When you go on vacation, you think about things you’d like to see, activities you’d like to try and places where you’d like to eat.  For me, it’s natural to also look for places to drop in.  It’s not about having something to write about.  It’s part of the adventure.  I love to meet athletes in the CrossFit community and learn about the coach’s/owner’s stories as well.
When I went with my family to Key West this past July I was really excited to go to CrossFit Mile Zero.  This is a well-reviewed place and, hey, it’s Key West!  I was really hoping it would have that Key West vibe.
It was a short Uber ride from our hotel near Duval St.  My wife and I got there early; almost 30 minutes before our class time (don’t ask why because I just don’t know).  When we arrived, there was a class going on so we hung outside for a little bit so we didn’t interrupt.  Coach/owner, Jeff popped out and said we don’t have to wait outside and welcomed us in.   
I decided to stay outside for a few minutes and walk around the back.  I discovered an interesting outdoor area that they have.  More on that when I talk about the facility.  I eventually went in and my wife was already chatting with Jeff.  By then my friend Justin, who crossed paths with us on this vacation, showed up.  Justin is an excellent athlete and coach in his own right, but I was especially happy to have him join us because getting him to drop in while on vacation is kind of like trying to spot a unicorn. 
Time to share some details.  You know the scale; 1-5 barbells.  Here we go!
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​As I had been hoping to get to Key West for a while, (and was sitting at home during the pandemic with nowhere to go) I had time to become pretty familiar with the web site.  There’s a nice big “DROP IN” button that always stays at the top of the page.  You really can’t be much more drop-in friendly than that. 
The site has details on the coaches, including their certifications, the schedules, WOD for the next day and rates.  It’s quite simple and straight-forward. 
As far as communication, I submitted an inquiry through their contact form on the site and Jeff responded to me promptly.  I asked about any advanced info I could get on the workout so I knew what gear to pack.  Although he wasn’t able to give me the exact workout, he gave me enough of an idea so I knew what I needed.  
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​There’s really not much to report here, which is want you want in this category.  My wife checked out the restroom and said it was fine.  Equipment got wiped down by athletes after class was over.  I did notice some chalk on a few of the bars sitting in the racks but the floors were clean and so were the rigs.  

This is an interesting facility.  It was formerly a post office.  I’d say it’s medium/large-size (there’s no real scale to go by).  There’s a large main room with a two rigs on opposite walls.  Beyond the main workout area, you’ll find several little rooms here and there.  There’s a warmup area in the front that may have been a former office.  A short hallway off to the side with barbell racks mounted on the walls leads to a small room where they keep their swag (more on that soon).  There’s another area in the far back that looks like it was the loading dock in a former life with some stand-alone racks, a bike and a bunch of plates. 
And then there’s the outdoor area with mats and pullup brackets.  Although I didn’t use it, I liked it.  It seemed like you could hold a medium-sized class out there and have plenty of space.  Maybe not the best in July after the sun comes up.
For equipment, there’s loads of bars, weights, at least 8 bikes and about the same number of rowers.  I couldn’t see anything was really missing.  Everything is in good condition.  

​The strength portion of the workout was a 7x3 back squat or front squat for 3 sets at 75%.  I elected to do back squat, as did my wife.  Justin went with front squats. 
The metcon was 8 rounds for time of 5 burpee box jumps/step ups (20/24) and 10 DB hang snatches (35/45) with a 30 second rest in between rounds.
This was a really good vacation workout.  It wasn’t too heavy, nor was it “soul-crushing”.  It was perfect to keep us moving and worked off some of that vacation food.  In looking at their historical workouts, they change things up plenty so there’s no guarantee you’ll get a similar workout but that’s really what CrossFit is – variety.
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Jeff did an excellent job of explaining the workout and getting us warmed up.  He demonstrated knowledge of form and movement.  He checked on everyone throughout the class to be sure they were all set.  I received several visits from Jeff while I was working on my back squat.  He was encouraging to all during the workout.  

