August Athlete of the Month: Julio Madriz

Congratulations Julio, you are our August Athlete of the Month!

First off, congratulations to Julio and his wife, Leah, on the new addition to their family. They welcomed their first baby girl mid July and are loving their new role as parents! Julio’s an athlete, that’s always been very clear! His hard work and dedication to the gym has been a huge training benefit for his mountain sports (backcountry snowboarding and mountain biking). His dedication to strength training and improving his general fitness has made him a stronger endurance athlete, which has led to improved performance and safer adventures! Therefore, he not only crushes workouts inside the gym, he uses that increased fitness to be even a greater beast out in his hobbies and endurance sports!

We appreciate Julio’s hard work ethic and we love having him as part of our community! Thank you for choosing NoCoast and we are excited to watch you and Leah as you embark on this crazy, amazing, beautiful journey as parents! We can’t wait to meet your little girl!

Quotes from Julio:

“CrossFit allows me to have more fun doing the activities I enjoy in the mountains. The fitter I am, the more fun I have and the safer I feel out there.”

“Get in the gym, no matter what your background/experience with fitness is. I hear way too often people say they are not “in shape” enough to do CrossFit, but showing up is the way to get in shape and feel your best.”

Age: 41

Athletic/Sports history/highlights: 

I got my first mountain bike at age 11 and have never stopped riding and played a ton of soccer as a kid too. In my twenties I was really into rock climbing and pretty much became obsessed with it for almost a decade. That obsession was then replaced by backcountry snowboarding after moving to CO, however, the one constant has always been mountain biking. Recently, I’ve found new motivation by putting myself through the pain-cave of multi-day MTB enduro/stage racing. It's been a fun change and a great way to personally challenge myself.

How long have you been CrossFitting? 

I started doing CrossFit style workouts back in 2014 and my first CrossFit gym in 2017. 

How did you get into CrossFit? 

Backcountry skiing was the activity that led me to CrossFit. My first big day out in the mountains made me realize how much I needed to train to have the fitness to actually enjoy those big days and not just survive them. CrossFit seemed to be the most effective way to achieve my fitness goals for those big days out. The results got me hooked. In just a few weeks I felt faster and could go further without dying of exhaustion, which usually translates to a more fun time out there. After almost 10 years of CrossFit I still see the results of the gym in the mountains, more recently on my MTB racing adventures. 

What is your favorite WOD/CrossFit movement?

I would say my favorite WOD is Murph. But I enjoy anything that involves a pull-up bar and some running or an assault bike. 

What is your least favorite WOD/CrossFit movement? 

My least favorite WOD I’ve ever done has to be that one workout where we carried a barbell, sandbag, and something else around the CTC.

What is your most memorable CrossFit moment? 

I think it would have to be the first time I did Fran. I was shocked how bad it could feel (as in how far you could push your body) in such a short workout/effort.

How does nutrition play a role in your fitness and recovery?

Most of the year I take a more relaxed, intuitive eating approach. However, a couple times a year, mainly during bike racing season, I practice a bit more discipline and track my macros/calorie intake to help maximize my training and performance on the bike. 

How has CrossFit improved your overall wellness?

It allows me to have more fun doing the activities I enjoy in the mountains. The fitter I am, the more fun I have and the safer I feel out there. 

How has CrossFit changed your family? 

It has given us an avenue to stay healthy and capable as we age, especially now that we have to keep up with the little one that just joined our lives! 

Advice to new people:

Get in the gym, no matter what your background/experience with fitness is. I hear way too often people say they are not “in shape” enough to do CrossFit, but showing up is the way to get in shape and feel your best.