Episode 17
The Tow Truck Operator’s Health Journey
April 9, 2024
In this episode of TRAXERO On-The-Go, The Tow Truck Operator’s Health Journey, we talked about all things health and fitness in a 24/7 industry. Frank Hammond, Heavy Duty Supervisor for Tri State Towing in Evansville, IN and Michael Cole, Operator for Buddy’s Wrecker in Union City, TN, divulged how they carve out time to make nutrition, fitness, and their overall health a priority in addition to running successful towing businesses. Click play to listen.
Shelli Hawkins:
Welcome back, everybody. This is Episode 17 of TRAXERO On-The-Go Podcast, and we are so excited that you’re here with us. My name is Shelli Hawkins. I am co-host along with my other co-host.
Laura Dolan:
I am Laura Dolan, also co-host.
Shelli Hawkins:
You are Laura Dolan. Laura Dolan, how in the world are you this week?
Laura Dolan:
Shelli Hawkins, I’m doing great. How are you?
Shelli Hawkins:
Fantastic-
Laura Dolan:
There you go.
Shelli Hawkins:
Couldn’t be better. That should be the answer.
Laura Dolan:
Yeah. We’re getting up there, 17 episodes. Look at us go.
Shelli Hawkins:
What are we going to do when we get to 20? Should we celebrate?
Laura Dolan:
Oh, we will celebrate. In fact, I just want to say in my Facebook memory today, today’s the anniversary of our very first episode launching, if you can believe it.
Shelli Hawkins:
Is it?
Laura Dolan:
Yes. March 21st, 2023.
Shelli Hawkins:
And the first episode was with our friends, Brad and Jeff.
Laura Dolan:
Yep, Jeff and Brad. We just did a podcast with them last week.
Shelli Hawkins:
How fitting that we recorded with them just in that same timeframe.
Laura Dolan:
Yeah.
Shelli Hawkins:
That was great. Time flies when you’re having fun.
Laura Dolan:
Yes, it does. Spring has certainly sprung once again.
Shelli Hawkins:
It has, it has. And I would say that two mornings ago there was just this moment of snow. And I said, “What in the world? Get out of here. No, no, no, no. Go back to wherever you came from. This is not a part of my journey.” And it was gone. But my friends in Wisconsin, Northern Iowa, Minnesota, they still have it on the ground.
Laura Dolan:
Yes, yes, they do. We are scheduled, well scheduled, we’re forecasted to have snow tomorrow morning here in Ohio. Normally I love snow, but I’m hoping it goes away because tomorrow we are having some landscaping installed in our backyard and front yard, my husband and I are very excited. So they’re like weather permitting, they will be here at 8:30 tomorrow morning to install some new landscaping, rocks, stairs, and all that fun stuff.
Shelli Hawkins:
Are you getting a pond, some koi?
Laura Dolan:
Not a pond.
Shelli Hawkins:
With fishing.
Laura Dolan:
How do I want to explain this? We are on a very steep slope in our backyard, and we had a deck installed two years ago. And on the bottom of the stairs, that pile of dirt has eroded completely. So when you try to step down on that last step, you drop almost two feet. And we have two dogs, and we just feel like that’s just not safe anymore. So they are going to fill it in with dirt. They’re going to add some more steps with brick and all that fun stuff, going to make it look beautiful.
Shelli Hawkins:
We will definitely ask for an update in our next podcast-
Laura Dolan:
Oh, I will send pictures. I’ll post pictures. Yep, I’m very excited.
Shelli Hawkins:
That would be great for sure. If I’m not mistaken, we are going to post, oh, we’re going to post, we’re going to drop this podcast in April sometime, correct?
Laura Dolan:
April 9th, yes.
Shelli Hawkins:
And eight days after that, eight days? Sounds about right, we are all headed to sunny Orlando, Florida.
Laura Dolan:
Yes, we are. Gosh, that’s coming up quick.
Shelli Hawkins:
So if you’re hearing this, we are deep in the trenches and have been for several months now, of planning. We cannot wait until the Florida show. It is the show that kicks off our trade show season, where everyone comes out of the woodwork and out of their snowiness. And they come down to Florida, they see what’s new, they see all the different tow trucks, all the different manufacturers, and visit all the classes that PWF Professional Wreckers of Florida hosts. But as a people lover that I am, the most important thing to me is to see the people. It’s a family reunion. And Laura, you now have gotten so many connections.
Laura Dolan:
I really have. I have. It is definitely exponentially more than my first visit to Florida last year, I barely knew anybody and now just in Baltimore, I had people walking up to me, like Michelle Sukow walked up to me and just surprised me. I’m standing there on my phone looking at something and I look up and she’s like in my face. I’m like, “Oh gosh, hi.” I love it. I absolutely love it. It’s such a great industry, such great people I’ve met so far. Everyone’s just been absolutely lovely to meet. And our guest today is no exception. So why don’t we kick it off. Great tee up, right?
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah. I’m super excited about talking about our topic today. It goes pretty deep with me personally. But over the last few months, this topic keeps coming up over and over again with podcast conversations, with conversations with customers and friends. And that is simply our health, fitness, wellness journey as it relates to our career. And as you all know, we are in a career of 24/7. So the big question we are going to talk about today and answer and unlock is how in the world do you prioritize your health and wellness and wellbeing? And that’s mental health, nutritional health and physical health, how can you do that in an industry that is 24/7? How is that even possible? So when we talk to our people today, I just can’t wait to dig into that and learn a little bit more. With that, I’m going to introduce Mr. Michael Coltrane. Michael, great to have you on the podcast.
Michael Cole:
Thank you for having me.
Shelli Hawkins:
Hey, you bet. What city are you sitting in right now? Where do you work out of?
Michael Cole:
Union City, Tennessee. That is northwest corner of Tennessee.
Shelli Hawkins:
Northwest corner, oh gosh, you are way on the other side of Tennessee. So I grew up about an hour north of Bristol, and that is as far east as you can get, right?
Michael Cole:
It is, yes.
Shelli Hawkins:
That is like you are all the way on the west side of Tennessee and I’m all the way on the east side of Tennessee. But how’s everything there today? How’s everything going?
Michael Cole:
Going good. Beautiful weather, can’t complain.
Shelli Hawkins:
I love it that you’re on our podcast because we followed each other on social media for, gosh, probably 10 years or more, would you say?
Michael Cole:
Oh, every bit of it, yes.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah, for sure. And you’ve seen all the goings-on in the towing industry, and I love all your posts and tow truck posts and your health journey that you have been on too. It’s been really encouraging to me and inspirational. But tell us a little bit-
Michael Cole:
Thank you.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah, you bet. What do you do for Buddy’s Wrecker in Union City? What do you do?
Michael Cole:
I am a light duty driver and a rollback driver.
Shelli Hawkins:
I love that, okay.
Michael Cole:
That’s my primary. I’ll help out on truck wrecks needed, mainly light duty and rollbacks are where I run.
Shelli Hawkins:
Okay.
Michael Cole:
If we get for called fuel spills, I do handle that part of the heavy side, fuel spills, oil spills, stuff like that.
Laura Dolan:
Do you do the actual cleanup as well?
Michael Cole:
Yes.
Laura Dolan:
Yeah. How long have you been with the company?
Michael Cole:
24 years.
Laura Dolan:
Wow, good for you.
