My name’s Nick Ferrer and though I was born in San Antonio, I grew up and have spent most of my adult life here in Houston. I have worked in Recruitment for the last several years and spend my free time trying new restaurants, traveling, and running. At the beginning of the year I completed my goal of running the 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Marathon in one weekend at the Walt Disney World Marathon. Since then I’ve been enjoying spending time varying my training while I look for my next personal challenge.
I first started dabbling in CrossFit in 2014, but at the time wasn’t able to find a gym or community that suited me. After a move to Los Angeles and back for work, I started at District H in February 2018. I was sick of feeling like I wasn’t getting the most out of my time in the gym dodging crowds and waiting for equipment to free up. I felt like I wasn’t seeing results and I was looking for a new challenge and accountability. There have certainly been the obvious benefits of getting in better shape, but I’ve also been pleasantly surprised that friends and family have taken notice. It’s great to use my fitness outside of the gym trying surfing, rock climbing, practicing yoga or running races with friends.
My favorite WODs are those with a long-time domain that involve running or rowing mixed with a barbell. There’s something really great about not having to think and just embracing that it’s going to suck. Box jumps are my least favorite movement and unfortunately, I have the scar on my shin as a constant reminder of that fact. My favorite lifts are back squats and thrusters for raw power, but I enjoy the challenge of improving the Snatch. Gymnastics movements are definitely my weakest skills. As such I’d like to improve my handstand pushups and string together more toes to bar and kipping pullups. There are a lot of small accomplishments throughout my time at District H of which I’m proud. Noticing small improvements in movements and lifts is always uplifting. Completing the Hero WODs Murph and Glen also stand out for their physical/mental challenge while being surrounded by the community.
As far as listing my single favorite quote or words to live by, that’s near impossible considering there are way too many Parks and Rec quotes to choose from! Something a lot of people are surprised to know about me is that I enjoy running. Over the last few years I’ve run three marathons, six half marathons, and a whole bunch of shorter races.
Advice I would give to newbies would be to track your work outs and results. It’s always rewarding to see your progress and to have a reference point for how much you’ve improved.