5 things you should know today

take a hike
Want to find the best spring hikes in the D.C. ‘burbs? Head to the REI in Bailey’s Crossroads at 7:30 p.m. for a talk by investigative hiker Paul Elliott. It’s free. Call 703-379-9400 for more.

kick the habit
It’s Kick Butts Day, an event to raise awareness about tobacco use. The American Lung Association in Virginia is using the day to recruit adults volunteer with “Not on Tobacco,” a program for at-risk kids. See lungva.org for info.

red meat, early death?
A federal study has found eating a diet full of red meat can shorten your life. Over 10 years, eating a quarter-pound hamburger daily upped the risks of dying from heart disease and cancer.

commute with us
Uriah Kiser is blogging your crawl home every weekday at 3 p.m. on Lane Ranger Live at Insidenova.com! Send us reports on Twitter @insidenova, or call the LRL hotline at 703-878-8004.

playboy in va.
Playboy’s heading to the University of Virginia next week in search of co-eds for an October spread “Girls of the ACC.” The mag expects to pick one woman from each of the 12 schools making up the conference.