Here is our recap of the week:

Shannon: Heading into this week, I had quite a few things going against me. Battling a sore throat, monster headache, and no energy, while trying to catch up on rest from my trip last week, made for a very weakened state of mind. All I really wanted to do was lay around any free chance I had. No part of me wanted to spend any time at “the box.” But I know that my goals will not be met by laying around and decided a good sweat might just be what I needed to get rid of any impending sickness that might be trying to take up residence in this body. It wasn’t easy, but I gave it what little energy I had. Just like the previous three weeks, I was happy to be able to say I completed yet another CrossFit workout.

This week, I was reflecting on the fact that we’ve been at this for almost a month and thinking about the questions that we get asked quite frequently. Do you have more energy? Are you sleeping better at night? Have you lost any weight? Are you on a diet? It is getting any easier?

So here are the answers to these FAQs:

— Do I have more energy? To be honest, no, I don’t feel like my energy level has changed all that much. Most days I still feel pretty tired, but I

contribute this more to my struggle with drinking water. I do not enjoy drinking water, and I battle with making myself drink at least 6 cups a day.

— Am I sleeping better at night? I really do not understand why I get asked this question, but almost everyone asks it! The only issues I have had with sleeping were when our son refused to sleep through the night until he was 10 months old, but since then sleep and I have had quite a beautiful relationship!

— Have I lost any weight? I wish! I think this has been an area of discouragement for me because I expected that after 4 weeks I would have noticed a difference, and I would be excited at these differences, which spur me to keep at it. This is why in the past year I have given up pretty quickly on a workout regime. But I have to remind myself that 1) I am not as young as I used to be, and it is going to take more effort, and 2) the whole nutrition portion is going to play a key role.

— Which leads to am I on a diet? No, I am not on a diet. I do not believe that diets truly work. I believe in portion control and moderation. I also believe that chocolate and ice cream should never be turned down. Now that’s not to say that I indulge every chance I can, but it is definitely why we cannot keep these items in the house! I am not a bad eater; I just know I could be better and make better choices. This is something that we are working on.

— Is it getting any easier? Not yet, but I think it is because the workouts are constantly changing. I came into this having gone from no workouts in six months to only two a week, so I feel as though I have a ways to go before it will get any easier.

Mike: This week was a struggle for me motivation-wise. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I do not feel like I am seeing results. It is kind of funny, and I realize how ridiculous it sounds. I have been working out for only four weeks but I want my body to be transformed already.

I feel like a broken record but the whole eating thing is a struggle for me. I have to make a confession to you guys, and maybe if I do it in this forum, it will help me become victorious. For the first time ever, I am starting to think that I am honestly addicted to soda. I do not know why, but there is something about the taste of it that I strongly look forward to. I realize that it is horrible for you and does not have any nutritional value, but I am not sure how to stop drinking it. Do any of you have a food or drink you are addicted to? How did you stop? Honestly, please email me and let me know. I do not want to defeat all the hard work I am putting in working out. I also do not know what to eat for breakfast, so I typically just eat a banana, which then makes me feel like I am going to throw up after the workout.

I have to again confess, I only worked out twice this week. On Wednesday, Shannon was not feeling good, so I decided I would help her out and stay home so she could go back to bed. Great in theory but the reality is, I just did not want to work out. I guess that is why it is called a journey.

If anyone else is on a journey to a healthy lifestyle, we would love to hear from you. Maybe we could all support each other. Shoot us an email and let us know how it is going for you.

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Fitness tip: I’m not a big proponent of cardio as a main weight loss process (for a lot of reasons), but for a quick added jump start to your day, studies have shown this little trick will help speed up your body’s fat burning process, not only while you exercise, but also for the entire rest of the day.

Simply perform your cardio exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

This technique has been clinically proven to produce as high as 300 percent increase in fat burning compared to the normal rate. And again, that’s not just during the cardio session, but throughout the day.

The reason is that a full night of sleep is usually the longest period of time without food. Therefore, you have the lowest levels of blood sugar during that time of day. You will burn a higher amount of stored body fat as your body searches for stores of energy. You also have increased your metabolism to a higher burning rate for the day.

To amplify fat loss even further, simply drink a cup of black coffee or green tea (unsweetened) 15-20 minutes before you perform your morning cardio session. The caffeine will further mobilize stored body fat, making it even easier to burn.

With the addition of a lifting session 2-3 times a week, you can really train the body into being a fat burning machine!

– James Carsey, M.ED., CSCS, RSCC*D, SCCC
Mike Rubin is a sports reporter for The Evening Sun. Each week, he writes about his fitness journey with his wife, Shannon. Contact him at mrubin@eveningsun.com, 717-637-3736, ext. 143, or @michaelrubin6 on Twitter.

