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Ready for Zooma Half Marathon?
We’re a week away from the Zooma Women’s Half Marathon.
I’m a wee bit worried!
I ran the Zooma last year and loved it. I loved the small size of the race, the fact that it was staged at the Hyatt Lost Pines in Bastrop instead of downtown Austin, and the cute silver necklace I got for crossing the finish line. The course was hilly but beautiful.
But last year I’d run the Austin Marathon. The Zooma felt like nothing after those 26.2 grueling miles. This year, I haven’t been running as much. Usually, I get in three runs a week — a hilly 7-miler, an easy 5-miler and a weekend 10-miler. (I also swim with a swim team.)
That’s not ideal.
But I’m running the race for fun, not to set a land-speed record. And my body has been thanking me for months for easing back on my running program.
Last year I battled a torn calf muscle and an inflamed IT band. This year, no such problems.
The race starts at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, March 27.
Packet pickup is 3-8 p.m. Thursday, March 25, at Rogue Equipment, 500 San Marcos St., or 2-8 p.m. Friday, March 26 at the Hyatt Lost Pines. There is no race day packet pickup for the half marathon.
Remember, there’s no on-site parking, either. Airport Fast Park, across from Austin Bergstrom International Airport at 2300 Spirit of Texas Dr., will provide free parking. Plan to arrive no later than 6 a.m. to catch a free shuttle to the resort.
For more information on Zooma, go to www.zoomarun.com.
Who else is running Zooma? What are your goals? How is your training going?
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Upcoming fitness events
Lots on the fitness calendar in the next few weeks. Here’s a sampling:
- Pablove Ride: Join Aether Apparel and the Pablove Foundation, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with cancer, for a 30- or 60-mile charity ride starting at 10 a.m. March 20 at Mellow Johnny’s, 400 Nueces St. Registration is $25 here.
- Zumba/Turbo Kick Marathon: TownLake YMCA, 1100 W. Cesar Chavez, will host a Zumba and Turbo Kick marathon from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. March 21 to raise money for the YMCA Partner of Youth program, which funds membership in after-school programs, sports, camps and swim lessons for children and families who can’t otherwise afford it. Cost is $25 for individuals; $40 if you bring a friend. Call 542-9622 to register.
- Changing the World, One Om at a Time: Sample different styles of yoga from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. March 23 at Mercury Hall, 615 Cardinal Lane. The event is a fund-raiser for Finca Project, a U.S.-based non-profit dedicated to the restoration of communities in the poorest region of Costa Rica. For more information, go here.
- Backwoods Ladies Night: Free snacks, wine, chair massages and giveaways from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, March 25 at Backwoods in the Hill Country Galleria, 12921 Hill Country Blvd. in Bee Cave. For more information call 263-3610.
- Junior National Synchronized Swimming Championships: More than 300 elite synchronized swimmers will compete March 25-27 at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center at the University of Texas at Austin during the 2010 Junior National Synchronized Swimming Championships. Thursday and Friday events are free; tickets for Saturday’s finals are $10 for adults and $5 for youth and seniors. The Austin Angelfish will host a free “Give Synchro a Try” clinic after the final event on March 27. Contact Cheryl Cook at synchrocc@aol.com or (512) 567-1943 for more information about the clinic. Go here for more information about the championships.
- LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour: Ride 30, 44, or 65 miles starting at 9 a.m. March 27 at the airstrip of the historic LBJ Ranch near Stonewall. Afterward, Luci Baines Johnson, daughter of Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson, will lead an easy 10-mile ride around the ranch. Cost is $40 for the tour. Register here. Registration also available March 25 at Performance Bike, 3005 S. Lamar Blvd. in Austin. For more information call 830-868-7128 Ext. 244.
- Capital Area Games for Life: Austin area seniors square off in a series of athletic and cognitive competitions tailored for long-term care residents from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 27 at the University of Texas Recreational Sports Center.
