Cash, Check or Charge?

Cash: Sasha Gathered Bow Clutch, $24.95, www.dsw.com

Check: High Fashion Python Print Clutch with Bow, $69, www.endless.com

Charge: Valentino Satin bow clutch, $795, www.net-a-porter.com

I've been eyeing this Valentino satin clutch for a long time now but who, pray tell, has $800 to spend on a clutch? In these hard economic times I realised that it was high time for another "Cash, Check or Charge" post. I Like Her Style's mantra is, "if you can't beat 'em, you don't have to join 'em." So if you can't spend $800 on a clutch, don't. There are two economically friendly alternatives featured above at just $25 and $69... Enjoy!!

A happy ending

Another year is almost over. I'm not one to get sentimental about the transition, but 2009 will definitely mark the year that I found a new training partner and enjoyed some of my best running yet. From this perspective, the last week of 2009 has been near perfect:

• When we returned to New York early Sunday afternoon after flying nine hours across the Atlantic on very little sleep the night before, it was less than two hours before we found ourselves running once again in Central Park. Apparently exercise is meant to be the best cure for jet lag -- I remain somewhat unconvinced that this actually works -- but in any case, it was a great feeling to be running in the late afternoon sunshine.
  
• Monday evening after work, the idea of running was completely unappetizing. But, while I don’t want my running to ever feel like a chore, I also know that I have never once regretted a run. Ignoring my pounding sinus headache, I tied up my laces and headed out into the cold wind. When it was over, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had run a sub-7:45 pace, and once again I did not regret my decision.
  
• Tuesday morning found us again facing frigid temperatures and icy winds, but still we ran just over six miles in decent time. (Zdenek tried to allow me to “draft” off of him when the wind was the strongest, but alas, this strategy is best reserved for cycling.)
  
• Wednesday morning, though I continue to battle a cold and am still apparently on European time (falling asleep around 9 pm and awaking around 5 am), we ran a 7:40 fartlek in downright cold weather. During the “hard” portions of the fartlek, Zdenek ran a much faster pace than me and was able to put considerable distance between us within 30 seconds. He allowed me to catch up again during the two minutes of “easy” running interspersed between, but it’s obvious that he could have run even faster had he not been forced to wait for me.
• This morning, I'm fighting every urge to not head out for a playful three miles in the falling snow. Big, fluffy, white flakes are coming down quickly outside of my window, and this represents some of my favorite running conditions. But we're scheduled to run four miles in Central Park at midnight with eight or more friends, so I'll save my energy for the late-night jaunt and the dinner for eight that I have to cook beforehand. (I even forced myself to stay up until 10:45 pm last night in attempt to reset my clock!) 2010 is only hours away, and I'm excited to ring it in by doing my favorite activity with a few of my favorite people.
  

Happy New Year's!

WOD

AMRAP 20 Min:

15 Double Unders
10 Wall Ball
5 Tyre Flips with Bound

Post rounds to comments

Thandie Newton

Thandie Newton at Columbia Pictures Premiere of '2012' at Regal Cinemas LA Live on November 03, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.
Thandie Newton was radiant at the "2012" movie premiere last month wearing a Prabal Gurung dress. When you wear something as elegant as this you don't need much else to make the look complete. Thandie opts for a statement ring and show-stopping red lips. If you need a bag to hold all your essentials, as most of us do, a classic and simple clutch will do. Don't forget vertigo heels and you're good to go!

Steal Thandie's Style

Dress: Mazerine Dress by DVF, $255, www.shopbop.com

Shoes: Carlos by Carlos Santana Privilege, $110, www.piperlime.com

Ring: Sterling Silver Marcasite Mother-of-Pearl Ring, $39.99, www.target.com

Lipstick: Jungle Red, $24, www.narscosmetics.com

Thandie Newton is the epitome of style and eloquence. Stealing her style will never fail you. If you can get away with it, don the bright, jungle red lipstick with the DVF dress. If not, don't fear. This post will help you figure out what shade of red is perfect for you. Where a dress like this for your next birthday soiree or a first date with that special guy. ;)

And we're off again...

It's another short week here and we're getting as many orders out before another 4 day weekend. We'll be back to a normal work week starting on Monday, January 4. With the extended weekend what better thing to do than to get out and ride. So if you're in the West Michigan/Grand Rapids area there is a New Years Day ride being hosted by Founders Racing. They're hoping to get 100 people out for a nice little spin around town to help burn off the New Years Eve fog, plus it's just a great way to start fresh for 2010. More info click here. As if there were any doubt, some of the Velocity crew will be representing. Hopefully we'll see you there.

