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September 2008
83-year-old Austin runner nabs eight gold medals
Need some inspiration? Meet Austin’s own Lillie Doss.
Doss, who turned 83 on Sept. 11, just won eight gold medals at the Texas State Senior Games in Temple, which wrapped up Sept. 29.
She can probably relate to Michael Phelps. Only instead of swimming, Doss runs.
A lot.
She collected her latest gold medals in the in the females 80-84 age group of the 5k, which she ran in 48 minutes and 32.92 seconds, and the 10k, which she ran in 1 hour 37 minutes 34.16 seconds. She adds those to the golds she nabbed in the 50 meters, 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters and 1,500 meters.
Doss, who is a breast cancer survivor, started running at age 64. She ran off more than 75 pounds and has since raced her way across Europe and the United States. She’s finished four marathons and three 50 K races, a feat for someone half her age.
Running, she says, “is good for your heart, soul and mind.” She says it gives her peace of mind. “If I hadn’t started running, I would have lost my mind when my husband died in 1985,” she says.
She doesn’t let it stress her out, either. “I don’t worry about it. If I don’t feel well, I don’t do it,” she says. And, “You do the best you can. Don’t worry who’s behind you.”
Today, Doss runs on average three times a week. Her favorite local races include the Statesman Capitol 10,000, the Congress Avenue Mile, the Schlotzsky’s Bun Run 5K, the Turkey Trot and the Chuy’s Hot to Trot 5K. During her relatively short running career, she’s put 743 awards in her trophy case, for distances from 50 meters to 50K.
She’s off to the Las Vegas Nevada Senior Games this weekend, then it’s on to St. George Utah for the Huntsman World Senior Games, where she’ll compete in eight events in four days.
“I’m proud of her. She’s something else,” says her son, Timothy Doss.
She’s an inspiration. She doesn’t have much patience for people who think they can’t get fit, either. “I wasn’t in shape when I started, either,” she says.
I think we can all learn something from her philosophy.
“When I finish, I’m a winner,” she says.
No kidding.
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Cool stuff to do
So, your running buddy’s too slow? You can run with the fast boys on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
Runner’s World magazine and Adidas have scheduled Run with an Olympian, a group run with two-time Olympian Todd Williams and Runner’s World chief running officer Bart Yasso at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, starting at RunTex, 422 W. Riverside Dr.
After the run, at about 7 p.m., stick around for a question and answer session, product trials, giveaways and refreshments. The event is free and open to the public. For more information call 472-3254.
Another good reason to get out? The annual Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo, set for Oct. 4-5.
The free expo highlights all kinds of outdoors activities, from kayaking to rock climbing, shooting to bird watching.
New this year, children and adults can don real scuba equipment and dive in a 4-foot deep, 18,000-gallon pool. (Bring a swim suit.) Also on tap? Lectures by a husband-and-wife pro-angler team, an appearance by shooting star Patrick Flanigan and an exhibit where children can inspect skins, skulls and tracks as they learn about animals in the wild.
Austin Energy is sponsoring the Green Zone, where they will teach visitors how to practice conservation at home. Chris Bellows from Sea World will bring his Amazing Animals show, and John Karger, a master falconer and raptor rehabilitator, will present a show with live eagles, hawks and other birds of prey.
An important message stands behind all the activities — stewardship. Texas Parks and Wildlife believes that if Texans get interested in outdoor activities, they’ll have an investment in conservation.
Limited parking is available near the grounds, but a free shuttle bus will run from Highland Mall (Macy’s side) near Interstate 35 and Highway 290. For more information about Expo, including maps and directions, visit http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/exptexas/programs/expo/expo2008/ or call (800) 792-1112.
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The unfit athlete
Pamela LeBlanc is out today, probably on a bear riding retreat. This a guest entry from Statesman reporter Andrea Ball, aka The Unfit Athlete.
Let’s just get this out of the way right now: I don’t exercise.
Not in the city. Not in the country. Nowhere. Sweating, I feel, is an unnatural condition that should be avoided at all costs.
I’m an indoor person. Inside is good. Inside is safe. Inside has food and fans and cable.
So there. I’ve put it out there. Now you will understand the magnitude of what I am about to say.
Earlier this month, I bought a bike.
I’d wanted one for quite a while. I figured it would be good for weight loss and stress. Let’s face it, all reporters can use an outlet for that bubbling rage we experience from time to time.
So I took the plunge and bought a $100 Fuji beach cruiser at Academy Sports.
(This is usually the part where serious cyclists look aghast and reprimand me for not going to a small bike shop where I would pay hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dollars to have someone mold a fantastic cycle around my squat little body.)
It was a fixed gear bike with 26-inch tires and high handlebars. I’d heard about gears, but I didn’t really know what they were for and, besides, I was just going to be riding around my neighborhood.
Literally 30 seconds into my first ride, I crashed. It was a slow fall, (caused by my inability to turn that humongous wheel away from the curb in time) but one that kind of hurt.
I looked at the bloody scrapes on my leg and hand, watched a neighbor walk right by me without saying a word, then climbed back on the bike.
I rode along the streets near my house. I’d never noticed the subtle hills before. My legs were killing me. I was sweating like a frosted beer bottle on a Sixth Street bar.
The whole thing thoroughly disgusted me, Two days later, I decided I hated this bike. I brought it back. Last weekend I finally bought a $60 Ozone something or other. It has 21 gears.
(Again, this is the part where people freak out and say I should have at least bought a used bike from Craigslist. My answer to this is that if something goes wrong with it in the first few weeks, I want to be able to return it.)
My first ride on this bike was so much better. Gears! I suddenly understood their purpose.
Still, the other day I crashed again. Stupid curbs.
So that’s it. I’ve got some ugly bruises, but I’m still going. I suspect my helmet is going to get a lot of use.