- Colorado River Ramble: The Colorado River Foundation will host a canoe and kayak race and water festival March 28 on Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin. Paddlers will compete in a 5-mile recreational race and 10-mile sport race. Register here or call 512-498-1587. Festival activities will include science experiments, fishing and kayak clinics, reptile and river bug shows, arts and crafts, games and educational presentations.
- Young Guns Speed and Power Hour: Competitive Training Center, 9185 Research Blvd., will host an open workout for middle school students ages 11 to 14 from noon - 1:30 p.m. March 27. For more information, call 330-4269.
- Great Urban Race: Teams of two will navigate around Austin in an urban scavenger hunt that starts at noon March 27 at Stubb’s Bar BQ, 801 Red River St. The event is a fund-raiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Entry fee is $60 per person. For more information or to register, go here.
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Wash your car while you run
Imagine this: You park your car, go for a run around Lady Bird Lake, and when you get back, your vehicle’s been washed and waxed, instead of covered in bird poo.
Enterprising twin brothers Emory and Thomas Fincher, 26, opened their Wash & Run business outside RunTex, 422 W. Riverside Drive, last September.
They offer three packages: The Sprint ($30), a basic hand wash, spray wax, vacuum and dashboard/door wipedown; the Mile ($80), which adds a hand wax, mat shampooing and complete interior wipedown; and the Marathon ($150), which adds leather cleaning, upholstery steam cleaning and complete interior detailing.
It takes about 30-40 minutes for the Sprint, up to an hour and a half for the Mile (hey, that’s slower than me!), and two or two-and-a-half hours for the marathon (there’s a PR!).
The Finchers have set up shop next to the annex in the parking lot of RunTex. Look for the green canopy.
Emory Fincher thinks the concept will work, because, he says, time is everything.
“People who stay in shape and take care of bodies also like to take care of cars,” he says. “And now they can do it all at once.”
Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and by appointment Sunday and Monday. To make an appointment, call 461-9524.
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Flying with your bike
A flurry of sorts broke out on Twitter yesterday, when Doug Ulman, president and CEO of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, asked Southwest Airlines to be the first airline to carry bikes for free.
Southwest Airlines Tweeted back, saying that bikes do fly for free on its planes.
Doug re-Tweeted the response and thanked Southwest Airlines. So did I. So did a bunch of other folks.
But Austin-based triathlete Mark Cathcart emailed me later, to point out that the airline’s policy isn’t really all that different from most domestic airline’s policies — and that it’s only free to take your bike if it meets very specific requirements. Cathcart has flown more than 100 times with his bicycle, although he says he’s never tried to take his bike on a Southwest Airlines flight.
Southwest’s policy specifies that:
“Non-motorized Bicycles, including Bike Friday and Co-Pilot, will be accepted in substitution of a free piece of checked baggage at no additional charge provided the bicycle is properly packaged and the box containing the bicycle fits within the 62-inch sizing limit and weighs 50 lbs or less . (Maximum weight is 50 pounds and maximum size is 62 inches (length + width + height) per checked piece of luggage). The handlebars, kickstand, and pedals must be removed and placed inside the box. A $50 each-way charge applies to bicycles that don’t meet the above criteria. Bicycles packaged in a cardboard box or soft-sided case will be transported as a conditionally accepted item.”
Read the entire policy here.
Cathcart’s response?
First, he points out, you can only take your bike as one of your two pieces of entitled luggage if it’s in a box and measures less than 62 linear (height plus length plus width) inches.
“There are NO standard bike boxes of this size,” he says.
If your frame has couplings that allow it to be taken apart, it can fit in a box that small, Cathcart says. And if you have a frame that is 42cm with 650c wheels, it might fit in a box that size, he says.
Or you could just build your own bike box to fit the specifications.
Cathcart also points out that the policy says cardboard box and soft-sided cases will be accepted conditionally.
Beyond that? It’s a $50 charge each way. Better than many air carriers, but not free.
Read Cathcart’s entire blog on the topic here.
Happily, Cathcart notes that Southwest does allow travelers to pack two small spare gas cylinders — like CO2 cartridges used to inflate bike tires.
“Now that’s news. Thanks Southwest!”