Michael Cole:
Yes, thank you.
Shelli Hawkins:
Has that been the majority of your career in the towing industry?
Michael Cole:
Only part of my career in towing industry is here. I come in, I was green. I didn’t know anything.
Shelli Hawkins:
So you woke up one day and said, “I want to drive a tow truck.” How does that happen?
Michael Cole:
Well actually, it didn’t start like that. We have an automotive repair shop as well, I hired in working in the oil change rack, just part-time. I was still in high school, and then I just climbed the ladder up. I would ride with a guy on night calls, help him some. It didn’t take me long to realize I wanted to run a wrecker. I wasn’t happy being tied down in a shop.
Shelli Hawkins:
I’m glad that you made it to the towing industry because you certainly are an inspiration to a lot of folks out there with what you have going on. What is the light duty wrecker that you’re in? What model wrecker is it?
Michael Cole:
It is a Chevron 408 mounted on a Ford F-550.
Shelli Hawkins:
Well, that just sounds like something. It sounds very strong and powerful and technical.
Michael Cole:
It is.
Shelli Hawkins:
Are you one of these light duty wrecker operators that can pick up the front end of the car and drag it around and set it down with two cigarette papers on either side, parked in between two cars?
Michael Cole:
On a good day I might could.
Shelli Hawkins:
See? Exactly. No, have you ever seen the demos at these tow shows for Paul Saffelle, for Miller Industries?
Michael Cole:
Yes.
Shelli Hawkins:
Will take the car and drive it around and park it like you just can’t even believe it.
Michael Cole:
Yes. It’s pretty incredible to watch there.
Shelli Hawkins:
I know, it is. It is outstanding. I love that. That is great. And the skillset that you need to operate a wrecker, whether it is the light duty, like you’re doing, medium duty, heavy duty, it’s just the same skillset that you have is just exponentially, that the straps are bigger. Maybe there are lifts that are more complex or whatever, but you have the foundation and I love that.
Michael Cole:
Yes, I agree.
Shelli Hawkins:
Have you always been in the Chevron?
Michael Cole:
No, I’ve been in Chevron since, we got it in 2017. I’ve been in it since then.
Laura Dolan:
That’s a good chunk of time.
Michael Cole:
It is, yes, yes. Before that, I ran a Century Express.
Shelli Hawkins:
Oh yes, I remember those. Yeah, I remember the wrecker. I’ve seen a few of those come back into Zip’s or sit on the lot at Zip’s for perhaps quite some time waiting to be purchased, and they’re traded in for whatever reason. So I certainly have seen that wrecker model.
Michael Cole:
We still have the one I ran for it. We still run it daily. It’s a daily driver.
Shelli Hawkins:
Well, Michael, we’re here today to talk about the health and the wellness of our tow operators out there every single day. And you certainly have been a fantastic example to our towing industry of what consistent discipline, physical fitness and nutrition looks like. So take us a little bit down the road of how you got to where you are and what you’re doing today to maintain your physical fitness.
Michael Cole:
Oh, if I’m going to be 100% honest here, it’s been a roller coaster. It hadn’t been all smooth sailing.
Shelli Hawkins:
Well, buddy, we are strapped in for the ride, so…
Laura Dolan:
Yes.
Michael Cole:
All of my adult life, I’ve been in and out of gyms, I get fit six months, eight to 10, never stayed over a year. I get back out and I’d put the weight right back on. As quick as I could drop weight, I’d put it on twice as quick. I started this journey, I was at 310 pounds.
Laura Dolan:
Wow.
Michael Cole:
I went in for a DOT physical, and when I saw the number on the scale, I was in shock. Then when they checked my blood pressure, my blood pressure was very high. They was concerned with that. I was able to relax and get it down enough that I could pass my DOT physical. But they told me, “If you don’t do something about this, you’re going to end up on medication.” I grew up, I watched my dad every morning get up and he would take 10 or so pills every morning before he could start his day. I always said, that was a life I did not to live.
I wanted to keep control of my health to prevent being in that situation. So I left the doctor that day and I told myself I was losing weight. I was getting this under control. Then I was playing with my grandson and I couldn’t keep up with him. That right there was the final nail. When he would outrun me, I couldn’t do anything with him. I said, “I’ve got to get my health under control for them.” If I don’t take care of my health, it’s going to go down quick. I was approaching 40 years old at that point, so I knew I had to get it in check. So I got in. In the first year, I lost 70 something pounds.
Shelli Hawkins:
And what did you do to accomplish that in the first year? 70 pounds in one year is aggressive, Michael.
Michael Cole:
Very aggressive. I cut out most of my carbonated drinks, no sodas. At that point, at the start, I was very strict on diet, no sweets. I would meal prep every day, chicken, rice. I was doing that every day. Well, I don’t know, a year, year and a half into the journey, I started slacking a little bit. I found heavy weights in the gym. Now I love to get a heavy bench press, deadlift 500 pounds. I was just all in.
Laura Dolan:
Wow.
Shelli Hawkins:
So the first part of this year, you’re really doing a lot of what we call cardio, like running, a lot of running, a lot of walking, not so much on the weight lift, and that really helped you.
Michael Cole:
Right. I spent a lot of time on a treadmill in that first year.
Shelli Hawkins:
And when you picked up some weights and it was all over from there.
Michael Cole:
Yeah. When I picked up the weights, I fell in love with heavy lifting. That’s what I wanted to do. I started slacking on my cardios. Next thing you knew, I packed the weight back on.
Shelli Hawkins:
Now the weight that you packed on, was it muscle or?
Michael Cole:
Some of it was muscle, not as much as I would’ve liked for it to have been. I quit counting what I was eating, started slacking on it, on chasing these heavy lifts. I was carb loading, so I’d have the energy and really it was up and down. And then I’d say for the past six, let’s see, since December, I’ve really started focusing back on the cardio and dropping the weight.
Shelli Hawkins:
I’m going to tell you right now, in 2023, you was slacking a little bit because I saw you was not posting at all, and I said, where is my Michael Coltrane at right now? How much did you slack in 2023, Michael?
Michael Cole:
I put on about 50 pounds, it was over a two to three year period. I put about 50 of the pounds back on.
Shelli Hawkins:
Okay.
Michael Cole:
I was still around and posting some, but not near what I was. I wasn’t doing the running I was doing then. And when I’d hit a heavy lift, I’d be excited and I’d post that.
Shelli Hawkins:
That’s right. I was scrolling back through your Instagram a few days ago, and I saw one that you had posted from four years ago, and you were just skinny as rail. Your beard was probably bigger than your arm. Let’s be honest, okay?
Michael Cole:
That’s the truth. Yes, it was
Shelli Hawkins:
For real. I’m like, Michael Coltrane, turn sideways and we’re not going to see you.
Laura Dolan:
He goes behind a pole and disappears.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yes, it was. And I love that you found something that brings you enjoyment. I really genuinely do.
Michael Cole:
Yes, thank you.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah. Where is the rollercoaster today?
Michael Cole:
Today we are back on cutting weight. I’m not going to say I’m cardio focused, but I am incorporating more cardio into my workouts instead of trying to focus on when I do the heavy lifts, three to five reps is all I would look for in a set. Now I’m trying to move more or less weight, more reps is what I’m shooting for now, yeah.
