#036 – Fitz Koehler brings positivity and energy to the fitness world as a fitness expert and race announcer. In this episode, Fitz shares her personal and professional fitness journey along with her fight against breast cancer.
Topics Covered:
- Background as a fitness expert and race announcer
- Journey and philosophy as a runner
- Having the right mindset while battling cancer
- Finding your happiness personally and professional
Today’s Guest
Fitz Koehler
Fitz of Fitzness.com is one of the most prominent and compelling fitness experts and race announcers in America. As the voice of the Los Angeles Marathon, Buffalo Marathon, Big Sur Marathon, DC Wonder Woman Run Series, and more, she brings big structure, energy, and joy to sports. She’s passionate about guiding others to live better and longer through her company, Fitzness®. Her memoir, My Noisy Cancer Comeback, was released in October 2020 and has become the go-to source of inspiration for thriving while surviving cancer.
Follow Fitz:
- Fitzness.com
- Instagram – @fitzness
- Facebook – @fitzness
- YouTube – @fitzness
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Richard Conner 0:00
Welcome to Episode 36. Today’s guest is going to share her inspirational story about how she became a successful fitness expert and built a life around helping others and how she carried forward that positive mindset to help her through her own personal journey of battling cancer. Hope you enjoy. Here’s what you can look forward to on this episode of Inspire Virtual Runs Podcast.
Fitz Koehler 0:27
But yeah, we have choices and so whether you have cancer or you have MS or you have nothing wrong with you, you’re just you know, in a job you dislike you can choose to put a smile on your face and figure out how to make your day happy that onus is on you. There’s nobody else who can make you happy. So get to it.
Intro/Outro 0:47
Welcome to Inspire Virtual Runs Podcast, whether you are new to running or seasoned, get tips in the inspiration that you need to achieve your health and fitness goals. Now, here’s your host Richard Conner.
Richard Conner 1:04
Hi, everyone, welcome to Inspire Virtual Runs Podcast. I am here with today’s guest Fitz Kohler. Fitz of fitzness.com is one of the most prominent and compelling fitness experts and race announcers in America as the voice of the Los Angeles marathon, Buffalo marathon, Big Sur marathon, DC Wonder Woman Run Series and more. She brings big structure, energy and joy to sports. She’s passionate about guiding others to live better and longer through her company fitness. Her memoir, “My Noisy Cancer Comeback”, was released in October 2020, and has become the go to source of inspiration for thriving while surviving cancer. So welcome to the show, Fitz.
Fitz Koehler 1:52
Thanks, Richard, super happy to be here with you.
Richard Conner 1:55
I’m excited to have you as well. When I went through your website fitzness.com, I watched your videos. I’m like, wow, like even more excited to have you on the show. And just so much to talk about here today.
Fitz Koehler 2:09
Well, let’s get to it.
Richard Conner 2:11
All right. All right, let’s get through. So there’s a lot of things that I’d like to talk to you about to share with our community, you bring a lot of energy and excitement to everything that you do. And I really think that you can inspire our community with you know, your journey. So let’s just kind of kick things off and learn about you a little bit more, and maybe your career as a race announcer.
Fitz Koehler 2:34
Yeah, so I think my career is kind of what’s most interesting and relevant to the audience is, I’m a fitness expert. I’ve been teaching fitness for decades, all around the world. And I’ve a master’s in exercise and sports sciences. And I am, as people say, sometimes brutally honest, but that’s because I care so much. And I also combine that brutal honesty with a whole bunch of love and affection and support. But yeah, I teach fitness in a way where fitness is designed, it’s no diets, pills, powders, supplements, snake oil, shakes any of that nonsense. It’s just unacceptable and it’s stealing from the consumer that really just is trying to become healthy and live better and longer. So I try to bring truth or I do bring truth I don’t try I do bring truth about eating wisely, exercising frequently in a variety of ways, getting sleep and removing the cranky people from your life. So that’s what I do as a fitness expert. And I do that, mainly through mass media, corporate speaking and spokesperson work just any way I can reach a large audience. I take it, and then I’m a professional race. Announcer And that’s such a fun thing that I do. And so if people are thinking, What the heck is a professional race announcer Well, I man the start and finish lines of some of the most large and iconic races in America. And as our athletes are approaching our event, I play great music, I greet everybody, I get them engaged. And then I inform them on important things like where the porta potties are, and where to stash your stuff during the race and who our sponsors are, et cetera, et cetera. And then I whip everybody into a frenzy. And then I yell go, and they leave and I’m sad because I wish they would have stayed I really enjoy the startline experience where I have mobs of people together. But then I head over to the finish line and that’s my opportunity to welcome every last athlete and like a champion so technology allows me to do that. Mostly by name so most of my athletes do get a personal welcome home and I try to find no besides their name and where they’re from. I try to keep an eye on all my athletes and find out what is special or interesting about them as they come through and I really like to pour love on those people because they deserve it. I am a runner I noticed like to hit the wall lose a toenail chafe have my heart broken at mile, whatever. So I truly adore our athletes and it’s my mission to make sure they all feel welcome, wanted and adored by, from the beginning to start up there are beginning to end of their races. So that’s, that’s what I do, Richard.
Richard Conner 5:15
That’s, that’s phenomenal. And as a runner myself, I can attest to the importance of your job as a race announcer quite honestly had never really thought about it too much. But I just recently ran the Hartford half marathon, which was the first in person half marathon that I’ve run, and just that race announcer the start and the finish is just it’s just amazing. And, and India hearing my name as I was coming up to the finish line, I’m like, How’d you know? How’d you I was coming? So it was it was really a nice experience. So again, I’ve seen some of your videos, and you do a phenomenal job. So maybe our paths will cross one day where I’m showing up to one of those races that you’re announcing.
Fitz Koehler 5:57
I hope so I expect it. I don’t just hope I’m expecting it. Richard, this is our deal. You’re I’m on your podcast, you got to come to one of my races.
Richard Conner 6:05
All right, then then that’s a deal. And how did how was that something that you get into? I know, I understand like the fitness element to it. But is this something you woke up one day say, hey, that’s something I’d like to try.
