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Training for the long game at Albany’s CrossFit Beyond 💪

September 15, 2025

Happy Monday, Capital Region! Today, Phat writes about getting back into fitness in a serious way with help from the fantastic crew at CrossFit Beyond in Albany. Follow along as he attempts to out-burpee his dad bod.

Carolyn Braunius wrote in to tell us that the Autumn Glow Festival is worth the trip: “There were so many fascinating and beautiful lanterns, and they gave everyone an LED light flower crown when they entered. It really made it a fun atmosphere, and we are so excited to go again this year.”

Thanks for the tip, Carolyn!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Today in The 518:

  • Kick starting a new fitness journey at CrossFit Beyond

  • Restaurant news: Pizza Michelina and The Daisy

  • The Regional Food Bank needs your help & bird banding at Albany Pine Bush Preserve

  • A unique 3-acre retreat is our Home of the Week

  • It’s the weekend for Harvest Fests & early Halloween fun

 

Training for the long game at Albany’s CrossFit Beyond 💪 

I’ll be honest: My relationship with fitness has been… complicated. I used to run full marathons, then half marathons. Now I mostly run late. I’m either glued to my laptop or my phone. It’s a good day when I do more strolling than scrolling.

Like a lot of people past 40 (okay, 50), I’ve watched my metabolism hit the brakes while my waistband keeps inching forward. I’m not unhealthy, but I’m definitely not where I want to be. And let’s just say my weight has a habit of boomeranging—always finding its way back to my belly. #dadbod 😅 

So, I went in search of a local gym. I’ve never been much of a gym person. My preference is to run outdoors on a beautiful trail. That was easier to do year-round when we lived in Los Angeles. In Albany… not so much.

I landed on CrossFit Beyond in Albany’s Warehouse District. I’ve never done CrossFit in my life. But as I looked into it more, it seems to fit what I need from my fitness journey right now. And the super approachable team at CrossFit Beyond is top notch.

Founded in 2000 by Greg Glassman, CrossFit exploded in popularity thanks to its high-intensity, community-based model. But, the cult fitness craze soon turned off casual exercisers.

In 2000, Glassman was forced out over controversial statements about Black Lives Matter. Since then, CrossFit has rebranded as more health-focused and inclusive. Its new mission emphasizes:

  • Longevity and functional fitness

  • Appealing to older adults and beginners like me

  • Everyday wellness rather than elite competition

This is definitely the vibe that I get from Albany’s CrossFit Beyond. Located in a tidy facility next to Nine Pin Cider in the heart of the Warehouse District, CFB offers an accessible entry point into the CrossFit lifestyle. Beginners are invited and encouraged to join any and all classes that they offer. 

“We’re not here to crush egos or just burn calories,” says Jake Thorp, one of CFB’s three co-owners (the others are Chad Alojipan and Mike McLaughlin). “We’re here to teach.”

That philosophy shows up in the small class sizes (capped at 12), hands-on instruction, and a coaching team that’s genuinely invested in helping every member succeed, from total newbies to seasoned athletes.

“We’ve built a staff that’s highly certified and incredibly experienced,” Jake says. “Coaching here is a craft, not a side hustle.”

More than just workouts, CrossFit Beyond focuses on the long game: aging well, moving better, and feeling stronger, mentally and physically. “Looking good is a bonus,” Jake says. “But the real goal is functional longevity. Coordination, strength, balance, speed—those are the things that make life easier as you get older.”

For $150 per month, members get unlimited classes and full access to CrossFit programming six days a week, plus yoga classes and open gym hours for personal training or recovery work. Retention is strong; many members have been showing up since 2015. “Once people commit for three months, they tend to stick. This becomes their place.”

I’m hoping CrossFit Beyond becomes my place too. I’m committing publicly in this newsletter to focus on my fitness again. We’ll be giving you monthly updates on my progress—all of the highs and lows. Keep me in your prayers, readers 🙏 

Join me in restarting your fitness journey—no matter where you are on that journey. For a limited time: Exclusively for our subscribers, get a free week of unlimited classes at CrossFit Beyond!

