Pace Magazine

Fall 2014

PACE

Top 8 Places to Run in Cedar Falls

TABLE OF CONTENTS page | two

letter from the editor

page | three

how much has the popularity of running increased?

page | four

upcoming 5ks in iowa

page | five

olympic sprinters throughout the ages

page | thirteen

beautiful and unrefined: top eight places to run in cedar falls

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I never would have imagined that I would be a long distance runner. Sure, I was athletic when I was younger; I played volleyball, basketball, and ran track. My sophomore year of high school I quit volleyball and made the transition to cross country. I really didn’t know what to expect, but I ended up loving it. Yeah, the running part wasn’t fun at times, but when I finished a race or beat my personal record, I truly felt what it was like to have a “runner’s high.”

I made some of the best friends

during my time running high school cross country - one of whom I become roommates with in college and we are still great friends. I will cherish those years forever, but when it came time to move on to college, running took to the back burner. I will be the first person to admit it: I was lazy in my first few years of college. I ate pizza, rarely worked out, and watched Netflix until I felt like my eyes were going to bleed.

One of my best friends got married earlier this year in June, and around

Christmas-time in 2013 I tried on my bridesmaid dress for the first time in a few months. My mom and I tried and tried and tried to zip it up, but to no avail.

It was too small. Realizing that a dress that had fit perfectly just a few months ago was too small now was like a punch to the gut and for me, it was the last straw.

I knew I needed to make a change in my life, whether it was exercise, diet, or both. I started using MyFitnessPal religiously, signed up for fitness classes on campus, and you guessed it, decided to take up running once again and made the bold decision to train for my very first half marathon.

Most people thought I was crazy (especially my mom, who was a big advocate for me running cross country in high school) but I have always been someone who will a set a goal and stick with it no matter what. I picked the Sturgis Falls Half Marathon here in Cedar Falls as my choice. I began training in April for the race in June.

The last couple weeks before the race were brutal - I was running slow (not by choice) and felt nauseous during almost every run, but the race went even better than I could have ever imagined. I ran the best splits since I started training and beat my goal time by a handful of minutes.

And guess what? The dress fit! It was actually too big. Since February I have now lost close to 30 pounds.

I hope my story inspires you to set your own goals - running related or not - and do your best to accomplish them with flying colors. I promise you if you have the dedication you can do whatever you set your mind to.

Happy running and I hope you enjoy our magazine as much as we do.

Sincerely,

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

How much has the popularity of running increased?

Running event finishers from 1990 to 2013 20000000

15000000

10000000

5000000

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1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2011 2012

Men Women

3

2013

Percentage of male and female race finishers in 2013

Upcoming 5Ks in Iowa 1. Girls on the Run 5K - Iowa City

November 15 2. Newton YMCA Turkey Trot - Newton

November 15 3. Turkey Trot - Fairfield

November 15 4. Mustache Dash - Sioux City

November 16 5. Bulldog Turkey Chase - Mediapolis

November 22 6. Rock-Gobble-Roll - Council Bluffs

November 22 7. Run for the Red - DeWitt

November 23 8. Council Bluffs YMCA Turkey Trot - Council Bluffs

November 27 9. Fayette County Fairgrounds Turkey Trot 5K -

West Union

November 27 10. Turkey Trot - Wapello

November 27 11. Chili Chilly Extreme 5K - West Liberty

November 29 12. Holiday Lights 5K - Decorah

November 29

1900 Frank Jarvis, United States, 11 seconds

Olympic Sprinters Through the Ages

By Julie Bosman

1920 Charles Paddock, United States, 10.8 seconds

1928 Percy Williams, Canada, 10.8 seconds

1908 Reginald Walker, South Africa, 10.8 seconds

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1968 James Hines, United States, 9.9 seconds

“ 7

1960 Armin Hary, Germany, 10.2 seconds

1952 Lindy Remigino, Unite

It ‘s all about the journ -

C a r l

ney, not the outcome.

L e w i s

“

ed States, 10.4 seconds

8

1936 Jesse Owens, United States, 10.3 seconds

1976 Hasely Crawford, Trinidad and Tobago, 10.06 seconds

1984 Carl Lewis, United States, 9.99 seconds

“

1992 Linford Christie, Britain, 9.96 seconds

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We all have dreams. But in order to dreams come into reality, it takes an aw determination, dedication, self discipl effort.

