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We cover the sport of CrossFit from all angles. We talk with athletes, coaches and celebrities that compete and surround in the sport of CrossFit at all levels. We also bring you Breaking News, Human Interest Stories and report on the Methodology of CrossFit. We also use the methodology to make ourselves the fittest we can be.
Let's go!
What is going on, everybody?
Welcome to the Clydesdale Media Podcast.
My name is Scott Switzer.
I'm the Clydesdale.
We are here highlighting and
celebrating the athletes of
the 2024 Legends Masters CrossFit Games.
And I am so happy to have
with me old friend, Carleen Matthews.
What's going on, Carleen?
Hi.
Thanks for having me.
Yeah.
So, you're back to the games again.
Yeah.
Excited?
Yes.
Yeah.
Um, I think the, uh, excited,
but also it's still like four weeks out.
So there's still that, um,
a lot of work to be done
kind of feeling so.
It's funny because, you know,
I've done a lot of
interviews this week already.
And a lot of athletes are
talking about how because
they're Masters athletes,
they don't do the six-hour days anymore.
It's like an hour here,
maybe an hour there.
And then when everybody made the games,
like there's a switch that flips.
Like I've made the games.
Now I got to put in all the work.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, I don't really have that.
But I definitely, like, have worked hard.
And I will not be the person to say that,
like, I don't train hard all year round.
I definitely do.
But a little bit more, like, specific,
right?
Like,
now that the games are coming and the
closer they get, it's just more specific.
You know, more time on, like,
you got to spend more time in recovery.
You got to spend...
you know,
more time doing some skill work
and specific stuff.
So it's still a little different.
So how do you find time for
all that as a mom, a business owner,
and an athlete?
Yeah, good question.
Yeah, I mean, that's even, like,
the other day somebody was like, oh,
can you, like, come see me, like, to get,
like, some body work and stuff.
And I was like, I literally have –
Zero time.
So yeah, I mean,
I'm very lucky and grateful
that we have my daughter in like a
daycare right now.
So she's gone during the day,
three days a week.
And so that helps.
I have two or I have three
other coaches that help me.
But my husband does a lot for me.
So he works two days on, four days off.
And the four days off,
if I like really need him
to pick up a class,
he'll pick up a class.
But it's long days.
Like I coached 6 a.m.
and I coached the last class
at 6.30 to 7.30.
And then, you know, put my daughter down.
And then by then it's 8.30, 9.
And I'm just like finally
able to decompress.
But I don't know.
I figure out how to get it
in and cram it in here and there.
Yeah.
So you hear some of these
like elite athletes talking
about getting 10,
11 hours sleep in a night.
That doesn't seem possible in your life.
It's not.
Yeah.
It's, um, something that I'm working on.
Uh, I would, I would be really,
really happy with eight.
Um, and that would be a goal, but, uh,
six to seven is, uh,
is usually when I'm at and it's not ideal,
but, um, it's reality.
So.
So just to add some texture
to all this that we've talked about,
you own a gym, CrossFit St.
Helens?
Yes.
In Oregon?
Yes.
And your husband is a firefighter,
correct?
Correct.
So he has that two days on,
four days off schedule
because of being a first responder.
Mm-hmm.
So being a business owner
and him being a first responder,
that's a lot of stress.
Yeah.
Um, how old is Charlotte now?
She will be four in September.
Wow.
So the easy time for kids.
Yeah.
Right now we're in the thick of it.
We're actually on, um,
she's definitely having a day today.
I'm like, what happened?
Like, who are you?
What happened?
Um, so it's been very challenging.
It's funny.
I just finished an interview
with Kenzie Riley.
Her oldest is four as well.
And I was telling her that
when my daughter was small,
we used to call like 6 to
7.30 the gang green hour.
Because getting her settled
for anything was nearly impossible.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We have more like...
7 a.m.
to, like, 7.30 at night is our hour.
Like I said,
I'm very lucky to be able to
send her to school.
But she is a handful.
She's very, very busy.
Like, we just had CrossFit kids today.
And I'm like, okay, cool.
Like, let's run them.
Like, jumping, all kinds of things.
And it just doesn't even...
it doesn't even make a dent.
Um, so like my husband's like,
we gotta go.
And so like, cool,
take her to the skate park somewhere,
like run it out.
We have her in swimming and
that makes her a little bit more tired,
but not enough.
Um, she's very, very busy.
And so it's a lot.
