Happy almost Halloween! 🎃 👻

Can’t believe this week is the official last week of October. What a month it has been so far — class attendance has been growing everyday, the new space has been a saving grace for overflows, and Barbell Club has been well received. A few reminders to share this week:

• Membership renewals: If you haven’t already, don’t forget to renew your memberships! Reach out to us about any questions.

• Barbell Club: New programming for Barbell Club begins in November. If you haven’t checked out a class yet, feel free to drop in! It’s a great program to work on Olympic movements and strength training.

• Open Gym: Don’t forget about our Coached and Uncoached Open Gym hours. This is a great time to catch up on a WOD or work on advancing certain movements.

Hope you all have a great week ahead!

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WOD of the Week:

Member Journey Series

Every member that walks through the doors of Fog City CF has a story as to why they are there. They are looking to get fitter, stronger, or just maintain. They maybe there to challenge themselves and train for their next big fitness event. There are members who are powering through some life moments and leaning hard on our community to get them through the micro-moments. We wanted to share a story about a member, Nevada Lane. Nevada has been a long time member of our community. Last year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and at the same time going through menopause. We wanted to share Nevada’s story about how she’s approaching CrossFit differently these days. Thank you to Nevada for sharing her story with us.

Nevada’s Fitness Journey

I was introduced to CrossFit 8 years ago by coach Alyssa, who’d been a triathlon training buddy of mine a long time ago. I had no idea what I was getting into! I’d barely touched a barbell, had no idea what a jerk was, let alone a snatch, and was terrified of doing anything upside down for a long time.

About 3 months in, I realized I was having fun. Like really having fun in a way I hadn’t since my triathlon days a decade before. The combination of community, physical challenge, and feeling like I was always learning something new was addictive. I was hooked, and slowly went from coming to workouts twice a week to coming 6 days a week. It was the era of lots of PRs and Rx WODs! 

There were injuries on the way - bicep tendonitis, tennis elbow, pulled adductor, foot stuff, neck stuff, but it would generally resolve itself with rest. My focus for the first 5 years or so was performance and being lean (I got a little obsessed with counting macros and ate a lot of weird stuff to get down to 15% body fat. Do not recommend). 

When Covid hit, I started working out on my driveway with the few dumbbells we had at home. Coach Alex’s Zoom workouts were a lifeline to mental health … and maintaining some semblance of fitness. When the masked workouts started up at McLaren Park I was so happy to see everyone and so grateful to Hill, Liz, Gordon, Lindsay and the rest of the team for keeping the community going. 

In 2021 I was diagnosed with super early stage breast cancer and went through multiple biopsies, two surgeries, and a month of radiation (no chemo, thank heavens). Coach Amy was my radiation technician at UCSF, and it was a total blessing to have a friendly face at the hospital every day when my spirits were pretty low. 

Many days during treatment I came to the gym and got on the bike because I couldn’t use my upper body, or skipped it and walked instead because I was tired or it felt depressing to not be able to do the workout. A couple times I came in, felt emotionally overwhelmed, left without working out and had a good cry. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was also in the midst of menopause, so let’s just say it was an emotional year ;)

After 8 years of CrossFit, cancer and menopause, my focus now is much less on PRs and how I look in a tank top, and much more about staying strong and healthy. I still love the community and still love trying to get better at movements … and I still can’t do fuc*ing double-unders!!

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What to Expect with Upcoming Programming

We’re starting a new cycle of programming this week! Here’s some of the things you will see over the next couple of months:

• Strength focus: working through back squat variations with pause, tempo, and then regular back squats. The squat day will always be paired with complementary accessory work.

• Benchmark day, with classic CrossFit workouts programmed.

• A “Build the Base” workout, which are longer workouts using mixed modalities, to help you work on conditioning and pacing.

• Other accessory work, including gymnastics skill work (handstands) and our usual shoulder health day.

Don’t forget, if you’re interested in working on your Olympic lifting, Barbell Class is Tuesday & Thursday at 5:30pm and Sundays at 10am. Feel free to drop in for some focused work on your lifting.Get excited! It’s going to be a fun few months. We’re looking forward to see you all in the gym.

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WOD of the Week

Who made it out for Fleet Week this weekend? Hope you all were able to catch the air show on Friday and Saturday before the dense fog moved in on Sunday, cancelling the show. But perhaps you were at the gym for Barbell Club flexing your snatch work or clean and jerks.

