Bill U’ren

  It started with just some mild lower back pain. I’d woken up at around 3:00 AM on October 31st 2016.
Go back to sleep, you still have some time before having to get up to head to the 5AM Hardcore Cardio
class was what I was thinking. About an hour later I was curled up on pain on the floor desperately
trying to get my wife Shawna’s attention without waking the kids. I had no idea what was going on, but
it felt like someone was sticking a knife in my lower back and twisting it just to make sure I knew it was
there.

  Turns out a kidney stone about the size of a grain of sand was what brought about the start of
my REBORN journey. Prior to that day, I was your typical gym goer. I had started at CFRR 3 years prior
and was continually trying to work harder in the gym, believing that was the best way for me to get the
results I so desperately wanted. Run faster, lift heavier, take more classes was what I kept telling myself.
All the while completely ignoring what it was I was putting in my body to fuel it and keep it in good
working order. Three days before my 40th birthday it seems my body had finally had enough, it was
going to make sure I had plenty of time to formulate a new plan and accept the choices that needed to
be made.

It was a real eye-opener for me because it was the first time I really felt vulnerable and helpless.
Nothing I could do at that moment could fix what the previous years of poor nutritional choice had
caused. I knew full well that something had to change, and it couldn’t be a small change either. It had
to be drastic, immediate and enduring. In the weeks and months that followed I completely changed
my diet and cut out the crazy amounts of sugar, I was consuming. Shawna and I began meal prepping
every week and we consistently review what it is we’re eating and work to find healthier alternatives.
My kids have learned about reading nutritional labels, to the point that they know when something has
a lot of sugar chances are good they won’t get to eat it. The results for me have been well worth the
effort. I feel better in and out of the gym, my energy level is higher and my sleeping is better too.
“This place will change you if you let it.” Can’t think of a better way to describe my time at
CFRR. I’m as stubborn as they come but the coaches, especially Kali, have been nothing but patient,
encouraging and understanding. They all truly want you to live the best life possible both inside and
outside the gym. Over the past 5 years, my weight has gone down 15 lbs and my total body fat has gone
down 25 lbs. I’ve also dropped 2.5 minutes off of my mile time and squatted heavier at 41 than I did in
high school. However, those are just numbers on a piece of paper, what has really changed for me is
between my ears. I’m no longer obsessed with the number on the scale, the time on the clock at the
end of a WOD or the weight on the barbell. Those are just numbers to use as a measurement of
progress, what really matters is that I have changed my health to ensure that I am here with my family
and friends for as long as possible.

One last thing. I will be remiss if I didn’t thank a few people that have supported me throughout this
journey. My loving wife Shawna who has been on board since her first “Free for All” WOD 12 weeks
after Tommy was born. All the coach’s past and present at CFRR. Coach Kali who gets up every morning
to meet me at the gym at 4:50 AM with a smile on her face and an unshakable positive attitude. Coach
Marcus who continually gives me advice on nutrition and alternative food choices. Last but not least the
entire 5AM crew. These folks grind out work before sunrise than most people do in an entire day.
Thank you all for holding me accountable and helping me through this crazy journey.

-Bill U’ren