You probably know the story.  I played sports all of my life.  Soccer, entered a triathlon once in my middle school years and won my age group, rugby, road cycling, mountain biking......  You get the picture.  However, somewhere along the way, I lost this and mostly rode my mountain bike to parties in college.  Then law school, marriage, kids.....

Finally, I decided to change in the Fall of 2001.  I had been a pack a day smoker and partier.  Now, life had taken a more serious turn as our son was turning 1 year old and it was time to make good on the promise that I had made to my wife on quitting smoking.  You know the story....  I had played sports all of my life, went to high school and college, and picked up the games of drinking and smoking heavily.  Then, law school with much of the same.  Not good news for my body!

So, as I quit smoking and decided to start training for multisport competitions, with the eventual goal of doing some adventure racing.  During my training, I realized how little we know about the distance that the body can be pushed.  I went from smoking a consistent pack a day smoker to running my first duathlon in 4 months!  What a feeling!

Next, I decided to step it up a notch and begin adding kayaking to my training and move up the timeline for adventure racing.  I planned on starting out with sprint-level off-road triathlons and adventure racing (2-6 hour races).  Now, I was running and riding the trails and paddling my kayak.  My resting heart rate was under 50 beats per minute, too!

Individuals that I would meet would be amazed that anyone would keep moving for 6-12 hours (or more) in a race.  I explained how we can push the body farther than we think, and that when this is done in the outdoors it is an amazingly recharging and enjoyable experience.  Finally, in Indiana, I was continually amazed at how people "hole up" in the winter and don't get out.  Long nighttime runs in the snow further cemented the idea that people don't realize what they are missing out on in the outdoors, either in Indiana, or anywhere.

The dream of Adventure Athlete actually began for me in 2002 when I began training for those multisport and adventure racing competitions.  At the time, I had a successful executive coaching practice and law practice but wanted to combine my love of teaching and training with my life-long love of the outdoors to provide a better life for others.  That came to fruition as I started working with others to get them outdoors, active and training.

Now, we are blessed enough to be located in Traverse City, Michigan, where they truly don't know an off-season.  The locals, and tourists, all enjoy sports year-around and train for them at different intensities during different times!  We can train and lead you on everything from kayaking to kiteboarding adventures!

Give us a call.  We look forward to helping you train or pull of your next outdoor experience!  Or, come on out and try a fitness group!  Learn/improve some sport-specific skills.  Or, get a workout tailored to your specific sport or strength/balance/agility/speed profile.

Get Out, Get Fit!
Chris Butz
Founder and President
231.944.9946