@SJRCPort: School Gym

Team RCF1: Becoming a Great Team

Wed, 01 Aug 2018, 12:03 AM

We are nearing the end of the summer and that can only mean one thing…

The 2018 CrossFit Games is upon us. We have all filled out our Reebok CrossFit Games Pick’Em Bracket and we are anxiously waiting for the competition to commence August 1st. Every year, the competition gets more fierce and the workouts Dave Castro programs become more challenging.

It is always exciting to watch the athletes throw down over the course of five days. It is even more exciting when you know some of the athletes out on the floor. Lucky for Reebok CrossFit One members, four people you know and love are competing in Madison for the title of the Fittest Team on Earth.

The team is RCF1 head coach Austin Malleolo, One Nation gym owner Spencer Hendel, nutrition coach Kassandra Aveni, and former second Fittest Teen on Earth (16-17 division) Ashleigh Wosny. This power team of four has been training together for months to prepare for this week and to achieve their goal of winning the team division at the Games. While the team feels ready and excited, the process has not come without its ups and downs. They have worked hard to become one unit. This is what ultimately led to their success at the Northeast Regionals and what they hope will lead to their success at the Games.

Working with a group of people is not always easy.

Everyone has different schedules, ideas, wants, needs, and opinions and any unresolved conflict within a team can lead to a performance deficit. That is why the past few months, the RCF1 team has focused on addressing these conflicts and finding a resolution so nothing will distract them from their goal.

When talking to Kassandra about overcoming conflict she said, “I think talking about it and resolving things instead of letting them build into resentments has been the healthiest way to overcome people and things and situations that you can’t always control. So we’ve done a good job over the months by building that up and having all those hard conversations that you would rather just avoid.”

Austin followed up by saying communication is one of the most important components to being successful at this level of competition. As an individual CrossFit athlete for most of his career, he recognizes the differences between the team and individual competition. As an individual, an athlete can be selfish, but with a team it is important to be selfless. Everyone’s thoughts, feelings, problems, strengths, and weaknesses need to be taken into consideration. It is hard and it takes constant effort, but they have been able to push through it all because they are all driven by one common goal- to win.

Winning is not the only thing that drives this team.

Winning is one outcome and all four athletes are intent on enjoying the entire journey together. With 20+ hours of training each week, the process can be demanding both physically and mentally. It is not always easy to find the desire to train when the body is hurting and the mind is exhausted. But this team finds motivation within each other every single day. “We motivate each other with work ethic. When you see other working hard, doing well it inspires you to work just as hard,” says Austin.

Both Kassandra and Ashleigh talked about keeping each other accountable and working for the other people on the team. No one wants to let the other team members down because they all value this opportunity and hold their goal with equal importance.

“It’s really less of what you do, but how you do it and who you do it with.” -Austin Malleolo

It is clear there is a lot that goes into this process. All four athletes have been regimented with their training, recovery, nutrition, and mental well-being. When asking Ashleigh how she is handling this process she said, “I think mentally just taking it one day at a time. Everyone keeps saying it’s two months away, but it goes by so fast. I remember before regionals it came before we even knew it. So I think I’m going to approach it the same way I did when I was in the teen division: enjoy every day, be grateful to be there and then work hard.”

Now it is time to put it all out on the floor.

They have put in all the work and they are ready to show the world what they are made of.

All in all, this team is not just four talented athletes working out together. This team is a family backed by their community back in Boston. To keep up with the team, check out the competition schedule and tune in for all of the events. Let’s cheer so loud they can hear you from Madison. Good luck Reebok CrossFit One!

For even more on the RCF1 team, follow this link to check them out on this CBS coverage video.

Article written by Molly Leiker
Ally Leard: Overcoming Insecurities and Staying Positive

Wed, 06 Jun 2018, 01:14 AM

Accepting body changes is hard, but sitting with the discomfort is worth it.

