CrossFit Wichita Athlete of the Month for Sep 2012 - Maria Bustamante

My fellow Savages, today we are going to get a chance to get a closer look at the CrossFit Wichita Athlete of the Month for September – Maria Bustamante! A CrossFitter and Firebreather since March of this year (2012), Maria has exemplified what it means to be a member of the CrossFit Wichita family. I caught up to her on Facebook and had a nice discussion with her about what CrossFit means to her, what she was doing before CrossFit and generally her views on physical fitness. Keep

Matt: How did you find CrossFit Wichita and what originally sparked your interest in the “sport of fitness”.
Maria: I was bored of the same routines at [other gyms] and a friend invited me to come and try it out.

Matt: The coaches at CrossFit Wichita have named you the Athlete of the Month for September! Congratulations! What do you think you did to stand out as an athlete at CrossFit Wichita?
Maria: Show up regularly and willingness to try what seems impossible.

Matt: There is definitely a lot that seems impossible to a new CrossFit Athlete – what was something that particularly stands out in your mind that was “impossible”?
Maria: I never thought I could flip big tractor tires or do a [handstand push-up] for example...

Matt: Getting started in a truly effective CrossFit schedule can mean making that extra effort to fit it in whenever you can. Three days on, one day off can be time consuming at the best of times. A lot of people mitigate this by doing some workouts in their garage and “share” workout time at the gym. For you, what does a “normal week” look like in your training regimen?
Maria: Crossfit M, W, F in the early morning then Saturday for team WOD. If I miss a day, which I have had to many times, I run through the neighborhood and do push-ups sit ups and squats in intervals between runs.

Matt: You recently were involved in the CrossFit Wichita Paleo Diet Challenge - can you describe how you approached that task and how you did?
Maria: I made a commitment and threw away all non-paleo foods in my pantry replacing them with paleo friendly foods. It Yikes! I did my best...hope it helps.

Matt: What can you tell us about your experience with CrossFit Wichita?
Maria: It’s great! I love the people, how they motivate you and everyone’s very dedicated to the lifestyle which is a motivator in itself.

Matt: How would you compare CrossFit Wichita to any other fitness program you've tried in Wichita?
Maria: To finally be surrounded by people who desire fitness as a lifestyle rather than a “new year resolution” is the best part. I also love the challenge and variety of the workouts.

Matt: Let’s talk about the nuts and bolts of your CrossFit training. PRs or Personal Record (lifts, times, etc). Where did you start and what was your last PR for these CrossFit benchmarks?

Maria Bustamante
Height: 5’3” / Weight: 122lbs / Age:33

Favorite WOD: [The] Team WODS

Least favorite WOD: Anything requiring jump ropes or snatches! Arg.

PRs for:
Cindy:
Start: 10 rounds
Last PR: 17 rounds

Clean&Jerk:
Start: 17# bar
Last PR: 65lbs

Deadlift:
Start: 85lbs
Last PR: 125 lbs

Back Squat:
Start: 45 lbs
Last PR: 95lbs

Snatch:
Start: 20 lb bar
Last PR: 55 lbs

Matt: Maria, it’s been a pleasure chatting with you about CrossFit and your experience so far! Congratulations again on being named the CrossFit Wichita Athlete of the Month! Keep doing great things out there and I look forward to talking with you more in the future!