Tell us a little about yourself:
- I am 35 years old and married to a beautiful wife with two young children. I currently work for Service Wire Company, a wire manufacturer here in Hurricane doing inside sales. I love Marshall University, having two degrees from there and also I was a four year letter winner with the football team. I have been doing CrossFit for just under a year.
What is your most memorable CrossFit experience?
- My first RX. I had been sedentary for so many years, even the warm ups were a challenge when I started. The workouts felt very daunting at the start, and to progress to the point to where I could hit one as prescribed within a few months felt like quite an accomplishment.
Why did you try CrossFit?
- The hour long classes and the high intensity fit both what I was looking for in a workout program and the limited time I have. I have several “CrossFitters” in the family who had been pushing me to give it a shot. The culture of comradery, self-challenge, and competition seemed like a good fit for a former out of shape college athlete.
What has been your biggest challenge or improvement?
- The answer to both has been my aerobic capacity. In the beginning I was finishing very far behind the group during most WODS even with significant scaling. Now, I can keep that pace with almost no scaling, or finish closer to the “vets “with limited scaling. Having a better motor has allowed me to now focus even more on strength and form.
What is your favorite workout?
- It didn’t have a name, but it was multiple rounds of deadlift, hang power cleans, push jerk and rowing. Increasing weight every round. Literally my three favorite lifts. It was my second RX, and a WOD where I felt like my size actually gave me an advantage. It was nice to finish ahead of the little guys for once!
What advice would you give to a new member?
- 2 Things
1. Do benchmark WODS to prevent getting discouraged. If you’re showing up and doing the classes, you ARE getting better. But every WOD is so varied (which keeps it interesting!) it can be difficult at times to gauge progress from one WOD to the next.
2. Your motor is very important, push yourself during rests to get back going just a little faster than what you’re comfortable and it will pay off. The extra 5 seconds rest wouldn’t make much of a difference on the next set, and over time if you take this mentality you’ll find yourself needing shorter and shorter breaks.