By Sheryl Hodge
Network World, 07/23/01
Meet Tom McCrystal, vice president and CTO of Creative Perspectives,
a Charlottesville, Va., sales and marketing company. When McCrystal isn't
overseeing, assessing and developing the company's network, working on a
project involving the Tomahawk cruise missile, presenting at industry conferences
or teaching multimedia production courses at a community college, he's putting
his body between a net and a speeding ball.
McCrystal is a hard-core lacrosse goalie in his spare time,
often playing against college kids even though he's over 40. His summer
league includes a serious bunch of players from Division I NCAA teams, 2000
national champion and several participants in the World Lacrosse Championships.
McCrystal started playing lacrosse in 1978, earning him recognition
by the Virginia USLacrosse chapter as the "longest-lasting goalie in the
history of the summer league." He so loves the opportunity to play, he makes
sure he thanks the person who runs the summer league each year. One time,
McCrystal says the man "gave me a really strange look and said, 'If getting
in the goal and stepping in front of 90-plus mile-per-hour shots lowers your
stress level, you must have some job!'"
But that's one of the reasons for sticking with this sport,
McCrystal says. "Nothing gets your head out of the office like a hard rubber
ball coming at you at 95 mph!"
Plus, McCrystal says, the focus he brings to the playing field is necessary for success at work. And, he adds, lacrosse offers him the escape
he needs from work so he comes to the office refreshed.
To top
Pedal power
For John Knox, a systems administrator at Rider Hunt Melbourne
in Australia, coming to work refreshed means taking a long bike ride first.
"There's nothing like getting your blood coursing first thing in the morning
to set you up for the day. It clears my head and lifts my energy level, good
things, as my day is generally very busy."
Knox has pedaled his way to work for 23 years come rain, hail,
wind or shine. "It makes great sense to combine a necessary evil [traveling
to work] with my exercise regimen," he says. In fact, Knox says he can get
to work faster by bike than via public transportation or car. Then on the
ride back, Knox gets time to unwind and "wipe the slate clean" so he arrives
home without work on his mind.
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Mark Sears, director of subscription services at SolidWorks
Corp., in Concord, Mass., uses travel as an excuse to work out. Sears purposely
books his business flights with lengthy layovers so he can squeeze in some
exercise. When he gets to the airport, he heads to a nearby hotel to use its
fitness facilities and swims laps.
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here for more.
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On his 10-mile route, Knox mostly travels in bicycle lanes
on major thoroughfares that take him past a number of parklands, a couple
of hospitals and the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. As scenic as the ride may
be, Knox admits it's not really a draw. He's too busy keeping his eyes
on the traffic he's riding alongside. Otherwise, he jokes, he might end
up at one of the hospitals he breezes by every day.
Knox considers cycle commuting so important that before taking
any job he finds out if the company has showers and changing facilities. Cycling
is a lifestyle, he stresses.
To top
At the gym
Jamie Vogel, a network analyst for the state of North Carolina
in Raleigh, couldn't agree more with that sentiment. For him, fitness is
a lifestyle commitment that includes diet, exercise, rest and personal time.
Vogel heads to the gym five times per week, sometimes in the
morning, sometimes at night, for cardiovascular and cross-training workouts.
And sometimes, for a change of pace and scenery during the summer months,
he in-line skates at city parks.
Though Vogel played many sports during his youth and through
college, he let his activity level slip as he got older. For several years,
work dominated his life and his health declined. That changed in 1999, when
Vogel says he resolved to reclaim control of his life and reprioritize it,
which included changing jobs. "The turnaround has been dramatic. I am the
happiest and healthiest I have been in 10 years," he says.
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Exercise helps beat burnout and keeps you sane. Endorphins,
released during exercise, are the body's natural antidote to stress. So
don't compromise when it comes to making time for exercise.
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the conversation.
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Vogel says without doubt that working out positively impacts
his entire day, the majority of which is work. "I am definitely more productive,
have more energy and more clarity of thought," he says.
But in addition to all of the things we do to keep fit, Vogel
says, it's important to recognize that sometimes it's what we don't
do that complements our efforts. "I am constantly reminded," he says,
"how important adequate rest is to overall health. Without proper rest,
one's body is not able to recover, not to mention grow strong."
JustMove
Find out
what fitness category you fall into, keep an online exercise diary
and get the latest fitness news.
American Heart Association
Five
Mistakes Not To Make When Starting an Exercise Program
Advice
on avoiding common pitfalls and a list of calories burned by various
exercises.
Heart Information Network
Self-Assessment
Tools
Determine your target heart rate, discover your body
mass index and more with these free tools.
CyberDiet.com
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