Strongtown Talks: Recent Episodes
Dan Gallagher
Conversations with the people of the Strongtown community.
Amongst other things, we talk about what first brought them to the gym, life, and the challenges they've encountered along the way.
New episodes released weekly to bi-weekly.
Local to Southbury CT.
https://strongtowngym.com
And we’re back - with the summer coming up we have a bunch of gym events on deck.
In this episode, Mikey and I sit down to catch up on what’s currently planned as well as chat about a couple of events that haven’t been set yet that we’re looking to try and do.
We squeezed in the recording in between classes so it’s a bit of a shorter episode for us. I hope you all enjoy.
Episode Links:
Flander's Field & Forest 5k Registration
Strongtown Golf Outing
Summer Swim WOD
Best goggles for Swim WOD
And we’re back - this week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Heidi Ball + Heather Dever.
Heidi and Heather both volunteer their time to help the Flander’s Nature Center. They are involved in the organizing and planning the Flander’s Field + Forest 5k which is happening Friday, June 3rd.
This is a race that we have participated in and sponsored every year since its inception in 2015 and we’re looking forward to another successful year.
The race is not your average 5k and it’s one of two fundraisers that Flander’s puts on each year. All of the proceeds will benefit the Flanders Nature center & Land Trust.
It’s a family-friendly event and after the race, there’s live music, food trucks, and it’s just a great time all around.
I need to thank Heidi and Heather for being willing to sit down and talk about things and hope you all enjoy.
Before we get into the show I just wanted to highlight the event sponsors that help make this race happen.
Starting with the Ultra-Marathon level sponsors we have Ion Bank, and Showcase Realty, Inc.
Moving to the Marathon level we have Michael Friedman Orthodontics.
Next up at the Half Marathon level, we have my personal favorite - Strongtown Fitness, as well as Aquarion Water Company, the Law Offices of Dana D’Angelo LLC, Homes by Heather, Moore O’Brien & Fonti Law Firm, Rich & John’s Complete Chimney Service, and Woodbury Fitness on Main.
Moving to the 10k level we have Connecticut Home Navigator, Gager, Bower & Scalzo LLP, Kenneth Lynch & Sons Inc., Manzi Insurance & Real Estate, Senich Law Firm LLC, Stone Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Gary Westerman, and Woodbury Brewing Company.
Finally at the 5k level we have Ken’s Hardware Inc., the Savings Bank of Danbury, and the Southbury Printing Centre.
Thank you all.
https://flandersnaturecenter.org/5k/
And we’re back - we’ve had a few episodes that were recorded towards the end of last year and this week’s episode is one that was originally recorded around the new year’s Holiday.
This episode is a sit-down conversation with Dr. Hayden-William Courtland.
We have had the pleasure of knowing Hayden since sometime around 2015. He’s from New York City and has family in the Southbury area so he’s been a regular visitor throughout the years.
He has a plethora of coaching certifications and academic credentials which I do my best to list off while trying to introduce him on the show and feel like I still fell short.
He is a certified Starting Strength Coach, has achieved his CrossFit L-3 certification and he has recently stepped into the world of gym ownership and is the new owner of Solace New York, also known as CrossFit Solace.
I have to thank him for taking the time to talk with me and hope you all enjoy.
@dr.courtland
@scienceforfitness
@solacenewyork
And we’re back - this week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with our Coach Kelly who recently completed her Precision Nutrition certification.
Kelly is my sister-in-law and Mikey’s wife so it’s safe to say she has been a part of the Strongtown community since the beginning - if you’re interested in hearing more about what brought her and Mikey together they were originally featured on Episode 28 back in April of 2020.
She is an incredibly knowledgeable Coach and I have always admired her dedication and determination…you can follow her nutrition coaching on Instagram @symmetrynutrition.
In this episode, we talk about her experience getting certified and the upcoming “Look Good + Feel Good Challenge” that will be kicking off this month.
I’m very grateful that Kelly has taken the reins and decided to offer this to the gym and am excited to see how it works for people.
The challenge officially begins Saturday, April 16th and in order to set the teams and have everyone complete the initial intake form the deadline to register is Saturday, April 9th.
If you’re interested in the challenge you can register through the member’s app under “pre-orders” or you can let Mikey or myself know when you see us in the gym.
I have to thank her for taking the time to sit down and talk with me and I hope you all enjoy.
https://www.instagram.com/symmetrynutrition/
We’re back and working through the archive of episodes that were previously recorded and never published. I believe this show was actually recorded sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving since there are a few references to the haunted hayride.
In this show, Mikey and I get a chance to sit down with Donnie of DNR Laboratories aka DNR Labs.
Donnie has been a member of Strongtown since the beginning. He is genuinely one of the most interesting people I have had the pleasure of meeting and his breadth of knowledge never fails to impress me.
Anyone who knows Donnie knows that he’s always on the go, he’s always willing to help and he also seems to know just about everyone.
He has been the MC at our Battle for the Bell competition multiple times and he’s genuinely the reason our gym sounds as good as it does.
We were a little tight on time during the recording so the conversation focuses on his personal background and what brought him to start DNR Labs.
We’ll be getting him back on here in the future to discuss some of his hobbies which include flying planes, sky-diving, volunteer fire fighting, and creating a stand-alone radio network.
I have to thank him for giving up his time to talk with us and if anyone is looking to follow him there are links to his company's info in the show notes below and you can find him on instagram @donnie_dimmer.
DNR Website: https://www.dnrlabs.com/
DNR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dnrlabs/
And we are back!
I believe it has been just about 5 months since our last episode and I’m sorry it has taken so long to get back on the wagon.
I’m embarrassed to say this episode was recorded right before Thanksgiving and at the time I told Carol it would be out in a few weeks.
Carol - we miss you, Troy, and Mischka...I hope all is well and thank you for your patience, generosity and friendship.
Thank you again for being part of Strongtown and if anyone is looking to follow Carol on her adventures you can find her on Instagram @chomama13.
