ASU Cyclocross Series About To Start

Last week’s blog post took a look at the health and fitness events scheduled to take place this semester on the Angelo State University campus.

What wasn’t discussed is the Wednesday Evening World Cycling Championships, which also will take place on the ASU campus during October.

It’s not really a world championship event, but it may well be the “World Championships of Family Cycling Fun” in San Angelo.

The event I’m referring to is the prestigious Wednesday evening cyclocross series organized by the university’s ASUFit program.

ASU students, employees and cyclists from the regional community will go head to head, competing for bragging rights in the Men’s and Women’s A, B and C (expert, intermediate and beginner) categories.

The little kids will get downright serious as they battle for top Kid’s Kross honors in the ages 6-and-under and 7-10 races.

Friends, parents and family members will be watching all of the action from the comfort of their folding chairs as racers complete laps on the off-road course that loops around the ASU softball field next to Johnson Street.

They’ll be shouting words of encouragement, ringing cowbells (a cyclocross tradition) and heckling the racers (another important cyclocross tradition).

The format for cyclocross is multiple laps around a comparatively short course, so the cyclists will be completing each 1-mile lap in five to seven minutes during each of the seven to eight lap races. This makes for great spectating if you’re not racing.

The event kicks off Oct. 2 with races every Wednesday evening through Oct. 30. Registration will be from 5:15-6:15 p.m. at the race location. Kid’s races start at 6:15 p.m., and the adult race will roll off at 6:30 p.m.

So, exactly what is cyclocross, and how does it differ from normal mountain biking or road cycling?
 

For starters, cyclocross (CX) is a fall/winter sport, so rain, mud, snow and cold weather are all part of the excitement.

A typical CX course consists of a serpentine 1- to 2-mile route through grass, dirt, deep sand and mud if it rains. At one or more locations during each lap, there usually will be a barrier or unrideable section that forces riders to dismount, pick up their bikes, carry them over the obstacle and then remount and pedal on.

Races are based either on time (example: 40 minutes) or on a set number of laps. In a typical race, cyclists will complete a lap every five to seven minutes, with faster riders lapping slower racers. It’s all fun, and there will always be someone who’s going at about your pace.

The experienced riders will make the barrier sections look easy with fast, smooth dismounts, graceful leaps over the barriers and rapid remounts.

Beginners will struggle a bit more to get on and off their bikes (but still have fun) as they “soldier on” while battling other riders, the course and maxed-out heart rates.

So what equipment and skills do you need to give cyclocross a try during this year’s CX series?

You’ll obviously need a bike. Although top-level cyclocross racers use a bike specifically designed for CX racing, normal mountain or hybrid bikes are the weapons of choice for most local racers.

Mountain bike clip-in pedals or flat pedals work best. You need off-road tires, and you’ll want to make sure that the bike’s tires have sealant tubes installed (flats are not fun).

If your bike has a big, roomy seat bag, light, or other accessories installed, you can remove those items for cyclocross races to make your bike a little lighter.

Bulky hydration packs or big water bottles aren’t needed — the races are only 30-60 minutes in length, so a small water bottle or none at all will work fine.

The basic skills needed at the entry level are fairly simple — you should be comfortable riding on grass, smooth dirt, a little mud (if we get lucky), negotiating sharp turns and climbing or descending short up/down sections.

Unlike mountain biking, cyclocross courses usually are fairly smooth, so the focus is on going fast rather than bouncing through big “rock gardens.”

Dismounts and remounts at barriers will be something that you need to practice — watch this YouTube video to see a short “how to” tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTTOBnu7w-k.

Cyclocross is a niche sport within a niche sport, but it’s also the fastest growing discipline within competitive cycling. However, it’s more than just a form of racing — it also personifies a unique “be a kid and go play on the bike” mindset and attitude related to cycling as a recreational sport.

