Saturday, November 28, 2015

Nov. 30th: Upcoming running/walking/biking/tri events

Upcoming events

Running/walking:

Photo by News-Press

· Saturday, Dec. 5: 37^th annual River Run, 10K run/2-mile walk. Benefits GiGi’s Playhouse of Fort Myers, starts from Centennial Park in downtown Fort Myers. (www.ftmyerstrackclub.com)

· Sunday, Dec. 6: Everyone Runs 5K fun run, JetBlue Park, Fort Myers. 8 a.m. start. Benefits Boys and Girls Clubs of Lee County. (www.everyonerides.org/run/)

· Saturday, Dec. 19: 3rd annual Knights of Charity 10K, 19680 Cypress View Drive, Fort Myers. Funds raised will go towards the Food for Family Program. (3dracinginc.com)

· Saturday, Dec. 19: Santa Stroll 5K run and walk. Sugden Regional Park, 4284 Avalon Drive, Naples. 6 p.m. start. (www.eliteevents.org)

· Friday, Jan. 1: Dave Cranor 5K New Year’s Day. Lowdermilk Park, Naples. Cool off afterwards with Big Dave’s Polar Plunge (no wetsuits). (gcrunner.org)

· Saturday, Jan. 9: Facial Hair for Cancer Causes 5K run/walk, starts 8 a.m. Tara Woods, 19376 U.S. 41, North Fort Myers. (3dracinginc.com)

· Sunday, Jan. 10: 13th annual River, Roots and Ruts Trail Run, Caloosahatchee Regional Park, Alva. Half marathon and relay starts 8 a.m., 5K fun run 8:15 a.m. (www.ftmyerstrackclub.com)

· Sunday, Jan. 17: Naples Daily News Half Marathon, Fifth Avenue South, Naples. (gcrunner.org)

· Saturday, Jan. 30: Runs For The Paws, to support the Naples Humane Society. Scenic course around Naples Municipal Airport. (gcrunners.org)

· Sunday, Feb. 14: Paradise Coast Marathon, Half and 5K. Starts and ends at Florida Sports Park, Naples. (www.naplesmarathon.com)

Cycling:

· Friday, Dec. 4: SWFL Critical Mass ride. Join a family friendly slow ride through Fort Myers. Front and rear bike lights required. Grab your helmet, bring all your friends and meet in the open field next to Publix (check online for the start time) at First Street Village, 2160 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers. (twitter.com/swflcm)

· Sunday, Dec. 6: Everybody Rides, JetBlue Park, Fort Myers. Benefits Boys and Girls Clubs of Lee County. 15-, 30-, 62- and 80-mile rides, SAG support, 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. starts. (www.everyonerides.org/ride).

Saturday, Dec. 26th: Cape Coral Critical Mass ride: Slow ride, 10 miles starting at 7 p.m. Lights and helmets required. Meet at parking lot where Saturday Farmer's market held, SE 10th PL between SE 46th LN and SE 74th Terrace. This is a new monthly ride the last Friday of every month. (https://www.facebook.com/groups/SWFLcriticalmass/)

· Sunday, March 13: Annual Everglades Ride: 16 or 62 miles if you stay on the pavement, 27 miles if you don’t (options to adjust distance with all choices).Started from McLeod Park in Everglades City, benefits Friends of River of Grass Greenway and Friends of Fakahatchee. (http://www.caamevents.com/event/everglades-ride/).

Triathlons:

· Sunday, Dec. 20: Christmas Sprint Triathlon and Duathlon. Swim/bike/run or run/bike/run – your choice, all at Sugden Regional Park. (www.eliteevents.org)

· Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 9-10: 2016 HITS Naples Triathlon Weekend. Vanderbilt Beach. Full and half Ironman, Olympic, sprint and open triathlons. (http://hitstriathlonseries.com/naples-f/maps)

News-Press editorial: Get into the 'health zone'

Thanks to News-Press for its editorial in support of local efforts, led by Healthy Lee and the Blue Zones Project, to promote healthy lifestyles, with an emphasis on the role of the built environment and the importance of complete streets in this effort. The editorial also applauds BikeWalkLee's efforts in support of complete streets.

News-Press editorial Nov. 28, 2015
Below are excerpts:

The statistics are alarming and demand our attention: 1 out of every 4 children in the U.S. are too fat to serve in the military. The number of obese and overweight people in this country is pushing 70 percent.

