Uncompahgre Peak 14,309ft

Difficulty: Class 2
Trailhead: Nellie Creek
Trailhead Elev.: 11,400 feet
Elevation Gain: 3,000 feet
Trip Length: 8 miles
Trail to summit: Almost


Uncompahgre Peak is the 6th highest mountain in Colorado. Uncompahgre Peak is also the highest peak on Colorado's Western Slope and is the highest point of Hinsdale County. It is located in the San Juan Mountain Range which is located in the southwest part of Colorado.

There is no substitute for getting an early start, and getting as much of the mountain "behind you" as early in the day as possible. Keep a good eye on the sky as weather conditions can deteriorate rapidly. The greatest weather danger is from lightning strikes, and climbers are killed almost every summer in Colorado by lightning strikes. July seems to be the most deadly month for lightning.

Uncompahgre Peak 14,309 ft

Uncompahgre Peak is the sixth highest mountain peak in the U.S. state of Colorado and is the highest peak of the San Juan Mountains. It is located in the Uncompahgre Wilderness in the northern San Juans, in northern Hinsdale County approximately 7 miles (11 km) west of the town of Lake City.

Uncompahgre peak has a broad summit plateau, rising about 1,500 ft (500 m) above the broad surrounding alpine basins. The south, east and west sides are not particularly steep, but the north face boasts a 700 ft (210 m) cliff. Like all peaks in the San Juan Mountains, Uncompahgre is of volcanic origin, but is not a volcano. The rock is of poor quality for climbing, precluding an ascent of the north face.

Courtesy of Wikipedia

I climbed this on Saturday morning. It took 7 hours for a total of 8 miles.

To train or be trained

What if a coach set a program for his athletes with conditioning workouts, but he had entirely different goals for himself? Separate your goals from those of your athletes. As a coach, you should prepare athletes for their specific needs. Most coaches are not judged by their own athletic abilities. A coach is judged on his or her ability to teach their athletes. Past experience is important and relevant, but the experience should already be present, as it should be a prerequisite to earn the position. Five years from now, I might be training for a marathon or perhaps a triathlon. Wherever my passion leads me, I will be sure to target my goals on my own time. It will not interfere with my coaching. Your job is to make them the best that they can possibly be. If you are always trying to stay a step ahead, your priorities will interfere with the development of your athletes. When you train an athlete, he or she must come first. Don’t let your ego interfere with their development.

Lunge Stretch

Stand with both legs straight, one foot directly in front of the other about the distance of a large step. Keeping back leg straight, bend front knee until the front of the hip feels tension.

Here are 10 reasons Dad's should exercise...

Here are 10 reasons Dad's should exercise...

1.Exercising will give you more energy to play with your kids. Exercise increases your energy level by boosting your metabolism. Not only will you have more energy to play with your kids, you can actually use the play time as part of your exercise program. Going out and playing a game of tag, kick ball or dodgeball can actually be part of your exercise program and the extra energy you get from it will make you want to play with your kids more often. Make family time play time.

2.Exercising will give you more patience.Because you're not exercising you may not feel well. You may be worn out from work. You may be down from the stresses of life. So there may be times when your kids are just being kids and you completely over-react to a situation because you're too tired and too stressed to deal with it any other way. Well, if you started to exercise, you would start to feel better and you would work off a lot of the stress you have from your day. This will leave you with more patience to deal with your kids and to be a better Dad.

3.Exercising will give you a better chance of meeting your grandchildren.Exercise is one of the best ways to help you live a long and happy life. Through exercise you can prevent health problems like high blood pressure, high sugar, obesity and more. Think of exercise as the preventive medicine your body needs to stay happy and healthy for many, many years.

4.Exercising will improve your marriage.Having more energy, stamina, and patience from exercising will benefit your marriage just as much as it will benefit your relationship with your kids. And having a better marriage will benefit the mental and emotional health of your kids. So by exercising, you can strengthen all of your family relationships.

5.You will set a proper example for your child or children.All the reasons why it's important for you to exercise, is the same reasons it'll be important for your children to exercise when they grow up. After all, your children inherit the same family genes that lead to a higher rate of heart disease. If your children grow up watching dad exercise, then you will hopefully teach your children the importance of exercising, and instill that value in them so he or she can be a healthier adult someday.

6.Increased Self-confidence. You will feel better about your self and be more self-confident.

7.New friends. You will make new friends who lead the same life style you've chosen to lead.

8.You can eat more of the foods you like. You will be able to have that beer or that slice of pizza, knowing you'll be working it off later that day or the next day when you exercise.

