| What are you doing now in terms of training? |
For the last 4 weeks I have been nursing a very bad back with sciatica. But when not injured I try and train pretty hard throughout the week and then rest and have quality family time of a weekend. My week day training usually entails 3 gym sessions, cycling around 100 miles, running a couple of 10k's and then down the karate club a few times. Most of my training is either done very early in the morning or of a lunchtime so that it does not impact family life too much. Training is important to me, but not as much as the kids. If I have an event coming up then I tweak the sessions accordingly. If no events on the horizon then I stick to pretty basic HST type workouts and flat out runs, cycles. I am now running 10k's averaging 6 min mile pace and cycling at steady 20mph pace - for someone who is 13.5 stone I don't think I do too bad. I have two longer term fitness goals at the moment. 1) To apply for the Marathen De Sables as a 40th Birthday present and 2) I have some unfinished business with the marathon and cannot go through life without clocking a sub 3 hour time.
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| Has this improved your level of fitness? |
Without a doubt - and if I feel I am starting to get stale then I change the training slightly. I only wish that I knew what I now know about training, 20 years ago. I think my fitness and strength are always improving and I do not feel like a "near" 40 year old man (apart from the back!). Unfortunately I have to face the reality that I am nearly 40 and although I am still improving - the reality is I am well passed my best years and the likelihood of me being able to hang with the likes of Richard Vint are slim to none.
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| Many have taken up triathlon or Cross FIT – do you miss the one on one racing that made Gym XTC unique? |
I miss the buzz, the nervous energy, the excitement and the feeling you get after completing an event. But if I am brutally honest with myself I just struggle to get motivated for many cross training events. For me I do not like competing if I am not there to win. I am not one to turn up to just make up the numbers and as mentioned previously I am nearly 40 and my better years are gone. Nowadays I am starting to look for physical challenges that are different and get me fired up. Last years 24 hr Thunder Run was awesome and we will be back this year to go for the win! A few weeks back we tried a city event called "Blood, Sweat & Beers" which was an absolutely top event. Very much along the lines of X-training with teams of 4 racing each other but with very different disciplines from what you typically get in a X-training event. So whilst there are parts of X-training I miss, they are being fulfilled by seeking out alternative challenges.
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| If you were in my shoes and you had the finance, what would you have done differently |
Difficult question to answer as it is not easy to put yourself in someone else's shoes or to understand fully the great lengths they have gone to and the sacrifices that have been made to achieve what they have already. If finance was no issue there to me the answer is simple - you need big sponsors and big prizes. Get both of these and you will get big entrants, top athletes entering and great crowds watching. Maybe even if you an draw in some celebrity performances or attract current Olympians to try and event. Everyone would like to be able to say they beat Chris Hoy on a X-training challenge or had a race with Jonathon Edwards. Even TV celebrities would help draw the crowds in, get a Blue Peter presenter to try a X-training challenge or something like that. The other key thing which I have observed over the years is various split organisation all pulling in different directions to achieve the same goal - wrong. If X-training is to ever take off mainstream, then everyone needs to be singing from the same hymn sheet.
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| Do you think a gym really cares about your titles that may have won? |
Quite simply NO, what they care about is that my monthly direct debit is set-up and they are getting paid. Lets be blunt about this - the gym couldn't give a monkeys whether you even turn up to train - as long as they have your money going into the bank.
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| Do you think a gym is a breeding ground to improve fitness – or money making spin machine for those that operate and supply to the industry? |
I think I have answered that question above. To me all of the big "chain" gyms are purely a money making machine. Some would argue "Well why do you train there then?" and the answer is that is it practical, convenient and has all the equipment which I need, plus it is very family friendly. The big named gyms have really killed the market place in some respects because there are very few of the good old 'spit and sawdust' gyms running these days. They just cannot compete against the like of Virgin, Fitness First, David Lloyd etc. I have great admiration for the smaller gyms that are making a go of it, because it is such a tough market to be in. |
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| Would you like to see Physically Impaired Gym X Training Challenges? (Amputees etc) |
I am going to be completely honest here and answer "No". Sorry if this offends people but I just have no interest in watching physically impaired people. I have nothing against them, my step Dad is an amputee so I know how difficult it can be for physically impaired people to perform some of the most simple tasks - let alone compete in a X training challenge. Again I know it is probably wrong but it is like the paraolympics, or watching women fight in a cage - things like this just do not interest me as a spectator. I have total admiration for anyone who is physically impaired that takes on such challenges, but I just wouldn't be interest in watching it.
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| Why do you think the industry refuses to embrace X Training? |
I think most of the industry is just blind to X-training or simply has no idea what it is, or what the benefits are. As Sean has said on numerous occasions the whole fitness industry is focused on how you look and how much weight you have lost. X-training to me has become more about functional muscle. I don't think the industry is necessarily refusing to embrace it, I think it is more a case of its the unknown. People are very stuck in there ways and not everyone can embrace change. I think if you asked most gym members why they joined a gym in the first place they would probably reply with one of two answers, "To look good on the beach/holiday/etc" or "To lose weight". Given these two statements then you can see why gyms probably do not feel a drive to embrace new challenges such as X-training because what they currently operate clearly meets the customers needs which is why they are thriving and pulling in the money. A sad reality, and only my opinion
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| Have any of you attended a Zumba class – would you? |
No I haven't and I have no idea what a Zumba is? I would never so No as I always like new challenges and you never know you might find something you really enjoy or something that works for you. I find it hard to say No to anything physical, so I'd probably give Zumba a go if someone ever asked me to try it.
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| Performance related results in gym fitness are more common place now – the trends are indicating a turn towards performance rather then image – would you agree? |
Not sure on this one. If there is a turn towards performance then it is very gradual. As mentioned previously I still think gyms are all focused on looking good and losing weight.
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| Any other questions you may like to add ? |
For the record I do not see myself as a all time top 10 X-trainer. I had some good events and reached a good level. But there are many more out there who I place above me and as Sean has already mentioned, I believe Nik should take this spot and not me. Me and Nik both hold winds over each other, but everything being equal and if we are both on form - then I think Nik would always edge me out. The guys a machine and has an even stronger drive to win than me. |
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