Survival of Austin's Fittest

Runners, walkers, bikers, dogs and babies (being pushed in jogging strollers, at least) all enjoy the trails at Town Lake. I discovered the trails when I started running, and they became a huge part of my half marathon training – there’s no better scenery than downtown Austin and a beautiful lake to help you reach your runner’s high.

But recent attention to trail dangers has some implications for those who like to work out in the great outdoors. Last fall, a young woman in my Dallas hometown was killed on Katy Trail, a path I have run several times. She was struck in a collision with a cyclist and passed away three days later.

Lauren Huddleston, age 28. Photo Credit: KDFW News

 The tragedy has led to cautionary guidelines and city debates for rules and regulations for Dallas trails. But what about the trails in Austin? And what else do Austin’s fittest need to be careful about?

The Path to Safety

Eighteen park rangers have been patrolling Austin’s trails since last September thanks to $1.1 million in city funding, according to the Austin American-Statesman article posted yesterday. The City of Austin’s Park Ranger Program encourages a “prudent speed” for bike-riders and describes the right-of-way system among walkers, joggers and cyclists.

“If a cyclist is moving four to five times faster than a runner, that’s a recipe for disaster,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of Jack and Adam’s triathlon shop, in the Statesman article. “Then you add earphones to either of them, any type of uneven terrain or variable, and something like what happened in Dallas could happen here.”

Park rangers can’t issue tickets, but they do stop to “educate trail users about the trail, including reminding them of proper trail etiquette,” the article said. About 2,200 reminders were warranted since September, surely preventing disaster – there is only one report of reckless riding in the same time period.

Tips for Trail-ers

 

Me and Mom at the 2010 Too Hot To Handle 15K

I have learned from my runner mother that there is more to worry about than collisions and trail congestion. Her 10 years of being a runner, combined with my two years, have inspired me to make a safety checklist for all the trail-enthusiasts out there:

• Treat walking, running or biking on a trail as you would driving on a highway: stick to the right side of the path, look both ways before you cross, don’t cut people off and pass people safely. If you’re biking, just call out “on your left.” I thought the verbal warning was rude when I started running, but I quickly learned it’s more frightening for a bike to whiz past you without notice.
• If you use headphones while you exercise, use just one of the earphones or turn down the volume enough to be able to hear street traffic. It’s important to be able to hear what’s going on around you! An added bonus: your ear drums will thank you, as just five minutes of listening to music on headphones full-blast can cause permanent damage.
• Don’t take valuables with you or wear jewelry. Tie your car or house key to your shoe strings, leave your wallet at home, and keep expensive gadgets like listening devices, cell phones and watches to a minimum.
• Have a form of identification on you in case of a medical emergency. My mom got me a RoadID for Christmas, and I honestly feel more prepared when I’m out running alone. A few of my cyclist friends have RoadIDs as well.
• Try to avoid exercising outside at night. If you have to, take a buddy – it can be more fun anyway! Also be careful of uneven terrain; I have a lot of friends who have fallen in the dark because of cracked concrete and rocks they couldn't see.
• As the Texas weather continues to heat up, it is imperative to stay hydrated. Drink at least eight big glasses of water a day and take advantage of water fountains on trails. Work out in the mornings or at dusk to miss the hottest part of the day.

These are the general safety rules I have set for myself. If you have any to add, please comment with suggestions!

Austin Competes for a Cause

As a fairly new runner who has participated in several races, I never realized how much of my entry fees were going to charities and organizations. By paying registration costs anywhere from $20 to $90 per person for events with up to 30,000 participants, I’ve helped raise some serious cash.

It didn’t hit me until running the 2011 Austin Half Marathon that I recognized the overwhelming amount of money fitness groupies bring in for those in need. I joined a LIVESTRONG team in January, and before I knew it, race day and over $300,000 for cancer research had come and gone. My small team of college friends alone raised $5,000.

Me and two of my LIVESTRONG teammates, Simone and Neven. Photo credit: Liz Spector.

Bike rides, runs and walks, triathlons, obstacle courses in the mud – you name it, Austin’s got it. And more than likely, it’s for a good cause. Even my very first race, the 2009 Turkey Trot, raised tens of thousands of dollars for the YMCA. And I thought I was just going for a nice jog before some turkey and football.

Does Austin’s love for fitness and training just happen to lead to donations, or do those who love to work out also love to help out?

The Make-A-Wish Foundation, a nonprofit that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening diseases, is just one example of an organization that uses fitness activities to fundraise. This year, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central & South Texas is hosting Over The Edge on June 25, where teams raise $1,500 to send one brave member to rappel “Over the Edge” of One American Center in downtown Austin.

