That awesome close-to-home hike that beginner and experienced hikers both love
How do I organize a hike that is both interesting for experienced hikers and isn't overwhelming to new hikers? That's a hard balance; I remember being a new hiker when 2-3 miles felt like quite a hike, and I also remembered thinking recently how now my definition of a "hike" is vastly different than what it was a few years ago. How do I reconcile the two and find something that would appeal to everyone?
There was one obvious answer: Hanging Rock.
1 mile. 4 margaritas. If you puke you're disqualified.
It was a two-for-one on Saturday in terms of races! (Three-for-one if you count the Kentucky Derby!) In the morning I had Doughman X and in the evening I had the Sinnott Circle Margarita Mile! The Sinnott Circle Circuit (SCC) is an unofficial race series organized just for fun by Fleet Feet friends. It includes ridiculous races like a beer mile, a taco mile, and a milk and cookies mile. The milk and cookies Holiday Mile was the first one I participated in last year, and I was excited about the first SCC race of the year - a Moana-themed Margarita Mile!
Tenth year of Doughman in Durham featured a guest appearance of the Carbdashians as they ran, biked, and "swam" in fun-loving food-eating race
I don't remember the last time I did so much running and eating at the same time.
On Saturday morning I raced Doughman, a relay "quadrathlon" self-powered culinary tour of Durham. Heather, Jill, Lauren and I were the "Carbdashians." We went for completely over-the-top outfits: hot pink shirts that said "Keeping up with the Carbdashians" and a graphic I made, sparkle skirts, bling, exaggeratedly bad contour make-up, and wigs.
How I invited myself to an outing at Pilot Mountain and climbed outdoors on rock for the first (okay, second) time
My knees are skinned, my elbows are scraped, and my face is burned which means you know I had an incredible weekend!
We headed off to Pilot Mountain on Saturday to meet up with a crew of fellow climbers from Triangle Rock Club, organized by a woman named Sami. When one of the guys came to my house to carpool he asked me, "So how do you know Sami?"
"Oh," I said. "I don't. I just saw her posting about this outing in a group I'm in and I asked if I could join. I've wanted to climb outdoors for a while now!"
"So you've never climbed outdoors before, and you've never met anyone in the group before?" Luke mused. "That's ballsy."
I took me a minute to figure out why he'd called me ballsy, but then I realized it hadn't really sunk in that I was going to meet random strangers and do a very dangerous activity I've never done before, all while relying on said strangers.
Well, okay, if you put it that way then maybe it is ballsy.
Standing Indian Loop on the Appalachian Trail: How a myth, a storm, and friendship can electrify your perspective
A long time ago, in the area where Franklin, NC now sits, local Cherokee told a story of a winged beast that swooped down from the skies and stole children. Heartbroken and desperate, the local villagers sent a warrior to the highest mountain to keep watch for the winged monster and to discover its lair. The warrior found the lair, but it was in a place in the mountains inaccessible to humans, so the Cherokee villagers prayed to the Great Spirit for assistance. The Great Spirit heard their pleas and sent thunder and lightning to destroy the winged monster. The lightning scarred the surrounding mountains but the warrior, afraid for his life, tried to abandon his post. To punish his act of cowardice the Great Spirit sent a bolt of lightning to the mountain summit, leaving a bald and turning the warrior to stone. From that day forward the mountain was called Yunwitsule-nunyi which means "where the man stood."
Today we call it Standing Indian Mountain. The bald is still there, as well as the rock scars on the sides of the nearby mountains, but the rock shaped like a man is crumbling, forgotten to all except those that know to look for it.
Durham team relay offers running, biking, "swimming," and plenty of great local food to raise money for Durham Bike Co-Op nonprofit
Do you have money left over from your tax refund even after being bombarded by spring charity fundraisers? Do you like bikes, the Bull City, or ludicrous athletic achievements? If you answered "yes," "no," or "maybe" to any or all of the above then please consider donating to my team's Doughman fundraiser! What's Doughman? It's a team race and culinary tour of Durham with running, biking, and "swimming" relay legs. Each leg also includes chowing down on some food from a local esteemed Durham restaurant. Think Krispy Kreme Challenge but cooler because it's in Durham, is a relay triathlon (ish), and has good food (oh snap!). ("Wait," you might ask, "how does one swim in Durham?!" I'm glad you asked! Apparently it will include a slip'n'slide or kiddie pool. Yeah, I'm not entirely sure what I'm signed up for, but oh well, I'm already signed up for it!)
A PR in fame!
Cookie cake, temptation, "Happy birthday" serenades by a bus full of strangers, and 15 minutes of fame on a local news station - what more can you ask for with a running vacation?!
Ryder dressed up as a bunny and a recap of March 2018 goals
Surprise! I'm alive! Long time, no post, but it's been crazy at work and crazy on the weekends and crazy all around. Although if we're being honest, I wouldn't have it any other way. I want my days to be brimming with life (with the occasional time for rest and restoring some semblance of sanity) and, well, things are brimming! But the downside is I have been neglectful of the blog which is a bit less than desirable. But hey, it's a new month, it's a new spring, it's a new chance to be better. Check out my recap of March and my new April goals!
