Why Do I "Fitness?"

It's been an interesting path. I was mostly sedentary as a kid. I joined the Navy at 18 and that didn't really make me "fit" but it did force me to stay within some kind of standard in order not to get kicked out. Ironically, when I was on limited duty in the late 90s due to being diagnosed with vasovagal syncope (still have it today), I ran my first marathon in 1997. That set me on a trajectory of distance running via marathons and ultras that would span 17+ years and even a short season as a triathlete just before our first daughter was born. I left the Navy at that point after 10 years of active service and fell off the wagon, you might say. It wasn't until 2006 when I wanted the Navy to take me back that I was forced to get my act together and lose the 50lbs I had gained. Back to running I went and that is where I found the trails and eventually a push past the marathon to the 100 miler. That happened 3 times in 2009. Fast forward through a crazy running resume to November 2014 when it all changed. I had racked up 60+ finishes of a marathon or more and the weight of those going to ultra-finishes. I was starting to feel the wear-n-tear on my body as I was peaking at 200+ miles a month PLUS I didn't want to spend anymore time alone on the roads. Nearly all of my miles had turned to solo and family had my focus on it like it never had before, even though I married at the ripe age of 19. Enter our friends who invited us to CrossFit class #1. That day was November 4, 2014. It sticks with me for some reason. I have a wall of finisher medals and felt like I was in pretty good shape but in about 5min flat, I was sitting in a puddle of my sweat that morning, feeling like I was gonna die. I liked it.

There is something about being pushed and being dealt a piece of humble pie nearly every day. Over the last 4 years, I have often tried to compare distance running to CrossFit and it's not entirely easy. "Constantly varied, functional movement performed at a high intensity" is really the antithesis of running. Plus, the runner has complete control over the throttle while running. Sure, you have that throttle in CrossFit but at "3-2-1...GO," it's game on and "high intensity" does not equal throttling it back. So in 3 years, I have learned SO much. My path has gone from one gym and then to another which was a brand new start-up. That gym closed after one year and I ended up in my garage. Fortunately for my wife and I, we had received some great coaching along the way and YouTube is chock-full of training videos no matter what the movement is. Combine that with my attention-to-detail mentality and "undiagnosed" OCD, I have been a sponge for learning. I even went and got my CrossFit Level 1 Trainer this past September. Technically, I could turn my garage into a CrossFit affiliate...but I have no intention of doing that. :) For now, I'll just use my training to coach myself and coach my wife.

I did have a fear bringing the "fitness" home into the garage. With a CrossFit gym, a community exists that is a big part of what CrossFit is all about. It's not just the heart-thumping workouts but also the high-fives after and the relationships that ensue.  "What would get me out there in the dark of morning with ZERO accountability?" Actually, that is the first comment that people make when they hear of my routine. "I would never get there." "How do you do it? How do you motivate yourself?" Well, it's not an easy answer. I don't really have a solid explanation, either. It's like a magnet, truth be told. I can't wait to get out there everyday and when I'm supposed to rest, I really have to hold my self accountable to THAT! Kinda backwards, isn't it?!

So here is my routine and maybe it's the constantly-varied nature of it that keeps it interesting. Not too sure. It works, though. I feel in the best condition of my life. I have FOR SURE never been stronger, either. Plus, I'm home for all of it and don't sacrifice any family time. In fact, my bride of 25+ years is almost always right there with me and while that doesn't work for many, it totally works for us.

• 4:15am - Awake .. brew the espresso, misc tasks around house and browse several boxes to see what their workouts are for the day.
• 5:30am to about 7am - in the garage: Each day "normally" has a warmup, a strength component, and a WOD. I try to hit the major lifts each week like squats, deadlift, overhead (shoulder press/push press) and rotate them. One day we squat then overhead the next day. Sometimes, in place of that, it'll be a plethora of bodyweight work. I am a BIG believer in being able to move YOUR body in the space you've been given. That means pull-ups, push-ups, dips, dips on rings and somedays, strapping weight on to make it harder. No cheating, no kipping, just moving and growing stronger. I also love to simply move heavy things. We have a few sandbags and one big 150lb strongman sandbag that I love to carry and throw over my shoulder. OK...maybe "throw" is a bit too generous of a description. :) We also have a few slamballs, kettlebells, a rower and my beloved Airdyne....aka: Satan's tricycle. 

