Good Morning Team !!

This unfortunately could be my last journal entry.  I have the Board of Directors today and tomorrow, which means I am running from first thing after I type this until late tonight, and then first thing tomorrow.  When the meeting ends tomorrow afternoon I race straight to the airport to fly to California.  Once I land I race straight to a dinner in a camp called The Bohemian Grove.  I am there until Monday at noon.  There are no laptops or cell phones allowed.  It is a time for hearing speakers, listening to music, watching plays, and exercise.  I can do work, but it is planning work with good old fashioned paper and pen.

I will have only been home 2 mornings out of the final 18 or so within this MTM stretch.  So I don’t know what my weight is, but I am not on track to hit the goal by this Sunday.  That is the bad news, 2 years in a row.

The good news is I definitely ate more produce, and developed some new habits.  Like the 2 serving smoothie I am eating/drinking right now.  This part of MTM will make a lasting difference for me, taking me one step further than last year’s produce goal which got me going in the right direction.

The other good news is I definitely did more quiet time than I would have otherwise.  I am not sure if I got this over the hump to be a new habit now.

On the exercise front, I did not do anything more or less than usual.  I cherish my exercise, and consider it to be an obligation to give it to my body, given all I put my body through as a part of being Mayor of our Village with 67,000 teammates in 11 countries.

I hope each of you have developed momentum and a new habit or two in our collective quest for a healthier life.   I am glad we are a Community First and a Company Second, and that we band together to support each other in team efforts like this.

One for All & All for One.  Not just a slogan to some of us.   Your Mayor, KT

Yo DaVita!

It is Sunday afternoon.  Javier and I did a 2 hour hike with some excellent vertical, so we will both be way over on steps.  I had 2 servings of fruit in my breakfast smoothie, and another 2 servings at lunch – a banana and a bowl of mixed berries.  So I will clear the mark on produce today!

The former Ambassador to Iraq was a great dinner guest last night.  And the cyber security/warfare speaker was good.

Now I have to get some email and scheduling done!  I hope you are all doing well!   KT

Yo DaVita Village

It is Saturday morning.  I would like to start by congratulating Uma, my companion, and Stephanie, JR’s companion, for their impressive MTM work.  Perhaps I will tell the program operators not to include companions in the future, as they make me look bad.  Life’s rich pageant!

I am up at our Colorado mountain cabin, with 8 guys.  Old and dear friends.  We call it FRED weekend.  Friendship, Relaxation, Exercise, and Discourse.  I put it on once a year.

We will go out for a big mountain bike ride this am.  Lots of single track, lots of tough vertical.  Awesome workout.  Then in the late afternoon we have 2 guest speakers, one a professor active in cyber security and the other a former ambassador to Iraq, during the war.  Should be fascinating.

Yesterday I did 26 minutes of life cycle in the am, and then got 45 minutes of outside mountain biking before we all had dinner.  I was mountain biking with a young and fit guy, so i got psyched up and made it up a section (the Larkspur Lunge) I have never made before without having to walk during that steep stretch.  Also set a personal record of 28:22 to the end of the climb.  Fun to coast back to the cabin after that.

This is a good group, all but one have worked for the Village.  One of them is now CEO of a Radiology company.  A second is CEO of an Anesthesiology company.  A third is CEO of a Vet Hospital company.  One is a former member of Board of Directors and a mentor and coach for many of our young execs, another is currently on the Board.  JR is here as well.  At dinner I put out a couple table questions that each person answers, which makes for a distinctively meaningful conversation.

The ride we will do this am is a tough one for me, because the single track gets so narrow on some of the climbs.  I have a hard time staying on the track, and once you go off you are typically toast because you cannot keep going.  I have only made it up all 4 hills without getting off the bike one time.  I was 10 pounds lighter then, however.  Yikes.  The guys riding with me this am are all 10-15 years younger.

