Matt Baum Member of the Month
How many years have you been a member of the Chatham Club?
19 Years
What accomplishments or goals have you met while at the Club?
The Chatham Club has served me very well. Soon after joining the Club, I hired Darren Worts as my trainer. At the time, I was unaware of his many (and vast) accomplishments in winning many running races and the distances he was running. We spent many sessions talking about the power of your mind and how successful you can be if you genuinely believe you can do something. Long story short, he convinced me to join an “Ultra Team” he was putting together to run 212 miles from the mountains of New Hampshire to the Coast (Reach the Beach was the name of the race). The vast majority of teams participating in the race were 12-person teams, and the average individual distance of those teams was 17-18 miles per person. That sounded intimidating enough. I asked him about the other four runners joining us on our Ultra team – they all had done multiple marathons, many of them far greater distances than just a mere marathon. I had never done a single one. My furthest distance was 10K. But Darren has a unique way of making you believe in yourself, and he convinced me to do it. My total distance was just about 38 miles. It was a lot of training, many days of two runs a day, but it was an incredible experience and accomplishment.
When Darren was promoted to General Manager and stopped training, I hired Frank. No one brings more energy and excitement than Frank, and his energy is contagious. He’s the complete package – highly knowledgeable, energetic, pushes and motivates you to do more than you think you can, and has become a true friend. With Frank’s help, I have gained strength, consistently increased the weights I lift, and had a lot of fun while working hard. He tracks new PB’s (personal best) for me, and we try to achieve more.
What do you like most about the Club?
I think the Chatham Club has some of the best trainers in the business. I enjoy its size and variety. I think the owners do an incredible job of reinvesting in the business and keeping everything up for the membership.
What are your favorite exercises to do?
I do not have any absolute “favorites.” It’s all hard work.
What are your least favorite exercises to do?
My least favorite is the days we do legs, and they are by far the hardest workouts.
What do you enjoy doing outside of the Club?
I’m blessed with an incredible family I spend all the time with. I am fortunate to have a devoted and amazing wife, Marni, three amazing boys, William, Pierson, and Matty, and two dogs, Boomer, and Archie, that I adore. I’m a big sports fan as well.
Any goals for the near or distant future?
My consistent goal is to try and stay in the best shape possible. It has been years since I did a triathlon, and I often think about doing those again. Time will tell.