The latest issue of Urban Velo is now out and available for free download at their site; it's a pretty stellar publication to say the least. Sure, we're biased but we've got a good ad [seen above] in there on our new reflective powder coating that due out in February '10. The photo we used was not photoshopped, the rims shine bright white when direct light hits them and in daylight are black. Contact your local bike shop if you're interested for pricing!

So until next year, from all of us here at Velocity...

Have a safe and enjoyable New Years!

[Some of the crew from Interbike '09]

WOD

Here's an interesting article over at Melissa Byer's Whole9 CrossFit site. Strength-focused programming seems to be a growing trend in CrossFit boxes all over the US (including ours). Post thoughts to comments.

Strength / Skill:
Pick a movement / skill of your choice and spend 20mins practicing form and technique.

Met Con:
It's her!!!!!!!
"FRAN"
21-15-9
Thruster
Pull Ups

Lets get some new PR's on the record board!!
Post time to comments.

Inspiration?

After much ado...

Now, I won't lie. I didn't know exactly what to expect for pictures from the Ray's trip by the guys. I knew that the battery died pretty quickly into the trip but I still had hopes that a few good shots would make it.

Well, they never claimed to be artists only riders; only around 6 pictures made it and honestly I'm ok with that because the last thing you want to do at Ray's is carry around a camera while you're riding let alone stop and take pictures.

Brian over at Alger Cycle was kind enough the lend out their van to get everyone to Cleveland. There ended up being around 13 guys making the trip, 8 in van [one picked up in Detroit] and another 5 who met up at Ray's. As Brad mentioned this was the maiden voyage for the blue van and what better way to stretch the legs than a 5 hour drive from GR to Cleveland; fortunately, no issues. Ryan and Jacobi spearheaded the trip guaranteeing anyone who went to improve at least 20% and I think it's safe to say, everyone had a blast and improved in some regard. Here are a few pictures that made it back...

Waiting to take off...

View from the back of the van...

Matt fresh off the 'Sport' or Intermediate section

Sure, more pictures would have been nice but then again they went there to ride and that's what we do... we ride our bikes.

A video that has been making it's way around Velocity this morning definitely shows the versatility of the bicycle... not only as an instrument of recreation and exercise but also an instrument of the beat down.

It appears that the proper form to use when delivering a beat down with a bike is strikingly similar to that of a cyclocross dismount and transition over a barrier. Don't be afraid when preparing to use your bike as an instrument of carnage to line up to your target, making sure that not only both wheels hit the desired object/person but also the frame. This video was a classic example of a 2-for-1 deal and proving that a bicycle beats anything with a motor on it.

Now for the answer you've all been waiting for to yesterdays 'Who's Cousins' edition of the Wheel Department Trivia... That question being 'At a recent Christmas gathering, one Velocity employee became aware of being distant cousins to what other Velocity employee... Name those two... ' Was it A. J-Bolt B. Rach C. Ryan or D. M.D.?

The answer is best told in pseudo-story form. The one and only J-Bolt or Boltman or his newest name/title for himself being that of Shipmas-Christ [yeah, we know] was celebrating Christmas Eve with his family. Seeing that J-Bolt is such the family man, conversation was aplenty. Since bikes and our work are never far from our mind or the conversations we seem to get into, J-Bolt was talking with a cousin. Through the normal family banter a fellow Velocity employees name was brought up and then realized that there was a strange connection. As the day went on, it began to become clear that there were family ties... distant cousins going some thing like this:

J-Bolt has a cousin, who is married to a guy, who has a brother, who is married to girl, who dated a guy, who's best friend roomed with a few guys and one of their sisters mothers had a grandfather who was the parent of twins who were separated at birth, who then met later in life through a cousin who was married to woman who ended up knowing another lady who married a cousin of Ryan.

If you haven't put it together yet, the two Velocity employee's who are distant cousins by law are J-Bolt and Ryan. It's an extremely distant bond but regardless the world may never quite be the same after this realization.

Of course, a quickly photoshoped picture was in order for such an occasion.

WOD

Strength:
Front Squat 3-3-3-3-3
Press 3-3-3-3-3

Met Con:
Max Double Unders in 5 Min

Post loads and reps to comments

WOD

4 Rounds For Time:

Run 200m
21 Box Jumps
12 Ring Press Ups

Post time to comments



Everyone found this mornings session hard going after enjoying Christmas a little bit too much!!
The Paleo Challenge will be starting in Jan so get focused and dial in your nutrition.


