I am currently attending two CrossFit classes per week but hope to increase this to three classes over the summer months.  Although the workouts are tough, I enjoy every CrossFit session; what works for me are the challenging workouts I would never set for myself, the team spirit during classes and the constant support and encouragement from Ger, the CrossFit trainer.  The Workout of the Day (WOD) changes every day which ensures classes are never boring and is for me, the essence of cross training.  Your body does not know what to expect at a CrossFit session!  This is in contrast to how I trained at the gym; I repeated similar workouts over and over.  Although the WOD of the day is posted online before the class; at present, I decide what day I will attend and go for it.  I realised at the beginning that sometimes, what looks easy on paper, is actually very challenging! At classes, we use free weights and kettle bells as well as skipping and squats to mention a few.  I had little experience of resistance or weight training in the past but with Ger’s guidance, I am enjoying using weights and can see the difference they make to training.  The first few classes I attended were somewhat daunting as I was doing exercises I had never attempted before with people at varying levels of fitness.  However, Ger scales each workout to suit the individual so everyone is challenged at their level.  What I most like about CrossFit Mallow is the welcoming, supportive and respectful environment, an example which is set by Ger and followed by all members.

The benefits of CrossFit training became clear to me following a recent ten mile road race where I completed the course 6 minutes faster than last year.  I achieved this by doing less running (once or twice per week) and two CrossFit classes per week.  I hope to run another marathon next year.  For this marathon, however, I hope to follow a plan which includes more CrossFit training and less distance running sessions.