Big dreams? Better start planning.

Got a plan for this year? If you don’t, you need one.

If you vowed to be better this year, you need to start planning. You need goals to move you along. You need a carrot to get you out of bed and ride on a morning when it’s 25 degrees out. You need incentive to lace up your Asics and do your weekly track workout when your body is saying it would rather stay on the couch and watch the second half.

If you’re a road cylclist, for instance, you need an event to spur you on. The MS 150 in September, perhaps. Maybe Cycle North Carolina in October. Or perhaps one of the numerous centuries and half centuries that will test your endurance. (If you really want to test yourself, shoot for a mountain century; the Roan Moan in July is a good place to start.)

And mountain biking certainly isn’t without its share of interesting races. From the local TORC cross-country series, to 24-hour races such as Memorial Day weekend's Burn 24-Hour Challenge, to quirky races such as Pisgah Mountain Adventure Bike Race that marry distance riding with thinking.

Are you a runner? Maybe you need those weekly 5Ks to string you along. Perhaps you’re in to distance running — or would like to be. I know of at least one, no, two, training programs ideal for folks interested in running their first marathon. Maybe you prefer trail running. Now’s the time to start upping the miles for April 1’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail 12M and 50K Challenge, among others.

Into the new breed of adventure 5K? There are more and more of ‘em out there.

Triathlete? You have to plan ahead because triathlons are so popular they fill up in an instant. Still, you may be able to find a good tri, sprint to ironman, with openings left.

If you’re into team sports, check with your local parks & rec to see what options they have coming up.

And if you’re like me and live for a good backcountry adventure, well, I had a little planning session myself the other day and came up with five must-do trips for this year: the Snowbird Mountains of western North Carolina, a section of the Great Smoky Mountains I’ve yet to explore, the little-known west flank of the Black Mountains, the Black Mountain Crest Trail — much of it above 6,000 feet — in winter, and the 73-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail between US 19E and Damascus, Va. You can read more about those adventures here.

Stop reading. Start planning.

"Gosh, according to my journal it's been three weeks since I've done a decent fartlek workout. Better hop to it."

I was thinking I’d just had a bad day on the wall. Then I opened my climbing journal to record my workout and discovered that my last workout, a week earlier, had been “a bad day.” Likewise, the workout before that, during the week between Christmas and New Year’s, had been “somewhat aimless.” Aimless and anti-productive, I discovered upon further review: Had it really been nearly two months since I’d done a 5.9 climb? My journal said it had.

Thanks to my journal, I was able to fully appreciate just how much of a wimp I’d become.

In today’s The News & Observer and Charlotte Observer I have a story on how to get started exercising (an expanded version of that piece will run here tomorrow, with links). I cover a lot of ground — from the importance of mixing up your workouts to working out with a buddy — but one thing I neglected to mention was the importance of keeping a workout journal.

“A journal will give you a great base/foundation for the goals you want to strive for on your fitness quest,” according to Elite Conditioning of Vista, Calif. “Writing down what exercises you’re going to do for the day or week will give you a solid game plan to follow. You can always adjust your workout journal when you see fit, but just having something written down will help you greatly.”
Adds Nick SantaBarbara of The Training Standard, “One of the most important, if not the most important, reason for a journal is the knowledge of whether or not you are over training or under training.”

A workout journal goes one better than a log. Typically, a log is a concise statistical account of your workout: how far you ran, how much weight you lifted, how many reps you did. For instance, on Sunday I ran at Umstead State Park; my log entry for the workout might read: “Umstead B&B, 7.1m, 1:00:53, 8:28.” Translated: I ran at Umstead State Park on the bike & bridle trail, I ran 7.1 miles in 1 hour and 53 seconds for a per-mile pace of 8:28. My journal entry would likely include the same information, but it would also include observations about the run, such as, “Took nearly a half mile to fall into pace,” “Got a sidestitch 30 minutes in but straightened posture and worked through it,” and “8:28!? What a cow!” That additional information reminds me that I’m not a fast starter, that I’m prone to pesky sidestitches but know how to work through them, and that I’m lousy with analogies because a motivated cow can move pretty darn fast.

