Athlete of the Month: Lauren Cossette

“I’m pretty surprised to be sitting here writing this and to have “athlete” attached to my name in any way. I wasn’t an athletic person growing up. I never enjoyed team sports and exercise was a chore. In my mid-20s I fell into running and that’s what changed me. I just loved it from the start. I loved the methodical training, loved running races and challenging myself to go longer and get faster. It became my exercise, my stress relief and my social life. I started doing marathons and would have kept on doing them forever. Unfortunately I stubbornly ignored some warning signs while training for Boston in 2010 and when I tried to push myself through a big 22 mile training run, I earned myself a pelvic stress fracture. I sat out of that race and was heartbroken. Recovery was hard for me. It was several months before I could even walk without pain and I didn’t race again or run with any regularity for 4 long years. Thankfully my 2 boys were born during the time off so there was plenty of happiness in that time period too but I always felt adrift.

I was so happy when I was finally healed and able to get back into running so I vowed to be better about cross training rather than just piling on endless miles and asking for injury. I had followed Crossfit with interest for a while but never seriously considered signing up. At the same time, I was feeling very uninspired by the gym scene and home workouts so when Barry made it his mission to get in shape for his 40th Birthday, I saw an opportunity and talked him into joining with me. What I hoped to find was something that would hold my interest, make me stronger and complement my running. What I found was a brand new passion that I now love as much as running. (Burpees excluded – haha!) I just hit my one year mark and I have to say that Crossfit has been a huge, wonderful surprise. I actually laugh to myself when I get excited about a new achievement like a rope climb, pull-ups or handstand push-ups. I mean, when did handstand push-ups even become a goal I had in my life? Who am I? I love the challenge and it doesn’t matter to me that I’ll never be the fastest or the strongest. After my running injury and after becoming a mom I honestly thought my fittest years were behind me so I’m thrilled that Crossfit has brought back so much excitement and FUN to my routine. I feel healthier and stronger than I ever have and I love setting a positive example for my kids.

Aside from all of that, I get to be surrounded by the absolute best people. I genuinely enjoy being around all of the people in the gym and look forward to seeing everyone when I’ve been away for a few days. Crossfit is so different from running but the camaraderie is similar and I find inspiration in everyone around me. I’m so appreciative of Danielle, Suzie and all the other amazing coaches for their support, whether it’s helping with form, cheering us on during the WODs or simply shaming me to put away the band/abmat/small KB, etc. Unlike the typical gym, CF128 cares about its members and its members all care about each other. It’s pretty special.

I look forward to continuing with this amazing community and discovering more goals that I never could have imagined I wanted.”

1) One Rep Max Hang Power Clean

2) “East and West” (Challenge Re-Test #1)

5 Rounds:

10 Power Cleans (135/95)

10 Burpees Over the Bar

*14 min time cap