Imagine that you’re a cyclist who, like many, rides either on the road or possibly on mountain bike trails. You probably stay home and watch videos on the days when it’s cold, windy, or muddy, and you try to avoid all situations where you might get off the bike and lift it over an obstacle.

You’re missing half the fun.

Cyclocross started out as an informal way for European road racers to keep up their offseason workouts when the weather turned cold and the days got shorter. The early cyclocross bikes were “Frankenbike” concoctions cobbled together from old bike frames and used parts.

Fast forward to now, and cyclocross has become its own sport, completely different from the traditional road racing or mountain biking.

Here in Texas, like other states, there’s a dedicated season of cyclocross racing that runs from October through January. This year’s Texas Cup cyclocross series includes 22 races that all lead up to the State Cyclocross championships in January 2014.

There are similar CX events taking place throughout the nation, ranging from small local events to large international races such as the United States Grand Prix series events that attract riders from around the world.

Don’t miss out on being part of the fun. Visit www.angelo.edu/content/files/17287-cyclocross-series, print out an event flyer and plan on racing the October events.

Ride On, San Angelo, and remember — Wednesday evenings in October are “cyclocross nights” on the ASU campus.


Upcoming Events

Sept. 21: ASU Family Day 5K, angelo.edu/asufit
Oct. 2: ASUFit cyclocross series, angelo.edu/asufit
Oct. 9: ASUFit cyclocross series, angelo.edu/asufit
Oct. 12: ASU Homecoming Ram Run, angelo.edu/asufit
Oct. 16: ASUFit cyclocross series, angelo.edu/asufit
Oct. 23: ASUFit cyclocross series, angelo.edu/asufit
Oct. 26: Heart Walk, http://heartwalk.kintera.org
Oct. 30: ASUFit cyclocross series, angelo.edu/asufit
Nov. 23: Turkey Trot 5K, angelo.edu/asufit

ASU Campus Focal Point for Fall Fitness Events

During the current fall semester, Angelo State University will be one of the primary focal points for
fitness events in San Angelo.

There will be four run/walk events, a five-race, midweek cycling series, and a large health fair all taking place on the campus during September, October and November.

All of these are open to the public, so mark your calendars and join ASU students and employees for a semester of fun and healthy activity.

Let’s focus on the run/walk and health fair events today and then we’ll discuss the on-campus cycling races next week.

The action kicks off Sept. 14 with Run to Remember. This event, which benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Angelo, will include 10K and 5K races and a shorter 1.5 mile fun run/walk.

Before the start, a short memorial service will be held to honor those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, those who have died defending our country and also those who currently serve in the military or as first responders.

Run to Remember will start and finish at the ASU Junell Center located at 2235 Jackson St. Runners competing in the 10K and 5K events will take part in a unique course that combines road running with a section of off-road, cross-country in the open space adjacent to Foster Field and the ASU intramural fields.

It will also be an official “flag run” for the San Angelo’s Team Red White Blue community, so you’ll see members of Team RWB carrying the flag as they run.

Go to http://www.angelo.edu/content/events/18036-run-to-remember-10k-asu-campus-event for more Run to Remember information.

The second run/walk event of the semester on campus will be the ASU Family Day 5K and 1-mile on Saturday, September 21 hosted by ASU’s Multicultural Center.

This 3.1 mile run/walk will start and finish in the outdoor area between ASU’s library and University Center, and will follow a course that does a complete tour of the university campus.

The Family Day 5K is free, open to the public, and there will be T-shirts for the first 50 registrants. Go to angelo.edu/content/files/19246-asu-family-day-5k-2013 to view the event flyer or call 325-942-2729 for more information.

On Oct. 12, the action shifts to the ASU LeGrand Alumni and Visitors Center for the inaugural ASU Homecoming Ram Run. The Ram Run 5K and 1-mile events will start and finish at the Alumni Center (Jackson and University) and will use an out-and-back course that crosses Jackson, goes past the Junell Center, and then follows the ASU Mall to the turnaround point in front of the University Center.

