The Tour de Poway. I am going to review the 100 miler (as…read morethat is the one I biked). Things I liked: 1. The countryside is beautiful. The parts in Ramona and near the Wild Animal Park are gorgeous, and the costal and Rancho Santa Fe parts are nice too. 2. The Aid Stations were great and staffed with SUPER helpful and kind volunteers. 3. The course was marked really really well for 80% of it. 4. For a long event, the cost is relatively low. Things I did not like: 1. The other cyclists. I am a runner and I think runners are a bit more friendly. I tried to talk to a few people out there, but they were mostly interested in just riding with their clique of friends, and not with me. So I tried to ride alone, but then they would suck on my wheel and make me do the work. Runners are friendlier when running. Everyone was really nice while not riding, though. 2. The last 20% of the course was not marked well. I got lost twice, and thought I was lost 2 other times. 3. The 100 miles is 105 miles long. (not a really big deal all in all, but it was SOOOO HOT and I SOOO wanted to be done). This is a nice event, but I would recommend doing it with friends. They have shorter rides too, but they are all challenging (read ... HILLY). I will retire from cycling in events after this, and just enjoy cycling with my friends. It is more fun, and I often can find rides that are more fun. NOTE: This was revised to let everyone know that the Witch Creek Fire burned almost the entire area that this course rides. I think that maybe the fire was jealous of the cyclists and was trying to ride the course too. Stupid fire.

I've done the Tour de Poway century three times now. I plan on doing the event again this year,…read moreand in the future. It's an enjoyable ride, a nice tour through East and North county. The last 20 miles are always a bit of a grind, but finishing is always reward enough. It seems to have an adequate number of well stocked aid stations, and the volunteers all seem happy to help.

Waves4all is a wonderful way for special athletes and their families to have a fun and safe surfing…read moreexperience. I helped out with registration at a surfing experience this year and just love the founders Bryan and John. The event is free and a fantastic experience to help kids that might normally be overlooked for a surfing experience have a very special day with their family and make new friends. Fantastic group

I love riding my bike, I love watching the pros ride, but until the last few years I had no…read moreinterest in watching local/regional bike races. All that changed with the Carlsbad Grand Prix. It all comes down to the amazing bike culture we have here with local teams and local sponsors coming together to promote the best of cycling. Unlike 5k's and tri's which we all known more as individual sports. There is an aspect of cycling that is communal which separates it from other races. The fact that we do group rides, compete on strava and learn from other riders make us even more competitive. First off the view is unbeatable (above the flower fields with 100 degree view of the ocean. The crit is flat (basically) and fast with only 1 corner to really worry about. The last corner sees crashes of people positioning themselves. The recent edition was wet and saw wipe outs. It's a closed course blocked by CPD. The sponsors have really grown and provide pace cars, trail moto, on course ref's and officials along with expo. With most of the big races in San Diego, Long Beach, Ontario, Redlands. This and the recent SLR put racing back in NCSD and with such an abundance of talent training locally. This race has sparked my interest to upgrade from a Cat 6 racer. For other fun races check out Belgain Waffle Ride, SLR over more recreational rides like Bike The Coast.

I could not believe how many choices of food they had at a little league field. Great choices. We…read morerecommend the sliders and tater tots

Super organized race.Thanks to all those volunteers. The course was well-engineered and wasn't…read morechallenged to follow from the start to the end even if you are isolated.

Good course for beginners. The course is super mellow, as in there aren't quite big hills, just…read moresmall ones here and there. This is my 2nd half marathon, but my first time aiming for the Triple Crown. Carlsbad half is doable without training, or minor training because more than half of the time you'll be running on straight flat nice roads. It's a very beautiful run by the picturesque ocean. You run through their downtown, beautiful big beach houses, and the ocean. It started our very cold by the coast, but we got a little sunlight and a nice breeze. Be sure to put on sunblock even if there is no sun! I got a tan and finished by 10:30 am. The race starts and end in the mall. Plenty of parking and I felt it was better organized than like the Rock N Roll (last year 2016). A lot of portable bathrooms as well, and it wasn't crazy long lines like the RNR. The 2017 swag came with a jacket and a long sleeve shirt. The medal was pretty cool, although the cursive writing looks a little weird. I didn't see a beer garden, but they advertise that it was there... but my BF said you don't get a free beer with this race (he ran it 2x). I'll have to sign up for this race again next year since I just found out that I won't make it for the America's finest to make the triple crown due to a wedding =(. [If you're looking to run the American's Finest City half, let me know! I have a bib!] I had a good race, I didn't faint, die, or get jello legs!

