Well, the iPhone 3G wimped on me again and I was unable to continue Tweeting from yesterday’s Magnificent Mile in downtown Raleigh. In short:
I didn’t win; that honor went for the second straight year to Raleigh’s Bobby Mac, who, again for the second straight year, came in at 4:10.
Last week I ran into my old Fit-tastic coach, Tim Clark. Tim helped me in my return to running last year, coaxing and pushing me through the Monster Dash 5K. We chatted, I mentioned that I was doing today’s Magnificent Mile in downtown Raleigh.
“Got a time in mind?” he asked.
Congratulations to the cyclists of Chapel Hill and Durham, who now live in Bike Friendly Communities.
That’s according to the League of American Bicyclists, which bestows its BFC honor on communities that have made an effort to make cycling safe, not suicidal. Chapel Hill and Durham made the list for the first time this fall, earning Bronze status (out of a possible Silver, Gold, and the coveted Platinum, of which there are only three designated communities: Boulder, Colo.; Davis, Calif.; Portland, Ore.). In the Triangle, they join Carrboro, which has been on the list since 2004 and is one of only 28 Silver communities nationwide, and Bronze Cary, a 2003 inductee. Elsewhere in North Carolina, Charlotte, Davidson and Greensboro are all Bronze BFCs.
Was that a hint of fall we’ve felt early every morning this week? It’s the perfect time to get out and about. Here are three events to get you doing just that. (Events are free unless otherwise indicated.)
Coast
Enjoy exploring the coast’s wild areas? You have the Sierra Club to thank, in part, for those wild places remaining wild. Thanks to their efforts to protect and preserve the coast’s many special places, eastern North Carolina has some of the best flatwater paddling in the nation. Help the North Carolina Sierra Club celebrate four decades of protecting these spots at their 40th anniversary celebration this weekend with festivities based out of Washington (N.C., of course). Saturday is more of a listening and meeting day, Sunday is when you’ll find several outings to chose from, including:
The following story, which I wrote, first appeared in The News & Observer on Sept. 14 (a similar version ran the same date in the Charlotte Observer). It appears here with links.
It’s hard to imagine a better yoga studio: as the hourlong class goes on, the temperature drops, the light dims and the obligatory relaxation music is as soothing as an eventide symphony on the front porch. And when teacher Claudia Conty gently instructs the class to “make sure you are rooted to the Earth,” that’s not faux teak laminate you’re digging your heels into.