A flyer for the Ram Run is online at http://angelo.site-ym.com/events/event_details.asp?id=336484.

The next on-campus fitness and wellness event will be the 6th annual Health and Wellness fair scheduled for Monday, Oct 14, in ASU’s University Center from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This fair, organized by the university’s ASUFit program, will be a joint effort involving ASU, the San Angelo ISD and Shannon Wellness.

Organizers expect to have over 50 vendors for this year’s fair to provide health and fitness information, showcase wellness-related products, conduct exercise demonstrations and provide minor health-related services such as blood pressure and glucose testing, flu shots and related items.
The health fair is open to the public, so mark you calendar for Oct. 14 and plan on attending. Go to http://www.angelo.edu/content/files/19342-health-and-wellness-fair-2013 for more information or call (325) 486-6244.

In November, the regional community will join ASU students and employees for the 6th annual Turkey Trot 5k, 1.5 mile fitness walk, and 1 mile kid’s run. This run/walk event, which has become a San Angelo classic, will take place on Nov. 23 with participants competing for the coveted pumpkin pie awards.

Full Turkey Trot information will be posted on the ASUFit website at angelo.edu/asufit.

Remember — you’ll see a lot of fitness and wellness activities on the ASU campus during the coming semester.


Upcoming Events

• Sept. 7: Let It Go 5K, roadlizards.org
• Sept. 8: Burma Road time trial, sanangelobicycleassociation.com
• Sept. 14: Run to Remember, angelo.edu/asufit
• Sept. 21: ASU Family Day 5K, angelo.edu/asufit
• Oct. 2-Oct. 30: ASUFit cyclocross series, angelo.edu/asufit
• Oct. 12: ASU Homecoming Ram Run, angelo.edu/asufit

H-E-B Healthy Community Challenge

As the rock group Queen sang back in the 1970s, “We will rock you” and “We are the champions.”

We’re not the champions yet, but if you’ll join the effort we can rock the state and compete for the title of 2013 H-E-B Community Challenge champion for mid-sized cities in Texas.

The 2013 H-E-B Healthy Community Challenge launches Sunday. If we all get on board to spread

the word, we can demonstrate that San Angelo has the greatest commitment to healthy living of all Texas cities with a population of 40,000 to 100,000.

Does this sound like an uphill battle? Maybe, but then maybe not if you look at the progress we’ve made over the past decade or more.

During the past 10-15 years, a dedicated and growing group of individuals and organizations have worked hard to help the San Angelo community become a healthier place to live, work and play.

More residents are now making healthy lifestyle choices, organizations have implemented worksite wellness programs and public funding has been used to create parks and trails.

In many households, running shoes outnumber dress shoes in the closet and garages are simply big storage cubicles for bicycles, kayaks and other fitness gear.

Children are learning about healthy nutrition in school and then “teaching” their parents at home.

It’s a journey and we’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us to make healthy lifestyle choices become the San Angelo norm for all residents, but — it’s now time for the rest of Texas to hear about the great progress we’ve made thus far.

So, let’s rock the world and become the 2013 champions for the H-E-B Healthy Community Challenge. We’re active, healthy and proud of it so let’s take some time to brag about what we’ve accomplished.

The eight-week H-E-B challenge, which will run from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31, has a very simple format: just complete healthy community activities as described on the H-E-B Community Challenge website, document the activities via photos or video and upload them to the H-E-B Community website to receive points for our community.

Stephanie Reisner, H-E-B’s local wellness coordinator, said H-E-B is a strong supporter of community wellness and also has an internal “Ready-Set-Move wellness program for their employees.

“H-E-B’s goal is to engage with all segments of the communities we serve related to fitness, nutrition, and wellness,” Reisner said. “We want to encourage as many San Angelo individuals and organizations as possible to participate in the 2013 Community Challenge.”

