Upper East Side

We are very proud to announce December’s Eastside athlete spotlight is…

Kristin Luther!

We caught up with everyone’s favorite mama-to-be EVF member to talk about her CrossFit journey.

How/when did you get involved in CrossFit? What has motivated you to stick with it?
My husband Dave had already joined his CrossFit gym and had a feeling I would really like it. I used to lift in college when I cheered and enjoyed testing my strength. So once I saw what CrossFit entailed, and Dave told me about EVF (which was down the block from where we lived at the time — killer commute means no excuses to not go!) I had to join. I stay because I love seeing how far I can push myself mentally and physically. I also feel like I am part of a team again, which you don’t find at a gym filled with treadmills, elliptical machines and free weights.

What do you enjoy most about being a member at EVF?
This list may get too long since I am not a woman of few words: I love the PEOPLE. I have made some incredible friends. Seeing how strong I am, how supportive everyone is, the belly rubs I am currently getting, PRs, friendly competitions … Have I mentioned the friends? I love how the members at EVF come from all walks of life, yet we can come together for a common goal/exercise/workout and that bonds us. It doesn’t matter where you are from, how old you are, what you do. If you love CrossFit, then that is the beginning of this beautiful dance of friendship. Then it turns into WODing then wine, and really, what a great combination.

Do you remember your first workout? Looking back how did it go?
My first workout was actually out in Colorado while we were away for a wedding. It was Diane. Oh man. I think I deadlifted about 65 pounds and obviously modified the handstand push-ups. But what I remember is Dave and I weren’t even members at this gym, we knew no one, and yet everyone was cheering me on to finish strong and IT WAS TOUGH! I needed a nap (that has not changed in the last 18 months of being a member, FYI) but was on such a high from completing something I thought was impossible at the time, and the support from strangers was cool.

What were your goals when you first started? How have they changed?
Honestly, my goals when I first started were to just have something exercise-related that I could share with my husband so we could talk about our WODs daily and have something we both did “together” finally. So if I made it to the gym 3 to 4 times a week, I felt successful in that. Now I look forward to PRs, faster times and competitions. I really like testing myself. When I go in and see a WOD and think “Oh jeez, this is gonna suck,” then I know I will push myself harder. Plus I have my own judge at home to talk me through how I could’ve improved.

My goals since becoming pregnant have changed, obviously. They were to be able to workout throughout my pregnancy and feel as good as I can while getting larger and larger and LARGER!

How have you grown in that time — health, body, mind, etc.?
I think that as a woman, I can be very critical of myself, figure, personality, etc. CrossFit really helped with all of that. I definitely adopted a strut around my apartment the more fit I got. I felt better about myself more often than I didn’t. I became way less critical of myself. How can I criticize my body or health when I had just deadlifted my body weight? Or finally FINALLY got double unders? Crossfit helped me become proud of what my short 5’0” body could do. I am a strong woman! I no longer would look in the mirror and focus on what I needed to change, but now I look at myself and flex my biceps a few times because I am one happy lady with where I am headed.

Also, it has really helped Dave and I get closer. After 18 years together, it is a wonderful thing to discover something new and exciting together that we like doing separately and together at times. Also, I don’t diet, simply because the minute I restrict food from my mind, then it is all I can think about. With CrossFit, because it has made me feel better about myself, I have found that more often than not, I choose healthier options to eat that give me a better performance at the gym and a better outlook on myself and the day in general. And when I don’t and go check out Wild Wing Wednesdays at Dylan Murphy’s on the UES, I don’t feel quite as bad about it because tomorrow most likely I will be rowing or push pressing or box jumping some of it off at the gym.

Favorite lift and WOD?
My favorite lift is deadlifts. Hands down. My stubby legs can really deadlift a lot! And in case you can’t tell, I am pretty proud of that.

Favorite WOD … Honestly not sure I have one. As I improve on a movement, I enjoy a WOD more. For example, when I could finally do some pull-ups, I really enjoyed any WOD that had them because I could actually string some pull-ups together! Even if I could only do half the amount and switch to scaling, I still felt a small victory. Or when I could do DUs, I enjoyed that WOD because yippee! I didn’t have to do 3-to-1 in singles! Basically I am easy to please.

Oh. And Tabata! I LOVE LOVE a Tabata workout.

Least favorite movement and workout?
Well, I won’t say burpees because they do suck, and that’s an obvious choice. I do not like overhead squats. At all. I find them uncomfortable and cannot seem to improve on them. If I walked into the gym one day and the WOD was running, burpees and OHS I may cry. That’s how unhappy it would make me.

What drives you through the door each day?
Depends on the day. Sometimes it is seeing my friends at the 12:30 class. That is the class that started my obsession with EVF and continues to foster it. Sometimes it is the WOD. It really all depends! Right now it is to give me something active to do before this baby makes her appearance!

Do you have any advice for new members?
Have fun with it. Don’t psyche yourself out before you even start the workout. I used to do that my first 6 months, and it puts a damper on your mentality to even complete the workout. Have fun and enjoy the people; they really help make EVF the place it is. Be open to learning new things. We aren’t the typical gym where people show up, sweat a TON and go about their day. We want to embrace you, cheer you on, support you and push you. And also, we want to go have a margarita with you outside of the gym.

What do you hope to achieve in the coming year?
As I sit on my couch answering this question, I look down at my very round 9-month pregnant belly and the easy answer would be I want my body back. But in reality, in 2015 I want to up my PRs (it has been a sad 9 months of scaling back weights) and compete in a competition or 2, scaled division. I have been proud of what I have been able to do this year, but I want to go a step further.