Join the Club
Oklahoma City provides plenty of hidden gems for runners
Midwesterners enjoy a legendary reputation for hospitality, and it’s no myth. Ask Bill Snipes of the Oklahoma City Running Club — better known as the Landrunners — for the ideal local route, and here’s what you’ll get for an answer:
“To find the absolutely best run in Oklahoma City, forget the location and find members of the Oklahoma City Running Club,” says the spry 54-year-old. “We like to have a good time; we insist on having a good time. We run, we socialize, we like to help other people. And I guarantee, if you find our club members, you’ll have a good run, no matter where you go.”
Of course, you might not have time to track down an outgoing Oklahoman. Not to worry. A quick visit to the Landrunners’ Web site (okcrunning.com) will provide a number of options in town and nearby, from the new Oklahoma River Trails (recommended only during daylight hours) to the secluded, affluent neighborhoods of Nichols Hills (where the 25 mph speed limit discourages motorists, making it a nice choice for runners). But if you poll the club’s members, as Snipes did, the overwhelming favorite would be the Lake Hefner Trails. Situated six miles northwest of downtown Oklahoma City, wedged between the Northwest Expressway and Lake Hefner Parkway, this municipal water supply is surrounded by a 9.1-mile multiuse loop that rims the shoreline.
With its expansive views, a well-maintained trail, invigorating breezes coming off the water, and plenty of company, Lake Hefner is about as perfect a running destination as you’ll find anywhere. There are trail markers every half mile, as well as strategically placed water fountains and portable toilets. The trail itself, completed in 2002, is pancake-flat, and the surface is mostly asphalt with extended stretches of concrete. For those who prefer a softer running surface, much of the trail has grass shoulders that will afford your joints more cushioning. You can run the trail in either direction, since the ubiquitous trail markers are printed on both sides.
For this jog, head west, or clockwise, from Stars and Stripes Park. That’s the beginning and end point of the trail marker legend — and the most popular parking spot. The first mile from this point is fairly wooded, hugging the convoluted south shore of the lake (which features a model airplane field and a fishing pier) before passing through the Hefner Golf Course and veering north at Lakeshore Estates Park.
Just past Prairie Dog Point, from roughly 9 o’clock to 1 o’clock on the Lake Hefner dial, you’ll run along the top of the lake’s dam, on Upper Dam Road. This area is highlighted by the exceptional panoramas that the Midwest is famous for.
“The difference between Oklahoma and, say, Boston,” Snipes explains, “is that we have these wide open spaces, and you can literally see for miles and miles.”
From the northern section of the dam, you’ll see Bluff Creek Park, which has a number of single-track dirt routes favored by mountain bikers and trail runners, since their location offers a bit of a shield from the wind.
Shortly after stepping off the dam at around mile seven, along the eastern shore of the lake, you’ll stride past a small park with toilets, water fountains, and shelters before passing a string of superb shorefront restaurants, including the Redrock Canyon Grill, Bahama Breeze, and Pearl’s Lakeside Seafood Grill, and eventually reaching the Oklahoma City Boat Club. The parking lot by the boat club and restaurants is another good spot to start a run, since it provides an enticing reward when you finish.
Those jogging in the evening might catch sight of the often-spectacular sunsets to the west, across the lake (servers at the Redrock Canyon Grill cheer wildly and one rings a cowbell the moment the sun hits the horizon line). If you’re particularly lucky, the clouds overhead will provide an unmatched canvas of pastel colors, with rich hues of pink, peach, orange, and red.
After the boat club you’ll pass a children’s playground, which is a fun option for runners traveling with their families (parking, again, is available here). From there, it’s a short sprint back into the woods to Stars and Stripes Park and the finish line.
Travelers visiting Oklahoma City in April might consider participating in two of the biggest events on the area’s running calendar, the 25th annual Redbud Classic (redbud.org) April 14–15, and the 7th annual Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon (okcmarathon.com) on April 29, which begins downtown and loops around Lake Hefner, returning through Nichols Hills.
“When people come to Oklahoma City, they’re shocked by what they find out here, cause we’re just a little secret out on the prairie,” Snipes boasts. “They’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
— Brion O’Connor
Getting There: Continental Airlines offers daily, nonstop service to Oklahoma City from its hubs in Houston and New York/Newark.
Three Alternate Workouts in OK City
As appealing as the running routes are, not everyone in Oklahoma City gets their fitness kicks from pounding the pavement. Here are three alternatives:
Rock Out
Climbers travel almost as lightly as runners — all you need are a pair of good, sticky-soled shoes, a harness, comfortable clothes, and a chalk bag. Put them to use at OKC Rocks, which offers indoor and outdoor climbing in a unique setting — an old grain elevator — just half a mile from downtown. A day pass is $10 (a onetime belay certification fee costs $5). okcrocks.com; 405.319.1400
Have a Row
Business travelers who belong to another rowing organization can enjoy reciprocal rights, including the use of sculls and oars, at the Chesapeake Boathouse, a $3.5 million facility on the banks of the Oklahoma River. There’s also a fitness and training room. Visitor passes run $10 a day. chesapeakeboathouse.org; 405.552.4040
Pick and Choose
For swimmers, aerobicizers, and weight-training buffs, there’s no better option than a well-equipped YMCA. The Oklahoma City YMCA has eight branches to choose from, but the jewel in the crown is the Edward L. Gaylord Downtown YMCA. The Downtown YMCA’s Devon Fitness Center boasts a 2,000-square-foot addition that opened in 2005. ymcaokc.org; 405.297.7700
— B.O’C.
