Creator and founder of livethetoughlife.com, Chris Rutz is a wellness coach who strives to surround himself with a healthy lifestyle and helps others do the same- “Live the Tough Life”.  – Tough Training.
When asked what “What does ‘living the tough life’ mean,” Rutz responsed, “I am often asked ‘Isn’t it tough to eat paleo?’ ‘Isn’t it tough to eat clean when you travel? ‘How do you balance work, training, family? That must be tough.”

The wellness coach elaborates, “For me it is not tough. This is the way I choose to live and it is the way I hope to inspire you to live.” Rutz explains, “Living the tough life is not only about training well for high profile mud runs; it is really a lifestyle.” This lifestyle is built off of what Rutz calls the four pillars of being tough- training, nutrition, recover, and equipment.

Rutz finished first at a Tough Mudder competition in Wisconsin in July of this year and he truly lives the tough life on and off the obstacle courses. In his free time, he maintains his strength through CrossFit. Rutz is physically groomed as one the toughest human beings but is even more than prepared mentally. 

During the past 20 years, Rutz has been dedicated to achieving a high level of fitness. His passions over that time have included triathlons, bike racing, yoga, surfing, canyoneering, rock climbing, crossfit and backpacking. His most recent endeavor is the upcoming Hybrid Adventure Games (H.A.G.) taking place at McDowell Mountain Regional Park on October 15th, 2011.

The Hybrid Adventure Games puts a new spin on the up and coming phenomenon of adventure racing. This one-day event consists of five different challenges. You begin with a 5-mile adventure run, leading into a 400-meter obstacle course, and then move onto a keg toss challenge, tractor tire flip, and an archery range shootout. Each event is scored the same; therefore, it’s the all-around athlete that is going to succeed. A little bit of strength, a little bit of speed, and hand-eye coordination- the hybrid athlete. The best part about this event is about having fun and competing plus participants are giving back to local charities.

Rutz was asked why he was excited about H.A.G. and why he thought this race would be different than the others. His answer? “The race format. It is not a ‘runners’ race. You compete in 5 different events all scored on their own. HAG rewards the all around athlete. It brings out a different type of athlete, one that is well rounded and able to excel in more than one discipline. It will also be fun to watch your competition during each event. It is a lot like ‘Wipe-out’ in that you can learn from watching the mistakes of others that went before you and probably get a good laugh in as well.”

“Being fit and knowing that I am ready to take on life’s tough challenges is one of the greatest feelings in the world. My goal is to share my passion for fitness and life with others,” said Rutz. 

Featured in health and fitness magazine across the state, Rutz provides an alternative to what is historically know as hard.  “Its easy to live the tough life, said Rutz.  "All you have to do is push yourself further than you think you can. Be resourceful.  Training tough prepares one for life – it's tough, but you will always be ready for what’s next!”

—Molly McCluskey