Megan was a part of our May On-Ramp (intro/beginners) program and has since become both a staple in regular class and all-out machine when it comes to conditioning. She rarely breaks up sets, almost never puts the bar down and is as humble and positive as they come.
Over the last couple months Megan’s comfortably with new movements and general embrace for patience and technique is showing in both her strength gains and workout performance. We, as a coaching team, believe this is only the beginning and are excited to see her progress through the next stage.
Keep up the awesome work and congrats Megan!
A little more about them…
What got you into Crossfit, how long have you been doing it and what keeps you coming back?
Well, my best friend Nicola lives in Calgary and she started doing Crossfit there and loves it. She told me I should try it. Crossfit Corydon was on my dog walking route and had seen snippets of workouts walking by. I told her it looked way too intense for me but she told me to stop being a wimp and try it one time and if I hated it, she would leave it alone. So, I started on-ramp in May and have been attending ever since!
The physical benefits of Crossfit have been great! I’ve been renovating my house for the past year but since I started Crossfit there has been a distinct change. I can move heavier things, yes, but I think the biggest change is the way that I move. I am actually lifting with my legs and not over stressing my back. I feel more confident in my movements and in my own ability to asses what I can and cannot do. Being able to instantly know, “yes, I can lift this” or, “no, I can’t lift that” makes me WAY more efficient. Plus, I have so much more energy throughout the day.
But, my favorite part of Crossfit is the mental health benefits. I really think for me it’s exercising mental toughness that I am finding so different and exciting about Crossfit vs. other workouts.
It is the only workout I have done where I really do shut my brain off from the outside world for that whole hour. There is so much to do and focus on that I just CAN’T worry or overthink, which I find amazing. I just have to keep moving and focus on the next 10 or the next 5 or the next 3 stupid wall balls or burpees.
The act of breaking workouts down into manageable bite sized pieces has made a huge difference in my personal life. I had a pretty stressful year with a lot of change and transitions but now I know that I get that hour in the day where I have total metal freedom. And for the rest of the day, I can just take the next 10 or the next 5 or the next 3 things on my to do list, and like the workout….I won’t actually die…and I will actually get them done.
What are some of your non-crossfit hobbies or activities?
Ahhhhh…. I love hobbies….I am going to be so good at retirement.
I spend a lot of time outside with my dog. We’re trying to learn to skijor but it is work in progress.
I also watch so much YouTube that I started calling it a hobby. I am a big Jamie Oliver fan. I enjoy making an event of trying a new recipe and then ordering pizza if it is horrible or I burn it.
Hmmm…traveling, listening to music, reading, gardening and refinishing furniture. I love going out for dinner and to almost any kind of live show: theater, music, dance…
I also love my friends, I consider them a hobby. I am lucky to have a great group of friends who keep me active and love to eat, laugh and try new things as much as I do!
I also really enjoy knitting half of a dish cloth every winter.
One sentence to describe CFC from your perspective…
A supportive, welcoming environment where I can push myself a little bit further each time, knowing that a dedicated, trustworthy, smart coach has their eye out on my form and technique.
What is your favorite part of CFC?
Like anything, it’s the people that keep you coming back. From the first day, not only the coaches but the other members have been super patient and helpful, showing me the warm-ups and have been supportive and encouraging.
Favorite and least favorite movement/workout, and why?
Burpees still make me hate my life.
Favorite superhero, band/musician or celebrity, and why?
I think Catherine Keener would be one of my top celebrities. She seems too pick really good scripts to get involved with (particularly her indie films). I find if I see her name, I can usually count on a pretty good story.
Not really a superhero… but on of my favorite comic book/graphic novel characters is CowboyNinjaViking.
Biggest/proudest/latest accomplishment or PR?
Pushing the RX button lol I definitely will not be able to for most workouts for a good long time but there have been one or two and I was just so happy when I got to push that button!
What’s your take on our coaching team?
Quality coaching. I have gotten very practical and concise prompts, tips, and strategies for technique, mobility and ways to get through those Metcons.
They really take time and attention with each person and help them in their specific areas for improvement.
Jenna: I probably would not have joined if it weren’t for Jenna. In on ramp she was super encouraging and let me mirror all her movements when learning the lifts. It was a huge help!
She always makes me laugh and definitely pushes me.
Michelle: She really helped me transition from on ramp to doing the regular classes. She always has her eye on technique and makes sure you are being safe not only while your doing the lift but also when you put things away. As someone fairly new to weights she made me feel confident that I was not going to injure myself.
Jason: Holy smokes motivation!! I have never worked as hard as I do when Jason coaches.
He gives great tips and tricks. He makes everyone feel like they belong there.
Matt: So knowledgeable, so experienced, I learn so much. He doesn’t just scale an activity for you, he explains why it is good scale and how it’s going to help you get to the next level.
Taylor: He always takes the time to thoroughly explain the movements which makes you feel more confident in what you are doing for the workout. Plus, he gives perfectly timed “you got this” reassurance nods.
Shane: Welcoming, friendly, makes you really feel like a part of the community. So good at communicating technique adjustments. He is really good at breaking down where in the movement you are off and showing/explaining how to improve.
Do you have any goals set for the near future – in or outside of CFC?
My goal is to stay consistent and attend 3 times per week, hopefully more but I’ll keep it realistic. There, I just put it on the internet… accountability to the max.
Give us a little known fact about yourself…
I am super excited to be hosting my first international student in September! So if you see us out and about please feel free to stop and chat, she is very motivated to practice her conversational English!
Thanks guys, it’s been super fun so far….and I can’t wait to learn more!
Coaches Comments
Megan aka “Ninja” is absolutely a wonderful addition to CFC. She has such a positive energetic spirit and fantastic personality as well. She is so much fun to coach and workout with. Her determination during met-cons is inspiring to watch, i realize that all of you are usually in that place as well and probably don’t have a chance to see it first hand. She is quite but fierce and has a voice inside that will not let up until the workout is complete. I’ve named her the “Ninja” by the way she silently destroys most workouts and at the end always has a smile on her face. She is great to coach and listens to coaching cues well and applies them to what she is doing. She never gets overwhelmed by what is written down on wodify or at least doesn’t let it show lol. She continues to grow as a crossfitter and become stronger in areas and i can not wait to see how far she can push herself. – Coach Jason
Megan’s enthusiasm and excitement day-in and day-out is a pleasure to coach. Every day, whether it’s 6am or 7pm, she comes in ready and willing to move with purpose. Her willingness to push herself in both the strength work and workouts is exceptional. Vary rarely does she put the bar down, rest for more than a few seconds or break up longer sets.. And does so in a safe and fulfilling manner by choosing weights/scales that challenge her mind and body to push through for a couple more reps. We share a love for that one-more-rep/don’t put it down zone and there have been many times we’ve had mid-workout chats, even silent eye contact, to the tone of “it’s ok to rest a couple seconds here, break it up a bit, think manageable sets”. It’s this level of humble intensity and eagerness to learn that will continue to progress her level of fitness far into the future! – Coach Taylor
Meg’s is simply great. So positive, so kind, such a good mover. She is a pleasure to coach and she is always receptive to feedback. She is naturally quite athletic and picked everything up quite quickly! Though, she still exhibits great training behavior by mastering the fundamentals of technique rather than lifting with her ego – she understands that movement mechanics are of utmost importance, and I value and respect that in our members! She always smiles, and gives amazing effort in class, all while sipping on her coffee just like me at the 6am class. Keep it up girl! – Coach Matt
Megan’s awesome. Some of us coaches call her the dark horse of every workout. At first glance she seems timid and nice… and then the clock starts and an animal comes out. Sometimes when I’m coaching Megan I forget that she only just started with us a few months ago. Her dedication to having perfect technique, and her ability to gobble up all of our coaching cues allows her to workout at full intensity, with a technical proficiency even some of us have yet to master. This is why she got my nomination for athlete of the month, a real stand-out athlete and a great overall person and personality to have at the gym! – Shane
Megan is a regular morning trooper. Don’t be fooled by her quiet demeanor, because she’s quite the metcon beast. Megan has improved so much with her strength and endurance. She impresses me with her scores each day and at the end of August she started doing workouts as prescribed. Way to go! Also, I love her little mason jar that she uses as a coffee cup/water bottle. – Coach Michelle
Megan, this girl has been a blast to have in classes! She is a natural born athlete, one of the quickest learners I’ve seen and her energy is Incredible! She comes in everyday and crushes it! I always look forward to coaching this athlete as well as working out with her! She also always wears some badass shirts! – Coach Jenna
Megan was a part of our May On-Ramp (intro/beginners) program and has since become both a staple in regular class and all-out machine when it comes to conditioning. She rarely breaks up sets, almost never puts the bar down and is as humble and positive as they come.