I will reiterate what I said last week. There is absolutely no way that I would have done the workouts I have done had it not been for the support that you get while doing it. When I start feeling tired, I stop. When I start getting sore, I quit. So to think that I did eight rounds of 12 shoulder-to-overhead presses and 15 bent-over rows, I am in shock.

Now before I start tooting my own horn, please allow me to confess, yet again, I am still struggling with my eating habits. For the record, I am not trying to diet because, personally, I do not believe in them. I think they are great for the time that you are on them, and people lose a ton of weight, but the minute people get off the diet and start eating real food again, the weight comes right back. I do not need a diet, I need to learn portion control. I need to learn to eat things in moderation. I need to learn that nothing good comes from drinking soda, no matter how good I think it tastes.

My eating habits this week were not horrible. I did not eat Pizza Hut or Chik-fil-a, but I did (it pains me to even type this) eat 18 inches of sub in one sitting. The first question I have for myself is how? That is a lot of food. The problem is, it just tastes so good. I enjoy eating.

There are people out there that are able to maintain a strict diet and give up foods for the sake of looking good. I just enjoy the taste of food too much to do that. I hope that through this journey, my desire to eat that much goes away. I did have 18 inches of veggies though, does that count?

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On the weight front, I gained a pound. Some people are saying that it is because I am turning fat into muscle, which I hope is right, but I cannot help but think that the sub might have had something to do with it also.

Shannon went to a Children’s Ministry Conference in Atlanta called Orange, so she only joined me for Monday’s workout. I realized three things while she was gone. First, I really wish I was with her. I have been watching some of the live-stream of the conference online and as our church’s Children’s Ministry Director, it has my passion bucket over flowing. Second, man it is hard to be motivated to go to CrossFit when she is not around. I wanted to stay home Wednesday so bad, but I forced myself to go, and afterward it felt good. I did miss Thursday. I told myself it was because I was very far behind on work and had a lot to do, but now that I am reflecting on it, I think it might have just been an excuse to not go and because she was not here to push me, I stayed home (I did get a lot of work done though). Third, wow her job as a stay-at-home mom is exhausting. We have an adorable 19-month old son and the two of us have had some serious father-son time the past several days, but I am absolutely exhausted at night when I put him down.

With Shannon being away, she does not have anything to contribute to the column. She did, however, get a workout to do while she was away and did it Wednesday on her own and did some extra running and bear crawls in addition. For that, I am very proud of her.

Please feel free to comment on your fitness journey or experiences you have had in the past. My contact info is at the bottom of this column or you can comment on the column at www.eveningsun.com. Husbands, do you find that your wife is the one helping to hold you accountable to go to the gym or is it the other way around?

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Fitness Tip of the Week: Fitness is a part of my life, as it should be for everyone.

Keeping and staying fit has many health benefits. Namely, you are going to feel good about yourself. You will be keeping your heart, muscles and bones strong with a healthy body. I think joining a gym is your best solution to getting started with a fitness routine.

I also think that the earlier in the day you work out, the better. For one, you get it over with. The longer in the day you wait to exercise the more likely you are to make excuses and not do it. Secondly, when you work out early in the day, your body’s metabolism stays increased for longer throughout the day.

I teach at 6 a.m. and have 20 people in my classes. Get out your appointment book and schedule in a time for a workout. My advice is to get involved in group fitness classes where motivation is the key.

It’s a total body conditioning program, cardio, strength training and flexibility all in one hour of fun. Also most gyms offer 1-on-1 personalized training to get familiar with the exercises and equipment. Just remember, new people are joining in the classes all the time.

In my classes, I do something different every time I teach. I like interval training, cardio, weights, kickboxing, step, jump rope, boot camp, etc. I mix it up. I even get some abdominal work in. I have to laugh because abdominal exercises are not my thing. I always say by contracting your abs during the class you are working them.

As a fitness instructor, safety in exercise with proper form and breathing is what I look for in my classes. I love teaching my group fitness classes and 1-on-1 training also. I enjoy working with people and helping them with their fitness needs. And always, fun with a purpose. – Pat Stone, AFAA certified fitness trainer (over 30 years ) and instructor at Club 2000

Mike Rubin is a sports reporter for The Evening Sun. Each week, he writes about his fitness journey with his wife, Shannon. Contact him at mrubin@eveningsun.com, 717-637-3736, ext. 143, or @michaelrubin6 on Twitter.