Is, is that the, um,
cross to bear for two fit parents?
I might be, you know,
I mean like people are like,
what do you expect?
You were like bouncing
around the entire time you were pregnant.
I was like, yeah, that's true.
Yeah.
So you pressed on those jeans.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Um,
so what are your favorite times with,
with Charlotte?
Like when you have like the
perfect day with her, cause let's,
let's end on a good note.
Cause like I love my daughter to death and,
and the, she's 23 now.
So that four year old stage is long gone.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, I definitely, um, you know,
like lately, like,
as much as she is like wild
and crazy and feral, but, um, she is like,
you know, the moments where she's like,
hug.
Um, and, and so like, that's so nice.
I like got back from a
training at Fort Vancouver
yesterday and I met them at
the grocery store and, um,
And she was, like, hug,
and she was so happy to see me.
But I love that she is able
to be in the gym with me.
And sometimes she will just, like, watch,
and I don't know she's watching.
And then later on in the evening, she'll,
like, do exactly what I did.
So, like,
that's really cool to watch that
and to see, like,
we were doing box jumps today.
And so like,
that's really exciting for me
to watch her just like fly
up on a 20 inch box.
Um, so yeah, I mean, she's great.
Uh, she just, you know,
there's lots of moments that, um,
that are challenging,
but she's doing 20 inch box
jumps at four.
Oh yeah.
Wow.
CrossFit games won't be in 2038.
Yeah.
Yeah, we just got to get her focused.
Yeah.
Well,
this is your sixth trip to the
CrossFit Games.
Yeah.
Isn't that crazy to just say?
Yeah, I mean,
it is because there's a lot
of times where I'm like, oh, well, yeah,
like six times, I guess.
Like somebody just asked me the other day.
They're like, how many times?
I'm like, well, three individual trips.
And then this will be my third Masters.
And they're like, so six.
And I was like, yeah,
but I don't really like
ever say it that way.
So it's kind of funny,
like thinking about it.
And, you know,
when they talk to like the
elite athletes and they're like, oh,
this is your fourth time or
like you're like not a rookie anymore.
And like you're the you're an OG.
And I'm like, oh, I guess kind of them,
too.
But I just don't really like
see it like that.
So.
Yeah.
I think,
I think we need to change that
perspective because you have a job,
you own a business, you have a child,
you have a lot of things
that you're balancing in
life that you can't do what
the elite athletes do.
And that's okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I, I mean, I was very ready.
I was ready when I leveled up to masters.
I was just done like,
know putting in all that uh
time and work and like my
body was just ready to be
done um so like I'm very
grateful for the masters
division and like and I
love it I think it's great
um you know so I have no
like I wish I was still
there nothing like I don't
wanna I do not I'm not there I'm like
i don't do the things that
they can do like I can't do
that anymore so um yeah I'm
really grateful for where I
am now I'm happy with that
so five years ago you
entered the masters
division as at the youngest
point of the 35 to 39 and
you took second yeah now
you're in the youngest part
of the 40 to 45 44 year old division
does that put extra
expectations on how you're
going to perform this year?
Um, no, I mean, it makes me like hopeful.
Right.
Um,
and that was the intention with last year,
like taking a year off, um,
knowing that I would be on
the younger end of the next year.
Um, but there's some really fit,
strong girls in my division.
Um, and, uh,
I've been out of competition
for a little bit.
And so it's weird.
I don't really like right now.
I don't really have a lot of
expectations put on myself.
I'm just really happy to be there.
Because I didn't know that
if I if I would be there this year,
and so I'm like,
I'm super happy to be there.
Um,
I've worked really hard and
I feel really fit.
And so it's kind of like, you know,
I considered, um, you know,
through like the open and
semi or in quarters and semis,
I considered like, well, if I'm not like,
you know,
if I don't have a chance and I'm
like lower 30, 40,
however many they're taking, um,
if I'm on like the low end of qualifying,
like, I don't know if I'm going to go.
And then I realized that like,
this is not given, like,
this is not given and it's
not guaranteed.
Um, and so like any,
any masters athlete that
has ever like questioned, um, like,
should I go or not?
And like, express that to me.
I'm like, go, like go,
because we don't know if
there'll be next year.
And literally that's been like, since,
since I went in.
um, at 35 to 39, I, I was like,
I don't know if there'll be a next year,
you know,
I don't know what's going to happen.
