Fit to Fight: PA NCO pays price, earns sweat equity

Published Dec. 4, 2011
By Senior Airman Jami K. Lancette
434th ARW Public Affairs

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- "You could time my fitness run with a sun dial."

That's how Tech. Sgt. Doug Hays used to joke about his running prowess when the fit to fight program first began.

Hays, 434th Air Refueling Wing public affairs superintendent failed his first test and went to work to improve slowly but steadily.

Using the tools that Grissom offers, Hays cut nearly seven minutes off of his run to pass his fitness assessment.

"I'm still not going to impress anyone with my running," he said, "but after dropping 40 pounds I'm not running carrying the equivalent of kindergartner on my back."

Hays' transformation started with a visit Juli Phelps, Grissom's exercise physiologist. Who outlined a program for weight loss and improved fitness.

"That first step was easy," he laughed. "It was eliminating the excuses that proved most difficult. It's easy to make excuses not to go workout, but you need to make an excuse to go."

In the end Hays said he was glad he pushed himself.

"There were many times I didn't want to go, but I pushed myself and was so glad I went."

While getting off on the right foot and committing to the race were good standing points, it was putting one foot in front of the other in the marathon of fitness where Hays found true rewards.

"It took me a long time to gain that much weight, so I knew that it would take a long time to lose it," he explained. "But, after a while you could tell my uniforms were getting lose, and people started commenting. It made me feel better about my efforts."

Calling it sweat equity, Hays mixed up his workout routines spending at least three days in the gym doing elliptical and aerobic exercises, and then spent at least two days away from the gym running and working out.

"I even retired my riding mower for most of the year , and my yard takes six hours to mow," he joked.

In addition to exercise, the public affairs superintendent changed his diet as well.

"I begrudgingly traded pizza and chips for grilled chicken and steamed vegetables," he said. "But, as it went on, I began to enjoy the foods I was eating.

I also cut way back on soft drinks, opting for water instead," he added.

Even though Hays passed his fitness test, he still continues to follow the program outlined for him.

"I had to sweat out passing this last time, and I don't want to have to worry about it from here on out," he concluded.

The 434th Air Refueling Wing is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command.

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(Editor's note: This is the first in a four-part series detailing the fitness journey of four Grissom Airmen in their quest to be fit to fight.)

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Fit to Fight: PA NCO pays price, earns sweat equity

Public Affairs Staff