2014 Resolution Run

Resolution Runs that celebrate the start of a new fitness year take place all over the world.

Here in San Angelo, we have one that is arguably better than all the others for a number of reasons.

The local Resolution Run will take place on Jan. 4, 2014, at the East Concho Volunteer Fire Department (ECVFD) building located at 777 Abernathy Rd just off of FM 388 (Paint Rock Road).

This will be the 10th annual running of the ECVFD Resolution Run, and — as I alluded to earlier — it’s a very good event for a number of reasons.

Let’s start with the different distances. Unlike most Resolution Runs in other locations, the ECVFD event has three distances that you can choose from — a half marathon (13.1 miles), a 5-mile, or a 1-mile.

Secondly, the courses used are ideal for someone wanting to post a fast time. All of the routes on paved flat to slightly rolling rural roads through the Riverwood Estates area. Cool January weather, flat roads, very few corners, and no traffic all add up to fast times.

The low entry fee also makes this an enjoyable event. Unlike many of the big city races, you can sign up for less than $20 and still get a great event T-shirt if you’re one of the first 50 5-milers or first 50 half marathoners to register.

Entry fees are $2 for the one mile, $12 for the five mile, and $15 for the half marathon if you pre-register early, or $2, $15, and $18 after preregistration ends.

The race organizers don’t skimp on awards the 1-mile race will offer trophies to 1st male/female in age groups 13-19 and 12 & under and medals to top three finishers in male/female age groups 4 and under, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12. 13-15, and 16-19.

Competitors in the five-mile and half-marathon races will be competing for trophies for the top male/female runners in each race and medals to top three male/female finishers in age groups 12 and under, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70-plus.

In addition to fast courses, low entry fees, and great awards, you’ll also appreciate being inside a warm roomy fire department building for packet pickup, after-race cool-down, and the awards ceremony.

Last but not least, the event is a fundraiser that benefits the East Concho Volunteer Fire Department.

Think back a couple of years to when multiple wildfires around San Angelo burned almost 300,000 acres of rural property.

Like other regional volunteer fire departments, East Concho firefighters and equipment were on the front lines of these fires protecting property and saving lives.

Funds raised during events such as the Resolution Run will help the ECVFD maintain equipment and pay operational expenses.

In fact, even if you don’t race the Resolution Run, you can still support the cause by simply making a donation to the volunteer fire department. Just send donations to the address listed on the race flyer and tell them “thank you” for what they do.

A race flyer with full event information is on-line at roadlizards.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/RR-Flyer-20142.pdf, and you can also sign up online at https://secure.getmeregistered.com/get_information.php?event_id=9760.

Remember - the ECVFD Resolution Run is where you can run fast for a great cause.


Upcoming Events

Jan. 4: Resolution Run, roadlizards.org
Feb. 14: Funnel Cake 5K, roadlizards.org
March 22: Crazy Desert Trail Race, roadlizards.org

Kathy Rakel Is An Up-And-Coming Pro Triathlete

On a frigid December day last week, Kathy Rakel headed outside into 7-degree Boulder, Colo., weather for a running workout.

Although the weather that day was challenging, Rakel is a professional triathlete who knows that the

base period workouts she does in the dead of winter will determine how well she performs next summer during the 2014 triathlon race season.

Remember her name — you’ll hear a lot more about this up-and-coming pro athlete in the months and years to come.

This 29-year-old, 5-foot-6, 126-pound dynamo, originally from San Antonio, has only been a professional since 2010 but already has an impressive multisport resume.

She won the 2013 USAT Elite Duathlon National Championship, was a three-time U.S. Armed Forces National Triathlon Champion and the top American at the 2011 World Military Triathlon Championships, and she was named the 2010 Air Force Female Athlete of the Year.

Her triathlon record also includes age group wins in the highly competitive Buffalo Springs Half Ironman and being a previous record holder for the fastest Ironman by a female Air Force Academy cadet (Ironman Arizona, 2007).

She’s currently sponsored by BH Bicycles, First Endurance Nutrition, HED Cycling, TriPain Relief, Kiwami, XTERRA Wetsuits and Rudy Project.

