So, all this searching and waiting and more searching for a space can at times get disheartening. You raise your hopes, think about alternative business models to try and make it feasible and plod along…and it just seems like it never ends. On a positive side though, you think never stop dreaming about the possibilities. Because once you have the box, you think about the gear you can start to have…which can lead to all sorts of colourful discussions, such as:

‘Rubber, Rubber, Rubber, Rubber, Wood, Rubber, Wood, Rubber, Wood, Rubber, Rubber, Rubber, Rubber, Wood, Rubber, Wood, Rubber, Wood, Rubber, Rubber, Rubber, Rubber.

No, I’ve now doubt most of you can figure what we’re talking about, but can you draw it?

When you want something so bad...

The space below is still on the web, so still free….shame…but I guess if it’s not meant to be it’s not meant to be.

When you’re hunting for a place where you can do something you love… bit like when you’re a teenager …you get a bit excited thinking about the possibilities of the sort of box you’re going to have. When you really want something so bad, any hell hole seems to have potential…as long as it’s got a roof and a toilet…a bit like beer goggles, but with bumper plates. You know it's just not right but you want to find a positive excuse to go ahead. We have had a few moments like that.

Take the two places above. You can see that unit 8 is more ‘developed’ then the other, it’s about 1600sqft. The other one though was 3400sqft and cheaper, but needed a lot of work. Both had potential space outside to use as well. The problem was that the location wasn’t right.

Most of our members have been with us from the start and so deserve something better then any old pit…though they’d probably settle for a pit if there was nothing else.

There had to be something better, it just doesn't feel like it sometimes.

This could be it...

So we continued our search, saw a few interesting spaces, but they were just not affordable…remember, we don’t want the move to be a short term solution where we end up getting booted out for not being able to get the rent covered.
Then, we came across this nice little space (see above).

Not massive (1600sqft), but good natural light. Space for Oly work, pull up rack, throw wall balls and to do most other movements with a good number of people.

This was hopeful.
The location was good. Parking hmmm, okay, not great, but there were ways around that, like the several hundred parking spaces at the retail park round the corner. Rent, not bad...if we could negotiate something.
...but that was the problem, the agent didn’t really want to know.
No negotiation, and he wanted 6 month deposit along with several months rent. It also seemed he was also trying to sell some service, seeing as we were 'new' to this.
The annoying thing was, we spoke to the guys in the facility next door to this and they said they’d been offered the space for a much lower rate…we felt the agent was playing us. Not good and not helpful. The space had been empty over 4 months now.

The first space

25/04/10


So to give you guys an update on the sort of places we've looked at in search of a box, here’s a place we checked out a couple of months ago.

The property is in a cul-de-sac with good transport links (near railway line). There is also good access to local amenities (out side area is used as public dumping ground as well as being next to skip facility site). Security is also good (you could probably hold an illegal rave here) –(yes there's a touch of sarcasm).

Seriously, the place was about 3000sqft of which 2500 is usable as gym space, which is a good size, and the price seemed pretty good too. Several problems. Add in rates, and cost of redecorating, it was not affordable. Outside really was a tip…as you can see from the pictures. It was not somewhere that would be to appealing to be at nighttime. This is important as a good percentage of our members are of the fairer gender. You sort of just know when you drive up to a place, you either love it or hate it. There was no love for this place.

New beginnings

Hello folks and welcome to the new CrossFit Reading Blog.
As some of you are aware there have been some great and major changes happening with CFR and our members. We‘ll let you all know about these changes in the coming months, as well as let you in on the goings on at our affiliate.

First for those who do not know who we are, check out http://www.crossfitreading.co.uk/. Then come back here and read what we live for. If the mood then takes you, come and check us out. We welcome everyone but @**h*les.

For our members, thanks for all your support the past couple of years.
You are the reason this blog has come to place. It is where we will let you know about what we are doing to take our affiliate to the next stage. It is where we will highlight your achievements. It will be where you can remind yourselves and let others know of what is possible if you believe and give your all.

Okay, as a first post, it’s pertinent that the topic to start this new blog off is about one of the major changes that is taking place and is reflective of a new start for CFR. We have actively been looking for a permanent home for our training and our members. Somewhere where we don’t have to worry about finishing on time, getting double booked and threatened with expulsion if we put another hole in the floor.

We’ve already been working really hard looking at a some potential spaces and er…what can I say? We’re having have to look really hard to find something that’s habitable for species that have evolved to walking on two feet. That’s the first challenge. The second challenge is actually getting some positive help and advice from leeches that are supposed to be ‘selling’ potential spaces for their clients to us (More on this later). We'll let you see some of the places we've checked out over the past few weeks.