Team San Angelo

2011-01-27T20:49:00.001-06:00

I've always worked with new athletes in every sport that I've been involved in. That includes sailing, windsurfing, cycling, running, multisport, back country skiing, and several other endorphin addictions. For me, teaching and passing along the lessons that I've learned has been arguably one of the most enjoyable aspects of being involved in those sports.

Over the past few years, I've expanded that "peer coaching" out to include writing about the sports and also doing some informal coaching of individuals and groups. Maybe it's part of a natural evolution as I get older ... those who can, do and those who can't, teach.

The problem is that there's a fine line that separates "passing along knowledge" from "brag on how much I know." I try not to cross that line, but it's almost impossible to make everyone understand that. There are always some people who will take offense at anything you do or say.

I've spent quite a bit of time recently working with some local athletes related to cyclocross and multisport training plans. These people have been a joy to work with - eager to learn, motivated to train hard, yet laid back enough that egos are not an issue. We need more people like that in this world.

My feeling is that much of today's society (including amateur athletes) is trying to emulate what's happening in politics. Accomplishing a goal for the common good seems to take a back seat to "make myself look good."

Fortunately, cycling, running, and multisport tends to expose the posers. When you're in a fast group during a race, talking trash doesn't keep you from getting dropped. What does get you on the podium or across the finish line gracefully is hard training and an attitude of pushing the limits. Simply put, you don't win races by talking about how much you know.

I was also lucky enough to be part of a recent event where a diverse group of cyclists all played nicely together and collectively enjoyed a really fun series of races. The event that I'm referring to is the four race cyclocross series that began in November and ended a couple of weeks ago.

Participants ranged from a professional-level racer to absolute beginners, experienced mountain bikers to a fixed gear roadie, and everything in between.
This event also included a kid's race as part of each series event. If the kids who raced are any indication of what the next generation of cyclists
will be like, we're in for a treat.

Updated CX Series results

2010-12-22T14:15:00.000-06:00

Local CX Series Heating Up

2010-12-10T21:37:00.000-06:00

(Start of the A race)

The local cyclocross series that I’m directing (ASUFit CX Series) is going well and starting to heat up. With two races completed, Scott White is leading the Men’s category and the two Christina's (McBride and Wilson) are currently tied for overall Ladies honors. The first race of the series took place on Nov.21 at Angelo State University with a good mix of roadies and mountain bikers competing bragging rights.

(Jeff McBride and Mars Torres kick up the dust)

Scott White, fresh off of his Cat 2 2nd place finish the fall TMBRA mountain bike series, took the overall victory with Christina Wilson leading the ladies home. White and Devin “Fixed Gear” Gustafson battled for the lead through the first seven laps, with Gustafson having a slight edge on the straights and White making up ground through the corners and rough sections. Gustafson flatted on lap #8, ran his bike around the course to grab his spare bike in the pits, and hung on to finish 3rd in the race.

(Yours truly demonstrating an awkward barrier crossing)

In the Ladies category, Christina Wilson rolled home with a slight race #1 advantage over mountain biker Christina McBride of MAC Racing. Both of these ladies are strong cyclists, with Wilson being the winner of the 2010 Triple Treat event at the HHH 100 and McBride fresh off of her the Cat 1 win in the ladies division in the fall TMBRA series.

The 2nd race of the four race series took place on Dec 4 with Scott White taking his 2nd series win in the Men’s A division. Lance Bowers, riding for the Midland-based One Hour Racing team, rolled in 2nd to solidify his 2nd place in the series standings. The two Christina's battled again for the Ladies win, with McBride taking race #2 win for Team MAC. Race three of the series will take place on Saturday, December 18 at ASU on a new and longer 1.2 mile course. Series awards are based on the best 3 out of 4 events, so people can still jump in and have a shot at placing in their category. Full information on the series is posted at angelo.edu/services/fitness_wellness/documents/CX_Series_Packet_2010.pdf.

Full results through the first two events are posted at http://angelo.edu/services/fitness_wellness/documents/CX_Series_Race2_Results_2010.pdf, with pictures from race #1 on-line at http://s722.photobucket.com/albums/ww223/ASUFit/Cyclocross%20Series%20race%201/ and race #2 pictures posted at http://s722.photobucket.com/albums/ww223/ASUFit/Cyclocross%20Series%20race%202/.

Upcoming Events

Dec 11: Run Rudolph Run (Christmas lights along the river), www.angelo.edu/asufit

Dec 18: ASUFit Cyclocross Series race #3, angelo.edu/services/fitness_wellness/documents/CX_Series_Packet_2010.pdf

Dec 15: ASUFit Brown Bag luncheon with speaker Ashley Gay, angelo.edu/services/fitness_wellness/seminars/December2010_Cookies_Gay.pdf

January 8, 2011: ECVFD Resolution Run, East Concho Volunteer Fire Department, roadlizards.org

Jan 15: ASUFit Cyclocross Series race #4, angelo.edu/services/fitness_wellness/documents/CX_Series_Packet_2010.pdf

Fall events and races

2010-11-27T21:48:00.002-06:00

Racing in Webberville

It's been a busy fall, with cyclocross season in full swing and multiple events to direct. I raced two out-of- town CX events (Webberville and New Braunfels), and I'll be racing again in Austin on Dec 12 to prep for the Texas Cyclocross Championship in Dallas on Dec 18. I'm not as strong on the bike as I had hoped (two 3rd places thus far), but I keep reminding myself about what my oncologist said ("It will take 12-18 months for you to recover from the chemo treatments and be back to the pre-cancer fitness level"). I’m hoping for wet, cold, and muddy conditions for the state race, as I tend to do better in rough conditions.

Turkey Trot start

I've been busy putting on events over the past several weeks. The big event was a 5K race on the Angelo State University campus on Nov 20 (3rd annual Turkey Trot). The 2010 race was really a nice success, with double the number of participants compared to 2009. I designed a new "runner friendly" course this year, and then measured it using USA Track and Field procedures so we can submit if for certification. We also partnered with the ASU Sports Medicine club for this year's event, which helped attract more students.

Christina McBride racing at ASU

The 2nd event that I'm currently directing is the new cyclocross series. This series will consist of four races in Nov, Dec, and Jan . The first race of series took place on Nov.21 with a good mix of roadies and mountain bikers competing for race one bragging rights. Scott White, fresh off of his 2nd place finish in the TMBRA mountain bike series, took the overall victory with Christina Wilson leading the ladies home. White and Devin “Fixed Gear” Gustafson battled for the lead through the first seven laps, with Gustafson having a slight edge on the straights and White making up ground through the corners and rough sections. Gustafson flatted on lap #8, ran his bike around the course to his spare bike in the pits, and hung on to finish 3rd. In the Ladies category, Christina Wilson rolled home with a slight advantage over mountain biker Christina McBride of MAC Racing. Both of these ladies are strong cyclists, with Wilson being the winner of the 2010 Triple Treat event at the HHH 100 and McBride fresh off of her the Cat 1 win in the ladies division in the fall TMBRA series Full Race results are online at angelo.edu/services/fitness_wellness/documents/CX_Series_Race1_Results_2010.pdf and pictures are posted at http://s722.photobucket.com/albums/ww223/ASUFit/Cyclocross%20Series%20race%201/. Full event information for the CX series is posted at www.angelo.edu/services/fitness_wellness/documents/CX_Series_Packet_2010.pdf.

The good news is that more local people are cycling and running, which – I hope – bodes well for the future related to San Angelo becoming a more active and healthy city. We’ve got a long ways to go before that goal is achieved, and we’ll need some attitude changes in city management related to infrastructure such as bike/ pedestrian trails. It was interesting to see City Council discussing Health Risk Assessments for city employees this past week … a definite step in the right direction.

Upcoming Events

Dec 4: ASUFit Cyclocross Series race #2, angelo.edu/services/fitness_wellness/documents/CX_Series_Packet_2010.pdf

Dec 5: Christmas Lights bike ride, http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com//.

Dec 11: Run Rudolph Run (Christmas lights along the river), www.angelo.edu/asufit

Dec 18: ASUFit Cyclocross Series race #3, angelo.edu/services/fitness_wellness/documents/CX_Series_Packet_2010.pdf

Dec 15: ASUFit Brown Bag luncheon with speaker Ashley Gay, angelo.edu/services/fitness_wellness/seminars/December2010_Cookies_Gay.pdf

January 1, 2011: ECVFD Resolution Run, East Concho Volunteer Fire Department, roadlizards.org

Jan 15: ASUFit Cyclocross Series race #4, angelo.edu/services/fitness_wellness/documents/CX_Series_Packet_2010.pdf

Another year ...

2010-10-04T14:37:00.000-05:00

I turned 62 a few days ago ... another milestone reached, and I'm now officially "social security age." The only logical way to celebrate the birthday was to hook up with a group of friends and go hammer through a hard ride. The route was a local ride called Burma Road, a nice ride that has some good short steep hills in the middle. After 2 1/2 hours and 46 sweat-drenched miles, I convinced myself that, even though I can't hang with the kids anymore, I'm still able to roll down the road at a decent pace.

For me, the "real" cycling season is about to begin. Although I ride my cyclocross bike a lot all year, I start to feel energized when the weather gets cooler, CX races show up on the schedule, and I get to enjoy those rare days when it's grey, overcast, and muddy. More on CX season in an upcoming post, but for now ... it's clinic time so we can introduce a few more people to the sport. Check out the links below, and then scroll down to the clinic flyer.

Fall is (finally) coming!

2010-08-23T20:22:00.000-05:00

This has been a hard summer to get through. I'm either getting too old for hot weather (maybe), or else I'm just getting soft and lazy (most likely). In either case, the endless days of greater than 100 degree temps with abnormally high humidity is just getting painful. It didn't help any that we spent two weeks on vacation up in the cool (did I mention cool?) high country of northern Colorado.

The goals for the Colorado vacation were to relax, visit kids, grandkids, and friends, and (for me) to get in as much riding as possible on routes with hard climbs. As part of the "master plan" for the coming cyclocross season, I wanted to rachet up my ablity to tolerate heavy doses of lactic acid. Doing hard climbs is one way to develop that ability; in fact, I think that not having long climbs here in West Texas is a significant problem related to me staying strong on the bike. Maybe it's just that riding climbs in a pretty area is a lot more fun that doing long upwind intervals into the hot, dry West Texas wind!

A high point (no pun intended) of the Colorado trip was a 5,000 foot climb up Old Fall River Road in Rocky Mountain National Park to an elevation of over 12,000 feet. This ride ended up being about 40+ miles over 4 hours, and even better - it happened on a 50 degree day with light rain for the first couple of hours. The last time I rode this route was about 15 years ago, so I was pleased to see that my 61 year old legs and lungs still could handle this type of ascent. The 22 mile descent back down around curves and switchbacks was another story ... age has not improved my descending skills or courage.

The focus now is on ramping up the interval training to prepare for the upcoming cyclocross season. As an intermediate goal, I'll race the Texas road championship event in October, where (hopefully) the climbing I did in Colorado will help me handle the hilly state course. Since I haven't done much road racing for the past several years, I honestly don't know hat to expect. Sit in, cover what appear to be serious breaks, and see how long the legs hold up.

Cyclocross season will be a dichotomy. On one hand, I'm looking forward to CX racing and the associated (short-term) pain. The down side is that, with the exception of the state CX race and possibly nationals, there probably won't be many events that offer a 60+ category. That means I'll race against the 40+ or 50+ crowd and get dropped fairly quickly. The key is to keep focused on the long term goal, that being 2012 and 2013 when the Master's CX Worlds are held here in the US (Louisville, KY). That's one thing I miss about no longer living in Colorado ...they have larger fields racing in all of the Master's categories.

So the rest of the late summer and then early fall will go like this: start doing more short but very hard intervals (60 sec on/off type stuff) plus some short tempo rides with 10-15 min hard. One workout per week will be a CX race simulation, and I'll also do an endurance ride using the CX bike on trails. Other than a couple of short running sessions with short uphill sprints, the remainer of the workouts will be relaxed recovery rides. The first CX race of the season will be in late October .... time to get serious and (hopefully) have some cooler and wet weather. I'm also in the process of building up a new CX bike, so I'll update with pics when it's ready to be seen publically.

Upcoming Events

Sept. 4: Hot Dog Run, www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/HOTDOGRUN_Flyer_Sep_2010.pdf

Sept. 11: Burma Road Time Trial, http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com/

Sept 11: Run to Remember, roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/Run_to_Remember_Flyer_Sep_2010.jpg

Sept 18-19: Fort Davis Cyclefest, www.active.com/cycling/fort-davis-tx/fort-davis-cyclefest-tour-2010

Oct 9-10: Texas Cycling Championships, http://www.txbra.org/

Oct 16-17: Season Opener, Texas Cup cyclocross series, http://www.txbra.org/

Oct. 30: Six Hour Mountain Bike Race, http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com/

Don't Forget Local Residents

2010-07-27T14:44:00.000-05:00

San Angelo’s community leadership is very pro-economic development, with tourism being a large segment of that development effort. That’s a good thing – tourism brings outside dollars into our community. When people spend money in local businesses, it adds to the ½ cent sales tax revenues that San Angelo has available for projects related to more economic development.

However, there’s another aspect that I think our city fathers overlook at times, that being activities that enhance the quality of life for those of us who live here all year. Given that a high percentage of local tax revenues are paid by residents (not visitors), the needs – and wants – of residents should be high on the list for spending priorities.

During the past few weeks, I’ve listened as our mayor, city council representatives, and city staffers discuss how we can leverage the economic development tax revenues to attract more visitors. Some of the targeted areas include the Concho River near downtown and the Lake Nasworthy area. There’s been a lot of discourse related to improving these areas to enhance tourism, but … I haven’t heard much about what could be done to improve quality of life via making these areas better for local residents to use.

Here are a couple of examples of what I’m referring to. The downtown River Trail is widely used by local residents as they walk, jog, or just visit the river banks on a nice afternoon. The trails need to be improved (yes) and they need to be expanded (yes), but that area DOES NOT need to become another San Antonio-style river walk. Think about trying to go for a relaxed walk or jog through San Antonio’s river district and you’ll see what I mean.

A second example is development at Lake Nasworthy that’s intended purely to attract big events or tourists. Granted, more beaches, RV campgrounds, and maybe a few lakeside condo’s would be great, but … if we focus on developing that area solely for big events such as the drag boat races, then we’ll be depriving locals of their ability to access and use the most popular recreation areas in San Angelo. What we do need is a good network of bike/pedestrian trails to circle the reservoir and connect area neighborhoods to parks and beaches. Problem is, local users don’t bring in additional tax dollars (but, … we do already pay taxes).

San Angelo’s biggest need for quality of life is an integrated network of “Recreation Destination Resorts.” What I mean by that term is areas such as parks, the downtown river trail, etc. that serve as venues for recreation and exercise for residents. Ideally, these would be accessible via bike/pedestrian paths to encourage residents to walk, run, or bike as they journey to and from these “resort destinations. Each magnet location should have restroom facilities, water fountains, and some shaded green space.

If you don’t thing there’s a demand for this type of local infrastructure, I suggest that you go visit Gun Club Road (the KOA loop) on any evening or on a weekend morning. The area is typically crowded with people who are out for a walk or run. Imagine our city if we had multiple “KOA Loops” scattered throughout San Angelo, and – more importantly – think about the impact on fitness and wellness if those areas encouraged more people to get out and exercise. Our city fathers need to remember that we (local residents) live here year round and we all pay taxes.

Upcoming Events

July 31: Bulldog Run 10K, http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/BulldogFlyer_2010.pdf

Aug. 7: Road Bike Time Trial, http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com/

Aug. 8: Wool Capitol Triathlon, www.ironheadrp.com/woolcapital/index.html

Aug. 8: Biscuits & Gravy Rotary Ride for Hunger, http://www.rotaryrideforhunger.org//

Aug. 21: Goodfellow Triathlon, http://www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/GAFB_Flyer_2010.pdf

Sept. 11: Burma Road Time Trial, http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com/

Sept 18-19: Fort Davis Cyclefest, http://www.active.com/cycling/fort-davis-tx/%20fort-davis-cyclefest-tour-2010

Oct. 9-10: Texas Cycling Championships, http://www.txbra.org/

Oct 16-17: Season Opener, Texas Cup cyclocross series, http://www.txbra.org/

Oct. 30: Six Hour Mountain Bike Race, http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com/

We Need A Good State Park

2010-07-02T17:31:00.000-05:00

We have a state park in San Angelo. Problem is, we need a good state park – one that does a better job of serving as a venue for fitness activities in the Concho Valley region. That’s understandably a provocative statement, so let’s take a closer look at the issue.

The mission statement for Texas State Parks is “Manage state parks and historic sites to conserve natural and cultural resources, provide recreational and educational opportunities, and foster an understanding of the diversity of Texas' lands and heritage for all generations” (source: Texas Parks and Wildlife Division web site).

How does San Angelo State Park (SASP) support that mission, and – more specifically- what are the specific goals for SASP? Is the purpose of SASP to be a large open space area where the buffalo roam and longhorns thrive, or is the local mission aimed more at being a recreational venue? Is the park intended to be an area where the Native American petroglyphs and prehistoric reptile tracks are preserved and studied?

Compared to some of the other state parks that come under the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division’s management, San Angelo State Park (SASP) doesn’t have much to offer. It doesn’t have scenic mountain vistas, flowing rivers, or a lake suitable for recreation.

The park doesn’t have shaded forest areas that attract people; instead, the primary vegetation within the park is mesquite and cactus. In short, it’s located in good country for some types of outdoor activities – especially those that don’t require much water, shade, or spectacular scenery. Cycling, hiking, and trail running are some of the activities that fit well within the geographic limitations of where the park is located.

Ten years ago, the predominate activities in SASP were mountain biking, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, and a limited amount of RV and tent camping. Cycling trails in the park were generally well maintained (at that time), with volunteers from the community providing their time to work on those trails. There was a general “come on out and enjoy” atmosphere.

