My First Eight Runs

By David Foster

First off, I just want to say I have never thought about running in my life. I actually have always (and I mean always) hated it. My passions started off with running no more than 10 yards and smashing into people (AKA football) and ended up with me in a CrossFit gym on a weightlifting platform going for max attempts every Friday. In other words, I have a lot of power and speed for a short amount of time, and running a marathon has never been done in less than five minutes.

I was challenged at the end of the year to compete in a marathon, and not really knowing what I had said yes to, I agreed. I started running and training in our CrossFit Endurance program at the beginning of February. During my first four training days I truly hated it. Running for me is just a literal pain, and on top of it I was still trying to lift as heavy as I could. I soon realized that it was not going to be a program where I could lift the same as I had all of my life and try and run more and more from now till November. Not saying I can’t lift at all, but I simply cannot lift super heavy and run at the same time; they just don’t mix.

David lifting heavy weights.

What I did come to notice is that on runs five through eight it was kind of enjoyable. Still, it was one of the worst experiences I had been through in a while. It has gotten better slowly, but I am still not able to say I enjoy running. I don’t know If I will ever say that, but I do know I am enjoying becoming a better all-around athlete and that is why I have decided to attempt to run a marathon.

It really is the best to always remember this:

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar.  Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.  Practice and train all major lifts:  Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J and snatch.  Similarly master the basics of gymnastics:  Pull ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds.  Bike, run, swim, row, ect, hard and fast.  Five to Six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow.  Routine is the enemy.  Keep workouts short and intense.  Regularly learn and play new sports. -Greg Glassman