Queen Irene

Queen Irene, Boss, Judge

Queen Irene is a pure Georgia Peach. Listening to her sugary sweet North Georgia twang goes with pick'en wild black berries and sucking honeysuckle. I am pretty sure she put the fuzz on the peach. Of course, this Georgia redhead bleeds UGA red & black.

EYE'rene is a Renaissance Woman. She plays the traditional roles of Wifey & Mommy. She also has the ear of Georgia's most influential law makers. After spending an hour with us every morning, she spends the rest of the day at The Georgia State Capital. Her nickname "Queen Irene" comes from her office. It seems that folks are listening to her.

Queen Irene is of the people, for the people and with the people. Irene takes it to the street every year on the 4th of July. Like any good American Girl born by the Grace of God in the great State of Georgia, she lines up every year with 65 thousand of her closest friends and runs The Peachtree Road Race. This year will be her 33rd time running Peachtree. For the last 10 years, she has prepared herself for the annual trek with us at Boot Camp. She has been a lot of fun for us. She loves to cut up and can occasionally be a little naughty. I love her for that.

This is a big year for Queen Irene! She has committed her time and talent to a rising star who is running for a higher office next year. We are very proud of Lt Governor Casey Cage and Irene's influence in his office. We are hopeful that he will become the next Governor of Georgia.

Casey Cagle for Governor

The Baker

At age 45, Baker joined Boot Camp. The big crowds were fun for him. Baker loves to talk. We weren't sure if he cared about fitness, but we knew he loved the fellowship. 

In the old days, the Peachtree Road Race required us to run under 42 minutes in a certified 10K in order to qualify sub seeded. Boot Camp would run the Buckhead Sizzler every year in an attempt to get as many guys/girls as possible under 42 minutes. In our first attempt, Baker joined us. It seemed like usual Baker, there were a group of people getting together to run, so he joined. 

On our journey that morning from the Chamblee Marta Station to Piedmont Rd, we clicked off 6 minute and forty five second miles like clock work. At 5 miles, we looked around and saw that everyone was still with us, including Baker! Baker asked with his typical smile "hey Boss, what should I do?" I said "hell Baker, you have come this far, you might as well go all the way." Baker ran 41.59. 

Equipped with evidence that he is a competitive club runner, Baker has enjoyed road racing ever since. In addition to winning age group awards over the years, he has also qualified for the Boston Marathon. 

In the last decade, Baker & I have seen wives, girlfriends, friends, jobs & houses come and go. Much in our lives comes and goes, but the workout stays the same. We have remained grounded in the discipline and we still love it.

It's never to late to play it straight

1) never miss a workout
2) give an honest effort
3) Go easy on easy days
4) fuel your body for fitness
5) Responsible Recovery
   a) Use a foam roller every day
   b) stretch
   c) Ice or Epsom Salt bath
6) Sleep

It is simple.

Kaffee

"KAFFEE, GET UP THOSE STAIRS LIKE YOUR ASS IS ON FIRE"

Ten years ago, Boot Camp was just starting our second year. We were wildly popular. We had workouts with 100 participants & 4 instructors with walkie talkies. Boot Camp was so hot that, once we got your money, we made the workouts impossible so y'all would quit. Attrition was the mission.

I came to realize that the crazier my behavior instructing, the more people would spread the word about this "insane workout." This was a perfect storm for a raging alcoholic, ego maniac with massive inferiority complex and voice that could carry two city blocks. The wilder I acted, the more people would come to my workout.

It wasn't enough that I could out run, out exercise and out drink everyone. I needed more. My military college experience taught me a lifetime of schoolyard bully tricks. The most effective way I could insure people believed I was a psycho was to pick on the little kids.

Enter Kaffee. I knew she was perfect. Kaffee has the sweetest face. She is most pleasant. She is always up beat. In 10 years, I have never felt anything but Love for her.

