Living in a Van Down by the River

From the ages of 23 to 27, I whitewater kayaked at least 3 days a week during the Spring runoff when the water was running fast and high. Kayaking was an obsession. I schemed how I could escape my responsibilities and go kayaking. It was like a bad sugar craving and I caved in guiltlessly. But it all abruptly changed when I started having kids. Making fatherhood a priority, I had to eventually learn to balance my time between fun, family, and work.  Consequently, I had to enter a “rehab facility” to wean myself off the “adrenalin high” I had become accustomed to experiencing---and enjoying.   

Recently my daughter handed me a loaded cookie by announcing she wanted to go to Iceland for her Senior trip in 2 years.   Little did she know that the “ land of ice and fire” is one of the kayaking meccas of the world. And I selfishly canived how I could benefit from her request.

“How would you like to learn how to kayak?” I asked manipulatively.

It was difficult for me to withhold my elation.  A place I, too, had dreamed of visiting since my early 20's due to the stunning rivers. Naomi wanted to visit Iceland for its majestic glaciers and awe- struck views (I'm sure the movie Walter Mitty had something to do with that). No matter our reason it was going to be an adventure playground for both of us.  And, I would have the opportunity to share one of my greatest passions with the female version of me.

One of the most gratifying experiences in life is to participate with your children in an activity that is your passion. But, kayaking has an inherent risk that goes against my protective fatherly instinct. I thought to myself, “Could she do it?  Could I prepare her to kayak in this paddler’s paradise?”  I thought to myself, “She certainly has the athleticism and mental drive developed from her years of competitive swimming.

Training started on Saturday at 5 a.m. before the Sports Mall pool opened to the public. We have 5 months before Utah rivers start to cascade with turbulent flows. Front stroke, back stroke, draws, braces, and the highly anticipated Eskimo roll all fundamentally need to be developed in the wee hours of the morning in preparation for her first experience of kayaking.

Over the next few months KOLIfit will report Naomi’s training and progress in the pool, the Weber River, and the Snake River (can’t wait for this one).    What an honor it is to share the KOLIfit philosphy, inspiring people to improve their health through outdoor adventure, with those who are close me.  I just hope I can control myself from “living in a van down by the river.”

Adventure Countdown (Click on Highlighted Text for Video)

I am turning 45 years old this year.  Reality hit not to long ago at the Sports Mall, where I work, when an “ older lady”  came in for her scheduled training consultation. During our conversation she stated that she was 45. It then dawned on me, for the first time, that I must look like an “older man.” I have not put much interest into the aging effect, and how it will eventually limit the types of activities I can participate in. But this was a shrewd experience to remind me that I am not invincible and things are beginning to change.  

So in my aging years I took time to reflect, during my 5 hour car drive to the Escalante Staircase, on the impressionable adventures of my “younger years”: free soloing in my teens, backcountry skiing before there was the high performance backcountry gear, whitewater kayaking, wildland fire fighting,

Alaska Backpacking 

homeless adventure  in Alaska, the Utah desert, and many more cherished memories. During my reflection I felt an odd sense that an adventure countdown has begun. Is it my age, my course of life, my family responsibilities,  that are alarming me to an inevitable fate?  That one day I will not be able to participate in some of the adventure activities I love. My heart sadden as I realized I'm entering a new chapter of life.  So if this is the beginning of the end then I am going to make sure that my adventures are momentous moments.

For my first countdown adventure I decided to go canyoneering in the Escalante Staircase.  As you stand overlooking the Escalante Staircase from a nearby plateau you may ask, “What the crap was President Bill Clinton thinking when he made this a monument? It's a barren land of dirt and rock!”  It's when you get down into landscaped that you realize the labyrinth of beauty he was protecting. Escalante is chock-full of canyons and washes that are scars of mother nature's power. Ironically these scars are the lifeline to the beauty and spectacular scenery that attracts so many people to this area. These washes are the feeding grounds for deer and cougar, and house a plethora of rodents and frogs.  There are  thick “jungles” of grasses, shrubs and willows, aged cottonwood trees, and the undesired tamarisk and russian olive.  This oasis of greenery is something you wouldn't expect in a desert. It is amazing to view the checks and balances of years of nature's creative power.  All the more reason to protect this wild beauty.

