This was my second tough mudder and I did the 10k. This tough mudder is better than the previous…read moreone I went too with the obstacles being more thought out. Easy checkin, enjoyable people, great music, and overall fun. Hydration stations and snack stations everywhere through the course as long as porta potties everywhere. Get ready to get muddy!

Crawling through mud under barbed wire, climbing over walls, swinging from monkey bars, jumping…read moreinto ice water, and running through electric shocks. Who's in? This was the third Tough Mudder that I've participated in, and I'm not exactly sure why, but I couldn't convince any of my friends to sign up with me this time around. So I hauled it over to Lake Elsinore to do the SoCal TM on my own. Fortunately, the camaraderie on the course was as strong as ever, so there was always a helping hand when I needed one. This event was held near the lake behind the Lake Elsinore Diamond. No elevation, but plenty of Southern California heat (even in November) to make up for it. When I did TM in NorCal a month ago, check-in was slow and lines were long. At SoCal, check-in went a lot faster, and the check-in and bag drop lines weren't too bad. Though my earlier start time might've also helped. TM now consists of three distances that overlap and share some obstacles: 5k, Half and Full. Only the Full has the crazier obstacles like ice and electricity. The Full course here was 21 obstacles over 9-miles. I felt like the spacing between obstacles was good, and the lines at each one weren't too long. There was an ample amount of water stations, half with food. Plenty of fuel to get you through. Plus the reward of a headband, tech tee and a Guinness beer at the end. Oh, and the showers have warm water now. Aww yeah. The obstacles weren't easy per se but were pretty doable. Any training you do will help, but you don't need to be a beast to get through the course. Unless you're doing the competitive wave, in which case we're talking about a different level of athlete. TM is a great team building event. If you have any interest in obstacle course racing, I recommend doing a TM at least once. Any joiners for 2019?

This place deserves more than 5 stars. I thought this was going to be an interactive video game…read moretype of thing but it was way more than that. I will 100% be back again and I will be telling all my friends about this. A truly unique experience. You really feel the true race car experience and I think you need to wear workout clothes cause I felt the sweat from trying to concentrate and control the car. The cost is so worth the 1 or 2 hour time slot. I'm sold and will be looking into a membership cause I'm addicted.

First time trying sim racing and I'm glad I chose the 2-hour Nordschleife experience - absolutely…read moreworth the $82! Even though I didn't use the full session (it's more physically demanding than expected - seriously, LOL), the experience was fantastic from start to finish. Shoutout to Jason on staff - super professional and welcoming. He guided me through check-in, helped set everything up, and even offered a bottle of water before giving me some helpful tips on handling the cars. Small touches like that really elevated the visit. For those curious, here's the YouTube link to my run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzysPtCC5gE. I clocked in around 8 minutes from the pit, which I think is pretty decent for a first-timer!

When my 9 year old told my wife and me he wanted to see a NASCAR race, I was hesitant because I'm a…read moreformula one guy. But we went on line and got some good tickets (section 14 row 3) for $25.00/kid and $50.00 for me. Parking was included! About that parking... Ok, we got there close to race start, around 11AM. Traffic was jammed and the queue just to get to the parking lot was almost 20 minutes off of Etiwanda and Napa St. Once we found parking, it was almost a half mile walk to the grandstands and then another 1/8 of a mile from section 78 to 14. There's tons of food vendors, LOTS of beer, and the requisite souvenir stands. It was loud, noisy, damp, cold and exciting. Yup, it's NASCAR, baby! Having been to monster truck events, we knew to bring ear protection. And, since we had the freak blizzard in So. CA, we also layered and even brought a blanket. We didn't have a chance to sample the food, but it all looked and smelled good (we had a birthday party after the race). The queues to the restrooms were long, even for the men, but it went fast. The women's line was really long, so plan on missing many laps if you have to "go." Our seats were really good, but the safety walls block most of the view. In reality, probably higher seats would have a better view. The bleachers are aluminum slabs, so bring a seat cushion for added comfort. There were tons of tailgaters having a great time with music and barbecues and beer a plenty. It was a good time for all and surprisingly family friendly. My boys are already looking forward to the next race. Next time we're bringing the grill, some good food and more good friends...

I am so out of shape. That's the title of this review…read more Absolutely ran out of breath getting to our seats that were centrally located in the mid-nosebleeds. Thought we would hate the view, but actually we had perfect shade and were situated right at the finish line. BEAUTIFUL. So where does this review take us to a missing star? Came to Auto Club Speedway for Nascar and saw that there were long lines to get in. However, the ticket takers were efficient and friendly, and we got in right away! Ok, now what? It was pretty hot out and my party and I desperately needed to get water. Like I'm dripping sweat from every pore, and I haven't even tried to get to my seats yet. Every single stand had long lines so we decided to go to the shortest one which just so happened to also sell 'Brick Curly Fries'. We weren't looking for food, but we figured ahhh what the heck, let's just get that too. When we finally got up to the cash register, it turns out that they were OUT OF WATER. I asked why they weren't announcing that to the people in line, and they said 'lots of people get in this line looking for water so we don't want to lose customers'. Um.. that's deceptive. We went through multiple other lines, never able to get water, until after about an hour and a half or two hours of my party split up in different lines searching for water did we finally finda Hard Seltzer pop-up that did sell it (but wasn't advertising that they had water!). I had a lot of fun and I enjoyed myself, but that inability to find access to water (TO PURCHASE) almost made my trip unbearable. Add that to the fact that it was a really long trek to the seats and I'd probably pass out of dehydration going up and down in search of water and back to my seat again, and I think it's really fair that they're only losing 1 star for having something as necessary as water so difficult to acquire.