The State Park was also once considered a premier “go to” location for cycling within Texas. The area served as the venue for state road cycling championship events, and also hosted West Texas Championship series mountain bike races. Although some smaller local events still take place in the park, the larger events (and associated tourism revenues) have moved on to other more inviting venues.

So, what has changed over the past few years? Is SASP underfunded? Are more employees needed? More importantly, is there a clear vision, a strategic plan with associated measurements, and a correlation between primary user group needs and how the park resources are managed?

It's not as if the State Park management hasn't been offered suggestions for improvement. The park manager was presented with a detailed proposal in 2004 (and again in 2007) that included suggested action items to help improve the park and generate more usage. None of the suggestions have been implemented; in fact, some park conditions and policies have arguably gotten worse since then. Those suggested strategies are listed at the end of this blog post.

According to records supplied by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division, SASP has a staff of 11.33 FTE (“Full Time Equivalent”) employees and a 2010 budget of $376,150 ($264,902 salaries and $106,340 operations). Llano River State Park, which is arguably a more vibrant and better maintained area, has only 8.63 FTE and a similar budget of $393, 984 ($110, 556 operations).

Granted, Llano River SP is a smaller area (524 acres vs. 7,677 in San Angelo, but the majority of San Angelo’s acreage is simply undeveloped open space. Comparing developed area to developed area, Llano seems to do more with fewer employees.

Given that the State of Texas is facing a significant budget shortfall for the upcoming biennium, it’s critically important that we, as taxpayers, get a good return on investment for dollars spent to operate a tax-supported entity.

When local cyclists and runners were asked what could be improved at SASP to attract more users, the responses centered around common themes such as “keep trails maintained and mowed before they become unusable ….simplify front gate entry procedures (drivers license required, even when on a bike) …develop an end-to-end beginner trail …streamline procedures required to hold events in the park …change management attitudes to encourage more usage …”.

A common complaint centered on the park’s recent implementation of law enforcement techniques. As one (former) park user noted, “There’s very little traffic on park roads, so I assume the park officer with a radar gun is there to ensure that deer and jackrabbits don’t break the speed limit when they run across the road.”

The bottom line is that the park, as currently managed, is underutilized and should reach out to potential users for help in updating goals and developing strategies for improvement. A good starting point would be to ask the question “why don’t more people use the park, and what do we need to do to attract more visitors?”

(Suggested strategies, as presented to State Park management on multiple occassions)

1. Establish a broad based advisory committee for San Angelo State park, other than the Friends group.

Problem description: The current input mechanism is either via individual user comments or through the Friends of the State Park organization. The Friends group does not effectively represent cyclists, hikers, and runners. The State Park management needs to receive input directly from user groups in order to improving venues and resolving conflict issues.

Action item/explanation: A broader advisory group would serve to advise SASP management on issues related to cycling, hiking, and trail running. This advisory group would provide a direct connection between SASP and organizations such as the San Angelo Bicycling Association (SABA) and the San Angelo Road Lizards running club. A suggested makeup for this advisory board would be a representative from the cycling and running clubs, plus six additional people representing cycling, hiking, and running.

2. Improve relations with park user groups and volunteers from the community.

Problem description: The State Park does not have a good track record as relates to customer service and working to meet the needs of user groups and/or volunteers. Park management needs to reevaluate strategic plans to determine if management philosophy is a deterrent to increasing usage of the park.

Action item/explanation: If the goal for the State Park is simply to be a repository for longhorn and buffalo herds, then that needs to be communicated to the regional community. If, however, the park’s goals include meeting the recreational needs of cyclists, hikers, and runners, then the park must be managed in a way that encourages usage by these groups. The classic example of this is closing all trails because some areas are muddy. This type of trail closing doesn’t stop the park’s animal population from damaging trails, but only prevents potential customers from using the park. In addition, policies regarding volunteer trail maintenance need to be re-evaluated. The current attitudes and procedures discourage people from doing volunteer work.

3. Improve regional awareness of the State park and its recreational venues.

Problem description: More people need to be aware of what the State park offers in terms of recreational opportunities.

Action item/explanation: To increase awareness, the local State Park management could deploy strategies such as an improved web site, brochures aimed at specific target populations, and a monthly email newsletter. Example: http://parks.state.co.us/SiteCollectionImages/parks/Parks/Lory/Lory%20Area%20Bro6_09.pdf

4. Encourage groups to promote competitive and non-competitive cycling events in the State Park.

Problem description: SASP is underused as relates to hosting cycling, running, and multisport related events. This lack of utilization is partially due to a lack of awareness related to available venues, infrastructure, and procedures.

Action item/explanation: Although events are occasionally held in the State Park, there needs to be a planned effort to encourage and attract events and event promoters to use SASP. This could be as simple as a marketing link on the SASP web site that clearly outlines procedures, costs, and contact information related to scheduling activities in SASP.

5. Plan and build an all weather trail that loops through the bounded by the Chaparral group shelter, cabins, Red Arroyo campground, and group shelter service road.

Problem description: SASP needs an all weather cycling, running, and walking trail that is available for day users, campers, and event participants.

Action item/explanation: This new trail would serve multiple user groups. Casual cyclists and parents of younger children would benefit because this trail is close to and visible from the RV area, cabins, and Chaparral group shelter. Organizers of cycling events would use this loop for short course races and for the start/finish of longer events. In addition, a trail in this area “surfaced” with crushed gravel would offer an all-weather venue to off road cyclists when the normal trails are closed due to muddy conditions.

6. Plan and build a “Central Expressway” route that connects from the OC Fisher dam to the North Concho camping areas.

Problem description: A significant number of entry level cyclists, runners, and hikers do not use the SASP trails because of rough single track trails, and because the existing trails present a confused maze to novice users.

Action item/explanation: This “Central Expressway” trail would be a combination of existing service roads and new 6’ wide sections of trail that follow gently rolling routes. This recreational arterial would provide a less intimidating venue for casual cyclists, runners, and walkers, and would connect all major parking and camping areas in the park. Ideally, this route would be designed with minimal grades (i.e., no step climbs or descents), and would connect to the major trail heads and camping areas.

7. Develop an improved trail map for mountain bikers, runners, and hikers with trails classified by level of difficulty, and a route map for on-road cyclists. Improve the trail marking signage.

Problem description: As noted in #6 above, the existing trails and map present a confused maze to new SASP visitors.

Action item/explanation: The current maps and associated signs do not clearly show routes and/or the difficulty levels. Other state and National parks have successfully implemented maps and route signs that categorize trails by difficulty and distance. Example: http://parks.state.co.us/SiteCollectionImages/parks/Parks/Lory/Lory_TrailMap9_08.pdf.

8. Improve the restroom facilities at trailheads and other areas that are heavily used by cyclists and runners.

Problem description: The infrastructure is poor at major trailheads such as the Burkett area.

Action item/explanation: The majority of off-road cyclists start and finish their rides at the Burkett trail head. Unfortunately, restrooms at this location are in very poor condition. It has also been mentioned that the SASP “master plan” calls for the Burkett trailhead restrooms to be demolished, which would obviously be a step in the wrong direction. The facilities at Burkett trailhead and other projected high use areas such as Isabel Harte and near the Chaparral group shelter should be identified as high priority projects for future remodeling and/or construction.

9. Design and build an outdoor amphitheater in the area near the Chaparral group shelter

Problem description: SASP does not have a focal point for activities such as nature presentations, outdoor classes, and awards ceremonies after events.

Action item/explanation: An amphitheater would ideally be constructed near the Chaparral group shelter or Red Arroyo RV area using existing natural terrain contours and native rock seating (i.e., a design similar to the River Stage seating in downtown San Angelo. This facility would serve as a venue for SASP presentations, concerts, cycling classes offered by Angelo State University, and activities such as award presentations after events. Ideally, this amphitheater would be within walking distance of the red Arroyo RV area and cabins, and would be located in close proximity to the all weather trail described in strategy #5 above.

UPCOMING EVENTS

July 11: Lake Nasworthy triathlon, angelo.edu/services/fitness_wellness/documents/Lake_Nasworthy_Triathlon.pdf
July 24: Bentwood Dash 5K http://www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/Dash_for_Dyslexia_Jul_2010.pdf
August 8: Biscuits and Gravy Rotary Ride for Hunger, http://www.rotaryrideforhunger.org/
August 8: Wool Capitol Triathlon, http://www.ironheadrp.com/\
Aug. 13-14: Rocky Mountain Bicycle Festival, Leadville, CO http://www.rmbfestival.com/rmbf_index.html

One Year Checkup

2010-06-11T19:12:00.000-05:00

Summer is dammed sure here ... everyone is already complaining about the hot and humid conditions this far. Run in the Sun will take place this coming Saturday in typical mid-June conditions, and people are already planning vacations to cooler climates. Weekend workouts have shifted to early morning time slots, and triathletes are methodically swimming circles around the buoys at the Lake Nasworthy swim beach. Me ... I've made reservations up in the Colorado high country for several weeks in August.

I've been mapping out on a new bike (or long run?) loop that circles Twin Buttes reservoir. Given the lack of trail maintenance at the State Park and wanting to find another off-road venue to complement the Spillway area, I decided to explore the back side of the lake. You can read about one section of the new loop here: http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2010/jun/04/enjoy-the-scenery-on-trail-behind-twin-buttes/. I'm also toying with the idea of a cycling race next Spring that would circle the lake, and be about 50/50 on and off road. Kind of a San Angelo-Roubaix type of event. Here's what the course might look like (be sure to set the map view as "Satellite" when it opens), and then zoom in for details: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/tx/san-angelo/785127600859987433.

This week marks the one year anniversary of my colon cancer diagnosis. I’m happy to report that I’m still here, doing well, and I’m back to doing hard workouts again. The past twelve months has been a mixed bag of emotions ranging from initial denial (“not me?”) to acceptance and “how do I deal with this?”, and then on to “OK, chin up and let’s get on with life!”. I’ve also learned a lot in the process, and here are a few of those lessons.

Lesson #1: Cancer strikes one out of every three people, and – even though we may be in great physical shape and do all of the right things – there’s no guarantee of immunity from the disease.
Lesson #2: Go through the health checkups and tests as (and when) recommended by your primary care physician. Follow up immediately if you have any health warning signs.
Lesson #3: The glass does always remain half full – but you may have to add to it occasionally.
Lesson #4: Setting some positive goals that extend beyond the treatment period is critical. Doing so forces (enables?) you to see the light at the end of the tunnel and thus keep moving forward.
Lesson #5: There are many things that can’t be controlled while you’re undergoing chemotherapy. You can, however, control whether or not you continue to exercise and thus maintain (at least partially) the sense of well being that comes with regular workouts.

As I noted in a newspaper column that I wrote in July of 2009 (www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/jul/24/building-fitness-back-up/), I had to start over and completely rebuild my fitness base. Doing so has been an interesting journey, and it’s not over yet. I’m back to a pre-cancer level of cycling fitness, but still struggling with my running. Some of that may have more to do with being 61 years old than it does with post-treatment side effects.

The goals that I set for myself early on during my recovery from surgery and subsequent chemotherapy were to (1) be able to bike and run at a specific pace by the end of treatments, and (2) to compete in the State Cyclocross Championships which took place three weeks after my chemo ended. I met all of those benchmarks, and actually turned in a respectable performance during the championship race. Focusing on those goals was, in my opinion, the single most important factor that helped me maintain a positive attitude during the six months of chemotherapy.

I’m currently well into a training program for the 2010-2011 cyclocross season, and part of that program involves a monthly cycling field test. Since I don’t use a power meter, the data I collect during this test are (1) elapsed time during a set of 2 3-mile all out time trials, (2) the max heart rate during each TT test, and (3) the % of my max HR that I can maintain during the tests.

My field test numbers at the end of May were better by several percentage points that what I recorded in 2008. The goal now is to reach a higher fitness level this year that I’ve had for the past several years. Having gone through cancer treatments will not be used as an excuse for sub-par performances.

So, where to from here? I hope that I can take what I’ve learned from my cancer experience and be a good role model for others who have to go down the same road. I also hope that, because of the cancer experience, I’ve developed some mental toughness that will carry over to race situations.

Ride On, San Angelo, and remember – regular exercise will help accentuate the positive in almost all situations :)

Equipment and Bikes for Sale

Multiple bikes, very good condition, pictures coming soon- contact Dean McKenzie at dpmck@juno.com
Carbon fiber road bike, high end components, pictures coming soon, contact Ty Johnson at tymtber@peoplepc.com.
Complete Shimano 105 group, all components, will build onto your frame if needed, contact Ty Johnson at tymtber@peoplepc.com
Used Specialized road bike frame, 57" top tube, good condition with headset and stem. Contact bcullins@verizon.net

Upcoming Events:

June 19: Tour de Burma, http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com/events/calendar.html
June 26: Stop, Drop, and Roll 5-mile http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/StopDropRoll_2010.pdf
July 11: Lake Nasworthy triathlon, angelo.edu/services/fitness_wellness/documents/Lake_Nasworthy_Triiathlon.pdf
July 24: Bentwood Dash 5K http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/Dash_for_Dyslexia_Jul_2010.pdf
August 8: Biscuits and Gravy Rotary Ride for Hunger, http://www.rotaryrideforhunger.org/
August 8: Wool Capitol Triathlon, http://www.ironheadrp.com/\
Aug. 13-14: Rocky Mountain Bicycle Festival, Leadville, CO http://www.rmbfestival.com/rmbf_index.html

The Season Is Here

2010-05-06T19:32:00.000-05:00

Summer is here. Not officially, but since the forecast for today is almost 100 degrees, we can safely assume that “the season is here”.

So, what does “the season” mean? For cyclists, it means that the Tuesday/Thursday World Championships (Loop Group rides) are in full swing. The hammerheads converge on TXDOT each Tuesday and Thursday evening, talk a little trash, and then proceed to pound each other on the bike. The rest of us follow in their wake and just enjoy the ride ...

Runners are also “in season”. Late afternoon runs are starting to shift toward early morning sessions when it’s cooler, and there’s a running event almost every weekend. Trail runners have started putting someone out front as the Snake Patrol sacrifice. In addition, flyers are out for Run in the Sun, one of the traditional running events on the San Angelo calendar. Visit http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/Runinsun2010flyer.pdf for information.

Triathletes are finally waking up from their cool weather slumber, and starting to venture out of the pool and into the lake for open water swim workouts. New TT bikes, aero wheels, and super-fast transition racing flats have all appeared. Striders Duathlon has come and gone, and tri-geeks are starting to focus on their “A” events for this season.

There’s also a new event on the San Angelo calendar this year. The Loco Lizard Adventure Race is scheduled for June 6 in Middle Concho Park (same location as Striders Duathlon). This event will pit teams of two or three against multiple challenges to include kayaking, mountain biking, trail running/trekking, and land navigation. Christina McBride, an experienced adventure racer, triathlete, and fitness coach, is the promoter and race director. This should be a fun event … details are posted at http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/LocoLizardJun2010.pdf.

For the rest of us, we’re just enjoying rides and runs without wearing multiple layers of clothes. The two-wheeled traffic over Burma is increasing, and the “run till you drop” crowd is meeting up for LSD workouts.

For me, it’s a little different …. my cyclocross season takes place in the dead of winter, so I’m doing base and strength work for the next couple of months. My approach will be a little different this year, with more emphasis on speed and explosive strength than in past seasons. I’ll be doing weekly MSS workouts (“Maximum Sustained Speed”) and even adding some VO2 max sessions occasionally. I’ll also race a few Texas Cup road events with the shaved-leg crowd as part of my summer training. All of this will (hopefully) prepare me for a run at cyclocross Nationals in December and the Texas CX championships in January.

I’m also exploring a new off-road loop that will go around the south and west ends of Twin Buttes reservoir. The goal is to establish a course that can be used next spring for a Paris-Roubaix type of race (a combination of good pavement, bad pavement, and some dirt roads). Maybe we’ll be able to finally determine if roadies or mountain bikers are the strongest cyclists.

Upcoming Events

May 8: Mountain bike time trial #1, http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com/
May 8: Critter Crawl 5K, http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/CritterCrawlFlyer_2010.pdf
May 8: H.O.T. Ride Brady, http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com/events/calendar.html
May 22: Chips Run, http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/ChipsRun_2010flyer2.pdf
May 30: Road bike time trial, http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com/events/calendar.html
June 6: Loco Lizard Adventure Race, http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/LocoLizardJun2010.pdf
June 12: Run in the Sun, http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/Runinsun2010flyer.pdf
June 19: Tour de Burma, http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com/events/calendar.html

Equipment for Sale

Do Unto Others

2010-04-24T08:52:00.000-05:00

During the 1970’s, a Texas oilman named Eddie Chiles did numerous radio commentaries. His trade-mark sign-on of “I’m Eddie Chiles, and I’m mad as hell” led to a widely distributed bumper sticker that read “I’m mad too, Eddie.”

Fast forward to 2010 and yes, Eddie, I’m mad too. In this case, the problem is egos.

As the self-appointed High Sheriff of Athlete Ego Issues, I’ve decided that this is Dodge City and I’m gonna take action.

You see, there’s a very small minority within the local cycling and running community that wants to marginalize the efforts of people who are not (in their opinion) good runners or cyclists.

That attitude bothers me. In fact, it’s best described using words that are not printable.

The majority of us put forth a lot of effort encouraging people to exercise. We don’t care if you’re an absolute beginner, slow, overweight, or awkward. We don’t care if you wear the “proper” clothing or use pro-level equipment. We just want to see you working out, becoming more fit, and staying healthy.

Most of the people we encourage will never become a marathoner, an ironman triathlete, or a long distance cyclist. That’s a good thing – it indicates they have a real life and are more socially balanced than most of the extreme athletes.

In a newspaper column that I wrote back in July of last year, I discussed some fitness goals that I set for myself while starting over after a serious illness. Two of those goals were to rebuild my fitness back to where I could comfortably jog four miles at a 9 min/mile pace, and ride a bicycle for one hour at a 17 mile/hour pace.

Those goals, while considered lofty by a fitness beginner, don’t match up to the standards set by the ego-athletes. That’s the problem we need to solve.