Speaking of weight I was down to 194.8 yesterday.  Unfortunately I had two huge bowls of ice cream late last night, after everyone else had gone to bed, after an evening involving non-trivial wine consumption.  Given we are having grilled burgers for lunch, this is not looking like a great MTM weekend from a calorie perspective.

I hope you have a great weekend!  Savor the adventure of life, as I am with these friends – all of whom have taken stuff from their experience in the Village, and are proud to point it out as they send forth ripples of citizen leadership.

One for All & All for One.   Your Mayor, KT

Sorry I haven’t blogged for a while.  While I haven’t stayed in touch, I have been good and have hit my 10K steps every day, eating healthier and down 7 lbs (I even had a dinner last night and skipped the appetizers and dessert).   I am inspired by everyone’s efforts and keeping me accountable.  Let’s continue the momentum!!

MTM Flash Report

5 servings yesterday, 2 with my morning smoothie, those are amazing.  Appears they will displace shredded wheat and organic sausage on many days.  2 at lunch, with fresh broccoli and black beans in turkey chili (plus a Wisconsin hot dog!).  did I already report my exercise, 75 min of biking, including a brutal 52 minute climb up 2000 feet of vertical in only 5 miles.  12 minutes of quiet time.   BUT I finished my day with ice cream and brownies, sitting with 11 of my relatives, not so good there!

Now I am headed back to Denver.   Good-bye mountains.  Match the Mayor partners, we are each climbing our personal mountains, with better health at the top!   All the best to you, your Mayor, KT

Nice to know you had quite a bash of celebration and exercise last week! Way to go Kent!

Back in Malaysia, we have twin celebration.
Our independence Day falls on 31st Aug which see formal events like parade to commemorate historical moments that would remind people about the struggle in achieving independence.

Then 2 weeks after that, 16th Sept, we celebrate Malaysia Day in the spirit of unity and understanding between races and community success and achievements. I very much look towards this day as we have lots lots of fun, events, cultural, arts…the city never sleeps till wee hours!

I finally can look forward waking up to a clean home. For the last 3 mths, my home (upper floor) was undergoing extensive renovation. It was completed last Thursday and over the weekend, for 2 full days I helped cleaning up the home with a team of family members and hired part-time maids. Lots of body aches waking up on Monday morning but that didn’t stop me from getting excited heading to the gym after work. I just went on & on for about 2 hours! I left the gym feeling so happy that I ‘tortured’ my body! Never mind waking up to another day of aches…this MTM is worth it!

Yo Good Caregivers all,

It is Monday night, about 9 pm.

Yesterday I started the day with about 2 hours of email and planning.  Then we did a WONDERFUL 9 mile hike, with 1900 feet of vertical.  We packed a picnic lunch, hiked to a mountain lake.  The food always tastes so amazing when you are tired and hungry and outside in a beautiful spot.

I also got in 20 minutes of quiet time.

On the consumption front I only had 1 serving at breakfast.  1 serving at lunch, the fruit we packed for our lunch.  Dinner was 2 servings of veggies, so I did not make it!  Darn it.

Today Monday I had my shredded wheat produce.  But then a major event took place.  My wife made me a smoothie.  A full banana, a cup of strawberries and blueberries, and some almond milk.  Was really good!  and 2 servings!  Wow.

I then had a full cup of broccoli (that I planted in our little greenhouse, and re-planted once it could handle the Colorado outdoors!), and a serving of beans, with my turkey chili (and an all-meat wisconsin hot dog blended in), for lunch.  So I am already at 5 servings and we have not yet sat down to dinner.

Today I did calls from 7:45 or so until noon.  Originally I had hoped for last Thursday and Friday, and today and tomorrow, to be vacation days.  This did not work out so well.  In general, however, I am quite good at getting my vacation time, I think it is so important.  Anyway at noon I went out for an awesome 85 minute mountain biking ride with some significant vertical.  Then did a thorough set of PT and stretching.  So a total of 115 minutes of healthy exercise.  Then Denise and I took a 45 minute hike.   After that I returned to work until 7:15 pm.

