Strength to strength
TRAVIS HAWKINS • Hawkins Fitness & Performance Training
WORK • Tuesday Routine
TRAVIS HAWKINS • owner • Hawkins Fitness & Performance Training
Neighborhood you work in: Lower Manhattan/International
Neighborhood you live in: Windsor Terrace
It’s Tuesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I’ll wake up around 345a and make a strong pourover coffee (I’ve been into Devocion’s “El Sol” for a while) with a few eggs and toast. I’ll have some quiet time to myself over breakfast and coffee as I scroll through Training Peaks to get a snapshot of what the athletes I coach have been up to. I’ll answer some emails, take my dog for a walk, and jump on my bike to meet an athlete in Central Park for a 60-minute tempo run at 530a. He’s in town on business from Europe and likes to get together to run whenever he can.
What’s on the agenda for today?
After the run, I’ll head down to Gotham Gym in the West Village where I see a lot of my clients for strength training. I’ll spend the rest of the day bouncing between there and a few residential gyms. In between clients, I’ll find some time to work out and probably go for another run at my own pace. If I’m lucky, I’ll jump in the sauna for half an hour when I’m done.
I should get home by 4p to make dinner for my family. My eight- and 11-year-old daughters are on travel sports teams, so finding time for meals is tricky. On top of that my wife works 12-hour shifts as an RN at Memorial Sloan Kettering. I’ll make a bunch of roasted chicken thighs, some roasted veggies (carrots and cauliflower), and rice. I’ll try to get my girls to eat a bit before and after their 5-8p practice.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Wheated in Kensington is our family’s favorite pizza spot. We’re such regulars at Terrace Coffee Shop that they don’t ask my daughter what she wants anymore because she gets the pozole every time. I usually go for the huevos rancheros or a torta. And every Sunday, we get takeout Indian from Nimbooda in Prospect Heights. Our order varies, but it always includes the Goan salmon curry.
How about a little leisure or culture this week?
The Peninsula in Prospect Park is the unofficial spot to hang for our Windsor Terrace group. Between running, biking, and raising kids a block away, I spend more time in the park than anywhere, and I never get sick of it.
What NYC store or service do you love to recommend?
I truly love Gotham Gym. The owner, Rob, is a great guy and the gym has such a great vibe. It’s a neighborhood gym, but there’s always a chance that you’ll see a celebrity. And it’s a boxing gym, so even though I don’t box with my clients there, the energy is motivating.
Where are you donating your time or money?
I cannot say enough good things about Achilles International. It’s a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities participate in sports. I used to help out with the triathlon team when I had a little more free time. I’ve had the pleasure of guiding a few different visually impaired athletes, as well as some with cognitive disabilities in triathlons: swimming and running with a tether and riding a tandem bike. It’s an incredible way to experience the sport!