Fitz Koehler 6:17
No, I was invited. So mass audiences are kind of my specialty so that that relationship or that position, standing on a stage in front of a large group of people getting them to do what I want them to do something I’ve inherently done for a very long time. But I was teaching strength training and pain management clinics for RunDisney for a long time, they would have it a race weekend, and I would be their fitness expert and teach these workshops. And they have a race announcer reading a botany who is my favorite race announcer in the whole world, and he’s incredible. And as his booming voice and great charisma, and everybody loves Rudy. And he was also assigned to introduce the speakers at the Expo. And Disney would bring in a variety of speakers. And the reality is sometimes people stand on the stage and they know a lot of stuff, but they don’t really know how to deliver a message that’s compelling and interesting and fun. You know, sometimes you’re listening, thinking, Oh, kind of boring type thing. And so, at the end of my presentations, Rudy would always say, oh, my god, that was so great. And I would say, well, thank you, I really appreciate that. He goes, No, your only real speaker, we have all these people talk. But you’re only one and I would say thank you. And then the next week, the next race weekend, he’d say the same thing. And then finally I said, well, thank you. I don’t know what to do with this feedback. But I appreciate it. Thank you so much. And he said, You know, I know what to do. I need a co announcer for race in California was a OC marathon in 2014. Would you be interested in CO announcing with me and I said, Well, I’ve never done it before, but I see what you do. And I, I would like to so show me the ropes. And I’m in and so I got hired. The race director said yes, brought me in. We had a blast. Oh my gosh, it was a fantastic weekend. And within an hour of yelling, Go for the first time, race director Gary Kutcher came over and said, Would you come back next year? And the answer was yes. And then there were some other race directors at that event, who followed up and said, Hey, can you come to my event too. And so it’s, it’s really kind of grown over it has grown and hasn’t kind of grown, it’s grown. And I’m so grateful for it. Because with fitness, I spent a lot of time twisting people’s arms, trying to convince them that exercise and eating wisely is a good idea. But on race day, a race organization says here’s 25,000 people who already think fitness is a good idea. Just make sure that you know what to do. And they’re having a really fun time. And so I don’t have to do arm twisting, all I get to do is lead the whoopie party, you know, I’m the ringleader of the fun. And it’s just it’s such a great privilege. So special, I make so many friends I really, I’m blessed by the running community and so grateful to be a part of it.
Richard Conner 8:59
That’s really phenomenal. It’s such a great story. And I’m not surprised that they invited you to be a race announcer just again, for the short period of time that we’ve known each other, I could just see the energy and excitement that you bring. And that that’s really phenomenal.
Fitz Koehler 9:13
Thank you.
Richard Conner 9:15
So let’s talk let’s switch gears a little bit and talk a little bit about your own personal running career. So did that. When did that start after you became a fitness expert or during like, how did you kind of get into running?
Fitz Koehler 9:28
So I was a youth athlete and I played soccer and all sorts of sports running was just kind of what we did and it was something that I continued to do once I graduated and I had already been started teaching fitness I think in my sophomore year of high school but running was just something I regularly did for exercise. And I had done a few 5K’s or whatever to support friends, you know, friends going through breast cancer or the March of Dimes, etc. And then I suppose maybe 2010 I started pursuing races a little more aggressively. Now I say aggressively. I have never even tried to be fast. I was competitive kickboxer. I fought for 10 years. And I had a blast and I was pretty good. And I loved every second of it. I was very competitive and determined with kickboxing. But it’s also a really brutal, grueling lifestyle to lead. And so when I retired from fighting, all the competitive juices, just kind of, you know, left my sails, it just didn’t have it anymore. I decided that from now on fitness would be purely for fun. And I didn’t care what anybody thought about me and I didn’t care if I ever want anything again, it just wanted to keep staying active as a good time. And so I really have a good time participating in these races. So I stuck with 5ks 10Ks, I randomly fell into a half marathon I didn’t even know I was doing and then boom, I did a half marathon, no training, no nothing. It was the night before I found out Hey, dummy, you’re doing a half marathon tomorrow. And it was it was challenging, but it was fun. And so I did a bunch more. And I ended up taking a few years off for health reasons. And then, yeah, I love obstacle course races, mostly because I love mud. And then two weeks ago, I just ran the Boston Marathon. So I was one of the back of the packers but and I was a charity runner. It was my very first marathon. But it was such a fun time and a really rewarding experience.
Richard Conner 11:31
Oh, congratulations. I did see that. And that that’s phenomenal. You know, I haven’t quite made the decision to run a marathon. So you know our agreement of me showing up to any races we’ll have to figure out what kind of race it is but doesn’t matter to me in the back of my mind. It’s something that I think I would like to do at some point in my life. Yeah. And then and then for obstacle course races. Are we talking Spartan tell moto
Fitz Koehler 11:56
Spartan, Tough Mudder, Savage, you name it as long as they have mud and stuff for me to climb on. And ideally flooded trails. I’m in Florida, so we get a lot of flooded trails. Yes, I don’t I don’t care what brand they are. I just I just like to go climb and play. And And again, that’s another thing where I never look at a watch. I don’t I don’t I do not own a watch. I’m one of the people think I have all that fanciest gear in some regards. I do. I do not have a watch. And I would never look at a watch why I was doing an obstacle course race. I just simply go to have a fun time. And I do have a fun time. I hope everyone gives gives at least one a try.
Richard Conner 12:35
Yeah, absolutely. And I started obstacle course races three years ago now and it was Spartan. And I’m hooked. I absolutely loved it. And I do, I will admit, I do look at the time because I did it. I had fun, but I know I can do better, I could train more. And that’s kind of that the track that I’m on, but still, it’s a lot of fun. And you know, it doesn’t have to be I’m not competing with others, I’m really just competing with myself.
Fitz Koehler 13:01
Yeah, you know what I mean? There’s definitely a variety of ways to skin that cat and look at it. And some people go out and they’re hardcore, and they’re gonna do every obstacle and they’re gonna beat themselves or beat somebody else. And I right from the get go know that there’s a lot of the upper body challenges they simply can’t do I give I give the old college dry, but I know I’m going to fail at those. And I’m okay with that. I just, you know, I really am out there to have some dirt on my nose, and dirt on my knees and have some laughs and I actually really enjoy the process of failing when it comes to fitness because it means I’m stepping outside the box. And so we’re so many people are humiliated. I can’t believe I couldn’t do it. Or I would never do an obstacle course because I definitely couldn’t do that. Okay, who cares? Nobody cares. If you can Monkey Bar. That’s the way that there’s no qualification on you being a good or were the person so just give it a go. And if you fall into the big trough of water even better, even better. I just have so much fun, don’t you?
