Set-backs, Persistence and New Goals

Amanda started running more than a few miles when she first moved to Maryland, around the same time she joined Calvert CrossFit in 2013. She lost around 50 pounds, gained more self-confidence, and really started to embrace an active and healthy lifestyle. She has also had some injuries to contend with over the years: several sprained ankles and, most recently, shoulder surgery following a car accident. Those minor set-backs only had her on the sidelines for a brief amount of time while she reflected on how fortunate she really is to be fit and healthy. 

 Amanda comments, “When I was unable to run, it truly made me appreciate that I DO have the ability to run whenever I want to.”  She continues, “Running is my favorite way to clear my head from everything else in life. I might HATE getting out the door, in the rain, cold, heat, and snow, but I LOVE how I feel when I’m done. Even on days and races that I’m just ‘not feeling it’, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished that day.” 

Amanda is a member of the Northeast Team Beef program, coordinated by the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative and funded by beef farmers and ranchers through the Beef Checkoff Program. 

Amanda shares, “Every weekend, my husband asks what I want to eat on Saturday for dinner, which starts with ‘I already know the answer, but what do you want for dinner?’ BEEF! There are so many options to choose from, and it’s a food I won’t ever get tired of eating.”  

Over the course of her running career, she’s set multiple goals for herself including yearly mileage goals and distance goals; her tenacity and grit have enabled her to achieve those goals. She says “The body will achieve what the mind believes!” In 2018, she ran every race in the Marine Corps marathon series, from an 8K to the full marathon and many distances in between. In 2019, Amanda plans to head south to Florida in January (who can blame her) and participate in the Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge which includes a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and full marathon over the course of 4 consecutive days.