When I signed up to do the 2008 ING New York City Marathon, I sprained my ankle about a month before the start of the race. So after my doctor confirmed the micro tear in my left ankle. I’ve worked from never breaking a sweat for the past 15 years to running up to 20 miles alone. I told him that there was no way that was going to bow out of this marathon. So I wasn’t going to let some pain stop me from finishing. And so I hobbled across the finish line in over 6 hours and enjoyed every second of an experience of a lifetime. If I didn’t cross that finish line, I would have never gotten a very special chance to run with my wife, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and a couple of friends to raise over $15,000 for Team for Kids and run together in the 2009 ING New York City Marathon.After receiving my finisher’s medal, I was hooked on being fit. However, I’ve been running with some kind of injury, ailment or ache in the limbs of the lower extremities. Do I suck it up or run with shin splints, knee pain, hip pain, and/or foot pain? I grew up in a family, where you don’t give up. All I know is that running started to become unfun. Dealing with all these injuries made me want to avoid running.So I was at my local gym, and one of the trainers, actually two of them both recommended a method of running called ChiRunning. They basically said that the program would teach you how to run injury free. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more.Earlier this year, I find myself with my wife, who also is dealing with similar injuries, sitting in a renovated manufacturing plant that has been converted into a artist colony, and towards the end of the building was a yoga studio. In attendance, was a small group with different backgrounds, shapes and sizes.Danny Dreyer created ChiRunning during one of his Tai Chi classes. He noticed the inner focus and flow of Tai Chi and wanted to combine it with the power and energy of running. With ChiRunning you become more aware of your running so you can run more efficiently by running naturally with less pain. Danny is a renowned running/walking instructor with over 35 years of experience, and has run many Ultramarathons (26.2+ miles). Danny has written ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-free Running in 2004 and ChiWalking: Five Mindful Steps to Lifelong Health and Energy 2006. He is also a sought after speaker, and has spoken at the Boston and Chicago Marathons.ChiWalking was created from all the ChiRunners who walked to share ChiRunning for all the walkers in their lives. The basic principles are similar if not the same to ChiRunning.Like most martial arts, it’s about technique. By having the right alignment and balance, you can avoid injuries. For example, by having your shoulders lined up over your hips, over your knees, over your feet, you make sure that the forces you create from running are maximized into the ground, and minimized in other directions. It’s the same principle of having all of the blocks lined up. If you start deviating just a little bit, you will notice the blocks will eventually collapse. Also, if you ever run or walk with something out of alignment, you tend to over compensate. This compensation results eventually an injury because you overuse that side of the limb.Another technique is to use gravity to help you run. Gravity is everywhere, so why fight it. You can use it to help you run. When you lean enough into your stride, you end up having to move forward, so take advantage of the technique by continually falling. Most people, while trying to catch themselves from doing a faceplant, would put on the brakes by landing with their heel. If they practice enough they can then “catch” themselves and land in a way that would push off to the next step.The more you practice, the easier it becomes. So I’ve been running since the summer with the ChiRunning method, and I have become very comfortable running like never before. I have been able to recover faster after long runs, and the pains that I usually have are no longer a hindrance. I’ve recently dropped 2 minutes off my pace, and I am looking forward to running more efficiently and faster as a result.If you want to run or walk better, get out there and do it. Before taking on any exercise regimen, consult with your healthcare team, and take a lesson or class on running or walking, so you don’t have to deal with the constant aches and pains that I went through. Most classes, such as ChiRunning will include warm up exercises, after workout stretches, and plenty of advice.Enjoy the run!
