Phoebe is the wife of the owner and does a little bit of everything at Sycamore CrossFit.
When/how did your health and fitness journey begin?
I tried all sorts of sports as a young child, but nothing really stuck except swimming and tennis. I was also always incredibly small for my age (believe it or not!) so I never excelled at sports. I definitely had a fixed mindset.
When I got to college, I would workout sporadically, but I didn’t enjoy it very much. After college, I went to the YMCA for a while and enjoyed the group fitness classes, but the timing was so limited, and I didn’t like how repetitive the classes were. Then I joined Charter Fitness, but I never really knew what I was doing. I found it boring and wasn’t motivated. I just mindlessly trudged along on the elliptical.
One day I happened to run into Carl (my husband and the owner of SCF) there, and even though we already knew each other that’s sort of how we started dating. We worked out together a lot and he helped me figure out a strength program, but I still wasn’t super into it, and doing the same thing over and over was boring. It wasn’t until I started at Sycamore CrossFit that I really took my health and fitness seriously.
When did you first start coming to Sycamore CrossFit?
I started coming to Sycamore CrossFit the day we opened. Carl opened the gym about a month before our wedding. I had always exercised because I felt like I had to. I loved the group fitness offered at SCF. It became my social hour, which was especially helpful a few years after college when it’s tougher to meet people. I felt motivated by the workouts and doing them with other people. And I loved that I didn’t have to have a plan – I came in and the coach told me what to do and how to do it.
Starting at Sycamore CrossFit has helped me to be in the best shape of my life in my thirties. I have motivation and accountability that I never had before.
What do you do at Sycamore CrossFit?
I basically help where I’m needed. I write blog posts. I draft important emails and write up some procedures and policies. I send postcards to new members and thank you cards to our awesome clients. Sometimes I plan events. A little bit of everything!
What is your favorite thing about SCF?
I love the people! The coaches help me become the best version of myself. The other athletes motivate and encourage me.
What is your favorite memory at Sycamore CrossFit?
When I started I could barely run 200m without walking. I was always the slowest person on every run. I needed to walk very frequently. I always had pain when I ran. Then I attended a running clinic. My running improved dramatically. It took time, continued effort on improving, and consistently coming to class to improve my cardiovascular endurance, but I am now able to run much more quickly and without pain.
A year ago Carl got me a weighted vest to do Murph. I couldn’t do the pull-ups or push-ups because of some issues with distasis recti, but I was able to do the run. I tried my hardest to keep up with the pack. I remembered being amazed at how I was keeping up with them while wearing a weighted vest. When I got in from the run, I looked at the clock and it was just over 8 minutes. I ran the fastest mile of my life in a weighted vest!