Over the past 5 years - that's when I created Slim & Strong - I've met thousands of participants. In fact there are many that are still with me to this day and many that come back time after time for a kickstart. Kamen is one of them. He was one of my early Slim & Strong participants in 2009. You may know him because he didn't just stop there. He has taken fitness above and beyond and that's why I want you to meet him and learn about his story. Fitness truly can change lives.
I interviewed Kamen about his crazy journey into fitness after he dropped me back down:
Ariane: I remember the first day you walked into Slim
& Strong in 2009, telling me that the night before the weigh-in you had
steak, a whole watermelon and a few other things to make for a heavy weigh-in. You
played your strategy well from the get-go and you promptly lost 20 pounds in less than 2 weeks (check out Kamen's stats here). Tell us what motivated you to sign
up for the program?
Kamen: All my life I had relied on genetics
of above-average metabolism. As a teenager I could build muscle by eating
donuts. In my twenties I could maintain my shape on a crappy diet, but not
improve. Once I crossed 30 it started going downhill. I maxed out at 232lb when
my daughter was born -- you know how husbands put on "sympathy"
weight during pregnancy which they never lose?
In 2008 friends at work organized a
biggest-loser-like contest which I entered and won. The thing with exercise is
that once you get enough of it, it starts being addictive... you just need to
concentrate on what you really like. After that I thought I might have a future
in professional weight loss :) I tried the Brooklyn Bridge Bootcamp, where I
heard about Slim & Strong... and I was sold!
Brooklyn Bridge Bootcamp and Slim
& Strong played an instrumental role in making me who I am today. I
transformed myself and made great friends. They are truly a great way to train
a diverse set of people of different abilities. You can slack a bit if you
can't keep up or you are having a bad day, but you can never do the whole thing
100% without breaking down.
Ariane: About 3 years ago you and I and a few other boot campers signed up for a Half-Ironman in Rhode Island. Obviously, that was
only one of the few things you've since conquered. What have you accomplished
since 2009 with regards to fitness?
Kamen: I started racing in 2009 indeed. In
the beginning it was mostly running, but then I started doing stair climbing
races, swimming races, and triathlons. To date I have done 5 Full IronMan
races, 10 Half IronMan races, about 15 other triathlons, duathlons and
aquathlons, a 50 mile trail run, 3 60K runs, 4 marathons, 15+ half marathons,
and many others... I tend to place highest in stair climbing races, which remains a mystery to me, because I am still heavy for that at
190 lbs.
This is the first stair climb we did for the American Lung Association. We won 1st place for fastest team and 1st place for best fundraisers. Whohooo!
Ariane: What motivates you to work out like you do and
compete "the Kamen way"?
Kamen: Frankly a lot of things. I've had my
fair share of accidents and injuries, and the feeling that you cannot do
something is terrible. I think people take too much for granted that they can
exercise if they choose to. This is not a right, this a privilege, and
there are countless people out there who can't do it. We owe it to ourselves to
take advantage of it while we can, and hope that we will be able to for a long
time.
Another big reason is the inspiration
you give others. A lot of friends have completed races because one way or
another I have pushed them through it. It is great to see how you can make a
difference is other people's lives and make them better. And a very special one
of these people is my 10 year old daughter Julianne. We have done several
races and triathlons together and she is now competing as part of the
Prospect Park Youth Running Club. I can't afford not to try to be the best I
could be, even if it was just for her.
Ariane: You two got a nice shout-out at Mizzfit.com about your workout relationship (here).
What do you consider to be the most effective
way to get your body into shape?
Kamen: Hands down -- variety. Do different
things. Do not settle on one. Swim-Bike-Run, Boot Camp, Yoga, Strength training
(bodyweight, CrossFit, etc.) People have evolved to be versatile. It is true
that you can become extremely good at something specific, but that does not
attract me much. Fitness is a complicated
issue with a lot of dimensions (strength, endurance, agility, flexibility,
...). I try to be within the 75-80% of the best in anything... It is work in
progress of course.
Ariane: What challenges are still on your to-do
list?
Kamen: I try to stick to the 75-80% goal
from above and claim whatever I can on the way. I tend to avoid setting race
specific goals, but some of the ones I can not afford not to think of are a
sub-5-minute mile, a sub-3-hour-marathon to qualify for Boston Marathon, to
qualify for IronMan and Half IronMan championships.
Ariane: What do you suggest to our blog readers who
aren't very much into fitness and eating clean quite yet, but want to make a
move?
Kamen: Make a move! And then another one,
and another one. You don't have to address all deficiencies day one (or ever).
Find out what you enjoy most and do more of that, but don't settle into a
single routine. Learn to listen to your body and distinguish fatigue from
injury. Push through the former and stop before the latter. Sleep, eat, and
repeat.
If you find like-minded people who
can push you where you never thought you can go, that helps a lot. With the
usual suspects that show up at Brooklyn Bridge Bootcamp you will never have
trouble with that.
And remember -- you can do way more
than you think you can... I keep finding this out quite often. So keep pushing
through. I've started collecting some of the better stories of my
adventures at http://kyotov.wordpress.com
Here's Kamen being interviewed by Myrna after she kicked his butt across the Brooklyn Bridge:
When are you joining us on the Brooklyn Bridge or at Slim & Strong so you can make that move? And another :-)
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