Shelli Hawkins:
And what are you doing exactly for the cardio?
Michael Cole:
Even when I lift weights, I’ll start out at least 10 minutes on a treadmill before I even touch a weight. And then now I have started kind of, I’m not really full-fledged into it yet, started my marathon training again.
Shelli Hawkins:
We’re going to talk about that in a second. I’m going to ask you, there are going to be people listening to this podcast that’s over 300 pounds, over 400 pounds, maybe some of them are even over 500 pounds, and they just absolutely don’t even know where to start. What advice can you give those folks?
Michael Cole:
Start walking, just start moving. You don’t even have to get a gym membership. Get out and walk. Park a little farther out in the parking lot, get them extra steps in when you go somewhere.
Shelli Hawkins:
Oh, I like that.
Laura Dolan:
Walk the dogs, do you have dogs?
Michael Cole:
Yes. Walk the dogs, yes.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yes, that is great exercise too. Just move the body. I read a quote not too long ago that said, “No matter how slow you go, you’re moving faster than the person sitting on the couch.”
Michael Cole:
Absolutely, yes.
Shelli Hawkins:
And how many hours did we watch TV, scroll through social media, sit and look at our computer, sit and look at our phone when we could do 10 minutes, 20 minutes?
Michael Cole:
Yes.
Laura Dolan:
Here’s my secret, I combine the best of both worlds. So my husband and I installed a treadmill in our basement, and now what I started doing every single day after work, I go down there and I’ll run/walk. I don’t like running, so I’ll walk, I’ll speed walk for 30, 40 minutes. And those 30 to 40 minutes go by like that because I will have TikTok on my phone and I will just be watching all these videos. Because I’ll watch TikTok before I go to bed at night. Next thing I know, I’ve been lying in bed for an hour watching videos. And I’m like, I could be doing this while I’m moving. And I swear it has made so much difference in my workout regimen because a lot of times I’ll look down at the clock and I’m like, God, how much more time do I have? Whereas now I might even thinking about it and I’m burning calories as I’m getting my TikTok fix, and it’s amazing.
Michael Cole:
It is. That’s the good thing. Now everybody’s got a smartphone on them, turn your music on, turn TikTok on. It takes your mind off what you’re doing and it helps.
Laura Dolan:
It really does, yes. You’re not thinking about it, and next thing you know, you’ve worked out 30 minutes and you’ve burned 120 calories, and it’s like, oh, all right. That was easy.
Michael Cole:
Definitely, yes.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah. Have you ever lifted too much and injured yourself?
Michael Cole:
I’m going to knock on wood here. I have not yet.
Laura Dolan:
Good for you.
Shelli Hawkins:
Good job. That tells me that you are listening to your body. When you go down for that squat and you feel the inside of that hamstring or inside, I don’t know what the muscle is on the inside, because sometimes when I do it, I’ll feel it a little bit. I’m like, that weight’s a little bit too heavy for right now. We need to lighten it up a little bit. I don’t want to be ripping something apart.
Michael Cole:
That’s right.
Laura Dolan:
No fun.
Michael Cole:
You have to pay close attention to your body.
Shelli Hawkins:
100%, listen to the body. So what are you doing right now for nutrition?
Michael Cole:
I am, honestly, that’s where I’m slacking. I’ve cut way back. I didn’t cut myself off sweets this time around, but I am trying to limit myself to, if I have a candy bar today, I’m not going to do one for two or three days. I found where when I completely cut it out, I don’t stay consistent. Whereas if I limit it, I do a lot better on that.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah. And it is a journey for every single person. Every single person is individual and you just have to, like you’ve done, figure out what works for your body the best. Laura, you do TikTok, all that.
Laura Dolan:
Yep. And I would imagine it’s difficult in this industry because you’re in the truck all day and you need things to keep you aware and awake. And I would imagine a lot of that involves Mountain Dew or Coke or Pepsi, things that will put on the calories because of the nature of soda or pop, whatever it’s called wherever you all live. So is there something you do to stay healthy as you’re doing your job? Do you have any products that you recommend to fellow drivers? Maybe energy bars or protein bars, something that’ll keep them focused, but yet still conscious of their health journey?
Michael Cole:
I don’t have anything right off to recommend that I use on the job. Like you mentioned earlier, the Mountain Dews, that was a killer with me. I was drinking several of them. I’ve started using CELSIUS energy drinks. They’re supposed to be, I can’t endorse this or nothing. They say they’re healthier than the normal energy drink.
Shelli Hawkins:
That’s right.
Laura Dolan:
That’s what I hear too. And I know somebody in the entertainment industry who does drink those because he has to stay in shape. So he does rely on those and he just swears by them. So I’ve heard that too.
Michael Cole:
I’ve had good luck, I really like them. That’s a hard thing for me, if I’m sitting in a truck two, three hours on a run, I’m wanting to snack. I was always a snacker. So when I’m sitting in that truck, staring at a windshield, I want something to snack on.
Laura Dolan:
Exactly, yes.
Shelli Hawkins:
And you agree with-
Michael Cole:
To this day, I fight with that.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah. Well, you’ll agree with me 100%, and Laura, you will too, when you exercise, no matter what the exercise is, it increases your appetite.
Laura Dolan:
It does.
Michael Cole:
Yes.
Laura Dolan:
It does. And healthy snack is like an oxymoron, so it’s like snacks by nature, aren’t the healthiest thing. You want to grab a bag of Lays or Doritos and just munch on them when you’re in the truck. It’s difficult to be disciplined in that way.
Shelli Hawkins:
The snacks that I have on a regular basis, when I’m done in the gym in the morning, I come back home and I set up two to three bowls of fruits or vegetables. So today we had raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and then a plate of some sort of vegetable. A lot of times it’s like cauliflower, broccoli or bell peppers, and it’s on the island in the kitchen and I’m walking by it, and that’s what I snack on. You had mentioned that one of the big motivators for you is when you could not keep up with your grandson. Has there ever been anything in your body-wise to happen, like you talked about the high blood pressure a little bit, but have you ever struggled with diabetes or anything like that where it was like a huge wake-up call?
Michael Cole:
I have not. But it is hereditary in our family, so I am trying to take the steps to prolong it as much as I can.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah. For me, my highest weight was about 300 pounds, and my eye doctor asked me, and I’ve had my eye doctor for 10 years, and he asked me, he said, “Shelli, when were you diagnosed with diabetes?” I go, “I’m not diabetic. What are you talking about? That runs in my family, type 1 diabetes runs on my daddy’s side, but I’ve never had diabetes.” And he looked at me, he goes, “High blood pressure?” I go, “Yes.” He goes, “You have something called retinopathy, and there’s so much pressure in your beautiful little eyes that it’s choking the blood vessels and the blood can’t get back to the back of your eyes. This is what it looks like. Your prescription went from here all the way to here in one year, and you are going blind.”
Laura Dolan:
Oh my gosh.
Shelli Hawkins:
And I sat there and bawled my eyes out like a baby while Rene had his prescription. And so that was a big wake-up call for me. So I’m glad that it’s always top of mind because things certainly are hereditary. But another quote that I love is that, “Genetics load the gun, but our choices pull the trigger.”
Michael Cole:
I agree with that, yes.
