Hey guys! Happy Monday! I’m kicking off the week with a feature of my two new friends: Laura & Nate, owners of Noble CrossFit, engaged to be wed this September!
As a blogger, it’s one thing to get to publish the stories of CrossFit couples (I’m honored to!) and I love getting to virtually meet their photographers, but it’s a whole different thing to get to meet these people in person and even better, workout with them!
Well, it just so happens Noble CrossFit is pretty close by where I work, so I headed there last Friday to meet Traci J. Brooks, the photographer, and WOD with her, Laura, and Nate. It can be pretty nerve-racking to drop into an unknown box but the folks at Noble CrossFit were wonderful! I absolutely love the fact that Laura’s mom coaches there, too, and I hear Nate’s dad drops in from time-to-time. Gotta love when fitness is a family business!
There’s seriously nothing like a workout to bring people together, too! Especially a tough workout like the one on the books Friday – 6 rounds of 6 muscle-ups and 15 walls balls with a scaling option of 2 chest-to-bar pull-ups and 2 ring dips for each muscle-up (totaling 6 pull-ups and 6 ring dips for each of the six rounds)! Traci and I hit it off immediately and halfway through the workout we were giving each other nods to keep pushing – such is what I love about this sport! Meanwhile, Laura was practicing bar muscle-ups! She’s a beast, ya’ll!
I asked Laura to answer a few questions about CrossFit, her engagement, and life as a box owner. Continue reading for her responses!
When did you start doing CrossFit? 2012
What box to you belong to? Noble CrossFit!
What prompted your interest in the sport? I was doing body building style workouts at the gym and it got very boring! I’ve always loved to lift weights.
Did your fiancé/husband participate too? Yes, he introduced me to it!
Did you two meet at a box, or meet before you started CrossFit? Before we started.
Do you have an athletic background? What sport did you play? I’ve played just about every sport you can play. I have played (and still play) soccer since I can remember.
What are your CrossFit goals for 2014? This list could last forever but a sub 4-minute Fran time, a 175 lb clean and jerk, and 300 lb deadlift.
When you first started CrossFit, what was your initial reaction? This is amazing!
What was your aim in doing CrossFit? To get stronger? Lose weight? For pure enjoyment? Get Stronger
How has CrossFit changed your body? I initially lost a pant size & gained a six pack (like within a week!). Now, I’m back up to my normal pant size (big butts are fine by me!) and I’ve had to increase my caloric intake.
Are you happy with those changes? Absolutely! What woman doesn’t want to eat more delicious food! My only struggle is finding close for an athletic build but there are worse things in the world!
Is CrossFit a big part of your relationship? In what ways? Yes, my fiance and I own and operate Noble CrossFit and we have met a ton of amazing people there.
Do you relate any elements of CrossFit to marriage? Yes, CrossFit is about never throwing in the towel and giving up, it’s about being honest about your workouts and being supportive of the community. All of these pertain to marriage and always standing by your partner, telling the truth and being there for one another.
What’s your favorite workout to do together? We mostly compete against each other for fun. He usually wins but I’ll pull through on occasion. We both enjoy competition and pushing each other.
Do you add any CrossFit touches to your wedding day? We really only did engagement photos related to CrossFit. I’ve been on the hunt for some good looking barbell cuff links though!
Do you have any advice for newbie CrossFitters like myself? Confidence is key! Don’t ever think you can’t do something. Lifting with confidence will bring you amazing PRs!
Do you have advice for other women interested in doing CrossFit prior to their big day? DO IT! Just make sure you are aware of any marks that might be left by atlas stones or tires!
Would you suggest they do it? Absolutely! We actually have quite a few weddings coming up in our box and it’s helped them push harder.
Paleo seems to be the diet of most CrossFitters – do you eat paleo? Not really. I love dairy. I eat high protein (200g a day) with about 25% carbs and 35% fat. Listening to your body is very important though. I know if my body needs carbs or fat for energy.
Was that way of eating something you learned about through box? Kind of, I learned through Precision Nutrition, nutritional course I’m almost done with.
What were the results of eating paleo? Did you lose weight? feel better? get stronger? I have had several PR’s and continue to get better at everything.
Additionally, would you care to share your time on a favorite benchmark WOD? I don’t know if I have a favorite but Fran is 5:42 and Annie is 6:32.
What’s your favorite CrossFit move/exercise/wod? I love the Olympic lifts! Cleans are probably my favorite movement. I do love some handstand push ups too!
Congratulations Laura & Nate and I can’t wait to see the wedding photos! Thanks for having me at Noble CrossFit! I hope we get to workout together again soon!
All photos courtesy of Traci J. Brooks Studios via TwoBrightLights.
If you’re in the Northern Virginia area in search of an engagement, wedding, or lifestyle photographer, check out Traci’s website!
Do you and your fiancé active? Are you box owners or regular CrossFitters?
Always love reading through the Q&A’s.. especially the part about losing a pant size, gaining abs.. then going back up a pants size. Strength/health/fitness is all about how you feel and how you carry it, and it’s beautiful! (I also love that they included the dogs in there, too. 😉 )
I love the Q&As myself! In this interview, I was especially thrilled with Laura’s response to how she relates CrossFit to marriage! It’s so, so true! Thanks for the comment, Steph!