Ironically my momentous Escalante moment starts at a desk. I planned our adventure using the Alltrails app, by downloading topo maps and direct routes to base camp and canyons. I  also flagged significant areas and attach vital information to my maps.  I love using the Alltrails app for adventures.  It allows me to see where I am at, at any given time without  cell service.  I was shocked how many people were hiking in the Escalante wilderness unprepared.  We were asked several times  how to find “somewhere.”  The only downside to Alltrails is, it’s an electronic map so I have to bring a charging device. But if I put my phone in airplane mode,  I can use my phone for 2 days without having to charge it. Of course I am a good Boy Scout and I  always print and bring a hardcopy map for “just in case.”

The  trip included  3 canyons in two days.  Neon and Ringtail on day 1 and Choprock on Day 2.  I  personally have experienced Choprock and Neon canyons. My first descent down Choprock took over 14 hours, finishing in the dark around 10pm. The canyon starts with a 2-3 hour approach across primitive wilderness. Good navigation and route finding skills, or using your Alltrails app can save you a significant amount of time since there are no designated trails. The approach is very exposed to the sun and it is HIGHLY recommended that you start just before sunrise.  Which can be a little disheartening when you have to cross the frigid Escalante River, thigh deep, that early in the morning when the temperature is about 45 degrees. But totally better than the alternative of nasty sweaty parts due to extreme heat.  

Choprock is an adult  playground with several 20-40’ Elevator slides using wet suit  friction to control your descent. There are a few stemming and bridging sections that if you are like me, a little afraid of heights, make your sphincters pucker.  There are plenty of long frigid swims where everything shrivels up even with a 5mm wetsuit. And slots so narrow that anyone who  is considered a “Clydesdale” will raise an eyebrow and wonder if they just entered their grave. But will soon find out that they fit just fine as long as they are content with leaving a few chucks of flesh and strips of clothing.  Interestingly I  repeated  Choprock canyon a few years later and we practically swam the entire canyon.  Which offered a complete set of new challenges and a fresh adventure experience.

That is one of the great  attractions to  canyoneering.  Canyons are constantly changing due to Mother Nature’s power.  Which then offers a unique experience that requires respect each time. I always get  canyoneering  “jitters” before I enter a canyon, because no matter how much beta I research, there are always unforeseen challenges that require problem solving.  Which, also is an appealing element of adventure.  Our group, Jared, Adam, Braden,

Start of Escalante Adventure 

and myself had plenty unforeseen issues during our trip. We had broken pack straps, soles detaching off shoes, we got lost….not really,  just cliffed out, , muscle cramps, taking NUUN without water to relieve cramps (not recommended), protective rope sheath broke, and the normal unexpected canyoneering issues of how to get over, under, through obstacles.  It is these unforeseen challenges that create laughter around the campfire and bonding memories for a  lifetime.

 

We arrived at the trailhead at the end of Egypt Rd Thursday night (really Friday Morning)  at 2am.  It was a chilly 32 degrees with billions of stars giving off there luminescent glow.  With a 2 hour hike to base camp in the morning and anticipated 14 hour day in canyons, there was not much chit chat.  It was straight to bed on my one inch Therma-rest insulating me from the rocky ground.

The objective of backpacking is to pack the bare minimum equipment so there is less energy spent in carry, and more energy spent in traveling.  So, there was careful planning on what equipment to bring for  the lightest pack possible. Combining a backpacking activity with a canyoneering activity makes it difficult to carry a  light pack.  With both activities  mandatory gear our packs were weighing about  65 lbs  

Canyoneering equipment

• Wetsuit 3 lbs (dry)
• Two 100’ 8mm rope 3 lbs each
• 300’ 8.5mm rope 15lbs
• Pothole escape bag (hooks, shot bags, slings, etc.) 5 lbs
• Rappelling equipment (harness, belay device, biners, rapides, etc) 5 lbs
• Canyoneering Backpack 3 lbs

