Another Alpine Update

The photo of the helicopter in the previous post is not the one Deb rode in.

 Also, the hiking in Chamonix is just spectacular.

 

And, the treats in town are even better than at home. Imagine, 9 scoops for 10 Euro.

Chamonix Update

The results for the Ultra Trail Tour du Mont Blanc are official.

With all of the chaos, I didn’t capture as many good images as I had hoped for. I have posted several photos that give a flavor for the event:

             

Ultra Trail Tour du Mont Blanc—C’est très difficile!

The verdict is in. The UTMB is one tough race. This unforgiving race course put a hurting on many of the runners, including Deb. She was forced to retire (arret) at the Refuge Bonati at the 89km mark. So, she still ran more than 55 miles and climbed more than 16,000 feet…and only made it a little past the half way point. We are not quite sure what was bothering her, but the symptoms were headache, vomiting, and extreme lethargy. It was likely a combination of things: lack of acclimatization, altitude, jet lag, a stomach bug, a tough race, etc.

 

 

Since Bonatti was at 2020 meters (over 6000 feet), she was flown off the mountain by a rescue helicopter. The problem is that they took her to a hospital in Aoste, Italy, and just left her there with no way of getting in touch with us or getting back to France. Aoste is a long ways away. I will publish a list of “lessons learned” that all future racers can benefit from.

 

          

 

A long adventure ensued for the crew (Buddy Teaster, Shep, and me) as we drove all over Courmayeur, Italy, looking for the hospital. She was able to make a call, but didn’t really know where she was and only one nurse spoke English. At one point, out of frustration, she considered walking back to the aid station in Courmayeur. Thankfully she didn’t because it was like 40 kilometers (25 miles) away! We didn’t know there wasn’t a hospital in Courmayeur.

 

The Teaster Clan was amazing. Without them, well, I’m not sure what to say. We would have had bigger issues to deal with. Just hours before we finally reached Deb in Aoste, we were on the other side of the course, in La Fouly, Switzerland…waiting for Deb. We spent a lot of time in the van. Thank goodness for the van! And wow, what switchbacks. Buddy could qualify to drive the Pikes Peak Hill Climb now.

Before we went to Switzerland, Shep was in bed (staying with Becca, Taylor, and Laura Macie Teaster at the apartment in Chamonix, France) and Buddy and I were in Courmayeur. We were up all night waiting for Deb to arrive. She was hurting when she did arrive, but I got her pumped up, fueled up, and in shape to continue….to Bonatti. Thanks Scott. Too bad she didn’t return to Courmayeur both of the times that she turned around. Some force was pulling her towards the finish despite all of that nausea!

So, I went through the Tunnel Mont Blanc four times in one day. It was ugly, and expensive. The last time, we waited nearly 2 hours. Deb recovered and is feeling fine. We hiked 10 kilometers today with 4000 feet of elevation gain. We took a cog railway back down from the Mer de Glace (big glacier).

 

 

They have big hills here. We just might have to comeback and try a new solution to conquer the Ultra Trail Tour du Mont Blanc. Maybe Deb and I (and Buddy) will run it together. To be continued….

 

Live from Chamonix, France: Preview-Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc

I can tell you that the lobby of the Hotel Alpina in Chamonix, France, is very nice, though the internet connection from www.swisscom.com was pricey.  No photos yet, but we are here for the Ultra Trail Tour de Mont Blanc, one of the most spectacular ultra-marathon trail running races in the world. The UTMB will be Deb’s first true trail running test at the 100+ mile distance. The race begins at 6:30 P.M. (Chamonix time) on Friday evening. 2200 competitors will be lined up. Less than 8% are reported to be women. Many top Americans are here to race the men’s and women’s races. Notably, on the men’s side: Karl Meltzer, Hal Koerner, Scott Jurek, and Topher Gaylord. Nikki Kimball should be favored on the women’s side. I don’t know who the top European runners are…yet, but I’m sure to find out.

I’m playing an interesting role. I have dual responsibilities to look after our son, while crewing for Deb. I have coined the term: Sherpa Dad. It aptly describes the role that results in sore muscles from lugging gear around. I will be getting support from Buddy Teaster and his family. The Teaster’s are spending a year abroad, based in Spain. Buddy blogs about their adventures.

