BikeWalkLee Blog: News-Press

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Thursday, June 20, 2019

BikeWalkLee: Hot fun in the summertime

BikeWalkLee Column
The News-Press, June 20, 2019
by Ken Gooderham

It’s a great time of year to be on your bike. But then, any time of year is a great time of year to ride.

But there’s something about cycling in the summer – less traffic, more daylight – that’s especially enjoyable. You can get out early before the heat of the day kicks in, or head out late after work or after the regularly scheduled thunderstorm.

Heat and humidity, you say? Of course, it’s Southwest Florida after all. You don’t spend the steamier half of the year here (May-October) unless you’re up for a little hot, wet weather. But the typical temps of a Southwest Florida summer don’t have to chase you inside, not if you plan ahead and prepare yourself for the climate.

The first step is to acclimatize yourself, getting ready for the heat by staying on the road as the temperatures rise. You can’t spend May and June sitting in front of an air conditioner and expect to be able to handle the furnace blast that is July… your body simply isn’t able to cope. But if you keep riding as the thermometer keeps rising, you’re going to be able to cope with heat better.

Not that you always need to… that’s the next step. Hit the roads or trails when it’s not so hot – before 11 a.m. and after 5 p.m., let’s say – and you’ll keep yourself more comfortable while still having enough time for a decent ride.

Choosing your route can also help, looking for paths or roads that offer some shade along the way. Even a momentary respite from direct sunlight can make a difference to your comfort level… as can a reasonable breeze, nature’s own air conditioning. Know which way the wind is blowing and (if possible) plan your route accordingly.

Next? Be aware of what you wear, opting for light, bright and quick-drying to keep you cooler and more visible. Leave the dark cotton T-shirts in the drawer and look for materials that wick moisture (meaning sweat) away and can dry pretty quickly. It is summertime, so you may need to include something to keep the rain off if you pedal into an inadvertent downpour (unless you don’t mind a little warm rainfall).

One last step to keep you cool(er): If you can’t avoid it, prepare for the sun by protecting your skin. Apply sunscreen enthusiastically and appropriately (remembering those body parts such as legs and arms that are more exposed during a typical ride). The other option is to cover up, looking at some of the outdoors gear that’s made to wick and reflect heat. Everyone has their own preferences… the key is to protect your skin in the best way you can that works for you.

Photo: cyclingmagazine.ca

Now we come to the most essential part of hot-weather cycling: Hydration. Ultimately, it’s the key to keeping your cool during summer cycling.

You should have two goals here: Cooling off and replacing what’s lost during exercise. For the former, have a two-stage plan – one bottle of cold liquid to drink first, another frozen to still be cold when you need to switch them out. For the latter, include a sports drink (for the sodium, minerals and carbs) in the hydration mix… how much you’ll need depends on how long you ride (and how much you sweat).

Don’t let the heat and humidity drive you inside. Take some time to plan and prepare, and you’ll be ready (and able) to ride all summer long.

Ride leader training ahead

Want to take your cycling skills to a new level? An upcoming class can get you certified as a ride leader, while honing your cycling skills to boot.

The training, offered by the Florida Bicycle Association, will be this Saturday, June 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the University of South Florida’s Center for Urban Transportation Research. Topics include:

Bike safety, Florida Bicycle and Pedestrian laws and cyclist rights on the road.
Preparation, from bodies to bikes, helmet fitting and nutrition.
Communication, from hand signals to how to give great pre-ride tutorials, on-the-ride coaching and how to brand your club or organization through cycling professionalism.
Coaching and Mentoring skills to develop stronger, safer cyclist in your club or organization.
Advanced cycling skills for 17+ mph group rides like paceline etiquette and how to control skill with speed.
Accident and rider-down tips and preparation.
Community and family ride leader skills.

This Ride Leader / Ride Marshal training and certification program is modular in approach, to allow registrants the opportunity to choose the modules that are most relevant for their needs and ride leader development.

Cost is $20 for FBA members, $35 for non-members. You must register in advance (and ASAP) at floridabicycle.org.

Ready to ride or run?

Run? Just one 5K this weekend, the Sugden Stride 5K at North Collier Regional Park (runeliteevents.com). But with July 4 on the horizon, there will be three 5K to choose from: Freedom 5K on the Cape Coral Bridge (ftmyerstrackclub.com); USA Independence Day 5K at Hertz Arena, Estero (runeliteevents.com); and Moe’s Firecracker 5K at Fleishmann Park, Naples (gcrunner.org)

Ride? Three Critical Mass rides ahead: The NE Lee night ride on Friday (June 21), the Cape Coral night ride on June 28, and the Saturday morning Slow Roll on June 29 in downtown Fort Myers. Lights are required for night rides and helmets are recommended; details at meetup.com. Looking for summer activities for your kids? The next week-long Wheel Lee Fun camp kicks off June 24 (the classes take a holiday break the following week, then return July 8). Details at caloosariders.org.

Both? Upcoming events include:

Sunday, June 22: Englewood Sprint Tri & Duathlon, Englewood Beach (swflymca.org)
Sunday, June 23: Sirens Sprint Tri, Sarasota (trifind.com)
Sunday, Aug. 4: Siesta Sprint Triathlon/Duathlon (trifind.com)
Monday, Sept. 2: Venice Sprint Tri, Sharky’s on the Pier, Venice (trifind.com)
Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 7-8: Galloway Captiva Tri. Sprint on Saturday, kids’ events Sunday (https://www.gearedup.biz/captiva-triathlon)
Saturday, Sept. 21: The Original Siesta Key Tri, sprint (runsignup.com)
Willing to drive? Check trifind.com or active.com for tris around the state.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE:

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

# # #

Ken Gooderham writes this on behalf of BikeWalkLee, 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.

Thursday, February 14, 2019

It’s a great time to get outside!

BikeWalkLee Column
The News-Press, Febuary 14, 2019
by Ken Gooderham

It’s gorgeous outside! What are you doing sitting here reading a newspaper?

Yes, if you like to ride, run or walk, it’s a great time of year weather-wise to be outdoors. Moderate temperatures and low chances for rain (mostly)… what’s not to love?

The only real obstacles you might face are wind and traffic – and both can be made more bearable with a few simple hacks.

Windy days are more frequent during the SW Florida winter, especially as cool fronts approach or pass through. We’ve had a few days this year where it was wiser to stay home than to brave the 25+ mph winds, but that’s rare. Otherwise, here’s some idea on how to cope:

    • Pick your route to lessen your time riding into a headwind, or tackle that stretch of the ride first, when your legs are fresher. If you’re going out and back, that means either going into the wind first and last or adjusting your route to avoid heading directly into the breeze.