Backpacking equipment

• Touring backpack 3 lbs
• Clothes (2 pair of hiking clothes, 1 pair of camp clothes) 5 lbs
• Sleeping bag and pad 4 lbs
• Food 5 lbs
• Cooking Gear 2 lbs
• Hydration equipment and filters 1lb
• Water 5 lbs
• First aid 1lb
• Toiletries 1 lb
• Other (cards, phone batteries, headlamp, etc) 5 lbs

We rose Friday morning  just after a beautiful sunrise and took our bare minimum weight of 65 lbs. into the Escalante wilderness.  The Escalante wilderness isn’t really supposed to have designated trails.  But because of the increasing popularity to this area social trails have become designated trails.  One of the social trails highlighted on our map was a mile shortcut to our base camp.  Let me rephrase that, it was supposed to be a shortcut to our base camp. Due to a few degrees off in our bearing we missed our mark by about ½ mile (Sunday School analogy material) and were cliffed out looking for another way down to the river bottom about 500’ below. We found a way that required a 20’ down climb off a rock face.  To finalize our commitment to this route I threw my bare minimum pack off the cliff and yelled “I’m committed” and scurried my way down the cliff.  This quickly became the theme of our trip, “I’m Committed!”

  

Base Camp Night 1

We attained base camp, in the Escalante River wash surround by aged cottonwood trees, by 10am.  No time was wasted setting up camp.  We quickly emptied our shoes of the extra pounds of red desert sand, and organized our canyoneering equipment to head off to Ringtail Canyon. Now, Ringtail  was the mystery canyon.  I  searched many canyoneering websites, and  the information was  vague and non consistent with the images I was seeing.  The beta was stating “an easy out and back very dark canyon.”   But, many of the  images showed narrow dark slots with  keeper potholes.  The phrase “keeper pothole” kinda puts the fear of God in you, and you would think there would be more information on this canyon if it was going to be difficult.  So I search for many days trying to find beta and information about the canyon, but nothing was very helpful.  So I made my own plan,  using Google Earth, the  AllTrails app, and a few blogs,  to find a route that would possibly lead us to the technical part of the canyon and avoid an out and back experience.  As we started hiking to the Ringtail entrance,  my “sense of exploring” euphoria kicked in.  I was loving it!

On they way we met some visitors from Montana who were kayaking the Escalante River and were canyoneering each canyon along the way.  I was highly intrigued and spoke to them for quite awhile.  River running is my favorite outdoor activity. Combining  river running with  canyoneering would be like George Costanza combining food with his intimate activities, it would be a pinnacle experience.

After coming off my next year's fantasy high we found ourselves at the base of Ringtail Canyon.  Using the information I had gathered we found an entrance 1 mile up canyon.  Ringtail Canyon did not disappoint. There was plenty of narrow slots, down climbs, and a couple of  potholes.  I think the information is so vague to keep it  a secret.  We had so much fun stemming and bridging through the narrow slots and using some partner assist strategies to get out of the potholes. We even pulled out the grappling hook for one pothole.  But it was only used to measure how deep the water was to see if we had to use a swimming escape or a partner assist escape technique.

Ringtail canyon was the perfect 3 hour “warm up” to our adventure, that  took more of a toll on our bodies than anticipated.  Mainly because we did not put on our protective wetsuits until after we had left a few layers of our skin slot walls.  And the beta was right, slots so narrow that the sunlight did not  penetrate through the narrow crack above.  Creating an attractive element to come back again. Maybe next year during  my kayak fantasy trip?

Wasting no time again, we  set off for Neon Canyon  with its much anticipated Cathedral Arch about 1 mile up canyon from Ringtail.  Because Neon was so close, we decided to keep our wetsuits on and just roll the top half  down to our waist….Mistake!  Though the temperatures were a very pleasant 70 degrees, the route to the entrance of Neon is very sun exposed.  We quickly were blazing in the sun creating a nasty sweaty environment in the lower half of the body.  But the canyon entrance was ensight and we endured the unpleasantries of sweaty male bodies.

