Amy Schramm – Marathon PRs with CrossFit

I wanted to share my story which illustrates a 100% direct and irrefutable correlation with success in running marathons and Ballston CrossFit (BCF). At the five and 10-month marks, I’ve experienced two major “wins” in my life since joining BCF (and the CrossFit world together).

 

In 2008 I fell in love with the marathon road race (26.2 miles) and have run about one per year for the last decade. However, in 2013 I began to see a decline in progress with my finish times. It was a total buzzkill.

4:48 (2008)

4:15 (2009)

4:07 (2010)

4:01 (2011)

3:57 (2012). My current PR at the time. Only seeing improvement. Life is great 

4:12 (2013)

3:57 (2014) *missed a PR by six seconds this day

4:16 (2015)

4:05 (2015)

3:58 (2016)

 

It was a painful four years spending months and months of training (between 500-600 miles a training cycle) to continually miss my goals on marathon day. Though I loved this sport, I grew doubtful that I could not break through. I knew I needed a change.

 

Fast forward. I joined BCF in May 2017. Marathon training began about a week after I started heading to the Box about three times a week. At the 2017 Marine Corps Marathon, just five months after joining, I ran a 3:51:52. I couldn’t believe what happened that day. A five-and-a-half minute PR, when I would have been thrilled with a 30 second PR, or less. 

 

Fast forward again. March 10, 2018 at the DC Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, 10 months after starting CrossFit. I completed the race in 3:45:45. An additional six-minutes off the PR I set five months prior. I am 100% certain that CrossFit played a major role in such large gains.

 

To say I’m beside myself is an understatement – I can’t thank you and the BCF Coaches (and former teammates) enough for the great programming, support, and motivation to help me reach these new milestones in the marathon. It is only making me hungry for more progress, both in the gym and on the road.