January Athlete of the Month: Kelly Lovelett
New year, new AOM! Kelly has been training at CFSBK for a little over 3 years now and has been a great presence in the gym from the start. In addition to making some great strides in her training, she’s always supportive of her fellow classmates and is a regular at gym-related social events and extracurriculars. Learn a little more about this globe-trotting teacher from a kooky upstate town.
Fox: Hi Kelly, and congrats! When and why did you start Crossfit?
Kelly: Thanks! I’m honored! I started around the corner from here at Class One CrossFit and MMA in July 2012, then came to CFSBK before the end of that year. I’d been doing some boxing and Muay Thai at that gym and decided to give CrossFit a shot. Once I started it I didn’t want to miss any workouts, so the punching and kicking took a back seat. When they suddenly got rid of their CrossFit program, I knew I wanted to continue. I was deciding between CrossFit Prospect Heights, which was brand new, and CFSBK. Though the thought of being part of a gym’s culture from the very beginning was appealing, I decided to come here where I figured there would be more seasoned athletes who I could push myself to try and keep up with. I’m obviously glad with that choice!
Fox: Do you keep up the fighting skills? Like, could you beat David in a fight?
Kelly: Ha! No, not really. I do miss it, but I don’t prioritize it anymore.
Fox: Ok, but you didn’t really answer part two of that question. Kidding! What sort of athletic things are you prioritizing these days?
Kelly: I’m currently working on Butterfly Pull-Ups. With the Open coming up, I want to dial them in. I’ve also started doing Muscle-Up progressions and trying to get my false grip stronger. It’s so hard to swing using it! And since I want to get better at EVERYTHING, I’ve been doing some drop-ins to Next Level Weightlifting Club.
Fox: That’s a pretty comprehensive list. One of the things that stood out to the coaching staff is that you’re always going the extra mile to improve. We likey! Coming from another CrossFit gym, what were your first impressions coming here?
Kelly: I liked the programming overall, especially the dedicated strength training aspect. Right away the quality of coaching stood out to me as well. Not even just how knowledgeable the coaches are, but that you can sense their passion for what they do. A few years into training here, I can also see how the coaches evolve across the board. You generally won’t hear a cue or something from a coach that contradicts what another coach said. That consistency is noticed. I started by dipping my toes in at CFSBK with just 2 drop-ins, then a 10-class card, then 3x/week, then 5x/week, and now I have the unlimited membership. Seems my first impressions were correct! I read the blog for a month before attending my first class. I could tell the community was extremely supportive and felt like I knew people before I met them. I also have to add that I read one of David’s Inside the Affiliate articles a while back and am so glad he called this place a gym and not a box. I don’t like when people call it a box!
Fox: You mentioned that you were doing some boxing and Muay Thai prior to starting CrossFit. Were you always into that?
Kelly: Not really, though I’ve always been active. As a kid I played and did it all. Skiing, soccer, softball, gymnastics, even bowling. I really liked gymnastics, but my parents grew tired of the 50 mile round trip to bring my friends and I. Bowling was also pretty far, but it was only once a week. In high school I played field hockey in the fall and ran track in the spring and have generally always been a gym rat. I even had a stint as a personal trainer for a short bit after college.
Fox: A 50-mile round trip does seem like it would get old. Where’d you grow up?
Kelly: Yeah, bowling was awful though! We were three pip-squeaks trying to bowl a ball we could barely pick up! I grew up in Mt. Tremper, NY in quite the house. That house actually affected me more than I ever realized. It was (and is) pretty great. It’s a 150 year old farmhouse. The word “dilapidated” is not an overstatement to describe the condition it was in when my parents bought it. My grandmother actually cried when she saw it, and they weren’t tears of joy! The house was under construction for my entire childhood and my dad did the lion’s share of the work himself. It was a series of projects, usually with a few of them going on simultaneously. The were so many fun things about the property. My dad converted a barn into a recording studio, built a pool and pool house. There was plenty to explore as an inquisitive child whose parents let me roam the property freely. There was a small mountain behind us that I explored and a creek across the street that I swam in. One neighbor had a pond where I caught frogs. I’m still an upstate girl at heart, and my upbringing is the reason for my interest in science.
Fox: I’m envisioning sort of The Addams Family house …and it sounds amazing! Tell us about you outside of the gym. What do you do for work?
