October 11, 2009 “From Here to Eternity” 5K draws a record turnout It was good to see a record number of runners show up for the “From Here to Eternity” 5K this past week. The race organizers actually ran out of race T-shirts for some of the late-arriving runners. I was impressed with the regular wheelchair runner, Kristen Messer, as this is a very difficult course even for a two-legged runner. She made it up the hill and through the roads and turns in the cemetery in fine fashion. She really had an advantage once she came out of the cemetery, as there are some great downhill sections; and her specially-designed wheelchair began to achieve some Indy-style car speeds. She is headed to Japan to compete later this month, so she is a real serious competitor; and San Marcos is fortunate to have her show up for so many of our races. With the Pet Fest 5K just finishing with a run on the River Walk trail, the next races up are the Ronald Run 5K/Pi’s & Pups Pet Fun Run starting at the stage behind the Chamber of Commerce to run along the River Walk trail again. This race is scheduled for 7:00 a.m. If you are a really serious runner and want a nice challenge, you can enter this race and run a decent time, and then head out to the River Ridge Business Park for the popular Red Ribbon 5K and Family 1K run starting at 8:30 a.m. The kids run first, and get their medals at the finish from the Sheriff’s Department that emphasizes the path to being drug-free. The Red Ribbon 5K is well-attended; and since the course is certified and flat, many runners use it for trying to establish a PR to register in their logbook. The race is very well organized, with Sue Cohen and the San Marcos Runners Club on hand to make sure runners are well taken care of. On October 25 is the Country Roads Half Marathon; and if you are not going to run, we can always use more volunteers to help out. Give me a call at 396-2584 if you can handle getting up early on a Sunday morning to assist in making the run a success. With the number of races San Marcos has had this month, and good entries for the races, it is good to see an occasional new face at the run. There are always the regular runners that show up week after week, so seeing a newcomer to the sport of road racing is a welcome sight. It seems that this past week I have had several conversations with different individuals about the races and fitness in general. With so much information about the benefits of exercise in various media markets from newspapers, TV specials, magazine articles and the Internet news that we would not be listed as the fattest nation in the world and Texas as having more cities listed in the top ten fat cities. The benefits really do not cost much, as there are no pills to buy or shots to take; and to put on some workout clothes and a pair of comfortable shoes and begin to move is pretty much a free effort. Not everyone is going to be able to run; and if a person is overweight, running is just not much fun, as it is hard work and the knees and feet hurt. But as with everything else, it is best to start out slow and do a gradual build-up to a goal. Walking is a good start; and if that is hard on the knees because of weight, then a bike is great as there is no weight on the feet and the benefits are great. Swimming is an easy exercise to start; and even if you are not a Michael Phelps, the exercise will do you good. Tubing is not considered as a swimming exercise even if it is fun. The question that seems to be brought up by exercise people promoting a fit lifestyle is, “What does it take to motivate a person to enjoy the benefits of exercise and begin a fitness program in their lifestyle?” If you know that exercise is very good and beneficial, and can save you money in medical bills later in life, and give you a feeling of energy by simply walking out the door, why is it that people don’t take advantage of a bargain like that? A start does not have to be scheduled if you are still hesitant to begin a workout, but can begin by walking up stairs instead of taking an elevator; returning the cart back to the store after a shopping spree; taking the first parking spot you come to instead of driving around the lot several times waiting for a close open spot, or walking down the block to see a neighbor instead of calling them on the phone. Fitness is easy if you will just give it a chance. Dr. Maurice Johnson - better known around San Marcos as “Moe” - is a professor in the Department of Health, P.E., Recreation and Dance at Texas State University - San Marcos. Moe has been a fixture in the San Marcos running community - both as a runner and race organizer - since way back when Moby Dick was a minnow. His column on running and fitness appears each Sunday in the Sports section of the San Marcos Daily Record. • Recent “Running With Moe” Columns • Home • About the Club • Current News • Club Runs • Places To Run • TX Running Clubs • Running Links • Useful Stuff Upcoming Races • Race Results • Country Roads 10K & Kids Run • ARA-Moe’s Better Half Marathon • “Running With Moe” Contact Us!