Meet Carrie. For years her workout routine centered around running and hot yoga, but two years ago she gained the courage to walk into a CrossFit gym and she has not looked back. Her love of hard work, discipline, and butt-kicking workouts makes CrossFit her “workout fit”.
As a self-proclaimed recovering perfectionist, one of the hardest and best things that CrossFit has taught her is how to fail forward, which has made a significant difference in her life as a whole. She explains:
After one traumatic failure in my early 20s I realized I needed to practice failing. CrossFit has this ability to literally knock you on your butt when you fail, and I needed to learn that was okay. I can practice failing every day at CrossFit and that has transferred so positively to the rest of my life. I’ve taken risks at work and taken on new challenges with an open attitude. I don’t immediately disregard an opportunity that I might be terrible at. (Instead of avoiding failure) I see every opportunity as a chance to train, to work hard, and to enjoy the progress.
The biggest difference I’ve experienced since joining CrossFit is a regained self-confidence. The longer I’ve been doing CrossFit, the more at peace I am with my fitness journey. I’ve learned to focus on my goals and performances instead of getting caught up competing with someone else.
For Carrie, the years of running and hours spent at other gyms do not compare to the intensity and satisfaction of CrossFit workouts, which she describes as extremely rewarding and terribly hard. In her first year she joined the Nutrition Challenge and, while feeling positive she already ate healthy, she saw a transformation in her nutrition into what she now calls a paleo + grains lifestyle – “I’m convinced good nutrition complements all the hard work we put in at the gym. You need both to see changes.” She recently signed up for the Krych Olympic Weightlifting Seminar where she started to see immediate improvement in her snatch form – “People need to take a humble moment and sign themselves up for this.”
CrossFit has this way of empowering you to think you can do anything – physical or mental. I always tell myself when starting a crazy day at work that it won’t nearly be as hard as my morning workout. I feel like the strongest I’ve ever been and know that I can keep going. The community, coaches, and classes are so much fun. It doesn’t matter what we’re working on, I know each day I show up, I will get a fantastic workout and have a blast.
Q&A with Carrie
Describe CrossFit in three words.
Hard. Rewarding. Empowering.
What is your ideal workout?
Nukes WOD. Squat, run, deadlift.
What is a goal you have reached that you are most proud of?
Rope climb all the way to the top. I’ve been scared of that thing since 2nd grade gym class.
What is a goal you have currently?
I’d love to get a muscle up. I’m so envious of everyone who can do it – they look like unicorns to me and I want to be a magical CrossFitter too.
What has been the most fun aspect of CrossFit?
Obviously the people and the spirit they have for showing up for the grueling workouts. Also, every PR is the most magical feeling. I wished they happened more often, but I guess that’s why a PR is so fun to chase.
What words do you live by?
“If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
– Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Address 2005
Fun facts about Carrie
She is working toward her MBA at Carlson School of Management.
Growing up she played tennis and after college she was on a show ski waterski team doing jumps, slalom-ballet line, and pyramids.
Her favorite places in Minnesota are the Stone Arch Bridge and Afton State Park.
She loves traveling and drinking good wine by the mountains or the ocean.
Her husband Dave and dog Rudy make a sweet family.
