"You Can't Go From Zero To Hero"

Felix Baumgartner used these words to describe his and his team's approach to the Red Bull Stratos Project - the mission to  "transcend human limits." With a world record freefall jump of 128,100 feet in which he broke the speed of sound, Felix and his team did precisely that.

Still a little high from my (measly in comparison) first tandem skydive at 10,000 feet,  I was excited to check out a lecture from the top dogs on the Red Bull Stratos team at the National Air & Space Museum here in D.C. Kait and I went with a bunch of cool skydiving guys (Nick and his friends) and checked out the museum’s exhibit beforehand. Everything about this exhibit is awesome. Click here for the Red Bull Stratos site and if you haven't seen the video of the jump, watch here. It is one of the coolest things in our lifetime.

I tried to get Kait to ask him out during the Q&A.  She was too bashful, and well,
he has a pretty lady back in Austria. 

During the lecture, we heard from both Felix himself, who I must say is rather studly, and the topdogs of his team. Joe Kittinger, who held the original record of freefalling to Earth from 102,800 feet in 1960 was Felix's "wingman" throughout the project as  "Capcom" (Capsule communications). I thought this was pretty amazing - one superhero building another to beat his record. Instructing him and encouraging him through every step, with seemingly no doubt that it was going to be a success, Joe was literally in Felix's ear during the record breaking jump. 

Nick & Meeting Joe Kittinger Post Lecture. Felix, saluting before his 128,100ft jump. Following his jump in 1960, Joe spoke of the mass interest there was in breaking his record, how he heard from people who just wanted to "do it once," and that he respectfully declined all of them. The reason for his refusal was everyone’s lack of understanding of the true gravity of the feat and the intense preparation involved. Felix was ready for that, and he spoke about overcoming various obstacles even before beginning the series of jumps that lead to the finale. Staying in his suit for long periods of time and working with/depending on a team were challenges he and the team overcame before he even stepped into the capsule. Needless to say, if anyone on the Red Bull Stratos team had the "Zero to Hero" attitude, the mission would've been a bust. When Felix said that he knew he could not go from "Zero to Hero," I thought about how this relates to our own health and fitness. There are instant benefits from exercise and eating well, such as more energy and a happier/feel-good mood. Also, you will probably surprise yourself with the amount of exercises you can do well pretty quickly (Muscle memory is a wonderful thing.). However, actual change in your body (especially as drastically as we'd like) takes time and usually a decent amount.  Do not get discouraged; do not get frustrated;  and accept the fact that "patience is a virtue" with your fitness. Extremes, quick fixes, and fad diets/workouts will NOT do the trick (I have tried, foolishly.) and are likely not safe or healthy. There is no magic; you must eat well and exercise to improve your fitness and change your body; and you must do it consistently. This is easier to work into your life than you think. Also, it takes 21 days to form a habit and 21 days to break a habit.

Back to the different levels of "zero" and "hero" and extremes. If you don't exercise regularly, don't throw yourself into a crazy boot camp class or  try  to run ten miles. You can push your fitness limits, but don't blur the definition of those limits - or even worse, ignore them. Get with a trainer (one session even) for an evaluation, and ask for suggestions. There are plenty of classes with modifications and workouts you can do as a beginner! Attempting exercises/diets that are too extreme will have you pissed off, frustrated and likely hurt. That being said, if you work out regularly and aren't seeing the results you want, it's time to step it up. Change up your workouts, and do different types of exercises so your body doesn't get used to what you're doing. In both cases, challenge yourself, and appreciate the process.

I didn't appreciate the process until I was put out of commission for a little over a month due to a surgery. No working out, nothing. I was in pretty good shape before the surgery, and my first time back to the gym I couldn't even do a push up. I fell over trying to do simple squats and was a bit horrified to find my new "zero." My "hero" was getting back to where I was before the surgery, and then in even better shape. That took, and continues to take, much longer than I realized.

We should share the same attitude toward our health and fitness goals as Felix did for his jump from the edge of space. "You can't go from zero to hero."

Okay,  great. Now that you've read this, no one will be eating only lettuce, doing twoadays for a week and then complaining that you're "STILL not in shape," right? 

If so, mission accomplished.