Statistics in themselves are helpful. They help mark progress (or not) and they remind me of what I still need to do, especially if I’m training for a specific event. For instance, if I’m seven weeks in to a 12-week training program for a half marathon, the above entry might remind me that I need to up my next long distance day by at least a mile, preferably two. And if I’m aiming to run the aforementioned half marathon in an hour and forty-five minutes or less, the pace might tell me I need to up my track workouts to bring that pace closer to 8 minutes. All good information.

But it’s the observations that, for me, make the difference. Reviewing my climbing journal, I see not just that the difficulty of the routes I’ve been climbing has plateaued (basic log information), I pick up on a recent negative vibe. In the fall, I was bubbly over doing the seemingly impossible and upping my game week after week. Lately, the tone of my journal is that of a a listless slacker who gets spooked easily, worries more about falling and has, increasingly, been climbing alone. My journal leads me to two conclusions:

Make more of an effort to climb with my Meetup group. The comradery encourages a friendly, supportive competition that makes me push myself. Also, if I fall my belay partner will catch me a lot faster than the autobelay, which has an alarming delay before it seems to realize, “Oh, dude is falling. Better catch him.” The autobelay is also reluctant to praise a good effort.

I need to take a class. And it just so happens my neighborhood gym, the Triangle Rock Club, offers a class called “Fight Gravity” that’s “Recommended for the 5.8-5.9 climber who is stuck at a plateau ... .”

My journal hasn’t magically solved my problem, but it’s helped show me what I need to do to make going to the gym fun again. Thanks, journal.

Google around and you can find workout-specific journals with space to let you record stats and an area for workout reflections. They tend to be a little pricey. You can also buy a blank journal and create your own format, or you can do an online journal (yes, there are apps for that). It’s a matter of what works best for you.

Workout. Then write.

* * *

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Coast

One of the best workouts going is a day at the beach: Chasing kids into the water, getting chased out of the water by a rogue (waist-high) wave, building sand castle fortresses (upper body workout). Something about the beach just says “Move!”

Now, when the water temperature drops to an attention-getting 67 degrees, we tend to forget about an active day at the beach. This weekend, though, there’s an alluring ocean substitute: the 24th Annual Carolina Kite Fest at Atlantic Beach. Check out the awe-inspiring collection of massive and festive kites from around the globe, bring your own and fly it tree branch- and powerline-free. It runs both Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Plus, there’s a 6 p.m. “Night fly” on Saturday. Plus: “Special guests to be announced.” More info here.

If you’re in Wilmington Saturday and are in more of a spectating mood, check out the Beach2Battleship Triathlon. Deemed by Triathlete Magazine as one of the top five iron distance triathlons in the world (there’s also a 1/2FE distance), the event should provide some good day-long spectating — and give you a sense of whether you might be ironperson material. More info here.

Piedmont

With fall color cascading into the Piedmont, we’d be remiss not to suggest you check it out. You could visit your local State Park for an eyeful or you could tag along on Saturday morning’s Fall Foliage Walk at North Cabarrus Park in Concord. Explore the park with a ranger who can explain the color you’re seeing (which trees are responsible for which colors) and why you’re seeing it (why there’s color in the first place). Starts at 10 a.m. and there’s a $2 fee.

To register, go here, for more information on the park (including directions) go here.

Mountains

In the category of things we don’t understand but are weirdly attracted to: unicylcing. Especially unicycling on a mountain bike trail. Which is what they’ll be celebrating this weekend at the 5th Annual Asheville Mountain Unicycle Festival, which starts Friday and runs through Sunday. Various rides are scheduled — at Sycamore Cove, the North Slope Loop and DuPont State Forest — and there’s a dinner and awards ceremony Saturday evening. And if you aren’t accomplished as a mountain unicyclist, the Web site advises, “Please don't be intimidated, especially if you are new to the sport.” Then again, “Please know your limits as a rider.”

Still scratching your head? Perhaps these videos will explain (or they may raise more questions). More info about the festival here.

