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RIDE, DOUG, RIDE! A former IU football player raises ďŹ tness awareness
Mindfulness
The many beneďŹ ts of living in the moment
Savor flavor Return to the basics of healthful eating
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In an Emergency...
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Urgent Care EMERGENCY SERVICES
MONROE COUNT Y‘S
EMERGENCY SERVICES
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DEPARTMENTS
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Editor’s Letter Today’s word: Mindfulness
FEATURES
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COVER STORY
Ride, Doug. Ride!
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Doug Gordon, the former IU football player, rides his bike across the country.
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Calendar
Fresh Picks Savoring flavors: It’s time to turn back to the basics
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Mindfulness: Six questions
A success coach shares tips for healthy living
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Spotted Photos of fitness in action
Ice Cycles
Winter cycling group starts from a very green idea
Connect with our 740-plus members who share similar interests. Let our calendar cure your boredom with wellness and fitness listings in the area. Add your own event. Find delicious new dishes and share your favorite foods. Track your fitness progress with a personal weight tracker. Nominate your fitness inspiration and read how others stay motivated.
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stride Editorial director: Bob Zaltsberg Production & copy editor: Brooke McCluskey Photo director: David Snodgress Senior writers: Carol Johnson Contributing sta! : Lauren Slavin, Seth Tackett, Derrek Tipton, Garet Cobb, Rich Janzaruk, Jeremy Hogan and Chris Howell Graphic designer: Bill Thornbro Publisher: E. Mayer Maloney Jr.
Our group fitness classes are FREE for Twin Lakes Recreation Center members! Free Trial Week: April 18–23 Spring Session II: April 18–May 29 Try any or all fitness classes for free all this week! Register by the deadline for the class/es you want to take. Weekday evening and Saturday classes:
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CONTENT: 812-331-4289 bmccluskey@hoosiertimes.com Advertising director: Laurie Ragle Marketing manager: Shaylan Owen ADVERTISING/DISTRIBUTION: 812-331-4310 INstride is a monthly fitness, wellness and nutrition magazine serving south-central Indiana with o! ces in Bedford, Mooresville, Martinsville and Bloomington. It is distributed to more than 90,000 readers and can be found at various locations throughout south-central Indiana. The free publication is also inserted in the Bedford Times-Mail, Martinsville Reporter-Times and Bloomington Herald-Times the second Monday of every month; and the Mooresville/Decatur Times, the second Thursday of every month. ©2016 Schurz Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Coming up in April Our calendar will begin to grow as the weather warms up. Look here to find events and activities to keep you moving. If readers cooperate, we’ll have your photos of you and your friends taking part in activities. At least we’ll feature people in our area being active who were Spotted by our photographers. We’ll introduce you to another Fitness Inspiration.
ON THE COVER Twin Lakes Recreation Center
1700 W. Bloomfield Rd. • 812-349-3720 bloomington.in.gov/TLRC
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Doug Gordon, a former Indiana University football player, is riding his bike across the country to raise awareness about the negative e#ects of inactivity.
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EDITOR’S LETTER
Be in the now, live in the moment We’ve tackled a new topic today: mindfulness. The idea is to be in the now, living in the moment and being aware of your experiences. We put six questions to life coach and mindfulness advocate Maria Heslin, who also happens to be the former deputy mayor of Bloomington. She explains the multiple benefits for wellness in her answers. Two other features inside today focus on a more traditional form of exercise, cycling. While some people like to ride their bikes outside all year — story subject Amy Roche is an example — more and more people will be hitting the roads this month as the weather begins to warm up. Reporter Michael Reschke also caught up with an Indiana University graduate from the 1970s who is planning to cycle across the country to bring awareness to what he calls the “inactivity pandemic.” Whatever your form of exercise, March is a good time to start coming out of winter hibernation and becoming more active. When you’re out doing your thing, why not take some photos and send them to INstride? We’d be happy to publish a sampling of what we get in our monthly “Spotted” feature. The best place to send them is bmccluskey@ hoosiertimes.com. Bob Zaltsberg, editor
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Mindfulness
There are many benefits to being in the present A success coach talks about living in the moment
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INstride Report
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sychology Today defines “mindfulness” as “a state of active, open attention on the present. When you’re mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience.” Maria Katrien Heslin owns GPS to Success Coaching & Development and is founder of a program called Boostcamp, which infuses mindfulness to boost personal and organizational success. A certified success coach and career coach, writer, presenter and adjunct professor who teaches two senior-level classes in the Indiana University Media School, she was the deputy mayor of Bloomington during the administration of Mayor Mark Kruzan. INstride asked her six questions related to mindfulness and her interest in it:
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‘true calm’ When did you begin becoming interested in mindfulness? When I was growing up, dance was a big part of my life, and as I got older I turned to yoga, sort of dabbling with it for several years. But it wasn’t until about five years ago that I really connected with the total array of benefits yoga presented. I was renting a little yellow beach cottage a couple of blocks from the ocean on the Jersey shore and came across a bunch of people doing yoga on the pier. I joined them the next day, and in that very first yoga class with the gentle ocean breeze, salt air and soft ocean waves, I experienced what true calm, beauty, peace of mind, joy and focus really meant. I was hooked! While sitting on that same pier the following summer, thinking about the mindfulness benefits I experienced with yoga, it came to me. What if there were a way to realize this state of bliss off the mat and in other parts of my life? Even in my work? And what if I could help others experience the same thing? Turns out, I could do just that! The seeds were planted for what would become my current profession – as a coach helping others identify and land their dream job, and helping them thrive personally and professionally. One of the tools we use to do that is mindfulness.
