NMCF Happenings

     Just a quick note about all the cool stuff going on in the next few weeks at NMCF so mark your calendars!!

May 18, 2013: 16 athletes will make the trek to Erlanger Kentucky to compete in the Splash and dash hosted by CrossFit Hustle. The gym will be CLOSED so come down and support your family and friends if you have the opportunity. Who is excited to carry that 50 lb ruck sack for a 5k? This should be a great experience and I look forward to sharing it with such cool ass people. If your interested a bunch of us are carpooling down and will leave Franchise's house at 5:30 am

May 27, 2013: Memorial Day ZEUS wod to honor Sam Pearson, and David Hickman. This is a huge event for us and we hope you all can either participate or volunteer to help out if you are not signed up yet do so now!!!! This will be a great opportunity for many of you newbies to get your feet wet in the competition scene with limited pressure and for a great cause.

June 7-9: Central East Regionals in Columbus: Many of us will be going over to watch some amazing athletes throw down. In particular we will be going to show our support  to Joe DeGain of 810 Crossfit. Many of you know Joe is the brainchild of the majority of our programming and a mentor to No Mercy.  Always willing to give me advice and we model our gym after his. Super cool guy and a great competitior. We are privelaged to have Joe as an extended member of the NMCF community so lets band together and let him know he has our gym in his corner.

Just a reminder guys that we realize this is a super busy time of the year with so many baseball games, soccer games an d othe kid activities but lets not neglect our own training. You all deserve an hour a day to yourselves. If you cant make it in during your usual afternoon class make it a point to sacrifice a little and get it in at 6 am or 9 am. You will be glad you did. I look forward to lots of cool ass memories we will make this summer at NMCF. Happy training

Keep on keeping on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     This Thursday marks the four year anniversary of my Father Stephen "Doc" Mikolajewski's passing, he was 62 yrs. old. Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of him or been reminded of him in some small facet. Whoever said time heals all wounds was either a complete idiot or never had anyone mean anything to them. Today I was thinking of my father and decided to reread the eulogy that I wrote for him four years ago. I wrote that if I could ever be half the father, friend, and business man that my father was I will have lived a successful life. Well dad I am here to report that I am no where close to being the man that you were but I am still plugging away. In many ways I still suck at being a husband and a father, but rest assured that all the knowledge you instilled in me regarding running a business I am putting to use. I have lived my whole life hoping that in some way you would be proud of me. You taught me to work my ass off for what I believe in. You taught me to never settle for 2nd best. You taught me that family and friendship should be of utmost importance. You taught me to treat your employees and customers like they were family. I could go on and on about the life lessons you instilled in me. I am sure he thought I wasn't listening, but I definetely was.
     I like to think that No Mercy Crossfit is just an extension of my father's personality. Hard working, laid back, and the true definition of a family oriented community. A place where every single person is respected and applauded for their hard work and not on their ability. I know your smiling down on what we have built and excited to see me still giving it my all every damn day even though I am getting old. I am sure you are thrilled to see Holly doing so well, and the grandkids giving it hell also. We don't know any other way but to work hard to make NMCF the best facility it can be and that is because of the work ethic you instilled in us. So today I thank you dad.
     I have struggled to try to come up with a way to honor my father, and to date I have only kept my dad alive in my own memory. That all changes this Thursday May 9, 2013. On this day we will dedicate a wod that I have affectionately name "Doc". My own personal hero. This is a wod that I have programmed that I think my dad would love to watch, and it fits his personality. I am sure it will be a rough day for me but I will just put my head down and go to work like he damn sure would expect me to do. I hope every single person can make it out and do this workout in Doc's honor whether you ever knew him or not. Hopefully my mom and sister can stop in and do it as well.
Thanks a million -------Joey Franchise

"DOC"

400 meter run

62 pull-ups

62 thrusters (95/65)

62 box jumps

400 meter run

My dad's favorite singer, the one and only Godfather of Soul Mr. Ray Charles

Gone but never forgotten
Stephen H. Mikolajewski
"Doc"

No Mercy Athlete of the Month

It is time to announce the Athlete of The Month for May.  Owner/trainer Holly Mikolajewski has nominated Dru Liette for this distinction. Great choice Holly. Here is Holly's account:

We have chosen Dru Liette as MAY athete of the month. We can remember Dru's first day at the garage, she ran by after work with her scrubs on and tried a WOD in 90 degree weather and NEVER GAVE UP. She still hasn't, and we love that about her.

She's very determined to learn each movement, even if frustration comes with it, but she NEVER GIVES UP. She tries to make it in as much as she can and got in 5 days last week. Her inner drive is contagious..just this past week said she couldn't do the weight on the last round, but she took a step back and came back and finish - again, she NEVER GAVE UP. Awesome job Dru!

