HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Check your email inboxes for the first newsletter of 2012!  Additionally, we’re trying something new and we’ve posted the entire contents of the newsletter into today’s post!  Be sure to stay up to date!

See below for information on:
Upcoming Events
Announcing the Winter 2012 Sleep and Recovery Challenge
Additions to Class Schedule
Class Type Descriptions
Ryan’s Winter Olympic Weightlifting Program
Erg Finishers
2011 Holiday Party Recap

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, January 3rd, 5:30pm – Start of the Olympic Weightlifting Team Program
Saturday, January 7th, 6:30am – CrossFit Open Interest Meeting
Sunday, January 8th, 4:00pm – RestWise presentation and Information Meeting on the Winter Challenge
February 4-5: Colorado State and Open Olympic Weightlifting Meet
February 14th: CrossFit Roots Couples Workout
February 22: Start of the CrossFit Games Open
March 10: CrossFit Roots In-House Olympic Weightlifting Meet

Announcing the Winter 2012 Sleep & Recovery Challenge

Here comes the 2012 Winter Athlete Challenge – the Sleep and Recovery Challenge.  We know what some of you are thinking, “oh man, I wanted a FOOD challenge, I need to get back on track after the holidays.”

We hear you and we think this challenge has the potential to yield even better results – and for those of you who would like to incorporate a food component, you can!

Want to perform better AND find the mental energy to put good quality food in your mouth with ease? Look no further than your sleep and recovery.  This winter’s challenge takes on health, performance, and longevity from a new angle and examines the power of sleep and recovery.

Athletes have control over three major “life factors” that contribute to their health, fitness & performance, and longevity – EXERCISE, SLEEP/RECOVERY, AND FUEL. Most athletes make a HUGE bubble for exercise.  They dedicate many many hours to it going to sometimes crazy extremes to get to the gym or put on their running shoes, even though they are tired, worn out, and somewhat sick.

Their fuel bubble is moderately sized.  When they’re motivated they do well in fueling their bodies with quality stuff, but it doesn’t take much for the wheels to come off.

And finally, their sleep and recovery bubble is, well, it’s non-existant.  They don’t even think about it and certainly not in relation to performance!

The athlete then finds themselves dragging their sleepy ass to class trying to work off the guilt from the crap food they’ve been eating.  Sound familiar?

Come take the first step in learning about this winter’s challenge by attending a talk on rest and recovery on Sunday, January 8th at 4:00pm.  Matthew Weatherley-White co-founder of Recovery Science and Technology will give a 50-minute presentation on the science behind and merits of recovery. The coaches have been playing with their rest and recovery for the past two months and are stoked by the results.  Come learn more!

Additions to Class Schedule

Beginning this week, you’ll see a few new classes on the weekly schedule:
Tuesday/Thursday: 7:00AM WOD Class
Tuesday/Thursday: 5:30-7:00PM Olympic Weightlifting Team Training Sessions

Class Offerings

Your monthly membership includes access to a variety of classes.  You’re selling yourself short if you haven’t taken the time to check-out all the different workouts at Roots.  We highly recommend you come to CrossFit at least 3 days a week. Once you’ve identified your weaknesses, use the specialty classes to improve in that area!  Also be sure that you’r checking the box in all the areas of fitness – did you go heavy over the past week?, did you breath really hard a few times?   Read on for a description of each class type offering.

W.O.D.
The Workout of the Day classes make up the majority of our weekly class offerings.  This class tends to follow the mainsite on a one week delay and fill in on mainsite rest days with Roots programming.

Strength
The class focus is on strength specific to the world of powerlifting, strongman, grip specialists, and more.  We encourage athletes to go heavy at least once per week and this is a great way for athletes to ensure they do so – without relying on hitting the weekly W.O.D. class that incorporate strength.
Check it out!: Mondays at 7pm, Wednesdays at 12:30pm, Fridays at 6:30am

Olympic Weightlifting
The olympic weightlifting class centers on the development of the Clean & Jerk and Snatch – the two Olympic lifts. 
Check it out!: Mondays at 6pm, Wednesdays at 11:30am and 5:00pm
Oly Team Training: Tuesday/Thursday 5:30-7:00pm (separate registration required)

Erg
Erg class…not rowing machine class!…focuses on the development of technique and power output on the erg. 
Check it out!: Tuesdays at 4pm, Saturdays at 10am

Gymnastics
The human body is capable of so much more than we ever discover.  Gymnastics class taps into some of the finer points of human movement while focusing on movements that will transfer to being a better, more well-rounded, CrossFitter.
Check it out!: Thursdays at 11:30am

Power Hour
Similar to how strength and Oly focus on specific pieces of a CrossFitter’s abilities, power hour looks at the short high-intensity workouts that put the power output through the roof.  Can’t make a W.O.D. hour one day?  Power Hour is a perfect and equal fill-in to your weekly training schedule.
Check it out!: Tuesdays at 7pm, Fridays at 5pm

Ryan’s Winter Olympic Weightlifting Program

The Winter Olympic Weightlifting Program starts on Tuesday, January 3rd.  The program will focus specifically on development of the clean & jerk and snatch – the two Olympic lifts.

This program is suitable for a variety of athletes including those who would like to train and compete in the sport, those who would like to address a weakness in the breadth of their CrossFit abilities, those who enjoy the sport, and teens and athletes outside of the Roots community who have a special interest in Oly Lifting (and have never found a home to do so!).  Previous experience not required.

The team will plan to compete at the Colorado State & Open Weightlifting Competition on February 4-5 as well as the Roots In-House Olympic Weightlifting Meet on Saturday, March 10th.  Competition is not required; however, it is encouraged!

PROGRAM DETAILS:
Program start date: January 3rd, 2012
Meeting dates and times: Tuesday and Thursday, 5:30-7:00pm for three months
Cost: $320 ($106/month) for members, $400 for non-members
Registration available here.
Contact Ryan Landis for more details: 303.818.2774

100K Challenge Finishers

Congratulations to the men and women who completed the Concept2 Holiday Erg Challenge.  Participants signed up to erg 100,000 meters in 30 days.  Under coach Lauren they met on Sundays for coached sessions and then logged additional meters during the week.  Congratulations to all the finishers!

Great Party, Great Folks

Thanks everyone who came out for the 2011 Roots Holiday Party and Athlete Appreciation Day.  A big huge thank you to DJ Double-under who rocked the house and kept the dance floor lively.  Also a huge thanks to our sponsors who provided some SWEET prizes for our athlete drawing throughout the day.  Athletes went home with items such as Lululemon backpacks, Reebok shwagg, bike fits, custom footbeds, BooBars, free months membership at Roots, and much much more.  Thanks to all our sponsors!