    • Make yourself a smaller target, at least when it gets gusty. When riding into the wind, get as aerodynamic as you can so the wind has less of you to push against. Bend over your handlebars even if you don’t have a road bike (and use the drop handlebars if you do. Similarly, when the wind is at your back make yourself as big a target as possible to let nature give you a boost.

    • Drop down a gear (if you have that option) when headed into the wind, to give your legs a break and keep your pedaling cadence closer to normal. It will also keep you steadier on the bike, which is handy if the winds are pushing you around.

    • Dress appropriately. Think layers (to add or subtract depending on the direction) and fabrics (something more wind/water resistant on the outside to help you keep body heat, something wicking closer to your skin to keep moisture under control.

    • Know your limits. Wind is the closest things we have to hills here, in terms of making you work to make headway... which means if your legs aren’t used to extra resistance, you may want to work up to a long windy-day ride.

As far as traffic, it’s that time of year for both roadways and pathways. A lot of users, many of whom aren’t familiar with where they are or where they’re going, and a range of skill sets to boot.

That means the smartest thing you can do as a rider, runner or walker is be aware, be patient and be in control.

    • Be aware: On the pathways, know what’s going on around you and watch out for other creatures (human and otherwise) who may not know what to do as you approach. On roadways, paying attention is even more crucial in case other vehicle drivers are not watching out for you. Use all your senses (especially hearing, so lose the earphones so you can hear vehicles approach), ride bright (colors and lights) and smart (obey the rules, painful as that can be, when there are other vehicles around).

    • Be patient. If there’s a bottleneck on the bike path or construction on the roadway, don’t barrel through and hope for the best but back off and let things sort themselves out. You’re never in such a rush that putting yourself at risk is a smart idea.

    • Be in control. If there are dangers on the path ahead – be it inattentive children, wandering dogs or debris on the path – take charge of the situation and take whatever steps necessary to keep you and everyone else safe. That could mean warning people you’re coming through (always a good idea in a crowd, as well as required by law), even dismounting to walk past the problem (or move the problem out of the way if necessary).

On the road with other vehicles? Know your rights and know the rules – but also know that, in an argument between a motor vehicle and a bicycle, the little guy never wins. So if you have to yield even though you have the right-of-way, or if you run into a motorist who’s not altogether happy about sharing the road, you need to do whatever is necessary to keep yourself safe first, not count on everyone else to do the right thing (or anything at all).

Remember, wind and traffic are temporary inconveniences, and a small price to pay for getting to ride, run and walk in paradise.

So put down this newspaper and get outside!

Ready to ride or run?

Run? A big running weekend, with the Edison 5K (featuring a new route with a start/finish downtown) Saturday and the Paradise Coast half (and 5K) in Naples Sunday. Back to the 5Ks the next weekend, with Feb. 23 events in Labelle, Naples and Fort Myers. Details at ftmyerstrackclub.com, gcrunner.org, 3dracinginc.com, and runsignup.com.

Ride? Critical Mass ahead… tomorrow in NE Lee, Feb. 22 in Cape Coral and Feb. 23 in downtown Fort Myers for a slow roll. ON Feb. 24, two options: The Tour de Marco with 5-, 51- and 30-mile routes on the island’s roads and lanes, or the Dirty Hamster Hundred in the Babcock/Webb wildlife preserve south of Punta Gorda, with a 10- and 25-mile off-road loop and a 10-mile paved loop where you can ride till you drop, if that’s your thing. (meetup.com)

Both? Upcoming events include:

Saturday, May 11: Cape Coral Sprint Tri (trifind.com)
Saturday, May 18: Life’s a Beach Tri, Sarasota (trifind.com)
Sunday, June 2: 33rd Annual Fitness Challenge Triathlon, Naples (trifind.com)
Sunday, June 9: Heartland Sprint and Olympic Tri, Sebring (trifind.com)
Sunday, June 23: Sirens Sprint Tri, Sarasota (trifind.com)
Willing to drive? Check trifind.com or active.com for tris around the state.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE:

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

# # #

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

News-Press: Nationwide dangerous roads study again places Florida first; Cape Coral, Fort Myers drops

Fort Myers New-Press, Jan. 23, 2019

Nationwide dangerous roads study again places Florida first; Cape Coral, Fort Myers drops, by Michael Braun

Despite the reality of two pedestrian deaths in Lee County in the past eight days, a new study shows the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area is no longer the deadliest spot for people traveling on foot or bike in Florida.

However, Florida once again is the deadliest state for pedestrians, according to the national 2019 Dangerous By Design study.

The Florida Highway Patrol said Alana Marie Tamplin, 12, was walking south on the edge of Durrance Road near Deal Road when she was hit by this vehicle Monday. (Photo: Special to The News-Press/FHP)

The Cape Coral-Fort Myers area's decline in standing does not necessarily mean the area is safer, said Emiko Atherton, executive director of the National Complete Streets Coalition.

"We don't look at actual causation," she said of the study, adding that it wasn't likely a case of Lee County getting better. "Our best guess is that some other places in Florida got worse."

The two most recent pedestrian deaths in Lee County could give pause to that assessment.

On the morning of Jan. 14, 12-year-old Alana Tamplin was hit and killed as she walked along Durrance Street near her North Fort Myers home. A few days later Pauline Griffiths, 70, of Ontario, Canada, was trying to cross the northbound lanes of 41 in North Fort Myers and was hit and killed by a motorcycle. The motorcyclist also died in the crash.The mother of Alana, Sarah Tamplin, said another crash happened on Durrance in the past few days.

"Someone hit a rider and his horse on our street. So my comment is that clearly dark or daylight doesn't make a difference," she said. "If you are behind the wheel, you need to pay attention. Get rid of the distractions because your single moment of inattention can cost someone their lives and no one deserves to lose a loved one in such a senseless tragedy."

The study, released Jan. 22 by the National Complete Streets Coalition, ranked 100 major metropolitan areas across the U.S. that are the worst for pedestrian safety based on population, pedestrian commuters and fatalities and based on statistics gathered from 2007 to 2018.

The coalition is made up of Smart Growth America, AARP and other organizations.

The study showed drivers hit and killed 49,340 pedestrians nationwide from 2007-18.

Joining Florida at the top of the list again was Alabama. The rest of the top 10 states — Delaware, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and South Carolina — stayed the same but many switched positions.

In Florida in the 2007-18 period there have been 5,433 pedestrian deaths. California had more deaths in that time frame but, with a larger population, that state had a lower pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 population percentage.

"I'm not surprised that Lee County retains a position among the worse 10 nationwide," said Dan Moser, BikeWalkLee steering committee member and traffic safety consultant. "From my perspective, since the release of the 2016 report, there's been little to no action to address the problems or even a sense of urgency among our elected and transportation officials or tourism, building, and real estate sector reps. Only advocates, first responders and those in the health care system have been waving red flags. Otherwise it's been road-building and development business-as-usual. I'd hope that this latest report will finally light a fire under those who can change things for the better."