As stated before, when repeating a canyon I get the jitters from the unknown due to the changing conditions in slot canyons.  Neon has a couple of keeper potholes if the conditions are right. But  jitters quickly transitioned  to a fun, relaxing,  lazy river ride.  Neon was full of water, and there were plenty of welcomed  swims through narrow slots that cooled the  unpleasantries from our approach hike.

Neon’s gift is the last rappel of 80’  from Cathedral Arch.  It is an indescribable obeisant double holed arch formed in a fern laden grotto with a pool at its base reflecting a contrasting palette of  surrounding colors.  People come from all over the world to hike at its foot,  and we are privileged have rebirth from its breath.These are the types of experiences that words and pictures do not give justice to how amazing this area is.  I have had the conversation many times comparing an experience with looking at pictures and video. Though the pictures and video are amazing, their purpose is to inspire action, and to create your own adventure experience where you get a glimpse of what heaven might be like.

With only  4 hours of sleep on my 1” Therma-rest and playing in Nature's playground for 12 hours, we strolled into base camp exhausted and ready to reminisce the day over a 600 calorie Mountain House entree and sipping purified Escalante spring water.  Sleep came easy for half the night as I laid comfortably  in my daughters hammock. A first time experience for me.  I have shied away from hammocking due to the exposure to bugs.  But I was desperate in reducing my pack weight and chose a 6oz hammock over a 5 lb tent.  And the hords of No-see-um bugs orchestrating  fly by maneuvers had no affect on my deep slumber.

The second half of the night was rudely interrupted by some unknown  specie of annoying bird that had over 15 different calls.  I know,  because I counted them.  I even tried to determine if there was a pattern to its calls.   So, I forcefully enjoyed the moment by listening to the night orchestra of dessert sounds, and gazed at a view in the sky that alludes to something much greater than my puny existence.    

Ringtail and Neon canyons  were great preludes of what was to come in  Choprock.  We woke early  Saturday morning just before the sunrise around 5:30 am.  We broke base camp and moved it to a different location crossing the Escalante river, thigh deep, 5 times before we could drop our 65 lbs (now 75 lbs due to wet gear) of bare minimum equipment. We then headed North East parallelling the south fork of Choprock Canyon for an uneventful  2 hour approach hike.  

One of the great privileges to our human existence is how we connect emotions with our experiences. Exuberant joy with the birth of a child, soiled pants fear due to heights, and shouting at the TV anger from a dropped pass in the endzone are just a few examples.   I love experiencing adventures when you feel a gamut of emotions. Then finish with a big grin on your face and with a chuckled voice say “I just did that.”

This was our 8 hour Choprock experience. There were barbaric yawps as we finished sketchy down climbs. There were stealthy chuckles as we weaved through tight squeezes just big enough to fit our helmets. There were “Oh s#%*” moments like when Adam had to elevator slide 30’ into a pool of water. Another puckering moment was when my backpack, hanging from my harness on a 60’ rappel,  got tangled in the rope preventing me from from rappelling down. And the scariest moment was when Braden made the last rappel of  80’ and watched the protective sheath around the rope shear tear exposing the fibrous rope. It was these moments and many more (of course not so scary) that we all smiled and said “I just did that.”

It's a good trip  when everyone walks out of the canyon safely, and with their shoes still on their feet. The wear and tear on equipment from canyoneering is pretty harsh. Ripped packs and new holes in the wetsuits become boasting trophies. We even had a voluntary moment of silence for Jared's 15 year old talking shoes during our Sunday morning 3 mile hike, all uphill,  with 75 lb packs, back to the car. Yes, 75 POUNDS! Our gear was still wet and there was enough stowaway sand to amount to 10 extra pounds.  But likes sand through an hourglass so are the days of our lives,  and our adventures must come to an end.   It seems that the car ride home is much quieter than the drive down.  It might be because we were tired and our bellies were full,  or we might have been reflecting on the moments, but we were all in agreement to pencil in the next adventure and add another momentous moment to our lives.  

