Who Do I Follow On The 'Net?

The response from readers regarding my final newspaper column in the San Angelo Standard Times (which several people referred to as the "Substandard Times") has been amazing.  I've heard from people of all walks of life, including many that I would have never have guessed were readers of my column. Quite a few of those people indicated that they would continue to read my posts on this blog now that I'm no longer a columnist for the paper (or, as one nice person stated ... "continue to read the musings of an old athlete.").

Several people posed questions when they responded to the final column, with one of the questions being "Who/what do you follow on the Internet related to cycling and who are some of the authors who publish stuff that you like to read?" That's a great question and here are several answers.

One of my on-going favorites is Joe Friel's blog (http://www.joefrielsblog.com/). Joe is a serious Grand-masters athlete, a coach, author, researcher and more importantly - someone one who practices what he preaches. He is an authority on training strategies for older endurance athletes.

I also follow Lance Armstrong via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/lancearmstrong/). You may hate or love the guy (your opinion on that issue doesn't matter to me), but he's arguably the most talented endurance athlete ever to come from Texas and he still has an obvious passion for cycling and running.

There are two ladies who I currently find interesting (actually, there are a lot of ladies who are interesting), but these two are both articulate and can ride most people into the ground in totally different ways.

 One of these ladies is Hera van Willick (on Facebook at facebook.com/HeravanWillick/ and she also a great blog at http://heravanwillick.nl/en/blog-3/?lang=en). She's a cycling tourist and speaker who has pedaled and camped through much of Europe, across Iceland, through Alaska, Canada, and the West Coat of the United States and is now rolling through Mexico on her way to South America.

The other lady that I follow is Canadian mountain biker Emily Batty (http://emilybatty.com/). She's already an accomplished professional mountain bike racer (and, I should add, a former Canadian cyclocross national champion) who has been on the podium both in international World Cup races and also in the Olympics. This young lady seems to have a rare combination of athletic ability, drive, and the ability to communicate well, so I predict she'll do well when her racing career is over.

Last of all, I enjoy the Facebook posts by Cyclocross Magazine (www.facebook.com/Cyclocross/). Although some of their posts are clearly driven by advertisers, it's usually a good read and a way to keep up with the equipment, events and news related to cyclocross.

If you found this blog because you read the link to it in my final newspaper column that ran in the Standard Times, you're at the right place. Starting next week, I'll be posting information related to activities, events, and other items related to cycling, running and multisport in the San Angelo area. You can subscribe to this blog so that new posts are automatically pushed out to you. Also, if you use Facebook and are interested in cyclocross and/or dirt road riding, I maintain a FB group page that's focused on those activities at https://www.facebook.com/groups/179600455439317/.  In the meantime, glad to have you on board and welcome to the blog!

Loop Group

Every city has cycling traditions that define the sport in that area, and San Angelo is no different.  We have the infamous Loop Group rides (or at least, we had until they became small and not-so-infamous).

These group rides have taken place for years every Tues/Thurs evening during daylight-saving time, starting from the TxDot front parking lot (Knickerbocker Blvd and Loop 306) at 6:30 pm (usually 6:00 early in the season).  Be there on time or you’ll get left behind.


Loop Group rides are not organized by an individual or club - instead, riders just show up. There is no event permit from the city, no police support and no overarching event insurance. In past years the group size was often 30-40 riders each evening, although that's dwindled down to 6-10 on good days over the past couple of seasons.  Like groups rides everywhere, these rides allow riders at all ability levels to test themselves against other cyclists and enjoy the camaraderie.   Everyone is welcome – but please wear a helmet, ride safely, and obey all traffic laws.

Group rides have always been an integral part of road cycling. Teams and groups of individuals train together, cycling tours are usually large groups of cyclists, and most races start off as a group (“peleton”) until the action heats up.  Leaning to ride safely in a group is an important road bike skill and isn't something you'll learn on Google.

