Make RFS Your First 5K
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Our final Participant of the Week is Brian Calkins, the owner of Cincinnati Adventure Boot Camp for Women. Besides being an all-around funny guy, he’s leading our warm-up for the yogahOMe Run for Shelter 5k! We are so pumped to have him as an integral (and fun!) part of the race. Without further ado, here are Brian’s answers to our odd-ball questions.
What is your role at Adventure Bootcamp for Women? I am the owner of our six Cincinnati Adventure Boot Camp for Women locations and the primary instructor for the Oakley location. I write the ABC programs and daily email each participant receives.
What kind of workout can people expect when they come to Adventure Bootcamp? A FUN, fast-paced, and effective workout for all levels of fitness from the very beginner to the very fit.
Do people have to wear fancy workout gear like you see in the Reebok commercials with Chad Ochocinco? To get the best workout, they should definitely wear Under Armour from head-to-toe. KIDDING!! Of course not. Our boot campers wear whatever they’re comfortable in.
How did you become involved with yogahOMe Run for Shelter? The organizer, Kim Albrecht, contacted us last year. We donated a 4 Week Boot Camp Pass last year and wanted to contribute in a bigger way this year. So we discussed the idea of me leading the warm up for the group.
We hear you’re going to be doing the pre-race warm-up at Run for Shelter. What’s that going to be like? Well, Kim was sure to ask if I had a sense of humor. So my guess is she’s hoping for a little goofy fun from me and Mike (the emcee) to get a few laughs out of the crowd before they start their run. I might have to break out the Ickey Shuffle or Centipede dance – I’m pretty old school with my moves. 
In all seriousness, we’ll prepare the participants muscles, structures and heart rate for an awesome event on Saturday!
What’s on your playlist right now? Everything. I have a huge array of music tastes. As I ease into a run I like slower stuff like Lady Antebellum. As my tempo builds I’ll move into the Black Eyed Peas, Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Green Day, Pitbull, J-Lo, Taio Cruz … and when I really kick it into gear for a fast finish, I like some thumping or a hard beat, like Metallica, Shinedown or old school big hair rock (Scorpions or Quiet Riot), Run DMC, etc.
What’s your favorite sports movie? Really? I only get to pick one? Okay, then I’d have to say Prefontaine or Without Limits (both about the legendary runner Prefontaine). But I love Rudy, Rocky (I’m a dude), and Hoosiers too!
What advice would you give to people who are trying to get fit but don’t know where to start? Just start. It really doesn’t matter how you get started, and by all means, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Start with small changes. For some, it could be walking around the neighborhood. Maybe incorporate some strength training. Just do a little bit more than what you’re doing today, and you’ll see positive change. And of course, if you’re looking for a complete program, find a GREAT trainer or join a reputable program.
yogahOMe Run for Shelter is all about having serious fun for a serious cause. What’s the most seriously fun thing you’ve ever done? When I was a kid I always wanted to call in to the Sports and Radio Talk Shows. So at 12 I got the nerve to call in and have a 4 minute conversation with Bob Trumpy on 700WLW. It was thrilling for me. I was so excited that a week later I called in and “chatted” with Bill Cunningham. Actually, I harassed him a bit, all in fun.
Our latest Participant of the Week is a rock-star on so many levels! This is Tom’s second year running and supporting Run for Shelter, and we can’t think of a better person to model last year’s RFS shirt! Tom is super-fun, too, so it’s the perfect combo for a fantastic Participant of the Week.
For being such a good sport and answering all of our questions, Tom gets two passes to yogahOMe – one for him and one for a friend!
Name: Tom Pizer
Nickname: “Pizer”
Runner or Walker? Runner
Longest race you’ve run: Marathon (26.2 miles)
Celebrity doppelganger (in other words, what celebrity do people say you look like?): Vin Diesel
What’s on your running playlist right now? Selena Gomez “Naturally” It was mine and Thunder’s song (my car who is no longer with us) Listen to the words you will get it 
Don’t judge!
What is the funniest thing (almost) nobody knows about you? Hmm… that’s tough as I am an open book, but I would have to say that I name my cars and I cried when I lost my last one.
Advice you’d give to someone running their first 5K: Don’t train on a treadmill and think it is the same as running outside
If you could be any animal, what would you be? Honey Badger… cause he don’t care ’bout nothin’.