And thanks for the clarification, Mark.
Anyone else have tips for traveling with bikes?
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Bike route temporarily closed
The Lance Armstrong Bikeway on 4th Street between Trinity and Red River streets will be closed until the bridge over Waller Creek is complete in May.
The barricades now in place are a safety precaution for cyclists, according to Nadia Barrera, Bicycle/Pedestrian Project Coordinator for the city of Austin.
Prior to the installation of the barricades, cyclists were riding on the rail line, compromising their safety, and ignoring the detour sign placed at Red River and 4th Street, Barrera says.
Additional barricades were installed because the CapMetro commuter rail line is opening.
“If cyclists are riding between the rails, they could potentially be in conflict with the train,” Barrera says. “We would like to discourage this activity as much as possible, and encourage cyclists to use 5th Street as an alternative until the bridge over Waller Creek is installed and crossing the rail line by bicycle will no longer be necessary.”
Cyclists heading eastbound on 4th Street should turn left (northbound) on Trinity and continue eastbound on 5th Street.
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Biking from Van Horn to Guadalupe Mountains
I’m back from my windy West Texas adventure!
I’ll be writing about what it’s like to bicycle from Van Horn to the foot of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in an upcoming Fit City column. I’ll also be writing about camping and hiking at the park in a future travel article.
Until then, here are a few thoughts …
- 1. Highway 54 north of Van Horn is a gorgeous place to ride your bike. There’s hardly any traffic, mountains snuggle up to the road on both sides, and the terrain varies from flat to almost flat.
- 2. When the weather forecast calls for wind in West Texas, they mean it. (And yes, it’s possible for it to blow so hard you have to pedal downhill.)
- 3. Be sure to check out the high security gate about 20 miles north of Van Horn. That’s the entrance to a commercial spaceport being built by Blue Origin, owned by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos.
- 4. We had to sag it halfway through our 54-mile ride due to winds, but I want to go back and try it again.
- 5. It’s not always that windy in Van Horn. In fact, it was still as a tomb two days after our ride.
- 6. Hotel El Capitan in Van Horn, designed by the same architect who built The Gage in Marathon and the Paisano in Marfa, makes a comfortable, bike-friendly home base for your exploration.
- 7. Yes, it’s possible for it to snow in the Guadalupe Mountains in March!
- 8. Even if it snows in the Guadalupe Mountains in March, you can still enjoy numerous beautiful hikes.
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Win yoga book for expectant moms
I’ll be gone for the next few days, but I leave you with this: A really cool book for some lucky expecting mom.
If you want to win the copy of “Iyengar Yoga for Motherhood: Safe Practice for Expectant & New Mothers,” by Geeta Iyengar, Rita Keller and Kerstin Khattab that arrived on my desk this week, post here and tell me why you deserve it.
It’s a fat, hard cover book filled with illustrations and tips for women who want to do yoga throughout their pregnancy and into motherhood.
I’ll pick a winner when I get back to Austin.
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Heading into the wind (on a bike)
Just how much wind is too much when you’re riding?
I’m leaving Wednesday for West Texas. On Thursday, some friends and I are planning to bicycle Highway 54, from Hotel El Capitan in Van Horn to the intersection with Highway 62, in the shadow of Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
Originally, I was worried that the ride would be hilly, but it turns out the route is (surprise!) relatively flat. Here’s the elevation profile:
Now, if you continued into the park you’d hit mountains, but that’s not part of our biking plan.
I’m no longer worried about hills. Now I’m worried about wind.
This morning, winds were gusting to 50 mph. In the next few days, winds are forecast to gust to 60 mph. (Actually, that’s an improvement from the 70 mph they were forecasting yesterday when I checked.)
Our ride is Thursday. The forecast seems a little better for Thursday: “Partly cloudy. Windy. Highs in the upper 50s. West winds 20 to 30 mph.” Go here to see the whole forecast. We’ll be camping in the park at the end of our ride, then hiking to the top of Guadalupe Peak, the tallest mountain in Texas, on Friday.
