Thursday 8.4.2016
Collin, Parker & New Jake
5 Rounds: Teams of 2
4 Minute max row for meters
4 Minute rest
Box Brief:
Congrats to Chris Merryman for being the August Member of the Month at Apollo! Scroll down to learn more about Chris.
Chris you have come such a long way from when you started. I feel like you hit PRs on the daily. Tell us how you found CrossFit, and what brought you to CF Apollo.
My old boss from D.C. introduced me to Crossfit in March of last year when I was running a fitness challenge for the office. I naturally made fun of Crossfit until I tried it and realized I couldn’t even do a pullup. I was hooked after that.
I started cyberstalking Apollo last year when my family was moving out from Virginia. My wife was actually the first one to go to Apollo; she couldn’t stop talking about it. My first class was the 5:15. While I am a die-hard 3:30 Jedi Unicorn now, anyone who goes to the 5:15 finds out what makes Apollo special.
What’s a day in the life of Chris look like? Tell us what you do outside the gym.
I work as an intelligence analyst in the military and also as a civilian. When I’m not at the gym throwing down with the bros I am a dad who loves technology. But mostly video games. Lots and lots of video games. I thankful that I have a wife who also loves video games, or I would be in a lot of trouble for the amount of money I spend on them.
Since you have taken a closer look at your diet we have all noticed so much progress. You’ve lost weight, hit PRs and even just last week competed in your first local competition. What’s your secret?
Consistency. I am far from being the most athletic person at Apollo, I just make it a point to show up and try. The two truths I learned while doing Crossfit are that I cannot expect results without consistency, and I cannot out-exercise a poor diet. I have been overweight for most of my life, and breaking those eating habits were really hard, trust me! But when I sat down and became honest with myself, took those baby steps to improve, everything changed. At my heaviest last year I was 248, now I say around 210, and I have giant man-shoulders that flex in the mirror when brushing my teeth. Friends from Virginia who have visited me see a completely different person. Not just in size but in personality. It’s awesome and humbling at the same time.
You’re about to be transformed into either: A jelly fish, a hamster (wheel included), or a redwoods tree. You have 10 seconds to decide. And why?
Tree. As a jellyfish someone could pull you out of the water with a stick and it’s over. God knows what snake you’ll be fed to as a hamster. Redwoods live for millennia and uproot themselves to battle the forces of Mordor when called upon. That’s why Redwoods are federally protected, because of what they did at the battle of Isengard.
If you could only have one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
‘Laap Gai’ or Thai Chicken Salad. Always order it spicy for that pucker factor.
On the flip side, what’s one food you would rather starve then eat?
Milk or Cheesecake. I’m lactose intolerant. Toilets cry when I eat that stuff.