Run for Shelter is all about having serious fun for a serious cause. What is the most “seriously fun” thing you’ve ever done? I did an MS 150 called the Jack and Back. My team, team Lady Shorts, is the best team to ride 150 miles with not to mention free Jack Daniels! Great people and a lot of fun! Look for Team Lady shorts this year at the Run for Shelter as I am trying to get the gang together!
Why are you going to participate in Run for Shelter 2012? It’s a great cause and my co-worker would hurt me if I didn’t (Editor’s Note: A little peer pressure never hurt anyone, did it?)
Our latest and greatest Participant of the Week is Chuck Pitz! He’s going to participate in the Run for Shelter 5k Fun Run for a second year in a row.
According to Chuck, his celebrity doppelganger is Ringo Starr. Chuck, we took a vote, and we all think you’re better-looking than that former drummer of The Beatles (and probably sing better, too).
Chuck and Karen Pitz
Runner or walker? Runner
How long have you been running? 28 years
What’s the longest distance you’ve run? 12 miles
What is on your running playlist on your iPod? Hip Hop so I don’t stop
What is your favorite race in Cincinnati and why? Run for Shelter Cincy of course!
What is your favorite sports movie? Without Limits
Who is your celebrity doppelganger? Ringo Starr
Run for Shelter is all about having serious fun for a serious cause. What is the most “seriously fun” thing you’ve ever done? Snorkeling off the coast of South Africa in shark-infested waters
If you were a type of animal, what would you be? Cheetah
Why have you decided to do the Run for Shelter 5k? My wife made me and it’s a great cause.
Our featured Participant of the Week is, for a second year in a row, going to help with master of ceremony duties at the Run for Shelter 5k and carnival. He is a man of many talents, and we’re so pumped that he’s agreed to be a part of the event again this year!
For being a good sport and answering all of our goofy questions, Mike will receive two yogahOMe passes – one for him and one for a friend!
What songs are on your playlist? “Turn Around” (Matt Mahr), “Remind Me Who I Am” (Jason Gray), “Walk” (Foo Fighters), “NY2LA” (Press Play), “You Lead” (Jamie Grace)
What’s the most seriously fun thing you’ve ever done? Backpacking in the Smokey Mountains with my friends (canoeing, hiking, fishing, swimming, debauchery and making “bear calls” in the woods)
Why did you get involved with Run for Shelter? It gives me an opportunity to do something I’m good at, do something I enjoy and sync up with God’s flow – being part of Kingdom-building activities.
You starred in a Run for Shelter video last year where you got to wear, among other things, Batman underwear. Do people ever ask for your autograph because of it? No but people certainly enjoyed my outfit (especially the old ladies, in my neighborhood, walking their dogs while we filmed the clips!).
We hear that one of your other talents is singing. What is your favorite song to sing at karaoke night? Ahhh, one of my “God-given gifts” that I enjoy sharing anytime I have the opportunity!!!! Only one?? How about my Top 5: “ If I Had a Million Dollars” (Barenaked Ladies), “Suspicious Minds” (Elvis), “Music of The Night” (Phantom of the Opera), “Summer Lovin’” (Grease) and Blue Eyed Blond (Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison)
Who is your celebrity doppelganger? Khazoontite! Huh??
What is your favorite sports movie? Too difficult, here are my tops by sport - Rocky IV (boxing), The Natural (baseball),Hoosiers (basketball) and Remember the Titans (football)
Our latest Participant of the Week is running her first 5K after a knee injury, and we’re so glad she picked Run for Shelter to be that first race! For being such a good sport and answering our odd-ball questions, Emily gets two yogahOMe passes – one for her and one for a friend!
Name: Emily Kassem
Runner or Walker? Runner
Why do you run? For the sanity of those who have to deal with me
Longest race you’ve run: 10K
Celebrity doppelganger: I wish they said I looked like Megan Fox or a Victoria’s Secret Model (Editor’s note: Don’t we all wish that?!?)
Favorite sports movie: Love & Basketball
Favorite Cincinnati 5K: This one, of course!
What’s on your running playlist right now? I have Pandora, so my radio station is set to Beyonce and Shakira. It ensures I get a little sass with a Latin flair!
If you were an animal, what would you be? I would be a giraffe. I’m pretty tall and enjoy being able to see over a crowd.
Advice you’d give to someone running their first 5K: Pace yourself, that last mile seems like forever especially if it is uphill. Keep going, and don’t walk. You can do it!
