Tomorrow is National Public Land's Day--the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands outdoor enthusiasts enjoy. The day was started in 1994 with three federal agencies and 700 volunteers. Last year nearly 100,000 volunteers worked in 1,100 locations covering every state in the U.S. The volunteers built trails and bridges, planted trees and plants, and removed trash and invasive plants. This year efforts are only increasing, as NPLD events are taking place all over the South and Mid-Atlantic. If you're in the D.C. area, REI is leading a trail relocation in Greenbelt National Park. Down near Asheville, N.C., the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is leading a workshop that focuses on invasive and exotic plant identification and removal in the Pisgah National Forest. To find an event in your area visit www.publiclandsday.org and use the state-by-state tracker to see where you can help.
Happy Trails,
J.F.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Guilty Boy Floyd
Floyd Landis officially did not win the 2006 Tour de France. According to the Associate Press, "Landis lost his expensive and explosive doping case Thursday when arbitrators upheld the results of a test that showed the 2006 Tour de France champion used synthetic testosterone to fuel his spectacular comeback victory, The Associated Press has learned. The decision means Landis, who repeatedly has denied using performance-enhancing drugs, must forfeit his Tour de France title and is subject to a two-year ban, retroactive to Jan. 30, 2007."
I hadn't thought about this in a while, but a few weeks ago some friends told me Landis was in the Blue Ridge. He jumped on a mountain bike and took third at the increasingly popular Shenandoah Mountain 100 race near Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Apparently Landis was having a great time hanging out with a lot of the region's best riders. But the shroud of potential disgrace still lingered.
After the race SM 100 women's winner Sue Haywood told me, "(Landis) is a really nice guy with an interesting personality, but the verdict is still out, so it was still an awkward situation.”
Now the verdict is in, and Landis will undoubtedly face increased alienation from his peers. If he really cheated, I'm glad justice was served. But overall I hope this is a step toward a cure for a doping epidemic that is still showing very few signs of going away.
-J.F.
I hadn't thought about this in a while, but a few weeks ago some friends told me Landis was in the Blue Ridge. He jumped on a mountain bike and took third at the increasingly popular Shenandoah Mountain 100 race near Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Apparently Landis was having a great time hanging out with a lot of the region's best riders. But the shroud of potential disgrace still lingered.
After the race SM 100 women's winner Sue Haywood told me, "(Landis) is a really nice guy with an interesting personality, but the verdict is still out, so it was still an awkward situation.”
Now the verdict is in, and Landis will undoubtedly face increased alienation from his peers. If he really cheated, I'm glad justice was served. But overall I hope this is a step toward a cure for a doping epidemic that is still showing very few signs of going away.
-J.F.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Running Terrorists?
One of the country's most popular and offbeat social running clubs was considered a terrorist group last week.
The New Haven, Conn., chapter of the Hash House Harriers, a worldwide group that bills itself as a "drinking club with a running problem," met last Thursday for their weekly group run, called a "hash." In a hash, "hares" are given a head-start and mark their trail with flour, and a few minutes later, the other runners give chase—following the trail of flour through an unpredictable mix of urban landscapes.
Last Thursday, the hares ran through the parking lot of an IKEA furniture store. Police received a phone call that someone was throwing powder on the ground, prompting a massive police response, and the entire IKEA store was evacuated. The hares have been charged with a felony, and the mayor of New Haven plans to seek restitution from the hares and the running club for causing a bioterrorism scare.
Hashers are as American as they get--beer-guzzling, fun-loving outdoor enthusiasts trying not to take themselves too seriously. The only thing more patriotic than drinking beer is exercising; hashers do both, often at the same time. Sadly, too much national security can create a state of insecurity.
-W.H.
The New Haven, Conn., chapter of the Hash House Harriers, a worldwide group that bills itself as a "drinking club with a running problem," met last Thursday for their weekly group run, called a "hash." In a hash, "hares" are given a head-start and mark their trail with flour, and a few minutes later, the other runners give chase—following the trail of flour through an unpredictable mix of urban landscapes.
Last Thursday, the hares ran through the parking lot of an IKEA furniture store. Police received a phone call that someone was throwing powder on the ground, prompting a massive police response, and the entire IKEA store was evacuated. The hares have been charged with a felony, and the mayor of New Haven plans to seek restitution from the hares and the running club for causing a bioterrorism scare.
Hashers are as American as they get--beer-guzzling, fun-loving outdoor enthusiasts trying not to take themselves too seriously. The only thing more patriotic than drinking beer is exercising; hashers do both, often at the same time. Sadly, too much national security can create a state of insecurity.
-W.H.
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