February Athlete of the Month: Nick Kofahl
Congratulations, Nick! You are our February Athlete of the Month!!
As Nick approaches his 5 year CrossFit anniversary, he is truly coming into his own as a leader within our community, and he’s one of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. Nick is someone who loves to push himself and his limits as an athlete. There’s a fine line between pushing too much weight and volume, and training smart; Nick is someone who has found a balance between intensity and volume, as well as his nutrition and recovery. We love Nick’s hardwork and dedication to his health and fitness, and we’re lucky to have him at NoCoast!
Quotes from Nick:
“I started to do my homework, researching gyms in the area, and everything kept pointing to NoCoast. After coming in and talking to Ian and Dan and attending two classes, I quickly realized I made the right decision. The coaching and the community experience at NoCoast is the main reason I keep coming back.”
“CrossFit has impacted me in more ways than I can count. I am a healthier, happier, and more confident individual than I was when I first walked through the door to do my onramp class. I not only have gained a higher level of fitness but have been impacted significantly by the community I have experienced in the gym.”
“My least favorite workout is any workout that involves the air bike. That contraption is a torture device and was architected in the pits of HELL! I can assure you that I would not lose sleep or shed a tear if I never had to use one of those again.”
Age/Weight:
40 / 170 pounds
Athletic/Sports history/highlights:
I have played sports or been active my whole life. I played little league baseball growing up but then transitioned to football, basketball, golf, and even running track through high school.
How long have you been CrossFitting?
February 2nd, 2020, marks five years of Crossfit for me.
How did you get into CrossFit?
I was a gym rat at the time and was working out at my local rec center by myself and was getting bored out of my mind with the same ole routine and so, I started attending their version of HIIT / Bootcamp style classes and then a friend of mine suggested that I try CrossFit. I didn't know what CrossFit was at the time but immediately felt intimidated by it. My friend had a few kettlebells and a pull-up bar in his garage and invited me to join him for a few easy workouts. The first workout he had me do was Cindy since you need very little equipment to get a great workout in, and it is such a great benchmark to show you just how fit you are. He showed me the movements, set a timer, high fived me, and wished me good luck. When the 20 minutes were over, I was hooked. I started looking for gyms right away after that, and the rest is history.
What drew you to NoCoast?
I originally joined a gym that was a little closer to my house and loved it. I felt like it was a small tight knit community, and there were a couple of coaches/athletes that would push me every day to be better, but the gym changed ownership, a few coaches and members left, and the culture of the gym changed. At the same time, I was trying my hand in a few local competitions. I quickly realized that I needed to put in more work, and I needed a different approach to programming and coaching; if I wanted to grow and develop as an athlete. So I started to do my homework, researching gyms in the area, and everything kept pointing to NoCoast. After coming in and talking to Ian and Dan and attending two classes, I quickly realized I made the right decision. The coaching and the community experience at NoCoast is the main reason I keep coming back.
What is your favorite WOD/CrossFit movement?
Cindy or Murph - Anything that has pull-ups in it is my jam. I think the other reason why I like Cindy so much is that it is where my addiction to CrossFit began, and it's always nice to be able to finish the WOD and reflect on just how far I have come.
What is your least favorite WOD/CrossFit movement?
My least favorite workout is any workout that involves the air bike. That contraption is a torture device and was architected in the pits of HELL! I can assure you that I would not lose sleep or shed a tear if I never had to use one of those again.
What is your most memorable CrossFit moment?
This question is a tough one for me to come up with due to having so many amazing memories, but most recently we did a workout that had a 30-foot handstand walk in it and handstand walks have been something I have been working on for a really really really long time. I wasn't sure how I would do, but everything seemed to click, and I was able to not only do a few handstand walks, but several of the rounds I was able to do the full 30 feet unbroken. Every time I made it over the 30-foot line, I freaked out a little bit! I think one of the coolest things about CrossFit is knowing that if you are patient and put in the work eventually, it will pay off, and that moment was proof that I had put in the work and progress had been made.
How does nutrition play a role in your fitness and recovery?
I realized early on that you can't outwork a bad diet, and if you want to grow and push yourself as an athlete, you have to take nutrition seriously. I have struggled with managing my weight off and on in my life and dealt with some unhealthy body image issues as well. As I started to take nutrition seriously, I also realized that my relationship with food and my perspective on it needed change. Food is fuel, nothing more, and nothing less. If I want to perform at my best and feel my best, I need to make sure that I am getting the right balance of nutrients in my system every single day. Or I am placing myself at a significant disadvantage and will not be able to achieve the goals that I have for myself as an athlete.
How has CrossFit improved your overall wellness?
CrossFit has impacted me in more ways than I can count. I am a healthier, happier, and more confident individual than I was when I first walked through the door to do my on ramp class. I not only have gained a higher level of fitness but have been impacted significantly by the community I have experienced in the gym.
How has CrossFit changed your family?
I would say that my family has been impacted because they see my wife and I working out and placing a high value on nutrition. We have teenage kids, and we are doing everything we can to be an excellent example for them and helping them to create healthy routines and patterns that they will carry long into their adult lives.
Advice to new people:
Progress over perfection! CrossFit can be overwhelming and intimidating, and there is often this feeling of I can't, I will never be able to do that or I can't lift that or be like that one person in the gym. Fitness is a personal journey, and you cut that journey short every time you fall into the trap of comparison, approaching a workout with a fixed mindset or with a head full of fear and doubt. If you put in the work, I promise you will make progress. Just keep showing up with a positive attitude and put the work in. The most important thing you can do is show up day in and day out with the mindset that today is the day I am going to get better. This approach is how we make progress, and is a fundamental building block for building a life that you can look back on with pride.