I’ve watched all the videos. I’ve read all the testimonials. But like I said, I am a wimp.
Tonight I mentioned to a colleague about my fear of trying CrossFit (again). It went something like this:
I’ve been watching the videos, I say.
Stop watching and start doing, He says.
But I am weak.
Of course you are, he laughs, You’re a runner.
Now my colleague knows what he’s talking about (sometimes). He’s an ultra-marathoner who has run the Death Race and Sinister 7 and a handful of other races. He’s either won or placed in the top 5. He’s the poster guy for CrossFit. You wouldn’t believe he’s 50 if you were to look at him. And he’s fast and he doesn’t do many long runs in his training.
The reported benefits are: increased cardiovascular function, decreased body fat, increased muscle mass, increased strength, increased power, increased speed and increased anaerobic capacity. (Source: CrossFit Endurance)
I remember Audrey and I talked to this woman on the plane to New York in November about CrossFit. She said she has cut her training time in half and improved her times since she started CrossFit.
If you have trained for any distance, you know, the longruns have long been the cornerstone of training. Right now I am not comfortable giving them up now because I’ve only run one marathon. Maybe when I am older and wiser?
I’ve been a gym rat once a week in an effort to improve my strength. I want to be stronger. I want arms like Madonna (yes, I do). I’m just a wimp about showing how weak I am in public.
I should just buck up and do it. One day, I will, I continue to say.
I am determined to do hill repeats and squats before work on Saturday. That’s a start, right? I love outdoor exercise. I have to try is outdoor bootcamps this summer. But not those girly type ones. I need someone screaming at me in a military like voice.
Read this article from Runner’s World on CrossFit and Running.