I have been a resident of Barstow for 40+ years and this is the best hometown event that I have…read moreever experienced. You will have a fantastic time on this year's event which will have some new mud challenges,

This reverse triathlon was awesome. I loved every part of it. The run was smooth and flat…read more Transitioning to the bike was easy and no stress. 12 miles biking as fast as you can, will get ya! Getting off the bike and taking my clothes off for the swim was interesting. Jelly legs! The swim was a little crowded but what can you expect with one pool having to go down lane after lane. I would def do this one again. I love the medal, one of my favorites. The only thing that sucked was the weather in the beginning. WOW, 40 degrees!!!! I was freezing my BUTT OFF!!!! Made me run faster though. Could not feel my toes or fingers. Very odd feeling while running. Easy day of bib pick up which always rocks. Friendly volunteers! I was a TINY bit disappointed that if you placed in your age group, you only got a certificate. I was hoping for a second medal. DARN!

The San Bernardino Sunset Rotary Club's Tinman Triathlon and 5k is a fun, wonderful, rewarding and…read morecharitable event with 2016 marking its 30th anniversary. Proceeds raised from this event goes towards Rotary International's quest to end the debilitating disease of polio. Hosted on the beautiful campus of Cal State University San Bernardino nestled against the foothills, it is quiet and peaceful compared to other college campuses that are located in a middle of a city. This event is partnered with the Loma Linda Possibilities program which supports those with disabilities. All participants get a t-shirt and goody bag and all finishers get a medal. A standard Sprint triathlon is a 750m swim, followed by a 20km bike ride and concluded with a 5k run. Due to the lack of large bodies of water for swimming in the Inland Empire, these triathlons are generally reverse tri's with the order being a run, bike then swim as no pool has the capacity for all the participants hitting the water at the same time. As the athletes run and bike, they become spaced apart so when they hit the pool, it's usually one at a time. The run portion of the triathlon and the 5k takes place entirely on the permitter of campus. It's relatively flat at the beginning and then there are gentle but constant climbs and descents. There are two water stations graciously staffed by volunteers approximately around the mile marks. The last straight away into campus is a straight climb up Coyote Drive with 5k finishers going to the right (same as the starting line) and triathletes going to the left at the transition area. What makes the SB Rotary Triathlon unique is that instead of a 20km (12.4 mile) bike portion of the course, it's "only" about 9 miles. More about that later. Gear up and head back down Coyote Drive and a left turn onto Northpark Blvd for a down and out into the suburbs and then around the backside of CSUSB. NOW- the kicker for the shorter distance is that once exiting the campus, it's a ride up the appropriately named Devil's Canyon Road. It is a grueling climb and there is no shame of you have to get off your bike and walk it up to the turn around, I've done it once myself. Single gear bikes, beach cruisers of "fixie's" are not recommended by me but if it's the only bike you have, do not let that hold you back. Those of us who can muscle through the climb, it's a long steady churn, judiciously going through every last gear and feeling the burn up that service road. Course officials are on the top of the turn around to ensure that no one cheats and turns around early, but they are also there with water bottles at a small but flat rest area. The reward of the climb is that you go back DOWN that hill and I have personally reached speeds nearing 40mph. It is a great way to cool down and rest after a good hard effort to reach the top! Then it's down the westside, onto campus and into the transition area. It's a short jog to get to the pool where you must enter feet first into the water. Triathlon in June might bode for cramping so this is a good safety measure. 6 laps of 25 yards (150 yards total) and you're out and another run to the finish line and vendor area. Aside from the Sprint Triathlon and 5k, what really is unique about this event is that there are several kids triathlons of shorter distances, based on the child's age and athleticism- and even a little kids tricycle race for those tikes under the age of 4! Many of the adult 5k runners or triathletes tend to leave after their event (even before the medal awards ceremony) but I really enjoy watching the pure enthusiasm of the next generation of athletes. If you ever wanted your child to try something where kids can compete along youths their age, this is a great venue to do so- shorter distances and no adults on the course. Which brings me to my biggest gripe and common sense/ courtesy which is non participants getting in the way of athletes on the course. By all means- watch, support, cheer and take pictures of your friends and/or family but be mindful about your surroundings, listen to the course officials, volunteers and athletes and if someone is yelling for you to move or get out of the way IT IS YOU and not someone else. I have participated in this event three times so far and enjoyed each and every time. Initially I heard of this event via the local NPR station, KVCR (CSUSB hosts its broadcasting facilities). This is not an ideal first timers triathlon for adults due to the climb up Devil's Canyon on the bike but all other aspects are friendly. This triathlon is in late June and it can get hot but there are very few triathlons that are regularly scheduled during the summer months. Please stay hydrated, be prepared and make use of the water stations on the course. This is a very rewarding experience that is peaceful yet grueling for some. A long running event that supports a very worthy cause. The link to the official site http://www.rotarytinman.org