Cause when I went in 2019, um,
I was like a month away
from trying to get pregnant.
Uh, so, you know, for me then it was like,
I don't know, I don't know if I'm gonna,
you know, want to do this again.
Um, so, you know,
I feel like you gotta like
take advantage of it.
Um,
I definitely earned my spot and, um, yeah,
I'm just, I'm just happy to be there,
but I also don't want to
just go and just participate.
So like I want to compete, um,
and I want to do the best I can, but, uh,
yeah, it's weird.
I don't have any huge
expectations on myself this year and I,
I don't want to put any on
myself cause that's when I do the best.
most of the people I've spoke to this week,
this is their rookie year.
The first time they're ever
going until tonight with
Kenzie and you and the
person I'm interviewing next,
you've all been to the
games before any advice for
these first timers heading to the,
to their first.
Um, I think that like, you know,
it's the same thing that
everyone talks about is like,
just soak it in.
Right.
And it's really, really hard to do that.
Um, I do feel like,
I didn't really fully get to
do that my first two years.
And then the third year was
like I had to pull out early.
So, I mean, yeah, I mean,
I think that that's like a
big thing is like try and
just like enjoy the process
and have fun with it.
But also like, you know,
know that you're there to work hard.
So it's going to be fun.
Um,
who are you taking to Birmingham with
you?
Uh, that's a good question because, um,
this year is going to be really exciting.
Um,
I have my husband and daughter for sure
will come.
And then, um,
my mom and my sister and my niece, um,
I have my coach coming with
me and then I have a group of six.
members from the gym,
a group of two members and
then another group of two,
and then possibly two more.
So it's like, like 12 people from my gym,
which is the most I've ever
come to watch me compete, um,
at the games.
Uh, especially, you know,
it's like a big travel.
And so it's really, I'm really excited,
like for that,
to have so many people
there to support me and like, get to like,
continue, um, to be a part of my journey.
That's incredible.
The more people we can get there,
the better chance that this
becomes a big festival type event.
Yeah.
And so it's cool that you're
not the only person telling
me you're bringing a big group of people.
So if everybody does that,
it could be with 450
athletes and then they all
bring a good chunk of people.
That's going to be awesome.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So I wanted to talk a little
bit about Big Fish.
We've talked to you about
that in the past.
You did it last year.
We had you on the show
talking about that experience.
I read some of your stuff
about this year where you did it again.
And the thing that got you
through was seeing your
husband and your daughter
kind of come support you during that.
And for people who don't know,
it's a 24-hour test.
30-hour.
30-hour test.
Mm-hmm.
Do you want to give a quick
explanation as to what it
is and what it's for?
Yeah,
so the Big Fish Foundation helps
support veterans after they
come back and they're
really there to help bring
you know,
just like bring people together
and do lots of,
they do lots of different things.
They don't just do like
these like 30 hour grueling events,
but they do the,
they do a fundraiser and
that's what I've participated in.
And so they actually just did one.
So this year I didn't do it.
I don't think I've done it
since I spoke with you.
But, uh,
so this year I didn't do it
because it's kind of like,
I either do big fish or I do the games.
Um, I'm worried that I,
I worry too much that it's
like such a long grueling
event that it's kind of like a beat down.
Um, but, uh, when I did it, um, last,
I did it last year and, um,
It was really fun.
It was Miranda and Julien were there.
We had Fern there.
We had a lot of like really cool,
Brooke Entz was there, Brista as always.
And so it was really cool
event working with like teamwork.
So we have relied a lot on our team
We did a lot of things in
pairs and in teams of six or whatever.
But the 30 hours is, you know,
you get to a point where you, like,
have a breaking point.
And, you know, it's nice to have.
It was really cool because I did have,
like, my husband and Charlotte there.
And it was kind of always
where it would be, like,
it's getting hard, it's getting hard.
And then like,
I would come like back to
the house and like, they would be there.
Um, so that was cool.
And then just to get to have, um,
her watch me do something like that.
Uh, you know,
I don't think she understands, right?
Like she doesn't understand,
she doesn't get it, but eventually like,
it's something that, you know,
we will watch
we watched some of the stuff
from this past year and like,
she knows Tosh.
And so I'm like, Hey, there's Mr. Tosh.
Do you remember Mr. Tosh?
And like, so she remembers that.
And it's super cool.
Like my daughter got to like
meet and hang out with Nicole Carroll.
Like not a lot of people get to do that.
And so like, that's really cool.