Is there hope these statistics can change and change soon? Yes. We have been encouraged by the efforts of the Healthy Lee initiative, the Million Mile Movement crusade, the efforts of the Lee Memorial Health System to invest so much into health and wellness programs and now the healthy living program rolling out in Collier County called the Blue Zones Project. The city of Naples is investing in the project that has been embraced by 26 U.S. cities. We also are pleased to see that Bonita Springs, Estero, FGCU and Florida SouthWestern State College officials have expressed interest in the project as well.

Investing in healthier lifestyles – finding time to exercise and improving eating habits – should be at the top of everyone’s priority list. This should be a lifetime commitment, starting with parents encouraging their children to exercise and promoting a healthy eating lifestyle. It should continue into the school systems, where healthy breakfasts and lunches are provided and vending machines are loaded with nutrition. It should be encouraged in the work place and made a priority for seniors, either those living on their own or in senior living facilities....

......Healthy Lee and the dedication of those involved with the initiative has been a positive response. Fittingly, the program was recognized in July by America’s Essential Hospitals, winning the 2015 Gage Award for Population Health, which nationally honors activities that improve health outcomes. The latest Healthy Lee cause to promote positive lifestyle changes is the Million Mile Movement, which has encouraged the community to log one million miles by Dec. 29. There are over 1,200 participants in the challenge, but there is plenty of work to be done to reach the goal. As of this week, only 211,000 miles have been logged in the first 60 days, with only a month to go to the deadline. We applaud the efforts of Michael McCullough (1,880 miles), Bob Green (1,759), and Matt Moomaw (1,296), who are the challenge pacesetters.

We also applaud the efforts of BikeWalkLee and the dedication of its members to encourage communities to follow the Smart Streets concept and build streets that not only accommodate vehicles but also paths for cyclists and pedestrians. This not only promotes safe streets but also exercise.

The Blue Zones initiative and the work of Naples Community Health to lead the program also deserves our praise. “We want to get out of the repair business and into the prevention and maintenance business,” Naples Community Health CEO and President Allen Weiss said.

He is right. Encouraging healthy lifestyles now, through programs like Blue Zones and Healthy Lee, can lower the risks of developing diabetes and other diseases. We also applaud the efforts of those on the project’s steering committee and others who have reached out to the low income communities in Immokalee and other areas, as well as faith-based organizations, to encourage their participation as well.

Click here to read the full editorial.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Critical Mass Comes to Cape Coral starting Friday Nov. 27th

Great to see 70 participants in Friday night's first Critical Mass Ride in Cape Coral. The event was covered by NBC-2 News. The next ride will be Saturday Dec. 26th. Then the following rides will be on the last Friday of every month. If you're interested in leading this monthly ride, please contact Mike Swanson.

NBC-2 News story 11/27/15:

CAPE CORAL, FL -

Downtown Cape Coral was filled with the lights and sounds of bells and whistles Friday night as Southwest Florida's bike advocate group Critical Mass held their first event.

- Using our app? CLICK HERE to watch video

"It's what we're here for... We go out there. We do our rides. It's fun, and it also shows the awareness," said biker Darlene Flynn.

It comes on the heels of the city earning its first ever bronze award from the League of American Bicyclists. But it also comes as accidents involving bicycles remain high in Southwest Florida.

Lee County is the third deadliest for bikers in the state. Group organizers said the rides are all about spreading awareness and reminding other bikers to stay as visible as possible.

"We're just a good, fun group, and it brings a lot of people together, and you open some eyes up," said Rob Seibert, a member of SWFL's Critical Mass. "When you have a couple hundred..., 300 bicycles out there well lit up, it says an awful lot."

If you're interested in joining, check out their Facebook page.

The popular Critical Mass Ride in Fort Myers is expanding to Cape Coral starting Friday, November 27.. Plans are to have the ride monthly on the last Friday of the month. The ride is about 10 miles starting at 7 PM. Lights and helmets are required. This is a slow paced ride and many of the riders add decorative lights to their bikes. Starts in the parking lot where the Saturday Farmer’s market is held, SE 10^th PL between SE 46^th LN and SE 47^th Ter (closest address is 4634 SE 10^thPL). Learn more about Critical Mass on their Facebook page.

BWL Column: What a bike-friendly designation means to you

Last week we celebrated two new local communities earning Bicycle Friendly Community status--Cape Coral and Naples. This week we look at what it means for cyclists and residents in those communities. Thanks to BWL's Ken Gooderham for writing this excellent column.

BikeWalkLee's News-Press "Go Coastal" column: Nov. 25, 2015

http://www.news-press.com/story/life/outdoors/2015/11/25/what-bike-friendly-designation-means-you/76256610/

The news that both Cape Coral and Naples recently earned a bronze Bike Friendly Community designation was widely hailed. But what does that mean for cyclists and residents in those two cities?

