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Free fitness books!
Time to clear off my desk!
You know the drill. If you are interested in one of these fitness books, post here, telling me why you deserve it. Best answers win.
I’ll pick winners in about a week.
- ”Train Like a Mother: How to Get Across Any Finish Line — and Not Lose Your Family, Job or Sanity,” by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea.
- ”The Natural Navigator: The Rediscovered Art of Letting Nature Be Your Guide,” by Tristan Gooley.
- ”Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World’s Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself,” by Rich Roll.
- ”Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection,” by A.J. Jacobs.
- ”Bike Tribes: A Field Guide to North American Cyclists,” by Mike Magnuson.
- ”Sex, Lies and Triathlon: A Hilarious Look at the World of Triathlon and the Colorful Characters Who Compete in It,” by Leib Dodell.
- ”Sports Nutrition for Young Athletes,” by Anita Bean.
- ”The Joy Fit Club: Cookbook, Diet Plan & Inspiration,” by Joy Bauer.
- ”Running With the Kenyans: Passion, Adventure and the Secrets of the Fastest People on Earth,” by Adharanand Finn.
- ”The Fitness Response: 21 Steps to Model Your Way to a Fit, Fabulous Body,” by Richard Kelley.
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Free classes at Ballet Austin on May 30
Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you should ditch the exercise class.
Half the reason I bike, swim and run as much as I do is so I can hike and backpack when I’m in my 60s and (hopefully) 70s.
With that in mind, consider this invitation from Ballet Austin’s Butler Community School: Anyone age 55 and older can drop by for free fitness classes from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and again from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m. on May 30, National Senior Health & Fitness Day. It’s part of the national “Get Moving … Start Improving!” initiative, and organizers say the school is the only professional ballet only professional ballet company participating in this national event
The class lineup includes Arms & Abs, Better Balance & Movement, Pilates Mat, Beginning Ballet, Turbo KickÂŽ and Ballet Fit.
The school is located at 501 West Third Street. For more information go here or call 476-9051 or 476-9151.
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The Luna Fiber bar - oatmeal showdown
Occasionally random products show up in my mailbox, just begging to be eaten.
Recently, a package containing three Luna Fiber bars appeared. Since I’m sometimes ravenous after swim practice or in need of a snack before I ride my bike home, I dug right in.
The bars are a new product from Luna, which churns out an array of what I consider mildly tasty nutrition bars. (I used to eat their lemon zest flavored bars religiously, but one day it was like a switch turned and suddenly I couldn’t eat another one. Ever.)
The Fiber bar is the company’s newest product and will sell for $1.39 most places. It’s at Target now and should be in grocery stores in June.
The bars look suspiciously like Nutri-Grain cereal bars to me — a layer of fruit goo the consistency of slightly dry jam wrapped in a cookie-ish jacket of baked oaty stuff.
They taste a lot like Nutri-Grain bars, too. Not a bad thing, but not a wildly exciting thing, either.
Of the three flavors — peanut butter strawberry, vanilla blueberry and chocolate raspberry — the vanilla blueberry stood out. I didn’t like the chocolate raspberry, mainly because something about a chocolate-flavored nutrition bar turns me off. The peanut butter strawberry one tasted sort of like a PB&J sandwich.
I’m always looking for ways to get more fiber into my diet. It makes me feel full and helps keep me, ahem, as regular as a Swiss freight train. It’s also helpful in controlling cholesterol.
Problem is, most times I’d rather eat a bowl of hot oatmeal, which seems like an actual meal, than a cold bar.
In a pinch, though, (I’m thinking camping and backpacking) the Luna Fiber bar isn’t a bad choice.
Here’s how it stacks up to that oatmeal I love so much:
Luna Fiber bars have between 110 and 120 calories and 7 grams of dietary fiber, but only 3 grams are soluble fiber, the kind that doctors say helps lower cholesterol. The chocolate raspberry edition also has 2 grams of protein, 3.5 grams of fat and 160 grams of sodium.
