How did you first get exposed to CrossFit?:
My husband actually recommended I try it out b/c I was dreading going back to the gym & just running on its own was starting to bore me! Having absolutely NO clue what it was about, I looked up a box down the way from my house and voila!...I went to the dark side!
What was your first WOD like?:
Ughh!!!! I don't think I will ever forget that aweful Biatch, Angie! LOL.... I remember starting the WOD and I didn't realize that you had to do all reps of each movement before you could move on, so I just started to do random amounts and they were like..."what are you doing?!!!! LOL" I couldn't walk or laugh for days!
What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)?:
Before Crossfit I thought I was in pretty great shape just from running 5 miles every other day! LOL.... I paid no attention to food and don't think I cooked more than once or twice a MONTH! I had no upper body strength and my endurance SUCKED, although I didn't realize it at the time! After starting Crossfit, I became more conscious of my body and when I started noticing positive results, I started paying attention to my eating. It all started with a 30 day Paleo challenge that I did ON MY OWN! I bought a cookbook and taught myself how to cook! I LOVED IT! I turned into a Paleo cooking machine and didn't turn back. The results I saw were incredible. Muscles popped out of places I have never seen, and my strength just kept increasing and increasing! I found myself anxious to get to my classes to see what I could crank out that day!
What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected?
100% positive changes is all I have had! I am both mentally and physically stronger, healthier, more motivated, goal oriented, and just generally happier! I got my husband into Paleo and believe me, that was a HARD thing to do! We love cooking together and he even cooks fun paleo meals for me now. Being that i'm pregnant now, Crossfit even prepared my body to physically handle the pregnancy with, for the most part, ease!
Name one goal you have reached since starting CrossFit and one goal you want to achieve:
The biggest goal in general was to increase my upper body strength. My single biggest goal was to be able to do unassisted pull-ups! I reached that goal in August, however, my pregnancy has hindered that quite a bit with the added weight belt around my waist! LOL
A future goal for me to reach is to come back after my pregnancy and get back to where I was before! I'd love to be able to do some local competitions just for fun and to say that i've done them!
Please share your favorite CrossFit moment:
There is NO WAY I can tell you a single favorite crossfit moment! lol.... Every day is so different but i'd say just meeting all the people that share the love of crossfit with you. Everyone cheers everyone on...it's so motivational!
Any advice for people just getting started?:
Don't quit in those first 2 weeks!!!! Those are probably the hardest times b/c you're just trying to figure everything out and you pretty much SUCK at every movement! LOL....
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit?
Outside of Crossfit, I love my friends, my dogs, music, sporting events, and just hanging out!
What's it like to CrossFit pregnant?:
Hmmmm...LOL....Crossfitting pregnant is challenging! My body is strong enough to handle it so it's not difficult going through the motions, however, it's super frustrating! First of all, my first 3 months were extremely tough because of exhaustion so I only made it maybe once a week. When I was finally able to go 2-3 times a week again my strength had suffered severely! Squats felt foreign to me, which was crazy, because they were always my strongest! My unassisted pullups suffered so I was back to the purple band, and I had to stop increasing my lifting weight! I just felt like I had to take a huge step back. Finally I realized that I wasn't taking a huge step back...I was taking a huge step forward just continuing to Crossfit while pregnant. I wasn't making excuses to stop! Now, I stick to my 35-40# WOD weight so I can keep my cardio up and I just adjust movements as needed. Those dreaded Toes to Bar have become Knees to Elbow but I have gotten better at them since I can't do GHD or Abmat Situps! My rowing is stronger since i'm not running and i'm hoping that after my pregnancy i'll be able to crank out some pullups with EASE since I won't have this weight belt anymore! BEST PART OF CROSSFIT WHILE PREGNANT: NO pushup burpees!!!
What do you tell yourself to keep motivated?
I tell myself that I can do it! All I have to do is just do it safely and smartly and everything will be ok. I know my limits and I know my body so if something feels wrong then i'll stop! I hopefully won't have to work as hard as most women to lose all my extra weight and get back to my before shape! But honestly, having so many people telling me how inspirational I am to continue doing crossfit has helped the most! There is no way I can quit now! LOL
Ashley is living proof that EVERYBODY GOTTA GO TO WORK! Super big thank you to her for letting me pick her brain to share with you guys! Who will next week's athlete be? Wait and seeeeeee!
