The Will to Endure

On January 18th Moll, an incredible artist and CrossFit Central member, fell off a ladder in her painting studio. Last weekend she ran a marathon. Everyone told her it would be impossible, but they underestimated her determination.

Not only did she find a way to keep training while healing but she ran a marathon despite not running over 6 miles since the break.

Check out the interview below to find out how she continued training while healing and what her marathon experience was like.

What has training been like since the break?

Once I discovered it was broken, I was confined to a med boot and exclusively upper body work. Prior to injury my body fat percentage was 8% but during recovery I lost over ten pounds of muscle. I was in a lot of pain but the mental distress of no longer having agency over my entire body and watching my body composition change was devastating. I promised myself I wouldn't give up exercise and started going to Barton Springs to swim (in January!!!). I got used to the freezing water. I couldn't run or do anything very aerobic so this was the best solution I could think of to replace it.

Coach Bella was a fairly new coach when my injury happened and right away she saw that I was desperate to still workout. She was extremely accommodating and would bespoke or modify all of the WODs for me. She was also exceptionally supportive and encouraging. Amy was also another person at the gym that stepped up (pun intended). The emotional support she provided me was unforgettable. I try to keep to myself at our gym but I fell in love with both of them. The empathy and compassion they showed me was really remarkable. Amy and Jeremy even brought the PEMF machine to the gym for some PT in the hopes that my bones would mend quicker.

About six months ago my bones were still in pain and the doctors were starting to talk about putting pins in my foot. I was lucky to have the therapy from the doctor who discovered the break. Eventually my bones did mend and I was starting to come back slowly and be able to lift and do more weight-bearing exercises.

What motivated you to do a marathon? Had you ever done one before?

I had never done a marathon before but during 2020 I was really distraught on Easter and I went for a jog... it was strange all the sudden I had run 23 miles and that's when I realized I was capable of a marathon. It was mostly a mental feat. Then for some insane reason I told myself I would try to do one each year.

Since I fractured my foot at the beginning of this year everyone told me that a marathon was basically out of the question. I don't know if people knew how stubborn and irrational I can be. I had never been to Los Angeles before and I always told myself I would need a reason to go. One day I was looking at flights and the flight to LA was $40, I then noticed it was the same weekend as the marathon. I took it as a sign.

How did you feel running the marathon?

It's going to sound corny but running the marathon was one of the most beautiful things I've ever done. It was a huge risk since prior to the race I hadn't run over 6 miles and with the compound fractures in January. I honestly believe that going to CrossFit and taking care of myself on a daily basis is what allowed me to keep going for the entire race. I was high af with endorphins during the whole race. I wore heels the whole day prior and ate a half a loaf of milkbread to prepare. I figured my feet would feel comfy in running shoes compared to my Jil Sander heels and the milk bread would be a surplus of carbs to give me stamina during the entire race.

I got to know the whole city of LA .I ran through SilverLake, China Town, Echo Park, Rodeo Drive, Culver City and more. There was a band beating drums, an old man in an orange turban handing out oranges, and countless loved ones and spectators cheering us on. The presence of love was palatable during that race and I was giving out gratitude for my body and my life during the whole thing. I thought to myself if you start to feel the bones tinge then walk, you can be kind to yourself and walk, but I never needed to. I walked for about 100 yards. There was a woman at mile 23 with Oreos. Those are my favorite cookie and I had a religious experience eating that little black and white confection. I probably looked insane but it was such a good memory because I had realized I was going to finish. My music messed up mile 22 and I had to run without it but one of my friends and I Facetimed for a few moments and he hysterically laughed at me which gave me a boost.

Crossing the finish line was another peculiar thing. I couldn't really believe it. I had been waiting so long to do it that when It finally crept up on me I started laughing. I had seen all of these other participants suited up with gear and special tech accessories that were "hitting the wall" or dropping out and I was in a friend's old sweatshirt and some semi new shoes lol. I guess they should have prepared by going to CrossFit Central beforehand.