I hope all enjoy the show.
The Strongtown Weekly:
October 3, 2021
Workouts:
Monday - 3:16
Tuesday - 4:26
Wednesday - 6:47
Thursday - 10:25
Friday - 13:36
Saturday - 16:36
www.strongtowngym.com
The Strongtown Weekly:
September 20, 2021
Workouts:
Monday - 6:26
Tuesday - 9:37
Wednesday - 13:57
Thursday - 18:02
Friday - 21:11
www.strongtowngym.com
The Strongtown Weekly:
September 13, 2021
Birthdays:3:04 Announcements:6:49 Check-ins:10:31 **Workouts:
Monday - 17:21 Tuesday - 21:11 Wednesday - 24:14 Thursday - 28:09 Friday -** 31:41
www.strongtowngym.com
And we’re back! This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with the one and only Bill Flanagan. Bill has been a member of Strongtown and a staple of the 6am class since 2012.
Despite what he says about being old and having a Dad bod he puts up some very impressive workout performances. He’s an avid runner, although supposedly he doesn’t enjoy it, and outside of the gym you can find him actively involved with the local youth basketball teams.
We talk about where he grew up, how he got started running, and of course, how he found Strongtown amongst other things.
I have to thank him for taking the time to chat with me and hope you all enjoy!
IG @billyflan12
This episode is the long-awaited sequel to Episode #62 - “Everyone needs a Coach” with Rob Boroski.
During Rob’s debut episode, it was agreed upon that in order for him to come on the show and be interviewed that we would need to reverse the tables and give him a chance to interview me.
Which brings us to today…
The conversation was recorded a couple of weeks ago and is coincidentally being released on July 12th which just so happens to be Rob’s birthday, so Happy Birthday Rob!
This was a fun conversation and I have to thank Rob for coming up with the idea and taking the time to chat with me, I hope you all enjoy.
IG @Rob2123
IG @DanGall81
Happy 4th of July - we hope everyone was able to enjoy the holiday!
This week’s podcast is another Sidebar episode between Mikey and myself.
We are in July and approaching our 10 year anniversary so we talk about our Decathlon workouts which we’ll be retesting throughout the month.
We are also a few weeks away from the 2021 CrossFit Games which will be July 27th to August 1st and hosted in Madison Wisconsin again.
With the Games being a few weeks away we take the opportunity to discuss this year’s qualifying events and the evolution or changes happening within the sport.
I have to thank Mikey for sitting down and chatting with me and hope you all enjoy.
Welcome back to another week and another episode of Strongtown Talks.
This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Nora Metaj of Patty’s Pantry.
Patty’s is a NY Style Deli that is located right off exit 16 on I-84 in Southbury which also happens to be right down the hill from the gym, so we have known them since we opened in 2011.
They have been one of Southbury’s hidden gems for close to 35 years now.
Nora has grown up in the business - both her and her sister Becky are General Mangers, her father Gani is the owner, and her grandmother on her mother’s side was the original Patty, whose silhouette is featured on their logo.
As of this last December Patty’s recently opened up their 2nd location on Route 25 in Newtown, so whether you’re in Southbury or Newtown you’re not far from a Patty’s Pantry.
I really enjoyed getting a chance to catch up with Nora and have to thank her for giving up her free time to come and chat with me, I hope you all enjoy.
Website: https://www.pattyspantryct.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pattyspantry
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pattyspantryct
We are back and I have to apologize for the delay in getting this episode shared. My goal is to have this podcast be a weekly show and during the summer months there maybe a couple of points where the episodes are being released bi-weekly schedule.
This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Alexa & Ryan of CrossFit Hook’d from Sandy Hook, CT.
We have had the pleasure of knowing both Alexa and Ryan for some time now.
Alexa first started her CrossFit journey at Strongtown back in 2012 and I want to say the first time we met Ryan was when he was competing for Hook’d at Battle for Bell back in 2014.
We talk about their story and how they’ve gone from being intern coaches to now being married and owning the gym.
They’re great people and we’re lucky to have them as friends and colleagues.
I have to thank them both for giving up their time to come chat with me and hope you all enjoy.
Website: https://crossfithookd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crossfithookd
Instagram: https://instagram.com/hookdhustle
Hey everyone, there was an issue with the initial upload of episode 066 for Great Minds Coffee Roasters, when the episode was originally published it cuts short right before the 37-minute mark.
I did try to reupload the corrected file so if you listened to an episode that was 60 minutes with an outro then you heard the whole thing and you’ve already heard this.
If you listened to an episode that cuts out between the 36 and 37 minute mark then this picks up where the last episode left off.
I’m sorry about the mix-up, thank you again to Emily and Chris of Great Minds Coffee Roasters and we’re going to pick back up where we left off with Emily.
Website: https://greatmindscoffee.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatmindscoffee
Instagram: https://instagram.com/greatmindscoffeeroasters
This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Emily & Chris Pacileo of Great Minds Coffee Roasters who are currently located in the old Pin Shop building in Oakville.
If anyone knows me they know I love coffee - so I was super excited when I discovered that there was a local roaster in the Watertown / Oakville area.
They opened up Great Minds Coffee Roasters in November of 2019 and they had about 4 months of normal business before getting hit with the covid curveball.
Chris was first exposed to roasting back in college and had worked his way up to head roaster at Capitol City Roasters throughout his college years.
Emily’s family had owned small businesses and moving back to CT inspired them to explore potential options for businesses and side projects they could do.
They have an amazing story and I fully vouch for the quality of their coffee after enjoying the Guatemala mix this past week.
There are links to Great Mind’s website and social media pages in the show notes below. I have to thank Chris & Emily for taking the time to sit down and chat with me. I hope you all enjoy
Social Media Links:
Website: https://greatmindscoffee.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatmindscoffee
Instagram: https://instagram.com/greatmindscoffeeroasters
This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Charlotte Adams of Rustic Charm in Woodbury.