So … what happens when you (try to) ride in winds that stiff? Is it possible? Is it like a never-ending incline?
Shall I reserve my spot on the SAG wagon right now?
Anybody out there have experience cycling in high winds? Anybody ever hiked Guadalupe Peak?
I’ll let you know how it went when I get back. ‘Til then, I’ll be Blowin’ in the Wind…
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Davis Mountain Preserve schedules open days
The first time, my late July hike in far West Texas coincided with the annual ladybug hatching. Little red bugs covered logs and branches like scales cover a fish. The second time, I saw more horned toads than I’ve seen since I was a kid. (I’ also saw a rattle snake, but we’ll skip that part of the story…)
It’s a nature wonderland.
The peak is located in the Davis Mountains Preserve, about 25 miles northwest of Fort Davis on Highway 118. (It’s about 10 miles past the McDonald Observatory and a quarter mile past the Lawrence E. Wood picnic area.)
Access to the preserve is limited. Usually you can only hike there when you’re accompanied by a guide.
Each year, though, the preserve is open to the public on certain days. During the “open” days, visitors may camp, horseback ride, hike on their own, picnic, bird, stargaze and enjoy the land at no charge.
This year’s open dates are:
- March 12-14
- April 17
- May 7-9
- June 18-20
- July 9-11
- Aug. 14
On open weekends, the preserve is open from noon Friday until 2 p.m. Sunday. On open days, hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Staff and volunteers will be on hand to register guests and answer questions.
Visitors must sign in and out at the McIvor Conservation Center at the preserve. Only high-clearance vehicles are allowed past the center. No pets are allowed.
For more information, email Davis Mountains Preserve Director Chris Pipes at cpipes@tnc.org.
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Please Be Kind to Cyclists ride
Nearly four years ago, Gay Simmons-Posey was struck and killed by a hit-and-run motorist while riding her bicycle on Loop 360. She was 40 at the time, and training for the BP MS 150 Bike Tour from Houston to Austin.
At 8 a.m. next Saturday, Austin cyclists will gather for a ride to honor her and others killed while biking on area roads. The third annual Please Be Kind to Cyclists ride starts at 8 a.m. March 13 in the parking lot of Pure Austin gym, 907 W. Fifth St.
“Let us all send a message of awareness to be kind to cyclists; that we can all co-exist and share the same roads,” says Al Bastidas, founder of the non-profit organization Please Be Kind to Cyclists. Bastidas was himself hit by a car and injured while riding his bicycle in 2002. “Let’s make 2010 a year where no cyclists will die on the roads of Texas.”
For more information Please Be Kind to Cyclists, go to www.bekindtocyclicsts.com.
Live music, breakfast tacos, coffee and drinks will be provided. Please Be Kind to Cyclists T-shirts will be available and a membership to Pure Austin also will be given away. The event is free but donations will be accepted.
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San Antonio approves 3-foot passing law
Cyclists know how scary it feels when a car or truck passes at close range.
I’ve had folks honk their horn at me (for no reason) just as they zoom by. Once someone spit on me when I was riding a rural road.
Cyclists have a legal right to be on public roadways, which they help fund through taxes.
Last year, the city of Austin put a 3-foot passing law into effect. Now San Antonio has done the same.
This from the Texas Bicycle Coalition:
- Congratulations to the citizens of the Alamo City, who now have a Safe Passing Ordinance! On a rainy Thursday, February 4, 2010, San Antonio City Council passed the Safe Passing Ordinance with the same language as SB 488, the Safe Passing Bill. The Safe Passing bill passed overwhelmingly in the 2009 State Legislative Session, but was subsequently vetoed by Governor Perry. Like the statewide bill, this local ordinance lists cyclists as well as pedestrians, motorcyclists, tow truck operators and other vulnerable road users as requiring special consideration when encountered on the roadway by motorists.
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Free fitness stuff!
I’ve got a stash of fitness DVDs and books to clear off my desk. If you want one of these, specify which one and post here telling me why I should give it to you.