Richard Conner 14:00
Absolutely. And you know what, one of the things that we’re trying to do with this community and podcast is inspire others to run road races, whether it’s virtual 5K’s, whether it’s obstacle course races, just kind of get out there. And you’re right. One element that could encourage folks is just to have fun. And you know, yeah,
Fitz Koehler 14:20
yeah, you know, it’s interesting. So I am part of Team Noisy. My partner Rudy Novant. You know, we host a ton of races together. We also host a ton separately. But he was an elite runner, he did Big Sur sub three hour marathon. He was very intense about running. And so when there’s an opportunity, he has a weekend off for him to go do a 5k or a 10k or whatever he will hold back if he doesn’t think he’s completely prepared, because part of his identity is wrapped up in being the speedster, and then he feels that people who look look up to him as an announcer might be disappointed in him some way if he ran a slower race and I just don’t have that burden. I, I hope people look at me and say, yeah, she’s a prominent figure in the running industry. And she can’t, she couldn’t give a rat’s ass of her time she is out. She’s one of us out there to have fun, be fit, get some fresh air, make some friends, take home, a medal get a great shirt. And I completely support that great majority of the industry who just held there for good time. You know, being a grown-up is hard. And there’s not really an opportunity to join a cheerleading team when you’re 40 or 35 or 55. So go join a race. It’s something to do on a Saturday in a Sunday. And you know, a lot of good will come from it.
Richard Conner 15:41
Yeah, absolutely. I love this topic, because we talk about frequently, the physical and mental benefits of running and fitness. And here’s just one more to add to the list. Right? Just have fun. So I really love that.
Fitz Koehler 15:55
Yeah, and I honestly, I, I never wanted to run a marathon. It was not on my bucket list. It wasn’t in the shed. It wasn’t on my property. There was no interest in running a marathon. I was just satisfied with halfs. But I was invited late May and again after some struggles I had been through it. They said hey, would you run Boston for this charity, we specifically want you to do it. And I thought oh, man, and I cursed the guy out a little bit. But then I agreed and I thought that well how scary could running 26.2 Miles compare it lit compared to what I’ve been through. And I showed up on race day. And I ran with the guy who got me into it who’s a much better runner. So he had a lot of energy stored in the tank so much that he had a few beers. But we ran Boston like some people run rock and roll or Disney. We were complete hooligans, we stopped to take photos along the way. We held hands, we laugh. We just had the best time. And it’s Boston. And so you know, 80% of the field in Boston is so serious, and they’re so fast and so determined, and I love it. But then there we were in the back of the pack total hooligans. And we crossed the finish line, and I’ve got that Boston metal somewhere. So yay, you know, play at your play your own roles.
Richard Conner 17:09
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So I know you, you mentioned a couple of times your struggles. And you know, we can kind of transition into that, which I think you’re referring to your fight against cancer. Yeah, let’s, you know, let’s talk about that a little bit. You know, again, I watched your videos, and I’ve heard a little bit about your story, just such an inspiring story. And I’d really love to share that with the community. So you know what, let’s do a little while in and talk about that.
Fitz Koehler 17:35
In 28, December of 2018, I went in for my annual clean mammogram and I’ve been getting all my exams, annual exams of all sorts for a very long time. And so December of 2018, clean mammogram less than six weeks later, in a hotel bathroom at a race weekend, I got out of the shower, and I rubbed my underboob. And I found a lump. And it was I knew exactly what it was. And the most important thing that I did at that point at moment is I did not call my mom and cry. I didn’t ask my friends. What do they think it is? And I didn’t Google it. I just picked up the phone. I called the doctor and I said, Hey, I found a lump get me in. And within a few days, I started with the appointments and a few days after that, I was told Yeah, you have stage two, breast cancer invasive ductal carcinoma, and we’re gonna have to get you moving because you have tumor, A sized tumor and already three infected lymph nodes at least. So this cancer is on the move, and we need to respond equally quickly. And so that set me off on a 15 month fit Yeah, 15 months of chemo every three weeks, 33 rounds of radiation. I had some surgery and thankfully did not have to have the full mastectomies. I had a lumpectomy and a bunch of lymph nodes taken, but it was 15 months of hell physically. And it was scary. You know, the first couple of weeks, I thought, oh my gosh, I’m, I’m the perfect. You know, I’m that perfect vision of health, right? I do all the right things. I’m a vegetarian, I’m a fitness professional, perfect family, perfect career. And I thought I’m definitely going to make the perfect tale of tragedy. And I am going to eat it. I was convinced I was going to die and I was going to die soon. And it was very stressful, because I just want to watch my kids grow up. You know, when it comes down to your priorities in life, I just wanted to be with ginger and Parker. And then finally my oncologist was able to convince me No, Fitz, you’re not going anywhere. 93% of all breast cancer cases are curable and yours is specifically curable. So just hang in there, and we’ll get you through it.
Fitz Koehler 19:40
And so I decided that I would and then the next couple of decisions I made were really, really valuable. And number one, I chose to have perspective. You know, there’s so many children with cancer, and I was just really grateful that I wasn’t a kid with cancer and it wasn’t my kid with cancer. So keeping that in mind I decided not to be a victim not to have a pity party. I mean, I definitely cried overstressed. But I never had a why me moment. And I think that was really powerful. And to my mental health, I chose to pursue my passions. As, as soon as I was convinced, hey, yeah, you’re going to live, I decided I was not going to miss out on any special events with my kids. So if they had a show a game, a graduation, I was going to be there. And then I wasn’t going to miss out on any of my races. Because the other most wonderful thing in my life is the running community and my events. And I knew that if I called in sick and stayed home, then I would cry all weekend, I would miss the LA Marathon or Big Sur buffalo or a Wonder Woman, whatever. And so I called my race and my race directors, and I would have kept it all private, I’m, I’m a bit of a private person, but knowing that I was going to go from having waist length hair to no hair. It kind of outed me, you know, I figured I’m gonna have to tell people or they’re gonna start asking questions. And so I, you might have seen it on my website, the awkward video of me sharing, Hey, guys, I have breast cancer, which was really uncomfortable. But I did deliver the news in a way where I just said, Hey, this is what I’m dealing with. And they told me, I’m going to be fine. So I may look weird for a while. But I don’t expect you to pity me, I you can root for me to hear from you all you want. But I’m going to get through this. And I’m going to show up at my events. And I also had before that I contacted my race directors. And so if you can imagine a race director being that position, so I call a FaceTime, so they could see, I wanted them to see a happy face. So they believe the words that were coming out of my mouth, I was like, Hey, I got breast cancer, but I’m going to be fine. And I’m going to come to your race, it may look a little weird. And every last one of them as expected, said fits we love you. And we’re so sorry. And anything we can do to support you, we will we want you at our event, if you feel too sick to come, we won’t hold it against you. And yeah, so magical. Magical was such a great, great decision I made because I did get sick, I got very, very sick, I was violently ill for a very long time. But I would get on those planes. And I would head over to wherever whatever state I was flying to. And quite often I would get off the plane and my poor race directors had arranged IV fluids for me to keep me up, right. And then quite often I was sleeping on the bathroom floor sick. And then at 4am, my alarm would go off, you know and running, we wake up really early, weird hours. And I would go from sick as a dog on the bathroom floor and I get on that stage. And then everything that was wrong with me would disappear. Almost everything that was wrong. And when I looked out into the crowd with all of these wonderful happy people who came to, you know, work on their health and support their communities and great causes, all of a sudden, all my focus went on them and I got to be full force Fitz Kohler again. So yeah, it was, it was a rough road, there was a lot of hardship. But there was also a lot of hilarious moments and weird stuff and funny fun that that I had because I chose to get up and go. And the running community really stood by me every step of the way. And it’s you know, I’m supposed to be the caretaker for all the athletes. I’m almost like the race Mommy, I make sure everybody’s happy and feels loved. And they’re all of these people were showing up bringing me snacks, you know, we brought you a blanket and we brought you a cooler full of drinks. Some of them I knew some of them were complete strangers, who had heard that the noisy race announcer had cancer, and they were coming to take care of me so incredible. Absolutely incredible. I’m very grateful I finished chemo last May and I’m in full remission. And happy to be done with it.
