My Cedar Park Crossfit Story to June 11 Teton Dam Marathon 2011.

My Cedar Park Crossfit Story -


I came into Crossfit after knowing the Tillmans for years and getting bored with doing Triathlons and Marathons, I needed another challenge in my life. So my thought "Why not try Crossfit out". Week before Thanksgiving 2009 I joined Coach Nikki and Hillary at the park for Crossfit Bootcamp, first WOD had something to do with Sprints, Handstand Pushups, and Situps...Lets just say Thank Goodness for the Sprints and What is this Handstand Pushup thing?!....I had the endurance and stamina but doing a Situp alone was hard. On top of that shock Nikki decides to start talking Paleo with me...WHAT?! I am scared enough...But over a year later I am still more into Crossfit than ever, "Drinking the Koolaide" Big Time!.

Dabbling with Paleo and seeing more PRs in Crossfit I decided to take it to the next level with the Crossfit "I do the Impossible Challenge", 6 Weeks of full on Paleo and diving into making "dreams" come true. Learning the ends and out of what makes Paleo eating successful, leaning out big time, PRs like crazy, and tackling things like Faster Running and Double Unders were all apart of my "I CAN do the Impossible". I think this Challenge brought out the Beast in me and gave me a real taste of what I wanted in my Athletic World. No longer could I really say I was a Runner in a Crossfit world because I think I have become "A Crossfitter in a Runners World". Thanks Coach David Tillman!

During the Impossible Challenge I completed 2 Half Marathons...One not so good because it was in the beginning where my body was not adjusted to all the changes I had been making BUT the other being AMAZING. Not a PR but I was so Strong and felt so great with this very challenging course, that got me fired up...So why not start training for some Full Marathons again?!

I started working with David Tillman and transitioning from the regular long marathon training ways (that I have been doing for years) to the Crossfit Endurance Training for all my running and upping Crossfit WODs 3x Week. Being a little skeptical I kept at it, pushing, getting faster, seeing PRs in all my Lifts and Workouts. During all my other Marathon Training years I have always battled with injuries right before the big race day or just being burned out. NOT THIS TIME!

Saturday June 11 was the real test....Teton Dam Marathon (Full 26.2 miles) in Rexburg, Idaho. Never Training in Mountains or Elevation, I have to say a little freaked out is under stating it. And my last two full Marathons were a horrible experience to me. Starting the Marathon at 5900ft elevation with very cold and rainy temps the horn went off, in my mind I was thinking to myself "well here I go, why am I doing this"?...Miles 1-7 were off road gravel farmland with no flats and a nice cold rain coming down, this air is thin (lots of side cramping happened) and not easy to breath when your use to Texas. As I stayed on pace to Mile 15 for a huge PR it started to get Hot and Windy and as soon as that started to happen Miles 17-22 were a complete Mountain Uphill Climb in the Middle of Farm Country...I just got through, walk - run...just keep moving Suzanne, you can do this Suzanne..Telling myself. As I am going up this Climb "America the Beautiful" started playing on my IPod and I looked up and forgot the pain and the climb as I saw the Snow Covered Mountains and just started crying and remembered how strong I was. Time to dig deep! As I got up to the top on 22-Finish I knew even though it was rolling hills the whole time I could really run the downhills and make it. So that's what I did, it was time to get to the finish line, as tired and stiff as my body was it was time to finish. To the Finish line I went....No Hobbling, Strong Finish, was able to walk when done. To anybody that has seen me after my other marathons this was truly a testament to them on how strong Crossfit has made me. I am a believer, I finished with not a PR but only 8mins off and beat 8mins off my last marathon, and was not the last person on the course. I can say "I was Happy"..No Injuries and able to walk, even Better!

I will continue in my Journey of Eating Paleo, Crossfit, and Crossfit Endurance Training for my Next Marathon (which is Chicago in October)..Who knows maybe one day I can compete with the Crossfit Fittest People?! Stay tuned because I have big plans......