Never pictured myself running 3 miles drenched in mud and lake water...but it happened at the…read moreMerrell's Down and Dirty obstacle race this past weekend at the Folsom Lake State Recreation center. If you drive a Subaru, you get a VIP parking pass which entitles you to park near the race area. I received an email stating that if you drive your Subaru, parking would be free. This was NOT the case and we forked over $12! UGH. I picked up my race packet that morning, which included my bib number, a sample sized Larabar, Merrell's Down and Dirty tech shirt and cap and a trial sized Paul Mitchell shampoo bottle. I noticed several people opted to participate in the brick division, by carrying a backpack of bricks through the courses. Much respect to them! Several others had full blown costumes like superheroes or Halloween themed outfits. This race puts you up to the ultimate challenge - a 3.1 mile test of physical endurance and strength by completing over 10 obstacles. These included climbing over walls, scaling a 24 foot cargo net, jumping over logs, crawling through mud pits, carrying sandbags and trekking through the lake. The biggest challenge was conquering "heartbreak hill" and walking up it was tough! My quads started burning after the first half mile going up the hill and walking down wasn't any easier! Thank goodness they had water stations at every mile. I received a Merrell Down and Dirty Dog tag for completing the course. Photo ops were available right next to the finish line and at the 'Mud hand print' mural. To rinse off, we went through an inflatable Subaru car wash station, but it wasn't effective. A hose station was nearby and people worked in teams to wash the mud off each other. Make sure to bring black plastic garbage bags for the car ride home, towels and extra clothes! A charity group also went around to see if participants wanted to donate their shoes toward homeless families. The race partners with Operation Gratitude, who sends care packages to U.S service members overseas. Thumbs up for this race! A few battlewounds - scrapes on my knees and splinters from the cargo net rope (Mental note to wear gloves next time) but was well worth it for a great cause and fun time!

So in the 5 months since my first trackday I've now done Laguna, Sonoma, Thunderhill East and West,…read moreall with Feel Like a Pro. I've continually improved, lowered lap times, and am now riding solid B-group pace all day long. There is nothing more satisfying on a Ninja 400 than having a Ducati 1299 blow by you on the straight, only to catch them in turn 3 and say "hey, remember me?" (I don't think they can hear me, but I do say it). If the Feel Like a Pro team didn't make me feel so welcome and provide a great experience, I wouldn't have been back. It's that simple. For anybody that's thought about a track day but is daunted by the unknown, give Feel Like a Pro a call. They take care of everything, you just need to ride at whatever speed and level you feel comfortable.

I had an absolutely stellar experience renting a bike from FLAP. Went into it thinking I was just…read morerenting a ninja 400 at thunderhill but I got so much more out of it. Ryan, one of the owners, is a very quick rider and he gave me a ton of pointers as well as a tow around the track and specific advice on both how to improve as well as how to ride the ninja better. He knows his own product inside out and his knowledge was invaluable. I got a lot faster over the two days I rented. Michelle, his wife and co-owner, has only been riding for two years and is super quick too. She gave a lot of perspective on how to improve quickly and was amazing at helping get us set up. The rental experience is a total white glove service. you have a canopy and tables in a prime location. Tire pressures are checked throughout the day. Ryan made numerous adjustments to the bikes ergos (I'm a taller dude) to make me more comfortable. it's like being part of a racing team with your own pit crew and mechanic for the day. Lastly the other rentals were really cool. I didn't know anyone else at the event and we hung out together. Made some new friends! Highly recommend flap.

I was given VIP tickets for the rodeo, which gave us access the food and drinks in a gated area…read morebefore the rodeo. The food was catered by Nix Taco, which was the best choice. We also got to sit in the VIP area, which was a little overcrowded but still so much fun!

