The CrossFit Pittsburgh Podcast
We have been a CrossFit Affiliate since 2006. We are one of the originals. My wife and I opened our doors when I was home between deployments to Iraq. It's been an amazing adventure spanning thousands of miles between us over the course of 12 years deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. We formed amazing bonds. Lost good friends. And learned a lot about ourselves and our community. Throughout the course of this Podcast we will discuss all of that and more. We will talk about the people we have encountered along the way and the lessons we learned.
The CrossFit Pittsburgh Podcast
Coach Profile: Blake Schaub, Part 1
Today we talk with our first Coach, (other than my wife Jennifer and myself) Blake Schaub. Join us as we reminisce about our humble beginnings, transforming an old automotive garage into Verona's first CrossFit gym. From our first grueling "300" workout to the creation of a dedicated play area for kids, we share the amusing and heartwarming stories of those foundational days. Hear about the growth of our community, the excitement of our initial team, and the unforgettable camaraderie that blossomed in those early years.
Ever tangled with a cable jump rope and ended up with more welts than you can count? You're not alone. Tune in to our hilarious recount of the mishaps and peculiar injuries caused by these fast-moving ropes. We revisit our days at CrossFit Pittsburgh and share the shared suffering and laughter that came with trying to master the jump rope. It's a perfect mix of pain and humor that only those who've felt the sting of a cable on bare skin can truly understand.
Get ready for a trip down memory lane with stories of memorable CrossFit competitions, father-son workouts, and early morning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu sessions. From the emotional and logistical challenges of competitions to the importance of maintaining movement standards and integrity in the sport, we cover it all. We also reflect on the unique bonds formed through intense training sessions and the role of coaches and community in creating a supportive environment. Join us for a celebration of the spirit of CrossFit and the cherished memories that continue to inspire us.
All right, so very, very excited for this. This is. I was originally referring to Blake as Coach Zero, because that made no sense. He was like he was our first coach other than my wife and I. So I just thought Coach Zero sounded cool, but it really made like no numerical sense whatsoever, you know. But, um, now, at this moment, at this moment, we've got the CrossFit kids class. One of them, just one of them, just took a, took a dive on the turf. That's all right, though. Quick feet, quick feet. We've got CrossFit kids going on downstairs, so you might hear little tiny feet of fury running across the floor and getting after it, but no matter, but um, so when we, we opened up our first location, our first uh brick and mortar because, as I remember, jen and I were talking about this, like I say, we affiliated in, like 2004, out of our garage and didn't really, you know, we, we just trained. You know we're like hey man, we were going to do this, so we did. Then we opened up in, um, an old, uh automotive garage in Verona, right on Jones street, I think it was. Yeah, that was.
Speaker 1:But what was so funny, though, was like and I think I touched on this when Alexandra and I were playing around with the first, like, hey, this is our origins. And you know when we did that, she and I, I think it was close to an hour and we were up here before 5.30 pm. Class. There's like nobody in the building. She and I are up here and I was like, hey, let's just, let's just play around with this. You know, boom, and we started talking about it. I mean, she was just four, you know four years old, emily was two, michael was one, and I remember when we first got it I mean it was an old automotive garage and you know, for lease signed in the building I pulled over, I was going to visit my parents.
Speaker 1:I pulled over, made a phone call, had no idea that the owner was in the building next door. He owned a Riverview carpet, right. So I called the number on the sign from the sidewalk and I was like, well, when can I see it? He's like, hey, well, what works for you? And I just happened to say, well, as a matter of fact, I'm out front right now. He opens the door, sticks his head out with his phone. Oh so we walked in and he had just taken over the building like it was for sale and he bought it. So we walked in and he's like that's a little rough.
Speaker 1:There was like a hole in the floor, there's like puddles of water, I mean a hole in the ceiling, puddles of water on the floor. There's a big old hydraulic lift in the floor, you know, and, um, like the, the, what became like the sitting area for the kids was like the waiting room for the automotive, you know, patrons, right. And then the little office had that sliding window, um, which turned out to be great because the office was set to itself. There was a clean bathroom. We set up like a living room, playroomroom for the kids that had, if I'm not mistaken, that part of the building had like a drop ceiling with HVAC, so yeah, so they could like sit watch TV. You know VCRs, I think. Back then you know video collections. So that was actually pretty damn funny. But, man, good times, good times.
Speaker 2:But I think you joined like really soon it was, uh, the first time I walked into that building, it was february of of 08, so I had started, um, drew, you know drew's in our army already and, uh, he told me, you know. He said, man, I know you work out every day, you got to try this. And I tried it, you know, and like I was looking, you know it was. I mean, as we know, crossfitcom was all you could do, right.
Speaker 2:Right, right, so you find CrossFitcom and you're looking at it and you're like and we've had this conversation before about your first deadlift experience, right, you're looking at it, you're like and we've had this conversation before about your first deadlift experience, right, oh yeah, you're like I don't even know what to do.
Speaker 2:I don't know if that's enough. So, like, I just kind of incorporated like some of the principles of it into what I was already doing. This is fun. And then I went to visit him around christmas of 07 and we did at that point it was the workout that Jim Jones had created for the 300- movie. And I can remember doing it and I was like, oh shit, like I was pretty sure my heart was going to come out of my chest.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And I was like that was awesome. And then for the entirety of the five or so days that I was there, we trained every day Just different random things, you know whatever. And you know like I was hooked I mean I was hooked before that, but I was definitely hooked after, right and then one of the guys I work with, dave Boyles- you know, played for the Harlequins. He's too old for that now, Not me. Well, you know, maybe he just knows I'm in my yeah he does, he's just smarter.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's younger than me, I know. Yeah, the thought hurts me right now. We came out and I came out with him as like, because the Harlequins were coming out Right and you know, jackie and Jen were running the class. You were overseas, I think.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sure was, we did fight combat.
