Category Archives: Our Mission

Rest Day 1/26/14: Congrats to all Competitors at the Renegade Rowing League!

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Competitors at the Renegade Rowing League

Competitors at the Renegade Rowing League

Yesterday, the second and final race of the 2013-2014 Renegade Rowing League was held at CrossFit Boston in Allston, MA.  We had 19 competitors race 2,000m CRASH-B Style across two heats.  Nicholas A. in the Lightweight Junior Men’s Event got to sign his name on the Renegade Rowing Cup for making a 1minute and 26second improvement from his first race in December.  Everyone dropped the hammer and pushed their limits.  It was awesome seeing everyone cheer each other on and experience the glory of rowing.  I look forward to seeing everyone crush it at CRASH-B’s in a few weeks and I can’t wait till it warms up and we get to give it a go on the water.

RRL 1-25-14 Results

Nick A. - Winner of the 2013-2014 Renegade Rowing Cup!

Nick A. – Winner of the 2013-2014 Renegade Rowing Cup!

At CrossFit Boston we’ve been participating in a 6-Week Transformation Challenge and this marks the half-way point.  How’s the first three weeks of 2014 gone for you in regards to training, nutrition, and lifestyle?  Have you been able to eat clean and train dirty?  One thing that has helped me keep on my game over the last three weeks has been prepping enough food and snacks for the whole week on Sunday afternoons.  Below are a few meal options I put together for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner last week.  I also make sure to have bananas, apples, cashews, figs, grapes, and plantain chips ready for when I need a little snack or pick me up in between meals and post training.  If you’d like step by step directions and pictures for these recipes I’ve passed them on to Alex Black of Wicked Good Nutrition to include in her recipe and nutrition plan package.  There are lots of awesome recipes in there, so if you need some new ideas to keep things fresh be sure to check it out. WickedGoodNutrition.com  Just shoot her an email to get started eating clean!

Breakfast Cups w/ Sausage and Broccoli Slaw

Breakfast Cups w/ Sausage and Broccoli Slaw

Looking forward to seeing how everyone transforms in a few more weeks when we hit CRASH-B’s and our next 2k!

Keep up the great work!

-Coach Pat

3 Varieties of Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

3 Varieties of Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

Shredded Taco Chicken

Shredded Taco Chicken

 

Rest Day 1/19/14: Congrats to all competitors at Not Your Average Joe’s!

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Not Your Average Joe’s Team Competition Was Awesome!

The CrossFit Boston Family at Not Your Average Joe's Team Competition!

The CrossFit Boston Family at Not Your Average Joe’s Team Competition!

Just wanted to thank Dave Picardy, North Shore CrossFit, all the volunteers, and all the competitors for an awesome Saturday!  A number of teams from CrossFit Boston went up to compete and we all had a blast.  My team even managed to win the rowing event by rowing a 6:41 2k, relay style, and we came in second in the 2RM Clean and Jerk/Snatch.  Tons of fun had by all and it was a well run event.  Props to Dave for keeping everything running smoothly and on time.  Well Done Everyone!

Renegade Rowing League One Week Away!

If you’re interested in giving a competition a shot checkout what we have to offer at CrossFit Boston next Saturday!  The Renegade Rowing League (RRL) is a set of 2k Rowing Competitions held every winter to give athletes a chance to experience indoor racing on the Concept2 Ergometer and prepare them for CRASH-B’s, The World Indoor Rowing Championships.

The RRL will take place next Saturday, January 25th at 11am and CRASH-B’s will take place on February 16th.  If you’d like to compete sign up here!

Have a great Sunday watching football and relaxing with family and friends!

Rest Day 1/12/14: Are you prepared to compete day in and day out?

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Jimmy from the Loyola Men's Crew Team working his Shoulder Flexibility in the Overhead Squat over the holidays.

Jimmy from the Loyola Men’s Crew Team working his Shoulder Flexibility in the Overhead Squat over the holidays.