Kelly: I got my bachelors degree in SUNY-Geneseo thinking I was going into the health field. I was originally Pre-Med. I decided to get my teaching certificate while I was there because the school was known for their education program and was originally a “normal school” that only trained teachers. After graduating I started working at high schools here in Brooklyn. I’m currently the Assistant Principal of Biological Sciences at Brooklyn Tech and have been there since 2010. I’m fortunate to have landed there since it’s such a large school (over 250 faculty and 5700 students), so I can be an Assistant Principal with a focus in Biology.
Fox: What about hobbies?
Kelly: I can’t just say working out? I rarely cook anymore, but I like to entertain and grill out on my building’s roof deck. I also do a bit of gardening up there. And, like most Brooklynites, I like to day drink, eat brunch, and explore different neighborhoods. I also travel a lot and get to do much of it with my work. I organize international trips with my students and have been to Costa Rica and Iceland with them, to name a few. I really like that part of my job since, for me, school trips were such a memorable part of growing up.
Fox: I’ve heard that your cat is allergic to you. True story?
Kelly: Yes! Poor thing has to take medication just to live with me!
Fox: Alright, last question. What do you think we should look for in a future AOM?
Kelly: Character. It’s important to be kind, welcoming, supportive, and competitive in a constructive way. Be honest, and don’t be afraid to give yourself “no-reps” when they’re deserved. Seek growth, do a bit of extra work, and make small sacrifices to grow and improve.
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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Push Jerk | Burpees
Your Dog Really Loves Reggae Music NY Mag
Mid-Line Stabilization: The Hip Extension CrossFit
Another perfect choice for AOTM! Congrats, Kelly. I always love seeing you at the gym and admire your tenacity, strength, and spirit!
Congrats Kelly!
I agree, Ariel!! You deserve it so much, Kelly! Klove was one of my first gym friends–so grateful for our friendship!
The "No-Rep" thing is so true! Kelly is SO HONEST during her workouts– she will no-rep herself every time! Ask her her time for any workout, she knows her most current PR for *everything* within seconds. She actually IS committed to getting better at everything- bulletproof back, bulletproof shoulders, Oly Class, AG, lifting heavy, improving stamina… She is always working on six things but doing it so modestly– I'm so glad that it's recognized! Also, I might be the one who spilled the beans about the cat's allergy… never realized it would end up ON THE BLOG. :X woops <3 Love ya, Kelly!
On a side note… what's Wednesday's workout!?
WEDNESDAY'S WORKOUT
WU 1 OR 2
A. Front Rack Step Ups
SUPERSET WITH:
B. Chin ups or supinated grip body rows
AMRAP 9 Minutes
3,6,9,12,15,18,21,ect (Add 3 until call of time)
Wall balls (20/10 14/9)
Box Jumps (24/20")
AG
A. EMOM 10
EVEN: 10 alternating Pistols
ODD:10 Push ups
B.
4 Rounds:
6 C2B Pull ups
9 Box Jumps
12 Burpees
Rest 2:00
All out on each Round!
6am w/McDowell
Step-ups 115# 3×8 – not getting any easier
C2B pull-ups 13-12-12-12
WoD: finished round of 21 + 2 WBs in 24
A little shaky going up on the box at the start of each round.
WBs unbroken through 18, then 14-7
BJs slow and steady
KLOVE! IT'S ABOUT TIME! <3
Tomorrow's work w/Jess:
Step ups 73x9x3. I way overloaded my bar last week by mistake so I decided to take it back a bit (which would still have been my original plan for what to lift this week if I hadn't messed up) but do 9 reps instead of 8. Rough, but not as bad as doing 78 last week was, obvi.
WOD: 21 WB + 7 box jumps. This didn't suck as much as I thought it would. BuI'm too tall to complain about either of these movements, really.
Oh god, more box jumps and burpees tonight? Kill me now…
KLOVE!! All the cat eye hearts emojis to you my wonderful fellow cat lady. Love seeing your smiling face when you walk into the gym and talking to you and laughing with you about lots of stuff and also such a badass athlete. SO WELL DESERVED, GIRL xoxox ♥
Congrats Kelly!!
Stopped by for a quick technical note to whoever runs the website – the HTTPS certificate is invalid, and https:///www.crossfitsouthbrooklyn.com/ is now blocked by default on Chrome. Why does this matter? If you search on Google for [crossfit south brooklyn] and click on the first result, you get the certificate error page on Chrome.
Congrats KLove. Well deserved.
