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Athlete of the Month: Katie Mohrhauser (Updated)

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CFSBK August Athlete of the Month: Katie Mohrhauser

By Coach Fox

The hottest month of the year brings you one of our hot new rising stars at CrossFit South
Brooklyn, Katie Mohrhauser. In the short time that she’s has been training with us at SBK Katie
has made quite an impression on the coaching staff. From showing up fresh out of Foundations
to support our team at the Open Sectionals, to enrolling in Coach Margie’s Tough Titsday class
to learn how to better approach a barbell, Katie has thrust herself into pursuit of being a better
athlete and being a member of our community as well. If you don’t know her yet then here’s
your chance to get to know her better.

Fox – Katie, you’re our August Athlete of the Month!

KM – Me? Really? I hope this isn’t a joke…Aren’t I too new to be considered? Will more senior
people be upset? Worries aside, thank you for thinking of me. I’m humbled, and of course,
nervous…

Fox – Yes, you! (I explained to Katie all the things written above and a few more). Nobody will
be upset, that’s not how SBKers roll. Ready? Tell me how you wound up at our roll up gate.

KM – My roommate Libby was constantly telling me about it. We lived in Norwalk, CT together
and she was doing CrossFit at CrossFit Stamford. She’d said she thought I’d love it but I was
too intimidated. I didn’t think I was strong or fit enough. Of course she told me all about it being
scalable and I was interested, but too afraid. Fast forward to my decision to move to New York
and I figured that if I was going to do one scary thing then I may as well do another. I was
thinking of living in Brooklyn, saw that CFSBK was right near where I was looking, saw that he
schedule would work for me, and just signed up. I figured I was going to do this and not half-
ass it. I didn’t do a teaser or anything because I knew that if I did I’d psyche myself out of doing
Foundations. I’m glad I didn’t do the teaser.

Fox – What was it like coming into this environment? Had you been going to “regular” gyms prior
to CrossFit?

KM – I hadn’t been going to regular gyms because I never liked them. I had been exposed to
training through athletics (Katie competed at the high school level in volleyball, tennis, and cross
country) but never really liked the treadmill/machine scene. I’d done some classes but again,
it wasn’t me. And like I said, I’m glad I didn’t do a teaser. Our first night of Foundations was a
Tuesday and you were coaching what I guess was the Competition Class and Jess was taking
it. It was crazy. If I’d done a teaser, I might not have come back.

Fox – Ha! You could have just pretended to be looking for BK Boulders. Well we’re sure glad
you stayed. What brought you to Brooklyn in the first place?

KM – I moved here for a job, but really I moved here to challenge myself. I grew up in small town
Iowa, attended the University of Iowa so of course I’m a big Hawkeyes fan, and just was ready

for change. Most of my friends were moving to Chicago which is nice but it just seemed like it
would be more of the same, i.e. sports and drinking, drinking and sports. Don’t get me wrong, I
love drinking and sports but I decided I didn’t want to be defined by it. I wanted more diversity
and New York, Brooklyn in particular, provided that.

Fox – So what, besides sports and beer, do you do outside of CrossFit? I think each female
AOM so far has told me knitting, do you knit?

KM – Ha! I tried it once and hated it so no. Honestly, CrossFit is my main thing and I talk about
it all the time (probably too much). I have a job as an accountant that I really enjoy, and I even
got two of my female accounting friends to start doing CrossFit. I don’t really do too much else
right now. I guess I’m cooking more at home, lots of paleo meals. The same roommate that
introduced me to CrossFit got me on a paleo diet. I feel great when I’m eating paleo, so now
I do more cooking at home. This is funny. My neighbor, let’s call him bi’s and tri’s guy…He’s
always giving me suggestions on what to add or subtract to my diet. He does the same thing
when he asks about my workouts. He’s actually told me not to lift heavy weights because I’ll get
too big. Me, really?

Fox – Bi’s and tri’s guy, I love it! Although I’ve probably been that guy before… what keeps you
coming back to CFSBK?

KM – The people. It’s kind of a mid-western sensibility here in that people are just nice. They’ll
come up and introduce themselves and have a conversation with you. There’s a mix of old and
new people here. I remember coming to Murph early on, being nervous, and meeting Jessica
Bailey. She just talked to me like she knew me. I also remember my first class and Noah
cheering me on while I struggled with cleans and running. He didn’t know me but it didn’t matter,
he was supporting me. People here seem to really care. I also like being around people who
have a similar mindset to mine in regards to a healthy lifestyle.

Fox – I really like your “mid-western sensibility” comment. That rings true, although I’d like to call
it “Brooklyn sensibility”. Tell me one gym thing you feel pretty good about and one you think you
suck at.

