Rickke Mananzala

 

True, February is the shortest month of the year (even though this year is a leap year), but that’s not to shortchange this February’s AOM. Rickke Mananzala has been part of the Crossfit scene in NY for 3+ years now and is on track to stay part of it for years to come. I first met Rickke when he visited us at the Brooklyn Lyceum a few years back and his skills and engine made an immediate impression on me. I remember him telling me he’d be visiting more frequently, but instead it took him about 2 years to do so…It was worth the wait. A few standout reasons we chose Rickke for AOM are: his undeniable ability as an athlete (yep, there are a few leader board spots that I’ve been knocked off of by Mr. Mananzala), his ever-smiling support of fellow SBKers at competitions and classes alike, and his commitment to smarter training through mobility. In fact, Rickke was a few minutes late for our meeting due to a late running appointment with Alec H (SBK’s resident body guru). A totally acceptable reason for being late, in my book.

I hope you enjoy getting to know a bit of Rickke in this interview as much as I have over these last few months.

Fox – The beginning, how, when, and where did you find CrossFit?

Rickke – It was the end of 2008 and my friend Joseph introduced me to it. He told me there was this thing called CrossFit and I would love it so I should try it. My first taste was actually in my apartment and involved a WOD of burpees and squats or something like that. I had that classic “that was a LOT harder than I thought it would be” response and was hooked. I started perusing mainsite and tackling the “easier” WODs, ones that had a lot of bodyweight stuff. Shortly thereafter I took my first teaser class at CFNYC. Jacinto taught it and that was that. I was in. I was coming off of shoulder surgery and had this sense that if I went back to the same old Muscle and Fitness gym routines at David Barton that I would end up back under a knife again, which I didn’t want. I knew I needed something more functional and it turned out CrossFit was it.

Fox – Jacinto taught my first teaser as well! We did just about every movement under the sun, and I also was hooked. So, you were a gym rat?

Rickke – Not really, although I did have my routine. I was the only active person in my family, so I wasn’t really encouraged to play sports. I ended up joining the basketball team in middle school and played throughout high school and got convinced to play soccer and run track very late in high school. I was a keeper in soccer since my field skills were atrocious and I didn’t like the individual aspect of track so much, so I was mostly into my relay events. So, I  was physically active and tried to stay in shape but I wouldn’t say I was a prototypical gym rat.

Fox – Where did you grow up?

Rickke – My dad was a Navy guy so we moved around a lot. I was born in Oakland, California moved to Minnesota and then to Maine later on. Let’s just say I stood out in Maine way more than I did in the Bay Area. I was one of the only brown kids in school, my mom was a domestic worker, and then I came out – all of these things combined created a pretty tough high school experience. My mom cleaned the homes of kids at my school, which seemed like a respectable profession to me, but I learned very quickly that I was different than them, and not a different that they would be cool with. My folks were not very accepting of my coming out at 16, and so I ended up being on my own sooner than I anticipated. High school was tough, but since I was legally emancipated at least I was considered my own guardian and could sign myself out of school early (which I did often)! Jokes aside, the lessons I learned as a youth helped mold me into the person I am today and put me on the path to professional work that is really meaningful to me. Anyway, I eventually moved to Springfield, MA and then to Brooklyn where I’ve been for the past 10 years.

Fox – It seems like you’ve taken challenges and met them head on. How have those experiences shaped the man you’ve become?

Rickke – On a professional level, I gravitated towards social justice organizing and advocacy work. I came to NYC and started working with an organization that is still very near and dear to my heart, F.I.E.R.C.E. where I worked as an organizer and eventually the Director. I really wish FIERCE was around when I was a teenager. I think it’s really important to have spaces for young people to transform individual experiences with isolation and harassment into collective experiences of empowerment and action.

Now,  I’m a full-time student (Columbia – Political Science and Public Policy) but I still work as a consultant supporting a variety of grassroots organizations. My professional work is driven my personal values and what I believe about how the world should work. I know it sounds idealistic, but I feel really strongly that all people should be able to live happy, healthy, and empowered lives. Public policy should facilitate this, not create more problems or barriers for people. And public policy isn’t just for policy wonks (I swear I’m not going to school to be one). I really believe every day people can and should make the government work for them through grassroots action.

I think these personal experiences I shared have a connection to what, in part, drew me to CrossFit. Having to take care of myself early on and dealing with bullying in school pushed me to be very mentally and physically resilient. Years later, when I found CrossFit, it was a welcomed change from my boring fitness routine and it woke me up from just going through the motions at the gym. It brought me back to my desire to continue building physical and mental resilience. Now though, 17 years after I first left my house as a teenager (yeah, I’m aging myself), I feel very lucky to be getting stronger in such a fun and supportive community. CFSBK is great.