Rakel is also an Air Force Academy graduate, a veteran and a former San Angelo resident who was assigned to Goodfellow AFB for the Intelligence Officer training course in 2009.

During her time in San Angelo, she made a lasting impression on area athletes by winning tough races such as the 2009 Trail Running Series, hanging with the fast guys during local Loop Group bike rides and doing hard workouts in tough weather conditions.

On one midwinter occasion, she emailed me asking for a route for a long, hilly ride.
I suggested a loop from San Angelo that included Bronte, Robert Lee, Water Valley, Burma Road and Arden Road back to town.

She not only rode that loop, but she did it on a day when the air temperature was around 30 degrees with a stiff northerly wind blowing.

On another occasion, we arranged to meet up for the last part of a hard bike interval workout she had planned (note: I agreed to ride with her only after she was already tired and thus going slower).
It turned out that on the day of that ride, the wind was howling from the south at 25 miles per hour and gusting up to 40.

We hooked up near the south end of Burma Road and headed back along Arden with Rakel being blown all over the road but laughing all the way into town about the fun (terrible) wind conditions.

Although her initial professional focus was Olympic distance triathlons with the goal being to represent the United States in the 2016 Olympics, Rakel recently changed coaches and switched her competitive focus to long course Ironman distance events.

She’s now being coached by former World Champion and Olympian Joanna Zeiger.

“I’ve known all along my body is built for endurance instead of speed, so I finally decided to listen to my body and switched to training for longer distance races,” says Rakel.

“In 2014, I plan to work towards a late season Ironman or two, if all goes well. In the long-term, I’d like to represent the USA at the Ironman World Championships. Although I’m no longer training for the Olympics, my passion to represent my country is still alive and well.”

Rakel’s commitment to hard training and determination to represent the USA reflects her background as an Air Force F-16 intelligence analyst and the core values she learned while in the military — “Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence In All We Do”

“A typical winter offseason training week right now includes about 16 hours of total training time,” says Rakel. “During the season, I’ll be doing closer to 30 hours per week.”

“In general, for this time of year, I do two strength sessions a week, five runs, three rides and four or five swim workouts.”

When asked what advice she would give other athletes (young or old) about training, nutrition and related issues, Rakel’s response was: “If your nutrition is dialed in, training and racing will be more enjoyable."

“Many athletes tend to ignore how their bodies are feeling. If you want to perform at a higher level, you will discover that ignoring things is a short-term fix and will not help in the long term. This applies to nutrition as well as to training or racing through injuries.”

“Listen to your body. All the high-end equipment in the world does not matter if your body is not working properly.”

If you happen to be cycling or running near Boulder and get passed by a petite young lady with a big smile on her face, just say “Hi,” but don’t try to keep up with her.

It just might be Kathy Rakel hammering through a workout as she works toward that next level as a pro triathlete.

In fact, the best way to ensure that you can keep up with her is by following her online at kathyrakel.com.

Remember — Kathy Rakel is a triathlete you’ll be seeing on the podium.

Christmas Gifts for Athletes

Selecting gifts for the cyclist or runner in your family can be both easy and very difficult.

The easy part is that if the gift keeps them cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter, tracks workouts electronically or helps them go faster, they’ll love it.

On the other hand, there are thousands of items on the market to choose from, and to zero in on the perfect gift you may need some professional advice.

To get you that professional help, I reached out to some local bike/run shop owners and also area athletes to get their take on gift ideas at different price points.

Almost everyone responded that in the “Under $20 category”, socks, caps, and gloves are all gifts that would be appreciated.

Debbie Yohman says running socks make a great under-$20 gift. “I like Thorlo socks myself,” says Yohman. “They have cushion in just the right place.”

Long, colorful socks, in particular, seem to be a popular item this year for both cyclists and runners.

Jodi Rector suggests, “for under $20 think about nice water bottles or a protein shaker, and for gifts in the $20-$50 range go with nice workout gloves, ear buds or workout clothing.”

Terry Shaner has a unique gift suggestion, something that was given to him a few years back. “It’s a small hanging rack with multiple clothespins fastened on it,” explained Shaner.

“You use it to hang your sweaty workout clothes outside or in the garage to dry. This keeps the smell of sweaty workout apparel out of the house which makes everyone happy.”

