MID FLORIDA MILERS WALKING CLUB NEWS

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "MID FLORIDA MILERS WALKING CLUB NEWS"

Homer Ferguson
5 years ago
Views:

1 MID FLORIDA MILERS WALKING CLUB NEWS Presidents Message We have missed the last two months newsletter as our exceptional editor, Laurie, has been pushed to the limit with her work schedule. This issue will provide some key information from Dec to Feb. We still have many volunteer opportunities available. Would you like to learn how to map out a walk? Would you like to plan a social event or lunch after a walk? Do you have the gift of gab would you like to be a greeter? Please consider these opportunities as well as those available on the helper sign up links that accompany each walk. Are you on Facebook? If not, you are missing out on MFM updates as well as beautiful pictures posted weekly from other walking clubs around the country. I am longing to go traveling after seeing those pictures and reading about upcoming events on the AVA Facebook page. Join us on December 19 for our night walk. If you have any MFM questions or suggestions, please call, text, or Facebook me. Rosemary Milestone Achievements (as of Nov 15) Sharen Driggs Eustis 10 Mary Ross Orlando 50 Lou Albrecht Avon Park 75 Peter Fournier Fruitland Park 450 Joan Lanpher Winter Springs 800 Sharon Predham Leesburg 1050 Mike Lanpher Winter Springs Jan Van Vlack The Villages ,000 December 2015 Events Night Guided walk at Shoppes of Sweetwater on December 19. Sign up between 5:30-6:00 pm and walk very shortly afterwards. Must have flashlight. At The Kirkman Alehouse on New Years Day walk and lunch. Let s get out early and sign up at 9:00-9:45, walk, and join all fro a lunch. walk in Universal Studio area followed by lunch at the Alehouse On Jan 23 we are at Ft Gatlin in south Orlando for a nice walk in an older area of Orlando. On Feb 20 we return to Bok Tower. Our last walk was in You need to see the changes and we are walking a month earlier when blooming is at a maximum. Join your fellow club members on these excellent walking opportunities. See page 4 for all events thru March Bok Tower Revisited February 20 Join us as we revisit Bok Tower Gardens. These 5 and 10K walks are within Bok Tower Gardens, home of fantastic gardens, shaded and open paths, and in full bloom in February. You will see fantastic flowers, unique trees, and substantial changes since you were there last. The 1 and 3 PM carillon concerts will amaze you. Entrance fee per person at group rate is $10 after 9 am and between 8-9am $6/person. Start point will be signed by "Walk Start" signs. Bok Tower Gardens is on the peninsula ridge at some 290 feet above sea level. The Singing Tower stands another 205 feet from the gardens highest point. This is the walk you want to break your speed record for the slowest walk done. Walk in the gardens, the Preserve Trail, and among the grounds. Eat in their excellent cafe or picnic on the grounds. Pets are not allowed. Strollers and wheelchairs welcomed.. Information, , mlanpher@cfl.rr.com. PLACE this on your calendar! See page 5.

Time to Start that New Year s Resolution! David Piatt, Vice President Every year around January 1, many people make New Year s resolutions.

Unfortunately, life often gets in the way of those resolutions and within a few months they become distant memories.

The heat and rains of the summer are past and these beautiful cloud-free skies and low humidity remind us why we are so happy to be living in Florida.

We all know that the upcoming holiday season will provide lots of opportunities to over indulge at the table and put on a few extra pounds.

As a child I remember the holidays as a carefree time of excitement and joy. But for many people, as we become adults the stressful side of the holidays becomes dominant.

2 Time to Start that New Year s Resolution! David Piatt, Vice President Every year around January 1, many people make New Year s resolutions. Many of these resolutions seem to focus on starting a walking or exercise program. Many others focus on weight loss programs to remove those unwanted holiday pounds. Unfortunately, life often gets in the way of those resolutions and within a few months they become distant memories. Now is the perfect time to get back into the walking program and join us on one of the many Mid-Florida Milers walks we have planned over the next few months. The weather has fully changed now. The heat and rains of the summer are past and these beautiful cloud-free skies and low humidity remind us why we are so happy to be living in Florida. My experience with losing weight shows that it is much easier to work to keep the weight in control than having to struggle to remove the weight that is has already settled in for the long term! We all know that the upcoming holiday season will provide lots of opportunities to over indulge at the table and put on a few extra pounds. Burning extra calories by increasing your walking program now is a great way to help keep the weight in balance. Then you can occasionally over indulge and not feel too guilty about it. As a child I remember the holidays as a carefree time of excitement and joy. But for many people, as we become adults the stressful side of the holidays becomes dominant. For me, walking and looking at the beauty of nature is a wonderful way to lower those stress levels. Walking with good friends and enjoying the mild weather makes it a truly joyous occasion. This is a great time to appreciate the many things we have to be thankful for. So whether it is for stress relief, weight management or simply to enjoy the beauty of the season, now is the perfect time to start that New Year s resolution. And what better way to achieve that resolution than to join the Mid-Florida Milers on one of our upcoming walks. WAF 25 Fun and 100 walkers Walkers At Micanopy at WAF 25. Rosemary presents WAF Tee to AVA President WAF 25 Micanopy Start Dames and Knights walking 25K Friday & Saturday WAF 25 Social & Dinner 2

