Beyond Bootcamp

As someone who has spent sweltering summers in Quantico, VA on a Marine Corps training base being yelled at by fit, disciplined drill instructors, I have a humble request. Can we be done with boot camps? I understand the desire to market a program as rigorous, but when yoga or poetry classes are dubbed Boot Camps, is it possible we have gone too far?

The purpose of real boot camp is more about screening people out than training them. Maybe it’s my age, or my station in life, but I am drawn to groups that welcome in more than weed out.

Moreover, most things of value cannot be developed in a crash course. Building skills takes time, patience, and persistence. Writers call this “butt in the seat” time, and there’s no short cut for it.

My friend and fellow Marine, Andy Petranek, refers to this as the show up muscle. Andy was a professional endurance athlete, so he knows something about rigor, strength building, and discipline. But as a whole life coach, Andy also knows that boot camp is not a sustainable lifestyle. So, in addition to building triceps and glutes, Andy knows that a person's sense of success is tied to their ability to build healthy habits, in and out of the gym.

I’m not just talking about kale smoothies and monthly cleanses. I’m talking about showing up – to the day in front of you, for a friend who needs a long walk and a good ear, or a parent facing the end of their life.

Recently, my oldest son ran an ultra marathon. He was joined by other runners from his running club, some who trained for and were running in the event, others who drove several hours to spend a weekend camping in the rain and cheering on their running buddies. Their community of runners was built on showing up — to their daily running sessions, (sometimes long runs, sometimes at the track, often ending at a pub) or, on the day I met them, to the race transition area with a pair of fresh socks and box of blackberries to cheer their friends through the bonk, and nudge them back toward their goals.

While I’m on this topic, what do you say that we give a rest to the idea of always giving 110%? First of all, that’s not how math works. More importantly, on most days, 80% does the trick. Sometimes I have to make do with a measly 25%. But as long as I get in the habit of dragging my tired ass into my writing chair for an hour or so, or out onto the trails for a hike, I must be satisfied to show up with whatever percent happens to show up that day.

(See Andy’s video on “The Show Up Muscle” or read him on Substack)

Congratulations to all the Charles River Rats who came to run or cheer!!