STRENGTH IN ADVERSITY

James 1:2-4
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

I don’t know if there is a truer statement than the one stating “True character comes out in the times of adversity.” This past week has been one of those times for the team here at Crossfit Round Rock. As most of you know the Crossfit Games open is now upon us and we couldn’t be more excited. Coming up on the games has not been met without much adversity. Within one week, 3 of our coaches have come down with back injuries and will most likely have to skip this year’s open (although I do hear Woody is doing much better and may be good to go…yay!!). As a team we could handle this in one of two ways. One, we could have held our heads down, moped, and held a negative attitude towards the situation, or two, we could keep a positive attitude and push forward, as a team, with a positive attitude knowing that we would overcome.

Once again I am reassured that I am a part of a strong, positively driven team. Despite the goings on we have decided to rise above and stay positive. We realize that there is nothing that we cant accomplish when we stick together as a team and keep pushing forward. Needless to say, our true character is shining through as one of positivity, strength, and perseverance.

I cant tell you how blessed I feel to be around so many people that not only know how to stay positive in a time of adversity, but also one that expects to excel none-the-less! We are the A-Team and cannot be intimidated, put down, or stopped! We choose to learn and get better no matter what stands in our way.

Once again, I thank you all for reading and I hope that you can take something from this!

Jared Duyck aka "Tug"

The Voices In Our Head

"Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.” Romans 12:21

We all have voices inside of us all, speaking to us, leading us one way or another. One I am talking about is the one that keeps us from going that extra distance to make ourselves better. It’s the one that tells us to stay in bed another few “snoozes” when we could rather get up and start being productive. Its the voice that tells us “you are tired, just stop now” when we could give that little extra to push us over the hump. It’s the voice that comes in your workout and tells you that you are tired and should quit where you are, when we know that if we just find another 20 seconds of effort we can accomplish something that we never could have before. It is the one that keeps us from being great and truly reaching potential!

There is another voice inside of us that combats the negativity! Unfortunately we succumb to the negative side so much that we forget that it is there. There is a gift in all of us! Its that will to press on, that “little extra”. It’s the one that will unlock you from being average, and start you on the path to being great!

 What would happen if you start to listen to this voice? Your days will become more productive, your workouts will become more intense and fulfilling, that diet that you struggle with will begin to get easier and easier. That addiction you have struggled with will begin to disappear and soon become a thing of the past.

How do we make a habit of going that little extra? Its much simpler than it seems…learn to say “yes” to it! Try it once today! Just one time will get you the start to saying “yes”, and then comes the second time, the third, and so on till it becomes a habit, and that’s the best habit we can form. Forming a habit of not quitting, pressing on, moving forward, will make you an over comer! When we do this my friends, the sky is the limit!!

Answering the questions "why?"

"...so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Romans 12:5

Answering the question “Why”:

Why Crossfit?

                There are a lot of people now starting to hear about crossfit, and are curious to why there is such a big surge of it lately. Well, for me crossfit has provided me a way to be a part of something. The goal of crossfit in my eyes is simple. It is helping people improve much more than just their health. People are changing their lives! They are getting a higher sense of confidence, a chance to be a part of a team with a higher goal in mind, and getting to be a part of something that’s pure in its intentions to better anyone (being a kid, elderly, or ANYONE in between) that is wanting to make a major change for the good in their lives! All you have to do is get started, and crossfit will definitely help you get on that path, and help with the follow through on achieving a goal to better oneself.

Why Crossfit Round Rock?

                Now when you see the reasons to get involved in crossfit, you might ask “What is the difference that Crossfit Round Rock offers?” To me, CFRR has means everything! I walked in the door and was met immediately with open arms. A huge thing for me, when looking for something like this, is that I want to be in a positive environment. CFRR goes above and beyond this. Not only do they take in ANYONE looking for a change, but they also walk with you step by step through the process to make sure that you stay to the course to bettering yourself. You get the personal attention that you need to not only reaching goals, but staying on the path of living a completely healthy lifestyle. I believe people in life really want something to be a part of, and that is what is offered. CFRR is not just a place to get a great workout in, it’s a STATE OF MIND that everyone  shares to being great!!

