Opportunities

For those that have been coming to Vitality for a while and know me, I don't push things on people. CrossFit isn't for everyone and I don't try and sell what we do here at Vitality to everybody that comes in looking for information. I have tried hard to provide information on different things we have here at Vitality and in the end, let you as the members decide if it is worth investing in. Some of these additional services are meat and eggs from T&D, Paleo Meals from ModPaleo, Protein Supplements like Progenex and Stronger Faster Healthier, and a ton of gear from Reebok. I have tried hard not to turn this facility into a retail facility and I am pleased with where we are at with it. Many of you probably didn't realize some of the services mentioned above were available but in my opinion, I would rather have it that way than to bombard you with information and push these services on you.
 

I say all of that to say this. YOU NEED TO COME TO THE “NO EXCUSES VITALITY CHALLENGE” featuring Kyle Maynard and Major Sean Quinlan USMC(ret). Like I said, I don't push many things, but I am pushing this, HARD! The Marine Corps taught me more and gave me more than I can ever repay. One of these things was to understand that when “opportunity” knocks, you don't have much time to answer before that door closes and won't open up again anytime soon, if ever. It taught me to take the information available and make a decision. Any action is better than no action. Here is your opportunity. The best part about this is that there are a few different opportunities to choose from. The first would be to step outside your comfort zone and participate in a competition that is specifically geared towards first time competitors. About 98% of the membership at Vitality would fall into this category. This is for that guy/girl that wants to have a challenge that involves movements that they can do and leave them still able to function the following day.
 

Let me put some of your fears to rest regarding the competition:
 

Fear 1: “I don't want to come in last”
*We have structured this challenge so that both workouts are AMRAP's (As Many Reps As Possible) with a time limit. This means that everyone will start and finish at the same time and the score will be based on how much work was completed within the given timeframe. In addition to this, it will be a SUPPORTIVE environment and each and every athlete will feel the energy and support from the crowd. This is something that you absolutely have to experience to understand.

Fear 2: “I can't do some of the movements”
*Each and every exercise we do can EASILY be scaled to work around any mobility issues or concerns you may have. This challenge is NOT to prepare athletes for Regionals or The Games. It's sole purpose is to give the 98% of CrossFitters who will never compete or have any desire to compete at the Regional Level, a chance to experience a competition.

Fear 3. “I have anxiety about competiion”
*My first thought would be, “Join the Club”, I have been competing in some capacity for over 20 years and I still get anxiety before I do a CrossFit competition. Anxiety isn't always a bad thing, it just means you care about the result. Do you want to know how you get better at managing that anxiety? Put yourself in those situations and getting that opportunity to practice controlling your anxiety. It is absolutely a skill, not something that you are born with. Just because you have anxiety, that is not a good reason to NOT step outside your comfort zone, that is a GREAT reason to do EXACTLY that! Don't be that person who avoids situations because of fear, be that person that confronts your fear head on and learns how to control it and not let it control you. My last comment on this would be to relate it to parenting. My daughter was afraid to ride her bike up our driveway because it was pretty steep and she was afraid she would fall. Is the answer for me to walk her up the driveway everytime for the rest of her life? No, the answer is to give her the tools that she needs to conquer her fear and then put her in a controlled situation so that she can conquer her fear. Once she was able to make it up the driveway, you could see that it had opened a completely different perspective on what she was then capable of with that bike.

You have the tools to compete in this challenge. Your ability to come in and participate in CrossFit here at Vitality has prepared you for this experience. However, I will provide one more opportunity to put your mind at ease. For those of you that are signed up for the challenge, we will be holding a Prep Seminar to go over some different strategies to prepare for the challenge. These will include Pre-Comp Nutrition, GameDay Nutrition, WOD Strategy, Recovery, and many other useful tips on how to best be prepared for the day.

WHAT:       Challenge Prep Seminar
WHO:        Anyone signed up for the challenge
WHEN:      Sunday, October 28th @ 3pm
WHERE:   CrossFit Vitality
SIGN-UP: Go through ZenPlanner and sign-up online
COST:       Free

The second opportunity is equally important. Kyle Maynard will be speaking for about an hour about his “No Excuses” mentality. I will not try and put into words what this means and how important it is. Watch the clip below. If you don't get goosebumps after watching this, you can stop reading now and this opportunity is not for you. Kyle has been through more than most of us can even comprehend and yet he does so with such humility and a positive attitude that is contageous. Oh, and he climbed crawled up Mount Kilimanjaro….WATCH….THE WHOLE THING
 

I have probably watched this video about 10 times since we first started putting this event together 3 months ago. Each time I embed it somewhere or send it to someone, I play a few minutes and then find myself watching the entire thing….again.

I can tell you that the person you see in the videos is EXACTLY who he is in real life. I had a chance to spend about 6 hours with him earlier this week and he is nothing short of incredible. I have NEVER met anyone like him and I am fairly certain that in this lifetime, I never will come across anyone that will affect me more than Kyle Maynard. He went to lunch with Scott Sandusky and Erin Cobb while he was in town and I think it gave the two of them valuable perspective on dealing with their incidents. He sat with them for almost 2 hours just laughing and talking with them. That is the type of person Kyle is, he is so quick to do anything he can to help others and never puts himself first.

In addition to Kyle Maynard speaking, my Commanding Officer from my OIF deployment in 2006 is also flying in from Iowa to address the group. I am very excited about this opportunity as well. Sean Quinlan is one of the most passionate people I know and with more than 20+ years of service as a Marine, not many people have had the leadership experiences that Quinlan has. He has spoken at Universities around the Country and I am confident he will have you at the edge of your seats for his entire presentation.

I understand that this time of year usually brings with it a packed calender. Don't let this opportunity pass by without taking advantage of it. I also realize that it may be expensive in order to take advantage of these opportunities. It is not cheap to bring speakers in from around the country and put on an event like this. Our main goal is to raise money for the “Mark Gelina Foundation”. Mark was a Marine who lost his life while serving with Major Quinlan and myself during our Iraq deployment. He is survived by his wife and 3 children and this foundation was created so that funds could be raised to provide the educational opportunities that his kids deserve. I can't think of a better cause and I only hope that you can see the value in participating in this event and contributing to an amazing benefit. “We sleep safely at night ONLY because rough men stand stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us”. Mark was a warrior who gave his life defending our freedom. For one day, I hope to fill Vitality with those who will honor his sacrifice and donate to this cause.

TO SIGN UP FOR THIS EVENT/DONATE OR FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE