Matt Hathcock CrossFit Athlete Interview

SGPT: Tell us about yourself.

MH: My name is Matt Hathcock. I am 26 years old and live in Morrison, CO. I have a lovely girlfriend, Shannan, our dog Tron and a cat named Nermal. Being a CrossFit box owner and a CrossFit athlete my life is CrossFit everyday. I am definitely not complaining.

SGPT: Did you have an athletic background growing up?

MH: I was brought up playing baseball. Then one year my dad and I were playing a game called ‘burn out’ where you throw back and forth as hard as possible. I caught a ball right in the eye. That was the end of baseball. I played some football through middle and the beginning of high school. I tried soccer, basketball, and swimming. Only once I started wrestling did I really dedicate myself to any one thing. I wrestled for about 7 years. I did some jujitsu and mauy Thai for a while as well.

SGPT: How did you get started with CrossFit competitions?

MH: I found CrossFit while looking for conditioning workout videos to help with MMA training. I came across “Fran” and got hooked immediately. I’m not real sure exactly how I found the first competition I was in. It was 3 months since I began CrossFit and I signed up for 2009 Rocky Mountain Regionals. I love competition and I figured I should show up and see what it is all about. I placed 6th, one place out of going to the Games that year. I realized there were people that took this competition side of CrossFit very serious. I quit MMA and dedicated all my time from then on to getting better at CrossFit.

Matt Hathcock drinks Kill Cliff anti-inflammatory drink

SGPT: Can you tell us about some of your recent competitions and placings?

MH: My best placing was at the 2010 Colorado Open where I took 1st. This competition is the biggest local competition in Colorado. All of the beasts show up for it. I actually DNFd at it in 2009 and then in this year’s Colorado Open placed 2nd. I competed in the 2010 Reebok Southwest Regional Competition and placed 4th, missing the Games by a place. I am most proud of that. And I have done a local USAW meet where I got a 258kg total, I snatched 110kg and clean and jerked 148kg, which put me 2nd.

SGPT: How do you typically train?

MH: I try to workout 5 days each week with 3 days being two a days. I work on gymnastics skills a lot and my Olympic lifts. I do extra of row and run too.

SGPT: Tell us about CrossFit Unbroken and how your started your gym

MH: I started CrossFit in September, 2008. I got my Level 1 cert right away in October. I worked out at a globo gym, and it sucked big time. I read about starting an affiliate. Then one night while bored I decided to write my essay for why I wanted to start an affiliate. I never thought I would be good to go, but not too much later I received an acceptance letter. I asked my dad if I could move in with him to start a business, he said yes, and in June 2009 CrossFit Unbroken opened it’s doors.

It was a slow process. i think I only had 5 bars, 5 kettlebells, 5 wallballs, some bumpers, and a pull up rack that was put together with iron pipe. I had brought 4 athletes over from the globo gym.

Now Unbroken is in it’s 3rd location. We have a CrossFit Room and an Olympic lifiting room, two showers, two rooms that serve as locker rooms, and my office. We have 5 times the equipment I started with plus a few extra toys. It has really come together.

CrossFit elite athletes drink Kill Cliff anti-inflammatory drink

Oh yea, we have around 80 athletes.

SGPT: What about diet – how do you eat and fuel yourself on
competition days?

MH: I really like to stick to a modified paleo diet. I say modified because I still drink raw milk and I like yams. I get really strict around competition time. I still enjoy good beer, but not near competition. During competitions my body doesn’t really do well with real food. So after a regular bacon and egg breakfast I stick to mashed yams mixed with coconut, beef jerky, coconut water, and protein shakes. I drink a Kill Cliff in between workouts to keep me from getting cramped and sleepy.

SGPT: Do you take any protein supplements or post
recovery workout drinks?

MH: After every workout I have a post workout shake and I follow that with a Kill Cliff anti-inflammatory drink, especially if I have to workout again that day.

SGPT: Have you had any injuries in the past and how did you deal with them in training?

MH: I tore my right meniscus competing at the CrossFit/USAW Open. I didn’t really know the extent of what was wrong. I had tore it doing a max clean and jerk, but I thought it was just a sprain so I still did the metcon workout we had after that. The next couple of weeks I took off. The swelling eventually went down and I started training harder again, but I knew I wasn’t 100% so I had an MRI done, and found out about the torn meniscus. I had surgery January this year. I did regular physical therapy to get back, and was pushing it through CrossFit workouts probably way sooner than what my therapist thought was a good idea. I was able to squeak through the 2010 Open Sectionals at 53rd place. I am stronger and faster now than even before my injury, but pistols still make me really nervous. So do max cleans.

Matt Hathcock drinks Kill Cliff anti-inflammatory drink

SGPT: Do you have any pre-competition or hard workout warmup or mental
drills you perform?

MH: I do the same dynamic warm up before any workout. It helps me focus and loosen up. The night before I like to watch the “I am a champion” speech.

SGPT: What are you reading now?

MH: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, a friend just gave that book to me.

SGPT: Thanks for the interview Matt.

MH:　Thank you so much for taking your time to do this. Makes me feel legit.