What Being A Coach At CFRR Means To Me?

                I consider it a huge honor for the opportunity to be a coach at CFRR. This means to me that they see something in me that can not only hold to their extremely high standard, but also add to the already great team that has been established. Even in the short time that I have had to start building relationships with the coaches here, I already hold an even higher respect for each one of the coaches. So obviously I am excited to be able to add to this group and ready to add to the overall vision and goals that are at the foundation of what makes this place so great! Being a part of something that you believe in is key in life, and I am confident that God has placed me in a place where I can be that and much more!

Somebody's Watching Over Me...Who I Am, And What Drives Me

“Whatever you do, do it with all of your heart as unto the Lord and not unto man…” Colossians 3:23

Today I find myself once again in a place where I never thought I would be and I couldn’t be happier or more excited. This seems to be a reoccurring theme throughout my life. I have taken a lot of paths and am proud of every one of them, because they are all things that I have had to work hard for to achieve. This work ethic was instilled in me at a very early age by my dad. He taught me how to work towards achievement and to not accept defeat as failure, but as a learning experience.

Growing up my life was about 2 things. One was faith, and the second was basketball. Both of these which my parents helped me develop. I accepted the Lord as my Savior as a young boy and have loved and followed His path ever since. This isn’t saying that it’s not a daily struggle to keep Him first, but its what I strive to do. Basketball was everything to me as well. I started playing when I was 3 and knew that it was what I wanted to do. I worked my butt off and was blessed by my high school coach Todd Duncan and learned how to better myself, work hard, and set goals for myself. This is how I came to be an achiever.

In high school I made myself 2 goals. The first was to win a state championship, and the second was to earn a scholarship to play basketball in college. Both of which I accomplished because I wrote them down, looked at them every day, and focused my every waking hour on accomplishing them. When I got to college I had the wonderful opportunity to share a national championship win with my teammates. I also was able to have the chance to travel to Belgium with Sport Quest Ministries to not only challenge ourselves by playing some competitive European basketball teams, but  also we had the chance to spread  the gospel. Not only was this one of the most rewarding things I have done, but also something that I will never forget. This was, for the time being, the end of my basketball career.

Afterwards I moved to San Angelo and finished school to earn a degree in business administration. This is also when I started into my 3^rd passion in life, music. My brother Justin and I went and bought some instruments and started jamming for fun. Little did I know that the Lord had big plans for my life in music?!  Soon, I was blessed with the opportunity to join the band “Ember”, move to Austin, and pursue a profession in music. As a group we accomplished great things. One opportunity was we had the chance to travel overseas and do 2 tours playing for the troops, and one of the tours was with the well known band “Hinder”. We soon were noticed and signed a record deal with a Christian label and recorded our national debut album. Our first single “The Deep End” topped the charts in secondary markets by going to #1 for 12 weeks strait! Once again, I found that the Lord was using a passion of mine to spread a positive message.

Soon after the band broke up and I moved on, but not before, by Gods great plan, I met the most wonderful woman I have ever known, and she is now my wife. Together, Brittania and I started at Crossfit Round Rock in June of 2011 to find something that not only kept us active, but also got us looking good for our wedding. Our very first Crossfit workout was of course challenging (I believe it was 100 burpees and 100 sit-ups…ah!!!), but I knew that this was something that was going to play a big part in my life. I now find myself completely addicted to it for many reasons. Those reasons include the fact that it’s a daily challenge to get better, an overwhelmingly positive environment, and it also carries all of the characteristics of being a team and a family, which is, obviously something I know and love. I now am just 6 weeks in to receiving my Crossfit Level 1 Certification, and am being mentored to become a new addition to the already stellar coaching staff at Crossfit Round Rock (CFRR). I still have much to learn, but am confident that through my values, work ethic, and the team surrounding and supporting me(A-TEAM!!!) success is their for the taking. I am going to work towards becoming a great coach worthy of leading people to help change their lives at CFRR. I am so excited that the Lord has placed me where I am and can’t wait to see what the future holds for me as a coach!

I want to thank you all for reading and for all of your undying support and prayers (mom, dad, Lindsey, Justin)…stay tuned for many great things that are sure to come!

Jared Duyck