-

J e s s e

O w e n s

“

o make wful lot of line, and

2008 Usain Bolt, Jamaica, 9.69 seconds

2000 Maurice Greene, United States, 9.87 seconds

Beautiful Imagine: it’s a brisk October morning and you have the entire day to yourself. You feel like getting out and doing something, but you’re not sure what. You really want to go for a revitalizing jog, but you have no idea where to run, so you let out a sigh and stay inside the whole day. This list of the eight best places to run should change that for you in the future.

By Sarah Wullner

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an

nd

Unrefined

1. George Wyth State Park

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2. 12th Street Trail

W

ithin the city of Cedar Falls, there are many locations where going on a run can be not only refreshing, but beautiful as well. Where it is unrefined, yet beautiful. Pace has gathered eight of the best places to go for a run, jog, or walk in the city of Cedar Falls, in no particular order.

1. George Wyth State Park George Wyth State Park is located at 3659 Wyth Road in Waterloo, but very close to the Cedar Falls city limits. The park offers five and a half miles of paved trails available for use.

The trails are especially great for running and walking, while also offering a beautiful view of nature, as seen in the pictures here. The trails inside of George Wyth State Park are often used for road races as well.

The trails are generally calm, but creatures can sometimes interrupt the peacefulness; deer are frequently found roaming the land. The trails are generally flat as well with no significant hills. Sometimes pedestrians using trails can feel unsafe being alone in the middle of the woods, but the Cedar Trials Partnership offers the assistance of trained trail patrol members. The patrol members are trained to support trail users with mechanical and medical assistance, as well as enforce trail etiquette.

2. 12th Street Trail The 12th Street Trail runs along – you guessed it – 12th Street in Cedar Falls. It is a great location for any kind of running, walking, etc. The trail is paved and very wide, so it

can easily accommodate multiple users at one time. The trail has long, gradual hills, which are great if you are training for a longer race. Once the trail hits Union Road, it turns north onto the Union Road Trail and then connects all the way over to the 1st Street Trail. The trail provides great views of Pheasant Ridge Golf Course, as well as your typical Iowa countryside, especially in the summer season. The trail makes Cedar Falls seem smaller and gives you a taste of the country without traveling very far.

3. Prairie Lakes Park Prairie Lakes Park is located at the corner of Viking and Hudson Roads in Cedar Falls.

The park provides 165 acres of land and the Cedar Lakes Trail. The trail gives a great view of the two man made

lakes on the property. There are multiple places to get on the trail at as well. There are “entrances” at the corner of Viking and Hudson Roads, another one further down on Viking Road, or at the Cedar Falls Tourism and Visitors Bureau. Fun fact: the lakes were made when borrow material was removed from the land to create Iowa Highway 58! In addition to the paved trails, the park also has jungle gymlike structures along the trails used for strength training.

Wildlife is also in abundance in this area. Pedestrian Caleb Rosonke enjoys walking at Prairie Lakes Park for a few reasons. “I like [Prairie Lakes Park] because it’s full of nature and makes you feel like you’re out of the city,” Rosonke said.

4. Cedar Falls Mayor’s Pedestrian Bridge The Cedar Falls Mayor’s Pedestrian Bridge is located over Iowa Highway 58 in Cedar Falls, near the Cedar Falls Industrial Park. The bridge was dedicated in October of last year. The bridge is dedicated to three Cedar Falls’ mayors who made the project possible: Doug Sharp, Ed Stachovic, and Jon Crews. The bridge offers pedestrians a safer alternative to cross the road and connects trails and different areas of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metropolitan area. The bridge can be accessed from a couple different locations.

It can be accessed from the Cedar Prairie Trail at the very end of South Main Street or at the end of Nordic Drive in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park.

