By Andrea Scarberry
This past week I had a chance
to sit down and chat with JCC trainer Nick Martinez. Nick is a familiar
and friendly face here at the JCC, and if you're a member, chances are
good that you've met him. Chances are also pretty high that he's made
you laugh, or at least smile, with a dose of his infectious charm. Nick
is well-known as a dedicated member of the JCC's personal training
staff, but here's something you might not know about Nick - he
participates competitively in the extreme sport of cross-country
mountain biking. Read on to learn more about Nick, and how his passion
for fitness and cycling was ignited and realized!
Nick
has played sports in some form or another, pretty much ever since he
learned to walk. He was active in baseball, track, and varsity
basketball during his high school years. He was also first introduced to
cycling as a senior in high school, and with his team sports days
coming to a close with graduation, he took up mountain biking as a way
to stay fit and active as he entered college. Nick attended the
University of New Mexico, where he studied education. He worked briefly
as a substitute teacher, and was eventually hired on to work exclusively
with the ED (emotional disorder) program at McKinely Middle School -
one of only two ED programs in the entire APS system. At the same time
all of this was happening, Nick was interning with the JCC. He knew that
ultimately, he wanted to be in a position to help others, and just
wasn't quite sure that teaching in a classroom environment was his
personal niche. Eventually, Nick made the transition from APS to the JCC
complete, began working as a consultant on the fitness floor, and
completed his certification through ACE to become a certified personal
trainer. Nick has now been with the JCC for close to six years.
At
the JCC, Nick wears many hats. Along with his titles of personal
trainer and staff-on-duty, he also runs a corporate wellness program for
the Albuquerque Journal, which includes weekly fitness classes on-site
at their office. He is the trainer in charge of the Kid-Fit program, and
also worked with the Team Lean program. He represents the JCC as a part
of APS's Title 1 program, providing fitness and fun for low-income
students during their after-school programming. In the past, he worked
with Shalom House providing group fitness for seniors and briefly worked
as a personal trainer for a charter school and a preschool.
As
mentioned earlier, Nick picked up cycling as a senior in high school. A
buddy was selling his old mountain bike, and Nick jumped at the
opportunity. He immediately fell in love with the sport. "You don't have
to be training to race or compete on the bike - I love it because it's a
fun and adventurous way to stay fit outdoors," Nick said. "I am in
total control of the bike, and my current fitness level is really my
only limiting factor. I think cycling is great for the mind-body
connection, and mountain biking specifically gives me a front row seat
to nature. I've seen things on my bike that I probably never would have
seen otherwise."
I wasn't too familiar with the
cross-country mountain biking scene, so I had Nick break it down for me.
In a cross-country mountain bike race, there is a distance course set
up, just as there would be in any other type of race. The big difference
is that the majority of the course is made up of mountainous terrain.
Where in a road race things like "riding with the pack" and "drafting"
are used to pace participants, a mountain bike race typically requires
all-out max effort through the duration of the course, and expert
handling is a must. There are several categories as far as race
participants are concerned, and it's all based on standings. Elite is
the highest ranking, and below that are categories 1, 2, 3 and 4. Nick
has worked his way up to the prestigious title of a category 1 ranking,
and hopes to gain elite status in the future. He was also named the 2009
state champion in his category.
When I asked Nick
about race training, and what is most important in preparing for a
cross-country mountain bike race, he had some important things to note.
In Nick's eyes, nutrition and hydration are of the utmost importance,
especially leading up to race day. When he's training for a race, he is
very regimented in his nutrition, fueling himself consistently the same
exact way before each training ride, and again on race day. This way,
he's not in for any surprises, and he knows how the food is going to
make him feel and what kind of energy it's going to provide. Aside from
fueling, Nick says working on his flexibility, balance, conditioning and
just taking good care of his body overall keep him feeling great on the
bike.
Nick attributes a lot of his success to his
opportunity to work here at the JCC. He says that the people that he
works for and with have helped shape his success. "For me, I think the
JCC has always been an environment where I have been given every
opportunity to grow and excel in my career. It's given me a chance to
let my natural abilities shine through."
Nick's Kid-Fit
program begins June 16th, and is open to kids ages 8-12. The class
meets twice a week, on Monday and Thursday evenings from 5:15-6:00 p.m.
Classes include games, obstacle courses, and other fun fitness-related
activities for children. Cost is $79 for JCC members, and $99 for
non-members. See the membership office for more details or to get your
kiddos signed up!
Nick is available for one-on-one and
group personal training
sessions, and tries to stay involved in many of the other programs that
are available at the JCC. If you are interested in training with Nick,
don't hesitate to say hello when you see him, or set up an appointment
through the membership office. I hope that you enjoyed this week's chat
with a trainer, and until next time, have a happy and healthy week!
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