Training and Games Update

New photos from CrossFit HQ

2009-08-02T18:04:00.000-07:00

Ryan Lucas from CrossFit HQ was kind enough to send us the following Games photos:

Photos added to Games slideshow

Thank you Ryan!

Games in Review by Jerome Perryman

2009-07-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

My experience of the 2009 Crossfit Games was Incredible! I will never forget that day of pure hell. But, before I can talk about my experience at the Games, I must talk briefly about the training leading up to the games, and the anticipation to even qualify to get there. I originally had no serious plans to compete. I heard about previous Games, it sounded fascinating, but I did not consider participating. I have been competitive ALL my life, primarily through sports, and it felt good, for a fraction of a second, to let the competitive edge go. But, maybe it was human nature, maybe it was the years and years of competition..... maybe it was the familiarity of the running, lifting, pushing and pulling, that pulled me back into this mode of competition once again.... I don't really know what it was that beckoned me to compete, but I heard my calling, and I just knew I HAD to give it a shot!
In my opinion, it was late in the game to start competitive training, or, to start "Games" training. When I decided to begin my competition regiment, 3 or 4 months had already passed since the 2008 Showdown in Aromas. You see, only in my opinion, you need EVERY bit of a full year to train for the Crossfit Games, and even still, one year is NOT enough. There are too many things to be good at, too many WOD times to beat, too many Oly lifts to master, too many rows to do, too many tires to flip, and too many hills to run.... and even still, with all that accomplished, you can still never be good enough for the Games. But I still trained. I trained HARD.... I trained the only way I knew how.....and that was giving nothing less than MY best. I was lucky and inspired when I qualified in Seattle to go to the Games. I knew my next competition after Seattle would be in California against the Best of the Best!!! My training continued, and I trained Harder, and I was determined to know, how good my good really was.
My experience at the Crossfit Games was INCREDIBLE! I will never forget the day to come of pure HELL, and once it came, I embraced it! The moment I left Portland and was in the air headed to Aromas, I had my game face on. The flight was only 1.5 hrs long, but it seemed to take forever... I just could not get there fast enough. After 9 grueling months of training, and a week long recovery from the Seattle Q's, I was ready to compete again.... I was ready for something, anything.... I wanted a piece of the action and I wanted it NOW!!!
That chilly morning of July 11th was intense. We had our mandatory orientation for all the athletes competing in the Individual events. The meeting was held in "The Barn." This was where all athletes would gather and hang out before, during, and after the events. I remember sitting in that room waiting for Dave Castro to start roll-call for over 150 Elite athletes. I remember him calling off the names alphabetically of guys and gals that I had only heard of or seen on the Crossfit Main Site, or on the movie "Every Second Counts." I remember him calling names of guys who I studied religiously, their bios, stats, profiles, workout videos. It never felt more real when I heard Castro call off, "Josh Everett", "James Fitzgerald-OPT", "Jason Khalipa"... Everyone, was checking out everyone else. Nobody in that room knew who was going to prevail and win the Games. Would it be one of the "Big Names???" Would it be a "Nobody" like the year before??? No one knew, so, all we could do during roll-call was look at each other, no dialog, no facial expressions, just a blank gaze and wonder how each of us matched up.
The first event was painful!! The run was long and hard! But it was GREAT!!! I remember over 150 Elite athletes herded up like barn animals, and waiting to take off like running bulls as soon as Dave Castro gave the countdown of "3-2-1 GO!!" It was surreal for me at first. I was running, but it felt like I was floating.... I could not believe that at that moment, all the preparation and training put me in the middle of an event that was taking place right NOW!!!..... It was INSANE!!!!! Guys and gals were running and fighting for position in the pack. Early and even later on in the race, I remember passing athletes that I had heard about, that I watched in videos and movies. It was so crazy at first because I didn't know if I was supposed to be passing them or not. Why was I passing this athlete, I thought to myself..... do they know something about this race that I don't??? But I kept going, and going, and going. The run got harder, and it got hotter. By the end of the race, we all ended in the Barn. We were ALL exhausted, and dirty as Hell from falling, climbing, clawing and sliding down the rugged hills of Aromas.
After I had finished the race, I sat down exhausted. One of my biggest highlights I remember, was seeing Jen Kellams come in the Barn.... she had finished the race, and she had a dirty brown face with the BIGGEST smile I have ever seen. She looked at me with BIG eyes, just laughing and smiling. I got up from my chair and gave her a hug because I was so proud of her. Words could not describe the emotions we ALL felt after finishing that run. After training with Jen for nearly a year, I knew what her smile meant. I knew what was behind the glare in her big eyes..... it was accomplishment, victory, pleasure and pain, it was months of training in the hot and cold, it was the SACRIFICES, sacrifices of time, friends, family, it was commitment, to diet, training, and intensity. The emotions were personal, yet shared unspoken, throughout all the athletes that crossed that finish line. That first run was the beginning of a long day.
The 4 other events I participated in that day were also grueling, and I loved it!!! There are other highlights, but none as personal and memorable as those mentioned above. I will train again for next years Games. I am appreciative to have been able to experience all that I did this year. I will be back, and I will be back more prepared, physically and mentally in 2010.
My experience of the 2009 Crossfit Games was Incredible! I will never forget that day of pure hell.