For some local riders, these twice-weekly Loop Group rides are the “Tuesday/Thursday World Championships” where they compete for bragging rights and less skilled riders just take pride in trying to keep up with that lead group for part of the ride.   For other cyclists, these rides are a biweekly social event. They meet at TX DOT on group ride evenings, enjoy the company of other riders and pedal around the route at a moderate pace.

On any given group ride evening, you’ll might find male and female cyclists ranging in age from teenagers to folks well over 70, an occasional couple on a tandem bike, and representation from all social classes and occupations.  Some of the local triathletes have been known to bring their running shoes and go for a transition run after the ride. The common thread is these people all enjoy cycling, and the Loop Group is the place to be on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Let’s take a virtual ride through a typical Loop Group evening. You want to show up early enough to unload your bike and get “kitted up” (cycling shoes, helmet, gloves, etc.).   Go through the checklist:  rest room visit (check), tires aired up (check), spare tube or patch kit (check), water bottles full (check), sunglasses (check).  You’re ready to ride.

At start time, the pack starts to form and at we roll out headed east along the Loop 306 frontage road toward the Concho River.  Experienced and steady riders take the lead positions and (for now) the pace is easy, friendly, and relaxed.  New cyclists ride near the back of the pack and learn from those with more saddle time.

The group passes Foster Road and rolls across the South Concho River bridge, veers back onto the frontage road, and crosses Ben Ficklin as we head toward the Old Christoval road overpass.  The pace is starting to pick up, and (as usual) we’ve got a side wind from the southeast. We turn left up onto the overpass (watch for oncoming traffic!), go over the bridge, and then make immediate right and left turns to get onto Fairview School road. This is a tricky corner – watch for traffic and potholes in the road.

The anticipation starts to mount as we head down Fairview road - this is usually where the attacks start.  We’re all riding hard to stay “on the wheel” of the rider in front of us to be in the draft and conserve energy.  Like clockwork, it happens – a few strong riders sprint off the front and pick up the pace up from a leisurely 18-19 mph to 25+.   The strong cyclists in the group accelerate and catch up with the break, while the rest of us get left behind.  Most of us are “OTB”, cycling talk for Off The Back.

From this point on, the initial Loop Group pack fragments into multiple smaller groups as people ride at a pace they can maintain.  Occasionally some new rider will get dropped by everyone and left alone to find their way back to TxDot (hey, that’s part of the Loop Group indoctrination tradition).

The hammerheads (fast folks) will go on to east Loop 306, then right onto Susan Peak Road, south to Waling Pecan Road, and work their way back into San Angelo via Mikulik, Schartz, and Country Club roads and then back onto the loop 306 frontage road as they complete a 35 mile loop.

The rest of us will turn right will turn right onto Mikulik shortly after passing under the Eden highway overpass and complete a 20 mile ride following Mikulik, Schartz, and Country Club roads.   We all end up back at TxDot before dark and spend a little time bragging about how fast (or slow?) we were this evening.

These Loop Group rides are a great way to meet other cyclists, improve you bike fitness, and test yourself against other riders.  It’s a San Angelo cycling tradition, so come out and join the fun.  Ride On, San Angelo, and remember – the Loop Group rides are not organized events .... riders just show up.

Places to Bike, Run and Walk in San Angelo

Cycling and Running Routes
San Angelo, Texas


Road cycling

1.    The Knickerbocker Loop from the Mary E Lee Park swim beach to town of Knickerbocker and back, 26 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219937395.

2.    Out and back on Arden Road from Liquor City to County Road 411 and back, 34 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219941479.

3.    The Loop Group long course, 31 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219949563.

4.    FM 2288 from Liquor City to HY 87 at Grape Creek and back, 20 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219952185.

5.    A great loop around the Bluffs subdivision circuit (4.5 miles per lap – if you hammer through four laps you’ll get a hard 18 mile workout), www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220053265.

6.    A flat route that includes Jamison Road from Liquor City, 16 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219960265.

7.    A San Angelo classic - Burma Road out and back from the old Liquor City location, 46 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219969249.

8.    Susan Peak Road from highway 277 and Waling Pecan, 52 miles, nice hills in the middle part of the ride, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220038655.