Maybe I should get kneepads.
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Best place to camp
The first time I camped at Inks Lake State Park, my dad helped me bait a hook with a bit of sliced American cheese. And you know what? I caught something. A little bitty fish, smaller than the palm of my 7-year-old hand.
I’ve got fond memories of the place, which topped the A-List’s poll of favorite places to camp.
When I was a kid, we’d haul our gigantic two-wing tent out there, set up the bunk bed cots, and lounge around reading Nancy Drew books by flashlight. Heaven! During the day, we’d swim in the lake or drive to nearby Longhorn Caverns to explore the world beneath the earth’s crust. And those hotdogs over the charcoal fire? Nothing better, except maybe the s’mores we’d whip up with toasted marshmallows, graham crackers and melty chocolate.
Since then I’ve been back for many visits. I’ve participated in a triathlon there, canoed across the lake in a rental canoe from the park store, and just last fall, swum a stage of the Highland Lakes Challenge swim race there. Now some of my friends even have a piece of property on the lake, and we’ve gone out to water ski and fish off their dock.
If you’re not yet a rugged outdoorsman, it’s the perfect place to ease into the camping lifestyle (like an old man into a warm bath, as George Costanza would say). Sure, you can sleep in a tent, but if that’s going too far, you can rent a screened-in shelter. Showers and flush toilets are just a short walk away. And so is the town of Burnet, with shops and restaurants for those who just can’t manage Jiffy pop over a campfire.
And talk about a nice lake — it’s small, just the right size to paddle around in a canoe. Motor boats are allowed, but the place isn’t overrun with them. Parts of the camping area are along the water, with sites nestled in groves of trees. (The older part is more open, with campsites stacked next to one another.)
Civilized. Comfortable. Just over an hour’s drive from Austin. What more could the rookie camper need?
The competition was close, with Krause Springs, home to one of Central Texas’ lushest and most scenic spring-fed swimming holes, coming in second. Third went to Enchanted Rock State Park, a prime spot for rock climbing and exploring of a massive granite dome that Native Americans considered sacred.
Others receiving votes
- Krause Springs, 18 percent
- Enchanted Rock State Park , 16 percent
- Pedernales Falls State Park, 14 percent
- Pace Bend Park, 12 percent
- Bastrop State Park, 7 percent
- McKinney Falls State Park, 5 percent
- Emma Long Metropolitan Park, 4 percent
- Buescher State Park, 2 percent
Write-ins: Lost Maples
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Best place to chill with your dog
The A-List’s poll of favorite dog parks wasn’t nearly as close. Norwood Estate dog park, Riverside Drive at Interstate 35, blew the competition away.
I was going to interview a dog to get its opinion on the place, but none would go on the record.
Funny. I’ve never been inside the gates at Norwood; I’ve only peered in while jogging along the hike-and-bike trail, which runs alongside the dog park. It’s always packed, with wiener dogs and chihuahuas, labradors and terriers tearing around, tongues lolling. Even my dog, Lucy, who died two years ago, once visited the park. (I was out of town, and my friends who were babysitting her took her to the park for a visit. “She liked it a lot,” they said.)
Norwood is one of only two completely fenced-in off-leash dog parks in the city. It’s centrally located and has a wonderful sense of community.
The park, recipient of two grants from the Austin Parks Foundation, has an active volunteer group. They’ve resodded the 5-acre pocket park, built tree boxes to protect the pecan trees, and spread tons of mulch to keep down dust at the once barren property. The park is double gated, to protect dogs from escaping onto busy Riverside Drive. There’s even a small, separate area for puppies, and a human-doggie water fountain.
Others receiving votes
- Red Bud Isle, 15 percent
- Zilker Park, 11 percent
- Auditorium Shores, 10 percent
- Shoal Creek Greenbelt, 4 percent
- Walnut Creek District Park, 3 percent
- Emma Long Metropolitan Park, 2 percent
- Turkey Creek Trail, 2 percent
- West Austin Park, 2 percent
- Onion Creek District Park, < 1 percent
Write-ins: Georgetown’s Bark Park, Bull Creek Park, St. Edward’s Park
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Bikes and cars: Share the road
I live in Allendale, just a couple of blocks off of Shoal Creek, one of the main bicycle commuter corridors in our city.
The other day, a discussion about bicyclists popped up on the neighborhood list serve. I ride my bike work along Shoal Creek about once a week, so it caught my attention.
Here’s what one woman who lives on Shoal Creek wrote:
“Yesterday at 7:25 or 7:30 p.m. I was at the intersection of Shoal Creek and Anderson, heading south on Shoal Creek. Two cyclists were riding side-by-side in the right lane (not the bicycle lane), taking up the entire right (turning) lane. As the light changed at Anderson (before the intersection was fully clear), they jetted out into the intersection, in front of the cars in the left lane, and kept riding two abreast. At Foster Lane they blazed through the stop sign and kept going down Shoal Creek, two abreast, although a) they were in the right hand turning lane (and it is a “turn only” lane) and b) Shoal Creek narrows to one lane south at that point, which meant they cut directly in front of traffic where there is no merge. I generally defend cyclists and am learning city biking myself, but I was really dismayed to see this kind of disregard for their own personal safety (never mind road rules).”
She brought up another issue, too: “I also wanted to mention to the participants in the Midnight Cruise that they might consider being more mindful of people trying to sleep in the neighborhoods they pass through. This is not downtown; most of us are not awake at 2:30 a.m., and sustained yelling/cheering is not doing anything for public relations.”
I emailed with the woman later, and she told me she’s interested in learning the rules of the road as a driver and as a new cyclist. “I’m willing to admit total ignorance and like to be educated, but really don’t want to deal with the car vs. bike hostility that continually crops up,” she emailed.
