The Presidential Fitness Test

The writers are all current presidents

For me, deciding to train for a 50k ultramarathon (with 5000 feet of elevation gain, if you'll excuse the mixed measurement systems) was not primarily about stress management or health. Like most other people in this high-stress job, I do need to exercise every day; I need to be outdoors and to have peaceful alone time before the sun comes up and everything accelerates wildly. But I get that from being a casual and non-competitive trail-runner. I've done a couple of charity 10k races, but aside from that running has always simply been about the "being out there," in solitude, in nature.

Deciding to train for an ultramarathon was in large part about taking on something absurdly difficult that I could actually control. In contrast to our day job, where we are understood to be "the person in charge," with all the ostensible power and control—but which so frequently feels Sisyphean. We're rolling that great boulder up a hill while all the enormous external forces of a broken financial model, demographics, underfunding, the collapse of the middle class, and public skepticism (if not outright hostility) push down on it from above—and while decades of institutional complacency and change-resistance pour slippery hot oil under our feet.

Compared to that, running up a few mountains over 31 miles or so felt like an energy boost. A confidence renewer that I increasingly need. See, you are here because you can do amazing stuff! You're tough! As long as I didn't get injured, the only fuel I needed—aside from a ton of high-carb snacks—was pure, unrelenting stubbornness. And that, I know I have in spades. 

[Ed’s note: She did it! And finished in "excellent spirits" with the ultrarunner’s badge of honor: cuts and bruises. Way to go, badass!]

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A year ago, I embarked on a journey into the world of CrossFit, a decision typical of my tendency to jump in fully—going from zero to sixty, because, why not? This new project has significantly enriched my life, allowing me to catch up on what felt like a million years of sporadic walks (mostly with hesitant dogs) and the odd softball game. The path has not been without its challenges; in the early days, a fellow CrossFitter nicknamed "[Ed’s note: you can imagine]" consistently outperformed me, which stirred up feelings of shame linked to past traumas, despite their supportive and encouraging demeanor. While trying to balance personal and professional lives is in my experience a fool's errand, trying to make the best of the one life we do have to live is an imperative worth acting upon.

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Right now, I am working out in a very disciplined way but not training for anything. I haven’t run a marathon for almost five years. [Ed’s note: me neither. Let’s blame the pandemic.] I have a gym in my basement, so I don’t work out with others. I’m in great shape for [someone in my demographic] but nothing impressive [Ed’s note: disagree!]. I’m considering doing a long race and will surely climb [a very big] mountain or two this summer, but there’s a president who has done 50 of the 14’ers, so I’m just a dabbler. 

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After summitting Mt. Kilimanjaro (and waving my college pennant from the top for our students!) before COVID closed down the world for a while, I set the goal of climbing the 23,000 feet of Argentina’s Mt. Aconcagua. This year, during winter break, two others and I made it nearly to the top before bad weather turned us around. Looking forward to Mt. Denali in 2025.

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Had to drop basketball, but made it to age 55, so not too bad. Since then, I have taken up swimming and try to swim a mile each day. Usually am able to do six days a week, and recently resumed weightlifting after reading repeatedly how important strength training is related to aging. Playing a bit more golf, too, but very time-consuming (and not much exercise, really). A quick nine holes before or after the workday is nice in the spring/summer/fall. 

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During my time as an administrator, I have had a very consistent exercise routine. Early every morning, I lift weights and ride the exercise bike for a little over an hour. No, it is not a Peloton, and please do not try to convert me. I like what I like. And while I exercise, I watch television shows and movies—never the news. As I write this, I cannot wait for the next episode of Foundation. 

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I aggressively schedule my day to make sure I have time for a run or swim because I know that I’m in a better place for the rest of the day. Not a secret, since my team often says they schedule meetings after my lunchtime run. But it is more than getting  exercise. My identity is not just as a loving husband or a university leader or as an academician but as one who is passionate about competition and especially endurance races. I do Ironmans. Because just as we tell our students they can get to a degree, It takes persistence, resilience, and convincing myself I can finish when I’m only at mile 86 of the bike leg. [Ed's note:  18 miles of cycling and a marathon still to go.] 

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[X] is the gold standard for presidents—she works out every day, invites students to join her (and most can’t keep up) and has guns of steel (no way am I wearing a sleeveless dress around her). I set a more modest target for myself—walking as much as I can with an ice cream stop along my route for an incentive :). [Ed’s note: yes! to ice cream stops.]