The last
time I checked in, I talked about goal setting. One of the goals I had set for
myself was to participate in a half marathon. Well … gulp … I have started down
the path to seeing this goal to completion by registering for a half marathon
in Jamestown this summer.
Now the one
question might be: why? The simple answer is that I want to. Three years ago,
heck last year, I would’ve laughed at the notion of me even CONSIDERING running
a half marathon. I am not a runner, and I will never claim to be a runner. But
I like to push myself, I like to test myself and, lately, I’ve liked to stretch
the limits of my comfort zone.
A few weeks
back, Jen and I went for a run at our “new” bike path near our house. It was my
first (and, sadly, only) long run of the spring. We went for 7.5 miles, which
was the longest I had ever run at one time. Before that, I had completed a 10K (6.2
miles) a few years back, and have done 5K and 5-mile races. I felt good, well
as good as one can feel after running 7.5 miles.
I also have
been running during my CrossFit class in Medfield, but that always is on an
incline hill which, ironically, has helped my flat surface running immensely. I
immediately noticed a difference whenever I am on a flat surface that running
is much easier because of all those 400-meter runs that Spencer and Luis put the
group through.
Then, when
attending RBF classes in Johnston, I have found the warmup runs much easier.
When I first started there, I routinely would be in the back of the pack during
these warm-ups; now I am finding myself at the front of the pack, keeping a
steady pace throughout, and NOT feeling winded when coming back into the gym to
start the actual workout with Robert Foster.
Progress.
That comfort
zone had been getting a little too cozy lately. To try to break out of any
lackluster performances, I started doing a strength program at the ReebokCrossFit Medfield box, under the direction of Spencer Hendel. Along with my buddy
Jon, we tackled three portions of the program together – strict press and back
squat on Mondays; push press and pushups on Tuesdays; and thruster and
deadlifts on Wednesdays. We did these on top of our normal WOD that day,
usually in the late afternoon.
 |
Me (left) and Jon completing a 200-meter walking lunge, uphill, outside Reebok CrossFit Medfield during one of our WODs earlier this week. |
We are
entering the final stretch of the program, and we’ll be able to re-test for our
one rep max on each movement and our max pushups in two minutes, which were the
tests at the start of the program. I already know that at least a couple of the
weights will have gone up, as I have already added 30 pounds to my back squat and
20 to the deadlift.
Progress.
But the
biggest leap out of that comfort zone is running. I am signed up for a few
races this spring and summer, including the Bold R Dash in Westerly and the
Harpoon 5-Miler in Boston (both next weekend). I have never liked to run, but
have done it as part of conditioning and getting back in shape. I have seen the
benefits of adding running to a workout (and not necessarily having it be the
entire workout) thanks to both Spencer and Rob, and feel ready to tackle that
goal I had set back in the winter.
Those are
four statements that, together or independent of each other, you would not have
heard come from my mouth before this journey started. And now July 13 is circled
on my calendar as a day to accomplish a goal.
Progress
indeed.
