While the staff of TampaSportsFitness continues to deal with the dual disappointments of the Lightning’s road record and the removal of wrestling as an Olympic sport, it was suggested by our editor that we go find something to write about that would cheer everyone up.  And boy, did we ever.

Now, TampaSportsFitness covers a great deal of running events.  We do this for a number of reasons: the bay area weather allows for almost year-round running events, the scenery is wonderful and it emphasizes the notion that running is good  for you while biking and swimming is good for you yet more challenging.  But TampaSportsFitness also likes to cover offbeat races, such as Tough Mudder and numerous zombie runs that have been making more and more of an appearance lately.  And this past week we received notice of an event that piqued our curiosity something fierce.

With that, TampaSportsFitness wants all of our readers to know about the inaugural Tampa Bay Kids Triathlon at (wait for it) Adventure Island on Saturday, March 9, at 7 a.m.

How cool is this?

The event, hosted on Adventure Island season-opening day prior to the park opening at 10 a.m., provides youth the opportunity to run, bike, and swim in and around Busch Gardens’ water park.

Focusing on children ages 7-10 (junior varsity division) and 11-15 (varsity division), entrants will receive an Under Armour participant T-shirt, a finisher’s medal, as well as the opportunity to purchase Adventure Island single day admission tickets at a discounted cost (up to six), to be able to enjoy the park after the triathlon.

The course for both divisions will be the same, although the varsity division has to loop through each area twice.  Starting in the park, participants will swim through the Rambling Bayou lazy river before transitioning to bikes and racing to the Busch Gardens parking lot down the road (using Greenwood Avenue to avoid the traffic on 40th Street).  After riding around the exterior of the lot, riders make their way back to the park for a run around the field behind Adventure Island and ending in the volleyball courts.

Registration fees are $35 per participant in advance and $40 on the day of the race.  The registration packet will be available for pickup on Friday, March 8, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the registration tent across the street from the event parking lot on Bougainvillea Avenue.  Participants are encouraged to pick up their packet and drop off their bikes on Friday to avoid the Saturday morning congestion (registration pickup on Saturday starts at 5:30 a.m.).  Overnight security will be provided.  After a review for participants at 6:45 a.m., the race will get underway at 7 a.m.

So what’s got TampaSportsFitness so excited?  In addition to being a child’s event that encourages physical and outdoor activity, it combines a triathlon with one of the bay area’s signature destinations during one of the best times to be outdoors (provided the weather cooperates, of course).  Anyone interested can contact Claire  Lessinger at 813-342-4075, or CLessinger@VisitTampaBay.com.

So how about it, dear readers?  Any takers for this event?

Well in the meantime and with out further ado , here is another unique set of sports and fitness related events that I think are worth mentioning here:

Hog Wild Run – $75

When:  Saturday, February 16th @ 11:59 PM

Website: http://www.hogwildmudrun.com/

Yes, this one is in two days,  but it’s not too late to sign up for it. If you like the 80s and if you wouldn’t mind getting stuck in mud or in a 80′s dance off, then this run just might be for you.  Honestly, I’m torn between running in this run or going to an Indian Film Festival this weekend!

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikon_dean_3000/

Tampa Bay Gasparilla Half Marathon – $85.00

When: Sunday, February 24th @ 6:00 AM

Website: http://www.tampabayrun.com/

Contrary to what I use to think, the celebration for Gasparilla doesn’t end in early February  after the adult parade. It also didn’t end after last weekend’s Knights parade in Ybor. Oh no… it continues with these runs, so it’s possible to get your pirate on in late February if you wanted to. Arghhh!

Gasparilla 15k and 5k  - $30

When: Saturday, February 23rd  @  9:00 AM and 10:10 AM

Website: http://www.tampabayrun.com/

2nd Annual Fitness Throwndown by the Pier - $65/athlete

Do you like Crossfit? This is a relatively new event I just “noticed”. I haven’t been to it myself but I have to admit, it does look interesting.

