That is so Awesome!!!

I am all guy. 6’3″, 205 pounds and 100% guy. Yet, I couldnt be happier to see the results of a recent survey– 53% of runners in races were women. The percentage keeps climbing! So cool.

Why is this so cool? I am married to a beautiful runner (who I just cant keep up with at any distance over 10 miles – but more on that on another day) and I have 2 beautiful girls. I have 3 races in May. 1 down and 2 to go. I hope that these events and my attempt at daily exercise inspires my wife and daughters to keep up their active lifestyles.

I know it is keeping me in shape and giving me the energy to get through long days and achieve much at work at on the home front. I think it is working. At my daughters have exercise almost daily at school. There is usually a component of running. I get the daily updates from the kids on who finished first, second, etc. I am always so proud when they announce “Dad, I was the third one finished with our “Eagles (laps around the field)” but I was the first girl! I just cant catch that William- he is too fast.” No, that is just too darn cute.

You see, one of the biggest challenges facing our country (and beyond) is our health. Some call it wellness. It doesnt matter what you call it, we are drifting into unhealthy lifestyles, eating too much, and not exercising enough. If you really want to address all the budget problems we have in Washington, we need to get healthier as a country. Exercise is part of that solution.

I hope the next article I post is that registrations in running events are up 50%. I hope.

http://news.runnersworld.com/2012/05/10/womens-running-its-still-growing/?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-RunnersWorld-_-Content-Blog-_-WomensRunningGrowth

http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story/Jogging-boosts-lifespan-up-to-six-years-study/vkk0Zpw_n0GOMqr38gpqHA.cspx

http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story/Jogging-boosts-lifespan-up-to-six-years-study/vkk0Zpw_n0GOMqr38gpqHA.cspx

Wanna run? A new study released shows that jogging boosts lifespan 6.2 years in men and 5.6 years in women. Who knew?!?!?

I guess I will have extra motivation to get out of bed early and strap on the running shoes.

Mountain Trail Race

It was a cool morning. Overcast. Perfect racing conditions. I ran into some running friends before the race. We talked about past races, successes and failures. We all shared our plans for this Verdugo Mountain 10k trail race.

Sure, a 10k. No problem – right? This one was harder than any I have done. 3.1 miles straight up. 1,750 vertical feet of elevation climb on a fire road with 500 of your best friends. Before we knew it, we were at the starting line singing the national anthem.

We were off. Bodies jockeying for position. All the hard work had paid off. I was breathing heavy and legs were starting to burn. What was that? The 1 mile marker? You have to be kidding me. We grinded it out, up up up. I got passed by my buddy Craig about 30 seconds before the turn around point – He won his age division (60).

The way down was easy- right? No, it took forever to get my lungs going. I was running sub 7 minute miles although I didnt feel it. Then it happened. Somewhere around half way down, my right toe caught a protruding rock and I went flying. I think I broke my fall with my shoulder, or was it my elbow. I dont know. It hurt. It bled. I shouted a few expletives, so loud in fact that the runner in front of me turned around. I found my feet and got going. My confidence was as bruised as my body but I kept going.

I felt a surge of energy when i saw the 5 mile marker. I felt the blisters in my feet start to burn. Finally the last turn and the finish line. I grabbed a water and cheered some friends who were still crossing the line. Finally, I was ready to visit the Medic. They cleaned me up and sent me on my way. It was a great and memorable race.

Join me next year?!?!?

http://ow.ly/aClSP The future of health

http://ow.ly/aClSP The future of health care is here. You may not like it, but doctors are embracing telemedicine

Got Heartburn? Don’t ignore it!

Got Heartburn? Don’t ignore it!

This hits home. Way to close to home and our hearts. Like the title says, don’t ignore these symptoms. “Grandpa Mac,” my wonderful father in law had heartburn for years. He rarely complained about it. He just did what most people do – dealt with it.

We will never know if he had Barretts or not. I do know that in July of 2010 he told us that he was having tests done and he was concerned. Esophageal cancer was the diagnosis. We got the pleasure of his wonderful company for 9 months before he departed us to join his maker.

There is a lesson to be learned. Be pro-active. Own your own health. Love those around you. You never know what the future will bring. Embrace every day, then embrace your family and friends.

What’s Your Inner Child Up To ?

What's Your Inner Child Up To ?.

Flintridge Horse Show -No better way to spend a weekend….

Flintridge Horse Show -No better way to spend a weekend….

Sure, it was hot at times. The volunteers (Thanks to the La Canada Guild!!!!) put in a ton of hours and hard work and did an amazing job putting together such an event. All the effort was worth it. The Huntington Hospital will benefit from all the money raised.

I really cant think of a better way of spending my weekend. My kids (and all the friends that met us there or came with us) had a blast. They were encouraged to play, get a little dirty, learn about horses, feed horses (oops) and experience something different. You can read about horses all day long but nothing can replace the sights, touch, and yes, smell of horses and a horse show. We talked about Dressage, Hunters and Jumpers, how to feed a horse, safety, scoring, ribbons and the joy of riding.

My crew of kids fell in love with a horse named Pepsi (from Sunnybrook ranch) and rider 121. Oh there were others – Gunther, Gigi, Snowie, Coco and my personal favorite, Porsche. What about the talent? Such incredible riders, beautiful horses, the high jumps at the Grand Prix and the thrill of victory.

The volunteers generously gave their time and hard work. The corporate (Thank you Allen Lund!) sponsors and individual sponsors gave generously. It was wonderful to be outdoors enjoying the beauty in our own back yard.

Join me next year!

Why the tiered offerings of Health Care will be bad for consumers

Why the tiered offerings of Health Care will be bad for consumers

Its complicated yet pretty simple. Without getting into all the math of the calculations, group plans will need to offer a Silver plan (70% actuarial value) in order to meet the minimum federal standard. Why is this bad? Well, many employers want to meet the minimum standard, meet the requirement, avoid penalties and save money. Consumers may be pushed to get “worse” coverage than they are currently receiving. What is the incentive for employers to be more generous?

This is a great…

This is a great article on what a CEO expects from their HR leaders. Well said.

To all my Human Resource friends

To all my Human Resource friends

This is a great articrle on what a CEO expects from their HR leaders. Well said.