She has been in a competition on Bad ASS GRANNYS TEAM & did the Open, and did awesome at both. She also wants everyone else to do just as well on a wod, and we saw that with her drive to push others on during the open. She has really noticed the physical benefits as well - she is down 20 lbs, and is now able to run 400m straight (even for 5 rds which she never thought she would be able to).

If you ever need a good laugh before a wod, find Dru for one of her funny stories... she can always put a smile on your face with her outgoing personality. We really enjoy having her at No Mercy & are proud of her for all she has accomplished!

I can't wait to see what Dru will accomplish in the next year!  Glad to see the confidence you have gained and this is just the beginning. For all you hard work Dru, please choose something to wear from Hylete, Rogue or the CrossFit store, and we will pick up the tab. Job well done Dru!

Short lived success

Today's blog was authored by NMCF's own Jared Younce one of our talented high school athletes. Not many people at seventeen years old are so driven and dedicated as this young man, and I couldn't be prouder of Jared's accomplishments. In todays blog Jared reminds us that CrossFit can teach us so much more in life than simply being fitter. Here is Jared's take on success

"Success is measured through many things; your confidence, your past, and even
your potential. I Only have been crossfitting for a little while but I have learned
more than I could have imagined, for example: time management. The reason I love
crossfit is because everything I learn and train for carries into real life
situations. I have always struggled in getting my work done and staying focused
through high school and in a way I kinda felt comfortable in the back of the
pack. But from managing workouts so I don't get burned out the first 5 minutes
and also having many competitions under my belt, I have learned the not so
simple skill of time management and have started to apply it to my school life.
I have a long ass time to get straight A's but I believe one day I will bring
home a report card to my mom and dad and see the biggest smiles on there face
because I have reached my goal in bring home straight A's. That is "success." I
absolutely love raising the bar on myself and seeing just how far I can push
myself without breaking. And once I do I set goals to push myself further, then
once I shatter those goals I quickly set more because "Success is written with
ice, and eventually the sun is gonna come out." That quote doesn't mean that
everything you have done up to now has melted away and has been forgotten, it
simply means that once you have reached your "Success" you don't dwell or sit on
it to long. Just be proud of yourself, then move on an break more goals. "

                                                             Jared Younce

The time is now........

     Now that the open season is behind us at No Mercy CrossFit a new season has begun. What do we do with ourselves now that we don't have Wednesday evening wod announcements to look forward to? What are we going to do on Friday nights without the wod and cookout to attend? After witnnessing our athletes during the open, and immediately following I am convinced there is a new sense of competitiveness and commitment never before seen at NMCF, and that gets me excited. There will be many events to compete in throughout the summer and rest of the year, and fun times to be had. If running or triathalons are your thing we are planning for them so jump in and give it a shot. CrossFit is all encompassing, maybe you want to do the Memorial Day Zeus wod, now is the time to sign up, Strongman competition may be your next challenge....Whatever you enjoy I urge all of you to get out there and soak it all up.
     So how do we attack the next season? We PLAN, we commit to excellence! If we put in the effort good things will happen at NMCf, and if we fall short of our goals, it damn sure wont be for a lack of trying!!!! So many of you have asked me for extra work since the open so that you will be prepared for next year and that is awesome. It makes our staff feel great when we see all of you doing firebreathers before or after class, and some of you are even doing two a days, but if you dont have a specific plan for success it all becomes a guessing game. I have put together a plan for each of you, and if you follow these steps I guarantee you are on the right path.
1.ATTITUDE: Having a positive attitude determines every time you enter the doors at NMCF determines how successful you will be in the wod. How well you perform in a wod or a competition or life in general only has a little to do with your talent, but everything in life is determined by the attitude you have.

2. ADVERSITY: You are gonna have bad days when you are training hard constantly. Who gives a shit, stay positive and do better the next day! Nobody worth their salt in this world has done great things without being knocked down on occasion. We learn more from our failures than our successes.

3. Purpose: Stay focused on the task at hand each day in your training. If Strength work is your weakness focus on that when it is prescribed. Dont just go do 1000 double unders because you can, and sidestep where you are weak. That is a recipe for disaster

4. Adapt or Die: CrossFit and life are always changing when you become good at a skill dont push it to the side and forget to work on your strengths as well as weaknesses. Stay focused on fundamentals they will always be critical to your success story

5. Goals and Dreams: In life anything great worth having started with a dream. Just because you may never beat Rich Froning doesnt mean you shouldn't try no matter your age or ability. That is what keeps us progressing as a human race. Set goals for yourself and have a specific plan to attain them.