Why are we talking about it now; is it new? Once considered the realm of mystic Eastern traditions dating back many centuries, mindfulness is gaining serious traction in the West as a useful tool for personal, professional
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‘joy and focus’ ‘beauty, peace of mind’ and organizational effectiveness. It is on trend because of the results it is producing both at workplaces and in practitioners’ daily lives. The outcomes are being backed up and promulgated with more and more scientific research and the more and more encouragement of mindfulness at work. In terms of research, a 2006 study by a team of researchers from Harvard, Yale and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found the first evidence that meditation can alter the physical structure of our brains. Their work showed that the gray matter density of a 50-year-old brain increased to the level of a healthy 25-year-old brain after just eight weeks of daily meditation practice. In February another study was released in Biological Psychiatry showing that mindfulness mediation can change the brains of ordinary people and potentially improve their health. In terms of the workplace, organizations increasingly are embracing the practice because they are desperate to turn around stats such as 8 in 10 Americans experiencing stress at work, and only 13 percent of employees actively engaging in their jobs worldwide. Google incorporates mindfulness into its “Search Inside Yourself” training, which it launched in 2007. Google says there is significant empirical evidence that mindfulness works, which is why the company has spent about $2 million for 1,500 employees to attend the course. Similar meditative practices have become common in businesses from Silicon Valley to Wall Street. These organizations have discovered that mindfulness can absolutely transform life at work and beyond.
What are the benefits of mindfulness? There are countless benefits of mindfulness both for daily living and in the work-
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place. Mindful people: • Are less likely to experience stress, depression and anxiety. • Report greater well being and life satisfaction. • Have greater awareness, understanding and acceptance of their emotions, and faster recovery from bad moods. • Have less frequent negative thoughts and are better able to let them go when they arise. • Have higher, more stable self-esteem that’s less dependent on external factors. • Have less anger, more calm. • Are more focused and centered. • Are better at communicating and problem solving. • Tend to have higher emotional intelligence. For the workplace, practicing mindfulness: • Improves people’s attention and performance. • Boosts productivity, engagement and satisfaction. • Strengthens relationships with colleagues. • Enhances teamwork, creativity and innovation. • Improves communication and conflict resolution. • Reduces stress. While there are many exercises and activities one can explore to become more mindful, meditation is one of the biggest and perhaps most familiar ways. It has a ton of specific benefits. Mindfulness meditation: • Increases blood flow, reduces blood pressure and protects people at risk of developing hypertension. • Reduces the risk of developing and dying from cardiovascular disease. • Makes music sound better and food
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and breathing exercises may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
How do you use mindfulness in the one-toone coaching you provide? As a success coach and career coach, I specialize in helping people attain success as they define it. Often that definition includes a desire to make changes professionally or land their first job out of college. While my work with clients may include very tangible services such as helping them create a cutting edge resume and LinkedIn profile, it also may include working with them to dig deep and reflect on what their biggest goals are and ways they can achieve these goals. Inviting them to visualize what they’d like to see different about their lives, or encouraging them to close their eyes and take some deep breaths if they get caught up in talking about something stressful or get blocked when it comes to manifesting change, is incredibly powerful. taste better. • Decreases feelings of loneliness and depression. • Supports weight-loss goals and helps us sleep better.
