Local Motion | Issue #15

Published: Tuesday, August 4, 2026 · 7:00 AM

👋 A Note from Jason

Two pickleball tournaments in the next month, and they're stacked closer together than I'd like to admit having time to prepare for — Foundation Paddle Classic Aug 22, then Rock and Roll Round Robin, Aug 28–30. That gives me about a week between them to convince myself my third shot drop is finally back, and then find out on court that it is not.

Also worth flagging: the Miles for Heroes discount code (15% off, details below) is only good through the end of this month, so if Sept 26 is anywhere on your radar, don't wait on it. And if you'd been eyeing Bras Across the CAUSEway, the early bird window closed July 31 — still a great race, just at regular pricing now.

Let's get into it. 👇

🤯 Wait — Did You See This?!?!

UCLA researchers just gave us the best excuse yet for why training doesn't bounce back the way it used to in your 40s and 50s — and it turns out it's not just decline, it's strategy.

Muscle stem cells build up a protein called NDRG1 as we age — 3.5 times more of it in old mice than young ones — and it acts like a brake, slowing the cells down before they jump in to repair damage after a workout or injury. Block that protein in an aged mouse, and the stem cells start reactivating fast again, just like a young mouse's would. Sounds like a fix, right? Except those same "fixed" cells then start dying off faster over time, because the very thing slowing them down was also what kept them alive longer.

Lead researcher Dr. Thomas Rando put it about as well as it can be put: young stem cells are sprinters — great for the 100-yard dash, terrible over a marathon. Aged stem cells are marathoners — slower off the line, but built to go the distance.

🔥 This Week's Top Picks

🏓 PICKLEBALL

🏓 Nothing says "I have a tournament in three weeks" like suddenly needing a new paddle, new shoes, and grip tape.

🗓️ Coming Up — August 22

The Foundation Paddle Classic — Sat. Aug 22 · Foley Pickleball Courts, 671 Kenny Stabler Ave, Foley Presented by Vulcan, Inc. and hosted by the South Baldwin Chamber Foundation. Gender doubles, round robin into a playoff bracket, brackets split by age and skill level (beginner through advanced). $40/player, registered through the Clever Pickleball platform. 100% of proceeds go to local education — grants and resources for South Baldwin students and teachers.

Get Your Dink On👇

🗓️ Coming Up — August 28–30

Rock and Roll Round Robin — Fri–Sun. Aug 28–30 · Foley Event Center, 1001 E Pride Blvd, Foley Three days of indoor pickleball on the Foley Event Center's 18 rubberized courts, with classic rock and soul playing courtside. Nearly 60 players already registered as of this week. USA Pickleball sanctioned; $50 gets you up to three events.

Register here 👇

📌 Open Play — Every Week

Mike Ford Tennis Center — Stimpson Park, Fairhope Lighted courts · Lessons, clinics & socials. Call for open play schedule: 251-990-9526

W.O. Lott Park — Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun 8:00–11:00 AM · Wed/Fri 6:00 PM · Daphne 12 outdoor courts · Free · All levels welcome.

Pickleball at OWA — Sun–Fri 10 AM–7 PM · Sat 8 AM–8 PM · 200 S OWA Blvd, Foley (worth the drive) 4 indoor climate-controlled courts · $10/hr guest pass · $55/mo membership · Walk-ins welcome. In Alabama. In June. You know what that means outside. Come inside.

Know of open play anywhere else on the Shore? Hit reply — we'll add it.

🏃 RUNNING

🏃 Running is a funny sport. Sobering, honestly. Nothing like taking a week off and having the first run back feel like you took a year off instead.

🔥 This Weekend

Nothing on the local race calendar this weekend — a quiet stretch before the next training cycles kick in. Good week to just log easy miles.

📌 Weekly Runs

Four ways to run now — pick your night.

Fairhope Beer Runners — Every Monday · 6:00 PM · Fairhope Brewing Company, Fairhope Just wrapped their first full year. The format is refreshingly simple: 5K and 1-mile routes are mapped, but go as far and as fast as you want. No tracked miles. No recorded times. Social matters as much as the miles — stick around after for a raffle around 7 PM, then stay as long as you like. Fleet Feet supports with small giveaways each week. Show up, run, be social.