I had reached out to Charlotte to see if she had any interest in being on our podcast. Over the past 5 years she has been able to turn her hobby and passion into a full-time career and thriving local business.
What started off as sharing the custom farm-house table her husband made for her as a birthday gift has led her down the rabbit hole of DIY crafts and custom furniture refinishing.
She’s now in her 2nd location and has an amazing team of friends and family that are involved in the business.
She has a great story and I’m excited to see her continue to grow.
She has also recently partnered up with Ashley of Sweet Nelsons cottage food bakery to start a separate Instagram account called “allupinyourctbusiness” that highlights some of their favorite local businesses around the state - which is a great idea and something I hope to dive into on a future episode on.
There are links to Rustic Charm’s website and Instagram pages in the show notes below and I have to thank Charlotte for taking the time to sit down and chat with me. I hope you all enjoy
Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.rusticcharmhome.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RusticCharm4/
Instagram: @rusticcharm77
Instagram: @rusticcharmgarage
Instagram: @allupinyourctbusiness
This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Susie Jones.
Susie has been a member at Strongtown since 2013 and has owned Edgewood Bath and Tennis Club since 2009.
She’s a regular face at our 9:30am or 12:00pm depending on the time of the year and she is the reason we’ve been able to do summer swim wods throughout the years.
We talk about what brought her to open Edgewood, how she found Strongtown, and the difference between Pickleball & Paddle Tennis.
I have to thank her for taking the time to chat with me and hope you all enjoy!
https://edgewoodbtc.com/
https://www.facebook.com/EdgewoodBTC
This week’s podcast is a bit of a different episode and is something I’m hoping will become a regular addition to the show.
It’s a conversation between Mikey and myself about current gym events and what’s happening at Strongtown.
I’m hoping to mix in these type of episodes with our member interviews and sit-downs with local business owners to add a bit of variety to the show.
The plan is to call these conversations a “Sidebar” episode.
I know Mikey and I have had a few of these in the past but plan is that this will be the first official Strongtown Talks Sidebar episode.
I hope you all enjoy.
After having Stacy on the podcast a few weeks ago it only seemed fair that we get the real Boroski on the show, Rob.
Rob is a native of Derby and much to my surprise he grew up doing martial arts and rumor has it he actually used to be flexible. I’m a bit skeptical of these wild claims and if anyone has any photographic proof of this I would request that you please send it to dan@strongtowngym.com
If you’ve had the pleasure of meeting Rob you know he’s basically everyone’s best friend and is never far away from a good laugh.
We get to talk about how he’s always wanted to be a cop, how he collected unemployment in High School, life as a retired State Trooper and starting over in Oxford.
It was a great conversation and I have to thank him for giving up his time to come talk with me, I hope you all enjoy.
IG @rob2123
This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with a member who has been part of the Strongtown community since 2011. Caitlin Guelakis.
Caitlin is a consistent face at our 8am class, our weekend classes, and of course the Friday Beer WOD.
Outside of the gym she is a Territory Manager for Two Roads Brewing and has a degree in Art History and Historic Preservation.
We talk about her background, how she got involved with Two Roads, and what first brought her to Strongtown.
I have to thank her for giving up her time to come talk with me and hope you all enjoy.
IG @caitygue
IG @2roadscaitlin
This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with the one only - Greg Toon.
Toon has been a coach at Strongtown since we opened our doors and we first met sometime around 2009 during the CrossFit Watertown days.
He’s a regular face at our 6:00am classes - both as an athlete and a coach.
Outside of the gym he is a father of 4, he has worked for IBM for the past 22 years and as of 2019 his wife Claire took over Southbury Dental Care and with the exception of Dentistry Toon has been very involved in the business.
I feel like Toon and I have a ton of interesting things we could talk about and it was hard to cover in one episode so we’ll be getting him back on a future episode.
I did forget to ask him about the best place to reach out to him at the end of the show, total rookie move on my part, so I’ve shared his contact info in the show notes below.
I have to thank him for giving up his time to come and talk with me and hope you all enjoy.
IG @its_toontime
http://www.southburydental.com/
https://www.facebook.com/southburydental
This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Sydney aka “Syd” Malaspina.
Syd first started at Strongtown with our Kids program shortly after we opened.
I was excited to get her on the show because CrossFit has had an impact on her life to the point where she credits it with literally saving her life.
We have been fortunate to have her around the gym since she is in the process of completing her clinical for her Physical Therapy degree and happens to be home for this portion of the program.
She is an amazing individual, as well as athlete, and this past year she finished the Open within the top 10% worldwide to qualify for the CrossFit Game Quarterfinals.
I have to thank her for giving up her time to come and talk with me and hope you all enjoy.
IG @sydneymal
On this week’s episode, I get a chance to sit down with a member who’s been with Strongtown since 2011 and who both Mikey and myself have personally known for the past 25’ish years - Justin Krajeski.
Justin first started at Strongtown back in 2011 shortly after we opened up and throughout the years he has been one of the most consistent people in the gym.
We get to talk about how he first found Strongtown and his experience of sticking with CrossFit while going to Law School at Penn State.
We also got to geek out over the Whoop Recovery bracelet, watch thing and do a deep dive into some of his mindset.
I have to thank him for giving up his time to come talk with me and hope you all enjoy.
IG @jtkraj
On this week’s episode I get a chance to sit down with the one and only, Stacy Boroski...we’re going to have to get Mr. Boroski (aka Rob) on a future episode.
I loved this conversation because she’s not competitive and doesn’t look at herself as an athlete...even though the gym has been part of her routine for the past 7 years.
Outside of the gym Stacy is a 2nd Grade Teacher, she’s a mother of 2, a wife to a Jets fan and is just an all around amazing person.
She has a great perspective on things and the analogy she used to describe what a typical CrossFit class is like is one of the best I’ve heard.
I have to thank her for giving up her time on a Saturday to come talk with me and hope you all enjoy.