As the High Sheriff of Athlete Ego Issues, I’m hereby establishing some Athlete Ego Ordinances that will take effect immediately. No public hearings – no city council approval needed – this is the Wild West and infractions will be dealt with harshly and swiftly.

Athlete Ego Ordinance #1 bans all public display of egos when targeted at fitness beginners. The sole exception will be peer to peer displays of (good natured) kidding about athletic shortfalls.

Athlete Ego Ordinance #2 requires all experienced athletes to encourage, mentor, and support fitness beginners. This includes slowing down while on the bike and actually speaking to slower cyclists, and cheering on beginning joggers who are shuffling along at a slow pace.

Athlete Ego Ordinance #3 will make ridiculing those who don’t wear or own pro-level equipment a class CP misdemeanor offense, punishable by five consecutive days of CP (colonoscopy prep).

In all seriousness, experienced cyclists, runners, and multisport athletes are our best ambassadors for encouraging more people to pursue fitness activities. We’re all proud of what we’ve accomplished (myself included), and best way to leverage our accomplishments is to help other people be successful in achieving their fitness goals.

Doing that may require nothing more than being a helpful, supportive role model and remembering that – at one time – all of us were complete beginners. Luke 6:31 is probably a good place to start.

Ride On, San Angelo, and remember … the new Athlete Ego Ordinances are now in effect!

Upcoming Events

Cycling events: http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com//

Running events: http://www.roadlizards.org/

April 24: Back to School Eola run, http://www.roadlizards.org/

May 1: ASU Physical Therapy run www.angelo.edu/asufit

May 7: Bike-Pedestrian Healthy Communities presentation, www.angelo.edu/asufit

May 8: Critter Crawl run, http://www.roadlizards.org/

May 8: HOT Ride Brady, lmunden@bradyisd.org

June 6: Loco Lizard Adventure Race, http://4.bp.blogspot.com/

Equipment for Sale

Elliptical trainer, Smooth Fitness CE 2.7. Paid 1200.00 but will sell it for 700. Contact Jason at 325 617 4137 or mondiesman@yahoo.com

Pedaling backward?

2010-04-19T20:37:00.000-05:00

My apologies …I am way behind schedule in getting this blog update posted. My work load in my real job at Angelo State University has been crazy of late, and since it pays the bills I have to focus on it first. The good news is that one of my ASU projects, the university’s Fitness and Wellness program, is really doing well. More on that program in a future blog posting.

The top multisport athletes in Texas converged on San Angelo this past Sunday to compete in the 2010 Striders Duathlon. State Champions were crowned in the short course division, with other athletes competing for bragging rights in the legendary long course race. The event took place on a Middle Concho Park course that was modified due to muddy conditions.

In the Men’s division, Chris Aarhus of San Antonio blazed through the run and bike legs of the short course event in a time of 1:28:56 to collect the overall win and become a new State Champion. Stefani Langehinning of Austin came out on top in the female division, posting a winning time of 1:39:11.

Long course racers began their day with a 5-mile run, and then transitioned to the bike for a challenging 50 mile ride that took them from Middle Concho Park to Christoval, across a hilly stretch of chip sealed road to Knickerbocker, and then back to San Angelo. After working up a sweat on the first run, racers were quickly cooled off by the stiff north-west wind that seemed to be in their face on all parts of the bike course.

Patrick Schuster of Arlington, an Ironman triathlete from Arlington, led the long course pack home with a time of 2:28:46. San Angelo’s Christina Templin took top honors in the Female long course division in a time of 3:26:44. Full results for the Striders event are posted at http://www.mychiptime.com/searchevent.php?id=4559.

I’m troubled by some of what I see happening within the local (San Angelo, Texas) bike-run-multisport community. Through 2008 and most of 2009, there were positive local indicators related to collaborative activities, getting more people involved in endurance sports, and related fitness events. These indicators included things such as a comprehensive master calendar of local/regional events, a monthly meeting of organizations that were working together, and numerous jointly-sponsored events. Fast forward to 2010, and (in my opinion) we’re pedaling backward.

While there has been continued growth in the number of participants, the focus on “community” instead of “my group” seems to have regressed. A master calendar for regional events is non-existent this year, and organizations seem to have gone back to more of a single sport focus (runners, cyclists, etc.). While this may be a good short term growth strategy for some individuals or organizations, it’s detrimental to overall community efforts and to the quality of events. In short, we need to move back to a community effort instead of concentrating on “wear the T-shirt from XXX club”.

On a related note, I attended a TxDot Town Hall meeting last week where we listened to local and state officials talk about transportation issues. My interest was not in learning about how many more reads we’re going to build or re-build, but instead what the outlook is for implementation of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure such as marked bike lanes, off-street paths, and a reversal of the chip seal takeover. The take-home message that I heard was that bike/ped issues are a low priority, and will probably continue to get the same lip service (and lack of action) as has been the case for several years. We need to refocus and re-think our community’s efforts related to that issue. Again, more to come on this in a later blog update.

In my last update, I mentioned a lady who didn’t want to do much cardio exercise “…because I’m naturally thin and don’t want to lose more weight.” That prompted me to add a poll to the blog, and your response indicated that 66% of you prefer a trim, athletic body as compared to movie-star curvy or distance runner thin. The results are in … bike, run, lift, and do the cardio to look good. We like muscles, but we prefer fast ones.

There are some exciting events and activities coming up. On May 7, the ASUFit program at the university will be bringing in Linda DuPriest as the speaker for the monthly Brown Bag luncheon. Linda is a consultant in the field of non-motorized transportation, she’s in the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, and … best of all .. she’s an articulate and friendly person. This event is open to the public, so please make plans to attend. Contact Katherine.Garrison@angelo.edu for more info, or call 486-6244.

Other great upcoming events include Tour de Burma, Run in the Sun, and the Loco Lizards Adventure Race scheduled for June 6. Check out the “Upcoming Events” link below FMI.

UPCOMING EVENTS

June 6: Loco Lizards Adventure race (see event flyer above)

June 6: Fredericksburg road race (cycling), http://txbra.org/events/event.asp?EventID=1978

Running events: http://www.roadlizards.org/

Cycling events: http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com/events/calendar.html

Equipment for Sale

Elliptical trainer, Smooth Fitness CE 2.7. Paid 1200.00 but will sell it for 700. Contact Jason at 325 617 4137 or mondiesman@yahoo.com

Spring is almost here!

2010-03-07T20:45:00.001-06:00

Spring is about here, with the time changing next week. The good news will be more time to ride and run after work … bad news is that, for a few weeks, we feel like it’s too dammed early when the alarm clock goes off.

I was contacted by a lady a few weeks ago regarding fitness programs. She made a really interesting comment, “I don’t want to do much cardio exercise because I’m naturally thin and don’t want to lose more weight.” Her comment got me to thinking about what is the body type that most people find attractive (i.e., thin like a distance runner, voluptuous like a movie star, or trim but muscular like a multisport athlete?). Cast your vote on the “Body Type” poll to the right.

I’ve seen a lot more folks riding Burma Road over the past few weeks. For those of you new to San Angelo, Burma is a favorite local ride that has a number of short but moderately steep hills. It’s a great natural interval session … work the up hills hard and then recover on the descents. Most people start their Burma ride in or at the edge of San Angelo, and ride Arden Road out west of town until they reach the Burma turn off. Here’s a link to the Burma route, although the ride can be longer or shorter depending on the start and turn around point: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/tx/san-angelo/29001515. The first local time trial event of the 2010 season will be held on Sunday, March 14, at 2 pm, with the start area being on Burma just past the Burma/Arden intersection. .

Speaking of TT events, the cycling club sent out a request last year soliciting suggestions for trial courses. My personal opinion is that a different course should be used each month to break up the routine and to provide a variety of challenges. Listed below are the suggestions that I submitted. Even if the club chooses not to use any of these courses, they may be useful to you as “TT training rides.”

Jamison Road TT (9.5 miles): http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/tx/san-angelo/433124361225123536
Waling Pecan Road TT (14.8 miles): http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/tx/san-angelo/823124361334922861
Susan Peak Road TT (15.7 miles): http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/tx/san-angelo/206124361374156509
Knickerbocker TT (18.3 miles): http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/tx/san-angelo/541124361414138686
Arden Road TT (22.9 miles): http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/tx/san-angelo/603124361262091653

Ever thought about dropping out during a race or workout? This guy says “no way”: http://www.cxmagazine.com/lee-waldman-takes-time-to-reflect-on-quitting-cyclocross-races#more-11195

UPCOMING EVENTS

March 14: Burma Road TT, 2:00 pm, http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com/events/calendar.html
April 10-11: Hammerfest Stage Race (cycling), Fort Davis, http://www.txbra.org/db/events/2010FortDavis2.pdf
April 18: Striders Duathlon (Texas championships), www.ironheadrp.com/striders/index.html
May 2: Spillway Off Road Duathlon, information TBA
June 6: Fredericksburg road race (cycling), http://txbra.org/events/event.asp?EventID=1978
Ongoing: Group training runs, http://www.roadlizards.org/
Ongoing: Cycling group rides, road and mountain bike, http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com/events/calendar.html

Equipment for Sale

Elliptical trainer, Smooth Fitness CE 2.7. Paid 1200.00 but will sell it for 700. Contact Jason at 325 617 4137 or mondiesman@yahoo.com
.

Giant OCR Limited: A beautful carbon fiber road bike, almost new, size should fit anyone between 5’2” and 5’8”, full carbon frame and fork, 10 speed Ultegra, triple crank, includes a set of carbon aero bars. Price $900, retailed for over twice that much. Contact Dean McKenzie at dpmck@juno.com, or (325) 896-2083.

Race Across America?

2010-02-25T21:35:00.000-06:00

Most of us consider 30-40 miles to be a nice long bike ride. Not so for cyclist Dex Tooke of Del Rio – he’s planning to ride across America, west coast to east coast, solo and with very little rest time. Now, Dex isn’t your average cyclist. For starters, he’s 60 and thus considered to be a senior citizen by cycling standards. But more importantly, he’s an accomplished ultra endurance athlete with an impressive resume of long distance events.

He’s completed 24 hour running events during which he runs over 100 miles, a solo 600 mile “workout” on the bike, and has ridden cross country from Del Rio to El Paso. During 2009, his total cycling mileage was over 20,000 miles, with 57 rides over 100 miles in length. Most of us don’t drive 20,000 miles per year in a car, much less ride a bicycle that far.

The event that he’s training for is Race Across America (RAAM). It starts on June 9th and is a non-stop transcontinental bicycle race of over 3000 miles starting in Oceanside, California, and ending in Annapolis, Maryland. Competitors in the solo division of RAAM will finish (if they finish) in 9-12 days covering 250-350 miles per day (read more).

The local duathlon season is just around the corner, with the Striders event scheduled for April 18 and the Spillway Hill Off-Road on May 2nd. Striders is a road event and will have two distances: 5K/40K/5K or 8K/74K/8k. The short course event is the 2010 Texas Short Course Duathlon Championships. The start/finish for Striders is near the front restroom in Middle Concho Park. The Spillway event has traditionally been a 2.5 mile trail run, 10 mile mountain bike, and a final run in Middle Concho Park that follows the same route as run #1. Information regarding this year’s event has not been released, so the location, course distances, and start times are still TBA.

A cyclist was killed this past week while riding his bike on Knickerbocker Blvd. a few blocks north of Loop 306. This tragedy is a sad reminder that we all need to bike defensibly while riding, especially on roads with heavy traffic. Wear your helmet, use a flashing rear light after sunset, and think about using a route that stays off of main roads. Our condolences go out to his family.

The Trail Running Series concluded on February 20th with the 15K event in San Angelo State Park. Race #3 results and the Overall results are posted on the Road Lizards web site at http://www.roadlizards.org// (click on the Race Results tab on the upper menu bar).

Equipment for Sale

Cannondale R1000: 53 cm compact geometry road bike, Ultegra components, Mavic Open pro wheels, double 53/39 crank set, should fit anyone who is around 5”7”. Price $400, contact Dean McKenzie at dpmck@juno.com, or (325) 896-2083.

Upcoming Events

March 6: Green River Run 5K and 1-mile run/walk, www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/Green_River_Run_2010.pdf

April 10-11: Fort Davis Hammerfest cycling stage race, www.txbra.org/db/events/2010FortDavis.pdf

April 18: Striders Duathlon, Middle Concho Park, San Angelo, www.ironheadrp.com/striders/index.html

May 2: Spillway Off Road Duathlon, details TBA

Wet and Winter

2010-02-09T20:12:00.000-06:00

I spent the longest winter of my life stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. The weather there seemed to be 35-40 degrees and raining most of the time, and I’m starting to think that West Texas has become another Washington State. Our unusually wet and cool weather this winter is causing me to spend more time on the indoor trainer than usual, and I’m even getting some use out of the heavyweight polypro gear that I purchased while living in Colorado. Never fear, however …. we’ll be into spring and summer soon, wishing for some rainy 40 degree days.

If you missed my latest newspaper column, it’s posted on the Web at http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2010/feb/05/venture-off-road-for-a-change-and-give-joint-a/. For the next couple of months, I’ll be writing a weekly column for the Saturday paper (instead of every other week) while another columnist takes a sabbatical from writing. I’m always looking for interesting topics to write about, so drop me an email if you have a good topic in mind. (Email bcullins@verizon.net).

The 2010 Trail Running series is in full swing, with two of the here events completed. Results to date are posted at http://www.roadlizards.org// (select the “results” tab on the upper menu bar). This series is an event that I started back in 2007, and it has grown from a handful of participants the first year to 116 for race # 2 in 2009. Based on attendance thus far, it appears that the 2010 series events will have about as many runners as in 2009. . One of the good side effects of this series is that I’m seeing more people take their running workouts off road, which is arguably safer and better on the body than constantly pounding the pavement. The final event of the 2010 series will take place on Saturday, February 20th, with the action moving to San Angelo State park. An event flyer is posted on-line at http://www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/2_Page_FLYER_-_SARL_Trail_Series_2.pdf.

I’ve got a new poll up on this blog, asking if you think that San Angelo is making progress toward a “culture of fitness and wellness”. Be sure to take the poll and put your two cents worth in. The poll is located on the right side of this page.

Many people are starting to think about the warm weather that’s just around the corner, and cycling seems to be on a lot of people’s mind. I’ve received numerous inquiries asking for information on used bikes and related equipment, so I’ll start including “Equipment for Sale” as a part of each blog update. If you have something for sale or trade, send me a brief description, picture, and price and I’ll add it to the list.
Equipment for Sale

Giant OCR Limited: A beautful carbon fiber road bike, almost new, size should fit anyone between 5’2” and 5’8”, full carbon frame and fork, 10 speed Ultegra, triple crank, includes a set of carbon aero bars. Price $900, retailed for over twice that much. Contact Dean McKenzie at dpmck@juno.com, or (325) 896-2083.

Cannondale R1000: 53 cm compact geometry road bike, Ultegra components, Mavic Open pro wheels, double 53/39 crank set, should fit anyone who is around 5”7”. Price $400, contact Dean McKenzie at dpmck@juno.com, or (325) 896-2083.

Upcoming Events

Feb. 20: Trail Running Series race #3, http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/SARLTrailSeries_2009.pdf

March 6: Green River Run 5K and 1-mile run/walk, www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/Green_River_Run_2010.pdf

April 10-11: Fort Davis Hammerfest cycling stage race, www.txbra.org/db/events/2010FortDavis.pdf

April 18: Striders Duathlon, Middle Concho Park, San Angelo, www.ironheadrp.com/striders/index.html

June 6: Fredericksburg road race, www.txbra.org/events/event.asp?EventID=1978

Looking Ahead

2010-01-19T21:33:00.001-06:00

This time last winter I was finishing cyclocross season and starting base training for the upcoming year. The 2009 season didn’t work out the way I had planned, with health issues forcing me to miss most of the events I normally partcipate in. However, I've finished all of the cancer-related treatments, and I celebrated by racing the 2010 Texas Cyclocross Championships on January 16. Fittingly enough, the event proved to be a classic CX event with mud and more mud. What a great way to return to my favorite sport! If you want to get a sense of what the conditions were like, take a look at the pictures posted at http://cxmagazine.com/lonestar-cyclocross-austin-day-1.

January means trail running time here in San Angelo, with the three event Trail Running Series kicking off on January 23 and continuing with event #2 on Feb. 6 and the final race on Feb.20th. This year’s event is being directed by the San Angelo Road Lizards running club. There will be a long course race on each of the three event dates (10K, 12K, and 15K), in addition to a shorter 5K run on each date. If you haven’t given trail running a try, come on out – this is the most fun you’ll ever have with your running shoes on.

San Angelo will host the Texas short course duathlon championships on April 18. This event, Striders Duathlon, is one of the oldest and best multisport events in the state. The race will be a 5K run, 40K bike, 5K run, with the start/finish located in Middle Concho Park. The run course is on the roads in Middle Concho and the “Dirt Road from Hell” outside the back gate, with the bike course leaving Middle Concho and going to the turn around point at the base of the “big hill” on the Knickerbocker road.

The SABA road and mountain time trial series will kick off in April with the first road TT scheduled for April 3. Note that these events are scheduled for Saturdays this year. For more information, visit http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com/events/calendar.html.

ASUFit was the subject of a nice article in the Standard Times last week. If you missed the article, click on this link to read it on-line. ASUFit is putting on a 70 day Spring Fitness Challenge starting January 31st that is open to the public. Take a look at the event information at and get your team signed up!

There are some great out of town events coming up this year. Here are a few to think about:
   * April 10-11: Fort Davis Hammerfest cycling stage race,
     www.txbra.org/db/events/2010FortDavis.pdf
   * April 11: Austin Statesman Capitol 10K,
    http://www.statesman.com/cap10k/
   * May 29-30: Mellow Johnny’s mountain bike classic,
      http://www.tmbra.org/
   * June 6: Fredericksburg road race,
     http://www.txbra.org/events/event.asp?EventID=1978
   * August 15: XTERRA Camp Eagle, http://www.xterraplanet.com/

UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS

Jan 23: Trail Running Series race #1, http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/SARLTrailSeries_2009.pdf.

