By: Erich Roden
Talk about your time playing ball for Nebraska. What are the parallels between playing college ball and the fire service?
I walked on the play football at the University of Nebraska in 2001 and played until 2004. While I was there, I had the opportunity to play with a Heisman Trophy Winner: Eric Crouch, and play for a national championship: the 2001 Rose Bowl. During my playing days, we experienced many ups and downs and dealt with much adversity. We went from playing in a championship to having one of the worst seasons in Nebraska Football history – within a single year. We grew more as a team during our 6-6 season than we did during our 12-2 season the year prior. We learned that we would have to work together as one unit in order to be successful. The next season, we finished with a 10-3 record! This team-first attitude directly correlates to the fire service: Everything we do in the fire service is team related. We go to the store together; we sit and drink coffee together. Everyone has a role on a medical call, fire call, fire alarm, etc. Everyone’s role on the team directly correlates whether a call is successful or not. I learned early on while playing football to put my team first, rather than my individual needs.
What led you to the fire service? To the Lincoln (NE) Fire Department? What were the characteristics of the fire service that appealed to you?
I grew up in a very small town: Bryon, Nebraska. Bryon had a population of 150 people and I didn’t realize being a paid firefighter was even an opportunity I could pursue. While attending the University of Nebraska, I really struggled to figure out what I wanted to do for a living. I switched majors three or four times, until I settled on getting a Bachelors Degree in University Studies, which essentially notes you completed enough credits to finish college. To complete the major, I needed four semesters of a foreign language. I was able to complete those classes at a local community college. While attending one of my classes, I noticed a flyer for the college’s fire protection program. I grabbed the flyer, called the number and found out you can get paid to fight fire! I thought this was the perfect job for me; I love being active; I did not want an office job; I love team camaraderie; this was exactly what I was looking for! I signed up for three classes the first semester, loved it, and have never looked back. God led me to the perfect job!
What firehouse are you at and what rig are you assigned to?
I’m assigned to Engine 3, A shift at Station 3.
How did you get into Crossfit? How many firefighters in Lincoln are taking it up?
I found out about CrossFit as a firefighter in Colorado. We were fighting a structure fire pretty hard and I was out of air before anyone on our crew. I thought, “What the hell? I’m in good shape. I lift every day and do 30 minutes of cardio and a solid two hours of workout out daily. This should not be happening to me!” I replaced my bottle and my crew and I went back in. Before I knew it, I was out of air again. Our crew came back out. I finished two bottles before most of them went through one. I was shot and thinking during rehab that I wouldn’t make it if we went back in.
The next shift, I asked one of the firefighters on our crew what he did to stay in shape. I’d seen him workout before for only five or ten minutes and be done, and thought it was some kind of joke. Surely he had to do more on his off-days. He proceeded to tell me he was doing CrossFit. He offered me to workout with him sometime. I checked into it on the internet and the next shift, we did my first Workoutof- the-Day (WOD): “Death by Pull-ups.” This workout consisted of performing one pull-up the first minute, two the second, three the third and so on until you couldn’t perform anymore pull-ups in the round’s minute; the goal was to go as long as possible. I think I made it to six minutes. He made it to fifteen or sixteen. When we finished, I asked him, “Is that it?” He said, “Yep,” and proceeded to go take a shower. I thought, “This is a joke, that wasn’t even a workout. I only did 18 pull-ups.” I did a workout of my own for the next couple of hours.
I wrote Crossfit off for a couple of weeks, but continued to check out their website for workout ideas. One day, I ran across ‘Filthy-Fifty.” I did the workout and after fifty minutes, found myself flat on my back, exhausted and sore for the next five days. I was hooked after that. I programmed CrossFit into my normal routine three times a week, but did not make it my primary workout routine until I moved to Lincoln (NE). During my fire academy at Lincoln Fire Rescue (LFR), I recruited a few other guys to CrossFit with me. It was a perfect workout program for us and fit into our busy schedule. We could workout quick and still have time to go home, study and work on our fire skills. That’s when I took CrossFit up as my primary workout regimen.
CrossFit Lincoln (CFL) was founded in the summer of 2009 by four firefighters and one personal trainer. We initially started as a group of friends getting together to CrossFit outdoors. We would go to parks, take our equipment with us and program some of our own WODs. We then started inviting other friends, family and girlfriends to come workout with us. Slowly, our small group began to grow. The five of us decided it would be beneficial for us to get our CrossFit Level 1 certificates so we could teach our buddies how to do the exercises safely. After getting certified, we decided to make it a formal group. CFL was initially called, “The Lincoln Outdoor Fitness Club.” We held free classes in the park for almost three months until winter weather forced us to start looking for a building. In October 2009, CFL officially opened its doors with over thirty members. Since opening our doors, we’ve grown from 30 members to over 90, and are now in the process of opening in a new location. The owners now comprise of two firefighters and two personal trainers.