Arlene receives Dame award WAF 25 Anniversary Cake Paynes Prairie Start Haile Plantation Checkpoint Dan wears the WAF X Tee designed by his brother Ron and admired by Alice

WAF 25 The Silver Jubilee Ron and Rosemary at the UF Friday walk Silver Jubilee Event for Walk Around Florida a Great Success By Rosemary Barna Three central Florida AVA

Gainesville, Florida. Between 80 and 110 walkers attended each of the 4 events, representing an increased participation from 2014.

The four walks featured the University of Florida campus, Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park which is home to herds of buffalo and wild horses as well as fields of autumn

Most joined at Saturday and Sunday lunches and the Saturday evening Jubilee Joust awards dinner.

while there. The Friday festivities started with the UF walk and were followed by a Swamp Party at the registration hotel.

Thirty-five walkers who entered the Jubilee Joust competition (completion of 25+ kilometers in three walks) were knighted by AVA president, Dennis Michele.

Next year, WAF 26 will be held in Tampa, Florida, in late Oct or early November come on down!

..we are celebrating President s Day Weekend once again, thru the efforts of 2 panhandle clubs. It s in an entirely NEW location!

3 Arlene receives Dame award WAF 25 Anniversary Cake Paynes Prairie Start Haile Plantation Checkpoint Dan wears the WAF X Tee designed by his brother Ron and admired by Alice Lawrence. WAF 25 The Silver Jubilee Ron and Rosemary at the UF Friday walk Silver Jubilee Event for Walk Around Florida a Great Success By Rosemary Barna Three central Florida AVA walking clubs the Happy Wanderers, Mid-Florida Milers and the Suncoast Sandpipers - conducted their Silver Anniversary of Walk Around Florida with an amazing weekend in Gainesville, Florida. Between 80 and 110 walkers attended each of the 4 events, representing an increased participation from Great weather and the clubs extensive use of social media were two of the reasons for the success. The four walks featured the University of Florida campus, Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park which is home to herds of buffalo and wild horses as well as fields of autumn wildflowers, the oldest inland town in Florida, Micanopy, and the New Urban award-winning community, Haile Plantation. Most joined at Saturday and Sunday lunches and the Saturday evening Jubilee Joust awards dinner. During registration we presented I Surveyed stickers to walkers who had already completed the AVA survey and provided tablets for those who had not, so they could complete it while there. The Friday festivities started with the UF walk and were followed by a Swamp Party at the registration hotel. Great food offerings by club members, theme designs, and a lighted alligator made it Swampy. Thirty-five walkers who entered the Jubilee Joust competition (completion of 25+ kilometers in three walks) were knighted by AVA president, Dennis Michele. Several walkers traveled from Texas, New Mexico, Delaware, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. Next year, WAF 26 will be held in Tampa, Florida, in late Oct or early November come on down! PRESIDENT S DAY WEEKEND REVIVED Adapted from TAW Article by DJ Moore, President, Emerald Coast Come on back to the Panhandle...we are celebrating President s Day Weekend once again, thru the efforts of 2 panhandle clubs. It s in an entirely NEW location! A host of spectacular events are being offered February , Plans include 4 traditional events, coupled with 3 nearby YREs, all within minutes of the host hotel. The La Quinta is located at West Panama City Beach Parkway, Panama City Beach, (850) Rooms are blocked thru January 11, Use President s Day Walks for the group rate. Join us and explore a part of the state you may have missed. We ll kick off the weekend with a walk in a paved park in Panama City Beach any time after 1 p.m. on Friday. We ll host a BYOB social to handle registration not accomplished in advance. Saturday you ll walk in a colorful, newer community along the Gulf and enjoy lunch at one of numerous cafes. In the afternoon walk one of our local forested trails in Point Washington. Sunday AM is at Conservation Park, a new local paved trail system and in the afternoon enjoy 2 new YREs on our sugar-white sand, Grayton Beach State Park or Camp Helen State Park noted for its pristine beauty. 3

Martin Luther King Weekend at Fernandina FL. Fernandina Beach MLK weekend, hosted by the First Coast Trail Forgers (Jan 15-18).

If you are interested, please get your reservations in as soon as possible.

The last day to preregister for the walks by mail and to let them know if you will be joining them for the group lunch on Saturday afternoon is January 2, 2016.

