Posted on: Monday, September 6, 2004
FITNESS PROFILE
Sports is way of life for triathlete
By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer
Although being general manager of a resort is usually a very busy job, Dieter Seeger of the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island manages to find time to keep fit. He makes his health and fitness a priority.
Name: Dieter Seeger.
Hilton Waikoloa Village When and why I started working out: "In high school I started cross-country skiing and soccer. I also got into tennis and long-distance running. I have completed the Honolulu Marathon a couple of times. I also have participated in triathlons, and completed the first Ironman Triathlon on the Big Island in 1981. In the past, I have biked and run to work, when there was no time for workouts. Sports have become a way of life for me, not only for my health. It balances my life in terms of work and leisure time."
My good foods/bad foods: "I am consistent with a diet of 50 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 20 percent fats. Arnold Schwarzenegger says that 75 percent of your fitness program is in nutrition. I fall off the wagon occasionally with desserts and chocolate."
My biggest motivator: "Exercise and sports give me a certain enjoyment, which I believe makes me productive in my profession. One of my long-term goals is to ski the 'Hanging Wall' in Snowmass, Aspen, when I'm 80-plus."
My biggest roadblock to fitness: "Work sometimes gets in the way of my fitness regime. ... I make up for it by biking on Sundays. I take my mountain bike and ride on Mana Road on Mauna Kea going to Waimea, which is a challenging and invigorating course."
What saves my sanity: Meditation and yoga.
My next challenge: "To climb Mount Rainier in Washington state next summer with my son, Ben Seeger, who is 20 and in college."
Advice for those in the same boat: "Living on the Big Island, there are fewer distractions than living in Honolulu. There seems to be a lifestyle (on the Big Island) with more of an emphasis on outdoor activities. There is no 'secret' to a successful program. Just be consistent and keep up on nutrition."
Age: 63.
Profession: General manager, Hilton Waikoloa Village.
Height: 6 feet.
Weight: 178 pounds.
My workout habits: "I do strength training with weights at least three to four times a week. I also bike three to four times a week. On Sundays, I take a long mountain-bike ride. If I have any extra time, I like to play tennis and try to hit the courts a couple of times a week. All of this amounts to approximately an hour a day of exercise."
Dieter Seeger, right, general manager of the Hilton Waikoloa Village, spends a day cycling with fellow triathlete Natascha Badmann along Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway on the Big Island.