How can we get CrossFit incorporated into every firehouse across the Country?
That is a tough question and something all firefighters who CrossFit have been trying figure out for quite some time. CrossFit is the ‘only’ physical fitness program I’ve found that directly correlates to our job, yet so many firefighters are resistant to trying it. Our physical fitness is one of the few factors we have complete control over on the fireground. If I’m ever in the situation where I need to self-extricate or rescue a downed firefighter, I know in my heart if I fail it won’t because I’m not in good enough shape, it will be because of factors out of my control. Not all firefighters can say that. I honestly believe the fire service needs to set a national standard for physical fitness and test firefighters every year or every six months. Not just a fluffy, pancake, walk in the park, physical test but a grueling and demanding test – a test that will truly test the demands of the job; a test that firefighters can’t cram for two weeks prior and pass; it needs to truly show that they are in peak physical condition all year round. I bet you’d have firefighters walking into CrossFit boxes all over the country if something like that was implemented. Our box (CFL) is in charge of new recruits’ physical fitness while in the academy. They come in three times a week for 14 weeks. We have a foot in the door with our department, but are still trying to get CrossFit as a standard physical fitness regimen for our guys. It would be great if affiliates everywhere would extend the same to the fire and police departments. It really helps us set a standard at LFR in physical fitness.
When did you decide to compete in CrossFit? How did you prepare? And what was it like to find out that you were going to LA for the big show?
I decided to try competition in February of 2010. Another firefighter and I had been doing CrossFit religiously for over six months and heard about the Sectional competition to qualify for the CrossFit Games. We signed up on a whim, essentially. Both of us figured we were average CrossFitters, but had no idea how we would do in competition. Our only training up to the qualifier was the daily (Main-Site) WOD’s. We thought, “What the hell, let’s give it a try.” We talked another firefighter and one of our female members from the gym into signing up also. We all ended up doing fairly well, three out of four of us qualified for Regionals in Denver, Colorado. I was immediately hooked. I’ve always been a competitive person, but what drew me to competition was the heart of all the athletes. It was amazing to me how driven they were and how supportive everyone was of each other. Those who finished WODs first, although exhausted and hypoxic, would cheer on fellow competitors. It was so cool. I had never seen that before. During Regional competition, I was sitting in 6th place (only 2 places from qualifying for the Games) going into the final WOD, needless to say I did not qualify that year. That’s when I realized I had the potential to be fairly decent at this sport. While sitting down for pizza and beer with my mom and girlfriend, I told them, “I will qualify for the Games next year.” I dedicated the next year to working on weaknesses, studying other athletes, and perfecting movements. God lead me down a path that I would never have dreamed of.
Talk about being an athlete at the Games and the atmosphere when you were there.
The atmosphere at the Games was incredible. There is nothing that I can compare it too. There were so many great athletes, great fans and great competition. What I find most incredible is all the athletes’ abilities to find times in their lives to train like professional athletes. I don’t think most realize that these athletes do not CrossFit full-time. They are mothers, fathers, bankers, firefighters, coaches, officers, Marines and SEALs; some of them have even fought for our freedom. That makes their accomplishments even more incredible. The athletes at the Games are the most humble and supportive athletes you will ever meet. Having the opportunity to compete with those individuals is one of the most gratifying experiences of my life.
Who were your favorite competitors to watch at the Games?
Chris Spealler without a doubt; He has the heart of a champion. Chris is the most inspiring athlete I’ve ever seen. His body weight to strength ratio is incredible. It’s unbelievable how much weight he can move around for his size.
How are you going to prepare for next year’s Games?
I’m going to play with my nutrition a little bit. I currently eat strict Paleo and plan to throw dairy into my diet. I’m also testing Paleo/Zone proportions. I’m working with a Paleo nutritionist, Amy Kubal, to help tweak my diet and see what nutrients I’ve been neglecting. I essentially taught myself to CrossFit and feel I need a coach to help with form, technique and strategy. I started working with Games Coaches Ricky Frausto and Joe Westerlin from CrossFit Omaha last week. They are known for producing some great athletes and great teams. Their affiliate finished 2nd place in the 2010 Affiliate cup. I’m going to continue to attack my weaknesses and enter as many competitions in the next year as I can. Experience in competition plays a huge factor.
