One Year Gone, Not Out: Kimberly Luber

May 4, 2014

Brittney Saline

“I am enjoying the workouts and not dwelling on the idea that it is a competition, but that it's lots of fun to challenge myself this way,” she said. “(CrossFit) gives you that confidence that you…

"I still feel like I fight for every rep, for every second. I don't assume anything is going to be easy, and the list of things to work on is always longer than the list of things you've conquered."


Photos courtesy of Kendra Ross.

Kimberly Luber is making her comeback.

The two-time CrossFit Games competitor took 12th in 2011 and 13th in 2012 in the 50-54 Division, before sitting out of 2013.

Now, she’s returning to the CrossFit Games as the second-ranked woman in her division.

“It’s exciting,” Luber said. “I can finally breathe again.”

One evening in May, 2012, Luber chalked up to practice her clean, in preparation for her second CrossFit Games appearance. Gripping the bar, index fingers wrapped around her thumbs, she took a sharp breath as she pulled, popped and dropped.

But as she stood, iron pressing against her neck, she felt a sharp snap in her left leg. She had strained her hamstring, just two months before the big show in Carson, Calif.

“I cursed quite a bit in my head,” she remembered.

Despite the strain, she rallied to compete in the Games, managing two top-ten finishes that year.

Still, the injury kept the former runner from shining in an event that should have been her forte: the Masters Triplet of rope climbs, front squats and shuttle runs. After taking 17th in that event and 15th in the Masters Chipper three events later, she was cut before the final two events.

Luber said that competing through injury tainted her Games experience.

“It just wasn’t fun and it kind of dragged on,” she said.

Though she continued to attend classes at CrossFit Northern Kentucky after the Games ended, CrossFit had lost its lustre for her, and she took a break from competing in 2013. 

“I was feeling really beat up and not excited about CrossFit anymore,” she said. “I needed a break.” 
 
Looking to stir things up, she joined CrossFit Conjugate shortly after the affiliate opened just across the Kentucky border in 2013. Owned by CrossFit Powerlifting Seminar Staff members Shane and Laura Sweatt, the novelty of new programming focused on strength and accessory work rekindled her passion for the sport. 
 
“I tried out a couple of their workouts and it was so different that it made CrossFit exciting again,” Luber said. 
 
Today, the former real estate agent, now retired, splits her time between volunteer work and training for the Games. And, citing an increase of 10-15 percent for each of her one-rep maxes since joining CrossFit Conjugate, she said she’s more Games-ready now than before her injury. 
 
“I am a lot healthier and stronger,” she said. “The Conjugate program has made me a more balanced athlete, and it constantly challenges me physically and mentally. When you get to observe people like Laura Sweatt and Sam Briggs train, you learn so much about training and discipline.”
 
Luber proved her strength with two first-place finishes in the Open this year, tying Clarke for first overall in the 55-59 Division. In the Masters Qualifier, she never finished outside of the top 10 on an event (7th, 3rd, 2nd, 3rd) to claim second overall behind Susan Clarke. 
 
She credits her second place finish on Event 3--three rounds of 40-calorie row, 15 handstand push-ups, and 40 double-unders--to her year off.
 
“When I injured my hamstring, I did a lot of handstand push-up work because I couldn’t do anything with my legs,” she said. 
 
Despite her second place finish in the Qualifier, Luber doesn’t consider herself to be elite.
 
“I still feel like I fight for every rep, for every second,” she said. “I don’t assume anything is going to be easy, and the list of things to work on is always longer than the list of things you’ve conquered.”
 
At the top of Luber’s list of things to work on between now and the Games is refining her Olympic weightlifting technique and building endurance on the pull-up rig. 
 
“I need to be able to stay on the bar longer,” she said. “It’s about being able to do 20 (reps) five times, versus 20 and the next set being four.” 
 
Following programming written by the Sweatts for CrossFit Conjugate’s competitive athletes, she trains two to two-and-a-half hours per day, five days per week, with one full rest day and one active recovery day for yoga or biking. 
 
Oftentimes, she trains with athletes from the affiliate’s regional team, CrossFit Conjugate Black. 
 
“It’s a little different when you are a Master and are training amongst 20-year-old firebreathers,” she said. “It keeps you very grounded.” 
 
Four days per week, Luber focuses on either maximal effort or dynamic effort strength training with either short met-cons or longer endurance workouts, respectively, followed by accessory work. The fifth day is for Olympic weightlifting.   
 
Lindsey Kelly, a member of the Conjugate regional team and coach to Luber, is impressed with Luber’s performance so far. 
 
“She's got this awesome motor and can hang with us, even when going heavier than a typical Master's WOD would prescribe,” Kelly said. “Since starting to work with her in September of 2013, I've seen her grow and continue to develop strength, mentally and physically, and she's only going to get better between now and July.”
 
And this year, Luber plans on having some fun when she gets there. 
 
“I am enjoying the workouts and not dwelling on the idea that it is a competition, but that it's lots of fun to challenge myself this way,” she said. “(CrossFit) gives you that confidence that you can still do things. You can still be competitive, you can still try new things and learn new things, and that’s a big thing: to keep learning.”