Laura Dolan:
Wow.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah. I can be genetically predisposed to have high cholesterol on my momma’s side, to have this on my daddy’s side, but the choices that I make every day and the nutrition that I have, that is what is going to escalate that situation, make it worse. So walk us through a week of your habits and the weight, morning, is it after work? When does it happen? When do you meal prep? How does all that look?
Michael Cole:
Being completely honest here, I hadn’t got back on my meal prepping yet.
Shelli Hawkins:
Sure.
Michael Cole:
But as far as in a week, my day starts at the gym. I used to do evenings, and I found when I have a busy day, you work, dragging cable all day, walking through mud. By the time you get off work, you wore out. And I wasn’t consistent with the gym at that. So I found the key to consistency for me, I had to start my day at the gym. And that was a big struggle for me right there in itself, was getting in a habit of a morning workout. I am not a morning person at all.
Shelli Hawkins:
You’re not?
Michael Cole:
No, I’m not. I’m a night owl.
Shelli Hawkins:
You’d rather be out on the late night recoveries and all that?
Michael Cole:
Yes, yeah. That’s my time right there.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah. And I am a morning person. I wake up every morning at 4:00 AM and I am jumping rope at a high speed at 4:00 AM. But at seven o’clock, Shelli has a shelf life. My friends look at me and say, “We have lost Shelli, or Shelli has expired. Where did Shelli go?” So at trade shows, when all these people want to stay out late and all this stuff, and especially when I go out to the West Coast like for the Vegas tow show, oh my goodness, it wreaks havoc on me. Laura, are you a morning person?
Laura Dolan:
I am a morning person. I don’t necessarily like it. I’ve just been working 9:00 to 5:00 for the last 18 years. So you just get used to it.
Shelli Hawkins:
You get used to it.
Laura Dolan:
Do I like to sleep in? Absolutely, I do.
Michael Cole:
Yeah. So when I got into this journey five years ago, I started off, I was hitting the nighttime gym, and then I would realize I only get two to three workouts a week. So I transitioned, and when I went to morning workouts before I ever come into work, that was when my consistency hit. I found that sweet spot, getting there in the mornings, starting my day off. That was what it was, what it took to make me consistent.
Shelli Hawkins:
Isn’t it just amazing, all these little pivots and tweaks along the journey to figure out, again, listening to your body and what works for your body. We can just be so flooded with social media and searching everything on the web and whatever, but it’s just a matter of doing exactly what you are doing and figuring out what works best for you and the way your mind works and the way your body works. I love it.
Michael Cole:
Yes.
Shelli Hawkins:
I had been in the habit of walking 30 minutes to three miles every morning, sometimes four, depending on the weather, but it wasn’t at any kind of great big pace or anything. And last October, I joined a gym called Orange Theory, and it is a gym that gives you 20 minutes on the treadmill, 20 minutes on the rower, and 20 minutes of lifting weights. And you can do it as aggressive as you want to. If you want to walk on the treadmill the whole time, you can. If you want to go slow on the rower, you can. If you want to lift a four pound weight or just do lunges without weights, you can. And then I started about four months ago incorporating about a mile and a half to a two-mile run in the morning before that. And so I’ve consistently been doing the run and the Orange Theory five to six days a week for, gosh, about five months now. And the endorphins and the serotonin, and I noticed so many changes in my body.
Laura Dolan:
That’s incredible, Shelli. I’m proud of you.
Shelli Hawkins:
Thank you.
Michael Cole:
It is.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah. It’s just discipline yourself to go to bed at night. I’m usually in bed by eight o’clock, 8:30, nine o’clock at the latest. And the alarm goes off and the coffee’s already made, and let’s get to it. And it’s just what you do. Do I want to lose more weight? Do I want to build more muscle? Absolutely. But it’s like I see folks at the gym that are in their 70s. They are in what I perceive as amazing physical condition. They’ve got muscles and everything, and they still show up every single day, every single day. We’re not exercising and doing nutrition for a segment of time to accomplish a goal, it is a lifetime.
Michael Cole:
Yes, most definitely. I ran into a classmate a few weeks ago at the gym. He asked me, he said, “You’re always here.” He says, “What is your end goal? What are you trying to accomplish?” And there was a guy, I just happened to see him out the corner of my eye, probably early 80s I’d say. This guy’s in there every day. I said, “That’s my goal right there. I want to eventually be the old man in the gym.” Let’s not rush it, but that’s it. I want…
Shelli Hawkins:
To be the old man in the gym, let’s not rush it. I’m going to remember that about you, Michael. That’s awesome.
Michael Cole:
All right.
Shelli Hawkins:
Before I forget, I want to ask you one more question. You do the St. Jude Marathon. Talk a little bit about that. How many times have you done it? All the things.
Michael Cole:
I think this year will be my sixth time participating in the half-marathon marathon. Prior to that, I did the 10K for St. Jude twice.
Shelli Hawkins:
That’s about six miles. Yeah, 6.2 miles, yes.
Michael Cole:
So actually, this will be my eighth time going to Memphis to participate.
Shelli Hawkins:
Okay. And you raise money for this and the St. Jude organization is for children?
Michael Cole:
Yes, yes. We raised money this year. I’m committed to $1,750 that I’ll raise by December.
Shelli Hawkins:
Laura, can we put that link to his raise donations in the show notes?
Laura Dolan:
Absolutely. That is fantastic.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah, we can do that for you.
Laura Dolan:
Good for you, Michael.
Michael Cole:
Thank you.
Shelli Hawkins:
Hey, you bet, buddy. Did you say five half-marathons?
Michael Cole:
Yes, five half-marathons. This will be my sixth this year.
Shelli Hawkins:
I love it. That is awesome. Well, thank you, buddy.
Laura Dolan:
Very cool.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah, I did not want to miss that. That is very important to all of us. It really helps keep you accountable, set a goal, put that cardio in like you’re talking about.
Michael Cole:
Yes, yes, definitely.
Shelli Hawkins:
Wonderful. Speaking of cardio and setting goals, we are going to talk to another tower on our podcast today. His name is Frank Hammond. Frank, are you there, sir?
Frank Hammond:
Yep, I’m here.
Shelli Hawkins:
Thank you for joining us. We genuinely appreciate it. We’re excited to chat-
Frank Hammond:
Thank you for having me.
Shelli Hawkins:
You bet. All things health and fitness like we talked about earlier. Give us a real quick rundown. Tell us where you live. Tell us the truck that you operate, who you work for, how long you’ve been in the industry.
Frank Hammond:
My name is Franklin Hammond. I’ve been in the industry about 15, 16 years now. I started out when I had just gotten my driver’s license operating a rollback for a small company here in Evansville, Indiana, and sort of worked my way up within that company as high as I could go. Got offered this opportunity to operate a heavy wrecker at Tri-State Towing in Evansville. I actually didn’t intend on staying here. I planned on getting my degree and doing something in business, and I absolutely fell in love with the industry even more than I already had. And now I do this full-time. I operated in RC65 ton rotator and there’s no better job in the world.
Shelli Hawkins:
I love that for you. Everybody knows the blue and yellow tow truck that Frank operates because we see some amazing lifts and recoveries that you do with it for sure.
Frank Hammond:
Thank you.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah, we were talking to Michael earlier about how the skills that he has as a wrecker operator are just the foundation. And so the foundational activities that he has with his light duty wrecker absolutely play into the medium duty and the heavy duty. The straps are bigger, the lifts perhaps are more complex, the snatch blocks are bigger, you might need more. But that is just the foundation of what you need in the towing industry.