Rob in that "quiet place" post WOD. Huge respect to Rob who has shown an excellent attitude to his training and has begun to experiment with Paleo nutrition. It is all paying off as Rob has lost around 1 and a half stone since starting CrossFit about 8 weeks ago! Rob will continue his weight loss and also develop a broad, general fitness that will see him improve his strength, stamina, CV endurance, flexibility, power, speed, agility, accuracy, co-ordination and balance.

And we're back at it...

In what we'll call my feeble attempt at an Ansel Adams type photo, a quick glimpse into the Velocity wheel department. You can see our Senior, err, Master Wheel Builder Paul and Ryan getting back into the swing of things after a great 4 day weekend, even though it's another short week here at the Velocity there's always a wheel to be built.

There was a bit of, let's say disturbing, news that came about over the holiday. Disturbing maybe an overstatement, but it surely illuminates some things and that news [queue the dramatic music] is this weeks...

Wheel Department Trivia

We'll put today's trivia in the Name Those Cousins category. At a recent Christmas gathering, one Velocity employee became aware of being distant cousins to what other Velocity employee... Name those two...

The shocking answer tomorrow. I have not forgotten about an update on Ryan, J-Bolt, Matt and Jacobi's trip to Ray's a week back, simply waiting on some pictures. For now, head over to the Founders Racing site and read a little write up from one of their riders who headed down with the crew.

Oh, the liver!

We've just returned from a whirlwind European Christmas adventure. Going into this vacation, I was a bit dubious of our travel schedule and tight itinerary, but it turns out that any worries I may have had were unfounded. Yes, the double-decker plane never arrived in New York because a two inch snowfall in Europe kept it grounded, and yes, this meant that we got bumped to a later flight booked with what seemed like half of the children of France. But we received a few Euros to compensate for our troubles, and these were minor upsets in what was otherwise a near perfect vacation.

In Paris, we reconnected with my favourite Brits, Lee and Mel, who adopted me as part of their extended family during my time spent across the pond several years ago. This time, we arrived (a bit late) to greet them in the two bedroom Parisian apartment Mel had arranged for our stay. Though the walls were paper thin, the toilet freezing cold, and the television controls incomprehensible, the beds were comfortable, the shower was hot, and the kitchen was well equipped. Besides, we made-do by going to bed most nights too tipsy to notice any problems (and by bopping to MP3s from Lee's cell phone speaker). We managed to visit the major sights and sounds in a snow dusted, magical Paris, but mostly just focused on enjoying the company. Most importantly, we dined on so much foie gras that it surely replaced any liver cells lost to excessive imbibing of French wines. It was three days of pure indulgence.

For now, some pictures of Paris (Czech Republic update and photos to come)...

Zdenek and I finally arrived in Paris and
headed out for celebratory drinks with long lost friends, Lee and Mel

Our apartment was steps away from what might have been
the most beautiful street in Paris, filled with the most amazing gourmet delights

Zdenek's first official French crepe

Musee d'Orsay at dusk

Who are those Parisians?

At the Louvre

Paris never fails to inspire romance

It was important to visit l'Arc de Triomphe,
site of the final stage of Le Tour

Lunch at Musee d'Orsay

Look! Zdenek found the painting that matches his ticket!

Me, too!

A very Parisian afternoon

circa 1964

I love his vintage jacket and skinny tie paired with the plaid shirt. Not sure I'm buying the bright Nikes for evening: a pair of classic oxfords or wing tips would have been a better choice. And his best accessory is his date.

WOD

3 Rounds For Time:

Run 400m
20 Wall Ball
15 Box Jumps
10 Knees to Elbows
5 Burpees

Post time to comments

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Friends of Betsey

Okay, in truth I don't know if they're friends of Betsey J. or any other Betsey but I think that like Ms. Johnson these 2 are super cool and have amazing energy. When I grow up I want to be just like them!

Merry Christmas! We're outta here.

Stumbled onto some of our friends over at Bike Jerks, and it looks like yesterday was 'New Bike Day'. Looks like a pretty sexy build to say the least but the comic at the top was definitely what set it off. So cheers to you 'Sexual Intercourse: The Bike'... you've got a pretty nice trap.

Unless you live under a rock [and if that is the case, I really doubt you encounter the intro-web all to frequently or have an email machine for that matter], 'tis the season the time has come and we're getting a few extra days off here at Velocity to celebrate the coming Christmas holiday. A time to for us to relax and spend a few days around our families and friends. We're closing down shop on both the 24th and 25th; it's also important to note that we'll also be getting our celebration on of the New Year and will be closed the 31st and 1st. Until next week...