The first week of the Renegade Rowing Training Plan is in the books.  What days did you hit?  What blocks did you focus on?  How are you feeling?  I almost hit them all, but mid way through the week I got hit with a sinus cold, so I’m going to focus on getting healthy over the next couple of days.  I wanted to take today and let you know my thoughts on preparation and competition, two important parts of our training.  Let us know what you think in the comments!

Preparation and Competition

In general, each week of the Renegade Plan can be classified as either a preparation week or a competition week.  During a preparation week one fitness block and one rowing block will be introduced.  In the following competition microcycle those two blocks will be repeated and individuals will be expected to compete and try to better their performances from the preparation week.  In order to know if you’ve improved you must be recording your results after each workout.  Going into this week keep an eye out for workouts we did last week and see if you can push a little bit harder to improve your performance.

Preparation is the key to reaching peak performance.  To be prepared is to consistently have your thoughts, feelings, and bodily responses at the right state at the right time.  The consistency that is required to reach peak performance and compete day in and day out will never happen if practice and competition behaviors are left to chance.  By creating a systematic approach to how we think about, feel, and react to different situations we can reduce the fear of the unknown and the stress associated with it.  The goal of preparation is to create processes that we can employ daily, weekly, seasonally, yearly, in a warm-up, at practice, in a race, and after competition to improve our readiness to perform.

Abby getting after it at the Renegade Rowing League last Saturday!

Abby getting after it at the Renegade Rowing League!

Competition is the basis for all sport.  People play sports because they’re fun.  Sports are fun because every participant is given a chance to compete.  It’s not the outcome or the opponent that matters.  People enjoy competing because they’re given an opportunity to test themselves and their abilities in order to experience the thrill of an improvement toward a goal.  Competition can be both individual and team oriented.   By incorporating competition into everyday practice, Renegade Rowing allows us to track progress toward our goals, but more importantly to have fun and experience the journey.

In order to compete, athletes must develop mental toughness.  Firsthand athletes are developed through competition when they harness the power of the mind.  Our thoughts affect our feelings and our feelings affect our actions.  Anyone can develop an ability to do work with regards to fitness and rowing, but when work capacity is combined with mental toughness, athletes can control their actions and reach their goals.  Mental toughness is an athlete’s ability to commit to competition with a belief in oneself, to have a positive focus on the things they can control, and to embrace challenge as an opportunity for learning and self-improvement.

Renegade CompetitionWhile the thrill of intrinsic motivation should be what drives us, we should not forget about the power of the opponent or the teammate in competition.  We can push ourselves as individuals, but the opportunity to push ourselves against others will only make us better.  I’m a competitive guy and I like being pushed and challenged and testing my abilities against others.  There’s honesty in giving it all you have against others, especially knowing they’re doing the same.

Rowing is an Olympic Sport that elite athletes train for year round.  Some athletes may only compete 5 to 6 times per year and of those competitions they might only peak for one race.  Most other sports have seasons filled with games allowing for learning and development during competition.  Renegade Rowing incorporates daily competition so that athletes have the same opportunities that other sports have.  Renegade athletes will have the confidence needed to perform on race day.  By providing many opportunities to experience race day competition in practice, athletes will have a wealth of experiences to draw from when race day arrives.

Going into the coming weeks, focus on your preparation and go hard when it’s time to compete.  Record your results, reflect on what you can do better, and use those thoughts in your preparation for the next day of competition.

Get after it and have fun!

Strength 1/6/14: 3x10RM Deadlift – Post Load and Reps

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Rowing WOD:

Renegades at the Renegade Rowing League! Who's ready to join them and follow the Renegade Rowing Training Plan?

Renegades at the Renegade Rowing League! Who’s ready to join them and follow the Renegade Rowing Training Plan?

