By Tim Sullivan

Druid Hills resident Brennan Bolt is a labor and employment attorney at McKenna Long & Aldridge by day. By night he and his wife Michelle dote on their two young boys, Ewan and Nolan. And a couple of late nights a week he grows a beard and plays some hockey. As it turns out, not all hockey left town with the Thrashers.

So, why hockey? Flat puck, small goal, thin skates, cold, hard ice…
My college roommate had played when he was younger and had decided to get back into it. Since I enjoyed watching hockey, I decided to give it a try as well. We started going to stick times, which are basically “pick up” hockey. When I finally entered the real world, my boss encouraged me to sign up and actually play on a team. The rest, as they say, is history – I am now captain of my team.

There are seven different levels to the Atlanta Amateur Hockey League (atlantahockey.org ). Is anybody playing ALTA anymore? Where do all these games take place?
Can’t speak for ALTA, but we play at The Cooler in Alpharetta, the Ice Forum in Cumming and the Marietta Ice Center. Those of us that live in town are still waiting for Philips Arena to book our games to replace the Thrashers. I suspect we’ll be waiting a long time.

Can individuals sign up and join the league?
Yes, but there are evaluations and even a draft. I’m embarrassed to say that I was not drafted the first time I signed up with this league.

What is the hockey haircut du jour? Is it still all business on top and party in the back?
The mullet is and always will be the staple, but nowadays any style of long hair and a beard will do.

How do you expect your team, Army Mules, to fair this year?
We should make the playoffs but once they start anything can happen. One season we were the top seed and were the first team eliminated. Another season we were the last seed and won it all. Teams really turn it up a notch and the games are taken a lot more seriously.

Will you encourage your sons to take up hockey when they are old enough?
No, living in the South, football and baseball are more likely to have a better rate of return for my wife’s and my retirement plan. However, if they choose hockey, we certainly won’t discourage them. Our oldest, who is two and a half, is already interested in ice skating. We got him a pair of skates and a hockey helmet for Christmas and have taken him skating two times already. He loves it.

Were you bummed out when the Thrashers jetted out of town for Winnipeg?
Absolutely. Games at Philips were always entertaining regardless of the outcome, and watching hockey live is so much better than on television. While we still have the Gwinnett Gladiators, it’s a shame that Atlantans can no longer watch the premiere players from the NHL.

Ever get mistaken for being Canadian?
Uh, no. If you watch me play hockey, you will understand how that would be impossible to do.

Well, I have a Canadian friend – let’s call him Batman –  who leaves the wife and kids to “play hockey” at very strange hours and some suspect that he runs an international pyramid scheme.  You’re an attorney, care to speculate?
Our games do sometimes start after 10 p.m. during the week. But if you want to see if “Batman” really does play hockey, ask to see where he stores his equipment. Hockey equipment is notorious for its stench, so if the room doesn’t smell, you’ll know that something is up.

Ok, Bolt round! What’s the better movie: Slap Shot or The Cutting Edge?  Favorite ice Olympian:  Mike Eruzione or Dorothy Hamill?  Post-game beverage:  Labatt’s or Molson?
Definitely Slap Shot and Eruzione. The Hanson Brothers from Slap Shot are classic. As for beer, I’d probably say Labatt’s. Speaking of beer and hockey, how could you leave off Strange Brew, you hoser?

I don’t know! How do you not pick Dorothy Hamill? She’s cute as a button!

By Valorie Ness

For many of us scheduling time to attend to our personal needs is low on the list of priorities. With everyone living such hectic lives, finding time each day – even just a few minutes – is difficult.

The time is there if you look. I find time everyday to exercise, meditate/process thoughts, and just be.  Some days it seems like I only have nano-seconds for this but knowing I put myself on my priority list makes me feel good and feeling good helps me become a better educator, mother homemaker, spouse and friend.

Here are some of my tried and true ways to find the minutes and nano-seconds in your day.

Wake up 5-7 minutes early each day. If this is the only time you get to yourself all day please extend it to 15-20 minutes. This may seem like the last thing you would consider doing to yourself after a 14 or 16 hour day, but try it. First change your thought process. You are not doing this to yourself you are doing this for yourself. Utilizing these precious few minutes to gather yourself and  to work on you will really make a positive impact on your day.

