I found Crossfit through a friend who was training to enter the Marine Corps’ Officer Candidate School. I’m not sure why he invited me – at the time I was one year removed from a DII Collegiate Cross Country career, running by myself 5-6 days a week, with zero upper body strength, and was a recovering vegan. I love running, but heavy endurance training and a bad diet had left me weak and sick. I suspect he just wanted me to start eating meat again, and if I lifted some weights I’d be finally hungry enough to hear the siren song of bacon cheeseburgers. He was right.

We were at Five Guys by week three.

That first night, the coach asked us each to share our motivation for starting Crossfit. Many of the answers were what you’d expect: weight loss, cross training for marathons, an efficient way to stay in shape. I remember drawing a complete blank. Why WAS I here? I could barely do two push-ups. I was certain I was physically incapable of ever doing a pull-up.

When it was my turn to speak I took a breath, straightened up, and answered: “I want to feel powerful.” The coach looked surprised. “Well…yeah,” he said, “Good answer.” And from that day on, I have felt more powerful than I ever thought possible.

My favorite workouts include long endurance components and Olympic lifting.

I coach CrossFit classes, Barbell Bettys, personal training, and foundations. And yes, I can do push ups and pull ups.

I’m still waiting for Steve to program my special WOD: Snuggles for Time.

(Editor’s note: Ain’t gonna happen.)