Jerome Perryman
2009 CrossFit Games Competitor
17th Place

Jerome Event 5

2009-07-19T22:46:00.000-07:00

Two short videos of our big man against the WOD:

Games Photo Album

2009-07-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

Here is what we could scrounge up...

The Events and Results

2009-07-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Event 1 - The Run
The first event is a 7.1km run through varied terrain including both asphalt and extremely steep hills off trail. The athlete's time will be electronically determined by a chip given to the athlete prior to the race.

Event 2 - The Deadlift
Heaviest successful deadlift completed lifting one rep every 30sec. Each competitor will begin at the first barbell, which weighs 315lbs for men and 185lbs for women. Dropping is permitted. The athlete then has 10sec plus any portion of the 20sec remaining to set up at the next bar, which is 10lbs heavier than the previous (so the second bar weighs 325/195). Athletes continue moving to progressively heavier bars until they fail. The athletes are ranked according to the heaviest successful weight lifted before failing.

Event 3 - The Sandbag Hill Sprint
The men will pick up two 35lb sandbags (loosely packed) and sprint approximately 170m uphill. The sandbags begin flat on the ground. The sprint is steep in places, with approximately 100' in elevation gain over the 170m course. Women carry one 35lb sandbag for the same course.

Event 4 - Row / Hammer Stake
Row 500m
Hammer a 4' metal stake into specially prepared, evenly compacted ground (women use a 3' stake)
Row 500m
Details and standards will be given to the athletes on Saturday afternoon.

Event 5 - The Couplet
The two exercises are wallball and barbell snatch. The specifics of the workout will be disclosed on Saturday afternoon. We want the athletes to have the privilege of being the first to perform this exact workout.

"Jennifer and Jerome gave their all and represented HEL well in Aromas, California today.

The first two workouts were a brutal hill run, followed quickly by heavy tabata-esque deadlifts. Jennifer and Jerome both(!) finished 44th in the run. Jen finished 62nd in the deadlifts and was just a few points shy of making the cut and didn't progress to the third workout. Jerome was one of a handful of studs who lifted all 20 increments from 315 to 515 pounds thus getting a first place score.

Jerome advanced to the final 3 workouts. He did well in an uphill sandbag sprint finishing 27th, murdered a row/sledgehammer workout coming in 7th, and was 36th for the fifth and final Saturday workout of Wall-balls and snatches.

Only 16 men and 16 women progressed to Sunday's finals, and unfortunately, Jerome just missed the cut being in 17th place...

We couldn't be more proud of your effort this weekend, Jen and Jerome. And we're even more proud of your effort and spirit in preparation in and around the lab. Congratulations for representing with the fittest men and women on the planet!"

- Coach Daniel Mick
CrossFit HEL

CFJ Article: The Quick and the Deadlifts

2009-07-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

At the CrossFit Games, 16 competitors completed the WOD 2 deadlift ladder, creating log-jam at the top of the standings.

... Jerome Perryman (PR: 606 lb.) got to the end of the WOD with a slight trickle of blood running down his left shin. The big athlete from Portland, Oregon, gripped the bar and ripped it off the ground with ease. “It was pretty easy, yeah,” he said afterward. “I wish they would have gone up a little higher to separate us more...”

- Mike Warkentin

Entire CrossFit Journal Article: Here

Inside and Out

2009-07-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

"The Ranch" where the CrossFit Games are held every year

Inside "The Barn" - Athletes only area

Summary below of what is was like inside the barn - Written by 2nd place winner and new pal Tommy Hackenbruck:

"This should be known about the competitors at the event. In the compound between events I saw athletes sharing food, sunscreen, giving advice on how to attack workouts, helping warm-up, giving encouragement, and congratulating one another. Before my sandbag sprint event Matt Chan came back from his heat and gave me some great advice on how to attack it. Guys were helping Mikko with his double unders before the final chipper because he sucked at them. Coach Glassman taught the Iceland girl how to do a muscle up before the final WOD. Everyone there wanted to win, but they also wanted their competitors to do their best as well. I truly believe that the Spirit of CrossFit is evident by what goes on behind the scenes, and that is what the games are about."