The map of the course, shows all the challenges ahead for these runners/hikers.

Tomorrow is all about race preparation. The runners will be resting and fueling up for the 163km event. The crews will be planning the logistics involved with following the runners on the course. The runners are wearing two chips each and a cool SMS system allows anyone with text messaging on their phones to track their favorite competitors. I plan to be tracking Deb. Her race number is 2383. The website can also be used to track runners, though it is a challenge to navigate. Look for the British flag if you want to have a chance at translating the technical French.

That is all for now. A report on our afternoon in Geneva, Switzerland, and other adventures will be forthcoming. Now, back to the race preparation.

Try Something You Are Not Very Good At

It is therapeutic to do something that you struggle at. I gave it a go tonight at the Bolton Sunset Canoe & Kayak Race, but I’m lousy at paddling. I just can’t get the technique right and I end up going so slow. That’s fine. It is great to get out there and see others excel at something so foreign to me. Kayaking is fun for me because it is different and there is no pressure to perform well. I just do it. Running and cycling demand so much of the legs, that it feels weird to use the upper body to propel yourself forward.

It was also neat to see how committed canoers and kayakers are to their sport. They are equally as passionate as my cycling and running friends. They have their own association in New England. It is called NECKRA. I was an outsider at the event tonight, and that was kind of cool. I was using it as training for next month’s The Great Josh Billings RunAground Triathlon. I rode to the race and ran home. The sunset was nice!

Incidentally, Josh Billings was the pseudonym of Henry Wheeler Shaw, the 19th century writer and lecturer. He must have been a funny guy. He was known for having some really good quotes. I particularly like this one, “Don’t take the bull by the horns, take him by the tail; then you can let go when you want to. “

The Miracle of Life is Not a Cliche

I was reading some of today’s business news at www.wsj.com and came across an amazing essay titled, An Unexpected Birth Upends a Doctor’s Day by Benjamin Brewer, M.D. It will probably appear in tomorrow’s print edition. The essay, about an emergency C-section performed by this regular WSJ columnist, caught me off guard. I’m coming up on my first year as a father and tend to be sensitive to birth stories like this. I’m now convinced that nothing changes your perspective like becoming a parent. At least for the moment, this essay puts things in perspective. When I hear about premature babies, I often think about the costs. At Horst Engineering, our medical insurance carriers, advisors, and agents frequently point out that one of the highest cost situations that will drive a negative experience rating, is a premature baby. The cost of neo-natal intensive care is astronomical. For someone, charged with leading a business and providing quality health care benefits for workers, the mere thought of having to take on a hit like that, is scary. Some people would say, “that’s why you buy the insurance.” However, at today’s costs, insurance is a huge expense for a small business. It is no secret that I am a huge advocate of preventive care and self responsibility when it comes to nutrition/diet, exercise, and stress management. Dr. Brewer’s story illustrates that in some circumstances, the medical system is crucial to life. In the case of his two recent patients (both mother and child), this couldn’t be more true.

Take the Money and Run

Folks who follow my adventures in business and sport know that I write about an eccentric mix of stuff. The inner journalist in me was compelled to comment about the Herc because it really got me fired up. I have railed against the problems with paying prize money in amateur sports, for years. I’ve been especially vocal regarding prize money in amateur road cycling, a sport that has been spoiled by the dough. Granted, all of competitive cycling is broken right now, with the drug issues at the highest level of the sport and the corrupt system of paying amateurs a pittance for all their suffering and expense. They should just lower the entry fees, congratulate the winners, and thank all the finishers. They can re-invest profits in making the races safer or just donate it to a worthy cause.

Clearly the riders are deluded if they think that a few bucks for winning a sprint is going to make a difference. Routinely, I witness riders crashing each other over $10. How stupid! When you paid $30 to enter the race, are wearing $500 of spandex and gear (clothing, helmet, shoes, sunglasses, etc.), spent another $25 on gas money, ride a $5000 bicycle, and spend ten to 20 hours a week training; then what is $10?

At the Herc Open, I’m sure that the runners who never had a chance of winning prize money (male or female) were out there just enjoying the challenge and the magnificent Green Mountain views. However, isn’t there something wrong with the redistribution of wealth from the finishers to those that place “in the money?” Now, I did my own pro-forma profit and loss statement on the Herc, and I’m confident that there is another income line besides entry fees. Obviously, sponsors (with Herc probably first on the list)  contributed the money that went towards the huge prize list.