Florida metropolitan areas ranked high in the nation's top 10. In order, the most dangerous areas were: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Jacksonville, Bakersfield, California; Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, and Jackson, Mississippi.

A previous study ranked the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area as the deadliest in the nation for pedestrians. That report covered the 2005-14 period.

Don Scott, chair of the Metropolitan Planning Organization, said that Lee County recorded a positive in the past year with total traffic fatalities down, 93 compared to 113 in 2017.

"The negative is that pedestrian fatalities haven' changed," he said. There were 23 pedestrians deaths and four bicycle deaths in Lee County in 2018 compared to 18 and three in 2017.

Statewide, while overall traffic deaths dropped from 3,114 in 2017 to 3,004 in 2018, with pedestrian and bike deaths were up in that time. Pedestrian deaths rose from 658 to 668 and bicycle deaths went from 128 to 140.

"FHP encourages all motorists to drive sober, undistracted and with all occupants properly restrained," said Lt. Greg Bueno of the Florida Highway Patrol. "Motorists who follow all traffic laws, obey speed limits and operate in a courteous manner toward fellow drivers are always safer on the state’s highways. "

The report gave an expanded look at pedestrian safety patterns and examined how pedestrian fatalities disproportionately affected diverse communities and older people.

The report also presented data on pedestrian fatalities and injuries in every U.S. metro area included in the study, as well as state and county assessments and an online, interactive map showing the locations where pedestrian fatalities have occurred.

Among the solutions suggestion were better planning by state departments of transportation, more flexible federal guidelines for planners and engineers and higher federal funding priorities.

Deadliest areas for pedestrians
The report ranks the below metro areas for the top 20 highest (worst) “Pedestrian Danger Index” ratings:

1) Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

2) Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL

3) Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL

4) North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL

5) Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL

6) Jacksonville, FL

7) Bakersfield, CA

8) Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL

9) Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

10) Jackson, MS

11) Memphis, TN-AR

12) Baton Rouge, LA

13) Birmingham-Hoover, AL

14) Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

15) Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC

16) McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX

17) Albuquerque, NM

18) Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

19) Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

20) Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC

:More

Motorcyclist, pedestrian killed in crash on US 41 in North Fort Myers on Saturday
Lee County sees decline in traffic fatalities in 2018

Fort Myers-area traffic deaths hit triple digits for second consecutive year

BikeWalkLee: What all cyclists, pedestrians should know

Thursday, January 3, 2019

New year, new you?

BikeWalkLee Column
The News-Press, January 3, 2019
by Ken Gooderham

Will a happy new year mean a happier (or at least healthier) new you?

Tis the season for resolutions, and for myriad stories extolling the excellence of exercise. They’re right, of course – regular exercise has a host of health-improving benefits, leading to both a better quality and quantity of life.

Reaching the recommended level of exertion is not out of reach; the current levels are 150 minutes of Moderate aerobic activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous exertion) per week, plus strength training for all major muscle groups twice a week – or, for shorthand, 30 moderate minutes a day to maintain, and it doesn’t need to be continuous.

That’s possible in most daily lives – particular if you, first, find something you enjoy doing as exercise; and, second, find something that works into your usual daily routine.

Of course, you’d expect a group named BikeWalkLee to suggest biking or walking (running’s good, too, if you want to be more vigorous in your pursuit of fitness). Both can be done in a variety of place and times of day, both can easily be made part of one’s daily routine, and both are accessible to a variety of abilities and skill sets.

You can bike or walk for fun, for fitness, or for transportation… as a way to get things done or get some time alone. The cost of admission is another plus: Bicycles and good walking shoes can fit most budgets, and the facilities (sidewalks and bike paths or lanes, assuming there are some near you) are free… or at least you already paid for them.

Need to get more steps in? Walk to nearby errands rather than taking the car, or (if a car is unavoidable) park further away from your destination and hoof it the rest of the way. This time of year, you also have the advantage of a moderate climate to make the walk more welcoming.

Rather ride? Again, look at nearby errand that can be done by bike (which will also help control your purchases if you have to ride them back home). Have a close commute? Bike it a day or two a week… or even every day while the weather cooperates.

Need incentives? Set reasonable goals and be reasonable in reaching them. Need more than that? Find someone to help motivate you, if that’s your thing. Or use technology – in the form of any number of gadgets that will track your daily efforts by step, mile or other forms of measurement.

Of course, make sure you’re able to be more able by checking with a medical professional to be sure you’re healthy enough to get healthier. They can also recommend ways to work around existing conditions or how to make adjustments to make exercise more beneficial.

Making exercise routine, and making it a priority, will make it more likely you’ll keep at it and hit your goals (and more). If biking or walking simply becomes “what you do every day,” you’ll end up doing it – and that’s the point.

Because the bigger issue is not extolling exercise or harping on healthiness. It’s staying “well” enough to preserve your wellness – the “move it or lose it” approach. The longer you can maintain some basic level of fitness – a state of health and well-being -- the longer you’ll likely be able to maintain a good quality of life, to be able to do the things you enjoy and keep up with the people you want to have in your life.

Start to lose the ability to perform the most basic of physical activities and you start losing that quality of life – and once it’s gone, getting it back takes a lot of work (if it can be done at all).

Newton’s first law of motion says it best: "A body at rest will remain at rest, and a body in motion will remain in motion unless it is acted upon by an external force."

So make this new year the time you put (or keep) your body in motion, by making some kind of exercise regular, routine and rewarding.

Ready to ride or run?

Run? After a holiday break, races start ramping up again… with a Snowman’s Shuffle 5K run/walk at Lakes Park Saturday and the renamed Hooter’s River, Roots and Ruts trail run (10-mile or 5K) at the Caloosahatchee Regional Park in Alva on Sunday. Details at active.com, ftmyerstrackclub.com respectively.

Ride? Tomorrow night is the monthly Critical Mass night ride through downtown Fort Myers, with the Sanibel night ride set for Jan. 12. Front and rear bike lights required, so grab your helmet, bring all your friends. The regular Sunday morning rides continue as well; details on all at meetup.com . Looking for more of a challenge? Look to the Hamster Wheel 200 in Punta Gorda, a 12.5-mile loop you can ride to your heart’s content (or at least your leg’s ability). Details at peaceriverridersbicycleclub.com.

Both? Upcoming events include:

Sunday, Jan. 6: HITS Triathlon Series, with sprint, Olympic and half-Ironman distances. Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota (hitstriathlonseries.com)
Sunday, Feb.11: Tri Your Heart Out sprint, Sarasota (trifind.com)
Willing to drive? Check trifind.com or active.com for tris around the state.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE:

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

# # #

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Looking for rides, or riders?

BikeWalkLee Column
The News-Press, December 6, 2018
by Ken Gooderham

New to the area, or new to cycling in general? Looking for places to ride? We’ve got some ideas for you.