Kaffee ran 26:20 for two miles on her first day. That is nearly the winning time of the Peachtree Road Race every year. I was sure there was no way in Hell she was going to stick around. I was wrong.

A month or two after she started, everyone knew sweet adorable Kaffee. One morning, I showed up to the workout drunk. It was supposed to be Maile's workout. Maile no showed. I was so F-ing pissed off, I went into a typical rage. Just before I went completely bonkers, I pulled Kaffee aside. I said not to be alarmed but, I was going to yell at her to freak everyone else out. As far as everyone else knew, if I was going to flip out on Kaffee, everyone was a target. It worked. The workout came to be known as "The Rage Workout". Of course, more people came after that witch reinforced the vicious cycle.

Kaffee was featured in the AJC. The paper was writing about exercise programs all over town. They put her picture in the paper and wrote a long article about her routine. She loved Boot Camp and told everyone about it.

Kaffee & I count each other as one of the many blessings in our lives. We formally say so every Thanksgiving. I am also proud to be her "other husband" from 5:55 am to 7:05 am on weekdays (Bill approved). She is the only person I completely trust at triple nickel to roll me out before our workout. She has the perfect touch.

Kaffee claims that Boot Camp is "in the top 5 things she has ever done." It is a honor and a privilege to share so much with this beautiful lady.

Excuses

Three Score and a few years ago, these young ladies were born into this world. They are an example for all of us. You will never hear them say:

• I am too old for this
• It is too cold to work out
• I cant do it
• This is too much
• This is too far
• Take it easy on me
• I don't want to do it
• Slow down
• Wait
• Where are the light weights?
• Do I have to?
• Why?
• I want to take some time off
• I'm too busy to work out today
• I want to take a break
• I hate running
• I am too tired

We have the TOP Masters, Grand Masters and Great Grandmasters athletes in Atlanta working out on a daily basis. On certain days, these girls are age graded better than any of us!

Get In

Plug in. Get connected. Stick and Stay. Get up, suit up, show up.

We have spent over a decade finding the formula. Boot Camp can:

Improve your overall health
Start every day with a clear head
Get a different tour of Buckhead daily
Meet & exercise with fabulous people
Start, develop & nurture meaningful relationships
Improve your posture
Lose weight
Burn enough calories to offset an undisciplined diet
Get fitness
Get ripped
Get fast
Get recipes
Get a new Joke
Get made fun of
Get fussed at
Get great ideas from a higher collective conscience
Get elected
Get a job
Get fired
Get laid
Get pregnant
Have a baby
raise a child
Get your kid in private school
Get engaged
Get married
Get divorced
Fall in love
Get your heart broken
Get the Gossip
Qualify for Boston
Qualify for Peachtree
Find Budda
Find Jesus
Find a good restaurant
Get invited to a party
Get invited to another party
Create, Organize, Promote & Produce the MLKday5K Drum Run (the Worlds best foot race)

Yea, Boot Camp is a FUN dysfunctional fitness family. We stay in shape because we love each others company.

from Dad Bod to HOT ROD!

Fatness to Fitness Elite

60,000 people run the Peachtree Road Race. 99% line up in waves from A-Z. The top 1% start up front with Pro Runners. Cliffy ran a 18:48 5k to qualify as a seeded runner. He is the top 1%.

Cliffy's words:

