"Why I Train " Patrick O'Hannigan
I train because I want to be able to be there for Thomas and Jane and Cathleen while also setting a good example for them.
I train because without that, there's no assurance I can help my darling wife with lifting heavy objects when the need arises.
I train because every single trainer I've met at BrandX is an inspiration for me, and that's an enviable record for any gym to have.
I train because my kids still like to be carried sometimes.
I train because Kim said my running stride was a good one and Mikki once called me a "blur," and there are some compliments that you enjoy but also feel compelled to continue making good on.
I train because I never made the cut on any varsity sports teams and was always picked last for playground games.
I train because my favorite brother-in-law (6'4", approximately 240 lbs) found it entirely too easy to push me into a snow drift on Mount Laguna last winter.
I train because I didn't need the ten extra pounds I started CrossFit with.
I train because St. Paul said something about fighting the good fight and running the good race, and however metaphorically he may have meant such verses, those first-century fishermen and Pharisees were also tough hombres, most of them.
I train because the idea of "functional strength" appeals strongly to me.
I train because people I like and respect also train.
I train because I find that not being intimidated by bigger people is a useful kind of confidence to have.
I train because I've spent a lifetime being self-conscious about the way I walk and stand, and while there's nothing I can do about a leg-length differential or mild cerebral palsy, there's a lot I can do to make those things non-issues.
I train because it's a twisted kind of fun that has to do with endorphins and with shaving seconds off workout times.
I train because as much as I admire Marines and cops (dad was both), there are times in life when the only "first responder" in a crisis is you. Or me. And I'd like to be useful on those occasions.
I train because the BrandX trainers aren't just muscle-heads, and they never condescend.
I train because I want to be physically active until I'm dead.
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