You may be a recent transplant or a newly arrived snowbird… ready to ride, but looking for good routes. Or perhaps you’re just starting your cycling, drawn by the fitness, fresh air and freedom to roam on two wheels… looking to expand your cycling horizons or just build up your skills.

Either way, the first question you should ask yourself: Are you looking for places to ride, people to ride with, or both? Your answer will affect the resources you need.

If you just want ideas on where to ride, there are a variety of options. From online maps to in-person suggestions from your local bike shop, you should be able to find the rides – with both the right locales and distances – you want… and enough to offer some variety once you start hitting the trails with purpose.

For an easy place to start, the BikeWalkLee website (bikewalklee.org) has a selection of Lee County bike maps, including the most recent guide to facilities throughout the county – a great option if you want to make up your own routes but need to know the conditions to help you make decisions. (Note: Remember that bike maps become out-of-date the minute they are printed, and that roadwork and other issues can impact the ride-ability of any route on a temporary [or not so temporary] basis.)

Click here for all our online bike maps.

Click here for an updated guide to biking resources in Lee County.

If you live close to a bike path, you can start from home and meander as far as your legs are able. If you’re not so lucky, there are a number of places you and your bike can drive to that can serve as a start/finish point for your bicycle excursions. Either way, the big overview maps will give you lots of options.

In other Southwest Florida counties, look for local resources that offer the same options. In Collier County, check out the colliermpo.org site for county bike facilities. In Charlotte County, traillink.com has a few routes listed. You can also find a lot of different options via Google, of course, with the usual warning about accuracy… for example, mapmyride.com pops up on many local searches, but most of the rides shown are five years old or older and thus may not reflect current conditions.

If you prefer the more social aspect of cycling, then you’re looking for fellow enthusiasts with which to share the road (or path or lane). Here; you also have plenty of choices.

The most accessible and plentiful group rides (at least in Lee County) is Critical Mass… less a bicycle club and more a bicycle social hour (or two). Offering five different rides a month and an easy-to-ride pace, it’s a great introduction both to riding and riders. Note: Most of the rides are at night, so you’ll also need lights (helmets recommended as well). If you’re looking for some paceline practice and faster speeds, look elsewhere… this will be far too relaxed (and probably festive) for your taste. Interested? Find out more at http://www.meetup.com/Biking-SWFL/events/.

For more serious riders (and rides), you’ll want to check out some of the local bicycle clubs. Here, where you live will probably determine who you’ll join:

Lee County: Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club (http://www.caloosariders.org/)
Sanibel: Sanibel Bicycle Club (http://sbcsite.altervista.org/SBC-Site/Home.html)
Bonita Bay: Bonita Bay Bicycle Club (https://bonitabaybicycleclub.com/)
Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte: The Peace River Riders Bicycle Club (http://www.peaceriverridersbicycleclub.com/)
North Port: Coastal Cruisers Bicycle Club (http://www.coastalcruisers.net/)
Naples: Naples Velo Community (https://naplesvelo.com/)

What does joining a club get you? Plenty of rides (usually multiple rides/multiple distances are scheduled each week, especially in season) and people to ride with; great skills-building opportunities, very useful if you want to become a better bicyclist; discounts at local bike shops and other businesses, and more. Most of all, if you’re interested in getting to know other people who love cycling, a club is a great place to look.

So, grab your maps or submit your membership… and get out and ride!

Ready to ride or run?

Run? Tis the season to be running, with plenty of seasonal events during the lead-up to the holidays (which are another good reason to grab those running shoes). You’ll find Xmas 5Ks on the calendar the next two weekends in Babcock Ranch, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples… and if you need more distance than that, there’s a half marathon in Sarasota this Sunday as well. Details at 3dracinginc.com and eliteevents.org.

Ride? Back-to-back Critical Mass rides ahead, with the big downtown ride Friday night and the Sanibel ride Saturday night; front and rear bike lights required. Grab your helmet, bring all your friends. The regular Sunday morning rides continue as well; details on all at meetup.com.

Both? Upcoming events include:

Sunday, Dec. 16: Christmas Sprint Triathlon/Duathlon, Sugden Regional Park, Naples (eliteevents.org)
Jan. 6: HITS Triathlon Series, with sprint, Olympic and half-Ironman distances. Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota (hitstriathlonseries.com)
Willing to drive? Check trifind.com or active.com for tris around the state.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE:

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

# # #

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Longing for a longer race?

BikeWalkLee Column
The News-Press, 11/22/2018
by Ken Gooderham

Some of you may be reading this after enjoying one of the many 5Ks offered on Turkey Day. (If you’re an early riser and ready to run, check out the local races on the adjacent list.)

If the Turkey Trot inspired you to look at more events and longer distances, you’re in luck. Our area is seeing an explosion of half marathons this season, starting with the Fall Classic Half held in Naples last weekend.

Half marathons are one of the fastest growing distances in running events… enough of a challenge to make you work for it, but not so much that training takes over your life. It also is a more manageable distance for both course distances and event times (compared to a marathon, at least), which is important if you need to use public roadways for your race course.

With this proliferation of halfs comes a desire (actually, a need) to make each event special (or at least different). That means a number of unique venues or features meant to make the race memorable (and to draw destination racers if possible). So you can pick a race that appeals to you in many different ways – from where you run to where you finish and the sights along the way, as well as the cause or nonprofit you’re running to support.

Speaking of different approaches, there are also a variety of training plans you can choose and use to get ready for your 13.1 miles of fun. Even though the distance is feasible for many runners, it’s still something you need to build toward… unless you’re already a committed distance runner (which means this is old news to you and you can move on to the Black Friday ads).

Once up on a time, you had just two half-marathon choices in Southwest Florida: The Naples Daily Hews Half (usually in January) in Naples and the Hooters Half (usually in March) in Fort Myers. (Hooters dropped the half after its 2017 running and has switched to sponsoring the River, Roots & Ruts 10-miler in Alva.)

