45 and Still Running: Fast facts about the New York City Marathon

This year, the New York City Marathon celebrates its 45th year, a grand feat given that the very first race was held entirely in Central Park and only had 127 entrants. The 2015 race, which was held on November 1st, saw a registration of 50,229 entrants, with the participants running a 26.2 mile (42.2 km) course that covered all five boroughs of New York City. From the relatively simple event that Fred Lebow and Vince Chiappetta organized in 1970, the New York City Marathon has grown to one of the biggest (if not the biggest) running events the world today.

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Below are other interesting facts about the Big Apple’s most iconic road race:

1. For the first New York City Marathon, only 55 men finished the race, and the sole female entrant dropped out due to illness. Winners were given inexpensive wristwatches and recycled baseball and bowling trophies. The entry fee was $1, and the total event budget was $1,000. (This year’s first place finishers received $100,000, and entry cost was around $250.) 

2. Women were barred from running marathons until the Amateur Athletic Union finally lifted the ban in 1971, provided female runners started either 10 minutes before or after the men. In 1972, six female runners joined the New York City Marathon. They waited for the signal for their 10-minute head start but once the gun went off, they sat down in protest against the discriminatory policy, and begun the race with everyone else.

3. Some of the runners who joined the New York City Marathon do so to raise money for a good cause. The 2014 race helped raise a record $34.5 million for various charitable causes.

4. The 2000 race was the first year that wheelchair and handcycle racers had their own formal, competitive division following 20 years of racing as part of an exhibition event.

5. Apart from the canon blast that signals the start of the race, Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” is also played over the loudspeakers.

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Rebuilding Image: When Is the Right Time to Rebrand?

Many entrepreneurs today opt to rebrand their companies, products, and services for a multitude of reasons. Some companies rebrand to change a significant element of their business while others repackage their image to communicate better a more relevant brand promise. 

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Rebranding, however, does more than changing the look or feel of a company. It also means spending a lot of effort and shelling out millions of dollars to come up with a memorable image that will represent the business perfectly. 

That said, before draining all your financial and capital resources, it is important to ask: Does your company really need to rebrand and when is the right time to do so? 

Maria Ross, business author and chief strategist for the branding and marketing consultancy firm Red Slice notes that if a business is experiencing a decrease in sales and customers, then it may be the perfect time to rebrand. 

She adds: “If you see that more of your customers are going to your competition, you have to look at your entire business and also your brand. According to Ross, companies must reassess the identity of the company and relate as to how it affects its operations. 

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Other than this, industry experts also suggest rebranding in case the business needs to attract new markets. They should also rebrand if the company is experiencing internal changes within its organization, which at most times also means a change in philosophy and function. 

Remember, rebranding does more than transforming the aesthetic and other physical values of a business. If you are planning to rebrand, always take into consideration your purpose and direction. For more tips on branding and business, follow this Steven Rindner on Google+ Page.

An uncertain destiny amid a sea of competition: Rethinking the future of television

The recent revenue dip experienced by ESPN and its resonating effect across the business of television have been a sobering experience. Much has been made of the recent highs experienced by the medium in the past years, taking on and surpassing the marks of quality once said to be the purview of cinema. But external factors that may take more than just better programming to remedy are caving in on the television industry.

Television has had a number of things going for it in the past two years. Funded by ad and syndication revenue, the business of making a television show is comparatively more cost-effective and offers better returns. This provided a much-needed buffer for producers to experiment, leading to the creation of high-caliber programs that push boundaries (and bring in ratings).

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But this status quo has been challenged by the fledgling Internet-based video-on-demand services, often owned by networks themselves, which offer a wider assortment of programs to any audience with enough bandwidth. This less regulated marketplace, often the only real source of growth for many networks , has allowed production companies to actually fund the production of even riskier web-only series.

This pressure, along with that from popular video-sharing websites like ad-buoyed YouTube, has put pay television on a tenuous position that threatens to knock it off of the stable position it had achieved only a few years back.

