Last question...

The Hi-5 FitCamp is quite an eclectic group. As with any group of people there is a wide array of personality. However, perhaps one of the wittiest has to be Jim Cowles. Jim (or Cowles as he's known when Jim Francisco is around) has also gained a bit of a legend about him. if you get to the Hi-5 FitCamp early enough, you can usually hear a Mike Moore telling stories about Cowles' ability to run up mountain sides as if they were a 40-ft hill or continue climbing when everybody else has hit the wall. In other words, Cowles is in a class of his own.

Jim graciously accepted my request to have him on the Hi-5 Hot Seat. Below is the interview. If there is one thing people should get from this it's the last question. Cowles has been active most of his life and you can pretty much bet he's experienced things that are difficult and tried activities he didn't like. I think how we approach things says a lot about us.

So without further wait, here is my interview with Jim Cowles on the Hi-5 Hot Seat: 

Hi-5: Describe how your physical activity has or hasn’t changed over the years. Have you always been an endurance athlete? 

Cowles: My activities have changed over the years. I was never a very good athlete so my activities were tied to distance running and I developed that aspect. I also have always enjoyed basketball, though I was never very adept at it. In the last five or six years I have enjoyed bicycling and have found it to be a lot easier on my body than long runs. Then last year Mike Moore got me to join the fit class and that has added another dimension which I now really appreciate.

Hi-5: You’re in pretty good shape Jim. So what was it that brought you to the Hi-5 FitCamp? 

Cowles: Mike was so enthusiastic about the fit class that many of us decided to try it.

Hi-5: What does your activity level outside of the Hi-5 FitCamp look like? 

Cowles: I do Fitcamp on Tuesday and Thursday then usually go for a 30-40 mile bike ride in the morning. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I run 4 to 6 miles from Bagels and Blenders at 5:00 AM. On Saturday I either do a long run or a long bike ride. Sundays are basketball days. I play with my son and grandson and several of our friends for two hours.

Hi-5: You hang around with a pretty active group of people. How important is the social factor in sticking to an exercise program? Do you ever exercise alone? 

Cowles: I still run and bike with friends I have run with since 1974. We have raised children together and gone through all of life's challenges and joys. If not for the friendship over the years, I am sure I would not be doing this . Over the years many others have joined us. They have also become good friends and confidants. (What is said on the run stays on the run...usually)

Note: Bear (crawls) are fueled by salmon.

Hi-5: What are your 3 favorite foods? 

Cowles: Pastries. Don't tell my friends but I also like veggies and salmon. But my reputation as a sugarholic is well deserved.

Hi-5: Do you have a pre-exercise eating routine that you follow at all? 

JC: I almost never eat before exercise.

Hi-5: Take us through a day in the life of Jim Cowles. 

Cowles: I work out in the morning (early) Biking usually ends around noon. Being retired I have a free flow routine (time for naps) most of the day. At 2:30 I go to BHS to help coach the distance runners. Evenings I watch the news, have dinner, watch some tv or sports. Then bedtime before 10:00. Real exciting stuff.

Hi-5: What has been your greatest accomplishment in life? 

Cowles: My greatest accomplishment? Hmmm . I am a happy person. I have a wonderful wife, two great children, four beautiful talented grandchildren.

Hi-5: What are some of your personal goals that you have yet to achieve in life? 

Cowles: My personal goals are personal. I would like to become more open to the amazing lives around me. To see the individuality in each person I meet.

Hi-5: What are your 3 keys to fitness success? 

Cowles: 1) Have fun! Have fun! Have fun!

2) Attitude is everything.

3) There is great joy in accomplishing difficult challenges.

Bonus!! 4) If it is a sacrifice don't do it, or change your attitude. 

Take what you can from this interview. Everybody has a unique story, personality and

Do you have one of THESE in your life right now?

I told my kindergarten teacher I was going to be a Navy pilot.

Who did you look up to as a kid? Who did you want to be like?

I remember when I was about 5-6 years old I had just seen Top Gun (not the best movie for a 5-year old) and wanting to be in the Navy. My dad was in the Navy, my mom had been in the Navy, my grandfather was in the Navy and now Top Gun had just elevated being a fighter pilot to superhero status.

As we grow up, our hero's change though. Many of us let go of role models and mentors as we age. 