* * *

Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

Coast

Thought your triathlon season was over? How about one last event — this Saturday’s Emerald Isle Triathlon. This is a slightly longer sprint distance tri: 750 meter swim in the Atlantic, 19.3k out-and-back bike ride along NC 58, 5k run along Ocean Drive. Flat, fast coastal race — with the buoyant ocean to lend a hand. 8 a.m. More info here.

Purple aster

Piedmont

When we explore the woods this time of year our natural tendency is to look skyward in search of color. Sunday’s ranger-lead hike at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve will have you looking down at fall’s often-overlooked color display. The Fall Wildflower Hike begins at 3 p.m. and is free. Meet at the Visitor Center; more info here.

Look for a kid with a blanket at the Great Pumpkin Mountain Challenge.

Mountains

Linus may have waited in vain for the Great Pumpkin, but the wait has ended for the Great Pumpkin Mountain Challenge. Saturday at 9 a.m., help raise money to feed the hungry on a foot-based — hike, walk, run, your choice — excursion through Florence Nature Preserve in the mountains near Fairview. Event raises funds for The Lord’s Acre, Fairview’s Garden for Hunger. Your options for the day: 10k run up the south slope of Tater Knob, guided hike through the preserve, guided walk to (and into) historic Sherrill’s Inn. Every finisher gets a pumpkin! $15, $25 for couples and families. More info here.

* * *

Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

Coast

Here’s a race I wish I’d known about three months ago: the Kure Beach Double Sprint Triathlon, billed as the “very first Formula 1 or super sprint style triathlon in the U.S.”

Double Sprint? Formula 1?

It’s basically this: start with a 375-meter ocean swim, run 1.5 miles to a transition area, do a 10K bike ride on a closed course — then ride the 10K course again, back to the transition area where you’ll run the 1.5 miles back to the beach, where you’ll swim the 375-meter course, again.  Great concept. And again, I wish I’d heard about it earlier because a) I could have trained for and perhaps enjoyed the event, and b) registration is closed, so even if I — or you — was in shape, it would be for naught.

Still, if you’re in the area it promises good spectacle and a chance to see a rare Double Sprint Formula 1 tri(x2)athlon.

More about the event, which begins at 7 a.m., here.

Big Lake, big fish?

Piedmont

I didn’t grown up in a hunting or fishing family, which likely explains why I don’t hunt and why it took me so long to figure out how to fish. Expedite your own learning curve when it comes to fishing this Friday (we’re observing summertime three-day weekend hours here at GGNC) at 10 a.m. at Umstead State Park.

Join a ranger at Big Lake (off the U.S. 70/Glenwood entrance to the park), learn the basics of fresh water fishing, learn about the fish you will be fishing for, then fish. Rods and reels provided in this free event. Free, but because room is limited, registration is required, by calling 919.571.4170.

More about Umstead here.

Mountains

I didn’t grow up in a camping family, either. That explains why my initial forays into camping ... well, they didn’t result in 911 calls (hadn’t been invented yet), but I doubt my recollections around the water cooler the following Monday caused my coworkers to think, “Man, I’ve gotta try that!”

Again, streamline your own camping learning curve this weekend as Elk Knob State Natural Area observes the Great American Backyard Campout.

The purpose of the the Great American Backyard Campout is to introduce folks to the joy of camping without having to buy all the equipment. A test drive, if you will, before deciding if this is something you want to work into your lifestyle. The only camping-type thing you need to bring is a sleeping bag, or blanket, or bedroll, as we used to call them during my days driving cattle in the West. (You’ll also need to bring snacks and breakfast; s’mores are provided.)

The event begins at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Elk Knob State Natural Area, a place, btw, that doesn’t otherwise allow camping. It’s free, but again, because space is required, you’ll need to register beforehand, by calling 828.297.7261.

Learn more about Elk Knob — the peak to the far right in the photo at top — here.

* * *

Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

Gerald Babao is matter-of-fact about what motivated him to take up triathlons: Cancer.