WOD

So many of us at the box are working on our double unders- most of the targets on the whiteboard are based on double unders. Our good friend from CrossFit Northern Ireland Helzy has written this excellent article on the stages of the double under for her members. I think we can all relate to a certain stage in the development of the DU!! I know I am at the mosh pit!!

The Double Under
Ahhh, the double-under – one of the most technically proficient, co-ordinated, graceful, speedy and poetic exercises that you will see in the gym when it’s done well. Graceful? yup, there are however a few various traumatic experiences that one most get through before arriving at ‘graceful’. Let me explain and see if you can spot which stage you’re in.
1. The Splosh (or the small child jumping in puddles stage)When you decide (or it’s suggested to you) to try your first few attempts at a double-under your physical reaction to the thought pattern in your brain just does not match up. You’ve seen double-unders being done and you know that it’s a continuous jumping sequence that’s needed in order to be successful, but here’s what happens. You skip and skip and skip merrily with singles psyching yourself up for the double. There’s a mantra in your head of ‘gonna do it now, nope, nope skip more…gonna do it NOW!) and when you go for the double you jump really high and land ‘SPLOSH!’ (like a small kid does into the middle of a puddle, yeah?). Hmmm, the rope seems to have stopped turning and you’re standing with both feet flat on the ground. Try it again and skip, skip (mantra), skip, SPLOSH! Yeah, your BRAIN knows what double-unders are, but your body just won’t do it. Most people find themselves flailing around in this stage disheartened and frustrated (but jumping in puddles is fun right!). Don’t feel down, there is a fix for this! Don’t try to get too fixated on the ‘jump’. Set a tempo in your head of single, single, single, double, single, single, single, double, etc. The trick is immediately after your double to keep bouncing. By all means, splosh into the puddle but be damn sure to bounce right out of it again straight away! And so jumping out of puddles now paves the way for the second stage of the double-under. We’re growing up here.
2. The Temper Tantrum (or the 4yr old not getting their way)Thank all the Gods! You’re in stage 2 which means you’ve been able to get the friggin rope under your feet for a double revolution. Hurray! Well done you, except wtf is going on now?? These double-unders look shit all like graceful. Yes you can probably complete a wod with double-unders in it but in the process man you’re jumping really high and look like a 4 year old who’s been told they can’t have a poke (that’s an ice-cream to anyone reading this and not from Norn Iron). You’re jumping up and down like a maniac, your eyeballs are popping and your lungs are about to burst and you’ve only done 10, never mind the 30 or so singles in-between that it took to get there! What you’re doing here is building and nurturing co-ordination skills. You’re starting to marry up the physical skill and the actual brai n pattern. It’s still early days but you’re now creating pathways and memory muscle. Here’s how you can help make this stage a little easier on yourself. If when you turn the rope you have your arms bent it means that your wrists and hands are really far away from your body. The knock on effect of this is that you’ve just made the rope shorter. If the rope is shorter then you have to jump higher, geddit? There’s really no need to be jumping about like you’re killing frogs, or looking like your feet are on fire – just keep your arms closer to your body when you’re turning the rope.
3. The Mosh-PitOooooooo you’re so close now! Now you can probably string 2 or 3 or more consecutive doubles together. Still inter- dispersed with singles but you still can’t feel that sexy about them. Why not? I mean you’re miles away from The Splosh but still not quite graceful. Here’s what’s going on. You fire out your double-unders and disappear backwards or sidewards, propelling yourself around the gym like you’re pogo-ing around in the front few rows of a Stiff Little Fingers concert (maybe that reference is a bit old, but who the hell do people pogo to these days?). This stage is knackering and let’s be honest, you still don’t feel in control of your body do you? Add to this the welts you give yourself with the rope, I mean you look like you’ve just been taking part in some sort of sado-masochistic self flagellation ritual! Damn it hurts! The most common error here is your hips when you’re jumping for your double. Your hips aren’t fully extended. You take on an almost piked position when you jump and when you’re in the air your hips are behind your feet. It’s still very likely that when you’re turning the rope your arms are still a bit to far away from your sides, but don’t worry, you’re nearly there.
4. Graceful (floating)Take flight. Effortless, continuous bouncing. No swearing. Symmetry. A perfect union of the physical and the mental. All you hear is the sound of the rope. There is a calmness. And you know what? It is the dog’s balls when you reach this stage. Talking of dogs I have another reference for you, have you ever seen a dog jumping up and down at the window in the back door because you’ve locked them out? It’s funny and it weirdly reminds me of this stage of the double-under haha!. Now you’re brain has made all the connections. The arms are straight and the wrists turn the rope. When you bounce your body is straight, the hips are fully extended and you stay in the same spot on the floor. There’s no bent knees or creasing at the hip. You can even look around the room when you’re doing them (extra points for being uber-flashy here). But beware! There is a fine line between here and the Mosh-Pit. Tiredness and frustration become best buddies here to cast you from your floaty pedestal. When you get tired you’re likely to trip up in the rope. A couple of little trips triggers frustration in the brain. When you let frustration in guess what happens? You start to regress and before you know it you’re that small kid jumping in puddles…
So there you have it. The lifespan of the double-under. I’ve been there, done it and live it. And rest assured that just when you reach Graceful some fucker will stand beside you and do triples.
Coach Helz

