#224: Exercising With No Excuses, CrossFit Gym Owner Tackles Triathlons & Functional Fitness

Run The Race

A few weeks out from Thanksgiving and with all the holiday parties/travel coming up, is exercising a priority for you? My guest this week on the podcast (go subscribe) has some wisdom for you when it comes to fitness, health, plus nutrition, leadership! She is a Crossfit gym owner, an accomplished athlete with Ironmans and triathlons, also a city council member in Columbus GA. (2:09) Joanne Cogle wants to help people get 1% better every day. If you have excuses about working out, she says there's no time like the present to do it. If you're waiting to be good enough or ready, stop waiting. She says it's about your future and quality of life! Group fitness also helps, but how? (11:55) Her fitness journey started in Canada where she grew up, from biking and the YMCA...to being a basketball coach, PE teacher, personal trainer...to taking ideas from an Army gym to open her own. (17:35) Joanne opened CrossFit CSG almost 9 years ago. What's her favorite exercise? She also explains how they're bridging gap for those on the rebound from injuries etc. and the typical "workout of the day" their eclectic group does that are very structured and coached. Learn more about her gym: https://crossfitcsg.com/. (24:36) Also vital for your wellness is nutrition - protein is underrated - and sleep/recovery. (29:06) Seeing a competition on TV sparked Joanne to do an Ironman, and the super competitive athlete has done 20 Ironman distances since then, but says simply walking a 5K is a great start for anyone. The key is to do things that you'll succeed at...then build on that. (36:12) Joanne is also the event promoter for TriColumbusGA that does many local triathlons and races. Making exercise fun is also important, including holiday-themed events like one she's race director for, the Santa Claus Classic 10K through Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Resort and Gardens in GA: https://www.active.com/pine-mountain-ga/running/distance-running-races/santa-claus-classic-10k-2024. (39:20) Finally, she has some advice about leadership and how to treat people as a woman that wears several hats, including now city government leader. The priorities, she says, should be public safety and parks (and rec). Joanne closes us out with how CrossFit has changed her definition of fitness, and how she's inspired by the opportunity to change others' lives. (54:36) And at the end of the episode...my closing prayer Thanks for listening to the #RunTheRace podcast! Also, write a quick review about it, on Apple podcasts. For more info and all past episodes, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.