Photo By Amy Phillips | Combat veteran. Extreme-endurance fitness champ. Coach to elite athletes. Successful...... read more read more
Combat veteran. Extreme-endurance fitness champ. Coach to elite athletes. Successful business owner. Retired high school health science teacher of 25 years. Army Reserve officer Capt. “Dolph” Hoch with the 91st Training Division is at the forefront of the “Road to Awesome” and he wants to take the team to the top.
Hoch’s latest chapter in awesomeness was finishing and winning the Quintuple Anvil Triathlon (daily format) in October 2016 (http://www.krem.com/news/local/shoshone-county/kellogg-man-wins-triathlon-equivalent-to-5-ironman-races/338464466).
The Quintuple daily format consists of an Ironman-length triathlon a day for five days which amounts to more than 703 miles of swimming, running and biking for five consecutive days. Another format competitors can chose is the continuous format where participants strive to complete each category (swimming, biking and running) within a set time. Racers in this format get very little sleep.
Not only did Hoch survive the beyond-grueling race, he took home the trophy but that’s not why he does it though.
It all ties back to the foundation of Hoch’s philosophy to life. He believes we should always ask yourself why you are doing something. Is it worth the time and energy? It’s important because the ‘why’ can save you when you are stuck in a rut or when you are ready to quit.
On the surface, Hoch’s ‘why?’ was so he’d qualify to enter the next ultra-endurance race – the Deca World Championship in October 2018 in Mexico. That’s 10 triathlons in a row. This will make his recent 700+ miles seem like a cake walk.
But the real reason he takes on these extreme challenges and endures the pain is to have a platform to increase awareness of Post Traumatic Syndrome Disease (PTSD) and cancer. Hoch has family and friends suffering from these diseases and they are his ‘why’.
Whenever interviewed, he uses the platform to not focus the attention on himself, but rather on the people that are suffering PTSD and cancer. “If I were still doing a 5K, I wouldn’t have a voice.”
It’s very important to him that those suffering from PTSD know that they are not alone. “You are not forgotten. There’s always someone that loves you,” said Hoch. He believes physical fitness is a great outlet to improve oneself physically and mentally.
Hoch speaks of his toe nails falling off, hallucinations and moments when he doesn’t think he can go on. “When I go to my deepest depths, I think of these people…that pain goes away,” said Hoch. “When I hear buddies with cancer saying what I’m doing motivates them, it puts things into perspective.”
It is ironic that the very people he inspires with his tenacity and accomplishments inspires Hoch during his most trying times of a race.
Hoch doesn’t compete for the trophies or the glory. He competes to inspire people so they too can chose to live a healthy and rewarding life. “When someone tells me that if I can do this [Quintuple], I can walk five miles a day or whatever…That’s worth more to me than the race.”
Hoch competed in his first Ironman® in 1999. “This all came about to inspire my students…sometimes you can’t talk all the time, you have to show them,” said Hoch.
When the race became too popular, he aspired for something more challenging, something that most would not dare try, or could conquer. So of course, he had to do the double and triple triathlons; all stepping stones to qualify for the quintuple.
Only 19 people from around the world qualified for the 2016 Quintuple Anvil at Lake Anna State Park in Fredericksburg, Virginia. This race only occurs every other year and Hoch was one of 15 ultra-athletes representing the U.S.A. in the 2016 race.
Race Director Steve Kirby who started USA Ultra Triathlon in 2005 says he puts together these competitions because “It’s a lot of fun and I get to meet so many interesting people from around the world.” Kirby likens the ultra-triathlons to a NASCAR race where “you have to have a crew to support you.” Hoch completed the Quintuple without a dedicated support crew and relied only on spectators or other crews to help “toss him a hot dog or something” as Kirby put it.
Hoch’s training and experience as a scout sniper in the Marine Corps attributes to his endurance and stamina. He was part of the winning team in the 2007 Erna, an annual international military competition dubbed as one of the longest and toughest competitions in the world.
Although, he has always been physically fit as a wrestler and a high school physical science teacher for 25 years. He is a firm believer of leading by example.
Hoch has competed in many races since 1999, such as the 2013 Virginia Triple Anvil and 2016 Oregon Bad Ass Single Anvil.
When 9/11 hit, he felt the urge to volunteer his services again and joined the Army’s Special Forces. After that, he enrolled in college to further his education and continued to coach high school wrestling. He also joined the Air Force Reserve in his spare time, making it his third military branch of service.
In 2016, he joined the Army Reserve and recently joined the 91st Training Division at Fort Hunter Liggett. They’re hoping to capture his expertise and share it with as many troops as possible.
The Idaho native, currently owns his own business, is a motivational speaker, and time permitting, coaches Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) World Class Team Alpha Male athletes. So, he competes in ultra-endurance races just for fun. We can imagine Hoch never having a dull moment in his life.
It helps a great deal that his family also embraces an active and healthy lifestyle. His wife is also a triathlete and his children are into gymnastics and wrestling. “As a family we just adapt…we're there is a will, there is a way,” said Mrs. Hoch.
Hoch is a strong advocate of ‘smart training’ which is comprised of “a three dimensional lifestyle” of being physically, mentally and spiritually strong. “They make up who you are,” said Hoch.
This works hand-in-hand with the Army’s Ready & Resilient (R2) and the Performance Triad campaigns. The R2 campaign recognizes the stress of persistent conflict and uncertainty in today’s environment effects on Soldiers and their Families and provides training and support services help Soldiers to achieve personal readiness while developing strong and resilient families and Army Civilians. The Performance Triad advocates a balanced lifestyle of healthy eating, sleeping and physical activity.
“It’s a lifestyle. I’ve been living a physical teenage type life all the way through my 52 years,” said Hoch. And that’s because he’s invested in himself throughout his life by eating right, training smart and learning how to embrace spirituality.
According to Hoch, “spirituality” it’s not about religion. He believes in the “energy creates energy” approach in fitness can be applied in any aspect of life. “If the approach is energetic, positive, then the outcomes is positive energy.”*
People tend to associate working out with pain and work. Instead, Hoch thinks that fitness should be associates with fun, and that people should look at is as a positive life-long investment. Everyone should conduct 30-minutes of physical activity every day. “No day off!” said Hoch.
Having conquered the Quintuple Anvil Triathlon, he is now preparing for the next ultra-endurance race. Hoch says he would love to wear the Army logo in that race which will bring world-wide media coverage. With all his accomplishments, it seems he could be a great billboard to represent the Army and the Ready and Resilient campaign, and the Army Reserve.
As if preparing for the Deca is not enough, Hoch would like to help revamp the Army fitness program. He believes he can make it fun and not just something Soldiers dread and hope to pass. It’s about setting a positive mindset and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Hoch believes that it all comes down to working hard in whatever you want to achieve. “Nothing good comes cheap…I can’t promise you a long life but I can promise you’ll live a higher quality of life while you live,” said Hoch.
To learn more about the Army’s Ready & Resilient (R2) campaign, visit this website: https://www.army.mil/readyandresilient. To learn more about the Performance Triad campaign, visit this website: https://phc.amedd.army.mil/topics/campaigns/perftriad/Pages/default.aspx.
* Quote taken from All-Pro Mindset’s interview of Hoch on April 4, 2017 which focuses on his training methodology, and is available at wildfireradio.com/allpro-mindset-ep4.
| Date Taken: | 06.19.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 06.19.2017 14:21 |
| Story ID: | 238420 |
| Location: | FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,550 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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