You can help San Angelo earn community challenge points at multiple levels ranging from individuals to actions by community leadership, schools, businesses and other organizations.

For example, San Angelo will receive 50 points for each person who registers (and there are almost 100,000 of us), 250 points if Mayor Dwayne Morrison signs a Healthy Community pledge, and 500 points if there’s a challenge video from the mayor.

Morrison is on board with a commitement-to-lose-weight and challenge YouTube video posted at http://youtu.be/zZS_aw PFK8E. He will be giving up “40 pounds of his majorship” as a way to demonstrate his leadership and support for a healthy San Angelo.

Schools, agencies, businesses, and individuals can all earn points for San Angelo — it’s described in grater detail at hebcommunitychallenge.com.

So how do individuals and groups in San Angelo get started down the road of winning the 2013 challenge? Just follow the steps described below.

 - Go to hebcommunitychallenge.com, read through the information, and start thinking about what you and your organization can do to rack up points. Even better, expand on the ideas presented by H-E-B to come up with new and innovative ways to improve the health and fitness of our community while also earning points for San Angelo.

 - Mark your calendar for September 1 with a reminder to log on to the H-E-B challenge website and sign up.

 - Spread the word via Facebook and Twitter — get as many San Angelo residents as possible to step up to the challenge.

 - Walk the walk. On Sept. 4 at 6 p.m., the local H-E-B staff will be hosting a walk on the KOA loop to kick off San Angelo’s Community Challenge efforts. Local news media will be there to document the event, so make plans to be there as part of the kickoff event.

 - Contact your elected and appointed officials, business leaders and medical professionals to get them involved.

 - From Sept. 1 through Oct. 31 complete, document and submit as many healthy community activities as possible. Who knows — by the end of the eight-week challenge period all of those healthy activities just might become permanent healthy habits.

Remember — we can rock the world and become the 2013 H-E-B Healthy Community Challenge champions!

Upcoming events

• Sept. 4: HEB Community Challenge walk, 6pm KOA loop
• Sept. 5: Road Bike time trial, sanangelobicycleassociation.com
• Sept. 7: Comanche Warrior triathlon, visitbigspring.com/pages/comanchewarriortriathlon
• Sept. 7: Let It Go 5K, roadlizards.org
• Sept. 14: Run to Remember, angelo.edu/asufit
• Sept. 21: Family Day 5K, angelo.edu/asufit
• Oct. 2-Oct. 30: ASUFit cyclocross series, angelo.edu/asufit

Taxes for Trails

If you enjoy mountain biking, hiking or trail running, you might consider relocating to Larimer

County, Colo. 

Larimer County, centered roughly 50 miles north of Denver, stretches north to the Wyoming border and includes the northern Colorado communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins and Loveland.

Residents of this area have a strong appreciation for open space, multi-use trails and outdoor recreation.

In fact, the phrase “Taxes for Trails” might appropriately describe the region.

In November of 1995 the citizens of Larimer County voted overwhelmingly to support a quarter-cent sales and use tax to protect open space, natural areas, wildlife habitat, regional parks and trails.

This initiative represented a grass-roots effort by a group of concerned citizens who joined together to form the Help Preserve Open Spaces Initiative.

Since the passage of the tax, the Open Lands Program has successfully preserved over 43,000 acres of land throughout Larimer County to form 14 open space areas. These lands protect natural resources as well as provide valuable recreational opportunities for residents of the region.

Sales tax funds, coupled with state and federal grants, private sector donations and volunteer work, have enabled the Preserve Open Spaces consortium to acquire land, build trails, parking areas, restrooms and related infrastructure, and manage the recreational activities.
 
The concept is simple — preserve public open space in a fast-growing and densely populated region to provide recreational areas for area residents and visitors.

A desirable side effect is that the availability of trails encourages residents to exercise. Go to any of these areas on any day and you’ll find people hiking, trail running and mountain biking.

