28 InRegister • July 2008
InTouch
Pull up your shirtand let me see those abs, I wanna make surethis works.’”
From there, Yesso had his new “littlebuddy,” who would eventually become his partner in Yoglates.
“She brought something to the business that wasn’t there before,and she landed the LSU deal,” says Yesso.
Teaming upwith the LSU Athletic Department, Yoglates has found its wayto the Tiger football team. So add the names CraigSteltz, Joe Addai and Michael Clayton to the likes ofthe gymnasts and grandmothers that adhere to this innovative routine.It’s no country club atmosphere, however.
“The customer isnever right here,” Yesso continues. “It’s not like BurgerKing; you can’t have it your way.”
Described as militaristic,the regimented workout entails a series of stretches and movementsdone in 90-degree-plus heat. A few key no-no’s include gum, hats, music and even talking.
Those thatstay see the results and come back for more, findingthemselves enforcing the same strict rules they once detested.
Now,as Yesso describes, “We need a shoehorn to getpeople in here.”
Happy’s Running Club
“We were drivingto a Hornets playoff game in New Orleans,” says MichaelLang, “then, all the sudden, Scott looked at meand said, ‘Do you want to start a runningclub?’”
Just like that, with one innocuous question, their ideawas off and running.
“We read in Runner’s Digestabout clubs in Orlando, Denver and Pensacola that were havingsuccess, averaging a couple hundred runners per week,” Lang explains.Lang and crony Scott Higgins now have their own toboast about, Happy’s Running Club.
Through an agreement with JackWarner of Happy’s Irish Pub, the two men have createda monster that continues to grow in popularity and attendance.“We had a dream once of having a hundredpeople show up on Tuesday nights,” continues Higgins. “Well,in just 14 weeks we have met that goal. Thisweek, we had 106 total runners!”
The opportunity to runand socialize are just part of the draw, the freepizza from Schlitz & Giggles along with discounts on beerafterward at Happy’s play a large role in the success,as well.
“Membership is only $30, and thatgets you a T-shirt and all the discounts toboot,” adds Lang.
The green T-shirt captures the club’scatchy slogan “Run … Drink … and be HAPPY!”They meet every Tuesday at 6 p.m. and takeoff on their 5K run from Happy’s downtown at 6:15. There are four different routes to date, so noneed to worry about monotony. As far as the crowd,call it a mixed bag.
“We’ve got a widerange,” explains Lang. “There are seniors at LSU and50-somethings all coming together.”
Michelle Mayer has her owntheory on the new local sensation.
“It’s a crowdthat on the whole is more interested in fun thancompetitive racing. There’s only so many elites, everyone else justwants to have fun and socialize,” says Mayer, owner ofFleet Feet Baton Rouge, which helps sponsor the running club.Fleet Feet and other sponsors, including Vitamin Water and Starbucks,contribute gift certificates and other exciting prizes.
If it’s amore serious pace you desire, Fleet Feet can help there,too.
Its Club South Runners meet every other Wednesday atrotating locations to run the hump-day two-miler. Locationsinclude various BREC parks around town and the lakes atPennington Biomedical Research Center.
And Michelle is the perfect guideto help you kick into high gear, having just completedthe Boston Marathon in April.
While Tuesday at Happy’s maynot be the Boston Marathon, the great deals and funatmosphere have Baton Rouge running wild!
Scott Higgins
& MichaelLang
Ready to run
