Member Spotlight: Mark Kinyon

It's Monday Nov 27 7am and I'm sitting in the waiting room doctor's office for my annual physical - who goes to get a physical the Monday after Thanksgiving anyway - not exactly most people's pinnacle of health that day. 

My doctor is a good guy, shoots it straight - only a few years older than me and we went to the same college - that was only a year or two ago right? I'm still 25 right? 

That day was a wake up call for me - 37, a father of three great kids with a great and supportive wife but still overweight - 8 lbs heavier than last year tipping in @ 224, feeling completely out of shape, still not sleeping more than 4-5 hours a night, still working way too much and too late. My doctor tells me the same answer every year of the past 10 years that this will be the year I do something consistently and get back down to where I should be won't cut it. He tells me I'm going to be 38 and it might as well be now or never - it's never going to be easier to do something about it than it is today.

Over the course of 15 years of getting married, raising a family, pursuing professional success I always put myself and my physical health last. I didn't know what I was going to try yet, but I knew I was going to actually do something to improve my health and make it a priority. 

The first thing I did was look at when I could do something - I still had to start working early, all day on the road and then go home to help facilitate the myriad of kids activities. No chance I was going to work out at night. Early morning was the answer. 

The next question was what to do - I had lifted for a few years in my early 20s, but could never get into a rhythm and got tired of the same Chest/Back/Shoulders/Bi/Tri week after week programming I had always done because it was all I knew. I was driving home one day and saw the signs on the corner of 5th/Cassady for CrossFit Bexley - nah - not going to do that - I didn't really know anything about it and what I did know, I didn't think there was any way I could do it. 

A few weeks later I was at a Christmas Party and was talking to my friend Danny who tells me he had gone to CrossFit Bexley a few times, one of his high school buddies started it up and he was digging it. We talked about it for a bit more and I changed my opinion from a "no" to "maybe I'll check it out."  A week or so later Danny called said he was going to one of the Sunday classes around Christmas and asked if I wanted to check it out. I took him up on it and a few days later I decided that this is what I was going to do because I thought it would push me further than I though. 

The top reasons that I'm here four months later are the people - both members and coaches, and the programming. I have met some great people @ 6am who push each other and show up consistently. The coaches are great - patient, knowledgable, supportive. One of my biggest concerns when starting was coming off the couch and being forced to throw around weight I had no business handling. That has not been the case at all - the focus is on establishing a foundation and then building from there. I think the programming is great - something always new, things never get dull or monotonous and I really enjoy the frequency of Hero WODs.

I have gained a lot over 4 months. I'm closing in on dropping 30 lbs to date, I've learned and improved strength and stamina in every aspect of what we do in the gym and I think the overall changes to my health are impacting every other area of my life in a positive way. I look forward to the further changes and improvements in the coming months and appreciate the patience, help and support that has come along the way.