I bought two tickets to the Folsom Rodeo for about $360, very expensive for this venue. The…read moreseating, supposedly premium reserved turned out to be horrid, placed directly behind a cyclone fence and a horde of other customers moving back and forth in front of us on a dirt path, the dust rising into our faces. This is very dishonest pricing. Four rows back would have been more reasonable. But worse was the "welcome" we received on arrival. My partner had a camera in a backpack and we were told we would have to leave because cameras were not allowed. But we are in our late 70s and there was no way we were going to hike several miles back to my car to store her expensive camera. Besides, on the date when I bought our tickets, this message was printed directly on the ticket form (slightly abbreviated, as follows): Please no strollers, car seats, ice chests, dogs, chairs. No professional camera equip. Well, my partner is an amateur photographer so we were in the clear... or so we thought. I showed this message to several security agents but they insisted that their set of rules invalidated the rules we had been given even though they were clearly stated on the tickets. Later I found the conflicting set of restrictions the security agents insisted on under "Frequently Asked Questions". This very odd location was something the security folks kept under their hats. Now is that where you would look if you wanted to see the rules which could get you removed with a forced march home? FAQ? The first security man we spoke to was around 25, and after finding out we had a camera, he tried bodily to bar my way in. At 79, I'm not so quick on my feet and I ran into him as he stepped in front of me. He complained that I shoved him. I told him I was going around him and he decided to "tail" us, following all the way to our seating section, maybe 200 yards. He confronted me again and I told him that the incompetence of the rodeo organizers in putting out two conflicting sets of regulations was no fault of ours but whenever I mentioned regs, out came his FAQ entry. This young man was seriously lacking a sense of fair play. Eventually the cops came and most of the officers were competent and kind. When our "tail" (amazingly!) asked the police if they were going to arrest us (no kidding?), the lead officer told him we were not a problem for the police. Eventually, after at least 20 minutes of arguing, the security gang (who were up to four or five Gen Z's by now) let us take our seats as long as we kept the camera in the backpack. No problem. We were just there to enjoy the rodeo. So, one suggestion to FPR: don't hire adolescents to be security agents. They haven't got the maturity or the training. But, in addition, as several other reviewers have written, this rodeo is run in a casual and disorganized fashion. The actual rodeo events were okay: the riders were competent, the horses strong and beautiful. The problem is that you had to wait so long for the actual events. The start time was supposed to be 7:15 but there was no hint of a rodeo until 8 pm or so. Then there was a long session of putting young kids on sheep and letting the animals run. Mostly the kids stayed on for less than one second per ride and fell right at the sheeps' feet. I am not aware that there were injuries suffered but it must happen sometimes. And the thought that a child could suffer serious harm made me cringe. Another huge negative was this announcer who roamed around the rodeo field filling the empty time segments with his supposedly hilarious observations on life. Allegedly a comic, he was a complete drag. If you want to see rodeo, I recommend La Estampida, a dance bar/rodeo in Durango, Mexico. That is something worth seeing! The dancing is good too. Again, no criticism against the cowboys and their horses at Folsom Rodeo. As far as I could tell the riders were professional, skillful, and mindful of kindness to the animals.

I have done Eppie's Great Race for the past 3 years and I'm already planning for my 4th year. I…read morealways like doing this triathlon because I'm always trying to beat my PR and my team PR each year. There are three legs-- run, bike, and kayak in that order. The only leg that has water station is the running portion so bring water for all other legs. The run and bike course is fairly flat. There are only 3 hills and one downhill on the run course. This is a race for any age and any athletic level. Since there are team options, it's really fun doing this with friends. Let's talk about the medal. This is what makes races worth it, right? The medal has been getting significantly smaller and smaller each year. The design has completely changed since the past 2 years and is just a simple white small medal. The medal was given BEFORE we completed the race and was in my race packet this year. The glory of the medal is not as significant anymore. I like receiving my medal as I cross the finish line. Shirts also got more plain and thinner material. For a race that can cost up to $400 for a team, I'm a little confused on why they cut costs on medals and shirts. I have always done a team triathlon but I'm planning to do ironwoman next year. This race may just passed but training begins already for next year!

If you are looking for a really fun triathlon, Eppies Great Race is for you. It's at a fabulous…read morelocation, great energy and amazing people! This is the only triathlon that doesn't make you swim... " no swim triathlon." Lots of teams are out there. Lots of different age groups. So much fun!!!

Great tour. Folsom was the first prison with electricity. Excellent tour guide. Plan on about an…read morehour for the tour. The tour is free, but parking will cost you.

The park trail was relaxing and the view of the lake was absolutely stunning! There were many…read moreseagulls on the other side of the lake. I also went to the Powerhouse and it looked very interesting, A person was there who showed me how the turbines made electricity and powered the lights in the town to be blinding bright! Overall, 10/10 Would recommend to a friend will come again!

