Life’s Race & The Army 10 Miler

1) I’m going to run the Army 10 miler immediately after I post this. I’m not as fast as I was when I was on active duty but I now realize the race I’m actually running is against time and also my own goals/expectations. Some veterans leave the military thinking that physical fitness is a chore. It’s the opposite. It’s one of the best mental and physical natural medicines. One of the best things about the military is one gets paid to work out. I highly encourage veterans to do their best to stay in shape after they leave military service.

2) The proudest moment this weekend for Heather and I will not be (hopefully) my strong finish of the Army 10 miler but instead it’s that our two boys completed their first cross country race. Ben got first in his group and Gary placed third. In Gary’s words: “Ben dusted his competition.” I congratulated both boys but warned Ben that he won’t always get first and that the most important thing was to enjoy the race. I also warned Ben that now the secret is out he better be ready for real competition as the other runners know who to be chasing down!

Perseverance and enjoying the process imho is the sustainable way to drive long term results/success. Putting one’s self worth into where one medals/places at each race can result in short term thinking and doesn’t lead to the real benefits of running and exercising which is creating a foundation for a healthy lifestyle. I’m really looking forward to running more races together with Gary and Ben even if it means they finish ahead of me! #proudparents

3) Yesterday at the US Army 10 miler expo I ran into Kyle Maggard, the founder and CEO of Over Easy. My family’s favorite breakfast bar and snack is now Over Easy. Whole Foods and Wegmans are also fans as you can pick up their products at those shops along with on their website.

Kyle played hockey at United States Military Academy at West Point and dropped out of Harvard Business School to start Over Easy. It’s been awesome watching his journey as an entrepreneur. We both have spent a lot of time on the road on the weekends away from family in pursuit of professional endeavors. But both of us know that the most important startups are our kids.

I had a fun time volunteering at Kyle’s booth to help him and Lily Timlin at their booth. It was fun getting to meet runners, military families, and we took a group photo with members of the West Point marathon team! Also, congratulations to Kyle and team for being one of the top West Point startups recognized at the West Point Association of Graduates entrepreneur summit this past weekend! I'll share/write more about this event later.

4) I’ll be at AUSA this week from Mon-Wed. If you are at AUSA, then I hope to run into you! This is my first AUSA ever. #ausa #ausa2022

5) I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! I hope I have enough kick at the end of the 10 miler so I chase down cadets and junior officers on the last mile! :)