Anyone in need of Regionals tickets, first come first serve behind the desk in the envelope marked “Rob”. A few 1 day passes
There are many things to say, many thanks, many well wishes, many many things. I don’t think I can compile them all now because there is just too much for too many things and too many people. I don’t want to rush it or leave anyone out. It will all come soon enough, probably in a tear filled rambling post full of love, thanks, praise, and move love (and more tears).
For right now I want to thank all of you. The community at CrossFit Lando is the best there is. This isn’t hyperbole, this is truth. I have been in this game long enough to know what greatness is, and the CFL community is great. Thank you, every one of you, for the support of this gym, this gym that is my business, my business that is my dream, my wish, my anxiety, my heartbreak, my terror in the middle of the night, literally my everything. Thank you for supporting me, supporting my staff, supporting my family.
Specifically thank you for supporting this gym this year as we put a team together and qualified for the 2015 Reebok CrossFit Games Regionals for the first time ever! When we opened this gym I specifically remember telling Stacey one of my goals was to qualify a team one day. We did it just over 2 full years later. It wouldn’t be possible without the support from all of you who so generously donated time and money to our quest, and I know many of you will continue donating this weekend as you make the trip to Hartford to support these amazing athletes.
Of all the great things the best of all is I get to coach THIS team:
Sarah Landes : I remember when I first started doing CF with Sarah when we were dating. She could barely do a kipping pull-up. Now we are married and she qualified for Regionals as an individual. Coincidence????? I THINK NOT! But seriously, how many guys get to have a wife who loves fitness so much and who trusts him enough to let him coach her in the sport of CrossFit and still is willing to cook dinner for him and run errands with him and help at the gym despite her extreme hatred she might have on any given night due to workouts he programmed? I am even luckier than lucky is to have Sarah in my corner every day, and for the fact that she hasn’t killed me yet. She was a surprise to everyone but her and me this year and I am so proud, even prouder of the fact that she gave up a spot as an individual to help our team this year.
Stacey Kroon (like we need to put her full name): One of my best friends in the entire world who also happens to be an athlete who I have coached longer than any athlete I have and who is my right hand woman in this whole operation. I can’t say enough about this girl. I am so lucky to have her on my side in this sport and to have her to mess around with my crazy ideas as a coach and programmer, and to go to coffee and talk me off the ledge when I lose my mind, which is literally a daily event. I am blessed to be able to be associated with, let alone coach, someone like Stacey and I thank her for it every day.
Joanna Whalen : “Jo” is hands down the most impressive athlete I coach, and that is saying a lot. She is almost pint sized but strong as *%@$. I still remember after a competitor meeting last fall that she was the first and only person to come up to me and ask if I thought she deserved to compete. I was blown away considering she was probably (at the time) the ONLY member who could legitimately compete. She has come so far as an athlete and person (she actually smiles now) since joining CF Lando and, like all the above, I am incredibly lucky that she chose this place as her home, and wanted to be part of our team this year.
Jack Martin : Yes, the “J-Man” is a mere 19 years old yet has more hair on his chest than me. I have literally watched this kid grow up in front of me. He is the most impressive young dude there is. I am a hardass, I think we all know this, but Jack knows how to deal with me on my worst days as a coach and boss, and he impresses me with his intelligence, work ethic, and coaching ability every single day. This kid works harder than EVERYONE, and I am proud like a papa.
Rob Tomlinson: “Doc” Tomlinson came to me 10 months ago and said something along the lines of “so this competing thing. What do you think?”. I told him do it. He stopped drinking, stopped eating crap (both of our favorite past times), dropped a bunch of weight, and went from barely able to do a muscle up to being a reliable bodyweight guy as well as an absolute horse on the barbell. I am overusing the word proud but I am incredibly proud of what Rob has done this year, how far he has come, and how much of a leader he has become on this team. He also keeps me from having scoliosis or some s**t which is a bonus.
Tim Bryant : Tim might be the most impressive of everyone on this team because he came from literally zero CrossFit background and is completely home grown. He walked in a month after we opened for his first ever CF class and was a small train wreck. He is now jacked to shreds and unstoppable on most things. Best thing about Tim is he is the most humble, easy going, respectful dude there is, yet he could literally rip your face off. Tim has come the farthest of anyone in the time he has been part of CFL and it is nothing short of amazing that he is not just a competitive athlete but part of our team.
I wanted to take this time to say thank you to these 6 for dedicating so much of their lives to this gym and this team, and for letting me coach them and be part of this awesome ride. I have done this already but there are a few people to thank as well who aren’t part of the team but are important parts of what has happened with Operation Lando this year. Flavio, the other coach at the gym, might not be on the team but has been integral in helping out when the rest of us are off doing team things. Without his dedication and above and beyond effort we wouldn’t be able to be in Hartford right now or have had many practices and team meetings to put this all together. I have to also thank our alternates, Lauren D., Ashlee Centrella, and Mike Gray, who dedicated their time just like these team members did and even when the team was decided helped push them all as training partners. This sport is training, plain and simple, and your training partners make or break your improvement. Kyle Hicks is one of if not the biggest supporter of everyone and everything CrossFit Lando, and I have to recognize Kyle for the outstanding body work he does on our athletes and so many members at CFL. Lastly, Jorge Galvez is the selfless man behind the camera who has documented this season in pictures, thank you my man!
OK, for real lastly, I have to thank my biggest supporter in my CrossFit life, my Mom. Michele Landes has been following me around CF gyms I worked at for years and has the longest commute of anyone ever to get her fitness on. She is CFL’s biggest fan and has literally kept me afloat at times when I needed it the most. My entire family as always deserves many thanks at a time like this because, well, they made me, and created me, and put up with me now as I wind my way down this insane life I lead. I am a blessed person to have a family like this and so many wonderful people in my life who want to help me and each other.
CrossFit Lando, Operation Lando, is about you, the people, the community, and I thank you all dearly.
FRIDAY
Core Conditioning
Core Work : 40 Barbell Roll Outs
Every 60 seconds perform V Ups
WOD: For Time
10 Burpee Box Jumps
20 Air Squats
30 Burpee Box Jumps
Run 400m
50 Box Jumps
Row 600m
70 Double Unders
CrossFit
Strength: Deadlift
Find a 1 rep max
WOD: 21-15-9
Deadlift 225/155
Toes to Bar
Lateral Bar Hops
S: 135/95, hanging tucks, jumping squats
L1: 185/135, knees to elbows
Rx+: 275/185
