we had at my tiny little upstate New York school caught wind of my experience and kept throwing me in performances with no audition, diet or course enrollment necessary (granted the tights started fitting tighter in college).
Sure dance had significant athletic benefits at the time and even in muscle memory today but that isn’t the point. In ballet as in life, you can’t just do the steps (which are hard enough on their own), you must perform them. Attitude and pop must be projected at times which then must be combined with grace and fluidity when the music changes. So, in the event that you don’t actually know the steps, perform your ass off! Nobody will notice what mistakes your feet are making as long as you look like you know what you’re doing. Google “Super Bowl Left Shark” and you will see what I mean.
Lastly, what would you think if you saw a person wearing a costume which reveals every contour of their body, intentionally as if they were actually naked, jumping and spinning around without fear or want of enthusiasm. Sure, you might think them unhinged but in reality, most people are terrified of the spotlight, drawing the common conclusion that this dude must be confident in his abilities. Most wouldn’t be able to just stand on the stage in front of strangers (see above about heroics of standing) let alone dance and people are inherently aware of this because it is true. Ballet taught me to go big, come correct and stick your chest out. The world never remembers if your moves were any good. The world just remembers that you were the one with stones to show them off. In fact, more often than not, it’s totally ancillary that your moves actually be any good. As long as you dance like you mean it, even if you don’t that day, the world will take you seriously.
It has come to my attention that many of the people walking around today do not now who Jack LaLanne was. Growing up, Jack LaLanne was a household name. So, learning that people don’t know who he was is disturbing, as he had a huge influence on the health and fitness industry. His legacy should not be forgotten. If fitness is a big part of your life, you should know who this man was. He had a huge impact on your life, whether you know about it or not. He was the first real fitness influencer. He had a nationally syndicated fitness TV show that ran from 1953 – 1985. In a time when there were just a few TV channels, this means he was a guest in every American’s home. He opened the first health and fitness club in 1936. Paying to exercise was unheard of at the time. He was called a crackpot and a nut. He designed and invented the first exercise machines, all of which are still in use today in gyms all over the world. The concept of a plate changer on any exercise machine you see today, started with Jack and his cable and pulley systems. He was the founder of the physical culture movement/lifestyle which we take for granted today. Recreational exercise was an absurd concept before Jack brought it to the public. Jack lived to 96 years old. He was vibrant and working out daily until the very end. I can go on and on about Jack LaLanne but instead I will keep this simple, in an effort to let you know or remind you of who he was. The following is a list of his impressive feats of strength & endurance and some random quotes from the man, himself.
Athletic Feats: 1954 (age 40) – Swam the entire 8,981-foot (1.7 mi; 2.7 km) length of the Golden Gate in San Francisco, underwater with 140 lb (64 kg; 10 st) of air tanks and other equipment strapped to his body; a world record. 1955 (age 41) – Swam from Alcatraz to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco while handcuffed. 1957 (age 43) – Swam the Golden Gate channel while towing a 2,500 lb cabin cruiser. The swift ocean currents turned this one-mile (1.6 km) swim into a swimming distance of 6.5 miles. 1958 (age 44) – Maneuvered a paddleboard nonstop from Farallon Islands to the San Francisco shore. The 30-mile (48 km) trip took 9.5 hours. 1959 (age 45) – Did 1,000 push-ups and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hour, 22 minutes. 1974 (age 60) – For the second time, he swam from Alcatraz to Fisherman’s Wharf. He was handcuffed and shackled and towed a 1,000 lb boat. 1975 (age 61) – He again swam the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge, underwater and handcuffed and shackled and towed a 1,000 lb boat. 1976 (age 62) – To commemorate the “Spirit of ’76,” he swam one mile in Long Beach Harbor CA. He was handcuffed and shackled and he towed 13 boats (representing the 13 original colonies) containing 76 people. 1979 (age 65) – Towed 65 boats in Lake Ashinoko, Japan. He was handcuffed and shackled, and the boats were filled with 6,500 lb of wood pulp. 1980 (age 66) – Towed 10 boats in Miami, FL. The boats carried 77 people, and he towed them for over one mile in less than one hour. 1984 (age 70) – He towed 70 rowboats, with 70 people in them, from the Queen’s Way Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary (1 mile).