Like when she grows up,
I'm going to be like, yeah, like you,
like here's a picture of
you and Nicole Carroll.
Yeah.
And so that's really cool for me.
That whole,
the Big Fish and Tosh and Nicole,
you know, what they're doing is amazing.
And this year we sent out a
athlete from street parking,
a girl that I've done some
training with and knew that
she would be a really good fit.
And she was a really good fit.
Um,
and so she got to experience it this
year and, uh, it was really,
really cool to be able to like, uh,
hear all the takeaways that
she took from it.
Um, and just sit her here, her experience.
Cause she's like a mom and a
business owner and like similar,
you know?
And, um, so it was, it's, it's really,
it's a great, um,
it's obviously a great foundation,
but like that, you know, whole, uh,
30 hour event was, is, you know,
you learn something about
yourself that you like,
can't learn from just,
sometimes you can't even
learn it from 24 hours.
Like it's going to take you
the full 30 hours to really
get that completely life changing.
Yeah.
Um, and you know,
there's a lot of times too, where like,
I'll like, I'll,
you know, we'll talk about, uh,
I don't know, like, like, Oh,
somebody is like talking
the other day about 60
minutes of burpees or whatever.
And they're like, people are like,
I could never do that.
Like, Oh, like that's,
that's like nothing.
Right.
Like 60 minutes.
I've done like 30 hours, you know?
Um, and I think the mental, um,
You know,
the mental toughness that you
build from stuff like that
and just sitting through
adversity and sitting in
your shit is something that
you can't train for that.
Like, you can't train for that.
You have to just experience it.
And so I'm very grateful to
have experienced that stuff
because it's made me a
better athlete and is
likely one of the reasons why I...
you know, am still competing today.
It's funny because I, now I,
every time I talk to you now,
I want to go in three
different directions and I
got to pick which one first.
Nicole Carroll is one of the
coolest people on the, on the planet.
And not many people make me
nervous anymore because of
doing this for so long,
but I was at the games in
the media pit and she came
up and leaned on the
barricade right beside me.
And I got nervous.
So she's just like super cool.
Somebody I respect deeply in this space.
The other thing is you talk
about like sitting in your
shit for 30 hours.
You,
we did this story when we first met
you years ago and you
talked about your recovery
journey and now you're,
you're paying that forward
with holding recovery
classes at your gym.
So talk about sitting in your shit.
Like, you know what that's like.
Yeah.
And to say that this event
changes your life after
what you've been through in
your life means so much.
Yeah.
So paying it forward now,
how important are those
classes that you do at your
gym for people in recovery?
Um, they're really important.
I'm like,
I'm like going to get emotional about it.
Um,
We actually have a, um, we have,
we just had a situation
where we have had an athlete, um,
who's really struggling in our program.
And, um, And, you know, like,
I really truly believe that, um, he needs,
he needs our program.
Um,
and I will continue to open up our
program for him.
Um,
uh, as long as he's willing.
Um, but, uh, so yeah, that our,
our program's very like, it's, um,
very close right now and like very, uh,
just like very emotional.
Um, but yeah, uh, you know, our program,
uh,
we continue to like offer free CrossFit,
um, for people in recovery and, um,
you know being able to find
another an outlet um for
those who are in recovery
um is very important uh the
support we have for um our
athletes is really big so
our entire community is
very supportive of our program
Um, and that, you know,
I've had some of our
athletes talk about it before that.
Cause they eventually kind
of like transition out,
they transit transition out
from the free classes to
the paid classes because
they are able to do that.
And it's,
and it's really just whenever
they're able.
Um, and so, you know, the,
the comments have been like, I,
I was scared to go into the
normal classes because I
was scared people would
look at me as like,
I was one of the recovery athletes and,
um,
our community doesn't look at people
like that.
Um, so I'm very like, that's amazing,
you know, from our community.
Uh, but.
I'm sorry,
I don't even know where that
question was going,
if I answered that question or not.
Let me ask you a follow-up,
because I live here in Ohio,
and Dale King is also doing
something very similar to that.
Have you ever been in
contact with Dale and
talked about these types of programs?
Yeah.
I mean a little bit,
I've tried to contact him.
I would really, really,
really like to be able to get out and, um,
see him after like the
documentary came out.
I was like, go, I was like, let's go.
We're going to take a team out.
Um, and I was like asking like,
like what's the deal on the teams?