Today, Monday, I only got 10 minutes of quiet time.  It was interesting, I actually felt like having more.  In the beginning it was hard to get me to go quiet for 10.

Tomorrow the Texas branch of the Thiry family joins us up here in the mountains.  9 of them, plus 2 other sisters and one niece.  They will arrive in the late afternoon, they have been in Colorado since the 4^th, staying at our house while they visit my mom in her nursing home.  We will have dinner with them, then we take off early the next morning to return to Denver.

I hope you all had a great weekend, including achieving your health goals.  3000 of us are rooting for you!

Ciao.  KT

Hope this finds you in good spirit!

I know I have not sent you my daily progress for some time now …it has been crazy week but did a lot to catch-up during weekend and it was very satisfying and productive.  I was quite happy going all out to recover my lost week days of exercise.

I will send over tomorrow my last week’s  progress and pictures of my vegetable craving dishes.  I didn’t touch meat for a week since last Tuesday!!! …not sure why but I loved it.

It is very humid back here in the capital city, KL.

Regards,

Uma

Good Morning as we launch year # 240 for America !!

And advance Happy Birthday to the other 10 countries in our Village, for whenever your birthday is.  Uma, when is Malaysia’s?

Good news on yesterday is GLORIOUS mountain bike ride, 138 minutes, about 2000 feet of vertical, awesome cardio and leg workout.  Then did 20 minutes of PT and stretching.  Cleared 10,000 steps.  Strong day, hope same for many of you.

Bad news is only 4 servings.  One full serving of Shredded Wheat in am, half a serving at lunch (we were at a restaurant and I did not like the veggies), then 2.5 servings at dinner.  Salad with all greens from our garden, dinner with broccoli (that I planted!) from our garden, but did not quite make it over the hump.  Wait we had fruit for dessert, a good portion (with a little ice cream on top I must admit), so I actually did make it!!!

Also had 20 minutes of quiet time, wonderful, staring at mountains.

We went to a 4^th of July Concert (we do every year) with a big orchestra.  They hand out flags to everyone, they play patriotic music from the 1800’s up to today, there is a reading from an Army Captain who lost his right leg in Afghanistan, the crowd sings along on some of the songs, each branch of the military is honored with a medly of their service songs … IT IS GREAT.

I look forward to learning more about the special events in our other country neighborhoods.  I did attend a Malaysian wedding when I was there earlier this year – that was cool.

We are packing a picnic lunch and doing a big hike today, so I will more than nail the steps.  Hope you do also!

“I had a wonderful life.  I only wish I’d realized it sooner.”

All the best, to all of you, my 3000 partners in a quest for a healthier life!  Your Mayor, KT

MTM Flash

When I got back from my 12 day trip, the next am my weight was 196.  Exactly the same as before I left.  We will see what I can do this weekend.  I am getting great exercise, but also had a big bowl of ice cream as I read the paper at 11:30 pm last night.  Yikes.

Yesterday (Friday) I worked until noon.  Then got great exercise on the mountain bike, then had lunch outside with Denise.  Then Joe Mello, our HCP COO came over with his wife Ginny.  Joe and I worked until 4 pm while the ladies had a good hike.  Then we were off to the Mozart concert (those 3 loved it, I was not into it), had a dinner, and headed back to the cabin.  I did get my 5 servings of produce by asking for the restaurant to bring me a big extra order of veggies, and I also had 20 minutes of quiet time – although I could not get work out of my mind at that point.  Darn.

Happy Birthday America!  I will do a strong mountain bike ride today.  Then all 4 of us will go to a 4^th of July concert, where they play all traditional American songs, including a lot of the patriotic ones.  They hand out flags, they honor each branch of the military as we do at our annual Villagewide meeting, it is a special event that we have done 4 out of the last 5 years.

All the best to you, there are over 3000 of us joining arms in the quest for a healthier life!

Your Mayor, KT