Wisdom: “Exercise is king, nutrition is Queen. Put them together and you’ve got a kingdom.” “If people don’t have goals, they get old.” “Life is not easy. It takes guts to live. Discipline is the difference between failure and success in life.” “To me the first step to success is your health. That’s your top priority. From there you can go to any of the others.” “Discipline. This is what makes everything possible; when you say yes or no. Discipline. It controls your actions, decisions and thoughts.” “Your health account is like your bank account. The more you put in the more you can take out.” “You can’t compare free weights–barbells and dumbbells, with machines. Machines add variety but nothing is better than weights.” “Think of yourself as a walking billboard. Does your billboard advertise, ‘I hate to exercise, I overeat, don’t care how I look and feel?’ It’s never too late to change that billboard into ‘I obey nature’s laws, I exercise regularly, eat sensibly, and I’m proud of the way I look and feel, because I made it happen.'” “People don’t die of old age. They die of neglect and inactivity.” “I don’t care how long I live. I want to LIVE while I’m living.”
The CrossFit Games Open is an in-house “competition” that takes place once a week for 3 weeks. It is the first step toward competing at the CrossFit Games. It’s estimated that less than 1% of the hundreds of thousands of people participating in the Open make it to the CrossFit Games. For everyday, normal, human gym-goers like you and me, the Open is not about qualifying for the Games. It is something we are doing at CrossFit Breckenridge. It is a celebration of CrossFit that takes place in every CrossFit gym in the world, once a year. It is a friendly “competition.” I put that word in quotations because it is only a competition in the sense that you receive a score and have a judge. The reality is, it’s a way to test yourself. Think of it as a way for you to push your limits in front of the same people you WOD with every day at CFB. You will have a score logged on an international leaderboard, which is pretty cool. The leaderboard is customizable and can break down how you stack up against people in all sorts of categories (age, profession, region, country, scaled, Rx, etc…) I have heard athletes say they don’t want to be on the leaderboard because they don’t want people to see their scores. As stated before, there are about half a million people on this leaderboard. Unless someone is looking for you, they won’t see your score. So what if they do?
Every Thursday at 1pm a WOD is released. Every athlete has until Monday night to complete it. Each athlete is paired up with a partner. Your partner’s job is to count your reps and act as your judge. Each WOD will have an Rx’d and scaled option. Virtually, everyone who has been to a CrossFit class will be able to participate.
When is the Open?
THREE WEEKS – FEB. 22-MARCH 26
22.1- Feb. 24-28
22.2- March 3-7
22.3- March 10-14
Each week the Open WOD will be released on Thursday night. You can watch the live announcement on Games.CrossFit.com. The WOD will be programmed on Friday, the next day, here at CrossFit Breckenridge. It will be the WOD for every class on Friday. We will be adding a later Friday night session (TBD) to give people a chance to get the Open WOD done.
Why you should register for the Open:
The CrossFit Games Open is an opportunity to connect with the rest of CrossFit Breckenridge’s community. It is a chance to connect with the broader, worldwide CrossFit community. It is a chance to cheer on your fellow athletes as they get their first pull-up or first Double Under. Maybe you’re brand new to CrossFit. Sign up for the Open. Maybe you’ve been doing CrossFit for a year but are “not comfortable with all the movements, yet.” Sign up for the Open. Maybe you’ve been doing CrossFit for years and have nothing to prove to anybody. Sign up for the Open.
Be a part of something that is going on in tens of thousands of other CrossFit gyms all over the world. It is an electric movement of fitness that you are already a part of, whether you realize that or not.
This “competition” is not about your score. It is about your participation. I know, from experience, how amazing the Open can be. I’ve seen people struggle and conquer. I’ve seen people struggle and fail. I’ve seen people ignite a fire within for next year’s Open. I see that stuff in the gym every day but the Open forces us to put it all out there. It raises the stakes, even though we chose this moment to raise them ourselves.
Challenge yourself. And do it in front of your friends from the gym, while they challenge themselves, too. Prove your fitness.
How to register for the Open:
Go to Games.CrossFit.com, cough up $20 and enter some info. The $20 does not go to CFB. It goes to CrossFit Home Office. It is a relatively small price to pay for this experience.
If you have any questions about the 2022 CrossFit Games Open, shoot me an email or talk to me in person about it. Don’t be shy.
