Category Archives: Healthy Challenge

The most difficult part of the Be Healthy Challenge for me is turning the work out time into my time.  Carving out the time.  I honestly don’t believe I would have gone this far in my fitness experiment unless I had a team to experience the workout with.

As a paying member of the YMCA, why do I never go?  

Time.

It’s great to have a personal trainer like Jason – to have an appointment.  It probably isn’t enough for me.  As I look forward, I wonder how I will maintain these young habits == what is my plan for the rest of my life?
I hate working out, but I love the pain after a work out.  I hate getting up early, but I love it when I do.  I hate  spending money, but I love to see I’m getting my money’s worth.  Is this a love hate relationship with fitness?

Within Team Red we have talked about continuing to work out together.  I’m experimenting with Jason in one on one work outs, where I know I get a different level of attention, but any hour so dedicated to cross training is a good hour….  

So what I plan to do is:
  1. Redefine time..  I’ll let you know when I figure that out.
  2. Find a work out class at the YMCA… hot yoga?  Sounds fun.
  3. Budget for a trainer… but get a better handle on fitness goals first
  4. Set some longer term goals… find more than one work out buddy
  5. Join the Mountain High Outfitters e-mail list and participate in their activities
In these last five weeks, I’ve reminded myself why I was fit when I was younger.  First, I was younger.  Second,  it was always about team sports, working out with friends and competition.  The BHC introduced competition, friends and mutual commitments to a fitness experience that I don’t think I would have pursued or remained dedicated to — without it.  

I work at Swiftwick with a lot of guys who can run 100 miles and train for that.  I don’t understand that goal, I respect and admire it for sure, but  …not enough to put that in my plan.

I missed one week of the BHC over spring break.  Our Royal Caribbean cruise with family and friends was a wonderful recharge, a lot of laughs and a well deserved break.  I was determined to find a way to continue working out on this cruise.  

Yeah right.

On the first day, I attended the presentations and orientations on all the fitness classes.  I met the trainers, put time into reviewing all the workout resources, signed up for several sessions and told everyone how excited I was to continue working out on the cruise.  I signed up for the 8:00 am yoga class!!!  My friends encouraged me between polite giggles.  

On the first day, my wife and I worked up a sweat on the treadmill.  The next day, I skipped class.  Predictable.

It’s  not that we were inactive.  We were all very active.  We didn’t miss an excursion, from beach volleyball to the zip line adventure.   One highlight was getting stopped on the ship, because I was wearing Swiftwick work out shirts (all day, every day) and that sparked opportunities to met some great fans of the brand from all over the country – and talk socks.  We talked about fitness, their goals and kids. We made a point to avoid the elevator to climb twelve decks of stairs several times a day!  I got my first ever acupuncture, working on a bum knee.  I owned the sauna.  

…but the food.  The food is a killer.  I ate healthy meals.  Unfortunately, they were all healthy meals.  Almost no sweets.   That’s good.   I even made entries into my Fitness Pal.  That’s good.  I recorded most of the wine, honestly.  But I was, in the end, on vacation.  


How many calories can you burn reading a Dirk Pitt novel on a sun deck?

I’ll call it “the missing week” – and I have five more weeks to pay for it.

Last year a close friend joined the “Be Healthy Challenge” sponsored by the Brentwood Home Page.  Marybeth Army lost the weight she expected to, worked out daily and was really committed.  She picked up her fitness level and looks like a million bucks today.


Taz & I:. Ready to Tear It Up! She and others encourage me daily to achieve the level of fitness my lifestyle demands, my business is built around and my personal goals require.  But I’m too busy.  I’m always too busy…  I got a personal trainer for a while, I improved, I got comfortable, I quit… I got busy… As a result, I’m out of breath when I should not be.  Today, I’m looking at a report that says “30% body fat” and I’m not very happy with that. In my mind, I’m still a collegiate athlete.  I mountain bike and I am active, but I’m not fit.  That sucks. 

The first step is to admit it.  The second step is to find a dozen friends who will beat you senseless if you don’t commit and perform.  I hear I’m going to hate my trainer.  Great.

This is my first fitness blog.  It’s a tribute to my friends, my business partners, my customers who support me and to my new work out buddies. It’s also a thanks-in-advance to my wife, whom I love dearly, but who will have to listen to me moan and complain for the next several weeks… Sorry Baby. Picture Gwen Antypas, Lena Powers, Kaye Ivanoff, Dr Ashley Woods, Julie Wicks, my trainer Jason Huck from Chadwick’s Fitness & Performance Training, James Hurlburt, my other Trainer from CrossFit.