Better late than never, I'll introduce myself

[Jennifer Munzner]

We have to travel back in time a bit for this intro- it's July 2011. I was a 37-year old mother of three, working full-time, going to nursing school full-time, being generally fat and tired but too fat and tired to do anything about it. A friend of mine at work had been Crossfitting for a couple years and was always telling me I'd enjoy it if I started, but I had a million excuses about why I "couldn't". The biggest was price, I had just quit the gym at work because they raised the price to $30 a month, I was NOT going to spend $100+ a month for a GYM. Enter Groupon. A code for $45 for on-ramp and a month of classes convinced me to give it a try. Funny thing, even though I was fat and completely out of shape, I never felt intimidated about starting- I knew it couldn't get much worse than where I was right then. I don't think I'll ever forget the first morning when he said he was going to give us some lecture time and our workout would be 3 minutes and 40 seconds. Yes, tabata air squats. That was the whole first workout. I made it through and felt okay- even for the rest of the day. Then for the next three days I couldn't walk down the stairs or get off the toilet without holding onto something for dear life. I was hooked, and have been loving it ever since. Last year, we tragically lost our gym owner and head trainer, Tim Devine, but thankfully four of the trainers got together and opened Crossfit Inguz earlier this year.

I never really posted here because I didn't feel I had much to offer. Many days at the gym I still feel like a slow, middle aged mom. Nothing's going to change my age, but at least after two years of Crossfitting I'm less slow, and in better shape than I ever have been. Last month I completed Tough Mudder Mt. Snow, as an early 40th birthday present to myself. I hope to make it an annual event until I'm an old grand-mudder. Making it across those monkey bars (grip slipped with only two left!), was maybe the athletically related highlight of my life.

So as I end here in 2013, I'm still a mother of three (my 6, 8 and 10 year old are learning from me, they're mom, how to climb a rope in the backyard), I now work two jobs, still go to school, really haven't found any more time in my day or week, but Crossfit is my five days a week have-to. It's so worth missing a little sleep in the morning at see my 5:45am crew. Love them, love my box and all the people I've been with along the way. I wish anyone starting out much success, and years of health and fitness. Thanks for listening to my long story.

[Greg Spaight]

Great story Jennifer! Awesome that you are being a great role model for your youngins'.

[Kate Dixson-Clark]

Great story! Wonderful that your children are watching their mother push herself physically and mentally...such a great life lesson for them

[Tonya Martin]

GREAT story, congrats!!!

[Daniel Diaz]

Why is not sledgehammer tire smashes programmed in the crossfit.com site?

[Mark E. Wallace]

Originally Posted by Daniel Diaz

Why is not sledgehammer tire smashes programmed in the crossfit.com site?

What is it about sledgehammer strikes that has caused you to ask this twice now?

And why are you doing it in someone else's introductory thread?

- Mark