We kicked off Barbell Club this week, thanks to Coach Kate. If you haven’t checked it out, sign-up today! Classes take place:

• Tuesday & Thursday - 5:30 - 7 pm

• Sundays - 10 - 11:30 am

Many of you have expressed interest in Barbell Club and we’re excited to hear it. Many of you have a lot of questions, so we wanted to make sure we provided more clarity. Here’s the deal:

• Barbell Club is for EVERYONE: You don’t have to be some rough, tough, buff lifter to be part of the club. The “club” is inclusive and supportive of every type of athlete. Think of Barbell Club as a way to improve your lifting technique, get dedicated coaching feedback from experts, and get stronger!

• Barbell Club is different from normal classes: Yes, Barbell Club is different from our normally programmed Crossfit classes. Barbell Club focuses on Olympic style movements, such as snatches, clean and jerks, and deadlifts. Classes will focus on strength building and refining lifting techniques. These classes are also 90-minutes long versus our traditional 60-minute classes.

• It is extra: If you’re an annual member, you get 3-classes free annually. Otherwise, it is $100 extra a month for Annual or Month-by-Month members. The extra $100 gets you access to 4-weeks of Barbell Club programming ($8.33/class additional). The monthly membership gives your access to the programming in advance and a way to track your progress. If you think you will attend more than 3 barbell classes a month, the monthly access option is the best.

• You don’t need to commit to the full cycle: You’re probably thinking, I’m not ready to commit to a full 4-weeks of cycle, but I want to drop-in here or there. Not a problem — you are not required to commit to a full month’s cycle. You have the option of paying per drop-in class or purchase a 10-pack class pass to use towards barbell club classes.

• Barbell Club Only Membership: You can absolutely sign-up only for Barbell Club classes for your membership option. At this time, we only offer a month-to-month membership for Barbell Club.

All sign-up options are available in the MindBody app. If you have any further questions, please reach out barbell@fogcitycf.com.

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WOD of the Week:

We have to announce a violation of our unspoken Moratorium that was put in place to make sure our beloved members don’t leave the city of San Francisco. We haven’t talked about the Moratorium much, but something that’s been in place for a while. However, whenever it gets violated, we have to call it out. Lisa Guadagnolo is the latest member who is moving to Houston. It' pains us to call her out this way, but we do it out of pure love.

Lisa has been a member of the greater Fog City community (Arena Ready days) for many years. What started off as a casual stop in at the gym with a co-worker turned into a lifelong friendship. For those of you who have worked out with Lisa, you know how strong and athletic she is. Don’t let her tiny frame fool you — she is a tiny beast. Lisa has also been a coach at our gym for many years, thoughtfully guiding athletes through rough and tough workouts.

After 12 years in San Francisco, she will be moving to Houston along with her husband and daughter. We will miss her friendship, coaching, and competitiveness in our gym dearly. We wish her all the success on her new journey. We look forward to seeing her in the future.

Here are her words taken from a recent Slack message:

Dear Fog City Fam,

The time has come for me to say my farewells to you all As most of you know by now, we’re moving to Houston and we’re down to the last days of being in the Bay Area. I’d love to see you all at the ParkLabs gathering on Saturday or at my last coaching day this Sunday at Open Gym!

When I moved to SF in 2010, I could count the number of friends I had on one hand. In leaving 12 years later, I feel blessed to have made so many lifelong connections. Whether I had the privilege of coaching you, working out alongside you, and/or sharing a food item or beverage with you, it’s been a wonderful 12 years. I’m forever grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of the community as a member, coach, and board member.

If you’re ever in Houston, please reach out to say hi! Since everyone in Texas seems to flee during the dreaded summertime, we’ll likely be back for a few weeks then! So, it’s not goodbye, it’s see you later.

Thank you all for coming out this weekend to our afternoon hangout at Parklabs! We had a chance to say our goodbyes to Lisa. Look forward to another hangout in the future!

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WOD of the Week:

📯 Happy Rosh Hashanah to our members who are celebrating. Wishing you a wonderful year ahead. Shanah Tovah!

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🏋🏼‍♀️ Barbell Class Details:

As we mentioned at the Town Hall, we’re excited to launch a Barbell Class in our new space starting on Tuesday 10/4!  Here are the details:

What is FCCF Barbell Class and Programming?

• 90-min sessions, 3 days per week (4th optional session programmed for open gym time)

• Includes 4-week cycles for both Olympic Weightlifting and Powerlifting with access via spreadsheet to warm-ups, programming, coaching notes, and video demos

• Video review during classes (and for Individual sessions depending on demand)

• Membership options available for both class participation & programming to do on your own

Where? Our new space, 1643 Valencia St (Enter through FCCF main entrance, 1649 Valencia garage door. Please be respectful of any ongoing class activities.)

When? First class: Tuesday 10/4. Tuesdays & Thursdays 5:30-7pm, Sundays 10-11:30am

Who?

• All levels are welcome, whether you are brand new to lifting or a seasoned competitor!