For strength, I stick to a 5rep max plan. So no matter what I'm doing, be it 3 round or 10 rounds of a movement, I find a weight where I can do 6 or 7 fresh and then do five of them many times. Other days, it's 3 reps at a higher weight. For example, yesterday was 5 rounds of 3 reps each back squat. I warm up to that and cool down off of it, too. I believe that lifting heavy, focusing on form/breathing/complete movements is key to staying healthy, enjoying it, and getting stronger. The only time you'll find me doing high reps is during a workout or warming up with only a barbell. No, I don't subscribe to any "plan." I simply make sure I rotate often and keep it interesting.

As for the warmups and WODs, there are many days I have no idea what the plan is until I walk out there, look around and get "inspired." Actually, there are many days where I'll be on the airdyne for 25 or 50 calories to warm up and I'll come up with the whole whiteboard for the morning right then and there. I normally compliment the warmup to the workout. So if it's a heavy squatting day, you can be sure we'll be doing air squats during the warmup. I love to program it all together so it makes "sense" physically.

Lastly, I love to throw in things that just suck. To compare to marathon or ultra-running, there is a distinct mental component to it. In the marathon, it's often referred to as "the wall" around mile 20 or so. I "love" workouts or creations I make that push me mentally. For example, my workout this morning was fully complete. However, I wanted to "embrace the suck," as they say for a bit more....maybe doing something a little crazy. The heater had been trying to heat up the garage all morning against the 7 degree air outside so why not GO outside to finish the day. So, I decided to put on my foul-weather jacket I have from the 90s where I served on a few aircraft carriers, a pair of very warm gloves, some running pants and my favorite winter hat. It was time for the Iron Mile. The last two times I did this, I did it in the dark so no neighbors saw me. This time, it was broad daylight and LOTS saw me, one guy even walked out his front door to question my sanity, and a few semi's honked at me along a busy state route outside my subdivision. It's simple, really: put a barbell on your back (choose the weight wisely), and walk. The one strict rule is you must go out 1/2 mile and not partition it. No looping back home as that'll give you an out too quick. This workout turns mental pretty quick. So out I went with a 75lb barbell on back...7 degrees and sunny. Fun, right? Well yea!

The "why": We were made to move. We were not made to sit on a couch all day and eat Christmas leftovers and get fat...or fatter. Our bodies are MACHINES that are AMAZING! There are so many things that have to be perfect just to walk across the room. The brain communicating with every muscle and telling it what to do, the heart responding to deliver oxygen to those muscles...so many miracles happening all in unison to make us WORK...to make us tick. There are too many people at my age (44) that call themselves "old" and use every excuse in the book to do nothing. The key for me is to enjoy what I do get pushed. I don't do it for vanity...to see something "popping" when I look in the mirror. I do it because I literally ENJOY it. Could I get "shredded" or whatever Instagram is calling it today? Sure I could. I could count my macros, weigh everything I eat, etc. No problem doing that and my wife has KILLED it by doing that very thing. For me, I take no supplements, have no secrets, I simply get out there and work hard, safe, and enjoy it. It's really THAT simple. Be creative, share your journey (you just might inspire someone else), be real with yourself and others, and always give the work your body gives you MAXIMUM EFFORT...then go live life and love others. Simple as that.

With Type 2 diabetes on a snowball roll in the country, stores littered with GARBAGE on the shelves, and a society that as a whole, is crazy unhealthy and is looking for the next magic pill to take or fitness DVD to watch...I choose to "fitness" my own way. I make sensible choices, I occasionally indulge (craft beer snob!), never touch high fructose corn syrup, and I work hard in the gym where the only machine is me. I choose NOT to be a statistic and LIVE while living. To do anything else would be to sacrifice the gift I've been given.

Follow my daily grind here: https://www.instagram.com/garageboxnick/