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Athlete Journal: Ingrid Kantola, Entry 12 – 5/7/12

Exciting things in Ingrid's world - a possible spot on the CrossFit Central team going to the Games, a new coach, and a potential focus on strength training. Changes and opportunities abound.

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Schedule of CrossFit Athlete Journals:

Mondays – Ingrid Kantola

Wednesdays – Travis Holley

Sundays – Michael Winchester

Ingrid Kantola – Athlete Journal 5/7/12

(Read Ingrid’s Bio here)

Some exciting things have happened at CrossFit Central since last week. First, we have brought on an outside coach to help prepare the affiliate team for Regionals. Our new coach is Rudy Nielsen, aka Outlaw CrossFit. He will be in town today through Wednesday and he will be evaluating our team members on an individual basis to see how to most effectively utilize each of our strengths. We are looking forward to having a coach who is dedicated to the programming process. Our coach also won’t be working out with us and will serve as an outside pair of eyes.

Second, the team has decided to open up the evaluation process to more women than just the three who participated at Regionals. Karen Pierce, Crystal Nelson, and I will all be looked at by our new coach to see if we could contribute in a different way going into the Games.

As we move forward with our new coach, I am still entirely dedicated to the team in whatever capacity they may need me. If I prove that I have the strengths and skills that will improve our Affiliate team on the competition floor, and they want me to compete, I would be honored to represent CrossFit Central on the field. If they feel that the team they have is going to get it done, then I will rock out in the stands and be the best supporter. If they decide to add another girl to the team, I will support her fully as well.

Whichever way the team chooses to go, I am in full support of their efforts and know that they will be ready for the Games. In terms of my personal plans for training, I will see if I make the team first in order to understand the immediate demands that need to be met through training. If I am on the team, I will follow team programming and strategy full force, putting my personal training plans off until after the Games.

Third piece of excitement – if I do not make the team, I plan to implement a full force strength training cycle for the next six months right away. I will work individually with Don Ricci, as my strength and technique coach with a focus on getting great at all barbell work. Don and I have been friends since my time at CrossFit LA and I know that he is dedicated to perfecting the craft of being a coach and that he will be easy to work with as he is on board here at CrossFit Central.

I am really looking forward to the next two or three weeks as we decide the affiliate team, I finish grad school, and training is solidified. Change and opportunity go hand in hand!

About Ingrid Kantola

Ingrid Kantola studied Sociology at UCLA and was an All-American pole vaulter. After graduating in 2008, she made her way through local 5Ks, and old strength training routines until she found CrossFit in 2009.

Ingrid’s first CrossFit competition was the Southern California Regional in 2009, and after training on her own at UCLA she finished in ninth place. She joined CrossFit Los Angeles shortly after the Regional and went on to sweep the events of the 2010 SoCal Sectional before a bacterial heart infection and subsequent open heart surgery sidelined her for the summer season. Ingrid recovered quickly and moved from the City of Angels to Hell’s Half Acre to continue her journey as a University of Texas Graduate Student in Sport Management.

Ingrid began interning at CrossFit Central in Austin, Texas and trained at the RedBlack Gym under Coach Michael Winchester until she was ready to join the elite training group of coaches at CrossFit Central. In 2011, she qualified for the South Central Regional and took sixth place behind five previous Games competitors. She has continued training at CrossFit Central with an increased focus on strength and metabolic conditioning.

For the 2012 season, Ingrid hopes to qualify as an individual athlete and take her first trip to the Home Depot as a CrossFit competitor.

As an intern at CrossFit Central her job responsibilities have been in event planning for challenges and competitions. She graduates in May and will assume a new role as the Director of Events and CrossFit Sport for Trinity Training Systems.

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