- The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live: An Insider’s Guide to Creating the Sports Experience of a Lifetime,” by Robert Tuchman. No doubt this interesting book will start a lot of good arguments. Yes, we know the Super Bowl, the Summer Olympics and the World Series earn a legitimate spot on the list. But does the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest really belong here? And how come the X Games miss out? Includes all sorts of useful travel information, such as lodging, dining, tickets and tips if you really do decide to go.
- ”Cardio Striptease: Spice Up Your Workout & Dance Your Way Fit”: Who says working out can’t be sexy? This DVD teaches 10 steps to help you dance your way to fitness. Just be careful where you practice…
- ”Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown”: TV’s toughest trainer stars in this DVD, which features two 30-minute workouts to help you gain strength and lose weight.
- Heart of Texas Regatta: The non-profit Austin Rowing Club will host the Heart of Texas Regatta Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7 on Lady Bird Lake. A seven-lane, 1,000-meter course will be set up just east of Interstate 35. Festivities will take place at Festival Beach Park. More than 1,100 competitors from more than 30 clubs will compete. Categories include junior, open, collegiate and masters. For more information go here.
- It’s My Park Day: Volunteers are still needed to help with 67 projects at parks city-wide this Saturday, March 6. Projects range from simple clean-ups and painting park benches to ecological restoration and trail building. Volunteers of all ages and abilities are needed. All volunteers receive a T-shirt and snacks. Sign up at www.austinparks.org.
- Tough Cookie Women’s Duathlon: A beginner friendly, women-only sprint distance duathlon kicks off at 9 a.m. Sunday, March 7 at South Park, 2602 Dennis Drive in Copperas Cove. The 2K run/10 mile bike/2K run will be followed by a kids’ fun run. Entry fee includes a finisher award, race T-shirt, goody bag, and post race party, with free post-race massages. All proceeds benefit MS National Society Lone Star Chapter. Registration is $60 and ends at 10 p.m. March 3. To register go here.
- Urban Bird Celebration: Learn about urban birds and celebrate their presence Saturday, March 6 at the Austin Nature and Science Center, 301 Nature Center Drive. Bird walks and tours from 10-11 a.m., presentations with bird experts at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and other ongoing family activities including citizen science bird counts, bird of prey demonstrations and bird drawing. For more information call 512-327-8181 X29 or email wildlife@ci.austin.tx.us.
- Colorado River Spring Clean Up: Meet under the Montopolis Highway 183 Bridge, 5827 Levander Loop, at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 6 to help clean up the Colorado River. The group will concentrate on the area nearest the Colorado River Preserve. To register call Patrick Olsen, Natural Science Program Coordinator of McKinney Roughs Nature Park, at 512-303-5073 X8035 or email patrick.olsen@lcra.org.
- Project Grad 5k: A chip-timed 5K run/walk on a paved two-loop course with 5-year age group awards and a Kids’ K kicks off at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Dell Diamond, 3300 E. Palm Valley Road. Registration is $25 online or $30 on race day. Round Rock Independent School District employees and students get a $5 discount. All Georgetown and Austin Running Club members get a $1 discount. The Kids’ K is free and starts at 9 a.m. To register go here.
- 1. Skiing the Whale’s Tail in Breckenridge
- 2. Skiing Spaulding Bowl at Copper Mountain
- 3. Eating Eggy Bread at the Butterhorn in Frisco
- 4. Skinning up Peak 8 at Breckenridge (75 minutes hiking up; 3 minutes skiing down)
- 5. Snowshoeing at the Breckenridge Nordic Center
- 6. Seeing my sister and brother in law, who live in Denver
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Your weekend fitness activities!
I can feel it, spring is coming! That means tons of outdoor activities. Here’s an early look at some fun events this weekend. Sign up now!
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Just back from Ski Country!
Sorry for the lapse in programming … I just got back last night from a week-long ski trip in Colorado.
This year, we hit Copper Mountain and Breckenridge ski resorts. We got lucky with conditions — the snow was great, thanks to a couple of big dumps in the last three weeks. (Apparently it snowed in Austin while I was gone, too!)