Games Update

2009-07-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

Begining next week, we will start posting video, pictures, Games in review, plus much more!

"THANK YOU to everyone for the incredible support and encouragement we received. What an amazing event... we can't wait for next year!"

- Jennifer & Jerome
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The heat is on!

2009-07-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Jennifer and Jerome leave for Aromas, CA - flying into San Jose. Today is the last tapering session at CrossFit HEL before taking their game down South. Thursday and Friday will be active rest. Individual events begin Saturday. They can expect to perform up to a grueling five WODS day one depending on the process of elimination. The heat is on!

For LIVE updates throughout the weekend - click here.

Check back with us next week!

3...2...1...GO!

Photo taken by: Matthew Brush Photography

CFJ Article: The Names and Numbers behind the Games

2009-07-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

Jerome Perryman was recently featured in the CrossFit Journal. Here is a part of what they had to say about our man of steel:

More Than Meets the Eye
By Mike Warkentin
"Of the 76 male competitors, 18 weigh 200 lb. or more. Most regions produced at least one heavy competitor, but the Northwest Qualifier produced more than its share. All four male representatives—Moe Kelsey, Jerome Perryman, Jason Neago and Jordan Holland —tip the scales above two bills. The lightest 1RM deadlift in the group is the 485 belonging to Kelsey. Perryman, on the other hand, can pull 606—more than any other Games competitor."
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Way to represent, Rome!
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For the entire online CrossFit Journal article - click here.
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Photo taken by: Matthew Brush Photography

Caged Tiger and Soloflex

2009-07-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

A full rest day is in store for Jennifer. We all know taking adequate time off is equally important as nutrition and smart training, but as Jen stated - "not working out feels like being a caged tiger."
Jerome will be at the lab today doing light cardio - running, pull-ups, double-unders and squats.
Both Jen and Jerome are excited and anxious for a big weekend ahead!
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Announced yesterday: 2009 Games scoring and structure here.
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Special Thank You to this weeks sponsors: Darren Bates, Justin Crooks and Kari Friedwald.
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Oh.... and just for fun, check out Jennifer and Jerome's SOLOFLEX video: Here

Mental Preparation

2009-07-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

Five days left until the CrossFit Games!

You can follow the action at crossfitgames.com. Instant updates will be uploaded after the scores from each event are compiled.

Today is an active rest for Jerome while Jennifer has one training session left to catch up. These two will continue to be at the Lab this week, stretching, light work loads, to help maintain their VO2 max level. It will also be a time to mentally prepare for one of the most challenging weekends ahead.

"Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character." -- T. Alan Armstrong
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Photos taken by: Matthew Brush Photography

Training Update: Final Push

2009-07-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Today is the final training session before Jennifer and Jerome begin to taper off for the week. They leave Thursday for Aromas! Saturday will be the first day of events for individuals. There will be 77 men and 74 women along with close to 100 affiliate teams breathing fire this weekend. Top athletes and teams advance to the finals on Sunday.

Lots going on this week!

If you see Jerome or Jen at the Lab - wish them luck!

Stay tuned for new blog entries each day before their departure!

Photos taken by: Matthew Brush Photography

Photos by: Matthew Brush Photography

2009-07-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

The training continues ...

Thank you Matt Brush!
www.matthewbrush.com

Sponsor Highlight: Matthew Brush Photography

2009-06-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week team extreme met up with Matt Brush for a photo shoot highlighting some recently acquired Lululemon gear. After raiding equipment from CF HEL - Jerome and Jennifer headed over to the beautiful and old historic Washington High School with Matt and his crew to show off their CrossFit moves... and... yes... plenty of onlookers asking "what kind of work out is that?!"

Check back soon for new training photos!

Special thanks to Matt Brush for a fun and professional photo session.

Training Update: "All-In" Style

2009-06-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

Counting down with 19 days left until Aromas. Jen and Rome continue their Games preparation going "all-in" - leaving nothing behind but a sweat angle after each training session. Tomorrow they meet with coach Tommy Rudge for another high-stakes match.

