“The benefits go beyond the physical,” Horton says. “It’s fun. I never wake up thinking, ‘I don’t want to go to CrossFit.’”
After three months of CrossFit, Ashley Horton saw physical changes in herself and welcomed them. Her fellow triathletes, however, did not.
They told her CrossFit would do nothing to improve her endurance. At the same time, other female friends cautioned her against lifting weights because it would make her “bulky.” And still others warned, “Everyone gets hurt in CrossFit.”
Horton started running in 2005. Over the past seven years, she incorporated swimming and cycling into her training. She completed her first triathlon in 2006, making it her focus. The journey climaxed when she finished the Ironman Coeur d'Alene in 2011. After awhile, the 30-year-old grew bored of her training regimen.
“I knew I wanted to do some type of strength training and I felt I needed more intensity,” Horton says. “I heard about CrossFit. The people looked crazy and I wanted to be a part of it.”
She says CrossFit struck her as a sport that pushed athletes’ limits.
After searching the Internet, Horton found CrossFit 858 in the Mira Mesa area of San Diego, Calif. Despite her notable athletic background, Horton struggled for the first several weeks.
“I didn’t have a clue what anything was and I couldn’t remember what everything was called,” she says.
Likewise, Horton made a habit of previewing the next day’s workout on the Internet and searching videos to help her understand how to move.
“It’s hard because you see everyone around you performing at a high level and you want to be just like them,” she says.
Instead, Horton made a decision to focus on technique.
“I knew I had to be patient, and that over time I would get stronger and hopefully be able to do the same weight I saw the other girls doing,” she says. “I remember only deadlifting the 45-lb. bar.”
Horton adds: “It’s mind-blowing that the other day I did a 175-lb. deadlift.” Now, Horton CrossFits four times a week. She reserves three days to rest or do another activity she enjoys. The change has been beneficial, she says.
“I was focused on just getting better, then one day I realized I could do more than I thought,” Horton says. “I trusted the process and over time I felt I was getting stronger and the workouts were getting ‘easier.’”
After four months and 15 pounds lost, her average mile time during marathons improved by one minute, and she recently recorded a five-minute PR during the 5K portion of a triathlon.
“The benefits go beyond the physical,” Horton says. “It’s fun. I never wake up thinking, ‘I don’t want to go to CrossFit.’”