Initiatives that motivate me to do sports and maintain a healthy lifestyle
Living in Flagstaff, a small city in Arizona is great, but what’s even better are the sporty challenges around here. In May, two of them take place: The “Bike to Work Week”, organized by the city of Flagstaff and the “Iron Associate Challenge” held by W.L. Gore & Associates. For the last nine years, I’ve participated in the “Iron Associate Challenge” and in 2019 added the Bike to Work challenge, no matter the weather.
My name is Marci Sheer. I am a W.L. Gore & Associates Medical Product Division Associate, and being on a bike is one of my favorite things to do. For cycling and living here in a high altitude climate, it is important to stay fit, prepare well, and have good gear. I got into the GORE-TEX Tested for Life Tryouts Challenge for Associates to show people how I spend my free time and what challenges I face.
Staying fit is very important, but so is fun and enjoying yourself. The health and wellness committee of W.L. Gore organizes the Iron Associate Challenge in Arizona to encourage everyone who wants to get or stay fit. Instead of one day to complete an Ironman, you have an entire month to complete it. You can divide the 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking and 26.2 miles hiking, walking or running over the entire month. This makes an Ironman achievable for nearly all fitness levels. I love to challenge myself and have started and completed the Iron Associate Challenge for the last nine years! A few years ago, I hiked to the Grand Canyon in May. That was excellent training, and an extra bonus was I could include those miles on my Iron Associate Challenge.
I like to stay active all year, but I do notice that I am most active in May than in any other month of the year. I seem to be most consistent with my training when I’m participating in a challenge. It’s nice that other people are also taking part, it helps me feel part of the community. In Flagstaff, Gore also occasionally organizes other challenges, like weight management and team fitness activities.
The Bike to Work Week
Living in a bicycle-friendly city is a great blessing. Bike to Work Week occurs one week a year usually in May, and many local bike-enthusiasts take part. When I realized that it was taking place during the same month as the Iron Associate Challenge, and my biking miles would work into both challenges I didn’t hesitate to participate. Bike to Work Week lasts one week, and the city organizes events every day for that week. I have always wanted to do it, so in 2019 I made sure to participate as much as I could. The funny thing is; I work from home. So how do I bike to work? I decided that I needed to bike at least seven miles per day, pretending that I was riding to and from work somewhere. Sometimes I cycle with friends because good company makes time pass quickly and the ride more enjoyable. I made sure to cycle every day of that week and recorded my miles with the city. With the Bike to Work Week, many participants win raffles. Though I didn’t win a raffle this year the most fun for me was the Bike to Breakfast day. There were at least 14 different places around town that offered breakfast and other treats to the cyclists that stopped at their business. Let’s be honest: Who wouldn’t want to celebrate community with a few free breakfasts of delicious burritos, bagels, muffins, fruit and yogurt? It was fun, even if I had to cycle more to burn off all those calories!
Often the weather is sunny and clear, but other times, it’s just miserable. Last year I planned to do the majority of my bicycle miles on the weekends because I knew the weather would likely be kind enough to cycle for 20 miles or more. On the first day of the Bike to Work Week, and I thought it might just drizzle so I wore my GORE-TEX jacket and when that drizzle turned into a downpour I found myself laughing the whole way home that I was “challenge-crazy" enough to do this.
Being part of the community is the best
The Iron Associate Challenge is open to all Gore Associates based out of Arizona. Twenty-six miles of walking could be done in a mile per day. It’s an easy walk with a friend to chat about daily life. Sometimes there are even great prizes to win; like GORE-TEX gear. Two of my favorite GORE-TEX pieces I won through work – my pink cycling jersey and my GORE-TEX rain jacket, which is one of my favorites. I keep it handy as you never know when you may get caught in the rain. In daily life, I wear my GORE-TEX gear, because the gear is such great quality and also because I’m proud to be a GORE-TEX Associate.
Want to read more exciting stories like this? We are collecting every story of the winners of the GORE-TEX Tested for Life Tryouts Challenge for you to enjoy right here!
