Burpee Mile Madness & Saturday Gauntlet Details

On Memorial Day we had around 15 folks brave the incredible heat and incredible challenge of completing the Burpee Mile. Nothing but a mile long of burpee broad jumps in scorching 90 degree weather on the asphalt nonetheless.

It was truly inspiring to watch all you guys gut it out. Many of you said it was one the most mentally and physically demanding things you've ever done. But as much as it was demanding, it was rewarding. And most importantly it was an noble way to honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

burpee #1

last burpee..

So this Saturday's Gauntlet just keeps getting better. We now have 50 people! This year we've got an awesome lineup of competitors from the gym and folks as far reaching as Columbus , Wilmington , and Lexington , KY. Not to mention Infidel USA coming all the way from Boston and Derick Carver making the trip from Michigan!

The Gauntlet will be fun to watch and my good friend John Steiner of Infidel USA will be traveling all the way from Boston with his mobile Infidel Booth/Pullup Rig and Handstand Pushup Walls in tow. So we will be having mini-competitions throughout the day at the Infidel booth as well. John will have plenty of gear up for sale as well. In the meantime, if there's anything you'd like to buy please check out:

http://infidelusa.com/store/Send John an email so he can make sure to bring whatever you'd like to purchase.

Seating will be limited, so bring your own lawn chair. Parking will also be limited if you get there late, just go ahead and park your time on 10th st. We will have some water, coffee, and fruit on hand. Don't forget we're also having a post -Gauntlet poolside BBQ/cookout at Coach Trappy's house starting at 4pm. Please email me back if you're planning on attending.

We cannot pull this off without your support. We still need judges and volunteers to make this thing run smooth. You can email me at: louisdaleking@yahoo.com if you'd like to volunteer for the Gauntlet. It's gonna be one helluva good time!!

Tips for Monday's Burpee Mile..

hitting the last burpee..

Want to send a huge congrats to all those who came to the Pain Clinic this morning and tackled Murph. This Memorial Day weekend we wanted to make sure you all had plenty opportunities to honor and memorialize all those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Today was part I with Murph and on Monday morning at 0900, we invite you to take part in the first ever PSKC Memorial Day Burpee Mile. 

This morning some of the coaches set out to test the burpee mile and give you all some tips for success. At around 6:40am we stepped off and we all made it back by 8:20am...Mo and Ash made it back with a quickness. So it took us all under an hour and a half. Not as long as we originally thought. Also, not as physically demanding as we had anticipated as well. As a matter of fact, as I write this about 12 hours after the burpee mile and I don't feel too sore at all.

This is way more mentally demanding then physically demanding. Therefore, if you're signed up for the Gauntlet I think you'll be just fine completing this challenge if you're up for it.

at the 1/2 way point at the Lantern

Some tips...

1) WEAR KNEE PROTECTION. Mo and Ash wore volleyball knee pads and were fine. I wore contractor knee pads from Lowes and had no problems. But you you need to wear something. You will be traveling on asphalt. So ask around or grab something from Wal-Mart.

2) WEAR GLOVES: Wear a pair of heavy duty work gloves. Ash had a normal pair of gloves and they got shredded. I had on heavy duty leather "Mechanix" gloves and they were worked great.

3) Wrap/tape your wrists up. You'll be doing yourself off the ground a couple hundred times. You can use the added wrist support.

4) Eat the pie one slice at a time. I set mini micro goals. I would just focus on getting to the next block. Once I got there, I'd take a drink a water, shake it out and then focus on getting to the next block. Set yourself in a rhythm, focus on your breathing, and keep going. Look at the road in front of you..don't look at the whole distance you must travel.

5) Cover as much distance as possible. As you come up out of the pushup, try and make sure your feet pass where your hands were in the pushup. Then take a big broad jump, rinse and repeat.

5) Wear your iPOD. Music will always help.

6) HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE. Start drinking water now.

That's about it. I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO DO THIS. It's an incredibly unique opportunity to spend 1 and a half - 3 hours really thinking about those who have gone before us and given the ultimate sacrifice. Please remember what Memorial Day is all about...the coaches will be in the support truck driving along the entire way. That way you can put your water and any other gear you may need.