Frank Hammond:
Most certainly. And it seems the people who are passionate about one side of the industry, whether it’s light duty, medium duty, or heavy, they can excel in anything they put their mind to, whether it’s in the towing industry or elsewhere.
Shelli Hawkins:
That is so true. I love talking to all of our operators that are out there, and the one common thread I see is just you folks are 24/7 problem solvers.
Frank Hammond:
That really is what our industry is all about is problem solving ability. Of course, it helps to have the education and knowledge in every aspect of what we do. But ultimately, every job we go to is solving some type of problem for someone.
Shelli Hawkins:
It’s different. We were talking to Mike Schite and Danny Williams and I asked the question, “Can you imagine going to a job and doing the exact same thing every single day?” Mike was like, “I would lose my mind.” Can you imagine?
Frank Hammond:
I’m the same way. I feel like that’s so intriguing about our industry is the fact that no two jobs are the same, really. We’ve got towing, towing is pretty general. But when it comes to the fun stuff, the recovery side of things, or even the lifting side of things, typically we’re doing something different each and every time. So it’s a whole new set of problems that we get the opportunity to solve.
Shelli Hawkins:
It is so true. It’s very true. Well, thank you for coming, like I said earlier. And I want you to talk a little bit about your health journey. Have you always been physically fit? Has that always been a goal for you? What does that look like for you from the very beginning?
Frank Hammond:
I feel like I’ve always been physically fit, most certainly not so much as now. I’m definitely the fittest I have ever been, but I’ve always been involved in sports and like doing outdoor activities and just been generally fit. I would say here over the past five years, I’ve really stepped it up and the primary motivator for that’s probably been living and just being surrounded by a group of people who are disciplined like I am and have similar motivators.
Laura Dolan:
What does your health balance look like between your job and trying to stay fit? How do you make time for it in this kind of unpredictable industry?
Frank Hammond:
For the most part, I dedicate every morning to working out in some form of another, whether that’s running, going to the gym, doing some type of HIIT workout, playing a sport. So that’s my first thing in the morning, no matter what. Unless of course we get a wreck or something like that. But for the most part, I try to do something physical to start off my day in the morning. I feel like there’s a huge benefit to starting the day that way, both mentally and physically. You’re not already worn out from the day or you’re not looking to make an excuse. So if I’ve had a long day at work, I’m going to skip. You’re starting off your day on the right foot, and that’s just sort of my outlook on that. I know some people aren’t morning people and they excel in the evening at the gym, but I prefer the morning.
Shelli Hawkins:
Sure, that’s really what Michael said too.
Laura Dolan:
Yeah. It’s good that you can actually have that kind of consistency because it seems like you’re one of the lucky people that you don’t get a lot of morning recoveries. You can actually make that time and then go about your day.
Frank Hammond:
We’re really fortunate from a business perspective. It hasn’t always been this way, but right now we have a surplus of people and heavy wreckers, so it works out fairly well on being able to have family time or have that time off that our guys need, myself included. So we have the depth that a lot of companies don’t have, and a lot of one-man bands have two or three trucks and you’re always tied up or always tied to that truck. I feel like we have quite a bit of depth, which lets us have that important family time. That being said, I pretty well make myself available for wrecks 100% of the time, just because it’s what I enjoy.
Laura Dolan:
So when it comes to your nutritional journey, how do you battle having to have inconsistent meals or wanting to snack while you’re in the truck? Do you have any go-to healthy snacks that you have? Or do you just make sure you eat healthy meals every day? What does that look like for you?
Frank Hammond:
My focus, fortunately, has never really had to be on nutrition specifically. I try to be health conscious and eat as healthy as possible. And just generally speaking, I like eating healthy meals, it makes me feel better than eating a less healthy option. But I’m not super focused on nutrition. Part of that is generally because I’m so active and I’m blessed with an amazing metabolism.
Laura Dolan:
Yeah, I’m sure that helps.
Frank Hammond:
I’m usually around 3,500 to 4,500 calories a day eating now.
Shelli Hawkins:
Do you track your food? Do you track your macros and all that?
Frank Hammond:
No, I don’t track that. Ironically, I tracked my calorie intake for the first time in my entire life last week because it was required for the training program that I did. But no, I don’t really keep track of any of that. I just try to consciously eat as healthy as possible. That being said, it’s tough sometimes, especially for the lunch meal, just because we may be in the truck or may be out on a job and have to get fast food, things like that. But I try to be as health conscious as possible while also maintaining that balance with work and having to grab something on the go.
Laura Dolan:
Yeah, that’s what I was saying. It’s got to be difficult when you are on the go and your only option is to stop at McDonald’s or Wendy’s or something. So do you have any go-to menu items that you think are more on the healthy side, maybe low-carb burgers or things like that? Or you just try to satisfy your hunger any way you can?
Frank Hammond:
As a general rule of thumb, I try to avoid fried foods and sweets. I’m not a huge sweets person and I just don’t like fried foods. I don’t really like fast food at all. The combination of it not tasting very well, and also having a little bit of knowledge of what’s put in there preservative-wise.
Laura Dolan:
Right.
Frank Hammond:
But at the same time, we have to live and understand that pretty well all of our food is going to have preservatives and growth hormones in it, which is just an unfortunate part of today’s society. I would like to improve on my nutrition a little bit, and I feel like I have the discipline to do so. It’s just more of a convenience thing for me. But I would like to improve on my nutrition.
Shelli Hawkins:
That’s a tough one, it really is. I was just sharing that I set out snacks every single morning, just usually two fruits and two vegetables. I’ve got little cute decorative bowls, just something cute to look at, but always have it on the island in the kitchen for me or Rene to snack on at any point in time. But it takes work, it takes discipline. You have to do it with intention and we understand all that. So you and I share a mutual friend named Kale English. How are we going to get him on this health and wellness journey, Frank Hammond?
Frank Hammond:
Kale attempted the health and wellness journey with me once.
Shelli Hawkins:
Well, he’s not-
Frank Hammond:
He went to the gym and I believe it was his first and last time going to the gym with me and he ended up with a hernia.
Laura Dolan:
Oh, goodness.
Frank Hammond:
So that journey did not end well. Maybe we can get him on track to try for a second time.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah, I’ll reach through the phone and tell him what’s up. If I need to-
Laura Dolan:
Reach through the phone.
Shelli Hawkins:
I’ll reach through the phone and get ahold of him and tell him, “This is what’s going to happen, buddy.” Michael’s on with us now. Michael, how many times did you go back and forth? And he said his journey has just been a roller coaster.
Michael Cole:
Oh, many times. I’ve lost count on how many times I started and stopped.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah.