I have always identified myself as an active person since I was a kid but the level of activity declined over the years as I became a young adult.  Starting a career, pursuing social interests, and getting married/starting a family took priority over my health and well-being.  It was not until the birth of my son in 2007 that I realized my life had to change if I was going to be around for my family for the long term.  At that time, I was drinking heavily to avoid coming to terms with being overweight and depressed.  It was a dangerous path I was on and the only thing I could think to do was literally start running away from it.  I started off running every couple of mornings out of necessity so that I would be less inclined to drink the night before.  The more I ran, the less I drank , the better I felt.  The weight started to come off from a high of roughly 230 pounds when I started (2008), down to 200 pounds by my 40th birthday (2015).  At 40, I thought this was the best I could be in terms of weight, strength, and fitness.  It wasn't until I received an invitation by a good friend, Jim Woodward (Woody), to join the Peachtree Road Boot Camp would I come to understand I was just scratching the surface.  Between the challenging workouts and the fellowship I was enjoying with others, it ignited my passion to show up every day and embrace a different approach to fitness.  I started to realize that I was capable of much more as fellow campers gave encouragement and challenged me in ways that I could not have experienced on my own.  Boot Camp offered an unique opportunity to share my goals with others and then celebrate when they were reached.  I lost another twenty three pounds over the past year and now weigh 177.  I also achieved another fitness goal that I never thought would be possible a couple of years ago.  I qualified for a seeded position at the Peachtree Road Race and will race with some of best runners in Atlanta and the US on July 4th.  Here I thought that 40 would be the peak and now who knows what it is.  It gets me excited to think what is possible over the next several years with showing up, putting my best effort forward, and being part of the Atlanta fitness community.

Phat Tuesday

Nobody likes a quitter. Quitting is for sissies. Why quit? Why give up? Why surrender?

In the recovery community, the hook is a "life that is Happy, Joyous & Free."

Conventional wisdom in America believes that happiness, joy and freedom come from a life filled with luxury, leisure and consumption. The catch with these pursuits/cravings in life is, they always require MOAR (more with a roar) to produce the same satisfaction. It is often suggested that any attachment to stuff is for pride and pleasure. Feeding pride & pleasure feels so good. It must be happiness & joy, right?

So it is suggested that a life of freedom, happiness and joy is devoid of attachments that seek to satisfy pride and pleasure.

Taking a day off feels so good. Being lazy, sleeping in is very pleasing. A glass of wine is nectar from the Gods. A cheese burger with french fries and a cold coke taste soo good. A bowl of chocolate ice cream is like sex. And sex...

On another religious holiday, The Grinch who stole Christmas took everything from the Who's. He found out that Day:

And the Grinch, with his grinch feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling. "How could it be so?

It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
It came without packages, boxes, or bags!"

He puzzled and puzzed till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.

Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!

Giving up stuff IS freedom. Freedom from cravings, attachment & desire requires us to drop the bottle, the box or the bag. Living without stuff during Lent teaches us that a Happy, Joyous & Free life is really an inside job.

Also, if you want to rock the pool this summer, make the f-ing workouts and quit being a lazy, booze guzzling, sugar addicted fat bodied pig. If you can't be disciplined for 40/365 days a year, you have a problem.

Drinking

I successfully drank alcoholically for over 30 years. I won foot races drunk. I got high the night before running 14:56 in the Turkey Day 5K. I also hit the pipe 30 minutes after anchoring the DMR at The Florida Relays with a 4:10 mile. We hadn't even left the Gator's Track. No one on earth could have stopped me when I was partying. I thought I was winning in life. Running with the Devil was a Hell of a ride.

Every year I would dry out when I was training for a big race. Even as a high functioning alcoholic, I knew drinking wouldn't allow me to train at the level I needed to win.

I would have never believed I could live a life without alcohol. It was a ridiculous notion. What's the point?

I am nearly 8 years sober. I've lived two lives. The second one is better.

It doesn't take much to sabotage your fitness and beauty.

One third of the American population does not drink at all. Another third drinks less than one drink per week. 

Alcohol makes you fat, old and slow.

Alcohol will steal your good looks.

Elites don't drink

Our day On

“The most worth-while thing is to try to put happiness into the lives of others.” ― Robert Baden-Powell

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

“Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.”
― Booker T. Washington, Up from Slavery

“Service is the overflow which pours from a life filled with love and devotion.” 
― Oswald Chambers

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Peachtree Road Boot Camp - 

• Distributed over 2,000 race bibs, one at a time
• Distributed over 2,000 T shirts, one at a time
• Coned a complicated 5K race course at 5 am
• Mobilized 200 drummers with two U Hauls
• Mobilized 2,000 runners/walkers on bicycle
• set up/broke down an efficient and friendly place to greet participants in two separate locations in under 24 hours

Our fitness family enjoys a lifestyle of activity together. On MLK Day, we came together and gave it back to the community. In doing so, I believe we have grown closer. We put on a Hell of a Show! Thank you for your service.