Richard Conner 23:54
Yeah, congratulations. I mean that. So first, thank you for sharing that. That’s, I’m sure it’s emotional every time you tell the story, but especially the first time he shared it with the community. And the video wasn’t awkward at all. I mean, it was very heartwarming to, to hear you, you know, make that announcement and it must have taken a lot of courage. You know, I’m just wondering, how do you have that courage and strength and motivation to stay positive, stay focused and keep doing what you’re doing?
Fitz Koehler 24:23
Well, I prefer joy. I prefer it. And so I will seek it out no matter what. And that certainly is a benefit to my just who I am. I just prefer joy. I do not enjoy pity parties. I don’t enjoy seeing them. I don’t enjoy being a part when people get on social media and say pray for me. I sprained my ankle, or pray for me. I fell and over a twig look at my knee and they take a picture of their wound as if anybody on planet Earth wants to see this scabby bloody knee. I don’t enjoy that. And so I just I make decisions And then I stick with them you know, I prefer happy and you know cancers not all puppies and rainbows and the reality is I, I was scared a lot. I’m not I’m terrified of needles, I’m terrified of tight spaces, I was constantly shoved in tight spaces or being poked with needles and all sorts of horrible places. So I cried a lot. You know, I would sit in my bathroom and cry alone or cry alone in my car, which sounds kind of pathetic, but I just didn’t want to burden my family with constant sadness, and it was just stressful. So, you know, there were times there was probably a time every day that I cried. But then there was way more times that I just smiled and laughed and allowed the wonderfulness that is life to be mine. And I also got a lot of rest when I wasn’t working and I would spend all day in bed if I was home, get up, go watch my daughter cheer. Come back, go back to bed cuddle with my dog. My dog was my dog. Piper is the ultimate best friend. She never left my side. But um, but yeah, we have choices. And so whether you have cancer, or you have MS, or you have nothing wrong with you, you’re just, you know, in a job, you just like you can choose to put a smile on your face and figure out how to make your day happy that onus is on you. There’s nobody else who can make you happy. So get to it.
Richard Conner 26:17
Mm hmm. Definitely. And there’s definitely a connection between, you know, your mental state, and your physical activity and what you’re looking to do to get out of out of life, right, personally, professionally. So so that I mean, it’s just amazing that you just had that mental strength and courage to get, get through what you’re doing and still support your family and support your racing community.
Fitz Koehler 26:39
Yeah, I just love what I do. And that’s that’s the blessing of choosing wisely finding a career that you’re passionate about. And, you know, clearly there are many reasons why I love what I do. But if you’re a baker and you love bake, if you love baking, be a baker, you know, if you love helping people be a police officer. And if you love crafting, do that, you know, there’s so many wonderful professions, if you’re in one that doesn’t float your boat, keep an eye out, make that move again, nobody can do it for you, and nobody’s gonna hand it over to you. You sometimes you got to go get it, you got to be brave, you got to introduce yourself, you got to step out of your box. And I do a lot of that too. I used to be afraid of hearing the word no. So I wouldn’t ask for opportunities. I was that girl. And then finally I thought, okay, dum dum, you stand in a boxing ring with a person who wants to knock you unconscious in front of 1000s of people and you’re afraid to make a phone call and ask if you can write an article. And so my philosophy for the most part, if it’s there’s no bleeding, bruising, or broken bones involves, I’m going to go for it. And yeah, I think I think if more people adopt a little bit of a go getter spirit, they may, they may end up in a place they really, really love and to be in a position that you love so much that you would do it, even if you were sick to death of cancer. Okay, that’s a good, that’s a good way to live. And if I wouldn’t have made it, everyone can know that I live life fully.
Richard Conner 28:09
Agreed, agreed. That is really, really great inspiration and advice for our community. So I really, really do appreciate you sharing that, you know, kind of as we as we wind down here, what would you say to kind of inspire and motivate our community? We we have folks who are maybe thinking about running or maybe starting off in their journey? Or maybe they need some inspiration to kind of keep going what, what would you say to the folks in the community.
Fitz Koehler 28:36
So everything we have to offer is all positives. Its health, yes, benefiting your community? Yes, benefiting great causes? Yes, we call it the running community. But I use that word word very loosely, because we have a small performance portion of our athletes exclusively run and then there’s a big chunk of people who run and walk, I’m one of them. And then we have a big chunk of people who exclusively walk. And I think the walking community is triple the size of the running community overall when it comes to fitness. And so come give it a go. If you can roam around the mall for an hour, you can do a 5k. And for the most part, you can you can stroll, you can swim saunter, you can try it you can skip whatever you want to do, just get yourself from point A to point B if a 5k feels intimidating, find a one mile or just go for a walk around your block. But you’ll find that the people that show up to the races there, there’s a lot less of the very intense folks in the shorty dolphin shorts. And there’s a lot more people dressed up in funny costumes and families holding hands walking walking their dog, so we’re not that scary. In fact, if you come out you may really fall in love with us and make a whole heck of a lot of friends.
Richard Conner 29:57
Very nice. Very nice. Thank you so much Fitz I I’ve really really enjoyed our time together. I know we mentioned how the community can find you but if you just want to repeat that again how the folks can find you and follow your journey online.
Fitz Koehler 30:11
Yeah, absolutely. So I would love people to visit fitzness.com That’s f i t z as in Zebra ness.com. If you want a signed copy of my noisy cancer, comeback fitzness.com is the place to get it. We have a hardcover paperback ebook and audiobook, all four types and you can also get my books wherever books are sold. So fitzness.com is also jam packed with free resources for anyone trying to get fitter stronger, leaner, exact formula for weight loss is their strength training for runners free workout videos, recipes, visit fitzness.com and let me help you live better and longer. I’m also fitzness on social media, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, but this is what I ask is if you follow me also reach out and say hi, hello, I heard you on Richard’s podcast and I wanted to introduce myself because I would much rather have friends and followers. So let’s do both.