Frank Hammond:
To sort of take off on that point, not to go down a rabbit hole, but I feel like a lot of people who start and stop the journey and can’t seem to find their rhythm, they’re being driven by motivation rather than discipline. So motivation’s great, but it’s not always going to be there. If you’re disciplined, then the discipline will always be there. It’s ingrained in you and it’s a trait you have that is unwavering. And that discipline is what will get you to the gym on the days you’re not necessarily feeling motivated or relying on that motivation. So I feel like that’s a huge hindrance for people. It’s like the New Year’s resolution folks. That’s awesome, they’re motivated to get in shape and get the gym membership and start eating healthy. But that motivation runs out, whether it’s a plateau in the results or whatever it may be, there could be multiple-
Shelli Hawkins:
You get injured, you get sick, you’re traveling. That’s what would derail me a lot is all the travel that I do, and it’s just like I don’t have the discipline to go and run or get on the treadmill in the hotel, the piece of garbage treadmill that’s in the hotel and beat up or find something, lifting weights. That is so insightful, Frank. I’ve never thought about that, the motivation versus the discipline. That’s wonderful that you found that for sure. So speaking of that, I want to just talk about the training that you did last week. And then I want you to start by telling us a little bit about it and then what you did to prepare for it a year, two years in advance, that kind of thing.
Frank Hammond:
So the training I just got back from is called the Indiana Smoke Diver Program. It’s a program specifically designed for firefighters who are looking for a training taken to the next level. Unlike a lot of the trainings out there that are, say a combination of classroom and then some hands-on each day and every person who shows up gets a completion certificate at the end of it. This training is geared a little bit differently. And the idea behind it is to get your body physically and mentally exhausted prior to doing any training drills. So they do that through essentially PT, running, things like that, things that just beat you down and make you feel like you’re just worn out, and now we have to go drill. Now we have to go do these actual training scenarios that will allow us to better ourselves in our field.
And the benefit to doing this is it allows your body and mind to act in a way that you would typically feel like quitting or saying, “I can’t do this.” And it allows you to reach that in a training environment. So if you ever get in a situation real world, you’ve already been here, you’ve already realized that the mind can push the body farther than it wants to. And it’s similar to David Goggins rule 40%. If you’ve heard of that before or read anything David Goggins, he talks about how whenever most people want to quit, they’re at 40% of their potential. That’s just the mind doesn’t like the body being uncomfortable, it doesn’t like to fight through pain. And that’s what this program is designed to do, is to really to teach you to operate under those conditions where you’re mentally and physically exhausted. And it was one of the best experiences of my life, if not the best.
Shelli Hawkins:
Wow. How many started the training? How many actually graduated and finished?
Frank Hammond:
46 began on Sunday morning and 15 of us completed it.
Shelli Hawkins:
And every single day there was folks that were exited from the program, is that correct?
Frank Hammond:
That’s correct. Most of the people who left the program ended up leaving of their own free will, they weren’t performance drops. Some of them were. There are standards that you have to meet. But most of the people who left the program probably could have completed it and had that capability. But maybe their mind wasn’t in the right place or they just weren’t as driven to complete the program. It’s hard to say, that’s just speculating at that point. But most of the people did leave of their own free will and I was bound and determined that if I was going to leave, it was going to be what they call a drop on performance, which means you can’t meet one of the standards in order to pass the course.
Shelli Hawkins:
Walk us through a day from last week from start to finish.
Frank Hammond:
For the most part, after the first day, the days look similar. You arrive at seven o’clock at Wayne Township Fire Department in Indianapolis. And you start the morning with PT followed by an obstacle course that’s all done in full firefighting gear. And then you do a three to five mile jog that’s just in regular PT clothes. Come back, you’ll do a couple drills, what I would consider easier drills in fire gear, sort of gear you up for the afternoon. Eat lunch, and then the drills were more real world scenarios, actual what they call cold smoke. So visibility is diminished, and then on Thursday, that day is called heat day, so it’s actual live fire training. So each day is different. There’s different drills involved, but the same principles apply throughout the program and the entire morning is dedicated to tearing you down mentally and physically, and then you’re performing those drills in the afternoon in that state of mind that allows you to replicate a real world scenario where you might be completely worn out but still have to perform in order to survive or provide lifesaving services for someone else.
Shelli Hawkins:
I cannot help but think our towers on the roadside experience this mental and physical exhaustion that you’re talking about while on the interstate while doing a major recovery or a light duty recovery at that, while lanes are blocked and people are waiting and there’s been a massive car accident. And they just have had no sleep, they have had no food, how does the body work?
Frank Hammond:
It’s amazing really, which I’ve always been interested in how the body works, but it’s amazing to experience what I experienced up there along with all of the other candidates on one level or another, of the body’s journey through those six days. For example, right off the bat, I noticed that my body was needing more calories, more water of course. Whenever I went to sleep at night, my heart rate was higher. I got an alert on my watch, I think on day three saying, “Hey, your heart rate is 20 beats per minute higher than normal, while resting.” I was waking up in the middle of the night, experiencing night sweats, and all of this was just due to the changes that my body was experiencing. And keep in mind, I’m very physically active, I work out every day. But the intensity of the program combined with the mental fatigue of the program, the effects that had on my body were astounding. And to be able to operate in those conditions, I feel like it really helped me be not only a better firefighter, but just a better person in general.
Shelli Hawkins:
I can only imagine. Going through that certification, that training, those exercises last week, like you said, put your body and your mind through tests that you had never experienced before and it’s changed your life forever.
Frank Hammond:
Most certainly. Yeah, I felt like I was extremely physically prepared for the program. There was no point at all where I felt like my body can’t do this, my body is just worn out and it can’t go on. I never felt that at all. I really prepared well for the program, and that’s thanks mostly to a close friend I have who went through the program last year and he helped me train. I’m sorry, he went through it two years ago and for the last year, I have been training with him for the program. So I felt extremely physically prepared, which made it all the more astounding to me, the changes that my body went through and how my mind was reacting to such physical stress, even though I had prepared well.
Shelli Hawkins:
Did you run a marathon a day to prepare for this? What did you do?
Frank Hammond:
I did a lot of gear workouts, just getting acclimated to being in gear. One of the days we were in gear for 11 hours, so the gear weighs 55 pounds or so plus water weight if you get soaked. So it’s taxing on the body and it’s something your body has to acclimate to. So gear workouts were important. I felt like my cardiovascular strength is great, so that was a huge plus. I never really got winded, so to speak, or just felt like I was drained during the run. The runs were pretty easy for me. I consider myself a mediocre runner. I’m not super fast by any means, but I can run a decent distance. So the runs were great, being in gear helped me a lot. I felt like I did a good job preparing overall. I feel like no one can prepare you for the way the body reacts to that physical stress and the way your mind handles it.
And that’s part of the greatness of the program is because whenever you’re in that type of situation, that’s extremely taxing physically and mentally. It may be the first time for someone, and that first time, you don’t want that to be whenever you’re performing a self-survival skill or you’re in a fire where another fireman is possibly trapped or hurt and you’ve got adrenaline. It may be one of your friends, so you’ve got that on top of all the other stressors of just someone you don’t know being hurt. And being prepared in a way that this program prepares you is, I wouldn’t even call it a skill, it’s just an experience that I feel like will be forever beneficial to me and anyone else who’s taken the program. And the great thing about the program is even if you go up there, which there’s programs in several different states, but if you go to one of these programs and you make it to say day two or day three, I don’t even think that’s a failure in my opinion.
You learn so much from day one about stressors, how your body’s going to react to the physical and mental demand of the program, that everyone can take something from it. Even if you go home on day two or three, I feel like everyone can learn something from that and better themselves and maybe even come back the following year and complete the program. Actually, the first person in our area to complete the program, his name is Jeremy. He went up five years ago and was unable to complete one of the tasks that’s required, and he was dropped on performance. He went back the following year and rocked it. And he was the first Indiana smoke diver in our Southern Indiana region.