9.Exercise will increase job performance. Since exercise increases your metabolism, it actually will help to boost your energy. With more energy, you will be more alert in your job and you will then perform better at your job.

10.Exercise will make you happy. Studies show that people who exercise on a regular basis are happier. People who exercise are happier because they feel better about themselves, they look better and they are healthier. Plus people who exercise smile a lot more.

Click here for article

Running Technique

Most people don’t give a second thought to running technique. They learned to do it as a kid and not much has changed since. By learning to run efficiently, you can reduce your risk of injury.




Lean Forward
Leaning forward starts at the ankles, bending starts at the hips. When you are running, you want the hips to be open so that your upper body and lower body are in a straight line. By leaning, momentum is generated by falling forward and catching yourself. The more you lean forward, the faster you go.

Shorten the Stride
Efficient running technique requires a relatively short stride length. Running speed is dictated by the degree of the lean, and not by the power put into “pushing” the body with the legs. In efficient running, the rule of the stride is “keep it under the body”. If you’re reaching too far forward or allowing the foot to fall too far back, you are wasting valuable energy.

Make the body look like a Figure 4


Relax the Arms and Shoulders
A common mistake made during running workouts, is to tighten up the muscles of the arms and shoulders. Actively remind yourself to relax the hands, arms, and shoulders, so that the energy can go to moving forward.


Try This
Stand up straight with your feet under your hips. Slowly lean forward until you lose your balance and must catch yourself with your foot. Maintain the lean and watch your speed continue to increase. Back off the lean just a little bit and you’re running.

Scaling Make it Easier:

1)Run slower.
2)Run for 30 seconds, walk for 30 seconds. (Play with these numbers- eventually, work your way up to running for 5 minutes, walking for 30 seconds. Then abandon this method entirely).

BALANCE

Balance exercises are often overlooked by athletes, but it is actually one of the most effective ways to correct muscle imbalances and mechanical problems in the body. Athletes often tend to perform repetitive motion exercises that focus on a group of muscles while the others are ignored. Yoga helps to fix these imbalances, as well as imbalances in the mind.

Weight training + Yoga

I get emails all the time from different people asking great questions. Here is one about weight training and Yoga.

I am 29 yr old fairly fit guy who has recently taken up Ashtanga Yoga. Previous to doing Yoga I lifted weights three times a week (not huge amounts of weight I'm a fairly slim athletic build). I find now that the weight lifting interferes with my Yoga as my muscles haven't recovered enough so I stopped lifting a few weeks ago. Do you have this problem?

If you find weight training to inhibit your yoga practice it may simply be how you are weight training. Yoga should compliment your weight routine. Yoga can help with stretching and fluid movement. This is something that pro athletes have found to work wonders when used in combination with weights. Yoga and weight training offer a complete and balanced program for total fitness of body and mind. This will give you a better outlook on life and improved confidence in every aspect of living.

Jeff Tucker of GSX Athletics weighs in on the South Central Regional.

It has been ten days since the Southern Central Regional came to a close. I have yet to fully decompress from the event itself, the six months of prep work, the exhaustive double checking of each component for the event, and the clean up continues still. I’m still riding high from the adrenaline rush of the entire weekend, the palpable feeling of community, the discourse of fans, affiliates, teams and athletes who attended. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief when the final guest left GSX, as we looked at each other we were able to say, we did it! It was a GROUP effort that made it all happen.

I am not sure how to express the measure of gratitude I have for every volunteer, judge, helper, well wisher, athlete, spectator, vendor, and sponsor. It is said, that it takes a village to raise a child – well our village was in full swing that weekend, they were dedicated, unselfish, and committed to raising this thing we call CrossFit. It would be impossible to have done this without you and I am forever grateful to all that were a part of the spectacle.

We lived up to our name in full, the competition at Hell’s Half Acre at its peak was 106.6 degrees, but this year no tornados were lurking about and we dodged the swine flu epidemic of last year. An event like this is never perfect, no matter how well you plan and we know that improvements need to be made. We will endeavor to improve all aspects from scoring to judging and then some. To Pam and Matt Munson of CrossFit Champions – I love you both so very much. I admire and respect your passion for our community. Yours was indeed one of the most difficult and thank less jobs at our event, you recruited the volunteers, judges, and support for this event and lead them well. To the over 100 judges and volunteers – thank you and God Bless you all.

I made a comment off the cuff, well I make a great many off the cuff comments – but I stated for the record, “this is why we love what we do, and we do what we love” I love being a part of this group of people and was privileged to host our region. Our box was honored to open the doors and allow all comers to witness the growing phenomenon towards elite fitness. Watching these gladiators move, sweat, and bleed for their passion was poetic as some dreams were realized.