Let your fitness make a difference

It's impacted or will impact all of us at some point in our lives. Whether it's personal, a family member, friend, or acquaintance, cancer will impact your life at some point. Over our lifetimes, we've watched parents, relatives, friends and co-workers fight for their lives to overcome this insidious disease. Some have been fortunate to win the battle, others, we remember and miss everyday. 

This year KOLIfit is dedicating it's 6 peaks challenge to the fight against cancer, and we want you to help make a difference. We're asking all KOLIfit members, family, friends, and co-workers to use their love of fitness and the outdoors to let their fitness make a difference in the lives of others.  KOLIfit has paired with Huntsman Hometown Heroes to raise money to support their efforts to rid the world of this terrible and often devastating disease.  

Our fundraising goal: $53,739 or $1 for every foot climbed throughout each of the six peaks. Gather your friends and family, and challenge each other to not only accomplish the 6 peaks, but to raise money that really does make a difference for all of us. 

There are many ways you can participate in the 6 peaks challenge, even without taking a single step (although we want to see you out there on the trails with us.)

• For those who are or have been engaged in the battle with cancer, either personally or with a loved one, dedicate the 6 peaks challenge, or even just one peak to your fight or that of your loved one(s). Carry the name(s) of those you represent as you summit each of the 6 peaks. Share your challenge with those who are fighting and cannot climb with you. Or, dedicate your challenge to those who tragically lost their fight, and honor their memory with each step and each peak you climb.  

• For those who are active and looking for challenging summer hikes, the 6 peak challenge offers you the opportunity to explore the Wasatch Front in new and unique ways with a group who shares your same passion. At the same time, your passion for outdoor fitness will help make a difference in the fight against cancer and directly impact those who are effected by it. 

• Not ready, or able to participate in the challenge, you can still make a difference. Sponsor someone who completing the challenge by making a donation to their fundraising page. If you don't know someone, make a donation directly on KOLIfit's page.

Here's how it works:

• In order to qualify for the challenge and receive the benefits and perks, you must be a member of KOLIfit.

• Each month, beginning in May, KOLIfit  has selected one peak to summit. Go to KOLIfit.com to get a schedule of peaks and dates. You can choose to climb the peak with KOLIfit on the scheduled date (encouraged), but you may also summit solo as well. In order to qualify for the challenge, you will have to upload your GPS track into your KOLIfit account.

• Fund raise for the peak(s) you are planning on doing. KOLIfit will send a fundraising packet to each person who joins the 6 peak challenge to help with your efforts. Although there is no minimum required, we are suggesting at least $100 per peak.

• Each month for every person who completes the challenge they will be eligible for a drawing of a $100 gift card to the sponsor of that month's challenge. For example: May's sponsor is Wasatch Running. If you complete the challenge and are chosen in the drawing, you receive $100 to Wasatch Running. Each month presents a different sponsor and a new chance to win. You can increase your chances of winning by raising additional funds, recruiting friends, and sharing on social media.

• KOLIfit is offering practice hikes each month to help you prepare for the month's challenge peak. The practice hikes are a part of your KOLIfit membership and give you the opportunity to sharpen your skills as well meet people who share your goals.

• For each person who completes all 6 peaks, we have custom swag from Huntsman Hometown Heroes just for you.

For more details and information visit KOLIfit.com

Hiking The Unknown!

Know it Live it - A reason to go to the gym

We all know we are supposed to exercise, we've been given countless reasons and yet somehow the message is just not getting through. The message is getting both lost and distorted, often portraying fitness as unattainable, or even worse, miserable.

Having worked in the fitness industry for nearly 20 years I am continually surprised by the misconceptions surrounding exercise, and the incredible resistance to starting  and maintaining an exercise program. Admittedly I have a bias, and what some would consider and unfair advantage, I'm a trainer and make a living prescribing exercise. But, that's not accurate, I genuinely love to move, I find freedom in movement, especially when it takes me outside and to new places.

