Thursday 12.3.2020

“Prime Time”
25 Minute AMRAP:
25/18 Calorie Row
25 Shuttle Runs
25 Russian Kettlebell Swings (72/53)
25 Sit-ups

Tomorrow’s Forecast:
Friday’s workout calls for squats and handstand push-ups.

Box Brief:
Congrats to Katie for being the December Member of the Month at Apollo! Scroll down to learn more about Katie.

Katie Whitmire “Come on Down!!!”
We are so excited you have consented to answer these probing questions into your soul and what makes you tick. Let’s get right to it.
You’re married to a pretty cool dude and have a couple of littles. Tell us about your family and how you and Drew met.
First, this is such an honor!!! Thank you! : )

I’m from St George, Utah and Drew is from Clemson, South Carolina and we met while we were both serving in the US Army. Drew played the trombone and I was a singer and piano player in the US Army Band. Yes, we are SUPER hardcore, I know. We actually met in the Army School of Music in Virginia, but then started officially dating when we were both stationed together in Seoul, South Korea. We got married in the US Embassy in Korea after only dating for a month. Luckily that impulsive decision worked out and we’ve been married for 10 years!

What brought you to Vegas and what surprised you most about our little town?
We kind of just moved here on a whim, but I’m so glad we did! My Brother’s family lives here because he is stationed here as a pilot for Southwest Airlines. As I was finishing my Nurse Practitioner Degree at Duke University, my Sister in Law sent me an ad that she found for an Endocrinology position out here because she knew that was my specialty and really wanted to have more family nearby. We had no plans to move anywhere at the time because I was like 8 months pregnant with our youngest son, but I decided to go ahead and apply for the position just to see what would happen. When we came out here to interview we just had this feeling that this was where we were supposed to be. So we moved from South Carolina across the country to Las Vegas with a new born baby! I know that everything happens for a reason because literally one month after moving here we discovered that my Mom (who lived close by in Southern Utah) had very fast progressing Lewy Body Dementia. We had no idea that she was sick before we moved. So, because we lived so close, I was able to take care of her for the last year of her life before she passed away. I look back and think it’s just such a miracle how it all worked out. Sorry to get deep on you there…

We absolutely LOVE living in Las Vegas. The biggest surprise was that each suburb is like its own little town, with the Northwest being the best, of course.

You are a genius in the medical field, you’ve been published and your efforts have expanded the knowledge of people everywhere all to the betterment of humanity.  Thank you!  Tell us a little about what you do and what you enjoy most about it.
You’re welcome for my service! Haha! I’m a Nurse Practitioner and I specialize in the management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It’s estimated that within 30 years 1/3 of the American population will have diabetes. Isn’t that crazy? I like specializing in diabetes because it is such a complicated disease. Getting the right combination of behavior changes, technology and medications to get a person’s blood sugars to goal is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. No two patients are alike. I love focusing on one disease because it’s made me somewhat of an expert, which has allowed me to have a lot of opportunities like speaking at conferences, being part of studies, and writing papers. I also love that I’m able to share my passion for nutrition and exercise with my patients, although I’ve only converted one to CrossFit so far, darn it.

It’s no secret the barbell loves you.  You’re one of the strongest women in the gym and as unfair as it is, you also have one of the best engines.  Aside from being able to throw a 300# bar around, what appeals to you most about CrossFit?
I just absolutely love the community at Crossfit Apollo. From the very first time I decided to try out a class, I was totally hooked. I remember that I started tearing up at the end of that first class when everyone was cheering each other on, and I remember being TOTALLY shocked that everyone was talking to each other and that people were being so nice to me. I’d never seen anything like that at “regular” gyms. I went home and told Drew that we were joining no matter if he wanted to or not. I also just love the competitive outlet that CrossFit gives me. I’ve played sports my whole life, and even in the military you have the competitive aspect of the physical fitness tests, so I’ve kind of always thrived on competition. So now CrossFit has allowed that outlet back in my life and I love it! I think it’s so fun to see the WOD the night before and think about how I’m going to do, and I love trying to chase down other people’s scores. Especially on heavy lifting days, I literally will have butterflies in my stomach all day because I get so excited to go do the WOD after work. I’m such a nerd! But, honestly, it has made life so much more exciting. Where else can you have that sense of competition and community when you’re in your 30’s with 2 kids and a full-time job?

We’ve all heard, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”  With all the crazy this year, what positive things came as a direct result of the challenges you and your family have faced?
We’ve definitely been able to spend a lot more time at home with each other, which has turned into a blessing in many ways. It’s forced me to slow down and just be content hanging out at home instead of feeling that I have to use every bit of my spare time doing something or I’m not being productive enough.

Your favorite quote or advice?
I asked Drew if he could think of a quote I liked and he said “you’re not really a quote person.” Hahaha. So I spent my son’s entire gymnastics class looking up quotes and this is the best I could come up with: “We do today what they won’t, so tomorrow we can accomplish what they can’t.” By the profound Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.  

Don’t I get to make up my own WOD??? I have been thinking about this all week!

My 3 favorite movements are rowing, lunges and heavy cleans, and I like longer WODs. So here is the WOD I created for myself. I think everyone will hate it, but I LOVE it. Mwahahaha

40/30 calorie row
50 lunges
5 heavy cleans (145 for women? No clue for the men)
40/30 calorie row
40 lunges
4 heavy cleans
40/30 calorie row
30 lunges
3 heavy cleans
40/30 calorie row
20 lunges
2 heavy cleans
40/30 calorie row
10 lunges
1 heavy clean