Tips on a Healthy New Year!

res-o-lu-tion / noun
1. The act or process of resolving

• the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones
• the act of answering
• the act of determining

(Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

New Year's resolution
1. A commitment that a person makes to one or more personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit. Made in anticipation of the New Year and new beginnings.
(Wikipedia)

Resolution season is among us!  So what will your resolution be? Here are some ideas to help boost your health!

Resolution 1: Reduce Stress Levels
Of course we know this is sometimes easier said then done, but here are some tips to help:

• Start by identifying the aspects in your life causing you the most stress.
• Next, try to take control. See what changes you can make to help reduce and maybe even prevent some of the stress from the previous year.
• Exercise, yoga, meditation are all great and proven stress-reducers. 

Resolution 2: More Exercise
This is probably one of the most common resolutions. We all know about the famous boost in gym goers at the top of the New Year! 

• Start small: 30 minutes a day, for 5 days a week.
• Find activities you enjoy. Exercise doesn't mean you have to go to the gym and lift weights or run on the treadmill. Maybe you prefer swimming or walking or even cycling! It's all about getting that heart beating!! Doesn't mean you can't have fun while doing it!
• Try and exercise at the same time every day, to help make it part of your routine.

Resolution 3: Eat Healthy
Food is delicious, and sometimes bad food is really delicious! But now that the Holiday season is coming to an end, life will get back to its normal routine, and eating healthily can go back to being a priority!

• Try to substitute red meat with other proteins like fish or chicken. http://ow.ly/gmliS
• Pay attention to that food pyramid. Be sure to have both fruits and vegetables every day!
• Drink water! Sugary drinks can be the biggest culprit for weight gain in your diet! 
• Read the labels. Look for whole grains as opposed to refined grains. High fiber foods will tend to be more filling, and also generally are lower in calories! Conscious eating! 

Whatever your New Year's Resolution may be this year, we wish you well on your journey! Of course as always we'd love to hear your tips on following through on your resolutions! And, if you've got a unique resolution for this year, share it with us!

B is for...bike!

Sure the letter B could be for bananas, but for me it has always been for bike. The lack of bike paths in towns across this country, now that's bananas!

2013 is just around the corner. It should be priority for towns to start realizing that 'if you build it, they will come'. Ok, so in the context of this conversation it might be more like, 'if you build it, they will ride...', but you get my gist. Of course, the issue of 'who will pay for it' generally finds it's way into infrastructure conversation. Sure, building bike paths and dedicated bike lanes is costly, not to mention the signage and other maintenance involved in keeping the paths rideable.

But, that's what we do. Bikepath Country is working directly with municipalities and businesses to take a new approach on raising funds for bike path creation, as well as to help pay for the costs related to maintaining parks and recreation facilities.

Do you know of a bike path in your town that needs some repairs? Or maybe you just really wish your town had a paved bike path? Let us know how your town/city is doing!

The St. Mark’s Trail: Half Marathon Training Central

Guest Blog written by Paula Kiger

We have a popular trail here in North Florida. The “St. Mark’s Trail” starts at the southern edge of Tallahassee and goes south to the point where the St. Mark’s and Apalachicola Rivers merge, at the tiny town of St. Mark’s. In the past, the railroad shuttled cotton from the plantation belt to the coast, to be shipped to textile mills in England and New England. Now the former railroad bed shuttles runners, bikers, inline skaters, walkers -- anyone (canine or human) wanting to put one foot (or paw, hoof, or wheel) in front of the other. Even today, a horse trail runs parallel to the paved trail).

I have visited the trail on and off during my 30 years living here in Tallahassee. There were a few inline skating expeditions in college; one (just one!) cycling attempt pulling a toddler carrier when my teenager was little; a bit of recreational running; a few 5K’s; and an 8K. The most memorable 5K was the one where I won the “snail” trophy (it was literally a snail) for coming in last. My family laughed at me, but honestly I treasured the little ceramic snail for years, until one of its antennae broke off and it eventually disappeared during a move.

While training for my September 2012 half marathon in Massachusetts, I visited the trail as many times in two months as I had in the past 30 years! After one disastrous run here in Tallahassee that was hot, hilly and miserable, I adopted the St. Mark’s trail as my home ground for half-marathon training.

I woke up as early as possible on the Saturday mornings when my coach had assigned a long run, trying to get out of the house in time to be at the trail at sunrise. That part never quite worked out, but I was still a member of what I would consider “the early crew.”

What a boon to my training it was to have a course that was:

• A. equipped with restrooms
• B. shady
• C. flat
• D. easy to measure (because of the mile markers)
• E. populated by familiar faces (I never ran the trail that I didn’t get a “way to go” or other encouragement from a fellow local runner)
• F. traffic-free (except for a few road crossings)
• G. interesting. I will never stop wondering what would happen if I actually patronized the home that has a sign saying “Willkillyacounty Merchandise Sold Here.” (Willkillya is a take-off on the county’s name, Wakulla)
• H. conducive to losing myself in an audiobook or awesome playlist

Once race day arrived on September 16, the road through Boston, MA, was devoid of anything southern. The Atlantic Ocean conjured up thoughts of sailors and sea salt; bands played, crowds cheered, and impatient motorists lined up waiting to get “their” road back.

