Member Spotlight: Liz Truesdall

1. Can you tell us about yourself? Hometown, where you work, important people in your life, how you enjoy spending your free time, etc. 

I was born here in Boulder, and went to Oregon for college… college didn’t work out really. I bounced around to different schools until I dropped out to teach martial arts. I was in Portland for about 16 years, though. I moved back during Covid for mainly health reasons; it’s really moldy there. Now I’m back and teaching at the school I graduated from, Shining Mountain Waldorf School! That’s been fun. We’ve collectively developed a super cool program specifically in the high school over there.

I live with my boyfriend, Xavier, his son, Elton, 2 black cats, oh and a lot of books. My parents live in Boulder, too so I get to see them a lot. I wish my sister lived here!

2. How did you start doing CrossFit and what's your background in sport/fitness/movement prior to that?

My ex was a CF coach and had a box in Portland. I’ve been around it since 2012, but I wasn’t really interested in it until more recently. I loved the workouts and programming but couldn’t tolerate the exercise with my Lyme disease and pain stuff. My own background was first in martial arts. I have a second-degree black belt in Chinese Kempo, and then later, I got into StrongFirst, which is a Russian kettlebell certification. It’s no joke. I got certified to teach it in 2014. I was probably at my strongest then, too. But just after that, I got exposed to mold and my health completely tanked. I couldn’t work out for about 2 years, and then it was so sporadic that I never made progress of any kind. SO frustrating and sad.

3. What initially interested you about CrossFit?

The games. So fun to watch and something so satisfying about watching people compete… while working out!? Amazing. Especially when you get to watch excellence. Like the Rich Froning days… that guy.

4. There are good days to come to the gym and some tough days for you, can you tell us about that?

Yes. Indeed. I have Lyme disease. I was born with it and got bit by 2 ticks here in Colorado when I was really small. We didn’t know what it was until I was 18. I’ve been treating it ever since but it is remarkably hard to treat. So, I have to work out with that in mind. Sometimes there are symptoms that I can’t workout through, like when I have severe hand or foot pain that flares up. And some that I have to be really careful about— something called air hunger, where I feel like I’m drowning on land. Fun! But ultimately, moving and staying strong keeps all my other pain symptoms at a lower level. It sucks because it’s painful, but it helps so I do it. It doesn’t even feel like a willpower thing. I must do it to be able to be mobile and functional. Xavier, my boyfriend often will move mountains so I can come to work out because he sees how much better I am when I go consistently. (AKA I’m nicer when I come in more often…)

5. What does being able to train mean to you?

Not to be too dramatic but literally everything. When I have the hand/foot flare, which I call the claw, I can’t work out because it’ll put me into shock and then I have a horrible time and it takes longer to recover. So when I don’t have it, when I can go in consistently, when I feel strong, it makes everything better. Lyme is funny. I’ve never not been in pain so I don’t know what that’s like. But I do know how to manage and live with it. And it turns out, that is staying strong. So. Overly dramatically: it means literally everything ever.

6. How have the coaches helped guide you through modifying movements?

Ah when I first joined Sanitas, Faisal was my jam. For some reason, he got my pain and the fear I have around it, like no one I’ve ever encountered. It felt miraculous to me (seriously, how). And while he isn’t coaching anymore, I think his influence is around. Plus GC, Zac, Lori, Peter, and Josh really get me now (I don’t know the other coaches as well). That also feels miraculous. There’s always an educational portion of relating to new people, especially when it’s athletically. Assumptions are made because I don’t look sick, so I have to explain myself a lot. Amazing fodder for working with the superego. Often I think people read it as an avoidance of hard work, which is also interesting to me… both from my own judgments about myself, and understanding what I am capable of and how I need to modify movements.

7. What advice do you have for others who are in a similar situation?

Oh, man. Lyme is so individual, and pain is so individual, so I’d definitely say to learn to listen to your body. (Don’t let addictions be what you’re listening to, either… probably good for all of us to remember that one) Don’t get too competitive with everyone. Recognize what is true vs what is your superego. Thank those who have advice but ultimately learn to do what you need to do. Read a lot. Learn anatomy. My mom’s best friend was so adamant about that that even as a small person, I would be asked to be more specific than my tummy hurt. She’d ask me if I could tell where and I got good at it. Eat paleo, but also enjoy your life, find a good doctor, don’t believe them all the time though, they can be full of shit. Realize you don’t know everything and you don’t need to know everything. Meditate. Smash the patriarchy. It’s a prison for all of us.

8. What inspires you about other members in the gym?

I love watching excellence in whatever form. Whether it’s a musician, a dancer, a football player, or the other members moving well. I love it. I also have made some incredible friends here. Super glad about it because Covid was weird and I still found a community.

9. What are your favorite CrossFit movements? Any you can't stand?

Anything kettlebell. I love those bells. They are my first true love and will continue to be. I also love a back squat and deadlift. Actually, anything barbell. I love the Olympic lifts, too, even though I am still in the learning phase… I think I really only hate the stuff I cannot do at all. Like those workouts that are only pull-ups and handstand push-ups and I’m in the corner doing this . Or overly cardio stuff. But that’s more because it just fucking hurts my bones and causes the air hunger.

10. What do you like to do when you’re not in the gym?

Read. I also like to watch movies, talk about smashing the patriarchy with my students, teaching my students (especially teenage boys and teaching them poetry. Honestly it’s the dream). Hang with Xavier and Elton, see my parents, pet kitties, hike when I’m not in too much pain, smash the patriarchy, sing—my family is super musical, draw, and read. I like to read. Read.