• Coach Kate Fulghum (USAW-L2) who has many years of competitive weightlifting experience and passion for the sport will be leading classes and programming.  

• Coach Hillary Terry (USAW-L1) who has competed at the USA Weightlifting National Championships and the American Open (2013-2014) will be an advisor.

Why? Because weightlifting is awesome our members expressed interest in having this class via member surveys.

How?  Sign up for classes in MindBody and purchase a Barbell membership using one of the below options (Barbell classes are an additional cost to membership as they require extra programming, coaching, equipment, and space). Attend our Q&A session on Wednesday 9/28 at 8pm to answer any questions.

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🍁🍂 Fall Afternoon Hangout: 10/1/2022

Fog City CF Board would like to invite all of you for an Afternoon Hangout at Parklab Gardens on 10/1/2022 from 3-5 pm to celebrate the start of Fall. We’ve reserved a cabana for all of us to hangout. There will be food trucks serving drinks and food. Come hangout with the community and reconnect! Please RSVP here.

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WOD of the Week:

🍂🍁Ahh yes, the latter half of September is in full swing, which means Fall is starting this week, officially on September 22nd. With Fall around the corner, we are already seeing the weather changing and pumpkin 🎃 spice everything, everywhere. Fall is always a sweet time of the year and a time where we remember a much loved community member (pre-Fog City CF days).

Remembering Sparkle ✨✨✨

Lindsay Stokman was a member of our community for many years along with her partner Jon. Lindsay was best known for her nickname, Sparkle. She was truly full of Sparkle. She was spunky, funny, competitive, and most of all loving. She cared deeply about her relationships at Arena Ready and built very tight bonds with many of our community members. She passed away tragically on September 9, 2019, leaving behind her partner Jon and her two children. Her passing was a reminder to us all that life is precious. In her honor, a memorial WOD was programmed for her and one that we have done every year. We’re honored to be programming this WOD again this year to complete during Saturday’s classes. Don’t forget to wear your Sparkle shirts if you have one.

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Things to know about this week’s WOD

This week’s workouts may look a little different to you as we have a deload week on tap. These weeks are important for some rest and recovery. If you’re been coming in regularly, you’re probably feeling the effects of our recent workouts. This week will help reinvigorate you to be ready to take on more in the weeks ahead! If you’re just coming back to things and finding your groove, don’t worry! All of these workouts still pack a punch: talk to your coach about how to increase the intensity. Either way, we can’t wait to see you all at the gym this week!

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Mark your Calendars

Fog City CF Board would like to invite all of you for an Afternoon Hangout at Parklab Gardens on 10/1/2022 from 3-5 pm to celebrate the start of Fall. We’ve reserved a cabana for all of us to hangout. There will be food trucks serving drinks and food. Come hangout with the community and reconnect! Please RSVP here.

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WOD of the Week:

Thanks to everyone who attended tonight’s Town Hall! We shared some important updates about our membership, new space, new barbell/weightlifting classes, and upcoming renewals.

If you weren’t able to make the call, no worries at all. We’ll be sending out an email with details. A couple topics that we discussed:

• We will be introducing new 90-minute barbell/weightlifting classes outside of normal CrossFit programming. Stay tuned for more information on this. Classes start in October.

• Membership renewals are coming up! Don’t forget to renew your membership and consider the new options we’ve added for additional barbell/weightlifting classes.

• We’ve been using our new space as a soft open the last few days. If you’re an annual member, please come in use the space. Don’t forget to sign the waiver to use the space.

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WOD of the Week:

Great seeing many of you over the weekend and Labor Day. We had a good turn out of folks testing out the new platforms in our adjacent gym space. Excited to have an addition to our current facility. We’ll share more details about the future of our new space and ideas of what is possible. Don’t forget to join the Town Hall this Sunday, 9/11/2022 at 8 pm.

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WOD of the Week:

Happy last week of August! We have a couple of updates for Labor Day Weekend to share with you all:

Saturday (9/3) will be our annual Labor Day weekend workout: The Seven. You can do it on your own, and compare to past years, or we’ll have a Sweaty Saturday partner version.

And then, join us on Labor Day Monday for the soft launch of our new space (1643 Valencia)! We’ll do our first workout there. Our new wing features Olympic lifting platforms, so we’ll be doing an Olympic weightlifting total (a heavy snatch and clean & jerk). It’ll be a holiday schedule (same as Saturday – 8am, 9:15am, and 10:30am). Come help break in our new platforms with your awesome lifts!

Hope everyone had a great weekend. The weather in San Francisco has been incredible these last few days. Hope you all had a chance to get out in the sun. We’re going to keep things short tonight because House of the Dragon just dropped and need to watch it before there are spoilers in the morning.