Cindy Simmons suggests one of the small GoPro cameras that mounts on a helmet or handlebars. In her case, she says it would be great “to video when I go onto the wrong trails and fall into cactus like I did recently.”

Randy Rangel, the owner of Randy’s Bike and Run, says “stocking stuffers such as nutrition bars and gels, Halo headbands, shoe pockets, race belts, CO2 cartridges, bike lube and tubes are great low-cost gifts.”

Rangel also suggests “compression apparel such as leg and arm sleeves, socks, shirts and sports bras from $36 to $55, Garmin watches ranging from $130 to $460, lights for biking and running from $11 to $100, winter apparel to include thermal arm warmers, balaclavas, shoe covers, beanies, and gloves that range from $23 to $50.”

“Bike accessories such as phone cases, bike bags, and helmets also make great gifts,” says Rangel.

Justin Smith, store manager at Concho Bike, has some good gift suggestions at different price points.

“Specialized cycling socks range from $10 to $20 and make great gifts,” says Smith. “Other nice ideas would be a Cateye micro wireless cycling computer ($50), specialized cycling jersey ($65-$85), or a Garmin Edge 510 GPS ($330).”

My personal suggestions for athlete Christmas gifts include the following items:

Under $20 — go with a box of energy gels or bars.

In the $20 to $50 price range, buy your favorite runner a pre-paid registration for an upcoming race such as the 2014 Trail Running Series and/or the Crazy Desert Trail Run, or an annual membership in the local cycling or running club.

If you’re spending between $50 and $100, think about a gift certificate for a new pair of cycling or running shoes or possibly a massage for your favorite athlete.

Moving up to the over $100 gift category, a GPS sports watch, GPS bike computer, or a GoPro camera would all be great gifts for the runner or cyclist on your list.

There are several potential categories where gift certificates might be the preferred option.

Shoes for running or cycling and also bicycle seats are highly individual in that what feels good for one person may be terrible for another.

Unless you know exactly what brand, model and size the recipient likes, opt for a gift certificate and let them choose the specific item.

Bicycles need to be treated in much the same manner — just gift-wrap your credit card (or stacks of big denomination bills) together with a “the sky is the limit” note and let the happy cyclist go pick out their new ride from the bike shop display room.

There are two additional gift ideas that might be the best of all for the cyclist, runner or triathlete on your list.

Although many athletes tend to focus on equipment to improve performance, the best “go fast” gift you can give them is a few months or a year of professional coaching.

A simple Google search for cycling, running or multisport coaches in your region will yield a lot of hits for coaches with prices and services listed.

Look for coaches who are experienced athletes and who have certifications in their respective fields such as those provided by USA Cycling, USA triathlon or similar running and swimming organizations.

Most coaches also have plans that enable them to provide coaching serves via the Internet, so they don’t have to be local.

Last of all, the ultimate gift for an aspiring athlete might just be you. “Give yourself” to a friend or family member as a coach, mentor or training partner for the coming year.

That gift just might result in a great 2014 for both the gift recipient and you.

Remember — finding that perfect Christmas gift for an athlete takes some serious thought.

 Upcoming Events

Dec. 7: Christmas in Bronte 5K/10K, fbcbronte.com/funrun/
Dec. 8: Ride Through the Lights,anangelobicycleassociation.com
Dec. 14: Run Rudolph Run, angelo.edu/asufit
Dec. 14-15: Tough CX (Fredericksburg), txbra.org

Christmas Run Under the Lights

There’s a completely different type of San Angelo running and walking event that takes place each Christmas season along the downtown Concho River.

Most running events throughout the year are serious races. Runners go hard during those events as they compete for awards and bragging rights.

In mid-December of each year, however, the spirit of the Christmas season takes over and runner/walkers gather at Station 618 in the Old Town section of San Angelo for the traditional Run Rudolph Run event.

This year’s run/walk will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14.

September Summers, race director, says this event is different from traditional running races.

“Run Rudolph Run is a low-key noncompetitive run or walk that takes place along the trail of lights on the downtown Concho River,” said Summers.

“There is no registration, timing or awards; it’s just fun family exercise in a low-key atmosphere.”

