M3S Sports has joined forces with the ULTIMATE Coach. Steven T. Devor is the coach's coach. He is a professor at The Ohio State University and an exercise physiologist. He is one of the smartest individuals on the planet. In each newsletter he will provide you with answers to your questions and relevant information covering the how and why of your training program, running and walking more effectively and efficiently and what you can to to improve your goal of "living fit" everyday.

This week I wanted to change it up a bit and reprint a letter he sent to the Columbus Dispatch that is very timely and on point with our focus.

Dear Columbus Dispatch Letters to the Editor,

As health system reform takes center stage in the United States, prevention has become a hot topic among lawmakers, media, and the public. Some question the cost savings of preventive health care. Does it save money in the long run, or is it an expensive indulgence with too little benefit to justify the up front cost?

Answer: It depends. While many diagnostics, such as colonoscopies and mammograms, save lives and head off expensive treatment regimens, some may be unneeded. Sound medical judgment and appropriate guidelines are required.

However, everyone can and should practice prevention in the form of healthy lifestyles, and it does not cost a dime. Better nutrition and higher levels of physical activity do not increase cost. And they result in tremendous payoffs in terms of lower health care costs, increased productivity, and greater quality of life. Becoming more physically active, eating a healthier nutritionally sound diet, and incorporating some kind of movement into everyday life those are the three main keys to health, longevity, and disease prevention. Indeed, it was recently reported that treating obesity was responsible for the biggest jump in health care spending in recent years; obese populations accounted for $303.1 billion in health care costs in 2006, nearly doubling the $166.7 billion spent on these individuals in 2001.

In many ways physical activity and exercise can be thought of as medicine. Studies repeatedly show that physical activity and exercise can help prevent obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions. And leading a healthier lifestyle does not require hitting the treadmill every night or becoming fanatical about exercise. Walking for 30 minutes each night after dinner or during a lunch hour has powerful preventive effects and requires just a pair of comfortable walking shoes.

Physicians and other health care professionals should encourage patients to become physically active. A public survey conducted in 2007 by the American College of Sports Medicine found that nearly two-thirds of patients (65 percent) would be more interested in exercising to stay healthy if advised by their doctor and given additional resources.

Bottom line: While we trim unnecessary costs to better manage health-care resources, we need to keep in mind the powerful and necessary cost effective potential of leading healthy lifestyles that embrace physical activity and sound nutritional choices at their core. Truly, exercise is medicine, and a prescription for increased and sustained health.

From the shirts to the medals to the pacers to Darrin Bright, the ultimate Medical Director, to Steve Devor, the ultimate coach, to the newsletters, to the parties, M3S is focused on putting on the ULTIMATE events for YOU! We strive everyday to create innovative ways to insert our passion into everything we do for you.

One special touch at all of our events are our famous balloon team. The sister team of Kathy Carwile and Susan Swain have been in integral part of all of our events this year. You have seen them with the final finisher at our events. That's right, they finish last so no one else has too.

They play an incredibly important roll in each event, communicating with not only the final finishers, the police and medical teams but also staying in direct contact with me every mile. They do it with a smile every event.

The next time you see Kathy and Susan make sure you smile back. They are a vital part of what we do for YOU!

If you have followed the growth of our company over the years, you know how passionate we are about customer service and our quest to promote the ULTIMATE running and walking events. The Capital City Half Marathon has grown 92% since its inception in 2004.

People ask me what our team does in the "off season" before the Arizona Distance Classic and Cap City. In addition to promoting and producing the other events on our calendar we meet with all of our existing corporate partners and interview new ones to discuss activation, branding and sales strategies.

Our partners are instrumental in making our events remarkable. Entry fees alone cannot support what we do for all of our participants. That said, we will only partner with companies and organizations that meet 3 criteria:

1. The must be "best of breed". The leader in their particular industry.

2. They must be as passionate about customer service as we are.

3. They must be passionate about supporting the active healthy lifestyle in their own company, with their customers and in our community.

In the coming months we are going to make some exciting announcements about partners that fit those criteria. We want YOUR input. Here is your chance to help us decide who to partner with in 2010 and beyond. Do you work for or know a company that you would be proud to have at your event supporting YOU.

With over 85,000 unique email contacts, 20,000 race day impressions, E-Newsletters, and the incorporation of Facebook and Twitter into our participant communities, we are uniquely positioned to assist passionate partners in becoming a dominant participant in the running and walking community in a scalable manner.

Here is the bottom line on our partnerships. If a partner fits our criteria, we will develop an activation strategy that fits their marketing plan.