In addition to those that commented on the Herc post, I heard directly from many friends in the running community. Among those that contacted me directly, there were some unique viewpoints, but all agreed that the outcome was wrong. Deb knew what she was getting into when she toed the start line, but there was some confusion (not ignorance) when she first signed up. The advertising (full page color ads in major magazines) for the Herc Open proclaimed $25,000 “cash purse,” but didn’t give any detail on the weight class system. You had to go to the website. Since there was no real precedent for this, then it was pretty easy to register and not realize totally what you were getting into.  So maybe that is ignorance, but whatever. At first glance, you might think that it was a Clydesdale/Athena thing, where heavier competitors are given prizes for competing against each other.

True, it is hard to devise a system that levels a playing field. The Dipsea Race’s “handicap start system” has attempted this for years and the Shenipsit Striders have mimicked it (with some modifications) with their Soapstone Sampler and Soapstone Assault trail races, but the age/gender graded system has its own flaws.

In our family, we pursue athletic adventures with great zeal. Also, as an entrepreneurial family, we have a grasp on the economics and finance of organizations, events, and projects. We don’t live to work. We work to play, and are fortunate to have those opportunities. We seek out many of the most challenging running, cycling, and adventure racing events so that we can challenge the body and the mind. We also do it in the name of fitness, not fiscal fitness. We choose to invest resources into sport. Horst Engineering sponsors a local 5km road race that benefits a scholarship fund, and the company also helps the Striders with their events. None of those events pay prize lists.

Several of the posters and others that emailed directly, commented about women and weight. Clearly, that is a huge issue. I know that there were women who did not compete in the race (short or long course) because of the mere presence of a weight system. Weight disorders are a huge problem with elite runners (male and female) and other endurance athletes.

Several people have asked me if I would go back to Herc if the format was changed. Maybe, but that depends on a lot of things. Running in Vermont is a huge attraction, so I can’t say no without learning more. I’m curious how things pan out and at some point, hope to see or hear a formal response from the organizers. I noticed film crews at the event. Maybe a promotional video was being made. Let’s hope that it includes a segment about the prize list and doesn’t gloss over the big issues. I think a podium shot of 12 smiling guys, holding those giant cardboard checks while standing on scales, would make for a great image.

The Herc Embarrassment

The 1st Annual Herc Open Vermont Speed Hiking Competition was marred by the size and distribution of its cash prize list. What should have been an interesting event at Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont, was overshadowed by a controversy that requires me to explore deeper issuses related to men, women, and sport. Despite the odd description and massive cash prizes, the Herc was just another trail race. It goes to show that when the wrong incentives ($25,000 prize list for a “local” trail running race) are established, then all sense of reason is lost.

It is important to recognize that the significant majority of trail races in the United States, and nearly all in New England, have no prize list. The typical Grand Tree Series race might award a gift certificate to the top male and female runners, but more often than not, no prizes are given, or all finishers get some small medal or recognition. When Deb first learned about the Herc, there was an attraction to learn more. Who wouldn’t want to take a shot at winning $5000 (the 1st place prize of each category). Herc was not our only experience with a big prize list this year. The Pittsfield Peaks Ultra Challenge presented $2000 to both the men’s and women’s overall winners. Deb was the winner, so it is important to note that I am not being hypocritical, and I am not upset just because she didn’t get the top prize this time. At Peaks, the prize money could have been spread around a little more. 2nd place got no money, though all finishers got a nice hammer to commemorate the event.

The major issue at the Herc Open was that there were not separate men’s and women’s prize lists. $12,500 was split six deep in two categories: one for a 60kg (~132lbs) and over weight class, and one for under 60kg. This is idiocy. Unfortunately, Deb had sent in the $70 (expensive by trail running standards for a non-ultra distance race) entry fee before realizing how the cash was to be distributed. It seems that several of the women competitors were confused by this arrangement. Of course, many of the men got it right and it was learned that some of the top New England trail runners were “dieting” weeks in advance with dreams of beating up on the less than 60kg (mostly women) competition. Face it, if you are competitive at trail running, are male, and weigh under 132 pounds, then you are going to be pretty fast and strong. The weigh in was comical. You had to stand on a scale (no self image issues permitted at this race!) prior to getting your race number. It was also learned that at least one runner requested a second weigh in because he was just over. He was granted this wish, went for a warm up run, came back, and made weight. I had the image of high school wrestlers in full sweat suits jogging in a sauna flashing through my mind.

