WEDNESDAY WINS! SEAN F.!
WEDNESDAY WINS! SEAN F.
“YOU GET OUT OF IT WHAT YOU PUT IN”
Each Wednesday we highlight a Cove athlete who is making changes (big or small) in their lives as a result of being part of this awesome community. Today we shine a very bright light on Sean F., arguably one of the nicest guys out there – but also one of the busiest.
As a teacher and recent first-time dad, his days are often not his own. Like most in his profession, he spends his days taking care of other people. But this one hour a day is all his. He is one of our most consistent athletes and the hard work is paying off. Big time.
It only took two years of prodding (and a final push over drinks one night) from his brother and sister-in-law (Brendan and Hallie F.) to make the plunge – and he has never looked back.
“Brendan had been going for a long time and he’d been after me to try it since the day he started. I thought CrossFit was just tire flipping and strong man stuff. And the perception is that was like a cult. But it is so different than that. Some people come for community, but for me it is about having an hour release where I don’t think anything. I don’t think about the bullshit of my day. It’s almost Zen. I know it sounds weird, but I zone it all out, even the loud music — and it’s such a release.
I’ve been going to gyms since I was 25. But now I’m 39 and I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted. My body was changing, I was getting older and I wasn’t seeing the same changes I saw when I was 25. In late August I took my first foundations class. We did PVC pipe work and wall balls with sit ups. I didn’t know I could be that sore. The next day stairs were even a challenge. I had never felt like that after a workout at my old gym.
The workouts here are just so different than anything I used to do. It’s an hour to get the best workout you can get; and whatever you put into it you get out of it.” And the changes he’s seeing are pretty remarkable. “I have so much more energy after I workout now. On Thursdays I typically take a rest day, but I find myself wanting to work out to get that energy. I have more strength too, especially in my core. Even the running, which I hate, has gotten so much better. My engine gets going and I have so much more stamina to keep going. I’ve never pushed myself like this before. And as my brother said, ‘it will be the best hour workout you’ve ever had’. And he was right.
I also love that I basically get a ‘coached workout’, which is so much for helpful than going to a regular gym. The coaches are so attentive. I went four or five times a week to my old gym but I never got the results I wanted. (At the Cove) I finally learned how to squat properly and my years of degenerative back pain has actually gone away. I’ve been going to the gym for years and years and my back has always hurt. Squatting is still a challenge, but I’m overall just stronger and I’m doing things properly. I also really think it’s because we do so much core work here. I always thought working out your core mean sit-ups or ab work, and here it’s a total body thing.
I was hesitant in the beginning because I’ve never trained with a group. But everyone is here to help. You’re not here competing against everyone else; you’re competing against yourself. Again, you get out of it what you put into it.
Yes, some things are getting easier. But I think the hardest workouts are when we do something heavy (like cleans) and then a run. Oh, and burpees. Don’t get me wrong — it’s all still hard, but not as hard as it used to be. I still laugh when I think about how last year I got tricked into doing the Clash at the Cove when I first started. I was about a month in and Brendan signed me up (editor’s note: we think we tricked them BOTH into doing it). I had never done a thruster or a jerk… and that bike sucked. So next year the goal is to do the Clash at the Cove and come in second to last instead of last!
As life settles down at home and when I’m off for the summer, I plan to come in five times a week.”
And based on his consistency and commitment thus far, we can’t wait to see what happens next! Give Sean a HUGE congrats when you see him. It’s so clear to us he IS getting out of it what he puts in!
WOD
EMOM for 12 Minutes:
Odd- 17/12 Cal Row
Even- 10-14 Pull ups
*Rest 2 Minutes*
Every 2 Minutes for 12 Minutes:
20 Med Ball Squat Cleans
10-14 Goblet Lunges
Fitness: 35/26
Performance: 53/35
Open: 70/53 (Chest to bar)
Coach’s Tip: We go from a pull on the rower to pull ups. Rowing should be a push with more legs but it always wears the pull out. Then a squat to a lunge. Most of the time we go opposite muscle groups, today we have a different challenge. Make sure you are prepared to work for it. The two minutes should get challenging. There is a range today because it is hard to nail down a solid number for everyone. There should be about 20-30 seconds rest after each 2 minute stretch.
Andrea demonstrates that patience (on on the pull) is a virtue…
