After Olympic coaching success, Deem back at Miami
Posted: August 15, 2012 at 9:21 am
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- Amy Deem's Olympic responsibilities are now complete, so she went back to her real gig on Tuesday.
No time for a victory lap - though one certainly would seem warranted.
Deem was the coach for the U.S. women's track and field team at the London Olympics, part of the group that helped Americans win more medals and more gold medals than any other nation at the games. U.S. track and field athletes won 29 medals in London, 14 of them by Deem's side of the roster, including three golds by sprinter Allyson Felix.
Still, at 7:20 a.m. Tuesday, Deem was back in her office at Miami, where she's the director of track and field and cross country for the Hurricanes, sitting at her desk and sneaking a peek every now and then at - what else? - Olympic highlights playing on the big-screen television mounted on the wall.
"I think I was really able to enjoy the whole experience," Deem said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It was hard work. It was stressful at times. But we had a tremendous group of athletes, a lot of experience, the team meshed really well together. For an Olympic team, it felt like we had minimal issues, nothing that you weren't expecting. It was a truly amazing experience."
The numbers back that up as well.
Americans won by far the most medals in track and field at London, part of the reason why the U.S. team overall came home with 104 medals and 46 golds. Deem works closely with U.S. relays coach Jon Drummond, and the relays delivered perhaps two of the top moments for the Americans at the Olympic Stadium - the win in the 4x400-meter women's relay, and the record-smashing show in the 4x100-meter women's relay.
In the 4x100, the U.S. finished in 40.82 seconds - 0.55 seconds faster than the old mark, which doesn't sound like much, but for that event it was a complete breakthrough. The previous time was 41.37 seconds by East Germany, and that mark stood for nearly 27 years.
"Every time that word came up, I squashed it," Deem said, referring to any record talk. "That's just me. To me, it was more important for those young women to get the stick around the track and get the medal. Everything else was icing on the cake. We really tried to focus on the execution of the relay and let everything else take care of itself."
Then the moment came - and even Deem got wrapped up in it all.
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After Olympic coaching success, Deem back at Miami
The busy life of Temple football player Connor Reilly
Posted: at 9:20 am
DRIPPING IN sweat, Temple's reserve quarterback walked off the Owls' practice turf on Monday after a steamy morning under the North Philadelphia sun. After stripping off his helmet, cleats and pads, he let out an exhaustive sigh.
"This is a little different than baseball," he said, laughing. "It's a lot of fun being out here, though."
Meet Connor Reilly, Temple's only dual-sport male athlete. In the first week of training camp, Reilly, a 20-year-old sophomore, is trying to work his way up the depth chart at quarterback. He is currently battling for the No. 3 position behind starter Chris Coyer and backup Clinton Granger.
If Reilly seems particularly overwhelmed compared to his competition, it's probably because he is. In a coup for the program, Steve Addazio brought newcomers Kevin Rogers (quarterbacks) and Ryan Day (wide receivers/offensive coordinator) into the Temple coaching fold this past spring.
But at the time, Reilly was busy patrolling the outfield for the Owls' baseball team, where he hit .263 with four home runs and 25 RBI in 38 starts as a freshman. He has been playing a frantic game of catch-up ever since.
"A lot of the plays are kind of similar to last year's playbook, but I am still getting back into the football mentality," Reilly said. "It's kind of like being a freshman again, in a way."
Reilly's father, Neil, played professional baseball in the Texas Rangers' system in the '80s before an eye injury forced him into retirement. Connor has played baseball all of his life and didn't step on a football field until his sophomore year in high school.
Nevertheless, he was able to get into three games last season after redshirting in 2010 - experiences, he says, that were invaluable to his development. Blessed with a strong arm, Reilly's main focus in this camp, outside of continuing to learn, is working on his mechanics.
"I throw like a baseball player, so I drop the ball," Reilly said. "Coach Rogers and I are working on instead of dropping my arm, bringing it straight back."
When he isn't on the gridiron or on the diamond, Reilly is a proud member of a military family. Shortly after his pro baseball career ended, Neil Reilly joined the Army. Lt. Col. Reilly returned from Afghanistan last September, making it home just in time to see his son's Owls take on Penn State at the Linc.
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The busy life of Temple football player Connor Reilly
New Teen Health and Fitness Channel – Video
Posted: at 9:20 am
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New Teen Health and Fitness Channel - Video
Dr. Bud Harris says if truckers can do it, so can you
Posted: at 9:20 am
Consistency is the name of the health and fitness game, according to Hillsboro wellness coach Bud Harris.
