Ashley
Horner is a force to be reckoned with in the fitness industry. Recently signed
as a bodybuilding.com team member, Ashley is a fierce athlete, life coach,
personal trainer, wife and mom. Ashley
is highly involved with military spouses whose partners have been deployed and
encourages healthy lifestyles and family values.
I admire
Ashley not only for obvious reasons such as physique, personality and
integrity, but I highly respect the fact that she and her husband train
together and set the example for couples everywhere. I ask Ashley some questions in this interview
that I hope couples everywhere can draw inspiration and motivation from to
improve their relationship through fitness, diet and healthy lifestyle choices.
Ashley,
thanks for taking time out of your hectic schedule to answer some questions
from little ‘ol me. I could just ask you the no brainer monotonous questions
like, “How did you get started”, or “what is a typical workout routine”, but im
not. There are soooo many couples out there that want to get fit but maybe have
some hurdles to overcome such as intimidation, lack of knowledge, insecurities
or maybe even jelousy. My intention with this interview is to gain some insight
from you and your experiences working out with your husband that maybe people
can identify
with. 
*When you and
Blaine met, were you both into fitness or was it influenced by one of you?
I actually broke my number one
rule with relationships and that was to never date anyone that I would meet
in the gym. When I saw Blaine I was in the middle of training a client and
literally my mouth hit the floor. My
client at the time even said to me, “Ashley, you can close your mouth
now.” I would look for him to come
into the gym every day and I would just stare at him working out. We spent a
lot of the getting to know you stages, working out together or on long runs.
Its was great, we both shared the same passion for fitness and the healthy
lifestyle.
*How would
you encourage a client of yours to help their significant other make a
lifestyle change that is stubborn towards the idea of a cleaner diet or
working out?
Have them get in the kitchen with you and make it fun, Start
with small changes and maybe compromise by agreeing to him/her trying your
healthier meals for one week and I’ll try something out that you like,
whatever your significant other likes to do with his/her free time. No one
ever just wakes up one day and love broccoli and chicken breast, you love it
because of the way it makes you feel and the way your body runs on good clean
meals. Its more about being positive
about all the changes your making.
*When you are
training with your husband at the gym, is there ever any feelings of
competitiveness or unnecessary pressure? If so, how do you diffuse it?
Only when we are Cross fitting together, he
will yell at me to go harder, its always good pressure. When we are in the
gym lifting together we are just workout partners, we are always focused on
each other, spotting each other & making sure each of us is putting out
our maximum effort.
*For a new
couple making the commitment together to make a healthier lifestyle change,
(diet, fitness) what is your best advice to helping them keep each other
accountable?
Blaine and I
cook our meals together for the day/week, we know each other should be eating
clean all week long and we look forward to our one cheat meal together as
well. The best advice I can give a new
couple is to do things together, you have to remember that you guys are a
team. Always stay positive. I know a lot of couples that are not able to
workout together because they feel like the other one is too bossy or not on
their ‘level’ your job as a couple is to help each other, don’t get your
feelings hurt, Blaine and I will take turns leading each workout so the other
knows whos leading, same thing in the kitchen and cooking meals, there are
days that Blaine likes to be in control of all the meals for the day and I
let him. Each individual as to feel like they are able to give to some part
of the workout or diet so they stay involved.
*During
competition mode, it’s very common to have mood swings, stress and exhaustion
. How would you say you and your hubby balance this and keep the home peaceful?
Yes it can be very stressful, if im in competition mode and he is not, I make
it a point to not let things stress me out, he knows that he cant eat certain
things in front of me (like peanut butter) or I freak out. You just have to know boundaries. He’s
really good about calming me by ‘making fun’ or making ‘light’ of the
situation when I start to freak out or get attitude. Then it just makes me laugh when I realize
how ridiculous Im acting.
*Do you enjoy
cooking together or are you more of the food pioneer? What is your suggestion
to keep food prep fun together?
We do like cooking together, however, Im
usually the one that’s cooking up most of our food. Blaine is usually
cleaning up after me because Im a huge mess.
He does a lot of the grilling outside, or he’ll find a recipe that he
wants to make for me and he’ll cook it up in the kitchen.
*How do you
recommend one deals with a spouse or partner having jealousy issues in the
fitness industry?
This is a hard one.
I think this is a big issue in the industry. Honestly for our personal relationship
Blaine is amazing as far as not being jealous. Im sure with some guys he’d like
to pound their face in from some of the comments he reads in the media, I
make sure its known to everyone how much I love Blaine. Everyone seems to
respect our relationship. I start my day with Blaine and I end my day with
Blaine. That’s all that matters. He always supports me in everything I go
after.
*I think
working out together is a bonding experience. Does your heart still flutter
when you see your honey in “beast mode” working out? If so, explain that
feeling.
