It's a Team's Life

Exercise on the Road

When I got in the truck I had a million and one excuses to not get out of the truck and exercise.  I made a commitment to myself this year that any excuse is just that an excuse!   So I have made myself step away from my computer and get out of the truck.   The first thing I noticed was how bad my knees hurt while walking in a very short period of time.   When I first started walking a mile was really pushing me and when I was finished I was hurting.   It really was not long and I was feeling better and better and stretching my walks further and further.   As I started noticing my leg strength getting better I was also losing weight.   I chose to not go on a diet but to change how and what I was eating.   Between the walking and eating I was amazed at how much more energy I have.   Then I read the book “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall and that gave me the incentive to try my legs at running.    Now I really think I have lost my mind!   I have not run in a very very long time and that was before I became a smoker and then since quit.   The first killer for me was I could not breathe at all. Great reason to quit!   Then I talked to a runner and he told me nope keep pushing yourself and you will get through that.   Next I pushed too hard and bruised my knees and developed Iliotibial Band Syndrome and could not run at all for over a month.    Luckily walking did not irritate this and so I have kept racking up the miles.   I am once again back to running and trying to push myself further but it is work and many days I think why in the world am I doing this to myself…   I have been able to develop friends in the trucking world who are runners and have worked through exactly what I am going through and also started running at an advanced age.   I have set my goals high and I am planning on competing in my first marathon December of 2010 in Las Vegas.   In the mean time I am working with a group of drivers, Drivers Health Magazine, and the MATS owners to put together a fun walk at the Louisville Truck Show (MATS) this year.   The walk will be 1.5 miles and we are hoping it will be on Friday morning before the show opens with some nice handouts!   As I have been working on this project some startling facts have surfaced such as the median age for a trucker to pass away is 61 and that is a very sad statistic.   It is up to us to get out of our trucks and take care of our bodies!

 When I first started walking my average pace for one mile was 23 minutes and all I could do was one mile.   I was just able to finish 15 miles with an average pace of 14:21 per mile so I have come a long way.   I have also been able to log 855 miles this year of walking and running and my goal is to complete a minimum of 1200 miles next year.

Bob & Linda Caffee
Leased to: FedEx Custom Critical
TeamCaffee
Saint Louis MO
Expediters 5 years been out here on the road ten years
[email protected]

Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;
Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.