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This turnaround has an interesting outcome for most investors in the industry, as one of the solutions to the growing challenges of production is for networks to integrate with larger companies. Such an event is likely to boost stocks in the meantime, though it remains to be seen if consolidation can provide the backing pay TV needs to keep up its rebound.

Steven Rindner has, throughout his career in corporate development, accumulated experience and expertise in media, technology, real estate services, and healthcare business fields. Visit this blog for more updates on issues surrounding the media industry.

The Three Fundamental Roles of Every Business Manager

Working as an “ordinary” employee is already daunting; being a business manager or owner could be a lot worse. However, even in a very hectic and stressful environment such as the workplace, grace and proper demeanor must still be observed—and this is applicable to all ranks. Executives should be aware of the following tips inducing harmony and goodwill in among their teams:

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1. Solicit and make ideas. Leaders do not need to compose plans and strategies all by themselves. While they need to be innovative and creative in all decisions, they must also lend a generous ear to their subordinates’ opinions. Two heads are better than one, after all. Additionally, they must set expectations in everything they do.
2. Know people by their first names. Acknowledging people at least by their first name—even caretakers and custodians—is one of the basic steps in establishing amicable relationships with everyone in the workplace. In large organizations, of course, this is not always possible. Knowing “most” of them—or at least trying to—would suffice. Moreover, eye contact is important while communicating.
3. Provide all the tools people need. Technology and mentorship-based support are crucial to helping employees become more productive and committed to their work. While not every company has the capability to do this, at least trying to work on what is possible and within capacity is praiseworthy enough. 

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Steven Rindner is an experienced business and corporate development executive distinguished for his results-oriented leadership. To know more about him, add or follow him on Google Plus.

Living the Good Life: The Importance of Nutrition

The human body is composed of many complicated and essential processes.  Like any machine, the body needs to be maintained and treated with care.  Below is a list of the positive effects of proper nutrition:

Gives energy for life

Eating the right kind of food can give the energy people need to do their everyday tasks.  That's why many people believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day because eating it provides the necessary nutrients to help one function properly the whole day.

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Boosts the immune system

Food rich in vitamins and minerals are important to maintain a healthy body.  These help keep the immune system working at its best and ultimately, protect the body from acute and chronic diseases such as heart attacks, stroke, high blood pressure, etc.

Delays the effects of aging

Proper nutrition aids in developing, replacing, and repairing cells and tissues, which can make one look younger.  With energy from foods rich in nutrients, one can easily feel young and fresh.

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Helps in maintaining a healthy weight

Exercise is not the only factor in achieving your dream body.  Healthy diet and exercise go hand in hand in helping you reach your weight goals.   You don't have to stop eating to lose weight; you just have to know the right kind of food to eat.


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REPOST: Run For Your Life: 6 Health Benefits Of Running Just 5 Minutes Every Day

It’s time to lace up and hit the pavement to chase the benefits of running five minutes every day. Read the article below:

Lace up and hit the pavement to chase the benefits of a 5-minute run, from improving blood pressure to living three years longer. | Image Source: medicaldaily.com

Non-runners view running as a painful, tedious, and exhausting form of exercise that should be avoided unless you’re trying to get in shape and lose weight. The post-workout panting and muscle soreness may do more for your health, though, than just shed the pounds and tone you up. Running just five minutes a day can actually reduce your all-cause risk of mortality and let you breathe in three more years of life.

Currently, only five percent of American adults do some sort of physical activity on any given day, according to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. These vigorous physical activities include using cardiovascular exercise equipment and running. The average healthy adult should actually be doing at least two hours and 30 minutes each week or aerobic physical activity at a moderate level, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or one hour and 15 minutes each week of aerobic physical activity at a vigorous level.

Running is considered a vigorous-intensity aerobic activity that can help you meet your physical activity requirements and benefit your overall health. You don’t have to run fast to make an impact. Fifteen minutes of brisk walking, or better yet five minutes of running is all it takes to reap the mortality benefits of the most accessible sport.

It’s time to lace up and hit the pavement to chase the benefits of running five minutes every day.

