After Nicole H. completed the Prep Course she came into class day one a mission to get a little bit better every time she stepped foot into the gym. She has goals and she puts in the work. Nicole understands that fitness is a process. She takes everything a coach says to heart and won’t settle until she sees improvement. Oh and she does all this with a smile on her face. Nicole is already a huge part of our community even though she is still somewhat of a newbie. Keep it up Nicole! We are excited to see you tackle future milestones inside and outside the gym!
Check out what Nicole had to say about her experience at EDCF…
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When did you join EDCF? How did you find the gym? What was your first impression or how did that first workout go?
I was invited to EDCF by coach Drew Slone, who I met through mutual friends. If you’ve met her, she is obviously (and rightly so) pumped about CrossFit. After coming to one of the free Saturday sessions, I signed up for the prep course in May 2016 and was hooked, and sore. My first impressions were that barbells were frightening and the people were awesome and encouraging. I had heard the typical stereotypes that CrossFitters were crazy intense and that I could injure myself, but the thoughtful teaching in the prep course and the attitude of the coaches and members convinced me this was a great fit. Plus, sometimes I’m intense. My “grown-up” life was missing some things that used to be filled by sports, teamwork, and a competitive drive, and CrossFit was the first thing I found that could fill those voids. I immediately became a member.
What class time do you attend the most, are there any regular members you work out with at that time?
I love coming to class at the end of a work day, so depending on when I can sneak out of the office, I attend at 5:30 or6:30pm. It’s a bit of a crunch to get there sometimes (I’ll sheepishly admit, I often change clothes in the car on the way), but if I am disciplined about things, I can make it. If I’m having a stressful day the WOD is what I look forward to; EDCF tends to be my oasis. It’s hard to narrow down the members I “workout” with because nearly everyone has helped me with something at least once, but Kat, Heather, Amber, and Imelda are some badasses that I regularly try and keep up with.
Tell us a little about yourself, What is your life like outside the gym? Where do you work, do you have kids/pets/spouse/partner? What is your favorite hobby outside the gym?
If you have talked with me for more than five minutes, one of the annoying things you probably keep hearing about is my pride in being from the Pacific Northwest. This is because I love the outdoors, both the water and mountains, and miss my family up there. I actually really wish that I could transplant them to Lakewood because I know that my brother would absolutely eat up everything about EDCF, including the throw-back music like 2Pac and Disturbed. In Dallas I’ve traded in my mountains and lakes for pools and sand volleyball, plus meeting new people. My work is about to transition and after taking some time off, I will be helping to restructure failing businesses. I’m a big fan of creating and saving jobs.
What do you like about CrossFit or EDCF that keeps you coming back?
What keeps me coming back to EDCF? The people and the personal growth. Everything is value added–I’ve become friends with wonderful people and I’m continuously amazed and amused by the new things my body is capable of doing. The other day I did my first pull-up. A PULL-UP! It seemed impossible at first and when I did it, I felt like Wonder Woman. I’m trying to get more consistent with them and tackle double-unders next. That’s what CrossFit has given me–I’ve rediscovered that rewarding feeling that comes with working hard to make the little breakthroughs.
What is your favorite lift or exercise or type of workout? What is one of your short term and long term goals?
My favorite lift is a clean. Hands down. I can’t really explain why, but I think one day I was getting the bar up really quickly, so since then, I’ve had more confidence in it than the other lifts. My favorite workouts target all different body areas and are for time, because there is no better race than against the clock. Box jumps, burpees, and toes to bar are my favorites, mostly because I can do them. I consider anything with double-unders to be a sworn enemy, but then again, maybe in a month they will be my favorite. I have doable short-term goals of being able to do all the movements and improving my lift technique. My long-term goals are WAY more unrealistic and just for fun–like squatting 220 and doing 5 pull-ups with a 45 pound weight because that’s how Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin gets things done:) I’m not yet willing to admit it’s impossible.