Crossfit...
I remember my 22-year old nephew coming home from school one summer talking all crazy about this new hardcore fitness regimen that he'd started following. Crossfit, he called it. He told me about all the heavy barbell lifting, the lung-busting endurance workouts. Told me about WOD's, about Burpees, about girls named Fran, Helen, and Grace. Told me how he'd sit at his computer every night, hitting refresh, waiting to see what tomorrow’s workout would be. Showed me his 2-pood kettlebell in the garage, how to swing it. I couldn't even lift it. Crossfit...some extreme fad for adrenaline-junkie young athletes right?. I guess. But me? a 38 year old office-working, television-watching, junk-food eating new dad? I don't think so. But I was fascinated...
It was a year or so later, when CFLI was about to open its doors, that I started thinking about it again, I'd had a Bally's membership for over 10 years. 8 bucks a month, couldn't beat it. Once a year I'd start going again, try to lose weight and get fit. Inevitably I'd be back on the couch again. There was just no motivation to keep going. The physical results were minimal, and the atmosphere? Please. No one knew who I was, no one cared. Everyone just doing their own thing, lifting things up and putting them down. Running in place, riding ellipticals, whatever the F that is. If I was ever gonna make it, I knew wanted something different. I NEEDED something different…

Another 6 or 8 months passed until I finally walked in the door @ 54 Old Dock Road for my baseline workout. I was fat, I was listless, and I was just plain pathetic. But more importantly…I was ready. Ready to change my life, once and for all. I was ready to put it all in the hands of Coach Cos and CFLI. That was February 5th. I weighed close to 240 pounds, I was soft, I was weak, and I nearly threw up after 10 minutes. But I left there that morning feeling something, knowing something had just begun…

Its September now, and I’ve spent the last 8 months rebuilding my life. I’ve been at that box religiously, giving it everything I have, physically and mentally. And it has given back so much more. It has given me the confidence, in mind, body, and soul, to believe there is nothing that I cannot do. I don’t really know how else describe my experience other than to say that I am reborn. I’m living life the way I wish I would have for all these years. I’m 40 now, I weigh under 210 pounds, and I look and feel better than I have in my entire life. I have changed the way I approach my life in so many ways. CFLI has strengthened my family, it is helping me to pave the way to a healthy lifestyle for my children, and it has brought me into a community of amazing people. It’s even brought me a new business venture. To me, the friendship, support, care, and motivation provided within this wonderful community is truly the backbone of what Crossfit is about. So I give thanks, in a way that I can never repay, to my nephew, Coach Costello, to the rest of the trainers, Brianne, Pat, Ian, and Trav, and to the men and women who grunt, push, sweat, and fight through these WOD’s at my side every day.

BEFORE

AFTER

Peggy Scribner 9/22/10

MY CROSSFIT MATH

Last time I had a gym membership - 30 years ago

Last time I played an organized sport - 18 years ago

Date I joined CrossFit Long Island May 1, 2010

My total weight loss since that date - 30 lbs

My body mass index (BMI) - 20.6

My age - 49

What I have relearned about myself in the last 145 days:

My potential – infinite

Billy's story coming soon....

12/31/10
Today I climbed the rope to the top! I first tried when I got to class and got almost to the top but chickened out. I tried a few more times but each time was worse than the time before. I was really annoyed with myself! At the end of class, with the support of my friends and coaches at CF I got to the top!!!!! It was a great feeling. I looked at my goal sheets in my journal and saw that that was my goal for the YEAR! So after two months, I was already able to meet that goal, which is something I avoided my entire life (I would sneak to the back of the line in gym) and now here I am, at 49 years old, doing something I would never even attempt before. So, thank you to CF, especially Brian, Ian, Brianne and Pat for always pushing and encouraging me to do things I never would have thought I could do!

It is now 8 months later. I think I will add just a few notes… I have lost almost 25 pounds, have gained strength that I never imagined I would. I can do a hand stand (against the wall) a kipping pull up and a ring dip!! So much has changed for me both mentally and physically. I even wore a bikini in public at the beach all summer long (I have not owned one in over 20 years). So I will thank all the amazing coaches again, and all of the wonderful and inspiring people I get the pleasure of going to **** and back with every WOD! My CFLI women's boot camp ladies are the best group of women I have known. We are one!
Thank you! Go ahead, taste the kool aid, you will thank yourself over and over!
-Ann Kazaks

Gabriella Toscano

Where to start? I could write endless pages on my LOVE for CF Long Island. I walked into this box nearly a year ago, looked around and said, "This can't work, they have like 2 machines, and none of them are cardio machines"! I did my consultation and could not walk for 2 days, no joke! My first WOD with Coach Ian, and I will never forget this, was 100 BURPEES FOR TIME!! Now those of us that know how horrible and frightening of a WOD that is, feel my pain. I was like "excuse me, a what? What is a burpee?" Ian laughed and goes is this your first WOD, you can do 50! I was like what, no I'm doing the 100, these things cant be that bad! (Here I am thinking, I go to the gym every day, teach spin, I'm in shape), YEA OK!!! After 30 I was like these people are INSANE and CRAZY, this is NOT normal!! But I did the 100, never looked back and only progressed from there!

I now have become a full fledge CF addict, I stalk the CFLI website, facebook page, Crossfit Lisbeth and many others. I can't wait to see what the WOD of the day is going to be! RX and PR are my favorite letters in the alphabet. The first time I RX'd a workout, I was on cloud 9 for days to come! The 60 minutes I spend here is the best part of my day, it's my time to learn, get stronger and succeed. I leave this box feeling like I can do anything, literally! The camaraderie that comes from this community is unmatched by any other place I have ever been a part of! I could tell you family stories about some of these awesome people I work out with, coaches included. It feels good to know people know you by your name and they know who you are, what you do, what weight you should be using, how much to push you- simply amazing, what a feeling!

I have learned I needed to stop my obsession with the scale (thank you Brian! this was so hard for me). I weigh more now than I did when i started crossfit, by about 10 lbs, however, I can fit in a size 2 pants- go figure! I can wear clothes I wore 4 years ago, and that feeling is amazing to me! I love to wake up every morning and put whatever I want on, because I KNOW IT FITS! I get endless compliments on my toned legs, or arms, and all I say is Crossfit! I feel stronger and better everyday. I'm turning 30 next year and was dreading it, but now I'm like "bring it on!", I don't care, I feel better now that I have EVER FELT IN MY LIFE!

I cant describe how CrossFit has turned my life around, the people, WODS, community, love, it's just endless and I am so proud to be a part of an amazing community!

Thank you Brian and staff for doing what you do everyday, your all an inspiration and have NO IDEA how thankful and appreciative I am for you guys!!