It means these municipalities are working to improve conditions for cyclists – and, by extension, everyone. That’s not just bike paths; it’s education and coordination, a focus on safety for all road users, and a reduction in fatalities even with an increase in ridership.

It means they are committed to actual improvements, not just the status quo. The League of American Bicyclists (LAB), the group which awards the designation, doesn’t grade on promises, but on actions. LAB has very specific benchmarks communities ought to meet to even get on the bike-friendly chart, while recognizing that no two communities are alike. The common theme is to show progress in making your city better for biking – and that doesn’t happen through speeches and platitudes, but with a commitment to improvement with the funding and staffing to back it up.

It means they support the economic enhancements better bicycle infrastructure brings. Better bike facilities bring people to business areas and, better yet, keep them there longer to potentially spend money and attract other buyers (and sellers). The BFC designation is a tourism tool as well, telling people who are looking for a place to play (and stay) that a community has this very attractive amenity to offer them, is a place that values safety and fitness, and doesn’t necessarily rely on cars to make things happen.

It means these are cities with strong leadership and strategic community support. Better bike-friendliness almost always tends to involve a public-private partnership, where a strong private-sector advocate works with (and motivates) a willing public-sector implementer. It takes time to achieve, requiring a network of partners with focus and staying power – essential building blocks for any community-building effort and a sign of strength whatever the undertaking.

From left: Cape Coral City Manager John Szerlag; Mayor Marni Sawicki; Gary Aubuchon, representing Cape Coral Bike-Ped, and Steve Neff, Public Works director, were on hand when Cape Coral earned a bronze Bike Friendly Community designation. (Photo: special to the news-press)

It means they have more work to do – and you need to support them in those efforts. A Bronze designation is great, certainly a moment to be savored. But keeping the designation takes work, and improving it takes even more. Even moving up to Silver is challenging, as Sanibel (the closest thing we have to a bike mecca in the region) found out when it made the move up a few years back.
For example, in weighing bike friendliness LAB looks at how communities fare in the five Es:

Engineering: Creating safe and convenient places to ride and park.
Education: Giving people of all ages and abilities the skills and confidence to ride.
Encouragement: Creating a strong bike culture that welcomes and celebrates bicycling.
Enforcement: Ensuring safe roads for all users.
Evaluation & planning: Planning for bicycling as a safe and viable transportation option.

So making progress is a multi-level effort – more than just building more bike paths or holding a few more classes. Winning the BFC designation shows Cape Coral and Naples are willing to start the process. But to keep it and improve on it will take even more support from the community and commitment from city officials and staff. So if you’re a resident (and a bike rider) in these cities, lend your support to keep these enhancements rolling forward – so both cities can keep going for the Gold (or Platinum or even, unlikely as that may be, a Diamond designation).

BikeWalkLee is a community coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County—streets that are designed, built, operated and maintained for safe and convenient travel for all users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities. Information, statistics and background online at www.BikeWalkLee.org.

Ready to ride or run?
Run: Up early Thursday? Join the turkey trotting tradition either with the venerable Turkey Trot in Cape Coral (starts 7:30 a.m.) or a new 5K at Germain Arena (starts 7 a.m.). Too late for those? Then plan on the 10K River Run (downtown Fort Myers Dec. 5) or the 5K Everybody Runs (JetBlue Park Dec. 6).
Ride: Skip the leftovers and the shopping, and join the Caloosa Riders for their traditional Turkey Leg Century Ride on Friday (www.caloosariders.org). Or celebrate the birthday ride for Go Girl Cycling on Sunday. Too much? Then wait for the monthly SW Florida Critical Mass ride on Friday, Dec. 4.
Both: Try a tri for the holidays at the Christmas Sprint in Naples Dec. 20, or get training for the HITS Naples Triathlon Weekend Jan. 9-10.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Nov. 23rd: Upcoming running/walking/biking/tri events

Upcoming events

Running/walking:

· Thursday, Nov. 26: The 36^th annual Turkey Trot kicks off Thanksgiving with its traditional 5K run/walk and more (1-mile fun run, 100-yard Tot Trot). Benefits Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. 7:30 a.m. start at Cape Coral Wellness Center, 609 SE 13th Court, Cape Coral. (www.ftmyerstrackclub.com)

Photo by News-Press

· Thursday, Nov. 26: Thanksgiving Day 5K run and walk. Germain Arena, 11000 Everblades Parkway, Estero. 7 a.m. start, benefits San Carlos Park Roller Hockey. (www.eliteevents.org)