If you're feeling antsy and am looking for a great way to burn off that extra energy....go run in…read morethe Folsom Lake Run Series!! Held at Beals Point in Folsom, CA, it offers a 3.1 mile run, 7 mile run and an 11 mile run. They had a nice set-up in place and if you didn't pre-register, no worries! Plus, the best part is, they give free B-12 shots! The run is actually out on the trails, so there will be some uphill/downhill and it was quite muddy when I went, but it just makes it more fun. Bonus? They provide free food and raffle prizes at the end.....yah for Rubios and Freebies!

I was so excited for the Renaissance Faire and got all dressed up with my friends. Initially it was…read morea really cool experience. Everyone is dressed up in character which really helps make you feel immersed. There are loads of actors and performers all around the place, and tons and tons of shopping to be done. We saw the archery show which was....ok. It was cool to see them competing with each other, but it was literally impossible to tell which arrow belonged to who. My suggestion would be to attack a big colorful string or change the color of the arrows to match each contestant. We were left confused as to who was winning the entire time because of it. Nobody was mic'd either so it really was silent in terms of the arena. Next we saw the jousting show which was really fun. Tons of theatrics, horses, fighting, and crowd work! That was a good time. Then we went to walk around and catch some of the smaller shows. The majority of this Faire was just vendors selling things. I love events like the Oddities and Curiosities Expo which bring in tons of vendors showing off stuff I literally have never seen before, and I have a huge impulsive feeling to buy. I didn't get that once at this faire. Sure there was some cool stuff but it really wasn't anything that I felt like I needed to buy. Some soaps, crystals, swords, books, and disgustingly a stall selling AI artwork. Some vendors really did have some cool stuff like handmade clothing that was too far out of my budget, but I would love if I were rich. Lines were insanely long so we didn't eat or drink anything here, but it looked ok in terms of food. I just wish there were some unique vendors here or other things to do like games and events that you can partake in. Overall it's not a place you're going to spend the entire day at, but it's fun to kill a couple of hours in costume. We'll most likely be back next year, I just wish it was a bit more "wow" like others I've seen.

The best small faire in California! Get tickets early, they sell out every year. Shopping, shows,…read moreand ambience are all fabulous! Bring your whole family

I've run quite a few half marathons over the last several years... everything from RunDisney races…read moreat Disneyland and Walt Disney World to local races including Urban Cow, Shamrock'n, CIM, and SF Giant Race and this one still needs a bit of work as it is lacking organization and polish. This is the second year of the half marathon but the twelfth year for the Run Rocklin series of 5K and 12K races. The half marathon had a registration limit of 600. That makes for a nice run that's not too congested. If you want congested, think Disney races. The website definitely could use some reorganization as information was spotty, typos were prevalent, and not up to usual professional website standards. There was a small race expo that had vendor and sponsor tents set up. There were places that the runners would be able to grab orange juice, water, after race snacks, and free food samples. Pre-race bib pickup was slightly disorganized as questions asked were often answered with "I'm not sure or I don't know, you'd have to ask Larry." I picked up my race bib and tech shirt the day before. There were no signs set up to note where the start of the race would be. I assumed that the location of the two sets of Chrono-B tracking mats would be the start line. When the pacers started showing up near the tracking mats, then I figured that I was in the right place. The finish line was clearly delineated and set off with pretty balloons, timing clock, and sign. The race schedule was as follows: 7:45 AM for the kids run start 8:00 AM for the 12K and 1/2 marathon start 8:20 for the 5K start 9:30 for the Kids 1 mile start As I expected, the course ran through Rocklin through mostly residential areas. Miles 1.5-5.5 was a consistent uphill climb. Between miles 2 and 3.5, it was a fairly steep incline. For those who plan on participating in the subsequent years, make sure to train for hill runs. If not, it will catch you off guard and can sap some of your reserves. It was nice to run back downhill after hitting the summit and turning around. Weaving through the residential areas and seeing the beautiful houses made it an interesting run. In every other race that I have participated in, there were more water/ energy drink stations than here. There were no safety stations along the course but I did see a couple of police/fire department vehicles patrol the course. The one thing that kind of worried me was that there were only course safety marshals where there were turns. I think they needed more of the safety marshals to ensure vehicular traffic would not mingle so closely with the runners but we were running through a residential area. There were spots where cars were going pretty fast and we were running pretty close to the traffic. I was kind of paranoid so I would constantly look back over my shoulders if I were running in the direction with traffic. Most of the times we were running in the bike lanes but between miles 1.5 and 7, we were running where traffic flows quickly. The race had a hard limit of 4 hours. After crossing the finish line and hanging around for a bit, I noticed that around the 3 hour mark, the volunteers started cleaning up and started taking down signs. I guess there weren't too many stragglers running at that point but I thought that they should have waited a bit longer? Also, it seemed like the refreshments and food were all but gone around that time. I think they should have a dedicated refreshment section for just runners who would need the recharge after this race. In other races that I've participated in, there is a runners' finish line corral where you are entitled to grab fruit, water, energy drinks, etc... but not here. Here, the food was open for everyone even for those just passing by. I can't say anything negative about that but in the future, for race participants who pay, there should be guaranteed refreshments for them whether they finish in 1-1/2 hours or 4 hours. I was able to grab an orange juice plus, a bottled water, a danish, and a banana after the race. I made sure to only grab one of each so that other runners after me would have some refreshments available but after hanging around awhile, I saw that many runners were only able to get orange juice and water. All-in-all, it was an enjoyable local race. Don't get me wrong. I am not trying to be negative but trying to offer constructive criticisms here. You really can't compare a small-ish local race like Run Rocklin with the big Rock-n-Roll, Disney, Urban Cow, etc races in terms of organization, number of volunteers, refreshments, and water stations, but I think with each race, there should be lessons learned that can be applied to the next race. I wish the best of luck to the race organizers and future races and hope that they will do better next year.

