Feb 1, 2012
Since I started working out again, I keep trying to think of the toughest workout that I’ve ever done. I always think back to one workout that I did in the past. As you probably know, I did yoga the other day and it was tough! I think just staying in the room for 90 minutes is a tough workout. The yoga workout is what really inspired me to figure out what the toughest workout was. I started thinking back to memorable workouts that I’ve had. Each time, I go back to this one workout.
It goes back to when I was in school at UT Austin. I had pledged a fraternity and was having a lot of fun. After one Christmas break, I came back to school and decided that I was going to try to walk on at UT. Now, I played football in high school, but I wasn’t that great. I had the size, but quite frankly, I was a panzy. For some reason, I figured that I would give it a shot because they could probably take me and make me a great player. I signed up for walk on tryouts, went and got my physical and was ready to go. Walk on tryouts was a two day process and it took place on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. I came down with some sickness and I couldn’t even get out of bed for the Tuesday Practice. I was able to call on Wednesday and find out if I should even come out on Thursday since I missed the previous day. They said to come out and do the Thursday workout anyway, so I was pumped. I still felt bad, but I knew I would be better by the next day.
Thursday afternoon came and I showed up out at the fields. Imagine walking out on the field and seeing, Leonard Davis, Cory Redding, Casey Hampton, Major Applewhite, Matt Trissel and the likes running their practice drills. It is safe to say that I was intimidated from the start. They proceeded with the workout and man did they put us through the ringer with running and different drills. It was a solid 2 hours of working out. At the end of the 2 hours, I was exhausted, but there was one more drill. The final thing we had to do was bear crawls up and down the field. Oh, not just your basic bear crawl, we had to do 5 up downs every 5 yards, down and back.
I have completed a lot of workouts both before and after that day, but that day is the only day that I actually thought I was going to die during a workout. ”Why didn’t you stop?” you ask? Well, that’s easy, the entire team had finished their workout and were standing around watching us. I didn’t want these guys to know I was having a hard time doing what they do every day!
After the workout I went and spoke with Jeff Madden (the strength coach) and thanked him for the opportunity to come out even though I missed the first day. He told me to get faster and come out in the fall to make the team. Over that summer, I decided that partying and having a good time was more important than trying to play for The Longhorns.
Would I have made the team? You never know? One thing I do know is that I got to register for classes before everyone else that year because athletes get to register early to accommodate their schedules. 
Do I regret not going back to try? Sometimes, but not really. I’m far too laid back and accident prone to have been very effective for the team. Most people don’t realize that those guys sacrifice a lot, every day, to be that good.
Sometimes when I workout I can push myself, but I’ve found that the best workouts are when someone else is helping to push me. When someone is watching me, I find that I don’t slack off as much as I do when someone isn’t. If you want to get to a certain goal, let your social network hold you accountable and support you. Find a friend, partner, or hire a trainer/boot camp in order to have someone there wondering where you are and hopefully pushing you.
MEALS
Breakfast: 6 Egg Whites and a Small Protein Shake
Snack: Seared Tuna over a bed of mixed greens.
Lunch: Turkey burger patty and a salad
Snack:
WORKOUT
A.M. – Treadmill and Elliptical for about 45 minutes
P.M. – CorpFit group workout
About Stephen Smith
I grew up in Georgetown, TX, just a stones throw away from Austin. I moved to Austin to attend UT and entered the real estate world as an intern in Horseshoe Bay in 2003. As I was performing different tasks around the office and for the agents, I quickly realized that I wanted to be an agent. Within a year of becoming licensed, I was managing the office, updating agents on the happenings in the real estate world and listing and selling homes! In 2006 I decided to buy a condo and move back to the great city of Austin where I was to continue working in real estate. Having worked for several top 25 companies in the area, I learned from many talented agents and decided it was time to get my Broker’s license and start my own company. As fortune may have it, I was college friends with Ed’s wife and we realized that we were very good at different parts of this business and that we complimented each other nicely. From this, a partnership was born. My goal is to bring honesty and logic to my clients during their home buying and selling process! When I am not helping a client or looking for smart, ethical agents to join our team, I enjoy serving the Austin Board of Realtors, being on the lake and networking! Most of the time, I like to combine at least 2 out of the previous 3!