The San Diego Half Marathon is an annual event held in Downtown San Diego that has a starting point…read moreon Harbor Drive and ending the In the historic Gaslamp quarter. I signed up for the race online, which was fairly easy to complete, and they had an expo at the Hilton hotel 2 days before the race to pick up your BIB. At the expo, they had many vendors selling items as well as free energy drinks. They also handed out the free shirt you got for entering the race, which was really nice, and the quality was great! On race day, which was on a Sunday, the run for the Half Marathon started at 650 am. From all the emails I was receiving, we were told to show up at least 40 minutes or even 1 hour prior to the race due to all the runners being in the location, giving you enough time to find the wave your in. The Half Marathon or 13.1 miles course had a beautiful layout that started by the convention center, bringing you up through the Embarcadero to Harbor Island and through Point Loma. The course was a nice flat course until mile 9, where you are running up Washington Hill, gaining elevation into Hillcrest and throughout Balboa Park finishing in the Gaslamp. When we finished the race, we were giving our medals or bling and were handed a goodie bag with a Monster, crackers, and a protein bar. They were even handing out chocolate milk, water, and bananas. They had photographers on-site taking pictures and a small after party in the park aside from the finish line. This was absolutely my favorite race I have run, and I had a blast doing it. The course was perfect and well organized. They had volunteers handing out water and Gatorade approximately every 2 miles. They had porter pottys all throughout the course, and the crowd was very motivating. I'm looking forward to come-back and doing the exact race next year as well since I had an amazing experience. Thank you to all the volunteers and the organizers who made this race possible.

Sadly, along with other events of this magnitude, this event was canceled and made into a virtual…read morerace (to be ran on your own). I was really looking forward to running this particular half marathon for the first time. There was no expo with vendors, just a pickup at the Gaslamp Hilton. What was really special is the volunteers/organizers did a cheer as we were handed our medal so a big thank you to them! Besides the medal, what was picked up was the bib, shirt, and tote bag which included the Friar hat, snacks, and chocolate milk. The tech shirt was pretty unique. In my collection, it's the first to be patterned in camo style. I'm signed up for the challenge which consists of completing the Mammoth Half Marathon in June, thus receiving an extra medal. Crossing my fingers that event is allowed to take place. I crave the crisp mountain fresh air.

After getting back into running after a 7 year hiatus, Jen helped me get ready for a half marathon,…read moreand a year later, a full marathon (my first). I used her one on one coaching and she was extremely attentive and detailed in my plan, which was 100% customized to me and my level. She was also able to help me adjust when I came down with covid mid-way through training. I think I would have bailed if I were doing in on my own! I used her group plan for marathon training, and was able to complete my first/only marathon under my goal time. I definitely recommend Jen for coaching and would use her in the future for specific running goals!

I always said I hated running. I liked gymnastics, weight lifting, I don't do cardio! I refused to…read morerun a mile in middle & high school & never did until I was about 21 but only a mile. Then the pandemic hit & I needed to have someone hold me accountable & make me move. Jen not only got me moving, I actually kindof like running! Not only that, but I've changed how I look at my body. While I don't think I'll become a marathoner or an all the time runner, I've actually had runs where I not only was feeling confident & good about what my body could do but I thoroughly enjoyed it & almost didn't want to stop. Her focus on strength, nutrition, & seeing your body as an amazing instrument not an ornament is so motivating. Would highly recommend her to anyone whether you're a seasoned runner or someone just looking to move & get stonger!

