After decades of crazy adventures and the stories that followed I have finally settled down into a more relaxed lifestyle. This change was a long time in the coming. My adopted father, Kevin Hutchinson, sr. passed away on May 1st, 2017 and since then I have lost the compulsion to prove myself to others. This revelation freed my mind and humbled my expectations. However, I'm still an adventurer at heart. In the summer of 2018 I discovered Scottish Athletics. Having found my people it was time to take up a sport with the intention of simply enjoying a sense of community. In January of 2019 I competed at my first games in Sarasota, Florida. It was a chilly morning for Florida, about 50 degrees. I was part of the young masters 40-49 group. There were nine events, some of which I had never tried before. My goals were simple: 1. Don't kill anyone by accident and 2. Don't get hurt. Both goals were achieved. How did I do? Who cares! I had fun and that is all that ma...

While a cold weather front blankets the north with snowy skies we Floridians have found a different way to celebrate the season, it involves costumes, fake snow, a beer truck and 700 runners. That's right, the Frosty 5K took place this past weekend in Sarasota and it attracted a monster crowd of endurance junkies who were warmly wrapped in the Christmas spirit. The event brought in running groups from all over southwest Florida as well as visitors from as far away as Canada. Attendees added flair to the occasion wearing reindeer antlers, sparkly red Christmas shorts or simply dressing as Frosty the snowman. However, Frosty himself showed up wearing his running shoes. He was made of snow but the children know that he ran the Frosty 5K and boy did he run fast. Well, who could blame him? With the morning temperature reaching 80 degrees, Frosty had to finish the race before he melted. The Frosty 5K is organized by the Active Suncoast Foundation and is one of the most...

While the big events get all the press and attention, I decided it might be nice to check out one of the smaller races that flies under the radar. The 3rd Annual Achieva Reindeer Trot takes place not far from main street in Sarasota. The Reindeer Trot is actually three events in one. They have a 5k race, a 10k race and a holiday dog walk followed by a doggy costume contest. Why did I pick this race? First of all, it's held at Payne Park. This beautiful little stretch of city property is decked out with meticulously groomed grass, a central jogging track, a playground and a skate park. I filmed part of a Strider Sports video here only a few months ago. Secondly, the race is sponsored by Achieva which is a credit union based in Southwest Florida. In the past I've bought two cars through Credit Unions. They are an excellent alternative to the traditional bank because the members/account holders are also part owners. In addition to my personal reasons, small rac...

Personability is everything, especially when it comes to bike shops. In our internet obsessed society the modern store front is faced with a multitude of challenges. Each day dozens of websites announce a new sale, promising the lowest possible prices and free shipping. Add to this the bidding wars on Ebay plus the digital yard sale known as Craigslist and it has to make you wonder how any bike shop can keep their doors open. This gets us back to that personal touch. Since bike shops are in a losing struggle with online retailers, they have to make up for it in other ways. Their top three weapons are quality service, location and personability. At their September grand re-opening I got a chance to talk to Tempo Cyclery's owner and see their new shop. My question was, have they achieved the trifecta needed for further success? Store owner Julian Angus jr Enthusiasm can be infectious. When you are talking to a true cyclist, passion bleeds through every word. At th...

What better way to break in my new Mountain Bike than to jump right into a fun race. Sarasota bike shop Tempo Cyclery holds a monthly Time Trial for their customers. The TT is free (Except for a few beers for the timer) and the atmosphere is friendly to all types of riders. Good thing too because I was the only person who showed up on a full blown Mountain Bike. After digging out my old gear I realized that I was lacking the appropriate details. My only MTB jersey is long sleeve (A tad hot in 90 degree weather) and all of my gloves are full finger so I decided to go without. My bike doesn't have a water bottle cage so I stuffed one in my back pocket only to later realize that it was a twist off cap. Can you tell that I've been off the bike for 20 months? We all met in the parking lot near Geckos restaurant on Clark road and then rode our bikes to the starting point at the corner of Honore and Palmer Ranch parkway. Here the sidewalk corner slowly filled up...