"Just do anything -- consistently," said the 52-year-old, fresh from the glory of seeing his Truckers to Triathletes participants swim, bike and run their way to healthier lives in the recent Midsummer Sprint Triathlon at Metro's Blue Lake Regional Park.
Truckers are notoriously unfit, said Harris, with a high percentage of drivers suffering obesity, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. Many smoke, and their diet often consists of a high-fat, low-nutrition meal grabbed on the road. Those combined with the stress of long stretches sitting behind the wheel is a recipe for disaster, he added.
"Imagine a truck loaded with 80,000 pounds of freight going 70 miles an hour and the driver has a heart attack," Harris said. Con-way Freight's Clackamas location hired Harris through Wellness Coaches USA, a nationwide company that contracts with businesses to improve the health of their workers.
Participants begin by training and competing on relay teams of coworkers and, as they gain confidence and fitness, they increase their performance to a level where they can compete in the three triathlon events -- a half-mile swim, a 16.5-mile bike ride and a 3.1-mile run.
John Schniedewind of Washougal, Wash., has been a truck driver for 17 years and suffered from most of the health problems that plague a large percentage of workers in his industry. He had already set his sights on losing weight when he met Harris in 2009.
"Dr. Bud is an incredible motivator," said Schniedewind, 51, who has dropped 50 pounds, lowered his cholesterol, and relieved some of the pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis. The recent Midsummer Sprint Triathlon was his fifth competition.
Despite working 12 to 14 hours a night driving, Schniedewind now finds time to hit the gym for organized bike spin classes, swimming laps and sessions on the treadmill. His new dedication to fitness has also inspired his family, including a son who also has lost 50 pounds.
Harris worked as a helicopter logger, an electrician and engineering technician, then switched careers, earning a doctorate in safety engineering and certificates in several areas, including personal fitness, wellness and ergonomics.
"No matter how unfit their workforce is, in today's world of health care costs, employers expect employees to have a hand in their own health," Harris said. And, healthy workers are less at risk of injuries, saving both employers and workers time and money.
Health & Fitness File, Aug. 15
Posted: at 9:20 am
Aurora Wellness Center
Healing with Yoga: This series is open to those currently undergoing cancer treatment and those who have completed treatment. Learn techniques to relieve stress through imagery, breathing, gentle stretching and deep relaxation. The focus for cancer patients is on restoring and nurturing all parts of mind and body, and on regaining a sense of control, optimism, energy and wholeness. Participants may start six weeks after surgery; a doctors permission slip is required. 10:30-11:45 a.m. Tuesdays through Sept. 25 (participants may join at any time). Free, registration is required, go to http://www.aurorahealthcare.org or call (800) 499-5736. Aurora Wellness Center, 300 McCanna Parkway, Burlington.
Taoist Tai Chi Society of the United States
Tai Chi Beginner Classes: Beginner classes last three months, during which students learn the complete sequence of the Taoist Tai Chi set, which incorporates stretching and turning within a sequence of movements that improve the health of body, mind and spirit. Diligent practice can reduce tension, improve circulation and balance and increase strength and flexibility. 5:30-6:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. Prospective students can attend their first class at no obligation. Monthly fees: $40 adults, $25 seniors. DeKoven Center, assembly hall, 600 21st St. (enter on Wisconsin Avenue side of property). Call (262) 902-0725.
North Beach
Zumba Classes: Zumba fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves to create a dynamic workout system. Class participants follow the Zumba instructor who will do choreography dancing to Latin music like salsa, merengue, cumbia, samba, flamenco, reggaeton and some American music. 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, through Aug. 30, at North Beach near the Beachside Oasis, 100 Kewaunee St. Free.
Kenosha Visiting Nurse Association
In-Home Foot Care: Provided by trained CNA, care includes a foot soak, nail trim and lotion application for adults who have difficulty properly caring for their feet. $35 per visit. For an appointment, call (262) 656-8400.
Fitness File is published every Wednesday and includes notices of nonprofit fitness and health-related programs. The deadline to submit an announcement is seven days before the desired publication date. Mail information to Fitness File, c/o Diane Collins, 212 Fourth St., Racine, WI 53403; fax to (262) 631-1780; or submit it to the online calendar at http://www.journaltimes.com/calendar and use the Health-and-fitness category.
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Health & Fitness File, Aug. 15
Health & Fitness Calendar for Aug. 15 to 21
Posted: at 9:20 am
CLINIC Thursday Free Medical Clinic, 4 to 6 p.m. Templo Del Espiritu Santo United Methodist Church, 3715 Elaine Drive, Bryan. 450-7258.
Tuesday Free Medical Clinic, 4 to 6 p.m. Templo Del Espiritu Santo United Methodist Church, 3715 Elaine Drive, Bryan. 450-7258.