“I’ve always been active in life, hiking, backpacking,” says Babao, who works as director of operations for USA Canoe/Kayak in Charlotte. “But I wasn’t a runner or cyclist, I wasn’t a swimmer. The catalyst came in 2008 when I was diagnosed with cancer, adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare head and neck cancer. That was my launching point. I felt i needed to do as much activity as possible.”

At a time when most people have their heads full just thinking about survival, Babao, who was 33 at the time, was working on how to take life up a notch. As he saw it, he didn’t have much choice.

“The medical side was beyond my control,” he says nearly three years later. “My drive was to become as healthy as I possibly could to beat cancer.

It would be a while before he could kick into training full speed. He spent the summer of 2008 at the Duke Cancer Center getting treated, then had to recuperate. When he got strong enough, he got into cycling.

“I had a slight obsession with Lance Armstrong and his ability to overcome an obstacle, and in addition to raise money for cancer research and awareness,” says Babao. To fuel both efforts — riding and fund raising — he started team Wannabe Riders Against Cancer, primarily to raise money through the Livestrong Challenge in Philadelphia, an annual century ride.

The team did its first Livestrong Challenge in 2009. While training for that ride he ran into some folks training for a triathlon. The seed was planted. He heard about TRYMCA, a triathlon training program offered through the Charlotte YMCA and signed up for the spring 2010 session at the Y’s Morrison branch. His goal: the Tri! Ballantyne sprint triathlon that July.

TRYMCA is a fairly rigorous training program, meeting three times a week for eight weeks. One day the coaches would have them swim, one day run, one day go for a ride. Baboa says he and the others in the class tried to meet at least that often on their own.

“It instilled discipline,” he says. “Prior to that, I jut did my own thing. There was never any rhyme or reason to my workouts.”

Come race day, Balboa was ready. He completed his first  triathlon — a 300-yard swim, 12.7-mile bike ride and 3.1-mile run — mid pack. His finish was secondary to the new course he had set.

“I was never overweight,” he says. “I was never at the point where I was concerned about my health [prior to the cancer]. But I wasn’t in shape.” He told himself that wouldn’t happen again.

He’s mildly annoyed with himself that it took cancer to make him come to this realization. Through team Wannabe Riders Against Cancer and his growing list of other active pursuits, he hopes to encourage others to lead a healthier lifestyle before it becomes a life-or-death question for them.

“I’d like to get people to become more engaged with their lives in general,” says Babao. “I’d like to help people discover the fun things you can do that involve pushing your body to its limits.” Things such as (all done post-cancer, in 2010):

• Cycling the notorious 29-mile stretch of pavement from Marion to the top of the eastern United States, at 6,684-foot Mount Mitchell, a total of more than 5,000 feet of climbing. “This ride was no joke,” Babao wrote on the WRAC blog. “I’m not one to embellish, but this ride is the REAL DEAL.”
• Nation’s Triathlon, an Olympic distance triathlon that includes a 1.5-mile swim in the Potomac River, 24.4-mile bike ride and 6.1-mile run.
• Cane Creek Triathlon, a 750-meter swim, 14-mile bike ride and 3.1-mile run.
• Livestrong Challenge, Philadelphia.
• Climbing Mount Rainier. (He was scheduled to climb the 14,410-foot volcano a year earlier, but cancer intervened.)

Babao has a similar slate of activities on tap for this year. He’s back in the TRYMCA program, getting up some days to run at 5:15 a.m., heading to the pool some evenings at 7:30, taking long rides on Saturday mornings. And he’s planning to add to his race resume with the addition of the Rugged Maniac 5K next month in Asheboro. Doesn’t sound like much, a 5K run, until you learn that this breed of 5K is more medieval steeplechase, with the course peppered with barbed wire, fire, tunnels, mud pits, pools of water, barricades, cargo nets, rock scrambles, swinging pendulums, and, in the words of the sponsor “a host of other obstacles that make this course one rugged gauntlet of glory.”

For Babao, it’s not about the glory. It’s about the fun. And about doing everything he can to remain healthy.

“This lifestyle allows me to believe I’m doing everything possible to keep the cancer from forming,” says Babao. “Psychologically, I know I’m doing everything in my control to prevent any kind of re-occurrence. I know realistically that it can only help so much. But if I’m doing triathlons, I know there’s a correlation between working out and ridding myself of deadly diseases.”