(To Your Health)
Room to Improve
How many times has this happened to you? You start exercising (finally!) and you hit a groove, running or biking regularly, maybe swinging by the gym a few times a week. Then you suddenly have to go on a five-day business trip or travel to your best friend’s wedding, and everything goes to pot.
“Traveling puts a lot of stress on your body, mainly because it’s a sitting activity,” says Robert Forster, founder of Phase IV Scientific Health & Performance Center in Santa Monica, Calif. “Sitting just makes you stiff.”
Forster has more than 25 years of experience testing and training some of the world’s most elite athletes, including Pete Sampras, Maria Sharapova, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Phase IV’s new Life Performance Program is designed for time-crunched businesspeople who have given up hopes of winning Wimbledon and would be satisfied finishing a simple 5K or completing 18 holes without a cart.
Whether he’s working with elite athletes or weekend warriors, Forster employs a training method called periodization. Periodization, which was developed by Eastern bloc sports scientists back in the 1950s, involves four- or eight-week training intervals, including a recovery week. This cycle is then repeated continuously, with modified training programs.
Periodization fits the traveler’s lifestyle nicely because of the built-in week off. Forster adjusts his clients’ training programs so the recovery week falls during their most disjointed week, whether that’s a hectic business trip or a lazy vacation.
But life doesn’t always jibe with set schedules. For those times when you must live out of a suitcase, there are tricks to avoid slipping too far in your fitness routine.
1. Loosen up. First and foremost, Forster stresses the importance of stretching during long flights, particularly the legs and back, in order to combat lethargy and stiffness by improving blood flow to the muscles. On the plane, get up and walk the aisles “every 45 minutes, if possible,” he advises, and stretch during layovers and when you arrive.
2. Grin and stair it. Many hotels, and some airports, have some sort of fitness facility. But not far from your room is another fitness aid: the stairwell. “I had a client who traveled a lot and practically trained for a marathon by running hotel stairs,” Forster says. After stretching, do 20–25 minutes on the stairs.
3. Feel the burn. Cardio work in the morning will “elevate your heart rate and have you more energized all day long,” says Peter Lavelle, co-founder of Boston-based Ultimate Bootcamp, which conducts grueling workouts at 6 a.m. He recommends imaginary jump-roping in your hotel room, adding, “That doesn’t mean that you imagine yourself doing it.” It’s the same motion as jumping rope, just minus the rope. Begin with a stretch, then do two minutes, then rest for one. Do this three to five times.
4. Get your feet wet. Light swimming is a good warm-up, then move onto full-body lunges or cross-country-skiing type movements while staying in place. “Gently,” Forster urges, explaining that the workout comes from the motion and the water’s resistance, not the speed.
5. Go hard-core. Every hotel room has space to work on your core, that is, your abdomen. This is the centrifuge of your power and stability, whether you’re a Wimbledon champ or a driving-range hero. Lavelle loves crunches: Fingertips at ears, knees up, feet flat. Come up slowly, exhaling, until your shoulders are six inches off the ground (three sets of 20–25).
6. P.S. Forster’s biggest concern, above even fitness, is avoiding injury. If you should miss a few days of training, be sure not to try to make up for it by going harder than usual when you get home. Overtraining is precisely when injuries occur. Therefore, it’s better to work your way slowly back into your normal program.
— Greg Lalas
Work Out, Work In
The Amphipod Handheld Pocket ($17; amphipod.com) conforms to your hand so it stays in your palm without gripping. The bottle holds 20 ounces of water or other liquid, and the 2-by-6-inch zippered pocket on the back holds keys, credit cards, and a driver’s license.
Created by a former Navy SEAL, the TRX Suspension Trainer ($150; fitnessanywhere.com) can be used for a variety of body-sculpting exercises in tight quarters. The trainer weighs less than two pounds and fits in a shoebox. Anchor the adjustable straps to almost any door and then use gravity and your own body weight for resistance to get into boot-camp shape.
Hot and sweaty yoga classes can turn your mat into a Slip ’N Slide. To the rescue comes the Shama Rug ($45; shamaliving.com). This thick cotton blanket fits over a yoga mat and soaks up sweat (it works even better when it’s a little wet). Hand-woven ridges at the front and back keep the mat in place and also help with alignment.
The Rowbike (prices start at $675; rowbike.com) is the newest invention from Rollerblade creator Scott Olson. It marries the pulling and gliding motion of a rowing machine with the outdoor fun and freedom of a bicycle. The result is a machine that delivers a full-body workout even if you’re nowhere near the water.
— John Rosenthal
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