Shelli Hawkins:
That’s fantastic. I am going to check in with you in six months because I genuinely believe going through this exercise is going to not revolutionize the way that you process a heavy recovery, but I certainly think it’s going to expand the capabilities of your mind, potentially.
Frank Hammond:
I feel like it already has.
Shelli Hawkins:
Well, there you go.
Frank Hammond:
Just the sheer ability to realize that the mind controls the body, even when you want to say, “I can’t go on,” or you don’t feel like the body can continue, the mind is in control. Of course, there’s injuries and that’s on a sort of a different realm. But what I’m talking about is pain through physical stressors that are not causing injury. Obviously there’s a point where you can’t do something due to injury, but I’m talking about the people who say, “I can’t do this,” when in reality they can. Their mind just doesn’t like being uncomfortable. And being able to force yourself through that, whether it’s through discipline or just the fact that you’ve been here before and you know can do it, and that’s enough to push yourself over the edge and complete the task at hand. Regardless of how you get there, the methodology is still the same.
Shelli Hawkins:
Agree. In my own health journey, and especially since I’ve started running, I have gone through two heart operations called ablations for atrial fibrillation. I had an irregular heartbeat. And so in 2021, I had actually two ablations and my heart rate is a beautiful rhythm, and I don’t struggle with that anymore. But as I was running and increasing the speed, and I was uncomfortable like you’re talking about, no one told me this, but in the past I wanted to stop because I just didn’t like it, when my heart is not used to being going this fast or am I experiencing some sort of pain in my body or physical exhaustion. So I compartmentalize those two and said, okay, I’m going to slowly increase that heart rate. I’m not just going to go [wild] and start running at a nine-mile pace or something like that. So I’m just going to slowly increase it so my heart gets acclimated and now I can run for like 30 minutes without stopping, and I’ve never done that before in my life, and it’s pretty awesome.
Frank Hammond:
I love the word you used there, compartmentalize. It seems as though that is one of the best ways, at least for me personally, to get through difficult tasks, whether it’s running or even doing a marathon, doing the Smoke Diver Program, I feel like that’s a great way to attack a list of goals or a list of even small accomplishments that all add up to one goal like completing the Smoke Diver Program. If you think about the entire week when you’re there on Sunday at the beginning of the day, that’s extremely overwhelming, which doesn’t help the fact that you have all these added mental stressors.
So if you can compartmentalize that and break it down into my goal right now, my focus right now is to get through today. Or if today gets too hard, you can break it down further and say, “My goal right now is to get through the task at hand.” Say we’re doing a drill that’s going to take 45 minutes. Just concentrate on that. Or even if say PT gets extremely, extremely difficult, you can say, “Hey, I just need to get through these 10 pushups we were assigned, just these 10 pushups, compartmentalize. Break this down into a simple task that I know I can complete, and I’ll move on to the task after that that they give me next.”
Shelli Hawkins:
You do that on a heavy recovery, do you not?
Frank Hammond:
Exactly. It may be extremely overwhelming to think we have to upright this truck and then get this truck out of the ditch and then get this truck hooked in a manner that can be safely towed. That’s all very overwhelming when you’re looking at something flipped over in the ditch, right?
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah.
Frank Hammond:
But like you said, compartmentalize it. Say, “Hey, our first step, get this thing on wheels. And then from there we’ll get it to the roadway, and then from there, we’ll tow it back to our facility.” Now keep in mind when you’re doing that, you have to have the forethought and problem solving ability to not get in a position where you can’t move forward to the next step, obviously. But yes, very similar. Good point.
Shelli Hawkins:
100% agree. This has been fantastic. Of course, I’m going to say fantastic 300 times, Laura Dolan.
Laura Dolan:
Go-to word.
Shelli Hawkins:
I have a question for both of you guys. I’m always thinking about physics. I’m always thinking about rigging and how that relates in our industry. And one foundational physics principle that is highly relatable to the exercise portion of things, also to the human body and also to recovery and towing, is once a body is in motion, finish the sentence.
Frank Hammond:
The body tends to remain in motion.
Shelli Hawkins:
Tends to remain in motion. For example, one of the qualifiers for you to get accepted into the smoke diver test was to do, was it five or six dead, was it called dead hang pull-ups? Yes?
Frank Hammond:
Yes, there’s a list of qualification tests you have to do. And that is one of them. It’s five strict pull-ups.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah. And I looked at Rene and I said, “What does that mean?” And he said, “Well, just imagine yourself doing a pull-up. And you know how you’ve seen people swing their body or put the body into motion, and that pull up is a lot easier. But once you are just hanging and your arms, your elbows are locked out and there’s no motion. You pull straight up and you do a pull-up, and then you go all the way back down and you completely stop so there’s no motion.” Is that correct, Frank?
Frank Hammond:
That’s correct, yeah.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah. So that principle is just so incredibly powerful for all that. And there are folks that are listening to this podcast that want to be in motion. They want to start a fitness journey, they need to. They may be [higher weight], they may not be [higher weight], they may be a perfect weight and have a heart condition, but they still know that they need that physical activity. I’ll tell you right now, and Michael Coltrane can probably attest to this, for those seasons where I had no motivation, I clearly lacked discipline, but I absolutely had no motivation, it was like a D7 dozer to get me off the couch.
Michael Cole:
Absolutely. I was the same way at times, yes.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah, for sure. And so once you make that decision and you find a community of people to keep you accountable. And just start slow and be in motion, that’s my advice to the folks out there listening to this. What other things can you say to the folks out there, Mike and Frank, to encourage them to seek the health and the physical fitness that we’re talking about?
Frank Hammond:
I feel like this industry as a whole is hard on your body, right?
Shelli Hawkins:
Mm-hmm, for sure.
Frank Hammond:
I see it firsthand on scene with other people, and not even necessarily older people, but just people who’ve been doing this significant amount of time. And if there’s one thing that’s going to motivate you to be a better version of yourself in this industry, I feel like it’s watching other people struggle. And whenever I see other people struggle to do certain tasks on scene or we live in the Midwest, so it’s not uncommon to see 90 to a 100 degrees with 80 plus humidity, so those days are tough on people as well. And seeing that is a huge motivator for me because this industry is hard on us. We’re probably all going to be in this industry for such a long time because as we talked earlier, this industry is really all about your passion for it. This isn’t a job to most people who are in our industry, this is their passion. They do it because they love it. It’s ingrained in their blood. And I’m sure Michael feels the same way about that.
Michael Cole:
Yes, it is.
Frank Hammond:
And if we’re going to do this for a significant portion of our lives, it’s important that we’re in a decent health to do so. And then still be able to actively be there for our family or go on vacation or whatever you desire to do. It’s important that you back up the physical side of what you’re putting on your body just by performing under the conditions we perform under.
Michael Cole:
I agree, yes.
Shelli Hawkins:
That’s fantastic. Frank Hammond, do you remember when we met for the first time?
Frank Hammond:
Puttin’ me on the spot here. I actually do. It was the Zip’s booth at the Mason, Ohio Tow Show, probably-
Shelli Hawkins:
Yes.
Frank Hammond:
… oh, I don’t know, eight years ago or better.