She was just one of a number of neighbors who chimed in on the subject of cyclists.
One complained about groups of cyclists, or even single riders, who ignore bike lanes and ride in the middle of the street. “The lack of consideration is pathetic, and honestly, I have seen it many times with a lot of these cyclists,” he wrote.
One said this: “I second the notion that the cyclists are starting to ‘take over’ Shoal Creek.”
There’s a lot of misinformation out there.
For one, a lot of folks aren’t aware that Shoal Creek doesn’t have designated bike lanes. The wide lanes on the sides of the road are for parked cars and cyclists. That’s a tricky combination. If you’re on a bike, you sometimes have to swerve around the cars. That can startle motorists on the road who drive too close to the white line. And it can be deadly for those of us on bikes.
Sometimes taking the lane is the safest and best option for a cyclist. If you try to hug one side of the street, you’re inviting cars to buzz past, too close for comfort. It’s safer to ride in the center of the lane. It’s also legal.
With the economy down and gas prices up, there are more cyclists on the road, and it’s up to everyone — motorists and cyclists — to pay attention, obey the law and share the roads.
I’m beyond tired of the bickering. We’re all taxpayers, we all have a right to use the road, and yes, both sides are guilty of infractions.
It’s frustrating to see other riders blowing through stop signs and ignoring laws. It’s equally annoying to see motorists making illegal lane changes, speeding or rolling through stop signs.
The best thing we can all do is obey the laws and look out for the other guy. Thoughts?
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Vegetarians and brain shrinkage
I’m back from a week in Yellowstone National Park, where my husband Chris and I did lots of hiking, geyser watching, river soaking, camping and backpacking. I’ll write about it for the Statesman’s travel section in a bit, so keep an eye out.
One thing I learned? Hiking up mountain ridges with a 30-pound pack on your back and eating freeze-dried foods from a pouch makes you lose weight. Also, if you hear scratching right outside your tent in the dead of night, it’s not necessarily a grizzly bear. And deer don’t eat humans.
Meanwhile, I’ve had lots of interesting email to sort through. Like one from my friend Bob (thanks for the run last night, dude!), who directed me to this site probably so he could make fun of my eating habits: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/HealthSci/Eatingveggiesshrinksthebrain/articleshow/3480629.cms
In a nutshell, the story says that scientists from Oxford University have found that vegetarians are more likely to suffer brain shrinkage than people who eat meat.
Perhaps that explains my forgetfulness of late?
Wait. That can’t be it. I eat just enough meat to remember how to get to work.
I do try to eat mainly whole foods, including a variety of fruits and vegetables, lots of beans and tofu, and a little meat now and then. I don’t prohibit myself from sweets, either. I just try to eat them in moderation.
A couple of other interesting tidbits from the story: People who drink a lot of alcohol have more brain shrinkage than those who don’t. Overweight or obese people have more brain shrinkage than healthy weight people.
Another reason to exercise …
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Step more, eat less in September
Time to step up, Austin.
America on the Move wants you to take 2,000 more steps a day — about a mile — and eat 100 fewer calories — the equivalent of a pat of butter.
Why? Because more than two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, costing us $150 billion a year in health care costs for diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and hypertension, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
The non-profit is pushing its third annual STEPtember campaign to help people to curb that expanding waistline. You can register online to get daily dietary and activity tips, and enter to win prizes at www.americaonthemove.org. Then, from Sept. 20-27, Austin area YMCAs will celebrate America on the Move Week with special activities.
America on the Move recently commissioned a survey of residents of 10 cities around the country, including Austin. They found out that 36 percent of Austin residents say a physician has recommended that they lose weight. Sixty percent said they weren’t more active because they lacked motivation.
Actually, Austin’s not quite as bad off as other cities. Nationwide, nearly 40 percent of those polled said a physician has told them to lose weight. Fifty percent said lack of time stood in their way; 46 cited lack of motivation as their main reason not to get active.
There’s more, too.
The survey showed that 64 of Austin residents reported gaining and retaining weight in the last five years. (Nationwide, that number was 55 percent.) Sixty-five percent of Austin residents gained 10 pounds or more; 32 percent gained 5 to 10 pounds. (Maybe it’s all those University of Texas students, putting on the freshman 5?) Nationally, 66 percent gained 10 pounds or more and 31 percent gained 5 to 10 pounds.
More stats from Austin: Thirty-five percent of those polled said they worried about the weight of their children, and 32 percent said that their children get too little activity each day. Forty percent said they didn’t think they got enough daily physical activity for good health, and 46 percent said they exercised just once a week or less.
Nationally, 39 percent said they worried about the weight of their children, and 41 percent say their children get too little activity. Fifty-nine percent said they didn’t get enough daily physical activity and 44 percent said they exercised once a week or less.
Not good, folks.
According to the U.S. Surgeon General, most adults needs at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day to maintain health.
The good news? Adding 2,000 steps and cutting out 100 calories can help the average adult from packing on one to two pounds a year.
Hop to it!
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Lance Armstrong racing at Snowmass
Just got this from the folks at Snowmass Village in Colorado. Lance is busy again doing high-altitude bike racing. (He did a race at Aspen this week, too.) Sounds like fun. But what … he’s not doing it solo?
Read on:
Snowmass Village, CO (September 11, 2008) — As if this spectacular weekend in Snowmass wasn’t already superlative — heavy with the tallest balloon in America attending one of the highest altitude balloon festivals in the nation, Colorado’s newest endurance race reported that cycling legend Lance Armstrong will be among the racers at Snowmass this Sunday.
Just days after announcing his return to professional cycling, seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will compete as part of a three-person team in the 12 Hours of Snowmass.