I recently found out that running marathons can be listed on Yelp lol so I'mma start a page for…read morethis one! Santa Hustle is an annual December marathon that occurs in several cities across the nation and the one here in Roseville is the only one held in California. Santa Hustles are charity-driven and in 2024 this particular one supported Stand Up Placer, which assists and empowers Placer County survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. I've been wanting to try doing a 5K run and thought this one fit the bill especially because of how organized the website is in terms of information (course maps, parking, etc.). Same-day check-in was a breeze. Not too crowded either; there was a good proportion of half marathoners, running 5Kers, and walking 5Kers. There's also a kid's dash that starts earlier than the other courses. 5k route is pretty no-frills but easy to navigate. There's one water station about a little over a mile into the route. There was supposed to be also a cookie stop at mile 2 but it ended up being at course finish lol. I parked at the Oak Street parking lot, which is across the garage parking (another place you could park at). This particular parking lot got pretty full by 7:30 am.

I honestly don't like writing negative reviews, but I have tried to get in contact with this…read morecompany several times over the past year. I ran my first half marathon in 20 years last winter in Roseville with the Santa hustle race series. At the beginning of the race, someone came on the loudspeaker to let the participants know that "a grinch" had stolen the race signs, but "not to worry, someone would be there" to lead us the whole way through. Unfortunately, I ran most of the race alone, hoping I was going the right way. I'll spare you the details but, essentially, I started out pretty slow and got caught up with the 5K racers. I realized when I saw the finish line! I frantically tried to find my way back to the half marathon course, but I couldn't find anyone to help me get back on track. Luckily, for me, a local woman knew the course and helped me find the entrance. I then ran the entire half marathon, and then some, anxious and wondering if I was going the right way. The water stations were abandoned, the signs were inconsistent and sparse, and I ended up getting very lost, running an extra mile, and having to have my sister-in-law pick me up in a random neighborhood. Mind you, I was running at about a 12 to 13 minute pace. It's just that I started off too slow and got separated from the pack. Lesson learned, but the Santa hustle organizers were of no assistance when I was trying to make sure I was going where I needed to. There were many cross crossing trails in the back hills of Roseville, and were it not for a random runner here or there, I might have gotten off track much sooner than I did. As I mentioned, I've reached out on several occasions to let the organizers know about my experience. I asked them if this happened to anybody else, because I can't imagine I was the only one. After the first few times of getting no response, I asked for a refund. Nothing back from them. Basically I would've settled for an apology. This was pretty traumatizing for me. So if you're looking for a fun winter race this holiday season, I would look elsewhere. Getting lost in trails and hills in the middle of nowhere Roseville really sucks. What sucks even more is the total lack of accountability on the part of the Santa Hustle Folks.