Richard Conner 31:07
Wonderful, wonderful Fitz, thank you again, thanks for coming on the show. Thanks for sharing your story and insights. I will put this information in the show notes to make it easier for the listeners to to find you and follow you. And with that just thanks again and have a great day.
Fitz Koehler 31:23
Bye Richard, bye friends.
Intro/Outro 31:27
That’s it for this episode of Inspire Virtual Runs Podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a review. Also, be sure to click the subscribe button so you don’t miss an episode. Thanks for listening.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Welcome to Episode 36. Today’s guest is going to share her inspirational story about how she became a successful fitness expert and built a life around helping others and how she carried forward that positive mindset to help her through her own personal journey of battling cancer. Hope you enjoy. Here’s what you can look forward to on this episode of Inspire Virtual Runs Podcast.
Fitz Koehler 0:27
But yeah, we have choices and so whether you have cancer or you have MS or you have nothing wrong with you, you’re just you know, in a job you dislike you can choose to put a smile on your face and figure out how to make your day happy that onus is on you. There’s nobody else who can make you happy. So get to it.
Intro/Outro 0:47
Welcome to Inspire Virtual Runs Podcast, whether you are new to running or seasoned, get tips in the inspiration that you need to achieve your health and fitness goals. Now, here’s your host Richard Conner.
Richard Conner 1:04
Hi, everyone, welcome to Inspire Virtual Runs Podcast. I am here with today’s guest Fitz Kohler. Fitz of fitzness.com is one of the most prominent and compelling fitness experts and race announcers in America as the voice of the Los Angeles marathon, Buffalo marathon, Big Sur marathon, DC Wonder Woman Run Series and more. She brings big structure, energy and joy to sports. She’s passionate about guiding others to live better and longer through her company fitness. Her memoir, “My Noisy Cancer Comeback”, was released in October 2020, and has become the go to source of inspiration for thriving while surviving cancer. So welcome to the show, Fitz.
Fitz Koehler 1:52
Thanks, Richard, super happy to be here with you.
Richard Conner 1:55
I’m excited to have you as well. When I went through your website fitzness.com, I watched your videos. I’m like, wow, like even more excited to have you on the show. And just so much to talk about here today.
Fitz Koehler 2:09
Well, let’s get to it.
Richard Conner 2:11
All right. All right, let’s get through. So there’s a lot of things that I’d like to talk to you about to share with our community, you bring a lot of energy and excitement to everything that you do. And I really think that you can inspire our community with you know, your journey. So let’s just kind of kick things off and learn about you a little bit more, and maybe your career as a race announcer.
Fitz Koehler 2:34
Yeah, so I think my career is kind of what’s most interesting and relevant to the audience is, I’m a fitness expert. I’ve been teaching fitness for decades, all around the world. And I’ve a master’s in exercise and sports sciences. And I am, as people say, sometimes brutally honest, but that’s because I care so much. And I also combine that brutal honesty with a whole bunch of love and affection and support. But yeah, I teach fitness in a way where fitness is designed, it’s no diets, pills, powders, supplements, snake oil, shakes any of that nonsense. It’s just unacceptable and it’s stealing from the consumer that really just is trying to become healthy and live better and longer. So I try to bring truth or I do bring truth I don’t try I do bring truth about eating wisely, exercising frequently in a variety of ways, getting sleep and removing the cranky people from your life. So that’s what I do as a fitness expert. And I do that, mainly through mass media, corporate speaking and spokesperson work just any way I can reach a large audience. I take it, and then I’m a professional race. Announcer And that’s such a fun thing that I do. And so if people are thinking, What the heck is a professional race announcer Well, I man the start and finish lines of some of the most large and iconic races in America. And as our athletes are approaching our event, I play great music, I greet everybody, I get them engaged. And then I inform them on important things like where the porta potties are, and where to stash your stuff during the race and who our sponsors are, et cetera, et cetera. And then I whip everybody into a frenzy. And then I yell go, and they leave and I’m sad because I wish they would have stayed I really enjoy the startline experience where I have mobs of people together. But then I head over to the finish line and that’s my opportunity to welcome every last athlete and like a champion so technology allows me to do that. Mostly by name so most of my athletes do get a personal welcome home and I try to find no besides their name and where they’re from. I try to keep an eye on all my athletes and find out what is special or interesting about them as they come through and I really like to pour love on those people because they deserve it. I am a runner I noticed like to hit the wall lose a toenail chafe have my heart broken at mile, whatever. So I truly adore our athletes and it’s my mission to make sure they all feel welcome, wanted and adored by, from the beginning to start up there are beginning to end of their races. So that’s, that’s what I do, Richard.
Richard Conner 5:15
That’s, that’s phenomenal. And as a runner myself, I can attest to the importance of your job as a race announcer quite honestly had never really thought about it too much. But I just recently ran the Hartford half marathon, which was the first in person half marathon that I’ve run, and just that race announcer the start and the finish is just it’s just amazing. And, and India hearing my name as I was coming up to the finish line, I’m like, How’d you know? How’d you I was coming? So it was it was really a nice experience. So again, I’ve seen some of your videos, and you do a phenomenal job. So maybe our paths will cross one day where I’m showing up to one of those races that you’re announcing.
Fitz Koehler 5:57
I hope so I expect it. I don’t just hope I’m expecting it. Richard, this is our deal. You’re I’m on your podcast, you got to come to one of my races.
Richard Conner 6:05
All right, then then that’s a deal. And how did how was that something that you get into? I know, I understand like the fitness element to it. But is this something you woke up one day say, hey, that’s something I’d like to try.