You’ll also notice a clear appreciation for nature and dedication to keeping the areas clean — no plastic trash bags decorating trees, no beer cans beside the trails, and no garbage dumped on access roads.

One of the crown jewels of the Larimer County open lands program is the Devil’s Backbone area (www.co.larimer.co.us/parks/openlands/os_devils_backbone.htm).  I hiked, mountain biked and did a trail run in this area during a recent vacation trip to Colorado.

This open space consists of 2,670 acres that parallel the distinctive rock outcroppings known as the Devil’s Backbone. Within the open space, there are 15 miles of multi-use trails that connect to other trails and open space areas.

Cyclists, hikers and runners can connect seamlessly on off-road trails from Loveland, Colo., to other open space areas near Fort Collins, enjoying grasslands carpeted with wildflowers, towering rock formations and abundant wildlife.

Look west from the Devil’s Backbone trails and you’ll see the 12,000-14,000 foot mountain peaks in Rocky Mountain National Park.

The trails paralleling “the Backbone” offer something for everyone, ranging from smooth, fast single track to rough rock gardens that challenge even the best technical mountain bikers.

Another great area made possible by the quarter-cent Larimer County open space tax is Horsetooth Mountain Park, a 2,711-acre foothill oasis located just west of Fort Collins near Horsetooth Reservoir (www.co.larimer.co.us/parks/htmp.cfm).

Horsetooth is situated adjacent to Lory State Park and Horsetooth Reservoir, two other area that attract a large number of outdoor enthusiasts. This park area is named for the distinctive Horsetooth Rock formation that forms the highest point of the park.

The 29 miles of multi-use trails in this park start at a base elevation of 5,430 feet and climb to 7,255 at Horsetooth Rock. When the spring snow-melt is in full swing, you’ll be treated to a great waterfall view at Horsetooth Falls.

Some of the best trails in the park include the Horsetooth Rock trail (steep and rocky), Mill Creek (a fun but very technical downhill), and the infamous Towers climb up a steep 4WD road.
 
Bring your ‘A’ game if you plan to ride up Towers — it’s a 3-mile climb with several 15-20 percent grade pitches that ascends almost 1,800 feet.

Local mountain bikers use the Towers climb for hard interval sessions (hammer up the climb, descend and repeat until muscle failure), and the Fort Collins Trail Runners club holds a twice-monthly uphill time trial race on the road.

Upcoming Events

• Aug. 24: Armydillo 10K and 2-mile, roadlizards.org
• Sept. 5: Road Bike time trial, sanangelobicycleassociation.com
• Sept. 7: Comanche Warrior triathlon, visitbigspring.com/pages/comanchewarriortriathlon
• Sept. 7: Let It Go 5K, roadlizards.org
• Sept. 14: Run to Remember, angelo.edu/asufit
• Sept. 21: Family Day 5K, angelo.edu/asufit
• Oct. 2-Oct. 30: ASUFit cyclocross series, angelo.edu/asufit

Fort Lewis College cycling team

One of the most popular summer vacation destinations for Texans trying to escape the heat is the

scenic mountain community of Durango, Colo.

Most people associate the Durango area with scenic vistas in the San Juan Mountains, white water rafting on the Animas River, or riding the Durango & Silverton narrow gauge railroad.

Durango has another claim to fame, however, in that is home to what is arguably the top collegiate cyclingprogram in the nation at Durango’s Fort Lewis College.

While on vacation in Durango, I found some spare time in between mountain biking and road cycling to interview the staff who manage the Fort Lewis cycling program.

The Fort Lewis College cycling program, which was started as a club sport in 1994, is now considered the gold standard in collegiate cycling with 19 USA Cycling Division I national individual championships in mountain bike, road racing, cyclocross and track racing plus multiple team national championships.

Jason Pierce, an Assistant Professor of History at Angelo State University, was a member of the inaugural FLC Collegiate cycling team in 1994.