Free Medical Clinic, 6 to 8 p.m. The Bridge Ministries, 1002 E. 29th St., Bryan.
Ongoing Brazos County Health Department immunization clinics. 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays; to 10:30 a.m. (19 and older) and 2 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays; 10 a.m. to noon Fridays. 201 N. Texas Ave., Bryan. $5 per child, $30 per adult. http://www.brazoshealth.org, 361-4440.
Move Wednesday Seniors Golf Tournament, 7:30 a.m. Bryan Golf Course, 206 W. Villa Maria Road in Bryan. $5 entry.
Brazos Valley Laughter Yoga Circle, 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. Unity Church, 4016 Stillmeadow Drive. Combination of laughter exercises, deep breathing and relaxation. Good for seniors, but open to everyone. No mats required. $5 suggested donation. laughwithangelika@yahoo.com or 422-8394.
Friday Senior Ladies Tennis, 8 a.m. Gordons Tennis at Aerofit, 4455 Carter Creek Parkway, Bryan. 846-8925.
Monday Seniors Golf Tournament, 7 a.m. Texas A&M University Golf Course, College Station. $5 entry. No advance registration; just show up and play.
Mind and Body workout, 9 a.m. Waldenbrooke Estates, community room, Bryan. Get your daily dose of laughter and stretching. 774-1298.
Tuesday Brazos Ladies Golf Association Playday, 8 a.m. Travis B. Bryan Golf Course, 206 W. Villa Maria Road, Bryan. All women welcome. $12 per year.
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Health & Fitness Calendar for Aug. 15 to 21
Nationwide Names New Leaders for Retirement Plans and P&C Direct Channel
Posted: at 9:20 am
COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
In a commitment to growth and to develop executive talent, Nationwide Chief Executive Officer Steve Rasmussen announced today that the leaders for the companys retirement plans business and its property & casualty direct channel will be switching roles. Larry Hilsheimer will lead Nationwide Retirement Plans and Anne Arvia will lead Nationwide Direct, Affinity and Growth Solutions.
Nationwide is a strong company with many talented people. We remain fully committed to our public and private sector retirement plan business partners, to our direct, affinity and growth lines and to our members, said Rasmussen. My philosophy is that fresh leadership perspective and successful ideas from one area of the company will lead to benefits in another. We made similar leadership changes back in 2009 that were beneficial for our leaders and the company as a whole. Im confident the end result of the changes we are announcing today will make us even stronger and better able to deliver our On Your Side promise.
Larry Hilsheimer has been named President and Chief Operating Officer of Nationwide Retirement Plans. Nationwide is one of the leading providers of public and private sector retirement plans in the country. He will retain oversight of Nationwide Bank. Hilsheimer joined Nationwide as executive vice president and chief financial officer in 2007 coming from Deloitte & Touche USA, LLP where he served as partner, vice chairman and regional managing partner. He has served on the boards of several community organizations, including Nationwide Childrens Hospital, Battelle for Kids, the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation and The Ohio State University Alumni Association.
Anne Arvia has been named President and Chief Operating Officer of Nationwide Direct, Affinity and Growth Solutions (NDAGS). Arvia currently serves as the leader for Nationwide Retirement Plans. NDAGS includes Nationwides direct property & casualty sales channel, specialty insurance, affinity partnerships, and Veterinary Pet Insurance. Arvia joined Nationwide in 2006 as president of Nationwide Bank prior to assuming her role as leader of Retirement Plans in 2009. Prior to joining Nationwide, Arvia spent 15 years at ShoreBank in Chicago.
Additionally, Rasmussen announced that Mark Berven has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Product Management Officer. In this new role, Berven will oversee strategy for the Nationwide enterprise and the product organization for property & casualty business lines. Berven joined Nationwide in 1994 and has served as a regional vice president and most recently as senior vice president of product and pricing for all P&C operations.
The changes are effective immediately. Hilsheimer will report to Kirt Walker, President and Chief Operating Officer of Nationwide Financial Services. Arvia will report to Mark Pizzi, President and Chief Operating Officer of Nationwide Insurance. Berven will report to Rasmussen.
About Nationwide
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poors. The company provides customers a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, pet, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and specialty health services. For more information, visit http://www.nationwide.com.
Life insurance is issued by Nationwide Life Insurance Company or Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio.
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Nationwide Names New Leaders for Retirement Plans and P&C Direct Channel
Don't make business credit card personal
Posted: at 9:19 am
Dear Credit Card Adviser, I recently applied and was approved for a business credit card. I used my name as the name of the business and my Social Security number as the employer identification number, and I classified myself as a sole proprietor.