“The Light Tour cars are put on hold for an hour, so bring your baby strollers and the whole family out to enjoy this opportunity to walk under the lights and experience them up close on foot.”

The route starts in Old Town at the intersection of East Avenue B and Orient Street, and then follows Orient through Old Town to the museum and across Celebration Bridge.

After crossing the bridge, you’ll turn left on the river trail and head west following the trail to the turnaround point that’s just before West First Street.

You’ll then reverse direction and follow the same route back to the starting point.

Along the way, you’ll take in the beauty of millions of Christmas lights that make up the trail of lights along the river.

You don’t have to complete the entire three-mile route; you can go as fast or slow as you want and can turn around at any point you choose.

Bring the whole family, push kids in a stroller, walk your dog, and stop as often as you like to enjoy the splendor of Christmas lights reflecting off the water.

All of this is part of the Concho Christmas Celebration, which began in 1995 with 21 giant cards displayed in the El Paseo de Santa Angela area.

The light tour was expanded in 1996 to create a route along River Drive.

After completing the run or walk, you’ll enjoy free hot chocolate and cookies at the finish area.
Hot soup and grilled cheese sandwiches will also be available from the Lady Lions Club of San Angelo with all donations benefiting the West Texas Eye Bank.

Be sure to bring you camera. Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus attend this event each year so you’ll want to get a holiday picture with them.

Run Rudolph Run is organized by the Concho Christmas Celebration committee with assistance from sponsors that include Shannon Medical Center, the Lady Lions Club of San Angelo, the San Angelo Road Lizards running club and Angelo State University’s ASUFit program.

The best places to park near the event are the large paved lot behind Old Town across the street from the museum or at the Paseo on South Chadbourne Street.

An event flyer is posted at roadlizards.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Run-Rudolph-Run-PDF-of-final-version1.pdf.

Run Rudolph Run is a great way to view the river trail lights and celebrate the Christmas season.


Upcoming Events

Dec. 7: Christmas in Bronte 5K/10K, fbcbronte.com/funrun/
Dec. 8: Ride Through the Lights, sanangelobicycleassociation.com
Dec. 14: Run Rudolph Run, http://www.angelo.edu/services/fitness_wellness/
Dec. 14-15: Tough CX (Fredericksburg), txbra.org
Jan. 4: Resolution Run, roadlizards.org
Feb. 14: Funnel Cake 5K, roadlizards.org
March 22: Crazy Desert Trail Race, roadlizards.org

It's Hard to Find Government Grants

I’ve always wanted to live and train like a professional athlete. No job and time constraints — just bike, run, go to the gym, recover, and do it all over again year-round.

Most professional athletes don’t work in the traditional sense. Their “work” consists of long workouts, travel, racing, keeping sponsors happy, and related tasks.

They work very hard doing what many of us would consider to be a dream way of life.

The professional athlete dream isn’t possible for most of us.

 We have families, mortgages and a multitude of other responsibilities that require us to hold down a real job for 40 or more hours per week trying to keep food on the table and shoes on the kids.

Most of us also don’t have the one-in-a-million genetic ability needed to reach the top level of our selected sport (note: I’m still mad at my parents about that genetics issue).

After carefully analyzing the situation, I came to the conclusion that for me to achieve the “professional athlete” dream (ignoring age and genetic ability) one of three scenarios would have to happen.

Scenario one: Win the lottery (not likely), marry a wealthy widow (my wife probably wouldn’t allow that), or inherit a ton of money from a wealthy relative (I don’t think I have any).

Scenario two: Cash in my IRAs for startup funding, start drinking the cocktails that most professional endurance athletes took before “sports being cleaned up,” and hope that I can find a way to land a pro contract with a deep-pockets sponsor.

Given my level of chronological maturity, lack of athletic talent, meager IRAs, and my fear of drugs, scenario two is a really bad option.

Scenario three: Get some free stuff from the federal government (“professional athlete assistance”).

This last option may have some merit, especially if I can convince Michelle Obama, Kathleen Sebelius and Jay Carney that government funding for my professional athlete dream would be a great way to promote health, fitness and big government success in the United States.

