Laura will be teaching Saturday monring classes, as well as training as an athlete with the evening crew. She brings a much needed dynamic to our team, which is a talent and passion for endurance work! If you have not yet had a chance to meet her please take a minute to read her bio and keep an eye out for her at class. She will be the one pouting when we have OLY lifts and smiling when we are running:). We are very excited to be adding Laura to the BCF family.
By Laura Lewis,
It’s true… I love CrossFit. But, I will admit, among gasps
and shocked looks in the CrossFit community that I love running even more. I
love figuring out how far I can ask my body to go and how it will respond when
I hit the “wall.” But, it wasn’t always like this. Though I ran off and on
throughout high school and college for fitness, I gradually stopped going on
runs in favor of a quick 30 minutes on the elliptical. That, coupled with poor
eating, led me to gain 25 pounds by my mid-to-late 20’s.
One day, when I had just turned 29, I got on a treadmill out
of curiosity. I ran 1 mile; it took me nearly 10 minutes and I was so winded
and lightheaded when I stopped that I had to sit down on the back of the
treadmill. It frustrated me… and I’m not one that gives up easily, so I went
back for more the next day.
The rest, as they say, is history. 20 pounds and 3 years
later, I have run numerous 5k’s, 10k’s and half marathons (13.1 miles) and
completed 6 marathons (26.2 miles). I have qualified for the Boston Marathon
three times, and will be heading there in April to tackle every runners dream
and Heartbreak Hill. In addition to road races, I absolutely love adventure
runs and mud races such as Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash, etc.
And, this is where CrossFit comes in. After running my first
3 marathons, I reached a plateau and my body was wrecked. I started going to
Crossfit on suggestion from my doctor to incorporate strength training and
instantly fell in love. The supportive atmosphere, the challenge, the variation
and the way I felt after my first WOD was a turning point for me.
I quickly learned the fundamentals and took my L1
certification and have been coaching at an affiliate in Hillsboro since February, 2013.
What I will say is this: I know many CrossFitters don’t love
endurance training or enjoy running. To be completely honest, that’s how I feel
about Olympic lifting. But, I do the OLY lifts because I truly believe in the
CrossFit method, and know that even though I will never be the strongest one at
the box, I will always be the strongest I can be when I adhere to the CF
principles.
I am a high school teacher during the day, so I will see
most of you at the evening classes, and hopefully at the Saturday classes! I
will push you, encourage you and support you as much as you will let me. I love
coaching because I get to see ordinary people do extraordinary things. The look
on an athletes face when they get up the rope for the first time or when they
break a 10 minute-mile is priceless and I’m looking forward to many of these
moments at Banks Country Fitness. I couldn’t be more excited to be welcomed
into this great CrossFit community!
She may seem like the devil on Saturday mornings but this picture proves that she can be sweet & innocent:) Excited to have you on the team Laura!