Great Outdoor Blog

When John Cale said “I want to get it lean and mean, keep it minimalist,” it is unlikely he was referring to the brand new outdoor footwear company, E.N.D. (“Environmentally Neutral Design”). But considering the philosophy of E.N.D., which exhorts a minimalist design geared toward top-notch performance, Cale might as well have been speaking about this new, exciting, and innovative product. E.N.D. (pronounced E-N-D, not end) is a brand-new outdoor footwear company out of Portland, Oregon. With a “Why can’t less be more?” attitude, E.N.D.’s “Minimalist Design” approach allows them to focus on only what the athlete MUST have in order to perform at high levels.

END was born out of a novel idea — that better design through problem solving is the next step in making greener gear for the outdoor athlete. Not only does E.N.D. replace toxic or virgin materials with sustainable ones, the evolutionary design process – known as Co2ND — also begins at the design table. Here, E.N.D. question’s every seam, every stitch, every material and every step in the manufacturing process — All to minimize the footprint of E.N.D. products prior to manufacturing!

M’s Stumptown 12oz - $80

W’s Stumptown 10oz - $70

W’s Stumptown LT $85

Great Outdoor Provision Co. is proud to be one of the first companies on the East coast to carry this innovative and environmentally conscious company. Gear-up for E.N.D. — coming soon to Greenville, Charlotte, Cameron Village, and Winston-Salem shops!

FINISH. One of the best words to encounter at the end of a race - especially if it’s a trail marathon. Friends from Great Outdoor Provision Co. enjoy the finish of the 2008 Umstead Trail Marathon. Join us next year. Start training now so you can smile at the FINISH. For more information on the Umstead Trail Marathon and other local races visit www.carolinagodiva.org

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 11

Get this reusable tote FREE when you purchase $50 of Moving Comfort apparel at your local Great Outdoor Provision Co.

*While supplies last

April 19. 8-9:00 a.m. registration, 9:30am

3- & 7- mile bike tours, 9:45am 4-mile Walk/Run. Music on Park trails and stage. On-site parking. Reedy Creek Road, Raleigh. Suggested donation $25 adults ($35 after 4/12), kids under $15 (free for spectators). Part of Earth Day Raleigh 2008.

Details, register, or volunteer, http://umsteadcoalition.org. 852-2268.

Note: This is an annual event that highlights and supports William B. Umstead State Park. This event is part of Earth Day Raleigh 2008
http://www.visitraleigh.com/visitors/outdoor_recreation/Earth_Day

Thanks for supporting William B. Umstead State Park!

This report just in from Dave Dirito (former GOPC Staff). » RACE INFO

Short version:
Time – 5 hours and 18 minutes; elevation gain just over 6000 ft; place overall 5th; place men 4th; place age group 1st; pace 10:00 min/mile; pace corrected for getting off trail 9:50 min/mile.

Long version:
This is very detailed. If you don’t want the details … read the short version.

This has been the most difficult race of the season. Despite being the longest race to date the terrain was also the most strenuous. The weekend revealed many lessons learned as well as much to be proud of. BM 50k is held in Sherando Park south of Charlottesville, Virginia near the Blue Ridge Parkway. I traveled to the area with a couple of Trailhead friends and stayed with one of their sisters in Charlottesville. This brings me to the first lesson learned. His sister was 45 minutes from the race site and the race start was 6:30 sharp. The combination of not getting up early enough and getting on the road a few minutes late translated into arriving at the starting line 7 minutes before the beginning of the race. On the ride over I was sensing that there would be little time to waste so I readied myself to essentially open the van door and start racing.

Once we arrived, at 6:23am, I leaped from the van with my two drop bags in hand and rushed up to the race check in to drop my bags off. This is where the race director informed me that the truck for the first drop bags (aide station 2, Camp Marty) had already left. He mentioned he would try to get it up there for me with the caveat that I might make it there before my bag. I handed him my bag and figured that that was the best I could do at this point and made my way to the starting line at the top of a huge earthen dam. No time for the typical prerace bathroom break as the race was about to begin.
(more…)

Months ago my wife, Brandy, came to me and told me she and her friend were going to run the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon in Feb. She set out a weekly schedule for herself slowly building distance over the upcoming weeks. Having never run that far before she was determined to do it and do it well, not anguishing in pain at the end of the run.

