By Katrina Plyer for U.S. News[1]


A few years ago, I was counting my running success in increments of tenths of a mile. I wasn't a beginning runner. Worse, I was an injured runner. I had run several races, trail races and a half-marathon trail race before I found myself hobbling to a doctor and meeting my physical therapist for the first time. Nine months later, I finally ran a total of three miles without pain. My doctor advised me to dial down my goals and find joy in simply running 30 minutes. I had serious bio-mechanical issues that seemed to halt any progress.


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As of today, I have finished many half-marathons [5] and trail half-marathons, climbed mountains and ran a marathon, and I'm currently training for another marathon and various obstacle races. What made this possible? CrossFit.


Before you click away, hear me out. I'm not going to try to sell everyone on CrossFit because it doesn't work for everyone. I am going to share why it works for me. In the three years I've been combining running with CrossFit, I have not had one injury. My previous injury was a severe case of ITBS, or illiotibial band syndrome, which led to hip problems. I went from crying tears of relief over three miles to more tears crossing a finish line at 26.2 miles. So what is so magical about CrossFit?


1. CrossFit is serious cross-training. CrossFit is based around improving 10 basic physical skills: cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance and accuracy. Participants work to improve these skills through weight-lifting, gymnastics and metabolic conditioning. Good trainers spend a great deal of time each week making sure the workouts for the next week are balanced in all of these things. Looking through that list of 10 skills, which ones do not improve running?


2. CrossFit incorporates functional flexibility. The age-old question: Should I stretch before or after running? That has nothing to do with CrossFit's flexibility training, which is actually mobility training. The iron-rod backbone of all CrossFit is functional fitness, and that includes skill work designed to improve range of motion for functional behaviors. In my own experience, this has been crucial to my running success. Oh, and to answer the question, I do not advise static stretching before a run. Stretching ligaments, tendons and muscles before loading them with repetitive weight-bearing impact movement is not a good idea. Dynamic stretching is a better option. Again, this is just my personal experience.



3. CrossFit demands mental stamina. This is what allowed me to finish a marathon without hitting a huge wall. Yes, most CrossFit workouts are less than 30 minutes. Include 3 to 4 CrossFit workouts a week, and the mental discipline has nowhere to go but up. All runners know that mental stamina can be the difference between a DNF and a triumphant finish.


4. CrossFit is built-in HIIT (High-Intensity-Interval-Training). CrossFit includes a lot of met-con. Metabolic conditioning has a direct influence on running economy. Think of it as built in intervals of speed work. Only with CrossFit, there are other skill movements to do between the running intervals, and those movements are building endurance and power. Sprints are common in CrossFit, and sprinting is what builds strength in hamstrings. Even slow distance runners (such as myself) need sprinting workouts.


5. CrossFit builds endurance. To race long, most people believe you have to run long. In order to run long, you have to have serious endurance. This is why you can't judge a runner by body type. A person who weighs 30 pounds more than another might cross the finish line faster simply due to endurance. If that person is carrying more muscle, the combination of endurance and power can guarantee a great finish.


What, specifically, has CrossFit done for me? When my illiotibial band injury surfaced, it took 9 months to get it to track properly again. My doctor and physical therapist told me I would always need to work on this leg and incorporate strength training. I fiddled around with some hand held weights at home but was still occasionally sidelined with IT band pain. I finally took advantage of CrossFit classes through my gym. After six weeks, I noticed that I had not felt IT band twinges in a few weeks. My running economy improved. My confidence improved. After three years, the only time I have felt any IT band pulling is when I skip a week or more of CrossFit. A couple of classes of heavy lifting and sprinting sends the IT band tracking properly again.


There are many stories out there like mine. Runners who battle constant injuries are finding success in CrossFit because of the emphasis on so many basic functional fitness skills. In these cases, CrossFit has greatly improved running fitness and running success.





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  • Fitness Professionals Will Take Center Stage


    While the American College of Sports Medicine has listed certified fitness pros as their number one trend for the past six years, the number of accredited trainers, coaches and others continues to surge. And with <a href="http://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/Fulltext/2012/11000/Worldwide_Survey_of_Fitness_Trends_for_2013.5.aspx">so many beloved trainers emerging on Twitter</a> to join the national discourse, it's no surprise that accredited fitness professionals will continue their rise. What's more? Those pros are getting out of the gym and<a href="http://www.wellandgoodnyc.com/2012/12/20/wellgoods-14-fitness-and-wellness-trends-of-2013/#wellgoods-14-fitness-and-wellness-trends-of-2013-13"> starting their own businesses</a>, reports Well + Good NYC.




  • Even Your Parents Will Have A Fitness Or Diet App


    About 38 percent of the health apps that smartphone users download are fitness-based. And that number is only going to get bigger -- one estimate from market research company Abiresearch suggests that the fitness apps market will grow to $40 million by 2016 -- up from just $12 million in 2010. That means we'll total nearly a billion downloads over the next three years. And given how effective those apps can be, if used correctly, doctors may start recommending them for increased fitness -- that'll particularly help the baby boomer generation, who are <a href="http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/08/13/bisc0813.htm">more likely to download a health-related app</a> that has been recommended by their doctor.




  • You'll Start Self-Monitoring


    Self-monitoring -- formerly the purview of data nerds and navel-gazing techies -- will go mainstream this year, thanks to an increasing number of smartphone apps that help you easily store data on your own behavior -- and a collection of wearable devices, from <a href="http://nikeplus.nike.com/plus/what_is_fuel/">Nike Fuel</a> to <a href="http://lark.com/products/larklife/experience">LarkLife</a>, that do all the work for you. What is self-monitoring? It's keeping track on the minute data of your day -- things like what you eat, how well you sleep and how much you move. Download the data and analyze your own behavior on a spreadsheet.