9.    A flat loop that circles the east side of Lake Nasworthy, 12 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219957275

10.    A flat loop that goes from the swim beach to Highway 277 and back via Spring Creek Park, 20 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220056721.

11.    The San Angelo Bicycle Association time trial (TT) course, Susan Peak road, 12 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220058723.

12.    OC Fisher Dam, out and back, 14 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220061105.

13.    A rolling route that goes through Knickerbocker, Tankersley, and Jamison Road from Swim Beach, 41 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220068259.

14.    The Seven Sisters loop from the Swim Beach, 39 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220071789.

15.    The Loop Group short route, 19 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220077825.

16.    River Road loop, near downtown San Angelo, ~ 14 miles, http://www.mapmyride.com/us/san-angelo-tx/river-road-loop-route-23270662.

17.    State Park road loop, 14 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220084343.

18. A flat route that starts at Fort Concho and goes out Paint Rock Road, 27 miles,
            www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220049079.

19.    Swim Beach to Door Key Road out-and-back, 20 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220087789.

20.    The Almost-to-Bronte” loop, 58 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/220090609.

21.    Need more of a challenge?  Try the San Angelo Grand Fundo route (combination of pavement and dirt roads), http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/235844785


Cyclocross and dirt road bike routes (can also be ridden on a mountain bike)

1.    State Park lake loop – a complete circle around OC Fisher reservoir, combination of paved roads and dirt roads/trails, 23 miles, http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/278912579

2.    Twin Buttes lake loop, a complete circle around Twin Buttes reservoir, about 50 % pavement and 50% dirt/4WD road, 30 miles, www.mapmyride.com/us/san-angelo-tx/twin-buttes-lake-loop-with-dam-crossing-route-18139500.

3.    An interesting loop that starts in Middle Concho Park with some dirt road and options for additional distance on 4WD roads or trails, 14 miles, www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219944467

4.    A dirt road ride through ranch and oilfield country on CR 411 & 412 north of Mertzon. About 34 miles if done as an out-and-back, http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/226310267.

5.    Guinn Road (pavement and then gravel), out and back 29.5 miles total, https://connect.garmin.com/activity/944650499

6.    Eola gravel grinder loop, combination of pavement and dirt, 28 miles but can easily be extended, https://connect.garmin.com/activity/797137636

7.    Middle Concho cyclocross practice course, Middle Concho Park, www.mapmyride.com/us/san-angelo-tx/mid-concho-cx-training-loop-route-152193331.

8.    State Park cyclocross course (somewhat biased to mountain bikes), https://connect.garmin.com/activity/928171288


Mountain biking (or trail running)

1.    Spillway Hill (Middle Concho Park) mountain bike or trail run loop, distance will vary depending on how much of the motorcycle trail loop is used. The dirt road and 4WD tracks are good routes for new or casual cyclists, www.mapmyride.com/us/san-angelo-tx/spillway-hill-ride-route-18828500

2.    San Angelo State Park, miles and miles of trails with multiple possible routes, www.mapmyride.com/us/san-angelo-tx/san-angelo-state-park-south-to-north-loo-route-83619741.

3.    Powerline loop (or out-and-back), a short but challenging area near Lamar Elementary that follows the power lines.  There are some short but steep hills, good for mountain bikes or for a short trail run, http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/281662935.

4.    Twin Buttes – Spring Creek out-and-back.  This is part of the 30-miles Lake Loop ride but includes only the 4WD roads between the Equalization Channel and the crossing at Spring Creek. Mostly flat-to rolling, great views especially along Spring Creek, suitable for cyclocross or mountain bike, http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/281676781.


Running and Walking

(There are literally hundreds of routes in the San Angelo area, but the listing below highlights some of the most popular and routes that are used for events or general fitness activities.)

