Coast

Rarely do we recommend a spectator activity, what with GetGoingNC being about active, adventurous living and all. But today’s recommendation is spectating that could lead to sweating.

Saturday, it’s the annual running of the Beach2Battleship Iron Distance Triathlon. That’s a 2.4-mile swim (in Banks Channel at Wrightsville Beach), followed by a 112-mile bike ride out to the White Lake area and back, followed by a marathon. We’re not necessarily suggesting that watching an Ironman will make you want to do an Ironman, but it likely could inspire you to, initially, do a shorter tri (they come in in a variety of smaller sizes; to learn more, visit here).

And then, who knows?

Logistics: Beach2Battleship Ironman Distance Triathlon, Saturday, Oct. 22, 7:15 a.m. into the evening, Wrightsville Beach. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 65.

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Looking ahead: Surf-to-Sound Challenge, stand up paddleboard race, Nov. 4, Blockade Runner Resort, Wrightsville Beach. More info here.

Piedmont

We love physical activity that doesn’t seem like physical activity. An activity, say, where you walk for two hours, then say, “Wow! I just walked for two hours!”

That would describe Saturday’s Ghost Walk of Davidson, a two-hour ramble through the town of Davidson, learning about the town’s history and ghostly past. It’s a family-oriented activity, a good way to jump-start the clan’s plans to be up and about.

Logistics: Ghost Walk of Davidson, Saturday, 7-9 p.m., Davidson. $10 for adults, $5 for the 7-12 set. More info by calling 704.896.7743.

Saturday evening forecast: High in the mid-50s, darkening.

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Looking ahead: Canoe Hike, Saturday, Oct. 29, Jordan Lake State Recreation Area. More info here.

Mountains

A river runs through Stone Mountain State Park — actually, several do. Combined, they include 20 miles of designated trout waters, making the park a great place to fly fish. And, not coincidentally, a great place to learn to fly fish.

Sunday, check out Beginner Fly Fishing, a two-hour class led by Ranger Michael Wood that covers rules and regulations, stream sampling, knot tying, casting, and actual fishing instruction. It’s a great introduction to the sport, and it’s free, though pre-registration is required (the class is limited to 10, so don’t dawdle).

Logistics: Beginner Fly Fishing, Sunday, Oct. 23, 1-3 p.m., Stone Mountain State Park. Free, but preregistration is required, by emailing Ranger Michael Wood at michael.wood@ncparks.gov.

Sunday forecast: Sunny skies, high of 63.

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Looking ahead: Senior Trek Hike to Laurel River Trail, Nov. 2,Oakley Recreation Center, Asheville. More info here. .

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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

Coast

The post Your weekend: It’s not just about fall hiking appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Close second: taking an hour to clear a two-foot wide, 15-foot-long swath of forest.

Slow weekend?

Hardly.

Not long ago I decided I should become more giving to the various outdoors communities I benefit from. I’ve written three books about hiking trails, so that seemed a good place to start. And last week I got a Facebook message from a bike team I once belonged to asking for help. Why not? I thought.

Saturday: A trail is born

Saturday was National Trails Day, which seemed a good time to launch my newfound philanthropic bent. There were lots of worthy opportunities to choose from — 25 statewide, according to NTD sponsor the American Hiking Society — but I had little difficulty deciding on the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail workday along the Eno River — and not just because I’ve been writing their trail descriptions. Saturday’s project was working to clear 2.5 miles of trail and make the long-anticipated link between 60 miles of continuous MST along Falls Lake and 10 miles of MST long the Eno River. Plus, it was an opportunity to preview a new section of trail.

One thing you should know about trail workdays: The organizers are serious about the “work” part. The trail’s path had been flagged, but it was up to us to take our pickaxes and Pulaskis and clear rock, root and anything else that didn’t look like trail. Some volunteers were armed with five-gallon buckets and shovels and were charged with filling dips in the trail. Some had Pulaskis, good for whacking away at roots. I grabbed a tool I latter learned was called a McCloud: wide tines for rakelike work on one side, a flat blade good for hacking out turf on the other. The tool was well suited for clearing the aforementioned 15-foot swath through dense meadow grass in one of the trail’s few exposed areas. I quickly earned a sweat eclipsing that of the trail run I would otherwise be doing.

