01.01.2011-Saturday-Happy New Year!

 Happy New Year!

We come together every week, for one purpose.  Maybe some of us want to look better, lose a little weight or get a bit stronger… but we all come to the Shed to get better, faster… improve ourselves in some way, shape or form.

This post includes a look back at 2010 and all that we accomplished (I apologize in advance for not capturing everyone in the pics).

 

 RedShed Slideshow: Reflections of 2010

 

The year began with some renovations, much needed color on those white walls and more pull-up bars.  It was quite the transformation.

We started the 5K racing season in March and promoted at least 1 race monthly through the majority of the year, finishing up with the Thanksgiving Day 5K at Lake Mohawk. 

The mud/obstacle racing series kicked off with The Tough Mudder in May and continued with the Ego Challenge, Warrior Dash and the 8 mile Hot Chili trail run.  After completing those events, it made your regular old 5K running race seem like it was missing something…mud…but more importantly teamwork!  Pop-Pop came through on adding some poster size, in-action photos of these events to the Shed walls.

2010 was also the year of competitions, starting with the North East Sectionals at Guerilla Fitness-CrossFit Montclair, CrossFit Morristown's Fight Gone Bad, Fall Brawl at RAW Training, Mid-Atlantic Hopper Challenge at CrossFit BWI, the Open Competition at CrossFit OTG, CrossFit Hoboken's Winter Challenge and wrapping up with a pierogi eating contest on Christmas Eve.

We also provided opportunities to make you a more well-rounded athlete, with some specialty workshops…rowing, Olympic lifting and flexibility. 

In May, we celebrated our 1 year anniversary being in Netcong with tabata, tire flipping and a regatta relay. 

During the summer Pat had the opportunity to work with the younger RedShed athletes doing speed and quickness camps, reaching out to hundreds of athletes in the Morris/Sussex area.  Some of the camps included:

Newton High School Football/Basketball

Pompton Lakes Football

Sparta Summer Football Camp

Kittatinny Midget Football / Youth Sports

Individual RedShed Athletes that are continuing their athletic success in high school or college:

Jorge Lopez (Delbarton Wrestling), Brian Winfield (Newton Football & Basketball), Connor and Kyle McGrath (Susquehanna Football, Pope John Football), Brandon Coveny (Jefferson Twp. Football & Wrestling), Adam Riley (Jefferson Twp. Lacrosse), Gavin McCarney (Jefferson Twp. Football (Colgate Football)), Sean Yardley (Mount Olive Hockey), Zachary DeVenio (Lenape Valley Football), Bryan Vander Ploeg (Jefferson Twp. Football, Track (DelVal Football))

October brought us together for Amazing Grace to support breast cancer awareness, as well as our own beloved Janice, who continues to persevere in the midst of adversity.  Amazing Grace was a very successful event.  A modest gym, a tremendously generous and thoughtful community, a few barbells and a timer…. we raised $1000 for Friend2Friend, Sussex County Women's Forum! 

December included a road trip to the grand opening of CrossFit West Essex to support Kevin and his partner, Rich.  As much as we would have loved for Kevin to have stayed with us at the Shed, we LOVE it even more that he branched out on his own, and started his own CrossFit Affiliate journey.

End of the year activities included the Wall Ball Challenge (which I know Rich and CKL are going to be sad – once it FINALLY concludes) and the 12 Days of CrossFitmas holiday WOD and gathering.  Kevin shows up in a banana costume (and posts the fastest time!), the dragon gets dressed up and some familiar faces from the past make an appearance…Beard(less), SvW and Sensei Matt. 

Throughout the year, the Shed got some publicity on the CrossFit main site Affiliate Blog with pics of Kat, DP and Pat being posted. 

We saw MANY new faces in 2010.  We are glad that you found us and have started your journey to forging elite fitness.  There have also been MANY transformations in each of you.  Some of these became very apparent when I looked back to collect pictures for the slide show. 

Each of you have made our community something special – whether you helped us (on countless occasions) with graphic design, donated a piece of equipment or a microwave or supplies (cups, laundry detergent, paper towels or toilet paper), were amazing with a tape measure, helped wipe down the barbells at the end of the night, supplied some of us with jar(s) almond butter, brought in a friend or family member, provided treats or cleaned up after a Shed event, took pictures, cheered your fellow ShedHeads on, helped celebrate a first kipping pull-up, muscle-up or RX WOD, continued training through pregnancy, contributed to chalk abuse, took it upon yourself to attend a Level 1 certification or brought in a Jane's Addiction LIVE CD….this is what makes the RedShed the awesome community that it is. 

Some final thoughts that resonated with me after hearing Coach Glassman speak about how different CrossFit is from other programs: When you walk into a CrossFit box, the footprint is different, the equipment is different, the interaction of people is different and the movements we are doing are different.  The psychosocial, the physiological, the intensity, the camaraderie – these are all components that are way different from other programs. 

Thanks to all of you for being a part of the Shed.  Here's to a happy and healthy 2011!

And remember…"It's way cooler to be a badass than to whine about all the things holding you back"

Yours in Fitness,

J9

 

Additional slide shows are below from some of the special events we participated in:

RedShed Trailer Video

Ego Challenge

Amazing Grace

CF OTG Open Competition

CF West Essex Grand Opening/12 Days of CrossFitmas WOD

CF Hoboken Winter Challenge