February 6: Trail Running Series race #2, http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/SARLTrailSeries_2009.pdf

February 20: Trail Running Series race #3, http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/SARLTrailSeries_2009.pdf

A New Year Begins

2010-01-02T17:41:00.000-06:00

The new year got off to a great start with the annual Resolution Run half marathon and 5-mile event on January 2nd. Over 150 runners turned out for the event, with Anton Gutierrez taking the overall win in a time of 1:20:30. Full results will be posted on the Road Lizards web site, and pictures of the event are posted on Photobucket.

Most of us are doing base training as we prepare for races later this year. If you haven’t developed an annual training plan, you might want to check out the “Designing your own training plan” article posted on the VeloNews web site at http://velonews.competitor.com/2009/12/coaches-panel/designing-your-own-training-plan-for-2009_86341. Even if you’re a recreational cyclist or runner, having an annual plan will result in more effective training and better performance.

Review of the past year:

• Cycling: The local cycling community, working with the San Angelo Bicycle Association and other organizations, helped organize multiple local events such as times trials, cycling tours, a regional mountain bike race, and group rides. Many local cyclists also traveled to other locations to participate in races and tours. Cycling grew in popularity during 2009, with a good increase in entry level participants. More information is available at www.sanangelobicycle.com.

• Running: The local running club (San Angelo Road Lizards) helped plan and conduct over 15 run/walk events during 2009, hosted the State Championship 8 kilometer race, organized multiple weekly group runs such as the Friday evening session on the River Trail, and facilitated a significant increase in the number of runners who trained for and completed long distance events such as marathons and ½ marathons. Over 150 local families now belong to “the Lizards”. You can see the upcoming event schedule and other information at www.roadlizards.com or visit them on FaceBook.

• Multisport events: Our community hosted four multisport events during the past year, with two triathlons and two duathlons. One of these events, the Suddenlink Lake Nasworthy Sprint triathlon, drew 25% more participants than during 2008 and attracted numerous first timers. Two of the events were collaborative efforts with the cycling and running clubs partnering with local sponsors to put on the races.

• Fitness and Wellness initiatives: A new Fitness and Wellness program was launched during 2009 (Get Healthy San Angelo), with support from the City of San Angelo. A second Fitness and Wellness program was expanded and improved during the year (the Angelo State University ASUFit initiative). The ASUFit program (www.angelo.edu/asufit) is designed to help ASU faculty, staff, and students make healthy lifestyle choices and to foster a culture of wellness on the ASU campus.

• Media exposure: During 2009 the local news media did a good job of helping to promote fitness and related activities. Examples of this included newspaper and television coverage of events, multiple newspaper columnists writing fitness-related articles, event advertisements on Suddenlink cable, and wellness-related radio spots on multiple radio stations.

• Special Recognition: Jeanette Passons, 2009-2010 president of the Road Lizards running club, for guiding the club to a new level of quality and collaboration; Mars Torres, who brought us two great runs sponsored by Shannon; Randy Coleman, who pulled together a community wide group to launch Get Healthy San Angelo and implemented multiple media activities; the planning group that orchestrated the 2nd annual Lake Nasworthy triathlon; Kevin Dierschke and the mountain bike volunteers who planned and promoted the Red Bluff Mountain Bike Challenge, and the CATCH A Fit Life children’s fitness initiative delivered by Shannon Wellness.

• Top local events of 2009 (my picks): Trail Running Series, Shannon Pink Ribbon Run, Vita Sport Run in the Sun, Red Bluff Mountain Bike Challenge, Lake Nasworthy Sprint Triathlon, ASU Turkey Trot, and both of the races promoted by Ironhead Race Productions (Striders Duathlon and Wool Capitol Triathlon).

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 16: Texas age-based cyclocross championships, http://www.txbra.org/events/event.asp?EventID=1927

Jan 23: Trail Running Series race #1, http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/SARLTrailSeries_2009.

February 6: Trail Running Series race #2, http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/SARLTrailSeries_2009.pdf

February 20: Trail Running Series race #3, http://roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/SARLTrailSeries_2009.pdf

Fitness Resolutions for the New Year

2009-12-23T19:33:00.014-06:00

Tis the day before Christmas
And all through the community
Endorphin junkies are working out
At every opportunity

The tri geeks are swimming
Splash, splash, and turn
While the runners be plodding
Got to do more miles – energy to burn

The cyclists are spinning
Wind trainers making a whine
Feel the burn! Push harder!
We’re training to climb

And all through the town
We’re waiting to see
What jolly St. Nick
Will bring for you and me.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Fitness resolutions: Christmas is about to come and go, and the jolly plump guy in the red suit will soon be resting up from his annual ultra-multisport event (sleigh driving, roof clambering, and chimney climbing). He my decide that that he needs to have a more consistent fitness program before next year; in fact many of us may be in the same situation as Santa.

Unlike him, you may be looking for bargains at the big “after Christmas” sales. One of the best bargains you’ll find will not be at the shopping mall; instead, the “bargain” may be to take a few minutes, reflect back on how your fitness activities went during the past year, look ahead to 2010, and make some firm health-related resolutions for the coming year.

Although “resolutions” are the time honored term we use, it might be more appropriate to describe these as action items (i.e., things we’ll do to cause positive change). Just as in a business setting, we analyze strengths and weaknesses, determine what the goals are for the next planning period, and then establish actions items (“make resolutions”) that commit us to following through with those actions.

One of the things you want to do prior to making those resolutions is to reflect a bit on what went well during the past year related to fitness and conversely what didn’t go well. Did you get faster on the bike or while running? Did you lose or gain weight? Is your blood pressure lower than in the past? Think about the past year and write down your personal observations.

For the competitive crowd, it’s important that you identify strengths and weaknesses (otherwise known as “limiters”). These are the aspects of your sport that limit your ability to race faster. For example, you might be a triathlete who is a fast swimmer, but you tend to “fade” during the running leg of a race. That would suggest that you need to work more on base endurance and strength related to running.

Getting back to resolutions for the New Year, your personal critique of the past year will help you determine what you want (or need) to change during the upcoming twelve months. These resolutions could be related to psychology (“mental toughness”), physical parameters (“do more strength training”), or even social attitude (“do more workouts with groups”). Listed below are some limiters that might affect the fitness goals for an individual.

· Limited strength, especially when cycling or running up hills.
· Lack of endurance, especially while running or walking distances over 3-4 miles.
· Lack of core body strength

The next thing that we need to consider before finalizing our resolutions for the coming year is “what are the goals for 2010?” For some of you, those goals will be competition-based, while others may have fitness goals that are not at all related to competition. The relationship between limiters as described above and goals is important; for example, lack of endurance during running would constitute a significant problem if one of your 2010 goals was to run a marathon. Here are some example goals:

· Lose 20 pounds and lower blood pressure.
· Prepare for and complete a run/bike/run duathlon event.
· Be able to run 4 miles at an 8 min per mile pace.
· Hike to the top of the 14, 000 foot Longs Peak during next summer’s vacation in Colorado

Now, if we compare the above goals and the limiters previously described, it’s fairly obvious that we need to make some resolutions (action items) related to what we’ll need to do to achieve the described goals. Let’s take a look at some examples:

· Lose 20 pounds: The keys to achieving this goal are a combination of sensible diet and increased exercise. Simply put, burn more calories that you take in. A smart approach is to aim for a gradual 1-3 pounds of weight loss per month. In many cases, participating in a program such as Weight Watchers or the Get healthy Weight Loss Challenge will help enhance the chances of reaching your weight goal.

· Prepare for a duathlon event: Duathlons are multisport events where participants run, then bike, and finally complete a 2nd final run (or run/walk?). A typical sprint distance duathlon involves a 3 mile run, 18.6 mile bike, and a final 3 mile run. Given the fact that two events are involved, preparation for this type of event should include 2-3 runs and 2-3 cycling workouts per week, with a couple of gym (strength) sessions added in. There will be two duathlon events in San Angelo during 2010, and training plans will be posted on the ASUFit web site.

· Be able to run 4 miles: Many people want to progress from walking to jogging, which is a great strategy for increasing the calorie burn and losing weight. One easy way to make this transition is to start into a walk/run plan, where the initial workouts are a warm-up walk for 5-10 minutes, and then 1 minute of slow jogging followed by 2-3 minutes of walking to recover. Repeat 4-6 times at first, and gradually increase the length of the “run” intervals while decreasing the length of the recovery walk periods.

· Hike to the top of a 14,000 foot peak: Hiking up and then down steep mountain trails requires good cardiovascular conditioning and strength, especially for the legs and core muscles. Just as with any fitness activity, the key to preparing is to do a slow but consistent build up and emulate the conditions that you’ll encounter. Since we live in West Texas, it’s hard to find steep mountains to walk up. But these can be simulated on the treadmill or by walking up and down shorter hills such as those near the Twin Buttes spillway or on back country roads. You should also get in 2-3 gym (strength) sessions per week to insure that legs, arms, back, and core muscles are ready for a long hike while carrying a pack filled with emergency supplies.

Making fitness resolutions for the coming year is a great way to focus on what you want to accomplish; however, the bigger challenge is following through with what you resolved to do. Remember … reflect on the past year, identify “limiters”, set goals, and then plan actions that will help you accomplish those goals. Have a great (and fit) new year!

Upcoming events

Jan 2: ECVFD ½ marathon and 5-mile, http://www.roadlizards.org/RR_Flyer_09.pdfJan 16-

17: Lone Star Cyclocross Festival (Texas Cyclocross Championships), http://lonestarcyclocross.com/

Jan 23: Trail Running Series race #1, more information TBA, http://www.roadlizards.org/

Tis the Eating Season

2009-11-27T19:21:00.010-06:00

The 2009 Angelo State Turkey Trot event went off well, with over 100 runners plus additional fitness walkers and the kids who ran the 1-mile event. Clay Jansa (ASU student) took overall male honors in a time of 17:20, with Courtney Hallum leading the female runners with a time of 22:03. Runners enjoyed the crisp fallweather and the tasty pumpkin pie awards. Full results and pictires are posted at w ww.roadlizards.org/.

The holiday season is here, which means that all of us will probably take in a few more calories than usual. The good news is that, with the holiday breaks, most of us will actually get in more workout time than normal (if we can push the pie plate away). Although this time of the year is for family, food, and festivities, it’s also a great time to start building that endurance base for the spring cycling and running season. I did my first good fall weather ride today – Burma Road, cold north wind with some drizzle. It’s a great feeling coming back along Burma at 30+ MPH with a stiff tail wind helping to push you along.

This is also the time of the year when we should be planning out next year’s race schedule. Done properly, your annual race schedule for important events will help dictate your training plan for the year. A good strategy is to identify your key races or events (“A” races), and then work backwards to create a training plan. For example, if you plan to peak for the April 18 Striders Duathlon event, you’ll need to allocate at least 2 weeks for peak workouts, 4-6 weeks for intensity, and 6-8 weeks for base endurance and lower end tempo workouts. That means your training plan for Striders will consist of 12 to 16 weeks of structured training, so you should start serious training in December or January. As an example, here are my “A” races for 2010. Everything else I race will be classified as a “B” event (somewhat less important) or a “C” race (simply a hard workout disguised as a race).

(My “A” races for 2010)

* Jan 16: Texas cyclocross championships
* April 3-4: Fort Davis Stage Race (cycling- 3 stages)
* April 18: Striders Duathlon, Texas State short course champs
* July 11: National Long Course Duathlon Champs

* December 15: National Cyclocross Champs, Bend , OR

I received an email a few days ago from a polite but irate motorist who was concerned about the unsafe behavior of some local cyclists. Here’s part of what he had to say: “I continue to be amazed at the lack of concern many cyclist have for their safety and the safety of vehicle drivers. Most recently I witness a middle age couple in full Lance Armstrong dress blocking the right lane of College Hills Blvd as they approached the loop from the south. They had several cars backed up behind them and seemed oblivious. A few weeks ago I came around a curve outside of town on a farm to market road and found the road full of cyclists. There was nothing for a 60 mph vehicle to do but come to a complete stop while a path was grudgingly cleared. It is my understanding that Texas law calls for cyclist to be single file and to the far right of any road. With the popularity of the sport growing it would be nice to see the law followed, lives saved, and vehicle drivers not being placed in the position of trying to avoid accidents with wayward cyclists.” The take home message from his comments – ride safely, stay single file on the right shoulder when a car approaches from behind, and let’s stay on good terms with area motorists!

Equipment for Sale

1. Cannondale Six 13 for sale, Kyserium SL wheels, all Campy Record, 56cm. New Richey seat post, new Cannondale BB 30 Si compact crank, 50/34, Pics avail.....perfect condition...$2000.00 neg. Contact Sandy at wawaski2000@yahoo.com.
2. 2008 Cervelo P2 SL avail, 54cm, less than 100 mi on it, yellow, perfect condition. Kyserium wheels, Terry Zero seat, aero bars, etc. $1500.00 neg. Contact Sandy at wawaski2000@yahoo.com.
3. Schwinn Super Sport road frame, 55. cm top tube, beautiful condition, red w/ silver cromoly fork, pics available, $75, mailto:%20bcullisn@verizon.net
4 2005 Specialized Allez road frame, yelloe/black, good condition, 55.5 cm top tube, carbon fork w/ headset, pics available. $150, mailto:bcullins@verizon.net

UPCOMING EVENTS

Dec 6: SABA Christmas Light ride, http://www.appgadget.com/37jbpmuodnyc/main.php?view=event&eventid=1257386280671

Dec 12: Run Rudolph Run, http://www.roadlizards.org/Run_Run_Rudolph_09.pdf

Jan 2: ECVFD ½ marathon and 5-mile, http://www.roadlizards.org/RR_Flyer_09.pdf

Jan 23: Trail Running Series race #1, more information TBA, www.roadlizards.org

2009-11-16T19:47:00.007-06:00

It’s almost time for the Turkeys to Trot. The 2nd annual ASU Turkey Trot will take place this coming Saturday, Nov. 21, at 10:00. As per tradition, the awards will be pumpkin pies. The race location is on the mall in front of ASU’s University Center, registration from 9:00-9:45 and race start at 10:00. Events include a 3 mile competitive run, a 1.5 mile fitness walk, and a 1-mile kid’s run so bring the whole family and enjoy the morning. Full details are posted at http://www.angelo.edu/asufit.

The San Angelo community seems too have caught long distance running fever, based on the number of folks who made the trip to San Antonio this past weekend to race the full and half marathon events there. Based on the results page, there were 20 San Angelo runners in the marathon and 66 signed up for the half marathon. Marathon finishers also included former Central High runner Whitney Perkins, who posted a 3:13 time on her first marathon attempt to win the Female 20-29 age group. Full results are posted at http://results.active.com/pages/page.jsp?eventLinkageID=125801&year=2009

Former Goodfellow triathlete Kathy Rakel turned in a great performance at the Clearwater 70.3 half Ironman World Championships, finishing 34th overall among the females in a time of 4:25. Her bike split was especially amazing – 56 miles at an average speed of 25.2 mph. Congrats Kathy on an outstanding performance! You can follow Kathy via her blog at http://kathyrakel.blogspot.com/

Mark your calendars for April 18, 2010 for Striders Duathlon. This year’s event will be the Texas State short course championships (5K/30K/5K). That designation should attract some fast duathletes to give our local heroes some solid competition. The long course duathlon national championships will also be in our neighborhood (Oklahoma City) on July 11th. Details regarding that event are not yet posted, but it will also be a qualifier for the World long course duathlon championships (location TBA).

If you missed my latest Standard Times column, it’s posted on the web at http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/nov/13/throw-your-routine-a-changeup/. The take home message … put a little variety into your workouts and “surprise” your body to achieve better fitness. Shiner Bock arm curls don’t count …

Picture of the year: Jeanette Passons, 9.5 months pregnant, and still working out. Here’s wishing everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday. Be safe out there!

UPCOMING EVENTS

November 21: Turkey Trot Run and Fitness Walk, Angelo State University, http://www.angelo.edu/asufit

December 12: Run Run Rudolph, www.roadlizards.org

January 2: ECVFD 1/2 marathon, www.roadlizards.org

Fall is here

2009-11-01T06:43:00.015-06:00

That dreaded time of the year has arrived, where we “fall back” and reset the clocks back an hour. That means that early mornings become really early and the after-work bike and run sessions end up being in the dark. It’s time to get creative again with the work schedules so as to carve out some workout time during daylight (or, … just get cozy with the stationary bike trainer, treadmill, and gym). Remember that cycling and running becomes more dangerous during low light conditions, so break out that reflective gear and those lights. I wrote about this in my October 17 newspaper column, and if you missed it please go read it on the S-T web site (http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/oct/16/precaution-name-of-the-game-in-low-light/-game-in-low -light/). Let’s all be safe out there!

Fall seems to have really arrived, with cold fronts every few days causing the weather to alternate between warm and cool. For many recreational athletes, this is the beginning of the “relax and enjoy” season where most of us start back building the fitness base for next spring’s events. However, the San Angelo running community seems to have exploded in size, causing the many running events to have record numbers of participants. It was normal a few years ago to have 40-60 runners show up for races, but those numbers have swelled to 200-300 for many events. Even a small race like last weekend’s Quest for the Cure drew over 80 participants. This growth can probably be attributed to (1) a greater local awareness related to fitness and the need to exercise, and (2) increased marketing of activities and events using web sites and social networking strategies such as Facebook, and collaboration between organizations such as the Road Lizards, Goodfellow AFB, and ASUFit. It may also help that there are multiple columnists writing for the local newspaper who all focus on fitness related activities.

The local running club (San Angelo Road Lizards) held their annual meeting on November 1st, with a large group of runners turning out for the event. The meeting agenda included annual reports, election of 2010 officers, goals and action items for the coming year, and the establishment of a preliminary 2010 event calendar. The elected officers and key volunteer appointments for 2010 included President Mike Buck, Vice President Ruthie Kreuzer, Treasurer Anthony Wilson, Secretary Angelina Orsonio and Member-At-Large Nick Mathers. The husband/wife team of Kevin and Katherine Garrison was appointed to the position of webmaster(s). Look for minutes to be posted soon on the Road Lizards web site.