IG @xfitwife
On this week’s episode, I get a chance to sit down with the Taggarts - Heidi & Garret. They have both been on the show before as solo guests, Heidi was episode 16 and Garrett was episode 13.
After a long courtship involving 6:00am workouts and free coffee these two amazing individuals came together and tied the knot this past fall. In an otherwise dismal year, their wedding was one of the few bright spots of 2020.
I was excited to get them back on the show as a couple and really enjoyed hearing their story and getting a chance to catch up.
I have to thank them both for giving up their time on a Saturday morning to come and talk with me and hope you all enjoy.
IG @heidi.taggart
IG @garrett.taggart
This week’s episode is a sit-down with a long-time Strongtown member...Missy Booth.
I owe her an apology because when she first started at Strongtown she was Missy Hardwick and I did get a bit tripped up over the last name when I brought her onto the episode.
Missy has been a member at Strongtown since 2014 and was first introduced to CrossFIt through her cousin...Coach Becky.
The cliff notes for this episode is that Missy is a badass - prior to CrossFIt her background is in martial arts where she has earned her blackbelt.
CrossFit has also inspired her interest in Massage Therapy and she is now a licensed massage therapist, both Mikey and Kelly can vouch for her work.
I have to thank her for giving up her time to be on the show and hope you all enjoy.
IG @heymissayyyy
This week’s episode is something I hope to be able to incorporate more into future shows - it’s a conversation with another local business owner.
I had reached out to Local Gourmet Market & Kitchen to see if they had any interest in being on our podcast. Over the past 3 years they’ve transitioned from being the new kids on the block to becoming one of Southbury’s hidden gems and a staple of the downtown.
I was super excited when they responded and that both the owner and general manager wanted to be on the show.
That’s right - we have both Christy Buso, the Owner, and Ashley Bugnacki, the General Manager of Local Gourmet in the house for a sit-down talk.
They have an amazing story, and out of complete happenstance it really ties back to both Mikey and my own story out of the Watertown since Christy was also the former owner of the Watertown Meat Center and Ashley was a supervisor at the time.
There are links to their website and Instagram page in the show notes and I have to thank them both for giving up their free time on a Sunday to sit down and chat with me. I hope you all enjoy
Website: Local Gourmet Market & Kitchen - Southbury CT
Instagram: Local Gourmet CT
Facebook: Local Gourmet CT
This week’s episode is a sit-down with a long-time member & friend - Courtney Schwartz.
Courtney has been a member of the Strongtown community since 2013 and was first introduced to Strongtown through Edgewood and our summer Swim WOD.
She is a mother of 2 and when we initially met she was working as a teacher. After 17 years in the profession, she took a leap of faith and has transitioned into sales where she worked her way up to the Regional Sales Director at SpoonRead as well as becoming a Level II Executive Consultant with Rodan + Fields.
We get to talk about what first brought her to the gym, transitioning careers, as well as a bit of deep dive into Peloton and the world of at-home, on-demand fitness.
I have to thank her for taking the time to talk with me and hope you all enjoy.
IG @courtneyschwartz1978
This week’s episode is a sit-down with a friend and former member of the Strongtown community - Tarek aka as Rick Ahmed.
Rick was a member at Strongtown between 2012 and 2017 and first did his fundamentals with Mikey back in 2010 when Mike was a Coach at CrossFit Watertown.
When I was looking for guests to be on the show Rick reached out and said that although he doesn’t do CrossFit anymore, it has changed his life and sparked a passion for fitness and the gym.
He’s currently the lead vocalist for a band called Intercourse and his wife owns and operates a Tattoo Studio in Waterbury called Earthship Studios.
I have to thank him for taking the time to talk with me and hope you all enjoy.
IG @tarekemadahmed
This week’s episode is a sit-down with Maggie Kalamaras.
Maggie has been a member at Strontown since 2018 and has a long history of sports and particularly endurance sports under her belt.
She is a mother of 4 and prior to joining Strongtown she has competed as both a marathon runner and a triathlete for many years.
In addition to competing she is also a certified USA Triathlon Coach so I feel she has an interesting perspective from both the competing & coaching side of things.
I have to thank her for taking the time to talk with me and hope you all enjoy.
Email: Margaretkalamras@gmail.com
IG: @maggiekal1073
This week’s episode is a sit down with a long time friend and OG to CrossFit community - Rich Boucher.
Rich and I both began our CrossFit journey about 15 years ago at CrossFit Watertown. He’s currently a coach at CrossFit 203 and although he’s not an active member of Strongtown he’s still very much part of our community.
He was first introduced to CrossFit back in 2007 and in 2011 he qualified for the CrossFit Games where he placed 7th in the Men’s Masters 60+ division.
He also just recently retired and turned 70 this past year.
We talk about how he was first introduced to CrossFit, his experience as a competitive masters athlete, and what brought him to coaching.
I have to thank him for taking the time to talk with me and hope you all enjoy.
IG @bouch10950
This week’s episode is a sit down with a couple that has been with us since the beginning - The Guerreras.
Rob + MaryBeth both began their Strongtown story back in 2013 and have been a staple of our community ever since.
From competing in the early days of Battle for the Bell, to helping out at the Lift for a Purpose Weightlifting meet they have seen the gym grow through the years and have a unique perspective.
We talk about how they first met, what first brought them to the gym, and discuss some of their more memorable experiences.
We are lucky to have them as part of our community and I have to thank them for giving up their time to chat with me and be on the show.
IG @mbguerrera | @cambo__72
This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Rich Schnitzel. Rich was one of our first guests on this podcast and he was first featured on episode number 4.
If you’re curious about his story and interested in hearing how the podcast has improved over the past couple years then I would highly recommend going back and listening to the episode.
Rich has been a member at Strongtown for a few years now. While I enjoy talking to him as a member of our community he is also an entrepreneur and business owner himself so selfishly I always enjoy talking shop and hearing his perspective on things.