Oh does it ever, I see him
in beast mode and I get so turned on, on days that we are not working out
together but we are in the gym together I will just stop and stare at him and
wonder how I got so lucky!
*I think your
involvement with the partners of the deployed is so positive! Do you have a
success story you can share about an inspiring client you won’t forget?
Thanks again Ashley. Keep on being awesome and
inspiring. You ARE being the change in this world that we need. Inspiring
family values, positive life choices and remaining a true ambassador to the
sport!
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fitness-360-ashley-horner-fitness-forward.html |
but as long as his belly is full he is happy. 
it's a very fun time for months after the
fight. 
I just try to be encouraging and take it one
day at a time. 
 |
JIM MOORE, TRIATHLETE This triathlete goes the distance at 60, so what's your excuse?? Age: 60 Height: 6'0" Weight:180 Training Grounds: Kona, Hawaii Hi DAD, oh wait, I mean Jim (hee hee). I want to say that your story is very inspiring and can most definitely be used as a tool to motivate and educate other people. It is an awesome journey that you have been on and you are getting closer and closer to your dream of competing in IRONMAN! Have you always been athletic throughout your life? Yes. I started competitive sports in Junior High and continued into college track and field. Living in Southern California led to year round sports like surfing, scuba diving and mountain biking. At what point in your life did you recognize that triathlons were what you wanted to pursue and why? I was asked to join some friends to race on Catalina Island in 2003, at the age of 51. It was a fun event filled with positive energy. Guess that is what got the ball rolling. I do triathlon because it's a tremendous challenge, both physically and mentally. In what way would you say becoming a triathlete has affected your life the most and in what aspect? To be a competitive triathlete, it requires patience to not only get in shape but to learn techniques in the three aspects of the event; that being the open water swim, the bike and the run. There is a forth component to the sport which is nutrition to learn how to keep the body properly fueled both during training and racing and recovery. So it's led me to do a lot of reading and researching, asking questions of friends who do the sport, talking with retail professionals at the bike shops and investing in a personal coach to guide me along the way. I have significantly changed what I eat and how I train and surround myself with positive people with good energy and it's become a "lifestyle" which I am very happy with. How would you encourage someone who is interested in triathlons to even get started? Triathlon is like auto racing. You can start with a go cart (Sprint level racing) and progress to driving an Indy Car (Full Ironman). So start out slowly knowing that it can be a lifelong journey. This sport can definitely test your body's cardiovascular system so make sure you don't have any medical issues which would suffer from an elevated heart rate and physical exertion. Do you homework. Buy a triathlon magazine and read some of the articles on the sport. Consider your budget on buying equipment. The swim only requires a pair of good fitting goggles but the add-ons like wetsuits and other training aids are limitless. The bike probably can be the most costly item. I started with a used one from the newspaper for $200. From there I bought two more used bikes along the way from friends and finally last year purchased my dream bike; a Cervelo P3 carbon fiber with Dura-ace components and Zipp 404 Carbon Fiber wheels. If you wanna go fast ya gotta go light and it's not cheap. But I LOVE my bike and it really made a difference in my racing. The run is the run. Get a pair of shoes which are designed for your type of foot strike and only use them for training and running. They will probably cost you around $100 but will keep you from an unbalanced foot and subsequent medical issues.
Having said that, find some people locally who do
triathlon at the level you are interested in, like at the YMCA or a local Tri
Club, and check it out. Triathletes
are the best people I have ever met in any sport and I've done them all. They will help you with equipment, tips on
staying healthy and encourage you to join the fastest growing sport in the
world. Ask a lot of questions because
three sports wrapped-up in one is huge, not to mention the nutritional part
of this as well. Then challenge
yourself to train by paying some money and signing-up for a race. Having that goal out there with just so
many weeks to train will hopefully motivate you to put in the time to get
your body ready for the day. And lastly, have someone in your life who you
are accountable for and who will give you feedback on your progress. Doing it alone can work for you, but having
training partners is, without a doubt, the best way to go.