“When we started the cycling team, most of the students were already cyclists since the sport was huge in Colorado and Durango in particular,” Pierce said. “Several strong riders had chosen to relocate to Durango, and attending Fort Lewis was a great way to appear to be doing something productive while spending as much time as possible riding.”

“At the first-ever collegiate world championships in 1994, we dominated the races, putting four riders in the top 10 of the Men’s A category.”

Collegiate cycling is a club sport at a university, meaning that it’s a student organization. Students who wish to compete do so at collegiate cycling events sanctioned by USA Cycling (usacycling.org/collegiate).

The Fort Lewis College cycling club, which typically has about 120 members per year, is a unique blend that meshes a student club with professional-level coaching and equipment.

The coaching staff for the Fort Lewis team includes two full-time former professional cyclists and several other part-time elite-level cyclists who manage the cycling program and coach the male and female student athletes.

Program manager and head coach Dave Hagen, a Fort Lewis graduate, raced professionally with the Yeti mountain bike team. Strength/conditioning and ladies coach Elke Brutsaert is a former professional downhill mountain bike racer who has a national championship on her resume.

In addition to the Fort Lewis cycling staff who manage and coach the team, student-athletes are mentored by the many professional cyclists who live in the Durango area.

This high level of coaching expertise both enhances the image of the Fort Lewis program and ensures that student athletes learn from professionals who have competed at a high level in the various cycling disciplines.

“We go beyond just generic training programs for the student cyclists,” notes Brutsaert, the strength/conditioning coach. “We work with students to develop individualized programs that address strength, balance and cycling-specific fitness.”
 
Students compete in cycling disciplines such as mountain biking, road racing, track racing, cyclocross and (beginning in 2013) BMX. Many of the team cyclists will compete in multiple disciplines throughout the year.

FLC cycling team members are also able to ride top-level equipment because of support from the community, industry sponsors and funds raised by the student club.

The overall annual budget for the cycling program is in the six figures, with a combination of state funding, local funds raised by cycling club activities, and finds from sponsors and supporters.

Fort Lewis also awards 10-15 cycling scholarships each year to promising cyclists who the staff feels will be the next generation of top collegiate racers.

Fort Lewis has a rich tradition of graduating students who go on to become elite professional racers. Alumni from the college’s cycling program have ridden for top professional teams and won multiple national championships.

Academics are also important, since students have to maintain good grades to be eligible to race as a team member.

Dave Hagen, FLC cycling program manager and head coach, says that student cyclists do well academically.

“Our cycling team members are above average academically, their GPAs are fourth among all collegiate sports at this college, and we have a very high graduation rate,” says Hagen.

Hagen says that the students are attracted to Fort Lewis because of several reasons.

“In addition to the strong academic reputation of both the college and our cycling team, the proximity to world-class trails and road cycling routes in the surrounding mountains is a big draw,” Hagen said. 

“Student cyclists also come here because of the close-knit community that we enjoy with the professional cyclists who live here.”

As you drive through downtown Durango and up on the mesa to the Fort Lewis campus, you’ll see bicycles parked everywhere and students riding their bikes on city streets, bike paths or on the trails that surround the campus.

Pierce, an FLC alum and former cycling team member, notes “I think having a variety of club sports such as cycling is important for any university. All students have athletic talents, even if it’s not in traditional sports like football or baseball.”

“From the ancient Greeks through the British in the nineteenth-century and up to now, people have realized the importance of educating and conditioning both the mind and the body. We need to encourage students to do both.”

Ride On, San Angelo, and remember — Fort Lewis College’s cycling program is a great example for other institutions to emulate.

