As a hybrid of a human and a t-rex, I sport 6 inch long arms and legs. Thus I hate running. 400m, 800m, ew. Death by pull ups please. I’ll walk 200m. Maybe I’ll sprint 40m, and hustle on a 100m run. That’s about it. 800s just give you too much time to think about how bad they are. And then when you try to go to your “happy place” you end up dealing with your subconcious. And for those who know me, that’s a scary place. But here’s what I found on this week’s 800m run… A story from the “Life Experiences of Luke Summers.”

I’m sprawled out on my parents kitchen floor, freaking out; like panicking… bad.  I’m worried. How the hell I am going to manage raising a family?  What am I going to do for work?  How am I am I going to handle that responsibility?  There I lay, begging and pleading to my mom and dad, bearing a tear here and there, desperate for advice.  My mom, stepping over my limp panting body (think post Fran) and attempting to cook dinner responded with a sincere “I don’t know Luke.  That’s part of life.  You’ll have to figure it out.  But you will be okay, I promise” or something along those lines.  What kind of answer was that?  I want a tangible plan that I can EXECUTE.  But I was 8 years old. I was concerned about a family I didn’t have, and a job I didn’t need for two reasons. One, I had a loving and caring set of parents who provided for me at 8 years old, and two I couldn’t legally work anyway. So what else was she supposed to say?

What am I going to do when I grow up?
Am I grown up now?
Who am I?
Do babies really come from THAT thing?!

Life is full of questions, and I guess we are supposed to spend our time looking for answers.  Well some people do, and some don’t. But whatever, I do. And in our pursuit for answers we learn all of “life’s lessons” and it shapes us into our eventual selves.  What plops me here behind this keyboard spewing out these words now was the pursuit to an answer to a question I asked myself back in October of 2008.

What is CrossFit?

It lead me to the doors of Tri-Cities for my first WOD, which was terr-awesome-ible, as are most of our first WODs. So kudos to Mark Reinke and his crew at Tri-Cities for sinking the hook. But more importantly than that, it had me eventually knocking on CrossFit of Naperville’s door. And then there I was; anxiously waiting for it to open and hours later clawing at the measly five mats on the ground as Neil drug me out of the door so he could close the bay door and go home to his family.

My persistence, resistance, and assistance earned me a gig as an “apprentice trainer” under Neil in Spring of 2009. I can still remember the first group I helped put through our Elements program: Nate, Big John, and another cat named Paul. Nate and John stuck to it, and are STILL tearing it up two years later.

Then the rest is history (for some of you). I warned Neil that if he is giving me a green light to give input on operations, he was going to get an ear full. And he brought me on anyways. Since then we have butted heads and held hands over the past 2 and a half years to take the gym from a 2,000 sq ft space with 500 sq ft of club house with 5 clients flowing through the doors on an average day (2 of which were Neil and I), and grew it to a 2,000 sq ft gym that is pushing through 30 bodies on a solid day. And we’re still growing.

We grew from a part time staff of only Neil to a staff of 7 trainers at our peak. One of which has branched off to start his OWN gym (congrats Mark, now you got the weight of the world on those rubbery shoulders!) and another who is heading out to run CrossFit Balboa in Orange County California and train under THE John Welbourn.

That second trainer would be me, Luke (aka Batman, aka Colossus the Brilliant).

A good amount of you have already met me and know me, but why not give a quick history/bio. I’ve lived in Naperville my whole life, and this is where all my family resides. I have a lovely girlfriend and two dogs. I “moon light” as a trainer at CrossFit of Naperville, and help out with operations. Two weeks ago I was a 28 year old Pricing Professional who had spent 6 years in “Corporate America ” putting in 50-60ish hours a week and making a decent living, and loved coaching. A year before that, I was a 27 year old Pricing Professional who had spent 5 years in “Corporate America” and was putting in 45ish hours a week and making a decent living, and loved coaching. A year before that, I was a 26 year old Pricing Professional who had spent 4 years in “Corporate America” and was putting in my 40 hours, and was TEARING it up nightly at CrossFit, and loved coaching!

As you can see, as the years passed, the hours piled up, and my job was not affording me the time to do the thing I love. That is helping you kids accomplish the impossible… Wiping away tears of doubt and instilling a sense of confidence and accomplishment… Refocusing the “go getters” who always want to get better, and looking back at all the great stuff they have already accomplished … Instilling a sense of urgency in those who thought they “had it made” already or there was “no hope” for them.

My years at CFNA have been ALL about the people that we help get better at life on a daily basis; all of you. It’s all of your persistence, resistance and assistance that has instilled in me the confidence to sever ties with the cozy certainty Corporate America and follow my heart. I am absolutely ecstatic to now be on the brink of doing what I am most passionate about.

As I look back on those years there abso-freakin-lutely are events that stand out as the good, the bad and the ugly that made this place so special. There are all sorts of special moments I’ve shared with specific individuals that I could go on for hours about, but won’t.

Okay maybe a couple things: Justin “kicking” Neil in balls at Kristina’s, Ben’s first FGB, Kalsu, Rae, Shasha, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, is Cheese paleo, feats of strength, sheltered turkey fry, men in skirts, Andrew’s Fran, and the toys from the pain cave.

My last day in Illinois is September 27th. What I leave behind is a deep rooted network of people that I consider family and friends. I can assure you that these people, many of which spend a good amount of time within the brick and mortar of CrossFit of Naperville, will be severely missed.

But I’ll be in the gym the next two weeks as often as possible, so please stop in and say goodbye. We also have a little shin dig set up for Thursday the 15th, so we can share laughs and libations then too.

And to Neil, thanks for taking me in as a trainer, as if you really had a f*cking choice! But more importantly thanks for having confidence in my abilities and for being a great friend and mentor.

We had a good run.

Bench Press
1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Then

200 air squats for time

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Bring a hand towel and bug spray if you got it!

3 Rounds for Time
100yd suicide sprint
100yd med ball burpee toss
200yd farmers walk

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Everyone welcome Bob and Pete our two most recent elements grads, and bye to darren as he departs for colorado this week.

21-15-9
Wallball
Kettlebell swings
Box jumps

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5 Rounds for Time
200m sandbag run
10 deadlifts*

*deadlifts must be completed unbroken

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Meet Bob and Pete, CFNA's newest Elements Class graduates. Watch for them around the gym!

The gym will be closed today and we will be meeting at Rotary Hill in downtown Naperville at 10:30am for a park workout!

3 Rounds
Run 1 mile for time
Rest 3 minutes

Or….

3 Rounds For Time
25 broad jumps
25 push ups

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5 push press
10 supine ring pull

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3 Rounds for time

400m run
21 kettlebell swings
12 strict pull ups

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