March 23, 2023

Coach Brandon Pictures from Egypt

I recently took a trip to Egypt & have a few pictures & thoughts to share.

The Great Pyramids of Giza. The Pyramid of Khefru (481ft) was the tallest structure on Earth from the time of its completion around 2,500BC until the construction of the Eiffel Tower in 1887! Since I was a small child I have been amazed by these pyramids.  After seeing them in person I am somehow even more blown away by them than ever before.

The Great Pyramids with the Sphinx in front. The Sphinx has been dated back to around the time of the construction of the Pyramids but new research is showing it potentially could be much older and predate the Pyramids by up to a couple thousand years!

One of our earlier mornings. A sunrise hot air balloon ride over the farmlands of Luxor. Luxor was once called Thebes and was the first ever capital of ancient Egypt. Definitely a unique and wonderful thing to experience.

Temple of Hatshepsut. Built sometime between 1,500-1,400 BC.

This temple was built for a Pharoah with a very interesting story of how she gained and kept her rule by sending her stepson (the rightful heir to the throne) to Sudan. She ruled for multiple decades after. After she passed away her stepson came back to Egypt and destroyed many of her statues and temples as to try and not let history remember her. He failed, as Queen Hatshepsut was loved by most people she ruled over.

Inside one of the tombs at the Valley of the Kings. Around 1,600BC kings stopped building pyramids and started building chambers in the caves and cliffs of Thebes in an attempt to keep grave robbers out.

The pictures in this tomb are approximately around 3,300 years old but have kept the paint incredibly well due to being buried for so long.

I personally did not have high expectations for the Valley of the Kings but left Egypt with it being one of my favorite stops we had.

March 2, 2023

Cheeto Fingers will be just one chapter of my life story

Growing up, my Dad worked for the Frito Lay Company…

Which meant that we would have boxes and boxes of the stales (product that had gone beyond expiration date) in our garage at home.

Whatever chip flavor you could imagine, there was an unlimited supply within a few steps from my kitchen.

And sometimes… every couple of months… we’d even get the leftover bags of beef jerky.

What a treat.

I remember playing video games all day in the summer, and sprinting into the garage in between games to grab my next bag of choice, pebbles stuck to the bottoms of my feet because I couldn’t take the time to even slide crocs on.

Often, that bag of choice was Cheetos.

This was when I learned about the irreversible damage Cheeto dust can do.

Not only does it stick to your fingers, but it’s a magnet to everything you touch, including your Xbox controller.

Some lessons you have to learn the hard way, I suppose.

In this story, one might describe me as a Junk food eater… a Video Game nerd, perhaps?

Call me what you want, this story isn’t a fair representation of who I am today.

And it certainly doesn’t dictate my actions today.

I say this because…you may have a story you remember.

Maybe it replays in your head quite often.

A story from long ago, or maybe more recently.

Know that that story doesn’t define who you are today.

Every day you have a decision. A fresh start.

To decide what actions you will take today.

And who you will become.

Who you are.

And you don’t have to feel guilty for those old stories.

They are a old chapter in a book you are still writing.

Chose to be 1% better today, whatever that may be for you.

And look back on those chapters, proud…

proud because of how far you’ve come.

So, what story will you write today?

Love,

Coach Hunter
#SmallStepsBigResults

February 15, 2023

Mr Watson, come here, I want to see you

Perhaps, we should take a different look at changing our behaviors.  What if we look at it like a designer?  What if we think in design iterations? 

Let’s take the telephone as an example.  The first telephone didn’t look at all like the telephones we carry around today.  You sat at it.  It had a huge drum like thing, a needle & wires.  What if, after that first iteration, designers gave up.  What if they said ‘it’s been a month, that’s the best we’ll get’ or ‘I can’t do any better, this is how the telephone will always be’.   

If that’s too much to imagine, imagine still only having the first generation iphone from 2007.  What if Apple said ‘that’s it, we’ve done enough.  That’s the best it’ll be.  Enjoy your iphone.’  

That would be CRAZY! 

We wouldn’t have wireless phones capable of running businesses, taking pictures, playing music, making phone calls, keeping schedules, assisting with tasks, translating, providing directions, reviews, social contact, ….   The list goes on and on and the capabilities are increasing with every iteration. 