6. Trust: Believe in your trainers and the programming!!!!! We may not always be right but everyting we do is meant to help you get better and generally leads into the next phase of training. If we run 3 days in a row don't question why, we have a method to the madness. We want the best for all of our athletes

7.Commit: Whether it be crossfit or life, committ to being great at something. Everyone wants to be associated with people who set high standards for themselves. When you settle for less, you are only inviting mediocrity and that is not NMCf

So there it is guys, the Franchise's success plan take from it what you like but I honestly believe if you follow this you will be not only a better crossfitter but a better person as well. See you at the box! Happy training

No Mercy CrossFit Athlete of The Month

No Mercy CrossFit Athlete of the Month: Alina Lewandowski

It is time to start a new tradition at NMCF. Each month a different trainer will pick a new Athlete of the month. This month's pick was chosen by L1 Trainer Angela "Talon Hawk" Mayse. The following blog was authored by Angie as well. I couldn't be happier with the selection. As always Congrats to you Alina, our resident 13 year old bad ass. Please pick something to wear or use from CrossFit store.com or rogue and we will pick up the tab. Awesome job

This month has been no different than any other month, trying to determine who should be athlete of the month, especially watching everyone push themselves past where they normally do with the open. As usual, there are a number of people in the gym that deserve to be athlete of the month, but when thinking about who should be picked, my mind kept on going to one girl. Alina! I have had the honor of training her and watching her grow as a crossfitter from day 1. She amazes me each and every time I watch her workout. She always comes in with a smile on her face and is ready to work. If you have not met Alina, I will tell you I have never seen so much drive and dedication in a 13 year old before. She lives over 30 minutes away and a lot of times if she cannot make a workout in the afternoon then she is there at 6am before she has to go to school so that she can get her workout in. This past crossfit open Alina was not able to sign up because you have to be 14 years old, but that did not hold her back. She has been every Friday night she can make and has done the open workouts. This last open workout she truly blew me away with her determination and drive. We had to do 95lb clean and jerks and for Alina that is her body weight and I don’t think she had ever tried that much weight before then. She didn’t shy away from the weight though; she went out there and did not only 1 clean and jerks at body weight but 10 clean and jerks!  Alina; you are an amazing athlete, you are a great representation of what crossfit is all about, and we love having you at the gym. I can’t wait to see where you will be next year at this time!

End of the Road?

     As the Open draws to an end next week I am sure many of you are wondering where do we go from here. First let me say next week is not the end but a new beginning to your CrossFit journey. Now the fun begins when the 5 weeks of fun ends. The 2013 version of the open has done so many positive things for us at No Mercy CrossFit.  I have seen so many emotions in people both high and low from people feeling so defeated and in tears to overcoming a few days later and performing better than they ever thought possible. I have witnessed athletes that I didn't think had a competitive bone in their body find that inner voice in their own head that let them know they deserved better. I have seen great performances by individuals on a large scale. I have so enjoyed watching you athletes rally around each other and form a bond that can only exist within the CrossFit Community. I have been in this game a long time and never have I seen such a close knit group of people that want the best for each other. Be proud NMCF, because you are doing great things and this is just the beginning. With one week left I am happy to report that as a team we are in the top 25% of all teams in the Central East and that is just astounding. Nobody gave us a chance and we are proving everyone wrong. That is a testament to your fortitude and never say die attitude. Next year I promise you will be even better.
     Now to the best part of the open experience.  The Open has taught each and every one of us what our glaring weaknesses are. Now we go back to work and improve. That is the beauty of it all. The open has let us know where we stack up. You either become stagnant and comfortable where you are at, or you get back on the horse and get better. One of my training partners recently said, "Just because success isn't immediate, doesn't mean it is not inevitable." We have already started prepping for next year. Having a goal can only make us better in the long run. I am beyond proud of all we have done this year at NMCF, and we aren't done yet. One more week to leave it all on the line for a greater cause. For yourself, because you deserve it, and for your team. Lets make 13.5 the best week yet. Lets attack this wod like never before and we will celebrate our efforts afterwards.
     I hope each and every single athlete can attend this coming Friday. Lets keep the intensity up and send this years open out with a bang! There  will be some special awards given out immediately following 13.5 which will be special for Holly and I as well as the NMCF staff.  Thank you for making this years open so special for us during our first year as an affiliate. Thank you to our staff for all your preparations in making Friday nights fun and a cool atmosphere. We couldn't have done it without your help. We hope you are enjoying this experience and look forward to next year, and an even better show. So is this the end of the road? Hell no! We just continue to improve and there are always competitions around the corner if thats your new found toy you want to play with. We have lots of cool things planned this summer to keep you motivated. Details to follow.......Are u ready for 14.1