Are there particular people or groups for whom you think this is best suited? Individuals young and old and in walks of life can benefit from mindfulness. For example, college students benefit from the added focus, self-esteem and relaxation benefits it provides. Research shows that test scores can be positively impacted, too. A 2013 study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, showed that students who meditated for two weeks saw a 60-point increase in the verbal score of their GRE. For seniors, mindfulness is helpful because it reduces feelings of loneliness; boosts brain sharpness and focus; reduces stress, depression and anxiety; and enhances energy, vibrancy and vitality. In fact, a 2013 study performed at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center indicates that meditation
Your coaching business offers programs called Boostcamp and Blisscamp. Can you describe these? Boostcamp U is focused on helping individuals and student groups thrive. It has two programs, Blisscamp, which teaches practical mindfulness tools to help individuals reduce stress while boosting energy and focus. We also have Boostcamp 101, 201, etc. classes, which use mindfulness as a foundation for professional skill development, and career exploration and preparation. There is no more effective way to learn than when one is centered and mindful. For businesses, nonprofits and government agencies we have Business Boostcamp, where we collaborate with organizations to drive employee engagement, performance and results. We do this through work style analysis, energy audits, group and team coaching, and by providing mindfulness as the basis for training in a host of topics, from leadership, teamwork and goal setting to soft skill refinement, stress management and communication. To learn more, email maria@gps-to-success.us.
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ACHIEVE COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
SAVORING FLAVORS Editor’s note: This information is provided by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in cooperation with ACHIEVE, a local movement to make the healthy choice the easy choice.
March is National Nutrition Month, a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. After its inception in 1973 as a week-long event, National Nutrition Week became a month-long observance in 1980 in response to growing public interest in nutrition. The program focuses attention 10 INstride • March 2016
on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. This year’s theme, “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right,” encourages Americans to return to the basics of healthful eating by taking time to enjoy food traditions and appreciate the pleasures, flavors and social experiences food can add to our lives. The Academy strives to communicate healthful eating messages that emphasize balancing food and beverages within an individual’s energy needs,
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“Try di! erent versions of familiar foods like purple asparagus, broccoflower or quinoa.” cially uncooked meats—from ready to eat foods, cook foods to appropriate temperatures and refrigerate quickly at proper temperature to reduce bacterial growth. Learn more by visiting homefoodsafety. org. 9. Keep cooking. Preparing foods at home can be healthy, rewarding and cost-effective. Visit: eatright. org/howdoi to view a collection of videos to get you started. 10. Plan dining out. Dining out doesn’t have to ruin a healthy eating plan. The key: plan ahead, ask questions and choose foods carefully. Compare nutrition information if available and look for options that are grilled, baked, broiled or steamed. 11. Eat family meals. Plan to eat as a family at least a few times each week. Set a regular meal time and turn off electronics. Involve kids in meal planning and cooking. Use this time to teach them about good nutrition. 12. Drink water. Quench your thirst by drinking water instead of sugary beverages. Stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of water if you are active, live or work in hot conditions or are an older adult. 13. Explore foods. Add nutrition and eating pleasure by expanding your range of food choices. When shopping, select a new fruit, vegetable or whole grain. Try different versions of familiar foods like purple asparagus, broccoflower or quinoa. 14. Eat seafood. Fish and shellfish contain a range of nutrients including omega 3 fatty acids. Salmon, trout, oysters and sardines are high in omega-3s and lower in mercury. 15. Reduce sugar. Foods and drinks with added sugars can contribute empty calories and little or no nutrition. Review ingredients on the food label to help identify sources of added sugar.