In several ways, the culture was an extension of the coaching.  Jeff is the owner, so it makes sense.  Jeff made it easy to feel comfortable.  When he introduced us to the class he had us tell everyone one thing about us.  I was blanking so I did something I never do.  I said “have a blog where I review all the CrossFits I drop in to all over the country”, which prompted Jeff to instruct his members to be “really nice" to me.  Honestly, I don’t think it would have made a difference.  I knew CrossFit Mile Zero had the vibe I was looking for before I said anything.
The members were very nice.  Everyone said hello.  My wife shared a space on the rig for the strength portion of the workout with one of the members who was gracious and friendly .  A few members chatted with us and most of them gave post-workout congrats.
After the workout, Jeff spent some time to talk with us and sent us a list of places to see and things to do while in the keys.   There was an excellent overall feeling of welcome here and if you’re the type of person that’s a little bit hesitant because of feeling out of place, this is a really good place to go.
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​The drop-in fee was the standard $20.  They also have a $60 weekly drop-in rate, which is pretty good if you’re in town for a while.  The shirts were also $20.  They had plenty of variety, which you don’t always see.  That little room at the end of the hallway had a big set of shelves that were pretty stocked.  There were ¾ sleeves, tee shirts and tanks.  You should be able to find something in your size.
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​I was hoping to have a really good experience at CrossFit Mile Zero.  Maybe because I worked it up in my own mind because of where it is and how long I was waiting to go there.  The experience certainly met my expectations.  What stands out to me was the overall feeling of welcome here and that’s huge to me.  Big kudos to coach/owner Jeff for creating a great environment.  My only regret is it’s not a place I can get to with any regularity.  I will look back fondly.
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Contact Info:
CrossFit Mile Zero
3224 Flagler Avenue
Key West, FL 33040
(305) 509-1799
https://crossfitmilezero.com/
[email protected]

This gun has a metal casing, rather than plastic and it’s got a surprising amount of heft to it.  To me, it feels substantive.  I think a plastic gun in that size would feel toy-like and cheap, so I really like it.  It’s compact size really does classify it as “mini”.  It’s not just a slightly smaller gun that has mini printed on the side, which I’ve seen on a couple of other guns.
When I gave it to a couple of people to try they took a minute to find the power button, which is on the bottom of the gun.  Most people are expecting to find it on the top or the back, but I wanted to get an uninfluenced first impression.  Of course, everyone found it. 
Holding the power button for a couple of seconds turns it on.  It starts at the lowest power setting.  The power indicators are clear.  There are four blue LED’s to indicate the power level.  They’re easy to see.  Changing the power setting is a quick press of the power button.  Once it gets to the highest setting, the next press drops it down to the lowest setting.  Pressing and holding the power button will power it off.
RPM’s are comparable with other guns.  The settings are as follows:

• Level 1 - 1800rpm
• Level 2 - 2400rpm
• Level 3 - 2800rpm
• Level 4 - 3200rpm

 

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​RecoverFun advertises a 5-hour battery life and my rough guess is that’s about right.  The battery status indicator isn’t my favorite.  According to the user guide, to read the level of charge the small green LED on the bottom of the gun just below the charging port will blink once when the battery level is 0-30% charged, twice when it’s between 30-70% and three times when it’s 70% or above.  However, what actually happens is when you turn it on is it will blink green once, presumably to indicate that it’s powered on.  That kind of threw me off because I first thought that the gun’s charge level was below 30%.  After that first blink, it will then blink every 5 seconds based on the power remaining. 
I’ve charged the unit twice.  Once after I first got it and used it a few times.  It took several hours to charge and I don’t believe it charged completely because the charging LED was still red.  The battery had completely run down before I charged it, which I’m sure contributed to the lengthy charging time. 
The second time, I charged it after quite a bit of use.  The charge indicator suggested the battery was below 30% (but based on the above I’m not completely sure).  It took about 2 hours to charge this time.  The charge indicator turned from red to green.  I will continue to test the charging time and amend this post if needed.
My other gun has a power indicator and a separate charge indicator that always indicates the power level, which makes it much easier to know when charging is necessary.  It would be nice to have something like that here.   
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It’s a hot, humid July afternoon in Columbus, Ohio and I find myself standing in front of the large CrossFit box that is CrossFit Bexley.  I showed up for the 4:30pm class and was greeted by one of their coaches, coach Amy, who was actually taking the class with me but was nice enough to get me a waiver to sign and check to see what my swag choices were (more on that later).
CrossFit Bexley is a place that I’ve been wanting to get to for a while, as I travel to Columbus frequently enough, at least before the pandemic.  Now that travelling has started ramping back up I had another opportunity.  The timing was good, so I was able to take advantage.  I typically stay by the airport and it’s less than a 10-minute drive so, it’s quite convenient.
Let’s break this visit down into the usual categories.  And here’s your regular reminder - all ratings are on a scale of 1-5 barbells.