Speaker 2:So my first official workout in that building was fight combat.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:And I can remember having a conversation with Jackie afterwards. Like you know, I'm a little bit like Rain man when it comes to this sometimes, but like I got 254 reps, I think.
Speaker 2:If I remember correctly, I got 254 reps, I think. If I remember it correctly, I got 254 reps and and I said to jackie afterwards I was like so you know like how well you because jen, you know, I mean jackie's a great athlete but jen pumped her up like this is our best athlete, you know. And I was like so what are you? You know what's the best you've done? And I remember her saying like 317 or 318 or something like that. I was like oh shit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like that would be great and you know, when the school year came out at the end or in June, I came in and I never left. Right, you know for four years or five years, whatever it was.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I was, I was there and I was hooked and you know I remember like it's just so much fun. Oh yeah, you know so different, you know like.
Speaker 1:Totally, totally. And I think the craziest part, and for me it's fascinating talking to well, you know, obviously, other CrossFitters, but CrossFitters you know who have a history with us. Because, like you said, you know we've talked about this before and since and everything like that. But it never, ever ceases to amaze me, right, like the fight gone bad. I don't remember that specifically what my numbers were, but I remember like I wanted to break 300 so badly on fight gone bad. I'm like, come on, man, it's a goal, it's a goal.
Speaker 1:And you know, that's also like a like kind of a fatal mistake, because what I found myself doing is I'm looking at the score sheet and whatever my let's say, it was like two in the two seventies or something it was, it was, it was close enough that in my mind I was like all right, wait a second, if I would have done one rep here, rep here one. And then all of a sudden you do all this pencil and paper right, and then you go. Well, here's the big thing. If I could have, I would have, but I didn't, because I remember at that moment I was going.
Speaker 2:There was no way that your body was physically going to let you do it Right right. There's just one more right here.
Speaker 1:Well, what's crazy though and I remember, like you referenced Dave, the picture of Dave up there on the wall. That was his last workout with us before he was. I want to say he was the assistant to the head groundskeeper at Oakmont Country Club, right, and the head groundskeeper at the time was also a very a young man and dave, you know, went to school, for that turf management is part of it. I mean, it's like a, it's an actual, it's a big deal, it's a science, right. So he was offered and I remember this like it was yesterday when he told us he was leaving. It was a very prestigious golf club on long island that had like fallen into like kind of disrepair, like it just lost whatever. Maybe board members had come and gone. It was like an older, older place, and they reached out to him, they, they made him an offer and he's like, hey, he's like that's going to be my launching point, like I'm going to bring this thing back. Well, he did, obviously he did, to the point that when the groundskeeping manager left, oakmont moved on to another opportunity. Oakmont reached out to Dave hey, would you like to come back? So, boom, you know back, he goes. But I remember before all that. So that's all that to reference the picture of him.
Speaker 1:But I remember we were at the original gym we're doing Fight, gone Bad, and it was the usual suspects you, me, uh, dave, and you know I don't remember scotty, um, pape. Remember scott? Yeah, the shorter blonde hair, and we're all getting geared up because the way we always did it was we'd partner up. Yeah, then your partner would score for you, right, right, which makes perfect sense, because I have yet to. I, I do believe this. I think if you're pushing yourself properly, uh, pushing yourself hard through that workout, I don't think you're going to have the wherewithal to keep your own score, I really don't. And not to mention call you. You know no reps, I mean, you know, um, but anyway, I remember that vividly.
Speaker 1:And dave's my partner and he's like all right, tonight, tonight's the night you break 300 and somehow or other, he's just like all right, here's what you're gonna do. Like he lays out a strategy and he's like because I think we had done it like months prior and uh, because we all trained at the same time, as I remember, usually at the same time, and he laid out usually at the same time, and he laid out something like you know he goes, you're wasting time on the rower you are, you're killing yourself on the road Like you're not a rower, like don't, don't let that be where you make up the numbers and I'm like all right. So again, the strategy was sound. You know make money where you can the best, so you know take it um wall balls. You know what have you and sure enough it was like the very, very low 300s.
Speaker 1:But I'm like, right, exactly, but you did it right. Yeah, that's awesome, yeah, love it. But those were the days and I I just told this story to someone about a week ago and, ref, we got the um, we're here now RPM jump ropes. Oh yeah, yeah. And that was one of the best moves we ever made was to get like the gym kit. Oh right, so it's like multiple lengths and they're clearly marked and you know, like the rack that you put them in is marked and the ropes themselves are marked and with like two sets on opposite sides of them.
Speaker 1:And I made a joke.
Speaker 1:This young lady is a member of ours and she it's not funny, but anybody in the crossfit universe that has used cable jump ropes has hit themselves.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, and she's tall and she's got fair complected and I'm I'm coaching and every time she'd hit herself with the rope, like she'd wince and I'm like, oh, like you know, that's gonna leave a mark, right. So, sure enough, after the workout, very sweet young lady, and she's like, wow, you know, like on her backs of her legs, on her arms, right, and I I said you know this might cheer you up, I don't know, but I said the first ever cable ropes we had at crossfit pittsburgh were part of a bumper plate. Remember, with those bumper plates on washington boulevard, yeah, and we get the notification that evening. It's like, hey, you know they're coming and they have one driver. Do you have anybody that can help? We're like, uh, so you and I fly over there and that building was such a shit show, like the loading dock was at the far end but the room was in such disrepair I think the ceiling was a problem and all that.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh. Yeah, that was that building was crazy.