I don’t want this to get lost in my translation of the facts: I am livid about this situation. I have been a race director and volunteer many times (both running and cycling). I am a huge promoter of equal men’s and women’s prizes. Granted, field size is always a factor, and I have promoted races where a simple formula is used to distribute the prize money when far fewer women enter. However, Herc, and indirectly their sponsors and volunteers, were promoting something different. They were saying that women don’t matter and that men and women are NOT different when it comes to elite trail running. Sure, at some truly ultra distance trail races (50 to 100 miles and more), many elite women are just as competitive as the men. However, this race was advertised as 16 miles, and my GPS says it was probably more like 13 miles. This whole situation just makes me sick.

The scheme worked out perfectly for the men as they took the top six spots in both categories, splitting the $25,000 twelve ways and SHUTTING OUT all of the women. And, these were not pack fill women. They were some of the most talented off road and hill climbing runners in the Northeast. Do you think any women will show up for the 2nd annual Herc? Should they ask for their entry fees back?

Results

The 60kg and up category was actually LESS competitive because some of the best runners “made weight” and ran in the lighter class. It looks like the heavier weight class had two women out of 43 competitors. The lighter class seems to have had 16 out of 23. So, 7 men were in the class and 6 of them got paid big bucks for “beating” the girls. So, a total of 66 runners, and the $25,000 goes to 12 men. So who was the unlucky lightweight guy? Read on. Yep, I’m mad.

I guess we would have to investigate more. Deb sent an email to the race contact a week prior to the race, inquiring why they chose this format. She was curious. At that time, we still intended to go because Vermont is beautiful and she wanted the hill training. However, after discussing the race (with eventual light class winner) Ben Nephew at the People’s Forest Trail Race last week, she realized that there was going to be some “fierce” competition between the BEST male Northeast trail runners under 60kg and the majority of the women. This just didn’t seem logical. It turns out that the race contact never replied to Deb’s question. Did they want to avoid controversy?

So, you can’t blame the guys (or should you), but the facts show that Ben Nephew, David Vona, Dan Verrington, Cliff Lentz, Dave Hannon, and Jack Pilla got a free pass from having to compete with the likes of Paul Low, Eric Morse, Mark Churchill, Dmitry Drozdov, James Sweeney, and Eli Enman, and literally beat up on the women. Their race was mostly for which of the top six positions they would take and how much the “amount” line on their check would read. Should they have spoken up? Would you if you had a chance to make that kind of money for running for two to three hours on a ski slope? How did the women fare? Well, this couldn’t be scripted any better. Kelli Lusk was 7th, Deb was 8th, Jennifer Johnson was 9th, Mary Churchill was 11th, and Diana Karls was 12th. Oh so close….just out of the  money! Only Zeke Zucker, who is light but also 63 years old, spoiled the chances of the women taking 7th through 11th, when he squeezed into 10th spot. Of course, you could argue that Zeke should not have to compete with runners a third to half his age anyway. I’ll cut Zeke some slack. Does the Herc Open age discriminate too? Is this is a classic case of women subsidizing men? Could it be that this has always been, and remains a societal problem? Well, that would be too heavy of a discussion for a blog post.

So what is Herc? Why would they taint their brand image by risking such a backlash. I guess lucky for them, 500 people didn’t show up to run. As a first time race, the turnout was extraordinarily light for such a huge prize list. Did they think they would attract more people with all that money? Herc is an Arginine supplement sold by Unither Nutriceuticals Inc. This is not exactly an FDA approved drug, but it is purported to promote vasodilation and support healthy circulatory function. It is no surprise then that half of the registration proceeds were being donated to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. So, it is nice to see a .org benefitting from a race (as many not-for-profits do), but this one seems a bit self serving. I’m assuming that Herc needs the PHA to promote its product.