Dave Weins, who edged out Lance Armstrong to win this year’s “Leadville 100” endurance bike race also has entered as part of a three-person team. Another top endurance biker, David “Tinker” Juarez, a two-time Olympic rider and gold medalist in the Pan American Games, has entered in the solo division, ensuring high-energy, fierce competitions in multiple divisions.
“We thought this weekend couldn’t get any better, but we were wrong!” says Snowmass Village marketing director Susan Hamley. “We’re thrilled to welcome Lance Armstrong to Snowmass Village, and we’re all going to be out there rooting the teams on.”
The 12 Hours of Snowmass, which sends racers out onto the trails of Snowmass from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14, is part of the prestigious Rocky Mountain Ultra Regional Endurance Series and benefits the Aspen Youth Center and Extreme Sports Camp. The event caps off an extraordinary mountain weekend that also includes three days of hot air balloon competitions over Snowmass.
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Backpacking with bears
Watch out, bears. My husband and I are headed to Yellowstone National Park to do some backpacking.
I’ve backpacked before, but never in grizzly bear territory. Honestly, it freaks me out a little. When I backpacked in New Zealand two years ago, the worst thing I had to worry about was a marauding kiwi.
To prepare myself for this trip, I’ve done a lot of reading about camping in bear territory. I know to string up my food on a pole 100 yards from where I set up camp. I know to take off the clothes I was wearing when I cooked dinner and string them up, too.
Bears have noses that are 100 times stronger than a bloodhound’s. Someone even told me they could even smell soup in a can. Is that possible?
I’ve talked with Statesman outdoor reporter Mike Leggett, and I had dinner with Dan Sholly, who was chief ranger at the park back in the 1980s. Sholly, who lives in Austin now and works for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, wrote a book about the experience called “Guardians of Yellowstone.”
We’ve been over the basics: Make a lot of noise when you hike. Leave the eau de trout perfume and raspberry necklaces at home. Steer clear of mama bears and cubs. And if a bear does charge (God help me!), don’t run. (Like what should I do? File my nails while it gnashes its teeth?)
If you’re backpacking in a group of four or more, you’re fairly safe, according to the experts. But it’s just me and Chris.
I’ve already forbidden him from wearing chapstick or using soap, because all kinds of nice-smelling products can chum up bears. No deodorant. No lotion. No wandering around after dark.
We’re going to be mountain fresh. And armed with a big jar of bear spray.
I hope it works.
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People Mag’s sexiest twins come to Austin
People Magazine’s sexiest twins will swing through Austin today.
And no, they won’t be wearing bikinis. The twins are U.S. Open Doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan, ranked number one in the tennis world after they eked past Indian-Czech duo Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy 7-6 7-6 last week. We think that’s Bob on the left, but who can tell?
The Bryan boys are here to raise money for Children of Fallen Soldiers, a local non-profit that funds college educations for the children of fallen Fort Hood soldiers. They’ll be headlining the ABC Services Tennis Classic of Austin at 6 p.m. today at the Lakeway World of Tennis, 1 World of Tennis Square.
The Bryans, 30, have won six career Grand Slams including the U.S. Open (2005 and 2008), Wimbledon (2006), the French Open (2003), and the Australian Open (2006, 2007). They won the bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. After they leave Austin, they’ll head to Madrid for the U.S. Davis Cup showdown.
For more information about the Children of Fallen Soldiers, go to www.childrenoffallensoldiers.com. Tickets are $25, $35 and $50 and are available at www.etix.com or by calling 800-514-3849.
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Closing parts of Zilker Park for six months
The Zilker Dust Bowl.
That’s how I describe the scene at the Austin City Limits Music Festival three years ago, when fans clamped bandanas over their noses to keep from inhaling the reddish-brown cloud that hovered over Zilker Park. Below their feet, 42 acres of worn-out, pulverized grass.
So thank you, C3 Presents, the company that produces the annual fall music festival. Thanks for working with the city of Austin’s Parks Department and the Austin Parks Foundation to level the field, install an irrigation system and plant sod and trees. (Read the story on our front page today here: http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/09/10/0910zilker.html)
Sure, it’s going to be a hassle to shut down one of our favorite places to fly a kite and romp with our dog, but if it benefits the park, I’m all for it. The timing is right, too. The park will close right after the Trail of Lights and reopen by the end of June, if all goes well. The hike-and-bike trail will remain open; so will the pool and all of the park south of Barton Springs Road.
The park has been seeing more and more use in recent years, especially for events. Between the music festival, the Trail of Lights and the annual Zilker Park Kite Festival, it’s been hard for the grass to recover. And even with pipes and an improved pumphouse to pull water out of Lady Bird Lake to water the lawn, it’s been tough to keep up. This is Texas, after all, and rain is in short supply. Because of watering restrictions, crews had to set up water cannons and move them around in the middle of the night to get full coverage.
“It’s a pain, quite honestly,” says Charlie McCabe, executive director of the Austin Parks Foundation. “It’s hard for them to get good even distribution.”
The city of Austin is fronting the $2.5 million needed for the project. C3 Presents will repay the city through donations to the foundation, a non-profit organization that works to maintain the city’s greenspace.
With the new irrigation system, the watering will be done automatically. No more late-night watering duty for city staff. And because the city is funding the project all at once, we’ll get the work out of the way instead of dragging it out over a period of years. The city has already contracted with a grass supplier; it’s buying up their entire season of grass. When it’s done, we’ll have a flatter, nicer park that won’t transform into a dust bowl as easily.
“To most people it’s going to appear to be the same, just a lot lusher and a lot greener,” McCabe says. “It will get rid of all the little riffles, cracks and crevices and areas where there’s been some erosion or not good water coverage. It will look a lot more like a park.”
The project is more than just improving our city’s most iconic park. Hopefully, it marks the start of more private and corporate involvement in maintaining our city’s greenspace. The city’s park’s budget is stretched too thin now. By teaming up, we can work together to improve our parks.