Glamour

Glamour, a.k.a. Amy Glahn is the face of Boot Camp. She has appeared in almost all of our marketing for the last decade. We are blessed to have the most gorgeous fitness group in Atlanta. While all of our ladies represent Boot Camp with beauty and style, the camera is always super kind to Glams before, during and after the workout.

Glamour is the rare combination of runway model and elite athlete. While she takes pride in her appearance, she finds joy in the workout. She loves running and exercise. The benefits are nice, but the process is way more important to her. She hammers around town and is super strict with all of the exercise. Her discipline has given her the opportunity to race and win. As the years go by, she continues to get faster and set new personal records. She has even won money in a few foot races.

Glamour is one of 3 elite athletes in her home. Husband Brian can do just about anything with any kind of ball and is a perennial Champion Coaching Youth Sports. Caroline & Dad won Top Hat tournaments for years. Caroline has been recently crowned a State Champion as a freshman playing volleyball with Westminster. William and Dad led the Buckhead Baseball All Starts this summer deep into the Sate tournament with an impressive record. Glamour loves youth sports, is a great example to her children and takes pride in her family's accomplishments.

The most amazing thing about Glamour isn't her good looks or her athletic prowess. Amy is a genuinely nice person. She cares about people. We have been very fortunate to spend the last decade working out with this nice lady!

From the Mouths of Babes

Evan - "Dad, we are have-dones"

Boot Camp has nothing. No address, no walls, no ceiling, no floor. We barely have equipment. All we have is our experience together. For over a decade, we have developed and perfected an exercise routine that maximizes fitness while allowing folks to talk and enjoy each others company. Out of this simple daily routine, we age gracefully together while nurturing friendships.

Julia - "I like the action"

Home is where the heart is

For hundreds of years, platoon style Boot Camp basic training has worked out groups of people to elite level fitness. The combination of running and exercise allow folks to run to recover from exercise, then exercise to recover from running. Switching from running to exercise then back to running breaks up the workout. The workout becomes more interesting and more manageable.

Our heart rate during running typically averages 160 beats per minute. Our heart rate during exercise averages 120 beats per minute. Our average resting heart rate is 60 beats per minute. During Boot Camp, exercise after running is also called "active recovery." This is a time when we give our legs a rest but our hearts keep beating at an elevated rate. Keeping our heart rates up during exercise is key to developing overall fitness and burning fat. After 35 minutes of elevated heart rate, the body switches from burning sugar to burning fat. The final 25 minutes of Boot Camp are the fat burning minutes.

An elevated heart rate lifts our spirits as well. When we are scared or mad, our hearts race. When we are attracted to someone or something, our hearts race. We may say, "he/she takes my breath away." While exercise is a significantly less desirable stimulus, the effect is the same. During exercise our hearts race and we may feel good or even euphoric. This feeling is often shared with the folks in the workout. Our hearts race, our spirits our lifted and we share the experience.

Many of us have shared this experience with each other for a very long time. Others are newly enjoying the experience. The fellowship we have created in fitness is not for the faint of heart. We live and move at a rate that's elevated. We call it "Elite."

We live in the workout and visit the world the other 23 hours a day. We are grounded in the daily discipline. The other 23 hours can be quite variable, but the workout is a home we have come to depend on. It is the home where the heart is.

Mutual Responsibility

We only have a moment. For the NON- fitness types who live to seek comfort, pleasure, entertainment and intellectual significance, life may sound like this:

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And to all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot,
full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Shakespeare didn't do Boot Camp. See, every tomorrow is another opportunity. We do not set a petty pace from day to day. We are not a walking shadow or a poor player. We may strut and fret to break the monotony of the daily discipline. But a tale told by and for another is not a tale Told by an idiot, signifying nothing.

