Member Testimonials
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My Journey to Morodor. I started a blog a while back to try to keep myself accountable on my CrossFit and weight loss journey, and one of the first entries I made I titled – Planning My Trip to Morodor… I may be just a little bit of a LOTR geek. And, I may be a little more dedicated to CrossFit that I am to keeping myself accountable via blog, but the gist was that beginning a fitness journey after a long period of inactivity can feel like you’re on the most difficult journey imaginable. (Iweightfornoman.wordpress.com)
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I started out at SoGo a little over two years ago as a newbie to Crossfit when my wife gave me a one-month trial membership to SoGo. Rachel showed me the ropes and kind of cringed when she saw my lack of mobility. The first couple of months were tough, with lots of rips and very sore muscles. Over time Rachel, Hector and their awesome team of trainers gave me stretches and exercises to help improve my mobility issues. I basically went from struggling to complete an overhead squat with only the bar to adding more weight than I thought possible, especially at my age. I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenging program that Rachael and Hector have put together. It has greatly improved my strength, balance and endurance. I have formed great friendships with the class I attend and hate when I have to miss a workout. The entire SoGo team of trainers are incredibly talented and have a wealth of experience, which they share with us every day. I am so grateful for Rachel, Hector and the rest of the SoGo family for the excellent support they provide during workouts, and for pushing me to be a stronger and tougher athlete.
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I found SoGo a little over two years ago. In my mid-thirties, and as a father of two, I was looking for something to replace the comradery and structure of organized sports and exercise I enjoyed as a young athlete. I had resigned myself to wander from health club to health club where I was working out on my own, performing repetitive workouts, and lacking direction and structure in my search for fitness and health. Then, I found SoGo. After one free introductory class, I knew I found what I was looking for. The coaches and members were passionate, welcoming, and encouraging. These people have since become a second family. SoGo is a place where everyone is welcome, regardless of their fitness level or exercise goals. All you have to do is show up, and each day you will experience a tailored exercise program combined with the right level of coaching and encouragement.
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How I found SOGO CrossFit: I started CrossFit about six years ago, at another “box.” While the sport of CrossFit anywhere lends itself to an awesome camaraderie and sense of belonging as the workouts are done with a class full of people, certain gyms or “boxes” are better than others. After working out for sometime at this other gym, and not improving much, not learning to do new movements, being at a stagnant place, wanting more coaching and instruction, I began my search for a new box. I found SOGO on google and decided to drop in for a free workout.
Drop-in Visit at SOGO CrossFit: The butterflies were real. Walking in the door, I saw a vast array of athletes - some that looked new to CrossFit and some that looked like pro athletes! I was welcomed with open arms by both Rachel and Hector, the owners of SOGO. I was given a tour of the HUGE facility (and while looking around, I was seeing equipment I had never seen before and I had no idea how to use some of it). I filled out my waiver form and I was ready for the class. Safety is always first - and until the coaches see you safely perform the movements, they will not let you go too heavy. I worked out with the class - adrenaline pushing me hard - and after the hour, I was exhausted. Hector checked in on me and asked me what I thought. I said that was a really good workout - and I was feeling good. He said I was more than welcome to come back the rest of the week and give it a try. Incredible! Most gyms might give you one free trial class and then ask you to make up your mind. SOGO was giving me several days/attempts to make an informed decision. Very professional and very courteous.
SOGO Member: This happened in about May of 2018. It’s now 2020 and I have been a member ever since and could not be happier. I even had both of my teenagers come in and try the workouts. Every Saturday is bring a friend for FREE day and they prescribe partner workouts - always challenging, always fun! My kids came to a few of those. Then my daughter decided she wanted to do CrossFit with me instead of doing sports at school. So both of us are SOGO members and we even competed in a competition together this past Fall in the Outer Banks! It has been incredible to watch her follow the programming and see how much stronger she is now - and it is such a carryover to other sports. She excels at swimming - I believe in large part to her training at SOGO CrossFit. My max numbers have soared under the coaching and programming at SOGO. I even got my first bar muscle up this past year and I am now expanding my goal list to other movements I never thought I’d be able to complete - like handstand walks, and hopefully ring muscle ups!
SOGO Family: So what else do I really love about SOGO? What is the difference here versus other boxes? It’s the family feel. You push each other - but its to get each other better. Everyone is cheering for everyone else. They now have CrossFit kids classes - so even the smaller family members can get in on the fitness vibe. There is constantly social activities happening in or around the gym: cookouts, swim parties, team competitions, or sometimes just a bunch of folks going out for a nice relaxing dinner! It all helps bring the SOGO members closer together. The support is always there - if attendance drops off, you will be checked in on by Rachel or Hector. What more could you ask for? There is no other gym or box I’d rather be a part of!
