Sunday, August 5, 2012

Posted by: gina

CFLB Athlete Profile: Christine Alba

Top photo: Christine doing box jumps
Bottom photo: Christine (right) with Megan and Sarah

 

• Hometown: Chino, CA
• Age: 45
• Occupation: Airline Pilot
• When did you first start CrossFitting? 05/30/2012
• When did you first start training at CFLB? 05/30/2012
• Favorite WOD: I like just about all of them
• Least Favorite WOD: Any of the ones with a Bear Crawl.

Tell us about you sports & fitness background: I was first exposed to sports at the age of 12 when my Dad signed up my sisters and me for softball and soccer. I started running track and cross country in high school and have been running ever since. Through out my 20's I ran a lot of road races on the weekends with a group of friends. Everything from 5ks to Marathons. I find running to be a stress reliever from work and everything that's going on in my life. I started lifting (dumbbells) about 6 years ago and that's when I really noticed the change in my body composition that I could never get with just running alone. 

 

Working out for me is extremely important since my job as an airline pilot is very sedentary. I sit in a very confined area on some days for up to 7 hours. I also work a lot of redeyes which put me on a very unhealthy eating and sleeping cycle. So, I do my best to eat healthy and workout usually six days a week, and this helps to balance out things between work and home. When I am out of town I like the fact that I can go to crossfitlongbeach.com, check out the WODs and do them from my hotel, so I don't miss out on too many of them.

How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? Take us back to your first WOD... what was it, and how did it feel? I have an auto-immune disorder called Vitiligo, it is when the cells that produce pigmentation (skin color) stop producing the pigment. I have had this condition for 12 years, and one day last December while shopping in the grocery store this guy noticed my vitiligo and mentioned that his sister had it and that I should try reading The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. So, I got the book and immediately started following the Paleo program. Almost instantly I started feeling awesome, my workouts got better and my energy lasted throughout the day. As anyone who has read the book knows Robb Wolf talks about Crossfit many times throughout the book and in his podcasts. I then started checking it out online. I wasn't sure if Crossfit was for me, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to keep up in this kind of environment, so I put that thought to the side and continued with my usual routine. Then one day at work I ran into a colleague of mine who had lost a lot of weight, through Paleo and Crossfit. So I asked him what Crossfit was like, I have known this guy for the last 10 years and I could tell that Crossfit has changed his life. That was all that I needed. I joined CFLB and wish I had joined years ago. I totally feel in my element here.

What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF? (before / after) I haven't been doing Crossfit for very long, and personally haven't noticed any big changes in my body, but I have recently been getting complements from frends and coworkers. What I have noticed is t that I feel much stronger since I have joined Crossfit.

What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected? What I love about Crossfit is the challenge of working out everyday abd the new exercises that I am being exposed to and the new goals that I am setting for myself that I never would have considered before Crossfit -- pull ups, handstand pushups, rope climbs, double unders, etc. I love this stuff, I only wish I had discovered Crossfit years ago. 

Please share with us any favorite CrossFit / CFLB moments: One day I was at work on a trip, and we were scheduled to land at 8:15 pm. I told myself that if we could get in early, by 8:00 PM I would run for the 8:30 Crossfit class. The WOD was deadliest and double unders and I really wanted to do them. We got to the gate early, and I took off. I ran home changed my clothes and ran two blocks to the gym. I made a lot of effort to make it to this class but I was a just few minutes late. I walked into class and Melissa says "CHRIS HAS TO DO 25 BURPEES"! :-( I was pissed! Needless to say I got through the WOD that night, which was awesome, (one of my favorites) and preceded to do my burpees. As I was doing my burpees a classmate, Aaron jumped in and said I'll do 10 burpees. I thought, wow that was really cool. Thanks to Melissa, Aaron and everyone else, you make Crossfit Long Beach awesome.

What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? Working out, traveling, hanging out with friends, family and with little Carlos, my Pug.