Blood: You've Got Plenty, So Share.

A few days ago, I spent about 45-minutes dropping off a pint at a local blood drive and earned some apple juice and oatmeal raisin cookies afterwards. That's a fair trade in my book.

The way I see it, it's one of the easiest, least time-involved, least expensive, and most beneficial ways to "do a good thing." And sometimes, doing a good thing a pretty good idea.

Why's it a good idea? Well, for starters, one out of every 10 people admitted into a hospital will need blood; the average red blood cell transfusion is approximately three pints; but under 38% of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood, but even less do so on a regular basis.

My favorite part of the whole donation process, aside from the awesome juice and cookies, is after the donation is done and the nurse is wrapping up my arm, they run through the whole "Keep the bandage in place for the next few hours, avoid smoking, blah, blah, blah, and be sure to drink plenty of water for the next 24 hours." I'm always thinking, "Um, in addition to the gallon and a half I usually drink? M'kay, no problem."

I generally skip my workout the day I plan on donating, to avoid any unnecessary fatigue and because I don't want too much strain on my recovery abilities, but I'm right back on schedule the next day. So there, if you're looking for an excuse to miss one workout, now you've got it, with my official permission and everything.

If you're in the New York/New Jersey area, you can find more info about blood drives (including drives in your area) at the New York Blood Center.

If you're not in New York or New Jersey, check out the American Red Cross at GiveLife.org.

Thanks.