Why would a 41-year-old man with a wonderful wife, two great kids, and a career he loves subject himself to the torture of physical training led by a former Navy SEAL? Because everyone laughed when Peter told them he could do it.
To say that I’m out of shape would be a gross disservice to anyone who actually has a shape.
My wife looked at me the other day and said, “Honey, I love you so much. Wouldn’t your creativity get a boost from increasing your cardiovascular activity to a level more in keeping with a world-class athlete?” Well, that’s what I heard. What she really said was, “God, you’re a blob. Get your ass in gear so I don’t have to find a husband after I bury you.” She loves me. She really loves me.
At a local business meeting, I ran into John McGuire, a retired Navy SEAL. Not that those guys ever retire; they just stop hurting the enemy and take it out on suburban blobs like me. John runs a program called Navy SEAL Physical Training, and he promises that he can help anyone improve his or her physical fitness. Anyone.
Why would a 41-year-old man with a wonderful wife, two great kids, and a career he loves subject himself to this torture? Because everyone laughed when I told them I could do it — and nobody laughs when I walk into a presentation for a new client or into a brainstorming session. But, most of all, I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.
I arrived at a local high school at 5:30 one morning for the first day of 10 one-hour sessions. Let me tell you, I was really nervous. All around me cars pulled in and Adonis-like men and women started climbing out of their cars. Taking a cue from them, I got out of the car. So far so good.
We walked over to John’s pickup truck, and John welcomed everyone to the first morning of training. “Go at your own pace, support each other, and teamwork is more important than a me-too attitude.”
He and his assistants went to the back of the truck and pulled out three contraptions that were probably used during the Inquisition to force confessions. John briefly outlined the program. In one hour, we were going to test our strength and endurance by doing pull-ups, sit-ups, and pushups and running 1.5 miles. All events would be timed, and we were supposed to support each other. Here are my first-day results:
Pretty pathetic. But I did learn a few things that might be applicable to everyone in the advertising/marketing world:
Are you supporting the lesser members of your team? Are you encouraging people to do their absolute best, or are you snickering and tearing them down?
Do you demand that everyone work on the exact same schedule because it benefits you? Allow a little flexibility, and you’ll be surprised at the results. Not everyone is at their best at 6:00 a.m. or 6:00 p.m.
By the time you read this, I’ll have completed 4 of the 10 days of training. I’ll let you know if my numbers increase, although there’s only one way for them to go. If you’re out of shape and thinking about getting back to training or trying it for the first time, let me know. I’ll send you a personal “HOOYAH!” Write to me at [email protected].
