Adapted from our recent Elevate Your Health radio show conversation, where Brent Pitts of Ashe CrossFit and I sat down to talk about one of our favorite days of the year.

Every Memorial Day, something remarkable happens at Ashe CrossFit in downtown West Jefferson. People of all ages, fitness levels, and backgrounds gather to do something hard together. We run. We lift. We sweat. And then we share a meal. The workout is called Murph, and while it may look intimidating from the outside, the heart of it has very little to do with reps and rounds.

It has everything to do with remembrance, gratitude, and community.

“Meet You Where You Are”

One of the most beautiful things about Murph at Ashe CrossFit is how scalable it is. As Brent put it on the show, “We meet you where you are.”

Walk instead of run. Cut the distance in half. Split the work with a partner or a group of four. Swap pull-ups for ring rows. Do modified push-ups. Break the reps into manageable rounds, five at a time, ten at a time, twenty at a time. The standard exists, but so does the modification, and there is no shame in scaling. Our goal is roughly forty-five minutes to an hour of meaningful work, whatever that looks like for your body on that day.

The result is something extraordinary. On Memorial Day at Ashe CrossFit, you’ll see participants ranging in age from five years old to seventy-six, all doing Murph together. The kids have their own heat. Our seasoned athletes go all in with weighted vests. Newcomers off the street are welcomed with open arms, gently modified, and cheered on. Everyone is doing the same workout. Everyone is doing their own workout. Both are true at once.

The Real Lesson: You Can Do Hard Things

Murph teaches pacing. It teaches strategy. But most of all, it teaches resilience.

It is meant to be hard, but it’s meant to be hard for you. The point isn’t to complete every rep exactly as prescribed. The point is to discover that your body and your mind are capable of so much more than you give them credit for. Most of us underestimate ourselves. I see it happen every year. Murph has a way of correcting that misconception.

And it does so in a setting where you are never alone. Yes, the workout is individual. Yes, you are inside your own head, pushing through your own discomfort. But you’re doing it shoulder to shoulder with people who are pushing through theirs. There is a kind of joint suffering that happens in a room full of people working hard together, and it forges something real. People cheer for each other. They motivate each other. Nobody is isolated.

Why This Belongs in a Health Conversation

Some listeners might wonder why we’re talking about a CrossFit workout on a health and wellness show. The answer, for me, is simple: fitness is health. Ashe CrossFit is the fitness arm of Elevation Health, and movement is just as much a pillar of well-being as nutrition, blood sugar management, or anything else we discuss. Strength, endurance, and mental toughness aren’t separate from your health. They are your health.

Murph is also a reminder that wellness is communal. We weren’t designed to do hard things alone. The same goes for the rest of life, from managing a chronic condition to raising kids to grieving a loss. Having people around you who are willing to suffer alongside you and celebrate alongside you is one of the most powerful health interventions I know.

The Best Part: The Potluck

After the last mile is finished and the last squat is counted, we all gather for a potluck. The 6 a.m. crew meets the 5:30 p.m. crew. New members meet long-time members. Stories are shared, food is passed, and a community that just suffered together gets to fellowship together. It’s the kind of meal that tastes a little better because you earned it, and a lot better because you earned it with other people.

How the Soreness Hits

For first-timers, we’ll be honest: going down the stairs the next day is a journey. But here’s an interesting thing we’ve noticed over the years. Attendance at classes the day after Murph is consistently great. Why? Because movement is the best medicine for soreness. A bit of rowing or biking to flush out the lactic acid, some stretching, and you’re back in business. Bodies in motion stay in motion.

Come Join Us

Memorial Day Monday is coming fast, May 25. We want you there.

You don’t have to be in CrossFit shape. You don’t have to know what an air squat is. You can do Murph or you can do a version of Murph. You can sign up for a time slot. You can grab a friend and split the work. Or, if working out isn’t your speed, you can simply drive through town with your window rolled down and cheer on the runners. That’s part of the community too.

To sign up for a time slot, text us at (336) 920-8331. Time slots run hourly from 6 a.m. until about 11 a.m., with the workout wrapping up around noon and the potluck following.

Whether you come to lift, to walk, to watch, or to eat, you are part of this. That’s what makes Murph what it is. Not the reps. Not the run. The people.

You can do hard things. And you don’t have to do them alone.

Maggi Birdsell is the co-owner of Elevation Health in downtown West Jefferson. Brent Pitts is coach and manager at Ashe CrossFit, the fitness arm of Elevation Health. Catch Maggi Birdsell and Heather Peters every other Friday on Elevate Your Health.