Another Englishman from another script said it like this:

"We've always been proud of our athletic prowess. We believe, we've always believed, that our games are indispensable in helping to complete the education of an Englishman. They create character,  they foster courage, honesty and leadership. But most of all, an unassailable spirit of loyalty, comradeship, and mutual responsibility."

The Oregon Project

Bill Squires started a training group in Boston almost 50 years ago. Many of the worlds greatest marathoners emerged from The Greater Boston Track Club. Kirk Pfrange trained and raced with these world class athletes. At that time, he met 15 year old Alberto Salazar. He invited Alberto to the GBTC workouts and a another brilliant running career began.

Kirk moved to Atlanta and started an elite youth club called the Athlete's Foot Juniors. County, Region, State & National champions emerged from this group.

Years later, Alberto started The Oregon Project. Saturday and Sunday the Oregon Project Athletes won two Golds and a Bronze in the Olympics.

These groups have remained in contact through the decades. Kirk calls me weekly and still talks to Squires and Alberto.

Much of the training methods we use come straight from the top. The Oregon Project figured out long ago that an American can not out run an East African. But an American can out work an East African and win with superior fitness. Many of the training methods used by the Oregon Project are done daily at Boot Camp. Superior Fitness combined with precise running  produces speed with endurance.

JOY FOUND IN EFFORT

OLYMPISM IS A PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE, EXALTING AND COMBINING IN A BALANCED WHOLE THE QUALITIES OF BODY, WILL AND MIND. BLENDING SPORT WITH CULTURE AND EDUCATION, OLYMPISM SEEKS TO CREATE A WAY OF LIFE BASED ON THE JOY FOUND IN EFFORT, THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF GOOD EXAMPLE AND RESPECT FOR UNIVERSAL FUNDAMENTAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLES.

The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.

Together, Peachtree Road Boot Camp shares the Joy found in effort every week day and We share our passion without discrimination but with a spirit of friendship once a year through the MLK Day 5K Drum Run.

Sweet Caroline

Nolens

Atlanta has the most beautiful women in the world. N.Y., L.A. & Dallas do well but Hot 'Lanta is home to the finest. Atlanta's beauties are not so on looks alone. There is a style and a subtle air of royalty that's modest and inclusive. There is a way about Atlanta Women that bring out the best in everyone around them. Southern charm combines grace and dignity with the strength and fortitude that demand respect.

Sweet Caroline is an Atlanta girl. She embodies the essence of Southern Charm. Like all of the ladies we have the privilege to work out with, Caroline makes laying face down on asphalt classy. 

Caroline has always been known as a pretty lady. Over the last decade, she submitted herself to the demands of Peachtree Road Boot Camp. She started Boot Camp when she turned 30 years old (+10). She has a big birthday coming up this year. 

Caroline is skinny ripped. Skinny Ripped is the prototype for an elite middle distance runner. It is a very popular body shape and wears well with most clothes. Caroline has tried foot racing but, that is not her thing. She is comfortable in her own skin and doesn't feel compelled to beat anyone. We know she can fly. This past New Years Eve she out ran the young Track Star John Owens in violent lightning storm that frightened her. She is Elite.

Caroline is a heavy hitter in the Atlanta Business Community. She is very busy with her husband Nelson, her family, friends and doing volunteer work. Despite high demands on her time and activities, she makes the workouts. No excuses.

Everyone in boot camp will agree what a pleasure it is to spend our mornings in her company. Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good.

Kwithee

Kristin a.k.a. Kwithee is the blonde baby of the Princess Boot Camp Core Four. The Core Four are the beautiful ladies pictured above with the creepy old guy. These young sweethearts came together in Boot Camp and have stayed together over the years. They spend at least one hour a day together and often more. They Love each other dearly and are together growing younger through the years gracefully.

