Org-Fitness Today!

Bad News Boomers

Most of the news coming out about Boomers is typically good. We think of ourselves as wiser, wealthier, and healthier than past generations. Maybe that is just our thinking! (?)

I read over on SportsGeezer, a new report is out from Beth Soldo, a sociologist from the University of Pennsylvania. She reports that we are more stressed out, are not in as good shape, and we get hurt more than our predecessors at age 50.

You can read the full report here and check out SportGeazers post here.

We're lucky we live Hawaii, we don't have the excuses of places in other climates with bad weather, etc. These days, you can find reports to support just about any viewpoint or perspective.

I think I am going for a run!

Mission Possible - Badwater and Don Fallis

I like to write about something a bit lighter on Friday's and today I want to let you know about a friend of mine, Don Fallis.

As many of you know, I like to run. It's one of my passions. OK, some might say an obsession. :-) For the last five years, I have been actively involved with the HURT (Hawaiian Ultra Running Team) running group. Don was one of the first people I met in HURT and in his welcoming and accepting manner, took me under his wings, to learn about ultra running.

Now Don has always been pretty humble in achievements and life in general. However I want to let you know about something he is undertaking. Don has been accepted as an entrant into the Badwater Ultramarathon. This is no ordinary ultra. Don has finished other 100 mile runs, however I think they have all been on trails. The Badwater Ultramarathon is a 135 mile road race run from Badwater in Death Valley up to the Portals on Mt. Whitney in July.  Will it be hot?? That's an understatement!

You can read more about Don and his adventure at his site, here.

I'll conclude with this: Don is 65 years old and is running this as a way to build awareness for keeping active and not letting age stop you. Did I mention he is a Type II diabetic? Go check out his site.

What is it I do?

Recently someone called me and was asking what I did for work. They knew I had the MSOD degree from Pepperdine University however they wanted to know more specifically.

Some of my friends think I do fitness related work within organizations. That would be nice, however it's not the case. Certainly fitness is a serious interest of mine, however that's not what I do everyday as a vocation.

So as I talked on the phone with this person, I described what I do:

"I am an organizational consultant who uses his training in OD consulting to provide management and leadership development training to organizations. I often times bring to my clients expertise and experience in team building, communication and dealing with strategic change. Additionally I provide executive coaching using assessments to provide a developmental framework for my clients."

After I finished the call and it went on for a while as we discussed this and some of the challenges this person was facing in their work environment, I realized this was a pretty good summary of what I do. For this reason, I wanted to capture it. We all have our niches and areas of expertise, this is mine.

HURT 100 Update

Posting this way past the race. Just trying to get caught up.

The race was great this year. Got in the full 100 miles after 4 attempts and various other mileages.
2003--first year 80 miles--beginners luck. Credited with 100k finish.

2004--only trained for the 100k.

2005--80 miles, stopped very disappointingly at 11:00 a.m. the cutoff. Regretted not going out on the fifth loop. Credited with 100k finish.

2006--90+ miles, my worse race yet, feet problems, stomach shuts down, can't run at night. Consider giving up ultra running. Credited with 100k finish.

2007--100 miles completed. What makes the difference? Train on the road more, add additional leg strengthening and core body workouts, use better race nutritional products--electrolytes and drinks, eat early, have great pacers, and commit to saving some energy early on loops one and two, for loops three four, and five.

More info and pictures can be found here.

Fitness and Fun!

There is an article in today's Honolulu Advertiser that is titled, Fitness is a 5-part Exercise. The article defines these five components as flexibility, muscle strength, cardiovascular endurance, muscle endurance, and body composition.

This is a good way to think about our overall workouts and fitness since they are all interrelated. It is so easy to get stuck into just doing one thing--running, swimming, or weights at the gym. Since I spend a lot of my time out on the trails and road running, I like to throw in some strength or resistance training as well.

Lose Five Pounds in Two Days??

As many of you know, I like to run. I post the following with this disclaimer: Don't try this diet without the proper training.

