Accomplishment: Gavin, Hunter, Lauren, Kai, Katelyn, and Lara competed in the Inaugural Teen Challenge at the CrossFit Games at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California on July 29-31.
Key To Awesomeness: The teens from CrossFit Monrovia completed rigorous workouts over the course of three days at the CrossFit Games on July 29-31. Their workouts began on Friday. In a session of 12 minutes, each team member completed as many reps as possible of 50 power cleans (Olympic lifting), with the weight at 135 pounds for the boys and 95 pounds for the girls; 50 box jumps (30"/24"); 150 double unders (jump roping where rope passes under 2x each jump); and a front squat. Katelyn squatted 100 pounds and attained a personal best, and Kai also achieved a personal best and squatted 125 pounds.
For the Saturday event, the team members completed as many reps as possible of squat thrusters (95/65 lbs), alternating with pull-ups. The count started at 3 for each skill, then continued in increments of 3 (6, 9, 12, 15…) until the 14 minute session ran out. On Sunday, each team member completed a 200 meter shuttle run and 10 power snatches (95/65 lbs). Then as a team, they completed 20 reps of muscle ups (Lauren and Gavin got their first muscle ups in competition); 30 reps of ring hanging (knees to elbows); 40 sandbag tosses (20 lbs over a 7 foot bar); 150 hurdle burpees; and a 200 meter shuttle run. The teams worked with their coaches, Kate and Ryan Hunt, to put together the best combination of talents and made an awesome showing at the Inaugural Teen Challenge. Pictures and video of the event can also be found at the CrossFit Games website.
Haddonfield's John Crowe has completed two Ironman triathlons -- the athletic endurance competition consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run.
Crowe, 54, tooka grueling 12 hours to complete his first Ironman four years ago in Lake Placid. So, when he attended his first session at CrossFit Tribe in Pennsauken lastwinter, Crowe was understandably confident in his endurance capacity.
"We were given an eight-minute introductory Workout of the Day (WOD). I thought this was going to be easy," Crowe said. "After about four minutes into the WOD, I was dripping with sweat and completely exhausted.
"I knew at that moment that CrossFit was for me." CrossFit isn't for beginners. The intense strength and conditioning cross-training routine combines a continuous cycle of weightlifting and a body weightlifting such as pull-ups and push-ups with running, rowing and jumping in a compact 20-minute or less workout. "CrossFit is not easy," Crowe said. "The workouts . . . are fun and rewarding. I have gotten better results in only six months doing CrossFit than I ever got doing anything else."