By comparison, a half cup of uncooked oats (a tiny bowl; I probably eat twice that) has about 150 calories and 4 grams of dietary fiber, of which 2 grams are soluble. It’s also got about 5 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat and no sodium.
Other foods with lots of fiber? Kidney beans, brussels sprouts and oranges.
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Marathon director recovering from brain surgery
Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Livestrong Austin Marathon director John Conley, who underwent brain surgery earlier today.
Conley developed a sudden bleed inside his brain after a run on Sunday. Doctors operated to stop bleeding and relieve pressure.
“Fit to very sick in a matter of 3 days,” Conley emailed me this morning, prior to the surgery. “Tip to my friends. If you are over 50 and develop a sudden severe headache, see a doctor.”
Conley’s wife Stacey reports that Conley is doing well. “Pain has been relieved,” she wrote me at about 5 p.m. Wednesday. “He’s bald as a billiard ball.”
(Photo above by Statesman photographer Ricardo B. Brazziell shows John Conley in February, greeting last-place marathon finisher Mary McCadie, left, at the finish line.)
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Stand-up paddlers to cruise 21 miles down Lake Austin
A flotilla of stand-up paddlers will glide 21 miles down Lake Austin on June 4, raising awareness about the importance of mental health for people coping with cancer.
Each of the 75 or so paddlers participating in Tylers Presents Dam That Cancer has pledged to raise at least $1,500 for the Flatwater Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides access to mental health services for people affected by cancer.
Mark Garza, 34, founded the non-profit organization after his father was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer two and a half years ago. That diagnosis, Garza says, shattered his family. He sought help through counseling, but was shocked at the cost.
“I saw very quickly what a diagnosis can do for mental health,” Garza says. “I started to exercise and paddleboard early in the morning on Lady Bird Lake, and I found it was helping my mental health.”
Garza and a small group of friends organized the first Dam That Cancer event two years ago, raising $35,000 for the Livestrong Foundation. Then he created the Flatwater Foundation, which helps people navigate a cancer diagnosis and get mental counseling. The foundation partners with Livestrong and also works to eliminate the stigma associated with counseling and encourage people to exercise to improve their mental well-being.
The paddlers don’t race. They paddle together in a show of unity. The first year, it took 7 hours to go from Mansfield Dam to Tom Miller Dam. Last year, a headwind tacked 3 hours to the trip.
“When your standing on the board, it’s like being on Bosu board (a wobbly balance board) for 10 hours,” Garza says. “The tops of your feet hurt because you’re using them for balance, and if you’re paddling correctly you’re using a lot of core, too. As you go along you start to find different ways to adjust your position.”
The public is invited to join the paddlers for a party at the finish line at Hula Hut, 3825 Lake Austin Boulevard, from 5-8 p.m. June 4. The party is free, but those who donate $50 get VIP entry with free food and drink tickets.
Another reason to celebrate? Garza’s father, given just three and a half months to live at his diagnosis, is still alive and involved with the Flatwater Foundation.
For more information go here.
(Photos from the 2011 Dam That Cancer event by Randal Ford.)
Corrected at 12:03 p.m. to note that VIP admission is $50, not $50.
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Cyclists get discounts during Bike to Eat Week
Need another reason - besides feeling generally awesome and looking cool - to ride your bike?
Here’s one: Cyclists who ride to participating restaurants get a 10 percent discount on food and drink during Bike to Eat Week, Sunday through Thursday, May 27-31.
Cyclists must arrive at the restaurant by bicycle and may be required to show proof they pedaled (helmet, bike lock key, locked up bike or, perhaps, we assume, sweaty armpits) to receive the discount.
Participating restaurants are:
- Aster’s Ethiopian Restaurant
- Contigo
- East Side Pies (Rosewood)
- Frank
- Home Slice
- Jo’s
- Juice Box/Soup Peddler
- Mother’s Cafe and Garden
- NATY Trailer Park (six food trailers)
- NeWorld Cafe
- NeWorlDeli
- Pars Deli
- Ruby’s BBQ
- Tacodeli (Lamar, Spyglass and Burnet)
- TNT Tacos and Tequila
Dine in only. Limit one meal per cyclist, per restaurant, per day.