What is a typical training split like for you throughout the course of a week? I typically train 6 days a week with the current workload, for my upcoming Half Ironman race, of about 8-10 hours a week. I have hired a personal coach and he sends me my workouts online, thus the accountability I talked about. I usually ride two days a week for roughly 5-6 hours total, swim two days at 1.2 miles per swim in the ocean (I live in Hawaii so it's a dream to swim with dolphins and other beautiful critters) and run two days at about 4-6 miles each. The next race I will be doing is a 1.2 mile open water swim, a 56 mile bike and a 13.1 mile run; also known as an Ironman 70.3 How has your body responded at your age to the endurance training? I just turned 60 and with that brings some interesting training challenges. Your body parts are not as flexible as in your youth and recovery is a big component in doing multi-day training sessions. It does take years, literally, to become a good triathlete, just as with bodybuilding. So, for me, I had to lose some weight (about 40 pounds to date in the last 3 years) to lighten the load. And I had to seriously take a look at what I was putting into my mouth. The short question is .. "what is the nutritional advantages to eating this meal". Food becomes fuel. To do that Indy Car race, you gotta use good gasoline and the same goes for racing triathlon. My wife Jill is my main support team member and keeps me properly fueled throughout the day. All athletes have their fair share of aches and pains and triathlon is no different. I have a new level of interest in the human body and how to keep myself healthy. It's a work in progress. Describe your proudest moment of training or competing. I still remember finishing my first Half Ironman race in 2010 here in Hawaii. I personally dedicated the race to a dear friend of mine who suffered with cancer. When I approached the finish line, I cried like a baby. How does your diet affect your training/recovery? Diet is equally as important as the training itself. You need to first get good night's sleep. It's a 24 hour cycle with me. You trained and caused damage to your muscles. Sleep is a time of repair and recovery. You get up and need to hydrate before heading out for the day. Drinking lots of water is so very important and if the workout is more than an hour, you need to get some carbs in the tank. Once out on the road, I need to keep calories going in. The body can only absorb about 300 per hour but you can easily burn up 600-800. And finding what sits well with your stomach is important. 30-60 minutes after the workout, it's important to get protein into your system for muscle recovery. Then get off your feet if possible and let the body recover. Eating balanced meals is really important. I am lucky in that my wife is great at keeping me fed with good, high quality food. Do you have any pre or post training rituals you perform, meaning meditation or stretching etc…. I usually wake up about 6am and like to take an hour to get my head together. I usually brew a cup of green tea, grab a tumbler with 32 oz of water with some trace minerals added, unload my vitamin container and get the fish oil down first then relax out on the lanai, listen to the ocean, plug in my Bose headphones and listen to some Zen type music while I meditate for 15-30 minutes. Getting quiet and in the right frame of mind is a wonderful way to re-calibrate my brain to prepare for the day ahead. Then it's clean the cat box and get myself out on the road or in the water for the workout by 8am. My post training ritual is get that protein drink in me within 30 minutes then get out of the workout clothes and into the shower. And lastly, being retired I am fortunate to be able to take an afternoon nap. The body really needs the recovery benefits from a nap and most of the pro athletes do this very same thing and it works. Who are some of your fitness idols? Living in Kona is a dream for any triathlete. Many of the world's best either visit or live here and I see them on a regular basis. Google Chris Lieto if you are new to triathlon. I see Chris several times a week. He is a really great human being, not to mention the Best triathlon biker in the world. I have known him for about a year and I so appreciate his willingness to share with a mere mortal like me his wealth of knowledge. Lance Armstrong is another one of my fitness idols. Not a lot of people know that Lance originally was an excellent triathlete before doing the Tour de France stuff. He is back in the triathlon world and I have had the occasion to see him here in Kona and share a shaka from time to time out on Queen K Highway. And lastly, Bill Bell has to be my ultimate idol. I met Bill at my first triathlon 10 years ago. At that time he was 79 years young and doing full Ironman races. Bill is just about to turn 90 and is still racing triathlon. We shared a wonderful email recently and he is as sharp as a tack. I hope to be somewhere in his shadows when I am 90. What an Ironman legend. What will you reward yourself with upon completion of IRONMAN? Love this question. Upon completion of Ironman Kona, I will be going to the tattoo parlor and get some ink on the back of my right calf. It's a right of passage in the triathlon world. When you come up behind someone who has an iM tattoo there, you know you are running or biking with someone who has paid their dues and part of a elite group of athletes in the world. It will give me something to talk about at the retirement home. Name your accomplishments/ races you have completed. I have probably forgotten a few but I did a Sprint Triathlon in 2003, then another one in Idaho a few years later, along with an Olympic distance event and an off-road duathlon. But I didn't get serious about the sport until 2009. Since then I have done a hand full of the shorter races, about 4 of the Olympics and three Half Ironman with the 4th. on June 2 of this year. FUN FACTS: Biggest training pet peeve: People who wear their Aero Helmets for a casual ride. Save it for race day buddy! Most embarrassing training moment: About a month ago I was out for a training ride. It never rains in Kona in the morning. I ran into a squall with the sun on either side. Guess who got a flat tire in the middle of the rain. It was pouring so hard the drops were like bullets. My tire inflator malfunctioned and I burned through two of my CO2 cartridges then was relegated to walking my bike until a nice couple stopped and gave me a ride. I called my wife to pick me up ... and to bring a towel as I was soaked to the bone. Do you have a nickname? KonaJim
Where will we see you in 5 years? Living in Kona, swimming in Kona, riding in
Kona and running in Kona.
I can be reached at jmoore22@hawaii.rr.com if you have
any questions. Happy training.
 |