When: Saturday, February 16th and Sunday, February 17th, 2013

Website: http://www.crossfittecnica.com/throw-down-on-the-pier

Meet Kayak Adventurer Daniel Alvarez

When: Thursday,  February 21st – 22nd @ 4:30 PM 

Website: http://www.visitstpeteclearwater.com/event-details/22570/meet-kayak-adventurer-daniel-alvarez

I have to say , I wasn’t sure if I should list this one here. After all it sounds like an indoor event where people will sit around all evening listening to some guy speak. Not only that, the chances of them serving beer afterwords is very slim…. but I’m including this one here,  because people actually like Kayaking! Yes, believe it or not (well I believe it at least), people will want to meet this guy so they can learn more about kayaking and to learn how to be a better kayaker!

Hopefully these events sound appealing to you. If not, then feel free to let us know how we could improve these articles via the comments section below. 

It was noticeable when January arrived in the bay area, the gyms filled up after work and the zumba classes went back to capacity. TampaSportsFitness applauds those who made the commitment to get/stay fit in 2013, but we get that joining a gym may not be for everybody. There’s a whole host of statistics that point out that most people who own gym memberships don’t use them, and a majority of those that do use them only make it to the gym two times a week.

The reasons? Oh, there are so many: time, gym location, crowd size, general intimidation, and various doubts and insecurities ranging from wanting to avoid embarrassment to not wanting to use the locker room shower, all of which are valid but detrimental to health goals.

To that end, TampaSportsFitness would like to offer a few suggestions on getting healthy for the new year that don’t involve the gym:

1. Portion Control. We know, we know; nobody likes being told how much they can eat. So here’s a simple idea: eat until you’re full. That’s it. Not full to bursting, just full.

2. Drink More (Water). TampaSportsFitness does not subscribe to the argument that drinking more will make you less hungry. The argument that proper hydration goes hand-in-hand with a healthy diet, on the other hand, gets top-shelf priority around here. So drink up. In fact, do it more. Having a soda with lunch? Have some water instead. If you want a little more flavor, replace the water with green tea. Just pass on the extra cream and sugar.

3. Get Outdoors. This one’s a no-brainer. It’s early in the year, the weather is still nice, and the bay area has no shortage of parks and sites conducive to walking/running. Plus, no gym costs.

4. Try Something Early. Early morning exercise gives the benefit of energy before the day begins. It does involve kicking yourself out of bed earlier in the morning, but the trade-off might be worthwhile if you’ve got a long day ahead of you.

5. Try Something Late. Working a 9 to 5 shift and not looking forward to the drive home? Easy; use that time after work to exercise. You’ll avoid the worst of rush hour and still make it home in time for dinner.

6. Stairs and Blocks. Instead of heading to the break room, go for a walk on the stairs in your office. Don’t have stairs? Walk around your building. Again, it’s still nice outside, so take advantage of it while you can. Once May arrives it’ll be impossible.

Anyone else out there have gym-free suggestions for the new year?

Yes, the 2013 Gasparilla Distance Classic fast approaches, and like last year the race course puts both runners and adoring crowds within easy access of proof that God loves us and he wants us to be happy.

As part of the weekend of events with the Gasparilla Distance Classic, this year’s run also includes three racing challenges sponsored by beer manufacturers. The Michelob Ultra Challenge consists of running the 15K, 5K, Half Marathon and 8K. In addition to the individual event runner premiums, those choosing to partake of the challenge get a bunch of medals, shirts, and other assorted goodies if they finish.

Likewise, the Beck’s Light Challenge will be just like the Michelob Ultra Challenge, but without the Gasparilla 8K. And the Select 55 Challenge will be like the Michelob Ultra Challenge and Beck’s Light Challenge, but without the Gasparilla 5K and Half Marathon 15K on Saturday and 8K on Sunday. Further details on those events can be found here.

In a bit of sly-though-probably-not-intentional, these beer-sponsored challenges come off as a wink and nod to the Gasparilla Pirate Festival itself, where the term “inebriated” gets thrown around like a bead necklace.