Outside of the gym he helps companies & businesses with automation and you can reach him at both richardschnitzel.com and bowtiebots.com.
One of the key takeaways that I personally got from our conversation was the understanding that this past year created challenges, which developed adaptations, which can then have a positive long term impact on the business.
I have to thank him for taking the time to sit down and talk with me and hope you all enjoy the show.
http://richardschnitzel.com/
http://bowtiebots.com/
IG @richschnitzel
The new year is bringing new podcast goals for Strongtown Talks - we’ve been able to line up a bunch of guests that I’m excited to get on the show and over the past couple of weeks I’ve been able to record a bunch of episodes.
Much like the gym & fitness - the goal is consistency so you can start looking forward to a new episode each week.
To kick off the 1st episode of the new year we’re sitting down with a 5+ year member - Scott Chinitz.
Scott has been a member at Strongtown since 2015 and he’s someone who up until this past year has had a commute that has been completely unconducive towards maintaining any type of gym routine or life outside of work.
Despite having to commute back and forth to NYC he has always been able to find time for the gym and even though we were shut down for literally a quarter of the year, he was able to attend the gym more in 2020 than any other year.
Outside of the gym he is an avid soccer player and golfer and one of the key takeaways that I got after sitting down with him was the power of consistency and the impact of marginal gains.
I have to thank him for taking the time to sit down and talk with me and hope you all enjoy the show.
IG @schnitz | Email: scott.chinitz@yahoo.com
In this episode, number 46, Mikey and I get a chance to sit down and discuss his artistic achievements and the new gym protocols put out by the state.
Up until recently, CT was one of the few states in the New England area that permitted people to workout in gyms without a mask. Assuming equipment was spaced out appropriately and cleaned after each use.
That all changed this past Friday when the state came out with an amendment to their Phase 2.1 Protocols, which required gyms to lower their capacity from 50% down to 25% and also mandated masks be worn at all times within the facility.
We are lucky that we have enough space where the changes to the capacity doesn’t impact what we’ve been doing. The mask mandate on the other hand unfortunately does.
Mikey and I talk through this new challenge, and I hope you all enjoy.
This episode was recorded back in early September with Mikey. At the time California and a good portion of the West Coast was being consumed by wildfires.
For those that don’t already know - before Mikey, myself and the rest of the Gallagher clan settled in CT we spent a little more than a year living in Cali. We talk about this period of time and some of our more memorable experiences.
Mikey also recently got a haircut so that needed to be discussed which also turned into some conversations about local breweries and general local banter.
And we’re back...it’s been a little more than a month and half since our last episode, I’m calling it a mid-season break. Don’t judge me.
On this episode I get a chance to sit down with the one and only Rachel McGovern.
Rachel has been a staple of the Strongtown community since 2012 so she has seen the gym through pretty much all of our different iterations.
She is one of the most consistent people in the gym and has never been one to shy away from hard work. She’s a mother of 2 amazing kids and in her life outside the gym she currently works as a scientist.
Spoiler alert - I learn what “bench science” is.
We talk about her background, her life before Strongtown, what first brought her to the gym as well as what she’s currently working.
I do need to note that I should have scheduled more time around the recording, we ended up bumping into the morning class starting to arrive so it does end a bit abruptly towards the end.
I have to thank Rachel for taking the time to talk with me and hope you all enjoy.
Entering Phase III - heading into Labor Day this year (last week), Mike and I sat down to talk about our transition from Phase 2 to Phase 3....what it means, and what you can expect. There are going to be some small adjustments to the schedule and we're bringing back Open Gym & Annex time.
We have a slightly different type of episode for this week .
Instead of talking about current events and things happening around the gym we’re going back in time like Bill and Ted to the summer of 1996.
This was a summer where Bernie decided that Mike and I didn’t do nearly enough biking or bonding together and what we really needed was a 2-week camping/biking expedition between Vermont and Canada.
In hindsight this was an amazing experience and it also happens to be when Mikey got hit by a car.
In this episode, we get a chance to sit down with Steve Anderson...also known as "Esteban".
Steven is a High School Biology teacher and grew up in the Wolcott area.
He's married to Caitlin and has been a close friend of the Strongtown community since the beginning.
When gyms around the state got shut down - Steve started doing the "Strongtown General" workrouts as an 'at home' workout option...which led to him completing his 1st "Murph" this past 4th of July.
We talk about his background, how he and Caitlin first met, and his experiences with fitness and the Strongtown General.
I have to thank him for taking the time to talk with me and hope you all enjoy the show.
This week's episode was a sit down with Mikey and was a bit of musing about our upcoming Phase III - which we need to nail down a bit more this upcoming week.
It also includes some talk about chalk, and gyms in the tri-state area.
This week’s show is a sit down with the one and only Rob LaBonne III, he comes from a long line of Rob LaBonnes and is man of many facets.
I regret not getting into more of his back story and if I can get him back him on a future episode that is definitely something to chat about.
As an introduction - Rob is Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of LaBonne’s Markets in Watertown, Woodbury, Salisbury, and Prospect CT. As of this past year, he became the owner of Southbury Self Storage, formerly Storage Haus. Over the years he has also been involved in founding a Landscape Construction company, a company that specializes in water bottles for BMW enthusiasts, and a Tent Company.
He is an avid water skier, dog whisperer, entrepreneur and outdoorsman….he’s also only 31.
Southbury Self Storage: https://www.southburystorage.com/
LaBonne's Markets: https://labonnes.com/
Happy 4th of July! In this week's episode, Mikey and I sit down to talk about Strongtown's Phase 2 which is kicking off this Friday...July 10th.
We're talking bigger classes, the return of open gym times, and making sure we're still providing everyone with the same great & safe workout experience.
Mikey also got a chance to check out Newsylum Brewing which just recently opened up in the Fairfield Hills are of Newtown.
Phase II Cliff Notes:
- Majority of classes will be an 11 person cap, we will still be running classes of 8 on lifting days and workouts that require more space.