4 Martin Luther King Weekend at Fernandina FL. Fernandina Beach MLK weekend, hosted by the First Coast Trail Forgers (Jan 15-18). The group rate at the Days Inn (which is a super rate) is good until December 15. Also, they need to have a minimum of 25 people by December 15 to have the guided historic tour on Friday afternoon. If you are interested, please get your reservations in as soon as possible. The other deadlines are all right after the holidays so it is suggested you go ahead and take care of it now before all the fun and festivities start. The last day to preregister for the walks by mail and to let them know if you will be joining them for the group lunch on Saturday afternoon is January 2, You will have opportunities to register for all 6 walks on Friday evening or Saturday morning. After that you will need to register for each walk at the time of the group walk. There is also a free meet and greet with snacks on Friday evening but they would like to know who is planning on attending. Details at Info: Diana Sherrill (cell), diana.sherrill3@gmail.com Upcoming Miler Events 19 Dec Night Walk Longwood Put this one on your calendar for an entertaining holiday season to see holiday lights at this night walk at Publix on Wekiva Springs Rd. at Sweetwater. Bring the neighbors and / or family. Register at Publix at the Shoppes at Sweetwater between 5:30-6:00 for the guided 5k or 10k walks. The walkers should wear light and/or reflective devices and carry flashlights. Holiday decorations and a group walk is a great way to enjoy the season. No preregistration but be prompt as we will leave at 6:05. Brochure at MFM web site. Universal Restaurant In September Bill Paugh coordinated and laid out a walk in Del Webb Orlando development located in Davenport. It was a great walk and fun to see another part of the growing Orlando metro area. Thanks Bill. In October at Belle Isle 35 walkers enjoyed a fine morning of sunshine as we walked from Warren Park around and between the Lake Conways. This annual New Years Day 5 & 10K self-paced walk by MFM is at Miller s Alehouse. We register and start between 9:00-9:45 followed by lunch at the Alehouse at Walk in and around Universal Studios grounds and enjoy the early start on walking in RSVP for lunch. 4

27 Dec 31 Dec 9 Jan Jan15-18 Other Clubs Events Happy Wanderers New Smyrna Beach @ Publix Beachside Happy Wanderers Traditional event @ Buschman Park, Port Orange Suncoast Sandpipers, traditional

5 27 Dec 31 Dec 9 Jan Jan15-18 Other Clubs Events Happy Wanderers New Smyrna Publix Beachside Happy Wanderers Traditional Buschman Park, Port Orange Suncoast Sandpipers, traditional Event, Brooksville, Bob Lazzell memorial event. First Coast Third Annual Martin Luther King Walking Weekend 1 PM 2 PM 9 AM Varies See Florida.org for sanctioned walks Date 2016 MFM Walks Location 1-Jan-16 Kirkman Rd Ale House + Lunch 9-Jan-16 Orlando Downtown 16-Jan-16 Orlando Ft Gatlin Park 30-Jan-16 The Villages + Lunch 6-Feb-16 Maitland 20-Feb-16 Bok Tower 5-Mar-16 Celebration #2 19-Mar-16 Medical City 2-Apr-16 Lake Buena Vista 16-Apr-16 Chapin Station Walk & Bike w/lunch 30-Apr-16 Hontoon Island + Picnic 7-May-16 Orlando North, Marks St 21-May-16 East Orlando TBD 4-Jun-16 Winter Park + Lunch 18-Jun-16 I Drive 2-Jul-16 Celebration #1 16-Jul-16 Moss Park + Picnic 30-Jul-16 Orlando Downtown 6-Aug-16 Altamonte Mall 20-Aug-16 Lake Mary + Lunch + Meeting 3-Sep-16 Maitland 17-Sep-16 Mineola Walk and Bike 1-Oct-16 Sanford Octoberfest + Lunch 15-Oct-16 Dr Phillips YMCA 29-Oct-16 Orlando Lakes 4-6 Nov 16 Walk Around Florida 26 Tampa 12-Nov-16 Celebration #1 19-Nov-16 Stoneybrook West 3-Dec-16 Winter Park 17-Dec-16 Lake Nona Bok Tower Expanded Join the Mid Florida Milers Walking Club at Bok Tower Gardens on February 20, This fantastic garden is blazing with color at this time, the weather is great, and music from the Carillon impressive. Bok Tower Gardens is a contemplative garden and bird sanctuary located north of Lake Wales, Florida. It consists of a 250-acre garden, the 205-foot (62 m) tall Singing Tower with its carillon bells, Pine Ridge Trail, Preserve Trail, Pinewood Estate, and a visitor center. The tower is built upon Iron Mountain, one of the highest points of peninsular Florida, estimated to be 295 feet above sea level. It is a National Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The gardens began in 1921 when a Dutch immigrant, Edward W. Bok, editor of the popular women's magazine Ladies Home Journal and his wife, Mary Louise Curtis Bok were spending the winter beside Florida's Lake Wales Ridge and decided to create a bird sanctuary on its highest hill. Bok commissioned noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. to transform what then was an arid sandhill into "a spot of beauty second to none in the country". A year was spent laying pipes for irrigation, after which soil was brought to the site by thousands of truckloads and plantings began. The Olmsted plan included the planting of 1,000 large live oaks, 10,000 azaleas, 100 sabal palms, 300 magnolias, and 500 gardenias, as well as hundreds of fruit shrubs. The Singing Tower is the centerpiece of the gardens. The tower was built at the highest elevation of the site, south of a reflection pool that allows the water to reflect its full image. A 60-bell carillon set within the 205-foot (62 m) tall, Gothic Revival, and Art Deco tower that was designed by architect Milton B. Medary. Construction on the tower began in 1927 and was completed for the dedication of the gardens in 1929 by President Calvin Coolidge 5