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rather than focusing on any one specific food or meal. To this end, it is the Academy’s position that improving overall health requires a lifelong commitment to healthful lifestyle behaviors, emphasizing maintainable and enjoyable eating practices and regular physical activity. In honor of National Nutrition Month, here are some health tips for 2016: 1. Eat breakfast. Start the morning with a healthy breakfast that includes lean protein, whole grains, fruit and vegetables. Make a breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs, low fat cheese, salsa and a whole wheat tortilla. Try a bowl of oatmeal made with milk and topped with chopped pecans and apples. 2. Choose fruits and veggies. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables to add color, flavor and texture plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Make two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables your daily goal. Use a variety of fresh, frozen and canned foods. 3. Watch portion sizes. Use one-quarter of a nine to 10 inch plate as the measure of a normal portion. Fill one quarter of the plate with protein, one quarter with whole grain and half the plate with fruit and vegetables. Add a cup of nonfat or low-fat yogurt or milk to complete the meal. 4. Be active. Regular physical activity has many health benefits. Start by doing what exercise you can for at least 10 minutes at a time. Children and teens should get 60 or more minutes of physical activity daily and adults should get 150 minutes per week. Take a walk after dinner, play a game of catch or basketball, or hit the gym. Just get moving! 5. Fix healthy snacks. Healthy snacks can sustain energy levels between meals. Select at least two food groups at snack time for balance and variety. 6. Read food labels. Reading the Nutrition Facts panel on the side of foods can help you shop, eat, and drink smarter. 7. Consult an RDN. Whether you want to eat better to lose weight or lower your risk or manage a chronic disease, consult the experts. Registered dietitian nutritionists can help by providing sound, easy-to-follow personalized nutrition advice. 8. Be food safe. Reduce your chances of getting sick by practicing proper food safety. This includes regular hand washing, separating raw foods—espe-
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Ride, Doug, Ride! P
Cyclist to make 2,600 mile trip to raise awareness of ‘inactivity pandemic’ By Michael Reschke
hysical fitness has a! orded Doug Gordon so many benefits throughout his life that when he starting learning about the costs of inactivity and the lack of funding for physical education programs in American schools, he felt he had to do something. “I’ve been fortunate,” the Indiana University graduate said. “I’ve been in a great industry, and I owe everything to it.” After playing football for the Hoosiers in the early 1970s, Gordon made a career in the fitness industry working for companies like Wilson Sporting Goods and, most recently, Speedo as vice president of sales. Over the past few years, though, he has been hearing about two trends he thinks are related: increasing childhood obesity rates and decreasing funding for physical education programs in public schools. He wanted to raise awareness about the situation, so when he
Doug Gordon, the former IU football player, is riding his bike across the U.S. to raise awareness about the negative effects of inactivity and to raise money for physical education programs in schools. Gordon is with his wife Shari who along with our dog Chase will lead Team RideDougRide.org
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got tired of traveling from his home in South Carolina to California for work, he decided it was the perfect opportunity to make a di! erence. About three weeks after leaving his job at Speedo, Gordon started a bike ride that will take him from coast to coast. In a phone interview a few days before beginning his ride, Gordon said he planned to walk out into the Atlantic Ocean at Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on Feb. 15, then hop on a bicycle and start pedaling toward the Pacific. He’s expecting the 2,600-mile trip to take between 45 and 60 days. He plans to ride between 75 and 85 miles a day, sleeping at night in the recreational vehicle his wife will be
driving. Gordon said he and his wife are covering the cost for the trip, but he’s asking people to donate to PHIT America, a nonprofit campaign focused on tackling the “inactivity pandemic,” according to the organization’s website. Donations, which can be made online at RideDougRide.org, will be used to fund PHIT America Go! grants that are given to schools for physical education programs. Mike May, PHIT America spokesman, said in 2015 more than 150 grants were given to schools in places like Indianapolis, Atlanta and Lubbock, Texas. Companies such as Nike, Adidas and Speedo have
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worked with PHIT America on the grants, and it was through one of those collaborations that Gordon started to realize how inactive many people are today. For example, in 2013, less than 30 percent of high school students surveyed had participated in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on all seven days prior to being surveyed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. PHIT America cites a lack of physical education programs in schools as one of the causes. Less than half of U.S. high schools have physical education, according to PHIT America’s website. In K-12 schools in the U.S., the median budget for physical education is just $764, according to an Oregon State University study.