Later this week: Photo shoot with Matt Brush

Special recognition to CFHEL member Clayton Root of I AM Graphics for his video that made the Games main site. Lots of incredible feedback. Well done!

Video: Moving Forward To The Games

2009-06-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

Perryman and Kellams training at CrossFit HEL

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Thank you, Clayton, for creating this exciting video!

Video by: Clayton Root with I AM Graphics (also CrossFit HEL member)

Training Update: Mess You Up!

2009-06-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was no walk in the park for Rome and Jen when meeting with Coach Tommy Rudge who clearly had a mission to absolutely destroy the training duo. Some of you have seen that smirk on Tommy's face upon entering HEL ... You know you're in trouble.
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They started off with a high intense WOD that involved 5 Rounds of: 21 Sumo Deadlift High-Pulls, 12 Ring Dips, and 50 Sledge Hammer Hits. Tommy was on them the entire time to keep moving FASTER! No weight gazing allowed under this guys watch.
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Not enough?
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How about 200 box steps (used to simulate the hill of death that awaits them in Aromas) followed by 1,000 meter Row (supposed to feel like running down hill, right?). Jen's comment to Jerome "See you at the bottom!" Of course rowing being one of Jerome's strengths, he was way ahead to home plate. After the work-out, Tommy gave Jerome the brilliant idea to use 70 # Slam-ball to see how fast he could perform the WOD 'Grace': 30 Clean & Jerks . Give it a try sometime. Mess you up!
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3...2...1...GO!

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Photo of Jerome Perryman courtesy of Matthew Brush Photography. Taken 2008.

CF Level 1 Coach Certification

2009-06-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

It was a fun weekend in H.E.L.!
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CrossFitters from all over NW area attended CF Level 1 Coach certification held at CrossFit Human Evolution Labs. It was a great review for Jerome and Jennifer as they approach the Games next month. Who knows - maybe they will have a thing or two to teach others down the road.

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The work-outs performed over the weekend were 'Fran' and 'Fight Gone Bad'. You can also check out this YouTube video to find out what 8 Tabata Squat Intervals are all about during an HQ seminar: Tabata Squats 101 Ouch!

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Thank you to CFHEL Coaches: Kevin, Tommy, Ken and Daniel, for a smooth and rewarding seminar. This was the third L1 Coach certification hosted by H.E.L. and Coach Tommy's first internship with CrossFit HQ. He did an awesome job! We saw several athletes get their first Muscle-Up through his hands-on instruction! (Not sure, but it's possible that Jennifer won the challenge for slowest Muscle-Up performed.)

Coming up this week: Training Video by Clayton Root with I AM Graphics

Sponsor Highlight: Lululemon Athletica

2009-06-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

Lululemon donated $1,000 for Jennifer and Jerome to spend at Pearl District location. Shopping spree ahead! Here is what Lululemon had to say:

"Congratulations on qualifying and good luck at the Games. We are happy to provide you with some of our product to ensure that you are wearing the best functional clothing for your sport!"

- Allison Forsyth

Athlete Coordinator

Lululemon’s first store opened in the beach area of Vancouver, B.C. in November of 2000. Local store located at: 1231 NW Couch Street - PDX, OR 97209

Training Update: Squats, Video and Coach Certification

2009-06-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jerome and Jen trained with the 1700 and 1800 team. Clayton Root (another CFHEL member) with I AM Graphics, met up with them to shoot film for an upcoming marketing video. They worked on heavy Squat Cleans followed by a tough met-con that involved 135# (men) 95# (women) Thrusters, Rope Accent (Rookies: Keep an extra pair of long socks in your locker!), Ring Dips, Tire Drags and Flips. To finish their training session - 3 attempts at 500meter Row. Skill for the day: Muscle-Ups! Jen's favorite!

This weekend the training duo will participate in the CrossFit Level 1 Coach Certification. Yes, these guys will soon be L1 Coach certified! CrossFit H.E.L. will proudly host the event on Saturday and Sunday.

Stay tuned for upcoming video and more updates!

A big Thank You to Head Coach and Owner, Kevin Aillaud, for his generous L1 Cert. hook up! Also, a special Thank You to this weeks sponsors: Noel and Dave, Jackie, Lee, Clayton, Ryan B, and Jennifer G. All CFHEL members!

Photos provided by: Clayton Root of I AM Graphics - taken 06/02/2009

Jerome Perryman - Video of 606# Deadlift!

2009-05-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

Here it is... unreal!

2009-05-26T12:13:00.001-07:00

Updates coming soon!