Speaker 1:Probably should have been condemned.
Speaker 2:Well, maybe that's the reason why I refused to eat it or drink it either of the breweries that opened up in there.
Speaker 1:You know, not for nothing.
Speaker 2:I knew the story of that building. I don't know.
Speaker 1:Not for nothing, but you could make anything edible or drinkable in that place. When we would go in on a Saturday after the workout and deep clean with like bleach and cleaning solutions and lift up the rubber mats against the wall and disinfect it and walk in like Monday and it smelled like we hadn't been in there, I'm like this isn't right. It's like the gateway to hell or something like that you see, like this in the movies, you know. But um, we had the truck driver, as I recall, back right up to the steps, drop his tailgate and we loaded it right off basically was the front porch and we're stacking all the bumper plates and doing this, and I don't remember which one of us saw the jump ropes first, but they were like still wrapped, so we set them aside, finished the unloading and I do recall we're in like jeans and Innovates Remember first generation Innovates. Oh yeah, they didn't have like a toe cap, they just ran right into the sole.
Speaker 1:Comfortable, low profile, high speed, low drag. We break out the jump ropes and we're going and I know I did it. I don't know if you did it too that night, but I hit myself right on the front of my big toe, like right under the, under the toenail, but right on like the meaty part of the big toe, whack. The only thing I can compare that to is when you're a kid helping your dad work on the house or something and you, hey, dad, can I hammer that? Yeah, sure whack, but instead of like a hammer, it was like just this fast-moving, it was like sinister. You know, ah, that was, but you know what?
Speaker 2:learn.
Speaker 2:Those are the things that you, that you learn to deal with for sure I just had a conversation with somebody the other day that, um, because I was, I was at school when I was doing double unders oh man, but that hurts. I said well, luckily I don't really hit myself much like for some reason. The way that it works for me is, if I ever hit, if I ever miss, I either hit the bottom of my soul and it just stops, or every once in a while hit me across the fingers which? Or the knuckles which, I don't know how that's even possible.
Speaker 2:Right but it does and I I told him a story that one time I remember Jess was doing doing double unders and she, you know she had short, so score bra and whatever, and it hit her and there was a welt from her, from the top of her left hip to her right shoulder, and it the only place that it missed or that it didn't leave a welt is where her sports bra was yeah. So like there was a welt, it stopped. And then there was another welt and it like wrapped up around her shoulder.
Speaker 1:It was like I'm really glad that I never had to honest to God, experience those types and like, like you said, so I'd imagine getting hit on any part of the back, right, I mean the ropes in the wrong position, it as it comes up, um. But I remember I hit myself. I wasn't wearing a shirt and I hit myself in the center of the chest but it almost left like an infinity sign. Figured that out, that out. I'm like that's some kind of like hocus pocus right there. I'm like whack, you know, and it hurts and it's always like when you're a kid and you're outside on a first like really cold day and you're playing like touch football at recess, everything hurts. You know your hands hurt more when they're cold and the ball stings or whatever. That's like the exact opposite. But you know you got a fast moving cable rope and you're sweaty and you're hot and thwack and you're like this is, this is not cool and it's definitely.
Speaker 2:It's definitely one of those things that some people get it worse than others. Yeah, and I don't know again, I don't know if it's like their technique or whatever, but like, I'm glad that I'm not one of those people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you are one of the chosen few.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I guess. But you know, like I said, I randomly hit myself across the mouth with this, but like it never leaves a weld, it just hurts, yeah. And then I just look like a pansy. I'm like what, what's wrong with your hand? I'm like, oh, you can't see?
Speaker 1:me? No, it's fine. The sectionals in 2010, the one and only year of sectionals, right, and for those like not like new to CrossFit, the year before the Open they did the CrossFit sectionals and it was our section was Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland right, and they did sections all over the country, right? I don't know that it was international at that time, I think it might have just been, or maybe Canada.
Speaker 2:I think they did because that was because I remember what was that. That was 10, right.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Because Annie was in the games in 9. I remember she got her first muscle. Okay, yeah, yeah, so it was but it was probably the same thing. There was probably like one European section, Exactly so it was, but it was probably the same thing Like there was probably like one. European section Exactly, exactly. It doesn't matter wherever you live in Europe.
Speaker 1:You're in. Okay, that's your section.
Speaker 2:Everybody's going to travel to Germany or wherever.
Speaker 1:Right. The most number of CrossFit gyms were, that's where you had to go and that was so and, and as I recall you registered, a couple of our other athletes Rick, I recall you registered a couple of our other athletes Rick RJ, rj did it, keith did it.
Speaker 1:Rick RJ, keith and you and, as I remember, I was supposed to go. My father had just passed away in 2009. I was off, I was home, on leave extended a little bit longer due to his his passing, and, you know, taking care of my mom, and we were training together. But I remember I was like, okay, we'd come in before class, jen, and I would come in early train with you before we'd coach, or you would coach or what have you. And, um, I don't know what. I don't remember all the factors that led to it, but I do remember I called operations and I was like, hey, look, I'm like you know my mom's not doing well, now's not a good time. I need, I need to extend. If I have to take a leave of absence, I need to extend some time at home here. They're like no problem.
Speaker 1:And that evening I registered for the section and the next day I came in the train and you were like, hey, man, I, I saw, I saw you registered. I was like, yeah, we're doing it. And, uh, so it was five of us, as I remember, and we traveled to, um, uh, crossfit, king of prussia. We stayed at a hotel nearby and so so funny, because I think we had no, I know we did we had more people, more members of ours, travel with us to to cheer us on and to to be spectators than we did competitors, oh for sure right, uh, dustin and his wife, um matt and amy.
Speaker 1:Uh, christina becca. Matt and Amy, christina Becca.
Speaker 2:And then all the CrossFit Panther, crossfit were there because a few of them were competing, or maybe they were all competing, I don't even know. They were all there, that was such a crazy experience because I don't know if KOP is in that same location or not. Man, that was such a crazy experience because, you know, I don't know if KOP is in that same location or not?
Speaker 1:Yeah, but with the river right next to it, and the river is dangerously close to cresting. I never saw rain like that.
Speaker 2:There's that one workout, that's outside that luckily, you know, we're overhead single arm, overhead dumbbell squatting or kettlebell squatting.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Luckily there was an overpass there, so we're not getting soaked on that, unless you had to run. Right and it was like the whole thing. I mean I still, I still laugh anytime I see pictures from that because like especially the 20 minute AMRAP.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Because, like, I look at those pictures and Jen was judging, but when I went I was like that was the last event for me, I think.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:She wasn't judging that particular one, so she was standing there and she was coaching me as I did it and I remember you know it was chin over the bar and it was 35 pound weighted vest.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Right. So I'm pretty sure it was five reps of chin over the bar, pull-ups, and it's like 30 seconds left in the workout, right, and I do my last one and at that point I would already been butterfly, like I already knew how to butterfly. But I, you couldn't right. Well, I wasn't thinking straight and I got my chin over the bar and I just let go. Well, you know, I'm like six inches over the bar, I let go. I just smashed my chin right off the bar, I fall down, hit the ground. You know, I'm like dazed. All I know is I see Jen and she's screaming at me. She's like you better get your ass up now and just you know. And I like stumble up, pick up my jump rope. You speaking of double unders and do my however many double unders I get through and whatever. And uh, I that just came up not too long ago on like Facebook memory.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2:There's all the pictures of me at the end, like laying on the ground, wanting to be, wanting to just to be over.
Speaker 1:Right, right.
Speaker 2:You know it's. Those kind of things are just so much fun to think oh it's, it's wild.
Speaker 1:I mean, and as I remember, you and I were none of the same heats, but the closest we were there was a short like, was it three minute ground to overhead at 155 barbell ground to overhead? Yeah, I want to say that was my first workout where I think you did the longer one first I did yeah because we were opposites on that.
Speaker 2:I was the longer one first yeah middle and that one, the short, one second, and then, I think, the outside, one last or something I thought the other way, the outside one.
Speaker 1:We did not at the same heat, but close together in the middle. Okay, because I remember you did it first, like your heat was before mine. You guys came in soaked, I mean soaked from head to toe, and not as it, not as a slight to anybody, it's not about about that at all. But I think you and I had the same philosophy Like well, it's pouring, so and it's cold, so we're going to get wet, and that's just how it is. And you had to walk to get under the overpass to the protected area and then you had to run to start the workout.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So you were already wet.
Speaker 1:So I remember, for um, forged clothing had come out with a line of like um, wad shorts, like like MMA shorts, wad shorts, you know. So I brought I think we all did brought a couple of changes of clothes, cause you don't know how's the day going to go and you don't want to sit in wet clothes all day. So I'm like, all right, I had, uh, uh, a pair of black forged shorts, like with a gray trident, I remember that. A black t-shirt and I'm rooting through my bag and I'm like, and I put on like a ski cap, like just a lightweight, you know, like might have been like one of those like Lululemon, real thin, but I put that on and I'm thinking, well, this is really because I'm looking around the there's like that, that changing area, kind of big community room, and guys are like putting on like sweatpants and sweatshirts and hey, well, what do you think? Well, I don't know, what do you think? I'm like I think you should all put on as many layers as you can, because that's going to be better for me, you know, load it up all cotton, even better, you know. But I'm like, what? Why? I mean like.
Speaker 1:And then by the time I got out there, the rain was coming down so hard it was coming down sideways, right, you know, and one of the judges I think the head judge of that evolution, god bless him. He. And it's weird what goes through your head, because I say this, I'll tell you this flat out when my heat was walking out as we're getting to the door, it did cross my mind. I was like now you know what man like, if I don't do this, like it's not gonna matter, you know what I mean? Like I don't, I don't need to, but, and but I mean I've always tried, I tried to get this across to my kids, my son, you know I'm like man.
Speaker 1:If you don't think for a minute that everybody has has thought of quitting, at least once you're, you're wrong. I mean that's not, it's, it's what you do about it. Right, you can think it. You might even say it to your buddy. I mean this is bullshit. Like I'm, this is it, I'm not, I'm done, I'm not coming back tomorrow. Yes, you are, come on, you got this, you know.
Speaker 1:But in that, probably the presence of little people should have clued you. But oh well, we have a monitor here for downstairs and sometimes it's kind of fun to just watch what what people will do if left to their own devices. Am I late? Yeah, you're late anyway. Um, yeah, I really did, I honest to god. But I think the funny part was I'm telling myself, man, it's not worth it. Like why, what are you doing? Where are you going? I'm like, well, because this is my heat and this is it. So I'm telling myself, no, while I'm going out to the starting point, the head judge out there is dressed head to toe in rain gear, like the, the gorton's fisherman, you know, like the high yellow bib, with like the raincoat over it and the hat.
Speaker 1:And there was ever a day, right, that was it that was it and I want to say it was right after that workout that they made the announcement. And Amy and I she comes here every once in a while for like an L1 or an L2, you know, when we host the courses and we were talking about that on her last visit I was like, oh my God, what a great history. You know what a great history. And I said, remember that 2010? And she was like, oh my God. Yeah, when they had to make the announcement, ladies and gentlemen, anyone parked in the parking lot next to whatever was like a Dairy Queen or something. Your car might be underwater. Yeah, the Shoal Kill River is rising faster than anticipated. Please move your vehicles to the whatever west east side, whatever. So off we go, run down, move the truck, but oh my God.
Speaker 2:I mean's, it's so funny that you know you bring that up, because then the evolution of it right so 09, when it was there was nothing but regionals, like you, just signed up, you went to regionals, right so?
Speaker 1:so I signed up and danny signed up and mike right she signed up and we went down and that that picture is right down there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it sure is and we went down and did it and I can remember that last work. I mean the workouts were great, but I remember the last workout on the last day. It was in certain apps and whatever it's now become known as Snakebite. It's 21-59 squat, snatches and chest-to-bar pull-ups. And I remember the last heat right, which I was not in, but the last heat um ben smith was in right right, it was the first year that he had competed and he's 18 years old, right.
Speaker 2:Nobody knows who the hell he is. He's like the way that gym was set up was there's all these stations, right? I think there were like 10, 10 here, 10 people in each heat, and his lane was like around the corner. He was like in 10th place and they're they're doing the workout and like five minutes in like okay, and ben smith is, has just finished the workout. Everybody's like who the hell is ben smith?
Speaker 2:right holy shit, that's fast right you know and like, and then he goes on and that you know. Then he won and he goes on to do all the things he did. But then in 2010, right, they add sectionals and if you were the top, I don't even remember what it was from that 60. Oh, yeah, so because there were three different sections. That went to the regional. Exactly so the top 20 from our section and whatever. So RJ and I were lucky enough to compete in regionals that year and it's in a field.
Speaker 1:Yeah, logan, ohio, in a farm, yeah, right.
Speaker 2:And you think about, like holy shit, where they compete now, you know, compared to 2010. We were in a field, rogue sets up a rig. Yeah, um, you know, in some, in some stall mats, and they're like, here you go. Yeah, you know, pull, pull a heavy deadlift, do do a bunch of random shit. Do, um, I don't even know if it was a 5k or if it was shorter than that, but like, run, run this, run this trail run, and then, when you get to this big ass hill, pick up this, pick up the sandbag, this sandbag, run it up the and then, when you get to this big-ass hill, pick up this sandbag and run it up the hill and do that.
Speaker 2:I mean, all those things are. You know? It's funny, because some days I can't remember what I ate for breakfast, but you remember that I can remember all aspects of those kind of things.
Speaker 1:I say that all the time. Matter of fact, byron and I he was on last week and we were talking about that and I said you, you know, that's one of the things, too, that I think is incredible about being around this long. Um, ben Smith, when he was first introduced to us, uh, jeff, tincture, jeff and Maggie, and it was, I thought, I thought it was at Logan, but that would have been 2010, so that would have been after he already competed, so it had to be before that. But you, we were at an event and everybody had their little camp set up and as we walked by, jeff and Maggie were like hey guys, how are you? You know we're like, hey, how are you doing this? And this Jeff says, hey, I want you to meet this young man. He's been training with us. This is Ben Smith. You know, watch for him. Yeah, and I'm like, hey, nice to meet you, ben, how are you? And he's like, hey, good, you know, like I'm good. Thanks, nice to meet you. I'm like nice to meet you.
Speaker 1:Next thing, you know, boom, fittest man in the world. You know, now, at at logan, ohio, on the farm, doug chapman. Remember d chap? Right, he's the head judge. Jennifer was at one of the judges and I don't remember what the judging faux pas was, I do not. But I do remember doug is a, is a vocal. I mean, he's a good guy, a dear friend, but you know, doug wants your attention, you'll get it. And he's like I didn't hear what he said to whatever the infraction was, but he's like he's looking, he's looking, he's looking. He's like I didn't hear what he said to whatever the infraction was, but he's like he's looking, he's looking, he's looking. He's like Jen, like come here, jen comes over, and he's like buzzing in her ear like pep, pep, pep, pep, pep.
Speaker 1:So the next day, and I'm like I'm way over it Because I didn't really have any, I was just kind of helping out, you know. But later, like Jen and I, our orbits kind of bring us back together, I go, hey, what's going on? She's like, hmm, she's like, well, you know, doug made it really clear, like okay, I'm reassigning some of these judges. They are no longer judging, like they'll run the scorecards, but I guess you know again, the best of intentions, right, and he's the head judge. He's like, hey, hey, man, best of intentions don't get it done and and I hate to say this, but like on a saturday workout, on a backyard workout, you're still in enforced the movement standards, even on ourselves, right? If you don't, there ought to be a good reason. There needs to be a good reason.
Speaker 1:I, I don't. I don't substitute ring rows instead of pull-ups because I feel like it. I substitute because, hey, at this moment, you know it's a mobility issue and you know I could do this, but I, I can't maybe do that, not because it'll give me a faster time. Yeah, right, and I think sometimes we still see it every once in a while in the open. You know you'll, you'll have a coach who what do they call it back in the old days? Bro reps? Oh yeah, I don't necessarily think it's that, but I do think it's well, you know, I mean, he's trying yeah, that borderline of like.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm trying to go fast right and you know like how fast can I go and still meet that standard? Right right and it's you know, and I I can almost. No, I wasn't, you know, I was kind of in my own, in my own zone when we were in lo, it's funny, I don't you know, logan. Yeah right Small world right.
Speaker 1:Named after the regionals.
Speaker 2:Really he's named after Wolverine, but that's a whole different story. But that's where we, Jess, would not agree to Wolverine until we picked Logan.