Talk about your WOD programming. How many WODS do you do in a day?
My workout volume varies dependent on my recovery and sleep I get at work. Leading up to the Games I followed a 3 day on/1 day off cycle. The first day of the cycle I was doing three metcon’s with strength work first. On day two, I’ll do two metcon’s with gymnastics skill work beforehand. Day three consists of one metcon with either strength work or a gymnastic skill (I rotate between the two every other cycle). I rest on Day 4; my recovery works best when I follow a cycle like that. With my fire department schedule, my workout routine may not be that exact because I sleep if we don’t sleep at work. You’re really not doing your body any good by working out tired and poorly rested. Many times I’ll go home after a shift and sleep for four or five hours and only get one metcon done in the afternoon. That’s the way it goes and the nature of the job. Currently, I’m ‘testing’ a new workout cycle with a 1day on/1day off rotation. I’m doing two to three metcons in a day with strength work or gymnastics work beforehand, then resting a day. It works great with my work schedule and allows me to stay conditioned for competition.
What does your diet consist of? How can firefighters incorporate it into firehouse meals?
I currently eat a Paleo or “Caveman” diet. This means I stay away from anything processed, eat only meat, veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds. No grains, legumes, sugars or dairy. Essentially, the diet consists of anything a caveman would have access to. It’s beneficial because it decreases insulin spikes by cutting down the number of sugars, carbs, etc that you are consuming allowing you to have more energy throughout the day. Studies have shown that spikes in insulin and blood sugar are the leading cause of many degenerative diseases, cancers and heart problems (a huge issue for firefighters). It’s fairly easy to incorporate the diet into the firehouse. Firefighters like meat – lots of meat. So the guys generally cook steaks, pork chops, chicken, etc. If they plan to doctor it up a lot, I just ask them to leave all the salt and nasty stuff off of mine. Most firehouses like to have a pretty unhealthy side with their meat. Our house generally still makes the side, but I also suggest we have a big salad with lots of ‘heavies.’ I’ll bring almonds, cashews and sunflower seeds with me to the station so I’ll have some healthy fats to eat. Steam-fresh veggies are also a must have for the firehouse paleoist. If you’re unable to have a salad with your meal, you can pop in a steam-fresh bag and have a side of veggies in less than seven minutes. If my crew decides to make something I absolutely can’t eat, I usually bring food for back-up. 90% of the time I’m in on mess.
What’s it like to be sponsored by sports giant Reebok? Any other sponsors?
They are one of the premiere athletic apparel companies in the world, and to be sponsored by them is surreal. I would have never dreamt in a million years I’d ever be sponsored by Reebok. It’s a lot of fun and I feel honored to be part of the first group of athletes who get to test and help design clothing strictly for other CrossFitters. I’m also sponsored by CrossFit Faith, which is a team of Christian CrossFit athletes who travel and compete together all over the world while spreading the Word.
What do you think is the future of CrossFit?
CrossFit has shown that is growing rapidly and is going to be around for awhile. I only think it will get bigger and stronger, possibly in Olympic proportions in the years to come; not only as a community of fitness enthusiasts, but also a sport. The athletes will get better and better and it will get harder to qualify for the Games each year. Athletes will probably start getting paid professionally to do CrossFit for a living. Average Joes like me will probably not be able to work full-time and maintain the training needed to compete anymore. I see it as a good thing. Our country is ‘unfit’ and the more attention CrossFit gets the more people will start doing it and the healthier our country will become.
What advice do you have for future firefighter athletes as they prepare for their respective events, while working the unconventional fire department schedule? How can we squeeze workouts in so they’re effective?
CrossFit is a universal fitness program and a killer workout that can be done in less than thirty minutes, so no matter what you’re training for: a marathon, the Combat Challenge, a triathlon, the World’s toughest competitor, to look good…you can get it done even if you don’t have much time or running on little sleep. There are no excuses.
Who are your influences in life? CrossFit?
God is the most influential on my life. He’s been with me in good times and bad and blessed me with so much. I’m in awe of what he’s done for me. The biggest influences in my life have been the people of our box. They all have incredible stories of failure and triumph, which is inspiring every day I walk in the door. They epitomize what it means to never giving up no matter how tough anything gets. They’ve taught me to get right back up if you fail, dust yourself off and keep plugging away.