How does a 1 mile run, followed by 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 squats, then another 1 mile run sound? Daunting, yes?
Oh, and don’t forget about wearing a 20 pound weighted vest during the whole thing. Must be impossible right?
But, apparently this is what thousands of crossfitters do all over the country on Memorial Day Weekend, in the honor of the fallen Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy. Not being a part of the crossfit community, I had never heard of “The Murph,” before, but recently it has captured my attention.
Not only is the annual Murph challenge a wonderful way to commemorate our fallen heroes, it is a distinct and well defined challenge. I initially viewed it with some level of intimidation, but I am now resolved to accomplish it.
I viewed completing a half marathon as a similarly daunting challenge. I had a very limited capacity for distance running, but with diligent training I was able to meet my goal. Now, I have a new baseline level of running fitness that I enjoy maintaining with periodic weekly runs. I am curious if I can accomplish the same thing by training for The Murph.
I have made it my goal to accomplish a fully weighted Murph on Memorial Day Weekend 2025. I think a years worth of training should be enough to get me into shape so I can do Lt. Murphy justice.
Impossible? Let’s see about that.
P.S. If anyone wants to join me in training for this, or wants to do The Murph together next year, reach out to me at shah.ahmed.27@gmail.com!