Foley Run Club — Every Tuesday · 6:00 PM · Moe's BBQ, Foley (new this issue) Gather at the Pavilion out front for group photos, then head out on 1-mile, 2-mile, or 5K routes through OWA — run, walk, jog, or just move at your own pace. No pressure, no judgment. Afterward, everyone heads back to Moe's for drinks, food specials, and good company. Open to anyone training for a race, starting a fitness journey, or just looking for their people.

Manci's Antique Club Run/Walk Social — Every Wednesday · 6:00 PM · Manci's Antique Club, Daphne Heading into their fourth year this October — which tells you everything you need to know about how good this group is. Same idea: 5K and 1-mile routes, but run your own race. No times, no pressure. The social after is the point. Fleet Feet keeps the giveaways coming, and the raffle at 7 PM is a legitimate reason to stick around.

Thursday Night Group Run — Every Thursday · 6:00 PM · McSharry's Irish Pub, 101 N Bancroft St, Fairhope Run at your own pace, stay for food and good company. The best post-run tradition on the Eastern Shore.

Know of a group run we missed? Hit reply — we'll add it.

🗓️ On the Radar — This Fall

Miles for Heroes 5K & 1-Mile Run/Walk — Sat. Sept 26 · 8:00 AM · 1705 Main St, Daphne Certified 5K course through Olde Towne Daphne, benefiting IGY6: Gulf Coast — supporting suicide prevention and mental health for veterans and first responders. Finishers Festival with food trucks and music after.

🎟️ Local Motion reader discount: 15% off with code Localmotion15off at checkout — good through August. Feel free to share with friends and family too.

Register here 👇

10th Annual Bloody Mary 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run — Sat. Sept. 5 · 7:30 AM · Tacky Jacks, Gulf Shores (worth the drive) Race three of the Run the Coast Summer Series — and the championship race where series finisher medals are handed out. If you're doing the Shark Run on July 4th, this is the natural next step.

Register here 👇

Bras Across the CAUSEway 5K & Festival — Sat. Oct 10 · USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park (worth the drive)The 10th annual — a full decade of "Turning Miles Into Miracles." Timed 5K, a family-friendly 1-mile fun run, or a virtual option. All proceeds fund the Patient Assistance Program, helping local breast cancer patients with gas, groceries, copays, rent, and other essentials.

🚴 CYCLING

📌 Weekly Rides

Pro Cycle Saturday Morning Ride — Every Saturday · 7:30 AM · Pro Cycle & Tri, Fairhope ~28 miles · All paces welcome. Best shop ride on the Gulf Coast. Show up, clip in, and hang on.

Pro Cycle Tuesday Night Hammerfest — Every Tuesday · 6:00 PM · Pro Cycle & Tri (Spring/Summer) 25 miles · Rear light required · ~20+ mph. Come find out.

Pro Cycle Thursday Night Social Ride — Every Thursday · 6:00 PM · Pro Cycle & Tri (Spring/Summer) 20 miles · No-drop · ~17–18 mph. Katie "momma-ducks" this one — nobody gets left behind.

Three rides a week. Saturday if you want miles, Tuesday if you want a challenge, Thursday if you want both and also to feel like part of a group.

No formal cycling races on the Baldwin County calendar for the next two weeks. Know of a club ride or group event? Hit reply.

🏊 TRIATHLON & MULTI-SPORT

🗓️ On the Radar — This Fall

Brett Robinson Alabama Coastal Triathlon — Sat. Sept. 12 · Gulf Shores West Beach (worth the drive) Sprint and Olympic distances. Swim the Gulf, bike the coast, run the beach — with staging at The Hangout (101 Gulf Shores Pkwy). Olympic swim starts 7:00 AM; Sprint "Tri-It-On" swim starts 7:45 AM. Friday packet pickup 4–6 PM at The Hangout. Year 19 of this race. Registration open now.

That's Issue #15. 🎉

Two pickleball tournaments are stacking up fast — Foundation Paddle Classic on the 22nd, then Rock and Roll Round Robin the 28-30th. And if Miles for Heroes has been sitting on your to-do list, the discount code runs out at the end of the month, so just do it.

If you know of a group ride, open swim, yoga in the park, or any local fitness event we've missed — hit reply. And if someone in your life needs this in their inbox — a neighbor, a training partner, your Tuesday night Foley Run Club regular — send them to localmotionactive.com to subscribe.See you on the courts and the roads. 🌅

— Jason (and Tina 🏓)

Local Motion — From the Bay to the Beach. localmotionactive.com