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JULY 2019

What's up Windy City!

Well, that was a pretty solid June! Another successful Murph, Coach PJ and Carol got engaged, Yoga at Windy City is taking off; as well Mike Costello’s Movement / Control / Flow class…and we got to celebrate another awesome AOM in Steve Peterson! As we move forward into July, Yoga and Mike’s class will be continuing…and we’ve got another AOM that we’re really fired up about. You don’t want to miss this story. Promise. Lastly… Windy City SC is excited to be a part of Reebok's new program called "Road to Madison" in partnership with Fleet Feet. We’ll be holding a special workout on July 13th. Details and more below. Check it out!

Keep livin' BIG!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

July 4th Hours at Windy City SC
We will be open for “open gym” 8am–12pm on Thursday July 4th. Come in, get a sweat, get out...and celebrate ‘MERICA!
Yoga
Join us on the following Sundays at Windy City as Yogi Lily Ryan-Lozon will be leading a yoga class 12:30pm. This class is open to all, no additional charge, and appropriate for all levels.
- 7.14.19
- 7.28.19
Road to Madison
Windy City Strength & Conditioning is excited to be a part of Reebok’s new program called “Road to Madison” in partnership with Fleet Feet.

On Saturday, July 13th, 2019, we’ll be hosting a FREE workout that celebrates our community leading up to the CrossFit Games.

We’ll be running people through the workout on the hour (8am, 9am, 10am, 11am). Be sure to register...link below.

The top M/F Rx scores from each affiliate will win a $150 Reebok gift card to Fleet Feet Chicago. Additionally, the grand prize of 2 tickets to the 2019 Reebok CrossFit Games will be awarded to a randomly selected registrant from 1 of the 6 participating Road to Madison affiliates in the US.

Come sweat with friends, shop Reebok’s latest collection at Fleet Feet, and enter to win prizes. We hope to see you there!

Register HERE
Movement / Flow / Control Class
We’re fired up to announce that this class with Coach Michael Costello will continue through July. Our Movement / Flow / Control class series will combine quadrupedal and ground-based movement with elements from various gymnastic, bodyweight and flexibility / mobility training disciplines to create a fun and challenging workout with BIG emphasis on fluid, quality movement.

Expect to increase your mobility, flexibility, strength and endurance throughout these four (4) sessions. As well, expect to… HAVE FUN!

Register HERE!
Monthly Challenge
Introducing July’s 60 second challenge... Max Double-Under! You'll have until the 27th to get your scores up and verified by a Windy City staff member.
Nutrition Coaching at Windy City SC
Did you know we do nutrition coaching at Windy City SC? Both PJ and Justin offer nutrition / accountability coaching individualized to you and your goals. Whether it’s a structured habit-based approach, macronutrient prescriptions, or advanced nutrient timing protocols...both Justin and PJ can work with you and help to increase performance, change body composition...and most importantly, just feel good. Take it from long-time Windy City member Tom Moss…

“When Justin was back in town in late September, we were talking about some challenges I was experiencing at the gym, and, well, elsewhere in life—it’s been a tough year. The convo got around to diet, and that’s when he invited me to be part of the pilot for his nutrition training program. It came at just the right time and I was in a place where I needed the help. So I jumped at the opportunity. First step, a series of before snaps in my shorts. Second step, simply follow the plan and track everything. Twelve weeks go by fast. There were ups and downs, including Thanksgiving when I consumed about five times the carbs in my plan. [There are nothing but carbs in pie? Who knew?]. Long story short, the effects have been amazing. Within a few weeks, I was back in clothes that I had previously, ahem, set aside. Over the twelve weeks, I dropped ten pounds. But the weight is the least of it. I trimmed down, had more energy, looked better, and my performance at the gym improved many fold. Sugar cravings abated. Sleep improved. I can also see through walls and bend iron with my mind. Kidding aside, and most important, my blue mood—actually, let’s call it low-level depression—has lifted. I just looked back at the Week 1 pics compared to the Week 12 snaps, and the difference is pretty remarkable. If you are ready for a change, and if you can give yourself up to a program, this one works.” — Tom Moss

For more info and / or to schedule a FREE consult, please email: info@windycitycrossfit.com
Farewell Coach Doc
July will be Coach Doc’s last month at Windy City SC. After many threats in the past, he’s finally decided it’s time to head back home (Southern California), be closer to family, and trade in winter vortexes for raging wildfires. Thank you for everything, Doc. You’ve been an integral part of Windy City for a long time...we’re going to miss you, and wish you the best in your next chapter!