If you haven’t ridden (or ran) the Spillway Hill trails lately, this is a great time of the year to do so. That area includes some new trail sections that were developed for the recent Red Bluff Challenge mountain bike race, with a few short stretches of highly technical areas for more experienced cyclists. I ran the 10K trail running route recently, and the trails are all in great shape thanks to the hard work of some mountain bike volunteers who prepped the course for the Red Bluff event (thanks, Kevin, Tony, Kyle, and others!). This area will host the 2010 Trail Running Series in January and February, and the Spillway Hill Off Road Duathlon in May. A good place to access the hill’s trail network is just outside the back gate of Middle Concho Park. As you exist the back gate, head straight ahead toward the rock berm and go through the opening in the rocks. This puts you onto the Mackenzie Trail, which parallels the main dirt access road. Cyclists, runners, and hikers can access over 20 miles of trails and 4WD roads from this starting point. Future plans for this area include a new trail section and permanent trail signs.

UPCOMING EVENTS

November 7: Sailor Cruise 5K, http://www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/Navy.pdf
November 21: Turkey Trot Run and Fitness Walk, Angelo State University, http://www.angelo.edu/asufit
Dec. 10-13: Cyclocross National Championships, Bend, OR, http://www.visitbend.com/Bend_Oregon_Activities_Recreation/National-Championships/Cyclo-cross/default.aspx

2009-10-19T20:56:00.009-05:00

The inaugural Red Bluff Challenge mountain bike race was held this past weekend in the Spillway Hill area. The event was a real success, and highlights why the State Park continues to lose users and events to other venues. One of the highlights of the Red Bluff event was the hard work by dedicated volunteers who cleaned trails and cut in some new and challenging technical sections. The running community will get a chance to “enjoy” the new routes during the Jan/Feb Trail Running Series. Pictures of the Red Bluff event are posted at http://s486.photobucket.com/albums/rr228/bcullins/Red%20Bluff%20Challenge%2010-18-09/?start=all.

There were also a couple of down sides to what was otherwise an extremely successful event. Despite multiple requests for assistance, the San Angelo Bicycling Association continued its recent tradition of not supporting mountain bike events; in fact, there wasn’t a single SABA board member present for the event. There were also very few local racers participating; in fact, more cyclists came from Amarillo and Lubbock than from the local area. Makes you wonder (1) why should anyone join SABA, and (2) were the local racers intimidated by the West Texas Series regulars who came from out of town?

Changing gears, have you ever looked back in old training logs to see what workout you did on this same date a few years ago? I skimmed through some of my old training logs recently, and came up some interesting log entries for the same weekend in October in past years. The importance of keeping a training log is that you can look back and find patterns that suggest why good (or bad) things happened related to your training. One of the things I noticed was that my 1996 fall cyclocross season was less than stellar. Turns out that I was doing more running than cycling that year, and so the power and bike skills just weren’t in place. I struggled all season with my bike form.

However, when I looked back at my 2003 log, a completely different picture emerged. I had started a very focused cyclocross training program in late spring, with a long base period of base rides, tempo bricks, and technique work. One of the primary goals for that year was to elevate my lactate threshold as much as possible, so as to perform better in shorter but high intensity events. I also spent 10 days in Colorado during the summer of 2003, with multiple days of long hard climbs or trail runs at altitudes of 9,000 feet and above. As the 2003 season progressed, the results started coming around, as listed below. The take home messages: (1) keep a training log and (2) review past logs to see what led to good race results.

· 2003 Armydillo 10K: 3rd place 50+ men

· 2003 Concho Valley Road Race: 6th overall open men

· 2003 Wurst Cross CX race: 1st 55+, lapped my field

· 2003 ASU Turkey Trot 5K: 4th overall male

· 2003 Smithville Dirty Duathlon: 1st male 50+

· 2003 REI Austin CX race: 1st male 55+, lapped field

· 2003 Texas Cyclocross Championships: 1st male 55+, state champion

In my most recent Standard Times column, I wrote about safety for cyclists and runners during the shorter days of fall and winter. That column is posted at http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/oct/16/precaution-name-of-the-game-in-low-light/. Since the column was published, I’ve had two near misses where I encountered runners after dusk wearing dark clothing. Read the column, folks, and wear stuff that’s bright and reflective when working out after sunset.

The 2009 Team San Angelo community survey is currently open. Please take a few minutes and provide your input related to cycling, running, and multisport in San Angelo. Go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=JSqpxTWQgCQlJ5QefVvEtw_3d_3d to take the survey.

UPCOMING EVENTS

October 24: Quest for the Cure 5K, Angelo State University (Texas Hall parking lot), www.angelo.edu/asufit
November 1: West Texas Series mountain bike race, Abilene, http://www.wtcycling.com/wforum/viewtopic.php?t=2887
November 21: Turkey Trot 5K, Angelo State University, www.angelo.edu/asufit

New event Red Bluff MTB Challenge

2009-10-08T13:40:00.005-05:00

Special blog update for a new event see event flyer below.

2009-10-04T17:09:00.014-05:00

It’s fall, the race courses will actually have some mud this year, but I won’t be able to race cyclocross this season. It seems that serious CX training just isn’t compatible with my chemotherapy treatments every other week. I’m holding out hope that I can at least be “pack filler” in the Texas CX championship race, scheduled for January 16 (my treatments end in late December). To remain sane, I’m riding my CX bike whenever possible and doing “mini CX workouts” (read: slow motion stuff that’s about the same as my pre-race warm-up routine). One of my stay-sane rides is a short combo on-and-off road circuit that takes about an hour at an easy pace. I wrote about this route in my most recent cycling column (http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/oct/02/take-a-spin-on-one-of-my-favorite-routes-around/).

Speaking of cycling, the San Angelo Bicycling Association just elected new officers for the coming year. They are John Woiton, President, Dominic Santos, Vice President, Rita Grafton, Treasurer, Roy Jones, Secretary, and Christy Nesbitt, Member at Large. I’m sure the new board already has a priority list of initiatives for 2010, but if not … I’ll list three items that might be good to address:
(1) Improve relations with the mountain bike community.
(2) Encourage a more positive attitude toward multisport athletes (we represent a majority of the local cycling population)
(3) Take a more aggressive stance against dangerous riding in the Loop Group and other pack rides.

Although the national trends for obesity are still on the rise, I’m seeing a glimmer of hope locally. I’m basing that on the larger turnouts we’re having for cycling, running, and multisport events, and the increasing number of beginner/entry level participants. As an example, 700 runners and walkers turned out for yesterday’s Pick Ribbon run here in San Angelo. Obviously, if you did a “visual survey” in the Wal-Mart parking lot, you would realize that we have a long ways to go before we actually start having a slimmer population.

Angelo State University has several events coming up that may be of interest to local athletes. On November 21, it’s the 2nd annual Turkey Trot 5K run and walk on the ASU campus. This fun event has the distinction of having pies as the primary awards for category winners. For swimmers, Mike Buck (Road Lizards VP and ASU ROTC commander) has worked with the university’s Recreation Department to get a Masters Swim program in place. See flyer on the right for details. Finally, the ASUFit Health Fair will take place on Wednesday, October 14, in the University Center. Get details on all of these on-campus events at http://www.angelo.edu/services/fitness_wellness/newsletters/October2009_Newsletter_final.pdf.

UPCOMING EVENTS

October 8: Road Bike TT series, http://www.sanangelobicycleassociation.com/
October 10-11: Texas Road Cycling Championships, Copperas Cove, http://www.txbra.org/db/events/2009FortHoodClassicV4.pdf
October 17, Heart Walk 5K, http://www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/Heartwalk.pdf
October 18: West Texas Series mountain bike race, Concho Bike (San Angelo), http://www.wtcycling.com/wforum/viewtopic.php?t=2887
October 24: Quest for the Cure 5K, Angelo State University (Texas Hall parking lot), www.angelo.edu/asufit
November 1: West Texas Series mountain bike race, Abilene, http://www.wtcycling.com/wforum/viewtopic.php?t=2887
Dec. 10-13: Cyclocross National Championships, Bend, OR, http://www.visitbend.com/Bend_Oregon_Activities_Recreation/National-Championships/Cyclo-cross/default.aspx

2009-09-19T21:33:00.021-05:00

The current Health Care Reform debate is starting to really piss me off. About all we’re hearing from our brainless leaders in Washington and the news media is straight party line stuff. What I want to hear from these lame brain jackals is why we don’t make 6:00 am Physical Training sessions mandatory for the general population to help solve the Obesity Crisis. The estimated cost of obesity in the US for the current year is 147 billion dollars (that’s a bunch of Big Macs and Slurpees!). Read mo re in my 9/19 rant that was published in the San Angelo Standard Times .

On the flip side, I am constantly impressed by both the quantity and quality of amateur athletes that we have here in San Angelo. You expect to see fast cyclists, runners, and triathletes in Austin or Boulder, but here in the West Texas desert?? As an example, take a look at the list below. These folks finished the 2009 Air Force Marathon or half marathon today in Dayton, Ohio, Good job, folks!

Brandon Bowers San Angelo, TX 24 M 4:56:15
Michael Buck San Angelo, TX 49 M 3:30:10
Gloria Interrante San Angelo, TX 23 F 4:39:07
Ruthie Kreuzer San Angelo, TX 28 F 3:57:54
Nathan Parker San Angelo, TX 25 M 3:04:45
Benjamin Passons San Angelo TX 37 M 3:42:39
Georgette Young San Angelo, TX 46 F 5:34:24
Paula Lasley San Angelo, TX 24 F 2:13:56
Gabriel Manlutac San Angelo, TX 28 M 2:24:13
Jennifer Manlutac San Angelo, TX 25 F 2:24:14
Jeanice Smith San Angelo, TX 24 F 2:38:11

Rumor has it that more people are starting to use the Spillway Hill and Twin Buttes trails instead of the State Park, due to poor trail maintenance and other issues at the State Park. If you’re not familiar with the Spillway area, take a look at the map on the right or drop me a message and I’ll fill you in. Spillway is a great place to take the mountain bike or to get in a good trail run. One project that I’m working on is a proposal for a “Volunteer Work Pass” for the Middle Concho/Spillway area. Mountain bikeer Ty Johnson suggested this, and it’s a great idea. The concept would that people who volunteer their time to work on trail or perform other volunteer tasks in that area would be rewarded by the city with free pass to the Middle Concho area during the times when they are collecting gate fees. This would encourage volunteerism, and also provide a good partnership between the city of San Angelo and the local bike/run community. One of my daughters manages an Outdoor Volunteer program in Northern Colorado that could be a great model (on a smaller scale) – read about her program here: http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/News/2009/sep/3/variety/outdoors-near-your-backdo . More on this later when the proposal is finished and submitted.

The ASUFit activities for 2009-2010 are about to kick off. ASUFit is a Fitness and Wellness program for university employees and students, but many of the activities are open to the regional community. Things will kick off on October 14 with a Health Fair and Brown Bag Luncheon. Other planned activities include a Fall Fitness Challenge, several 5K runs on campus, monthly speakers, mountain bike clinics for students and staff, and possibly on on-campus short course mountain bike race (dirt crit). For more information on ASUFit, contact Katherine Garrison at 486-6244 or e-mail katherine.garrison@angelo.edu.

Final note, again): Both the cycling and running clubs are looking for a few good people to step forward and serve as club officers for next year. If you are interested in serving, contact the appropiate club president to self-nominate yourself for an office.

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 19-20: Fort Davis Cyclefest, http://www.pbbatx.com/Documents/2009%20Tour%20Flyer.pdf
September 26 (rescheduled): Hot Dog Run, http://www.roadlizards.org%20/
October 3: Shannon Pink Ribbon Run, 10K/5K, http://www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/Shannon.pdf
October 10-11: Texas Road Cycling Championships, Copperas Cove, http://www.txbra.org/db/events/2009FortHoodClassicV4.pdf
October 18: West Texas Series mountain bike race, Concho Bike (San Angelo), http://www.wtcycling.com/wforum/viewtopic.php?t=2887
November 1: West Texas Series mountain bike race, Abilene, http://www.wtcycling.com/wforum/viewtopic.php?t=2887
Dec. 10-13: Cyclocross National Championships, Bend, OR, http://www.visitbend.com/Bend_Oregon_Activities_Recreation/National-Championships/Cyclo-cross/default.aspx

2009-09-07T19:52:00.010-05:00

The weather has started to cool off a bit, with lows dipping into the 60’s at night. I’m always reminded that I no longer live in Colorado when I see someone headed out for a run wearing a jacket in 65 degree temperatures. Maybe we’ll get lucky this winter and have some snow to run in a few times so these folks can work out wearing down parkas. This is also the time of the year that I would normally be getting all excited about the upcoming cyclocross season, but – due to the chemo treatments I’m currently enjoying, I’ll have to spend this season watching CX videos. Here’s a good one to watch: http://crosstube.net/Home/Cyclocross+%252F+Veldrijden+%3A+UCI+World+Cup++World+Championship/P9WMOA7dbH0%26f%3Dvideos%26app%3Dyoutube_gdata.html

The weather didn’t completely cooperate for yesterday’s Burma Road time trial (a little humid and some wind), but it was a lot nicer than the gale force winds during the Burma TT last spring. Shane Plymel turned in the fastest time of the day, demonstrating that he’s still the man when it comes to racing against the clock on the bike. Results should be posted on the San Angelo Bicycle Association’s web site soon, and I’ll get pictures of the event uploaded to Photobucket this coming week. For those of your who haven’t ridden the Burma hills, the picture on the left gives an idea of how much fun (read: painful) the course is.

With the return of cooler weather, more running events will take place over the next few months. Both the Hot Dog Run and the Habitat 5K will take place this month, with the big 5K/10K Shannon Pink Ribbon Run taking place in October. ASU will hold the 2nd Annual Turkey Trot 5K in November, and then in December the Armydillo 10K and the Resolution Run ½ marathon will take place. All of these events, of course, are simply training runs to help you prepare for the Trail Running Series in January and February. Take a look at the Upcoming Events link below for more cycling, running, and multisport events.

My most recent column for the Standard Times newspaper dealt with the fact that we have a diverse cycling community here in San Angelo. Hard core roadies, mountain bikers, casual fitness riders, and triathletes – we have a broad range of people who participate in cycling. My central theme was that none of us fit into a singular “mold” as relates to how we choose to enjoy our sport. I received a number of comments related to that column, and I want to share a couple of them with you. The messages are self explanatory, I think, and should give all of a little food for thought.

“I want to thank you for reminding me of the joy of riding a bike around the neighborhood with kids. I'm a 46 year old, out of shape mom who used to love run, and many years ago, used to love bike riding for the sheer joys of freedom and wind in my face. Tonight I took out my bicycle, and my 11 year old helped me air up the tires. We rode for 20 minutes in our neighborhood. What fun! I am looking forward to many more evenings of pleasure. Your message in today's column was truly inspirational.”

“One of the things that has turned me off to Loop Group at times is the attitude that so-and-so (let's say triathletes) aren't "real" cyclists and that somehow the roadies occupy a higher rung on the food chain. (Interestingly, you don't see that sort of attitude among runners.)”

Final note: Both the cycling and running clubs are looking for a few good people to step forward and serve as club officers for next year. If you are interested in serving, contact the appropiate club president to self-nominate yourself for an office. The cycling club contact is Christy Nesbitt, and for the running club please drop a message to Jeanette Passons.

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 12: Hot Dog Run, http://www.roadlizards.org%20/
September 12: Comanche Warrior Triathlon, Big Spring, http://www.comanchewarriortriathlon.com/
September 19: Home Run for Humanity 5K, http://www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/Habitat.2009.pdfSeptember 19-20: Fort Davis Cyclefest, http://www.pbbatx.com/Documents/2009%20Tour%20Flyer.pdf
October 3: Shannon Pink Ribbon Run, 10K/5K, http://www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/Shannon.pdf
October 10-11: Texas Road Cycling Championships, Copperas Cove, http://www.txbra.org/db/events/2009FortHoodClassicV4.pdf
October 18: West Texas Series mountain bike race, Concho Bike (San Angelo), http://www.wtcycling.com/wforum/viewtopic.php?t=2887
November 1: West Texas Series mountain bike race, Abilene, http://www.wtcycling.com/wforum/viewtopic.php?t=2887
Dec. 10-13: Cyclocross National Championships, Bend, OR, http://www.visitbend.com/Bend_Oregon_Activities_Recreation/National-Championships/Cyclo-cross/default.aspx

2009-08-15T21:40:00.014-05:00

After watching all 200+ competitors swim the 1,500 meter open water course during last week’s Wool Capitol Triathlon, I may just have to take swimming lessons. Of course, I could just talk my youngest grand daughter Stephanie into teaching me – she competed in the Colorado Summer Club state swim meet last week and won the 200 meter Freestyle for her age group. As with most competitive swimmers, she routinely does workouts that involve longer distances than those of most sprint and Olympic distance triathlons.

Have you ever thought about what type of background the cyclists, runners, and multisports folks that you ride and run with have? I started thinking about this last week after I interviewed the Overall Female winner of the 2009 Wool Capitol triathlon (Natasha Van Der Merwe). She was a professional tennis player until a year ago, when she decided to give triathlon a try.

Unlike some other countries, we don’t really have a wide spread club system here in the US where we identify and “grow” talented kids into top level cyclists or triathletes. Instead, the majority of our young athletes participate in public school and collegiate sports such as basketball, football, track, soccer, swimming, and volleyball, and then some of them take up endurance sports later in life. Makes you wonder how good some of these people would be if they had been introduced to competitive cycling or multisport at a young age …

Natasha Van Der Merwe and Brady O’Bryan topped a large field of over 200 triathletes to win the Wool Capitol event and earn USAT Regional Champion titles for 2009. The championship event, directed by Ironhead Race Productions, took on Sunday, August 9th and attracted competitors from multiple states. The race course was Olympic distance, consisting of a 1,500 meter open water swim, 40 kilometer bike, and a 10K run.

