What's Your Approach to Fitness?

I just finished up the newsletter so my brain is pretty well shot but here you go: We all need a little motivation to start back up with a fitness program but seem to lack the know how or where to even start. Even as a trainer, I get into a rut of weighing the options for fitness and then weighting too long to decide so I never actually start anything.

A few years back a good client friend of mine got me started with mountain biking. I purchased a fancy bike or at least I thought it was fancy and started hitting the trails at South Mountain. I soon found myself on the mountain everyday and getting in the best shape of my life. I couldn't get enough of the sport and the fact that I could do it by myself and without anyone criticizing or watching me do it. I deal with people and different personalities all day so anytime I can get out and listen to just my heart rate and the tires hitting the dirt, I'll take it!

Anyway, summer roles around and mountain biking days are few and far between unless you get up at 5am and don't mind running into snakes occasionally. So, I opt out of the early mornings. I've got two little girls that I like to have breakfast with so my priorities tend to shift towards family life instead of my fitness life.
Long story short, I slack off in the summer with riding which means that my fitness becomes an occasional Hybrid class which gets the job done but I prefer to ride and do an occasional class.

Anyway, I've looked up all kinds of mountain biking races in the state and have set a goal to do all of them. I figure if I pay the dough for each event, I have to go and continue to get my butt in shape to complete them. i just finished one in Pinetop and took 10th out of 85.. I was really proud of myself considering the last one I did in April I took 48th out of 100.

My next race is in February and it's a 24 hour team race. I'm putting together teams of 4 that want to do it with me. It will motivate all of us to get in shape and the end result will be a great time near Tucson and lots of memories to go along with it.

So, if you need a motivator and want to try something different, throw leg over a bike and join me. Anyone can do it but you do however need a bike. Go see Erik at South Mountain Cycles on Ray and 36th. Tell him I sent you and he'll help you out.. he's a good dude who always takes care of my bikes.

Later.. I have to go ride now!