Choose silence when driving. Think of this as time to meditate and be with your thoughts. In Atlanta traffic a 5-mile drive easily turn into 50 minutes with just the wrong conditions or a few raindrops. There is nothing we can do to control traffic, so just embrace the time as time for yourself.

Walk to do errands. This is the perfect time to get in exercise minutes – 5 here and 12 there really add up over the course of a week. Take walking breaks much like co-workers take smoke breaks. Have you ever added up the total time your fellow employee takes to go on smoke breaks? It’s roughly 30-50 minutes. Walk outside or use your building’s stairs or hallways.

While you wait at your child’s extracurricular event take time for yourself. Since most programs do not want parents/guardians around while the kids do their thing anyway, this is the perfect opportunity to do yours. Whether it’s walking, jogging, participating in your own class, or quietly sitting for a meditation session, take advantage of this precious time.

Use standing in line time and on the phone time wisely. Have you ever seen someone standing in line balancing on one foot or doing single leg squats, calf raises or static stretching? Well, it was probably me. I am always doing one of these spontaneous exercises while otherwise “wasting” time. Sure I get a few strange looks, but I embrace it and hope that the image of me doing these things sticks with the people staring and will encourage them to try it for their selves.

Make your office work for you. Remove you’re your uncomfortable, ill-fitting office chair and replace it with a kneeling chair or an exercise ball. These exercise chairs will allow you to maintain good posture while at your desk. The ball will work your balance, core muscles, posture, and many other fun exercises as well.

Join an activity-based program with someone. The benefit to joining with a friend is the accountability that it promotes between you and your activity friend. It’s human nature that people are more likely to participate in things when they know others are counting on them. Play activity based games with your children, spouse or friend There is a big push now to get our kids eating healthy and moving. What better opportunity to get yourself going than to get out with your kids.

Meet your friends for something other than dinner and drinks. Why is our culture is so focused on food? It fascinates me that so many of our group functions with family and friends are driven by food and drink. Why not a bikeride, trail walk, or family day in the park?

Turn off the TV, cell phone, iPad at night and be with yourself or your loved one(s). Take the last few minutes before you drift off to lie quietly and just be with your happy thoughts from the day. Focus on your positive accomplishments. Consider how many opportunities you had to better yourself physically and emotionally. Notice the change in the loved ones around you and how all of your daily duties seemed less dreadful and just maybe a bit more delightful.

Valorie Ness is the owner of Catalyst Fitness in Midtown. catalystfitness.com

By Tim Sullivan

“39 is the new 40.” I heard these words come out of my mouth a couple of weeks ago as I tried to explain how my body feels these days. My New Year’s realization is that 2012 will be the year I turn 40 and I can only blame so much on having two young children. My friend Tony mentioned the other night that, of all of our friends, I have taken the longest to turn 40 and this will be the year that I will put his confusing sentiment to rest.

Don’t let the fresh faced photo next to my byline fool you. Like most columnists I had that taken back in the 1980’s when I was singing backup for Dexy’s Midnight Runners…  No, the 2011 me was hobbled by chronic calf injuries which was a bitter pill to swallow whilst chronicling the accomplishments of the incredible amateur athletes I’ve featured in this space.  I’m not saying my days of buying green bananas are over, but I can bid a fond farewell to any road race PR’s and my basketball techniques will involve less athleticism and decidedly more cheating.

So back to the calf injuries. As they consistently resurfaced throughout the year I felt like not only was Father Time showing up but he was ticked off and looking for an overdue rent payment. Being that the injury was in both legs foretold a particular doom.  It wasn’t just the calves.

My physical therapist Carl is a bald, goateed, giant of a man who probably should be availing the Atlanta Falcons of his pain-inflicting services but for now he seems to be content with me. According to Carl (who I tend to agree with because I’m afraid not to) the muscle tears in my calves are just a manifestation of a general body malaise, kind of like the “brain cloud” suffered by Tom Hank’s character in the movie Joe versus the Volcano. Like Joe, I prepared myself to be shipped off to a remote island where indigenous people led by a painted up Abe Vigoda would sacrifice me to an active volcano in return for a lifetime supply of orange soda.

Where was I?  Oh yeah, Carl has deep-tissue massaged (or “Rolfed” for the initiated) every muscle in my lower body. I’ve even undergone a couple of sessions of “Dry Needling,” which is a last resort effort to get a tight or aggravated muscle to release and it involves a huge man sticking a needle deep into the offending muscle. It hurts.  Sadly, the Rolfing hurts even more.

