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Luke Scheffert was being chased. The instructor for Largo's Beach Body Boot Camp turned and jogged backward.
He taunted the nine women and three men heading toward him.
"Keep coming!'' he yelled.
When they caught up with him, they touched the sand with one hand, reversed their course and ran back to the starting line. They repeated the drill, running a little farther each time.
As a storm of sorts brews in the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of the April 20 BP oil rig explosion and its feared impact on the Florida coastline, Scheffert is busy bringing early morning action to Indian Rocks Beach.
"The beach, with the birds and the waves, has always been a source of comfort and strength,'' said Scheffert, 28. "If the oil comes, I don't know what we'll do. We cannot exercise here with dead fish and polluted air.''
For now, though, he and his students continue.
At 6:45 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday, he meets his class of some 12 fitness enthusiasts at the end of Second Avenue. He switches on his iPod. Songs by the likes of Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Stray Cats and Ben Harper float from the speakers. As pelicans and seagulls look for their breakfast at the water's edge, the group starts with a stretch.
By 7 a.m., Scheffert's 45-minute class is moving swiftly.
They do cardiovascular and strength-training exercises. There are forward and backward sprints with squats, bicycle crunches, lateral raises, push-ups and high knee jogs.
Scheffert, an Iowa native, said Pinellas County, along the water's edge, has its own uniqueness when it comes to fitness.
"For example, the sand alone adds a good kind of difficulty to the exercise routine," he said. "It's heavier on your feet and legs to work out in it.''
Roy Smith, a nurse at Bay Pines VA Medical Center, just started the program a few weeks ago. He learned about Scheffert while working out at Southwest Recreation Complex.
"Coming like this to the beach is a new way to exercise for me,'' said Smith, 55. "And on my way out here today, I was talking about the oil spill with a friend. We were discussing what the level of damage will be if it comes here.''
Scheffert, who earned a bachelor of science degree in fitness promotions from University of Northern Iowa, also works as a fitness model. Along with posing for an assortment of fitness magazines, he appears regularly on Home Shopping Network.
"I moved to Florida originally because of a college internship as a fitness specialist, but I decided to stay,'' he said.
Mandy Petersen, coordinator of fitness programs for Largo, remembers the day she received Scheffert's resume.
"I had posted a job description that we were looking for someone motivated, certified in fitness training, and interested in building the boot camp program,'' she said.
"Luke was a good fit for what we were looking for. I also remember seeing some of his modeling photos online, and thinking, 'Oh, he'll be perfect.' "
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