Today I completed my first (and also probably last) half marathon. My knees, hips, ankles and shins hurt, but I did it. Finishing with a decent time of 2 hours and 34 minutes.
If you would have asked me to run 13.1 miles 3 years ago, I would have laughed in your face. I hate running. Running any distance over a mile was (and still kind of is) a struggle, to say the least. Both physically and mentally.
So how did I do it? I didn’t train for months before hand, far from that. The longest distance I’ve ran within the last 6 months was a little under 2 miles. I didn’t even know that I would be running a half marathon until the day before, when a texting conversation with a friend talking about the event turned into “heck, let’s just do it”.
I have CrossFit to thank for all the training I needed. Through participating in CrossFit classes at CrossFit Oshkosh consistently, I built up the strength and endurance needed to run a whole 13.1 miles.
I also have CrossFit Oshkosh to thank for helping me build up the mentality needed to run a half marathon. What I learned today is that running a half marathon is almost as much as a mental task as it is a physical one. You have to have the right “I’m not going to give up” and “I will push through the pain” mentality to get through running such a long distance. Having some great friends by my side definitely helped me push through the race, but I know for a fact I wouldn’t have the same mentality I did today if I hadn’t been for training in CrossFit for the past couple of years. CrossFit has taught me to never give up and to always push myself to the next level, to get out of my comfort zone. Running the half today was definitely out of my comfort zone, but I did it!
Throughout my years in CrossFit, there have been so many “Wow, I never thought I would be able to do this” moments. CrossFit Oshkosh isn’t the gym to just go burn some calories. It’s training for life, it’s pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, it’s building a whole new mentality that many wish they could maintain! It’s also becoming a part of a very supporting community and watching yourself become the best person you can be.
So, if you want to be able to run a half marathon without the months of daunting training before hand – join CrossFit Oshkosh!
Written by Mary W.
%CODE2%