As Prescribed Volume 12

• Jan 1st – Refer-a-Friend Challenge begins!
• Jan 11th – Registration for the CrossFit Open is live!
• Jan 15th thru 20th – Sign up for the Nutrition Challenge
• Jan 27th 11:30 am- Barre Workshop with Rachel – free to our members!
• Jan 20th 11:00 am- Nutrition Challenge Info Session
• Feb 28th – Last day to sign up for Festivus and get a free shirt!
• April 21st – Festivus Games

Member Highlight – Zac Holt

• How long have you done CrossFit?
  • 2 years this spring.
• What is your favorite CrossFit movement/WOD/lift?
  • So many! I have a soft spot for the Clean and Jerk mostly because it’s the first Oly lift I learned. I really get high for rope climbs and box jumps though.  I still very much a student of them but doing them challenges many long-held conceptions of things I never thought I could do.
• What is something that most people at the gym wouldn’t know about you
  • I’ve written 3 novels. Never sent them off to be seen, proofed, or published; I just wrote them and came up with an elaborate storyline that would’ve spanned about 20 or so more books.
• What is a fitness goal you have for the upcoming year?
  • Finish rehab on my bicep and not being hurt for awhile would be nice.  After that tuning up the kip swing and getting over the mental block of dropping under the bar is high on my wish list.
• What is a hobby you have that is NOT CrossFit related?
  • Is this a trick question? I’m kind of nomadic with my hobbies.  I get artistic and crafty sometimes where I come up with an idea just have to make it, sometimes for no reason and sometimes as a gift. When I’m done I rarely do it again and just wait for something else to capture my imagination.
• What advice would you give someone who is afraid to try CrossFit?
  • People think they can’t do CrossFit because it brings to mind heavy barbells, ropes that make you dizzy to look up at them, and giant tires that are triple your body weight.  They look intimidating but those things aren’t CrossFit, those are some tools in CrossFit.  CrossFit is only about effort, specifically your effort.  No matter what you do, no matter how different it is from everyone else, no matter how much it weighs, no matter how fast you do it if you are willing to give it that effort and try to do your very best, regardless what that is on any given day, then you can do CrossFit.
• Tacos or Pancakes?
  • Tacos, the variety makes them better. Pancakes are just how sweet do you want them.

New Goals and New Gains!

We will be wiping down the goal and PR board to make a clean slate for you 2018 goals and gains! As you think about the next year, try and come up with three goals, one short term (1 – 3 months), one medium term (3 – 6 months) and one long term goal (6 moths – 1 year). Having a specified time line helps to keep you motivated!

Slow Cooker Crispy Chicken Carnitas

Recipe found here: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-crispy-chicken-carnitas/

• 4-5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts*
• 1 bottle beer (or chicken stock, if you do not like to cook with alcohol)
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon chipotle powder (or 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced)
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2-4 fresh limes

1. Add the chicken, beer (or broth), onion, garlic, chipotle, cumin, black pepper, chili powder, and salt to the bowl of a large slow cooker. Gently toss to combine.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until the chicken is completely tender and shreds easily with a fork. If you have an InstaPot, you can use that too and have tacos even faster!
3. Once the chicken is cooked, preheat your broiler to high heat and grease one large baking sheet with cooking spray. Use a fork to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the prepared baking sheet, spreading the chicken in an even layer and leaving the juices behind in the slow cooker.  (Don’t discard the juices, we’re going to use them later!)
4. Place one sheet under the broiler, 2 racks down from the very top, and broil for about 5-6 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken begin browning and crisping up. Remove the sheet from the oven, then ladle about 1/2 cup of the juices from the slow cooker evenly over the chicken, and then give it a good toss with some tongs so that the chicken is evenly coated with the juices.  Broil for an additional 5 minutes to get the meat more crispy. Then remove and ladle an additional 1/2 cup of broth over the crispy chicken.  Broil for an additional 5 minutes.  Then remove sheet from the oven, and toss chicken with the remaining broth.  Then drizzle with however much fresh lime juice you’d like (I love a ton of lime flavor!), and toss once more to combine.
5. Serve immediately in tacos, burritos, salads, or whatever sounds good to you!  This chicken can also be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or frozen in a sealed container for up to 3 months.

This recipe would be great to have on hand during the nutrition challenge! Just sub the beer out for broth and you are good to go with a tasty clean protein!

Friday Night Lights!

My favorite time of the year is just around the corner! As a gym, we will be participating in the CrossFit Open using the same formate as last year. This means you can pay $20 to register officially (https://games.crossfit.com) or pay $20 to unofficially register with CrossFit Ripcord. The money paid to CrossFit Ripcord will go into the new equipment fund!

1. Register, either officially or unofficially (sign up sheet will be at the front desk).
2. Four randomly assigned teams will be made. This will happen by Feb 17th.
3. First Open WOD Feb 23rd! The morning classes will do the WOD but we will not have a 5 pm evening class. Instead we will have heats so everyone can have the equipment they need and plenty of people to cheer then on!
4. Come dressed in the theme of the night, do the wod, earn points for your team and enjoy the wonderful community aspect of CrossFit!