Shelli Hawkins:
And I was every bit of 300 pounds and you were physically fit with a singlet on and big shiny white teeth. And I said, “Who is this with Michael Lilly?” So you were definitely a part of the journey in motivating me too. And I’m like, well, I guess you can be physically fit and be in the towing industry.
Frank Hammond:
Well, that’s wonderful. I’m so glad that you said that. Ironically, one of my friends who works for a competitor’s towing service here in town actually just messaged me yesterday and was asking me about fasting and my 48-hour fast and whatnot. And I was like, “Hey, what’s your motivator? What’s your goal here?” And he seemed to be extremely motivated to be a better version of himself throughout his journey in this industry, so that he could be there for his family. And it’s like, that’s what I love to hear, because that’s my biggest motivator. I want to be here or live as long as possible. So the first step in doing that is to take care of ourselves, your body is your own temple.
Laura Dolan:
That’s right.
Shelli Hawkins:
And you get one body and that’s all. You don’t get another one.
Frank Hammond:
That’s right.
Shelli Hawkins:
Until you’re 80, 90 or however long you live. Yeah, it’s true. You guys have been such a pleasure to talk to today.
Laura Dolan:
Yes, this has been great. We appreciate both of you taking the time to come on today and tell us about your journey. And I feel like this is something we could come back to a year from now and just check in and see how all of our health journeys are going at that point.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah.
Frank Hammond:
Most certainly. So to flip the coin a little bit, what’s next for you guys? All three of you? What’s next on your guys’ list? When are you going to run a marathon, full 26.2, Michael?
Michael Cole:
That is on the bucket list for sure. The original plan was, I was doing it this year, but I waited too long on getting my training started. I’m going to do the half again this year, and maybe next year we’ll shoot for the full.
Frank Hammond:
Nice, I’m very proud of you.
Michael Cole:
Thank you, I’m proud of you too.
Frank Hammond:
What about you guys?
Shelli Hawkins:
Rene and I are talking about doing the San Antonio half Marathon in December. I think that gives us both a good bit of time to get prepped for it. Rene has run two marathons and five half-marathons, and we both ran, ran, shuffle, walked, whatever you want to call it, a 5K last weekend. And I was steady as she goes, shuffle, shuffle, shuffle all the way through. And he sprinted to catch up with me, and I knew he would. I knew he’s not going to walk this whole thing. So it was a great journey. So that’s our goal is December. Hold me to it, Frank Hammond.
Frank Hammond:
Great, I will.
Shelli Hawkins:
Thank you.
Laura Dolan:
I am not a lover of running, so marathons have never been in my journey. But I am on a toning journey right now. So my goal, I plank every night and my goal is to get up to a five-minute plank. I’m up to about a two and a half minute plank at this point, and I get on the treadmill every day and I speed walk and I’m increasing my incline every single day. Right now I’m up to six and my treadmill goes up to 12. But I love it. I love feeling the burn in my upper thighs and my back and just everything. So yeah, definitely on a toning journey and just trying to stay as lean as I can.
Frank Hammond:
Nice.
Laura Dolan:
Yeah.
Frank Hammond:
Great job, guys.
Laura Dolan:
Yeah.
Shelli Hawkins:
Thank you.
Laura Dolan:
That was a great question. Thank you, Frank.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yeah. Thanks for asking us, Frank.
Laura Dolan:
Yeah, holding us all accountable. And I think we could all be there for each other at this point and just support each other and cheer each other on. And I think that’s wonderful that you’re all doing these marathons. I ran a 5K in 2012 called The Color Run in San Diego. That’s the extent of it for me, but it was really fun. All my coworkers and I got together and it was a great experience. But yeah, I commend you all.
Shelli Hawkins:
We can revisit this in a year. You bet, Michael.
Frank Hammond:
Yeah, that sounds great.
Shelli Hawkins:
And perhaps Kale English will also join us on the podcast next year because he will tell us about his physical fitness journey.
Frank Hammond:
It seems like when people go to the gym with me, they only go once. I’m not sure what’s going on there.
Shelli Hawkins:
Frank Hammond, I would go to the gym with you any single day, Sunshine. Let’s go.
Laura Dolan:
A lot of turnover there, Frank. What’s going on?
Frank Hammond:
Yeah, there is. It’s bad, yeah.
Shelli Hawkins:
What a fantastic conversation. Thank you, guys. It’s just so necessary and vitally important for our health overall in our industry. And what a great reminder to everybody out there listening to just take one step at a time, take the first step, get off of the couch and just walk around the block, small steps. Replace the soda with something else that you enjoy that’s more healthy. Don’t go to the extreme, just baby steps.
Laura Dolan:
Brought to you by Perrier.
Shelli Hawkins:
Oh, there’s Laura and her Perrier.
Frank Hammond:
Which you brought that up, Shelli. I know we’re probably wrapping things up here, but I feel like I need to add this. You had asked earlier about motivation for either my fitness journey or just in general. And I feel like anyone who’s maybe on the fence about getting on board with moving forward with some type of physical fitness plan. It doesn’t have to be any [wild] stuff, just some walking here and there. My mom over the past year, a little over a year now, has been battling cancer.
Shelli Hawkins:
I’m so sorry.
Frank Hammond:
And she walks every day and she has walked every day since her diagnosis, three to five miles. And she has handled the chemo and immunotherapy exceptionally well. And multiple people in the medical field have attributed that to her physically pushing herself to continue walking, continue to stay moving, and that’s why she reacted so well to the treatment. So just that in itself is a huge motivator because reality is all of us are going to face some type of medical problem in our future, whether it’s cancer or something else, heaven forbid. And the more physically fit we can be going into something like that, the better off we are. And we all owe that to ourselves and our families.
Michael Cole:
Yes.
Laura Dolan:
Beautifully said, yes.
Shelli Hawkins:
What a wonderful testimony.
Laura Dolan:
Well, here’s hoping your mom has a very speedy recovery and-
Frank Hammond:
Oh, thank you so much. Yeah, she’s doing really, really well. I appreciate it.
Laura Dolan:
Good. So when we talk in a year, we will hear about her journey and that she’s all cured and good to go, right?
Frank Hammond:
That sounds amazing to me, thank you.
Laura Dolan:
Yep, yep.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yes, indeed.
Laura Dolan:
All right, gentlemen. Shelli Hawkins.
Shelli Hawkins:
Laura Dolan.
Laura Dolan:
This has been great.
Shelli Hawkins:
Yes, fantastic.
Laura Dolan:
Thank you all so much.
Shelli Hawkins:
We got to get one more in here.
Frank Hammond:
Yep. Thank you, guys. It’s been a pleasure.
Shelli Hawkins:
You’re welcome.
Michael Cole:
Yes, it has.
Laura Dolan:
Well, you guys have a great evening. Thanks for listening to us and we’ll talk soon.
Frank Hammond:
Sounds good. Bye.
Michael Cole:
Sounds good.
Laura Dolan:
Bye, everybody.
Michael Cole:
Bye.
Laura Dolan:
Thank you for listening to this episode of the TRAXERO On-The-Go podcast. For more episodes, go to traxero.com/podcast and to find out more about how we can hook your towing business up with our towing management software and impound yard solutions, please visit traxero.com or go to the contact page linked at the bottom of this podcast blog.