15′ PYR28 (Pyramid @28s/m)

3′, 2′, 1′, 2′, 3′, 4′ (@24s/m, 26, 28, 26**, 24, 22)

  • Post Split @28 and Split @26** after Ratio Shift

6′ Mobility: Couch Stretch, Pigeon Stretch, Posterior Chain Floss

12′ CAS26 w/ 1’Paddle Between Sets (Castle @26s/m)

2′, 2′, 1′, 2′, 2′, 1′, 2′, 2′ (@24s/m, 26**, Paddle, 24, 26**, Paddle, 24, 26**)

  • **Target split at 26s/m comes from Split @26 after Ratio Shift in PYR28
  • Post Splits for each 2′ segment @26

Strength WOD:

3x10RM Deadlift

  • 3rd set of 10 is for Max Reps (10+)
  • Post Load and Reps

Conditioning WOD:

5 Rounds For Time

10 Overhead Walking Lunges (45/25 lbs.)

10 Push Ups

Max Effort Double Unders (1 attempt unbroken)

It has begun!  I’m joining in with the rest of CrossFit Boston on a month-long transformation challenge.  We’ve measured our body composition and tested a benchmark workout (which happens to include rowing).  In honor of making changes and being a better version of ourselves, I’ve decided to unroll the Renegade Rowing Training Plan one day at a time.

Over the last two years I’ve mentioned creating Renegade Rowing Standards and a Training Plan for both rowers and athletes interested in becoming rowers.  I still have a lot to learn and there will definitely be adjustments along the way, but I believe I have wrapped my mind around the Sport of Rowing and Constantly Varied, Functional Movement, Performed at High Intensity to the point that the Renegade Rowing Training Plan is ready to be put to the test.

Over the coming months I’ll be posting more than just a RowingWOD to give you everything that you need to be your best self.  I’ll do my best to explain different parts of the training plan as I go and provide video blogs/examples as time allows.  Eventually I will have a .pdf of the Renegade Rowing Training Plan that everyone can take home and enjoy, but for now you’ll have to experience it with me as it gets posted.  That’s right, I’m trying to do everyday of the RRTP right along with you.  Expect to see my results for the day posted to the comment section of each blog post.

Representing at CRASH-B 2013! I can't wait to see our Renegades at CRASH-B 2014!

Representing at CRASH-B 2013! I can’t wait to see our Renegades at CRASH-B 2014!

I’m looking forward to seeing you all crush it in the coming months, especially as we approach the second race of the Renegade Rowing League on January 25th and CRASH-B’s on February 16th.  Get after it now by hitting todays Strength WOD.

The focus of today is Strength, so be sure to get in the Strength WOD of 3x10RM Deadlifts.  If time allows, choose the blocks that will help you improve as an athlete.  If you have enough time for all three blocks then attack them all!

Give us your best and share your results and experience to comments!

Rest Day 1/5/14: Have you registered for the RRL and 2014 CRASH-B’s? – Who’s In?

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Heat 3 at the first RRL in December! Register for January's Event Here.

Heat 3 at the first RRL in December!

Renegade Rowing League, January 25th @CFB – Register Here

C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints World Indoor Rowing Championships 2014, February 16th – Register Here

If you’re in the Boston Area on January 25th come to CrossFit Boston at 114 Western Ave in Allston, MA at 11am to compete Head to Head CRASH-B Style.  There’s a $15 Entry Fee and prizes for winner’s of all age categories.  There will be Renegade Rowing Decals for competitors and socializing afterwards.

The Renegade Rowing Cup is ready! Are you?

The Renegade Rowing Cup is ready! Are you?

We’ll have 10 ergs hooked up to one another and displayed on the wall via a projector so that competitors and spectators can witness how fast each boat is going.  The 2k Row is a test of how much pain and glory athletes can endure over seven to eight minutes.  Grab some friends, come on down, and get after it.  This is the second of two 2k competitions called the Renegade Rowing League, which is a good lead up to the CRASH-B Indoor Rowing World Championships in February.  Anyone is welcome to come test themselves to see how they stack up.

If you’re interested in competing and bringing your gym, have them go the RRL Page and Register.  All those that compete in the Renegade Rowing League have a shot at a prize if they win their race category.  The Renegade Rowing League will use the same event categories as CRASH-Bs.

Shout out if you’re training for the Renegade Rowing League and CRASH-B’s!

Pat at 2010 CRASH-B Sprints from Coach Pat on Vimeo.