1 Min Max Reps Deadlift
1 Min Max Reps Hang Power Clean
1 Min Max Reps Push Press
1 Min Max Reps Front Squat
1 Min Max Clean Into Thruster
5 Min Max Pull Ups (Muscle Ups if you have them)

Thanks to Kempie again for this little beaut!!
Post reps for each movement to comments

Things that make you go hmmm...

I know that ever since lasik eye surgery has made glasses unnecessary they have become the fashion accessory...reminds me of how tans became fashionable when associated with the French Riviera as opposed to fieldwork -but I digress!
However I always find the frames sans lenses a tad desperate to conform to a trend (the exception being when worn by Malik so Chic). So I am even less sure what to make of these with the faux cracks... and add to this the pouty rockstar/rapper expression, jaunty scarf, torn t-shirt and single suspender that would be at home in a mosh pit, and -is that a skeleton print on his denim? Still it does grab your attention - and the fact that he's not unattractive doesn't hurt...

We're pretty proud of our stuff...

Yesterday we got an email from Adam Pelzer, one of the fine gentlemen from our Australian counterparts, showing a bike he just finished up for his soon-to-be wife. It's a pseudo Bianchi, in that it has Bianchi stickers on it and is celeste; regardless it turned out to be a hot bike. It did make both Jacobi and myself a bit jealous that we don't have easy access to powder coating like Pelzer does.

Sure, you might be surprised that we would be posting a picture of a bike that's rocking Aerospoke wheels instead of our own Velocity wheels. To the eye you'd think that there isn't anything from us on their wheels but in all reality Aerospoke has been using our handbuilt Aerohead and Aeroheat rims, made in Australia, exclusively for around 16 years. [It might be important to note that our southern hemisphere friends are the Australian distributor of Aerospoke too].

Our ability to make high quality rims and wheels has not gone unnoticed by other companies in the industry. In the past we have made rims for Cane Creek, Easton, HED and American Classic to name a few. We also supply wheels for Invacare [specializing in wheelchairs] and WizWheelz [makers of the TerraTrike] and have a number of partnerships with brands like SE for their PK Ripper Fixed Gear [which is rocking our Chukker rim] and Volae recumbents [who use a number of our recumbent wheels]. From the fixie rider to recumbent cruiser, the mountain biker to someone confined to a wheelchair, our rims and wheels can handle just about any application you can think of. Our stuff is tried and true!

These are just a few of the many reasons why we and so many others consider Velocity wheels and rims to be 'The best name to ride with'!

WOD

1 Round of Barbera (20 pull ups, 30 press ups, 40 sit ups, 50 squats)

Rest 3 mins

1 Round of Barbera

Post total time inc rest to comments

Some cool vids from crossfit.com:
"Sacrifice" by Darren Doane - video ... [wmv] [mov]
CrossFit Montclair Promo video ... [wmv] [mov]

Channeling Mary-Kate + Ashley

This girl has that slightly confused fashion and generous eyeliner that has been made fashionable by the Olsen twins...she just needs her bag to be 4x the size to fully complete the look.

Legend of the Rogue Stallions

Many have heard of the 3 Wolves or the Lone Wolf but there is a legend few have heard, yet just as epic. It's a story with much uncertainty and very little is actually known of the origin, it is the Legend of the Rogue Stallions.

The Rogue Stallions have rarely been seen or let alone successfully photographed. Much like the Lone Rangers, these stallions are a breed unlike any other. To some, it is simply written off as two horses running together. Others, simply believe these stories are myth or doctored photos, much like that of the Loch Ness Monster.

But somehow, in some old advertising, we have caught a rare glimpse of these uncontrollable beasts, answerable to no one [let alone their own kind], running together and all the more surprising, along side a rider rocking a Velocity kit!

Until we examined the photo closer and did a bit of research did we realize what a gem we had on our hands. The speed at which the stallions are able to run when together is staggering, thus making the ability to take a clear photo all the more difficult. You will see that even in our photo the stallions are blurred. The rider in the photo, seeming to understand the magnitude of riding in such close proximity to these amazing creatures raised her fist at the most opportune time, capturing forever the Rogue Stallions.

