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Kids and Exercise

The Best Way to Battle Childhood Obesity:
Get Your Kid Moving!

I heard a debate on CPR today about whether or not government money should be spent battling our country’s epidemic of obesity. As you doubtless know, the incidence of obesity is growing at an alarming rate — more than 15% of American adults are obese, and in nine states, over 30% of adults are obese.

But it’s our children who are most at risk. Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control — aided by video games, computers and other sedentary pursuits, and supersize portions.

So how do we fight it?

While experts no doubt are pondering solutions, sometimes I see the answer right in front of my eyes. Today I watched about a hundred kids aged 8-13 participate in Evergreen Park & Recreation District’s (EPRD) Kids Triathlon.  First they swam, then they rode, then they ran, before crossing the finish line and receiving a certificate.

Some of the younger, inexperienced swimmers needed pool buoys to keep them afloat for 25 yards across Buchanan Rec Center Pool. Some had their moms run along side them as they left the pool and ran to their bikes. Some girls rode onto the trail wearing helmets shaped like pink bears with little ears. One little boy was wearing an oversized “US Pro Cycling Challenge” jersey with matching riding gloves. Some were gasping and clutching their sides in pain as they limped across the finish line. Others charged onto the race course like Olympians, determined not to let anyone pass them.

But every child in this noncompetitive race had friends and family on the sidelines encouraging them. One mom waved a poster that said “Go, Alex!” Little girls waved pom poms and cheered for big brothers. Moms and grandmothers clicked photos and videos. The volunteer who managed the finish line called out to struggling youngsters, “That’s it! You got it! You’re almost there! You can do it!”

And you know what? I didn’t see a single case of childhood obesity today. Instead I saw healthy, active, happy kids, encouraged in their fitness pursuits by parents and friends in a friendly, noncompetitive atmosphere, on a beautiful summer day.

Battling childhood obesity? Perhaps it takes a village. And the Youth & Sports Expo on Buchanan Fields that followed the Kids Tri demonstrated that Evergreen is just the right kind of village to win this fight. It offers so many opportunities for children to stay active and healthy — from EPRD’s facilities, sports programs and teams; to Stingers soccer; to Nick’s Pro Fitness’s Tae Kwon Do classes; to Kinetic Dance; to the Tennis Bubble; to the trails on which we hike, bike and walk; and so much more.

So get your kids moving!

The Hammster

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Surviving the Heat

I lived my entire life on the east coast until I moved to Colorado 3 ½ years ago. That means I spent a lifetime of summers sweating in the oppressive heat. I lived for a decade in Washington, DC, a city built on a swamp where most summer evening runs would be enfolded by the crush of temperatures and humidity levels in the 90s.

One of my favorite things about living in Evergreen is that I barely shed a drop of sweat during summertime runs. Even when it’s blistering down the hill, up here at 7,200 feet I enjoy the breeze moving through my house, and the nip in the air at night – even in July and August – that requires me to keep a sweater close at hand.

But those are just distant memories? Aren’t they? For much of the last two months, I have been revisiting unpleasant memories of my former life grappling with heat and humidity. Being an athlete makes it even more difficult. But with another week stretching ahead of temperatures well into the 90s, it occurs to me that most people living here in the mountain area don’t have the benefit of experience on how to maintain fitness and survive in the summer heat.

So here are my tips on beating the heat:

  • Exercise early or late. Avoid the heat of the day if at all possible.
  • Wear a hat with a brim to keep your head cool. Get it wet if you can!
  • Wear light, breathable clothing.
  • Stay hydrated! Carry a water bottle. Start drinking half an hour before you start exercising, because it takes that long for the “juice” to reach your muscles. I recommend a sports drink to replace the electrolytes you lose through sweat.
  • Change it up to make life a little easier! Perhaps try riding a bike instead of running, because the breeze you create through speed cools you down. Or walk instead of run. If you do choose to run, reduce your mileage, or walk on the hills. Better yet, give yourself permission to take a day off!
  • Wear sunscreen. Obvious.
  • Carry a phone and ID, in case you run into trouble with the heat.
  • Consider moving your exercise indoors. We have lovely, air-conditioned recreation centers with lots of indoor class options.
  • Tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to be back.

Remember, you aren’t going to lose your fitness level if you cut back or take a day or two off because of the heat. You will lose a lot more if you push through it and hurt yourself by overheating. Listen to your body and enjoy the summer weather!

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Join the new Evergreen Multisport Club!

I love to work out, but I haven’t found the right group in Evergreen. The Denver Road Runners are too far away. Team Evergreen is too intense – I don’t always want to ride 50 or 100 miles over mountain passes. The Foothills Running & Cycling Club, which I helped found, decided to focus on Golden. I don’t want to have to drive 30 or 45 minutes to find workout partners — I want friends here in the mountain community, and friends who are pursuing the same healthy lifestyle as me.

So after three years of solitary workouts, I have taken the plunge and founded the Evergreen Multisport Club. I used that great online “Meetup” tool, which allows you to start a group and get it up and running immediately!