Speaker 1:Well, probably helped him out in elementary. You know what, though? I don't know. That would have been a pretty badass grade school name, right, and? And your name I'm. I'm wolverine shob, yeah, right, yes, you are right, but you know like I can remember, uh, power surge.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can, that was weird. I know that. That workout, right, the I think the one that was probably the question, it was a. There was a bear complex, right, and the thing about the bear complex is you combine, you combine some of the movements but you can't combine them all right right. So you can squat clean and then push press, or you can power clean and thruster right. There were a lot of people that were squatting dust ring and then right into a back, squat, push, push press.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Right, which was probably because in that, like, other than that, those workouts, that was like the one thing. That was a question. But yeah, it's funny because you're like well, I'm going to go fast. Well, yeah, you have to go fast, Right. You know, like if you go fast in a competition sense, like if you're doing it in your garage or whatever and you're just trying to be healthy, it doesn't really matter, because you're going to slow it down anyway, right?
Speaker 1:Right, it's like self-correcting. Exactly yeah.
Speaker 2:My heart doesn't let me move faster, my lungs don't let me move faster. But you know, in those competitions you're trying to get that little bit of an edge. But you know, if everybody, you know the whole point is, you know, kind of slow everything down or stop everything at a certain point. So everybody is working at the same like restrictions.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly, and I think too, it's like the two sides of the same coin, right, we've been around long enough to see that evolve. You know the adherence to the movement standard, first of all, to have the movement standard clear, cut, cut, and I think that was a part of it. And similarly, like just in this past open, you know you'll have a judge who trains or coaches it's you know, the coaches is. A lot of our coaches and members volunteer to be judges during the open here. And then you'll have like, um, you're counting reps. Clearly everybody in the room is watching this individual like you're counting reps. Clearly everybody in the room is watching this individual like, but you're missing the standard. Yeah, four, five, no, not yet, stop, yeah, fix it, you know. And again, I guess, and it's not right, it's still not. But at the same time, I think you could go well, okay, where's this guy going? I mean, it's a scaled. But at the same time, I think you could go well, okay, where's this guy going? I mean, it's a scaled, it's a scaled workout right now. So even even if he breaks every record set in the scale division, there's no chance that he's advancing.
Speaker 1:But I I think the hard part of it is for the, the integrity of, of the open and uh, optics, let's say, right, somebody else is relatively new to it. Like we had this with this individual stop in unannounced, and I'm. You know our doors are always open. You know that we've always been like that and I've always been proud of everybody we've asked to coach. You all do it the same way that we would like. We're not even in the building and it's like, hey, we had to drop in and I know they're taken care of, right, you know, we know they're taken care of and and I love that about every one of you guys was you really kind of had um, like, uh, like a stewardship of it. Like, hey, man, right, this is the way we're going to represent it and you're more than welcome.
Speaker 1:But I think what happens then is we had this. Uh, this guy shows up because we always do the friday during the open. That's always the friday workout of the day scheduled here, so everybody gets to do it. You just don't have to be scored if you're not competing, right? So this guy comes in unannounced as a drop-in and he's like, yeah, I was wondering if I could be scored for the open here now and I just happened to be here with jen and I was like, yeah, no problem. But at the same time I'm like you know it needs to be said like it's no problem. However, it's only because I happen to be here, otherwise I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:Like you, just don't show up and assume, right, that that coach is going to say okay, all the rest of you figure it out, you're on your own. Like I'll give you the brief and the warm-up, but I've got a score. So we're doing it. And you know again, like attention to detail, right, good, thorough warm-up. And this is the workout.
Speaker 1:Like real matter of fact, the guy says to me oh, this is the way you do it. Well, at my gym, so many of us do the open, we just partner off and we score each other. And the first thought that crossed my mind was, oh, and I'm sure they all get validated. Like I don't want to be an ass. But at the same time I'm like, well, if so many of you are doing it now, again, I suppose you could argue the point like, yeah, but it's for fun, right, and that friday workout of letting everybody participate, that is the fun part. But now you're putting putting pen to paper and somebody signing off on it saying that these are legitimate scores. You know, and I mean every year it's a little bit somewhat problematic I would say is a fair way to put it that when video submissions and so forth get to the next level and they review the standard. I mean, wasn't it just this past year where there was all kind of feedback about you?
Speaker 2:know, and then that becomes you know, there's logistical problems with all of it, right? I mean, it's like whatever hundreds of thousands of people do it right? Right, you're like okay, well, you have a week, or not even a week, between, like when it closes.
Speaker 1:It's like Thursday to Tuesday or something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, on Monday or Tuesday or whatever, but then, like the next one comes out on Thursday again. So you have to get those scores validated quickly.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And then figure all that stuff out. So that could be, you know, problematic. And then it's like okay, well of them, realistically like are you able to watch all those videos?
Speaker 1:yeah, well, and I mean even that, I, that's a, that's a.
Speaker 1:That's a great point, because my understanding is, excuse me, it's not just like a, an office of people at hq that are reviewing the videos, like you can have and I don't know the actual job title or volunteer status, but I do believe that you can volunteer to do that, to review and things, but again, you don't possibly have like a what would we call it?
Speaker 1:What would you call it in education, like a healthy student to teacher ratio, right, I would imagine that if you volunteered to do that, or if you're part of the cadre that reviews these videos, you probably have a lot on your plate, right, and I think that goes right back to if every affiliate shows adherence to the standards, the the better you attack it at the point of origin and it's easier, the better. You're going to send down line for h HQ, right, the one year that we well, no, that's not. We've actually like we, we weren't as like, uh, because Ross sent a few teams to the games over the years, oh yeah, um, I guess we were on like the other end of that spectrum. We've been there, not to the games, right, but we've, we've appeared at regionals more than once, which was pretty cool.