Hard as we worked, we did allow time for socializing. I caught up with some Friends stalwarts that I hadn’t seen in a while. I talked and whacked with a fellow who lived just off the trail about 8 miles upstream. (“You write? I write, too. Poetry. Yeah, things just pop into my mind and I jot ‘em down.”) I talked with a guy who remembered giving me a T-shirt years ago. I participated in a group discussion on the joys of popsicles after being treated to said popsicles by someone who had hauled them into the woods in large cooler. I also got a new volunteer T-shirt, work gloves, a sleeve of cheese crackers and refills of ice cold water in my Nalgene, again, from a cooler someone had lugged in as thanks for a few hours of work on a trail we would all enjoy anyway.

Sunday: Water, anyone?

Then came Sunday.

In its inaugural season years ago, I was a member of the Carolina Brewing Co. bike time. Our main purpose: train for the MS 150, drink free beer.

Apparently I’ve remained on their radar because I got a Facebook message asking if I could help with the aid station they were manning for Sunday’s Raleigh Ironman 70.3. There’d be perks, I was assured. And our stop’s theme was pirates!

This time, I knew only two people (good to see you, David and Mary Cole). That meant there were a range of new stories to hear. Jim, for instance, who quit smoking in 2008, took up biking to help the cause, hated it at first, then evolved: half marathons, marathons, double centuries, half Ironmans — he’d done just about every event out there.

About 7:45 a.m. we got word to man our battle stations (“All hands on deck, Argh!”). The 50-or-so of us lined a 400-yard stretch of Pea Ridge Road, spaced about 10 yards apart. Right arms extended, we each held a bottle of water or Perform in our right hands. At 8:06, the first rider came through. He was not thirsty. Rider No. 2, about 40 seconds later, was. Maintaining a pace of 23-24 mph, he reached for an extended water bottle and swatted it 20 yards up the road. Same with the second bottle he attempted and the third. Water bottles were flying all over the road; we scrambled to get them out of the cyclists’ path as quickly as possible. The chaos continued for the next 15 to 20 riders. One rider squeezed so hard that the top popped and a geyser of water shot into the air.

We experimented with different techniques. Lessen the impact on contact by trying to swing our offering arm around in synch with the rider’s speed (downside: it looked like we were teasing the cyclists). Stationary offering on an open palm (downside: put too much of the capture burden on the rider). Run alongside the rider and hand off, like a relay baton (who were we kidding; these guys were going 20 to 24 miles per hour).

The more seasoned triathletes appeared accustomed to our rookie handoffs. Some tried to help us out by pointing at the specific bottle they were planning to snatch, thereby alerting those of us beforehand to get out of the way. Others assumed the blame (“Sorry!”). Many remained parched.

It wasn’t until a couple hundred cyclists had passed that one finally took a chance on my offered bottle (perhaps they’d seen the doubt in my eyes). Twenty yards out he pointed at my bottle, not once, but repeatedly, just to make sure. Using the open palm method, I extended my right arm as far as possible. I winced just as he reached. I heard the distinctive slap of flesh on plastic, felt the bottle’s weight leave my hand, experienced a moment of euphoria —

Then heard the bottle hit the pavement and skitter across the road.

Rats.

A couple minutes later I was up again. This time, the slap, the weightlessness — and no ensuing skitter.

“Yes!” I yelled, pumping my fist in the air. Two colleagues turned and nodded their approval. I wondered if the guy now drinking that lukewarm bottle shared my elation.

If I’d run, or gone for a bike ride, or paddled over the weekend instead, how much of that would have stuck a month, even a week out?
But that first successful water bottle hand-off  (I was 7 for 11 on the day, btw)?

That makes my last-breath highlight reel.

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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.

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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.

The post What, no plans for the weekend? You do now appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

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.

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