Fox – Let’s go there. How did you wind up at CFSBK in particular?

Rickke – Well, convenience was a part of it! I left my job in Manhattan and I live here in Brooklyn…Honestly though, I had been looking for a more strength-biased approach to CrossFit because I realized focusing on strength could help me avoid future injury (if I was smart about it) and knew that’s what was available here. I actually did my Level 1 Cert at the Lyceum in the summer of ‘09 and I really liked the people I met from CFSBK. I checked out the blog for some time after that and sensed the community, smart programming, and expectations of members and coaches alike that were in place here. That’s what truly drew me in. I love the community here. I’ve been to a lot of CrossFit gyms and CFSBK is so welcoming and diverse and I appreciate that I can do a tough workout with someone and then have a deep conversation with them about the flaws of our financial system and Occupy Wall Street.  I also love the commitment to mobility, especially because I came into Crossfit with some limitations from various injuries. I appreciate the mobility knowledge we have on the coaching staff, instead of the “3.2.1. MOBILIZE!” where people actually get competitive with their couch stretches (I’ve seen it elsewhere)! I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I love the ladies of CFSBK, they kick serious ass! One of my favorite moments is at the Subway Series event at CFLIC where Jess banged out like 10 HSPUs in a row and people just erupted in cheers.

Fox – That Jess moment gives me goosebumps remembering it. We do have a bevy of TFBAs…What are your current fitness goals?

Rickke – I want to train smarter, get stronger, and stay mobile and injury-free. I have a new perspective on training now and want to be healthy over the long haul. No more overtraining for me.

Fox – The accrued hours we’ve noticed you spending on a lacrosse call had no small part in choosing you for AOM! Any hobbies you spend time on, what with your leisurely school life?

Rickke – Ha! Really, doing work and school full-time takes up most of my time and I’m lucky to fit in CrossFit in the remaining hours of my week. I am a bit of a novice foodie and like to try new restaurants and I’m into the craft of making classic cocktails and coming up with my own. Ask Asta about the “Hot Scotty” some time. I love to travel when I get the chance – going to upstate NY to hike and I hit Miami when I can to spend time with good friends down there. I played the alto saxophone years ago and I’d like to try picking it up again at some point. What’s up with the CFSBK band by the way?

Fox – Alright, last stock question. What should we look for in a future AOM?

Rickke – I heard Shane say something recently to people in his Foundations class, “90 percent of fitness is about smiling”. He was joking around and helping them get through a tough workout, but I think there’s truth in that. In the end we should be enjoying what we do and a smile is a great way to show it.

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Thanks, Rickke, for sitting with me for this interview. You’ve become an integral part of our community and it feels as if you have always been here. We look forward to you being part of our little fitness culture establishment for a long time. From all the coaching staff at SBK, congrats!

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Competition Highlight: Kalista Pappas, age 14, 2008 CrossFit Games Clean and Jerk Event
Are You Ready To Compete? CrossFit 208
How to Think About CrossFit CrossFit Merge
First Aid Skills Tests. Would you know what to do in these Situation? BBC

5 attempts at a max load on the barbell complex:

7 Rounds of:
1 Power Clean
1 Front Squat
1 Push-Press
1 Back Squat
1 Push-Press

Rest as needed between attempts
Check out the WOD Demo

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Compare to 9.24.10

What Jimmy R Does when not taking pies to the face

Only 14 Days Remain to Register for the 2012 CF Games Open Sectionals. Register HERE!

The More You Know: Programming This Week

Today’s WOD is the second of three in this cycle’s shortened Crush Week.  We’ll be running four Back-Off WODs starting on Thursday each with a focus on Olympic Weightlifting technique before rolling into the next wave of the Wendler 5/3/1 Cycle. 

Butterfly in the Sky, I Can Fly Twice as High: Join the CFSBK Book Club

Shaye L., Peggy J-L, Teddi M, and Martina O have joined forces to create the CFSBK Book of the Month Club!

The first meeting will be held on Sunday, March 11^th at 5:00 PM at [location TBD].  Please feel free to bring Paleo-friendly snacks to share! The first BOM will be Super Sad True Love Story:  A Novel by Gary Shteyngart.

If you have questions or want to RSVP to the first meeting on Sunday, March 11th please email Martina O. at parisgirl30(AT)gmail.com.

For full details check here.

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What’s the last book you read?  Fiction or not, would you recommend it to the book club?
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I Am The Fittest CrossFit
Paleo Diet: Am I Losing Enough Weight? Robb Wolf
The Carbohydrate Loading Conundrum Robb Wolf
Sh*t CrossFitters Say Youtube
St*ff CrossFitters Say Youtube

Complete as many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of:
24 inch Box Jump, 12 reps
95 pound Thruster, 6 reps
6 Bar-facing burpees

Post rounds completed and Rx to comments.