I know there is a Yelp for the Amazing Race Los Angeles...but need Amazing Santa Monica Race…read moredeserves it's on little piece of History... How do you describe spending your hard earned money on something that will drive you insane? yelling at others? pissing you off? making you run all around town? talking to strangers...? having people asking you what you are doing.....having a MIME Touch you as your running around in Venice Beach and you !@??#$!# at him...not knowing who he is...or your teamate telling one of the people giving you clues listen here we are really busy right now looking for a clue we can't help you! That was all part of the Amazing Santa Monica Race...that took just about a grueling 5 hours to compete....during the process you don't know what to expect... Bob was a great host, comedian, commentator, etc.... The only downside is the Santa Monica version is pretty new so we didn't have a ton of groups competing...positive side our team wins a medal cuz not enough groups are competing!! Okay 2nd isn't 1st...so I'm still upset! Try it...it's tons of fun!

Santa Monica Amazing Race was THE most fun activity I have done in the greater Los Angeles area in…read moreover the 2 years that I have been a resident. It is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, see the local scenery, and get a light exercise in (depending on how competitive you are). By far worth every penny for the 3-4 hours of sheer entertainment, puzzle solving, and team bonding. The host, Larry, was a true delight making the experience all the more fun and memorable. A MUST DO activity for anyone in the area or visiting! I'll definitely be signing up for the LA race soon.

My thoughts on the Big Bear North Shore inaugural half marathon: scenic, challenging,…read morewell-organized. Held on a crisp, cool Autumn's morning at North Shore in Big Bear, CA, this half marathon was more than I could ask for. It tested my endurance in large part due to the elevation, 6,750 ft. The course was advertised as being flat with only 444 ft elevation gain, yet the soft rolling hills proved more daunting than I anticipated. Ultimately, it all made for a challenging and utterly fun experience. The course was well marked, mile markers were spot on, and the community support was strong in this small town race. Water stations were well-manned and cup litter wasn't a big issue, mainly because there were no more than 1,500 participants in all events combined (half marathon, 10k, and 5k). Fast notes: -Registration is through Active.com. The 2nd annual half will be held on October 3, 2015 -Starting temperature was 41 deg, wind chill made it feel about 35. Dress for the environment. Pro tip: -Make this a weekend getaway, it's taxing driving to Big Bear early in the morning and then driving back home right after. There's plenty to see and do in this beautiful town, take advantage of it.

Beautiful race in the BEAUTIFUL Big Bear mountains!!! Breathtaking scenery the whole way! Not alot…read moreof elev gain, so great place for a PR! Yeah, it ain't on dirt. You can do that to Holcomb Vly or on one of the other many exciting trails later (just watch out for black rattlesnakes-yes, they are up here). But it sure is exhillarting (almost as much as running single-track in the mtns)! LOVE IT!

I used to participate every year when there was still a marathon and the race started and ended at…read morethe Point Fermin Lighthouse. I returned in 2018 because it was now part of the Lexus LaceUp Running Series. Currently, the distances that they offer are 5k, 10k, and half marathon. I ran the half marathon. The race now starts and ends at the Pelican Cove Park just West of the Terranea Resort. *Parking* For parking, they have 3 locations: Rancho Palos Verdes City Hall, Salvation Army College, and Point Vicente Interpretive Center. Each of the locations are close enough to walk, but they'll have shuttles going around to pick-up and drop-off people. *Course* It was beautiful and just as hilly as I remembered it to be! Most of course was kept in the residential area about a stone's throw from the ocean just off of the main Palos Verdes Dr. Be sure to do your hill training or else be prepared to suffer! They even have a short steep section just after mile 10 that was a timed hill challenge. The fastest male and female will each win $500. Overall it was a well organized race. Although the race had a few quirks such as confusing separate starting lines, I liked the improvements that they've made with this race. The packet pick-up was quick and they had plenty of portapotties. Gear check was a bit chaotic as they were swamped with runners dropping off bags all at the same time. One of the bright spots with these Lexus LaceUp races was the post race food from the food trucks! That was some good quality food all included in your race registration!

If you are a new half marathon runner don't do this one first :) if you want to run a marathon or…read morehalf marathon thats a little more challenging this is for you! I ran the 2010 event, it was my third half marathon ever. I will do it again next year. It's gorgeous, my bum and legs are still feeling the hills. They had yummy coffee and fruit at the start and finsh, and it had a very intimate feel. The parking was a bitch. The restroom line was long. That didn't matter though because i loved the run! Must add this to your run list. See you there in 2011!