Why are you going to participate in Run for Shelter 2012? I appreciate the purpose. It provides benefits to women and girls who have been victims of sex trafficking.
Run for Shelter is all about having serious fun for a serious cause. What is the most “seriously fun” thing you’ve ever done? Hiking on Machu Picchu in Peru. I was literally walking in the clouds and the village looked untouched. I could almost imagine what the culture was like.
Our latest Participant of the Week is not new to Cincinnati races, but she is new to Run for Shelter. She’ll be running our 5K this year, and we’re so excited! Plus, she’s super-funny (and has more nicknames than anybody we’ve ever met!), which we absolutely love.
For being such a good sport, Sarah gets two free passes to yogahOMe – one for her and one for a friend!
Name: Sarah Buelterman
Nickname: Walter, B, Beatrice, and Toes. I feel like I should explain a couple of these…
Runner or walker? When it comes to training and races, I run, but for general fitness I love walking, too.
Longest race you’ve run: Cincinnati Flying Pig Half Marathon/Cincinnati Half Marathon
Celebrity doppelganger: I don’t get doppelgangered too often, but I have been told I look like Channel 5’s Alison Montoya.
Favorite sports movie: Rudy. Fun fact: I listened to the Rudy soundtrack on repeat whenever I studied for exams during college. I occasionally pop it in at work when I really need to buckle down and concentrate.
What’s on your running playlist right now? “We Found Love” – Rihanna, “King of Anything” – Sara Bareilles, “Tearin’ Up My Heart” – NSYNC, and Dynamite – Taio Cruz. Oh, and lots of Jason Derulo with a little Taylor Swift mixed in. Basically, I’m a 14-year-old trapped in a 23-year-old’s body.
The funniest thing (almost) nobody knows about you: Back in my younger days, I was infamous for running off from my parents. Festivals, department stores, amusement parks…you name it, I probably ran off. When I was two years old, I took off on one of my aimless excursions in Thriftway while my parents were grocery shopping. Luckily, my dad found me, but oddly enough it wasn’t in the candy aisle. I had made myself a cup of coffee with creamer, sugar and a mixing straw. In disbelief, my dad accused an innocent bystander of making his toddler a cup of java. She reassured him this wasn’t the case. Needless to say, I’m shocked I never ended up on a leash.
Advice you’d give to someone running their first 5K: First off, give yourself a pat on the back for signing up for your first 5K! My suggestion for first-timers is to do a little prep work during the several weeks leading up to the race. If you’ve never run before, go out a few days a week and trying the walk-run method for 30 to 45 minutes. Alternate between running and walking a quarter mile or so, but each week try to run a little more than you walk, until you can (almost) run the entire time.
When it comes to race day, I’d suggest running at a comfortable pace — maybe even so comfortable that you can carry a conversation. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the atmosphere!
Run for Shelter is all about having serious fun for a serious cause. What is the most “seriously fun” thing you’ve ever done? During college, I travelled down to New Orleans for Mardi Gras with some friends. It was a blast and totally worth spending nearly as much time in the car as we spent in the state of Louisiana.
Why are you going to participate in Run for Shelter 2012? It’s a fun, unique event that supports a great cause. Oh, and I never turn down a free t-shirt!
Having fun is a top priority in our household. Instead of living room furniture, we have a bounce house. Each summer, I take my girls on the Gypsy Tour, a 2-3 week car trip where the destination is, well, wherever we end up. I let my kids play in the mud. Every Friday afternoon, our home is host to mommy and kid happy hour. For birthdays, we do whipped cream shots at the bus stop. The list goes on and on.
Why all the fun? It’s because our family firmly believes in the healing power of laughter and seeking out enjoyment in each other and our circumstances, no matter what they are. Intentionally finding something to smile about has helped our family cope with some heavy stuff and challenges surrounding our circumstances that may never change.
Look around. You’ll see this lesson of laughter and fun making life more doable all around. Even in your kid’s movies. Do you think Finding Nemo’s Dori and Marlin would have made it through all the jellyfish if they didn’t make a game out of it?
This mindset of laughter and fun is the driving force behind Run for Shelter. Our tagline is “Serious Fun for a Serious Cause.” That is exactly what Run for Shelter stands for. Transitions Global, the organization that we donate 100% of the proceeds of Run for Shelter to, is tackling some really heavy and serious stuff. Stuff that would make your hearts bleed wide open. The Run for Shelter team knows that we can’t be in the trenches with them, but we can do something. We can host an incredibly fun 5K and carnival to raise money for Transitions Global. That enables the amazing folks at Transitions Global to help more girls. Fun truly can bring healing and hope.
