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| Getty/News-Press photo |
It’s the day after Christmas, and family is probably still in town
and the vacations are still at full swing for many of us. Ready to flee
from the festivities for a little while, or just looking to establish a
new holiday tradition?
Grab your bike and or walking shoes and hit the road. Why?
•
To avoid the tween-holidays traffic gridlock (or at least not
contribute to it). This goes double if you happen to be out on any of
our island communities, where you might even make better time on your
bike.
• To get
your guests out of your house for a little while – and give them an
experience they’d never get at home this time of year.
• To get some exercise to counter those Christmas calories. Even a leisurely walk or ride beats sitting on the couch.
•
To help handcuff the holiday blues. Even 30 minutes of exercise a few
days a week can lift your spirits and lower your stress.
•
To get some easy gift ideas for the biker or walker in your life.
There are myriad great gifts available at your local bike shop or
sporting goods store, whatever your price range. Ride to the store to do
your shopping and you can accomplish two goals at once.
•
To get out and enjoy our beautiful area during one of the nicest times
of the year. Hey, people pay big bucks to come here during the
holidays. Those of us who live here can get all this for free… and what
better way to enjoy it than on a bike or on foot!
•
To enjoy the holiday decorations at a much more leisurely pace...
either walking through a brightly lit neighborhood or (if you have the
necessary lights) enjoying the sights by bike.
•
To do something together as a family. Biking or walking is within the
grasp of most family members, as well as a great change of scenery and a
fun activity for all.
•
To take advantage of the more relaxed work schedules some of us get
to enjoy this time of year (once the Christmas rush is done). More free
time can mean more rides—or at least the option to get a ride or walk in
during the week instead of having to wait until the weekend.
Besides,
one horse open sleighs are so last century. If you really want to
jingle some bells, hang them on your bike and head out for a ride!
Upcoming Events
Running/walking:
• Sunday, Jan. 5: River Roots and
Ruts, half marathon and 5K fun run, Caloosahatchee Regional Park, Alva
(ftmyerstrackclub.com)
• Saturday, Jan. 11: Mud Run, to benefit
Golisano Children’s Hospital. 3-mile adult run, 0.5- and 1-mile kid’s
runs. Red Neck Yacht Club, Punta Gorda (southfloridamudrun.com)
• Sunday, March 2: Hooters Half Marathon, Fort Myers (hootershalfmarathon.com)
Cycling & other events:
• Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 18-19, Tour de Cape, Cape Harbour Resort, Cape Coral (tourdecape.net)
• Saturday, Feb. 15: Ride for Hope, Bonita Springs. 10- 25- and 50-mile options (hopehcs.org/ride)
• Sunday, March 16: Royal Palm Classic, organized by the Caloosa Riders, details to come (caloosariders.org)
•
Saturday, March 29: Walk, Wheel, & Wobble for Ataxia, Florida
Gulf Coast University. 10-, 30- and 62-mile rides, 5K run
(knowataxia.webs.com/)
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