You Really Gotta Meet… Carla

I’m fortunate to know some pretty amazing people. Thanks to CrossFit, Weight Watchers, Roller Derby, and other wacky/fun/scary/silly adventures, I’m able to surround myself with best-quality people to humor me when I want to do The Murph and comfort me when my frexcitement gets the best of me. Good things are even better when they’re shared, so you really gotta meet…

Carla Marie Wuthrich
Age: 23
Dayjob: Clinical Social Work Student @ UT (Graduating in May w/ an MSW and maybe some day a license to be a LMSW)

Carla is one of those people that brings a ball of sunshine with her wherever she goes. Bouncy, energetic, thoughtful, intelligent, and fun are all adjectives that immediately come to mind when she’s around… but don’t be fooled by the cuddly exterior. Carla is tough — mentally and physically. She tackles physical challenges and bumps in the road of life with equal vigor. I wish you the good fortune to one day find yourself on the receiving end of a Carla smile. Your heart might burst; don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Carla and I met at CrossFit Central Bootcamp about a year ago, and now that she’s spread her wings for an internship, she’s training with the good people at CrossFit Houston. This Saturday’s ZOOMA half marathon is her first EVER registered running event. See what I mean? She doesn’t think small.

Raise your hand if you love pushups

Volleyball, tennis, long distance running with her high school track team… Carla’s been involved in sports since grade school. “I always loved being a part of a team and I truly enjoyed playing sports back then. When I started going to college, I tried to work out regularly, but I never felt as motivated to be fit and healthy as I do now. Thanks to CrossFit, I have a new perspective about the concept of ‘working out,’ as well as a new definition on what it means to be fit. Finishing a workout is the most rewarding thing because I actually feel proud of myself.”

What’s your favorite workout song and why?
One of my favorite workout songs for CrossFitting is “Swagga Like Us” by Jay-Z and T.I (feat Kanye and Lil Wayne). When I first started bootcamp w/ CrossFit Central at Deep Eddy in June 2008, this song would always play on the radio and it would get me pumped for my 6:30 a.m. workout. It’s funny because I don’t really listen to rap/hip hop music. But somehow, this song makes me feel as if I’m this tough, mean, and fearless female. Hah.

Favorite song for working out but are embarrassed to admit it?
Anything by Britney Spears. Yes, I repeat. Britney Spears. “Womanizer” and “Circus”… yikes.

What’s your favorite healthy meal/snack?
OoooOoooOoo. 1 tsp of cashew butter, 1 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 egg, and 1 oz of cheese!

What’s your favorite food indulgence?
CHOCOLATE….in the form of cookie or cake..or even brownie. Insert applesauce.

Running skirts: yes or no. Why?
No, only because I don’t own one. I would be willing to give it a try.

If you could workout with anyone — living or dead, fictional or real — who would it be? What would you do? Why?
Hmm. I would LOVE to workout with Bruce Lee. I had an obsession with the man when I was younger. I admired his passion for martial arts, as well as his dedication to fitness. I would love for him to put me through workout, working me up to doing push-ups with just my thumb and enforcing a 1-inch punch to send people flying across a room.

I would also love to workout with Elvis Presley. We could do some karate and then he could serenade me after our workouts. I find both of these men to be intriguing and amazing.

And after watching The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke…I might want to go train with him. And maybe hang out in tanning salons just to hear him talk.

Vegas, baby. Carla’s smile = good luck.

OK! You’ve just had the workout/race/competition of your life. Congratulations! How do you celebrate?
I would first shed tears of exultant joy. Second, thank all the people who cheered for me and helped me get through it. Third, take a nice long warm shower/bath.

Pretend you’re creating your dream team of people you like to train with. What’s your team name? What are your team colors? Any specifics on what your uniforms look like?

Team Name: Rebel Apes
Team Colors: Black and Dark Green and White
Uniforms: Think ’70s/’80s. A Dark green V Neck with White trim, little black shorts, and green high knee socks with white trim. Black and white old fashioned Addidas. Rebel Apes printed in black letters on the back of the V-necks.

What’s your trick for getting motivated when you’re just not feelin’ it?
I usually listen to music to pump me up. If that’s not enough, I will watch CrossFit workout videos which usually does the trick. And if that’s still not enough, I try to think about how much better I’ll feel if I just go and get it over with!

Do you have any advice/tricks for people who are thinking about working out but need a kick-in-the-pants to start?
Working out has to be for that person’s own reasons and no one else’s. I would ask the person what they’re looking for. Is it to be challenged? Is it just to get the heart rate going? Certain methods and activities aren’t for everyone and that’s the beauty of fitness.

I would suggest going to any free workouts that are available for things that seem interesting, whether it be yoga or CrossFit. Find what suits you, find people who motivate and inspire you, and create a support system that will hold you accountable in a warm and empowering way.

We clean up pretty good, right?

Got a favorite quote?

Never be bullied into silence.
Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
Accept no one’s definition of your life.
Define yourself.
– Harvey Fierstein

Anything else you want people to know about you?
I really enjoy joking around and laughing with other people. Humor is a beautiful and powerful thing. I’m also more introverted than more people would think. I enjoy reading books about survival and adventure: The Lost World, The Beach, etc. Last but not least, tragic love stories. I tend to watch those movies and enjoy crying for the love that will never be (The Way We Were, Out of Africa, etc). Haha!

[NOTE from Mel: You should also know that Carla is an excellent jumper. Like a bunny or a gazelle, this one. She was my inspiration for conquering the 20″ box.]

Carla & Sean celebrate with a little bubbly