I love looking at pictures from 2011 Run for Shelter. The planning team was having so much fun. We probably should have been stressed a bit more than we were,considering it was our first go at this. Not to mention the windstorm that began to blow all of the expo booths over, the rain storm that muddied the fields where the field games and egg hunt were to be, or the shoulder surgery that brought one of the team members down to one arm. None of it phased us a bit. We were having Serious Fun for a Serious Cause. I absolutely cannot wait to do it again in 10 weeks. I cannot wait to hear the witty comments from our MC. I cannot wait to watch our Easter Bunny’s antics. How lucky are we that we can do something for such a Serious Cause and do it with such Serious Fun? I’ll see you March 31st. I’ll be the gal with the walkie talkie launching eggs at a bunch of 8 year olds.
Name: Jim Tagtmeyer
Nickname: Taggie
Age: 66
Runner or Walker? Fast walker that occasionally breaks into a trot and sweat.
Longest race you’ve run: The first and only one was the 2011 Run For Shelter 5K
What inspired you to run your first 5K? It was on my bucket list and I wanted to do something after my heart attack
How did you train? I started walking 12 weeks out. By the end I was able to run about 60% of the distance
Did you look good doing it? Heck ya. What 66 year old guy doesn’t look good in blue jeans, a sweat shirt, cotton socks, and 12 year old sneakers.
Yikes! Is that what you wore race day? No, my daughter took me to Fleet Feet for moisture wicking socks and a shoe fitting. But I still wore the blue jeans.
If you marked it off your bucket list, why are you registered for 2012? Because my shoes are broken in so I think I can trot up the final hill with out scaring the paramedics.
Speaking scaring the paramedics. You ran in 2011 after recovering from a heart attack. Did picking up running change your health? Yes. My last check up showed I was in fantastic health and the Doc said I could beat my 40:00 time this year!
You are signed up on the Run For Shelter crowdrise page. What is the name of your team and who should join it? The Old Golden Bucket. It’s for people working on their bucket list or for anyone in their Golden Years that wants to support their fellow retirees.
Check out the hysterical photo on Jim’s Crowdrise page or join his team by clicking here.
I like nice people. I like the nice neighbor that shovels sidewalks that don’t belong to their yard. I like the nice driver that moves over a lane for merging traffic. I like the nice grocery cashier that chats up my kid.
Nice people are everywhere. The largest concentration has to be at the Wal-Mart in my South Carolina hometown where my mother cannot walk two aisles without engaging in a conversation with someone (because she is nice). As I write this, I realize that maybe I’m not nearly as nice since I have laughed on more than one occasion while looking at photos from peopleofwalmart.com. I don’t think a nice person would enjoy that website nearly as much as I do.
All of this makes me wonder, what makes a person nice? The common thread appears to be that nice people have an interest in others and not just in themselves. They will take the time to exit their world and look you in the eye to enter yours, even if it’s just for one second while they say hello. They will have a conversation that is focused on you and not them. Yes, I really do like nice people.
A lot of nice people have become involved with Run for Shelter over the years. People that have stressful jobs, young children, and very busy lives with very real reasons they could stay focused on just their own lives. Instead, individuals have taken the time to learn about Transitions, the beneficiary of Run for Shelter. People like Dan Brill.
For the second year in a row, Dan Brill of Brill Creative has been nice. He has hooked us up with this sweet website, complimentary printing of our materials, TEDx conferences, etc. He is even the top fundraiser on our “Home Team” fundraising page which benefits Transitions. Isn’t that nice?
If you’re a nice person, we would love to have you around. Run for Shelter requires 75-100 volunteers the day of the event and also a few more in February to help us hang posters and distribute materials throughout Cincinnati. If you want to join us contact Karen. Her email is karen@runforsheltercincy.org You’ll like her. She’s nice.
(Calories in > Calories out) x 62 = +2 Pant Sizes
Take me to a cocktail party, give me a few glasses of wine and I’ll show you my Spanx in the ladies room. You will marvel at the wonder of it all, clip a Macy’s coupon in the Sunday paper for 15% off intimate apparel and begin your collection by the end of the day that any celebrity would be proud of.
