January 2017 Member of the Month

Jon Ryan

Preferred Name 
Jon
 
Age 
42…although the grey hair might tell a different story
 
Where did you grow up? 
Born and raised in Rosemount
 
When did you become a member of Mi5 Fitness? 
Part-time in 2013, full-time in 2014
 
What do you do when you are not at Mi5? (occupation, hobbies, etc.) 
I’m owner in a couple of companies involved in residential construction
College football fan, basic couch potato activities, spending time on the pontoon when weather allows, and drinking craft beer
Chasing my kids around the house/yard is always fun
 
How did you find out about Mi5? 
 I drive by every day on the way to work, saw the sign on 35 for quite a few months
 
When/How did you realize CrossFit/Mi5 was the right fit for you? 
I’m a competitive person by nature, and was a competitive distance runner through high school and college.  After college I did some club running for about 10 years, but then that got hard to do: not enough time, and I found my body couldn’t handle the long miles any longer.  I tried a number of different activities (rowing with a club in St. Paul, typical gym memberships), but nothing stuck.  What I found that I really missed was having a coach, and being part of a competitive but supportive group…essentially being on a team.  After getting to the point where my body could handle more than 2 workouts a week, and developing some great competitive and supportive relationships with other members, I found that I couldn’t get enough of CrossFit and the staff @ Mi5. 
 
What is your favorite WOD/movement? 
I always like workouts that have a fast tempo, going quickly from movement to movement, lots of tempo changes…a great mix of strength and endurance, technique and agility. 
 
What is your least favorite WOD/movement? 
There are activities that are more challenging than others, and sometimes you get the gym, look @ the board and tell yourself “that’s gonna suck”, but I can’t say that I really have a least favorite.  Some movements are still more of a challenge for me than others (double unders, some of the Olympic lifts, etc), but I really enjoy every workout.  However, given recent events, I might have to say 30” box jumps is my least favorite movement. 
 
What would your perfect WOD look like? 
Probably a lot like “Murph”, maybe throw a couple of rope climbs in there for good measure
 
What is one thing you have been able to accomplish since starting at Mi5 that you never thought you'd be able to do? 
The Olympic lifts were the thing that scared me the most.  They’re heavy on technique, and in many cases you’re throwing the weight either at, above or near your head at a high velocity.  The coaches did a great job breaking down the lifts, and the continued reinforcement of the proper lifting technique is great.
 
What motivates you to stay fit? 
When my twin sons were about a year old, I used to pick them both up at the same time, and carry them upstairs at night to read them stories before bedtime.  I remember sitting on the couch having to catch my breath one night before I could start reading the books…time to get in shape!  That, and by the time my last kid is out of the house I’ll be 60, I want to make sure that I have a great quality of life when they’re growing up, and when they’ve moved out of the house I figure even with my self-driving car and robotic personal assistant that I’ll need to be in great shape to accomplish all that I want to accomplish over the next 50+ years. 
 
What is something about you that Mi5 members do not yet know? 
1 word: KARAOKE
 
What advice would you give to someone just getting started at Mi5? 
Stick with it, you’ll get stronger and recover faster from the workouts as time goes.  Soon you’ll get to the point where your day seems incomplete if you don’t get to the gym.