Kwithee is the unofficial social chairwoman of Princess Boot Camp (PBC). She likes to dress up, dance and can entertain hundreds at a time. If laughter is the best medicine, Kwith is one of the best self medicated people we know. She has an infectious smile and even more so laugh. I often say "when I come back in the next life, I want to be Kwithee." She is very grateful for a charmed life and has fun.

Kwithee has been hammering on the streets of Buckhead for 10 straight years in Boot Camp. Anyone that works out with her knows, she can go. Kwith has raced often with us over the years but spends more time now on the tennis courts. Boot Camp fitness serves her well in tennis. Boot Camp fitness also gives her the energy and stamina to be able to raise 3 active boys.

Kwithee has been in Boot Camp for a quarter of her life. I would bet that of all the benefits daily exercise offers, the friendships she has made are the most important to her.

Inspire one another

Runner philosophers are a dime a dozen. Any fitness instructor with a blog can play himself off as a seer. Running writers get attention because people want to be inspired. Running is a universal sport we can all share. Running has great rewards and most anyone can do it.

Every year, racing heats up with the temperature. This is an Olympic year in Rio in August. That's Hot! So the philosophical question is why. Why do we race?

This months Runners World quotes German philosopher George Hegel: "one characteristic that makes mankind unique is our ability to overcome our desire for self-preservation and fight to the death over nothing more than a symbolic idea." In the Owens family, it is fear. We say "we are more afraid of losing than we are afraid of dying." Pre says "somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it." While ego, self satisfaction and self accomplishment can produce results, there is more.

It is true that everyone loves a winner and to the victor goes the spoils. But, to run truly inspired, to run outside of our capabilities and over our heads, it requires motivation toward something other than ourselves. While we may pay a high price for personal glory, we will kill ourselves for someone else.

Eric Liddel quotes "He who honors Me, I will honor." He also says "where does The Power come from? It comes from within."

Every runner inspires. Every runner expires. While we do not all win races or die trying, the root meanings of inspire/expire are breath-in/breath-out. Our breath is the fuel that fires the engine. The lungs pull it in, the heart pumps it to the muscles and the muscles fire. The maximum volume of oxygen we can inspire (VO2 max) determines how quickly we can run. The people running on our right and left shoulders inspire with us at our similar volume of oxygen use. We breath together. We inspire each other. This inspiration connects us at a higher level than other mundane non-running material world experiences.

 Spirit originates from Latin meaning "breath." An inspired runner may have a spirited race. The inspiration that lifts our spirits transcends the physical act of running. It binds our true selves to those we race. The closer we get to death racing, the greater the bind. Racing does that. It lifts our spirits and allows us to relate and connect soulfully.

Kathleen

Kathleen arrived on Monday of the second week in May 10 years ago. We have spent most weekday mornings together ever since.

There should be a picture of Kathleen next to the word Balance in the dictionary. While Boot Camp has been her base fitness training, she also enjoys yoga, Pilates, step aerobics/body pump classes, walking/hiking, distance running & other fun activities.

Kathleen is not fanatical about her diet but she eats healthy, drinks green tea, likes to juice and find creative ways to enjoy vegetables. She has more recently reduced gluten & has always been very careful about drinking enough water. She  may have Atlanta's top pastry chef living in her house so nutritional discipline may become more difficult in the future.

Kathleen is fanatical about covering up. She wears long pants and long sleeves as long as she can stand the heat. She covers herself in sun block and often wears a hat and sun glasses.

In the last decade, Kathleen has become very close to her fitness family. While she works hard in the workout, she also enjoys the fellowship.

We often write and talk about the benefits of daily exercise in a group. We like to point out the mental, physical and emotional benefits of outdoor group training. Kathleen is living proof. Her lifestyle choices have made her younger over the years.

Every summer when she leaves, I miss her. We all enjoy our life with Kathleen!