I hope there’s an aha moment here for you….  What if you start thinking of your life and your behavior change as something to be designed?  Something to be worked on, tested, improved upon?  If something doesn’t work, it’s back to the drawing board to make a tweak versus throwing up your hands and completely giving up!  

When you start to think in baby step iterations, guess what?  Your thoughts of failing fade away because it is no longer black and white (success or failure).  Now you’re thinking like a designer…  ‘we want this, what steps can we take to do it?…  ‘we’re here & we want this better.  what can we do to get this better?’   ‘Ah, that didn’t work….  What else can we do to get this better?….’   There are no failures unless we stop trying.  There are just iteration improvements; like going from one iphone version to the next!

I encourage you to start thinking of your health journey like a designer!  Our coaches here at Hybrid are ready with many tools to help you design your way to your health goals!

January 24, 2023

Coach Cathy’s trek in Nepal!

Many of you know that I tackled the Khumbu Valley Trail in Nepal in December. What you may not know is that I am NOT a hiker. That said, I tend to trek only big stuff. Wait, what? I know that does not make sense. It started years ago when I lived in Colorado. With some friends, I conquered Longs Peak, a fourteener in the Rocky Mountains, without much preparation. I triumphed all the same. 

I renewed my lack of hiking preparation in the fall of 2021 when I set out for a two-week adventure of a lifetime. I was officially in my fifties and felt there was no time like the present to push my boundaries and step outside of my comfort zone. You know, physical exertion, mental mind-bending, temperature changes, in-your-face nature, potentially dangerous and suspicious food, and anything that makes you wonder later why you agreed to be that uncomfortable in every way. 

I was hesitant, to say the least because I was about to hike 26 miles to get to Machu Picchu in Peru. When I say I do not hike, I do not step outside my door on weekends with my hiking boots laced up to huff and puff to the top of anything. I live at sea level in a beautiful place with many easily accessible hiking spots, but I don’t hike. No excuses. I sort of like hiking. I mean, I like the idea of hiking. I do not go out of my way to make it happen or prepare in any way for it.

What do you do when you are about to push your limits? You lean on a friend, right? Surround yourself with support and inspiration, which is one of the things I love about Hybrid Fitness. For this experience, one of my grade school besties, Tammy, was joining me. Tam is the epitome of a spirited go-getter. Just what I needed! After 45 years, Tam knows me inside and out and has my back. However, she hikes. Like real hiking. Like all-the-mountains-in-New-England-every-weekend hiking. Compared to my apprehension, she was beyond ecstatic about this adventure. 

I love to travel and have been all over the world. As I get older, I am less willing to suffer for the experience. I envisioned myself trudging along, far behind Tam. That is if I wasn’t sitting on rocks or the wet ground, gasping for breath and sobbing periodically. I pictured arriving at our camp as a sweaty, hungry, dehydrated mess. And in the morning, being so sore, I’d have to stay on the mountain forever to live in harmony with the local alpacas.

I am a Hybrid Fitness Coach. Coach is the keyword. I help others get the exercise they need, but there are more times than I care to admit when I don’t get the workouts I need. I haven’t been as consistent with my exercise schedule as I want. My nutrition is inadequate because I tend to have too many irons in the fire, and I skip meals. In my mind, this behavioral trend is a recipe for disaster. Not knowing what I had signed up for with this moderate-level Sacred Valley Peruvian quest, I questioned whether I was fit enough to check this off the bucket list. Summiting the top of Longs Peak was almost 25 years ago when my aches and pains were less, and my muscles were a hell of a lot more primed.

I had not been backcountry tent camping since b.k. (before kids). I was worried about my back after lying on the ground all night. I imagined tripping on the rock-strewn jaunt to the makeshift potty in the middle of the night in the blackest darkness. The temperature was a concern because I could only carry so much in my pack. Freezing after sweating from the exertion in the cold weather had me thinking there could be a possibility of never being warm again. I had no idea what the food and drink would be like, including coca leaf tea, sacred to the Incas, which has enough caffeine to shame Coach Brandon and Coach Ben. I purposely did not ponder the chances for any up close and personal conversations with unexpected critters as we intruded into their habitat.  