! ose numbers were shocking to Gordon, especially as he considered the impact exercise and physical fitness has had on his life. For as long as he can remember, Gordon has been training his body to take him places other people didn’t think he could go. As a young boy, he would hang around basketball courts in the summer waiting for other kids to go home. In need of another body to keep even teams, the older kids would eventually let the little guy onto the court, Gordon said referring to himself. At IU, he walked onto the football team and worked his way to a starting spot and a scholarship playing corner and safety for the Hoosiers. He never March 2016 • INstride 15
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made it to the NFL, but still found a career in the sports world. Traveling for work, though, he let his own fitness lapse. Realizing he had to do something, he told himself if he couldn’t fall asleep at night, he would get on a treadmill or an elliptical machine until he was tired. He started taking spinning, or indoor cycling, classes. ! e exercise made him feel so energized he started doing multiple classes a day and running sprints in between, he said. Eventually, he wanted a bigger challenge. He settled on a cross-country bicycle ride, but he wanted to do it for a charity. PHIT America’s Go! grants were the perfect fit. Once he decided to do the ride, he had to prepare. Leading up to his departure date, Gordon said five to six hours of training a day was not uncommon. He even bought a special mask to limit oxygen intake while he trained. 16 INstride • March 2016
Gordon met with his doctor to go over his nutrition plan. He plans to ride about five or six hours each day, which will burn about 9,000 calories, he said. In addition to his regular meals, he plans to have things like granola and Gatorade with him so he can eat every 18 minutes during his ride. Safety was also a consideration. Gordon said he chose to travel from east to the west so drivers don’t lose sight of him as the sun is coming up. He also has a Garmin radar system that will show when cars are coming before he can see them. Gordon is looking forward to the time he’ll have to reflect during his ride, but the fitness enthusiast is a little worried about what kind of thoughts might pop into his head as he pedals across the southern U.S. “Hopefully it’s not turning around and riding back,” he said.
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Doug Gordon, the former IU football player riding his bike across the U.S. to raise awareness about the negative effects of inactivity and to raise money for physical education programs in schools.
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CALENDAR
April 2
2016 H-T/YMCA Spring Run
WHEN: 8 a.m. WHERE: Monroe County YMCA Southside, 2125 S. Highlnad Ave., Bloomington. DESCRIPTION: The Spring Run includes a 5K, 10K and Kids’ One Mile Fun Run. MORE INFO: monroecountyymca.org
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Bedford Lions Club Fitness Challenge 5K
WHEN: 8 a.m. WHERE: Englewood School, 3203 Washington Ave., Bedford. DESCRIPTION: 5K run and walk supporting the programs of the Bedford Lions Club. MORE INFO: mag7raceseries. com
May 14
Greene County Viaduct 5K Run Walk
WHEN: 9 a.m. WHERE: Viaduct Observation Deck, Tulip Trestle County Rd. 480E, Solsberry. DESCRIPTION: Event run by the Tulip Trestle Community Restoration Inc. They plan on overall and age-group awards. There will be t-shirts, goody bags and snacks at the finish line. MORE INFO: Race director Linda J. Cullison, lcullison@ gmail.com
June 4
Dewey Dash 5K
WHEN: 8 a.m. WHERE: Morgan County Public Library, 110 S. Jefferson St., Martinsville. DESCRIPTION: Fourth annual 5K run-walk is open to all ages and abilities. Flat course. Registration begins at 7 a.m. MORE INFO: mag7raceseries. com
Looking for more activities and events? Check out myINstride.com/ calendar or add your own
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FRESH PICKS
Spring Green Zing is St. Patrick’s Day, try a new kind of green. Watercress is an aquatic plant that is often grown hydroponically, making it available to most of the world year round. A 3-ounce serving is just 10 calories but o" ers all the vitamin K you
need in a day. Watercress is also high in vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Its bright blend of mustard and pepper flavors gives zing to spring greens, turkey burgers, grains and soups.
