100-Mile Club

USS BLUE RIDGE, PACIFIC OCEAN

05.16.2015

Story by Seaman Jordan Kirkjohnson 

USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19)

PACIFIC OCEAN - Every day underway in a small compartment, Sailors fight for space. Clinking weights mix with the steady thud of shoes as Sailors struggle to find a vacant machine and new faces mix with seasoned ones. The wait for a treadmill grows longer with every day that grows closer to summer. Runners breathe heavily as they step off the treadmills, but within seconds, fresh legs are back on the same worn tracks, pounding mileage and additional layers of sweat into the tread.

Sailors aboard the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge find their way to the gym for multiple reasons. Some find sanctuary among the grimy weights and musty smell, where they are able to let off some steam in a healthy way. Other crew members drag their lightly-worn shoes down the ladderwell, just trying to meet the navy-mandated physical training requirements. This year however, many Sailors make their way to the gym or topside as they take on the 100 Mile Club.

“The 100 mile club is a way to motivate people to get to the gym and workout while underway,” said Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Jennifer Thai, one of the 100 Mile Club coordinators. “Underway, you’re stuck at your desk or workstation all day but this program drives people to get out of their chairs and be active, even if it’s just running a mile a day.”

For the second consecutive year, the 100 Mile Club is open to anyone on the underway patrol and will run from April to September. The challenge entails running at least 100 miles by way of the elliptical, treadmill or on the main deck while underway.

“I participated in the 100 Mile Club last year because I wanted to get better at running,” said Cryptologic Technician Technical 2nd Class Danielle Beliveau, a 100 Mile Club participant.

“It was a huge challenge for me initially. Running really isn’t my thing, but the more hours I logged, the faster I became. It motivated me to go everyday, rather than just thinking up excuses. The 100 mile club is my accountability, and I’m excited to see what I can achieve this year.”

This year, program coordinators lengthened the duration of the 100 Mile Club from one month to about six months. Easing up on the time requirements allows Sailors with busier schedules to participate. Additionally, having the challenge extended over such a long period of time encourages divisional involvement.

“In this year’s 100 Mile Club competition, my chief is challenging the division to beat him,” said Beliveau. “He’s incentivizing us to get out there and show some motivation. Half of my division is super into fitness, and the other half isn’t. For the people who aren’t into fitness, this is a great step in the right direction. It gets them motivated to try something and then, hopefully, sustain it even after the challenge ends.”

With unpredictable underway schedules, one of the biggest challenges can be finding the time to workout.

“In between work and watches, finding the time can be difficult, but if it’s something you know will have a positive effect on your life, it’s worth missing 30 minutes of sleep or cutting chow a little short,” said Beliveau. “If something is important to you, you don’t necessarily find the time, you make it. It’s just a matter of rearranging your priorities.”

Last year, the program had around 150 participants, but this year the program coordinators are hoping that more people get involved and active.

“Personally, if I could get anybody, even one person, to become a little more fit or run one more mile a day than they used to, then that’s something to be proud of,” said Thai. “And, in my mind, the program succeeded.”

The 100 mile club is helping Sailors improve their fitness, which impacts not only their individual health, but the Navy at large.

“Fitness is really important for what we do as Sailors,” said Beliveau. “For example, during a general quarters drill, Sailors are required to move around and prepare the ship’s conditional readiness in less than nine minutes. There’s a lot of space to cover in those zones, and if you’re not in decent shape, you could negatively impact the ship. You need to be active in order to support the ship’s mission readiness and the 100 Mile Club is a great way to make that a priority.”

Long after Taps, Sailors leave the ship’s gym. Weights lay strewn about the deck and forgotten water bottles decorate the angle irons. Unfamiliar silence grows as the last runner finishes their miles and powers down the treadmill.

• Date Taken: 05.16.2015
• Date Posted: 05.16.2015 06:34
• Story ID: 163552
• Location: USS BLUE RIDGE, PACIFIC OCEAN