Does not return deposits given up front for boarding. Refuses to finish paying for a horse Pepper…read moreCreek Equine Center partially bought, with the agreement from PCEC that facility would give remaining funds owed to seller, upon leaving premises, (06/28/2019,) and has used one of my horses for lessons without asking my permission prior to using said horse, which I never would have agreed to. In addition, Cheryl Pierce laughed as she told me she carried a whip to whip my mare in the neck to get her to walk through puddles during the rain, and had smacked my mare on the neck as my mare was afraid to go through puddles. Cheryl laughed as she told me this, and told me she would continue to carry said whip, anytime Cheryl Pierce would need to handle my mare in case she needed to whip my mare on the neck, again. Would be a stellar place if Cheryl Pierce were not involved, as she becomes verbally abusive (to me, and many other past boarders,) in any situation where she is confronted about being in the wrong. Edited to add: PCEC sent back a portion of the monies they owe me for my deposit. They still have NOT paid me back the money they owe me for the colt they bought named Shivar/Sivan. Have picture and video proof of the condition of the pen the day I sold the colt to Cheryl Pierce. I also have pictures and videos of the condition of PCEC prior to moving in, and the day I vacated the premises. Nowhere in any of these pictures is damage shown to the pen the colt lives in. PCEC added wood to the stall a month before I moved out of the facility. (Which I also have pictures of.) For a horse I have not owned for 6 mos, and a pen that did not need any repairments, I should not be fined for a new watering device, lumber, and 6.5 hours of labor.

I am posting about my negative experience with Cheryl Pierce of Pepper Creek Equine Center because…read moreI feel it is important for others to know what has happened during the past month. I moved my two horses to Pepper Creek on October 28th, but quickly realized the commute from work with traffic was just too much for me to handle daily. Since the contract I had signed required a 30-day written notice to vacate (in order to have the deposit refunded), I emailed and mailed my 30-day notice to Cheryl on November 5th. My friend, who had been a boarder there for a couple years, also gave her notice that day - we had both decided to find a place closer to our homes where our horses could all live together. On November 7th, I texted Cheryl and confirmed with her that she had received my notice. Less than 20 minutes later, all the boarders of Pepper Creek were informed that they will now be locking the gates at 8pm, so everyone needs to be off the property by then. This affected both my friend and I because we were the only two boarders there past 6pm every night. That same night my horses were out of water. When my friend had arrived, one of my horses was down. While my friend was filling the buckets, my other horse immediately started drinking. Later that evening, he had stopped eating hay and was also lying down. I was concerned about possible impaction colic due to dehydration, so at 7:45pm I called Cheryl. I was very surprised by how the conversation went because she told me that the horses were not out of water and that they had looked fine at the time of feeding. I was also told that I was not going to be able to stay past 8pm to make sure my down horse was alright. After some arguing, I was told that I could stay but that the gates would still be locked at 8pm and that I would need to text her what time I would need to be let out. I have never experienced a situation like this before, where I had to argue in order to be allowed to stay with my horse and assess what could have been a life-threatening situation. Moments later I encountered Cheryl at the office, where I was told that I had no reason to be in there, even though I was grabbing my friend's refrigerated Banamine. Then I was told that it did not belong in the refrigerator, despite that being where it had been located for months. I proceeded to give my horse the Banamine and left shortly after 8pm, hoping that my horse was going to be okay. The following day, November 8th, I received a 3-day eviction notice by email, stating that I had until 8pm on Sunday, November 11th to vacate the premises. My friend received the same eviction notice. It also stated that all refunds were going to be mailed. This is also the same day that several cameras were installed around the property. By Sunday, I had managed to find a place for my horses to temporarily be boarded. I moved out well before 8pm to avoid any further issues. Since then, I still have not received any refund. After my first email inquiring about when I would be receiving my $1143.33, which would be my $700 deposit and the remaining 19 days of November board, I was simply told that it had been "sent to the bookkeeper for processing." I received this response from her on November 15th. Since then, there has been no response from her after two more attempts. This has caused me great financial hardship. I haven't been able to pay bills, have no money for a vet or my deposit for the new barn, and had to move with no money for these unexpected moving expenses. Luckily, I was able to find someplace where I was allowed to pay my 3 weeks of board a week after moving in. This has also caused myself as well as my horses a lot of stress. Because my horses had to be moved again, so suddenly, to a temporary situation where they have been receiving completely different hay on a different feeding schedule, they both are now having loose stools. I have never left a barn on bad terms, and am truly shocked by what I have had to deal with this past month. I won't mention what my friend has had to deal with during all of this. I can only hope that I will be able to recover the money owed to me.