WAF Notes: The Milers with the moistest (kilometers) at WAF 25 were Mary Ross and Dan Barnett at 45 km.

Metherell, Dame Sharon Predham, Dame Kathy Rapacki, Dame Mary Ross, Dame Jan VanVlack.

Muhs, Roger Poitras, the Bouws, Fred Sheets, Dave Piatt, Sharon Predham, and Pete Fournier all conducted great walks; AND the other 35+ members that were volunteering at the walks at parking lots,

6 WAF Notes: The Milers with the moistest (kilometers) at WAF 25 were Mary Ross and Dan Barnett at 45 km. The Jubilee Joust award for 25km on Oct was awarded to 11 Milers: Dame Sharon Axelrod, Dame Rosemary Barna, Sir Dan Barnett, Dame Nancy Barnett, Sir Dave Bundy, Dame Arlene Cowan, Dame Cathy Metherell, Dame Sharon Predham, Dame Kathy Rapacki, Dame Mary Ross, Dame Jan VanVlack. The AVA President awarded me the AVA President s Award for the 2013 Trailmaster Topics Mike Lanpher Convention though it is the club members who worked exceptionally hard who deserve the award: Tammy Muhs, Roger Poitras, the Bouws, Fred Sheets, Dave Piatt, Sharon Predham, and Pete Fournier all conducted great walks; AND the other 35+ members that were volunteering at the walks at parking lots, truck driver, CPs, starts, and finishes to manage the walkers. Thanks to all again! Mary Ross at CP 2 as she walks 15 km at Paynes Prairie. The Best Exercise to Reduce Blood Pressure (Courtesy New York Times) Take your pick, as the best exercise to control high blood pressure seems to be virtually any exercise, like walking or cycling or light weight training, especially if your workouts are spread throughout the day. Even standing might work, said Glenn Gaesser, the director of the Healthy Lifestyles Research Center at Arizona State University and an expert on exercise and hypertension. Exercise lowers blood pressure in large part by altering blood vessel stiffness so blood flows more freely. This effect occurs during and immediately after a workout, so the blood-pressure benefits from exercise are most pronounced right after you work out. As a result, the best way to fight hypertension may be to divvy up your workout into bite-size pieces. In a 2012 study by Dr. Gaesser, three 10-minute walks spread throughout the day were better at preventing subsequent spikes in blood pressure which can indicate worsening blood pressure control than one 30- minute walk. And if even a 10- minute walk sounds daunting, try standing more often. In another study led by Dr. Gaesser and published in August, overweight volunteers with blood pressure problems were asked to sit continuously during an eight-hour workday while their blood pressure was monitored. The readings were, as expected, unhealthy. But when, during another workday, those volunteers stood up every hour for at least 10 minutes, their blood pressure readings improved substantially. The readings were even better when, on additional workdays, the volunteers strolled at a pokey 1-mile-per-hour pace at treadmill desks for at least 10 minutes every hour or pedaled under-desk exercise bikes for the same number of minutes every hour. Exercise intensity does not appear to play any significant role in helping people control blood pressure, Dr. Gaesser said. Movement is what matters. So go for a stroll a few times during the day or simply stand up more often to develop healthier blood pressure. Club Officers Rosemary Barna President Dave Piatt Vice President & Membership Sharon Axelrod Secretary & Volunteers Sharon Predham Treasurer FVA Representative Gail Brooks & SE FL Monitor Trailmaster Mike Lanpher Publicity Letty Zook Webmasters Dan and Nancy Barnett Newsletter Editor Laurie McKee YRE Route Monitors: Bill Paugh, Betty Brown, Gail Brooks, Mary Ross, JoAnne Cross, Terry Sewell

MID-FLORIDA MILERS WALKING CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING January 21, 2017

MID-FLORIDA MILERS WALKING CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING January 21, 2017 CALL TO ORDER The MFM Board meeting was held at O Stromboli s Restaurant following our walk at Blue Jacket Park in Orlando. A