Upcoming Events

• Aug. 17: Southland Shuffle, roadlizards.org
• Aug. 24: Armydillo 10K and 2-mile, roadlizards.org
• Sept. 5: Road Bike time trial,sanangelobicycleassociation.com
• Sept. 7: Comanche Warrior triathlon, visit bigspring.com/pages/comanchewarriortriathlon
• Sept. 7: Let It Go 5K, roadlizards.org
• Sept. 14: Run to Remember, angelo.edu/asufit
• Sept. 21: Family Day 5K, angelo.edu/asufit
• Oct. 2-Oct. 30: ASUFit cyclocross series, angelo.edu/asufit

August Running Events

Want to shuffle through Southland with the Road Lizards or run alongside military personnel from the Army and other branches of the service? No problem — you’ll have the chance to do both this month.

Even though the August weather will probably be typical hot, late summer conditions, area runners will turn out in droves for two of our region’s classic running events — the Southland Shuffle and later the Armydillo 10K.

Things kick off Aug. 17 with the 32nd Annual Southland Shuffle.

The Shuffle is one of the oldest ongoing running events in San Angelo, dating back to 1982. Kent Fish, his wife Anne, and their children have been on the race committee every year since the event was founded.

“In February of 1982, the newly-organized Road Lizards running club decided to set up a race calendar with a race for every month,” Kent Fish said. “As we went through the year month by month and came to August, there was a long silence with a few comments about how HOT it is to have a race in August.”

“When nobody else jumped in, we ‘volunteered’ and have been doing it ever since with a 7:30 (a.m.) start to beat the heat.”

Southland Shuffle has been a family affair from the start, with members of the Fish family creating handmade awards, marking the course and directing the event.

The race starts and finishes in Meadow Creek Park on Ridgecrest Lane in SW San Angelo with both the six-mile and two-mile courses following residential streets through the Southland subdivision. The six-mile route is an out-and-back that goes to a turnaround point located just east of Lamar Elementary.

For more information on the Southland Shuffle, visit www.roadlizards.org.

The second big running event in August will be the Armydillo 10K, scheduled for Aug. 24 in Spring Creek Park.

The organizing group is the Sentinel Foundation with Team RWB’s Tim Masshardt serving as the race director.

Armydillo will also be the first official “flag run” for the San Angelo Team RWB community. More information can be found at www.teamrwb.org.

Although Armydillo was AWOL from the local running calendar for a few years, it’s back and will be much improved for its 19th edition. Armydillo is unique in that it includes a two-mile formation run involving the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy and related organizations such as Team RWB, in addition to the open 10K and two-mile races.

Double-time at 180 steps per minute, sing out with gusto when calling cadence, stay in formation, and don’t leave anyone behind.

“After the completion of the 10K, the two-mile formation run will be held with teams from each of the services competing,” said race director Tim Masshardt. “We strongly encourage the public to come out and cheer on their favorite service to victory.

“We also encourage veterans in the area to come out and run with Team RWB in the formation run. For us, it’s not about how fast we go, but that we complete the mission as a team.”

You’ll see members of the San Angelo Team RWB community assisting with the race and also running — just look for their red RWB T-shirts with the Eagle logo.

The runners competing in the 10K run will enjoy one of the most scenic courses in San Angelo as they run through Spring Creek Park from near the marina to the turnaround point near the Nature Trail parking area on Spillway Road.

Much of the 10K route parallels the banks of the Spring Creek inlet of Lake Nasworthy with large trees providing shade in many areas.

The roads through the park are flat, but you’ll encounter a few rolling hills on Spillway Road after you exit the park’s back gate.

For more information on the Armydillo run, visit roadlizards.org.

Remember — it may be August, but you need to lace up those running shoes and come out for these two events!


Upcoming Events

• Aug. 15: Mountain bike time trial, sanangelobicycleassociation.co
• Aug. 17: Southland Shuffle, roadlizards.org
• Aug. 24: Armydillo 10K and 2-mile, roadlizards.org
• Sept. 5: Road Bike time trial, sanangelobicycleassociation.com Sept 7: Comanche Warrior triathlon, visitbigspring.com/pages/comanchewarriortriathlon
• Sept. 7: Let It Go 5K, roadlizards.org
• Sept. 14: Run to Remember, angelo.edu/asufit
• Sept. 21: Family Day 5K, angelo.edu/asufi
• Oct. 2-30: ASUFit cyclocross series, angelo.edu/asufi

Go High To Get Cool?

