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“Trust in the Process”: How Jim Luurtsema Found CrossFit, Lost 200 Pounds, and Now Runs Marathons for Good Causes

July 15, 2024 by Julia Papworth

Taking that first step and walking into a CrossFit affiliate can be intimidating. 

It was especially so for Jim Luurtsema. 

When Luurtsema was finally coaxed into taking a CrossFit class at CrossFit Override, in Thomaston, CT, it was in the middle of the pandemic; he weighed 360 pounds and had to wear a mask while working out.

  • Luurtsema laughs as he recalls what it felt like. “Imagine being that weight, doing your first class with your mask on, and feeling like you’re being waterboarded because you can’t breathe. It was very humbling,” he said in an interview with the Morning Chalk Up.

Like most first-time CrossFitters with no experience, Luurtsema began the onboarding process. 

He took his time, taking two months to complete it (at his affiliate, the average time was one to two weeks), as he was too intimidated to walk into a class at his size. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by JPL Music Services (Jim Luurtsema) (@jplmusic.biz)

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Luurtsema had minimal previous athletic experience, coupled with a busy career in music and getting older, which led to a slow and steady weight gain as he closed in on 40.

  • “Most of my life was great,” Luurtsema said, “but taking care of your body, which translates to your mental health, was suffering. So I wanted to make a change.”

Making the jump from one-on-ones to classes was tough, so he decided that a long warm-up before each class would help him get there mentally and physically. 

He started doing a short run before each class.

It escalated quickly. His 400m warmup jogs quickly transitioned to multiple miles in a matter of months. He continued running before his CrossFit class, and this combo led him to a realization.

  • “It kind of snowballed, and it was good to see that after six months or so of doing this, it turned my life around,” Luurtsema said. “It taught me that nothing is a quick fix; you must stick with it. You must grind, put in the time, and change your nutrition — everything we learn in CrossFit.”

He tends to downplay his success. “It’s not that monumental of a story,” he said. “It’s probably very common.”

A Bucket List Goal Accomplished, And Then Some

Even though the weight loss through CrossFit might be a “common” story, it doesn’t make it any less extraordinary. And what Luurtsema did with this newfound fitness is even less common. 

Two years after starting CrossFit, he ran his first marathon.

Running a marathon had been on Luurtsema’s bucket list, but it seemed utterly unattainable until recently. 

In the fall of 2023, he set the wheels in motion.

  • “I worked at a local credit union at the time, which had a great charitable organization called CU Kids.  They fundraise on behalf of Boston Children’s Hospital with a specialized concentration on kids with certain neurological ailments,” Luurtsema said.

The organization pairs each runner with a patient so the runner can see what they are raising money for and push even harder to fundraise. 

Running a marathon is difficult, especially a first one, and the motivation of seeing who you are running for helps runners get through.

  • “Near the end of the race, the patient partners come out to cheer for us,” Luurtsema remembers. “My partner was named Maddie, and she had cerebral palsy, and having her there for the last mile was so motivating.”

Luurtsema has now run five marathons, including an ultra-marathon, and ensures he is always running for a cause. 

The ultra-marathon he ran was the Marine Corps 50k run by Hero to Hero, which helps raise awareness for soldiers returning from military service to transition into first responder careers.

  • “There are so many parts of the Marine Corps Marathon that are memorable—at the end, you run by pictures of all the people that have given and served, and it’s hard not to get choked up,” Luurtsema said. “After you see that, you see all their family holding flags and their pictures. It’s those kind of moments that keep me doing this.”

It’s important to Luurtsema to have a goal and a cause for each marathon. “Otherwise,” he said, “I think it will just turn into an exercise or some kind of routine. I need to have a cause and something to aspire to.”

Luurtsema has lost close to 200 pounds through his fitness journey, and although he predominantly runs now, he gives all the credit to CrossFit for turning him into who he is today.

  • “I’m a big proponent of CrossFit itself. As much as I say I’m a runner, I’m a CrossFit athlete first. Without CrossFit, I wouldn’t have been able to do what I have done,” Luurtsema said.

Luurtsema and his wife take fitness seriously. They now run together and prioritize health, which is increasingly important the older they both get.

  • Luurtsema reflects on how far he has come: “It is important for people to stick to something when they start a journey; I think they must understand that it takes time. If you just stick with it and you put the time into it, these are the things that can happen to you. 

Featured image: @jplmusic.biz / Instagram

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