I hope to see you as many as you guys as possible on Monday. Remember if you don't think you can do the entire mile, that's no problem. You can do a 1/2 mile, or at a minimum you can walk along side us and do 10 burpees at every block, etc.

Have a great weekend and look forward to seeing you guys be awesome, Monday at 0900!

Monday Memorial Day: Burpee Mile

This Monday for Memorial Day, we will be holding a Burpee Mile. What is a burpee mile? We will start out on the Lane of Pain, travel down to the Ye Olde Lantern and back. The only permissible way of travel is burpee broad jumps. We will be on the pavement, and it will be hot, and it will be long.


A couple things you need to do prior:
1) Wear appropriate clothing. Get some heavy duty gloves and some sort of protective clothing to protect your legs.
2) Make sure you're hydrated ahead of time!
3) Bring your iPOD if you want music
4) We will have a support vehicle following along, so feel free to throw extra clothing, water, supplies in the vehicle.
5) Be ready to embrace the suck. We're doing this on Memorial Day for a reason. Use that 2-3 hours to really think and give thanks for all those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Honor their sacrifice with your sacrifice.

*Lastly, be smart. For those that have registered for the Gauntlet, you really need to ask yourself if doing the Burpee Mile 5 days for the Gauntlet is a good/smart idea that soon before a competition. Only you can truthfully answer the question if the potential risk of injury is worth the reward. The Gauntlet is only once a year, you can do the burpee mile any day. If you aren't doing the Gauntlet, then you've got no excuse.

So come ready for a little suffering at 0900 on Monday, May 28th. The rest of classes will be cancelled for the remainder of the day.

Pushing for Hospice

rolling deep to the start point

This past Saturday the crew rallied at the SOMC Hospice for the annual Hike for Hospice fundraiser.  Our original plan was to rotate out 2 person crews and pull a flatbed trailer. Unfortunately, after we tested the trailer out, it just wasn't gonna work. So as usual we adapt, improvise, and overcome...put the truck in neutral and it became a 5K truck push!

I want to thank the crew of approximately 20 folks who came out to donate to a great cause and be apart of a great team that pushed that heavy sumbitch for over 3 miles. Including the last portion which was all uphill.

It truly was a great day to go be awesome! We'd love to have you apart of the team. Our next intro is going down this Wednesday at 6:30pm. Come on down..

Hike 4 Hospice - 9am and Saturday is Last Day to Register for the Gauntlet!

You do not wanna make this girl mad, so show up and help pull the trailer!

Don't forget Saturday 9am - Hike 4 Hospice. We are meeting up at 9am at the Hospice, then loading into the trailer and pulling it for a 5K! Every block or 30 seconds we will switch out the pullers. If you have a PSKC shirt, please wear it and come ready for an awesome time for a great organization.

And here's a look at your trailer:

So let's load as many folks in it as possible and have a great time. We will be having a follow on Pain Clinic workout at the gym at 11am.

Slots for the Gauntlet have been flying off the shelf the last 2 days. We are now over 40 registered participants! Tomorrow night registration closes, so please get signed up now!

Gauntlet Event #3 - An Old Man Possessed - and a Recipe!

A little sister time spent over Turkish Get Ups

Pops and Coach Mo finishing out the last station during an infamous Saturday "Pain Clinic". Pops is a stone cold maniac fueled by Yeungling. Can he repeat as the Gauntlet Masters Champion? Only time will tell!

Speaking of the Gauntlet...check out event #3


Yesterday the PSKC staff beta tested event 3 out on the Lane of Pain...and there wasn't a single thing that needed to be changed! What I love about this event is that it's incredibly simple from a technique standpoint, everyone can do it without any scaling....but by no means does that meaen it's easy. It will be a true test of will power...

For event 3 fellas will get a 95lb barbell and a set of 53lb bells. Ladies will get a 65lb bar and a set of 35s. But that's all we're gonna tell you.

So you're on the fence...you're wondering if you should do it. A little self doubt is creeping in making you question whether you should throw your hat in the ring. One of the greatest Presidents of all time said it best...