According to Carl, it was the tightness and underperforming leg muscles that have led to the calf injuries. The calves were being asked to do too much when I was running or performing the various boot camp-like exercises I subjected myself to and they’ve staged a revolt I’ve termed “Occupy Tim.” I don’t know exactly what their point is but I’m pretty sure they are right.

My Gluteus muscles have been designated by Carl as the most guilty in the grand landscape of my failing, soon-to-be-40 year old body. They just aren’t holding up their end of the bargain so he has me doing a series of exercises stolen from a Golden Girls episode to wake those butt muscles up. I do them at work. Some people stare.

Unable to run off calories I’ve taken a hard look at my diet. After a particularly gluttonous Thanksgiving weekend I decided to give this gluten-free diet a try.

It must make sense, right! In a nutshell (because nuts are ok) this diet called for eschewing bread, pasta, cereal, beer and crackers. These are perhaps my five favorite items on the menu. I thought if I could really avoid these things for a month, I’d be so wafer thin that Christian Bale would be shadowing my every move to play the guy that got wafer thin on the gluten-free diet in a blockbuster movie coming soon to a theater near you.

I lost about four pounds. Turns out they make all sorts of gluten-free products for folks who actually have a gluten intolerance that pretty much fills up the space you left behind by not eating Cheez-its. My wife Kristen has offered that perhaps I should avoid “Nut Thins” and the like and to stop eating deli ham by the fistful.  At least I get wiser as I get older.  And that’s what I’m looking forward to–enlightenment (and tweed jackets with elbow patches)! At least until dementia sets in.

Happy New Year, folks!  More amazing amateur athlete stories to come.

By Tim Sullivan

Last month, Virginia Highland resident Allie Schellhammer took top honors in the women’s division at the annual Cabbagetown Romp and Stomp 5K.  Days later she gave birth to her third child, a daughter named Charlotte.  Here she does her best to convince me that this is not amazing stuff.  I am not fully convinced.

When I told my wife Kristen (and mother of our two) that the woman who won the race was nine months pregnant her response was something along the lines of “Wha’?  How?  With that belly?  How?”   So in practical terms, umm, how do you do it?

Spanx. No just kidding. I’m going to claim genetics – my mom only gained 17 pounds while pregnant with me and my twin. I’m lucky to carry my babies in a manner that is very conducive to running and for the most part, I don’t notice the belly at all.

What does your doctor advise with regards to competitive running during pregnancy?  Because let’s face it – pregnancy is about the best reason in the history of mankind to waddle around, eat ice cream and demand back rubs.

That’s what my husband Joel always tells me. And then, in the next breath, he tells me I should definitely try to defend my title and win a race.  As I’m sure a lot of people read when the Chicago runner completed the Chicago Marathon and then gave birth seven hours later, it’s completely fine to maintain the workout regimen you had prior to pregnancy. But please don’t take my answer as a medical license to do something crazy – talk to your doctor first!

There were 600 women registered for this race and maybe a few others were pregnant. Maybe.  But none of them, young, old or knocked up ran it in 20 minutes flat like you did!  Have you been able to perform at this level through all three pregnancies?

We actually had three miscarriages before we had our oldest daughter so I was pretty cautious while pregnant with her and only did a few races. Nine months later I was pregnant with our second daughter and had just joined the Atlanta Track Club’s competitive team. I raced at least once a month and actually had one of my fastest ever half-marathon times (1:24) while 27-weeks pregnant. With this pregnancy, though, I’ve trained a lot with my double jogging stroller. This baby has raced with me the most and I’ve probably been the fastest with her – the debate is always if she crossed the line first or if I did.

Joel keeps a great pace as well and is a consistent winner in our “Stroller Division” which means your daughters Catherine and Caroline have played a part in claiming victory too. How does the Schellhammer family find time to get exercise in?

Joel travels a lot so the girls are my best training partners. We try to combine longer training runs with naptime so they’re not bored. Add in a few fun landmark destination runs (Centennial Olympic Fountains, the Aquarium, Zoo and Children’s Museum) and it keeps them happy. I love that they get fresh air while we take our adventures through the city. My revised goal on hills is to run just fast enough so my oldest doesn’t ask, “Why are we walking?”

And just how long (or short) after giving birth do you expect to be back out getting your miles in?