Member Testimonials
What people are saying
Heather Ludeke
My Journey to Morodor. I started a blog a while back to try to keep myself accountable on my CrossFit and weight loss journey, and one of the first entries I made I titled – Planning My Trip to Morodor… I may be just a little bit of a LOTR geek. And, I may be a little more dedicated to CrossFit that I am to keeping myself accountable via blog, but the gist was that beginning a fitness journey after a long period of inactivity can feel like you’re on the most difficult journey imaginable. (Iweightfornoman.wordpress.com)
I “discovered” CrossFit purely by accident in 2015 as I got to know a student in an EMT class I was teaching. I had misheard a conversation she was having and after questioning her about it, and many chats afterwards, her enthusiasm helped to convince me to try out the newest CrossFit gym in the area where she would be an instructor. I figured, what the hell, I’m sure it won’t kill me… I had been in fairly good shape earlier in life having gone through basic training and AIT after I joined the Army Reserves (1994), but after getting out of the Reserves, and working in a high stress/high paced EMS system ended up mostly sedentary (2002 and on). Add the usual ups and downs of life, and then marrying into a family of feeders/eaters and within a few years I’d gone way past that size/weight I’d promised myself I’d never get to. The highest number I ever saw on the scale was 203… I’d gained 60 pounds over the course of my relationship. I hated how I looked, how clothes fit (and what sizes I had to buy), and I hated how I felt. Seriously – CrossFit couldn’t be any worse than how I already felt
The day came and the gym was officially open and I showed up for the noon class on August 3rd, 2015. I was the ONLY one who showed up for that class! Yay a one-on-one class for my first workout in *cough, cough* years. And, it was the first real interaction I’d had with Rachel, the owner of SoGo. Amazingly, she was just a little shorter than me, but it was obvious that she was in better shape than I’d EVER been in. Aw hell… what’d I get myself into? I don’t remember the warm-up, but I know that even that had me winded. A lot (ok, ALL) of the movements were new to me, and Rachel made sure I was performing them all correctly and I learned about “scaling” moves I couldn’t do yet. The work-out was a fun little chipper (I’m cringing as I type these words) of 21-19-17-15-12-9-7-5-3-1 Burpees and toes to bar with a 24 minute time cap. No biggie. Riiiiiighhhtttt. So, my first burpees were terrible and my knees smacked the ground each time I went to the ground, and I’d be surprised if you could actually tell my knees raised for my scaled T2B. Within a very few minutes the voice in my head said (screamed) she can’t force you to keep doing this. But, then I looked at Rachel and thought - but she probably can, and I know she can catch me if I try to run. The seconds ticking down my time seemed to take hours, and I thought at one point this may actually kill me; I survived. In my hypoxic daze at the end of my first CrossFit workout, I vaguely remember Rachel asking how I felt. Terrible… but, I’ll see you tomorrow. I 100% felt the saying – I hate you, I hate this place… but, I’ll see you tomorrow… and I’m pretty sure I would have said all that if I could have formed complete sentences.
I came back, and I kept coming back, and it hurt like hell for the first several months. I used muscles I didn’t even know I had and relished the days I was able to control myself through a sitting position. I was convinced my body hated me and that my scale was defective (I did NOT have the huge initial weight loss that a lot of people have), but kept hearing “trust the process”. I could feel a difference in my energy level and was pretty surprised at how quickly I seemed to be able to advance in weight on lifts, and shave a few seconds off of my runs. RUNS! I was running again! Ok, more like a jog, or whatever it’s called when a turtle trudges through mud, but I was doing it! The scale finally started to move, and my clothes definitely got looser. I can look back on photos now and see the progress, but in the thick of things it was hard to see, so I enjoyed the strength and movement progression more than the numbers on the scale.
In May of 2016, ten months after starting CrossFit, we honored our Vets with the Hero WOD, Murph. I completed the workout (scaled), RAN for all of the runs, and actually felt good enough about myself and how far I’d come to take off my soggy, disgustingly sweaty shirt after the workout.
A few months later, I celebrated my one year CrossFit anniversary and of course celebrated with pics. Believe it or not, there’s only about 20 pounds difference in my 2015 and 2016 pics. I try not to focus on the scale much and instead focus on the weight I’m able to lift and squat. I’m pretty proud of the fact that my 1 RM back squat after 14 months was #255! I run about as fast as an injured turtle, but I’m able to keep going – a HUGE improvement from the breaks I’d have to take while on a 400M run. I’ve had some setbacks, and minor injuries (that my Ortho guy says are more likely age related than workout related), and I did step away for several (about 7) months when life got in the way, but I’m back! And, I’m excited to see how the next year goes.
Health and fitness is a long term commitment, not a one night stand; you only get out of it what you put in. I can without reservation say that CrossFit, and specifically the family I’ve gained at SoGo has changed my life for the better, has helped me get my life back, and has just generally helped me get Me back. Bonds are formed when you push your limits and feed off the positive energy of those around you, and my CrossFit family is AMAZING! You never know what you’re capable of and the mental and physical strength you have hidden inside you until you’re challenged by people that have your best interest in mind. I’m certainly not where I want to be yet, but I’m way closer than I was in 2015! I love setting goals here though and being able to cross them off the wall, and watching my friends and family doing the same thing as we all grow together. Life is good. CrossFit, and this gym, make it great! I love being able to lift heavier weights, and absolutely love that time caps are a thing! It’s never easy; it’s hard to make the first step and just show up, and there are days when it’s hard to drag yourself in, but like they say – if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. And, every day that I can take flights of stairs and not be winded, or carry multiple 40 pound bags of soil to my garden with ease make it totally worth it!
Come workout with me! I swear it becomes fun after a while!