5. Krieg’s Crossing/Pfeiffer Park Krieg’s Crossing is located on the edge of Pfeiffer Springs Park in Cedar Falls on Grand Boulevard and is the longest recreational trail bridge in the state of Iowa. Krieg’s Crossing is a pedestrian bridge that connects Pfeiffer Springs Park to both George Wyth State Park and the South Riverside Trail. Krieg’s Crossing offers a stunning view of the Cedar River and is a great place to “escape” to. Krieg’s Crossing is even Pace editor Sarah Wullner’s favorite place to run. “I love running on Krieg’s Crossing! It provides such a scenic view that I think gets lost in the hustle and bustle of daily life, and not many people know that it exists. The first time I ran across it, I came upon it by accident and I had to stop and take a look around because the view almost took my breath away.” Krieg’s Crossing is very buried treasure right in the heart of Cedar Falls.

Above: George Wyth State Park map

6. Cedar Falls Recreation Center The Iowa weather is often unpredictable, so in times of inclement weather, the Cedar Falls Recreation is available at its convenient location at the corner of Main Street and Waterloo Road in Cedar Falls. The

3. Praire Lakes Park facility offers a total of nine treadmills, seven of which have personal entertainment monitors. Two treadmills are also incline trainers, if one wants to do hill training. In addition to treadmills, the fa-

cility also includes a 1/14th mile track on the second floor with lap counters available at the front desk for check out.

Locker rooms, a sauna, showers, and rooms are also available. Quick tip if one likes a

quieter atmosphere for running: the recreation center can get busy very early in the morning, over lunch, or right after many people get off of work. Cedar Falls residents are able to access the recreation

7. Clay Street Trails are a great place to run in Cedar Falls, but this area is also fortunate to have great city streets to run on as well. Clay Street is a popular area, with a good portion of the street bike friendly as well. The street provides sidewalks on both the east and west sides of the road, which make it safer and easier for pedestrians to use. The street has both flat sections and hilly sections, so it is easy to modify one’s route depending on the type of workout desired.

The Clay Street area is also a somewhat “scenic” location with many older, historic houses in the neighborhood.

8. Gateway Park Last, but definitely not least, is Gateway Park, which provides access to the South Riverside Trail system. The Park is located at the corner of Lincoln and East Main Streets.

The trail runs directly along the Cedar River, delivering

scenic views of the river. The South Riverside Trail System will also connect pedestrians to Krieg’s Crossing and George Wyth State Park, both of which were featured earlier in the article. In the summer especially, though, watch out for geese! These fowl are known to “take over” the park.

These are eight of just many places in Cedar Falls that are great places to walk, run, or jog. Here are a few honorable mentions.

Greenhill Road Greenhill Road also offers a great place for walking, jogging, and running. The trail runs along Greenhill Road from Hudson Road to Highway 218 in Waterloo. Be careful, though – the intersection of Greenhill Road and Highway 58 can often be a dangerous one.

University of Northern Iowa College campuses are made for pedestrians, so the University of Northern Iowa campus is great place for walkers and joggers alike. Anywhere one would like to access is paved.

The campus can be underutilized, but even if one is not a student – don’t be afraid to see what the campus has to offer.

6. Cedar Falls Recreation Center

“

The first time I ran across [Krieg’s Crossing], I came upon it by accident and I had to stop and take a look around because the view almost took my breath away.

“

center for one day for $7, and out-of-town residents are able to access the recreation center for one day for $9. If more frequent use is desired, yearly memberships and punch cards are available as well.

7. Clay Street

5. Krieg’s Crossing/Pfeiffer Park

Big Woods Trail Loop The Big Woods Trail Loop is another scenic route for many people. It offers views of the Cedar River, and other tributaries and lakes. The trail is paved like many of the others, so it is perfect for pedestrians. The trail is, more or less, a loop around the North Cedar area, going all the way out to Lone Tree Road.

Overall, the Cedar Falls/ Waterloo metropolitan area is lucky to have access to so many great places to live a healthy and active lifestyle.

Whether you’re training for a marathon, walking your dog, or letting your children burn some energy – this list should make your next cardio venture a little easier.

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For more information on parks and trails in the area, go to one of the following websites: http://www.iowadnr.gov/ http://www.cedarfalls.com/ http://www.cedarfallstourism.org/ 8. Gateway Park

4. Cedar Falls Mayor’s Pedestrian Bridge

Cedar Falls Trail Map

PACE