Other than the credit inquiry to open the account, do business credit cards show up on personal credit reports? While I understand I'm liable for the charges, is it possible for me to bury my spending on my business card to keep my personal credit report free and clear and create a nice, healthy credit history for lenders to see? -- Nick
Dear Nick, Unfortunately, you've basically signed a personal guarantee on the small-business credit card, and your personal credit could be at stake. Because the card was given to you based on your individual credit history and credit score, the issuer most likely will report the card's performance to your personal credit files. But what issuers report varies by company.
Some issuers may report all information to your personal credit files. Others may only report negative information from small-business credit cards and ignore the positive payment history. That means if you only use your small-business credit card -- and you use it responsibly -- none of that good performance is recorded on your credit report and can't help your credit score.
For example, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reports delinquencies that are 60 days past due on small-business credit cards to the consumer's personal credit report. Otherwise, Chase reports to the commercial bureau to help the business build its credit profile, according to company spokeswoman Laura Rossi.
The second major factor to consider is consumer protections. The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 banned many egregious practices such as retroactive interest rate increases, double-cycle billing and unreasonable fees, but small-business credit cards aren't covered under those protections.
That means if you're 30 days behind on a payment on your small-business credit card in the first year, your issuer can charge you a late fee of more than $25, charge you more than one fee for the late payment, raise your interest rate on new and existing charges without warning, and maintain that penalty rate for as long as the issuer likes. All that can't happen with a consumer credit card, thanks to the Credit CARD Act. So, if you put all your business and personal spending on the small-business card and have trouble making payments, you are opening yourself up to a world of fees and high rates.
Small-business credit cards work well for an established business with a healthy, dependable monthly revenue stream. They can help separate business expenses from personal spending. Some small-business credit cards also come with useful rewards programs that award points for purchases of office supplies and business travel as well as phone, computer and Internet services.
But, like a consumer credit card, it's important for your business to be able to pay the entire credit card bill in full every month to avoid accruing more interest debt. This can be tough for new business owners who must balance their optimism with reality. I hope this helps.
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Don't make business credit card personal
Have fun, get fit, in Roseland this fall
Posted: August 14, 2012 at 8:22 pm
ROSELAND - Programs from aerobics to yoga are offered by the Roseland Recreation Department this fall.
Following is the listing of offerings:
Multi-Impact Aerobics
The Roseland Recreation Department is, once again, co-sponsoring an adult multi-impact aerobics class in conjunction with Olympias Fitness Training, Inc. for adults 18 years and older.
This program will consist of 29 classes held 7 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and five specific Thursday nights.
The Monday and Wednesday classes will begin on Monday, Sept. 10 and end on Wednesday Nov. 28.
The Thursday classes will be held on Sept. 13 and 27; Oct. 11; Nov. 8, and Dec. 13.
There will be no classes on Monday, Oct. 8 and Nov. 12 or Thursday, Nov. 22.
All classes will be held in the Borough Hall All-Purpose Room.
The class size is limited to the first 35 participants. The fee for the program is $145 for three days a week and $120 for Monday and Wednesday. Registration forms are available outside the recreation office
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Have fun, get fit, in Roseland this fall
Indian yoga guru ends hunger strike
Posted: at 8:22 pm
An Indian yoga guru has ended a six-day hunger strike against corruption but vowed to use his popularity to pile pressure on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Baba Ramdev, a maverick 'holy man' who heads a wealthy international yoga organisation, sipped juice to break his fast on Tuesday as several thousand supporters cheered him in New Delhi.
Ramdev had tried to lead an anti-corruption march to parliament on Monday but was corralled by police at a sports stadium in the Indian capital.
The prime minister 'should show political will and honesty, and if he does not show it, he will be deemed as corrupt', Ramdev, half naked and wearing saffron-coloured robes, told the crowds.
'If he cannot remain politically honest then he should leave the post,' Ramdev said, claiming that the fast had achieved its aims and calling for the downfall of Singh's ruling Congress party at
general elections due in 2014.
'Next time in the elections, we should ensure that not a single Congress leader gets elected to parliament,' he said.
Pranab Mukherjee, India's newly elected president, in a customary address on the eve of Independence Day, said he had sympathy with Ramdev's cause but warned against random protests.
'Anger against the bitter pandemic of corruption is legitimate, as is the protest against this plague that is eroding the capability and potential of our nation,' he said, without referring to the yoga guru.
'There are times when people lose their patience but it cannot become an excuse for an assault on our democratic institutions,' said Mukherjee, who quit as finance minister in June to run for the largely ceremonial post.