Masters (40+) and Grandmasters titles were also awarded during the event. Sharon Sander of San Antonio was crowned the Female Masters Champion, with Roger Whacker of Houston winning the Men’s Masters title. Ann Wacker (Houston) and David Sing (Austin) topped the respective Grand Masters fields.

Awards were also handed out to winners in age group and team relay categories. San Angelo athletes who placed in their age groups included Ashley Gay, 2nd Female 25-29, Ruthie Kreuzer, 3rd Female 25-29, Tamra Deckers, 2nd Female 30-34, Kevin Hawkins, 1st Male Clydsdale 20-24, and Shane Plymel, 2nd Male 40-44. In the team division, the trio of Nick Mathers, John Gilliland, and Ben Passons took overall honors with a time of 2 hrs 24 min 56 sec. Full age group results are posted at www.mychiptime.com/searchevent.php?id=3410.

My wife, who is German, asked me recently if a German had ever won the Tour de France. After doing some research, I discovered that a German team completely dominated the 1940 TDF event. The picture on the right tells the story ...

Ever wanted to browse a foreign bike catalog to see what the folks in Europe ride and wear? If so, check out this link: http://www.rose.de/. Rose is a German company that has a catalog the size of a phone book.

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 12: Hot Dog Run, http://www.roadlizards.org/

September 12: Comanche Warrior Triathlon, Big Spring, http://www.comanchewarriortriathlon.com/

September 19: Home Run for Humanity 5K, http://www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/Habitat.2009.pdf

September 19-20: Fort Davis Cyclefest, http://www.pbbatx.com/Documents/2009%20Tour%20Flyer.pdf

October 3: Shannon Pink Ribbon Run, 10K/5K, http://www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/Shannon.pdf

October 10-11: Texas Road Cycling Championships, Copperas Cove, http://www.txbra.org/db/events/2009FortHoodClassicV4.pdf

October 18: West Texas Series mountain bike race, Concho Bike (San Angelo), http://www.wtcycling.com/wforum/viewtopic.php?t=2887

November 1: West Texas Series mountain bike race, Abilene, http://www.wtcycling.com/wforum/viewtopic.php?t=2887

Dec. 10-13: Cyclocross National Championships, Bend, OR, http://www.visitbend.com/Bend_Oregon_Activities_Recreation/National-Championships/Cyclo-cross/default.aspx

2009-08-07T14:12:00.008-05:00

Great week! My youngest daughter Cathy Jo (CJ) and grandson John have been visiting from Colorado. This has been a fun week, even though I "bottomed out" on blood counts because of the latest chemo treatment. We’ve hiked, biked, paddled kayaks, hung out at Baker Street, and eaten more fat foods than usual. The high point of the week was an off road excursion on bikes with the daughter and grandson – not a hammer session, just a casual "hike on a bike" through some desert country after a nice rain. Mud is good!

I’m trying hard to maintain a positive attitude and keep up a regular workout schedule, but it’s hard to accept that (temporarily) I’ve got to settle for workouts appropriate for someone 60 years old. Here are my training log notes for the past seven days - please don't tell my oncologist. He doesn’t want me to "train" and thinks I'm content to just walk the dammed dogs after work!

Saturday: Am walk/jog on dirt road from Hell, 10 min fast walk, then 5X 2 min run w/ 3 min fast walk recovery. PM warm up on treadmill and 30 min gym session.
Sunday: Easy pace ride from house through Spring Creek Park and back. 13 miles, 56 minutes, HR remained under 120 BPM

Monday: PM easy bike cruise with daughter and grandson, 50 minutes.
Tuesday: No workout – legs tired, rest day. Side effects of chemo ruled the day ...
Wednesday: Same as Saturday, 10 min fast walk, then 5X 2 min run w/ 3 min fast walk recovery. Running seems a little easier than I expected (maybe because I’m 20 lbs lighter?).
Thursday: 60 min mountain bike ride with grandson (lots of looking at bugs, etc.)
Friday: AM 60 min road ride to Mid Concho with daughter – nice pace, legs felt a little stronger than earlier in the week.

The daughter that was visiting from Colorado has come full circle as relates to cycling and workouts. She was an up and coming mountain biker as a junior, qualifying for the USA’s junior world championship team for the 1994 worlds in Vail. She raced for Fort Lewis College (Durango), but unfortunately suffered a serious hip injury as the result of a training ride crash and had to give up cycling. Fast forward to today, and she’s a 32 year old single mom who’s decided to lose weight and get back into recreational cycling. To help further her cause, I built her up a Redline cyclocross bike that’s perfect for cruising bike paths, dirt roads, and smooth single track. Given her natural ability, she’ll be an animal on the bike again within a year or so.

I just finished my newspaper column that will appear on Saturday, Aug 9th. The theme for this column is "Technology Assisted Fitness", otherwise known the Tools Used by Techno Geek Athletes. Log onto http://www.sastandardtimes.com/ and look for the column in the Sports section.

UPCOMING EVENTS

August 13: Road bike TT series, www sanangelobicycleassociation.com
August 15: Southland Shuffle, roadlizards.orgAugust 29: Tiparrary Creek King of the Rockies mountain bike race, Winter Park, CO, http://www.epicsingletrack.com/default.asp?page=racedes/race8des.html
Dec. 10-13: Cyclocross National Championships, Bend, OR, http://www.visitbend.com/Bend_Oregon_Activities_Recreation/National-Championships/Cyclo-cross/default.aspx

2009-07-26T13:40:00.010-05:00

What Lance Armstrong just accomplished in the 2009 Tour de France ranks up there with his unbelievable comeback after cancer. My gut level feeling is that, had he been the sole team leader unencumbered by the need to support Contador, he would have won the Tour. But, his third place finish isn’t what pisses me off me …

The thing that really puts a burr in my cycling shorts is all the hype about Lance being “old”. GET REAL, FOLKS! How the hell can anyone refer to thirty-seven years of age as being old? The median age of US residents is 37, with the average life expectancy being 78 years. He's just a mature teenager ...

Although the research does suggest that VO2 Max (maximal aerobic capacity) decreases about 1% per year after age 25, this is based on the entire population (not just athletes). Research also shows that, for well trained athletes, the decrease can be as small as 3-4% over a 25 years period. Bottom line …. Lance is certainly not old from a physiological perspective (and … neither am I at age 60!).

Enough about Le Tour and old folks. I’ve gotten quite a bit of feedback from people regarding my most recent newspaper column (“Building Fitness Back Up”, July 25). Interestingly enough, the people who contacted me regarding that column ranged from young (mid 20’s) to a senior citizen (age 77). The common thread ….hmmm, maybe anyone could start a fitness program if they just planned a little and started at an appropriate level.

One of the promises that I made in the 7/25 newspaper column was that I would post some of my “Starting Over” workouts and a few excerpts from my training log. Here are my journal entries from Saturday, 7/25 and Sunday 7/26, and my workout plan for the coming week is also listed below. Completing this week’s workouts may be a little dicey, since this coming week is a chemo treatment period (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday).

Training log entry, 7/25: “Completed a 40 minute walk/jog workout on the Dirt Road From Hell at Middle Concho Park. Started with a fast paced 10 minutes walk, and then did eight repeats of jog one minute @ 9 min/mile and walk three minutes. My heart rate while walking fast was 95-100 BPM, and then rose to 150 by the end of each jog interval.”

Training log entry, 7/26: “Completed a 50 minute, 6.2 mile mountain bike spin on dirt roads with my wife. Pace was very easy, average hr =96 and max 123. I could have ridden much further and faster today”.

Workout schedule for week of July 26:

Sunday – easy paced bike ride 45-60 minutes
Monday – 15 minute cardio warm up, then 30 minute full body strength session (light weights, 2 sets w/ 15 repeats per exercise.
Tuesday – 35 minute walk/jog, 10 min fast walk warm-up, then 6x 1 min jog with 3 min fast walk recovery.
Wednesday – easy 30 minute spin on stationary bike w/ 4x 1 minute high RPM spin-ups + easy gym workout (note: I’ll be hooked up to a portable chemo pump)
Thursday – 30 minute fast walk on treadmill (note: I’ll be hooked up to a portable chemo pump)
Friday - easy 30 minute spin on stationary bike w/ 4x 1 minute high RPM spin-ups + easy gym workout. This is the final chemo day of the week, so I may opt for a nap instead.
Saturday - 40 minute walk/jog workout, warm up with a fast paced 10 minutes walk, then eight repeats of jog one minute @ 9 min/mile and walk three minutes, cool down.

UPCOMING EVENTS
August 6: Mountain bike TT series, www sanangelobicycleassociation.com
August 9: Wool Capitol Triathlon, http://www.ironheadrp.com/
August 8-9: Texas State Time Trial Championships, Castroville (near San Antonio), http://www.txbra.org/
August 13: Road bike TT series, www sanangelobicycleassociation.com
August 15: Southland Shuffle, roadlizards.org
August 29: Tiparrary Creek King of the Rockies mountain bike race, Winter Park, CO, http://www.epicsingletrack.com/default.asp?page=racedes/race8des.html
Dec. 10-13: Cyclocross National Championships, Bend, OR, http://www.visitbend.com/Bend_Oregon_Activities_Recreation/National-Championships/Cyclo-cross/default.aspx

2009-07-14T12:03:00.017-05:00

I was finally able to do a “workout” yesterday – 45 minutes split between fast walking on the treadmill and pedaling my wind trainer, with 4x 200 yard jogs thrown in for kicks. The tube coming out of the left side Camelback is connected to a chemo pump in the pack, so I was able to get a "workout" in and take drugs at the same time. Sort of like a pro cyclist, eh?

Not exactly what I was doing a month ago, but still the first time since surgery on June 18th that I’m pain free enough to do more than just walk easy. The good news is that I’m a little leaner than before (20 pounds lighter – now 165), but the down side is that most of the weight loss was muscle. Hopefully I can start bulking up a little over the next few months.

My “fitness stimulus” plan is pretty simple … just imagine that I’m an absolute beginner and start from that level. My baseline at this point is being able to walk 2 miles at a 17 min/mile pace and ride the wind trainer for 20 minutes in a 39/28 gear, light resistance. The goal is to build up to easy jogs of 3-4 miles and bike workouts of 15-20 miles by Thanksgiving. I start six months of chemotherapy on July 15, so we’ll see how that affects my ability to do workouts.

Speaking of fitness and workouts, the 2nd Annual Lake Nasworthy Triathlon took place last weekend. The turnout was great (~ 140, up around 20% from 2008), and the event went off without any significant problems. The race committee did a fantastic job of planning and putting on the event, so pleaae tell those folks "Thank You"

Although the competition among experienced triathletes was intense, the most rewarding part of the day was seeing the 1st timers successfully complete the event. A number of beginners who took part in the weekly Triathlon Training Group finished the race and are now excited about their next event. Pictures of the race are posted at http://s486.photobucket.com/albums/rr228/bcullins/Lake%20Nasworthy%20Triathlon%202009/, and full race results will be posted on the Road Lizards web site later this week. One note (see picture at right) ... the race director may need to clarify "no drafting" for next year's event.

The next multisport event coming up here in San Angelo is the Wool Capitol Triathlon on Aug 9th. This event will be the 2009 USAT regionl championships (multi-state), and will qualify racers for the the 2009 age group national championships on August 22. The Wool Capition is an Olympic Distance event (1,500 swim, 40K bike, 10K run), and full details are posted at http://www.ironheadrp.com/woolcapital/index.html.

UPCOMING EVENTS

July 12: Suddenlink Lake Nasworthy Triathlon, roadlizards.org
August 6: Mountain bike TT series, www sanangelobicycleassociation.com
August 8-9: Texas State Time Trial Championships, Castroville (near San Antonio), www.txbra.org/events/event.asp?EventID=1788
August 13: Road bike TT series, www sanangelobicycleassociation.com
August 9: Wool Capitol Triathlon, http://www.ironheadrp.com/

2009-06-27T19:10:00.005-05:00

OK. It’s time to start moving forward again. The cancer surgery is over, I’ve spent a week agonizing through the “why me” discussion with myself, and time is measured by the duration between pain pills. I’ve lost 12 pounds (currently 172), and food both smells and tastes terrible. In short, I’m in a great position to start training again for cycling and running events … I’ll just be starting at a lower level that I’m used to.

So here’s the damage. The surgery went well, and my colon is now significantly shorter. The surgeon also removed my appendix and several lymph nodes during the operation. After getting the pathology report, my cancer was classified as a stage III since one of the lymph nodes was affected. That means that I’ll have to undergo a 6-12 month period of chemotherapy, but the overall prognosis is still very good for 100% recovery and cure.

It’s ironic … I had just started a new training program back on June 7 that would have prepared me for the 2009-2010 cyclocross season, with a major peak in mid December for CX Nationals. The first 16 weeks of the program were planned as “tempo endurance” and strength, with each week’s workouts including around 6 hours on the bike, 1 hour running, and 1-2 hours of strength work. It looks like I’ll have to re-tool that plan a bit for this year, since my current daily workout is a 25-30 minute walk on the treadmill at 20 min/mile. (Note: If anyone is interested in a solid CX training plan for this fall’s season, shoot me an email and I’ll send one to you).

On a different note, there are only two more weeks before the 2009 edition of the Lake Nasworthy Triathlon. I know that several people have been following the Beginner Tri plans that were handed out during the Monday training group sessions. Good luck to everyone, and hopefully I’ll be able to come out and watch the fun on July 12.

Thanks again to everyone who’s called, sent e-mails, and dropped by for a visit. San Angelo folks do have their hearts in the right place.

UPCOMING EVENTS
July 11: ECVFD 5-mile run, http://www.roadlizards.org
July 12: Suddenlink Lake Nasworthy triathlon, http://www.roadlizards.org/
August 8-9: Texas State Time Trial Championships, Castroville (near San Antonio), http://www.txbra.org/events/event.asp?EventID=1788
August 9: Wool Capitol Traithlon, http://www.ironheadrp.com/
August 29: Tiparrary Creek King of the Rockies mountain bike race, Winter Park, CO, http://www.epicsingletrack.com/default.asp?page=racedes/race8des.html
Dec. 10-13: Cyclocross National Championships, Bend, OR, http://www.visitbend.com/Bend_Oregon_Activities_Recreation/National-Championships/Cyclo-cross/default.aspx

2009-06-17T15:10:00.009-05:00

My bike and run workouts have been temporarily put on hold. I went to the doctor one week ago today for a routine test, and today I'm in the final day of prep for surgery to remove colon cancer. Last week I was starting a 25 week build-up to cyclocross season, and now the question is "when will I be able to bike or run again?". Life throws some interesting challenges at us.

So, here's what the doc says. Surgery tomorrow at 10:30, 5-6 days in the hospital until I'm back on a regular diet, and then 3-4 weeks until I can do much more than act my age and walk slowly. Assuming that no chemotherapy is required, things should be back to normal in 4-6 months. The good news is that if I have to "do drugs" for a while, I don't have much hair to lose.

The worst part of the preparation for surgery has been not eating. The last solid food that I was allowed to have was dinner Monday evening. Since then, I've been restricted to Gatorade, water, Jello, and beef broth morning, noon, and night. Of course, given the nature of this surgery, I've been lucky enough to have all the colon cleansing solution that I want for desert (try four liters of PEG-3350 and 2-10 oz bottles of magnesium critrate). Yum!

All of this is part of a larger issue, that being even though we're all in great cardiovascular shape and we get our annual physicals, bad things can still happen related to health. The good news is that we athletes typically recover quicker because of great physical shape we're in.

I also want to send out a big "Thank You" to everyone who has called, e-mailed, or stopped by to wish me well and ask if they could help in any way. Here's what would help ... I should be back in shape normal food by July, so just send chips, salsa, and Shiner Bock instead of flowers and get-well cards!

UPCOMING EVENTS

June 21: Tour de Burma, sanangelobicycleassociation.com

July 12: Suddenlink Lake Nasworthy triathlon, http://www.roadlizards.org/

August 8-9: Texas State Time TRial Championships, Castroville (near San Antonio), http://www.txbra.org/events/event.asp?EventID=1788

August 9: Wool Capitol Traithlon, http://www.ironheadrp.com/

August 29: Tiperrary Creek King of the Rockies mountain bike race, Winter Park, CO, http://www.epicsingletrack.com/default.asp?page=racedes/race8des.html

Dec. 10-13: Cyclocross National Championships, Bend, OR, http://www.visitbend.com/Bend_Oregon_Activities_Recreation/National-Championships/Cyclo-cross/default.aspx

2009-05-31T19:59:00.010-05:00

It’s Not About the Bike
Lance Armstrong once said “It’s not about the bike”, and he was right. A lot of cyclists spend way too much time obsessing over their bicycling equipment instead of just enjoying cycling. This problem is common in newer cyclists who, lacking real experience related to equipment, simply believe all of what they see in bike magazines and Internet advertisements. The marketing hype related to high end bike and equipment has created an illusion that if you’re not riding a high end race bike (all carbon, of course), then there’s no way that you can be competitive or even enjoy cycling. Marketing folks are paid well to make sure this happens.

Those of us who have spent a few years on bikes understand the fallacy of this marketing hype. For 99% of all cyclists, having a bike that fits properly, knowing how to ride it correctly, and then doing the required training are what’s really important. Putting an average cyclist on a $5,000 carbon Tour de France race bike or high end TT machine is simply a manifestation of our society’s need to “buy skill”. The really funny aspect of this is that I just finished building up a new all carbon time trial bike a couple of months ago. It’s sleek, light weight, and – if ridden by a strong cyclist – would probably be fast. However, I’m finding that for 95% of my bike workouts I prefer my cyclocross bike. It has a generic aluminum frame, double wrapped bars for more shock absorption, non-aero wheels, and (gasp!) is set up with a small 48 tooth big ring and a 12-32 mountain bike cassette on the rear. With that gearing, I can’t go much faster than 32-33 mile per hour on level roads. Must be the bike’s fault that I’m so slow, eh?