At first, it seems like curious logic: A marathon is too much, I’ll do a triathlon instead. Curious, until you realize that the triathlon in question isn’t of the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, then a 26.2-mile marathon Ironman variety. It’s the increasingly popular sprint triathlon kind, consisting of a roughly 300-yard swim, 12-mile bike ride and 3.1-mile run.

“Three miles seemed reasonable, I love being in the water and I love riding a bike,” Kim Feth of Apex recalls of her decision to get into shape by training for a sprint triathlon. “And with three sports, I figured I wouldn’t get bored.”

It was late 2009 and Feth had just turned 42. She was grieving the death of her mother, was plagued by headaches, her weight had ballooned to 207 and after putting in a full day at Poe Montessori Magnet School in Raleigh as lead secretary/bookkeeper/nurse, had little oomph left for exercise. Her A-ha moment came when her son approached one day and said, “All you ever do is lay on the couch and have a headache. When are you going to play with me?’”

She knew then that she had to do something. Shortly, she decided on a sprint tri. Her training began immediately — by walking laps in her living room. It was December, Feth explains: “I don’t like the cold.”

She didn’t want to pay to join a gym, so she went to WalMart and bought a training DVD. That first workout was one mile and it took her 30 minutes, again in her living room. “I thought I was going to fall over sideways,” she recalls.

She didn’t. She kept at it and my March was walking outside, for five miles at a brisk 12-minute-per-mile pace.

Also from the start, Feth signed up on RealAge.com, a Web site offering tips and tracking tools for people trying to get into better shape. She began eating better, looking now at food as fuel to feed her walking habit. “I stopped eating junk,” says Feth. She cut out sodas, substituting them with water, occasionally spruced up with lemon or cucumber. She switched from ground pork to the leaner ground turkey in the family’s weekly spaghetti, started using Greek yogurt instead of fatty sour cream, switched from fried chicken to baked or grilled, dropped from 2 percent to 1 percent milk, started using whole wheat noodles, stopped buying ice cream simply because it was on sale.

She was religious about entering every detail of her fitness program — what she ate, her workouts, her weight — into her RealAge.com tracker. She was especially tickled to see her measuring tape — a graphic device used to show progress — get smaller. “It’s goofy, but I love seeing that. I love seeing the progress that I made.”

Just two weeks into her new lifestyle Feth says she could notice a difference. “My pants were fitting better ... I’ll over-share here. I was wearing size 18 pants [before launching her fitness regimen]. Realistically, I should have moved up to a bigger size, but that would have meant crossing the hallway in the mall to the big girl’s store. Mentally, I knew if I went into that store I was never coming back. I just couldn’t do that.”

Spring rolled around and Feth added cycling to her workout regimen. That, too, was unorthodox for a triathlete-in-training. Rather than three-hour rides in the country on a sleek carbon bike with aerobars, she was tooling around the neighborhood on the cruiser she had gotten for Christmas. When the neighborhood pool opened at the end of May, she added swimming. Again, her training deviated from the norm of triathletes swimming in 2,000 to 3,000 yards three times a week.

“I’d do mostly sidestroke, some backstroke,” she says, acknowledging the absence of the more competitive freestyle stroke. “I was losing weight, so what did I care?”

Kim Feth before she started her sprint triathlon training, and at the finish of her first race, Dash for Divas (above).

It wasn’t until she showed up for her target race, the Dash for Divas in September that the unorthodoxy of her training struck her. First, there was the 250-yard swim — in a murky lake. Feth had trained in a clear pool. Then the gun went off and the adrenaline kicked in. “I got so caught up in the pace I was out of breath. That’s a scary place to be.”

She made it out of the water in 35 minutes and ran to the bikes. “I noticed all the other moms were on serious racing bikes with those clip-in pedals. I’m in a mommy cruiser, in running shoes.