Shannon: Returning this week to CrossFit was a little difficult having had taken the weekend off from doing any type of exercise. I had told myself I was going to fit in a workout on Sunday, but how could I resist a Sunday afternoon nap? It also didn’t help that because of our schedule over the weekend, we ate out quite a few times. I mean, can you blame us when were within a square mile of Chic-fil-a? We certainly made up for some poor choices this week though!

The highlight of this week for me was pushing myself to complete two workouts that I never thought I would have been able to complete. Because we get most workouts modified, we were given the option to end the first workout after 25 minutes. As I began the workout and kept my eye on the clock, I thought for sure that I would gladly throw in the towel as soon as that clock said 25:00. But as I watched everyone else enduring the pain of this particular workout, I made up my mind that I would complete the workout, no matter how long it took me.

The next day when we arrived and saw the workout for the day, I just knew that this was going to be one of the toughest ones for me to date. The workout included completing 600 feet of lunges in addition to carrying a weight overhead for 600 feet. 600 feet of lunges? I thought for sure that I would be in tears before the end of the workout. If I was given a time at which I could clock out, I was certainly taking it on this one. But once again, as I lunged my away across the gym, I determined that I was going to finish it out. I set a goal time, knowing that I would surely be the last one to call out “time”, but I would finish no less. Finishing just 21 seconds over my goal time, I took my last lunge. Sure, I may not be able to walk the rest of the weekend, but I’m so incredibly happy that I did not give up!

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Mike: So the way our schedule worked, we had a three-day weekend from CrossFit. It was just long enough of a break to not be sore anymore and forget how grueling of a workout it is. I actually found myself eagerly looking forward to going back. Over the weekend I ate what I wanted, when I wanted. NOT GOOD!

The soreness that went away over the weekend came back immediately after Monday’s workout. Part of me has been embracing it because I know it means I am getting in shape. The other part of me says, this is why I stop going to the gym. But, this column, and my wife telling me that we are going to continue working out helped me get through the week.

Three grueling workouts later and week two is in the books. It was a tough week of workouts but we pushed through. Wednesday and Thursday’s workouts were especially tough. There are a lot of you out there who are intrinsically motivated. That push yourselves to the limit during your workouts. I am not one of those people. I stop the minute things get tough. Having a group of people cheer your on, motivating you to finish the workout is incredible. Shannon and I both did workouts over the past two days that we never thought we could do and we were only able to do it because of the support that we received from everyone there with us. I cannot underestimate how valuable that is.

As far as eating goes, it has still been a struggle for me. I almost wanted to cop out and leave this part out but a) I thought it could be beneficial to show that this journey has not been 100 perfect successful and b) I am hoping this column will help hold me accountable. To be honest, I ate Pizza Hut twice, and Chik-fil-a. Not necessarily a recipe for success. I am hoping that next week will be better.

I have received many requests from people wondering what CrossFit is, so the owner of CrossFit Hanover, Dan Sell will give this week’s fitness tip as well as explain a little about CrossFit.

Fitness Tip of the Week: The first steps.

Taking the first steps into a fitness center is possibly the most terrifying and daunting sensation one experiences upon deciding to join a fitness regimen. “Is it too late to turn around and go home?” is the most common statement we hear from our first timers who are apprehensive about getting started. It shakes them to the core and ultimately leads a lot of people to get back into their cars and drive away.

Without those first steps, literal or psychological, you’ll never know what kind of door you may open. At CFH, we’ve changed so many lives for the better. We’ve had clients lose over 100 pounds. We’ve had parents improve their health so they could play with their kids. We’ve had athletes earn college scholarships. We’ve had children with autism learn to communicate, move, and show the world how amazing they are.

When you walk in the door at CrossFit Hanover, you won’t find egos, muscle heads, or bodybuilders. You’ll find individuals, on journeys. You’ll find a huge extended family of people there to support and push one another because the way we see it, pats on the back and high fives will keep you working to improve yourself. Support from like-minded people will help you keep your focus on what’s most important; your journey.

Mike and Shannon are a testament to the CFH way of life. They took the first steps in stride and will experience an amazing journey at CFH! – Dan Sell, owner of CrossFit Hanover.

Mike Rubin is a sports reporter for The Evening Sun. Each week, he writes about his fitness journey with his wife, Shannon. Contact him at mrubin@eveningsun.com, 717-637-3736, ext. 143 or @michaelrubin6 on Twitter.

Remember the feeling you had the night before the first day of school? That was how we felt Sunday night, multiplied by 10. Here it is, the end of Week 1, and we made it. It definitely was not easy, but we made it. That has to count for something right?

