Time to Read: ~2 min
I fell in love with fitness just 13 years ago. Amy and I committed to "focus on fitness" by choosing an annual challenge. I'd never been a serious athlete as a kid and young adult, though I did play soccer in high school and racquetball in college.
For our first challenge, we rode our mountain bikes around Cayuga Lake. It was so hard, and prompted us to get road bikes for future cycling exploits! The following year, we ran our first half marathon together in Rochester, NY. We properly trained, and had a blast (look at those smiles!). Amy wrote a fantastic blog post about our first-time half marathon experience.
My kids at that first half marathon
Since then, we've ditched an "annual challenge" in favor of perpetual challenges. My interests vary from year to year, but I've run fast miles, ultras, triathlons, adult cross country, and enjoy hiking. One of the things I love about being perpetually "race ready" and training year-round is what it does to my body. People I meet can't believe that I have a daughter in college and a son in high school. I firmly believe a fit lifestyle is a pathway to the fountain of youth. Since I started this in my 30s, too, I also know that it's never too late to start. It's never too late to try something new. As a Masters competitor, I enjoy racing against myself, trying to stave off the seconds that passing time will shave off of my race times. Not yet, Father Time. Not yet.
Amy with Honey Stinger waffles in Oregon
Speaking of new things, and addressing the title of this article, I am humbled to have been accepted into the 2020 Hive Athlete Ambassador Program. My earliest memory of Honey Stingers were fueling ourselves with waffles while hiking Broken Top in Oregon's Cascades. They provided ample energy for our family as we enjoyed the pristine views. It was August 2012 and the kids were still pretty little. I'm so grateful that we started running, biking, and hiking when we did. The kids both caught the athletic bug: we're all running in the Syracuse Half Marathon in three short weeks. I'm hoping it won't be as Syracrazy as the 2016 race!
I'm not sure what's in the cards yet for the 2020 race season, but I'm sure it's going to be a fun one. I'm going to start with some winter base fitness, cross training, alpine skiing, and gearing up for my staple races of the year (a few half marathons and the Cayuga Lake Triathlon). Whatever the year brings, it's going to be a fun year in the hive. I'm most active on Twitter and Strava, so feel free to connect with me there!