This post has more to do with extremes: read with caution, act with even more caution. Dean Karnazes, ultra runner and author (Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner), was recently quoted describing this diet:

Lose five pounds in two days, the Dean Karnazes way

1. Eat eight PowerBars; one large pizza; four bananas; two grilled chicken sandwiches; one large bag of Doritos; one cheesecake; five large chocolate chip cookies; two cinnamon buns; four peanut butter and honey sandwiches; three large beef burritos; one bag of pretzels; one Thai chicken wrap; one ice cream sandwich; two servings of macaroni and cheese; one chocolate eclair; three doughnuts; three bags of trail mix; three bags of french fries; one bag of chocolate espresso beans.

2. Drink one Slurpee; two smoothies; one large chocolate malt; 30 bottles Pedialyte.

3. Run 200 miles in 46 hours, 17 minutes.

Total calories consumed: 27,934

Total calories burned: 44,000

Total weight loss: 16,066 calories or roughly five pounds

Here's a link to a recent article on Dean as he tours the country promoting his book.

I would not expect Dean to see his eating habits as a serious way to lose weight and neither would I expect you to take it that way.

Losing weight means eating healthier, exercising more, and making wise choices.

So eat the apple for a snack and get out there and do something--walk, run, ride, swim or paddle.

HMSA and Fitness

An article in today's Honolulu Advertiser talks about the HMSA "go" program. Check out the web site: http://www.hmsa.com/go for some good information. HMSA is Hawaii's largest healthcare insurer.

This program is targeted to get people moving and improving their diets. The program's tagline: Get up, Get out, Get active! The article quotes some statistics that are pretty scary.

Youth obesity is at 22% in Hawaii--twice the national average

More than 50% of adults are overweight or obese.

Guess I'll have that yogurt and apple for lunch. Then I'll go for a run after work today!

Here's the article.

Protect Your Skin Or Else

After what seems like another very wet winter here in Hawaii, the weather seems to be shifting to more of a summer pattern over the last week or so. It is definitely warmer and the trade winds are blowing.

This is a reminder for all of us to protect our skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation. I visited my dermatologist recently and had a small lesion removed. Basically the doctor told me I need to always wear 30+spf suncreen (I knew that already) and I have to see him every six months.

It's tough to stay inside all the time when we live in such a beautiful location with so many outdoor activities. I guess I'll be investing in lots of suncreen and also some of that spf protective clothing. At my doctor's office, they have lots of posters on the wall showing the alternative and it's not pretty. Skin cancer is nothing to mess with and it is occuring more frequently then ever. See you on the beach--I'll be the one all covered up!

Steve Case, AOL Founder, Invests in Health and Wellness Industry

According to both online and print editions (3/31/05) of BusinessWeek, AOL founder (and Hawaii born), Steve Case, is investing up to $500 million of his estimated $825 million net worth in the health and wellness industry.

The article states Case became interested in the industry after his brother, Daniel Case III, died from brain cancer. Essentially Case experienced how complex and confusing the health care industry is from the experience he had in a hospital while taking his brother in for a weekly blood test.

Revolution is the name of the private holding company that will fund investments in health care, wellness, and resorts.

For more on Revolution, click here for the BusinessWeek article.

Nutrition and Body Type

Departing from some of the main themes on my blog, I recently heard Marie Savard, M.D. author of a book entitled, Apples and Pears, The Body Shape for Weight Loss and Wellness. Though her book and research mainly focuses on women, she held the attention of a predominately male audience at a recent breakfast meeting.

Here's a quote from her book, "According to recent studies, your body shape is the single most powerful predictor of future health. More important than weight itself, this simple piece of information can determine the best way to tackle weight loss and predict your propensity to develop certain diseases...."

You can find our more information and learn about your body type at www.applesandpears.org

I saw a related article and have included the link below:

http://channels.netscape.com/ns/homerealestate/package.jsp?name=fte/waistline/waistline&floc=HR-1_T