This race had nice volunteers. Off the record, several of them tried to distance themselves from the prize list controversy. The race was being supported by Run Vermont, the not-for-profit organization that promotes the popular Keybank Vermont City Marathon. Ironically, their own website makes a big deal about their Women’s Running Camp. Maybe some of the top women at  yesterday’s race should have attended. Maybe they just didn’t train enough to beat the men.  Maybe a nice chunk of Herc advertising money and sponsorship is paid to Run Vermont, and that kept their volunteers from speaking up about a wrong that should have been righted before the race started yesterday. I don’t know what happened at the awards ceremony. We avoided it, though given the chance, I would have grabbed the microphone and spoken my mind. If I spent enough time sleuthing this, rather than banging out my version of the events the morning after, then I could probably construct a conspiracy theory. At a minimum, I would find the person or persons who made this lousy decision. Whatever.

Oh, and what about the other sponsors? Should they be boycotted like Herc? Did they know what they were contributing too? Eastern Mountain Sports, Sugarbush, LARABAR, Lung Rx, Inc., GoLite, Vermont Sports Magazine, and the US Forest Service seem like equal opportunity organizations. I’m assuming that they try to treat women fairly. Maybe their public relations departments and boards should hear about this.

After this rant, I could be accused of complaining about “spilt milk”. Truthfully, I’m just trying to stick up for Deb and the other women who put as much time and effort into running as the guys. And, in Deb’s case, she does this by also juggling career and motherhood responsibilities. Running is for fun. The prize money means nothing, but when a race like this is promoted and lavishly advertised, then a wrong needs to be pointed out as stupidity. So, why was my name so far down the results? I was extremely disappointed because I wanted to win some money (in the heavy class) and then give it to the top six women. Well, I got lost. I could complain about the confusing course markings and how the short and long courses were marked with the same color signs, but I won’t. I blew it and I’ll take responsibility for that. I ran a couple of extra miles (mostly uphill) and got more value per dollar of my entry fee. Most of the other runners went the right way, but not Herc and the promoters, volunteers, and sponsors of the 1st Annual Herc Open Vermont Speed Hiking Competition. They are the ones who blew it, and big time!

The Pleasures of Vermont

One day, I was deep in the heart of the US Southwest, the next day, I was headed with the family for the Green Mountains of Vermont. It was quite a contrast to visit Vermont, where the people have fought for years to keep Wal-Mart from invading. It is no secret that I gravitate towards places like this, all the while understanding that some value is created by the service economy commerce that drives growth in places like Phoenix and Connecticut. But, I’m not going to give in. I said, “some” value. The environmental degradation wrought by that growth is as visible as the concrete and steel structures that have besieged little New England towns, though most people don’t see it that way. The current emphasis on “green everything” has raised the issue, but not enough. Too much focus on the global warming aspect of the overall environmental problems that we face is keeping other issues from being seen or heard. Fortunately, Vermont still has those little towns with charm….and a bit of undeveloped land. I was interested to listen on the drive home from Vermont, to an NPR All Things Considered story about the environmental effects of farming in the  mid-west. The story about dust bowl migrants and the tough times they faced after the land was overfarmed was gripping. It was further proof that resources, like water, are limited. Both NPR and National Geographic have collaborated to produce a fine series called Climate Connections.

The reason for our family’s quick trip to Vermont was to run in the Herc Open, the 1st Annual Vermont Speed Hiking Competition, at Sugarbush Ski Resort in Warren. We spent the night before the race at a motel in Quechee, a stone’s throw from Quechee State Park where there is a very deep gorge (by New England standards). We managed to have dinner at the Simon Pearce factory restaurant: The Mill at Quechee, VT. The Simon Pearce factory has to be one of my favorite places in Vermont.

 

It combines my love of entpreneurial manufacturing (glass and pottery in this case), with my love of Vermont village life, and my love for the environment. Simon Pearce started his business in Ireland in 1971 and moved it to Vermont in 1981.

He occupied an old woolen mill on the Ottauquechee River and managed to power the factory with hydrolectric power. When you tour the factory, you can get an up close view of the modern system that is in use today.

 

Simon Pearce makes craft products in volume and visiting the old factory (where only a small portion of their overall output is produced today) is well worth it.