My husband Chris and I met at Jackson Hole Ski Resort (in a hot tub, actually), and both love to tear it up on the slopes. We head to the mountains for a week of skiing every year.
This time, we took a couple of lessons (a must if you want to improve) and managed to up our games a notch.
Here are a couple of highlights from this year’s trip:
What are your favorite places to ski?
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Fitness fashion show
Athletes have to look good, too.
That’s why Bettysport has teamed up with Red Licorice Events for a fashion show featuring fitness clothing.
The free show, starring local age group triathletes as models, starts at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Lanai Rooftop Lounge, 422 Congress Ave. The models will show outfits for all body types.
A short seminar for local businesses looking for ways to market to athletes will precede the fashion show at 4:30 p.m.
Red Licorice Events produces local races including the Sweet & Twisted Tri and the Cougar Country Classic 5K.
Bettysport is located at 916 W. 12th and sells really cute athletic wear, from cycling jackets to running shorts.
To attend the seminar, please RSVP to joey@redlicoriceevents.com.
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Meet mountain bike guru Gary Fisher
Meet the man behind the bike!
Gary Fisher, who is considered one of the inventors of the modern bike, is coming to Austin.
He’ll be at Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop, 400 Nueces St., for team presentations, a bike talk and question and answer session, food and music from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26. At 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, he’ll lead a 35-40 mile rolling bike ride departing from the bike shop.
Fisher’s known for wearing some pretty rad clothes at times. I wonder what he’ll be wearing?
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Participants needed for weight management study
Researchers at the University of Texas are need help in a study they are conducting about how people talk to each other about weight management.
By weight management, they mean how people manage their weight through diet, exercise and nutrition. You don’t have to want to lose weight — you could want to tone up, gain weight, exercise more (or get started on a program) or make some changes to your diets.
Here are the details:
Are you or your spouse (or you or your teen) looking to make changes to your eating habits or fitness? Are you trying to accomplish your New Year’s exercise or diet goals? If so, please participate in a UT study on conversations about diet and exercise.
To participate, couples need to have been together at least 1 year and be living together (there are no marriage or sexual orientation restrictions). Parents and teens need to be living together and the teen must be 13-17 years old (at least one parent must participate). At least one person has to want to make some change in their weight management, and both people need to occasionally talk about these issues.
In return for filling out written, confidential surveys (that will not be shown to the other person taking the survey), each participant will receive a $15 Amazon or HEB gift card. The surveys take between 30-60 minutes to complete.
We will be administering the surveys from 2-5:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Carver Library, 1161 Angelina Street. Feel free to drop by when you can. Or if you can’t attend that day but would like to participate (or if you have any questions), email rdailey@mail.utexas.edu.
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Girls, get ready for Zooma Half Marathon!
I’m slowly building up my running distance in preparation for the ZOOMA Austin Half Marathon on March 27.
The race caters to women — with silver necklaces for half marathon finishers and a post-race party with massages, shopping, a light breakfast, wine tastings, live music and a post-race pool party. (Men are allowed, but trust me, this one is all about girls.)
There’s also a 5K and 20K for those who don’t want to run 13.1 miles.
The official charity partner for ZOOMA Austin is LifeWorks, an Austin-based social services non-profit that transitions youths and families in crisis to safety and success. For more information on LifeWorks go here.
All three distances start at 7:30 a.m. at the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort and Spa in Bastrop.
Register here.
Sign up before Feb. 28 and ZOOMA Austin will donate to LifeWorks’ pregnancy prevention programs on your behalf. You will also be entered in a drawing to receive an $80 gift certificate from Austin’s Pizza.
Use the following codes when you enter to make the donation — LOVEAUSHALF10 for a $10 donation or LOVEAUS5K10 for a $5 donation.
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How a 3:51 marathon becomes a 7:01 marathon
Need a reminder about the importance of staying hydrated? Listen up.
Kurt Wilkin had just run past mile 24 in the Austin Marathon. He was on track for a 3 hour and 51 minute race.