Time began to blur on the bike. Had she been pedaling five minutes? Five hours? Then she noticed a car was following her. She tried to wave it around, but it continued to stay on her rear wheel. She turned and discovered it was a sheriff’s deputy car, lights blazing: It was the escort car for the last rider, and it would keep her company through the end of the race. Not far from the finish — where volunteers were already packing up equipment — a volunteer told her, “You’re almost there! I’m going to run with you until 20 yards from the finish.” She did, peeling off so Feth could enjoy her moment alone. Or, as it turned out, with her awaiting husband and son. It was her 9-year-old son that provided her true motivation.

When she saw the police cruiser and realized she was the last racer, “It was all I could do not to break into tears. I just wanted to toss my bike in the trunk and quit.” She kept going, and when she saw her son at finish, realized, “I don’t care if I have to crawl across the finish line, I’m not going to let my son see me quit something. I want him to see what I’ve accomplished.”

Over the course of her training, Feth lost 34 pounds. She continues training and hopes to be under 150 pounds in time for her next sprint triathlon, the Ramblin’ Rose in Raleigh, on May 22.

Swim. Bike. Run.
We did them for fun as a kid. And, increasingly as we approach middle age, we’re doing them to get in shape. Only instead of spreading the activities out over the course of a day, we’re doing them in rapid succession: swimming  500 meters, hopping out of the pool for a 12-mile bike ride, then lacing up the running shoes for a three-mile run.
According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association, 1.2 million Americans participated in at least one triathlon in 2009. And according to USA Triathlon, which sanctions the majority of triathlons in the U.S., more than three quarters of triathletes eschew the longer Olympic and Ironman distances in favor of sprint triathlons, races that typically begin with 6 to 10 laps in the pool, followed by a 12- to 15-mile bike ride and a 3.1-mile run.
And it’s not 20something hard-bodies driving this trend: USA Triathlon, which has seen its membership grow seven fold in the past decade, to 134,942 in 2010, has seen the greatest growth in the 35-44 age group.
To a growing number of health-conscious adults, doing a triathlon is a sensible way to get in shape. The three disciplines work a variety of muscle groups, all offer aerobic benefits, and the variety reduces risk of injury from overworking the same muscles.
“People work, they have stuff to do in their lives,” says Jason Biggs, one of the founders of Cary-based FS Series, which promotes and runs races throughout the state. “For people who don’t have time to ride 100 to 150 miles a week, or swim 2,000 yards three days a week, they’re great.” In a survey of 15,000 members, USA Triathlon found 87 percent said they participate to stay in shape.
Kim Feth of Apex found herself in a physical funk shortly after turning 42 in late 2009. She was grieving the death of her mother, she’d gained weight, she couldn’t motivate herself to move. Then came the gut punch:
“My son came up to me and said, ‘All you ever do is lay on the couch and have a headache. When are you going to play with me?’
“It all crystalized for me,” says Feth, who weighed 207 at the time. “I decided then and there that I cannot keep this up. I decided I’m going to do a sprint-distance triathlon.”
That logic might be a head-scratcher if your only familiarity with triathlons are the highly publicized Ironmans, in which participants swim 2.7 miles, ride their bikes for 112 miles, then run a marathon — 26.2 miles. Not for Feth.
“I knew I couldn’t do a marathon, I couldn’t run that far. But three miles seemed reasonable, I love being in the water and I love riding a bike. And with three sports, I figured I wouldn’t get bored.”
Doing a sprint triathlon also seemed the sensible thing for Gerald Babao of Charlotte when he was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare from of head and neck cancer, in 2008.
“That was my launching point,” says Babao, who was 33 at the time. “I felt I need to do as much activity as possible.”
Not that Babao, who works for USA Canoe and Kayak, was a slug. He hiked, backpacked, paddled. “I wasn’t overweight, but I wasn’t in shape.”
Baboa spent the summer in Durham getting treatment at the Duke Cancer Center. When he was strong enough, he bought a bike and started cycling (that led to him sponsoring Team Wannabe Riders in the Livestrong Challenge ride in Philadelphia). Then someone mentioned sprint triathlons, so he he signed up for the TRYMCA class through the Ballantyne Village YMCA. The class met three times a week for eight weeks, swimming, running and cycling. Baboa and his classmates supplemented that training with workouts on their own.
He did his first sprint tri last July, finishing about mid-pack.
“Realistically,” he says, “I know there’s only so much I can do about my cancer. “But this allows me to believe I’m doing everything possible to keep the cancer from returning.”
Feth’s training was a little less ... orthodox.
“I started walking around my dining room,” says Feth. (“I started training in December,” she explains. “I don’t like the cold.”)
In March, she started riding her bike (outside) and in June, when the neighborhood pool opened, she added swimming to the mix. She also signed on to RealAge.com, which offers tips and tracking tools for people looking to get into better shape. Between training for her tri and eating better, she dropped 34 pounds by the time her target race, the Dash for Divas, rolled around in September. She looked better, felt great — and realized at the starting line that her self-styled training left her totally unprepared for the race.
At one point on the bike, she sensed a car slowly rolling along behind her fat-tired beach cruiser. She kept trying to wave it around, then stopped to find she was being tailed by a sheriff’s deputy, lights blazing.
“He was behind me because I was the last racer,” Feth recalls with a laugh. “It was all I could do not to break into tears. I just wanted to toss my bike in the trunk and quit.”
But she didn’t. She finished, with the police escort still on her heels. And she signed up for her next race, the Ramblin’ Rose in Raleigh this May.
Her goal for that race: to have the scarlet letter removed from her leg. Actually, it’s an “A” and it’s in black grease pencil. It stands for “Athena” and its given to female participants who weigh over 150 pounds.
“I know,” she says, “it’s pride. But it’s a righteous pride because I’m trying to get healthy.”