“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
-Teddy Roosevelt 


I've done plenty of competitions. Some I've done well...more than usual I didn't place near the top. But I never regretted a single one, and neither will you. It's not about where you place or don't place. It's about celebrating the fact you can get out there and do it. The only time I regretted a competition was the one I didn't do.

I promise you it will be incredibly fun...very welcoming and encouraging. Plus the t-shirt will be kick ass...not to mention the post-Gauntlet party! So click HERE to get registered!

It is Wednesday and I've been slacking on the recipe of the week. So here's a great side dish to add to your favorite tasty piece of meat.

Caramelized Cauliflower and Onion

1 head of cauliflower 2 medium onions1/2 cup cooking sherry2 tablespoons organic butterPepper to taste 2 packs of chicken broth concentrate 


Melt butter in a large skillet. Chop cauliflower and onion and sauté in butter, sherry, chicken broth concentrate and pepper. Cook for an hour to hour and a half on medium heat, stirring every 10 minutes or so. This is the best side dish! Its great with steak, pork chops, and chicken. It's tastes too good to be healthy! I suggest doubling the recipe and storing your leftovers in the fridge for another dinner. 

Follow Along from Home..

Cribs...C.U.W. edition!

When we first started, we only offered 5 classes a week. Fast forward to today and we're fortunate enough to offer 16 classes a week. However, we do understand that work/life can get crazy and won't allow you to make it in during a scheduled class time. So what can you do?

1) We post all of our workouts over at Wodstack. Click HERE to check it out and while you're there create a free account and you'll get the workouts emailed to you when they're published. If you can't make it then that day, with limited equipment you can follow along from home. And if it's something you can't do, you can search through the 100s of workouts and find something you can do.

2) Get creative. Take stock of what's around you and cook something up. Just off the top of my head, in town you could hit up some sprints on Sunrise Hill or the levee. Or hit up Raven's Rock a few times. Get outside, get some sun on your cheeks and go have fun. The Dillows are notorious for packing a bell or two and hitting the Valley track.

3) As far as equipment goes, if I could only pick one thing it would be the kettlebell (shocker I know). It's compact/portable and what you learn at the intro (swing, clean, press, squat) can offer an endless variety, mix that in with some bodyweight movements and you've got some great workouts that can be done anywhere.

The main point is..as long as you got a bell and your bodyweight and some sort of creativity you'll never be lacking for a good training session.

"You can have either excuses or results...but never both"

Don't forget this Saturday we're getting a crew together to hit up the SOMC Hike for Hospice! We've kicked around different ideas on what to do. From a stretcher carry, to a log carry...but I think we've finally got it settled. We're gonna pull a flatbed trailer!

We'll hook 2 two traps up to a trailer, load everyone in the back and pull it for a 5K! We will rotate out the pullers every 30 seconds or so and then you can hop in the trailer or run alongside! We'd love to get as many folks as possible from the gym so come on down. We'll meet up at the Hospice at 9am and let the fun begin!

Gauntlet Event 2: One Week Left to Register!

There it is, we know event 1 will be good old fashioned deadlifts testing your strength. With event 2 we want to go try out your conditioning, and nothing better than kettlebell snatches. Is that all it will involve? How long will it take? What's the set up? These and many more questions like them will be answered on June 2nd. But you gotta register before next Saturday, May 19th registration will close to allow us enough to order shirts and get our logistically ducks in a row. So click HERE to register! Don't forget a portion of the proceeds will go towards our local Marine Corps recruiting station so they can purchase some much needed fitness equipment to conduct PT with future recruits from the area.

Also in the last couple days more sponsors have jumped on board to help make the event a success and help out our future Marines. So big thanks to the following companies:
Southern Ohio Medical Center
Relaxation Station
Nelson Medical Massage
Fred's Pizza
Buffalo Wild Wings

The Forging of a Hammer: the Transformation from Mike to the Hammer

His name is Mike, but he is known as the Hammer and he is one happy dude. Seven months ago he stepped inside PSKC for his intro class. Back then he was a smoker and weighed around 260lbs. Since that November day he has dropped 60lbs, replaced cigarettes for 5K medals, smiled the entire time, and has become a source of inspiration for dozens of people.

