Cache of the Day - World Equestrian Games

Like the Olympics, the World Equestrian Games showcases horse athletes from throughout the world, and we had a chance to experience them on Saturday, October 2 in Lexington, Kentucky.

I've been waiting for this event for years and they finally arrived!  I purchased my tickets for the Cross Country segment of the "Eventing" event six months ago, and the day finally arrived!

The horses were MAGNIFICENT and the jumps were spectacular, like nothing I've ever seen before.  And there was much more to do - visiting exhibits and seeing the Hall of Champions and browsing through the museums.

I wish I could have seen all the games, but this small taste was well worth it.

Cache of the Day - Horse Mania

I LOVE Lexington, Kentucky.  I love it because it is The Horse Capital of the World and I LOVE horses.

My trip to Lexington was for business - I was conducting a Leadership training course for a client nearby - but I made sure we got some time to enjoy,well, horses.

Next weekend we'll be going to the World Equestrian Games, something I have been waiting for for YEARS!  More on that to come soon.  In the meantime, the city is preparing with Horse Mania, a public art project that decorates the streets of Lexington.  Throughout the city are life-size fiberglass horses, decorated by artists.  There are nearly 100 throughout the city, and we got to see a small portion of them.

So exciting and a great preview to the Games next weekend!

Cache of the Day - Trail Run

I've never shied away from a good 5k, so when I saw the advertisement for the first run of the "Vines, Pines, and Inclines" event, held at the Creekbend Vineyards and sponsored by Oliver Winery, I eagerly got to the page to register.

The "Inclines" moniker did give me cause to pause, but I've done other hills in other runs, including "Dead Man's Hill" through the cemetery on the Catfish Run.  How bad could it be?

And then I realized that this was NOT a 5k, but rather a 4.3 mile trail run.  Another cause to pause.  But the idea of running through vineyards was too appealing and I knew the weather would be gorgeous.  So I signed up.

I usually set 3 goals for each run:  (1) do not finish last, (2) do not get beat by a walker (or a dog - both of which have happened), and (3) do not stop running.

Because of the length - and the fact that the race was for runners only - I only set one goal:  not to finish last.  I was determined to enjoy the run - which did sound absolutely lovely - and not stress about the competitive standing.

I didn't finish last.  But let's just say it was a good thing that in fact there were no walkers.  I clearly would have been among them.  There were in fact inclines - plural - including the "Hill of Death", a 23% grade.  Just about killed me.  Not only did I walk, I also had several moments during the climb of just...standing. 

But, all in all, it was a great run.  I loved the course.  The grapes on the vines looked just about ready to harvest.  I loved the "bird deflectors", which included electronic bird-in-distress sounds, as well as a real-life "guard hawk" that showed his feathers at the sign of any potential grape-aviators.  The forest was lush and green, and very cool, and this made for good running indeed.  Stacy ran with me and offered encouragement and competitive demands ("The walkers behind you are catching up."  "Kick it!"  "Make it a strong finish!").  And the after-party, complete with a great band and wine-tasting, made it feel good everywhere.

Will I do this next year?  Or will this event have the same demise as one of my previous adventures when I said, "I will never go sky-diving again".  Too soon to tell.  But the 5k I'm running next week - the Bloomington 5k Breakaway - looks so tame compared to this, I know I won't have any problem reaching my goals.

As long as my body recovers before then.

SCIHRA Wins the Chapter of the Year Award at the Indiana State SHRM Conference

There's no place like first place!  And it's even sweeter when it's your first win!

The South Central Indiana Human Resource Association, where as serve as a member and the president of the Board, was recently awarded the Chapter of the Year award at the Indiana State SHRM Conference.

This is the first time we have won in our history.  We submitted the nomination based on the work we have been doing to advance the profession of human resources, and to serve the human resource professional in our community.  Our vision is to be the recognized authority on HR in the south central Indiana community...and this award goes a LONG way to help us achieve that vision.

Of course none of this happens without the dedication, creativity, persistence, and talent of an AMAZING Board of Directors, the support and resources that the Indiana State Council provides to us, and the amazing organization SHRM, which we are affiliated with.

We were awarded this great honor at an Awards banquet during the Indiana State SHRM Conference, and then our video submission (which had nothing to do with our winning the award) was played for 1100 participants at the Wednesday luncheon.

What a whirlwind we've been through this past year and it is great to recognized for this achievement!