Think about it — instead of having angry taxpayers focus on a dysfunctional website that sells an unwanted product, the happy-face message during news conferences would be “Federal Government Helps baby boomer Become Successful Pro Athlete.”

After deciding that scenario three was the way to go, I compiled a rough list of what I would need the government to fund to help me “go pro.”

The list includes several professional-level bikes, carbon fiber wheel sets, and related equipment ($30,000), a travel-to-races RV (($50,000), airline travel, lodging, and meals for faraway events ($25,000/year).

I would also need custom race uniforms for every possible weather condition ($5,000), an Olympic-caliber coach, massage therapist, and nutritionist ($30,000/year), and miscellaneous items such as a high-end smartphone with apps to track my workouts and communicate with my fans and sponsors.

With my list of pro athlete needs in hand, I started researching what was available free from the federal government that might help fund those pro athlete necessities.

My first stop on the funding search was www.grants.gov. I found one grant that seemed to fit my situation — Funding Opportunity Number PA-12-225 “Fatigability, Activity Limitations, and Bioenergetics in Aging.”

This grant appeared to be a good match, but unfortunately individual U.S. citizens were not on the eligible applicants list (however, foreign institutions were encouraged to apply).

After determining that there were no federal grants available to fund my pro athlete dream, I moved to benefits.gov, welcometousa.gov, and healthcare.gov.

I didn’t find much in the way of pro athlete funding assistance at any of those websites. The best that I could do was maybe score some food stamps and possibly a free phone if I quit my job, depleted all of my savings, and qualified for a low-income program.

The only two bright spots in my government-funding-for-a-pro-athlete search were the weight loss initiative under “Wellness” and wheelchairs in the “Durable medical Equipment” section in the Health Care Act.

Losing some weight would certainly help me in a quest to become a pro athlete, but — racing in a wheelchair instead of on a pro-level bicycle might be an uphill battle.

Remember — it’s hard to find good government benefits for a want-to-be-a-professional-athlete baby boomer.


Upcoming Events

Dec 8: Ride Through the Lights, sanangelobicycleassociation.com
Dec 14: Run Rudolph Run, angelo.edu/asufit
Dec 14-15: Tough CX (Fredericksburg), txbra.org
Jan 4: Resolution Run, roadlizards.org
Feb 14: Funnel Cake 5K, roadlizards.org
March 22: Crazy Desert Trail Race, roadlizards.org

Turkey Trot Time

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, and that means that it’s almost time for the turkeys to trot on the Angelo State University campus.

The annual Turkey Trot 5K and fitness walk, now in its fifth year, has become one of the premier

annual running events in San Angelo for a number of reasons.

From a runner’s perspective, the race has all of the attributes that make an event enjoyable.

The course is flat, fast, safe and accurately measured.

Registration is indoors in ASU’s Houston Harte University Center — well-organized and very close to the essential pre-race “facilities.”

Those facilities are also indoors and clean, a welcome change from the portable powder rooms found at many events.

Awards for the Turkey Trot are unique. In keeping with he spirit of Thanksgiving, all first-place winners receive pumpkin pies in addition to their race medals.

There’s also a low-key, 1.5 mile noncompetitive walk that enables individuals who don’t want to run the full 5K (3.1 miles) distance to take part in the Turkey Trot festivities.

Kids aren’t forgotten. The “Running of the Little Turkeys” for kids 2-6 and 7-12 immediately following the adult’s 5K is one of the day’s biggest highlights.

Just before the awards ceremony, there’s also a Thanksgiving costume contest with runners in the audience acting as judges.

This year’s Turkey Trot will take place Nov. 23, starting and finishing on the double sidewalk in front of the University Center on the Angelo State University campus.

Both runners and walkers will head west from the University Center, circle around the Centennial Village dorms on the west side of the campus and then follow Rosemont and Dena Drive to Johnson Street.

At Johnson, walkers will turn left and head back onto the campus to finish in front of the University Center, while runners continue across Johnson to Varsity, to University and then along Jackson Street to the Junell Center.

After topping out “Junell Center Hill,” runners will reconnect with the outbound course on Varsity and then follow Varsity, Dena and Rosemont back to the 5K finish line in the parking lot near the west entrance of the University Center.

