By Seth Salenger
It was Memorial Day, 2022 and I just completed Murph with a determined group of Alchemists at the North East studio in Minneapolis. I was so proud of myself. Completing Murph in itself is a feat, but for me, this was something that less than 6-months ago I thought was taken away from me.
My two favorite activities are running and going to Alchemy. I see them as complimentary activities. Running helps my endurance in an Alchemy class and Alchemy helps my speed, strength and injury prevention in running. They also bring complimentary mindsets to each other. On a hard run I think, “I have done way harder things in an Alchemy class!” and while in the middle of a hard 20-30 minute workout, I can say, “I have run longer than this class, so I can keep going.”
Just 6-months ago, while playing pickleball and without warning, I tore my achilles tendon. Speaking to my doctor and physical therapist, this is one of the worst injuries one can have. Traditional recovery time is 12-months. But only four-weeks after surgery, I was cleared for mild physical activity as long as I was in my boot. Naturally the first stop I made was to Alchemy. I heavily modified the workout, but challenged myself and had our community’s support. I kept showing up, day after day, modified workout after modified workout, until eventually I was no longer modifying.
The day I was cleared to run, I ran 3-miles without a break. My physical therapist could not believe it. She ran me through several tests and realized I was months ahead in my recovery. The workouts at Alchemy, supportive community, and mindset we bring to every workout made my progress faster than I ever thought possible. Months of modifications, working through my frustrations and limitations, and staying on track even when it felt the road to recovery would never end, was all worth it.
So while completing Murph, an amazing feat in itself, I was able to get back to the two activities I thought I had lost: Running, and Alchemy 365.
Seth has been an Alchemy athlete since 2015. Outside of Alchemy, Seth works at KPMG in Transfer Pricing. Along with running, he loves walking the Lakes with his dog Kona.