Mike: Wow, I have to admit, I was extremely nervous Sunday night. On Monday morning, I was asking if it was too late too quit. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach as we drove to the gym. We started with a warm-up lap. Have I mentioned yet how out of shape I am? Shannon and I made a pact that we would not leave each other when we were running. Now, I made it seem like I was helping her out by my willingness to stay with her. The reality is, I was hoping more than anything that she would not leave me in the dust.

Once we finished our lap, we did a few more warm-up/flexibility exercises, and then it was on to the weights. We did three sets of 10 back squats and shoulder press and three sets of 15 “superman’s”. At that point in time I was ready to call it a day. I felt good about myself. My body was aching, I had done some cardio, stretching and weights. Day 1: Check. That is, until we were told that we were about to begin the real work out. It consisted of 50 kettlebell thrusts, 300 jump ropes and 50 kettlebell thrusts. Needless to say, 18 minutes and four almost-vomits later, my day was done (I was the last one to finish). Now, I just had to find the energy to pick myself up off the mat.

Tuesday came, and so did the soreness. It hurt to sit and stand up straight. As Tuesday progressed, I have to admit, I was asking Shannon if it was possible that we quit. That has always been a struggle of mine. I work out, I get sore, I stop working out until the soreness is gone and never go back to the gym. This was a perfect example of why I am thankful I am going through this with her. Shannon reminded me that we made a commitment to you, the reader, and that we would (one day) be thankful we did this.

On Wednesday morning, I felt like a child making up excuses to stay home from school. They fell on deaf ears as we headed back to the gym. I was so nervous/scared of what was going to be in store that I thought I was going to get sick in the car. When we arrived, I could not get my keys out of the ignition. The workout again was a bear, but fortunately it was modified to our level of ability and somehow we got through it.

Thursday was another strength workout and I must say, afterwards, while exhausted, I found myself starting to actually enjoy it.

I have to admit that while I have tried to be more conscious of my food choices, I have failed several times. I have still had my soda or two a day and somehow four or five Tootsie Rolls found their way in my belly. On the positive, my water intake has increased dramatically, and we have had protein smoothies almost every day after our workouts. This is definitely going to be a difficult area for me, but I hope that each day, my diet gets a little bit better.

The biggest lesson I learned this week was the power of support. It is amazing what having 10-12 people supporting you and cheering you on while you work out does to you. I did things this week at the gym that I never thought I could do and would not have done alone. I totally would have stopped each of those exercises short by several reps the minute it started getting hard. But with the support I was able to push on and complete each set and I know that it will pay off in the long run.

Shannon: Well, Week 1 is in the bag, and I can say with 100 percent honesty, I am pumped about the next 51 weeks. Please understand that by no means was this week easy! Sitting down and standing up give me glimpses of what I will feel like when I’m 87. I’ve needed a nap almost every day, and the house is a disaster area because it is too painful to bend over to pick things up. But I’m eager for more! Yes, you read that right.

On our first day, someone told us that this was less like going to the gym and more like a P.E. class, and I thought to myself, “Well, that’s just great. I hated P.E. class.” Having completed this week though, I completely disagree with that statement. I never once felt like I did in P.E. class. I was encouraged and supported and cheered on, and not just by my husband. This is exactly the reason that I am excited about completing the next 51 weeks.

The workouts were hard, and there were times I didn’t think I could lift myself up to do my 45th push-up, but then I’d hear, “You can do it!” and I would find the strength I needed to finish it out. It’s that support that makes me want to go back to work harder so that one day in the near future I can call out to a new person and make them feel like they are not alone on their journey.

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Week one is in the books, and it is on to Week 2. If you are joining us on a journey toward a healthier lifestyle of your own, we would love to hear from you. Comment on the column at eveningsun.com under the local sports section or check out the Handful of Sports blog at www.evesunblog.com/handfulofsports, where you will find highlight videos our workouts this week, plus much more.

Fitness Tip Of The Week: “I don’t ever say the word diet. Don’t diet, eat right. I also believe that without challenge there is no change. People always come into the gym and workout, but wonder why they don’t see change happen and it is usually because they do the same things all the time. They do not understand they need to make it challenging to get better.

- Mark Baker, personal trainer at Planet Fitness in Hanover 

Mike Rubin is a sports reporter for The Evening Sun. Each week, he writes about his fitness journey with his wife, Shannon. Contact him at mrubin@eveningsun.com, 717-637-3736, ext. 143 or @michaelrubin6 on Twitter.

Something has to give. I am sick and tired of looking in the mirror and being disgusted with what I see. Drastic times call for drastic measures, so my wife (Shannon) and I have decided to embark on a 52-week journey towards a healthier lifestyle.