- Open Gym will be added as an 8 person cap on Monday, Wednesday, Friday mornings from 10:45 - 11:45, and Monday and Wednesday evening from 6:30-7:30pm
- Phase II is currently scheduled to run until 8/1 when we will look to then transition into Strongtown Phase III
In this week's episode Mike and I sit down to discuss the current state of events in the CrossFit community.
We talk about what happened...and most importantly, what it means for us and our gym.
This episode was recorded on 6/21/20 so events have continued to unfold and progress...at the end of the episode there is a quick outro / update and we'll talk more about things on the show.
Mikey and I recorded this episode on Saturday June 6th, the state had just recently announced that gyms will be allowed to reopen for indoor classes a few days earlier than originally planned which is great news.
We’re excited to get back into the gym and we review the phases that we’ve created that will allow us to comply with the state and run a class that we are comfortable with.
After this episode was recorded there was a series of events and interactions involving the founder of CrossFit. Between the quarantine and the tension in society being at an all-time high it has caused a tremendous amount of upheaval through the greater CrossFit community. In some ways, it was a ‘perfect storm’ of an event.
I was going to try to address things during this intro piece and it really deserves to be the focus of an episode which will be next week’s show.
We’re looking forward to seeing everyone back in the gym this week!
Welcome to June! This week’s Strongtown Talk is a sit down with Mikey, myself, and Matty Mauro.
Matty was brought on the show as a guest and also as a bit of a technical expert to help make sure last week’s recording issues don’t become a regular occurrence.
Matty has a background in audio production and recording...he has been a part of the Strongtown community since 2013’ish and prior to moving up to this area of the state he owned and operated a music production studio for 7 years.
We get a chance to talk about what first brought him to CrossFit, becoming a new parent, and bit about quarantined life.
A quick note - since I had Matty for the recording we recorded the show in 2 parts using slightly different equipment and setups. There is a brief intermission about 60% through the show as we switched gear.
I owe him a huge thank you for both taking the time to share his story and for helping me get a better handle on the recording process.
And we’re back!
We fell off our regular routine last week...I’m sorry about that and we should be back on track.
In this week’s episode I was able to sit down with Rich & Sara. Rich has been on a few of the earlier shows and this was Sara’s first time.
A couple of quick notes:
1 - I screwed something up during the recording so my voice is even more muffled and mumbly than usual. Rich and Sara sound great so I tried to cut out as much of myself as possible.
2 - Sara works for an undisclosed retailer who was recently the victim of some looting and vandalism. The story you are about to hear is true, the names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Welcome to a new week and another episode of Strongtown Talks.
In the theme of Mother’s Day this week’s episode was a virtual sit-down with Coach LuAnn who started off the Quarantine by becoming a new mother.
Mikey and I have known LuAnn since she first began CrossFit back in 2009 during the Watertown days.
We get a chance to talk about what first brought her into the gym, her running days, adjusting to motherhood during the Quarantine, working remotely, and getting back into fitness postpartum.
I want to give a quick shout out to Melissa Reed from CrossFit 203 and Reed Fitness & Physical Therapy, for helping LuAnn get back into a workout routine. Melissa recently published a “Postpartum Return to Fitness Guidebook” (link below) which LuAnn has found to be a tremendous resource.
Enjoy the show...
Post Partum Return to Fitness Guide Book by Melissa Reed:
https://reedfitnessandphysicaltherapy.com/post-partum-return-to-fitness-guidebook/
We’re mixing things up a bit on this week’s episode and going with a series of a game show style, rapid-fire questions.
I came up with a series of 21 questions split up across 3 categories - Lifestyle, Fitness, and the Wild Card Category - to throw at Mikey.
The goal was 21 questions...giving Mikey 15 seconds to respond...keeping the show under 9 Minutes.
Considering we couldn’t see the timer we were actually pretty close on time.
We are welcoming Kathleen back for a roundabout episode where we talk about the random shows we’ve been binge-watching, the Strongtown Online Classes & Social Events: Morning Coffee & Happy Hour calls...as well as what non-gym thing we’re looking forward to getting back to as restrictions start to lift.
It's looking this might become a reoccurring episode theme.
Most importantly - the fate of our washer & dryer is currently in limbo and was also discussed.
Welcome to a new week and another Strongtown Talks.
We were lucky to grab Mikey to be on this week’s episode.
We’re a little more than a week into our Strongtown Plus program so we get to catch up on how that’s going for Mike and hear his thoughts and feedback on things.
It’s rare for me to say that “Mike had a lot to say”...but Mike had a lot to say.
We also start getting into what people can expect as we get towards the end of this tunnel and reopening gradually becomes a reality, as well as some of the recent announcements in the CrossFit community regarding this year’s CrossFit Games.
I have to thank him for being on the show and we hope everyone is hanging in there.
This week's episode is a bit of a role reversal.
Dan is in the guest chair and Kathleen is taking over operations as a special guest host.
We get to talk a bit about Dan's background - his (lack of) athletic endeavors, his transition from a video store clerk, to amateur videographer, to grunt laborer. His extended college career as well as his first exposure to CrossFit.
This was a fun episode and I have to thank Kathleen for taking over the pilot chair for the day.
In this episode we’re continuing our recent spouses series. This week we were lucky to be able to have Kelly sit down, from across the room, and join us for an episode.
Kelly has been a member of Strongtown since 2011. She’s an English Teacher, one of our Coaches, and has also been married to Mikey since 2017 which might be her most impressive feat.
We get a chance to talk about what first brought her to Strongtown, how she almost walked away due to a lack of correspondence from her future husband, and how she’s adjusting to the new routine.
Spoiler alert - towards the end of the episode we get a chance to talk about our new “Strongtown Plus” program that we’re in the final steps of beta testing and hope to transition everyone over to this week.
In this episode, I get a chance to sit down with a very special person in my life...I know you’re thinking that I get Mikey on the show all the time but this isn’t him.
