Name: Mark Mandella
Date of Birth: 5/14/1976
Occupation: Firefighter- Seattle Fire Department
CrossFitting Since: January 2010
First CrossFit Experience: My first CrossFit experience was intro class #1 with Nadia. We went over the hows and the whys of the foundational movements and then I did a scaled WOD. And that's all it took...I was immediately hooked and committed...and pretty damn impressed with the whole operation...both with CrossFit in general, and CFBT specifically.
Favorite CrossFit WOD: I love couplet or triplet WOD's with deadlifts. I also like Isabel, Helen, Grace...and...Pukie Brewster.
Favorite Lift: I really like deadlifts and snatches. This is kind of funny because one lift is about as slow and simple as it gets and the other is about as fast and technical as it gets.
Least Favorite WOD: Air Force. By far. I had about two months under my belt and I think this was one of the first barbell WOD's I tried as prescribed. Air Force just absolutely crushed me, both mentally and physically, and I'll never forget how I felt when I found out I was only five minutes in. Jay and Eric helped me out big time that day. Despite the beating I took, I actually can't wait for this one to come up again!
Favorite CrossFit Moment: I thought it was pretty cool when I got Jeff to quit eating oatmeal for a week after a little WOD challenge. Attending the Level 1 Cert was also a great experience. But participating at regionals this year as a member of the CFBT affiliate team takes the cake. What an amazing time! The performances put forth by my fellow team members, Nadia, and some of the other competitors were absolutely incredible to witness and extremely inspirational!
Why do you CrossFit: I could write a book on this one! In the spirit of this format, though, I'll keep it brief. There's an article out there called "Is CrossFit Hardcore?" by Chris Cooper of Catalyst Athletic and CrossFit. Chris's final sentences in the article state so perfectly why I CrossFit. Here they are... "There's joy in sweat. There's family in common discomfort. There's a chemical addiction that comes from challenging yourself this way. There's pleasure in learning new stuff every single time you're in the gym. That's what CrossFit is: sweat+community+knowledge. Call it what you like." I couldn't have said it better. Amazing program! Amazing people!
Cheat Meal of choice: Pasta with good bread to dunk in the extra sauce, followed by a profiterole or two (an Italian cream puff pastry topped with chocolate sauce and ice cream) ...or butter chicken with basmati rice and naan, followed by either chocolate cream pie, Boston cream pie, or ice cream cake with Oreo crumb crust.
CrossFit Secret: I talk to myself constantly during a WOD. The thing I tell myself the most is, "Don't leave anything on the table. If you do, you're gonna regret it when it's all over." I also try and remind myself that I don't need as long of a break as I think I do, and to control my breathing. When I'm done, I'll watch other people do the WOD and watch how they perform the movements. I learn a lot from this. I'll note the positives and the negatives, which is a good reinforcement of the points of performance for me. Then I'll try and apply anything I noticed to improve the way I do the movement.
What do you do on your days off: softball, ice hockey, M's games, reading (firefighting, politics, philosophy, CrossFit Journal), lounging in the sun, movies, catching up on sleep...
Can’t leave home without: As per the request of American Express...my AmEx card.
Dream vacation spot: I love sun, heat and water, so besides Miami and Vegas...the French Riviera, Greece, Tahiti, Fiji, anywhere in the Caribbean...and...the Farallon Islands off San Francisco so I can go on a Great White Shark dive.
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