What’s up, fellow Obsessives?

Life’s a little busy in my neck of the woods, so we’re trying something new today.

My friend Jeff A. is not only one of the biggest Obsessives I know, he’s also a writer who just hit class 1,500. So I asked him to write a little piece on what he learned along the way to that epic number.

Hope you enjoy!

— Kevin

By Jeff A.

Looking back on 1,500 Orangetheory classes represents an equal parts blur of early-morning activity and a constantly rewarding journey of pushing myself past physical obstacles I never envisioned clearing.

Sure, the numbers recorded on my mobile app tell a story. Between the 1.15 million calories burned, the nearly 23,000 splat points tallied and the soon-to-be 150,000 feet in treadmill elevation climbed, re-thinking the cumulative effort can be emotionally satisfying and overwhelming all at once.

But some lessons emerge.

The work never gets easier: Before my first OTF class, two friends made opposite predictions. One said I'd feel like dying by the first time the orange lights dimmed; the other promised I'd be instantly hooked.

Both were right—and those reminders have carried me through the next 1,499 classes. Showing up and putting in work, day after day, is exactly that. After a series of tough all-out sprints or steep incline climbs, one of my fellow 6:05 a.m. regulars will often turn to me and say, "Good work." It's a reminder we don't show up for easy.

I've never been one for commercialized motivation. But when my North Side Chicago neighborhood home studio was remodeled, new painted reminders appeared. One reads: "Cant. Will. Did." It's a simple prompt about what's possible when we refuse to let the easy way out become our base pace.

Finding inspiration from others doesn't need to be a competition: I've always been competitive — almost to a fault. So, early on at OTF, I fell into the trap of sizing myself up against others I considered to be my equal. I soon learned the classes I felt the need to leave the weight room floor for the rower in similar times as others ended up being less enjoyable because I was more consumed with keeping up rather than focusing on myself and my progress.

But when I instead found someone to push me to maybe lift just a little heavier or perhaps bump up my speeds to break through obstacles that were keeping me from progressing, I found accountability and appreciation—not because of a selfish need to keep up, but to keep progressing in my own journey.

Seeing change never gets old: I keep old photos of myself on my phone for a reason.

After a month of classes, my studio manager said, "Jeff, you're shrinking." Maybe I hadn't noticed it, but she did. 1,500 classes later, I've shed nearly 70 pounds and the photos chronicling my OTF timeline showcase the results.

Everyone's road is different, but each series of steps forward is not only a good reminder we're becoming healthier, but our work yields results others see often before we can. So, on days when I am tempted to avoid an undesirable benchmark or a coach who isn't my favorite, I look back at the noticeable changes that came from showing up for myself — and the motivation to keep pushing ahead again gets me through the door.

Thanks to Jeff for sharing his story! Want to share your own? Drop an email to Kevin at [email protected].

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