For Lisa Watts, an East Coast Greenway Alliance staffer, writing about the trail was simply not enough. She had to get out there and see it for herself, all 3,000 miles of it, only 1/3 of which is off-road. So she and a girlfriend set out in early May and 2 months later they made it to Maine. Hear her story here: the hills, the thrills, and fortunately, not the spills.

There's a reason why the ancient practice of Yoga has survived for centuries and is flourishing today. To an outsider, the obvious reason is physical - stretching to increase flexibility, and improve posture and balance. What is not obvious are the psychological benefits - how a positive mindset can help us cope with feelings of anxiety, inadequacy, aggression and depression, and to become more relaxed and content.

Steve is actively involved in walking, bicycling, and greenway master planning in the Carolinas and Virginia. He works for Alta Planning and Design, an international consulting firm with an office here in Durham that includes planning, design, and engineering services for active living infrastructure. In this talk, he describes trails in our area, and shares a plethora of resources - trail maps, NC DOT Traffic Volume maps, Strava heat maps, and a trail planning guide - all available online. He also reports on the status of planned trails, like the proposed Triangle Bikeway connecting RTP and Raleigh along I-40.

Popular on the West Coast, Europe and Asia, electric bikes are healthy, convenient, green, economical, and just plain fun. We visited Don Tuttle and Diana Tucker at their new Pedego Electric Bike shop at Southpoint, and found out why eBikes are a good choice for commuters, city dwellers, baby boomers, or anyone who just needs a little more "oomph" to get around on a bike.

From the glacier-sculpted coast of Maine to the beaches of New Hampshire and Cape Cod, New England offers a variety of terrains and scenic views. Molly takes us on a virtual tour starting "down east" at the Sunrise Trail, shared with all-terrain vehicles, cross-country skiers, and snowmobiles; and continuing along the coast to Portland, Portsmouth, Boston, and Providence; then eastward via the spur route to Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod. The route features side-trips to Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. Amtrak offers bike service for some routes, and there are ferries serving ports all along Cape Cod, and from Portland to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. So there are lots of opportunities for creative trip-planners.

In his 10 years of service as a Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician, Captain Howard has responded to lots of accidents and heard the accounts of victims and bystanders. In this lively presentation, Jeff shares with us his experiences and tells us how to avoid accidents and what to do if they happen anyway.

Some Terminology

Cardiac Arrest - occurs when the heart stops beating, and there is no pulse.

Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), for cardiac arrests, consists of chest compressions at a rate of 100/minute (to the beat of the Beegees song, "Stayin' Alive")

Anaphylaxis - a life-threatening allergic reaction that can cause shock, a sudden drop in blood pressure and trouble breathing. Ask the person if he or she is carrying an epinephrine autoinjector (EpiPen, Auvi-Q, others) and administer immediately. Call 911. An antihistamine pill, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), isn't sufficient to treat anaphylaxis.

Durham One - Non-Emergency number (919) 560-4600 established by the Durham Emergency Communication Center (DECC) to free up 911 lines for life threatening or in-progress emergencies.

Recommended First Aid Kit

Roller Gauze - sometimes called "cling", a 4" wide strip of elastic gauze for wrapping open wounds.

4 by 4 - an individually packaged square of gauze, 4"x4"

Non-Latex gloves

Triangular bandage (2) - a loose-weave cotton cloth in the shape of a triangle that can be used as a sling, folded into an absorbent pad, or as a wrap to hold a pad in place.

Water - for irrigating abrasions (road rash), from your water bottle

An inner tube can also serve as a sling - drape it around the back of your neck. You should have two loops dangling down either side. Put your forearm through the loops.

Cyclocross, a cross between road biking and mountain biking, is a popular sport in western Europe and in recent years, the US. Kim Bailey has participated as a racer and as a mechanic in a pit crew. Here she shares the thrills and spills of racing, "pitting", and taking it all in as a VIP spectator at the World Championships of this gritty, demanding sport.

Designated during the 1976 Bicentennial, the TransAmerica Trail extends 4,200 miles from Yorktown, Virginia, to Astoria, Oregon; passing through Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Meet the good people at Grace Episcopal Church who have provided hospitality and fellowship to bikers for the past 14 years.

In addition to the spine route from DC through Richmond to Wilmington, there's an alternate route that forks off from Richmond to Williamsburg, Norfolk, and along the coast to Wilmington.

Tendons connect muscle and bone, and we don't notice them until they get damaged or injured. Healing is a slow process because of low blood supply. Recent injuries can sometimes be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs and ice, whereas older injuries, greater than 6 months, are best treated with minimally-invasive procedures, physical therapy, and high-resolution ultrasound monitoring. Dr. Berkoff is an MD, board certified in Emergency Medicine and Sports Medicine, who practices full time at UNC Orthopedics and specializes in tendon injuries. He treats amateur and professional athletes. At one time he ran a custom bike business doing professional bike fit and design, and was a cyclist and triathlete.

Glossary

acute - tendonitis is acute, onset less than 2 months ago.

chronic - tendonosis is chronic, lasting more than 6 months.

cytokine - substances secreted by certain cells of the immune system that have an effect on other cells.

deep tissue massage - focuses on deep layers with slow firm strokes - painful but can be beneficial.

degenerative tissue - a change of tissue to a lower or less functionally active form.

eccentric - stress on a tendon from the "downstroke" of a lifting exercise - painful but can restore degenerative tissue.

fenestration - poking lots of closely spaced, tiny holes. Perforation.

FIFA 11 - a warm-up program for soccer players developed by an international group of experts, designed to reduce injuries.

hamstring - one of the three posterior thigh muscles (back of thigh).

inflammation - a localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a result of infection, irritation, or injury.

iontophoresis - uses an electrical field to deliver cortisone through the skin and into underlying tissues.

IT band - iliotibial band, a tendon that connects thigh muscle to the the tibia, the major bone in the lower leg.

Levaquin - an antibiotic medicine - like other drugs in its class, an uncommon side effect is tendonitis.

ligament - tough, flexible, fibrous connective tissue that connects bones or cartilages or holds together a joint.

microspheres - used to slowly release growth factors into tissue.

nitroglycerin - a vasodilator medicine that opens blood vessels to improve blood flow.

patellar tendon - works with the muscles in the front of the thigh to straighten the leg.

plyometrics - maximum intensity interval training.

prolotherapy - an injection to create an inflammatory response, to restart the healing process.

PRP - platelet-rich plasma extracted from patient's blood - red and white blood cells are removed.

PT - physical therapy.

quadriceps - "quads", muscles at the front of the thigh.

rice - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation - conventional therapy for sprains - not particularly effective.

rotator cuff tendons - provide stability to the shoulder.

sclerotherapy - procedure used to reduce or collapse veins.

shock wave therapy - a painful noninvasive treatment that uses high-energy acoustic waves.

stem cell - an undifferentiated cell capable of reproducing into specialized cells.

tendinopathy - tendon disease.

tendon - a flexible but inelastic cord of strong fibrous collagen tissue attaching a muscle to a bone.

tendonitis - acute tendon injury accompanied by inflammation.

tendonosis - chronic tendon injury with degeneration at the cellular level and no inflammation.

Tenex - a minimally-invasive procedure for removing degenerative tissue.

ultrasound - uses high frequency vibration for medical imaging and treatment.

UTC - Ultrasound Tissue Characterization Tracker - produces high resolution 3D image