Oh how the stars were aligned, I do not believe such a sighting has ever happened before and the likelihood of it occurring it again seems all too slim. But the Legend of the Rogue Stallions will live on...

girls night out

The high waisted pants, the off-shoulder shirt, the shorter hair...it's all feeling a bit 80s -kind of the new wave variety...not sure how to categorize...what do you think?

WOD

Hudson is 2yrs old today so todays WOD has to be 'The Hud'

'The Hud'

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Bodyweight Bench Press

Pull Ups
Handstand Pushups

Post time and birthday wishes to comments!!

Darling Niko

My dear friend Niko belies the ennui of all black with a rakish glint in his eye. Note to Niko: A tete-a-tete at the Rose Bar is on order for next week, don't you think?

WOD

'HELEN'

3 Rounds For Time:
Run 400m
21 Kettlebell Swings
12 Pull Ups

Post time to comments

Earrings the size of Africa

Okay, not really the size of Africa but certainly in line with the larger earring trend that I predict will grow stronger in 2010. I was informed that all her jewelry was designed by her friend Kaya Jackson and that 10% of all proceeds would go to The Women of Africa Foundation. I'd put the website link on here but when I tried to go to it myself I was told it might be an "attack site" which kind of freaked me out...so if you're interested in finding out where you can buy your own Africa earrings try this email instead: ambiguousjewelryart@yahoo.com... her hair is pretty amazing as well...


CLOSE UP SHOT

Merry Christmas to all!

In a few hours we're heading to JFK to catch our double-decker flight to Paris. No doubt Zdenek and I will be stuck in the two middle seats, but I'm hoping to be able to catch a few zzzz's anyway: I'm wearing my never-sexy, but always comfy, Lulu Lemon pants; my inflatable travel pillow is packed; and I'm going to make a quick stop at the drug store to pick up some sleeping "aids." We ran 11 miles this morning in bitterly cold weather, which will hopefully make me all the more tired come 7:30 pm tonight.

I'm sad that I won't be spending Christmas and New Year's with my family at the cabin, and I'm sorry that I won't be able to see my friends this year and to meet the newest addition to our gang. But Paris in the holiday season is bound to be beautiful and romantic, and I'm going to be able to spend a few days with two of my best friends whom I only get to see every few years (if I'm lucky). Christmas in the Czech Republic with family that we almost never see will be a special and memorable treat. And between the French wine and Czech brews, I'm confident that I'll have a very merry time indeed.

To my friends near and far, I wish that we could be celebrating the season together -- please enjoy a cocktail for me! To my mom and dad, my sister and her clan, my brother and his -- I will be thinking of you and missing you very much. Please think of me when you're eating perogies and enjoy a walk among the snowy mountains on my behalf. To everyone that I won't get to hug and kiss in person this holiday, I wish you much love and happiness, and the very merriest of Christmases.

PAID.

As the week comes to a close, orders continue to be filled, wheels are being built and friendly wagers are being paid. If you remember yesterday, I decided to take on Jacobi in a friendly wager concerning the 'Pump' shoes. I think we can all agree that there was really only one 'real' pump shoe and others simply made shoes that NASA would be proud of.

But not being a sore loser, I pay up... and pay up promptly regardless of the amount of trash talk surrounding the bet. As you can see by Jacobi's enthusiastic expression on his face and the box in his hand, there is payment in full: 500 of the finest U.S. pennys.

Don't go spending it all in one place!

Now, the Friday Highlight... As mentioned on Tuesday we got quite a few rims and bottle traps in and if you were at Interbike this past fall you might have been able to get a sneak peak into these guys.

Some of you might remember our former bottle cage, the Velocage. It had an amazing run and was hard to say goodbye to. What closed the door on the Velocage was the machine we used to make them continued to break and the cost to fix and replace was not worth it to continue with that style. We then began to develop a cage that would be just as reliable and strong as the previous style.

Enter the Bottle Trap, this composite cage is being made just down the road from our Austrailia facility and has the same quality you come to expect from us, satisfaction guaranteed. We're offering it in a slew of colors to match whatever setup and color combo you might be rocking.


Remember if you're in Dallas or San Francisco to check out the Skidaddelisco Alleycat on Saturday and on Sunday the Pedallas 'The Twenty' Alleycat. Also tomorrow and Sunday, a few of the guys are heading down to Rays MTB in Cleveland. Jacobi, Ryan, J-Bolt and Matt will be riding in the afternoon and then again Sunday. Stop and say hello if you happen to be in that neck of the woods. Hopefully we'll have some pictures from the trip for you next week. Until then, enjoy...

