The latest on trail running and adventure cycling

River, Ruts, and Roots Half-Marathon and 5K

Our area’s always-challenging long distance trail race had an interesting twist this year: wet paths and cold weather. But neither complication appeared to dissuade anyone from taking part or from enjoying themselves (in a masochistic kind of way).

The half-marathon is limited to 250 so as not to overload the single-track trail system. Of those, 50 or so were part of a two-person relay so 300 runners actually took part. An additional 80 runners enjoyed the 5K fun-run, held exclusively on the relatively easy hiking trails of Caloosahatchee Regional Park’s south side.

What made the

bike trails so difficult — besides the very creative “features” built into them by the Mudcutters bike club — was the water from the pre-cold front rain that was left standing on the clay that makes up much of the terrain. If you know anything about clay, you understand that it’s almost impervious so water won’t filter through but instead must evaporate to dissipate, a process that takes time. And clay is also very slick, thus making the trails ice-like in some places. Add to that tight muscles due to the cold air, and wet shoes from standing water, and the worst was expected.

But to the surprise of many, neither the trail conditions nor weather caused there to be nearly as many bumps, scrapes and bruises as in previous years. Unfortunately, at least one runner did not finish due to dehydration, something that’s more common than might be expected with cold conditions, usually a result of the runners not recognizing their need to continually hydrate in any long distance run, regardless of temperature.

Many thanks are in order to Caloosahatchee Regional Park staff, Florida Mudcutters, Fort Myers Track Club and all of the volunteers who made this happen for the event’s seventh year. Based on comments from participants and organizers alike, it looks like it’ll be around for a while longer.

Be sure to mark your calendars for next year’s race, being held on Sunday, Jan. 9. Remember, only 250 runners or teams are permitted, so register early. For complete results and photos, go to www.rrrtrail.com.

Adventure Cycling director pays a visit to Fort Myers

BikeWalkLee, Re-Connecting Lee and the Florida Bicycle Association play host to Jim Sayer, the executive director of the Adventure Cycling Association, when he comes to town on a statewide tour. Mr. Sayer, whose nonprofit organization’s mission is “to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle for fitness, fun, and self-discovery,” will be on hand to offer information about the organization and the role it plays both in promoting travel by bicycle and improving conditions for cyclists around the country through advocacy and other means.

You’re invited to participate in this interactive presentation from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, at Spirits of Bacchus, on the corner of Hendry Street and Bay Street in downtown Fort Myers. Happy hour — with complimentary food — at this very unique establishment immediately follows, so plan to stick around for the evening.

Visit www.adventurecycling.org for more about the organization, Executive Director Jim Sayer and the interactive presentation. Or you can contact me for more information.

Until next time, I’ll look for you on the roads and trails. 

— Dan Moser is a league cycling instructor/

trainer and program manager for the

Florida Bicycle Association who cycles, runs

and walks regularly. He may be contacted at

dan@floridabicycle.org or 334-6417.

Upcoming Events

RUNNING/WALKING:

>>Tour de Cape 5K: Saturday, Jan. 16, Cape Coral (http://www.active.com/running/capecoral fl/tour-de-cape-2010)

>>Naples Daily News Half Marathon: Sunday, Jan. 17, Naples (http://napleshalfmarathon. net/)

>>Calusa Bug Chase 5K: Saturday, Jan. 23, Calusa Nature Center, Fort Myers (www. ftmyerstrackclub.com)

>>Race the Roof 5K: Saturday, Jan. 30, Verandah Community, SR 80 and SR 31, Fort Myers (www.ftmyerstrackclub.com)

>>Edison Festival 5K: Saturday, Feb. 20, downtown Fort Myers (www.ftmyerstrackclub.com) For more Lee County running events, visit Fort Myers Track Club (www.ftmyerstrackclub.com) and 3-D Runners (www.3dracinginc.com). For Naples/Collier running info, it’s the Gulf Coast Runners (www.gcrunner.org). Charlotte County running information is at www.zoomersrun. com. Walkers can visit www.meetup.com/ Walking-SWFL.

CYCLING:

>>Tour de Cape: Sunday, Jan. 17, Cape Coral (http://www.active.com/running/cape-coral-fl/ tour-de-cape-2010; http://www.flasports.com/ page_seniorgames.shtml” )

>>Pedaling For Pathways: Sunday, Jan. 24, Naples (http://naplespathways.org/)

Visit Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club at www. caloosariders.com, Florida Mudcutters at www. mudcutters.org; Naples Pathways Coalition at www.naplespathways.org; and Naples Velo at www.naplesvelo.com for more information on local bicycling activities, including weekly rides. The Florida Bicycle Association (www.floridabicycle. org) is your source for statewide happenings.