Memory Lane
“If you can’t be corrected without being offended you will never grow in life.”
– Coach Lisle
Deep Squats (Thoughts)
Last week was my son’s 16th birthday. It was a big deal, but not just for him. It represented a big milestone for CFPA and being in the gym brought out all the feelz with some nostalgia. Bear with me for a trip down memory lane.
The top picture has been shown before as the original home of CrossFit Palo Alto. In 2009 we started in my garage with kettlebells I had collected since 2005, boxes I built from plans on CrossFit.com, dumbbells from Craigslist, a lifting platform I got from a friend and retired weights and bars that were given to me from the dark basement of a bodybuilding gym in South San Francisco. A stud-bar pullup bar hangs from the rafters out of view. It was gritty. And we were kicked out by the HOA within a month. LOL!
We were blessed with The Flower Shop in October of 2009. There are very few pictures because I barely had a Blackberry phone and there was no social media. This picture was before the first class there with two people. It had been an actual flower shop for 50 years before us, so it was dirty, drafty, hot, cold and whatever else the weather was at the time. And you came. Ask me about the phone booth size bathroom and utility sink we had.
Kristen worked full-time as an office assistant. I coached before and after her work hours. In June of 2010 Kristen went on maternity leave. We decided to bet on CrossFit and I went full-time with the gym, adding more classes during the day and evenings. July 1st, 2010 we had 31 paying members. We needed twice that for Kristen to quit her job to stay home and raise three kids.
In these 31 were members we still have today and the reason for the nostalgia. Thank you to Sadler, Hoon and Carm. We soon added more that are still here today; Mike, Cesar, two Bills and Jerry.
Maybe it was 16 years ago. Maybe it was a few months ago. I want you to know that your decision to take a chance on CrossFit Palo Alto and me means the world to my family and the greater community we have been blessed to impact over the last 17 years. I have made so many mistakes from programming insane workouts to earning the moniker of #GAMEDAYTIM. Yet, as a dear friend reminded me recently, everything I have done comes from a deep and passionate love for everyone that comes into contact with CFPA.
“Think Globally, Act Locally” is a common catchphrase. It is also the very reason we are still here and plan to be here. To continue to be a part of your lives, watching your kids grow and sharing in the experiences of life. You are also a part of our lives and we thank you for helping to raise our kids in this community.
September 2010, Kristen quit one 8-5 job for a true full-time role. By October we were moving into the Grant Ave location, pictured below in March 2011. (How about those whiteboards and workouts in the background!) And we moved to Middlefield in March 2015. What a ride it’s been and we look forward to many more with you.
See you in class.
Tim
What’s Going On?
CrossFit Teens Returns
Tuesdays and Thursdays
4-5pm
July 7th – August 13th
w/Coach Ron
Email: [email protected]
250 Years of Fitness Freedom
Saturday, July 4, 2026
9am
2026 CrossFit Games
July 24-26
SAP Center, San Jose
Overheard in Class:
“It’s supposed to be hard. Handle hard better.”
Timfluencing
Rowan Jacobsen on The Joe Rogan Experience
Rowan Jacobsen is an award-winning science and nature writer. His new book, “In Defense of Sunlight: The Surprising Science of Sun Exposure,” is available now.
Tim’s Takeaway: I have caused a great deal of eye rolling by making comments about how good the sun is for us. This is a fascinating discussion on the role the sun plays in our lives. You can also find it on Spotify. Tell me what you think after you listen/watch.
Please keep sending me suggestions for what you would like to share with our community.
Thank you for your support.
I look forward to what we will do together.