“Which shoes should I wear?” I get that question a lot. It’s not always an easy one to answer. So, let’s simplify the issue. Why did people start wearing shoes in the first place? To protect the bottoms of their feet. Stepping on hard or sharp things can hurt or injure feet. Enter shoes. But shoes have evolved from the primitive moccasin into big, padded, arch-supported contraptions. Do we really need all of that on our feet? Humans have been running barefoot since the dawn of man. The shoe industry has developed and re-developed footwear over time. The more pain people felt, the more supportive the shoes became. Unfortunately, the direction the footwear industry has taken us is not fixing our problems with foot and back pain. Maybe stiffer, more supportive shoes aren’t the answer. Maybe getting back to basics makes more sense. The design of your feet is not flawed. They are the foundation of your skeletal frame. The bottom of your feet are meant to feel the world. It is your first connection to the earth. There are almost as many nerve endings in the soles of your feet as in your fingertips. 1/4 of the bones and joints in your body are in your feet and ankles. There’s a lot going on down there. Once again, they are your foundation. Yet, we cover them up and wrap them up in as much support as we can. Starting with restrictive shoes at an early age could be where our modern foot and back pain stems from. As your foundation, you should be giving your feet some serious respect. Free them. Let them be feet. So, what is the alternative to modern shoes? Minimalist or “barefoot shoes” are what I am talking about. What are barefoot shoes? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Barefoot shoes are shoes that protect your feet from the elements but keep you as close to barefoot as you can be. They allow ground feel by having thin soles. They allow your feet to bend and flex the way they are meant to. They generally have a wider toe box, so as not to crush your toes together. Let your toes splay. You’d be amazed how different walking, running, and jumping feels when you lose the excess support. Why should you wear barefoot shoes? There are many benefits. They increase muscle activation and stability. They increase proprioception (perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body). They can increase your mobility and when your feet are properly strengthened from prolonged use can prevent injury. Here’s a 1 minute video that explains it well (just in case you’re already bored with my blog post). What about running shoes? Don’t we need those? This always kills me. People feel they need more support because they are running instead of walking or deadlifting. It is understandable to feel you need more support when running. It seems like the logical answer. The reality is if you free your feet, they will perform better and hurt less. This takes time, of course. Most people have been in their supportive shoes for so long that their feet need to transition slowly to minimal footwear. I suggest starting with a less restrictive shoe and slowly minimizing from there. Start with a shoe that has a small heel-to-toe drop, like the Born Primitive Savage. There are so many examples of runners being successful with bare feet over the years. This is just a recent one: In March of this year, Mbuleli Mathanga set a 10,000m record of 28:24.93 with no shoes on his feet at all.
What about CrossFit? What should you wear when in the gym? The same rules of nature apply here. What is CrossFit anyway? Running, jumping, and lifting. The same stuff you did as a kid, learning to use your feet. You want some rubber under that sole but a lot less than you think. There are many shoes to choose from in this space. I’ll put a list of links to a few brands down below the post. I wear Xero 360s. They have a zero drop (no added sole height from toe to heel; in other words, flat). When I’m coaching, as I am most of the day, I usually wear my SoftStar moccasins, Flux Trainers or the Xero Pagosas. They’re pretty close to nothing on my feet. I’m on my feet all day and I rarely sit down. If you happen to see me walking around town when it’s warm outside, you’ll see me in some homemade looking sandals. That’s as minimal as I can get without cutting my feet on rocks and glass. Outside in the winter months, I wear a winter-proof minimalist boot (either the Xero Alpine boot or the Feelmax Kuuva boot). There are so many options out there, now. When I first transitioned to minimalist footwear, just 3 or 4 companies were making them. Now, there are so many I can’t keep up with them. I do wear specialty shoes. Some of the sports I am into require footwear that is the opposite of minimalist shoes. Weightlifting, climbing, cycling, skiing. All of those things require shoes and boots that are designed to facilitate efficient movement for their respective sports. I wear them when I partake in those activities. However, there are weightlifting shoes made by TYR and Notorious that have a wide toe boxes. I’ve also recently transitioned to a much wider ski boot. It has a 104mm last and an equally wide toebox. It is the best decision I’ve ever made with my ski gear. My toes are free to move while controlling my skis, instead of being crunched up and set aside as if they serve no purpose in the process. The majority of the time I am on my feet, I am in barefoot shoes or am barefoot. I let my feet function the way they were meant to unless I force them into something they weren’t designed to do. Because I enjoy doing those things, I change up the footwear for that little bit of time. Should we all be in barefoot shoes? Maybe. Maybe not. I switched to minimalist shoes and never looked back. I’ve only felt better and better over time with less shoe. Some people do need more support on their feet. Some people have serious medical issues or a musculoskeletal disorder involving their feet. In that case, I would consult a physician, not the bearded coach who taught you how to properly swing a kettlebell. Give it a try. Free your feet. If you are not sold on it after a solid effort, so be it. There are plenty of shoe companies that will take your money if you decide to go back to the big cushy soles on your feet. Check out the growing list of barefoot shoes linked below (already over 50 brands).
Did you know that the amount of sleep you get per night can impact just about every single element of your health? As we covered in my previous blog post, sleep is arguably the most important element of recovery, overall health, mood, training, aesthetic goals, AND MORE! How many of you crushed the 8 hours of sleep challenge? Did you notice a difference in how you feel, how you’re performing in the gym, and overall brain function at all? Now, if you’re someone who knows you need to sleep more, but you don’t know how, I’m here to help you out with some tips and tricks to improve your sleep game. I’ll start with the easiest things to add into your routine right now before going into the pricier or more time-consuming tips.