Everything was looking good for Brandy, when about a month into her training; her friend called and backed out. After this and seeing how great she was doing in her training. I was motivated by her enthusiasm and I volunteered to take her friends place.

After running miles and miles in Umstead State Park and countless loops around our neighborhood, we were finally ready.

It was 6:00 in the morning, and Brandy and I were standing in the middle of the street with thousands of other runners ready for the official start. We looked at each other with excitement and nervousness. The start gun fired, Brandy and I wished each other luck and we were off.

After months of training, we were finally running our half marathon. The next 13.1 miles were a blur. I do remember a lot of Pancake Houses on our route, but I think that was because my stomach was wondering where it’s breakfast was.

I crossed the finish line in 2:02:17 and Brandy was right behind me with a 2:07:40. Not Olympic times, but we were still stoked. We had completed our first half marathon.

Excited at our accomplishment, we decided our next goal would be to complete a Triathlon. Our next race is the Uwharrie Xterra Triathlon this May. Wish us Luck!

- Chad Baird, Footwear Product Manager

Stop by and check out the new Vibram FiveFingers in our Raleigh ,  Greenville, Charlotte, Chapel Hill & Wilmington Shops.

barefooting (bare•foot•n) n. 1. The exhilarating joy of going barefoot without leaving yourself exposed; 2. any activity requiring unconventional footwear offering the protection of a thin, flexible Vibram skin; 3. an intelligent way to deepen your connection with your natural surroundings.

M’s & W’s FiveFingers Sprint: Hook and loop closures along the heel and instep provide a comfortable secure fit. A thin, abrasion-resistant stretch polyamide fabric fits low on the foot—for comfort and quick drying. A flexible, non-marking TC1 performance rubber sole is razor siped to enhance grip over a variety of terrain.

SPRINT IS BEST FOR: Light Trekking, Bouldering, Pose Method Running, ChiRunning, Fitness Training, Yoga, Pilates, Sailing, Boating, Kayaking, Canoeing, Surfing, Windsurfing, Flats Fishing, Travel

$80

The 4th Annual Krispy Kreme Challenge was held this past Saturday to raise money for NC Children’s Hospital. Over 3000 runners gathered at the NCSU Belltower to take the challenge:

1) Run 2 miles from the NC State Belltower to the Krispy Kreme on Peace Street

2) Eat 1 dozen donuts

3) Run 2 miles back to the Belltower

4) Do all this in under one hour

» Read Joe Miller’s account from the News & Observer

CHARLOTTE SHOP 7-8pm

Led by Doug Gray. Imagine mountain biking, trail running, climbing, or paddling wth 2-4 friends through any terrain, any climate, anywhere in the world… Come learn some skills and review an outline that will help you be well prepared for any local event.

Also, check out the 4 hour or 7 hour adventure race at the US National Whitewater Center on Sat, Oct 13 http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1469423 or the Uwarrie Gold Nugget on Saturday, Oct 6 http://www.gobushwhack.com

See you on the trails…

PICS are up (more soon) on FLICKR

UPDATE 9.6.07 : Chuck interviewed for Joe Miller’s BLOG

The last time I ran at 3am was the night before my wedding. And that run was not by choice. This time I actually volunteered…and my wife of 20+ years is cheering me on. I’ll be with a team of veteran “night runners” as we embark on the Blue Ridge Relay, one of the longest running relay races in the United States. The course takes a windy mountainous route thru the Blue Ridge as it makes the 208-mile journey from Grayson Highlands, VA to Asheville, NC. www.blueridgerelay.com

PHOTO: Leg 12 - About 45 miles into the 208 mile Blue Ridge Relay (huff, huff) just north of Blowing Rock on the BR Parkway

I scouted “Leg 12″ this past weekend. The course description labels it: “Very Hard”. It is. Yet not nearly what my friend, teammate and our team Captain Jim has assigned to himself in “Leg 32″ - “Mountain Goat Hard”. Endurance runs have a way of bringing out the best. Jim is among them. And as “Hood to Coast” veteran Tara Ruotolo says, “It takes a certain kind of person who wants to run through the night, and after 30 hours together you know who you can be lifelong friends with.” I look forward to both the miles and the memories.