Rays MTB Promo 30 from nocturnal bmx on Vimeo.

WOD

Copy the link for this video and email it to everyone you think may be intrested in coming to CrossFit Velocity!

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/crossfit-workout-the-new-craze

Snatch
1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Post loads to comments

shiny happy people

I love people who actually look like they're having fun instead of just standing about posing. These two are effortlessly chic and in full on holiday mode.

The Revival

As many of you know, The Revival film is now making it's rounds with premieres around Canada and the US for around a month now. You'll notice a few B43 and Chukker wheel sets in the Buffalo premier teaser [shown below]. If you haven't seen the full preview of the film check out their site.

VéLOrue X Revival Premiere Buffalo NY! from Bill Bottriell on Vimeo.

In a totally unrelated side note, I just lost $5 to Jacobi betting him that Nike did not make a pump shoe. Unfortunately, they did but they shouldn't have.

Still trying to figure out why these things didn't catch on back in '89. I guess Marty McFly couldn't push them as much as they'd like. Thank you Wikipedia for proving me wrong.

WOD

3 Rounds For Time:

10 Thrusters (Heavy)
10 Burpees

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Thank Kempie CrossFit NorthEast England for this one!!

Spotlight on Barlow: a new label from the left coast

Photo from the Barlow Spring 2010 LOOKBOOK
If you know me, you know I identify as a New Yorker with a certain sensibility and think L.A. fashion is a bit oxymoronic. Which is why I also love when I'm proved wrong. Designer Raquel Allegra opened me up to LA style last year, and this year I've discovered Barlow a new collection by Molly Girard Coonan. It's tough, sexy and playful all at once. Some of it reminds me of early Daryl K (which is a good thing in my book) and it all feels imminently wearable on either coast...or somewhere in between! I asked Molly about her new collection and her thoughts on LA vs NYC...continue reading in Musings

Breathless

The past few weeks have been eventful ones and the next couple promise more of the same: holiday parties seem to be happening every other day; Christmas shopping has infringed on most of my weekend time; we’re taking a red-eye flight to Paris on Friday that is sure to be stressful and tiring (even though it will constitute my first ever trip on a double-decker airplane). Most importantly of all, I’ve been absolutely awestruck by the fact that one of my dear friends, Jessica, became the proud (and most capable!) mother to a beautiful baby girl five days ago. Lately, I’ve been left breathless with all that I have to do and think about.

It was therefore a bit of sweet relief to run alone this morning (something that I rarely do these days) and, with no offense to my husband, it was a nice change of pace in every sense of the word. Zdenek has gone, in about six months, from being slightly less fit than me over distances longer than four or five miles, to matching my every stride on runs up to 10 miles long, to being a faster, stronger runner than me over distances from 100 meters up to 15 miles (we’ve yet to run further than that together). I shouldn’t complain -- it was me, after all, who gently encouraged his running habit over the past five years -- but I am often left to feel like a weak girl who can’t keep up. Our runs together frequently leave me tired, frustrated, or both. To make matters worse, lately my legs have begun to feel lead-like and sluggish. Though I’m sure I’m just in need of more rest, a day off seems to make little difference and I find my breathing labored and my muscles stiff almost every single run.

But this morning, as Zdenek nursed his hangover and requested an extra hour of sleep, I ignored the achy feeling in my legs and quietly slipped out of bed to brew a cup of coffee. Thirty minutes later, I was in Central Park on a clear, cold December morning. For almost 60 minutes I ran in solitude, never looking at my watch, slowing down when I needed to, pushing the pace when the mood struck me (which wasn't that often). (And as it turns out, I didn't run that much more slowly than I do with Zdenek by my side.) To be sure, it was still a difficult run -- I barely moved up Harlem Hill and had a hard time finding my stride against the strong winds -- and today's seven miles left me breathless. They were, however, the perfect antidote to a busy few weeks.

(Congratulations, again, Jessica and Adam!)

WOD

A really nice account of our games from one of Kempies CrossFit NorthEast England members Lee Hill who competed and acquitted himself well:

This weekend Lee Hill and I travelled down to Swansea to compete in the Crossfit Velocity Games. Lee has crafted a great review which will follow in a sec. Firstly though I just want to give a coaches congratulation to Lee. His movement, commitment and heart were a great reflection on himself and us at CFNEE and the Faktory.

