The Long Haul

by Johnny Nguyen

I have two personal training clients, a married couple, that I’m about to release from my supervision to do all their workouts in Crossfit classes. The husband is excited and committed, but the wife is apprehensive and doubtful that she can survive the intensive classes. Having been my client for over 6 years, she’s not used to doing things differently. But, I reminded her, she already knows a lot of the basics, and it’s a matter of using that knowledge among a larger group in which everyone will perform at different levels. She will have to spread her own wings, now, and flap them at her own pace.

And with this encouragement you can see the relief in her face, knowing that she is in this thing called fitness for the long haul – for life – and therefore she must become accountable. Making this switch, from personal training to a serious and competitive small-group circuit class, she will take one big step closer to fitness independence. She will become an owner of her own routine, and she can take this ownership anywhere in the world. Going on vacation no longer means that for exercise she can do only low-intensity walking, or a jog at best. She will have options: Air squats, pushups, lunges, sit-ups, burpees, and a host of other fitness activities that our Crossfit classes include with minimal use of specialized equipment. After years of exclusive personal training, this will be the best move she will have made, and she can now do it for the long haul.

When I first came to work for FIT in 2001, Thom and Tracey said that they envisioned this company to be a “hub” for fitness activities. Over the years FIT has offered programs of all kinds that were in addition to our core business – personal training. We have had regular group rides, in which clients and friends meet on their bikes and ride a predetermined loop around the bay area. We have had running groups that met on certain afternoons, to which clients can bring friends and families. Everyone was welcomed, no matter the level. We have joined charity-event races, promoted our own races, and hosted Olympic-style weightlifting competitions. We even had unofficial, just-for-kicks aesthetic competitions, in which we bared our abs and had you voted for the best appearance.

A little over a year ago we added Crossfit classes and small-group classes to our fitness hub. Now FIT offers not just high quality personal training and the classes above, but also physical therapy, therapeutic massage, Barbell Club for serious Olympic-style weightlifters, a kids fitness program, a teen strength and conditioning program, a special-population program, and a nutrition program. More are in the works. FIT is truly a hub of many program options for people who seek health and fitness for the long haul.

There have been a couple of people who have taken “the long haul” literally. One is Pam Kochman, who decided to run a marathon in her 50s, even though she has never run more than a mile in her entire life. The other person is our very own staff member, Joe Kelso, who took a long road to ultimately participate in an ultra-endurance event, a 50-mile run. This month Analisa Naldi shares their fascinating stories in her article, Runners Recap.

And no doubt, you have heard that endurance athletes often use caffeine to enhance their running performance on race day. In his article this month, Scott Kolasinski offers insight, and cautions, with the use of caffeine for training, performance and fat loss. You will now look at our cooler full of sports drinks and no longer have to wonder if you should have one that contains caffeine or not.

We have been very fortunate to be a fitness company in our wonderful community, and have slowly positioned ourselves as a hub for all things fitness. We intend to be here for the long haul, so that you can be healthy and fit for the long haul.

Thank you for reading our monthly newsletter, and for being part of our family.