Simple Green Salad 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 small shallot, finely chopped 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 4 cups torn peppery and/or bitter greens, such as frisee, watercress, radicchio or arugula 8 cups mild greens, such as Boston lettuce, mesclun, baby spinach or baby romaine 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion Combine orange juice, lemon juice, oil, shallot, mustard, salt and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Close the jar and shake until well combined. Place greens and onion in a large salad bowl. Toss with 1/3 cup of the dressing, or more to taste. Makes six servings. Dressing can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. SOURCE: EATINGWELL.COM
Creamy Watercress Soup 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 small onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth or vegetable broth, divided 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon salt 8 cups chopped watercress, any tough stems removed, plus 1/2 cup leaves for garnish 2 tablespoons shredded fresh or prepared horseradish, or to taste 1/2 cup half-and-half Freshly ground pepper to taste 2 slices day-old sourdough bread, crusts removed, finely chopped 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese (optional)
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften and brown, three to five minutes. Meanwhile, whisk 1 cup broth and flour in a small bowl until completely smooth. Set aside. Add the remaining cups broth and salt to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the onion is very tender. Stir chopped watercress into the pot and cook, stirring often, until tender. Stirring constantly, add the flour mixture and horseradish. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened. Puree the soup in a blender in batches until smooth. Return to the pot, stir in half-and-half and season with pepper; keep warm. Heat the remaining oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add breadcrumbs and cook, stirring often, until golden and crispy. Ladle soup
into four bowls. Garnish with the breadcrumbs, watercress leaves and blue cheese, if desired. SOURCE: EATINGWELL.COM
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Ice Cyclists Winter cycling group started from a green idea By Gizzelle Sandoval
JEREMY HOGAN | INSTRIDE
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ow far would you be willing to go for the causes that are important to you? One teacher went as far as donating her car to charity. Amy Roche, a teacher at Campus View Elementary, gave up her car in order to reduce her carbon footprint. It didn’t stop there. Every week, she bikes miles and miles around town in e! orts to be more environmentally friendly. “What started it for me was my personal journey in wanting to ride my bike more often,” said Roche. While the health benefits are just the “icing on the cake,” it’s really reducing her use of fossil fuels that keeps her cycling. Because of this, she knows her city more, interacts with the people in it more frequently and feels more in touch with her surroundings. “When I get in a car and drive it, it feels like I’m riding around in a box now,” said Roche. After doing this for some time, she wanted to find a way to share her passion for this cause with other members of the community in an inviting way. “I felt kind of alone ... and wanted to meet more cyclists,” said Roche via phone interview. Because the culture in Bloomington centers around biking—with events like the Little 500 and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Bike Ride—she wanted to find a way to unite cyclists and create a place for people to customize the riding experience to what works for them. " e Winter Cycling Fellows, a winter cycling group created to raise awareness of bike commuting and to build a community around it, was the answer. A dozen people were recruited to receive grant money that would be spent on Bu! s, sleeve-like garments that are considered essential for regular cyclists. Roche took on riders who rode at least three times a week and who documented their rides on “B-town Year-Round Bicycle Commuters,” the group’s Facebook page. " ey posted about their experiences, the idea being to build camaraderie, community support and encouragement. It was especially encouraging, said Roche, to know you’re not the only one in the snow.
JEREMY HOGAN | INSTRIDE
Although no longer an oÿ cial group, the Winter Cycling Fellows’ Facebook page is what keeps the former members together. It’s through this platform that cyclists post the status of the road and the route that they took, what gear they wore, what layers they wore and whether it was suÿ cient or too much. " ey share what kind of tires, equipment and gear has worked for them and how much it cost. " ey also provide real-time weather reports, time of day and temperature. " is information is especially vital for riding in the winter, which Roche admits was a challenge at times. She is a firm believer, however, that anyone can ride in any weather as long as they wear the right gear for it. While ice patches and black ice are diÿ cult to ride on, riders can ensure a safer cycling experience by having the right tires and fenders and wearing goggles in snow. While the group only lasted for the duration of the grant, Roche wouldn’t be opposed to making the group oÿ cial again by collaborating with another company to help it grow. She has worked with several organizations like the City Planning Department, Platinum Biking Task Force, Bloomington Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission, Bloomington Bicycle Club, and local businesses. “We’re reducing our local carbon footprint and I really think that cyclists should be appreciated and thanked for their role in [the environment],” said Roche. “I think people generally care about others and care about the future quality of life on the planet and they want to make a di! erence.”
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SPOTTED
JEREMY HOGAN | INSTRIDE DEANNA CONRAD WORKS OUT AT THE IRON PIT GYM.
Create your own photo galleries at myINstride.com
SPRING FORWARD GIVE BACK!
Monroe County YMCA Spring Family Run/Walk
Saturday, April 2, 2016
at the SOUTHEAST YMCA
Register at
MonroeCountyYMCA.org
5K • 10K • 5K Race Walk Fun Run • Healthy Kids Day Benefiting the Y For All annual campaign
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Presented by
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Learn. Heal. Live.
Have a health question?
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Ask a local health professional—join INstride’s monthly live chat and participate in the discussion. Visit myINstride.com/chat or HeraldTimesOnline.com/livediscussion to submit your questions, follow the conversation, or read transcripts of past chats.
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