| Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do for a living/study? Feel free to add more! The pandemic brought me back to my home town of Lincoln after nearly a decade away, during which time I lived in Michigan (University of Michigan) and Virginia (DC area). I work as a pharmacist in a non-traditional role (insurance side), which allows me to work from home for my Minneapolis-based company. My home “office mates” include my husband, Trevor, and two dogs – a 3-year-old Samoyed (Koda) and a 11-week-old Newfie (Fran). How did you find out about Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness? I started CrossFit when I lived in Virginia and continuing CrossFit when I moved to Lincoln was a top priority. A google search of “CrossFit Lincoln” plus the memory of seeing the building in my college days with people running outside and flipping tires made me sure I needed to check out Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness! What was the biggest obstacle for you to start? The biggest obstacle for me with starting CrossFit was the sense of feeling completely overwhelmed – by the barbell, by all the terminology (what the heck is in a “complex”? what do I do when?), by attempting to “kip”… I was so out of my comfort zone. How did you overcome that obstacle? I kept showing up. That’s it. I’d give myself a pep talk that the lost feeling would eventually subside. I told myself I needed to go to class for at least a month before making a true judgement call. I owe the coaches so much credit – helping me navigate what moves to do, what weight to put on the bar (how the heck did I know what I could clean???), etc. Eventually, things started to “click”. Do you remember your first workout? I remember it had rowing, which I felt very comfortable with after coming from Orange Theory. It also had something on the pull-up rig that prompted the teaching of the kip swing (which went very, very poorly). I left feeling medium – I can row with the best of them, but my hands really hurt! Who was your coach, how did they help you push through it?My coaches in Virginia (shout out to CrossFit Fairfax) were so supportive in knowing I was new, checking in on me during every class, and offering a scaled option for people who had only been doing CrossFit 0-3 months. Their friendly attitude and attentiveness helped me push through. It’s really special seeing that Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness does the same thing for its new members; the CrossFit community is so special. Why do you keep coming back to Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness? I feel my best when I work out. I feel my best when I can get out of the house (remember, I work from home). I love the variety of the programming. I love that the workouts incorporate strength in addition to cardio (I always wanted to be able to do a pull-up, and a bunch of cardio wasn’t going to get me there). I love that I don’t have to plan my workout; all I have to do is show up. And I love the people – I have an amazing community in the 6 AM class and an A+ coach in Coach Emily. How do you balance health & fitness with a busy schedule? I make getting the gym a priority and try to get my workout done in the morning before the hustle and bustle of the day draws me away – love the 6 AM class! How does CrossFit help you with your job? CrossFit is part of my morning routine. Getting my workout done and then doing everything that comes with it (tending to dogs, coffee/breakfast, etc.) helps me feel awake and centered before starting my day. On days when I don’t make the gym in the morning, I feel frazzled and am not giving my best self at work. CrossFit helps me feel good and build good habits. What is your favorite thing about Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness? I love the community – great coaches, great members. I love that I know the names of the people I workout with. I love that my coaches know my name and care enough about me as a person to find out a little about my life. I’ve left other gyms/boutique studios because they lacked the community. Kudos to what Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness has fostered – it’s something special. |