1.    Twin Buttes access road (also know as the infamous Dirt Road from Hell). This road was formerly used for the Wool Capitol triathlon and Striders Duathlon long course. Starts in Middle Concho Park - this is a GREAT training run on soft surfaces. Can also be accessed from highway 67 south.  http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/257740231

2.    Run in the Sun 8K route (a nationally certified course), http://www.mapmyride.com/us/san-angelo-tx/run-in-the-sun-2007-route-441709

3.    Trail run in the State Park, 3.8 miles but can easily be lengthened, http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/238846685

4.    Armydillo 10K (formerly used for the Marine Corps Bulldog Run), http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/283430321

5.    Red Bluff Road out-and-back, http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/283431299

6.    ASU Turkey Trot 5K course (on the campus): www.mapmyride.com/us/san-angelo-tx/new-turkey-trot-route-24705746

7.    East campus loop 5K: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/283274905

8.    KOA loop: http://www.mapmyride.com/us/san-angelo-tx/koa-mar-2-2011-5-53-pm-route-29033108

9.    Spillway Hill Trail Run (can easily be lengthened or shortened): http://www.mapmyride.com/us/brownwood-tx/spillway-hill-trail-run-route-4153291

10.    Crazy Desert trail run (half marathon), San Angelo State Park: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/244860612


Triathlon-specific workout venues and routes

1.    Lake Nasworthy swim beach: Swim around the no-wake markers, ride out-and-back toward the town of Knickerbocker (www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/219937395), and run on Fisherman’s Road into Spring Creek Park (http://www.mapmyride.com/us/brownwood-tx/spring-creek-park-from-swim-beach-route-7448249).

2.    Middle Concho Park (Wool Capitol Triathlon transition area):  Swim in the Middle Concho inlet of Lake Nasworthy, bike on Red Bluff Road and then Knickerbocker Blvd toward the town of Knickerbocker and back (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/283435263), and then run on The Dirt Road From Hell (http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/257740231)


Copyright © 2015 by Bill Cullins. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, posting on another web site or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author / publisher.

Putting On Races Is Hard Work

Someone told me a few months ago that "there's really not much work involved in putting on a race."

It was obvious that this person had never organized or directed an event.

Those of you who have actually directed or helped organize events know the opposite is true. Doing a good job of putting on an event (even a small race) involves much more than just lining up the racers and saying 'Go'.

Properly done, the job of planning and directing an event starts weeks or even months before the actual race date with the overarching goals being to put on a fun, safe and well-planned event that attracts participants and also brings them back for future events.

Anyone who has competed in cycling, running or multisport events has probably seen both extremes - well planned and properly executed events that you really enjoyed and then other events that left you wondering what idiot organized this mess.

A race director's pre-event checklist will include selecting a date weeks or months ahead of time, creating an event budget, deciding on race categories, entry fees and start times, obtaining permits and insurance, developing the course (or courses), marketing the event via Facebook, web sites, and hard copy flyers, designing a logo and event T-shirts, ordering awards, setting up on-line and day of event registration, ordering portable toilets if other facilities are not available, assembling bike racks for multisport events, getting commitments from volunteers and answering 1001 questions from possible participants.

On race day, well-planned events will have barricades and/or course marshals to ensure participant safety, police and EMS support if needed, a well-marked course, an efficient day-of-event registration system (including change to accommodate the people who show up with a $50 bill to pay a $20 entry fee) and a process to quickly tabulate results so that racers don't wait forever for the awards ceremony.

Ideally, the scoring system will also be something that allows posting for overall results shortly after the event concludes.

Does all of that sound like "there's not much work involved"?

I asked some experienced racers (including several who have also directed or organized events) to list the top three things they expect to see in well-organized races and also what they feel are the most effective event marketing methods.

Angie Sonnenberg, a top competitive runner and former president of the Road Lizards running club, says she likes to see races start on time, reasonable entry fees and awards ceremonies that happen fairly quickly after a race ends.

"Event shirts and events that support a worthy cause are pluses," says Sonnenberg. " I'm also drawn to races that are family friendly but also like the ones I can go do without my kids. I think Facebook is a great for marketing."

Katherine Garrison, a runner and former event coordinator for the ASUFit program at Angelo State University, agrees on race start times, T-shirts and awards ceremonies.

