Dear Roots Crew,
In October 2018, Chad Wilkinson took his own life. A husband, father, and Navy SEAL, it was later learned that Chad suffered from interface astroglial scarring – scarring that is similar to the more readily heard chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
At Chad’s funeral, his wife Sara Wilkinson shared the story of Chad doing 1,000 weighted set-ups in their garage to train for deployments. Members of the CrossFit community who attended the service decided to do the workout as a tribute to Chad. Word spread, CrossFit affiliates took on the workout, and Sara felt called to carry on Chad’s legacy through veteran brain and mental health – and so the Step Up Foundation was born.
Each year on Veterans Day, we do the workout Chad1000x. It’s boring, it’s repetitive, it’s uncomfortable, it’s hard as hell, and that’s the point. It allows us to think, to honor people we love, and brings us together. It’s not about a time or if you’ve done it before; it’s about completion.
Grab a backpack, learn a bit about Sara, the Step Up Foundation, and the workout, and mark your calendars for November 11th. We will donate $6 to the StepUp Foundation on behalf of each Roots member who does the workout in class on Wednesday.
QUICK HITS
- Harvest Hoedown Recap
- Holiday Preorder is Here!
- Chad 1000x is Wednesday, November 11th
- Thanksgiving Happy Hour – Save the Date!
- Thanksgiving Shit Show/Holiday Hours
- Roots Holiday Party – Save the Date!
- My Fit Foods delivering to CrossFit Roots
- EV Chargers on Site
- The 2026 Great Attendance Challenge
HARVEST HOEDOWN RECAP
Thank you thank you to all the athletes who competed at the 2026 Harvest Hoedown!
Women’s Rx:
🥇Mom Jeans & Heavy Things
🥈Nightmare on No-Rep Street
🥉Mommy and Me
Men’s Rx:
🥇The Sugar Daddies
🥈Big Gains, Sore Knees
🥉Fezler’s Firebreathers
A huge shoutout to our incredible crew of volunteers and judges who made the event a success! Stay on the lookout for the 2027 Harvest Hoedown dates. It’s not to be missed!

WINTER APPAREL PRE-ORDER IS HERE!
It’s that time of year – the annual Winter Apparel Pre-Order drops Monday!
As the weather cools down and you’re thinking about holiday gift-giving, what’s better than some new Roots gear!
What’s in the winter collection? Glad you asked!
• Raised embroidery hoodie – so hot right now. Simple and perfectly stated.
• Heavyweight Pump Cover with embroidered Roots logo – A pump cover most commonly refers to an oversized piece of gym clothing—such as a hoodie, sweatshirt, or large T-shirt—worn over workout gear.
• Deadwood tree camo t-shirt – the coaches won’t even be able to see you
• Open bottom Roots sweatpants – specific request from the Middle School Program!
• Joggers – the staple of all staples
• Beanies – stay warm, look cool

How Do I Order?
Order at the front desk on the paper order form (we’ll have samples!) or visit this this link by November 15th!
UPCOMING EVENTS AT CROSSFIT ROOTS
Chad 1000x

Join us on Wednesday, Nov. 11 in all group classes as we honor Chad’s life and bring awareness to suicide prevention. Roots will donate $5 to The Step Up Foundation on behalf of every athlete who completes the workout at Roots.
What’s the Workout?
1,000 box step-ups for time wearing a 45# ruck sack, 20″ box
Learn more about Chad, the workout, and how it runs at Roots, here.
Please Note: Due to the BVSD school holiday on Veteran’s Day (no school) the Middle and High School programs will do Chad1000x at 10:30am on Wednesday. Please send your child with a backpack!
Big Lift Saturday and Benchmark Week!

