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Cycling Keeps McCune on a Healthy Track
When it comes to health and fitness, Lance Armstrong is not the only one who can testify to the value of cycling. Glenn retiree Harry McCune hops on his bike to make a 13-mile (or longer) trip on one of the many Rail-Trails (bike trails created along former railroad lines connecting central Ohio through Toledo) three days a week. On alternate days, he walks three miles in the local Resthaven Game Preserve near his home in Castalia.
Image left: McCune bikes to Plum Brook. Credit: NASA/S. Jenise Veris
McCune's regime might challenge even a man half his age, but for the 76-year old Plum Brook Station (PBS) retiree, it is a great way to stay in shape, meet people and take in the sites. A fleet of five bicycles helps him to achieve varying speeds and to maneuver the different terrains.
Although he has enjoyed cycling since childhood, McCune became an avid cyclist when he joined the Sandusky Bike Club along with a group of his coworkers in 1968.
"During the 22 years I was a member of the bike club, we often met at Plum Brook to depart on trips with destinations of 10 to 100 miles round trip around the Sandusky and Castalia area," McCune explained. "I also cycled the 11 miles from my house to work during the summer and throughout the year when weather permitted."
McCune retired from PBS in 1994 after 28 years of service, where he covered a lot of ground as the facilities manager. After retiring, he chose to step up his fitness rather than slow down, and encouraged his wife, Judy, to increase her physical activity, as well.
Friends tease the McCunes that they need to take a vacation from their vacation after hearing about how much and often they exercised. During their Alaskan cruise in 2005, they opted for renting mountain bikes instead of taking the bus to tour Denali National Park & Preserve, which covers 6 million acres. They rode 19 miles up into Mount McKinley (also known as Denali, the "High One," in the Athabascan native language), which crowns the 600-mile long Alaskan range.
McCune keeps in stride during the winter months by retreating to a villa on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. He and his wife bike an average of 15 miles a day exploring the various bike paths constructed of hardened beach sand. This distance is in addition to a 3-mile walk on the beach each morning. This year, by the time they departed for Ohio, the McCunes charted over 500 miles of cycling from January through March.
In addition to being an avid cyclist, McCune also loves to hunt and fish. He still helps with the PBS Controlled Deer Hunts, and most weekends during the fishing season, he goes fishing on Lake Erie with his son, Mark.
"At my age, being able to get outdoors, travel and enjoy nature is a blessing," McCune said. "Henry Thoreau once said, 'In the woods we return to reason and faith.' When I'm out cruising along on my bike, it's so relaxing and reminds me just how fortunate I am."
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By S. Jenise Veris
When it comes to health and fitness, Lance Armstrong is not the only one who can testify to the value of cycling. Glenn retiree Harry McCune hops on his bike to make a 13-mile (or longer) trip on one of the many Rail-Trails (bike trails created along former railroad lines connecting central Ohio through Toledo) three days a week. On alternate days, he walks three miles in the local Resthaven Game Preserve near his home in Castalia.Image left: McCune bikes to Plum Brook. Credit: NASA/S. Jenise Veris
McCune's regime might challenge even a man half his age, but for the 76-year old Plum Brook Station (PBS) retiree, it is a great way to stay in shape, meet people and take in the sites. A fleet of five bicycles helps him to achieve varying speeds and to maneuver the different terrains.
Although he has enjoyed cycling since childhood, McCune became an avid cyclist when he joined the Sandusky Bike Club along with a group of his coworkers in 1968.
"During the 22 years I was a member of the bike club, we often met at Plum Brook to depart on trips with destinations of 10 to 100 miles round trip around the Sandusky and Castalia area," McCune explained. "I also cycled the 11 miles from my house to work during the summer and throughout the year when weather permitted."
McCune retired from PBS in 1994 after 28 years of service, where he covered a lot of ground as the facilities manager. After retiring, he chose to step up his fitness rather than slow down, and encouraged his wife, Judy, to increase her physical activity, as well.
Friends tease the McCunes that they need to take a vacation from their vacation after hearing about how much and often they exercised. During their Alaskan cruise in 2005, they opted for renting mountain bikes instead of taking the bus to tour Denali National Park & Preserve, which covers 6 million acres. They rode 19 miles up into Mount McKinley (also known as Denali, the "High One," in the Athabascan native language), which crowns the 600-mile long Alaskan range.
McCune keeps in stride during the winter months by retreating to a villa on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. He and his wife bike an average of 15 miles a day exploring the various bike paths constructed of hardened beach sand. This distance is in addition to a 3-mile walk on the beach each morning. This year, by the time they departed for Ohio, the McCunes charted over 500 miles of cycling from January through March.
In addition to being an avid cyclist, McCune also loves to hunt and fish. He still helps with the PBS Controlled Deer Hunts, and most weekends during the fishing season, he goes fishing on Lake Erie with his son, Mark.
"At my age, being able to get outdoors, travel and enjoy nature is a blessing," McCune said. "Henry Thoreau once said, 'In the woods we return to reason and faith.' When I'm out cruising along on my bike, it's so relaxing and reminds me just how fortunate I am."
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