Zilker isn’t the only park that’s looking beaten down these days. Have you seen Pease Park? Seen the trash along parts of the greenbelt? Erosion and over-use are serious problems. We’ve got to get as many people involved as we can to keep our parks the refuges they should be.
“The parks department can’t do this stuff alone, and they really need the concept of public-private investment,” McCabe says.
That said, we’ll miss our park for six months. How will the closure affect you?
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Blow off steam at these fitness events
Wow. We’ve got some seriously ornery readers out there!
Perhaps a little physical exertion is in order. Take note of the following upcoming events:
The Austin Oyster Urban Adventure Race is coming up Oct. 12. It’s billed as a top-secret race — nobody knows exactly what the course is until the start of the race. Teams of three or six run-bike-scoot-skate-trek-climb-paddle (and other crazy stuff) their way around the city. The race was held in Austin for the first time last year, and nearly 40 teams signed up.
Registration is $99 for a team of three or $150 for a team. Each team must collect $300 in pledges. Proceeds benefit the Austin Parks Foundation. For more information, go to www.oysterracingseries.com/Austin-Home/home.aspx.
If you need some tips on how to tackle the Oyster, attend an information seminar from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, at RunTex, 422 W. Riverside Dr.
Rogue Running is hosting a couple of fun free runs this month.
On Saturday, Sept. 27, anyone can join in a Taco Run. Coaches will lead runners on 7 or 10-mile runs at 7 a.m.; or 3 and 5 mile runs starting at 7:30 a.m. Afterward, Tacodeli will provide free breakfast tacos.
On Sunday, Sept. 28, it’s the same routine, only instead of tacos, participants get free popsicles.
Meet at Rogue Equipment, 500 San Marcos St. For more information call 493-0921 or email Leilani Perry at leilani@roguerunning.com.
Need some place to stash your keys and ID while you run? Austin entrepreneur and athlete Kim Overton showed off her product, the SPIbelt, on NBC’s Today Show last week.
It’s a small belt with a zippered pocket. It doesn’t bounce while you run.
Watch the segment here:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/26525082#26525082
Lululemon is hosting a seven-week series of free outdoor yoga classes at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday beginning Sept. 17 at the Whole Foods downtown outdoor pavilion at 525 N. Lamar Blvd.
The classes will feature a live disc jockey. Extra mats will be available for those who don’t have one. Cold water and lemonade also will be provided. Please bring your own bottle to help avoid unnecessary waste. The line-up includes:
Sept. 17 - Acro Yoga: Acrobatics and yoga with a partner
Sept. 24 — Hip Hop Yoga: Hip Hop tunes are cranked up
Oct. 1 - Doga Yoga: Bring your pooch on a leash
Oct. 8 - Criss Cross Yoga: A strengthening CrossFit workout followed by yoga
Oct. 15 - Dude Yoga: Calling all men
Oct. 22 - Tantric Yoga: Yoga for better sex!
Oct. 29 - Halloween Yoga: Wear your best costume!
For more information, go to www.lululemon.com.
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Lance Armstrong coming back?
Maybe I should have paid closer attention last week when a cycling buddy of mine mentioned that Lance Armstrong rode the Tuesday nighter, a long-time group ride/unofficial race that unfolds on the south side of Austin every week. Armstrong wasn’t just tagging along to look at the scenery, he was blasting along.
But word today from VeloNews took me by surprise: The seven-time Tour de France winner, now 36, might be coming out of retirement and hopes to race in the 2009 Tour de France, according to the biking journal’s website. And just like that, we’ve got reason to tune in to the world’s biggest cycling race.
I guess we should have expected it, if it’s true. Retirement in the sports world doesn’t really mean anything anymore (see Brett Favre and a multitude of boxers who don’t understand what the word means), and Armstrong did crank it up at the Leadville 100 this summer. Armstrong finished second, behind six-time defending champion Dave Wiens, in the 100-mile mountain bike race through the Rocky Mountains. Wiens shaved 13 minutes off the course record, and Armstrong finished less than 2 minutes behind him.
Just last week, Armstrong came in sixth in the Nike+ Human Race, finishing the 10K in about 34 minutes, no matter the 96-degree temperature.
Of course, an athlete like Armstrong must find it hard to coast at anything.
I’m betting Armstrong will add to his collection of yellow jerseys in France next year, if he’s really back in. I’d argue that if he’d raced the tour in 2007 and 2008, he’d already have nine victories, and would be eyeballing his 10th. Instead, we got the Floyd Landis public relations disaster in 2007 and a win from Carlos Sastre this year. I just lost interest, and I think a lot of others did with me.
Apparently Armstrong’s got something left to prove. VeloNews says he won’t collect any salary or bonuses (not that he needs them), and will post his internally-tested blood work online.
Will that silence the critics? I doubt it.
Word of Armstrong’s possible un-retirement (does retirement actually mean anything in the sporting world these days?) ripped through the Austin cycling community on Monday.
Cyclist Ian Dille, who rides with Super Squadra, Bicycle Sport Shop presented by Girling Elite Cycling Team: “Cool. It’ll add just that much more much needed publicity to the sport. Lance is a total celebrity and gets people who know nothing about cycling watching Versus with diehard enthusiasm. Do you think Vande Velde or Leipheimer will ever appear in U.S. Weekly?”
Dille adds that word in the cycling community is that Armstrong is as lean as anyone’s ever seen him. (Maybe it’s all that marathon running he’s been doing?)
And about that Tuesday Nighter last week? Armstrong finished second, and just barely, crossing the unofficial finish line on the wheel of one of Dille’s teammates, Steven Wheeler. Also in on that battle? Dave Wenger and masters national champ John Korioth, whom I wrote about a few weeks ago.
