I went on a three-mile hike with Dakota because I was meeting with an old friend, Jeff, and his wife Katie, for a four-mile hike into Fisher’s later in the day so that we could discuss their current conditioning and nutrition program and she wouldn’t be able to join us for that. Jeff is the person I referred to in a recent posting who had, as so many people do, used the scale as his barometer for success (or failure) in achieving his fitness related goals. He had lost a considerable amount of weight, but had let his efforts slip after hearing from friends and family how good he looked and thinking, 'yeah - I'm done'. Over the next couple of years, it all returned. He has come to realize the error in his ways and he and Katie are both all about the lifestyle changes that are what matters and how they make the real difference in the long run.
“Forget the scale, Jeff. You’re still too focused on it. Realize that if you continue to pursue an active lifestyle – because you LIKE it – and eat in the sensible and modified way you’re now doing, weight will fall off over time, your clothes will fit differently and most importantly, you’ll be in the game and not a spectator,” I said.
He nodded agreement. We spent most of our time hiking and later eating, discussing goal setting. I stressed how important I believe it is to have an event in mind that forces you to condition yourself if you are to complete it in a satisfying manner. “That’s why I challenge myself with 130-mile hikes and 1,100 mile bike rides around the state of Ohio. I want to do them and can’t unless I train hard and for a long period of time.”
It just works. Finding the right thing is the trick. I told them both I’d love to have them join me this fall for a hike and climb in the Adirondacks. They are outdoor people and if they don’t take me up on it, I think they’ll challenge themselves with some other event that will serve the same purpose. I have no doubt they will succeed. They are focused and they have experienced what happens to their lives when they aren’t.
Hike: Two hours.
Training Heart Rate: 70-90 bpm hiking.
Calories Burned: 800.
Bonus: 25,000 steps
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