Photo By Sgt. Daniel Schneider | Staff Sgt. Stefan Muldez (left) and 1st Sgt. Adam Heffelfinger race toward the last 10...... read more read more
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BAGHDAD –Since its debut in late February, the "Miles to Freedom" program at the Iron Gym has received great acclaim as a means to track individual progress through an exercise regimen.
The gym charts the progress of service members and civilians in three categories: running, biking and running using the elliptical machine. There are three thresholds at 500, 750 and 1,000 miles cumulative distance.
Two members of the 1st Armored Division Band, Staff Sgt. Stefan Muldez, a trumpeter, and 1st Sgt. Adam Heffelfinger, the senior enlisted non-commissioned officer in charge, were the first to reach the top goal, May 9, bicycling a total of 1,000 miles since joining the program. The two Soldiers pushed their way through the last 10 miles side-by-side on stationary bicycles.
Although they were the first to reach the goal, there are many more U.S. Division–Center Soldiers closing in on the mark.
"When we first got here, I'd ride the bike and it wasn't a big deal until they put up the chart," said Heffelfinger. "The chart fueled my competitiveness."
"At the start, I looked at the final goal and thought – Can we do 1,000 miles during our deployment?" Muldez added. "With some friendly competition though, the three of us raced each other."
The third member Muldez mentioned is Sgt. 1st Class Robert Gilpatrick, a trombonist with the band, who is expecting to finish his goal by May 16.
Towards the end, others threatened to close the gap, which pushed the band members to work even harder.
"The third place guy was quickly catching on us about a week ago," said Heffelfinger. "There were some days he'd ride 40 to 60 miles. He made some significant strides and definite climbs on the chart."
The gym's innovative ideas and programs like this one have created a positive workout for many.
"Sgt. 1st Class [Gregory] Smith and Command Sgt. Maj. [Sal] Katz deserve a shout out," said Heffelfinger. "The two of them have really done a lot in making the gym into a professional gym atmosphere. The 'Miles to Freedom' allows for many different events – biking, running, elliptical -- inside or out. It's nice to go there to work out."
Heffelfinger and Muldez had some encouragement for Soldiers who are considering joining the program but who are unsure they can go the entire distance.
"Don't let the 1,000 miles discourage you," said Heffelfinger. "I didn't even start looking at the 1,000-mile goal until I'd reached 750. Just think, if you pedal just 25 miles a week, that's about 100 miles a month. In 10 months, you've got your 1,000 miles."
| Date Taken: | 05.17.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 05.17.2010 10:46 |
| Story ID: | 49808 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 180 |
| Downloads: | 143 |
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