Author Alex Hutchinson

If you have participated in a 5K running race in Southwest Florida you have probably heard of the Zoomers. Not only do they promote the sport, they also provide timing for many races put on by other organizations. Zoomer's members are an active bunch. They have restaurant meet ups before their monthly meetings. They have movie nights and gather for group runs often in association with The Foot Landing shoe store in Punta Gorda. Plus, during the summer they change gears for some new adventures. On Sunday the Zoomer's members met at the Treasure Lanes bowling alley for some spirited competition. They broke up into teams and compared scores for random prizes while eating pizza and encouraging each other. I brought my wife Terri along and her first impression said it all. "I have never met such a supportive group. They were cheering for everyone, just like they do at the races. I had a ton of fun." Bowling is only the beginning, there are more events

For many it seemed to be a typical Saturday evening in the City of Venice, the streets were clearing, the sun was setting and the mood was relaxed. Then, out of nowhere, dozens of bicycles buzzed by. Road bikes, Mountain bikes and even a BMX bike casually cruised down the side streets filling the Island with a whole new crowd of smiling faces. Who was this mysterious peloton? They were the second gathering of the SCORR (Sarasota County Off Road Riders) pub ride which included the owners and employees of Real Bikes Venice , Real Bikes Englewood and Bicycles International Venice . Eric Claussen displaying the new bike trail signs SCORR is the group which recently crafted 4 miles worth of Mountain bike trails in the Carlton Reserve park. This particular pub crawl was put together to raise money to pay for the signs that will be posted on those trails. SCORR volunteers, wearing the camouflage shirts, made sure no rider was left behind as 60 cyclists traversed the streets

A recent trend in the athletic world seems to me a bit strange - barefoot running. For the past few years runners and shoe companies have been making major adjustments to their training and products based largely on the premise of one influential philosophy - minimalism. In this context it is the idea that barefoot is way we were meant to run. This idea was futher popularized by the book Born To Run - A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen - by Christopher McDougall (Google Affiliate Ad) . It was a run away hit in 2011 (Pun intended). It tells the story of an Indian tribe that runs hundreds of miles every year without shoes and without injury. He not only tells their tale but also connects recent research which suggest that modern day shoes might hurt our feet as much as help in these types of endeavors. Admittedly, I have yet to read this book but it is on my list. While all of this sounds like a twisted version of back to the future

Do you need a good slap every now and then? Well, you're in luck! The Sarasota County Off Road Riders (SCORR) group has put together another one of their infamous pub rides. The S.L.A.P or Summer solstice, Longest day, Almost full moon, Pub ride will be held on June 22nd at 7:30pm in Venice, Florida. Everyone is Welcome! Bring your bike, helmet, front and back lights and meet the crew at the downtown Venice gazebo. It is $10 to ride and the money will go for signs to mark the newly built singletrack trails in the T.Mabry Carlton Reserve park. To learn more about SCORR and the SLAP ride visit: SCORR Facebook Page

The Weight Watchers company has been helping people eat right and lose weight in a healthy way for decades. I first got to see how their system works when a friend of mine asked me to take her "Before" picture. She was nearly 300 pounds and had finally reached the point of determination where she wanted it to change. A year and a half later I got to take one of her many "After" pictures. She had lost over 100 pounds. The reason I tell you this story is that my lovely wife Terri B, has reached the point where she is determined to make a change. She signed up to Weight Watchers, diligently attends all the meetings and she is even trying their latest technology - ActiveLink. Activelink is a small electronic monitor that clips to a person's clothing. All day long it tracks a their physical activity from the shortest walk to the longest swim. It doesn't matter if you are doing housework, shopping, physical labor or exercising, everything register