But while drinking and long-distance running may seem an odd pairing, these beer-sponsored races piqued the interest of TampaSportsFitness, mostly because we’ve noticed the trend of beer in and around races lately. Both the Tough Mudder and Zombie Runs held late in 2012 offered a free beer upon completion of their courses. And TampaSportsFitness documented the existence of running clubs that go out for a beer upon completion of their run.

Granted, both Tough Mudder and the Zombie Run are more long-distance obstacle courses than traditional distance races. And while a free brew is not one of the prizes being offered for finishing the GDC, it did get us wondering if partaking of a brew so soon after running a long distance was really a good idea.

The result: most agree that drinking a beer right after running a long distance probably isn’t the best idea, or at least not until you put something else in the tank first. But some evidence was offered on the benefits of some lager during training.

What do you think, gentle readers? Anyone participating in the GDC? And does anyone know more about beer in a runner’s diet?

Nuh uh. Every year the human interest and health stories line up to remind us that we all exercise bad eating habits during the holiday season. This used to mean just the area of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but can now also include Halloween since that’s when the candy bars start appearing in office break rooms.

Is this truly horrible? Of course not; sweets are fine in moderation. But if you’ve got plans to participate in a high-impact obstacle course (Tough Mudder approaches; plan accordingly) or just generally want to avoid the sweatpants this season, this is the time you will be most tempted.

Here in the Tampa Bay area, we are fortunate to have a shortage of health food stores to aid us in the time of pumpkin pie and sugar cookies. There are two Whole Foods stores, one at 1548 North Dale Mabry Highway, the other at 3802 Northdale Boulevard; a Publix Greenwise Market on West Azeele, and an assortment of nutrition stores.

Unfortunately, all evidence to the contrary, healthy eating habits have never been a sexy subject, and it becomes even tougher to discuss good eating during the holidays when everyone is encouraging you to indulge yourself.

So TampaSportsFitness had to find a way to make healthy eating exciting. And what better encouragement can one have for proper nutrition, in this day and age, than to be prepared for the zombie apocalypse?

Unlike most other fitness websites who are urging you to eat less and avoid sweets during the holiday season (which is a good idea anyway), TampaSportsFitness has confirmed the date and time of the impending march of the lurchers, and there’s good news: there’s still time to register for it. Which means there’s also time to train for it.

The 5K Zombie Run will take place on Saturday, December 22 (assuming the Mayans are wrong and we’ll still be here) starting at 9 a.m. at the Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City. Similar to the Tough Mudder, the runner selects a start time and attempts to clear a 3.1-mile run through an obstacle course. The marketable difference, however, rests with the Zombie Run requiring participants to dodge hordes of wandering zombies, who will in turn be attempting to stop them. It’s kind of like flag football, if the end zone was 3.1 miles away, the other team lurched, and they didn’t care about the football so much as they did trying to eat your brains.

You have two choices for this race: running (listed on the registration as “bait,” so fair warning) or as a member of the undead. Those choosing to be zombies will have the option of being made up to look the part by race staff; those opting to be bait should not wear baggy clothes, as it will slow them down via wind drag and give the zombies something to latch on to.

Every participant will begin with three flags, each representing a “life.” Anyone who crosses the finish line with at least one flag intact will be able to say, without a doubt, that they could survive an actual zombie apocalypse, which should trump most water cooler arguments that involve pop culture. Please note, however, that the 5K Zombie Run will not be an actual apocalypse, so runners will not be allowed to bring any of the prescribed anti-zombie tools (chainsaws, crossbows, axes, etc.) to deal with the horde.

According to the website, all registrants receive a T-shirt, finisher’s medal, and entry to the post-race Apocalypse party complete with music, and food. Zombies, corpses, and course conquerors can toast to their survival or tragic defeat with an ice cold brew (ages 21 and up), or refuel with a bevy of other tasty bites and beverages. Also, zombies will be eligible to run the course after they have completed their duty as an undead obstacle. Minimum age is 14 with a parental waiver for this race.

