July 18, 2010 Run2Purgatory 5K perfect chance to get kids out and moving For a very unusual run, runners and walkers need to be around next weekend for a 5K run here in San Marcos. For everyone, this has to be the best run of this kind. The Run2Purgatory 5K is scheduled to be run on Saturday, July 24th starting with registration at 7:00 a.m. at the Wonder World Drive intersection. This is in celebration of the opening of the new road extension that will connect to Ranch Road 12 a few miles down the road. Runners and walkers will have the chance to get an “up close and personal” look at the new extension for a portion of the new road. When I mentioned that this is an unusual run, it is the fact that the entry fee is "FREE" and that this includes a T-shirt as well. It is best if you pre-register by calling 393-8280 and getting your name on the entry list. There are no age-group awards or age categories for the ceremonial run/walk; but for a free entry with a T-shirt, there is not much to complain about. I am not sure what the parking arrangements are for the area, and it might be limited to the shopping parking lots across the street; so be prepared to adjust to the directions of the race organizers on this portion of the run. Whether you run or walk is up to the individual person; and the route will be an out-and-back course that will be a great way to start the weekend and view the new road extension. It is anticipated that there will be a big turnout of active runners and walkers of all ages; so make an effort to pre-register or arrive early for the 7:00 a.m. registration. On a different subject, on an old topic these past few years about childhood obesity and the problems of how to solve it keep making the news. First Lady Michelle Obama has made it one of her priorities while she is in the White House. San Antonio had some depressing news last week, in that the city’s obesity rate for children is well above average, and the death rate from diabetes is the second highest in the country. This is very sobering news for this region of the country. The latest effort to curb this trend with children is to put a tax on sodas. There is a tax on cigarettes that was meant to make it more expensive for the youth to smoke; and statistics show that the number of people that smoke has leveled off, and is not increasing as it did in the past. While putting a tax on a can of soda might be a little far out, it shows how desperate people are to see if the childhood obesity rate can be slowed down. Some stores will have sales on soda that let a person buy three 12-packs for $10. This amounts to roughly 36 cents per can of soda. For a refreshing drink that is a good deal; and kids love sodas. The estimate of the amount of soda a kid drinks during the week amounts to a few gallons. If the cost of bottled water is more than soda, it seems that the choice is going to be the soda. Water from the tap is free, tastes just as good as bottled water and can be found in so many more locations from homes, stores, restaurants, and public and government buildings to name a few. In fact, many of the bottled waters in stores are actually tap water from another state or city that is shipped throughout the country. A few states have initiated legislation to begin putting a tax on sodas; but from reports, the lobbies for soda are fighting it to make sure the law does not go through. The claim is that it is not fair to blame a can of soda for being the sole cause of childhood obesity. The solution is many-faceted; and one of the major solutions for the problem comes down to two words: KEEP MOVING. If kids, and everyone else, would just move more, the problem of obesity would get better in time. Whether the kids run, walk, swim, ride a bike, play sports, walk the stairs instead of the elevator, or offer to take the grocery cart back to the store, the key to the problem comes down to moving more. A good start is to get ready for the free run next Saturday at the Run2Purgatory 5K, and drink water for refreshment instead of a soda afterwards. 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!