Month: November 2016

The anticipation kills.

Just before I plunge into Barton Springs this time of year, I question my sanity. Surely that icy water will numb my fingers and freeze my toes. The shivers won’t stop until noon; the chill will drive so deep that no one will hear me scream.

Then I just do it. And you know what? It’s always warmer than I think. Always.

I swim at Barton Springs almost every Wednesday morning, slipping into its chilly waters just as the sun rises. The first lap or so, I can barely see through the dark. Sometimes, that’s a problem. Today, I smashed face-first into another swimmer. (I’m sporting a nice bruise and a small cut on the side of my nose to prove it. Whatever.)

It sounds weird, but the pool feels warmer when it’s cold out. I think that’s because there’s less difference between the water temperature and air temperature. In the summer, that gap can stretch to 30 degrees or more. It’s a shock to the system to jump in.

This morning, though, the water felt warmer than the air. Getting in felt a little bit like taking a dive under the blankets on my bed.

A shortie wetsuit helps, too.

I never used to wear a wetsuit at Barton Springs. My buddy Brian Vance and I swam there year-round, and the cold didn’t bother me so much. Then I lost a little weight – and got older. The cold affects me more.

But if I wear a wetsuit and keep moving, I’m fine. Now it’s almost December and I’m still going strong.

It’s getting out that’s tough. A cold breeze over wet skin turns me blue. I keep a thick deck jacket at hand, and make a beeline to the dressing room to change into dry clothes when I finish.

Today, though, I took my time.

I saw two women kicking across the pool, wearing knit caps on their heads to stay warm.

“It makes a huge difference,” Jennifer Dillahunty told me as she and Chanda Spies cruised toward the deep end of the pool.

Whatever it takes.

I’m a big fan of the annual citrus fundraiser at Ortega Elementary School.

Instead of peddling chocolate bars, cookies or caramel corn, students at the school sell 20-pound bags of organic valencia oranges from the Rio Grande Valley.

I’m partial. I worked in McAllen for seven years, and lived in nearby Mission, between an onion field and a citrus grove. I always had fresh-squeezed orange or grapefruit juice on hand. It’s the best.

More importantly, I heartily approve of the idea of selling something healthy to eat, rather than junk. It’s a philosophy that’s important to staffers – and students – at the school, too.

“We promote and model healthy living habits during school,” says teacher Alejandra Mireles. “Teachers give weekly health lessons and our campus participates in the national CatchUSA program to promote physical health. We wanted to create a fundraiser aligned with these values.”

The school partnered with the Sustainable Food Center, a community organization promoting healthy food in schools for the project. Deputy Director Andrew Smiley says the fund-raiser perfectly aligns with the center’s mission of cultivating a healthy community, and he hopes it serves as a model for schools throughout Austin.

Student Alex Rodriguez likes the idea, too.

“Chocolate has too much sugar, and we could make more money selling fruit because it’s healthier and better for you,” Rodriguez says.He hopes money raised through the fund-raiser will fund a trip to The Thinkery Children’s Museum.

The oranges sell for $10 a bag and the school makes 50 percent profit on each sack. Orders will be accepted through Dec. 2. Pickup is between 2 and 4 p.m. Dec. 19 and 20 at the school, 1135 Garland Avenue. To order online go here.

 

 

The Austin running community is teaming with Austin schools to raise money to resurface and renovate the track at Austin High School.

The track, which is open to the public, has long been popular with runners, athletes and students eager to log mileage on its cushioned, quarter-mile oval. But organizers of a group called Back the Track say the poor condition of the track’s surface makes it unsafe for use.

The public/private partnership is looking for businesses and individuals to donate to help fund repairs. Group leaders already have enlisted an architect to begin the design process, but more money is needed to complete the plans and pay for construction.

The track’s location next to Lady Bird Lake and the Roy and Ann Butler Hike and Bike Trail make it a hub of fitness in Austin. Running groups, elite athletes like Olympians Leo Manzano and Lennie Waite, and former Austin Marathon director John Conley all use it regularly.

For more information or to donate, go here.

 

An Austin krav maga studio is offering free self-defense seminars in response to what it describes as overwhelming requests from the community at a time when many feel vulnerable.

The 90-minute sessions, dubbed A Day of Empowerment, starts at 2 p.m. Dec. 3 at Fit and Fearless, 2800 Interstate 35 South, No. 100. Separate classes will be offered for adults, teen-agers and youth as young as 4 years old.

Krav maga, a self-defense system, incorporates techniques of aikido, judo, boxing and wrestling, along with fight training.

Register here.

“Krav maga is physically and mentally empowering, and we feel it is our duty to offer the community the skills they need to feel safe in their surroundings and the empowerment to combat bullying and hate,” a press release said. “This event is LBGTQ friendly. We provide a safe and welcoming training environment for those who need it most.”

 

For me, nature works like a salve when I’m stressed out.

So it felt good to spend a few hours at Westcave Preserve this morning, learning about its history, hiking its trails and standing behind a curtain of spraying water in its grotto and looking out at the bottom of a cypress-lined canyon.

The 76-acre preserve, located off of Hamilton Pool Road near Dripping Springs, celebrates its 40-year anniversary this year. I’d never visited, and walking its trails soothed my soul.