For me, the most poignant of moments came from those who did not move on to the Games. I witnessed many continue to give of themselves regardless of scores, regardless of having a muscle-up, regardless of hitting a PR. I watched the grueling repetition of movements under the Texas heat and was simply inspired by the many that battled fiercely only to walk away and say – wait till next year. These athletes showed true character and sportsmanship for nothing more than the experience of the event, accompanied by accolades of comrades and piers. They were for me, the true spectacle and the purest part of our community.

God willing, we will see you all next year.

-Tucker

South Central Regionals Video

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO

Running & Yoga

I often hear runners complain of sore feet, bad backs, sore knees, tight hamstrings, and tight hips. If people would learn how to POSE run then they could reduce injury. Over the years, I have seen runners with joint pain, back problems, muscle pulls, tendinitis, strains, and sprains. Runners need to increase their range of motion. Through stretching and yoga they can get better in terms of strength and flexibility. If you would like to gradually integrate yoga into your workout routine, begin with these basic poses:



1) Downward-Facing Dog: From a position of all fours, lift the buttocks up toward the ceiling. Elongate the spine, and straighten the knees, and push the heels toward the floor as much as you can without forcing. Lift the wrists. Move the abdominal muscles in and keep them firm; drop your head toward the floor and let it hang loosely.




2) Triangle: Stand with your feet about three apart. Turn your left foot in 30 degrees and your right foot out 90 degrees. Be sure that your right heel is in line with the arch of your left foot. Bring your hands into a T position and take a deep inhale. Exhale and move your pelvis toward the left as you extend your torso to the side and over your right leg. Place your right hand down on your shin and stretch your left arm vertically overhead, palm forward. Turn your head to gaze softly at your left thumb. Release by coming back to standing and practice on the opposite side.

2010 Games Season: All Workouts

A comprehensive description of every workout at every competition leading up to the 2010 CrossFit Games. Here is a comprehensive list of every workout that took place in the 2010 Games season, including workouts from the previous three Games. This is great information for everyone.
Click here for excel file

It's all about the Shoes!

Vibram Five Fingers (love these)


Invo 8's (really love these)


OLY lifting shoes (makes the world of difference)



When I play basketball, I wear basketball shoes. When I run, I wear running flats. In the many years that I have being going to CrossFit, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have seen lifters working out in proper weightlifting shoes. It seems that while other athletes will wear specialty shoes for whatever sport they participate in, most weightlifters don't consider the benefits that proper shoes can make to their performance and strength. Lifting in sneakers makes the foundation of your squat and other lifts unstable. This instability makes every lift seem as if you are performing the movement for the very first time. Good technique is developed by reproducing the correct movement over and over. Proper weightlifting shoes provide a stable base. The heel on a weightlifting shoe also makes it easier to keep your torso upright, knees in the right position—slightly in front of the toes, and to get into a deeper squat. Allowing you to be able to sit back better and keep your heels on the floor. Many lifters find that after trying weightlifting shoes, they can’t believe that they ever were able to lift without them. When you consider the price you can pay for a good pair of shoes, it really make sense to invest.

Who cares how much you weigh?

I tend to keep people off the scale unless it's been a few months. Why? Well, a couple of reasons stick out. Because I'm not in the business of making people into stick figures. I like to see you at your best, which means lots of lean muscle mass and happy. If we chase numbers, let's chase the one's that are important - our benchmarks for performance. You see, weight means very little. When an athlete comes in and says "I'd like to lose 10 lbs", I usually say "no problem". I know that once you start to build some lean body mass, your body fat will get burned up as fuel. However, your body weight might not go down... uh... that's right - it might even go up! But as your lean body mass eats that fat for fuel, eventually you'll see those numbers go down.

CORE STRENGTH

Regular yoga practice will improve core strength, which is essential to sports performance and injury preventions. A variety of yoga poses such as plank, chaturanga, and chair pose increase strength overall, including core strength. It adds a new form of resistance training to one's typical workouts.

Save Our Planet

If you no longer use the yellow pages or white pages books that are mailed to you, then there is a simple step you can take to make sure these are no longer mailed to you and lots of trees wasted. Please visit www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org and click on the link near the top that says, "opt out." Then just fill in your information.

It's All About The Warm-Up

A good warm-up must accomplish several tasks:

1) Raise Heart Rate
2) Raise Core Body Temperature
3) Prepare connective tissue and muscle for dynamic movement
4) Prime the Nervous System
5) Grease key movement motor pathways

Warm-up is a time to work on skills. It's a time to practice unloaded technical variations of the movements to come. So go figure out that if you are front squatting for example, you may need to prep your hips a little more than a few body weight squats will accomplish.