U.S. FBI Supervisory Special Agent Gregory J. Rahoi, 38, of Brookfield, Wisconsin, assigned to the Hostage Rescue Team, based in Quantico, Virginia, was killed on December 6, 2006, during a live-fire tactical training exercise at Fort A.P. Hill, near Bowling Green, Virginia. He is survived by his parents, Natalie and Richard, sister Teri, and fiancee Paula Paulk.

Dan B. During 2011 Open Sectionals WOD #2

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do”*
or, Why I Should Sign Up For the Crossfit Open Sectionals

by Noah Abbott

For most of the year at CFSBK, our coaches and clients stay focused on Crossfit as it pertains to lifestyle.  Lifting heavy things, practicing new skills, moving with speed and accuracy- these endeavours make us feel better, move easier, and (wait for it…) look better naked. (Groan.)  With the advent of the “Open Sectionals” model for the Crossfit Games, our gym now has 6 weeks each year where we shift our focus, however briefly, to Crossfit, the Sport of Fitness.  

CFSBK prides itself in being first and foremost a positive supplement to people’s existing interests, activities, and lives in general.  We want to make your hikes easier, your kids lighter to toss around (gently), and your general sense of self-worth, confidence, and outlook to be bolstered by our humble living experiment in physical culture.  Rarely do you hear the words “elite” or “firebreather” thrown around- for chrissakes we’ve got a book club!  Why mess with that formula?  Why sign up for the Games at all, where I will have to attempt the same workouts performed by the same Crossfitters now starring in a Reebok commercial near you?

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” -William Shedd

So said William Shedd, theologian, presumably speaking not about the religion of Crossfit but about the religion of, you know, God.  Still, what Shedd said (say that 5 times fast!) holds true.  We spend all year training our bodies to run and jump and lift heavy things.  For 6 weeks we have an opportunity to examine that training, in an arena designed so that every athlete can do at least part of each workout.  Think of it as every baseball fan getting invited to spring training with the Mets and getting to take batting practice, regardless of ability.  (In fact, the Mets might want to consider this concept- they can use any help offered.)  

“That which we persist in doing become easier to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do so is increased.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

In seriousness, testing your ability in a competitive setting, full of adrenaline, support, and feedback, can help you break through plateaus, summon the courage to attempt what you considered impossible, and show how much you can achieve with the right motivation.  Many athletes at CFSBK have PRed lifts, WOD times, or miraculously discovered skills they thought were outside of their purview during competitions.  Beyond simple Crossfit metrics, competition allows us an opportunity to hone our determination, bolster our resolve, and find comfort in discomfort, mindsets applicable and useful in daily life, not just when we have to do burpees.

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.”-Pierre de Coubertin

Competing in “The World Series of Competitive Exercise” is no small feat.  Most non-Crossfitters will probably think you were on ESPN and they just missed your heat.  You can say you did the same workout that Annie Thoriskjewiofjwiofnvkerjnfijercfnrfv and other really strong people did.  Impress your friends!  Wow your neighbors!  You’ll be the talk of the watercooler!  

“Black Sea, what do I see?
(This) glimmer on the ocean, (is it you?)
Black sea for you and me
(So) close but far away
Na, na, na Can there be a chance?
Na, na, na, For you and me
Na, na, na, Feel my humble stance
You’re my swedish complete taboo”
-Ace of Base

Ok, so that last line makes no sense at all, but The Black Sea is awesome!  We at CFSBK make a point to travel to the Open Sectionals events, wear our super fierce Skull and Crossbones T’s and support our athletes loudly and semi-intelligibly.  That’s the Black Sea (I’ll leave the Swedish taboo part up to your own imagination.)  So, even if you decide not to compete this year, come check out the atmosphere at the events!  Lend your support, make some noise, eat and drink merrily when its all done.  Who knows, maybe it will inspire you to sign up for next years Games.  See you there!

Register for the Open Sectionals HERE Today!

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WOD Demo with Jenn Jones CrossFit
A Whole New Person CrossFit
Jungle Tribes Untouched By Modern Civilization BBC
CrossFit Cribs: CrossFit New Haven
T-Rex Trying

75%x5
85%x3
95%x1x3 (no rep out)

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Compare to 2.4.12 and 1.20.12

then,

3 Rounds for time of:
35 KB Swings 24/16kg
25 Sit Ups
15 Push Ups

Post RX and time to comments.

True to his word, Jim R takes a pie to the face from a lost bet to DH3

Congratulations to Mike B and Janelle R on their recent enagement!

Have you registered for the CF Games Open yet? You can register right here.  Go Team SBK!

