Source: WOD Talk Magazine
By Alexis Bennett
This weekend marks the last of Regional competition, one step closer to the conclusion of the Open season and The Reebok Games. For many, the 2014 season is over and athletes are already looking forward to 2015. But for some, like the team from Nampa, Idaho, the season never ends.
Though they were short of qualifying for competition in Carson City, Snake River CrossFit is more motivated than ever. The team was unable to stifle their excitement for their friends at Boise CrossFit, a local team that finished third at Northwest Regionals—an accomplishment that made their 2015 Games qualification goal feel tangible.
The team embodies this notion well as they are comprised of individuals who are heavily involved in both their local and CrossFit community. They are firefighters, parents, local athletes, and members of the workforce.
This interview is a glimpse into the highs and lows that is the CrossFit open. SRCF owners Frank and Micheala Beauvais along with member/teammates Eric Haskins, Chrisie Paiz, and Jeremy Heinrich weigh-in on the lead up to Regionals, reflections on the event, and what is next for them and Boise CrossFit.
How long have you been competing as a team?
Eric Haskins: This will be our first year as a “team.” Snake River CrossFit is relatively new, I think going on two years now, so this is the first year we’ve had as a community to really develop competitive CrossFit athletes in hopes of qualifying a team.
Individually?
Frank: This will be our first competition as a team. We have been training as a competitors group for the past eight-months approximately.
Michaela: It’s been awhile since I’ve competed, even at a local level. A young family, a husband who works 48-hour shifts as a fire fighter, and a growing affiliate, leaves little time for focused training.
Eric: This will be my second trip to Regionals. In 2013, I qualified with the CrossFit Refinery (Boise, Idaho) team where we went on to place 18th in the Northwest.
What is the team dynamic like?
Frank Beauvais: Team dynamic is very open. We are all ‘OK’ with ourselves. Ego is not a problem. We have Eric Haskins and Sun Chang, who have both competed at Regionals, steering the team—it works well as they have the background. Our team is comprised of almost all former college athletes all who played on teams, so selfless work for the team is our norm.
Michaela: This group is positive, supportive, and we share a lot of laughs. Our time together is focused and fun.
Jeremy Heinrich: Like a very intense version of Bill Romanowski…It’s concerning…
Eric: The team dynamic has been evolving since the inception of our “Competitor’s Class” after the 2013 Games. We have a pretty solid group that has grown immensely and I would say we train as a larger group more often than just our team. If there’s a “secret” to this thing, it’s training with your friends and sharing in each other’s struggles and successes. When we have a big group of athletes showing up to throw down, it makes for quite an ideal training environment. With the variety of workouts that we do it could be your day to thrive with the best in the gym on any given day.
What is your athletic background?
Frank: I played high school baseball and soccer. After high school I continued to compete on traveling soccer teams, and then city league until 2006 when I blew out my left knee ACL, MCL and LCL. Hooray for cadaver tendons! I have been a gym rat from middle school onward and have held my ACE certification since 1996. When I first moved to Idaho, I picked up mountain and road biking. Though I loved to mountain bike I gave it up at the birth of my kiddos. It took too much time and a four-hour ride isn’t too cool with a one-year-old at home. I also enjoy rucking. I’ve done multiple 12 to 14 hour GoRuck challenges, and one 24 hour event in San Francisco. I find it to be some life changing stuff; to carry 50 pounds on your back while being subjected to forced marches and a variety of PT and water entry is super uncomfortable, but awesome.
Michaela: Some recreational sports, soccer and volleyball.
Chrisie: I grew up with a lot of boy cousins, so I played any and every sport. Basketball was my sport of choice as I got older and I played Division 1 college basketball.
Jeremy: I played four years of Division 1 college football as a linebacker. I have been involved in various athletic endeavors for as long as I can remember.
Eric: I was a professional snowboarder for six years. While a member of the US Project Gold Snowboard Team I pursued a spot on the US Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I retired and was recruited to play ice hockey at Boise State University. I just wrapped up my collegiate career this spring after playing for four years, three of which I was captain.
How do you balance your work-life-training schedule?
Frank: It is an ever present challenge. I am a fireman, and work 48 hours on, and 96 hours off. I also own an affiliate and work hard to be a competitive athlete. My wife and I really try to keep lines of communication open and always work to do little things for the one another. We lack sleep and going out time. Sometimes the WOD just doesn’t happen because kiddos are far more important. We just train as hard as possible when the time is available.
Michaela: Frank and I own Snake River CrossFit and he is a professional firefighter. We have two young children and are super involved in the community. It’s a sprint! Our days are long, life is great, and we train hard when we can. If 20 minutes opens up, we have to grab a barbell or work a skill. Though we own one of the premier training facilities in the Treasure Valley, we sometimes find ourselves doing heavy back squats late at night in our garage! It’s hilarious.