KM – Well I suck at the overhead stuff, all of it. It freaks me out, I’m not sure why. That was a
rough night in Foundations. I feel pretty good on squats and deadlifts though. They come more
natural to me and seem less complicated.

Fox – You’re enrolled in Coach Margie’s Tough Titsday class for ladies. How’s that treating you?

KM – Margie is intelligent, thoughtful, and patient; she brings all of those qualities to her class.
Her class is challenging – mentally and physically – and it’s something I look forward to all
week. I’m so happy to have the opportunity to work with her.

The other women are supportive and inspiring. Forget Mean Girls! Each woman wants to
see the others succeed as much as she wants to succeed herself. The sad truth is that it’s

sometimes hard to find a group of women that treat each other this well. I’m going to be sad
when it’s over!

Fox – Sounds like a great experience. Last question. Tell me what you think we should look for
in a future Athlete of the Month.

KM – Someone who represents the qualities I mentioned about why I love SBK, who introduces
themselves and is supportive. Someone who isn’t too self involved in their own workout to cheer
others on through theirs. The people who seem to train smart and not let ego get in the way are
the ones I look up to.
————–

Thanks to Katie for sitting with me for the dreaded Fox interview. We coaches are proud of what
she’s accomplished and look forward to having her be an inspiration to future SBK bad asses
down the road. When you see her in the gym be sure to show her your Cornhuskers shirt…

_______________

Subway Series Event #1 Standards and Call for Spectators

The standards for this weekend’s kick-off event to the 2011 Subway Series have been announced.  For complete details check out the link below to get the rundown of what athletes will need to do in each of the day’s 3 WODs:

Subway Series Event #1 Standards

The event is sold out but if you missed your chance to compete don’t worry Team SBK’s crew of intrepid athletes needs a cheering section as badass as they are!  So join us at CF Virtuosity tomorrow and cheer on team SBK and all the CFers competing in this weekend’s event. 
_______________

The 400,000 Hour Body Whole 9
Put Your Goals Out There Lululemon
Are Tradtionally Prepared Grains Healthy? Mark’s Daily Apple

Comments

  1. Congrats Katie!

    Really interesting to hear about skipping the teaser class and going right to foundations to ensure you committed. I felt the same way abt the grp classes vs. a punch card when I started.

    Awesome interview

  2. I forgot a shout out from last night:

    Big props to all the people who initially said "I'm not ready" or "I'm not strong enough" etc when asked why they weren't doing Subway Series and then decided to compete. It takes brass ones to compete at any level, and you're gonna have an awesome time and do us proud.

    Congrats to Katie M, who is gracious, hard working, and makes funny faces like we're asking her to walk on coals when we describe the WOD- and then rips it up.

    Although it felt like a betrayal at the time to cheer for someone wearing a Hawkeyes shirt to their first WOD (No, Badgers. ), I'm glad I did.

  4. Yay, Katie! It's been awesome getting to know you.

    You guys: Word on the street is this girl makes killer meatballs. Isn't there a picnic coming up…?

  5. congratulations, katie! it was awesome doing foundations with you and i'm always happy to see you around (but where is the rest of our foundations crew…?). great interview!

  7. Yay, Katie!!! Congrats! I think Fox said it all very well in that first paragraph. Very impressed by how you've come in and worked hard from the get-go. Keep it up! Oh, and I’d gladly be a meatball taste-tester, just sayin’…

    Now, back to yesterday's posting. I somehow got locked out and couldn't post…so I'm hoping this goes through now. Maybe that's because I was trying and failing multiple times to include a hyperlink. Anyway, the fishing trip was an offer through living social which is now over. Sorry that my post was so confusing!

    In terms of props:
    -To DMG for letting us in on the free Red Hook lap swimming and for his and Danielle's help on my swimming skillz.
    -To Shane, my Thursday night partner in crime, for his help in my development as a coach…always supportive and patient, yet positively critical. (This also goes out to David and Fox too!)
    -To the AM crew, who welcomed me so openly during those couple of weeks that David was on vacation. I love the AM vibe and hope to return to some classes soon!
    -To the former "Black Box" crew, for lighting a new fire up my ass in order to try to keep up with you! 😉

  10. a refreshing lap swimming at red hook this morning with lady fox and jenna.

    4-2-4-2 4-2-2-1-2-1-2-2 (laps)

    good to stretch out after last nights kipping class.

    best of luck to all competing at Event #1 of the Subway Series.

  12. Question for all freelancers and consultants in the community:

    Does anyone have info/advice on obtaining health insurance? What are some plans or approaches you all take?

    Feel free to post or email me margie at crossfitsouthbrooklyn dot com

    thanks!

