Q&A: “Obstacle Fit” Author Pete Williams (Col ‘91)

UVA Magazine: Were you always physically active, even as a kid?

PW: I played organized baseball and basketball, but I don’t think those of us who grew up in the late ’70s and ’80s ever considered what it meant to be “active.” You simply got home after school, rushed through homework, and headed out on your bike to somebody’s house to play basketball, kickball, street football, or just bike all over the place. Today most parents want their kids in sight or under adult supervision 24/7. Nothing against organized sports—and kids today do plenty of that—but it’s sad we no longer have “disorganized” sports.

UVA Mag: Did you play sports at UVA?

PW: I played a lot of intramurals, but spent most of my time covering sports for the Cavalier Daily and WUVA radio.

UVA Mag: What UVA gyms did you work out in?

PW: Slaughter Rec and Mem Gym. I remember the wonderful realization the first week of college that taking 15 hours meant you only had go to class 15 hours, as opposed to six-hour high school days. I lived at the gym (and the Cavalier Daily). Some of my training partners put on 20-plus pounds of muscle. I struggled to put on any weight, but I’m thankful for that physique and metabolism now. I’m also envious, especially as the father of two year-round swimmers, of the UVA Aquatics & Fitness Center, which opened five years after I graduated. What an incredible facility.

UVA Mag: What led you away from sportswriting to focus on endurance sports and obstacle-race training?

PW: I always enjoyed talking to athletes like Karl Malone and Rickey Henderson about their workout routines. People tend to think pro athletes are just physically gifted and skilled at their sports, but many are relentless in terms of their conditioning. After a decade of covering sports, I met a trainer my age named Mark Verstegen. Together we’ve written five “Core Performance” books and that’s helped me transform more into a fitness writer, specifically endurance sports. Along the way, I became an avid triathlete and stand-up paddleboarder but really found my calling with obstacle racing. I’ve been a runner since high school and got into strength training at UVA. That jack-of-all-trades fitness background turned out to be great preparation for obstacle racing.

UVA Mag: What’s the hardest physical/fitness challenge you’ve taken on?

PW: I haven’t done an Ironman triathlon or even a marathon. I prefer to work on speed and shorter events and see how many different races I can do in one day or a weekend. Last summer I did two sprint triathlons in a day—one held at a venue an hour south of my home in the morning and the other an hour north in the early evening. I’ve done two obstacle races in one day and I recently did a triathlon, obstacle race, and stand-up paddleboard race in a span of 27 hours. I live in the Tampa Bay area, which is probably the only place where that could be attempted, at least in mid-April. I’m not saying that’s the most grueling physical challenge, but it’s one of the more unique—and certainly one of the most fun.