Chrisie: It’s pretty busy with the additional competition training we have been doing since January. I usually commute 30 minutes from work to Snake River CrossFit half of the week for training and do my additional training in my garage gym. A Monday through Friday eight to five work day means that I usually spend most of my evening training.
Jeremy: I don’t do it well. I work a lot, and at times keep odd hours. I workout with my wife, and that’s how we spend time together. This helps us stay connected, and we enjoy the time we get to spend together.
Eric: One day at a time. I’ve got a great support team in my family, friends, teammates, and coaches. They seem to keep me on track and from losing my mind most of the time.
What part of Regionals were you most excited for as a team?
Frank: I was most excited for the team to suffer together and succeed. It was empowering.
Michaela: We were excited to showcase our training as a group. We enjoyed this amazing opportunity and experience to learn, and grow from it. Our community was outrageously supportive during the Open, so for eight of us to be able to represent Snake River CrossFit at Regionals was a great accomplishment for our entire gym. We were stoked!
Jeremy: The chance to represent our gym and go toe-to-toe with some of the best the CrossFit world has to offer. I’m just extremely grateful to get the opportunity to compete. This past year has been quite the journey and a bit overwhelming, to say the least, so for it to culminate at the CF Games NW Regional was pretty cool. I’d much rather compete with SRCF than miserably sit through my Boise State graduation ceremony that weekend anyway!
Eric: I was excited for my teammates who got the opportunity to compete at Regionals for the very first time. I looked forward to seeing their faces as they took the floor for that first workout.
What was your favorite and least favorite WOD?
Michaela: The first one with the muscle-ups and clean and jerks was the one that I struggled most with. Surprisingly, it was the workout that I thought that I had handled based on our practices. And, the final workout was the one that I most enjoyed. Eric was out there on the floor with me, and that was really encouraging.
Eric: The deadlift and toe-to-bar WOD was a nightmare. I knew it would be. The thrusters and rope climbs were definitely in my wheelhouse, and I handled the workload well.
What advice would you have given yourself the Thursday prior to Regionals now that you’ve experienced the event?
Michaela: Be confident. We went in as prepared as we could’ve been. The vibe on the floor is so positive, so I would’ve advised myself to be in the moment and just enjoy it.
Eric: Keep better track of your shoes. Lost shoes were an ongoing theme for me. I would remind myself to go into it with no expectations and just do my best. I learned last year, and even more this year that you can prepare as much as you want, but sometimes the unexpected happens and you have to go for it.
Overall, how do you feel about the team’s performance and your experience at Regionals?
Frank: To see Boise CrossFit qualify was great. We’ve trained with them and have been able to hold our own in workouts, so for them to advance to The Games has made it a tangible goal for us. The fact that it’s not out of reach is super motivating. We’re also proud and supportive of them. I sent those guys a text immediately that said, “One team, one valley, one state.” That’s how we feel. They’re good people and we’re going to help them fundraise. The rest of the valley will also be behind them, I’m sure.
Michaela: Everyone is really pleased with how everything turned out. The team came together that weekend. I don’t think that you’re really a team until you compete together.
Eric: I was a lot happier with my performance this year. The way that the weekend was run was a lot different, and a lot better. The back-to-back event format was great because it cut down on lag time between workouts so I was able to stay focused and compete well. The workouts were shorter and more manageable as well. Overall, it was just a better experience.
What’s next?
Frank: We’re building a larger facility, so we will start construction for that. We are also supporters of Team Red, White, and Blue and will be hosting a WOD with Warriors Event on Saturday (May 24). We will definitely stay busy and train hard for next year.
Now that the new team has had a taste for that level of competition, they are motivated to go back next year. And, the preparation begins now.
About Alexis: Alexis Bennett is a graduate of The College of Idaho. As a college freshman, she competed as a sprinter for Willamette University and qualified for the 2010 NWC championships in three events. Her appreciation for CrossFit began in high school when a local firefighter introduced her to CrossFit.com as a way to recoup from an injury and a means to stay in shape in the off-season. Alexis punished herself and her friends with workouts from the site until she finally joined a box in 2013. Through several journalism and editorial internships, one with online supplement company Bodybuilding.com and another with the American Quarter Horse Association, Alexis has found a love for writing, and is eager to share athlete stories and other information with the CrossFit community through the open season. Alexis is an Assistant Editor for Horse&Rider magazine, and when she is not at a horse show, squatting or shamelessly indulging in a “pastries for PRs” cheat meal she enjoys reading, cooking, and riding horses. She is a part of Flatirons CrossFit and Weightlifting Club in Boulder, CO.