KLOVE!!!!!!!!!!! Overall amazing human being and an exceptional choice for AOM. I always enjoy working out with this lady. Her pull-ups are my goalz. Her first bar muscle up last year in the open was magical. Chainsaw Roses of Love!!!!
LBBS: 230 x 4 x 3, 230 x 2 x 2
Last set felt uneven on my back, so racked after the second rep, waited 30 seconds, then finished the set.
Chin-ups: 2 sets of 4 (forgot to do these until halfway through)
WOD: James + 23 (round of 21 + 24WB + 1BJ)
Started breaking up wall balls in the round of 18.
Deadlift: 135×5, 225×5, 285×3, 315×3, 335×3
That last rep on the top set was sloooooooooow. Found my wall. But my back stayed pretty set during this – minimal rounding – so happy to make it here.
Yay Kelly! Always a pleasure to be in class with you. Your strength is inspiring and you manage to be totally committed and have fun at the same time.
Congratulations, Kelly! Very well deserved. I am thankful you came to our gym 3 years ago. Look forward to getting to work out together again soon in group class.
Been a while since posting (but you know I be lurrrrrking.)
Big congrats to KLove, exemplary of all the qualities of an AOM- honest, dutiful, and supportive. Couldn't ask for much more!
I still suspect her giant thermos is full of rum and coke or some other PED, but that's just me- I'd like some tougher investigative journalism next time, Fox.
Yea Kelly! You rock 🙂
Congrats KLove! Well deserved and as Kayleigh said, always impressed by your pullups!
Noah bwahahahahaha!
Kelly- congrats, love you and proud to call you my friend. Always a positive energy and all around inspiring woman.
Haven't been posting regularly for the last few weeks. I've been working pretty hard though!
Some mental glitches with my squat technique which have been getting me down and have not been feeling very strong overall due to some, let's call them, 'poor lifestyle choices' but did a Comp lift day with Margie at OG on Saturday which has hopefully helped me to get somewhat back on the right track.
Will post some numbers on Thursday. Hopefully they'll be good ones!!
Congrats, Kelly! I've long been impressed by your dedication and hard work. And, you're just awesome to be around. I always love talking to you about fitness and non-fitness things alike.
Congrats Kelly!!! An awesome athlete and friend. You frickin rule!
As I've already posted, Kelly is a great choice for athlete of the month. She is supportive, hard working and an overall great energy to be around. Congratulations 🙂
While I'm at it, I wanted to give a shout out to McDowell. He's been my trainer, coaching mentor and workout buddy for what's got to be more than 2 years now. Lots of moving parts for me in terms of fitness/athletic/career goals during that time, and through all that he's been a constant support. As I know from coaching others, it can be a delicate art.
Today drove the point home for me. I showed up with a lot of distracting baggage and a laundry list of topics to bounce around. Felt sure I didn't have it in me to do what we had planned. But McDowell is a motivator, understands my "big picture", is inspiring as an athlete and fun to chase in a workout. Long story short we did the workout, and I beat him. Well not really. But kind of. Not really.
Just wanted to express my appreciation on this forum — since I know it is meaningful to hear you've made a difference for someone in terms of their fitness, confidence, quality of life. Thanks McD!
Congrats Kelly!!!!! Perfect AOM!
Kelly, you are so welcoming, helpful, and clearly dedicated. Congrats & well deserved!
5:30pm doing Wednesday
Front rack step ups: 42# x 10 x 3
Chin ups: first set was 4 with blue + red band, then sets of 2, 2, 4 with just a blue band-progress!!
Step ups were OK. Sort awful since we didn't have any tunes blasting for this part of class.
AMRAP: round of 18 + 8 wallballs. So winded so quick the past couple of days, woof. But doing wallballs RX is something!
Little bit of kipping practice after, 30cal row, and AR sending me into a rest/travel day tomorrow.
Another solid Short Circuit class this eve! Feels like I found a new favorite class in my final (gulp) 8 weeks of pregnancy.
Now to the story of the day.. Congrats KLove, and I agree – about time! This award is so well deserved to a kind and STRONG lady. Kelly is a force in class but can share a laugh at always the right time. Also, she is willing to step in when you bonk your head and need a quick check out at the ER.. did I just say that aloud?!! Way to go K!!!!!
🙂
Congrats KLove!! So well deserved! Always a pleasure to talk to and be around, and an inspiration for travel plans!!
Congrats Kelly! Amazing athlete, phenomenal individual.