No such limitations on choices this year… here are the races you can pick from locally:

Sunday, Dec. 9: Florida West Coast Half Marathon and 5K at Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota (eliteevents.org). The hook here is the finish, dubbed the “Final Floating Mile” where you run across the centerpiece lake at the park.
Sunday, Jan. 20: Naples Daily News Half Marathon at Cambier Park, Naples (napleshalfmarathon.net). Aside from running through some of the most expensive real estate on the Southwest Florida coast, this one also features cash prizes for open division and age groupers… so expect a lot of fast contestants.
Sunday, Feb. 3: Sarasota Music Half Marathon, downtown Sarasota (sarasotahalf.com). Starts at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center and runs out over the Ringling Causeway on Sarasota Bay to St. Armands Circle and back through south-of-downtown neighborhoods… also with a lot of bands along the race course to serenade or inspire you.
Sunday, Feb. 17: Paradise Coast Half Marathon and 5K, Lely Resort, Naples (eliteevents.org). The finish here is at the Florida Sports Park, renowned for its swamp buggy races.
Saturday, March 2: City of Palms Half Marathon & 5K, Florida Gulf Coast University (cityofpalmshalf.com). Its first year, one of the two halfs looking to pick up the mantle of the Hooters Half. It winds through the campus and some adjacent neighborhoods east of the interstate.
Sunday March 3: Lazy Flamingo Half Marathon and Relay, Fort Myers (ftmyerstrackclub.com). The other Hooters replacement, which winds through a few South Fort Myers neighborhoods and up McGregor before returning to the start/finish at the sponsoring restaurant.
Sunday, March 17: Marco Island Half Marathon & 5K, Marco Island (marcoislandhalfmarathon.com). This one features two high-bridge crossings (yes, actual hills of the manmade variety) and a lot of water views.
Sunday, March 24: First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon & Relay, downtown Sarasota (sarasotahalfmarathon.com). This event also takes you across Sarasota Bay to St. Armands, but the course heads further north from its Van Wezel starting point.

If you’re willing to travel, check out halfmarathons.net where you’ll find a half marathon almost every weekend… at least until the temperatures start to rise again and runners (and events geared for them) head indoors or up north.

So Happy Thanksgiving… sign up for a half and use that as your excuse for an extra helping of turkey today!

Ready to ride or run?

Run? There are Turkey Trots galore this morning, in Cape Coral (the oldest event of the day), Estero, FGCU and Naples… but if you haven’t already registered you may not be able to get in (check their websites). If you missed your chance today, the next races will be Dec. 1 – the 10K River Run in downtown Fort Myers and a 5K run/walk in Naples. Info at gcrunner.org, 3dracinginc.com, ftmyerstrackclub.com, runsignup.com and eliteevents.org.

Ride? A Critical Mass slow roll on Saturday morning might be a good choice to rouse you from a turkey-induced stupor. Should you need a more rigorous effort to counteract your holiday indulgences, there’s the annual Iron Joe Turkey Ride with distances up to 62 miles on Sunday, along with the Wakey, Wakey! Rides that morning (and most Sunday mornings). Critical Mass returns to the streets of Cape Coral on Friday, Nov. 30, for its traditional night ride (lights required, helmets recommended). Finally, the local Trek stores are offering a Poker Ride Sunday, Dec. 2, with an 80-mile poker ride, and 4-mile blackjack ride and a 10-mile fun ride. Critical Mass details at meetup.com , the Iron Joe ride can be found at caloosariders.org, and the Trek details are at www.bikesignup.com/Race/FL/FortMyers/TrekPokerRide.

Both? Upcoming events include:

Sunday, Dec. 16: Christmas Sprint Triathlon/Duathlon, Sugden Regional Park, Naples (eliteevents.org)
Jan. 6, 2019: HITS Triathlon Series, with sprint, Olympic and half-Ironman distances. Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota (hitstriathlonseries.com)
Willing to drive? Check trifind.com or active.com for tris around the state.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE:

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

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Thursday, May 24, 2018

Heat, humidity and hydration

BikeWalkLee Column
The News-Press, 5/24/2018
by Ken Gooderham

Today’s letter is H... as is heat and humidity, two conditions anyone who exercises (or just goes outside) in Southwest Florida this time of year understands intimately.

With the (apparent) advent of the rainy season, humidity is high… and the temperatures are sure to follow. And if you walk, run or bike, unless you plan to hit the gym this summer be prepared to hit a wall of hot and sticky as you walk out the door.

That brings us to another H – hydration.

Higher temps make it harder for your body to stay cool during outside activity. In response, you can expect to sweat more, since evaporation of that sweat is the chief way to lower body temperatures. If you don’t replace that sweat – both the water and the minerals – you run the risk of dehydration.

What are the symptoms?

    • Dizziness, confusion or lightheadedness.
    • Dry lips, mouth and skin.
    • Physical and mental fatigue.
    • Decreased pace and performance (if exercising).
    • Darkened urine… your best and often first indicator of dehydration.
    • Higher body temperature and heart rate.

So if you’re active and outside, and you notice any of these… reach for a water bottle immediately. If you feel all of these indicators, stop what you’re doing, start drinking and get to a cooler place immediately – because the next step is something you want to avoid… think hospitals, organ issues and risk to life.

What’s the best way to avoid dehydration? Stay hydrated! Drink throughout the day, but especially when you’re outside in the heat. If you frequently or vigorously exercise outside, it could be worth the time to calculate your sweat rate. That would allow you to fine-tune your hydration regime before, during and after for both the amount and the type of fluid.

Speaking of which, for most of us water is a good first choice for hydration. If you exercise, consider adding in a sports drink to replace electrolyte (and carbs if you’re going more than an hour).

Yes, you can have too much of a good thing in hydration. It’s called hyponatremia, when drinking too much water in a short time drops your blood’s sodium level too low – which can also have serious consequences.

That’s why the sweet spot for hydration during outdoor activity tends to be 24-30 oz. an hour – an average sports water bottle is right around 24 oz. – which keeps you hydrated without overwhelming your kidneys. As for how much to drink in a day, a Google search will give you a variety of guidelines you can use to figure out your personal needs.

Before we finish, let’s look at another H word – helmet. If you wear one while riding your bike, now’s a good time to check two things:

    • Age: Sun sweat and time take their toll on bike helmets, with most recommending it be replaced within five years (sooner if you ride a lot in this kind of climate). If you can’t remember when you bought it, that could be a sign it’s time to replace it – and if you’ve had a crash that impacted your helmet, definitely replace it since they are engineered for one impact only.

    • Fit: The concern here is not comfort (although that is a factor), but security… meaning will it stay on right to protect your head in an accident. Is the chin strap tight? Is it balanced front to back? Is it snug without being constricting? If in doubt, ask your bike guru to check your fit when you buy a new helmet, or check out the how-to guidelines online.

Of course, if you don’t ride with a helmet, you don’t need to worry about this. Instead you can worry about the danger of riding without a helmet, which can include serious or even fatal head injuries.

Ready to ride or run?

Run? Memorial Day weekend always means a run or two… with the Sandoval 5K run walk in Cape Coral and the SNIP 5K in Naples on Monday, May 28. The next weekend offers the inaugural Elks Lodge 5K in Cape Coral. Details at 3dracinginc.com or gcrunner.org.

Ride? You can always count on Critical Mass, with the Cape ride tomorrow (May 25) night, the downtown Fort Myers slow roll Saturday morning and the original downtown Fort Myers night ride on June 1. Lights required for night rides, helmets recommended for all; details at meetup.com/Biking-SWFL/events/.