Fitz Koehler 6:17
No, I was invited. So mass audiences are kind of my specialty so that that relationship or that position, standing on a stage in front of a large group of people getting them to do what I want them to do something I’ve inherently done for a very long time. But I was teaching strength training and pain management clinics for RunDisney for a long time, they would have it a race weekend, and I would be their fitness expert and teach these workshops. And they have a race announcer reading a botany who is my favorite race announcer in the whole world, and he’s incredible. And as his booming voice and great charisma, and everybody loves Rudy. And he was also assigned to introduce the speakers at the Expo. And Disney would bring in a variety of speakers. And the reality is sometimes people stand on the stage and they know a lot of stuff, but they don’t really know how to deliver a message that’s compelling and interesting and fun. You know, sometimes you’re listening, thinking, Oh, kind of boring type thing. And so, at the end of my presentations, Rudy would always say, oh, my god, that was so great. And I would say, well, thank you, I really appreciate that. He goes, No, your only real speaker, we have all these people talk. But you’re only one and I would say thank you. And then the next week, the next race weekend, he’d say the same thing. And then finally I said, well, thank you. I don’t know what to do with this feedback. But I appreciate it. Thank you so much. And he said, You know, I know what to do. I need a co announcer for race in California was a OC marathon in 2014. Would you be interested in CO announcing with me and I said, Well, I’ve never done it before, but I see what you do. And I, I would like to so show me the ropes. And I’m in and so I got hired. The race director said yes, brought me in. We had a blast. Oh my gosh, it was a fantastic weekend. And within an hour of yelling, Go for the first time, race director Gary Kutcher came over and said, Would you come back next year? And the answer was yes. And then there were some other race directors at that event, who followed up and said, Hey, can you come to my event too. And so it’s, it’s really kind of grown over it has grown and hasn’t kind of grown, it’s grown. And I’m so grateful for it. Because with fitness, I spent a lot of time twisting people’s arms, trying to convince them that exercise and eating wisely is a good idea. But on race day, a race organization says here’s 25,000 people who already think fitness is a good idea. Just make sure that you know what to do. And they’re having a really fun time. And so I don’t have to do arm twisting, all I get to do is lead the whoopie party, you know, I’m the ringleader of the fun. And it’s just it’s such a great privilege. So special, I make so many friends I really, I’m blessed by the running community and so grateful to be a part of it.
Richard Conner 8:59
That’s really phenomenal. It’s such a great story. And I’m not surprised that they invited you to be a race announcer just again, for the short period of time that we’ve known each other, I could just see the energy and excitement that you bring. And that that’s really phenomenal.
Fitz Koehler 9:13
Thank you.
Richard Conner 9:15
So let’s talk let’s switch gears a little bit and talk a little bit about your own personal running career. So did that. When did that start after you became a fitness expert or during like, how did you kind of get into running?
Fitz Koehler 9:28
So I was a youth athlete and I played soccer and all sorts of sports running was just kind of what we did and it was something that I continued to do once I graduated and I had already been started teaching fitness I think in my sophomore year of high school but running was just something I regularly did for exercise. And I had done a few 5K’s or whatever to support friends, you know, friends going through breast cancer or the March of Dimes, etc. And then I suppose maybe 2010 I started pursuing races a little more aggressively. Now I say aggressively. I have never even tried to be fast. I was competitive kickboxer. I fought for 10 years. And I had a blast and I was pretty good. And I loved every second of it. I was very competitive and determined with kickboxing. But it’s also a really brutal, grueling lifestyle to lead. And so when I retired from fighting, all the competitive juices, just kind of, you know, left my sails, it just didn’t have it anymore. I decided that from now on fitness would be purely for fun. And I didn’t care what anybody thought about me and I didn’t care if I ever want anything again, it just wanted to keep staying active as a good time. And so I really have a good time participating in these races. So I stuck with 5ks 10Ks, I randomly fell into a half marathon I didn’t even know I was doing and then boom, I did a half marathon, no training, no nothing. It was the night before I found out Hey, dummy, you’re doing a half marathon tomorrow. And it was it was challenging, but it was fun. And so I did a bunch more. And I ended up taking a few years off for health reasons. And then, yeah, I love obstacle course races, mostly because I love mud. And then two weeks ago, I just ran the Boston Marathon. So I was one of the back of the packers but and I was a charity runner. It was my very first marathon. But it was such a fun time and a really rewarding experience.
Richard Conner 11:31
Oh, congratulations. I did see that. And that that’s phenomenal. You know, I haven’t quite made the decision to run a marathon. So you know our agreement of me showing up to any races we’ll have to figure out what kind of race it is but doesn’t matter to me in the back of my mind. It’s something that I think I would like to do at some point in my life. Yeah. And then and then for obstacle course races. Are we talking Spartan tell moto
Fitz Koehler 11:56
Spartan, Tough Mudder, Savage, you name it as long as they have mud and stuff for me to climb on. And ideally flooded trails. I’m in Florida, so we get a lot of flooded trails. Yes, I don’t I don’t care what brand they are. I just I just like to go climb and play. And And again, that’s another thing where I never look at a watch. I don’t I don’t I do not own a watch. I’m one of the people think I have all that fanciest gear in some regards. I do. I do not have a watch. And I would never look at a watch why I was doing an obstacle course race. I just simply go to have a fun time. And I do have a fun time. I hope everyone gives gives at least one a try.
Richard Conner 12:35
Yeah, absolutely. And I started obstacle course races three years ago now and it was Spartan. And I’m hooked. I absolutely loved it. And I do, I will admit, I do look at the time because I did it. I had fun, but I know I can do better, I could train more. And that’s kind of that the track that I’m on, but still, it’s a lot of fun. And you know, it doesn’t have to be I’m not competing with others, I’m really just competing with myself.
Fitz Koehler 13:01
Yeah, you know what I mean? There’s definitely a variety of ways to skin that cat and look at it. And some people go out and they’re hardcore, and they’re gonna do every obstacle and they’re gonna beat themselves or beat somebody else. And I right from the get go know that there’s a lot of the upper body challenges they simply can’t do I give I give the old college dry, but I know I’m going to fail at those. And I’m okay with that. I just, you know, I really am out there to have some dirt on my nose, and dirt on my knees and have some laughs and I actually really enjoy the process of failing when it comes to fitness because it means I’m stepping outside the box. And so we’re so many people are humiliated. I can’t believe I couldn’t do it. Or I would never do an obstacle course because I definitely couldn’t do that. Okay, who cares? Nobody cares. If you can Monkey Bar. That’s the way that there’s no qualification on you being a good or were the person so just give it a go. And if you fall into the big trough of water even better, even better. I just have so much fun, don’t you?
Richard Conner 14:00
Absolutely. And you know what, one of the things that we’re trying to do with this community and podcast is inspire others to run road races, whether it’s virtual 5K’s, whether it’s obstacle course races, just kind of get out there. And you’re right. One element that could encourage folks is just to have fun. And you know, yeah,
Fitz Koehler 14:20
yeah, you know, it’s interesting. So I am part of Team Noisy. My partner Rudy Novant. You know, we host a ton of races together. We also host a ton separately. But he was an elite runner, he did Big Sur sub three hour marathon. He was very intense about running. And so when there’s an opportunity, he has a weekend off for him to go do a 5k or a 10k or whatever he will hold back if he doesn’t think he’s completely prepared, because part of his identity is wrapped up in being the speedster, and then he feels that people who look look up to him as an announcer might be disappointed in him some way if he ran a slower race and I just don’t have that burden. I, I hope people look at me and say, yeah, she’s a prominent figure in the running industry. And she can’t, she couldn’t give a rat’s ass of her time she is out. She’s one of us out there to have fun, be fit, get some fresh air, make some friends, take home, a medal get a great shirt. And I completely support that great majority of the industry who just held there for good time. You know, being a grown-up is hard. And there’s not really an opportunity to join a cheerleading team when you’re 40 or 35 or 55. So go join a race. It’s something to do on a Saturday in a Sunday. And you know, a lot of good will come from it.
