Athlete of the Month

Congratulations Matt E.

Hometown: Milwaukee, WI

Current Location: Conshohocken

Age: 28

Occupation: I’m part of the private equity team at Argosy Capital.

College:  UW-Madison (On Wisconsin!)

How long have you been a CrossFitter?  ~2 years

Did you ever play sports?  I played a few sports growing up but basketball was always my favorite.  I like to get a run in at least a couple times per week.

Got some cool (or uncool) hobbies you'd like to share?  I really enjoy traveling when time allows. I’ve been all over Mexico and love going back.  Earlier this year I got lost with my sister in Italy which was a blast.

What is your biggest achievement at CrossFit?  Gaining at least some ability to push through workouts and keep moving.  When I first started pretty much anything after the first five minutes was a disaster. Now I am fairly confident I won’t die if I just keep moving.

What do you feel that you still need to work on? Being able to string pullups without destroying my shoulders would be a big win.

Goals for the rest of this year? I’d like to be more diligent about my diet so I can shed some lbs.  My guess is that bodyweight movements might be easier with lower bodyweight but who knows.

What's your favorite WOD? Grace. It’s a great mental challenge because the only strategy is to go at it hard.

How about your favorite food/snacks? I keep a fairly obscene amount of nuts in my office and have yet to turn down a craft beer when offered.

What is the craziest workout outside of CF you have ever done?  I did a Tough Mudder a few years ago and it did not go well.  If only I had tried Crossfit before...

What’s your least favorite WOD? I never had any hard feelings toward a workout until I met Karen. Next time she comes up I may just run into a wall 150 times instead. That would probably be more fun and hurt less.

Favorite lift/movement? Clean and jerk.

What’s your least favorite lift/movement? Anyone that says they enjoy thrusters is lying.  I’ve never seen anyone come for strength and crush thrusters for fun.

What skill re you planning working on in the new year 2015 the most ?  Handstand pushups.  I feel like there is something there I just haven’t found it yet.

Whats your favorite piece of workout "gear"?  Hand grips. Not ripping during pullups/toes to bar was a revelation.

What you say is your biggest improvement since starting CF? My endurance, while not amazing, has greatly improved.  I rediscovered the ability to catch a second wind.

Who is your favorite coach?  I really enjoy the energy that all the coaches bring to the workouts. I can come whenever fits my schedule and know class will be great.  For workouts with heavy lifts I like (unsurprisingly) Steph.  I took one of her snatch clinics and it was the only time that lift ever felt good to me.  For anything that I may struggle with or am unsure of I like Rachel.  She always just tells me to do more and at one point refused to let me scale pullups anymore which is when I magically started doing them.  For any chipper I like Giulia or Keith with whoever is not coaching doing the WOD with me.  Their intensity is great for pushing you through a long workout, and if they are doing the workout as well, you can always look at them killing it, wonder what the hell you are doing with your life and continue chipping away.

PR's to mention? Goals Reached? Nutrition highlights?.. Nothing in particular stands out.  I’ve tried to make small incremental improvements and things are slowly paying off.

Thanks to all the coaches for the AOTM nod.  It’s great to be part of the CFKOP community.