* * *

Try a tri?

• The Charlotte YMCA’s TRYMCA program is an eight-week training program intended to prepare first-time triathletes for their first sprint tri. Cost is $135 for Y members, $195 for nonmembers. The next session begins April 4. For more information go here or call (704) 716-6927.
• In the Triangle, the Raleigh Triathlon Training Team Meetup group holds training events and offers opportunities to learn from seasoned triathletes.
• You can also find training programs online. At BeginnerTriathlete.com, for instance, plug in specifics about the type of event you’re training for and you’ll get a recommended training program.
• For a rundown of triathlons, sprint and otherwise, in North Carolina, visit TriFind.com at  or the Endurance Magazine calendar.
• Just getting started? Check out TriathaNewbie.com — “Guiding Beginner Triathletes into the World of Mini-Triathlons.”

Photo: From last year's Ramblin' Rose in Raleigh. Photo courtesy Clarke Rodgers.

0.2, 12, 3.1.
0.93, 24.8, 6.2.
2.4, 112, 26.2.

Those are the distances, in miles, of the sprint, olympic and ironman triathlons, respectively. Triathlons, it may surprise the uninitiated to learn, come in a variety of sizes.
Today, in The News & Observer and Charlotte Observer, I write about the growing popularity of the shorter sprint triathlons, especially among middle-age folks looking to get in shape.  (That story will run here tomorrow, with links.) Today in this space, I have even more triathlon numbers, courtesy of USA Triathlon unless otherwise noted, the nation’s governing body of triathlon.

Growth

Not all triathlons in the U.S. are run under the auspices of USA Triathlon, but most are. In order to participate in a USAT tri, you must belong to the organization (either through an annual membership or a one-day license). Here’s how the sport has grown in terms of full-year licenses issued:
1993: 15,937
1999: 19,060
2010: 134,942

In terms of single race permits (generally people trying a tri for the first time and uncertain about their future as a triathlete):
1994: 49,083
1999: 108,764
2009: 312,489

USAT credits at least part of the sport’s boom in the past decade to triathlon’s reappearance at the Olympics in 2000. They also credit the growth in sprint triathlons for making the sport more accessible. Of 15,000 members surveyed in 2009, 78 percent had participated in a sprint triathlon. Speaking of which, here’s a look at how those events have grown in popularity, based on number of USAT-sponsored sprints held:
2004: 818
2009: 1,393

According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association, the total number of Americans who participated in a triathlon — USAT sanctioned and otherwise — in 2009 was 1.2 million.