“After Wheeler smoked them, Lance told College (that’s Korioth’s nickname), ‘We need to talk about your tactics.’ College’s reply: ‘We need to talk about your fitness.’ Anyway, as you can see, it’s definitely got us excited.”
Me too. I hope it’s true. I’d be Ihappy to see Armstrong back on the bike and racing. I’ll be watching in 2009.
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Where can we eat healthy in Austin?
I like to stay fit. Besides swimming and running, I try to eat healthy foods. Sometimes, it’s hard to find restaurants that serve foods that aren’t slathered in cheese and cream sauce.
The more you exercise, the less you crave junk food. I don’t usually want to eat a plate of cheese enchiladas after an 8-mile run, or glazed doughnuts after morning swim practice. I want something that tastes good but is good for me.
It’s not a problem at home. I keep all kinds of whole foods on hand. But what to do if I’m out and about, or have to interview someone over lunch or dinner?
Who knows a good place to refuel after a workout? Where can I go for a meal that doesn’t leave me weighted down or sluggish? What should I order?
It’s not that I don’t enjoy ice cream now and then. But my eating habits have changed over the years. I eat tons of fruits and vegetables and lots of beans and tofu. I eat meat, too, just not as much as I used to — maybe a few times a week.
So, Austin. Where can I find a good meal that’s good for me, too?
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Wetsuits: Should they be legal in triathlons?
Wetsuits or no wetsuits, that’s today’s great Fit City debate.
If you’re a swimmer like me, you probably wish that wetsuits weren’t legal in triathlons. If you’re a runner or cyclist and less proficient at the swim, you probably love them.
Wetsuits provide an extra shot of buoyancy, giving less-skilled swimmers better body position and leveling the playing field a bit. They’re slick, too, so they let swimmers slip through the water with less friction. If you’re already a fast swimmer, though, you don’t want to give up any of your advantage by means of something anyone can buy off the rack.
A French study published in PubMed in 1995 found that a wetsuit improves performance more in inefficient swimmers swimming at low speeds compared to skilled swimmers. Go here to read more: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7791590
Under USA Triathlon rules, it’s legal for age-group competitors to wear a wetsuit when the water is 78 degrees or cooler. When the water is between 78 and 84 degrees, age-groupers can wear a wetsuit if they want, but they’re not eligible for awards. (They’re probably also overheated when they come out of the water!) Rules are different for pros.
“Race promoters like them because they are flotation devises that add a little extra safety for the not so good swimmers,” says Jack Murray at Jack and Adam’s Bicycles. “Great swimmers do not get as much help, poor swimmers get the biggest advantage, and the swimmers in the middle get just enough to put them on the feet of the better swimmers.”
When a triathlon allows wetsuit, just about everyone wears one. They’re giving up precious seconds if they don’t.
The temperature at the Green Water Treatment Plant in Lady Bird Lake was 78.8 degrees on Wednesday, two days after the Austin Triathlon, which allowed wetsuits.
Here are some thoughts on wetsuits from local triathletes:
Patrick Evoe: “You swim faster with a wetsuit without a doubt, but if the water temperature is too high, then you risk overheating during a hard physical exertion, which can lead to other problems like nausea. Seventy-seven or 78-degree water is pretty warm in a wetsuit. Certain races where I’ve swam in a wetsuit near those temps, I’ve gotten out of the water with my face flushed and beating like I’ve just done a hard run at 2 p.m. in Austin in July.”
Evoe also thinks there should be more consistency among races. Under USAT rules, pros cannot legally use wetsuits in water that’s 72 degrees or warmer. Rules vary among Ironman races. “To me 72 is way too cold, maybe 76 would be better?”
Kelly Handel: “I used to always want it to be non-wetsuit. I get warm very quickly, so unless the water is in the 50s or low 60s, I will likely use a sleeveless suit vs. a full-sleeve suit. And then, of course, you factor in that on average the wetsuit makes a weaker swimmer strong and a stronger swimmer not much faster and it’s discouraging.”
“I have definitely swum in water that felt much warmer than 78 in a wetsuit, but when you are competing for money, you want every second you can get so I just try to deal with it and not let it get to me … But in general? Yes, I’d rather swims be non-wetsuit, mostly because I like swimming without them. I feel more free in the water, less restricted, more natural.”
Michael Lovato: “I believe that 78 degrees is too warm for a wetsuit. I prefer to have the temperatures in the 60s if I am to put one on, but I understand that the general public needs them to be more comfortable (and safer) in the water. In professional races (where prize money is above $5,000), the legal limit is 72 degrees, and I like this rule.”
James Bonney: “Regardless, I like to wear a wetsuit when allowed because it is just more fun to me to go faster — or as fast with less effort.”
“Even though most people consider me a good swimmer, I do feel that I get a good boost from the suit. I have swum several 46-minute Ironman swims with a wetsuit, but without I am much closer to 49,” he says. “I think the wetsuit improves your speed and/or efficiency more effectively at or below about 80 percent effort.”
He points out that when he’s tried to swim really fast in a wetsuit, the suit gaps and fills with water. “Finally, there is the part about looking like a super hero that makes wearing the suit pretty cool.”
Good point, James.
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Breaking up with your trainer
And you thought it was tough to break up with your hair stylist? A friend is struggling with how to dump his personal trainer and needs some advice.
This should be an easy business decision, but I know it’s not. Help me out here.
The experts say the best way to avoid the problem is to pick a trainer you bond with from the start. That means asking friends for recommendations, working out on a trial basis with several different trainers before choosing one, and not signing up for a package of training sessions before you know for sure if the relationship is going to work.
Well, of course. But sometimes you just pick a dud and wind up in a bad client-trainer relationship.