Payday Loans – What to Look for In a Provider
In recent years, an increasing number of financial institutions have begun offering payday loans to the general public. Loans of this nature, as the name suggests, are different from traditional loans in the sense that the amount borrowed is secured against the recipients forthcoming pay check, as opposed to standard bank loans that are paid back over an extended period of time.Some Industry Heavy HittersIt is becoming increasingly easy to find providers of payday loans online, the most well known of which include companies such as Wonga, Quick Quid and Payday Power.The premise is very simple – if you need a sum of money quickly, usually in the region of fifty to a thousand pounds, these companies allow you to apply for their available payday loans online and the requested amount will usually be deposited into the applicant’s bank account within a few hours at the most.It is not difficult to see the appeal of such a service amongst the general public. Particularly in recent years, in the midst of the global recession, money has been especially tight for most people which has created the need for consumers to be extra cautious when it comes to how and when they spend their money.Unfortunately, even the most careful people sometimes find themselves strapped for cash with bills to pay and a number of other financial commitments to attend to. Under circumstances such as these, payday loans can provide people with an ideal method of resolving smaller monetary problems quickly and with a minimum of fuss.Using Payday Loans ResponsiblyHowever, while the availability of payday loans online can and does allow people struggling with money issues in some way to meet their financial obligations, extreme caution needs to be exercised when making use of such services. Payday loans are not intended to be used as long-term solutions to financial struggles – they should not be used on a regular basis for the purpose of paying bills, and it goes without saying that anybody without some form of income should never even attempt to gain access to them.This kind of financing is really a last resort that people can rely on if they have nowhere else to turn for a bit of monetary assistance in times of need. If you have another option, you should take it by all means to avoid having to cover oppressive interest payments that end up being quite a lot in comparison to the small amount of money that is generally lent out to a borrower in such an agreement.Just like traditional loans, payday loans constitute legal agreements between the lending companies and the recipients and it is for this reason that very careful consideration is required.The prospect of being able to apply for payday loans online so easily and receiving the money you need in such a short space of time is often all that is needed to convince many people to apply for them with too much haste.Depending on the amount being borrowed and the length of time the money is needed for, the resulting interest rates can be huge and leave the recipient in an even worse financial position than before the loan was sought.The responsibility rests with applicants to weigh up the pros and cons to ensure that a payday loan is the right option for them but as long as the option is carefully thought through and used in a way that does not actually create more debt than was originally being experienced, there is no reason why it cannot provide the recipient with a practical solution to their short-term money problems.When handled well a payday loan is a win-win decision. Being aware of the potential risks and also benefits is the first step in making a good decision.
Employment Discrimination – 5 Tips For Effectively Presenting a Claim
Discrimination in the workplace is a serious problem for today’s workers. Unlawful employment discrimination creates a work environment in which the workers suffering discrimination are faced with an unpleasant and possibly illegal work situation. At its worst, the workers who are subjected to such illegal actions may lose their jobs and even become unemployable.The only “good news” is that workers subjected to employment discrimination can protect themselves because such discrimination often is illegal. If an employee or job applicant thinks that he or she has been subjected to job discrimination, here are five tips that the worker should employ to make sure that his or her discrimination claim is given proper attention.1. The worker needs to know and understand the employer’s rules and procedures that apply when employment discrimination or harassment is alleged.If the worker wants his or her claims to be taken seriously by the employer, the worker has to properly bring an employment discrimination or harassment claim to the employer’s attention. If the worker follows the company’s rules, then he or she is in a better position to insist that the employer follow those same rules — including timetables for resolving the claims — as well.2. Make sure that the employer knows about any existing or potential employment discrimination.An employer can’t take action until it knows about a worker’s discrimination claims.3. Keep a record of claims and the steps taken to resolve the problems.An employer is unlikely to believe that there has been employment discrimination in its business unless it is confronted by believable claims with adequate proof. Accordingly, the worker must keep a detailed record of the alleged incidents. These records should include the names of the parties involved, when the alleged incidents took place, the names of any witnesses, and where the incidents took place. The employee or job applicant should also keep a detailed record of his or her actions taken to resolve the problems, including the details of conversations with company representatives.By taking these steps, the worker can show that he or she is taking this problem seriously and expects the company to reply in kind.4. If the worker has preserved any evidence of the alleged harassment or discrimination, he or she should keep it. Such evidence might include offensive objects or pictures.Evidence such as this will be helpful in authenticating and resolving the claims.5. Consider asking for the help of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which is the federal agency that deals with employment discrimination, or the state equal employment agency.It may be a good idea for an employee or job applicant to take their claims to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), if they don’t think that the employer will pay proper attention to their complaint. The EEOC will then either investigate the claims itself, or ask the appropriate state agency to investigate. A worker can get EEOC help without obtaining an attorney, so he or she will not be faced with attorney fees at this stage. An employer may be willing to compromise with the worker if the EEOC concludes that the employer may have harassed or discriminated against the worker. However, if it does not appear that there will be a settlement, then the worker should retain an attorney to help with administrative hearings or judicial proceedings. An attorney will help the worker to get through administrative or judicial proceedings.If worker follows these tips, he or she will have presented their claim in the best way possible and will have done their best to make sure that justice is done.
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