Mentally, I’d be ready as soon as I leave the hospital, but physically I think it will be at least three weeks before I’m doing anything (and we’re talking slow three to four mile jaunts at a time). Doctors recommend you wait six weeks and I might take them up on it this time around. I hear the transition to three kids is crazy!

In mid-October, my friend Mike Benzie posted on his Facebook page “Took 3rd overall in the Monster Dash 5k in Grant Park.  2nd in the non-pregnant division.” Does your performance improve when you aren’t pregnant?

Ha! The crazy thing is my times aren’t that much faster when I’m not pregnant. I really think that my body reacts to pregnancy like “blood doping” – all the extra blood from the baby coursing through my veins actually helps. I hope that training with a triple jogger (yes, they make them and yes, we own one!) will help me reach some new PRs.

By Tim Sullivan

A gymnast all her life, Megan Hill extended her athletic career by transitioning to track and field while at Auburn University. The next logical step for this master’s degree holder in health promotion was to take up bobsledding, test fate going 80 miles per hour in a 350 pound sled, make the U.S. National Team and prepare for a run at Olympic gold.

Huh?

If not for the American flag in the background of her picture I’d think I was getting the runaround.

Last I checked there wasn’t a Bobsled Little League and if they had a bobsled team at my high school then I definitely missed the tryouts. How does a girl from Woodstock get into bobsledding?
I heard about it from one of my track coaches at Auburn. The U.S. Bobsled Team had recruiting events every summer all over the country.  I went to one last summer in Orlando and that is how it all started.

What kind of training regimen do you keep?
I have to train like a sprinter and an Olympic weightlifter.  I am working with Steve Putman at B.L.A.S.T. Training Institute in Suwanee for my running and sprint mechanics and I’m working with John Coffee at Coffee’s Gym in Marietta for weightlifting.  I work out six days a week, with Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays being two-a-days.

I get a little fatigued just thinking about that commute. Tell me about the sled itself.  My minivan has automatic sliding doors, a DVD player and about 17 cup holders.  Does your sled have any features like that?
The sled itself is just like your minivan… just take away the sliding doors, the DVD player, the 17 cup holders, the seat belts, the air bags, the windshield, the radio, the heating and air conditioning, the engine, the roof, and swap the tires for steel blades. There is no luxury to a bobsled, however, it is very aerodynamic and can break any speed limit in Georgia!

How about a nice, cushy seat?
The seats are not cushy at all, but we will duct tape padding on the inside of the sled, especially for practice. Also, I wear lots of padding on my body when I slide. Special thanks to McDavid USA’s HexPad technology (mcdavidusa.com).

Do you talk to your teammate when you are tucked down in there?  Is it more strategizing about the race or recapping last night’s episode of True Blood?
No we don’t talk, although, there is a lot of praying that goes on when we are in the sled.

In just one year you went from brakeman to pilot and from the little I understand, that means you are the one driving that bus.  Can you explain a little about the different positions?
In women’s bobsled there is only the two-man bobsled, unlike the men who have both the four-man and two-man, so there are only two positions – the brakeman and the pilot. The brakeman pushes the sled from behind and then hops in, goes for the ride, and then pulls the brakes at the bottom. The pilot pushes from the side and then hops in and steers the sled down the track.  I competed my first season as a brakeman.  When the season was over I went to “driving school” up in Lake Placid.  I enjoyed driving so much that I have decided to switch positions and compete as a pilot for the 2011-2012 season.

That’s got to be the biggest endorsement for driving school of all time.  Does it get embarrassing that every time you walk into a supermarket everyone starts chanting “U-S-A! U-S-A!”?
I have yet to experience that, but will be honored when that becomes true. The ultimate goal is to represent America in Sochi in the 2014 Winter Olympics.

To check out more of Meg’s training adventures, visit megbobsled.tumblr.com.

By T.J. Gordon

Boxing, wrestling and martial arts have long been popular sports and a good way to keep fit, but the combination of these activities has evolved into a new combat sport known as MMA (mixed martial arts).

MMA is a fusion of boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, judo and jiu-jitsu are at the core of the sport, which involves grappling/ground attacks and stand-up fighting styles. Any age group and gender can practice MMA. Gyms and MMA schools offer classes to children as young as 4 and seniors can join as well.

The health benefits in practicing MMA are plentiful. Team Octopus co-owner Koon Lau mentions that grappling and striking opponents involves aerobic endurance and rapidly increasing the heart rate. Those techniques enhance coordination, balance, flexibility, and muscular strength as well. Furthermore, Lau says MMA workouts are “great stress relievers and confidence boosters.”

