Friday we tested the first workout of the COVID Open. It was fun. We also got to learn members first ever nicknames (pre-CrossFit). Can you match the name to the member? Piggy Peggy Puggy, Natasha Basha, Dumbo, CanCan, Opie, LaLa, Chiquita, Peanut, Lotte, Carrots, Netty, Juicy, Bimini, Sting, Jenny Wren, Telephone, Two Sips, Brownie, GrinyPoo, Monkey, Butterball, Gabby, Shanner, Ugly Jimmy Girl, Jif.
Saturday we’re blessed with a 5K run and SLIPS and hopefully another sunny spring day to go with it! We have such a beautiful city with so many beautiful running routes to choose from. HeeHee and I struggled to decide whether we should run the beach and enjoy the water and mountain views or run the trails of Pacific Spirit Park. In the end we chose the beach, starting from Hastings Mill Park we ran west along the beach path for 20 minutes and then turned around and ran back for a total run time of just over 40 minutes. You could do something similar.
Of course some of you will want greater precision. You could choose our usual route from the gym to Highbury then up 8th to Blanca and return. This one offers a long grueling uphill first half rewarded by a lovely scenic downhill cruise on the return blessed with one of the greatest views in Vancouver. Alternatively, you could try my current favourite: from the doors of Byng Pool up 15th Ave to Blanca, over to 11th, down to Highbury and then back up to 15th and return to the pool entrance. With this route you spend the first three quarters of the run alternating between mild uphills and level stretches before hitting a sharp decline where you lose all your elevation in the span of two blocks and are left in the last quarter, just when you’re getting tired, with a long, steep, uphill battle all the way to the finish line. Mentally and physically brutal!
If you’re tech savvy you can map your own route. If running isn’t in the cards for you a 5K row or a 30 minute bike ride should be roughly equivalent. The options are endless. What if you’re planning to Zoom? Have no fear, the average city block is 400m, go around 12-13 times and you’ll have done 5K. Or run 15 minutes out from your door and at 15 minutes turn around and return home. Or get innovative. This British gentleman ran a marathon in his backyard. And this Chinese runner ran 31 miles in his living room! Next week we’ll explore how Nelson Mandela kept up his running skills while confined for decades in a cell smaller than your bathroom. Whatever limitations you think you’re facing, someone somewhere has already overcome them!
We’re going to start with the SLIPS:
Warm Up:
This part we’ll do together on Zoom
4 mins Stretching
Any stretching combo will do but we’d like to recommend sampling some of the following:
OS Foot Mobilization
OS Rock to Run
4 mins L-Raises
Set up a dumbbell, text book or rock in front of you and lift your legs over it as HeeHee & I do in the video demo
4 mins Inversions
Kick up or walk up to a wall, put your feet up on a couch or box or practice crow pose like HeeHee
4 min Planks
1 min Plank Knees to Elbows as in our video demo
1 min Left side plank
1 min right side plank
1 min Plank Knees to Elbows
4 mins Scales
Front/Side/Back
WOD
5K run or Row, 30 min cycle or swim or laps of your living room.
Cool Down
We’re all going to finish at different times. Spend at least 5 minutes stretching out calves, quads, glutes and hamstrings before you depart. Your answer to the QOD is your exit ticket.
Schedule Updates!
Thanks for your feedback regarding Zoom classes which is helping us redesign our scheduled offerings to better serve your needs. Please review thoroughly so you are aware of all class changes effective next week.
1. Trivia Night
2. Cooking Club in Shine’s Kitchen
3. 5:30am Zoom WOD
4. Laughter Micro Dose
5. Mobility Express
6. Coffee WOD with Shades
7. Friday Fit with Shades
8. Get Fed with Tru Local
1. Trivia Night
This Saturday (tomorrow) at 5pm, join WOD Father, drinks in hand, for some fun CrossFit trivia. Thanks for all the great Empower trivia questions you have already submitted, we’re learning a lot of interesting facts about our accomplished Empower members and you will too when you join us. Please email any fun trivia facts about Empower members that we might have missed to [email protected]!
2. Cooking Club Hosted by Shine
Tuesday night at 6pm we will be joining Shine in her kitchen to learn how she makes her delicious Sesame Squares (one of my favourites)!
Here’s the ingredients you need to prepare to bake along with Shine:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup sesame seeds (bag shown is 200g = 7oz and is more than enough)
1 cup skim milk powder
“some” chocolate chips (or other form of chocolate you can melt)
To heat all this, you need either a skillet big enough to hold all of this or a microwaveable glass dish that can.
The squares get made/set in a baking dish that’s 8×8 or 8×11 or something like that.
If anyone is desperate Shine has extra ingredients, esp. sesame seeds and skim milk powder, and can drop off a few dry ingredient “kits” on front porches.
3. 5:30am Zoom WOD
COVID or no COVID, they’re determined not to let the coaches sleep! The 6am Zoom WOD crew has successfully lobbied to move to 5:30am Monday through Friday starting Easter Monday and the coaches have foolishly agreed. We’ll all be getting up just a bit earlier starting next week.
4. Laughter Micro Dose Mondays 9am
There’s been a lot of interest in HeeHee’s Laughter RX but the 10am time slot wasn’t working as many Empower members are now scheduled to work via Zoom most weekdays. So instead, we’ve shortened this session to a 15 minute micro-dose of laughter at 9am Mondays to help get your week started on the right foot.
5. Mobility Express Wednesdays 9:00am
We’ve had great attendance and feedback about this class but the 10am time slot is once again tricky for many so we’ve moved to 9am starting next week and shortened the class to 30 minutes so you can get some quick mobility work after your 8am Zoom WOD and then hustle off to work.
6. Coffee WOD with Shades Wednesdays 10:30am (Tuesday 10:30am next week only)
Bring a thermal mug of coffee to the Athletics class, lay out a mat and line up your dumbbells. 20-30 min WOD followed by coffee chat to discuss the realities of our new lifestyles and trouble shoot any challenges.
7. Friday Fit with Shades
Kick off the weekend with a simple metabolic conditioning Athletics workout. Bring one dumbbell of a moderate weight or an equivalent object i.e. a brick or stuffed bag and blast through it.
8. Get Fed with Tru Local
TruLocal would like to offer you 3lbs of grass fed ground beef in their first two regular size boxes. If you would like to order a small box you will get 1 lbs of grass fed ground beef in their first two boxes. Trulocal promo code: EMPOWERSTAYSAFE