Big Lift Saturday: Saturday, November 14: 10:30-Noon
Benchmark Week: November 16-20!
2026 Benchmark Workouts
Monday: Jackie
Tuesday: 3×1 Mile Repeats
Wednesday: 5×2 Back Squat
Thursday: Diane
Friday: Nasty Girls
Thanksgiving Happy Hour

Don’t miss out on this annual Roots tradition! Join the coaches for Thanksgiving Happy Hour! We’re thankful for you!
When: Thursday, November 19th
Time: 4:00-5:30pm
Where: The Attic, 949 Walnut Street
Drinks on us! Watch your email for an Evite and please let us know if you plan to attend!
Note: All evening classes will be cancelled this evening (4/5/6pm and Middle School and High School)
Thanksgiving Holiday Hours

Thanksgiving Eve (Wed 11/25) Regular schedule until 4pm. No 5pm, 6pm, Middle School or High School classes.
Thanksgiving Day (11/26): 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. group classes
Don’t miss out on the annual Thanksgiving Day Shit Show. You’ll be thankful you came!
Day after Thanksgiving (11/27): 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., and 9:30 a.m.
Save the Date: CrossFit Roots Holiday Party!

The biggest party of the year is coming! Mark your calendars NOW!
Date: Friday, December 4th, 6:00-10:00 p.m.
Where: CrossFit Roots
Food trucks, prizes, dancing, and more!
Come celebrate the holidays with CrossFit Roots!
MY FIT FOODS
Heading into the holidays can be busy with work, school events, travel and more. Set yourself up for success with high protein, low sugar, made-for-you meals with My Fit Foods.
You can now order My Fit Foods meals online and have them delivered to CrossFit Roots for pickup! Here’s how to place your first order:
- Visit MyFitFoods.com and click “Shop Meals.” Use the filters on the left to browse small and regular portions, filter by food allergens or protein amount, and explore categories like breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and more.
- Add your meals to your cart. Meals last an average of six days, so keep that in mind when planning your order.
- Click “Continue through Checkout.” You can skip Fit Club for your first order. Use code MFFNEW40 at checkout to receive 40% off your first order.
- Select “Pickup.” This is important! CrossFit Roots will appear under pickup, even though we’re delivering your meals to the gym.
- Choose Monday as your pickup date. Under “Select Pickup Location,” make sure you’re viewing Colorado, then select CrossFit Roots at the bottom of the list.
- Apply your discount code and complete checkout. Double-check that your order shows Monday pickup at CrossFit Roots before submitting.
Meals arrive at CrossFit Roots on Mondays between 2 and 4 p.m., and you’ll receive a notification when they arrive.
We’re excited to help make your weekly meal prep a little easier!

EV CHARGERS ONSITE
Not new but true: Our awesome landlord, Westland Development, installed EV chargers onsite at Western Avenue!
The six level 2 Electric Vehicle chargers are located at the southwest corner of the building.
Westland Development has made these chargers available to our employees and members! Drivers will need to enter this code: CP293601 to request charging.
ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE UPDATE
Attend an average of 19 classes per month to be on track for the 2026 Great Attendance Challenge where you earn a chance to win back your membership fees for the whole year! Learn More Here
Here’s who is on track with 19 or more classes in October!
- Aaron Evans
- Aisha Maher
- Alan Lo
- Alexa Cataldo
- Allison Forrer
- Allison Scahill
- Anya Gotwols
- Ashley Tilly
- Ben Weiner
- Blair Brown
- Blakely Graham
- Caitlin Durling
- Cherilyn Sackal
- Chris Dizon
- Derek Anderson
- Erica Giovinazzo
- Erika Ainslie
- Finn White
- Grace Feldpausch
- Greg Hertz
- Hank Nicholson
- Howard Mintz
- Ian Jacobson
- Jason Emmanuel
- Jess Teilborg
- Josh Haimes
- Julie Wood
- Kelli Rayburn
- Leia Schultz
- Liz Ropp
- Lyndi Ross
- Martha Buttner
- Melani Dizon
- Mike Conner
- Nat Brennan
- Rhythm Mehra
- Rob Ringle
- Ronit Peleg
- Sabrina Dwyer
- Sarah Williamson
- Shelley Schlender
- Sue Swanson
- Taylor Haskell
- Vlad Ryazanov