You’re packing on weight when your goal is to lose. You’re bored. Your trainer spends more time trying to sell you stuff than coaching you. Your trainer chats on his or her cell phone while leading you through a workout. He pushes you too hard and you get injured. Cancels appointments. Treats all clients like they’re the same, without adjusting workouts to specific needs.
Hello! Those are all signs that it’s time to move on.
Canning your trainer doesn’t necessarily mean you haven’t had a good working relationship, either. Maybe you’ve learned enough from your trainer to exercise on your own. Maybe the gym where your trainer works is no longer convenient or you just can’t afford a personal trainer any longer. All these are valid reasons to end the relationship.
Remember, it’s up to you. You might feel bad breaking up (Neil Sedaka, of “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” could sympathize), but it’s your body, not your trainer’s.
So, gird your loins. Be polite. Be brave. Be kind. Don’t get emotional.
Tell your trainer why you’re leaving. (It would be embarrassing to tell him you’re going to train on your own, then be spotted with another trainer.) Maybe toss in something positive to let him or her know he’s helped you. Likewise, if there’s a problem with the trainer’s performance, tell gym management. Treat the situation as what it is — a business decision.
I talked to a couple of local trainers, and here’s what they said:
Randeen Torvik Ragan: “I really appreciate a client telling me that he or she is simply ready to move on. No need for long involved explanations, just an acknowledgement that this relationship will not be going forward. Here’s why: If a client finishes a given commitment and tells me she will be in touch or will call after vacation, that leads me to believe I can more or less count on this client as I am scheduling appointments with others. Trainers don’t expect long-term commitments from every client, so there are no hard feelings when clients move on,” says Randeen Torvik Ragan, a local personal trainer. “In addition, if a client is truly unhappy with my services, I would so appreciate hearing that and how I can improve going forward. Some comments may prove to be beyond my control, but we all want to improve and our clients are the only way we can judge our performance — they are in fact the only performance review we get.”
Chance Carlin: “Training is like other jobs. It is easy to become stale, sometimes without even realizing it. Trainers should be pushed off the gravy train periodically. (Slackers beware!) This keeps everyone fresh and challenged — including foremost the client. If not, it begins to become too personal. Training is expensive and trainers should deliver fitness in one way or another. If not, then there are plenty of places to test the knowledge and motivation of others. Never become codependent on a trainer. Depend on yourself.
Scott York: “Training is a people business, and part of our job is to be able to keep the lines of communication open and comfortable between trainer and trainee. As a trainer, I have hinted to past clients if I think it is time for them to try something else for a while so that the client avoids getting stale. The trainer shouldn’t take offense. After all, we all need a break from the same old routine. On the flip side, the trainer should certainly “break up” with the trainee if the trainee is not following the program (not eating the correct foods, not showing up for training sessions, shows up late, etc). The trainer’s reputation is on the line. People do talk. Our clients are a walking billboard which reflect our training methods.”
Audrey Herold: “I think it’s the same as with any service provider. I personally would not be offended if someone told me that we weren’t a good fit, that they wanted to try someone with a different method, that they wanted to be with someone else to try new things.”
Sarah Stewart: “Breaking up with a trainer should be done through a pure heart and honest approach. A trainer might not always be meeting the expectations set forth in the mind of the client. In the case that a client is either unhappy or just needs a change, they should be forthcoming and let the trainer know they want a change of pace and set off to do some things they would like to accomplish within another realm of fitness. This makes it easy for the trainer to accept versus thinking ‘What did I do, what could have I done, and how many others are thinking this.’”
So, Austin. Comments? Suggestions? Discuss…
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: gyms
What’s your exercise routine?
People ask me all the time what I do to stay fit. Mostly, I have fun.
I swim with the TeamTexas swim team at the Dell Jewish Community Center three or four times a week for an hour, and once more at Barton Springs with my swim buddy Brian. I ride my bike to work once a week (round trip 15 miles) and water ski a couple of mornings during the summer. I run twice a week, too — a short run of 3 or 4 miles and a longer weekend run. (That’ll ramp up soon; I start a marathon training program on Saturday.)
On the weekends, I can’t sit still for long. I’m either biking or kayaking or gardening or hiking at a park in my free time. I do it not for the workout, but for the relaxation — the exercise is the bonus check at the end of the day. As much as I love to sit on the couch and watch a good football game now and then, I get twitchy if I can’t get outside for a while every day, too.
Like most everyone, though, some days I just don’t feel like getting out of bed to swim or run or bike. Usually, I get over it and just go. I never regret the decision, because exercise tends to wake me up and make me feel perkier the rest of the day.
But sometimes I give in and snuggle under the covers for an extra hour. I think it’s OK to skip a practice now and then. If you’re exhausted, your body needs rest. You can’t perform well if you’re tired, so you’re better off catching up on a little downtime, skipping exercise for a day, and jumping back into it a day or two later. You’ll get a quality workout when you hit it again, rather than one you just dragged through.
Experts say that recovery days are just as important as tough workouts to strengthen your body. Listen to them!
For me, the mental rest is crucial, too. It’s easy to get caught in the rat race of logging as many miles or hours as you can exercise. The older I get (I’m 44 now), the more I know that’s true. I’m not (sadly) 30 anymore. Sometimes that’s hard to swallow.
Listen to your body. Sometimes you need a break. For me, it’s OK to take one.
What’s your routine? When do you take recovery time?
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Nike+ Human Race snakes through Austin
Did you see the giant stream of red snaking through downtown Austin on Sunday?
In all, 13,758 people hit the streets in Austin for the Nike+ Human Race 10K, billed as the World’s Largest One Day Running Event. That’s more people than ran in Los Angeles or New York City! And every one of them was wearing a red Nike shirt, which made the stream look like a bunch of red blood cells surging through our city’s veins. Cool!
