For sedentary people and people trying to lose weight this is a difficult time of the year. For the next two months the holidays seem to focus on food at gatherings. They have just managed to get through Halloween and the candy giveaways. While Halloween is not the healthiest type of food for a holiday there seems to always be some candy around. Even if the person does not have children bringing home more candy, the possibility of having left over candy that was around to hand out to costumed children adds to the calories in the diet. After recovering from Halloween, the next stop is Thanksgiving and for most people that means a big turkey or ham. At least this meal is mostly healthy. The downside is the pecan and pumpkin pie and ice cream after a big meal. Then Christmas arrives and once again the possibility of a big meal is on the schedule of events. While the main meal is usually turkey or ham it is all the side dishes that really add up the calories. And it seems there are more ‘office’ parties almost two weeks before the big day to add to the calorie counting. And with the New Year’s celebration the next week with all the parties that occur during the week it is another calorie busting event.
For runners it is another opportunity to store up the reserve energy for running marathons. With two major marathons already on the books with Chicago and the Marine Corp, the marathons in Texas are just a short time away. With San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and Austin marathons scheduled and the training necessary with all those miles, a runner needs food for energy.
For runners not into the marathon distance the area has plenty of 5K races on the calendar. Kyle has the Pie Run 5K on Nov. 9 starting at 7:30 a.m. for a chance to burn off the calories. The Chi Omega group has a 5K run out at the Hays soccer fields at Five Mile Dam on Nov. 10. Entry is only $20, but it is too late to guarantee a race shirt. After that runners get a couple of weeks off before the Bluebonnet Lions Thankful Turkey 5K on Nov. 23. This is always a popular run because the awards are turkeys, hams and pies for the Thanksgiving meal the next week. The race is held at the First Baptist Church on McCarty Lane and is an out and back course. Entry fee is $30 and you must enter by Nov. 11 to guarantee a race shirt. For the fast runners, it is nice as they can select a turkey or ham for an award. Second place gets the turkey or ham that wasn’t chosen. Third place in the age groups gets a nice pie.
A nice break for a month before the Jingle Bell 5K here in San Marcos. The Sights and Sounds celebration is on hold this year but the race is still alive and well. The race is scheduled for Dec. 14 this year. A little early for details about the race, but I have a number of friends who signed up after the race last year and are planning on running or walking it this year. It is considered the largest 5K in San Marcos with a large number of entries. The Sights and Sounds/ Jingle Bell 5K has been around for a long time. Darrell Rhodes worked at San Marcos Telephone Phone Company (Centurytel now) and organized the first run in 1989. It was the first time a 1K kids run was held in town. I still have several of the long-sleeved race shirts that had some good designs from back then.
For those individuals that are not into running and need some activity to counter those extra calories, it is a good time of year to get a head start on fighting possible weight gain. With cooler weather a walk around the neighborhood is a great option. If a person starts now with short walks around the block and adds a few extra steps each day it is not difficult to build up to a good hour of walking. The body adapts and increases the metabolism, so when those extra calories start arriving the body is revved up to handle them. Other options include spending a few days in the gym lifting weights and maybe a warm up on the stationary bike or treadmill. It burns calories and increases your metabolism. You will need to keep the weight down. And swimming is always a great substitute to burn calories. The Activity Center has a pool and the temperature of the San Marcos River is always the same, so even cold days make it inviting. It is best to start early on the activity as it just gets harder if you wait until after the holidays and you have already added on those extra pounds. Moving at a lighter weight is much easier than waiting to move after the extra pounds are stored around that belt area.