Back in the late 1800s, the land operated as a farm estate for German immigrants. John Covert Watson, who had frequently sneaked onto the property as a young man, purchased it in the 1970s. He planned to use it as a weekend retreat he could share with friends, but quickly realized the community’s love for the place. He decided to protect it, putting together a board and raising the money needed to turn it into a preserve.

He hired John Ahrns as preserve manager, a job he held for 30 years. Ahrns pulled out mounds of trash left by people who ventured onto the property to swim and camp. That’s against rules now; preserving the unique geologic formation and the plants and animals that live there remain a priority.

Today the Lower Colorado River Authority owns the land, but Westcave manages the property and operates educational programs there. The focus? Connecting children to nature.

Ahrns’ daughter, Amber Ahrns Gosselin, now serves as Westcave Preserve’s director of land stewardship. She joined me, executive director Molly Stevens and board member Rebecca Benz for the walk. They showed me an education center built in 2003, and then we hiked to an overlook above the Pedernales River, which fronts a section of the property, and down into the canyon.

Why protect this corner of Travis County? Take a look at the subdivisions popping up along the roads surrounding it and it’s easy to understand why it’s important.

“Westcave is not only just a treasure because it’s a unique geologic formation, but it’s a wonderful example of healthy Hill Country land and what happens if you leave a place alone. It recovers,” Stevens says.

About 15,000 people visit Westcave each year, many of them school children on field trips. The preserve offers monthly star parties, along with educational programs about preserving dark night skies, reducing water consumption and more. Researchers are conducting studies on climate, golden-cheek warblers, dragonflies and butterflies here, too.

Westcave preserve offers guided tours for the public at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; cost is $10 for adults, $6 for children and $25 for families. Self-guided hiking on the upland portion of the preserve (not the grotto or canyon) is available Tuesday through Sunday.

For more information go here.

 

Need to de-stress after election season?

Catch a free yoga class – and a beer – at the Hyatt Regency Austin’s “Pints & Poses” series, which continues with an event this Wednesday, Nov. 16.

Classes move back to the second Monday of each month starting in December.

The event features a free hour-long

vinyasa flow yoga class hosted by Austin yogis Ferny Barcelo and Zuzu Perkal, set to live meditative music by local yoga DJ Trey Tarwater. Afterward, participants get a free pint of beer at the hotel’s Marker 10 bar.

The event takes place in the hotel’s Texas Ballroom on the hotel’s second floor. Participants are encouraged to bring their own mats. Nanga Yoga, a local yoga mat and towel company, will set up a pop-up shop.

“Pints & Poses” starts at 6:30 p.m. Attendees get free validated parking in the hotel’s parking garage. For more information, call (512) 477-1234 or go here.

The best way to see the East Austin Studio Tour? By bike, of course.

Cyclists will pedal through the city on Sunday, discovering artists and artwork during the third annual Bike E.A.S.T. Art Attack. Think of it as a scavenger hunt on wheels – participants will earn raffle tickets for each checkpoint they visit, and can collect bonus raffle tickets along the way. Awards will go to the biggest team, best team costume and most pimped-out ride.

The scavenger hunt starts at 11 a.m. at the Bike E.A.S.T. Base Camp at Daily Greens, 979 Springdale Road. It finishes at the same place at 4 p.m., with an after party and awards presentation.

The Austin Chronicle is sponsoring the event, which is produced by the Austin-based health promotion non-profit FRESH.

Hannah Packard, director of development with Big Medium, the parent organization of the East Austin Studio Tour, says the event supports bike safety and offers a unique and family-friendly way to experience the tour.

“Big Medium has always encouraged biking during E.A.S.T. because it’s the most neighborhood friendly way to explore the many stops on the tour,” Packard says.

Bike E.A.S.T. benefits Big Medium and Bike Austin, Austin’s leading cycling advocacy and education organization.

Tickets are $15 per adult rider (free children 12 and under; discounts for groups, families and seniors.) To register, go here.

 

Want to support men’s health?

Crush Fitness is offering special Man Crush Monday workouts all month.

All male participants get a $5 coupon to Finley’s barbershop, and a portion of proceeds will be donated to the Movember Foundation.

Classes are scheduled for 4:30 and 5:45 p.m. Mondays; the fitness studio is offering a special two for one deal.

For more information go here.

 

Getting outdoors can calm frazzled nerves, so consider taking advantage of the free admission to Texas State Parks this Sunday.

Daily entrance fees will be waived for all visitors in honor of both active and retired military, according to a press release from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

“This is our way of giving thanks to the service that veterans and active military personnel have dedicated to our country,” said Brent Leisure, director of the department’s State Parks Division. “We hope that Texans everywhere will make Texas State Parks part of their celebration this Veteran’s Day.”

Parks will host guided hikes, bird walks and other programs, according to a press release. Camping and special activity fees will still apply.

 

If you want to hang 10 at the world’s biggest inland surf park, you’ll have to wait until next week.

NLand Surf Park will remain closed through Nov. 8 while operators try to fix a problem in the plastic-lined, man-made lagoon, said park spokesman Chris Jones.

“On Saturday, we discovered some damage under the lagoon and are making some repairs,” Jones said.

The park opened to great fanfare east of Austin last month. Visitors pay $60 to $90 to ride one of three different sized waves created by a metal foil that runs beneath a pier that bisects the lake. On Monday, crews drained that lagoon, which covers an area the size of nine football fields.

To read more about what it’s like to surf at the park, go here.