Both? Upcoming events include:
    • Sunday, June 3: Fitness Challenge Sprint Tri, Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, Naples (active.com).
    • Saturday, July 14: Englewood YMCA Sprint Triathlon, Englewood (active.com)
    • Registration is open for the Galloway Captiva Tri on May 1; the race weekend is Sept. 15-16, with the kids’ events Saturday and the sprint tri Sunday.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE:

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

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Sunday, April 15, 2018

Editorial: Bringing walkable communities to Lee County

News-Press Editorial: April 15, 2018

Bringing walkable communities to Lee County

Tom Hayden, THAYDEN@NEWS-PRESS.COMPublished 5:00 p.m. ET April 13, 2018

The standard blueprint for building a community over the last 50 years has become a predictable nightmare.

It went something like this: Find ways to pack as many homes into an area as possible, try and build a school nearby, and by all means build wide roads, to handle lots of traffic created by these huge residential developments and commercial centers.

The problem with the template is it encourages more cars, encourages more suburban development, takes people away from what could be enticing downtown centers and limits the ability of people to walk, cycle or take public transit to places. And in Lee County, the model has led to a high number of traffic fatalities,

Building bigger roads is not the answer for many designers and innovators of walkable communities using smart street designs. Encouraging walkable communities is working in places like Asheville, North Carolina, and even in bigger cities like Chicago and New York.

That's why local civic activist Ann Pierce has organized her second walkable community event, bringing in experts in redesign of communities who have wanted fewer cars, more walkers and cyclists, more public transit use and safer streets.

The event, called Creating the Future Today Designing for People, Place & Profit, is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 19 in Building U-102 on the campus of Florida Southwestern State College.

Communities encouraging less vehicle traffic are not someone's pipe dream. They are happening and working. Cape Coral has embraced some of it by creating over 90 miles of cycling paths. Fort Myers Beach has some of it with new sidewalks. Fort Myers has a walkable downtown area. But we need more, especially with new projects online for the Beach, Fort Myers and Cape Coral.

"We have got to put everything to better use," said Dan Burden, one of next week's speakers who has authored safe streets and walkable communities programs throughout the country. "We have to build the kind of streets that allow for the right development."

Young adults, the millennial's and the Generation X population, aren't interested in being dependent on their vehicles to get around their communities. According to the National Association of Realtors, 79 percent want to live in walkable communities, and only 14 percent of them live in neighborhoods they consider walkable.

Collier County is looking at putting sections of U.S. 41 on a road diet, decreasing the number of vehicle lanes from six to four. The other two lanes could be used for street parking or for buffered bike lanes.

Building more roads or expanding current roads to handle more traffic isn't working in Lee County. More cars simply increase the chances for more road fatalities. The National Complete Streets Coalition ranked the state the most dangerous in the nation for pedestrians, with 5,189 people killed between 2003-12, including 163 in Lee County.

And the number of people killed has only continued to go up as 117 people died in Lee County crashes in 2017. Reversing this horrifying trend is not in our near future as the state continues to be a popular destination for domestic visitors with a record 98 million coming last year, as well as another 14.8 million international visitors. In the Dangerous By Design Report issued by Smart Growth America in 2016, the Cape Coral-Fort Myers area ranked the worst for pedestrian deaths.

Communities are not ignoring the importance of complete streets as 1,200 policies are now in place at state, regional and local levels. Lee County created a Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Action Plan in 2013 with the goal of reducing fatality and serious injury rates each year through 2019. There is plenty of work to be done to reduce those rates by 17 percent over three years.

It starts with parking cars, and walking, cycling or using public transit as next week's speakers will frame in their presentations.

Joe Minicozzi, who analyzes return on investment outcomes of local government decision making, will tell you government engineers need to break from the habit of building wider roads. "They don't understand the diet problem," he said. "You just don't go out and buy a bigger set of clothing. You don't induce people to go farther out (from urban areas)."

He wants people to look at how much their cities are worth in terms of taxable value and how suburbs can drain a government budget because of the need to try and keep up with infrastructure as people crowd into gated communities.

He uses a baseball analogy to sum up the wrong thinking of some community planners. He says one has a better chance of getting to "home," if you take more pitches and draw a walk, rather than the low percentage route of swinging big and trying for a home run.

Minicozzi wants city planners to not focus on parking requirements where there is no real return on investment for businesses, but rather a design that limits parking spots and encourages people to leave their car in one location and then walk from place to place.

Another speaker, Victor Dover, who helps create sustainable, walkable communities, says it's only a myth that bigger, wider routes help move vehicles through an area quicker. He believes roads should be built to give a person a choice: driving, walking, cycling or public transit.

He believes in tree-lined streets because shade - especially in Florida - can encourage walking. He believes in restoring dying shopping centers and malls into small communities where people can live, work, shop and play. "There is a need for more housing at all price points," he said. "We need to look at life between the buildings."

People want to be encouraged to get out of their cars and away from the congestion. It's good business and it's good health.

Walkable communities event

When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 19

Where: Building U-102, Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers

Cost: $90. Breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack included.

To register: MoveForward.ezevent.com

Speakers

Dan Burden, director of Innovation and Inspiration, Blue Zones, LLC. He will talk on Blue Zones or community improvement initiatives.

Jerry Champa, engineer, GHD. He will talk on transportation systems and other safety innovations.

David Clark, deputy secretary, Florida DEP. He will talk on integrating greenways and trails.

Victor Dover, principal-in-charge at Dover, Kohl and Partners. He will talk on thriving, walkable, thriving communities

Billy Hattaway, director, DOT, Orlando. He will talk on local government integration of land use and the new FDOT program.

Ian Lockwood, engineer, Toole Design Group. He will talk on solutions to increasing safety, economic and social value.

L.K. Nandam, FDOT Division 1 Secretary and DeWayne Carver, AICP. They will talk on the state's new complete streets program.

Joe Minicozzi, Urban 3. He will talk on analyzing return on investment outcomes of local government decision making.

Tom Hayden, senior engagement editor at The News-Press, writes this editorial on behalf of the editorial board.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Do you know your laws?

BikeWalkLee Column
The News-Press, 3/15/2018
by Ken Gooderham

With high season upon us, our roads aren’t the only place where congestion — and sometimes bad behavior — reign. Many of our pathways are quite busy and some reach capacity at times. Those include some stretches on Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, Bonita Beach, parts of McGregor Boulevard and sidewalks in the core of downtown Fort Myers. While full-time residents can forego overcrowded restaurants until things get back to normal, that’s not always an option for roads and pathways.

For those walking or running the most common complaints relate to cyclists who use the paths — which are frequently narrow sidewalks only 5 feet wide — but travel fast and fail to warn when passing. Another common gripe is that motorists fail to comply with crosswalks, don’t stop before making a right-on-red or block the crosswalk when waiting to proceed.