I see it everyday, we blindly trudge off to the gym and wander, generally aimlessly, from machine to machine with a blank stare that clearly states "when is this going to be over!" Grateful when it finally ends, we head off to live the rest of our day and attend to the" important things in life." This lack of purpose, these feelings of drudgery and obligation are devastating to attaining and maintaining fitness as an important part of increasing health and wellness. I spend hours trying to diffuse these perceptions and provide an outlet that makes the gym not only a place to look forward to, but more importantly give purpose to.

I am a strong advocate that exercise involve being outdoors, but in a world of YouTube and social media we are continuously bombarded with images of people doing extreme sport, losing site that this population represents only a tiny fraction of recreational activities. We set the bar for participation so high we forget that exercise can be an enjoyable and valuable experience in life. It can be enjoyed in many environments without the risk of serious injury or worse, death. We have an endless variety of activities that allow us to interact, not only with our environment, but our communities as well. It can be as simple as walking through a local park, hiking on a nearby trail, a bike ride through your community, or a day on the water with a stand-up- paddle board. We carry this misconception that exercising outdoors needs to involve some extreme element, it has to be hard and only real athletes do it. KOLIfit was founded to remove these barriers to participation and provide a path to enjoyable and sustainable interaction with one's environment and community. 

It's not that the gym doesn't play a valuable role in maintaining health and fitness,it does,  but I believe it should be viewed as tool to help enhance your experiences in outdoor recreational pursuits.  Going to the gym with a purpose, one that says this will make what I really enjoy doing even better takes away the dread and drudgery that generally accompanies gym workouts.

KOLIfit Founders and Professional
 trainers Aaron and Scott

If your not sure how to make the best use of your gym time, consider consulting with a trainer, preferably one that understands integrating gym fitness and outdoor recreation.  A qualified trainer can give you the tools and confidence to apply your gym experience to more meaningful outdoor experiences.

Scott Browning - KOLIfit founder and Professional Fitness Trainer

How do fitness and multisport skills translate into a better outdoor experience?

How do fitness and multisport skills translate into a better outdoor experience?

Let’s be honest with ourselves… whether we like it or not, fitness is the base for everything active; winter sport, running, cycling, swimming, outdoor adventure, and just about everything else.  Staying active is so important in helping a person gain the skills needed to attempt challenging activities in an outdoor setting.  Unfortunately, creating a personal lifestyle filled with physical fitness isn’t exactly on their list of high priorities.  I promise you, if you can create that lifestyle, and I mean a SUSTAINABLY active lifestyle, you will be happy.  You will gain confidence to try new things.  You will crave more. 

During high school and early college, I didn’t live a sustainably healthy lifestyle.  I KNEW exactly how I was supposed to be eating, exercising, sleeping, etc.  I always had a passion for fitness, skiing, and particularly cycling.  I also loved exploring the outdoor world, but there was a huge, and I mean HUGE learning curve on my path to creating my sustainably active and healthy lifestyle.  At age 18, I was 30 pounds heavier than I am now.  On the weekends I stayed up until 3 or 4am eating junk with friends.  I was over-scheduled every day of my life with music rehearsals, homework, and concert performances.  My lifestyle was suffocating me, however I KNEW exactly how healthy my life was actually supposed to be.  There was a happy, active me fighting to get out and live. 

In March of my senior year of high school, I decided to sign up for my first century 100-mile bike ride.  I trained on a hybrid bicycle that weighed 35-pounds and borrowed a road bike for race day.  I made a solid playlist to listen to, packed some snacks and sunscreen, and was on my way.  I spent the first 10 miles familiarizing myself with the gears on my borrowed bike, but other than that, the first 40 miles were manageable.  Mile 50 on the other hand… I actually thought I was going to die.  I sprawled out on the ground and almost threw up.  When I began to feel better, I hopped back on my bike and just kept going.  When I passed the finish line, a nice lady behind a snow cone stand handed me a cold, red snow cone and congratulated me.  With a quavering, emotional, “Thank you,” I sat on the ground and cried.  I finished. 

