As promised, I am posting another story from a client and good friend who has come out the other side of some tough times only to discover that she is much stronger, and capable of much more than she ever imagined. Her name is Allison Gill, and about a year ago, I had the honor of starting to train her. Although she was initially a little skeptical regarding a Crossfit Endurance regimen, she remained open minded, and willing to train with me to prepare for her first triathlon. The rest they say, is history. In less than a year, she has qualified for both the National Triathlon Championships, and the National Duathlon Championships, both in which she is competing. Enjoy her story.
The MRI results were clear: a stress fracture. Ten days
prior to my first half-marathon, I am hugely disappointed to discover that not
only would I not be running the event after 18 weeks of training, but that I
would be in a walking boot for 6 weeks & running was not permitted. I
wanted to stay in shape, so I asked my doctor about alternative exercises. He
told me that I could swim, bike & do strength training.
I joined an athletic
club in the area with a pool & decided that I might as well give doing a
triathlon a shot. I had been a competitive swimmer (25 years ago) & I had a
few triathlete friends. I had not biked in over 10 years, but I thought that it
might be fun. I expressed my desire to complete a triathlon with one of the
club managers & he quickly referred me to Guy Petruzzelli for personal
training. Since I had absolutely no clue how to train for or do any type of
multi-sport racing, I decided it was a good idea to work with Guy. After all,
the last thing I wanted was another injury.
And so began my
journey into the world of Crossfit. It’s now one year later & my fitness
level has improved exponentially. The strengthening & conditioning
component of training has been extremely valuable to me: not only during
athletic competition, but in the balance, movement & strength that make
every day tasks easier. The quality of my life has improved; I have learned
that strength of spirit & a true commitment lead to physical, mental &
emotional health well beyond my original expectations. Guy is my coach, trainer,
confidant & an integral part of my support-system. He expects me to always
put forth my best effort, and in return, he is always there to answer my
questions, erase my self-doubts, push me to continue to improve & inspire
me to believe that I am capable of much more than I think.
My
triathlon/duathlon/aqua-bike season has been great! At each race, I am reaching
my goal times & having a blast!! I have lost 10 lbs, but more importantly,
I have gained lean muscle, a positive attitude regarding my body & its
capabilities, and the utmost respect or all of those that train their hardest,
try their best & help others to break out of their comfort zones to improve
their lives. Some advice that I would like to share with others: improving your
fitness is a process, so make the commitment, be patient, be kind to yourself
& believe.
