Running Around With This Hotel Owner
He owns the property, and offers hands-on personal fitness too
By Rob MacKnight
How many hotels have you stayed in where you’re invited to get fitness training or run 3.5 miles…with the hotel’s owner?
Bob Rauch (far right), keeps his hotel guests on the run.
Meet Bob Rauch. He shares his healthy lifestyle in a hands-on manner as he runs and works out with hotel guests at his Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites in Del Mar.
The two properties attract many business travelers. The 7 a.m. runs and grunt sessions provide an ideal outlet for guests to receive personal instruction, sweat hard and attack their days with clear heads. Among other regulars, the properties are home-away-from-homes to entertainers who pass through town to perform at the Del Mar Race Track.
His gym workout includes an eight-minute warm up, seven minutes of mat work, seven minutes utilizing the stability ball, finishing with seven minutes on the floor and a final minute to cool and down and monitor your heart rate. He could call it: “Around the Body in 30 Minutes.”
Guests receive personal instruction from Rauch, who, despite no formal training, continues to compete in Senior Olympic racing events, softball, basketball and swimming, as well as perspiring with his guests and logging some 60 hours per week on the job.
Rauch’s weight has remained within two pounds of his high school days. His 15- and 19-year-old daughters are excellent soccer and softball players, but have yet to beat their “old man” in a sprint.
Rauch loved playing competitive baseball, and one day he had a conflict with a Senior Olympics sprinting event. He asked a race official if he could instead run the 400-meter race so that he could make his baseball game on time. When the official realized Rauch had never before run a grueling 400, he replied, “You can switch races, but you’re nuts!” With that dubious vote of confidence, Rauch lined up with seven others and took off. From his Lane One position he soon mistakenly ascertained that he was embarrassingly behind so he did as any road runner would, and sprinted as hard as he could until he hit the tape.
The ultimate “Who Was That Guy!?” took the gold medal.
Nutrition-wise, Rauch has a high-fiber cereal every morning (oatmeal in winter), one cup of coffee and is “very fruits and veggies oriented.” His staunch rule: “I don’t eat big portions;ever!”
In addition to a multivitamin each day, Rauch takes extra E, C, fish oil and blue-green algae. Every other day he takes half an aspirin.Several years ago, his doctor noticed his cholesterol rising and talked of getting him on statin drugs. Rauch’s solution: Cut back on eggs and run more. Voila!
Guests working out with Rauch can glean much from his actions and wise counsel.