REST UP

When is the last time you took a full week off? By a full week, I mean seven full days of NO training or anything even remotely related to working out. If it's been more than 6 months, or you can't remember the last time, then guess what... it's time! It's only during your time off that your body gets a chance to rest, recuperate, repair, and rejuvenate so that it's ready for the next time you go into battle.

The 2010 Games Season: A Perspective

The 2010 Games have continued to foster the growth of the Sport of Fitness. This year about 6,000 athletes participated at some level (2,800 individual men, 1,200 individual women, 2,000 among the teams plus almost 200 masters athletes). The top athletes from 33 Sectional events around the world, spanning 7 countries, but representing all 7 continents, provided the majority of the Regional athletes. Added to that were the 100 athletes pre-qualified from last year's Games, plus the top few from the military online qualifier for deployed personnel.

To put into perspective just how difficult it is to qualify for the Games, fewer than 1% of the men entering the four Sectionals in the Southwest Regional made it to the Home Depot Center.

READ ENTIRE STORY HERE:

Final Squat Cleans Video

WOD #4 155lb Squat Cleans

Eric Barbers thoughts on Connor Briggs

Hell's Half Acre, Part Two - Connor Briggs (Individual Competition)
Although relatively new to the explosive Olympic lifts, Connor is very fast and strong. Right off the bat, the first event highlighted his immediate weakness - the max Snatch attempt. Connor shocked everyone (including himself) by setting a personal record of 20lbs! (a HUGE jump in weight on a PR btw). The second WOD, "Weighted Cindy" was right up Connor's alley due to his strength and speed and didn't seem too hard for him. Sunday morning's third event started with Connor's strongest point - 100 double unders - giving him a significant lead between himself and fellow competitors. He gritted his way through the rest of the WOD resulting in a respectable tie with Chad.

However, when it came time for the fourth and final event, Connor knew he was in trouble. The effects of the humidity and fatigue were taking it's toll on EVERYONE. The form standards were beyond strict. Experienced competitors were screaming in frustration and agony over not being able to finish the WOD within the allotted time. Knowing that the muscle-up and handstand pushup standards were beyond what he'd been practicing, Connor decided to quietly bow out and call it a day. No one blamed or even questioned him. Then the strangest thing happened. Within minutes before his heat, Ashley came up to me and said, "Connor's going to compete." The news spread among us like wildfire. Not only did he make it through the uber-strict muscle-ups and hspu's, but he tore his way through most of the 155lb Squat Cleans before the buzzer went off. Our NextGen crowd went completely nuts and rushed the field (totally against the rules) to envelop him with hearty hugs and slaps on the back! It was epic!!! Thank you Connor for stepping up and attacking all four events with everything you had. You are truly an inspiration.

Weighted Half Cindy Video

As Many Rounds As Possible in 10 min = 11 Rounds + 5 pull-ups + 6 push-ups

Eric Barber's thoughts on the CrossFit Regionals

See original here

"Hell's Half Acre. Literally. (Whew!)
What a weekend! Brutal events, fierce competition, strict judges, 105+ degree humid heat, buzzards circling overhead, the list goes on and on. But where does one start? Well, other than ex-firefighter and diabolical Regionals host Jeff Tucker providing the crowd with free beer but charging for water all weekend, let's start with our top finisher, Chad Smith.

OK, Chad finally had his day (or days rather) by coming in 18th place overall beating out big name CF Games competitors such as Jeremy Thiel, Jason Boag and "Big Mike". In the Snatch/Overhead Squat WOD, he PR'd with 195lbs. The second Saturday WOD was a weighted "Cindy", AMRAP 10 min. He rep'd out a very steady 11+ rounds, with breaks no longer than 5 seconds. It was ungodly humid AND he had to wear a 20lb weight vest! Sunday morning on WOD 3, the crowd stood mortified as Chad took three minutes to finish his 100 double-unders. However, knowing that the dubs were his biggest weakness of the weekend, he never lost his cool and quickly sped through the thirty 275lb deadlifts, sandbag run and 1k row, tying Connor at 10:19. The fourth and final WOD was the heartbreaker for many. With super-strict form standards, this WOD DNF'd 45 of 102 athletes! Chad sailed through the event leaving everyone in the dust, finishing just behind three of the top four overall winners of Regionals!
CONGRATULATIONS CHAD! We're all so proud of you!"

Muscle-up & HSPU video

This video is from the last WOD @ The South Central CrossFit Regionals