Despite all of these thoughts running through my head, I survived. I did gasp for breath but took more photos than anyone else because I stopped to take in my surroundings. I was slow but steady and arrived at camp whole and happy each evening, except when the toe of my shoe caught the step and sent me tumbling down stone steps. I don’t think I’ve seen that color purple in bruises before. Smiling and laughing took the place of sobbing, and my gear kept me dry in the downpours and shaded my fair skin from the sun. I applaud the thin sleeping pad that did save my back from complete agony. My muscles were sore but in a why-don’t-I-hike-more kind of way. The food was pleasingly on the edge of gourmet. The now welcomed coca leaf tea kept me warm since I didn’t bring enough layers. On a trip to the privy one evening, I made a deal with a tarantula that we would stay on our respective sides of the stall. Coach Brandon would have loved that. Overall, everything went well, but that didn’t mean it was easy. It was hard and NOT a vacation. It was what the brochure stated, an adventure trek. However, after much toil, Machu Picchu is a wonder to behold with its terraces and carefully constructed stone structures dating from the 1400s. Completely magnificent.

After Peru, I thought I would be able to cross hike-something-big off my bucket list, but then my guide friend from college, Chris, offered to take me on a trek in Nepal this past December. He and his wife operate an adventure tour company (Far Xplorer) and spend much of the year in Nepal. Our trek would be the Khumbu Valley Trail towards Everest’s base camp. Not Everest itself. I am not altogether crazy. He said our walk would be mellow, with time to pause for tea, check out the local villages, and photograph the beautiful views. That sounded lovely. He was correct about the fascinating local culture and the stunning views, but the “walk,” as he called it, was a bit more challenging. I had flashbacks of Peru. 

I thought that I would be more prepared after my time in Peru. I was partly correct. I was excited to hear that we would stay in lodges and not sleep on the ground. I imagined hot showers and comfortable, warm beds after each day of hiking. However, the accommodations were not heated and some did not have hot water. Brrrr! We had a few hours of sunny weather and blue sky each day, but after that, it was cold. Cold like see-your-breath, -4 degrees cold. Because of this, we didn’t hike as far as the Everest base camp. The lodges decided to close because of the cold weather (frozen pipes and all that). We heard it was -17 degrees at base camp, and some folks were taking helicopters. 

My 56 mile adventure was incredible despite getting a terrible cold and expending thousands of calories trying to keep warm. The locals were friendly and willing to help as much as possible for us to feel welcome. The meals, mostly ramen vegetable soups, were delicious, and the lemon honey tea aided with my cold. Both helped keep me warm. 

There were no tarantulas on this trip, but I took photos of rabbits, goats, cows, mules, sheep, birds, dogs, and cats, and the yaks were gorgeous. I also snapped footage of stupas, crazy Kathmandu traffic, an outside crematorium, prayer wheels, and the breathtaking scenery, including Everest. I can’t believe the grandeur of the Himalayas. 

Similar to our fitness journeys, there are always many obstacles when traveling that can lead to surprising comprehension. Due to an issue with my visa for India, I had to stay in Paris for a day. I had a glorious time visiting the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre and savoring a few French pastries. True heaven! Then on the way home from Nepal, I was sidetracked in India for a couple of days. I understand why the Taj Mahal is one of the world’s seven wonders. It’s romantically extraordinary in size, art, and architecture. It was an enjoyable way to end an arduous journey. 

I share my hiking stories because I think it’s crucial to fold opportunities for exercise (mental and physical) into the pockets of the soul through experiences that entice human growth in character. Someone I greatly admire, Coach Beth of Beth Feraco Fitness says, “We can do hard things.” There were moments on all three of my hefty treks when I questioned whether I could take another step, stop shivering, drink enough water, eat new food, etc. Even though I did not prepare physically in any way for these adventures other than my haphazard exercise routine, I was fit enough to make it happen. I have memories of incredible places where I learned a lot along the way, not only about the places I visited but also about myself. I learned about things that I need to do better (more fresh air & a steadfast commitment to an exercise regime), things that I need to let go of (tasks that don’t matter in the big picture), and things I need to cherish more in my everyday life (family, friends, experiences). 

I am moving forward with yet another deep appreciation for different people and places. However, I can say with conviction that I am crossing hike-something-big off my bucket list. Done, done, and done because I am NOT a hiker!