Speaker 2:You did uh twice, logan Ohio yeah, I mean, those were like at regionals, more than once, which was pretty cool.
Speaker 1:You did twice Logan Ohio. Yeah, I mean, those were like free regionals.
Speaker 2:No, they weren't. I mean, Logan was a sectional qualification.
Speaker 1:The one in Virginia Beach was like sign up, pay us, we'd show up, but you also went.
Speaker 2:In 11, we made it as a team, which is funny because I actually had that.
Speaker 1:I was looking through my closet today and I had that shirt and I was like, oh and like, still fancy and what I love about that and you talk about like some fucked up, like bittersweet, right, zach and Andrew both made it as individuals and Zach was like and I'm taking my shot, yeah, and I'm like as you should. And I remember having a talk with Andrew you probably had the same talk with him. He was like look man, he's like I'm I'm thrilled that I made it and he was like but I think I could do better. I could be more of an asset to the team. Yeah, then, like I guess he just took that and Andrew was like he had that.
Speaker 1:I mean, zach was a fantastic athlete. I mean andrew was a fantastic athlete, but I think he may have even had a uh, a bigger part of of him, I believe, was a disconnect switch, like he could. He could turn, literally turn it off, and you know you're just watching, going like, oh my God, like does this guy not feel any pain? You know, but I thought that was a a pretty cool move. He was like no, I think he's like I'm going to go with the team if that's all right. He's like I think I could contribute. I was like right on, man, do it.
Speaker 1:And um, again, we traveled pretty well, you know, we traveled pretty well down and I was um, I was on the navy training contract at the time because I met at the hotel like I, you know I I took off from blackstone, virginia, sometime after work on friday drove down. Jen couldn't make it, unfortunately. I remember that. But yeah, man, matt and amy were there again and erecton walds and uh, oh god, I don't remember like he was on the team, so pat was there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right. You know that was yeah that was a good time it was you and jess andrew rj mindy, christina, christina yeah, yeah, because we were able to like it was only four people competing at a time, but right, kind of right, and, if I'm not mistaken, zach actually ended up winning a.
Speaker 1:um, and, if I'm not mistaken, zach actually ended up winning a. He won one of the heats, didn't he? He may have, yeah, yeah, I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 2:That was, I'll tell you what Training with him and Andrew, because prior to his accident, that was what? August of 11? Or no, august of 12, I guess it was no 11. Because we opened Iron City at 12, so August of 11 was when he had his accident and um, like between regionals and that point, like he and I would train yeah together pretty regularly and man, I mean getting pushed by somebody of that caliber.
Speaker 2:Was was awesome yeah you know, and he had some sadistic ideas, uh, for stuff to do and you know that was, that was a lot of fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure, for sure. I remember when we were at the washington boulevard location it was a workout I want to say it was a saturday because was a good group there, you know and we were all there at the same time and one of the one of the movements was a sprint like down to the kennel and back, and we were all kind of clustered at one point. Because I remember, as we hit the turn point, I turned around and we just started to move and I remember you laughing your ass off because I looked at, I turned towards andrew on a dead run and I go what the fuck, do not let this old man beat you. And you're like you like lost your ass. You're like you know, and I'm not sure I'm. I know he heard me right, but I'm not sure he really like comprehended what I, he's like what you know, and then he, sure enough, he picks it up. But, oh man, those were such fun times.
Speaker 2:There's so many great things that I, you know, I can remember from Washington Boulevard. I remember and Terry brings this up a lot but I remember the one time she was, she was dragging ass on a run and I was. It was a definite rest, like my thing usually is. Whenever it was a rest day, I would wear flip flops because, I wouldn't be. I would have no desire to work out right and I, I ran 400 meters with her in flip flops uh, I think singing to her the whole time right.
Speaker 2:Between that and singing, I've already sung Michael Row your Boat Ashore behind her while she was on the rower, and you know like there's some great things that happened there.
Speaker 1:For sure it was fun, for sure, for sure. But you know one of the other things too, and I know we're probably going to have to end here pretty soon, but we'd love to pick this up again because I think there's there's more more to come with with your particular story with us. But one of the things I remember most, and andrew kind of just put in my head saturday workout. I remember vividly. Michael was little. Now he's 19 years old, six feet 240.
Speaker 1:I mean he's, he's a bull man, he's a grown-ass man now yeah, for sure, and and he is just like he's my boy, you know. But, um and and honest to god, like I look at logan and I'm like, and again, you can't turn back time, that's, that's uh, you know you just can't. But a lot of the time, you know, when michael was little, I was overseas, so you know you make up for it as best you can when you are home, but this was one of those and he would always, jen would always have him in the summertime, like he's in cargo pants, either like his tennis shoes, his little running shoes, or like a little kid, like Teva's, you know. And this particular day he's like running shoes, cargo shorts and a t-shirt and, dude, he was like attached to your hip, like every time you were around michael's like hey blake, hey blake, you know. So he comes over to me, we're setting up outside and this particular day we used because the parking lot at the kennel was empty, yeah, so we used every phase line, like if the cars would park, like so the lines that separated vehicles nose to nose. We used those as phase lines and we took equipment. So let's say, like the first phase line is a kettlebell, the next one is a wall ball. The next one is whatever, like laid out systematically, and you do walking lunges to get to them and then you'd hit your movements right.
