At sports events around Hawai‘i, age categories often end at 50-plus or senior masters. For a bicycle race on Kaua‘i, enough older cyclists come out to participate each Memorial Day weekend that 60-plus and 70-plus age groups had to be added.
“Pedal to the Meadow” is a USA Cycling–sanctioned hill race on the Garden Island that climbs from hot, dry Kekaha to the rim of Waimea Canyon and cool forests of Koke‘e. This challenging course gains 3,800 feet in elevation over 16 miles.
It took Barry Masuda, 71, of Honolulu only one hour and 39 minutes to finish, placing first in 70-plus, and 34th overall in a field with riders as young as 13. The next day, Masuda saddled up again with Cambriamento D’Andaturo Team Core Hawai‘i for the Mana Time Trial and the “Cycle on the Strip” Criterium race.
These road races are organized by Bicycle Racing Kauai, a not-for-profit hui. Race director Binney Williamson likes the senior divisions. “It’s inspiring. We younger riders hope to stay that fit.”
According to experts, riding a bike four miles a day cuts heart disease risk in half, is aerobic, but puts minimal strain on joints and muscles. Like all sports, it is good to start out slow. Biking is fun! To learn more about clycling and clubs on your island, visit your local bike shop.
To learn more about “Pedal to the Meadow,” visit: www.PedaltotheMeadow.com and www. Facebook.com/BicycleRacingKauai
Dr. Yamamoto, a pediatric rheumatologist for over 20 years, has become a leader in her field. She cares for the majority of children diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis (JA) in the state, who come from all eight islands. JA affects over 1,200 kids and their families in Hawai‘i.
One substitute for that great big binder is a USB, “thumb” or “jump” drive. It is a thumb-sized piece of hardware that plugs into almost any computer (iPads excepted) that will store more electronic documents than you will ever need it to hold. At a bare minimum, you will want store a copy of your advance directive and your HIPAA authorization (the document that gives medical providers your permission to talk to your decision maker), but you might also want other documents, such as your durable power of attorney. The downside to this technology is that it is a piece of non-waterproof hardware that can be lost, or stolen and misused.
Yet another option is Internet technology that allows you to store your estate planning documents in the “cloud” and access them from any computer or laptop (including your iPad) whenever you need to, and from wherever you happen to be at the time. One example is called Cubby (www.cubby.com), but there are others on the market. When you are a Cubby subscriber, you can create a secure link that you (or your kids or your financial planner) can use to access your estate planning documents 24/7. This can be a very helpful solution in a variety of contexts — not just medical emergencies.
Medicare Identity Theft is a serious and growing problem that impacts the lives of millions of seniors every year. A variety of reasons, including the expansion of technology and the Internet, allow personal information to be stolen and sold worldwide. Furthermore, the sheer magnitude of Medicare provides both incentive and opportunity for thieves to take advantage of the program. Medicare serves 46 million beneficiaries, who are primarily seniors, and expends $375 billion annually. Because it is so large and complex, with thousands of health care providers submitting millions of claims daily, Medicare is difficult to oversee. As a result, $68 billion is estimated to be lost to fraud annually.