How well do you know your bicycle laws? Try this:

Is a bicycle is considered a vehicle?
Does a cyclist have a right to ride on a public roadway?
Can a cyclist be given a traffic ticket?
If you’re riding at night, does your bike need to have lights front and rear?
Can a cyclist use a headset while riding?
At what age must a cyclist wear a helmet?
Does a cyclist have to ride in the same direction as motor vehicle traffic?
Can cyclists ride more than two abreast on a public road?
Do cyclists have to warn pedestrians before overtaking them?
What width driving lane is considered “shareable”?

The answers:

Yes, according to Florida Statutes (FS) 316.003(2).
Yes.
Yes, for violating either the standard or bike-specific parts of FS Chapter 316. Good news is a bike citation does not accrue points on your record.
Yes, according to FS 316.2065(8).
No, according to FS 316.304.
Any cyclist under age 16 is required to wear a helmet. A smart cyclist of any age should wear one as well.
Yes, if you’re riding in the driving lane. No if on a sidewalk.
No, and they can only ride side-by-side if they do not impede traffic. If you’re riding on a bike-only lane, you can ride more than two abreast.
Yes, if on a sidewalk or crosswalk. Not a bad idea on a shared-use path, either.
14 feet, since that allows a motor vehicle to pass a cyclist in the same lane without violating the three-foot rule (the closest your vehicle is supposed to be to a cyclist).

Know them all? Great! Didn’t do too well? Consider heading to the Florida Bicycle Association website (http://floridabicycle.org/publications/) to download a copy of their “Complete Bicycle & Pedestrian Law Enforcement Guide.” A good summary of the pertinent statutes for both biking and walking.

Beware the autonomous auto

Bad news, cyclists. The driverless technology that’s going to revolutionize transportation? Not so good at seeing someone on a bike.

I guess we can’t be too surprised. Given all the trouble human drivers sometimes have sharing the road with cyclists, why would we expect AI would make it any better?

One study of autonomous cars – a phrase we’ll have to start getting used to – says bicycles are “the most difficult detection problem that autonomous vehicle systems face.”

Why? Nimble, small and unpredictable – the same issues that human drivers have with them.

One solution being proffered is to have cyclists wear a communications gizmo that would allow the autonomous vehicle to sense its digital presence. This could allow a faster response by the vehicle, befitting the bicycle’s more nimble moves (and the cyclist’s more unpredictable behavior).

Of course, this early in the beta-testing means the developers of autonomous-vehicle technology still have time to tweak the software, hopefully making it easier to sense bicyclists more in line with its capacity to navigate vehicles, pedestrians and various road hazards.

Who knows? Maybe if they find an answer for autonomous vehicles, they might figure out a way to make cyclists more visible to human-driven ones next!

Ready to ride or run?

Run? If your St. Patrick’s Day celebration needs to include a run, there’s one tonight in Naples, -- a 5K at Fit & Fuel (gcrunner.org). There are two options on March 24 – a 5K in Cape Coral (3dracing.com) or a 10K at Artis Naples (gcrunner.org).

Ride? On March 25, join the Cycling for Fallen Heroes event and pick from your choice of a 10-, 28-, 42- or 62-mile ride (active.com). A rare gap in Critical Mass rides due to the calendar, with the next one not until March 30 in Cape coral.

Both? Since it’s good to plan your tris in advance, put these three on the calendar:

Sunday, April 15: FGCU Eagle Sprint Tri and Duathlon, Florida Gulf Coast University (active.com).
Saturday, May 12: Cape Coral Yacht Club Sprint Tri (active.com).
Sunday, June 3: Fitness Challenge Sprint Tri, Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, Naples (active.com).
Also, registration opens for the Galloway Captiva Tri on May 1; the race weekend is Sept. 15-16, with the kids’ events Saturday and the sprint tri Sunday.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE:

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

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Thursday, January 18, 2018

The danger of distraction

BikeWalkLee and News-Press are focusing on the dangers of distracted driving, as the Florida Legislature is in session and considering legislation to address this epidemic. Below are the recent commentaries and articles on this topic. Stay tuned for more...and add your voices to the conversation.

1/6/18 News-Press Commentary by BWL's Darla Letourneau: As fatalities surge, no-texting law is No. 1 priority

1/4/18 BWL Blog: BWL urges Lee Legislative Delegation to strengthen FL laws re: distracted driving

1/19/18 News-Press commentary by Jay Anderson (SAJD) and Lynn Grant: My daughter suffers because of distracted driver

BWL Column: Being distracted could result in serious injuries
The News-Press, 1/18/2018

by Ken Gooderham

What are you doing right now – besides reading this?

Are you walking down the sidewalk? Riding your bike around the neighborhood? Driving your vehicle on our area’s overwrought roadways (please say no!)?

None of the above? Good… not that this article should demand your undivided attention, but that doing any other thing – particularly reading – while propelling yourself forward is rarely a great idea.

Most of us would agree that reading the newspaper while driving – or biking or walking – is not smart. So why do so many of us think that texting while driving is OK?

It’s not. It’s dangerous, to you and everyone around you.

pinterest.com

Don’t misunderstand, it’s also dangerous to text while biking or even while walking. It’s just particularly hazardous to be looking at a smartphone screen rather than where you are going when operating a moving two-ton (or more) vehicle.

Let’s face it: Multi-tasking is a myth. Most people cannot (and should not) do more than one thing at a time if they hope to do it well. That’s particularly true for driving, a skill (if you think back to your driver’s ed days) that takes multiple nearly instantaneous decisions to do even moderately well.

However, that’s also true to some degree for cycling and even walking. Riding a bike and using your phone means you’re not paying attention to where you are going nor to what’s going on around you – and you don’t have both hands on the handlebars either. Even walking while texting puts you at risk; looking at the phone instead of looking where you are going is how people walk into telephone poles, walk off piers, walk into other people, walk into traffic or whatever other YouTube-style moment you can think of. (It’s not always funny. Just a few weeks ago, an 11-year-old was hit and killed by a train in Haines City because her headphones blocked out the warning whistles and she was too engrossed in her phone to look up and see the approaching train.)

Doing anything while distracted is risky. Driving (or biking or walking) while distracted is dangerous.

Texting is singled out because it offers the hat trick of distraction, combining visual (looking where you are going), manual (not having your hands on the wheel) and cognitive (not thinking about what you are doing only) distractions.

Traffic experts say that sending or reading a text (which they say takes five seconds) while driving 55 mph means you will travel the length of a football field blind. That’s a lot of yards for something to go wrong… and there are plenty of statistics to show just how wrong it can and does go every year.

Many of you get that. Looking over the Facebook comments received by the News-Press after a BikeWalkLee op-ed was published in support of a proposed law to make texting while driving a primary offense in Florida, and the feeling was strong that such a law is needed – mixed with incredulity that it wasn’t already on the books. (There was also a significant tangent offered on the driving skill-sets of our snowbird drivers, another familiar theme.)