Speaker 1:So Michael comes over to me and he's like, hey, dad, can I the guy, can I work out with you guys today? And I was like, yeah, man, I said, but you know, you got to do it, you got to do your thing and you got to stay out of people's way, like stay in your lane, okay. So he looks around and he sees what everybody's bringing out, he goes inside, he comes out with his little little yellow kettlebell we had for him. Well, yeah, yeah, because we painted that one yellow. I think I painted it yellow as a joke because, like the 1.75 pood is also yellow. So we painted that little one yellow too. And so he comes out with his kettlebell and he's got like a four-pound medicine ball under one arm, a little kettlebell in the other, and he like walks over and he sets it down and as we're standing for, like, the athlete's brief, you and andrew are standing side by side and I'm on your other side. Michael comes down the ramp, like pushes between you and andrew and you, both of you like you just go.
Speaker 1:well, hey, michael and he's like hey yeah, hey, and now it's hot as hell, right, and it's summertime and it's hot and all the guys you have their shirts off and just as Jen's telling everybody, okay, we're going to do this, and then we're going to walk to this next line and we're going to do this Super duper, he does one more look, realizes everybody has their shirts off, he steps back, takes off his shirt, goes and throws it like with everybody else's and he gets out there and does it. You know, and those are the things, man, when I look at logan, I'm like man, this is so cool, so cool, it is so cool there's, you know, I mean, I would look at him, there is I know, you know it's funny, like we.
Speaker 2:So I've tried at home. I'm like, hey, let's work out and and it's like, um, it's like working out with jets, like personality wise she and him are very, very similar. So, like any coaching, when I try to do it's like I'm insulting yeah yeah, oh so, so whatever. I'm not even gonna talk too loud because she's right downstairs so, whenever you know, whenever the opportunity rose to get him in the crossfit kids, I was like this is great, let's do it.
Speaker 2:And whatever, and he, you know I don't even try to ask too many questions. You know I'm like hey, did it go well?
Speaker 1:Yeah, did you have fun.
Speaker 2:Did you have fun? Did you do this? Whatever, I just want him to like it and I don't want him to feel like I'm pushing him, you know, and like I think that's cool, that michael, uh, you know, because you never pushed him to do it, it's just like hey, if you want to do it.
Speaker 1:Well, you know what was. What was so funny, though, was like back then he would just do it because we didn't, we didn't even ask him. Exactly as he got older though, honest to god, man, as he got older, like alex, you know, she kind of took to it a little bit, tried it here there, you know, and now she's got her L1 and she's coaching, you know, michael, and I don't know if this is every like father-son thing, I don't know, but I'm not willing to start a fight over it, you know. So, as best you know, back off, watch what happens Right. Then, all of a sudden, you know he goes off to college and hey, dad, um, you know some of the guys from the frat. You know we went to the gym today. I was like all right man great would you do?
Speaker 1:you know, and believe me, part of me was like you went to the gym. No shit, I'm gonna send you some programming. You're gonna start a crossfit club. This is gonna be so cool and my, you know like I'm thinking and I'm like don't, don't, don't. You want to end this right now. You want to kill this thing in the cradle, bring that up there. It is no, let him go. What'd you do? I would do some buys and tries and we did some like awesome, you know what you're moving and matters, right, right and it's, you know. Again, man, it's just it's. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Oh, you know, it's fantastic.
Speaker 2:But you know like I try to get him, I try to convince him one day. Oh hey, because he, because he said you know, I'm like nine years old, he wants to start a YouTube channel. Right, I was like you know what you could do? You could just videotape your workouts and post that. And he's like I don't want to do that.
Speaker 1:I'm like all right yeah.
Speaker 2:I was like you know we could work out together. He's like I don't want to do that. I'm like hey, man whatever, it is.
Speaker 1:Well, one of the wildest experiences and we can talk more about this the next time but one of the wildest father-son experiences. Michael was 13, and I started taking him to Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Oh yeah, and I did not. I was adamantly opposed and this is not a shot on anybody, I swear to God. I was opposed to taking him to a kid's class because I'm like no, no, no man, I know my son and he will gravitate to the path of least resistance If there's a group of kids that are really just kind of, yeah, he'll, kind of, you know, like he'll do it, but there'll be almost like a like, a like a status quo, maybe Right. So what I did was it was a group of us that had trained over the years together and when we started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu together, we're going early, early Sunday morning to a school, while it was closed, where one of my buddies was a coach or an instructor and, like a childhood friend of mine, like we wrestled together in high school, started Golden Gloves, boxing in, you know, pursued our black belts together in in ishinru karate in the 80s and you know 80s and 90s. So we're like all right, you know, that's, that's. There was just us guys, like adults. And so I approached all of them separately and I was like, hey man, when anybody object if if michael started coming to train, I said you know he's tall enough that it won't present a mechanical disadvantage. So, like you're wrestling with a kid, you know. They're like, yeah, yeah, no problem. And he did, and by the time it was like once a week, you know. But early sunday morning one of the one of our classmates is a phys ed teacher at the Highlands School District. Really good dude, early 30s.
Speaker 1:You know, when Michael first started, and every once in a while, like while they're doing their drills, like he'd lean over If we were on the apron he'd lean over and he'd be like, hey man, remind me again how old is he? And I'm like he's 13. And he goes. Man, I got to tell don't, there are not two kids in my district. They would get up early on a sunday to come out and train like this early right. And I was like, well, don't get me wrong. Like it's not, like he rolls out of bed, bangs out 50 handstand push-ups and says come on, dad, let's go. You know there are times when he's like, uh, but he's here, so probably like 15 and a half. 15 and a half. The camera went dead. Yeah, we're frozen, but I think we're still recording audio. But that's alright, because we will be back for part two.