I was up north geographically, but this runner’s half marathon foundation had started down south, on a trail thousands of miles away. A trail where even a snail could find a comfortable pace.

Do You Consider Your Town to be Bike Friendly?

As more and more people are leaving their cars at home, we'd like to do a quick survey of our readers to see how many of you consider yourselves bike commuters! More importantly we wonder what may prevent more of you from choosing the bike over the car.

Maybe you work way too far away? Or, the route to work doesn't leave you feeling safe? Maybe there are no bike racks to lock your bike up when you get there? Maybe it's just entirely too hilly? Whatever your reasons, we would love to hear them.

You probably aren't the only one in your town who wishes there was a bike lane, or at least a shared roadway sign! So let's hear it!

Thanks for participating! We will report back our results. Be sure to share with your friends. If you know of paths that are in need of repairs, or signs that need to be put up, visit Bikepath Country for more info on how we can help your town raise funding for bike paths, signage, parks and recreation areas!

The Great Outdoors - a Hudson Valley Fall

The air is cool, the leaves are turning vibrant shades of orange, red, and yellow. Yup…
fall is here! And what follows fall, the dark, cold, and sometimes white season called winter! While some parts of the country are lucky enough to not have that frigidly cold winter season, we in the Hudson Valley are not. Which, is more of a reason to take advantage of the great fall season we are lucky enough to have.

Fall for us means apple picking, pumpkin picking, pumpkin lattes, fall foliage, and of course Oktoberfest. Fall is also an amazing time to get out and enjoy nature! Here's your fall reminder to take advantage of the outdoors! It won't be long before that frigid winter air comes blowing in.

Take a hike and enjoy a mountain top view of a Hudson Valley fall. Get out on your bike and enjoy the fall views along the Hudson! And remember if you're in need of a new suggested ride check out the Bikepath Country App, which is filled with local rides no matter where you are! Available for free download on Android and iPhone!

What's your favorite part about fall? Show us in pictures. Send photos to bikepathcountry [at] gmail [dot] com or share on Facebook, Twitter!

Bike Path Funding For Your Town

As the great article on Politico, "Cities Forge Own (bike) Paths" begins, "It's a familiar path: As demand for bike and pedestrian projects skyrockets, federal funding shrinks."

NY, NJ, CT all did choose to keep their recreation trails funding whole, which is of course great news for the the folks who use these paths!

What if we also take fundraising into our own hands? Bikepath Country helps to raise money for municipalities in order to maintain, restore and expand the current bike path infrastructure. Not only does this funding go to support repair and expansion of bike paths, but also to adding water fountains, park benches, restroom and maintenance of local parks and other community spaces.

Bikepath Country was established to help preserve and expand this country's bike path system, as well as to promote a clean and healthy environment for the community. Through the use of socially responsible advertising, municipalities are able to raise money specifically for their parks and recreation department.

Although demand is on the rise, we can't just rely on government funding to ensure we are providing safe bike paths, walkways, and parks to our communities! Get involved in your community, email municipalities (at) bikepathcountry.com or call 855.4.BIKEPATH (855.424.5372) for more info!

On bikepathcountry.com you can also find health and fitness tips. And, before you leave your house for a ride log on to map your ride, and get accurate cycling directions. Oh, and if you'd rather take those directions with you, we got an App for that! Try out our free Bikepath Country App available for iPhone, iPad and Android users. Take it for a spin, and let us know what you think!

Stay Active This School Year

The unofficial end of summer is here. The kids are back to school, which may mean more sitting at desks for them, and more sitting on the couch for you? But, back to school doesn't have to mean back to the couch.

Bike To School
Not everyone lives in an area where biking to school is an option. But, if you do, and you have the opportunity, why not make it part of the routine to ride with your kids to school. Then you can either ride on to take care of some minor errands, or head back home, hop in the car and off to work you go.

Before/After Dinner Ride
Summer might be winding down, but the sun is still shining. Plan to take a family ride after school (after all the homework is done of course!). Or plan for an early dinner and take an after dinner ride. Of course your kids may want to 'ride with their friends'. Well, maybe their friends parents ride too! The more the merrier!

Weekend Fun
Of course not everyone lives in a bike friendly environment. Maybe rides during the week are hard to squeeze in. Why not start a Saturday or Sunday morning family bike ride tradition. Throw the bikes on a bike rack and go explore your local parks and paths. More and more safe cycling routes and bike paths are popping up all over the country. It's up to us to use them! Find a local ride near you!

Share your tips for keeping the family active during the school year!