He’d been feeling a little funny for a mile or two, but didn’t realize anything was wrong.
He remembers walking a bit. Then remembers falling at the end of the race, and arguing with officials about whether or not he’d crossed the finish line.
Turns out that last part never happened.
In reality, Wilkin passed out at mile 25.5. He woke up to people pouring water on him. Medics put him in an ambulance and administered an IV. He was dehydrated and taken to the hospital.
(Wilkin notes that he ate seven Gus and drank water at every water stop along the way, in addition to hydrating in the days leading to the race.)
When he was hydrated again, doctors gave him permission to go back and finish that last mile and a half.
Crazy? Maybe.
What is understandable is Wilkin’s desire to finish. He’d completed every race in the seven-race Distance Challenge Series.
Adding to his motivation?
In 2006, almost the same thing happened. He and a buddy were doing the Distance Challenge. A half mile from the finish of the RunTex 20 Miler, the second to last race in the series, he became dehydrated and had to be given fluids. He didn’t finish the race — or the Distance Challenge.
“My friends gave me endless grief,” Wilkin says. “This year I decided to finally mark it off my list.”
He had to go back and knock out the next mile and a half.
His official finish time? Seven hours and 1 minute.
A little off his pace. But he earned his Distance Challenge finishers jacket fair and square.
Thank goodness!
(The photos above show Wilkin at the beginning of the race, left, and walking across the finish after his hospital visit.)
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Win free camping book
Need some tips on where to find the best tent camping in Texas?
I’ve got a signed copy of Wendel Withrow’s great book, “The Best in Tent Camping Texas: A Guide for Car Campers who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos,” to give away.
The book includes maps of 60 campgrounds, plus information about fees, restrictions, dates of operation and facilities. Included are some of the state’s most popular parks, such as Garner State Park, Big Bend National Park, Palo Duro Canyon State Park and Bastrop State Park. Also included are some you might not know about, including Canyon of the Eagles, Palmetto State Park, Purtis Creek State Park, and Goose Island State Park.
Withrow is a University of Texas graduate and chair of the Dallas group of the Sierra Club.
I’d love to see this book in the hands of someone who loves to camp. Why do you deserve it? Best answer posted here wins the book.
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Mike Davis hand cycles Austin Marathon
I met Mike Davis two years ago, when I wrote an article about how the U.S. Army veteran stays fit despite being paralyzed from the waist down.
Davis, 48, was crushed by a military Range Rover during a training exercise in New Mexico 15 years ago. That never changed his need for daily exercise, and now he gets it through swimming and racing his hand cycle.
Davis competed in the Austin Marathon on Sunday, and for the second time in two years he was the first person to cross the finish line.
His time? Two hours, 17 minutes and 54 seconds. That’s 26.2 miles — all by propelling his wheelchair with the hand cranks. (Yes, his arms are big!)
Davis doesn’t have much competition in Austin, so now he’s looking for nearby races that attract more hand-crank athletes. He still has the competitive athletic spirit he had before the injury.
He just signed up for the Big D Texas Marathon in Dallas in April.
Davis was cycling with his girlfriend on Saturday when a car pulled up alongside them and the driver rolled down his window. The driver yelled to Davis how he had inspired him to get off the couch and get on his own bike.
Davis has that affect on people.
Here’s a picture of Davis with Gov. Rick Perry before Sunday’s race.
Way to go Mike!
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Latest comments
Hi Will. I just heard from Chris Pipes. This is what he says:
“Pam: We have not allowed mountain bikes in the past, but I am inclined to give it a try. They must restrict riding to the roads only. The trails are not suitable. They must
... read the full comment by Pam LeBlanc | Comment on Davis Mountain Preserve schedules open days Read Davis Mountain Preserve schedules open days
And the winner is … Jessica! Check back next week for more freebies. Pam
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With trying to keep up with my full-time job, the small business I started just before becoming pregnant and getting ready for my first baby… yoga has fallen to the bottom of the list. I hate that! This book definitely would help me squeeze yoga into
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