For more information go here or here.
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I’m doing the Danskin triathlon!
My life feels like one gigantic triathlon sometimes, so why not sign up for an actual race?
It’s been a while since I’ve done a triathlon, but I’m signed up for Danskin Women’s Tri on June 3. The half-mile swim, 12-mile bike and 3.1-mile run takes place at Lake Walter E. Long, east of Austin.
I’m a little nervous, but I’ve done Danskin before and know it’s quite possibly the most supportive race environment on the planet. If you need “girl power” to get you through something, this is your event.
I figure my 15-mile round trip bike commute to work, plus regular swim practices and the occasional run have whipped me into quasi racing shape.
I love the swim part of a triathlon best — chugging through a murky lake as the sun rises makes me giddy. I’ll just pretend I’m late to work during the bike portion of the race. And the run? I’ll do what I always do — just survive it.
Race entry is $95. Registration is open here.
Packet pickup is Friday at Texas Cycle Werks, 5300 South Mopac (time to be determined); 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday at the race venue; and 5:30 a.m. until 6:30 a.m. Sunday at the race venue.
Are you racing? What’s your strategy?
The photo above was taken the last time I raced the Danskin, in 2008.
Look for my interview with Australian triathlete Michelle Jones, who will be participating in the Austin race, in the newspaper next weekend.
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Cyclists: Ride to Rock!
Happy Bike to Work Day!
For a list of places offering free breakfasts or free afternoon snacks to cyclists pedaling to work, go here.
And heads up. Cyclists who bike to the Flogging Molly and Brothers of Brazil concert at ACL Live tonight get a chance at free prizes, including tickets to upcoming shows, show posters and bike gear from local shops.
It’s part of the new “Ride to Rock” promotion to encourage music fans to ride their bikes to concerts.
“We want to make this a bigger program and easier for fans to make this choice (to bike to the show),” said Caroline Burruss, general manager of ACL Live. “We’ll add more rewards and bike racks and will continue to encourage safety for cyclists.”
Among the advantages of biking to a show? Exercise, stress relief and front row parking. A new bicycle corral has been installed at 2nd Street and Guadalupe Street.
Additional bike parking will be provided Friday night at ACL Live, on 2nd Street next to the Willie Nelson statue.
Doors to Friday’s show open at 6:30 p.m.; the show starts at 8 p.m. For ticket information go here.
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Chrissie Wellington book signing at Mellow Johnny’s tonight
The city’s triathlon community should be out in force tonight, when Chrissie Wellington drops by Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop for an appearance.
Wellington, a four-time Ironman World Champion, will be signing copies of her memoir, “A Life Without Limits,” starting at 5:30 p.m. at the shop, 400 Nueces Street.
In the book, Wellington shares her personal story along with training tips and lessons she’s learned from around the globe.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
Wellington began racing in 2006 and has placed first in 29 of the 37 races she has entered.
She is a triple World Ironman Champion, ITU World Long Course Champion, World Age Group Champion and multiple World Record holder. She is currently undefeated in Ironman races - winning 12 out of 12.
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Critics say ‘Weight of the Nation’ promotes prejudice
I wrote a few weeks ago about the new HBO documentary series “Weight of the Nation,” created in partnership with the Austin-based Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.
With sobering case studies and interviews with health experts, it examines the causes and consequences of obesity. It urges viewers to take a realistic look at the fattening of our country — and do something about it.
Now comes the backlash.
In articles and blogs posted on the Huffington Post and elsewhere, some are calling the series a misguided attack on fat people and an invitation to prejudice. Read this and this.
Ahem. More than two-thirds of American adults and nearly a third of children and teens are overweight or obese. Few of us get enough exercise, and many of us drink too much sugary soda and eat too many processed, fatty foods.
I don’t think the series is a misguided attack at all. I think it’s a refreshing slap in the face — that we all need.
But, read on.
The website for the Association for Size Diversity and Health says this: “We may be seeing one of the most misleading and misguided public health campaigns — ever.”
