On June 1, many of my friends embarked on a 30-day ab challenge. My boyfriend and I decided to join in, since we are training for a marathon again this summer and want to strengthen our core muscles to help in training. It’s now day 24, and we can’t wait for it to be over. Today’s workout? 100 situps, 150 crunches, 58 leg raises, and 90-second plank. Just thinking about having to do this workout tonight makes me cringe. Why did we think this was a good idea?

No matter how much I dread each workout, the results are actually quite noticeable after three weeks. I don’t have a six pack–nowhere near it–but that’s not what I’m going for. I want a stronger core to support me while I’m running, and the ab challenge has already made a difference. My posture while running is better, and I feel stronger overall, even during longer runs. I don’t get as fatigued, and I seem to be recovering better than usual. Some of this might have to do with the base fitness I’ve built over the past few months, but a lot can be attributed to the unrelenting ab challenge.

So onward we go, with six more days left of the 30-day challenge. We already have a new core workout lined up for when this one is over. I might never have six-pack abs, but the core strength I’ve gained will have far-reaching rewards.