"Races that start on time, cool t-shirts, a reasonable price, and an efficient awards ceremony are

important. Races with multiple events are a plus. I'd say a good Web site or general online presence (news outlets, Facebook, emails through local running club, etc) is what generally grabs my attention. Cool t-shirts get me excited too - they provide motivation when I wear them during workouts."

Cyclists Lance Bowers and Mark Durkay noted that the start time for a race is something that race directors should give some thought to in addition to other aspects of an event.

"Later start times allow those traveling from out-of-town time to make the trip and avoid traveling the day before," says Bowers. "Having a well organized check-in area, making an effort to welcome everyone and giving competitors a quick thank you for participating also goes a long way. FB is a great way of getting the word spread and having a complete flyer with all the needed information is a big plus."

"Having results posted quickly makes everyone happy and swag drawings keep people around after the event and gives them a great chance to meet new people and network regarding other races."

Terry Shaner, a long-time runner and 'President Emeritus' of the local running club and Brian Tillman, a local runner and triathlete, both agree that a quality event shirt with a good logo design is something that enhances a races popularity along with common-sense items such as starting on time, timely/accurate results, a well marked course, a friendly event attitude and a reasonable entry fee.

"Start within 10 minutes of posted start time, timely and accurate results, a well marked course or one that is easy to follow and an affordable price," says Shaner. "I will pay more for a cause I support or longer distance events."

"A friendly, welcoming event is a big plus - most of our local events fall into this category but I've been to some out of town triathlons that really turned me off with the egos involved," notes Tillman." I also understand that fees get high with a fundraiser or multi-sport event where lifeguards, EMS, etc. are required, but 10 to 20 bucks is about my limit for a 5K or 10K run."

"One comment on t-shirts," says Tillman. "I like getting a shirt for an event, but if you plaster the sponsor advertisement REALLY big across the front and the event name kind of small on the bottom or back it's probably going in the rag pile."

Remember - there is a lot of hard work involved in putting on races ..... if you do a good job.



Upcoming Events
Jan 9: Resolution Run, roadlizards.org
Jan: 16: Trail Running Series, roadlizards.org
Jan 30: Trail Running Series, roadlizards.org
Feb 20: Trail Running Series, roadlizards.org
Mar 12: Crazy Desert Trail Run, roadlizards.org

Cycling History in San Angelo

Cyclists have been riding the roads in and around San Angelo for the last 130 or so years.   The modern  bicycle was invented in 1861, and by 1885 bicycles were getting to be quite common on San Angelo streets.

  In May of 1888, the Standard-Times reported that bicycle fever was spreading throughout the city. Riding a bicycle during the early days resulted in numerous incidents or questions about bicycles. The newspaper reported that on February 20, 1886, a Mr. Frank Harris ran his bike into a horse drawn phaeton owned by a Dr. Early, causing quite a bit of confusion and uproar. The San Angelo city council voted to ban bicycles from sidewalks in 1892, and Mr. J. Harris suggested in August of 1892 that he felt cowboys would have a hard time rounding up cattle on bicycles.

Competition has always been a part of cycling, and that was certainly the case in the early 1900’s.   Activities during the Concho Valley Fair in 1891 included bicycle races, and San Angelo native Rhodes Baker won both the 5/8 mile and 1-mile cycling events at the Brownwood Fair in 1892.  These early cyclists also competed informally for bragging rights.  A report in May of 1888 stated that M.N.Burgess completed a ride from San Angelo to Ballinger in seven hours, and the Standard-Times noted that in April of 1892 Rhodes Baker did a round trip ride from San Angelo to Knickerbocker and back in less than three hours.

 Early cyclists, like those of today, were prone to do long rides that took several days and covered a lot of miles.  One of the most intriguing early cycling trips involved San Angelo residents Rhodes Baker and George Allen, who completed a twelve day, 425 mile trip on their bicycles that took them from San Angelo to Sonora, to Del Rio, across into Mexico, and back through Rock Springs to San Angelo.  This ride was done in hot July weather, on rough wagon roads, with all of their gear (including fly fishing rods) strapped to their bicycles.