This is a special sit-down episode recorded at home with Kathleen Gallagher - formerly Snyder.
Back when we actually had classes you could typically find her around the gym for the 7pm’s and weekend classes.
For those who haven’t met her before Kathleen has been my wife for almost 8 months now and we initially met as co-workers at the same Landscape Architecture firm back in 2012...when I initially left the firm she was the person hired to replace me.
I was initially nervous about having her on the show...there have been many conversations over the years where I have basically dug myself into a hole. Fortunately this was not one of those talks.
We get a chance to talk about the recent adjustments in our daily lives, how the daily routine has changed, and what we’re doing to maintain some level of normalcy in our daily lives.
I have to thank her for being on the show and for putting up with me in general.
This past week has been nothing short of crazy...we were trying to be optimistic and hope that our little gym in Southbury would be isolated enough so that the pandemic wouldn’t affect us but sadly I was wrong...it’s not the first time I was wrong and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
After almost 9 years we, along with many other businesses have been forced to shut down daily operations. It is definitely scary and I’m glad we can do our part to contribute towards the greater good.
Anyway - in this week’s episode Mikey and I get a chance to sit down an appropriate distance apart from each other to discuss the recent week’s events and how we’ve been responding.
Welcome to a new week and another episode of Strongtown Talks. Considering the past week’s events today’s episode is a ray of sunshine. As a quick intro, we are very fortunate to have multiple contenders for the ‘Most Interesting Man Alive’ at Strongtown...this is not something every gym can say.
Today’s episode is sit down with a man who has a legitimate claim to the title. He is a FireFighter, a Rock Climber, a Snowboarder, a Photographer, a Hiker, a Coffee Connoisseur, a Tea Enthusiast, a CrossFitter, a Scotch specialist, and an International Traveller - the one and only Jimmy O’Neil.
Jim has been a part of Strongtown since the early days and I am very grateful to be able to call him a friend. He has an amazing story and I have to thank him for being on the show.
In this episode, I get a chance to sit down with Tom & Justin of Oxford Axe Throwing also known as the O-A-T. You can find them on Facebook & Instagram @oxfordaxethrowing.
At the time of this recording they had been open 9 days so by the time this episode gets published they will have just passed the 2-week mark.
Tom & Justin make up 2 of the 3 part trio of O-A-T.
The third owner / founder is Steve, who - according to his bio on the internet has developed a niche for barehanded lion hunting. He gave it up, mostly out of boredom. He currently benches 500+ and has taken up a casual hobby of nunchucking.
I have to thank them all for their hospitality and for being on the show.
One quick note - this episode was recorded at their facility in Oxford which is absolutely gorgeous. That makes this the first episode recorded outside of the gym which was definitely a learning experience.
Being our first roadshow definitely had some issues...the main one being that recording does cut short at the end.
I’m not sure why, it’s possible I screwed something up in the editing or something happened during the recording. Either way, it does end a bit abruptly and I’m very sorry about that.
They’re a great group of guys and I’m looking forward to watching them grow and am very excited about our upcoming Strongtown Axe Throwing night on the 28th.we will definitely have to have them back on in the future.
You can find Oxford Axe Throwing at the following:
• Website: https://oxfordaxethrowing.com/ • Facebook: @oxfordaxethrowing • Instagram: @oxfordaxethrowing
In this episode recorded on Sunday, March 1st Mikey and I get a chance to sit down with Nico to catch up and discuss our upcoming Strongtown social night at Oxford Axe Throwing.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, March 28th, and we're excited to be able to get out and support a new local business in addition to throwing some axes.
Nico also recently ventured outside of the Southbury area and visited the new Dave & Busters which opened up down in Milford so we get to hear about his recent expedition.
In this episode, recorded on February 23rd, Mikey and I get a chance to sit down and recap on our weekend as well as talk about our upcoming "Remember a Lift" weightlifting meet.
This was a rare weekend where Mikey and myself both left the gym and ventured up to Boston for a one-day seminar on marketing, branding, and general business operations. Jeans were worn, there was no squatting or working out involved...and it was 6 hours long. It's safe to say this was definitely not Mikey's idea.
We had a great time and it's always a good exercise to try and look at things from a different perspective.
We also get a chance to discuss our upcoming "Remember a Lift" weightlifting meet...during the episode I wasn't 100% positive on the date and just want to confirm that Mikey was correct and it is Saturday, April 4th.
Thank you and enjoy the show.
In this episode, we get a chance to sit down with Sarah & Taylor.
Sarah & Taylor are former roommates who have both been part of the CrossFit Strongtown family since the beginning.
They both have deep family roots in the CrossFit community - Taylor was first introduced by her parents sometime around 2006 and Sarah is the 3rd piece of the Gallagher sibling trifecta so she’s in it pretty deep to say the least.
I’ve been trying to get Sarah on the podcast for a while now and it came down to 2 conditions...1 being that Taylor aka Tots do it with her...and 2 being Mimosas. Taylor was totally in and she really had to twist my arm for Sunday morning Mimosas but we got them on the show.
Thank you both for coming out and everyone for listening!
In this episode, recorded on February 9th 2020, we sit down with Kat & Kate who represented Strongtown at CrossFit RedZone's first annual "Winter Classic" throwdown this past weekend.
Kat is a constant 6am'er and Kate typically does the evening classes. We talk a bit about what brought them to compete, their experiences at the event and about Competitions in general.
This was Kat's first competition and although it was Kate's 2nd it has been almost 3 years since her last competition.
In this episode, recorded on February 2nd 2020, we get a chance to sit down with Ian Babington.
Ian has been a member at Strongtown since 2011 and as recently transitioned into the Coaching side of things.
We talk about college...transitioning from Anthropology & Archeology to Fire Fighting and then from triathlons to CrossFit. We also talk about what first brought 'The Babingtons' to Strongtown as well as some of the challenges of working out while being a new parent.
In this episode, recorded on January 26th 2020, Mikey and I sit down with Nico to discuss what it means to go "Rx" on a workout.
