With the weather of late, we at Industrial Athletics think it is fair to say that cold weather is here to stay. Â With winter weather in Pittsburgh comes rain, snow, ice, salt, sand, and other treacherous conditions. Â With that in mind, we want to review the following items and set some guidelines for safety:
1. Â Running and outdoor activities:
Just because it is getting cold does not mean all activities will be reserved to the indoors. Â In CrossFit, we train for “Modal Domains.” Â That means we train for a number of different environments and conditions. Â Just last week, those who competed in Fall Brawl had to handle the cold wet weather while running, jumping rope, and doing overhead squats. Â An ability to adapt over changing terrains was tested.
As such, we will continue to train outdoors during the winter weather. Â This will primarily be reserved to running, but all athletes are warned to be prepared. Â You need to bring a change of shoes, layer your clothing, and bring hats/gloves/scarves. Â We will continue to consider immediate weather condition as we always do, i.e. the road is a sheet of ice, it is raining at the time, it is below zero.
Consider yourself warned.
2. Â Bringing a change of shoes:
When it is wet, the area outside of Industrial Athletics becomes muddy. Â When it snows, they will be spreading salt and sand. Â No one wants to do burpees in mud, salt, or sand. Â So, leave it at the door. Â We have a long carpet that extends from our front door and we expect our athletes to use it. Â We are asking everyone to bring two or more pairs of shoes: one for outside, and one for inside. Â If you wish to leave a pair of shoes at the box, we will provide a cubby system similar to the one in the locker rooms for storage.
This does not apply obviously if the WOD calls for running outside. Â We are not going to ask you to change shoes mid-WOD. Â However, every little bit helps keep our gym clean.
3. Â Class cancellations:
It is 8pm and the snow is coming down. Â Will there be class tomorrow? Â What about 6am? Â When will we announce cancellations? Â While not very helpful, we will say that cancellations will be announced as soon as we decide that the weather is too dangerous for travel. Â We will do our best to cancel classes the night before. Â However, there may be times that it snows overnight and we will not know until we wake up the next morning. Â We know that this primarily affects the 6am athletes, and we apologize in advance for any inconvenience. Â We will say that if class is not cancelled by 5:45am, you may assume class is still on. Â If you regularly attend 6am and do not have a coach’s contact information, it is your responsibility to get it.
Class cancellations will be announced on the website, Twitter, and Facebook. Â It is your responsibility to look.
We have a lot planned for the coming months, so get ready. Â If you have any questions, ask a coach.