The race was staged in 25 cities around the world, and just four in the United States. The only other city in the United States with more runners than Austin was Chicago, and they beat us by less than 100 people. Austin really showed its colors as a running city.
I’ve never been in a race like this that never thinned out. Usually people string out as the miles tick by. Not this time. I was running in a crowd (a blood clot?) from start to finish.
And boy, was it hot! I was sweaty just waiting on Congress for the race to begin, and when we did start running, I kept jostling into other sweaty runners. Slimy!
Globally, Nike reports than more than 750,000 runners participated in the race (numbers are still coming in.) Thehttp://www.nikeplus.com website lets you look up your race profile, and compare your run to others in your city and across the world.
The average race time here in Austin was 1 hour 11 minutes 51 seconds.
Looking at average times in cities around the world, cities in cooler climes seemed to fare better. New York logged an average time of 1:02:04. Chicago clocked a 1:01:59. The fastest city around the world was Madrid, with an average race time of 56:34. Chilly London came in second with a 57:47, and Buenos Aires logged a 58:03. Austin beat cities like Taipei, with a 1:12:05, Shanghai, with a 1:16:54, and Istanbul with a 1:18:57.
The top runner at an official race site was Gunther Weidlinge, who ran a 29:25 in Munich. Runners who couldn’t get to an official race city could run on their own, wear a Nike SportBand and upload their run profiles to Nike’s website. The fastest runner overall was an American with a login of mjjensen80. He ran the 10K in 27:38.
Other finishes of note? Fastest time in Austin was blazing fast Bernard Manirakiza, who ran a 31:51. He was closely followed by Gilbert Tuhabonye (of Gilbert’s Gazelles), who nabbed a 32:56. Fastest woman in Austin was Melissa Christian with a 37:35, followed by Kristin Walstad with a 39:11. Lance Armstrong finished sixth, with a 34:55; Olympic swimmer Brendan Hansen ran a 49:57.
I finished just ahead of the city’s average, in 1 hour 3 minutes 44 seconds. Far from a personal best, but considering the heat and humidity (and crowd), I’m fine with it. That put me in 3,484th place in Austin.
The Nike website lets you see your run in profile. I can tell at a glance that I got faster the second half of the race — after the biggest uphill stretches were behind me.
Five dollars of every $35 entry fee was donated to the runner’s choice of three Nike+ Human Race beneficiaries — the World Wildlife Fun, the Lance Armstrong Foundation or the UN refugee agency’s ninemillion.org campaign.
How did you do? Do you think Nike should bring back the race, which it has said is a one-time event?
Click here to check out our photos from the event.
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New Year, New You update
Wondering how the four folks taking part in our New Year, New You Challenge are faring? We checked in with their trainers. The challenge originally was being tracked on Austin360.com’s Get Out blog, but I’m taking it over. To find out more about the participants and the trainers, go to http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/recreation/entries/newyearnewyouchallenge/
Trainer Kyle Golden sent in this update:
Holly: I am pleased with Holly’s success so far. Holly has teetered from the upper 180s to 190 pounds, but is now fitting nicely into size 12 pants, down from size 16 at the beginning of this challenge. Even some of those 12s are getting a little loose. She is ready to leave 190 behind and work on being closer to 180 in the next few weeks. She is finding that getting there a little more challenging than it was to drop below 200, but she has come a long way! She is sticking to her diet and has a great attitude toward continuing to work at her goal. On the personal side, Holly finished her first semester of massage therapy school and is starting her internship. Yay Holly!
Joy: Joy is currently at 203 pounds. Frustrated with not seeing the scale move much despite her dedication to exercising four to five times a week and eating a sensible diet, Joy paid a visit to her physician. The doctor recommended a further reduced calorie diet in hopes of helping her achieve her weight loss goals. Joy has had initial success with the new medically suggested diet and is optimistic that her weight will continue to decrease. She is definitely a trooper in the studio. On another note, Joy participated in the Danskin triathlon this June. She completed the Danskin Triathlon in 2006 with a time of 3 hours and 4 minutes. This year she finished at 2 hours and 44 minutes — a 20-minute improvement. I am proud of Joy for taking this on and seeing it through … again!
Sandy: Sandy last weighed in at 217 pounds. Sandy has had a tough time dropping the pounds, but she has noticed significant physical changes. She visited with her doctor in May and discovered that she needed to alter her diet to adjust her blood sugar levels. Sandy is now on a medically suggested diet and has noticed changes in the past couple of weeks. She has not been in the studio training with me as often as I would like to see her. She promises me that she is getting exercise in outside the studio and that she will get back on track. She has had a couple of setbacks, but I am excited about her new diet and look forward to seeing considerable positive changes in the near future. Sandy, keep it up!
Trainer Christina Muller sent in this update:
Stuart: I am proud to report that Stuart Campbell has dropped 19 pounds. He went from 250 to 231. He has been faithfully exercising three days with a week with me. Stuart admits that it’s difficult to work out on his own and says that having a trainer works! He has such athletic potential and he was unaware of it. It’s exciting watching him progress so well with exercise. Our workouts still consist of interval training, which means back and forth strength and cardiovascular training. I have implemented more functunal training with his own body weight verses lots of machines. He is also making better food choices. He gets salads and skips the tortillas. Hooray for him! Out of the four participants in this “A New Year A New You Fitness Challenge,” Stuart is in first or second place. I know that Kyle Golden’s participant Holly, has also lost around 20 pounds, so we will see when Kyle updates us and it looks like it is a tight competition. I want to publicly acknowledge Stuart for his dedication and for giving me the opportunity to enable him to have a healthy fit lifestyle. It’s truly an honor and priveledge to help others succeed.
The trainers have opened their own personal training studio called Foundation Fitness at 7323 Burnet Road. All of the participants are training at the new location. For more information, go to www.foundationfitnessaustin.com/blog.