The strange thing is how much I have grown since then.  A century ride turned into a regular, unorganized, weekend event with friends.  I gained a desire to eat nourishing foods.  My passion for skiing grew because my body was happy with me.  My life has grown into a multi-sport bonanza!  I love being active!  I have the confidence to try new sports!  KOLIFIT encourages everyone to join in and try new outdoor activities.  The company aspires for its members to choose a healthy lifestyle and always live it.  I always did KNOW I needed to be healthy to have a better outdoor experience.   I promise… it doesn’t matter how or where you start being active.  It just matters that you start. 

Living an active lifestyle is much more than simply working out and having a poor attitude about it.  KOLIFIT invites you to discover your active potential through adventure and positive outdoor experience with others.  You will find happiness in pushing your body to new limits and setting personal fitness goals for yourself.  Try paddle boarding.  Rappel down a waterfall.  Ride a bike.  Hike a mountain.  Hop in a kayak.  Go for a trail run.  You already KNOW how you should LIVE.  With KOLIFIT, the possibilities for new sports and outdoor activities are endless.

Why We Do It

Why do we do it, where did KOLIfit really come from, and what drives us to continue exploring?

Our commitment to fitness has to be for more than our own physical health, more than finishing an event, more than winning a race or setting a personal best. Being fit has to be more than just maintaining health, it has to be more than just doing because you know you should. Fitness is about creating access, about knowing, always, that things are within reach.  Being fit is being able to ascend the mountain, swim the sea, or travel endlessly through unknown roads, without question, without hesitation, and most importantly without doubt. It’s easy to lose sight, to make excuses, and altogether miss the bigger picture. We all do it, we all have those moments when we ask “why am I doing this?” It doesn’t matter whether you are an elite athlete or just trying to stay healthy, we all inevitably wonder if what we are doing is worth the time and effort, if the perceived sacrifice has any real tangible benefit. The answer usual presents itself in one of two ways.

A missed opportunity that reminds us that staying fit is more than just the gym, more than just our physical health, more than the next big race or event, or

A moment of pure gratitude recognizing your commitment to fitness gave you access to a special place or moment that would otherwise not been possible.

I grew up as an athlete, it was almost as though I knew nothing else. For the longest time I chased that little black line across the pool, back and forth, hour after endless hour, meter after meter searching for one more second. From there it was riding and racing my bike through western Colorado, back country farm roads to mountain passes, pressing ever harder into the realm of competitive sport. Finally, I settled into long distance running, chasing my dreams down endless roads, over mountain tops and through bottomless valleys. Competitive sport not only set me free, but gave me an outlet and escape from so much of my life, opening doors of opportunity to explore, not only my own limits, but my environment, my surroundings and my community.

Through hundreds of races, tens of thousands of miles, countless injuries, and shattered dreams, I often reflect back on why. What was the driving force really behind these pursuits? Where did my fitness take me, both physically and mentally? What is it I remember most, what do I carry forward with me, and why do I keep coming back?

It had to be for more than my own physical health, more than winning a race or setting a personal best. No, it was more. Fitness has given me amazing opportunities in life, the ability to explore, to see my world in such a unique light and with such beauty. Through all the racing, the wins, the PR’s, the exhilaration of accomplishing a goal, those memories, as cherished as they are, are not what I remember most. It is the training, the environment, the lifelong friends and community I take with me.  The amazing sunrises and sunsets, countless wildlife, wildflowers, exotic locations and city streets, forever etched into my memory. The conversations, laughter, support, and friendship. Picking each other up, supporting one another and sometimes just the rhythmic sound of friends’ feet hitting the pavement in silent solidarity. Fitness has the ultimate ability to bring us together, not just with each other, but to our environment, and our community.

KOLIfit is rooted in the belief that a commitment to health and fitness is more than just working out because we’ve been told that’s what we should be doing. Our health is about connecting our own physical wellbeing to our mental state, to our environment, and our communities.

Reconnect, come to a KOLIfit workout and take what you KNOW you should be doing and LIVE the adventure!  

Know it – Live it = KOLIfit