Um,
I would like to take a team out to the
gauntlet.
Um, but I would also like to, uh,
get connected with him and
hear some of his, um, you know,
best practices and, um,
just like more about what
he's doing because yeah,
I think what he's doing is amazing.
And, um, I try to, um,
Basically his program and
the Phoenix are the two
like programs that we like
really model off of you
know And like would want to
be doing what they're doing
You know our program just
ends up being is is me
offering and doing what I
can to like give back to
the community and You know
to give people what I was given And
uh, share with them what I have, you know,
um, I don't know.
We had a,
we had a new girl yesterday and she, um,
she said, I don't,
I don't listen well and I
don't pay attention well,
but for some reason, when you speak,
I listen.
Um, and that was really cool.
Like to know that I have
that impact on people, um, it,
it means a lot.
And, uh, it was very powerful in a,
you know in a in a place of
feeling like I um you know
invested a lot into an
athlete and um you know I
just didn't get it this
time um but you know
there's there's other
athletes that are getting
it um and that have uh so
It's, um, you know, it,
it's an up and down, right?
Like, like I said,
like I will invest and like put my, like,
I really like,
I put my heart out for these people.
Um, and you know,
sometimes they're going to
get it and grab on and
sometimes they're not and
they're not ready yet.
Um,
but I know that, Oh,
I actually have a cool story.
I know that I do have an impact on people,
um, and that they'll take something.
So this weekend I, um, competed, uh,
at a recovery throw down.
Um,
so it was another recovery program in
our area and they, um,
just did a competition,
a team competition for,
to raise money for their program.
Um,
So I met a kid there who I
used to work at a treatment center.
Um, when I was right out of college.
So that was like, I don't know, 2008.
Um,
And he came up to me and he was like,
what's your name?
I was like, Carlene.
And he was like,
did you used to work at DePaul?
And I was like, yes.
He was like, I was a client there.
He's like, I remember you.
And it was when I first started.
It must have been 2010
because it was when I first
started CrossFit and I
started taking the clients
to the CrossFit gym.
And so I was like, oh,
did we go to CrossFit when
you were there?
And he was like, yes.
And so he, um,
he got that experience when
he was 15 and he's now 27.
Um,
and he hasn't been clean the whole time,
but, um, he, he came back to CrossFit.
Um, and so that was really, really cool.
I was like super excited.
I've been telling everyone the story.
So, um,
that was really cool to know that
like I had that impact and, um,
he remembered me, um, from, you know,
14 years ago.
Well, that's awesome.
That Dale King documentary
may be the most impactful
thing I've seen in the last
year to my life.
And one thing you learn in
there is recovery is not a straight line.
Yeah.
Like it is just not.
And that's why that
documentary is so emotional
because it's not a straight line.
yeah what you guys are doing
you and him and the phoenix
needs to be done and you
should be applauded for all
the efforts you guys are
putting in yeah it
definitely you know um you
know I just have I have a
lot of athletes that are
like I wouldn't like this
this is part of my this is
part of my recovery you
know like meetings great
yeah I go to meetings but
like I need this
Um, you know, I'm working with a guy who,
um, that's exactly it.
Like, he's like, I need this.
Like,
this is part of his treatment program,
like part of his recovery,
part of his program includes CrossFit.
Like if he's not showing up regularly,
like I can talk to his PO, you know, like,
Hey, he's not showing up.
Chances are likely he's not
doing good if he's not showing up.
So as long as he's consistent with us,
like coming five days a week, then I'm
Like chances are likely he's doing good.
It's amazing what,
how many great things
CrossFit can do for people.
Yeah.
In all facets of life, not just recovery,
but just the community
itself is so amazing.
Yeah.
Well, Carlene,
I've taken up 30 minutes of your time.
I promised you it would only
be 30 minutes.
I want to thank you so much
for being on tonight.
Good luck at the games.
We will be there.
We were granted access to do
a behind-the-scenes of the
Masters CrossFit Games.
So just like the elites get that,
we're doing it for the Masters athletes.
So we will be there chatting
with you in the back and in
the warm-up area and
wishing you all the luck in the world.
That's cool.
You're lucky because I asked
if they were going to do
any media passes for anyone
else and they're not.
So you guys are lucky.
It took me a long negotiation to get this.
That's great.
Well, thank you so much for being on here.
And thank you to everybody for joining us.
We will see everybody next
time on the Clydesdale Media Podcast.
Thank you.