Triathlon training group update
The Monday evening triathlon training group is going well. Nick Mathers, a local triathlete and swim coach, facilitated the session last Monday and provided some entry level swim instruction and tips to participants. The 3rd session (June 1st, 6:30 pm), will focus on bike fit and bike workouts. These Monday evening sessions are free and open to the public. E-mail bcullins@verizon.net with questions.

Structured training plans
I hear a lot of cyclists and runners asking “how do I get faster”? The answer to that question for most people is to follow a structured training plan. Here are the most common mistakes that I see: (1) doing the same workouts at the same speed day after day and week after week, (2) not going hard enough on hard days and not easy enough on the base endurance days, (3) not cross training (i.e., no strength and flexibility training), and (4) not taking recovery days and recovery weeks. For an overview of Periodization, visit http://cyclingupdate.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=433.

San Angelo newspaper’s emphasis on fitness
It’s probably the result of having cheap contract columnists, but hats off to the San Angelo Standard Times for printing a lot of fitness related articles. During the past week, the newspaper published two columns related to running, one on general fitness, and one cycling column. Good job, Standard Times!

Bike for Sale
If anyone is looking for a good used road bike, Dean Mackenzie has one for sale. Visit this link for details: http://forum.cvmconline.com/index.php?topic=65.msg267#new

Upcoming events
June 4: Mountain Bike time trial, sanangelobicycleassociation.com
June 11: Road Bike time trial, sanangelobicycleassociation.com
June 13: Bulldog Run 10K, roadlizards.org
June 21: Tour de Burma, sanangelobicycleassociation.com
July 12: Suddenlink Lake Nasworthy Triathlon, roadlizards.org

August 8-9: Texas State Time TRial Championships, Castroville (near San Antonio), http://www.txbra.org/events/event.asp?EventID=1788

August 9: Wool Capitol Traithlon, http://www.ironheadrp.com/

August 29: Tiperrary Creek King of the Rockies mountain bike race, Winter Park, CO, http://www.epicsingletrack.com/default.asp?page=racedes/race8des.html

Dec. 10-13: Cyclocross National Championships, Bend, OR, http://www.visitbend.com/Bend_Oregon_Activities_Recreation/National-Championships/Cyclo-cross/default.aspx

2009-05-22T15:02:00.009-05:00

Warm weather has arrived, so people are planning workouts during the cooler times of the day when possible. Staying well hydrated is also an important concern, so we may have to emulate the more progressive communities and "drink while we pedal".

The 2009 Triathlon Challenge training group met for the first time last Monday. This group will meet each Monday evening at 6:30 pm, Lake Nasworthy swim beach, to learn different aspects of multisport and to plan group workouts for the coming week. These sessions are free and open to the public.

The group session on Monday 5/25 will focus on swimming, with a “real swim coach” facilitating. Nick Mathers has graciously agreed to give you some pointers and answer questions. We’ll meet at the same place (grassy area adjacent to the rest room) at 6:30. Wear your bathing suit and be prepared to get wet.

Michael Perez, a personal trainer and co-owner of Vita Sport Studio, has offered to lead a training group of entry level triathletes if anyone wants to meet up for workouts on a daily or every other day basis. If you are interested, contact him at 232-2506 or by e-mail at michaelaperez6@yahoo.com.

Speaking of triathlons, local hero and Goodfellow triathlete Kathy Rakel took top Female honors in last week's Buffman Triathlon in Lubbock. This was an Olympic distance event (1,500 swim, 40K bike, 10K run), and Kathy turned in an impressive 2 hr 18 min time to lead the ladies home and finish 6th overall in the race. She'll be racing the Capitol of Texas triathlon in Austin this weekend, so send some fast thoughts her way.

The cycling and running season is in full swing, with various groups training for the Tour de Burma, the monthly time trials, upcoming running events, and the two local triathlons. Scroll down to the Upcoming Events listing FMI, and visit the cycling club and running club web sites for additional events.

If anyone is looking for a good used road bike, Dean Mackenzie has one for sale. Visit this link for details: http://forum.cvmconline.com/index.php?topic=65.msg267#new

Upcoming Events

May 24-25: Tour de Forts

June 4: Mountain Bike time trial, sanangelobicycleassociation.com

June 11: Road Bike time trial, sanangelobicycleassociation.com

June 13: Bulldog Run 10K, roadlizards.org

June 21: Tour de Burma, sanangelobicycleassociation.com

July 12: Suddenlink Lake Nasworthy Triathlon, roadlizards.org
August 9: Wool Capitol Traithlon, http://www.ironheadrp.com/

2009-05-16T19:39:00.010-05:00

Over 150 runners and walkers turned out for the 37th annual Run in the Sun. The event, sponsored by Vita Sport Stud io and directed by the San Angelo Road Lizards, was an eight kilometer (4.97 mile) race that served as the 2009 Road Runners Club of America Texas 8K State Championships. Results are posted at ttp://www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/Race%20Results/RIS.2009.results.pdf and pictures are at photobucket.com.

San Angelo native Anton Gutierrez took Overall Male Honors with a blazing fast time of 28:17 to earn the title of Texas 8K State Champion for 2009. Former San Angelo resident Erin Quinn topped the ladies field in a time of 35:49 to earn the Overall Female and State Champion title. Gordon Oglesby (US Army) was the top military male runner with Air Force’s Jeanette Roldan taking the fastest military female title.

State champion titles were also awarded in the Masters (40 and over) and Grandmasters (60+) categories. Anthony Wilson won the men’s Masters race in a time of 34:49, with Rita Grafton clocking 37:12 to earn top honors among the Masters females. The Grandmasters titles were awarded to Kent Fish (33:56) and Kay Schmidt (38:05).

I've gotten a number of e-mails from entry level folks who want to train for the July 12 Lake Nasworthy Tiathlon. Most of their questions revolved around "what type of workouts should I do?". That's a hard question to answer since the individual ability levels will vary a lot, but here's a rough guide that should work for beginners.

Sunday: Easy pace run, 30-40 minutes. Optional spin on bike later in the day
Monday: Rest (no workout) or easy swim 30 minutes
Tuesday: Bike workout with 4x 1 minute fast pace intervals.
Wednesday: Brick workout (30 minute bike followed by 15-20 min easy run)
Thursday: Swim 30 minutes
Friday: Rest (no workout) or very easy bike spin
Saturday: Long ride 45 minutes to one hour, moderate pace.

Last but not least, there's a saying "A picture is worth a thousand words". Need I say more?

UPCOMING EVENTS

May 24-25, Tour de Forts
June 4, Mountain Bike time trial, sanangelobicycleassociation.com
June 11, Road Bike time trial, sanangelobicycleassociation.com
June 13, Bulldog Run 10K, roadlizards.org
June 21, Tour de Burma, sanangelobicycleassociation.com
July 12: Suddenlink Lake Nasworthy Triathlon, roadlizards.org

2009-05-08T14:02:00.021-05:00

Summer is here. It's not official yet, but when I start needing windshield wipers to clear the sweat off of my sunglasses I know the season has changed. San Angelo reached a temperature of 102 yesterday and today's forecast is for 105.

The past two weeks have seen several great kid’s events take place, with one of them being the Kids Duathlon during the Spillway race. The picture at the left tells it all – have fun and race hard – and this is something we need to see more of in cycling, running, and multisport. Let’s set a goal of having more kid’s events during the year, and trying (where appropriate) to include a kid’s category in the events that we plan.

Speaking of goals, do you need a fitness goal to help motivate you? Have you ever wondered if you could complete a triathlon? If the answer to those questions is “Yes”, then the 2009 Lake Nasworthy Triathlon is the event that you have been looking for. It will take place on July 12, and will consist of a 300 yard swim, 10 mile bike ride, and a 2 mile run/walk. A weekly group training session for beginner triathletes will begin on Monday, May 18. This group will meet at the Lake Nasworthy swim beach (Mary E Lee Park at 6:30. Click this link for details if you want to take The Triathlon Challenge. Better still, forward the link to a few friends and get them all involved in training for the July 12 event.

Faculty, staff, and students at Angelo State University just completed a 14 week Walking Challenge. The 30 teams and 350 participants who participated in the challenge covered a total of approximately 141,000 equivalent miles, burned around11,000,000 calories, and - most importantly – made significant strides (no pun intended) toward improving their fitness and health.

Run in the Sun will take place on Saturday, May 16, on Concho Avenue in downtown San Angelo. It will be both the 8K State Championship running event and a fun run/walk for anyone with two distances to choose from (8K and 1-mile). The course follows a scenic route along the Concho River, so it’s a great opportunity to bring the family and friends out for some healthy exercise before graduation. Visit h ttp://www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/RIS.2009.flyer.pdf for event details, and let’s make sure that the University community is well represented at the event.

The first Get Healthy Weight Loss Challenge of the year is currently under way. This free event is part of the new Get Healthy San Angelo initiative that’s supported by Mayor JW Lown and City Council. Details are posted at http://www.gethealthysanangelo.com/challenge.php.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE: http://forum.cvmconline.com/index.php?topic=65.0

UPCOMING EVENTS

May 9, Aids Foundation 5K

May 14, Road Bike Time Trial

May 16, Run in the Sun

May 24-25, Tour de Forts

June 4, Mountain Bike time trial, sanangelobicycleassociation.com

June 11, Road Bike time trial, sanangelobicycleassociation.com

June 13, Bulldog Run 10K, roadlizards.org

June 21, Tour de Burma, sanangelobicycleassociation.com

July 12: Suddenlink Lake Nasworthy Triathlon, roadlizards.org

2009-05-03T18:36:00.027-05:00

It’s all about the lifestyle. Some people would ague that we ride and run for the thrill of competition, seeking those perfect moments when we get called up on the podium to receive an award. I disagree … what we do isn’t just about racing. Instead, we’ve found that workouts and the camaraderie with others who share our athletic interests constitute a major part of “who we are”. We live for the simple satisfaction of a trail run, the thrill of a fast road ride, and the sheer excitement of bouncing through a technical section during an off road cycling adventure. Running shoes outnumber dress clothes in our closets, and the garage is a big storage cubicle for bikes and related equipment. We're active ... we're healthy ... we're athletes.

The 2009 Spillway Duathlon took place on May 2nd. This event personifies all that is good related to friendly and fun local events. Unlike larger events where everyone is a stranger and the porta potty lines stretch out forever, Spillway is the type of race where you recognize most people’s car as they arrive. People bring their kids, dogs, and after the event someone cranks up a grill and throws on hot dogs and bratwurst. Today’s event winners were Kathy Rakel (Overall female) and Brian Tillman (Overall Male), with the geriatric duo of Mike Buck and Bill Cullins demonstrating their 109 combined years of experience by winning the Team category.

Have you ever wondered “What If There Were No Cars? Given the current obesity crisis in the United States, that might not be such a bad thing. Click this link to read more: http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/may/02/bill-cullins-what-if-there-were-no-cars/

The next big event in San Angelo will be Run in the Sun, scheduled for May 16. This event is a “don’t miss” – it’s the 2009 Texas 8K State Championship and will start/finish downtown on historic Block One of Concho Ave. An event flyer is posted at www.roadlizards.org, and you can pre-register on-line at active.com.

Faculty, staff, and students at Angelo State University just completed a 108 day Walking Challenge. This event, organized by ASUFit, had 31 teams with over 350 members. Participants in the Walking Challenge racked up some amazing statistics, covering approximately 150,000 miles and burning estimated 11 million calories. That number of calories would equate to about 3,230 pounds, or the equivalent of losing an average 9 pounds per participant.

Speaking of challenges, the 2009 Lake Nasworthy Triathlon will take place on July 12. The event will be a 300 yard swim, 10 mile bike, and 2 mile run. This is the perfect event for both beginners and experienced racers who simply want a good workout. Beginning next week, each blog update will include a weekly training plan to help you prepare for the July 12 triathlon. If you can currently swim 100 yards, ride a bike for 5 miles, and walk/jog one mile, the training plan will help you get ready to complete the triathlon.

If you're looking for a long group ride over memorial Day weekend, the upcoming Tour de Fort might just be the event. This tour, scheduled for May 23-24, will include rides of 20, 40 or 100 miles on the Western edge of the Hill Country in Kimble and Menard Counties. The routes will begin in Junction and circle through Menard, Fort McKavett, and back to Junction. Visit http://www.cthrr.org/biketour.htm for full details.

Upcoming Events:

May 7, CATCH A Fit Life

May 7, Mountain Bike Time Trial

May 9, Aids Foundation 5K

May 14, Road Bike Time Trial

May 16, Run in the Sun

May 24-25, Tour de Forts

2009-04-22T14:34:00.019-05:00

There’s a saying that goes something like “the more I’m around people the more I like my dogs”. That pretty well describes how I feel about the (lack of) collaboration on the part of San Angelo’s cycling community over the past couple of years. Unlike the local runners (who are laid back, cooperative, and friendly) the cyclists seem to always be bickering over something. Wake up, folks … we do this for fun! Just ride the dammed bike.

On a more positive note, Desiree Ficker came to town last week and gave a really good presentation to an enthusiastic crown at Angelo State University. She talks about issues such as nutrition, being active, and how all of the pieces fit tighter into a healthy lifestyle. Desiree is a down to earth class act, and she made a big impression on the people who attended.

Three San Angelo residents ran the Boston Marathon this past Monday. Rita Grafton finished in an outstanding time of 3:38, Mike Buck powered through the 26.2 miles in 3:19, and 62 year old Bill Rogers did the race in 4:37. Great job, folks - you represented San Angelo well!

Goodfellow triathlete Kathy Rakel raced the Twenty-12 Talent ID triathlon this pask weekend in Lubbock, finishing 2nd overall in a time of 1:10. Kathy came out of the water in 4th place, but bridged up and posted the fastest bike split of the ladies race. This event was a draft legal Olympic style race, and part of a USA triathlon initiative to identify and develop triathletes leading up to the 2012 Olympics. I think we'll hear more about this outstanding young athlete in the years ahead.

Cyclists and runners from all over Texas and several surrounding states gathered in San Angelo this past weekend to race the 16th annual Striders Duathlon. Full results are posted here, pictures are up on Photobucket, and the the race report is on the Standard Times web site at this link. The Picture of the Day was of Shane Plymel finishing the long course event -maybe a caption like "Daddy, Daddy, we thought you got lost!"

The local time trial season is in full swing, with three events completed. On the road, both the Burma TT and the first of the road TT series are in the books. These two races took place in very strong winds. On the dirt side, the first race of the mountain bike TT series had a good turnout, with masters racer Tony S. blazing the course in a time of 24:50. Contrary to some rumors that are floating around, the TT series is taking place this year with the local YMCA providing race management and timing services. The next two races are May 7 (Mountain TT #2) and may 14 (road TT #2).

We have agood success story to pass along related to the ASUFit program. A student called last week to tell me that the Walking Challenge and brown Bag presentations have motivated her to the point that she's lost 20 pounds and now want s to train for a marathon and a triathlon. Looks like we have another athlete in our ranks ...

Upcoming events:

* UREC 5K, Angelo State University, April 25

*Colorado River Bike Tour in Ballinger, April 25

*Ballinger 5K, April 25

*Spillway off road duathlon, May 2

Mountain bike TT #2, May 7

*Aids Foundation 5K, May 9

Road bike TT #2, May 14

*Run in the Sun (State Championship 8K), May 16

Equipment for Sale: http://forum.cvmconline.com/index.php?topic=65.msg218#new

2009-04-12T21:07:00.023-05:00

I don't understand why more people don't do their own bike work. For me, part of the fun is building up my bikes and doing my own maintenance. The picture on the left is my latest bike project - a carbon fiber Kuota K-Factor time trial frame that I built up as a combination road/TT bike. Thus far, the parts are what I moved over from my Specialized Allez road bike, but I'll upgrade them as time goes on. The bike probably won't make me any faster, but .... it's been a fun project.

For those of you who are dedicated runners, I hope you never get injured. I tweaked a knee back in mid January and have done very little running since then. It's amazing how bad it feels when 50% of your weekly workouts are taken away. I love cycling, but ... it's hard to replace the after work or noon run with a bike ride in windy conditions. The good news is that I'm getting more saddle time in, so my TT times should be better this year. We'll see ....

The local road TT series kicks off on Thursday, April 16 (revised date). Word is that the start may be moved to get away from the traffic at the Loop 306 intersection. The weather is looking good, so come out and see how fast (or slow?) you are. Time trials are the ultimate test of how much pain you can tolerate, or - to quote Fast Lady Christina Templin - "the pain of hard cycling is very cathartic” (hmmm, hope she was using cathartic as an adjective!).

Speaking of fast ladies, my cycling column that will appear in the April 18 Standard Times discusses the local female hammerheads. Check it out in the Saturday sports section at http://www.sastandardtimes.com/. Here's a little teaser from the column: "San Angelo has a long tradition related to Fast Ladies, but … I’m not talking about the girls from Miss Hattie’s. The ladies I’m referring to can hammer on a bike, tough out bad riding conditions, and get extra style points for looking good while doing so."

Striders Duathlon is coming up this weekend (April 19). This is a good event; in fact, it's the oldest duathlon in Texas. Jack the Promoter can be a bit abrasive at times, but he's a professional and puts on a dammed good event. If you're racing, make sure that you have gotten the mandatory bike and helmet inspection done (go to Randy's Bike and Run shop).

Registration is now open for the 2009 Run in the Sun event, scheduled for May 16. This will be the 2009 Texas 8K State Championship race. We're expecting 200-300 runners, so be smart, pre-register, and avoid the long lines on race day. Full information is posted at http://www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/RIS.2009.flyer.pdf, or you can sign up on-line at http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1712378&assetId=BCA2AFEF-164B-4EE7-807B-797654F3F757.

Given the windy conditions that we've had for the last few weeks, here are the words of wisdom for this week: "Vir prudens non contra ventum mingit ".