Online registration at the5kzombierun.com closes Dec. 20 unless it sells out first, but there will be no registrations on race day. So if you want in on this, better do it soon. The registration prices are: $90 5K runner; $60 zombie horde. You can buy extra life flags for runners at $10 each. Spectators require a $25 ticket, or get a spectator ticket for $12.50 if purchased at the same time as a runner or zombie registration. Parking is $10 for all, including volunteers.

So, anyone up for running for their lives?

Like the article we posted last week about Tough Mudder? So did our other fans. And since there’s still space for the December 2012 Tough Mudder event in Tampa, we thought we’d post some training tips for anyone looking to participate.

Think two months isn’t enough time? Not so; if you get started now, you can be ready to go come December. A quick reminder: Tough Mudder presents one of the toughest challenges to anyone willing (read: crazy) to attempt it. Train seriously and stay focused.

Be ready to go the distance, but don’t train for a marathon

1. Tough Mudder’s website encourages participants to be able to run 5 miles before attempting the course, which usually runs between 12-13 miles. If that math isn’t making sense to you, remember that Tough Mudder is not a race but an obstacle course, and you don’t get any prizes for crossing the finish line first (unless you count being the first person to have a beer a prize, which is understandable).

Get away from the treadmill

2.  At no point during Tough Mudder will your ability to run three miles on a stationary platform whilst watching Fox News or ESPN come into play. Get outdoors and put treads to the ground. As Tough Mudder calls upon one’s ability to navigate questionable terrain, the best place to go running would be on beaches or anyplace with hills or uneven ground. Given the bay area’s geography, hills may not be an option. Stick with parks and nature trails like the Upper Tampa Bay Trail.

Hit the pool, or at least jump into one

3.  Running through mud pools may be helpful training for first-hand experience, but as several events on the Tough Mudder course involve fighting through water, the pool might be a more hygienic offering for preparation. Try running in the pool to get used to moving in high waters. You’ve seen it done in sport shoe commercials, so give it a shot.

Get functional

4. We all think the Incredible Hulk is awesome, but Tough Mudder will call your entire body into duty to make it through, so let your strength training become integral to how you move. Try exercises that don’t necessarily involve heavy weights. Circuit training is your friend. So is the pull-up bar. Being able to bench press anything over 250 lbs is outstanding; being able to do that AND pull guys up a platform is the stuff of legend.

Get ready to deal with the cold

5. This one might be a challenge in Florida, where people put on heavy winter coats when the temperature drops below 70. Since a winter afternoon in Boston isn’t accessible for training purposes, some competitors have prepared for the run by dumping a bucket of ice water over their heads before getting to work. TampaSportsFitness does not necessarily recommend this, but it’s better than having a friend run behind you with a water gun filled with the cold stuff. Especially if you owe them money.

There will be sweat. And water. And various other elemental stuff

6.  Wear old clothes (preferably something that won’t absorb water) and say goodbye to at least one pair of shoes. Don’t worry; you can donate your shoes to a worthy cause.

We also recommend you check out Outside Magazine’s list of training tips or visit Tough Mudder’s website for circuit training workouts tailor-made for everyone.

So, who’s in?

So for anyone seeking something a little more challenging (re: potentially dangerous), TampaSportsFitness heartily recommends the Tough Mudder challenge.

And it’s a challenge, mind you, not a race. Author Josh Eells summed it up best in his article on Tough Mudder that appeared in the October 2012 edition of Men’s Journal: a 10- to12-mile cross-country trail, dotted with 20 or so military-style obstacles. Participants are treated to a beer and a free shirt at the end of the course. The goal is to finish: no medals are given to the people who cross the finish line, and the guys charging ahead are usually the crazy ones.

There’s a reason the course is called “mudder,” too: most of the obstacles involve either running or crawling through the stuff. The course laid out for Tampa will include the Swamp Stomp, where participants go waist deep in the stuff; Dirty Holes and the Trenches. Oh, and there will also be a 15 foot drop into cold water (Walk the Plank, oddly fitting for Tampa), a mountain of haystacks to climb, and a run through a field of live wires, some of which will be carrying a 10,000 volt jolt.