What Now? Upcoming Programming

Thus marks the end of our first two waves of the Wendler 5/3/1!  Starting tomorrow we’ll be doing a 3 WOD Crush week (Sunday, Monday, Wednesday) followed by a 4 WOD Back Off Week (Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday).  This back-off week will have an Olympic lifting focus.  Then we will hop back right back into the next wave of the Wendler.  Onward and upward we go!

Update from Lana Z.: We Made It!

Lana Writes:

3 days ago, I was getting ready to lose hope on the project, we had less than 60 hours left to hit our goal – which was $2500 away at the time. I was feeling pretty grim and hopeless. But instead of curling up in my bed and crying which, I’ll admit, I kinda wanted to do…. Kristen and I grabbed our notebooks and went begging door to door for donations from the local businesses in the area. We wrote 7 thousand emails to friends and family members and sent the information to as many blogs as possible in hopes that somehow we could make it work.

Let me just say, WOW, what a tremendously supportive community we have here in Brooklyn! Our neighbors shared our project and threw in their last minute donations, which added up quickly. The local business owners dove right in – excited to help in any way possible – even those that weren’t able to help financially offered me lunch, donuts, coffee, or the option to have them cater our events throughout the summer. The project was published in lots of blogs including the Huffington Post! Our friends and families gave what they could, and the members of my Lana’s gym (CrossFit South Brooklyn) contributed almost a thousand dollars collectively! (talk about an amazingly supportive fitness community).

After all this, here we are! OVER our goal! What an amazing couple of days it has been! 

Seriously, thank you all SO much! We have a lot to do now 🙂
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LaLanne Fitness Plans for the Open CrossFit
What Can You Do to Avoid Monsanto’s New, Deadlier Nuerotoxic Sweetner? Very Little Daily Kos

Allan E. Proud Dad!

Happy Eating to everyone attending The 6th Paleo Challenge Rest Day Dinner tonight at Casa Zellner!

Congratulations to Martina O. on completing in the Empire State Building Run

Martina O finished the 2012 Empire State Building run in 25:34.  That’s a total of 86 flights and 1,576 steps. Congratulations Martina!

Like Books?  Join the Book Club!

We all know CrossFitters love their acronyms, so we thought it was about time to throw another one in the mix – BOM (Book of the Month). 

A few members (Shaye L., Teddi M., Peggy J-L. and Martina O.) expressed an interest in forming a monthly book club that would be open to the CFSBK community.  As a start, the group will meet monthly to discuss a pre-selected work of fiction.  The first meeting will be held on Sunday, March 11^th at 5:00 PM at [location TBD].  Please feel free to bring Paleo-friendly snacks to share!

The first BOM will be Super Sad True Love Story:  A Novel by Gary Shteyngart. 

From Publisher’s Weekly: 

Shteyngart (Absurdistan) presents another profane and dizzying satire, a dystopic vision of the future as convincing—and, in its way, as frightening—as Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. It’s also a pointedly old-fashioned May-December love story, complete with references to Chekhov and Tolstoy. Mired in protracted adolescence, middle-aged Lenny Abramov is obsessed with living forever (he works for an Indefinite Life Extension company), his books (an anachronism of this indeterminate future), and Eunice Park, a 20-something Korean-American. Eunice, though reluctant and often cruel, finds in Lenny a loving but needy fellow soul and a refuge from her overbearing immigrant parents. Narrating in alternate chapters—Lenny through old-fashioned diary entries, Eunice through her online correspondence—the pair reveal a funhouse-mirror version of contemporary America: terminally indebted to China, controlled by the singular Bipartisan Party (Big Brother as played by a cartoon otter in a cowboy hat), and consumed by the superficial. Shteyngart’s earnestly struggling characters—along with a flurry of running gags—keep the nightmare tour of tomorrow grounded. A rich commentary on the obsessions and catastrophes of the information age and a heartbreaker worthy of its title, this is Shteyngart’s best yet.

And the New York Times Book Review is HERE

If you are interested in selecting a fiction book for an upcoming BOM meeting, please bring your suggestions to the first meeting where we’ll pick the books for the next three meetings by random drawing.  We figured it would also be helpful to have a discussion leader to keep the conversation flowing, so if your book is selected, you should also be prepared to be the discussion leader that month.  All this means is that you need to attend the meeting and have a few questions prepared about your book. Easy stuff!

If you have questions or want to RSVP to the first meeting on Sunday, March 11^th please email Martina O. at parisgirl30(AT)gmail.com.
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Read Pat Sherwood’s “Lesson’s Learned” article.  What lessons have you learned about training and life from CrossFit? 
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Lana Z.’s ‘Art Not Arrests’ Would Memorialize Crown Heights Violence Huffington Post
The Manimal is Back: Pat Barber CF Games Profile CrossFit
Arkasia, or Why You Act Against Your Own Better Judgement Mark’s Daily Apple
All 47 Sports and Fitness Activities, Ranked Gawker