Mark your calendars for Sunday, September 11th at 8 pm — Fog City CF will be hosting its Q3 Town Hall to share the latest and greatest of what’s coming up for the community.

Have an amazing week ahead — get ready for some heavy lifting! 💪🏼

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WOD for the Week:

It’s hard to believe that we turned two years old on August 12, 2022! What started off as a group of friends and community members working out with masks on a borrowed basketball court turned into a thriving business and a beautiful facility. We thought it would be great to share a little history about how we got started as a business and what we’re looking forward to in the next year.

Before we were Fog City CF

Many of the OG members of Fog City CF were members of a CrossFit gym called Arena Ready (AR). Some of the strongest bonds and friendships of our community were formed during the glorious AR days. The owners of AR moved prior to the pandemic and transferred ownership. Like many businesses, AR did not survive the pandemic. However, the community was very committed to staying together and getting through the pandemic. Coaches volunteered to lead classes outdoors in a borrowed space in McLaren Park and people showed up, even if it meant sweating it out with masks on, 6-feet apart. The resilience of our community was undeniable. 

Forming of Fog City CF

It was during these sweaty workouts when a group of community members discussed the possibility of restarting a gym with a physical facility. While the physical facility was the anchor point to starting a gym, we knew that we needed a non-traditional structure to be sustainable and decided on a member owned and operated gym. This model enlisted three co-owners, Hillary Hegener, Gordon Whitehouse, and Lindsay Green-Barber along with a number of investors and support members. Fog City CF became a registered LLC on August 12, 2020. 

With commitments from members secured and the LLC in place, the next step was to find our own physical facility with a sizable outdoor space to help us get through Covid restrictions. We were fortunate enough to land our current place after some tough negotiations, 1649 Valencia Street. Thanks to the effort of our community members, we began building out the space to use once restrictions eased and we were allowed to work out indoors. In the meantime, we started working out in the parking lot, with the first class held on 10/31/2020. When San Francisco finally gave gym owners the thumbs up to have classes indoors in March 2021, we finally moved inside! 

What we’ve built

We are so proud of the community we have created at Fog City CF. It’s a community built on trust, resilience, and grit. We are proud to have grown our membership in such a short time. We continue to grow our community through monthly onboarding classes and drop-ins. We’ve hosted events and seminars and fundraised for some notable causes. We’ve made new friendships and continued to nurture existing friendships. It truly warms our hearts to see this community become what it is today.

Where we’re headed

We’re excited to be opening up an adjacent space, 1643 Valencia Street. We’ve always envisioned expanding our current space to allow for additional ways to support our members. With the opening of the new space, we’re excited about the possibilities of what we can offer. We’re currently exploring ways for our members to use the space for open gym time, barbell club, weightlifting seminars, personal training, and more. We would love to hear your ideas about what the space can be used for, send us your thoughts via the member survey this week or emailing info@fogcitycf.com.

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WOD for the Week:

The CrossFit Games wrapped up today, and what week of thrilling competition it was! 

From Day 1 of the Games, right up until the very last event, there was a little bit of everything: drama, incredible fitness feats, and some new movements. But at the end, the 2022 champions were familiar faces on the men, women, and team divisions. Tia-Clair Toomey solidified her Greatest Of All Time Status by winning her SIXTH consecutive CrossFit Games, while Justin Medeiros repeated as the men’s champion. On the Team side, Rich Froning’s CrossFit Mayhem Freedom stood atop the podium yet again (his sixth team title). All in all, this year’s Games had some really fantastic moments where you saw athletes push themselves to the limit. 

While the main spotlight was on the individual championships and the team events, it’s worth noting that the CrossFit Games has a number of other divisions that also crown champions at the end of the week. Men and women in the adaptive divisions, teens, and Masters competed as well over the course of the week. Athletes in these divisions were equally inspiring to watch, and it’s amazing to see the competition of fitness in different ages, bodies, and abilities. 

As always, one of the incredible things that’s happened as CrossFit has grown all over the world is to see people how it brings everyone together in one place. From small towns to garage gyms to major metropolitans, it’s been fascinating to see people from different parts of the world participate in the Games. And not only that, but every year, the crowd that shows up to cheer the athletes on grows as well! Our very own Jen Clarke was able to attend most of the events during the Games, and able to attend some of the other offerings for spectators as well! If you see her around the gym, ask her about some of the souvenirs she picked up and who she was able to test her selfie skills with :)

If you want to catch up on any of the action, check out the summaries at games.crossfit.com and the Morning Chalk Up and the archived streams on YouTube: 

We’ll see you in the gym this week!

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WODs for the Week: