April Athlete of the Month: Roger Greene
Congratulations Roger, you are the NoCoast Athlete of the Month!
Roger joined us about 2 ½ years ago as a way to get in shape and train for a heli-ski trip. Not surprisingly, he fell in love with CrossFit and has continued well past that goal! Over the years, Roger has transformed into a stronger athlete and continues to use CrossFit to stay fit for all of life's adventures. We appreciate Roger’s dedication to fitness and his continued pursuit of sports and adventures outside of the gym.
Quotes from Roger:
“I have a profound sense of gratitude for CrossFit and NoCoast - Sam and Dan, our amazing coaches, and all the great members. CrossFit has helped me feel much more fit and balanced overall than other sports like skiing and biking, and it makes me feel stronger and more capable when doing those other sports as well as just doing stuff around the house. The amazing NoCoast community brings a sense of connection and positivity every day and the high intensity workouts help me manage the stress of work and life.”
“My family eats pretty healthfully, but since joining NoCoast and exploring Whole30 and Paleo as part of the January challenges, we eat much less bread, pasta, rice, and sugar, and I feel much better. I also realized how much better my sleep is when I don’t drink beer or wine, so I’ve cut back a lot there too. Fortunately, I love to cook and there are lots of great hacks out there, so we don’t ever feel like we’re missing out.”
Age: 50
Athletic/Sports history/highlights:
Growing up, I was uncoordinated and the last kid picked for kickball. I moved to Boulder to attend CU and got into biking, skiing, and running, and have been doing them ever since. I raced mountain bikes in the late 90s, did a handful of triathlons in the early 2000s, and have participated with friends in a variety of adventures and organized events like the Chicago Marathon and Triple Bypass.
How long have you been CrossFitting?
2.5 years
How did you get into CrossFit?
Some friends invited me on a heli skiing trip in Alaska and my wife said, you'd better get in shape, you should try CrossFit!
What is your favorite WOD/CrossFit movement?
Ooh, this is a tough one. At first, I was intimidated by the very new-to-me Olympic lifting and gymnastics-inspired movements and I still get confused between clean, snatch, jerk, etc. but I've grown to enjoy them all. To pick just one movement: burpees.
What is your least favorite WOD/CrossFit movement?
I'm wondering if this is a trick question, like, if I say L sits, are you going to make me do L sits until I master them? If so, the answer is definitely not L sits. Or kettlebell cleans, the ones that bang your forearms. Definitely not those either.
What is your most memorable CrossFit moment?
This year's CrossFit Open. I didn’t pay much attention to the Open the last two years because I thought it was better suited to people who were much stronger and had a lot more experience than me, but this year, with encouragement from Sam and some of my fellow 12 o’clockers, I decided to participate and even try Rx. I will always remember my first Open, the camaraderie and cheering, realizing I was capable of much more than I thought and especially stringing together 150 double-unders in a single workout when I’d only ever done three or four double-unders before.
How does nutrition play a role in your fitness and recovery?
My family eats pretty healthfully, but since joining NoCoast and exploring Whole30 and Paleo as part of the January challenges, we eat much less bread, pasta, rice, and sugar, and I feel much better. I also realized how much better my sleep is when I don’t drink beer or wine, so I’ve cut back a lot there too. Fortunately, I love to cook and there are lots of great hacks out there, so we don’t ever feel like we’re missing out.
How has CrossFit improved your overall wellness?
I have a profound sense of gratitude for CrossFit and NoCoast - Sam and Dan, our amazing coaches, and all the great members. CrossFit has helped me feel much more fit and balanced overall than other sports like skiing and biking, and it makes me feel stronger and more capable when doing those other sports as well as just doing stuff around the house. The amazing NoCoast community brings a sense of connection and positivity every day and the high intensity workouts help me manage the stress of work and life.
How has CrossFit changed your family?
As I’ve become more focused on nutrition and sleep, so too have my family. I might briefly mention a workout over dinner, but during the Open, I shared the story of how I pushed myself to try things I never thought possible and with the support of the great people at the gym I was able to accomplish new personal bests, which is an important lesson for anyone about so many aspects of life. Conversations in our house tend to jump around a lot, so it took a few tries, but when I got to the end, my 10- and 12-year old daughters said, wow, daddy, that’s a great story, thanks for telling it.
Advice to new people:
Take your time and do what feels right for you. I’ve never had a bad workout because I picked a lower weight. CrossFit is a journey with many opportunities to learn and grow physically and mentally.