  13. Beautiful morning for lap swimming! 2 sets of 13 (laps), didn't time it. As I was coming around on one of my laps, I couldn't help but overhear Lady Fox saying to McGrath, "it sucks to be so bad at something". I wanted to say something really inspiring right then, but then I was already back underwater, and it was too late. But I thought about all of the hundreds of times I have had that exact same thought in CrossFit, and how almost every time, someone seems to have read my mind and responded with something that encourages me to keep trying, SO HERE IT IS, LADY FOX! (and now I've had some time to think about it, so hopefully this is going to be incredibly sage.) In the water, power and aerobic capacity will only get you so far (literally); swimming is almost entirely about technique and efficiency. In other words, it takes a ton of practice, and it's just plain hard, so don't feel so bad! At least you are out there! I didn't want to interrupt you and McGrath, but I am happy to discuss/share swimming tips any day. (Not because I am good at swimming, but because I am excellent at parroting back what other people have said to me and pretending I made it up.)

  16. @JJ Thanks for the words about swimming. I appreciate it as a beginner in the pool.

    @ Jess I'll share a lap lane with you anytime! If it helps, I've been enjoying "being bad" at swimming. I try to look at it as liberating in that this is something I was never strong at so can't really hold myself to any great expectations. That being said, the pressure is off and i can relax and focus on learning and setting small achievable goals. (Really small, achievable goals)

    Congrats to Katie!

  17. JJ–Thank you! Watching you swim laps over and over again while I was sucking wind at the half-lap mark continues to confirm your TFBA status.

    Got another 12 lengths of the pool today which matches my max. DMG served as my coach and I got some great feedback on my breathing, stroke, staying long. He also gave me great advice to count the strokes it takes to get to the end of the pool. Finally, something I could relate to! (as in counting the number of pulls on the erg it takes you to get 100m) But, everytime I started doing this, I forgot about needing to breath and the proper stroke and…

    I learned how to swim on my own, so it's pretty clear to see that I've got so much to practice and learn. But really, I'm glad to be out there and giving it a go. AND, I'm very thankful to have many people want to help me out. Who knew that so many of you were competitive swimmers!

  19. @Margie Im sure youve probably seen an ad on the train for freelancers union..from my research the deal is not that great but hard to find better in the city.

    When I left my last job I was uninsured for awhile and looked up some insurance rates online for a month to month thing. There were some decent options but none of them would have been sustainable long term–which was fine because I knew Id have a job soon.

    The last piece of advice is checking out my current PCP Dr. Berk in Brooklyn Heights. Ive been thinking about switching from him but not because of his care or style (I can fill you in at the gym if you want).

    But basically Dr. Berk is cool for a PCP–takes time to get to know you, good bedside manner. He also runs this really unique plan for folks who are uninsured. Of course youd have to speak to him to get the nitty gritty–but surfing his website and reading about the plan was always intriguing to me.
    I dont know how good it would be if you have big health concerns–but if you just needed a PCP for preventative care –it seems great,

    http://www.doconomical.com/Doc_Onomical/Welcome%21.html

  20. I was SO stoked when Katie came up as a potential Athlete of the Month for August. Watching her grow as an athlete and member of the CFSBK community has been one of the most rewarding things and I'm incredibly eager to see her continue to grow and progress over the months ahead. Congratulations Katie!

    As far as props, I posted the question yesterday and was really happy with the response. We do so much for one another in this community sometimes it's small seemingly insignificant things sometimes it's major stuff and it's good to share that with people from time to time.

    If I were to sit down and give a thorough shout out to everyone who has helped me, helped someone else or done something to make my day or my week I'd be typing until tomorrow. In fact, I just deleted a whole list of props because I got overwhelmed of all the people I wasn't thanking so in the interest of space and time I will say this:

    I've been training at SBK for over three years now. It took over two years of being scared not knowing if I was going to pay my rent, having my heat turned off, 16 hour work days, sleepless nights, reading and studying anything I could get my hands on, and teaching in the freezing cold to get to this point where I make my living teaching at CrossFit South Brooklyn. Now, I can look around the gym every day and then look back at all that struggle and say it was worth every second. So I thank each and everyone of you for that.

  21. I NEED MOHR MOHRHAUSER!

    Katie is a great AOM, very patient, hard working and detail oriented. Like the article mentioned, she's also been really proactive about becoming part of our community. Be sure to give her a high 5 next time you see her in class!

  23. I wrote a funny post earlier but it was lost in the interwebs. Probably becasue of the F-bombs (which were part of the joke about CFSBK being like the mid-west), but anyway…

    I thought that comment was awesome. It's one of the things I love about our gym– friendly, no-attitude folks and a welcoming, hospitality. Very Mid-West, yes?

    ANYWAY– Congrats Katie— freaking awesome.

    —-

    Am I allowed to talk about swimming again? I promise I won't diminish the difficulty of double-unders, oly lifts, ergs, running or anything else that someone here may hold near and dear to their heart. Even if swimming is obviously much more technical. 😉

    Why can't I help myself?