The association has set up a site, “Debate the Weight,” to discuss the series. A blogger on the site has prepared what she calls a “stereotype management” primer to use while watching the series. She also jokingly suggests playing “Fat Hate Bingo” while watching.
I certainly don’t suggest that people make fun of those who are overweight or obese. But I do think it’s important to take a realistic look at the problem of obesity in America so we can reverse the trend.
It’ll only make us stronger and healthier.
Read my article here.
The public can tune in to the HBO series via cable television or online at HBO.com.
What do you think?
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Registration opening for 3M Half Marathon, Livestrong Marathon
Runners are a compulsive bunch, and I’m sure tons of you are itching to rush out and sign up for the biggest races of 2013.
Lucky for you, registration opens today for the 2013 edition of the 3M Half Marathon on Jan. 13 and in two weeks for the 2013 Livestrong Austin Marathon and Half Marathon on Feb. 17.
The first 500 who sign up pay $75. Everyone else pays $85 until Sept. 1, when it goes up to $90.
The 3M Half Marathon, a downhill blast from north to central Austin, will be earlier than ever in 2013, to help distance runners preparing for the Livestrong Austin Marathon. Organizers also eliminated the two-person relay option of the 3M and suspended the $18,000 race prize purse. Instead, they’ll invest in race infrastructure, organizers said.
“We have made these changes to streamline our event,” said Matt Fagan, 3M Half Marathon race director. “This is a local race, for the local running community. It’s organized by an army of local volunteers, about a third of whom are 3M employees. The changes to the 2013 event will align the event better than ever to the Austin-area running calendar.”
Registration is capped at 7,000 and the race has sold out the last two years.
To register, go here.
Registration for the 2013 Livestrong Austin Marathon and Half Marathon on Feb. 17, 2013, opens June 1. The first 1,000 entries into each distance get early bird rates of $65 for the half and $100 for the full. Others pay $85 for the half or $110 for the full until Aug. 29, when they increase again.
To register go here.
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Austin Yoga Expo this weekend
I started taking a weekly yoga class here at the Austin American-Statesman about a year and a half ago.
I already get plenty of cardio exercise. What I was missing was stretching and core work — plus an hour in a dimly-lit room to focus on calming my mind and body.
Want to learn more about yoga? The Austin Yoga Expo & Conference this weekend will include an array of yoga classes, workshops and lectures.
The schedule includes everything from yoga for beginners to yoga for athletes, pre-natal yoga, workplace yoga, yoga for weight loss, therapeutic yoga, yoga for creativity, yoga for stress reduction, family yoga and about a billion other types of yoga. (OK, I exaggerate, but you get the idea.)
The two-day event starts at 11 a.m. each day at the Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road.
The expo is open to everyone, whether you’ve never done a downward dog or you’ve been practicing for years. Teachers, musicians, authors, academics, doctors and heath professionals will be on hand.
Daily passes are $10, $44 or $79 for Saturday; $10, $44 or $69 for Sunday; or $144 for an all-access weekend pass. For more information go here.
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I would really like Dr. Kelley’s “The Fitness Response.” I recently had a backslide in my fitness quest and I think this book might have some tips to help me make better decisions and prevent future burnouts in my regimen that cause
... read the full comment by bmc123 | Comment on Free fitness books! Read Free fitness books!
The Tristan Gooley book has been on my book list for awhile. I’d love to have this book.
Thanks! Carol
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Best wishes for a painless and complete recovery to one of Austin’s finest. John Conley is one of the hardest working, caring and sincere I’ve had the pleasure to meet and his passionate commitment to the Austin running community is unmatched.
... read the full comment by Scott | Comment on Marathon director recovering from brain surgery Read Marathon director recovering from brain surgery
I find it a little amusing that some of these restaurants are in places difficult to access by bicycle. Aster’s is tucked in the westbound I-35 access road offramp at Dean Keeton. I imagine you can get there by taking the alleys from Red River, but
... read the full comment by Chris | Comment on Cyclists get discounts during Bike to Eat Week Read Cyclists get discounts during Bike to Eat Week
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