But in the Hi-5 FitCamp there has been 1 person who just about everybody has said they want to be like. This person is a great mentor for many women. She occasionally goes by the name "Sarge" and can unleash hell on the group in the kindest of voices when filling in for me. She's encouraging, but relentless; compassionate but unwavering in her expectations not only of her self, but also of the group. 

But the thing that allows others to identify with her is that she's been through the misery of the Hi-5 FitCamp now for going on 5 years. She knows the how tough it can be and but also knows the results it can produce.

Kelly Bittick is who so many women and a handful of men (myself included) have aspired to be like when it comes to fitness. Kelly is strong, flexible, stable, mobile, powerful and persistent and I thought it would be nice to see a few things through her eyes. 

So here is my interview with Kelly on "The Hi-5 Hot Seat: 10 Questions with Kelly Bittick."

When did you first get interested in fitness? Were you an athlete in high school? 

During my high school years my sister was a manager at a couple of different gyms here in town. That’s where I started getting interested in working out. She was also into bodybuilding for a while so I was exposed to that lifestyle of intense training and diet regimens. Most of which I knew were too extreme for me. In high school, I had a very short lived diving career and was involved in dance. That’s about it . Sort of a late bloomer in the athletic sense.

 Did you have any preconceived notions on what women should and shouldn’t do for exercise? Were you ever afraid of using heavier weights? 

I can’t recall thinking that there should be any sort of set boundaries for womens exercise specifically. I know in a gym setting,  you see women typically just using machines more than bar bells or dumbbells. I was never afraid of using weights but probably didn’t try to push it as much as I do now. 10 years ago, many women including me, weren’t really as much into the outdoor/not-afraid-to-get-dirty type of workouts that we see going on now. 

Kelly doing what Kelly does: pushing us all to the next level.

You were the first woman in the Hi-5 FitCamp to do full chin-ups and in the last test you did 8 in 30 seconds. That's pretty impressive, considering many women are "afraid" of pullups. Is there any exercise you’re afraid of doing? 

I can’t think of any particular exercise that I would be afraid of doing at all, I would at least attempt it. Well maybe the rock climbing wall is a bit challenging for me with my fear of heights issues ….but I will still do it! 

What are your top 5 favorite exercises? 

Jump squats, “speed skaters”, sprints, med ball slams, any kind of cone drill. 

What are your 3 favorite foods? 

Chicken stir-fry, bean/cheese/rice burritos, apples/ peanut butter. 

What does your typical day of eating look like?  

Let’s see…COFFEE, yogurt/fruit smoothie breakfast, mid morning oats with nuts, dried cranberries, lunch usually some sort of sandwich or salad with chicken or turkey (there’s a Sequoia Sandwich conveniently located in my building at work), afternoon snacks might be apples/peanut butter, mixed nuts, or the second half of my lunch. Dinner a piece of chicken, fish, or turkey patty, salad-veggies/rice or pasta Sometimes omelets for breakfast or dinner. Spaghetti with ground turkey occasionally. Let me just add…of course I indulge sometimes…I just try to do it in moderation.   

Do you take any supplements? 

Only thing I take is a protein/energy shake powder I mix into my morning smoothies. It’s loaded with a plethora of vitamins and minerals and a tri-protein blend. 

Besides the 4 hours per week in the Hi-5 FitCamp, what does your activity level look like and what types of activities do you enjoy doing? 

Right now, I’m trying to get a run in a couple evenings a week, a long run and or a bike ride on the weekends. Sometimes I like to do some hill work on the bluffs or run stadiums. Maybe I should say those last two are more of a “love/hate”  thing??? Ha Ha. 

How much sleep do you usually get? 

Honestly…not enough. Most of the time. 6  to 7 hrs ? I am working on this though. 

What is the one thing that people can do to stay motivated in pursuit of their fitness goals? 

Don’t limit yourself or be afraid to “step outside of the box”. This applies to your exercise as well as diet. This is why I am such a huge fan of the Hi-5 fit camp, the movements and exercises that we are introduced to are always changing and evolving. These challenges are what make it fun while giving way to positive RESULTS….I know it has for me!

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So there you go! Between the nutrition, work ethic and mindset, Kelly has really excelled in health and fitness. She enjoys it for herself and enjoys teaching others about it! Thanks a ton Kelly for all you bring to our class. It wouldn't be what it is without you!