  24. Anybody interested in cycling from Broolyn Bridge and back as part of Summer Streets?
    Give me a shout.
    Antoine
    antoinewaithe@hotmail.com

    http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/summerstreets/html/route/route.shtml

    "Summer Streets takes place on consecutive Saturdays in the summer (the 2011 dates are August 6, 13 and 20) from 7:00 am – 1:00 pm. The 2011 route connects the Brooklyn Bridge with Central Park, with recommended spurs along low-traffic streets to the Hudson River Greenway, Harlem and Governors Island, allowing participants to plan a route as long or short as they wish."

  25. Attention Subway Series competitors!!!

    Jess and I are leaving the gym by 8:30am and have room for 2. Anyone else carpooling?

  27. Rob,

    You can start to talk about water balloon fights, slip and slides and gradually work your way up to swimming.

    Warm-Up
    1.5x Warm-Up2

    Squats
    (45×10, 95×7, 115×5, 135×5)
    150x10x2

    Felt really light, this was a 10 lb jump from last week. We'll see how 160 feels next week

    Short night at open gym, off to the movies!

  29. Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement – today and every day. A special thanks to our coaches who always treat me (and everyone) like an athlete, even when I don’t see myself as one.
    ————————————
    Ariel – This picture was taken in Zion National Park in Utah. My friend Libby and I were on our way down from Angel’s Landing, a popular hike in the park.

    Allison – I will never cook another meatball for as long as I live! I forgot to tell you the worst part: I was too cheap to throw out perfectly good meatballs. I ended up eating those f*ing meatballs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for A WEEK!

    Katie M – Haha I’m from Sioux City. Not exactly small town by Iowa standards 🙂
    ————————————
    Set three of push-ups. It’s Day 3 for me. Is it just me or are they getting easier already? One strict push-up, here I come!!

  30. holy crap.

    today i did a chinup with the thinnest, thinny-thin-thin tiny pink candy band.

    could a strict unbanded chinup actually be possible? nay, even NEAR?!

    a girl can dream.

  31. Strength Cycle, Week 4, Day 3

    Squat

    WU: 45×5, 95×5, 135×3, 175×1, 195×1, 210×1
    Work: 220x5x3

    Bench

    WU: 45×5, 95×5, 115×1, 145×1 (a little weird warm-up sequence, I agree)
    Work: 150x5x3

    Cleans

    WU: 45×3, 95×3, 115×3, 125×1
    Work: 135x3x3

    Its gettin', its gettin', its gettin' kinda heavy.

  32. Thanks for the insurance help y'all. I've been looking at freelancers, as well as other option.

    Damn COBRA. Why do you tease me with your 18 months?

    That doc sounds interesting Shawn. I wanna hear more about. I'll hit you up at the gym.

  33. Congrats, Katie! Great interview!

    Did the volume squats since I'll be at Subway Series tomorrow.

    175x10x2

    These felt pretty good. Got some good tips from Paul to help me bounce out of the hole a little better.

    Press
    85x5x3

    Margie was kind enough to help us practice some of the movements for tomorrow, including axel clean & jerks and sled pulls. Looking forward to trying out some unfamiliar movements…and hoping I don't break myself pretending to be a strongman. Good luck to everyone tomorrow!

  34. Thanks David!

    So I worked at a water park between 11 and 12 grade. THAT was awesome. I worked on the big water slide that was about 6 or 7 stories high. That was rad…

    —

    Michele, you are so there.

    Samir, you are getting kinda strong! Glad to see you reaping the benefits of the cycle– hope we can lift together one of these weeks before it's over.

  36. Wow. Water balloon fighting is a highly skilled sport, I can't believe anyone would make light of it.

    I am on a bus returning from a Britney Spears concert. Fatherhood is also a highly skilled sport.

  37. Made up yesterday's 12 minute AMRAP of 7 squat snatches at 95lbs and 14 pullups.

    Finished 6 rounds, 7 squat snatches and 5 pullups.

    Unbroken snatches until the start of the seventh round where it was 6/1.  Pullups divided into sets of 7 until round 5, when my hand tore and it went to 5/5/4.

    Thanks to everyone for the encouragement on this particularly nasty WOD.  Major props to Joe, Matt, and Asta who tackled the same madness during open gym.

    Good luck to everyone competing in today's subway series at Virtuosity.

  38. Because I told myself I'd be good aboutnposting. I made up Thursday's wod Friday at noon (vacation whooo) with Shane. Scaled the snatches to 75 because its a weak movement for me and I wanted to cycle. Did 5 rounds and 1 snatch. This was the first wod in a long time where muscle fatigue felt like the limiting agent and not my metabolic capacity.

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