Triathletes come in all ages. About 35 percent of USAT members in North Carolina are kids.

Age

More than 50 percent of USAT members are in the 30-49 age range. A further breakdown:
30-39: 25.11 percent
40-49: 26.52 percent

Older racers tend to race more. The average age of triathletes who did one or two races a year: 37.6; average age of triathletes who did five or more races in a year: 39.0.

Of the 134,942 USAT members last year, 30,511, or 23 percent, belong to kids under 18. In North Carolina, however, 35 percent of USAT members are kids.

Guys ‘n’ gals

Of the 134,942 registered USAT members in 2010:

Male: 84,518 (63 percent)
Female: 50,424 (37 percent)

Female membership accounted for 27 percent of memberships in 2000, and 37 percent in 2010, as indicated above.

In North Carolina

There were 6,023 USAT members in 2010: 3,628 male (60 percent), 2,395 female (40 percent)

Reasons to tri

Of 15,000 USAT members surveyed in 2009, the top reasons for participating were:

For the personal challenge (95 percent)
To stay in shape (87 percent)

Demographics

63 percent of triathletes are married.
Average annual income: $126,000
88.2 percent are white, 3.2 percent Hispanic, 2.1 percent Asian, 1.5 percent multi-racial, 0.5 percent African American, 1.1. percent “other.”

Spending habit

It’s not your imagination, if you’re a triathlete you do spend money on your passion. In the past year, survey respondents said they spent, on average:
$2,2274 on bikes
$564 on race fees
$524 on bike equipment
$370 on training, running and athletic footwear
$277 on nutritional supplements

Lew Hollander’s goal is to live to be 120. If the 80-year-old Bend, Ore., resident succeeds and does so at the rate he’s been going, he will race to the pearly gates with 61 Kona Ironmans under his belt.

Hollander's first Ironman was in 1985, at the age of 55. 2009, at age 79, was almost his last. The 17-hour cutoff was fast approaching when a field reporter asked how he was doing. “I’m on the edge,” he admitted. Asked why, at the age of 79, he was still doing the Ironman, he replied, “I don’t know. If I don’t finish this one, it may be my last.” He did finish — with 7 minutes and 31 seconds to spare. Only two of the 1,654 finishers that year were behind him. At this year’s Ironman Kona, he shaved an hour and four minutes off last year’s time, finishing in 15 hours, 48 minutes and 40 seconds.

Hollander identifies himself as a motivational speaker and scientist (with experience in everything from atomic weapons to semiconductor research). Mostly, he’s an advocate for not letting age define you. “You do lose some quickness, agility, range of motion, and a reduction in maximal output,” he acknowledges on his Web site. On the plus side: “We are still competitive. We still have good long-term endurance even though the maximal output is diminished.”

Hollander in a nutshell:

When he’s not swimming 2.4 miles, riding a bike 112 miles, then running a marathon, he’s: An accomplished endurance equestrian and author of “The Bible of Endurance Riding.” (Hollander has also written a sci-fi novel called “And Chocolate Shall Lead Us”.)

Advice to the young: “If you want to be functional at 80, you better damn well pay attention at 40.”

Why 40? "The process of aging after 40 is a gradual shut down of this system," writes Hollander. "The system is built to shut down about 15 years after the last birth. From evolution that makes a lot of sense. Why feed and house and use valuable assets of the community to maintain a person who is not producing offspring. This means the system starts closing down about 35 to 40 and reaches a noticeable impact by around 55 to 60 ... ."

On his peer group: “Most men my age are dead.”

Rules to live by: Hollander has eight (you can read them on his Web site), but the two that rise to the top: 1) “I never eat anything I can’t identify the parts to, like hot dogs or anything like that.” 2) “Go anaerobic every day. Warm up, then go as hard as you can until you can’t go any farther.”

More on eating: Avoid all processed food (fresh-frozen fruits and vegetables are OK), avoid hydrogenated oils, use “lite” salt, use soy flour whenever possible.

A good investment of a half hour a day: Stretching.