Happy Trails to You!

by | Aug 23, 2010 | Active Living

Simon Kenton Trail, Urbana, Ohio

The Simon Kenton Trail meanders through Melvin Miller Park.

Just a reminder from my last post … please leave a comment about how and where you most like to exercise in Champaign County, Ohio.

In the meantime, I’ll tell you my favorite: the Simon Kenton Trail (SKT) bike path.

It’s an 11-mile paved trail for bicyclists, walkers, inline skaters and runners that links some of Urbana’s finest fitness and community assets. It starts (or ends, depending on where you start) at the Champaign Family YMCA, passes the Urbana City Schools’ track and athletic fields, loops around Melvin Miller Park, runs through Urbana to the beautifully restored Urbana Station Depot (home of the Depot Coffee House), continues past Urbana University, then heads out of town right by Cedar Bog Nature Preserve. In Clark County it merges with the Little Miami Scenic Trail and moves on to Cincinnati.

Basically, it’s a long, continuous playground—a big excuse for friends and families to get out and exercise.

Depending on your current fitness level, you can take on any amount of the trail you wish – and measure your progress as you gain distance and discover new parts of the path.

I like to bicycle, but my favorite way to break a sweat is running. Of course, I can do that anywhere, but I feel most at ease on the trail, free of motorized traffic (but please look both ways at the road crossings).

Did you know? Plans are underway to extend the Simon Kenton Trail further – north from the Depot up to Urbana’s northern city limit by Grimes Field airport.

Next up on Champaign Uncorked! find out how you can support the trail extension on September 12, as you and other bicyclists enjoy the SKT and Champaign County’s scenic country roads. And find out how you can support the trail as a member of the all-volunteer organization that maintains the SKT.

Running and Walking out of Excuses

by | Aug 21, 2010 | Active Living

Running in the BOSS

At today’s BOSS (Big Orange Shoe Shop) Summer Run in West Liberty, Ohio, I felt a bit sluggish (65:10.5 in the 10K). I was running a pint low; I donated blood Friday. (And thank you, Dairy Corner, for the “give a pint, get a pint” offer! I chose praline pecan.)

But no more excuses about my running. After all, when it comes to exercise, excuses are too easy to come by. Even so, about 275 people crossed the finish line at the BOSS—nearly all of them in front of me.

Another group didn’t make excuses this morning. They gathered at the Champaign Family YMCA to walk a mile together. It was the final mile of the Champaign County Marathon, a program sponsored by Activate Champaign County to encourage people to make exercise a part of their routine – and walk at least marathon distance, 26.2 miles, over the past eight weeks.

After the BOSS run with fellow Champaign Countians and back-of-the-packers Steve Henderson, his son-in-law Ben Dunham and Ben's son Riley.

Had I picked up my 10K pace a bit—like Josiah Bragg’s winning time of 36:39.3—I could have made it back to Urbana in time to join them. But since I only run like that in my dreams, here’s a tardy congratulations and keep it up!

In upcoming posts I plan to feature all of the great excuses we have in Champaign County to exercise—rather than avoid it. I welcome your suggestions. Please leave a comment: where and how do you like to exercise in Champaign County?