Like many others in our gym, Theresa has been a lifelong athlete who loves a good challenge. After being called out on social media by a friend to try this crazy thing called CrossFit, T took a leap of faith and signed up for classes at Bellum. Her first class with Coach Kelly several years ago was outside her comfort zone for many reasons, but Coach Kelly’s patient approach and ability to make the experience of learning the Clean simple and fun kept T coming back for more and more classes.
One of the reasons that many of our members enjoy using CrossFit as a way to get and stay fit is that, when paired with the right mental approach, many of the workout varieties that we perform are beneficial in training the mind as well as the body. This type of mindset training often crosses over into our everyday lives. Theresa and her wife Molly’s journey to having children was challenging, but she credits these life experiences to helping build her mental fortitude to overcome difficult situations, whether in or out of the gym.
Outside the gym, Theresa has an impressive sneaker collection, and loves a good martini, gardening or creating art, and spending time with her wife and two twin-nados. T – we appreciate your humble spirit, your willingness to encourage, and are always impressed by how fast you move! We can’t wait to workout with you again in person, hopefully very soon!
What type of workouts did you perform before coming to Bellum?: Um…running and weight training mostly. I played sports since a young age up through late 30s, then kids took over 🙂
Why were you looking for a new style of workouts?: I’ve been an athlete for so many years…so I always look for some kind of a challenge. And honestly, I missed sports and being around people working out, there is a type of comfort in that for me. Plus making a friend or two couldn’t hurt 🙂
What is your favorite CrossFit movement or workout?: Man Makers…those things hit everything. That’s the first that comes to mind…I like the gymnastic activities.
What is your biggest accomplishment since starting at Bellum? (in and/or out of the gym) I’d say learning to fail gracefully – there were a ton of things I couldn’t do, but now I can. Learning to go with the process…and be patient. (I’m an impatient person – fiery….lol) But my main lesson— I would have to say out of the gym is where my biggest accomplishment occurred to date. I really wanted to have kids and was unable to get pregnant for years. As I said before, I was used to being good at everything and controlling how an outcome would turn out-because if I failed, I’d just work harder. I never blamed anyone else— I held myself accountable. So when I couldn’t get pregnant, there was an emotional battle for me to pull myself out of it, ignoring the comments from people and their opinions as to why etc, and be able to turn the reins over to Molly. She got pregnant right away – I had to swallow that for awhile… but I did it because I put things into perspective..this was the way it was supposed to be. And now we have 2 beautiful animals (kidding children)— the universe has a way of teaching you. That experience has helped me through a lot of things…even trying a gym where I didn’t know anyone or how to do the movements…
You are an AVID runner and have been for years. Many people are trying to start running, or trying to increase their running capacity during this time of quarantine. Do you have any tips on how to get or stay motivated to run farther, faster, longer for those who might be needing some encouragement?: Running is always a funny exercise to talk about because it really is a love – hate. I started running because it was a mental release for me, then I started getting better at it and stuck with it.
I used to run around the block as a kid and then come in and count the minutes on a clock to see how fast I did it. The thing with running is, you have to start out slow and gradually work up. There is nothing wrong with running and walking to gradually increase how long you can run, and speed should not be the first thought…I mean we all had to learn how to walk before we could run right….so it’s really that simple. Besides, running can be uncomfortable…but to me, uncomfortable is overhead squats and certain barbell movements – which others love and are awesome at. It’s just where people put their focus.
I think the best thing is to figure out WHY you want to run – if you hate it, then do something else. I loved the activity— so I wanted to be better at it. Why be stressed doing something you hate – it defeats the purpose and frankly hurts progress. Run for the right reason. Sometimes it’s a requirement maybe for a job or a workout, but pick a goal and hit it (like I want to run around the block without stopping)—and set another, and so on.
Running is an individual thing— so it’s up to the individual on how far or fast they want to go. There is no wrong answer, because it doesn’t matter to anyone else how far or fast you run. (Unless you’re on a team – but then you’re on the team because you like running so you should be motivated anyway) It just depends on the goal YOU set – set the goal and work up to it. It’s really no different from anything else – it’s all about the MINDSET.
By the way— there are days i feel like absolute Sh&t and don’t want to do it….so it happens 🙂
Any suggestions on something great to listen to while going for a run?: Eminem gets me through it…even some AC DC
What made you choose Bellum and CrossFit, as opposed to other styles of workouts?: Well I knew Ann for years and people were always telling me I should do it… I honestly felt like it was a cult and would bust people on it….then a friend, (former member—Kim Wilson) put me on blast on FB when Bellum was offering a special….so I was called out. 😉 I’m a pretty social person, but can have some nervous energy when I come into something and don’t know anyone— Once I get used to it…I’m good.
When I first started, Bellum didn’t have the Strong Start intro sessions that they offer now, so you could imagine my awkwardness. My first class was funny stuff because of course, since I mentioned the nervous energy, I was the ONLY one for that scheduled class and Kelly was the coach. The lesson was cleans— the attention was on me. I ALWAYS knew how to do something, so it was new to not be good at something. Not meaning that in a cocky sense—just that sports always came easily to me.
What is your favorite out-of-the-gym activity?: Other than Running… I have grown to love gardening. Art is another outlet. I’m no Picasso, but I like creating things. And I like involving my kids in what I like to do – the activity now is skateboarding…. which has been a huge challenge. But we are learning together —so that’s fun. And they can see me failing at times – but not giving up….so yea – we will see how this goes. Molly tells me I’d better not break a bone (If I had a roll the eyes emoticon, this is where I’d insert it) I always have to be moving…I have not mastered sitting still yet.
What’s your “Why”? Because you get one life to live, and no one is going to do it for you….So figure out how –happily.