Allyson (Ally) Leard is not an ordinary fitness professional. In addition to coaching CrossFit full-time at the Reebok International Headquarters in Boston, Ally is also a professional competitive CrossFit athlete. After years of hard physical training and discipline, Ally competed against the most elite CrossFit athletes around the world at the 2017 Reebok CrossFit Games in Madison, WI.

Shortly following the close of the 2017 CrossFit Games (her team placed 5^thin the world, by the way), Ally got some great news; she’s pregnant! “What a perfect way to take a step back, relax and take some much-deserved rest,” Ally thought.

Ally looked at the next 9 months as such an exciting time. She daydreamed about being one of those aspirational fit, pregnant ladies on Instagram that are kicking ass in the gym, working out in just a sports bra, strutting their blossoming bellies without a care in the world.

Ally anticipated the joy of eating all of her favorite foods, nourishing her body as well as the one on the way, and embracing the extra “cushion for the pushin’” that’s not only inevitable, but healthy.

Being a CrossFit Games athlete who’s incredibly fit, toned and accustomed to working out in a sports bra and booty shorts, this should be a piece of cake, right?

Maybe not.

When it doesn’t go as planned…

“When I first started seeing changes to my body, I was like, ‘I’m really going to embrace being pregnant and I thought that it was going to be easier than it has been,” said Ally, “I’m a little surprised at myself for feeling bad about my body.”

It turns out accepting your body’s changes is a lot more involved than simply wanting to do it. This goes for pregnant women and non-pregnant women alike.

Despite her moments of insecurity and discomfort, Ally still chooses to work out in a sports bra. This may seem like a fake it ‘til you make it scenario, but forcing yourself to deal with your insecurities is a powerful way to overcome your greatest obstacles.

Brené Brown, a sociology research professor, emphasizes the benefits of leaning into our own discomfort. One of Brown’s major tenants is that shame cannot live in silence. The more we expose ourselves to our biggest hang-ups, the more we’re able to overcome them.

Cue the social media peanut gallery…

Unfortunately, just like choosing to embrace our bodies, becoming resilient to the external pressures we face isn’t easy.

One day after a tough workout, Ally posted on her Instagram story a picture of her in just a sports bra. Ally didn’t think much of it until she was messaged by a stranger with a comment, “Ew ur gut is gross. Do some situps hun.”

“It just caught me off-guard. I wasn’t expecting a comment like that. I’d never been called ‘fat’ before and I was already struggling with my body’s changes,” said Ally, “It’s funny because it’s never good enough,” said Ally, “If you’re muscular, you get sh*t on, if you’re thin, you get sh*t on, if you’re average-sized, you’re boring. And now I’m pregnant and still get sh*t on. You can’t win.”

Courage begets courage.

Ally could’ve run away in defeat, deleted the message and pretend it never happened, or posted a fake empowering Instagram photo with a well-thought-out, inspirational caption in an attempt to make everyone think that she’s bulletproof and doesn’t care what other think. As tempting as that might be, those actions don’t help us for the moments we feel weak, alone and hopeless. They don’t solve the problem, they numb it.

Instead, Ally unpacked that **tiness, and shared her raw moment. Although Ally thought this was an act of self-love (which it totally is) but it’s also a selfless act of courage. And courage inspires more courage in yourself and in others.

“Courage is contagious. Every time we choose courage, we make everyone around us a little better and the world a little braver.” – Brené Brown.

So, ladies, pregnant or not, let’s get real about body positivity. It’s not easy. The relationship we have with our bodies is one that needs to be attended to every day. There will be days when you look in the mirror and think “Hot damn, I’m a fox!” and there will be days that we poke and prod at parts of ourselves that we aren’t happy with. Both of those days are equally important and both of those days should be celebrated for exactly what they are.

And on a personal note…

Ally, I’d like to thank you. Thank you for being fully authentic, open and strong. Thank you for not only leaning into your own **, but also inspiring other women to lean into theirs. You are truly an inspiration, and that little nugget on the way is one lucky lady.