Some brave atheletes will rappel down these 32 stories. Photo credit: Thomas Properties Group.

“Over the Edge will appeal to Austinites because Austin is a very youthful and active city, always looking for the next adventure,” said Chad Wicks, director of development for the Central Texas region of Make-A-Wish. “There are a lot of things to do in the outdoor community, and this is right up the alley of the people who live here. Our fundraising goal is $182,000 – I think this type of event will allow us to reach it. Fitness events are very successful. Other chapters’ signature events are runs and 5Ks, and they raise a couple hundred thousand dollars.” Get in on the fun and sign up at http://www.austinovertheedge.com/!

Tomorrow, March 24, H.E.A.T. Bootcamp is taking action to provide relief to Japan in wake of the recent earthquake and tsunami. Fitness Flash Mob: A Tribute to Japan will consist of 500 people “illuminated only by glow bracelets” performing a choreographed mix of “simple exercise, dance, and yoga led by Austin’s top trainers and yoga instructors.” According to the event’s Facebook page, 100 percent of proceeds will go to Japan through the American Red Cross. At $10 per person, that’s $5,000 for Japan. Simply show up at the Long Center, buy your glow bracelet and rock out in choreographed fashion for a great tribute!

Extreme and eccentric events like flash mobs and rappelling down a 32-story building are only a few ways you can get your workout on while donating to someone or something in need. Want a list of fundraising and fitness activities? So did I. Austin360.com’s recreation events calendar is a good one, and as always, RunTex’s calendar is a great list of fitness events, most of which sponsor organizations or charities.

Happy helping!

The Road To Number One

An Intro to Austin Health

Hippie Mecca, Live Music Capital of the World, emerging tech city, outdoor paradise.

Among the words used to describe Austin, Texas, fit is definitely on the list. Austin has been branded one of the healthiest cities in America, and it's obvious on a Saturday morning at crowded Town Lake trails that Austinites pride themselves on their fitness and health.

On Forbes’ list of fittest cities in 2009-2010, Austin comes in at number nine, behind cities like Washington D.C., Denver, Seattle and San Francisco. Austin was congratulated on its citizens eating lots of fruits and vegetables (thanks in part to our highly vegetarian and vegan populations), low rates of cardiovascular disease, and more acres of parkland per capita, but was criticized for lower number of primary health care providers, lower percent using public transportation to commute to work, and fewer recreation centers per capita.

For places like Birmingham and Detroit (numbers 45 and 44 on the list), being named tenth fittest city in the nation sounds like quite an accomplishment. Austin easily beat out other large Texas cities, with Houston at 41, San Antonio at 39 and Dallas at 35.

But for former Austin Mayor Will Wynn, just ranking wasn’t enough.

In 2004, Mayor Wynn introduced the Mayor’s Fitness Council to improve nutrition and physical activity in Austin, with an ultimate goal of being the fittest city in America. The council offers free fitness classes, online nutritional information, recipes, health and fitness organizations and health assessment tools for those looking to slim down and shape up.

“Fundamentally, your health is your wealth,” said Wynn in a 2004 KLRU video on the council's website. “If you don't have your health, not many other things matter much to you.” The former mayor also noted that if employee health improved by 10 percent, $8 million in taxes would be saved on health benefits, a figure that surely did not go unnoticed by the city financial officer.

A Mayoral Proclamation

Austin’s surprising lack of health didn’t escape First Lady Julie Byers, either.

By adopting First lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign, Austin’s own first lady hopes to encourage health and fitness by supporting each of the campaign’s four pillars through her Let’s Move Austin initiative to end childhood obesity:

1.       Help parents make healthy choices

2.       Create healthy schools

3.       Provide access to healthy and affordable food

4.       Promote physical activity

“Austin has long been hailed as a fit city, but the truth is that our city is not as healthy as we’d like to think. I believe it’s our responsibility as a community to try to help change that,” said Byers on the Let’s Move Austin! website.

Current Austin Mayor Leffingwell supported his wife’s campaign and proclaimed 2011 as Austin’s “Let’s Move” Year, beginning with the Mayoral Resolution Run on Jan. 3, 2011. Three hundred walkers and joggers showed up to the run, a good start to the mayor's resolution.

Photo from Let's Move Austin's website.

If you’d like more information on getting in shape in Austin, here’s a list of useful links:

• City of Austin trails
• Texercise
• RunTex Events Calendar
• Austin Gyms

Have some more info on fitness in Austin? Want to know more? I’m open to comments and suggestions!