It is also worth mentioning that a visit to the Putney Co-Op is also worth it. The Livingston Family are members. We were disappointed to miss the 10% members discount (on the 10th of the month) on Friday because we had no time to stop, but we visited on the return trip. Missing the discount is kind of how the first half of the weekend went…out of sync.

The Trip (Volume #2)

So, as I contemplate whether to contact Delta Airlines about the chihuahua story, the effects of being on the road all week have settled in. I mentioned the sprawl of Phoenix, Arizona and Orange County, California. It is truly amazing how many strip malls, restaurants, and other structures can be erected. There really isn’t an urban core. It is maximum density suburbs as far as the eye can see. Connecticut is similar in many ways. The names on some of the stores are a little different, but all of the big box retailers are there: IKEA, Home Depot, Staples, Target, and of course, Wal-Mart. I could continue describing it, but it disgusts me. One has to question if the growth of the service economy really is growth. When you see all of these airports and all of these cities, you are reminded that in less than 15 years, this has become the norm. Cities like Phoenix have exploded in growth and continue their expansion, virtually unchecked. I was fortunate to have a few hours to wind down before catching my red-eye flight home from Tucson, so I attempted to drive a bit of the access road up Mt. Lemmon.

 

Unfortunately, brutal contruction in Tucson had closed all of the major downtown exits. A few wrong turns later and daylight faded. I only made it a few miles up the mountain, but it wet my appetite to make a return visit to this section of the Coronado National Forest. Next time, I want to go all the way (25 miles) up to Summerhaven, the town at the top that was ravaged by a major wildfire in 2003.

The Trip from You Know Where (Volume #1)

Wow, it has been a whirlwind week. A scheduled trip to visit Horst Engineering’s maquiladora operation in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico expanded to include business development/customer service visits to companies in Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona; and Fountain Valley (Orange County), California. This involved my own version of planes, trains, shuttle buses, and automobiles. Overall, the trip was a wonderful success and it was great to see the progress in Nogales, as well as the still bustling Sonoran economy. Tucson is always a neat place and presented me with my only foray (though brief) into nature, and Phoenix and Orange County have enough sprawl for a lifetime. It is quite ugly. The connecting flight from Atlanta to Tucson on the first leg of the trip was highlighted by an amazing chihuahua story. The story is actually about a pair of chihuahuas who shared the seat next to me with a young woman. I was “stuck in the middle” as they say between two passengers, having I missed out on my coveted aisle seat, and suffered through as hellish a flight experience as you probably can. These little doggies had serious bowel and bladder problems that created a spectacle for more than two hundred passengers. And to top that off, believe me when I say that when a dog gets loose just as your plane is taxiing for take off, EVERYONE knows about it. It was four hours of dog hair, dog poop, and headaches. At one point, I just had to put the iPod earphones in, boot up the laptop, and ignore what was happening TWO inches away from me. Actually, I don’t think it was even two inches. It was RIGHT THERE. To be continued…

More On Waste

I was thinking about the problems that I have had with my Garmin GPS. I was disappointed that I couldn’t use it at the Jay race last weekend. When I spoke with Garmin customer service on Friday, the representative said something that irked me. She said, “Well, it is a computer.” I was like, “yeah, so.” She was kind enought to help me reboot it with a hard reset, but what did she mean? Does that mean that because it is a computer, problems are acceptable? Since when were computers exempt from working flawlessly? It made me think. I don’t think that Horst Engineering’s customers would appreciate it if we said that our parts may not work because they were made on machines controlled by computers. Computers are everywhere. They land planes. They control powerplants. They manage communications. However, because of the number of problems with the PC, and primarily those with the Microsoft Windows operating system, people have come to accept problems. That is wrong.

More Blue Trails

Last week, I finished an article for Connecticut Woodlands about trail running on Connecticut’s Blue Blazed Trails. This week, rather than writing about them, I spent some time walking on some Blue Trails. Yesterday, it was in People’s State Forest and today, it was at Mansfield Hollow State Park. Deb, Shep, and I did a hike on the Nipmuck Trail. The Connecticut Forest & Parks Association is promoting a Walk Connecticut program in an effort to get more people outside and on the Blue Trails. We thought it would be good to get out and do some more walking ourselves.

 

On the way to Mansfield Hollow, we stopped and spent a little time at the Coventry Farmers’ Market, which is a real gem. We got there at 11 am when it opened, but it was still really crowded, so we grabbed some garlic, some peaches, and hit the road, then the trail.