Article written by Sara Eckhardt
Be More Human Challenge Wrap Up

Tue, 10 Apr 2018, 05:58 AM

Top: Our customized BMH Challenge notebooks. Bottom: First place finisher, Emilia A.

Congratulations everyone!

We all deserve a huge pat on our backs – we made it through the 5 week long Be More Human Challenge! Though the goal has always been to create sustainable lifestyle changes that will persist long past the Challenge end date – that doesn’t make this milestone any less noteworth. So, now that we’re all on the other side, let’s take a look back at the goals, motivations, and outcomes of the BMH Challenge…

So, why this challenge for Reebok HQ? Well…

At the core of Reebok’s mission is the pursuit of innovation. We wanted to harness that same desire to improve and grow, and apply it to our own bodies and minds instead of just to our products in the workplace. This is also why we wanted to include a focus on areas beyond just fitness and nutrition. We all already know that a huge component to being healthy is being active and eating well. But what about all of the other factors that contribute to the acquisition of holistic health? Oftentimes we put all of our energy into the gym and the kitchen that every other part of our lives falls by the wayside. In fact, sometimes this focus can be so intense that it winds up hindering our overall well-being rather than helping it. So, in addition to the staples of nutrition, fitness, and hydration, we decided to switch things up a bit and add in some new categories: sleep, meditation & mindfulness, mobility, and random acts of kindness!

We also tailored this to be Reebok-specific by making it especially Human friendly. By that we mean that we know that no one is perfect – some days are better than others. That’s why each week and each day was a new opportunity to satisfy the requirements of each category. We chose to have your points reset each day to reflect the message of being more human. Mess up one day? Have a cookie? Miss an hour of sleep? No big deal. Tomorrow is always a blank slate to (hopefully) be a little better than yesterday. We should not let our imperfections define us – nor should we run from them! It’s much better to accept them, move on, and try again tomorrow.

Finally, we can’t underscore enough the importance of community – in the Challenge, in the workplace, and in our everyday lives. So much can be gained from forging relationships with those around us. Motivation, inspiration, and a deeper understanding of compassion are just a few benefits gleaned from connecting with others. That’s why we made the standings public for everyone to see, why we encouraged accountability buddies, and why we created so much dialogue around the Challenge throughout the five weeks. So, let’s hear from those in our community who chose to share their BMH Challenge experiences with us…

Andi A., second place finisher, on which category she connected with most:

Mobility has been my favorite thing about this challenge, after having a lumbar fusion at the beginning of December and just getting back into training/moving a bit more I know I NEED to mobilize!! This challenge has helped me realize how much my body needs it as well as held me accountable

And on how she got her Mindfulness and Meditation points:

I split up my meditation/mindfulness into two segments. I find it most beneficial to start and end my day in a more focused or reflective mindset. Also, I LOVE using The Daily Stoic as well as The Stoic Journal for this time. The Daily Stoic gives me a daily reading and the Journal gives me one question to reflect on and respond to, otherwise I find I read the passage and forget it 10 minutes later, reflecting on it helps it stick.

Craig, first place finisher, on how he was able to stay consistent – even when he wanted snacks or needed a break from the gym!

I meal prep all of my meals and plan them out over the course of the week (lunch and dinner) – any snacks that we keep in the house are generally healthier options (greek yogurt, fruit, etc). Besides this, I generally plan out my day the night before, which has allowed me to build in new time for stretching and meditation during my workout/relaxation period of the day (as well as ensure that I’m setting up meetings with friends in locations that alcohol is less present/active). I’m active in multiple sports leagues, so even on days when I’m tired of the gym, I have another outlet for exercise!

Linday S., third place finisher, on how she saw the Challenge as the beginning of a new lifestyle:

I’m super excited and so proud of myself for actually sticking with it. I’ve seen the physical changes and I’m feeling great! Thanks for the kickstart and I’m so excited to stick with it.

And there you have it, folks! Another huge congratulations and thank you to all of you who participated in the Challenge! Here’s to all of you!