  • Your Favorite Class Will Go Mobile


    Mobile, portable classes are the wave of the future -- thanks to the rise of beloved celebrity teachers who can't be everywhere at once. Set up your iPad for a yoga class with the simulated feeling of individualized attention. Open up your laptop and decide what kind of class you'll do that day -- on your own time.




  • Fast Food And Gluten-Free Will Coexist


    Gluten-free foods are necessary for the one percent of the population who suffer from Celiac disease and the estimated 10 percent with a non-specified gluten allergy. But somehow, thanks to highly visible gluten-sensitive celebrities and fashionable, charming gluten-free bakeries like Babycakes, eating without gluten is all the rage. While it may not lead to weight loss, it does have a side benefit of increasing demand for a gluten-free options that make eating easier for those with Celiac and other sensitivies. But you don't have to go to a specialty shop for your pastries sans gluten any longer: now <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57429388-10391704/dominos-new-gluten-free-pizza-crust-not-recommended-for-people-with-celiac-disease/">giant, national chains like Domino's Pizza</a> are offering specifically gluten-free fare. They might be the first, but they won't be the last.




  • Fresh Pressed Juice Will Enter The Supermarket


    The kind of juice that won't stay shelf-stable for a year? That's the stuff that will invade your supermarket, your mall court <em>and</em> your Starbucks, if it hasn't already. With $5 billion in revenue this year and projected growth of four to eight percent, healthful, all-natural and raw fruit and vegetable juices (think Organic Avenue, Cooler Cleanse -- but also Jamba Juice) will explode onto the mainstream market. And that growth projection may even be conservative: Starbucks' CEO Howard Shultz vowed to sell juice "in the same tonality that we have reinvented, over the last 40 years, the basic commodity of coffee," <a href="http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424053111904346504577531063244598398.html#articleTabs_article%3D2">reported Barrons</a>.




  • Heavy Lifting For Women Will Go Mainstream


    While <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/24/i-heart-powerlifting-and-im-not-bulky-or-masculine_n_934453.html">previously on the fringe</a>, mainstream gym goers are now getting hip to the practice. There are many reasons for women to get into heavier weight lifting -- among them, <a href="http://www.wellandgoodnyc.com/2012/12/03/7-reasons-women-should-lift-heavy-weights/#7-reasons-women-should-lift-heavy-weights-3">healthier bones, greater muscle definition and cardiovascular health, according to Well + Good NYC</a>. And now the practice is gaining popularity, thanks to CrossFit and boot camp classes that encourage heavier lifting.




  • You'll Cut Your Workout Time In Half


    Everyone from HuffPost blogger and gym owner Jeff Halevy to New York Times' resident sports science writer, Gretchen Reynolds, are talking about the power of the short, intense workout. Using HIIT -- high intensity interval training, gym rats can reach their fitness goals in less time than it takes to whip up a raw protein smoothie. But beware: HIIT isn't right for everyone and low impact exercise is just as great.




  • Fitness Will Stay A La Carte


    While the majority of gym goers have a regular membership and central location, there remains a proliferation of boutique specialty studios -- yes, the traditional yoga and pilates studios, but also CrossFit, FlyWheel, Soul Cycle, Refine Method and Physique 57. What's more, third-party companies are growing to help you manage, purchase and organize your a la carte choices. Want to mix pilates with yoga, CrossFit and FlyWheel? No problem, according to places like FITist.




  • Body Weight Training Will Be All The Rage At Your Gym


    If you haven't tried this equipment-less form of weight training, <a href="http://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/Fulltext/2012/11000/Worldwide_Survey_of_Fitness_Trends_for_2013.5.aspx">you certainly will in 2013</a>. The American College of Sports Medicine listed it in the top three trends they are anticipating for 2013 -- thanks to its effective, no-fuss approach and cheap execution.




  • "Functional" Training Classes Will Hit The Gym


    Most people will admit that they work out in the hopes of looking good and achieving the vague goal of better health. Functional fitness is a little more specific: <a href="http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20121029/top-10-fitness-trends-2013">as WebMD explains</a>, it employs strength training to "improve balance, coordination, force, power and endurance to perform activities of daily living." That's especially great for seniors, who need a bit of extra training to maintain their daily physical abilities.




  • Themed Races Will Invade A Park Near You


    <a href="http://www.runforyourlives.com/info/the-zombies/">Zombie</a> runs, <a href="http://thecolorrun.com/">color</a> runs, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/10/tough-mudder-women-spartan-race_n_2257878.html">mudders</a>... if you're paying attention to the amateur race circuit, you have no doubt noticed the proliferation of themed events -- and that will only keep growing in 2013, if <a href="http://greatist.com/fitness/best-themed-running-races/">the popularity of such events is any indication</a>.




  • The Anti-GMO Movement Will Gain Visibility


    Those who are opposed to genetically-modified organisms in their food -- everything from grains <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2012/12/genetically_modified_salmon_aquadvantage_fda_assessment_is_delayed_possibly.single.html">to fish</a> -- aren't known for staying quiet. Just recently, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/12/cheerios-gmo-facebook_n_2284387.html">anti-GMO activists hijacked Cheerio's Facebook page</a>. But following <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/amywestervelt/2012/11/13/with-california-prop-defeated-gmo-labeling-proponents-look-to-farm-bill/">the defeat of California's Proposition 37</a>, which would have been the first legislation to require GMO labeling, the community is bound to get louder than ever.