We talk a bit about the evolution of the Rx Levels at Strongtown, some of the minutia of the Judges Course and previous CrossFit Games workouts as well as just catch up on things in general.
In this episode recorded on January 19th, 2020, Mikey and I sit down to catch up on the past week.
We draw numbers for our Super Bowl Squares to complete the board, we talk about our annual Strongtown Super Bowl workout...it's a classic, as well as this past weekends' Holiday Party (thank you Barry & Becky for hosting!), and a little bit about our on going Strong Start Challenge.
In this episode, recorded on January 12th, 2020, we get a chance to sit down with Heidi Gaber.
Heidi is a Social Worker and has been a regular face at our 6:00am class for the past 4 years.
The person who she is now and the person who tried out a class because her friend Taylor kept bugging her are two very different people.
She has literally transformed her life and gone from smoking 1-2 packs of cigarettes day to waking up at 5:00am and working out 5x a week.
We talk about what brought her to Strongtown (thank you Tots), nursing school, and working out with multiple auto-immune diseases amongst other things.
In this episode recorded on January 5th 2020, we get a chance to sit down with Deb.
Deb is one of our 'most master' athletes at Strongtown, she's also one of our strongest.
She has lived an extraordinary life from waitressing Martha's Vineyard, to working as an executive out in Silicon Valley, to running a Farm & CSA program, to most recently beating cancer.
She's an inspiration to everyone who knows her and I'm grateful we got a chance to catch up.
In this episode recorded on December 29th, 2019, Mikey and I sit down and talk about our recent 12 Days workout as well as our final workout of 2019 aka "New Year's Eve Party with the Girls".
This year's finale will be a 40 Minute AMRAP of Grace (or Isabell) ... and then Annie ... and then Fran ... and then Karen for a total of 570 reps per round.
Like Christmas Eve, we'll be running classes at 8:00am & 9:30am and closed on New Year's Day.
In this episode recorded on December 22, 2019, we get a chance to sit down & catch up with Garrett Taggart.
Garrett has been a part of Strongtown since the early days.
We talk about what first brought him to the gym, working out while deployed, and the girl who kept buying him coffee.
In this episode recorded on December 15th, 2019, the Sunday cleaning crew aka Mikey, Dan & Nico, sit down to discuss Strongtown's annual "12 Days" workout that happens every Christmas Eve.
The workout has become a Strongtown tradition and one of the busiest days of the year for Strongtown.
We talk about the workout...the infamous Day 12, 12oz of Beer option and the upcoming Holiday schedule.
In part 2 of this 2 part series Katelyn takes over the role of host and interviews her younger brother Matt Man.
Fair warning that the audio quality is a little rough.
In this episode recorded on Dec. 1 2019, we sit down with Katelyn Michitsch.
Katelyn is almost 9 years old which makes her a few months older than Strongtown.
She has literally grown up in the gym and over the past few years has taken on the extra responsibility of being a big sister.
We talk about life, her feats of fitness, and amongst other things her favorite book which is "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown.
This is Part 1 of 2. In Part 2 Katelyn takes over the role of host and interviews her younger brother aka Matt Man.
In this episode recorded on Nov. 29, 2019, we get a chance to sit down with Tony & Lori of Muscle-up Bars
Muscle-up Bars are a Newtown CT based company that revolutionized the protein bar scene in 2016. They have become a favorite choice of the Strongtown community and have been a regular sponsor at our annual Battle for the Bell event for the past 3 years.
We chat about weightlifting, how they became the official protein bar of USAW, how the company first started, their first bars, as well as some exciting news for 2020.
Website: https://muscleupbars.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MuscleUpBars/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muscleupbars/
In this episode recorded on Nov 24th, 2019, Mikey and I sit down to discuss the upcoming Holiday week.
We talk about the most recent batch of hero workouts that have made their way into the programming, that thing called 'scaling' and the upcoming week's schedule.
"Wednesday is the new Sunday"
The Holidays Season is officially here and staying on track with working out is no easy task.
In this episode recorded earlier in November, we get a chance to sit down with Rich (http://bowtiebots.com/) again to discuss the Holiday season, tips for not getting side-tracked, and favorite holiday desserts.
In this episode recorded on Nov 10th, 2019, we sit down with Coach Becky and discuss her Strongtown story.
We talk about what first brought her to CrossFit, how she convinced/tricked her husband & father to start getting into the gym, and some of the difficulties of being a new parent and trying to stay active.
We discuss some of her most memorable workouts and if she could remove any movement from our workouts - what it would be.
In this episode recorded on Nov 3rd, 2019, we sit down with Mikey & Nico to discuss our most recent bus trip to Holy Smoke BBQ in Mahopac, NY.
We review the trip, food, bus ride trivia, and feats of fitness amongst other things.
In this episode recorded on Oct. 29, 2019, we get a chance to catch up with Rich Schnitzel.
Rich has been a member a Strongtown for almost 2 years now and is the owner/founder of Bowtie Bots (http://bowtiebots.com/)
We discuss his background, what brought him to start Bowtie Bots and our upcoming Holy Smoke bus trip.
We also review his most memorable workout and if he could remove any movement from the workouts - what it would be.
In this episode recorded on Oct. 27, 2019, we get a chance to catch up with Mikey Gallagher.
Mikey is the Head Coach and one of the owners of CrossFit Strongtown.
We get a chance to sit down and discuss his background, sports and what brought him to CrossFit.
We also review his most memorable workout and if he could remove any movement from the workouts - what it would be.
In this episode recorded on Oct. 22, 2019, we get a chance to catch up with Nico Rosa.
Nico started at Strongtown when he was in High School and has since graduated college.
We get a chance to sit down and discuss our most recent Battle for the Bell event (End Bell) where he has competed in the past switched roles to judge this year.
We also review his most memorable workout, how Strongtown has impacted his life outside the gym and if he could remove any movement from a workout - what it would be.