 Bicycle clubs were popular back then, as clubs organized across the nation during the 1890’s.  The first San Angelo cycling club, the San Angelo Wheelmen, was formed in April of 1892, and a newspaper report in May of 1892 noted that a Miss Itena Patch had mastered the art of riding a bike so local ladies were considering forming their own bicycle club.  The legacy of the original San Angelo Wheelmen cycling club continues today with the San Angelo Bicycling Association (SABA).

 A lot has changed since the early days of San Angelo cycling, and yet — just like the early local pioneers of our sport — we still push on the pedals to make the bike go, curse the windy days, and enjoy the feeling of rolling down the road as we complete another two-wheeled adventure.

Train Like A Spartan

Do you think your daily fitness workouts are hard?  Most of you who bike, run or go to the gym on a regular basis would probably respond 'Yes'.

If so, try to keep up with Bridget Runion as she does workouts to prepare for an upcoming Spartan Race she'll be competing in on Oct 31.

Even though Runion is a petite 30 year old lady who probably weighs around 100 pounds soaking wet, her workouts would make most pro football players cringe.

She's a female version of the Energizer Bunny with extra high-voltage batteries installed.

Her workouts include hanging from overhead bars and doing what appears to be endless repetitions of ab-strengthening leg lifts (toes up to the overhead bar), chin-ups, and running up and down a flight of stairs while carrying a heavy medicine ball.

She adds strength-building workouts that include hard sets of tire flips using big heavy tires, does fast endurance runs on a treadmill, and 'cools down' by teaching various aerobics classes at Community Health Club.

This isn't her first experience related to sports and fitness.

"I started gymnastics at age three and continued for the next 12 years", explains Runion. " Once I entered high school I played volleyball, basketball and softball in addition to competing on the power lifting team. I was also a cheerleader in high school and my first year of college."

The event she's training for is the Spartan Race Beast schedule for Oct 31 at Rough Creek Lodge in Glen Rose, Texas.

She and other competitors will face a grueling 12 mile race against the clock that includes 25 or more obstacles such as rope net climbs, carrying heavy rocks, tire drags, spear throws, wall climbs/jumps, barbed wire crawls and other fitness tasks that the seemingly-sadistic race organizers dream up.

All of this will take place on rugged off-road trails that include steep hills.

Competitors may not know what specific obstacles they'll face since course instructions are announced verbally during the pre-race briefing by the race director or at a specific obstacle.

If a competitor fails to complete an obstacle section they are must complete 30 'penalty burpees' before continuing on to the next part of the course, with one repetition of a burpee being a full chest-to-the-ground pushup followed immediately by a feet-off-the-ground vertical jump.

Runion says she wanted to do a Spartan race instead of a marathon, a triathlon or some other event because of the unique challenges involved.

"Spartan is a mixture of strength and endurance. The challenge of the obstacles is what appealed to me more than the running alone."

Her personal goal is to finish the event without having to 'pass' any obstacles with the alternative option of 30 burpees.

Runion says there are many reasons why people sign up for events such as Spartan races, mud runs and 'boot camp' activities that emulate military training.

"There are several different reasons why people would sign up for such events. Some do it for the social aspect while others choose to simply challenge their ability. For me, it is a test of not only my physical strength, but my inner strength."

If you want to test your inner strength and physical ability, go find Runion at Community Health Club and try to keep pace with her during her Spartan-prep workouts. Be sure to bring your 'A' game if you try to do her workouts - you'll need it.

You have to train like a Spartan to prepare for a Spartan race.

Upcoming Events

Oct 21: Longhorn Cyclocross Series race #3, http://tinyurl.com/longhorncx

Oct 24: Come Run For The FUND 5K, 10K, and half marathon, http://tinyurl.com/BronteVFD

Oct 28: Longhorn Cyclocross Series race #4, http://tinyurl.com/longhorncx

Oct 31: Dinosaur Run, San Angelo State Park, roadlizards.org

Nov 14: Masochist Run, roadlizards.org