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

Sahar Qamar-Delgado

July’s AOM has an inspiring and motivating story that we are so grateful she agreed to share with all of us. Sahar Delgado is one of the cornerstones of the badass 7:30 pm crew plus she rocks the best t shirts and has terrific taste in music. Sahar began with us at Windy City little over a year ago with her husband, Jerry, who thankfully talked her into coming to level 1 class, even going with her to Level 1 classes. Sahar’s calm outward demeanor is just cover for one the most resilient, determined fighters in every sense of the word. It has been a pleasure to be part of her journey, and it’s an honor to share her story with Windy City Community.

STAFF FAVE FOUR

Here's a list of what we're loving and learning this month:

Taylor: Habit I'm trying
To take more rest—I tend to over work myself. I have a hard time telling people no. I am activly trying to give my body and mind more rest. Taking more time off and deloading after a hard training and work week.
Eloise: Adventure I'm planning
O'ahu—A friend's wedding doubling up as time well spent on some sick hikes, unlimited acai bowls, fresh poke, and beautiful beaches. #LiveBIG
Megan: Thing I'm loving
Golden Milk—Taste good and has anti inflammatory properties!
Small Paul: Show I'm watching
Chernobyl—Well, I'm still paying for HBO and the show is an interesting look into what happened with the nuclear accident. Plus its excellently done!

ARTICLE OF THE MONTH

PROFESSOR TIM NOAKES ON CHARACTER, SELF-BELIEF, AND THE SEARCH FOR PERFECTION

via crossfit.com

In this talk from Aug. 1, 2017, during the CrossFit Health Conference at Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin, Professor Timothy Noakes shares a story about the time he helped the South African national rugby team become the 2007 Rugby World Cup champions. Noakes recalls that almost exactly 10 years prior to the Health Conference, he had the chance to speak to the team’s 30 members just before they boarded the plane to head to the tournament. There, he shared with them his “untestable hypothesis” about the role of self-belief in sports victories:

"I want to speak to you tonight about the most important lesson I have learned in 38 years of studying the human body, for you would think that after studying the body for so long, I would say that it is your perfectly trained bodies that will win the Rugby World Cup for you. I used to think that, but I do not anymore. What I now believe is this: What you really believe will happen is exactly what will happen."

Noakes spends the remainder of his talk at the Health Conference expounding upon his hypothesis and sharing several formative insights that support it, all gleaned from famous moments in sports history. For his examples, he draws from fields as far-flung as arctic swimming, NFL football, Olympic rowing, and beyond.

He organizes his talk according to six principles he learned from American football:

the importance of perfection
the importance of self-belief
the importance of character
the importance of team
the importance of not quitting
understanding the “why”

“These are the principles of life as well. … If you want to be successful, you must incorporate them, not just to be a great athlete, but to be a great person,” he explains

He discusses some of his then-forthcoming research as well, noting that he found, “If you put two competitors against each other, the instant the one guy goes ahead, the other person’s physiology changes.” He explains:

"The brain regulates the exercise performance … the athlete who wins a close race chooses that outcome. This conscious/subconscious choice reduces illusory symptoms of pain and fatigue produced by the brain. The brain of the athlete who comes in second exaggerates those same symptoms to justify the decision not to try harder. The athlete quits whilst appearing to be giving a maximal effort."

He concludes with a relevant quotation from U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt: “Men are not prisoners of fate, only prisoners of their own minds.”

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