How long have you been doing CrossFit? What are your favorite things about the sport?

I have been doing Crossfit for 3 ½ years. I was at the very end of my military service and I walked into a cross training/ high-intensity training facility which was just built on base. I walked in there and saw guys and girls doing amazing things I couldn’t do. I thought to myself “ I’m in pretty damn good shape but I can’t do what they are doing”!

My favorite thing about Crossfit is the by far the personal growth that comes with it. Mental, physical and spiritual. You get humbled everyday you pick up that barbell. You work hard and push yourself everyday just to improve your lifts by a couple pounds or your metcon by seconds. Best of all, you carry that work ethic and mental work capacity into other aspects of your life.

How many times have you competed in CrossFit Regionals in the past?

I had the opportunity to compete in the Atlantic Regionals in 2016 after taking 18th in the Open and finishing off the Open with a 1st place finish on 16.5.

What are your goals for the CrossFit Regionals this year?

This year my goal is to help Team Balance finish top 5 in the open. We accomplished that and ended up taking 1st in the Mid Atlantic which I was very happy about. Once we get to Regionals,my goal is to be a strong asset to the team and to help Team Balance get to the Games where we can dog fight it out.

What are you most looking forward to for the CrossFit Regionals? What are you most nervous about?

With Regionals approaching, I am most nervous about fixing/ working on my weaknesses (high rep rope climbs, high rep muscle up, toes to bar and hand stand walking) so I don’t slow down the team. Like everybody, I have my weaknesses but I am working hard to improve those.

How has your training been going so far? How many hours a day do you usually spend training?

Training for the Open and Regionals has been rigorous and I try to spend anywhere around 2-4 hours a day training. I try to train 6 days a week with an active recovery day. Being mostly of light aerobic work. I usually am able to train with the team two days a week which has been a phenomenal experience. Just being around such great athletes brings an enormous advantage to training. We all have a common goal and we work together it achieve it.

Are you doing anything different to prepare for Regionals this year than in previous years?

The most important thing with my training is intensity and staying in the moment. Not getting distracted and not going through the motions. Staying in the moment and present with every rep. Maximizing your output under mental fatigue/ duress. I think that is the MOST important thing someone needs in order to improve their fitness. INTENSITY. In the military we call that violence of action. So, I try to really work on that with every lift and every metcon. Of course there are times where I daze off and think “this is terrible,I feel like crap”. But I really try to bring it back to conscious thought and be mentally present with whatever it is I am doing.

Are you following a nutrition plan while you’re getting ready for regionals? How do you change your nutrition in preparation for the competition?

My nutrition is not too strict, I live off Greek yogurt and protein pancakes recently. I try to stay away from complex carbs. Which isn’t always a successful. I like to splurge on Vanilla ice cream. That is my kryprtonite. Always has been. But overall a successful nutritional day looks like:

• 5 am: Two Greek yogurts when I first wake up for work
• 8 am: Oatmeal
• 11 am: Either salad with chicken or chicken and sweet potatoes
• 3 pm: Protein Bar
• 6 pm: Protein Bar
• 8:30 pm: My favorite – monster protein pancakes.
• protein bar 6pm protein bar830 pm my fav, monster  protein pancakes If I need anything else or am starving I’ll usually have a yogurt or two

If I need anything else or I’m starving, I’ll usually have a Greek yogurt or two.

As Regionals approach, I probably won’t change to much about nutrition. I’m a bigger athlete ( 215), so I’ll try and slim down to 205 lbs as we get closer. That’s my fighting weight and I prefer to be lighter around any type of competition.

How do you balance training for Regionals with everything else in your life?

I have a government job which my training has to workaround. Getting up at 5am for work than leaving right after work to train can be fatiguing. I have days where I just want to take a nap all day but the reality is anything worth  while never comes easy. Consistency, I have found is the key to accomplishing any goals we deem worthwhile and I try to live my life that way. One day at a time,that’s all anybody has to do. Focus on your one day at hand and everything else will fall in place long as you do your best with that day.