In today’s North Carolina Observers (Charlotte and Raleigh) I have a story about the Big Muddy Challenge, an obstacle race for families started last year by Adam Spisak of Raleigh. Spisak started the race after looking around for an obstacle race he could someday do with his newborn daughter — and finding there were none. You can read that story here.

As is the case with most stories that need to fit in a finite space, there’s always a good story that gets left out. In this case, it’s the story of Dave Case, who did last year’s inaugural Big Muddy in Youngsville with his oldest son, Owen, who was 7 at the time. Case was an unlikely Big Muddy candidate in two regards.

The first requires taking us back to the Dave Case of two years ago. At that time, his story was a familiar one: active in high school and college, Case got married, started a business, had kids. Two years ago, at the age of 37, he realized he was woefully out of shape and overweight. (This despite owning a landscaping business that once kept Case in shape, but as it grew he found himself spending less time in the field, more time in the office and behind the wheel quoting and following up on jobs.)

So Case enrolled in boot camp, Chris Isotolp’s Isotolp Fitness in Apex. “I went three times a week, I followed their nutrition plan,” says Case. “And I lost a lot of weight.” Fifty-five pounds, according to the scale.

One day Isotolp told Case about about obstacle racing. “‘You should try it,’ he told me,” Case says.

Case did, and he became hooked. Last year, he participated in four Spartan races, one of the more prominent international obstacle races. That earned him Spartan’s coveted “Trifecta” designation. This year, he’s shooting for the “Double Trifecta,” by participating in six races, which will require him to travel as far as Southern California.

“I can get competitive,” he acknowledges.

Which brings us to the second curious thing about Case and the Big Muddy. Big Muddy deemphasizes the competitive aspect of racing; according to Spisak it’s more about families working and playing together. Which is fine with Trifecta Dave.

“My son saw my races and wanted to do the same things I was doing,” says Case. “With the Big Muddy, the difficulty level was just right for kids. It was neat helping him through some of the things and to see his sense of accomplishment when we were done.

“My competitiveness,” he adds, “that was all out the window. It was kind of a refreshing feeling, actually.”

So refreshing, that Case will be back at this Saturday’s Big Muddy Challenge, this time competing with Owen as well as son Andrew, who is six, and his wife, Rebecca.

For more information and to register for Saturday’s Big Muddy Challenge in Youngsville, for the June 28 race in Charlotte, or any of the other five races scheduled for this year, go here.

* * *

Update: Today’s story said more than 900 had registered for Saturday’s race; this morning, Spisak reports that number has topped 1,200.

The post Big Muddy, big fun appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

A little behind in ticking off your 2012 resolutions? This weekend gives you a chance to knock off a sprint tri, a mud run or a 5K.

Coast

A sprint triathlon isn’t the kind of thing you decide to do at the last minute. Unless … . Unless, for instance, you’ve had an active year but thought your season was over in September. Then, suddenly, you hear about a sprint tri this Saturday at Emerald Isle. Or unless one of your resolutions for the year was to do a sprint tri and here it is mid-October and you still haven’t done one. Or unless you don’t have plans for the weekend and a swim/bike/run at the coast sounds fun.

If any of those scenarios fit you, then check out Saturday’s Emerald Isle Triathon, which begins with a bracing 750-meter swim in the Atlantic, followed by a 19.3-mile out-and-back bike leg on NC 58, followed by a 5K. Awards awarded in the usual age categories.

Logistics: Packet pickup begins at 6 a.m. Saturday, the race at 8 a.m. $45 for USAT members, $55 otherwise. To register — and registration closes today, btw, go here.

Weekend forecast: Overcast early, high of 73.

Piedmont

Speaking of resolutions, have you done your mud run for 2012? No!? Tsk.

Fortunately, Saturday is your lucky day, the day of the MudBug Run 2012 at Hagan Stone Park in Greensboro. And if you’re worried about getting your share of pain, be advised that this year’s version of the MudBug Run offers 16 obstacles, “including more mud, more fire … than last year.”

Logistics: Saturday’s race commences in waves, with the first 50 heading out at 11 a.m. and packs of 50 sent out every 15 minutes until 7 p.m. Sign up now for $50 here or race day for $65.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 63.

Mountains

Let’s hope you can go home again because if not, Saturday’s 36th Thomas Wolfe 8K could be a really, really long run. Home, in the case of this annual race celebrating Asheville’s literary lion, is downtown. You’ll run through Asheville’s historic Montford District, on the Reed Creek Greenway, through Riverside Cemetery and past some great fall color before returning home to the Bankers Insurance Building.

Logistics: Race starts at 10 a.m., on-site registration at 8:30 a.m. $35 day of. To register in advance , go here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 59.

* * *

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 This weekend: Sprint tri, mud run, mountain 5k appeared first on GetGoing NC!.