Our goals are simple. We want to see what committing to a year of fitness does personally for our confidence, for the way we feel, and what it does for us as a married couple and as a family. We have a 19-month-old son, and we want to lead by example, incorporating health and fitness into our daily lives.

We are not going to just any old gym, or doing any old workout program, we are going to CrossFit Hanover. I can almost feel my body start to ache as I type it. By committing to go to CrossFit 3-5 times a week, will a healthy lifestyle become a greater desire? Will I put down the soda for water? Only time will tell.

For the next year, you can read our journey towards a healthier lifestyle every Friday in this weekly column as we each share our experiences.

MIKE: I am 32 years old and used to play college baseball. Unfortunately, that was the last time I exercised consistently. I hate going to the gym. I love food and soda. I have tried to get back into exercising since college. It usually lasts two months at the most, then I make some excuse to stop.
This is not going to be easy. I understand that it will be painful at times, but I also understand that a healthy lifestyle is a necessity. I am absolutely pumped to share this experience with Shannon.

When Mike first mentioned the idea of doing this column and committing to CrossFit for a year, I was nervous, but totally on board.

I’m 34 years old, and for most of my life have had issues with my self-image and maintaining a healthy weight. I wish I was one of those people who didn’t have to work out or could eat ice cream everyday, but the reality is, I am not!

Since giving birth to our son, the battle has been even more difficult. I currently work out a few times a week, but I am much more inclined to choose something (anything) over going to the gym. I find that my current workout regime doesn’t really challenge me and I find it very easy to show up at the gym, walk on the treadmill and call it a day.

That’s not enough. I know I will not see the results I need in order to reach my goal. I also know from past experience that once I see results, I’m hooked. That’s what I’m looking forward to from this experience. I’m also looking forward to embarking on this journey with my husband as my partner because we do every thing better as a team.

Here are some things I know. The workouts are going to be miserable. I will be sore. There were be a day here or there (ok, everyday) where I will want to choose laying on the couch instead of going to the gym. I will get in great shape. I will be held accountable by this column and my wife. I will be thankful for this experience in the long run.

As far as the blog goes, I know that my wife and I are not the only ones who wish there was a magical pill we could take and have the body of our lives. We want this column to be a very transparent look into our journey. I promise you that we will not only share the good stuff. We will share the struggles, the desire to skip class, the meals we cheat on, and every other hurdle along the way. Hopefully as you read each week, you will be able to relate but also use our experience as motivation to incorporate some additional physical fitness into your lives, even if it is just 10-15 minutes more a day than what you have been doing.

In addition at the end of the column each week there will be a fitness tip from a local fitness instructor. You can also check out the blog Handful of Sports at http://www.evesunblog.com/handfulofsports/ for additional in-depth posts, highlight (or lowlight) videos from our workouts and much more including your opportunities to ask us questions, ask fitness experts questions or just comment on your journey with us.

Buckle up, it will be a wild ride.

Mike Rubin is a sports weriter for The Evening Sun. Reach him at mrubin@eveningsun.com.

Click here to watch the video.

However, there is always room for improvement, even for a player with a 20-4 singles record a year ago, and Brubaker said Herzing’s ability to rally while trailing was a problem.

Therefore, he enlisted manager Carlee Brumgard, last fall’s All-Area Player of the Year in girls’ tennis, in a drill to challenge his top singles player.

In every game Brumgard served to Herzing, she began it with a 30-love lead. Conversely, when Herzing served, he began with a 30-love deficit.

“This is the mental part of the game,” Brubaker said. “You have to step up and work the point where you can win it.”

Noting Herzing beat Brumgard by the end of the drill, Brubaker said. “I think he’s ready to go to the next level, not only dominating the league, but he can play (players from) Central York and South Western. He will be a different kind of player mentally than he’s been in the past. “

First, there is the family legacy at the track, where grandfather Mario Andretti won the 1969 race and where father Michael’s failures, often while contending, indicate a family curse there in the ensuing years.

Marco himself experienced some of that in 2006, when he fell short of victory in the second-closest finish in Indianapolis history. So Marco knows the tradition.

However, when the state of Indiana recently proposed some financial help for the speedway that may include the installation of lights around the Brickyard, that drew a curious look from Marco Andretti, visiting York on Thursday to accept an associate sponsorship from United Fiber & Data, a local company.

“Some of the tracks are so lit up that it’s brighter at night than in the daytime,” he said. “We dim the lights on our dash because we’re running with clear (face) shields.”

He added, “I’m all about tradition and, the Speedway, it’s always been a day race, but at the same time, the future, we’re open to changes. I like night races in general. With Indy cars, we put on a show. The cars bottom (onto the track) and they spark. It makes it look cool.”