Richard Conner 15:41
Yeah, absolutely. I love this topic, because we talk about frequently, the physical and mental benefits of running and fitness. And here’s just one more to add to the list. Right? Just have fun. So I really love that.
Fitz Koehler 15:55
Yeah, and I honestly, I, I never wanted to run a marathon. It was not on my bucket list. It wasn’t in the shed. It wasn’t on my property. There was no interest in running a marathon. I was just satisfied with halfs. But I was invited late May and again after some struggles I had been through it. They said hey, would you run Boston for this charity, we specifically want you to do it. And I thought oh, man, and I cursed the guy out a little bit. But then I agreed and I thought that well how scary could running 26.2 Miles compare it lit compared to what I’ve been through. And I showed up on race day. And I ran with the guy who got me into it who’s a much better runner. So he had a lot of energy stored in the tank so much that he had a few beers. But we ran Boston like some people run rock and roll or Disney. We were complete hooligans, we stopped to take photos along the way. We held hands, we laugh. We just had the best time. And it’s Boston. And so you know, 80% of the field in Boston is so serious, and they’re so fast and so determined, and I love it. But then there we were in the back of the pack total hooligans. And we crossed the finish line, and I’ve got that Boston metal somewhere. So yay, you know, play at your play your own roles.
Richard Conner 17:09
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So I know you, you mentioned a couple of times your struggles. And you know, we can kind of transition into that, which I think you’re referring to your fight against cancer. Yeah, let’s, you know, let’s talk about that a little bit. You know, again, I watched your videos, and I’ve heard a little bit about your story, just such an inspiring story. And I’d really love to share that with the community. So you know what, let’s do a little while in and talk about that.
Fitz Koehler 17:35
In 28, December of 2018, I went in for my annual clean mammogram and I’ve been getting all my exams, annual exams of all sorts for a very long time. And so December of 2018, clean mammogram less than six weeks later, in a hotel bathroom at a race weekend, I got out of the shower, and I rubbed my underboob. And I found a lump. And it was I knew exactly what it was. And the most important thing that I did at that point at moment is I did not call my mom and cry. I didn’t ask my friends. What do they think it is? And I didn’t Google it. I just picked up the phone. I called the doctor and I said, Hey, I found a lump get me in. And within a few days, I started with the appointments and a few days after that, I was told Yeah, you have stage two, breast cancer invasive ductal carcinoma, and we’re gonna have to get you moving because you have tumor, A sized tumor and already three infected lymph nodes at least. So this cancer is on the move, and we need to respond equally quickly. And so that set me off on a 15 month fit Yeah, 15 months of chemo every three weeks, 33 rounds of radiation. I had some surgery and thankfully did not have to have the full mastectomies. I had a lumpectomy and a bunch of lymph nodes taken, but it was 15 months of hell physically. And it was scary. You know, the first couple of weeks, I thought, oh my gosh, I’m, I’m the perfect. You know, I’m that perfect vision of health, right? I do all the right things. I’m a vegetarian, I’m a fitness professional, perfect family, perfect career. And I thought I’m definitely going to make the perfect tale of tragedy. And I am going to eat it. I was convinced I was going to die and I was going to die soon. And it was very stressful, because I just want to watch my kids grow up. You know, when it comes down to your priorities in life, I just wanted to be with ginger and Parker. And then finally my oncologist was able to convince me No, Fitz, you’re not going anywhere. 93% of all breast cancer cases are curable and yours is specifically curable. So just hang in there, and we’ll get you through it.
Fitz Koehler 19:40
And so I decided that I would and then the next couple of decisions I made were really, really valuable. And number one, I chose to have perspective. You know, there’s so many children with cancer, and I was just really grateful that I wasn’t a kid with cancer and it wasn’t my kid with cancer. So keeping that in mind I decided not to be a victim not to have a pity party. I mean, I definitely cried overstressed. But I never had a why me moment. And I think that was really powerful. And to my mental health, I chose to pursue my passions. As, as soon as I was convinced, hey, yeah, you’re going to live, I decided I was not going to miss out on any special events with my kids. So if they had a show a game, a graduation, I was going to be there. And then I wasn’t going to miss out on any of my races. Because the other most wonderful thing in my life is the running community and my events. And I knew that if I called in sick and stayed home, then I would cry all weekend, I would miss the LA Marathon or Big Sur buffalo or a Wonder Woman, whatever. And so I called my race and my race directors, and I would have kept it all private, I’m, I’m a bit of a private person, but knowing that I was going to go from having waist length hair to no hair. It kind of outed me, you know, I figured I’m gonna have to tell people or they’re gonna start asking questions. And so I, you might have seen it on my website, the awkward video of me sharing, Hey, guys, I have breast cancer, which was really uncomfortable. But I did deliver the news in a way where I just said, Hey, this is what I’m dealing with. And they told me, I’m going to be fine. So I may look weird for a while. But I don’t expect you to pity me, I you can root for me to hear from you all you want. But I’m going to get through this. And I’m going to show up at my events. And I also had before that I contacted my race directors. And so if you can imagine a race director being that position, so I call a FaceTime, so they could see, I wanted them to see a happy face. So they believe the words that were coming out of my mouth, I was like, Hey, I got breast cancer, but I’m going to be fine. And I’m going to come to your race, it may look a little weird. And every last one of them as expected, said fits we love you. And we’re so sorry. And anything we can do to support you, we will we want you at our event, if you feel too sick to come, we won’t hold it against you. And yeah, so magical. Magical was such a great, great decision I made because I did get sick, I got very, very sick, I was violently ill for a very long time. But I would get on those planes. And I would head over to wherever whatever state I was flying to. And quite often I would get off the plane and my poor race directors had arranged IV fluids for me to keep me up, right. And then quite often I was sleeping on the bathroom floor sick. And then at 4am, my alarm would go off, you know and running, we wake up really early, weird hours. And I would go from sick as a dog on the bathroom floor and I get on that stage. And then everything that was wrong with me would disappear. Almost everything that was wrong. And when I looked out into the crowd with all of these wonderful happy people who came to, you know, work on their health and support their communities and great causes, all of a sudden, all my focus went on them and I got to be full force Fitz Kohler again. So yeah, it was, it was a rough road, there was a lot of hardship. But there was also a lot of hilarious moments and weird stuff and funny fun that that I had because I chose to get up and go. And the running community really stood by me every step of the way. And it’s you know, I’m supposed to be the caretaker for all the athletes. I’m almost like the race Mommy, I make sure everybody’s happy and feels loved. And they’re all of these people were showing up bringing me snacks, you know, we brought you a blanket and we brought you a cooler full of drinks. Some of them I knew some of them were complete strangers, who had heard that the noisy race announcer had cancer, and they were coming to take care of me so incredible. Absolutely incredible. I’m very grateful I finished chemo last May and I’m in full remission. And happy to be done with it.
