January Male Athlete Spotlight - Colby Lenz

When did you start CrossFitting? Who/what got you started?I signed up for crossfit in March of 2018, (but never really jumped in until May) after a friend told me I should give it a try when I said I wanted to get back into better shape than the hardcore dadbod I had been rocking for the last 5 years. I wanted more than to just lift weights, I wanted to be in actual shape and not get out of breath doing normal activities in my life I enjoy doing. Crossfit seemed to fit that mold so I decided to give it a shot. What is your favorite/least favorite WOD?My favorite WOD would have to be Cindy and Murph because I like those combination of movements and the meaning behind Murph makes it special. Least favorite would have to be Karen, because why would anyone think throwing a 20lb ball to a 10 foot target would even be a little enjoyable? Plus there’re memes about the name Karen, and I am certain this WOD is where they all originated from, so I don’t think I am alone. What is your favorite/least favorite movement?Favorite movements would have to be any type of gymnastic movements, HSPU, MU, PU’s, etc… I also I have really come to enjoy the Saturday morning weightlifting and all the movements we do in that. I hate burpees so much it’s hard to explain. It is right up there with my hate for spiders.

Tell us a little bit about yourself (family, job, sports, interests, etc.)I’m married with two beautiful, wild, and crazy little girls that I wouldn’t change for anything that are now ages 5 and 2. I’m an Oklahoma State grad (Go Pokes!) where I got my degree in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology. I work for a large natural gas utility as their safety and health manager. I love sports and anything outdoors. I played competitive baseball my entire life growing up, but nowadays I just play sand volleyball for fun out at Martin City every Sunday evening. I love to travel, hunt, and fish. My retirement goal is to be doing 1 of those 3 things every day until I can’t anymore. What was your workout routine before CrossFit?I didn’t really have one, at least not for the last few years before I joined crossfit. Prior to that I did the planet fitness thing a little and ran a mile once a month maybe. What did you think after your first CrossFit workout?I didn’t really think at all right after it, blacking out isn’t conducive to thinking. I remember my last workout with Ben before I could go over the main gym was Fran, it was my 4th ever WOD at that time. I asked what RX weight was (because RX was the only term I remembered at that time) was and he said 95lbs but we’ll just use the bar. I told him I’d do 95, he said no, I said ok I’ll do 75, he said how about 45, I said 65, Ben handed me the bar and said we’ll do 45lbs. When that 5+ minutes of misery was over I remember thinking I should’ve done 35lbs, what was he thinking making me do 45!? What were your goals when joining CrossFit? Have you achieved any of those goals?I didn’t really have any goals, I just wanted to get in better shape and feel better physically. I can say I am in better shape at 33 than I have ever been at any other time in my life. I do have other goals now that I continue to have to move further because I continue to reach them which is a great thing about this sport, you can always get better at certain things.

Has CrossFit affected your life outside the gym?Absolutely it has. Other than meeting some great people at the gym I believe it has helped me in my career by giving me the energy and confidence to help me succeed as a young professional. It has also been a great way for me to relieve stress. Mentally it has been very helpful for me to have that outlet, and I need it to stay out of jail. Do you have any other special memories/ achievements during your time here?I think my best memory would have to be after my first Murph this year. My kids got to come up and hangout at the gym while I did it, and after I got done, Paisley who was 4 at the time came up to me right after I got done and said “dad you did great, I’m proud of you,” and gave me a kiss. That was special to me, and even better was I think it was Nick Reyes who happened to catch that exact moment with a picture. The other great achievement I have is finally getting my wife to join the gym, finally! To see her achievements and what she has already accomplished in her short time is fun for me. What advice would you give to a newbie just joining CrossFit 913?The same advice everyone always says, just show up and be consistent, it’s simple but it’s that easy. That will however be the only easy part of it. Also be coachable and listen. If they say use 45lbs don’t be like me on my 4th day and say you can do 95lbs. All the coaches will know more than you, and listening will always make you better, I promise. I’ve never learned anything in life from talking. You will also see some pretty incredible people doing some incredible things you don’t think you could ever do, but they were in your same place once thinking the same thing. Don’t compare yourself to them, but strive to do the things they do if that’s your goal, but just work on getting better each day. Something you might not know about me is?I grew up in a very small town where i went to school in the same building K-12 and graduated with about 17 people, most of which I had been in school with since kindergarten. Also, when I was around 11 or 12 I got my left middle finger smashed between a boat and wave runner which basically exploded it. Luckily they were able to put it all back together, but I have no feeling in most of that finger, so I use it as a mental excuse for missing lifts, because I refuse to believe my chicken legs are the reason I failed a clean. Finally, as some of you now unfortunately know after the 12 days of Christmas WOD, I love a good onesie!