Excited? Us too.

Tough Mudder has been striking a chord among the functional fitness trend that’s popped up in the last few years, with programs like P90X, Insanity, and CrossFit gyms. What’s the point of being able to bench press 400 lbs if you can’t use that strength to, say, help push a man up a wall and then climb up yourself?

According to Eells’ article, Tough Mudder started three years ago as a one-time project and has spawned a number of similar races like the Warrior Dash and the Spartan Race. It’s now the most popular of the functional fitness courses that travel around the world and challenge anyone willing to sign the waiver and tromp through the elements to prove how tough they are.

Because that’s what these courses are about. Participants who make it through have the privilege of knowing they survived a three-hour ordeal where they dealt with a dumpster full of ice water (Arctic Enema), a climb of a slope so high and steep they needed to rely on the other guys running the course to ascend it (Cliff Hanger), and a pleasant job through a field with four-foot flames serving as the primary obstacle (Fire Walker).

How popular is this three-year-old event? So popular that it’s making two appearances in Tampa, one in December 2012 and again in 2013. Crossfit Sparta on Nebraska (which we may have talked about before) has a training program set up for those that want to attempt the course.

Anyone going? There were still spots open for the December run when we last checked. Cost is $125, a day on the course and probably a set of workout clothes and a pair of shoes.

Archtober – Free

When: Friday, October 5th @ 1:00 PM

This friday, local architects in the Tampa Bay area will be hosting an event called Discover Design Architecture Tour. During this event, they will lead you on a guided tour of Tampa’s most interesting buildings in Downtown Tampa. This will be a 50-minute walk so get out your walking shoes!

Mud Endeavor 5K Run –  $69.95

When: Saturday, October 6th @ 9:00 AM

Do you not like how much it is to sign-up? Well, $69.95 is a lot of money but I have a feeling it’s going to be worth it. This is another mud run with several obstacles but this one looks by far the most challenging and fun mud run I have seen this year (then again Tough Mudder might out do this one).  I would check out the pictures they have on their website, you will see what I mean. You can expect beer and live music at this event, so that’s a plus, right? right?

Dragon Boat Races Come to St. Petersburg – FREE

When: Saturday, October 6th @ 9:30 AM

Dragon Boat racing is coming to St. Pete! Yep, hundreds of paddlers will be paddling down the St. Petersburg harbor while drummers beat there drums like there’s no tomorrow. I went to a race earlier this year and had a lot of fun! In fact, I actually took a few pictures of the event. Trust me, this is an event you don’t want to miss!

Gymnastics Championship Tour – $100 and up…

When: Saturday, October 28th @ 6:00 PM

If you’re having Olympic withdrawals already or if you’re fond of Gymnastics then I would suggest going to this event. After all, Gymnastics is an impressive sport and I sometimes think, “Gymnast can moonlight as superheros and fight crime with their amazing skills if they wanted to….”  This event will have all of team USA’s  Gymnast. Yep, they will have all of  the ones who performed during this year’s Olympics. You can buy tickets here and   here!

It’s on that notion that this week TampaSportsFitness brings to you, gentle readers, the idea of getting outdoors and participating in some fall activities. The NFL zebra controversy has ended, pumpkin-flavored food and drink are available in massive quantities, and nothing inspires the uproar of getting out and getting physical like the notion of doing it in nicer weather.

Last week Hillsborough County put out flyers on their fall sports leagues and still registering for many of their team sports. Their website is here, although it mostly just provides statistics and basic information.

Not to worry, though; we got better info and some phone numbers:

Adult Basketball League – Hillsborough County wants players 16 years old and above to compete in a full court basketball league. The league is open to the first 10 teams; 10 members to a team. Registration runs until Friday, October 12. Contact Coach Wayne or Coach Kisha at 813-903-2200.