People’s Forest Trail Run

Several records fell at the People’s Forest 7-Mile Trail Run, yesterday in Barkhamsted, Connecticut. Deb’s old course record was beaten by Abby Woods, and Ben Nephew’s course record was shattered by Marc Robaczynksi. Even the masters womens record was beaten by Cheryl Cunningham. Deb finished 15th overall and was 3rd woman. Brett Stoeffler did not set a record, but he won the masters’s division and finished 3rd overall. I promised him that I would post one of my photos behind Robaczynksi and Nephew.

I looked after Shep and rested my legs for the big Monday night showdown at the Summer Grand Prix Cross Country Race #4. After three horrible series races, I have to run well in at least one of these. My legs are not quite normal (will they ever be?) after running Jay last weekend, but I’ll give it a go.

People’s is one of the shortest and fastest races in the Grand Tree Series. It is set in the beautiful People’s State Forest. Next to the Farmington River, it is a great place for kids to play. Since I didn’t run, I got a chance to walk around. I came across the Stone Museum, a beautiful structure. Unfortunately, it was not open, so I could only scope out the outside while Shep napped in the Chariot.

Muda (無駄)

I think about waste all the time. At Horst Engineering, we focus on continuous improvement. Lean enterprise is one of our two strategic pillars for operational success. The other is technology. We feel that if we focus and execute both aspects of the strategy, then we will achieve success. Technology is something you can obtain. It requires both knowledge and capital, however, lean enterprise (a whole company derivative of lean manufacturing) is a process. This process is more difficult to implement, but no less effective. Lean enterprise is based on the Toyota Production System (TPS, トヨタ生産方式). One of the TPS founders is Taiichi Ohno (大野 耐). He developed the Seven Wastes. Muda is waste. 

1. Overproduction

2. Transportation

3. Motion

4. Waiting

5. Processing

6. Inventory

7. Defects

I see waste like it glows in the dark. Just this morning, I experienced three separate quality issues, two with products and one with a process, at our factory. We have a Quality Clinic where we focus on problem solving and root cause analysis. It is a good tool, much like kaizen (改善), or “change for the better”, but  continuous improvement should be fluid and continuous. Resource: www.lean.org.

This afternoon, I had to phone Garmin about my Edge 305 GPS unit. I’ve been having reliability issues with it. Both the teammate who referred me to the Garmin retailer and a teammage that I referred have had similar problems. Garmin customer service was pleasant and helpful, however, there is no excuse for the defects that we have experienced. I share real world “consumer” examples with Horst associates all of the time as a way to illustrate that poor quality is just not acceptable. One of our lean advisors, Bob Emiliani of The Center for Lean Business Management and Central Connecticut State University, has claimed an 8th waste.

8. Communication/Behavioral

This relates to my point about how lean is a cultural journey and that eliminating waste in any organization requires a shift in attitudes, or behaviors.

I “dined” at Moe’s tonight. I’ve been a frequent visitor, and usually with my son. I feed him the baby food and sample the American/Mexican fare. I see waste everywhere at Moe’s. I’m adding a 9th waste:

9. Environmental

What a shame. Even when you dine in at Moe’s, you have to consume a tremendous amount of disposable product. I don’t, because I conciously avoid it. However, when I look around, I see paper waste, plastic waste, food waste, glass waste, and just plain excess. The woman in front of me ordered a salad. She was asked what dressing she would like. After the staffer told her what was available and she still couldn’t decide, he said “I’ll give you one of each.” One of each?! I wanted to jump across the glass divider and ask him why. That was three individually packaged dressings in plastic Solo containers. Solo exemplifies waste. Many of their products can be recycled, but aren’t. She wasn’t going to eat all of that salad dressing. She was going to throw two out. That is the problem. People just don’t care. Who is more to blame? Moe’s for not presenting the customers with more options? Why don’t they use dishes and silverware? Why so much plastic? Is the customer to blame for not bringing their own silverware? I bring my own titanium spork and I avoid the plastic. I serve my salsa into a paper wrapper and bring my own water bottle. I’m much lighter on the environment than the average Moe’s customer. Waste is everywhere and I’m not going to stop pointing it out.