Crushing your health and fitness goals: it's not a sprint, it's a marathon. And sometimes its hard to keep going. Margaret, a regular rider at Ascend Cycle, shares her story about how both spin and strength classes at Ascend have helped her reinvigorate her workout routine and empowered her to achieve her goals.

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I’ve been a disciple of the Elle Woods school of exercise science ever since one of the cool girls in my freshman dorm invited me to go running; I accepted, of course, and I thought I might die, but then I felt an incredible high. If you’re not familiar with Ms. Woods, she succinctly explains this phenomenon in 2002’s Legally Blonde: “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t kill their husbands.”Who can’t get behind that?Suddenly I was spending lots of quality time with the treadmill, and I was happier and more confident than ever before. I started building in time for cardio before any event where I wanted to show up as the most radiant and gregarious version of myself. I’d hit the elliptical before frat parties and class presentations. I ran at least a mile before job interviews – one time very, very hungover. Years later, and much to the chagrin of my hairstylist, I ran four miles before showing up at his salon on my wedding day.But let me back up a second. Leading up to the wedding, I had ramped up the cardio to two-a-days, but I still wasn’t satisfied with the way I looked in my strapless gown. So at the suggestion of the now-hubs – and only because he knew I was unhappy, not because he’s a jerk – I started weight training with a personal training studio. I learned what a burpee was and how to swing a kettlebell. I did so.many.squats. And, at the well-meaning suggestion of a trainer, I cut almost all carbs. Inches came off of my waist and my triceps popped.But this was not a sustainable lifestyle; it was exhausting my wallet and my will power. And after the wedding, the motivation to keep stretching my budget and restricting my diet dropped precipitously. But instead of transitioning to a more reasonable wellness plan, I just gave up on the whole thing. The muscle tone disappeared. The pounds came back...and then multiplied. And a latent anxiety that I had been blaming on wedding-planning grew more intense and ripened into depression.The next several years saw ebbs and flows in running, yoga, and crash diets. I finally started down a more sustainable path about 17 months ago when I joined the Ascend Cycle community, and, with the addition of nutrition counseling, I started seeing improvements in my physical and mental health. But while the value of sustainable progress can’t be overstated, I eventually hit a plateau far short of my wellness goals.And then, quite serendipitously, Ascend launched Underground. I had already thought about trying strength training again, but I didn’t want to pay for individual training and otherwise totally failed to self-motivate. But a strength class from a team I already liked and trusted? The universe was handing me what I needed on a silver platter. I went to a preview class in November and have been a regular ever since.Which is not to say that I’m now ready for my “after” photo. But y’all, I’m getting stronger. I take fewer breaks during sets. I curl and deadlift heavier weights than I did just a few months ago. I do renegade rows on my toes instead of my knees. And I pump out shoulder taps like it ain’t no thang. The tao of Elle Woods is being moved aside to make room for the tao of Coach Katie: “When you think you need a break, just do two more reps. That’s how you get stronger.”And you know what’s cool about getting stronger? Aside from the physical benefits, I also feel like a more capable person. I feel more empowered. Like, there’s this thing that I want to change and here I am successfully changing it; my progress is measurable and tangible. And that’s the mortal enemy of anxiety and depression. I’m giving them a run for their money. And this isn’t just my anecdotal experience: JAMA Psychiatry recently confirmed that strength training is linked to a significant decrease in symptoms of depression.While I still have a ways to go, Ascend Underground has been critical to getting this far. Maybe Legally Blonde 4 should feature a 30-something Elle Woods trading her elliptical for a TRX.