UPCOMING EVENTS

*MTB TT series, begins April 2*

*Road TT series, begins April 16 (rescheduled date for 1st race)

*ASU PT Run, April 18

*Striders Duathlon, April 19

* UREC 5K, Angelo State University, April 25

*Colorado River Bike Tour in Ballinger, April 25

*Ballinger 5K, April 25

*Spillway off road duathlon, May 2

*Aids Foundation 5K, May 9

*Run in the Sun (State Championship 8K), May 16Bikes for sale: http://forum.cvmconline.com/index.php?topic=65.msg218#new

2009-04-08T07:48:00.030-05:00

I did some mounntain biking this past week with an eight year old. It's amazing what he was able to "teach" me during a single one-hour ride. Here are a few high points from the class:

All gears must me used. Shifting every 20-30 seconds is the best strategy.
Constant chatter is good ... apparently, a cyclist goes much faster when talking non-stop.
Hydration is important. The best way to do this is to stop every couple of minutes for a drink (Note: This is the only time you're not required to talk).
Loose dirt sections of trail are good - this is where you go fast, lock up the brakes, and slide.
Snakes, mountain lions, and other assorted wild animals exist behind every bush. Apparently kids have much better eyesight than I do, since he saw animals everywhere that I missed.

The Desiree Ficker presentation is scheduled for next week (April 17, 12:00, in ASU's CJ Davidson center. This is a Brown Bag luncheon presentation, so you may want to grab a bite of lunch in the Food Court which is just down the hall from the Davidson Center. I suggest arriving a little early so that you can find a parking place and get a good seat.

Speaking of Fast Ladies, San Angelo has a long tradition related to Fast Ladies, but … I’m not talking about the girls from Miss Hatties. The ones I’m talking about are ladies who can hammer on a bike, tough out bad riding conditions, and get extra style points for looking good while doing so. Come join in on the next group ride or time trial and see if you can keep up with local fast ladies such as Kathy, Christina, September, Christy, or Tamra. Hint ... if you're male, then either be prepared to ride really hard or leave your ego at home!

The first of two Burma Road time trials was held last Sunday. Great conditions ... a nice breeze to keep the temp pleasent and a tailwind coming back to the finish. The turnout wasn't big, but the fun factor was off the scale. Results are posted on the San Angelo Bicycle web site (results).

The first road TT of the year has been re-scheduled for next Thursday due to the high winds today. The new date is April 16, first rider off at 6:30 pm. Visit the cycling club web site for details.

The Striders and Spillway duathlon events are both coming up soon. Striders will take place on April 19, with the Spillway Hill off road event scheduled for May 2. Spillway will include a kid's duathlon after the main event. If you plan to race Spillway, please pre-register soon.

The new Get Healthy San Angelo initiativehas kicked off with the launch of the web site at http://www.gethealthysanangelo.com/. The first major activity for this initiative will be a Get Heathly weight loss challenge.

Registration is now open for the 2009 Run in the Sun event, scheduled for May 16. This will be the 2009 Texas 8K State Championship race. We're expecting 200-300 runners, so be smart, pre-register, and avoid the long lines on race day. Full information is posted at http://www.roadlizards.org/Upcoming%20Races/RIS.2009.flyer.pdf, or you can sign up on-line at http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1712378&assetId=BCA2AFEF-164B-4EE7-807B-797654F3F757.

UPCOMING EVENTS
*MTB TT series, begins, April 2
*Road TT series, begins, April 9
*HOT ride in Brady, April 11
*ASU PT Run, April 18
*Striders Duathlon, April 19
*Colorado River Bike Tour in Ballinger, April 25
*Ballinger 5K, April 25
*Spillway off road duathlon, May 2
*Aids Foundation 5K, May 9
*Run in the Sun (State Championship 8K), May 16

Bikes for sale: http://forum.cvmconline.com/index.php?topic=65.msg218#new

2009-03-31T15:17:00.020-05:00

My son returned home this past weekend from his second tour of duty in Iraq. Every time I start complaining about windy, dusty, and hot conditions here in San Angelo, I think about his descriptions of the conditions over there. The picture on the left tells it all.

Speaking of weather, there are only 184 more days until cyclocross season starts! To pass the time between now and then, there’s a lot going on within the regional bike-run-multisport scene. Over the next three months, endorphin junkies can choose from (get this) at least 18 different events. In addition, there are umpteen group rides and runs to choose from each week. Take a look at the events listing at the end of this post to see the events, and visit the Road Lizards and San Angelo Bicycle web sites for a full listing.

Goodfellow triathlete Kathy Rakel did a great presentation at last week’s ASUFit Brown Bag luncheon. If you missed her session and need some motivation, click on this link. It’s a video that Kathy used …. and we think that “just training” is hard! Kathy also went through a couple of VO2 max testing sessions recently – read about her experience in her blog.

Speaking of presentations, we’re ramping up for April 17 when triathlon and running superstar Desiree Ficker will be speaking at ASU. It sounds like there will be a big crowd coming to hear her speak, so make plans to leave work early and get a good seat. She will speak at 12:00 in ASU’s CJ Davidson Center (in the west end of the university center building).

I was asked a question this week related to the history of the cycling club. It was originally formed as the San Angelo Wheelmen in 1892 (there’s no truth to the rumor that I was one of the founding members!). If San Angelo cycling history is of interest to you, click this link for an S-T column that I wrote on the subject back in 2007.

The flyer for Spillway Hill off road duathlon has been released and pre-registration is open on Active.com. This year’s Spillway event will include the adult race at 8:00, a kid’s duathlon at 10:00, and a joint cycling club-running club social and food fest afterwards. Sounds like a good day to bring the family or troll for singles (select whichever option applies).

September Summers and the team at Shannon Wellness will be putting on a kid’s fitness celebration on Thursday, May 7^th, 4:00-7:00 pm. The event, “CATCH a FIT Life”, will take place on the ASU campus at the pavilion between Dena Drive and Vanderventer Ave. It’s open to the public, so bring your kids and join in. FMI contact SeptemberSummers@shannonhealth.org.

Upcoming Events

*MTB TT series, begins, April 2
*Burma Road TT, April 5
*Road TT series, begins, April 9
*HOT ride in Brady, April 11
*ASU PT Run, April 18
*Striders Duathlon, April 19
*Colorado River Bike Tour in Ballinger, April 25
*Ballinger 5K, April 25
*Spillway off road duathlon, May 2
*Aids Foundation 5K, May 9
*Run in the Sun (State Championship 8K), May 16

Bikes for sale: http://forum.cvmconline.com/index.php?topic=65.msg218#new

Cycling, running, and multisport links

Angelo State University Fitness and Wellness program
Cycling columns in the Standard Times newspaper
Cycling News
Cyclocross Magazine
Permian Basin Bicycling Association (PBBA)
Randy's Bike and Run shop San Angelo Bicycling Association
San Angelo Road Lizards running club
Slowtwitch multisport web site
Texas Bicycle Racing Association
Texas Mountain Bike Racing Association
Velonews

2009-03-26T15:44:00.016-05:00

There’s a lot going in right now related to cycling, running, multisport, fitness, and health. We all need to retire early so we can concentrate on these “important” things instead of work. The real question, however, is how does everything fit together?

As you look around San Angelo, you see multiple groups that are working hard to expand and improve fitness events. There are approximately 22 running events on the 2009 Road Lizards calendar, the cycling club has a ton of group rides, tours, and time trials scheduled, and there will be four multisport events in out community this year. San Angelo is hosting a State Championship running event for the 3^rd straight year, and both the university and the community have wellness initiatives underway. This is all great stuff.

The problem is that we have to engage the folks who are not currently active. This is the key … we need to all become grass roots mentors who are willing to go the extra mile and become disciples for fitness. To paraphrase what Lance Armstrong said, “It's Not About The (bike, or race, or how many miles) … it’s about the experiences and the lifestyle.

Speaking of lifestyle, I‘m getting to experience an injury affected change in the sports that I do. I’ve been a cyclist and runner for a long time, with only a few injuries on my resume. In January I injured a knee (no trauma, something just popped), and ever since I’ve been unable to do much running. You don’t know how much you miss a specific activity until it’s taken away. Even worse, I’m currently progressing through the “Mis-managed Health Care” process (athletic trainer – primary care doc – referral to specialist – X-ray – referral for an MRI – specialist again) … you get the picture. If the doc decides to drill holes in the knee, the goal will be to have all rehab completed in time to train for cyclocross season this fall.

To help pass the time while on injured reserve, I’m building up a new Kuota K-Factor carbon TT frame. The final product will (I hope) be a logical compromise between a dedicated TT bike and a road bike that has aero bars. I took it out on a maiden voyage yesterday afternoon, and pictures will be posted when the de-bugging process is complete.

In addition to all of the normal cycling club and running club events on the schedule, there are some upcoming events that you don’t want to miss. Check the club calendars for listings of all events, but here’s my “A” list:

April 2: Mountain bike TT series begins

April 5: Burma Road TT

April 9: Road bike TT series begins

April 11: HOT ride in Brady

April 17: Desiree Ficker presentation, 12-1 CJ Davidson Center, Angelo State Univeristy

April 18: ASU PT Run (individual or relay)

April 19: Striders Duathlon

April 25: Ballinger Bikefest

April 25: YMCA Kidz triathlon

May 2: Spillway Hill Duathlon

May 16: Run in the Sun (State 8K Championship)

July 12: Lake Nasworthy Sprint Triathlon (flyer coming soon!)

Bikes for sale:
2006 Specialized Transition Multisport, like new condition, 52 cm, 105 components, $500

2006 Specialized Allez Comp, 54 cm, full Ultegra parts, showroom condition with almost zero miles, $550.

Cycling, running, and multisport links

Angelo State University Fitness and Wellness program

Cycling columns in the Standard Times newspaper

Cycling News

Cyclocross Magazine

Permian Basin Bicycling Association (PBBA)

Randy's Bike and Run shop San Angelo Bicycling Association

San Angelo Road Lizards running club

Slowtwitch multisport web site

Texas Bicycle Racing Association

Texas Mountain Bike Racing Association

Velonews

2009-03-15T20:25:00.018-05:00

The term "Wellness" has been around for years, but I don't like the message that it conveys. I think it's too soft, in that it encourages people to avoid the real issue of obesity and related health issues. We need stronger programs that pragmatically address how we get the general population (all ages) to eat less and exercise more.

What I'm talking about here is a Skinny Stimulus Bill ... a bail out program for overweight folks who don't want to get off the couch and burn calories. Somehow, we need to convince the overweight majority that healthy exercise is fun. The picture on the left conveys what I mean - no fancy equipment or attitudes needed ... just go exercise and enjoy.

With the weather warming up, cyclists and runners are starting to come of of their winter hibernation. There are multiple group rides each week and a group run/re-hydrate session each Friday evening. On the event calendar, there is a running event almost every weekend and the cycling time trials start up on April 2(mountain) and April 9 (road). Come out and demonstrate how fast you are.

Two of the biggest running events on the schedule are the Shannon Shamrock Run 1/2 marathon on March 21 and the Vita Sports Run in the Sun State Championship 8K event on May 16. On the multisport side, Striders Duathlon will take pace on April 17 and then the Spillway Hill off road duathlon on May 2nd. A flyer for Spillway will be posted soon. There will also be a (free) duathlon clinic on March 28.

The first of two really good ASUFit Brown Bag luncheon presentations will take place next Friday (March 27). Kathy Rakel will be the speaker, and she'll talk about fitting training into a busy career. On April 17, we'll be hosting triathlon superstar Desiree Ficker at the luncheon. These events are free and open to the public - visit http://calendar.angelo.edu/ViewCal.html?calendar_id=17 for details.

Bikes for sale:

2006 Specialized Transition Multisport, like new condition, 52 cm, 105 components, $500
2006 Specialized Allez Comp, 54 cm, full Ultegra parts, showroom condition with almost zero miles, $550.

Cycling, running, and multisport links
Angelo State University Fitness and Wellness program
Cycling columns in the Standard Times newspaper
Cycling News
Cyclocross Magazine
Permian Basin Bicycling Association (PBBA)
Randy's Bike and Run shop
San Angelo Bicycling Association
San Angelo Road Lizards running club
Slowtwitch multisport web site
Texas Bicycle Racing Association
Texas Mountain Bike Racing Association
Velonews

2009-03-11T20:31:00.031-05:00

This is West Texas where the weather changes fast. Yesterday we were sweating in short sleeved jerseys, and then today we woke up to perfect cyclocross conditions (cold, wet, and muddy). Too bad its not colder ...

The first Loop Group ride of the 2009 season happened yesterday. The fast folks are still fast, and I was OTB after a few miles (good to know that I’m still slow!). Actually, several of us were OTB from the start since the main group left earlier than 6:30. It was a great ride while heading south, but the wind was tough coming back north to San Angelo. I’ll be writing about Loop Group in my March 21 newspaper column.

Multisport season is about here, with Striders Duathlon the first event on the San Angelo schedule followed by the Spillway Hill off road duathlon on May 3. I will be conducting a small duathlon clinic on March 28 for first timers – click here for details.

The River Run 5K will take place this coming Saturday, March 14 (event flyer). San Angelo will also be the host city for the 2009 8K State Championship race on May 16. I haven’t seen a flyer posted yet, but on-line registration has opened on Active.com. RIS will be sponsored by Vita Sport Studio.

Speaking of Vita Sport Studio, these folks have some great trainers and services available including massage therapist Gloria Granado. Visit their web site at vitasportstudio.com/ or drop by the studio at 3812 Sherwood Way.

The Hammerfest stage race will take place in Fort Davis on April 4-5. This three stage event is one of the premier races in the southwest. The stages consist of a 16 mile road stage (read: hill climb) on Saturday morning, followed by a time trial Saturday afternoon and then a long mountainous road race on Sunday. An event flyer is posted at peytonsbikes.com or you can sign up on-line at BikeReg.com.

The Road Lizards are hosting Friday evening “run and re-hydrate” sessions on the downtown River Trail. Meet at the Farmers Market pavilion at 5:15, go for a run, and then adjourn to Club 404’s deck for after-run refreshments. These sessions are described as “easy and fun” runs where people start and end (somewhat) together. If you don’t want to run, meet the group at Club 404 around 6:15 for the after-workout drinks and BS session.

Don’t forget the ASUFit speakers coming in March and April. Kathy Rakel will be speaking on Friday March 27 (12-1), and then triathlon and Olympic Trials qualifier Desiree Ficker will be here on April 17. The ASUFit Brown Bags are held monthly, 12-1 in ASU's CJ Davidson center, and are open to the public. Let's pack the house for these two presentations.

Bikes for Sale:
2006 Specialized Transition Multisport, like new condition, 52 cm, 105 components, $500, and a 2006 Specialized Allez Comp, 54 cm, full Ultegra parts, showroom condition with almost zero miles, $550. These are extremely good prices. Drop me an e-mail if you would like to see more pictures or call 223-9321 if you want to look at these bikes.

2009-03-04T14:54:00.021-06:00

Welcome to the first post of the new Team San Angelo (TSA) blog. I'll use this blog site to entertain, educate, and motive you as relates San Angelo cycling, running, and multisport activities. Future posts will include both short snippets of information and also a longer monthly Team San Angelo newsletter. Let's get started ....

The local event season is starting to ramp up. Serious athletes have been out in the cold and wind training (and racing), but most of us have emulated the "Old Guys Who Get Fat In Winter".

I just finished directing the 2009 Trail Running Series ... good stuff, with a record turnout this year. Full results are posted at http://www.roadlizards.org/ (click on results), and pictures are posted at photobucket.com. Congratulations to Boyd Guthrie and Kathly Rakel for their outstanding performances in the series.

The infamous Loop Group rides start back up on March 10th. For those of you visiting or new to the San Angelo area, Loop Group really means "Tuesday and Thursday World Championships". The pack will start together, some hammerhead will throw in an attack, and from that point on it's hang on or be dropped. The good news is that most of us get dropped, so there's always someone to ride with at your pace. Groups will form after the initial flurry of attacks, so you can do 20 miles or longer distances depending on how you feel.The start/finish location is the TxDot front parking lot, loop 306 and Knickerbocker Blvd. The pack rolls at 6:30 pm, so be there early, wear a helmet, obey traffic laws, and bring your "A" game.

The local cycling club (San Angelo Bicycle Association) will also be hosting several other group rides per week, both on and off road. Visit their new web site at for full information and say hello to the new club officers - this years crop of officers is a lot more photogenic than last year's!

Our local running club (San Angelo Road Lizards) has a full schedule of events on the calendar, with the next races being the River Run 5K on March 14 and the Shannon 1/2 Marathon and 5-mile on March 21. Visit the club's web site for updated event information and to meet the 2009 club officers. Shoot an email to the Head Lizard if you have any running club questions.

Striders Duathlon is only six weeks away, so it's time to start doing those brick workouts. The event will have both a short course (5K/30K/5K) distance and la long course (8K/74k/8k). Visit www.ironheadrp.com/striders for details, and sign up by March 28 to get the lowest entry fee.

For those of you who like to vent in public, the former SABA forum has moved to www.cvmconline.com/forum2/. Go there to discuss rides, runs, buy/sell, and see what other folks are talking about.

The ASUFit program will have two outstanding speakers for upcoming Brown Bag luncheons. On Friday March 27th we'll hear from Kathy Rakel as she talks about her experiences as a triathlete and Air Force officer. Kathy is an Air Force Academy graduate, cyclist, runner, triathlete, and .... a twisted individual who loves long hard workouts in bad weather conditions.

On April 17, we're bringing in triathlon superstar and Olympic Trials qualifier Desiree Ficker as the speaker. Desiree will talk about training, nutrition, fitness, and what it takes to excel. The ASUFit Brown Bags are held monthly, 12-1 in ASU's CJ Davidson center, and are open to the public. Let's pack the house for these two presentations.

News flash - the cycling column is coming back to the San Angelo Standard Times beginning Saturday, March 7. Log onto http://www.sastandardtimes.com/ and look in the Sports section (or, ... buy a newspaper?). I'll be writing a column every other week and local triathlete and former newspaper editor Anthony Wilson will fill the column space on opposing weeks. Sounds a little like dueling keyboards, eh?

CONGRATULATIONS to local triathlon strong man Shane Plymell for his performance in Ironman Malaysia last weekend. Shane completed his first full ironman event in a time of 14 hours 21 minutes (in brutal hot and humid conditions). Way to go, Shane, and ... maybe you'll slow down a bit now?