Does knowing that texting behind the wheel is bad stop them from doing it themselves? AAA says no, that 84% of drivers say texting while driving is dangerous but 36% of them do it anyway.

Distractions comes in more modes than just texting. Adjusting the radio (or whatever entertainment mode your vehicle has), disciplining your kids, eating or drinking, taking care of some personal hygiene issues – all this and more can take your attention away from driving your vehicle. If you’re on a bike or on foot, being distracted from your surroundings and your propulsion is also risky – even more so in the vicinity of a distracted driver, an all too common event.

Want to stay safe? Don’t drive (or bike or walk) while distracted. If someone around you is dangerously distracted, either ask them to pay attention to the task at hand or get far, far away from them.

Even though it should take only common sense to stop this instead of a law, laws have to step in when common sense is not so common. So support the effort to make texting while driving a primary offense, meaning someone can be stopped and ticketed if someone in law enforcement sees a driver texting in motion. Right now, it’s a secondary law, meaning a ticket can only be issued when an officer has another reason to pull someone over… say, because they just hit a cyclist or walker while texting.

A boost for Bonita and Estero

Thanks to a strong showing of community support and some local officials taking their case to Tallahassee, the Bonita-Estero Trail segment has been restored to the state’s Greenways and Trails map. That’s the first step to make the trail – which runs along U.S. 41 and Business 41 – a reality somewhere down the road.

The move not only puts this trail back on the map (and eligible for state funding), it helps boost some badly needed bike/ped infrastructure in the southern part of the county while connecting it to the Collier segment of the trail.

Thanks to Bonita Deputy Mayor Peter O’Flinn, Estero Councilmember Nick Batos and Lee MPO director Don Scott for making the case in Tallahassee, and to all the residents who wrote 880 letters in support of this effort.

Ready to ride or run?

Run? This Saturday, try a 5K run/walk as part of the weekend Tour de Cape at Cape Harbour (tourdecape.net). There’s a full schedule on Jan. 27, with 5Ks at the Calusa Nature Center in Fort Myers, the Civil Air Patrol in Naples and Hancock Elementary School in Cape Coral – plus a half-marathon and 5K at the Hands Across the Harbor in Punta Gorda. Details at ftmyerstrackclub.com, gcrunner.org, 3dracinginc.com and handsacrosstheharbor.com, respectively.

Ride? Choices abound, starting with the venerable Tour de Cape on Sunday with rides of 15, 30, 60 and 100 miles (tourdecape.net). Critical Mass rides upcoming include the Cape night ride on Jan. 26 and the Saturday Slow Roll in Fort Myers Jan. 27 (meetup.com/Biking-SWFL/events/). Jan. 27 also brings Hands Across The Harbor in Punta Gorda, with rides of 13.1, 20 or 30 miles (handsacrosstheharbor.com).

Both? Nothing nearby in the near term, check out trifind.com or active.com for events in the state.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE:

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

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Monday, January 8, 2018

What is fitness?

BWL Column
The News-Press, 1/4/2018
by Ken Gooderham

A new year can bring new resolve, perhaps to be a better person or at least to be a fitter one. Addressing the former is well above my pay grade, but working toward the latter is something about which there are insights to be shared.

First, fitness is a matter of routine, finding something you enjoy doing and will make a (habitual) part of your daily life.

As many have shared, fitness is not a destination but a process – and a crucial component of that process is regular ongoing activity. What that activity needs to be is based on your fitness goals, but it’s also based on your fitness feelings – meaning finding something (or some combination of things) you will do regularly and that will help you accomplish your goals.

If you want to get stronger, lift weights. If you want to get leaner, aerobic exercise is key. Is flexibility your target? Try yoga. Want a little bit of each? Then do a little of each – a good way to stay engaged and to avoid overuse of certain body parts to their eventual detriment.

You also need to look for things that are easy for you to do (almost) every day. That’s why we bring up biking, walking and running so often… activities that can be incorporated easily into your daily life, on your schedule and as part of other pursuits. (They also work well for where you live, at least in terms of weather if not always in terms of facilities.)

But some people need other motivators to get (and keep) them moving. They need to join a gym, let’s say, particularly one that’s close to either work or home, and one that has a variety of activities to keep things interesting. They may need to sign up for classes or coaching, working to get better at a specific task or practice via a commitment of time and money. Or they may need to find someone else with which to share their fitness pursuit, knowing that having someone who’s depending on you will boost your motivation and (maybe) combat boredom.

Second, you need to decide what fitness is to you before you can get there.

For some, fitness is a body image… muscular or slender, sculpted abs or bulging biceps. For others, fitness is a physical ability… able to run 5 miles or cycle a century, the strength to lift a certain amount of weight or the flexibility and focus to excel at yoga.

Some equate fitness with wellness, the ability to avoid disease to enjoy life with fewer aches and pains. Others see fitness as a state of being, some combination of mental and physical equilibrium that stays in one’s individual “sweet spot.”

All of these definitions can be correct… the key is to determine which one is the target for you. That will better define how you pursue fitness.

Being physically fit typically encompasses five components:
    • Cardiorespiratory endurance
    • Muscular endurance
    • Muscular strength
    • Flexibility
    • Body composition

So, while all of these are part of fitness, your view of what makes someone fit may focus more on one than the others. It helps to know that going in. That list is also a good reminder that fitness is not just one of these attributes, but a combination of them all… so the bulky body builder who can’t climb a flight of stairs or reasonably bend over is not “fit” by the usual measures.

Third, you need to know what motivates you to do something – and what does not motivate or, worse, has the opposite effect.

Let’s consider the currently faddish fitness trackers: Some people swear by them, others swear at them. If you like data and need daily goals, they can be great motivators to keep you moving (at least until you hit your target for that day). However, studies have shown that failing to make those goals can actually discourage people from even trying, or can undermine fitness efforts if the tracker’s purpose is not understood by the user (it measures movement, not your entire fitness regimen).

Then there’s the frustration many have with the technology itself, finding it too complicated or cumbersome to be an effective part of their routine. You also need to check that the tracker even tracks all the activities you want to measure; some models fail miserably at monitoring things such as cycling or swimming.

All of this is not meant to discourage you from working to be more fit – quite the opposite. Making the right choices early improves your chances for success and for sticking with a fitness practice that can work for you for the long haul.

Seniors, take a survey!

Carol Kachadoorian, a transportation planner with Toole Design Group, is doing research on seniors who cycle. She has launched a survey is for cyclists 50 years and older, which includes an option to complete an online journal of two cycling trips.

The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. It will remain open for several months in order to get the greatest number of responses. Go to https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3879293/Active-Seniors-Cycling-Survey to take the survey.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE:

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

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