Running Season, Minute Cryptic & Building A Business

1. Broccoli Recipe

In my quest to get my kids to eat more veggies, I have found a keeper recipe. This Roasted Broccoli with Vinegar-Mustard Glaze is tangy and delicious. Winner, winner broccoli dinner.

---

2. Running Season

Here are a few drills we shared with our gym members last week that will be helpful for those of us adding more running outside the gym.

But these drills are not just for runners. They are great for everyone because they strengthen muscles and tendons, improve joint mobility, and help reduce injury risk.

Start with very low volume and low intensity if this is new for you:

• Wall Drill Switches
• Band-Supported Pogo Hops
• Load and Lift Drill
• Broad Jumps
• Repeated Low Box Jumps / Low Plate Jumps
• Forward and Back Pogo Hops Over Target

The bigger takeaway: we don’t have to coach running directly to improve running. If we get better at producing force, applying force quickly, and moving efficiently off the ground, we usually become better runners too.

---

3. Minute Cryptic

My oldest recently got me into Minute Cryptic, which is exactly what it sounds like: a tiny daily cryptic crossword clue.

I told him I absolutely did not need another daily game added to my current NYT Games stack: Wordle (it’s actually Speed Wordle racing my oldest daughter every morning), plus Mini, Connections, Strands, and Pips.

But apparently, now I do. Give it a whirl.

“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten.” — Bill Gates

“Life is too important to be taken seriously.” — Oscar Wilde

This past weekend, we celebrated 20 years of FitWit.

When I started this little fitness business in 2006, I definitely did not have a master plan stretching two decades into the future. I had energy, some ideas, a field, a few cones, and just enough confidence to think, “Maybe this could work.”

And it did. FitWit has helped build a great life for our family.

As I reflected on the last 20 years with my kids, I realized there are a few lessons I hope they carry into their own lives. Perhaps they’ll help you, too.

1. Take risks, but don’t be reckless.

Starting FitWit was a risk, but it wasn’t as risky as it may have looked. We grew slowly. We saved money. We used duct tape, built on our equipment, and improvised until we were confident the next step would work.

2. Take responsibility for your life.

I’ve always had a high sense of personal responsibility, and I want to pass that down to my kids. Don’t wait for someone else to make things happen for you. If you want to create a certain kind of life, you have to be the one to drive it even when that requires sacrifices others aren’t willing to make.

3. Work hard and stay patient.

There were plenty of long days, early mornings, late nights, and seasons where the glamorous business-owner life looked a lot like answering emails, cleaning equipment, moving boxes, coaching classes, fixing toilets, and figuring out payroll.

One of the hardest parts of building anything worthwhile is staying focused on excellence instead of chasing the next shiny thing.

4. Be creative where others are predictable.

Fitness is not always known for originality. A lot of gyms look the same, sound the same, and sell the same promise. We tried to do things differently. Sometimes that meant thoughtful emails. Sometimes it meant community events. Sometimes it meant creating ridiculous videos that had very little to do with fitness.

5. People skills matter. A lot.

You can have a great idea and still fail if you don’t know how to treat people.

Communication, trust, honesty, and transparency matter more than almost anything. If you lead anything long enough, people definitely won’t agree with every decision. But if you’re honest, clear, kind and direct, they’ll respect your clarity.

6. Do serious work, but don’t take yourself too seriously.

Helping people get stronger, healthier, more confident, and more connected is serious work.

But that doesn’t mean we need to be serious all the time.

I wanted FitWit to be excellent, but I also wanted it to be fun. I wanted people to laugh, make friends, wear silly costumes, do hard things together, and leave feeling better than when they walked in.

And maybe that’s one of the biggest lessons from the last 20 years: You can build something meaningful and have blast while doing it.

Cheers to your own life projects!