“There’s no better feeling than the one you get after learning how to kick some ass,” Lau declares.

Richard Trammell, a kickboxing and karate champion, compares the sport to football. While acknowledging that the sport is rougher than others, Trammell says MMA also teaches self-confidence and discipline.

MMA champion Roan “Jucão” Carneiro (also chief instructor for the Atlanta chapter of American Top Team), says the sport teaches a person how to be respectful, confident, train hard to achieve an objective and practice self-control. One can also learn how to defend him or herself from larger opponents when taking MMA courses.

“People are drawn to MMA because of its effectiveness in real-life situations,” Lau explains. “Knowledge of MMA greatly helps when faced with a real unarmed, combat fight on the street. The number of women starting MMA has also increased, since it’s a great form of self-defense.”

Modern MMA in the United States has been in place since 1993, with the formation of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Yet it wasn’t a household name until 2005 when The Ultimate Fighter, a Spike TV reality show where professional MMA fighters trained and competed with each other for a UFC contract, helped bring the sport to the mainstream.

MMA in Atlanta began in the mid 1990s when John D’Angelo promoted the first bouts in the area. Gyms also began to promote events featuring their fighters; those would eventually help increase memberships. Additionally, Atlanta is historically a city filled with martial art legends.

“Atlanta has always been a good fight town,” says Trammell. “Boxing and kickboxing have been big in Georgia over the years.”

Carneiro attributes fight promoter Brett Moses with establishing the strong MMA community in Atlanta.

“He developed many events here in Atlanta and brings the high level fighters to fight in events,” says Carneiro.

Georgia MMA rules call for rigid safety measures at both the professional and amateur levels. For example, a fighter must wear shinguards and mouthpieces during bouts.

Numerous MMA-based schools and gyms are sprouting up in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

If you’re looking to get fit for the summer, take your anger out on the bag, learn how to take down an assailant, or prepare for a career in MMA, then explore one of these gyms provided in the sidebar.

Intown MMA Facilities

American Top Team Atlanta (ATTA)
2110 Faulkner Road, Atlanta, 30324
(770) 364-0777 or attatl.com

Bangkok Boxing Fitness
1019 Collier Road, Atlanta, 30318
(404) 603-9898 or bangkokboxingfitness.com

Team Octopus
5799-B New Peachtree Road, Doraville, 30340
(678) 368-4331 or saraivamma.com

Trammell Fitness and Martial Arts (Shidokan Atlanta)
1465 Chattachoochee Ave., Suite 800, Atlanta, 30318
(404) 605-0094 or shidokanatlanta.com

Unit 2 Fitness
240 Ponce De Leon Ave., #2, Atlanta, 30308
(404) 745-3019 or unit2fitness.com

X3 Sports – Midtown
240 N. Highland Ave., Building 3- Suite B2, Atlanta, 30307
(404) 525-2269 or x3sports.com

The second of three runs in the Atlanta BeltLine’s 2011 Running Series, the Atlanta BeltLine Southwest 5K will begin at 7:30 a.m. and will feature post-race activities, memorable medals, prizes, and gift certificates for winners, and a fun media category. An exciting addition to this race, Atlanta Police and Fire Departments will participate in a friendly competition as well.

“We are looking forward to building on the momentum gained from our first race, where approximately 375 runners participated,” said Atlanta BeltLine Executive Director Valarie Wilson. “The Southwest 5K stands to attract an even larger turnout of runners and Atlanta BeltLine supporters who are interested in enjoying a vigorous run or walk while taking in this unique view of the historic West End and Westview neighborhoods.”

For more information about the series and for registration, visit Run.BeltLine.org.

Free to all ages, participants can also take advantage of an array of free healthy and cultural activities from relay races and pick-up soccer games to yoga, dance lessons, and various demonstrations. In addition to the restaurants and businesses along the route that will be open, the Sweet Auburn market will host the Urban Picnic, with a variety of food trucks for hungry participants. Visit www.atlantastreetsalive.com for the full schedule of activities and the specific route.

“Our goal is to create opportunities for Atlantans to beat the obesity epidemic by getting active, having fun, socializing with their neighbors, and exploring parts of the city by bike and foot they normally experience from the interior of a car,” says Rebecca Serna of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition.