At the coast, fulfill a lifelong dream (learn to surf), in the Piedmont run a rare 5K trail run, in the mountains, take a guided hike atop Grandfather Mountain.
Coast
Looking for a summer challenge? Learn to surf. Carolina Surf School offers “Public Group Surfing Lessons” twice a day at Wrightsville Beach, mornings from 8-10 a.m. afternoons from 4-6 p.m. “Learn surf board positioning, paddling, safety, etiquette and how to stand up and fall properly.” Falling with style — isn’t that what it’s all about?read more
It’s paddler’s choice this weekend in North Carolina. Don’t like to get wet? Then make a run for the hills.
Coast
Pine Knoll Shores is the place to be along the coast this weekend is you like to paddle or pedal. The weekend’s Kayak for the Warriors highlight is a 3.2-mile kayak and paddle board race that begins in Bogue Sound, follows canals inland through town, then pops back out onto the sound at the finish. A little too intense for the kids? There’s a Family Fun Race that’s just “a few hundred yards” as well. For mellow cyclists — the beach cruiser crowd — there are family-friendly rides of 5K (3.1 miles) and 10K (6.2 miles). The event kicks off Friday evening with a reception at Town Hall, all races are Saturday. Proceeds benefit Hope For The Warriors, a non-profit whose goal “is to enhance quality of life for U.S. Service Members and their families nationwide who have been adversely affected by injuries or death in the line of duty.”read more
Monday — never an easy time for the outdoors enthusiast. After a weekend of adventure, returning to the humdrum work-a-day world can make one melancholy. To help ease the transition, every Monday we feature a 90 Second Escape — essentially, a 90-second video of a place you’d probably rather be: a trail, a park, a greenway, a lake … anywhere as long as it’s not under a fluorescent bulb.read more
Elite Colorado ultra runner Diane Van Deren enters day 22 of her MST Endurance Run, an attempt to set a new record for trekking the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in less than 24 days. I’m on the Outer Banks covering her remaining 63 miles, and will be filing periodic reports throughout the day on the MST Endurance Run blog, which you can find here.read more
Tour North Carolina’s Central Park, indulge in a three-day mountain sports orgy in Asheville, run a 5K at the coast wearing a life jacket. Talk about options this weekend
Coast
We’re gullible for a good gimmick, especially if the gimmick is for a good cause. Saturday’s Run Around the BLOCK Safe Boating 5K at Fort Macon State Park, for instance. The BLOCK in question is the Coast Guard’s Block Island near Atlantic Beach. There’s two gimmicks here, actually: One, after the race you get to tour the Coast Guard base. Two, runners are encouraged to run in a PFD a k a personal flotation device a k a life vest. (You know, to promote safe boating?) Oh, and it’s a really flat course.read more