Youth Flag Football and Cheerleading – Operating out of the Ruskin Recreation Center at 901 SE 6th Street, cheerleading will be held Mondays and Wednesdays 5 p.m. -6 p.m. and flag football games held on Tuesday and Thursday 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. This one is for kids ages 5-12. For additional information or registration, call Joy Robinson at the Ruskin Recreation Center at 813-672-7881.

Adult Flag Football – For those adults who want to engage in some traditional fall sports activities, the County also has a flag football league for them. Call Roland Rodriguez at 813-744-5595 x226.

But don’t think TampaSportsFitness has a bias toward sports in Hillsborough County. If you live in Pinellas, we recommend you try out Tampa.Sportsvite.Com, networking site for people looking to create and participate in sports teams in Pinellas County. Don’t let the name fool you, either; this one is for Pinellas. Users can find out about running groups, kickball teams, and floor hockey squads among other things.

Boot Camp – Okay, we admit, this one isn’t a sports league or team, but some of the staff tried this class out last week and highly recommended it. TampaSportsFitness has mentioned once or twice before that we endorse most outdoor fitness classes, so we decided to talk about it.

A boot camp class has started up in the Ybor Market Square on Wednesday nights starting at 7 p.m. It’s an hour-long class with heavy emphasis on constant movement and lots of core work, and with fall hopefully set to return, all that physical activity will go great with the cooler weather. Plus, there’s an Irish bar on the corner and 7th Avenue is within walking distance, so you can pull a beer running team and go for a drink afterword if you feel so inclined.

What do you think, readers? Know of any other team sports in the bay area looking to play in the fall? Let us know!

Ropes courses go by a whole host of idioms: Challenge Courses, Ropes Challenge Courses, Teams Course, and Low Ropes. Everybody uses these things: high schools, universities, the Boy Scouts, military, and the ever popular corporate training exercises. And we do mean everybody: there’s even an association.

Generally speaking, ropes courses can involve three kinds of activities. First there is climbing, in which the participant makes their way up a large tower, wall, or structure. Clad in a helmet and a safety harness with a rope attached, the participant climbs up and, depending on the design, across the structure.

Due to the varying levels of the structures, participants have two options for getting down: zip lining, where the participant rides down a wire after reaching the top of the tower, or repelling off the structure like a SWAT member in every action movie ever made.

Due to the height, safety gear and harness are required for both aspects. Rope climbing courses, both indoor and outdoor, have been popular for years, but the bay area has a noted interest in outdoor courses, as noticed by the sheer number of climbing structures in the area.

These courses can be found in multiple spots throughout Tampa Bay. The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) dropped the curtain on its Sky Trail ropes course last year and has been a major success; one can’t drive by MOSI and not see the multilevel apparatus on its front lawn just below the IMAX dome. The YMCA behind Gaither High School on Dale Mabry has a tall climbing tower hidden in the trees. USF has one at Riverfront Park on Fletcher Ave. And in Pinellas County, North East High School sports one on its campus, the result of a collaboration between the county and Common Ground Adventures. Lastly, for you  readers in Brandon, there is a ropes course near Lithia springs. At Cedar Kirk Camp and Conference Center, members can go through a ropes course that features 15 rope challenges suspended 24 feet in the air!

So clearly this is an area that likes to climb. Ropes courses offer physical activity unique to most outdoor sports, but it also offers a level of excitement unheard of in a gym setting. Rock climbing at the gym is great; climbing a giant jungle gym and then zipping back down on a wire is awesome. That might be part of appeal, actually: ropes courses look like a cross between those old school wooden playgrounds and the tree houses from Hook and Swiss Family Robinson.

Some basic things to know before attempting to reach the summit of a ropes course and/or zip your way back down: waiver forms will need to be signed, closed shoes and comfortable clothing will be required, and height requirements may need to be observed (MOSI requires minors under 47 inches be accompanied by an adult).

So what do you think, dear readers? Sound like an activity preferable to avoiding downtown Tampa during a large national convention?