I'll never forget after he first started coming, I went into the Water Shop to grab some water for the gym. As I was driving up I saw Mike and he ran around the corner of the building trying to hide his cigarette! It has only been approximately 7 months and Mike's progress is truly outstanding. As he started shedding pounds, he gained smiles. One thing with the Hammer is you will never not find him smiling. Whether it's in the middle of a grueling workout, whether it's before his pre-workout weighted vest runs, or sometimes post-workout burpee fests. The Hammer is always smiling.

the number showing total loss of 60lbs

He's smiling because he's happy to feel alive. He's fueled by his church and faith in God. He know's what it's like to be trapped inside someone he's not, a person he isn't happy with. He has shed the 60lb gorilla off of his back and is quite literally running as fast as possible to incredible progress.

This spring the Hammer thought it would be a cool idea to go "try" a 5K. By "trying" he went and smoked the course in a blistering 20:59, taking 1st place in his age category.

A few weeks later, he decided he'd go try another race. This time a 3.5 mile course in 22:34

Yet again his story, just like Amanda's is not an overnight success story. None of ours are...they take time..consistency...hard work..and a positive attitude. Small goals are set, small victories are attained. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months...and before you know it a man becomes a hammer.

"The hottest fires produce the strongest steel"

We don't cater to fitness freaks or people "already in shape". Our mission is to provide physical and mental fitness, strength, and health to the people of southern Ohio. Our greatest successes do not come when we bring back trophies or medals, it comes when people do what they once thought was impossible.

I asked the Hammer to share his own personal story with you all. I think it's much more meaningful to hear from the person himself. I know many of out there see our photos and watch our videos and might think there's no way you can do it. As Mike explains he used the same old excuses too, but one day he realized;

"PAIN IS NOT MY ENEMY...IT IS MY CALL TO GREATNESS" - Henry Rollins

"This was spray painted in black on the wall, it was one of the first things I noticed when I walked in the doors of PSKC in November. This quote for the next 7 months would get me through alot of workouts as I would say it to myself when my body was telling me, screaming at me NO! 

I've learned quite a bit about myself over the last several months for one my life was one big EXCUSE, all the while I was making these excuses I've become someone who disgusted me. I hated looking at my body. I wanted to change but I didn't really know how, I wanted to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle, I tried it on my own with no success. I'm a man who believes in God and believes he has plans for each of us and I believe it was his design plan for me to meet Dale. He came into my place of work to buy water, I introduced myself, he told me a little about the gym and invited me down. I didn't go right away about a week or so later I decided to weigh myself something I never do because I just didn't want to know...Well the scale read 260 at that point I was deflated, later that afternoon I made the call and scheduled my intro class and I became hooked. 

Almost 7 months have went by and I have lost 60 pounds, quit smoking after almost 16 years and I'm in the best shape of my life I recently have entered a couple 5K's place fourth in one and third in the other. I stopped making excuses and just went for it. When I walked through the doors I weighed 260 and smoked a pack a day, I didn't have to get in shape before I joined PSKC and if that is a excuse your using STOP! When you walk through the doors of PSKC you be given every tool you need to become AWESOME! 

The coaches and the people that make up PSKC will be with you every step of the way and that's a fact I can testify to that. If there was a way I could go back in time and talk to the 260 pound version of myself this is what I would tell him. GOD created you for greatness, don't settle for mediocre living, let go of the past regrets and all the excuses your destiny awaits as you go so will others around you, don't fall in line but run to the front of the pack, and always, always remember "Pain is not my enemy it's my call to greatness". Jeremiah 29:11"

When you're ready, we will be here. It won't be easy, it won't be overnight. For "only the hottest fires produce the strongest steel"...or in this case the strongest hammers. 

Rogue Fitness: Proud Sponsor of the 2012 PSKC Gauntlet

Some companies talk about supporting the troops. Other companies set the example. Rogue Fitness leads by example.The have single handedly started a renaissance of American manufacturing, right in our backyard of Columbus, Ohio.