The Evergreen Multisport Club brings together athletes looking for training partners for running, cycling and swimming in our beautiful mountain community.

All ages, ability levels (from super slow to fast) and commitment levels (from casual duffer to intense competitor) are welcome, whether you are new to a sport, seriously training for a biathlon or triathlon, or just looking for someone to ride 20 miles with, or run 4 miles with, on a Saturday morning or after work on a weeknight.

Is the Evergreen Multisport Club right for you?

  • If Team Evergreen is too intense for you but you’re looking for a good workout with companions, the Evergreen Multisport Club is the place for you.
  • If you want to work out hard and be pushed by a peer, the Evergreen Multisport Club is the place for you.
  • If you’re just getting in shape and want support from a group, the Evergreen Multisport Club is the place for you.
  • If you want relay partners in races or multisport events, or a team to compete with, the Evergreen Multisport Club is the place for you.
  • If you want to discover new people and new trails, the Evergreen Multisport Club is the place for you.
  • If you enjoy eating brunch or throwing back a beer or two with a friend post-workout, the Evergreen Multisport Club is the place for you.

Regular workouts

The club’s first event, a 4-mile run in Lair o’ the Bear Park in Idledale on a recent Saturday morning, was marred by hail, pouring rain, and cancellations, but I went there anyway and ended up having a wonderful run and brunch with Julie S., another Evergreen athlete seeking friends in her community. We had four cyclists show up for our second event, a road ride in Ken Caryl; through fabulous red rocks.

The club is set up so anyone can post a workout and invite people to join them. We are having a social event on June 1 to get to know each other and talk about what we want the club to “be.” Join us!

Find the Evergreen Multisport Club online at http://www.meetup.com/EvergreenMultisportClub/.

— The Hammster

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Running 50 Miles for Fun and Firefighters

Believe it or not, there are people who think a marathon is short. There are people who love to run ridiculously long distances on a regular basis – 20 miles, 30, 50, even 100! I admit, I am not one of them. For me, a four or five mile run is just right. But I know a few crazies who revel in the “ultra” lifestyle.

One of them in our area is Janice O’Grady, a 60-something retired attorney from Conifer who looks 20 years younger. Her cheeks are pink, her eyes are bright, her step is spry, and I attribute it to her active lifestyle. Going out for a 20-mile run in a windstorm is no problem for her, though her porcelain doll beauty doesn’t hint to such inner steel.

“I’ve been running ultras since 1987,” she says. “I’ve done 110 of them now.”

In 2010, Janice pioneered a 50K (30.1 miles) and 50-mile trail run down in Pine to raise money for the North Fork Volunteer Fire Department. She started the race simply because “there was a need. When we moved here from California, I discovered that there weren’t any true Front Range mountain ultras. There was really a need and I knew how to do it so I did it!”

The first North Fork Trail Race attracted 110 ultra-runners. Last year, 150 people ran, and this June 30, she’s adding the Evergreen Chorale as a beneficiary and expecting 175 runners, coming in from all over the United States and even Italy.

“It’s an amazing number that are just local – Conifer and Evergreen,” Janice says. “We also see a bunch from Colorado Springs, Boulder, and all over the Denver metro area.”  Janice says the race is getting close to full, so sign up soon if you want to do it, at northfork50.com.

Volunteers Needed

Don’t want to run 30 or 50 miles? Completely understandable! Volunteers are also needed – to set up the course, give out water, help at the aid station at the halfway point, set up the BBQ, help with parking, register runners and more. Volunteers get a T-shirt with the race logo, all they care to eat at the l barbecue, and a day of fun and inspiration.  Please email northfork50@live.com to volunteer.

The Course

The North Fork Trail Race is run entirely on trails in the beautiful Buffalo Creek Recreation Area in the Pike National Forest. It starts and finishes at Pine Valley Ranch Park.  The course is hilly and it is very challenging for those who are not experienced mountain trail runners, but speedsters who are used to altitude enjoy the course.  The friendly aid stations, beautiful scenery and generous time limits make North Fork an excellent choice for a first trail ultramarathon. Runners get unique finisher awards, a high-quality gender-specific tech shirt, and a fabulous post-race barbecue.

North Fork Volunteer Fire Department

The North Fork Volunteer Fire Department protects the area where the race is run.  These firefighters have valiantly battled a number of fires in recent years that have changed the landscape. Learn more about them at www.northforkfire.org/.

The course winds through some of the burn areas, as well as through pristine forests of ponderosa and lodgepole pines dotted with fields of wildflowers.  It is 100% trails, mostly single track and some double track, with mostly good footing, at altitude ranging from 6,700 to 8,100 feet.  Elevation gain is about  4,500 feet for 50K and 7,200 feet for 50 miles.

Evergreen Chorale

Part of this year’s proceeds will also go to the Evergreen Chorale, members of which will be volunteering on race day.  Janice has appeared in a number of their theatrical and choral productions, most recently in a leading role in the musical Quilters. Learn about the Chorale at www.evergreenchorale.org/.

Contact Janice for more info about how you can get involved in the North Fork ultra race, at (303) 903-3533 or northfork50@live.com.