Turkey Trot activities will kick off with event registration from 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
The 5K race will start at 9 a.m., followed by the 1.5 mile fun walk at 9:02.

At around 9:45 a.m., the kids will take the starting line for the ages 2-6 race, with the kids 7-12 event immediately after the younger kids finish.

The awards ceremony will follow the kids races, starting with the judging for Best Thanksgiving Costumes and then moving on to age group awards and raffles.

Awards will be handed out for overall top female and male, 1-2-3 in age groups from 13-15 up to 60-plus, and 1-2-3 female/male in each kids race category.

This year’s Turkey Trot will be a great way to kick off the Thanksgiving season, so lace up those running or walking shoes, get that costume ready and go compete for a pumpkin pie award.

Full information is posted online at angelo.edu/asufit, and all proceeds will benefit the ASU Sports Medicine Club.

Remember — it’s almost time for the Running of The Turkeys on the ASU campus.


Upcoming Events

Nov. 23: Turkey Trot 5k, angelo.edu/asufit
Dec. 14: Run Rudolph Run, angelo.edu/asufit

Fall and Winter A Great Time for Outdoor Exercise

As I cruised through a late-afternoon dirt road bike workout this past week, the temperature was a pleasant 50 degrees with light drizzle.

I didn't see a single person out cycling or running, although (to me) these were some beautiful fall conditions.

With the change of seasons and recent “fall back” on our clocks, there are obviously fewer hours of daylight during which we can exercise outdoors.

The temperatures are also getting cooler with frequent cold fronts that bring northerly winds and sometimes even a little rain.

This causes some fair-weather athletes to start thinking they should put away the bike and running gear until spring.

That’s completely the wrong attitude — in fact, fall and winter here in West Texas is arguably the best time of the year to get in some solid workouts.

If you don’t believe that, just think back to the dog days of last July and August when exercising outside meant endless sweating in 100-degree or higher temperatures under a hot sun.

The onset of fall also means that some of the best events of the year will be coming up over the next few months.

For most competitive cyclists and triathletes, the fall/winter season is a good time to slow the pace down, start back doing those enjoyable “base season” rides with friends, and maybe do some cross-training such as hiking, running, and strength training.

Cyclocross racers are an exception — their race season starts in September and continues through the winter months with state and national championships in January.

The normal training focus for cyclists during base season is to let the body recover from the stress of racing and start building the foundation for next year’s competitive events.

Most will continue to do some intensity during the off-season via an occasional winter race, fast rides with a group, or indoor spin class sessions at the club.

Multisport athletes will focus on getting ready for the spring duathlon season and the triathlons that follow as summer approaches.

The winter months are also a great time to get in some relaxed fun workouts that just don’t happen during the heat of the summer, such as exploring remote back country dirt roads on the bicycle or running trails on that perfect 40-degree day with light rain falling.

Many runners will be ramping up their miles during cool weather as they train for fall, winter, and early spring races, some of which are arguably the most fun events of the year.

On Nov. 16, the planned annual West Texas Masochist Run will let runners (both individuals and teams) enjoy the scenery between San Angelo and Abilene.

The running action continues on Nov. 23 with the Turkey Trot on the Angelo State campus, the ever-popular Run Rudolph Run under the river trail Christmas lights on Dec. 14, and the end-of-year Resolution Run at the East Concho Volunteer Fire Department.

In late January, the local trail running series kicks off. This three-event series goes through February and is an annual favorite for local runners and trail walkers.

The trail series includes distances of 10K, 12K, and a 15K with a shorter 5K trail run held on each of the three event dates.

Last but not least, the local trail running season will wrap up with the Crazy Desert Trail event on March 22.

Trail runners can test their fitness during the Crazy Desert event by running a 10K, half-marathon, full marathon, or 50 K (31 mile).

The take-home message is that shorter days and cooler weather means it’s time to get outside, enjoy the nice conditions, and use the “off-season” to build up your fitness.

Ride On, San Angelo, and remember — fall and winter weather in Texas is great time for outdoor exercise.


Upcoming Events

Nov 16: West Texas Masochist Run, roadlizards.org
Nov 23: Turkey Trot 5k, angelo.edu/asufit
Dec 14: Run Rudolph Run, angelo.edu/asufit