Please welcome us in congratulating Kim Beeler, our next Athlete of the Month here at Notch 8! Please check out her bio below.
-What is your fitness background?
I played basketball and ran track and cross country in high school. I had school records in track and I was a starter in basketball. Then I did almost nothing for 25 years and had four children. I would hop on the treadmill if I gained a few pounds, but since I didn’t have a weight issue, I wasn’t focused on fitness. I started running half marathons two years ago because I knew if I didn’t do something, I was going to start deteriorating beyond reclamation.
-How long have you been doing CrossFit?
I have been doing CrossFit for exactly one year!
-What or who got you started in CrossFit or how did you learn about CrossFit?
I started reading about CrossFit after I came across information about it on running blogs. I knew it involved weights and I wanted to give it a try because I felt like my legs weren’t very strong. This can be a real obstacle when running. My cardio/breathing was excellent, but my legs felt tired at mile 1.5. I wanted to run a sub 2 half and I came really close with a 2:03 in the 2013 Monumental.
My neighbor, John Lubbe, was running and he told me he had been doing CrossFit and that people could run half’s sans long run training, which are the 6-12 mile long runs you put in on the weekend to train for a half. I liked the sound of this because I have a love hate relationship with the long runs. He told me that Notch 8 was having a wellness challenge and it would be a great opportunity to get involved. His amazing wife, Donna, then said,.”John’s been trying to get me to join. I’ll do it if you will.” So, we bo
th signed up.
-Tell us about the first time you walked into CrossFit Notch 8.
he first time I walked into Notch 8 was the night that everyone was measured for the wellness challenge. I could immediately identify all the established CrossFitters because the contour of their every muscle was visible. I was really excited about this because I thought there might be hope that I could develop a calf muscle, however, I was also intimidated because I knew that I didn’t look anything like a CrossFit athlete and I felt really out of place. But everyone was incredibly nice to me and Esther measured me without laughing.
-What was your first CrossFit workout like and what did you think about it?
My first workout was the 8-8-8 baseline WOD for the challenge. There was some rowing..maybe 250 meters, then 8 burpees, 8 kettlebell swings, and 8 box jumps, AMRAP in 8 minutes. I really liked it because I felt like I had run 5 miles, but all that pain and gain had taken place in 8 minutes as opposed to 40 minutes of running. This was definitely my kind of workout.
-What’s your favorite part of CrossFit?
My favorite part about CrossFit is that there is always something new to learn and master. Everyone is always working on some skill or technique.
-What surprised you about CrossFit?
Two things surprised me: the strong sense of community and the lack of mirrors. I was actually glad about the lack of mirrors.
-Why Notch 8?
I live in Avon, so it just made sense. However, I think I am at the best box ever!!
-What is your most noted CrossFit accomplishment or achievement to date?
I was really happy to get toes to bar. But the truth is, anything I actually do correctly is an accomplishment.
Has CrossFit had an impact on any other part of your life?
Many of my friends are sick of me talking about CrossFit. And possibly a few strangers. But in all seriousness, CrossFit has helped me remain strong and courageous in my daily life. CrossFit has taught me that I can do hard things in the gym and in life.
I’ve also been arm wrestling my students and winning!!!
-What is your favorite workout/movement?
My favorite workouts are ones that include running.
-What is your LEAST favorite workout/movement?
I am no fan of inchworms.
-What’s your secret weapon in your gym bag (wraps, protein, jump rope, lifting shoes, etc.)?
It is a tie between lipstick and shoe bling. Lipstick reminds me to be bold and shoe bling makes me want to put on my shoes and come to CF. I rely on Donna’s gym bag for anything else I might need.
-What’s the best advice you have received?
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12
-What’s your favorite cheat meal?
I made a rule that I can eat whatever I want, therefore, I never cheat.
-What motivates you?
Learning new things is very motivating to me.
-Tell us about your family?
I have four boys..Nathaniel James 14, Levi Samuel 12, Joel Daniel 9, and Luke Josiah 6. 
I had some amazing girl names that I will have to save for cats. My boys are all active and I enjoy being a “boy mom”. There’s a lot about the quest to be the alpha male that I can’t relate to, such as not being able to pass a brother without throwing an elbow, etc, but it is an adventure and some days are a lot of fun.
-Tell us about your role models?
I belong to Indy Honor Flight, which is an organization that flies WWII vets to DC to see their memorial. They are all amazing and inspiring. I have met an army nurse that was shot down on three different planes in the same day and she tended patients the entire time, an army nurse that was on Omaha Beach on D2, a medic that was at the Battle of the Bulge and liberated Buchenwald- which was the first concentration camp American’s laid eyes on..rumors of such atrocities had been reported by the Russians, but largely dismissed by the West. I have met Bataan Death March survivors, POW’s, Tuskegee Air Men, USS Indianapolis survivors, Pearl Harbor survivors, and men who worked in Red Hill which was a hidden underground fuel and storage facility (in Hawaii) and an engineering wonder. I have heard incredible stories of unimaginable events. I have learned about courage, grace, and perseverance from these extraordinary Americans.
-Favorite book or movie?
I like WWII books ..Unbroken, Fly Boys, Ghost Soldiers, and Voices From the Pacific. A Higher Call was really amazing..at the risk of facing the German firing squad, German Ace Franz Stigler escorts Charles Brown’s(yes, a real Charlie Brown) bombed out B-17 over the German Flak line and to safe waters instead of shooting them out of the sky. The two met 40 years later and became friends. I’m intrigued with stories of humanity coupled with the brutality of war.
-Favorite restaurant?
I have four boys..I never go to restaurants.
-What tips would you have for folks new to CrossFit and/or Notch 8?
CrossFit is for anyone at any time in their life. Anybody can start CrossFit at any time because of the scaling options. Few other fitness activities cast as wide of a net as CrossFit.
-Words to live by or Favorite Quote?
Change will happen when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.
-Tell us something we don’t know about you?
I have my motorcycle license.
Fill in the Blank
I like…talking to people and learning from their experiences.
I eat…only when I’m hungry. So, if I eat a huge meal and I’m not hungry when the next meal time rolls around, I don’t eat more food just because of the time on the clock. This may seem radical, but my weight doesn’t fluctuate. I weigh what I weighed when I graduated from high school. This could also explain why I have no calf muscle.
I do…things that push me out of my comfort zone…I find that discomfort facilitates growth and insight.
I am…in complete shock to be named Athlete of the Month at Notch 8. It is an amazing honor and I am really grateful to have such awesome coaches, as I lack sequencing skill and strength, yet every coach has invested in making me better and has been genuinely interested in making sure that I progress. I have been in situations where coaches focus on those who have a great deal of natural talent or ability and only spend minimal time on those who are less skilled.
Anything else you would like to share?
CrossFit and the beautiful people of Notch 8 have gotten me through the most difficult time of my life. In 2014, it became necessary for me to end a 27 year relationship that included 19 years of marriage (yes, I am that old) and, as a result, I have been a single mom 24/7/365 for almost two years. Notch 8 has been a safe place for me to come for one hour and just be me. I really love the challenge of CrossFit, as I lack any natural talent for this kind of activity, but everyone has been amazing and supportive and helped me to get better and progress. The kindness of all the coaches and members has been like medicine for my soul and I have appreciated each and every one of you beyond measure. Thank you for making me feel welcome and a part of such an outstanding and incredible family!