📍 CrossFit Beyond, 18 Thacher St, Albany
📷️ Follow on Instagram 

This Saturday, Lark Out Loud brings the beat back to Albany’s iconic Lark Street. The free tribute band festival features the sounds of Hot Cousin (80s rock), Road Soda Pop (90s hits), CC Smokes (classic funk), and headliners Super 400 performing their legendary Led Zep set. Albany, let’s crank it up! 🎤🔥

🎸 Lark Out Loud
📍 Behind Lark Street Tavern, 453 Madison Ave, Albany
📅 Saturday, Sept. 20, 1-8p
🔞 This is a 21+ event
🍸️ Free festival | Live tribute bands | Food & drink specials

🍕One of our favorite pizza joints in Albany has sadly closed. But there may be hope yet for Pizzeria Michelina at 376 Delaware Avenue. According to the TU’s Steve Barnes, a longtime Catskills chef has agreed to buy the restaurant and reopen the pizzeria. We hope so! Their wood-fired pies were some of the city’s best. [Times Union]

🥫Looking for a good cause to support, especially during the holidays? Due to federal budget cuts, the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York says it expects to receive roughly 7 million less pounds of food this year than it did in 2024. The nonprofit serves 1,000+ charities across 23 NYS counties. Click here to donate directly to the Regional Food Bank. [WAMC]

🦉Ever heard of bird banding? It’s when you tag birds with small, branded, metal loops around their legs to track their movements. It’s one of the methods that researchers use to collect data to allow them to understand the health of an ecosystem. The Albany Pine Bush Preserve is inviting volunteers to take part in bird-banding sessions on Sept. 23, Oct. 11 and Oct. 21. Details here. [Daily Gazette]

☕️ First, The Daisy in Cohoes went from tacos to contemporary American food. Now, the restaurant has added a cafe from 7:30 am to 2 pm. The space has also been renovated to be more cozy and comfortable. [Albany Business Review]

Blending clean contemporary lines with natural materials, this home feels like a true retreat on nearly three acres in one of the region’s best school districts. Sunlight pours through oversized windows and skylights, giving the slate-floored grand hall a greenhouse glow. Lofty ceilings carry into a rustic, yet updated kitchen with a central stone woodstove, and the hardwood floors, built-in bookshelves, and another wood stove in the sitting area keep it cozy. The renovated baths, radiant heat, and new A/C maintain comfort year-round. Plus, with solar panels and a Regency propane stove, the power stays on, no matter what. Outside, the property is thoughtfully developed with a greenhouse, outdoor shower, wood-fired oven, and oversized garage—it’s worth asking if they’re going to leave the wonderful garden dragon sculpture!

The deets: 3 bd, 2 ba, 3324 sf. Asking: $599,900. Days on market: 3. See the full listing here.

Our full weekend roundup publishes every Thursday. Be sure to check your inboxes!

EVENTS THIS WEEK

♨️ Get to Saratoga Lake for the Kos Spa Opening Party on Saturday. Kate Butchart has been busily manifesting an upstate Nordic spa for all, and opening day has come! Read our Feb. 2025 interview with Kate here.

🌽 It’s the weekend for fall harvests around the Capital Region, including…

👻 Gilded Age Ghost Tours in Downtown Troy have kicked off and continue through October. This new tour looks super fun!

👺 Get ready to be scared out of your wits at opening night for Double M Haunted Hayrides in Ballston Spa.

🤣 On Tuesday, the 2025 Capital Region’s Funniest Comic returns with Night 2. On the same evening, Adam Sandler drops into the MVP Arena for his “You’re My Best Friend Tour.”

🦄 Wednesday is the monthly volunteer day at the Sanctuary for Independent Media. While you’re there, register early for their Image Processing with Plants Workshop with French art collective, Le Ratoire, on Saturday. It’s filling up fast!

🍺 Friday is the final night of Opalka’s Popup Beer Garden Series featuring a Makers Market, plus The Parlor and Jimi Woodful performing.

🎸 On Saturday, Lark Out Loud brings the music back to Albany’s Lark Street with a free tribute band festival behind Lark Street Tavern.

🏃‍♂️ Also Saturday, the Rensselaerville Ramble Trail Run and Walk benefits the Preserve and the Rensselaerville Library.

🍁 Pine Hollow Aboretum invites you to join an Autumn Equinox Mindfulness Walk with Sandy Wilson on Saturday.

🪦 The Underground Railroad Education Center is Marking the Legacy of abolitionist-activists Stephen and Harriet Myers by installing headstones for them at Albany Rural Cemetery, on Saturday.

🎭️ Call it a Bard Crawl. This Sunday, walk in Caesar’s shoes with Will Kempe’s Players for Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: A Roman Road Theatrical Journey. This epic tale unfolds in three chapters as spectators move from Murray’s Fools Distilling Co. to Wolf Hollow Brewing Co.

🖼️ ART ON VIEW

Our music listings are now published separately on The 518 website. Click here.

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