1. Better Brain Performance

Exercise is able to raise heart rate and increase the flow of oxygen-rich blood in the body, including the brain. A 2013 study published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience found shorter term aerobic exercise, like running, improves brain, cognition, and cardiovascular fitness in healthy aging adults. Sedentary adults who exercise regularly can lead to an increase in brain blood flow to the hippocampus — the key brain region that is affected by Alzheimer’s disease. It’s important to know while physical exercise is associated with a selective or regional brain blood flow, it does no produce a change in global brain blood flow.

2. Better Mood

Whether you’re having a bad day or you’re in a good mood, running will boost your spirits and make you feel positive. Runners actually have attested to the alleged “runner’s high,” which is the feeling people get after they’ve finished a good job or run. Intense endurance activity is suspected to lead to an increase in endocannabinoids – the brain chemicals that signal pleasure, according to a 2012 study published in The Journal of Experimental Biology. The “neurobiological rewards” theory of the runner’s high could also imply we as humans have evolved to enjoy running.

3. Better Sleep

Going on a daily morning run can become your sleeping aid for getting a good night’s sleep. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found those who run regularly in the mornings showed an improvement in objective sleep. Subjective sleep quality, mood, and concentration during the day improved, whereas sleepiness during the day decreased. Although the study focused on running during the day, an afternoon or night run can also reduce sleeping difficulty through its body-heating effects. Exercise is known to trigger an increase in body temperature, and the post-exercise drop in temperature may promote falling asleep. Moreover, exercise can reduce sleeping problems by decreasing arousal, anxiety, and depression.

4. Reduces High Blood Pressure

Men and women at all blood pressure levels can benefit from regular aerobic activity, including running. Although running can cause blood pressure levels to spike temporarily, these exercise-induced elevations in blood pressure should not be of concern. The benefits of running for five minutes a day can also be achieved by 15 minutes of brisk walking, says the American Heart Association. It can lower your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes as much as running.

5. Reduces Cardiovascular Disease

Running for 5 minutes every day can cut your risk of cardiovascular disease by almost half. People who run regularly have a 30 percent lower risk of death from all causes, and a whopping 45 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, according to a 2014 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Weekly running, even 5 to 10 minutes a day and at slow speeds less than 6 miles per hour, will suffice to reduce the risk of mortality, compared with not running.

6. Increases Lifespan By Three Years

Running does not only reduce the odds of cardiovascular disease, it can add years to your lifespan — specifically three. People who exercise regularly are found to live an average of three years longer than their sedentary counterparts, according to the study previously mentioned. Adding years to your life is as simple as doing a 15-minute walk or a 5-minute run. The substantial and mortality benefits can mean a difference between life and death for sedentary individuals.

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Water hazard: Over-hydration in endurance sports

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The human body needs an average of two to three liters of water everyday. When a person is into endurance sports like marathons, he or she might need a bit more to keep the body hydrated as it produces sweat. But what happens when an athlete drinks too much water?

Hyponatremia or low sodium is caused by over-hydration, which happens when sodium concentration levels drop abnormally low because of too much fluid flooding the body. The cells will absorb the excess water and will result in the swelling of the brain, which could lead to nausea, vomiting, cramps, seizures, coma, respiratory arrest, and even death. Marathoners have been known to get hospitalized after a run due to over-hydration. Kelly Barrett (1998), Cynthia Lucero (2002), and David Rogers (2007) were not so fortunate and had succumbed to hyponatremia.

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Runners should educate themselves on what they should and shouldn’t do to avoid over-hydration. Some fear not getting enough water that they stop and drink at every water station they pass until they have an uncomfortable, slushy feeling while running. Others drink a lot of water right after a race, thinking that it will replenish all the fluids they lost by sweating. This is unhealthy, as stomach fluids are absorbed into the bloodstream.

When should a runner drink, and how much? There are different recommendations for different body weights and activities, but only you can tell when and how much. The body has a pretty good thirst mechanism which tells you when you need water and when you’ve had enough. Just drink when you’re thirsty, and you won’t have to worry about over-hydration.

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