My head hurts, my neck hurts, and muscles all over my body I forgot I had now ache. The effects of the the new fitness routine I've started here at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, are apparent.

We've been here now for almost five months. My unit, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (Task Force Duke) is responsible for all coalition force operation along the border provinces of Khowst and Paktya. This area of operations is known as AO Duke. As the public affairs officer I spend the majority of my time here on the FOB, which allows me adequate time to devote to personal fitness. I thought I was in decent shape, working out twice a day most days, running nearly 25 miles a week, cardio on the rowing machine, the standard push-ups/crunches necessary for good Army physical fitness test performance, and a moderate weight training routine designed to build muscular capacity, but focused more on endurance.

I realized recently I had room to improve during a mission with the Brigade Commander, Col. Chris Toner, out to a village in Spera District, a place known for its mountainous terrain and villages carved into steep slopes, sitting above valleys with narrow strips of arable land. Up until this day, my meager off-FOB time was spent mostly here in the Khowst bowl, where oxygen is comparatively plentiful and the ground is relatively tame. Not so in Spera. That fact became abundantly clear when we hit the landing zone, vacated the helicopters, and began our rapid ascent into the village via near-45 degree "streets." It could have been the change in altitude, the steep climb, or both, but I was surprisingly winded when we reached the stopping point in the village.

Granted, the Spera experience isn't something I'll likely encounter often, but it did highlight areas to focus more on in my fitness regimen. To improve my routine I drew on the resources available here, as well as other, individually motivated soldiers to craft a solution.

MAKING THE MOST OF ABUNDANCE

For the fitness-minded deployed Soldier, FOB Salerno is the ideal location, not only for its size, but for also for its amenities.

The gym facility here is impressive. According to Sgt. Maj. Charles Albertson, a Soldier from the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment (TF Spader), who adheres to a strict, six-day fitness plan, the facilities here "rival [some military] installations back in the states." Leveraging these facilities, plus the extensive five-miles of contiguous running space around the FOB, Albertson follows his detailed regimen to a 'T'.

Day one includes strength and muscular endurance, followed day two by a steady, 30-60 minute run coupled with core-focused exercises. Speed and agility encompass day three, which may include shuttle runs and various explosive jumping exercises, with day four focused on interval running, core exercises, push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups. Circuit training is the focus for day five, and includes jump rope, box jumps, burpees and sit-ups. To top off the week he completes an aerobic event such as a 40-minute stationary bike ride, followed by push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups. Day seven he rests (no doubt well-deserved).

Variety? Yes. Regimented? Absolutely. Would I stick to such a precisely engineered weekly plan? Probably not, due to my preference for flexibility. But from his routine I did take away the need for a high intensity, cardio-centric activity beyond running to include in my routine. For this I (finally) answered a months-old challenge. 

THE DOJO ROOM

I grew up in a wrestling family. Being one-half of a set of twin sons to a Minnesota wrestling coach, it was only natural that I wrestled. Admittedly, my dad's natural wrestling talent did not fully transfer to me or my brother, and my brother's talents historically eclipsed my own. But what we both lacked in talent way back then, we made up for in conditioning.

Enter Staff Sgt. Michael Fry, a former college wrestler from 1st Battalion, 168 Infantry Regiment (Iowa Army National Guard), who challenged me to a wrestling match upon arriving here (so intent was he that he brought me shoes). Up until now I had not accepted, but recognizing the benefits that wrestling would give in terms supreme cardio training, I finally took him up on the offer, the only caveat being we would meet on a regular basis for fitness purposes. I chose wrestling versus combatives-style training that is popular in the Army for the simple fact that the overall goal is fitness, not learning how to submit an opponent (and thus providing more opportunity for injury than wrestling already lends itself to). Our first meeting was an eye opener in itself (to me).

FOB Salerno, in addition to the extensive gym facility, also boasts a small, "UFC-style" training facility aptly named the Dojo-room, complete with mats, punch bags, and other training apparatus. Fry, who I outweigh by about 30 pounds, put me through the paces. A wrestling coach himself back in Iowa when not deployed, he mimicked a mini-practice, complete with take-down drills and live periods that restored my appreciation for being in "wrestling shape." By the end I was smoked, but in good spirits. Explosive cardio training is what I was after, and I found it in the Dojo. Fry and I agreed to train together twice weekly, with the potential to gather more soldiers interested in reliving their wrestling glory days (and the promise of "wrestling shape" once again). We're thinking of calling it the "Salerno Old-Man Wrestling Club, open to all, 23 years and older."

THE WAY AHEAD

Will the adjustments to my weekly routine help the next time I'm traversing mountain slopes? Only time and another opportunity will tell. I'm confident, however, in the overall positive effect I believe these adjustments will have on my personal fitness. I enjoy it, and the soreness WILL go away after a few more abuse sessions. Another benefit? Perhaps when I redeploy I'll finally be able to school my twin. Maybe... Watch out bro.