9 AM - people arrive at Crossfit Velocity. Momentary wariness of all the other serious-looking dudes in performance sportswear began to thaw once we started realising a lot of us knew each other from the boards. Lots of tactics discussed, but everyone was still a bit cagey.
10 AM - driven to run site, bravado and humour started to kick in. Then the run, which was muddy, wet, unfamiliar and hard. I set out fast, no concept of pacing, and managed to hang on to finish 4th. All of us beaten by a lass from Crossfit Manchester, which was humbling. Once over the finish line, the familiar crossfit atmosphere sprang up – bellowing encouragement to everyone as they staggered up. At this point it became a shared thing, lots of congratulations, back slapping, honest conversations about the remaining events and good dark humour. 11 AM – rush for Tescos and Costa - Saw several athletes trying to cram in a fry up and grande lattes. Back at box, between all the protein eating, there was a load of banter, technique demos and good hearted showing off. Most nerves had now gone and everyone chatted like old mates. 12:30ish – Deadlift event for girls, unanimous roaring encouragement from all. Then the Snatch event. Every attempt met with support and applause, no matter how light or how bad. Lifting in front of a positive audience like that worked well for me, cleared my head and I came away pleased and proud of efforts (Equalled PB). Some more and some less inspiring technique on show, which served to help me assess my own by comparison.3:30ish – Chipper WOD heats start. All audience crammed down one end of the box, roaring advice and encouragement. We all urged on those who broke down or couldn’t get past a movement (HSPU and MU) and felt a shared sense of pride that no-one quit or called it a day. Everyone pushed to the 15 minute cut off point. Some had to sub movements but were cheered on regardless. Some athletes made it look hard (myself included), some made it look easy with better pacing and mental attitude. 4:15ish – presentations and results – huge cheers and applause for all placings. Lots of numbers swapped, mini-muscle up tutorials (several people hit their first over the day) and honest discussion about new training targets/directions. Each event was a revelation, every athlete brought something to the day. I had expected a bit more ego and macho action, but spent the almost the whole day smiling, cheering and laughing like everyone else. I’ve come away from the experience with clear new training goals, a better idea of my strengths and weaknesses relative to other crossfitters and a major rush of new friends on my facebook account. Many people entered this event with no expectation of winning, and I think they got the most out of it. No-one was embarrassed, everyone got more than they had hoped from it. I’d recommend the experience to all Crossfit North-East England members, try one and you’ll see how true a old phrase is: ‘It’s not the winning but the taking part that counts.’ Too right.

Strength:
3 Rounds Max Reps Ring Dips

Met Con:
7 Rounds For Time
7 Overhead Squat
7 Wall Ball
7 Box Jumps

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In the land of P. Wood...

Every now and again, the guys back in the wheel department start to dream. Dreaming of big dreams of long rides, good beer, and what the world would be like if the Phil Wood Spoke Cutter ruled the world... Yes, I am serious.

So sit back, relax, hell put your feet up and let your imagination go as we drift off to the magical land of P. Wood...

As we become accustom to this new land it seems strangely familiar, not too different from the world we know now but only better. No, this is not a world of candy cains and lolly pops but a world of precision and excellence. This is a world where there is no human error and the spokes are always the perfect length and have amazing threads; where spoke tension is never a battle. This is the world we would expect from a machine such as the Phil Wood Spoke Cutter and Threader.

It might come as some surprise that this world is a magical place where your coffee if always at the right temperature; never too hot, never too cold. Always tasting almost sweet but alive with the full flavor of the beans. There would be no need to find fair trade coffee beans either, for this is a place where all is fair and equal. Coffee would not be a necessity either, rather a spice of life because in the Land of P. Wood you would never run late, always waking up at the perfect time.

There are seasons here, yet they don't interfere with life and serve as a marking of time. In the winter, there is plenty of snow for the holiday season but the snow is only in the grass and in the trees, never on the pavement. In the spring, mud is contained to the single track and mountain trails yet there is never a need to wash your kit since it will always be clean. In summer, the sun will always shine, the nights will always be clear and the occasional thunderstorm will only roll in during the night to help usher you to sleep. Then in the fall, the leaves will continue to fall but mysteriously disappear never needing to be raked.

We are all family here in the Land of P. Wood: from Roadies and Mountain bikers, to BMXers and recumbent riders all get along as brothers and sisters. This is a place where you spouse reminds you that 'It's ok, you need time with your buddies and on your bike. Go on!'. Oh, this is a magical place where the Phil Wood Spoke Cutter rules the land.

So ends our little daydreaming of this perfect Utopia...

In all seriousness, a big thanks to all the crew over at Phil Wood for continuing to put out amazing products!