 I will never forget traveling up to Rogue HQ back in 07 to get my first set of kettlebells. Back then it was a tiny warehouse with a couple employees. Fast forward to now, Rogue Fitness is a now a monster with their equipment featured in television, military gyms, college gyms...all over. A massive warehouse in Columbus with dozens of employees.

Having Rogue on board is huge. A big part of the Gauntlet is to raise some money for our local USMC recruiting station. During the event, we will have a donation bucket and what we are asking competitiors and spectators is to drop some cash in the bucket. At the end of the day, whatever you guys donate, PSKC will match up to $500. Whatever the total is we will turn around and present the local USMC recruiting station with a gift certificate from Rogue to purchase some much needed fitness equipment so the local young men and women can better prepare themselves for recruit training.

Once I floated the idea to Rogue HQ, they were all about it. They essentially replied and said

 "damn straight, we'll hook them up with a $500 gift certificate".

Doesn't get much more awesome than that. This is what I love about small veteran owned businesses. Their work ethic is unparalleled. Their support is undying. They never forget to support those that matter. Thank you Rogue Fitness, and thank you to all the sponsors for the Gauntlet.

Donna Wolery Insurance
Stakers Drugs
Infidel USA
Ironskull Fitness Kettlebells

The time is running out and slots are filling up quickly. We are now over 50% full on the slots. Come get in and be apart of the awesomeness. Later on in the week we will reveal some clues for event #2. Until then...click HERE to sign up now!

Talking Lifting with Jim Wendler

one of the coolest dudes you'll meet

Over the weekend some of the crew fly out to the Jersey Shore to hang out and compete in a Tactical Strength Challenge with our friends at The Training Room. As we're grabbing a bite to eat in a restaurant, none other than the man himself Jim Wendler (creator the 5/3/1 Strength Program) walks up to grab a drink. Being the uber strength/physical culture nerd that I am immediately recognized him and shook his hand, said I was a big fan, and most importantly told him thanks.

At the gym, thanks to our strength guru Meathead, we've adopted the 5/3/1 program since the October/November timeframe and every person that has committed to the program has witnessed consistent strength gains across the roof . Click HERE to see what we do

So for about a half hour we able to talk lifting and 5/3/1 with the master himself. I tried to jot down as many notes as I could . Below you'll see my key take aways:

1) Jim Wendler is one cool sumbitch. He was thrilled to meet his "fans". He was extremely gracious with us and seemed to enjoy just talking training. His graciousness was only matched by his humor. For those that have read his books and articles you know this already, but he just seems to be one great dude.

2) 5/3/1 is all about taking one step forward each day. Don't let your ego get in the way. Do your lifts, do them every week and every cycle. Some days you're gonna be the hammer, some days you're gonna be the nail. Don't let that distract you from doing your main lifts. If it's your heavy week in the cycle (5/3/1) and you're not feeling like you can set a new rep PR. No worries, get in there and hit your main lifts and get out. Just keep making small steps forward.

3) When Mo was asking him questions about struggling with the deadlift. Jim asked

"How long you been lifting?"
Mo replied, "since October"
Jim laughed and said "when you've lifted for 25 years, then come talk to me about your problems".

His point was strength training (lifting) is a lifelong pursuit. Similiar to the second point above, there is no quick and easy fix. Just keep taking small steps and stick to the basics. That's the beauty of the 5/3/1 program. Keep track of your lifts, make the small 10lb jumps each cycle and before you know it, a year has passed and you've added 50-100lbs on your lifts.

4) Considering we were going to an event that involved a max deadlift, we asked him advice in regards to figuring out what weight to open up with. His advice was to figure out what weight you wanted to lift on your 3rd attempt. For example if you want to lift 500 on your final attempt,
your 1st lift you should open with 85% of that (425)
2nd lift should be 92.5% of that (463)
3rd attempt obviously 100% (500)

We implemented this strategy at the meet and I must admit it worked pretty damn well. 3 of the 4 of us PR'd on the deadlift. So it's something to keep in mind. His main point was to open up with something you absolutely know you can get. What's the point of doing 480-490-then 500? The %s of those jumps are minuscule.

