Bob Cloud
Athlete of the Month
December 2018
“Bullet” Bob is our Athlete of the Month for December 2018. He has been a consistent presence in the gym for the last four years and has really come a long way!
Bob met CFJC owner, Dan, at a cheering event where their daughters were competing. After some casual conversation about fitness and CrossFit, Bob decided to come in and give it a try. Fast forward to four years later and Bob is still training with us minus a few pounds on his waistline and is still getting stronger.
Over the years, Bob has learned to listen to his body and is smart about scaling the movements and weights appropriately, backing off when needed and focusing on mobility and recovery. The art of listening to your body is not just for master’s athletes; it is crucial for all athletes to practice regardless of their age or fitness level.
He always comes in with a great attitude, works hard, and leaves with a smile! Good job Bob!
I’m Bob and I’ll be 54 this month. I’m a data engineer at AT&T and I have worked with data in the Telecom industry for most of the last 28 years.
I needed a change, something different and lasting. I knew a few people that enjoyed CrossFit, but I didn’t think it was a good fit for me. I wasn’t sure it was something I would like or needed. Then I met the owner, Dan, and after some casual conversations about fitness I decided I’d give it a try.
That was in the spring of 2014 and I’m just as motivated now as I have ever been to go in every day. There are many reasons why I continue to do it now, but fundamentally it’s because of how I feel both physically and mentally.
I don’t recall exactly what I was thinking, but I know that I was expecting to really be suffering and that didn’t happen. So I probably thought that it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.
As I mentioned, why I do it now and what I enjoy most is really all about how it makes me feel. But one of the key factors behind that good feeling is the diversity of the workouts. I was concerned when I started that this would be another routine that I would eventually become bored of, but I have found that I look forward to what is in store for us each day and what I can improve on.
That’s a tough one. I can think of a few long chippers that I was extremely happy to finish, and some WODs that we repeat regularly that I made nice improvements on, or finally figuring out how to string double unders together.
I think my proudest moment is really a culmination of times where I was not feeling 100% but continued to work through the aches I was feeling. I have learned that the aches and pains that can come along with hard work are usually caused by improper form and/or not doing enough to help your body recover. So I guess my proudest moment was learning how to listen to what my body is telling me and understand what I need to do to get better.
I think like most guys I like the bench press, but I find a heavy kettlebell swing as part of a workout to be my favorite part of a WOD. My least favorite is probably thrusters… and I didn’t even know her.
Cindy is fun; Grace is not.
My goals have shifted slightly from when I first started, maybe due to my age. I still like to see improvement by getting stronger or faster, but my overall goal now is basically to be able to come in each day looking forward to the workout. So I guess I’m reaching my goals every day. Maybe I need to come up with some better ones.
It has improved my quality of life and I feel that I am physically and mentally prepared for anything that life has in store for me. I have also met some really great (aka crazy) people that will be lifelong friends.
It used to be cycling and tennis, but family activities are a priority now. My girls are competitive cheerleaders so I’m a cheer dad that loves most of what goes along with that sport, except for the expense.
It’s given me confidence to do things that I may not have otherwise tried, like this past year when I went snowboarding for the first time in my life. I honestly feel that if I wasn’t as fit as I am that I would not have been able to do it at my age, and I probably wouldn’t have even tried it. And that would have been a huge disappointment since it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.
Listen closely to the coaching, work on your mobility daily, learn what scaling options work best for you, get good sleep and do your best to eat the right foods.
