CrossFit Upper Keys — Local services in Key Largo

3/10/25–Slowly but surely, the traumatic memories of that disastrous Vrbo house—along with the sketchy "replacement" house in a not-so-great neighborhood that we had to escape from—are fading. Now, we're in Islamorada, Key West, where our backyard is a lake and our front yard is the ocean. Not a bad upgrade. We found this paradise thru a friend of our friend !

This morning, I woke up a little sad, realizing we're already one hour ahead :(. The struggle to get out of bed was real, especially knowing I had booked a CrossFit class the night before. Google Maps claimed it was a 30-minute drive—but let's be honest, "island time" applies to traffic too. I checked the gym’s website: $35 for a drop-in or $99 for six classes (solid deal). My dilemma? Would I actually make it to more than one class this week, considering guests were arriving and I had hosting duties? Probably not. But I figured, at the very least, I should go once or twice.

We left at 8:50 AM, which turned out to be a smart move because traffic was slow. When we finally arrived, I was greeted by Ana (the gym owner ) and Sonia, the coach . This was my first time training in a female-owned gym, and I thought that was pretty special.

The warm-up? No problem. The push press? Manageable. Then came the real test: 100 over-the-bar burpees and 50 push presses.

Sonia is tough—but the good kind of tough. She reminded me of my coaches back east, the ones who make you suffer but somehow, you still like them. By the end of the workout, I was literally on the floor, trying to remember how to breathe. Took off my back brace, lay there for a while, and miraculously, my heart rate returned to normal pretty fast—not bad for someone who hasn’t done CrossFit in three years.

The gym had some great quotes on the walls. For some reason, I always remember those and it helps me push through the pain. (Maybe it’s the wise words, or maybe it's just me trying to distract myself from dying.)

I bought a T-shirt—good call, because when my husband picked me up, his first words were: "You look disgusting." Fair enough. I was drenched in sweat, looking like I had just crawled out of the Sahara. To make matters worse, I forgot my water bottle, so that one-hour class felt like a survival challenge. At times like this, I actually miss snow and cold weather.

Sonia paired me with Shelly for the push press. Shelly was amazing—strong, kind, and always smiling. I won’t mention her age out of respect, but let’s just say, she’s proof that strength has no age limit.

After class, I had to change shirts before getting into the car, because, well… I didn’t want to contaminate the vehicle. Then, off we went for breakfast at a nearby Cuban restaurant—because nothing says "post-workout recovery" like Cuban coffee and carbs.

So, shoutout to Ana and her her parents from Texas, Sonia, and Shelly—and really, everyone at that gym. They were welcoming, friendly, and strong. I hope I can make it back this week, but even if I don’t, at least I have the T-shirt as a souvenir of the one-hour torture session I survived in...

We did a drop-in on Saturday, November 13, 2021 while visiting the Keys from outside of Boston. I called the day before and spoke with the owner Hal, who is simply an amazing guy. Hal said that the WOD was Fight Gone Bad, which is one of my favorite and least favorite WODs all in one. They have a great owner, a great coaching staff (with Jamie visiting from Ohio), and a great crew to workout with. We highly recommend this as a fun and friendly place to drop-in if you are from out of town. And yeah, the owner is amazing and allegedly 70 years old. Check...

Dropped in for a workout at CrossFit Upper Keys, and it was an awesome experience! The gym is super friendly and welcoming, making it easy to feel at home right away. Everything was well-organized, and I really appreciated the focus on good form—something that’s not always a given. The coaching was top-notch, ensuring both safety and efficiency while still pushing for a solid workout. If you're in the area and looking for a great box to train at, I’d highly recommend it! Will definitely be back next...