Richard Conner 23:54
Yeah, congratulations. I mean that. So first, thank you for sharing that. That’s, I’m sure it’s emotional every time you tell the story, but especially the first time he shared it with the community. And the video wasn’t awkward at all. I mean, it was very heartwarming to, to hear you, you know, make that announcement and it must have taken a lot of courage. You know, I’m just wondering, how do you have that courage and strength and motivation to stay positive, stay focused and keep doing what you’re doing?
Fitz Koehler 24:23
Well, I prefer joy. I prefer it. And so I will seek it out no matter what. And that certainly is a benefit to my just who I am. I just prefer joy. I do not enjoy pity parties. I don’t enjoy seeing them. I don’t enjoy being a part when people get on social media and say pray for me. I sprained my ankle, or pray for me. I fell and over a twig look at my knee and they take a picture of their wound as if anybody on planet Earth wants to see this scabby bloody knee. I don’t enjoy that. And so I just I make decisions And then I stick with them you know, I prefer happy and you know cancers not all puppies and rainbows and the reality is I, I was scared a lot. I’m not I’m terrified of needles, I’m terrified of tight spaces, I was constantly shoved in tight spaces or being poked with needles and all sorts of horrible places. So I cried a lot. You know, I would sit in my bathroom and cry alone or cry alone in my car, which sounds kind of pathetic, but I just didn’t want to burden my family with constant sadness, and it was just stressful. So, you know, there were times there was probably a time every day that I cried. But then there was way more times that I just smiled and laughed and allowed the wonderfulness that is life to be mine. And I also got a lot of rest when I wasn’t working and I would spend all day in bed if I was home, get up, go watch my daughter cheer. Come back, go back to bed cuddle with my dog. My dog was my dog. Piper is the ultimate best friend. She never left my side. But um, but yeah, we have choices. And so whether you have cancer, or you have MS, or you have nothing wrong with you, you’re just, you know, in a job, you just like you can choose to put a smile on your face and figure out how to make your day happy that onus is on you. There’s nobody else who can make you happy. So get to it.
Richard Conner 26:17
Mm hmm. Definitely. And there’s definitely a connection between, you know, your mental state, and your physical activity and what you’re looking to do to get out of out of life, right, personally, professionally. So so that I mean, it’s just amazing that you just had that mental strength and courage to get, get through what you’re doing and still support your family and support your racing community.
Fitz Koehler 26:39
Yeah, I just love what I do. And that’s that’s the blessing of choosing wisely finding a career that you’re passionate about. And, you know, clearly there are many reasons why I love what I do. But if you’re a baker and you love bake, if you love baking, be a baker, you know, if you love helping people be a police officer. And if you love crafting, do that, you know, there’s so many wonderful professions, if you’re in one that doesn’t float your boat, keep an eye out, make that move again, nobody can do it for you, and nobody’s gonna hand it over to you. You sometimes you got to go get it, you got to be brave, you got to introduce yourself, you got to step out of your box. And I do a lot of that too. I used to be afraid of hearing the word no. So I wouldn’t ask for opportunities. I was that girl. And then finally I thought, okay, dum dum, you stand in a boxing ring with a person who wants to knock you unconscious in front of 1000s of people and you’re afraid to make a phone call and ask if you can write an article. And so my philosophy for the most part, if it’s there’s no bleeding, bruising, or broken bones involves, I’m going to go for it. And yeah, I think I think if more people adopt a little bit of a go getter spirit, they may, they may end up in a place they really, really love and to be in a position that you love so much that you would do it, even if you were sick to death of cancer. Okay, that’s a good, that’s a good way to live. And if I wouldn’t have made it, everyone can know that I live life fully.
Richard Conner 28:09
Agreed, agreed. That is really, really great inspiration and advice for our community. So I really, really do appreciate you sharing that, you know, kind of as we as we wind down here, what would you say to kind of inspire and motivate our community? We we have folks who are maybe thinking about running or maybe starting off in their journey? Or maybe they need some inspiration to kind of keep going what, what would you say to the folks in the community.
Fitz Koehler 28:36
So everything we have to offer is all positives. Its health, yes, benefiting your community? Yes, benefiting great causes? Yes, we call it the running community. But I use that word word very loosely, because we have a small performance portion of our athletes exclusively run and then there’s a big chunk of people who run and walk, I’m one of them. And then we have a big chunk of people who exclusively walk. And I think the walking community is triple the size of the running community overall when it comes to fitness. And so come give it a go. If you can roam around the mall for an hour, you can do a 5k. And for the most part, you can you can stroll, you can swim saunter, you can try it you can skip whatever you want to do, just get yourself from point A to point B if a 5k feels intimidating, find a one mile or just go for a walk around your block. But you’ll find that the people that show up to the races there, there’s a lot less of the very intense folks in the shorty dolphin shorts. And there’s a lot more people dressed up in funny costumes and families holding hands walking walking their dog, so we’re not that scary. In fact, if you come out you may really fall in love with us and make a whole heck of a lot of friends.
Richard Conner 29:57
Very nice. Very nice. Thank you so much Fitz I I’ve really really enjoyed our time together. I know we mentioned how the community can find you but if you just want to repeat that again how the folks can find you and follow your journey online.
Fitz Koehler 30:11
Yeah, absolutely. So I would love people to visit fitzness.com That’s f i t z as in Zebra ness.com. If you want a signed copy of my noisy cancer, comeback fitzness.com is the place to get it. We have a hardcover paperback ebook and audiobook, all four types and you can also get my books wherever books are sold. So fitzness.com is also jam packed with free resources for anyone trying to get fitter stronger, leaner, exact formula for weight loss is their strength training for runners free workout videos, recipes, visit fitzness.com and let me help you live better and longer. I’m also fitzness on social media, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, but this is what I ask is if you follow me also reach out and say hi, hello, I heard you on Richard’s podcast and I wanted to introduce myself because I would much rather have friends and followers. So let’s do both.
Richard Conner 31:07
Wonderful, wonderful Fitz, thank you again, thanks for coming on the show. Thanks for sharing your story and insights. I will put this information in the show notes to make it easier for the listeners to to find you and follow you. And with that just thanks again and have a great day.
Fitz Koehler 31:23
Bye Richard, bye friends.
Intro/Outro 31:27
That’s it for this episode of Inspire Virtual Runs Podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a review. Also, be sure to click the subscribe button so you don’t miss an episode. Thanks for listening.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai