Our February Athlete of the Month is well known in our gym for being “the runner.” Most of you know that Kathy runs to and from the gym (10k total) 99% of the time. It’s quite the warmup and cool down. It’s also a great way for her to “collect reps” in her distance running training. As she says in her Q&A, Kathy is generally an introvert as some of you may be able to relate. The atmosphere and community we have here brings out the extrovert hidden in many of us. We shared plenty of common interests in and outside the gym which makes it easier to open up. That’s what we love about oiur members. It’s great to see a former collegiate athlete still have the competitive itch. Kathy has been able to get her competitive fix through functional fitness and running. This is Kathy’s 8th year in the CF Open and we are proud to be supporting her as she has qualified for the next round finishing in the top 10% in the world. If you would like to support her through the quarterfinals, she will take these on March 24-27th. I appreciate the work ethic Kathy has and I am impressed with her self awareness as well as her level of self management. With a goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon next year, her dedication is top notch. I am happy to help be apart of that awesome journey. Keep working toward your goals and enjoy the ride.
Written by: Coach Rob Moloney
——————-
Q&A
Why did you start functional fitness cross-training?
I started this type of training because I’m someone that craves structure, a schedule, and results. Before this, I’d go to a globo gym and just putz around for 2 hours and not really have a way to measure or track my progress. There’s now a famous quote in our household where I said “I just don’t think I’ll get a good enough workout in an hour.” Little did I realize that sometimes a sub 10 minute workout at high intensity is way harder than a long meandering run.
What’s your background? (Athletic)
I played all the sports growing up and was generally just very active from a young age. Right around high school time I had a coach reach out and say I had what it took to play field hockey at a high level if I was willing to put in the work. So I started playing year-round – travel teams, tournaments every weekend, US Olympic team tryouts, the whole thing. It paid off because recruitment offers started coming on the first day of eligibility. When I got to Hofstra, which was my fifth and final official visit, I knew I found my place. Long Island was a favorite spot to come growing up and I immediately had this sense of belonging – and not just because they took me to the bars! Playing D1 for four years showed me not just how much I love competing, but also how to manage life – you can work out a bunch and still get to work on time and get your homework handed in and be a good friend. These are lessons I still apply today.
How long have you been a member and how long have you been doing functional fitness?
I’m coming up on my 1 year anniversary at IP! I joined a CrossFit gym after watching the 2015 Games and never looked back. I saw those rows of abs and was just like, yes, these are my people.
What is your favorite thing about the gym?
It’s 100% you guys – the community, the coaches, the programming. It’s the best gym I’ve ever been to hands down. There’s one very specific thing I appreciate and it’s the 15 minute buffer between classes. Coming from a city gym that had classes every hour on the hour and open gym only 1/week, I can’t tell you how great it is to have that bit of time to work on skills or just hang. It’s also nice that it’s a perfect 5k from my house. My city gym was only a short run and my pandemic gym in Queens had a huge hill (bridge) so this is goldilocks.
What is the biggest challenge you have overcome since joining the gym?
I can be a bit of an introvert so I think just putting myself out there and saying hi to people was hard at first. I am not just new to the gym, but also Long Beach and the whole sort of more suburban lifestyle. I am very proud to announce that I still don’t have a Costco membership. I’m holding off as long as I can!
What is your favorite moment at the gym so far?
Murph was really fun. It’s one of my favorite workouts anyways but after doing it alone in my apartment last year, it was just so euphoric to be suffering alongside people again. The Open was also great. I’ve done it every year and there’s just something fun about competing and talking to your friends from all over doing the same workout. The memes were top notch this year too.
What’s your favorite “cheat” food?
I think everyone knows it’s Bud Light. But honestly I just try to subscribe to a 70/30 mentality. 70% of what I’m putting in are superfoods, plants, wonderful stuff to help me perform my best and recover quickly. On the weekends I like to indulge – have a huge bagel, go out for drinks, maybe order some tator tots. That’s life, baby.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about starting?
This type of training is literally for everyone. You can make it whatever you need, no matter your goals, and the coaches here are so fabulous at knowing everyone’s individual needs. Come for one class and you will be hooked!
What drives you?
I just want to be a good person and I think working out really helps me with that. I’m a better partner, boss, colleague, friend when I put aside time for myself. I also tend to be pretty results-driven, so it helps that there are measurable outcomes whether that’s weightlifting numbers, workout times, whatever. I like to see progress.
What is your biggest fitness goal right now?
I wrote down two goals for 2022: Qualify for the CrossFit Quarterfinals (done) and the Boston Marathon. Training for my fall race is officially in full swing so I just need to stick to my programming, stay healthy, and trust the process. Beating Murdy in some local races (again) wouldn’t hurt.