Mid-summer bike and run workouts here in the desert when it’s 100 degrees or higher are hot, sweaty, and sometimes demoralizing.

Frequent stops are needed to wipe sweat out of your eyes and squeeze water out of your dripping headband.

Buzzards swoop down for a closer look thinking you may soon be an easy meal.

You look forward to going into the wind because it’s marginally cooler than going downwind.

On the really hot days, you lug along twice the normal number of water bottles – one or two per hour to drink and extra water to pour over your head to avoid a melt-down.

I mulled over all of this while trying to cool down after a hard workout on a recent 100 degree day and decided I needed to find a cooler place for summer workouts.

“Go high, young man,” I thought. “It’s cooler at higher elevations.”

Science tells us that there is an approximate 3.5 degree F drop in temperature for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain.

For my next hot-day workout, I headed to the top of Spillway Hill near Lake Nasworthy. There’s not a lot of elevation gain (about 130 feet) but I figured higher must be cooler.

It was a little better up in the “high country” on Spillway Hill. Based on the 3.5 degree temperature change per 1,000 feet, it was about half of a degree cooler (.46 degrees to be exact). Not much, but here in the desert every little bit of summer cooling helps.

One half of one degree wasn’t quite what I had in mind, so I googled the elevation of some favorite Texan go-to summer destinations to see if I could identify where that mythical cold-day-in-you-know-where might be for future hot weather workouts.

My first fantasy workout trip took me to the Texas Alps resort  of Fort Davis, which sits at about 5,050 feet above sea level.  That’s 3,206 feet higher than San Angelo so when we’re at 100 degrees the temperature there should be about 89.

Fort Davis sounded better than San Angelo but still not nearly cool enough. My quest-for-the-cool took me further north to the mountain community of Ruidoso, New Mexico which is at 6,920 feet.  The heat (or lack of) looked better there – the 5,076 feet of additional elevation compared to The Oven on the Concho resulted in a calculated temperature of 82 degrees when San Angelo is at 100.

Still, 82 degrees can feel warm during vigorous exercise so I decided to go for broke and really get up above the tree line. The logical choice was the top of Pikes Peak at 14,114 feet, which would be about 12,270 feet higher than the Cactus Hotel parking lot.

Pikes Peak appeared to be the perfect “no-sweat” summer workout location with the altitude-adjusted temperature estimated to be about 43 degrees cooler than San Angelo.

I could live with wearing a light jacket during mid-summer workouts when it’s 57 degrees instead of 100 outside.

The only problem with the go-high logic is that there’s an inverse relationship between cooler air at higher altitudes and the amount of oxygen available in the less-dense air.

You can breathe well but sweat a lot here in the desert, or be cooler while gasping for air in the high country.

After thinking long and hard, I decided that the best mid-summer approach was a compromise between being cool and being able to breathe.

I went home, turned the air conditioner on full blast, hopped on the stationary bike, and cranked up a video of people cycling on high country mountain bike trails.

Looks like I found the perfect cool place for summer workouts in the desert, and -  I won’t need the supplemental oxygen tanks after all.

Remember – you have to be creative to survive summer workouts here in the desert. 

Upcoming Events

• Aug 15: Mountain bike time trial, sanangelobicycleassociation.com
• Aug 17: Southland Shuffle, roadlizards.org
• Aug 24: Armydillo 10K and 2-mile, roadlizards.org
• Sept 5: Road Bike time trial, sanangelobicycleassociation.com
• Sept 7: Comanche Warrior triathlon, visitbigspring.com/pages/comanchewarriortriathlon
• Sept 7: Let It Go 5K, roadlizards.org
• Sept 14: Run to Remember, angelo.edu/asufit