5) Be awesome. Having an impromptu with Wendler was a pretty cool experience. His passion for lifting and helping others was quite evident. He is very clearly a no BS type of dude, he tells it like it is. Mo was asking questions to help with her deadlift and fix the problem with her back rounded. He point blank said, "your legs must be weak, get them stronger". Brilliant..

In order to get stronger, you must prioritze strength. You can't be a conditioning freak and expect to be as strong as you possibly can. Additionally, you can't run around training a dozen different things and expect to get great at all them. You need a program and you gotta stick to the program and must make it a priority.

The favorite quote of the discussion was when I asked a leading question about doing a conditioning workout before a strength workout. He replied;
"c'mon dude..that's common sense...you don't masturbate before you have sex right?"

Good point Jim...well said.

New Shirts and Recipe of the Week!

New shirts are in!

Big thanks to the Muscle Hamster for once again creating such badassery artwork/logos. Shirts are in and they are going FAST! First come, first served...cost is $20.

Now onto the chow!

Spicy Crab Salad

WHAT YOU NEED:
1/2 pound of Kani sticks (imitation crab sticks)
1 cucumber
1 mango
1/4 cup paleo mayo or smart balance mayo
2 teaspoons sriracha chili sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar
Sea salt to taste
Scallions

WHAT TO DO:

Shred crab by hand.

"Julianne" the cucumber and mango. If you're like me and don't know how to spell Julianne let alone do it, google it! It's easy! It's easier if you have a Julianne tool but you can use a cheese shredder or just scrap it really fast up and down your teeth.

Set these ingredients aside and combine the rest in a separate bowl with a whisk.

Pour the dressing on the crab, cucumber and mango and fold together.

Top with scallions and refrigerate until ready to serve. This salad is amazing!

Latest Gauntlet Sponsor: Infidel USA

Infidel USA is now the latest sponsor for the 2012 Gauntlet! We are pumped to have them on board! Infidel USA is a company that is proud to support the military and first responder communities. Infidel's mission statement:

"Infidel is a patriot owned business and launched there first apparel design July 4, 2011. After the birth of INFIDEL USA we increased our already firm commitment to supporting those in the Military, Police and 9-11 communities.



Infidel is growing organically through the CrossFit community. Infidel does not spend large amounts of money on ads but instead the brand is advertised through CrossFitters, Warriors & Fighters.


Our key philosophy is to take care of the Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Police, Firefighters and Civilians that we service. We do this by being honest in our dealings and by having full integrity in all transactions. This core attitude has given us explosive growth this past year.


We started humbly in a garage selling a few shirts Made in the U.S.A., as well as selling the MURPH Hero WOD Shirt that kicked off this company. Now we operate world wide distributing thousands of U.S.A. Made CrossFit weaponry. As we have grown to a full line CrossFit/Military/MMA/UFC Company we have never forgotten who put us on the map… our customers."

Check out their great gear by clicking HERE


Winners and selected receipients will receive some awesome Infidel gear!
I want to send a big thanks to John, owner of Infidel, for stepping up. Once I mentioned that we were raising funds to support our local Marine recruiting station. He jumped at the chance to support the troops.

Don't forget registration closes May 19th. Currently we are around 50% full, we are capping the event at 60 folks. So get in while you can!

Also, we are gearing up for another crazy Hike for Hospice on May 19th! See below for a recap from last year:


This year we gathering teams for a stretcher/litter carry. We need a minimum of 5 person teams. 4 people will carry the 5th person on a military field stretcher. Every 30 seconds or so the person being carried will rotate out and a new person will be carried. We will keep this up for the entire 5K.

It will be a great test of physical and mental endurance and you will learn to rely on the team.  Just like last year you will feel accomplished and amazing when it's complete. Plus you will be helping out a great organization like SOMC Hospice in the process. Even if you don't wanna do the stretcher carry. You could put a rock on, or just come along to support.

Post on the Facebook page if you're interested. We'd love to have you.