Congrats Kelly! Excellent recipient of our AOM! Looking forward to watching you kill it in the Open this year.
Today:
9am
1) EMOM x 16 (8ea)
a) Max Unbroken Strict Ring Dips–stuck with 3 each round
b) 5 TNG Deadlifts 185
2) EMOM x 16 (8ea)
a) Max Unbroken Pull Ups–7 the first round then 8 for the rest
b) 10 Burpees (ranged from :25-:28…can't even fathom doing 50 in less than 1:30!!!)
5:30pm
3) EMOM x 16 (8ea)
a) 30 Double Unders–all but 2 rounds unbroken.
b) 10 Power Snatches 75–all rounds unbroken, except for the very last one when I stopped after 4. I got this weird pain in my left hand. Felt like an immediate bruise. Hope it was just a fluke.
Yesterday:
1) BSQ (added 10% to Saturday’s 3's then did the following percentage work)
70%x6 @ 205
80%x4 @ 235
85%x3 @ 247
90%x2x2 @ 262
80%xMax Reps @ 235x8reps
2) Bench Press (added 10% to Saturday’s 3's then did the following percentage work)
70%x6 @ 105
80%x4 @ 125
85%x3 @ 130
90%x2x2 @ 138
80%xMax Reps @ 125x8reps
3) Clean – Heavy Single (allowed 2 misses)
(35, 45, 55, 60) 65, 70, 75, 80, 85f, 85f
-85kg (187#) would have been a 2# PR. Caught the first attempt a little out in front and my right leg got wobbly and I fell to my knee. 2nd attempt I just didn't commit to getting my elbows around. Ok with it because the pulls felt good.
4) AMRAP 3 Minutes
Cleans (at 85% of HS)
10 reps at 67kg (147.4#)
5) Assault Bike Intervals
10 x :30/:30
Stayed around 63RPMs.
CONGRATS KELLY!! Super well rounded, awesome athlete! And even better friend
Double post kind of day– but I had to comment as soon as I saw Kelly was aotm—kelly's my gym bestie!
6:30 doing Wednesday
Been stuck at 8 strict dumbbell presses at 27.5 for awhile during the warmup (past two weeks). Is this normal? Can't figure out how to move on to 9 on my left arm!!! >:(
Getting stronger at step-ups. Sets of 8, 45#. Shakin' legs by rep 8.
Chinups: 9-9-9-7. 2 better in my last set than last week. I wanted 9s across. Oh well.
WOD: 10 reps into the round of 21. Legs on the box jumps felt like lead, I think from the step-ups. Also, arms were fried from the chin-ups. I wasn't able to find the internal motivation to really push.
AG:
Pistol/Pushup EMOM was awesome. I love pistols now that I have them. 😛 Also played around with some plyometric push-ups. Surprisingly didn't hurt the tendinitis I've been experiencing doing push-ups in my elbow at all.
WOD: Partnered with Katie R.H. –> SO GLAD to be partnered with her. An obvious beast (butterflies) and fast as hell, I found my motivation and really sprinted best I could. Box jumps in this workout were SO MUCH EASIER. Why? I'll never know. Anyway, redeemed myself after the 6:30 WOD.
Thank you everyone for all the blog love! I'm super inspired by all of you and so thankful to have found this special place! After reading my interview, my mom FINALLY gets my obsession with not only CF but this supportive, motivating, intelligent and kind community.
So many lolz in the comments. @Noah, I retired that water bottle in September and replaced it with a normal-sized one. I guess you will never know what was inside. haha.
Kelly, congrats from one Geneseo alumnus to another. Go Knights, go Milne.
Yeah Kelly!! I want to hear more about this cat allergy.
4:30 class
Got 2 kipping pullups in the play around time. No concept on how to push off and string them together, still exciting.
65lbs on the push jerk, this was really light, but I my technique cycling them was garbage so I'm glad I got to work on technique. C2B pullups with green and red band, Fox tried to get to to kip with the bands but it wasn't fated for today. I think they mess up my proprioception by having input on the bottom, idk will try again. Averaged about 10 cal in 15 pulls. Feel like it takes me 3-4 strokes? pulls? tugs? to get it going to the point I can pull a calorie per stroke or whatever.
50 burpees in 3:25 I don't think I'm as efficient as possible with these.
congrats kelly! you're wonderful.
always love love love how aggressive and focused you are. and also how friendly/willing you are to talk through a workout/anything with me.
heres to more workouts together!