​I sent an email out expressing my interest in dropping in the week before I travelled and within 6 hours I received a response from one of the owners, Patrick Woods.  He let me know he’d be happy to have me and gave me details on the cost and where to sign up.  I asked for any information on the workout and he didn’t have it yet, which isn’t uncommon at all.  I was looking for 2 days of workout information, as I wasn’t sure which day I could make at first.  The day before I left, Patrick sent me the next day’s workout, which I ended up making. 
Looking at their website, it’s easy to navigate with a clear calendar schedule and a drop-in option under rates.  There’s a section for trainers that gives a picture and a full bio, including certifications, for each coach.
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​Overall, CrossFit Bexley was pretty clean.  The coach asked us to wipe down our equipment after our workout.  There’s plenty of spray bottles and rags.  However, I did notice that several of the bars had a good bit of chalk on them.  There was a little chalk on the rig but it’s almost not worth noting.  I did not have an opportunity to inspect the bathrooms.  No big issues here.
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This category is a little more difficult.  CrossFit Bexley is a big, beautiful facility.  It’s stocked with equipment.  There’s two large rigs on either side of this very open space.  There’s loads of rowers and bikes.  There’s plenty of dumbbells, kettlebells, and bars.  I saw a fair amount of rust on several bars.  That can be harder to keep up with in the humidity between all the perspiration and cleaning solution.  The space is really nice.​

​The workout was “Lyon”, which was challenging.  It’s 5 rounds for time of:

• 7 Squat Cleans (165/115lb)
• 7 Shoulder to Overhead (same weight)
• 7 Burpee Chest-to-Bar Pull Ups

There was a 2 min rest between rounds, which we needed every second of.  As an extra added bonus after the WOD, there was a cash-out of 6 1-minute plank holds.  Overall, a good solid workout. 
I had to scale, of course.  However, to me it’s about the quality of the workout.  I’m not looking to prove anything.  
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Coach David introduced himself to me prior to the class and introduced me as the class got started.  He reviewed the workout prior to class and then ran us through a full warmup.  He noticed a couple of things for me to correct and pointed them out to me.  We also discussed how best to scale prior to the workout.
Coach David kept an eye on all of us and was encouraging.  He communicated well during the workout,  rest and cash-out to keep us motivated.
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​It was really difficult to get a sense of the culture only because there were just two other people in the class with me.  It was 4:00 on a weekday so that didn’t surprise me.  There were a few athletes working out independently, but they were in their own space. 
I want to give them the benefit of the doubt because the few people I did get to meet were very pleasant.  The two people in my class were supportive.  Based on what I saw, I believe this was a sample of larger cultural makeup here.
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​The cost to drop in at CrossFit Bexley is a mere $15.  A bargain.  If you want to add a shirt, it’s only $10 more, which is also really good.  However, swag availability was extremely limited.  They didn’t have anything in my size.  This isn’t uncommon.  You usually can find plenty of small and medium in most places.  After that, you need a little bit of luck from the CrossFit Gods.  We’ll see how things look when I swing back around to Columbus.​

CrossFit Bexley has a lot going for it.  It was a positive experince.  The communication and the coaching was very good.  Although I only got to meet a handful of people, they were all friendly and welcoming.  The facility was huge and well equipped.  Yes, the flooring was a downside but I would still recommend CrossFit Bexley as a good place to workout in the Columbus area.  And, I would ask the owners if they address the flooring issue to please contact me and I will gladly ammend this piece.  

CrossFit Bexley
2903 E. 4th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43219
(614) 525-9073
https://crossfitbexley.fit/
​[email protected]

As mentioned, a single drop-in costs $20, which is pretty average.  They don’t appear to have a multi-session drop-in fee, like if you were going to be there for a week, which kind of surprises me but they may not get too many requests for that.  They do have punch cards but they start at 12 punches.  So, if you’re in that area for a longer time, that might work for you.
They have t-shirts, mostly of one style and a handful in a couple of other styles.  The cost was $25, which is at the upper end of average but we liked the shirts so we each got one.  
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RX Bar
The RX Bar is easily the most widely available in this group.  They’re made up of just a handful of ingredients, all of which are natural.  There’s too many flavors to count.  From chocolate sea salt, to peanut butter, to chocolate hazelnut.  They’re pretty consistent on protein (around 12 grams) and come in at around 210 calories.
 
Pros:

• There has to be over a dozen flavors of RX bars that can range from chocolate to various fruit flavors.  They have seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice in the fall and gingerbread around the holidays. 
• I see RX Bars in many places; the grocery store, nutrition stores, convenience stores and airports to name just a few.
• They can price for over $2 a bar but you can purchase a 4-pack at Target or Wal-Mart for about $6.50, which is about $1.65 per bar.  There’s better deals in larger bulk like at Costco but the flavors are limited.
• They travel very well.  They’re pretty compact and again, so long as you don’t leave them in a hot car, they’re easy to take with you.

 
Cons:

• I’ve found and have compared notes with others.  Common feedback is the consistency can vary from one batch to another.  Some are chewier than others.  Sometimes the flavors can be slightly different.  Sometimes they can have almost an oily coating on the outside.  Most of the time it’s not an issue but sometimes there’s a notable difference.
• One of the big complaints I hear consistently is they stick to your teeth.  I personally find they don’t stick for long but some people just don’t like that.