Put down your phone. Yup, I said it. Put your phone away 1-2 hours before you go to bed. I’ve heard many people tell me before that they like to scroll before bed and that it relaxes them. I don’t doubt that, but did you know the light from your phone is triggering your brain to be alert and awake? Think about it, during caveman days when there were no electronics, once the sun went down, they went to bed, when the sun rose, they woke up. Bright lights, especially the blue light emitted from your electronics communicate to your brain that it is daytime and to be alert paying attention to what’s popping up on your feed. I can guarantee you’ll see an immediate difference once you ditch the phone.
Have a nighttime routine that helps you wind down. Include putting your phone away in this routine. Do things to calm your body down about an hour before bed. This could be taking a shower or bath, stretching, walking, meditating, writing, snuggling (with pets or S.O), or reading before bed. Include dimming the lights. After a couple weeks, your body will start to get the hint that these things mean it’s time to wind down. Going straight from a party, watching an exciting show, socializing, or scrolling on your phone typically hypes you up or makes your brain too active to shut down, causing tossing and turning to happen!
Eat a small snack before falling asleep. Trust me, I know all of the fitness influencers tell you to not eat past 7pm or you’ll get fat. That’s a straight-up myth. You can eat whenever you want. Sometimes having trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep is due to blood sugar dysregulation. I would recommend having an easily digestible carb + small amount of protein, which will help you snooze. Some examples of light snacks I would recommend are: a bowl of cereal, a small protein shake (casein is good before bed if you can tolerate dairy), or fruit and yogurt. Try this an hour before bed and see if you have a more restful sleep! If you workout first thing in the morning, this may help your performance as well!
Take an extra rest day. What? But training is what makes me tired!!! While that is true, if you are over-training, your cortisol (stress hormone) levels may be spiking at the wrong time making you feel tired and wired at night. Ever have that feeling where you’re exhausted but also super jittery? That’s what happens when cortisol is spiking when it should be lowering. I recommend AT LEAST 2-3 rest days per week and that means rest, not active rest.
Cut out alcohol. I’ve heard it over and over, “I can’t sleep unless I have a drink before bed.” Did you know that you’re not actually getting the sleep you need after drinking alcohol? That’s why oftentimes you are exhausted when you have a hangover. Not only are you dehydrated, but you are not getting enough quality sleep. Alcohol is probably the worst possible thing to do for sleep.
Stop drinking caffeine after noon. I know, coffee is life- I AGREE. But, get your coffee in before noon because even if you think you’re immune to caffeine, it does linger in your body for a while and does have a large effect on your sleep.
Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every night. This is hard, I have not mastered it yet. Bodies thrive off of routine and like to have a schedule. If you practice this for enough time, you may be able to wake up without an alarm since your body will know the drill!
Try a sleep app. I used to be really into meditation and had the Calm app. There is a free version and one where you can pay around $60/year to listen to guided meditations and sleep stories. The sleep stories were phenomenal and would have me asleep in minutes. Meditation or listening to a sleep story can help calm your mind down and if you’re anything like me who has racing anxiety, it can redirect your brain from fight or flight mode.
Get a sleep tracker. This can get pricey, but once I learned about my sleep and what helped and hindered it, my sleep got so much better. I personally have a WHOOP, which tells me how much sleep I got, how long in each stage of sleep I was (light, SWS/deep, and rem), and how much time I was awake for. Shockingly, even though I think I’m asleep, I’m typically awake for around 1-2 hours of sleep per night. This means I make it a point to get into bed at least an hour before the amount of time I want to sleep for. For example, Last night I got in bed at 8:46pm and woke up at 8:06am. I was in bed for 11 hours and 15 minutes, but only actually got 10 hours of sleep. So, account for more time in bed to get more sleep. Furthermore, every morning when I wake up, I take a survey on my WHOOP app about things I did the day before. These are things such as: Did you drink? Did you meditate? Did you get on your phone before bed? Did you read before bed? Did you take an NSAID yesterday? Did you drink caffeine? etc… Every month it gives me a summary of things that help and hurt my sleep. I have found that reading before bed helps my sleep A LOT and drinking alcohol hurts A LOT.
Now, building a new routine takes time and consistency, so don’t try to do all of these at once. Try one to two at a time for a week or so and see what works for you and what doesn’t. If you can get 8 hours of sleep even 80% of the time, your body will thank you! Let me know which ones you’ve tried in the gym, I’d love to hear your sleep stories!
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