Was really surprised to see such a low rating for this race, but then looked at the reviews and…read morerealized no one has written one for the last five years! They've definitely become a more polished race over time. I've run this at least five times, but not in consecutive years. Recently though it's become a staple race for me, in large part just due to timing: it's nice to have an end of year event to work towards before descending into holiday sloth and gluttony. This course is advertised as a big net downhill with PR potential. While I will say a PR is possible, it's not as much of a given as you might think. There's an awful lot of uphill mixed in there on the course. You definitely need to train on rolling hills, and it's impossible to set a steady pace with such wildly varying inclines. There's also a real bottleneck when you move from the road to the bike path in the early part of the race that can slow you down. Plus it's difficult to pass because the path is narrow. And the paving is uneven: one year that combo led me to a pretty dramatic fall. My biggest complaint is that the mile markers are way off with the early ones being placed shorter than their started distances and the later ones with more than a mile between them. Since this is true every single year, I think they've just designated places incorrectly and keep using the same locations. This is starting to sound like a negative review rather than a positive one, so let me list some pros: Good weather for running, ranging from quite cold to temperate. Long sleeve hoodie for the race shirt (although I wish the designs weren't so garish). Tossed off clothes in the early miles get donated. Most of the race is surprisingly scenic! The downhill really does help if you've trained for it. I usually park in the residential area near the start and have never had any issues. Very festive atmosphere! Shuttle buses back to the start are plentiful and I've never had to wait for one. Definitely a nice race to round out the year.

Fantastic down-hill & scenic course which you are guaranteed to PR on! The perfect race for…read morefirst-timers! Just note--my Garmin clocked this at 12.95mi and the mile markers were a little off at times. Would have been 5-stars, but more on that soon. Other than that, a ton of PROS to this event: -Swag bag: knapsack & long sleeve, hooded technical hoodie (funky design though) -REGAL looking medal for the 5th annual race -Possibility of snagging exacta medals (paired with Turkey Trot 15K and/ or Craft Classic Half) -Free bag check at the start (UHAULs bring them to the finish) -Free parking at the start and finish (more on this soon*) -pre-race pow wow INSIDE the DoubleTree KARLAN replete with complimentary coffee, orange juice, fruit, and pastries (while supplies last, get there early!) -Salvation Army donation bins along the first few miles of the course. Donate that extra sweater or gloves that you no longer need! -Plenty of Nuun and water stations along the course. *Parking tips: Make sure to follow their directions and arrive to the parking lot at the finish BEFORE 5:30AM. You're going to want to park at the finish because the lines for the shuttle to get back to start post-race looked long and tiresome! Some MAJOR CONS: -Bathroom lines! Lines for bathrooms at Mile 6-8 were abysmal. Only two port-a-potties and some areas even looked like they could've had more! I spent more than 10 minutes just to use the bathroom at Mile 6. NOT happy about that. -Bottle neck in the bike path at the very beginning at ~Mile 3-4. -Bikers still using the bike path and getting in the way. Rawr. The pro's certainly outweigh the cons though, and luckily I still PR'ed. I'm not using the time to qualify for anything; it's more a personal goal, so I'm not SO irked about possible setbacks to my finish time. I'm also VERY pleased with the finishers medal! Super lucky that they went all out this year!

Looking for a trail run that requires grit?…read more Well, the Xterra Trail Run Series will do exactly that, especially here at Black Mountain. Whether for beginners or advanced runners, Black Mountain's 5k and 15k runs offer fire road trails with plenty of maneuverability and leeway to single-laned sections coupled with twists, turns, and even a small creek crossing. And hills! My God, the last 3 miles were a challenge! Just when you think you've reached the mountaintop, just when you think you've pushed yourself to the limit and have begun to relax, it continues... Great shirts and finisher medals awarded at Xterra!

The only reason I'm not giving the 5th star is because the pre-race packet pick up was a bit of a…read moremess. That being said if you're looking for a ridiculously challenging 5 or 10k run, sign up for this. Seriously, I'm not sure how it's possible but I'm fairly certain that more than half of the run is uphill. I wish I was kidding. I did the 10k and eventually gave up on even attempting to keep up with the group. When I finally met back up with the 5k team I over heard many say things like "the only difference between doing this one and the long one is another 5k" meaning, the hills were just as tough on that one. Anyway, the trail around Lake Poway (and up to Ramona Dam) was well marked, wide and easy to navigate, considering. Fortunately they also had plenty of water because it was hot this year! I can't say for sure I'll challenge myself to this race again, but the cause is a great one (Valley Elementary School) and it's never a bad thing to work your quads!

Fun for the whole family. 5k, 10k or the kids race. Music, booths, silent auction, food and more.read more

Third year attending the Poway Rodeo. It is SO MUCH FUN! The announcers are great and pump up the…read morecrowd. So many great cowboy and cowgirls! Bull riding, barrel racing, buck riding and more! It was adorable to see a 6 year old barrel racing! The kids riding the sheep was also entertaining. Lots of vendors from food to merchandise. Plenty to shop for including cowboy hats & clothing. They have a kids zone with inflatables. They also have another separate kids zone with shaded bleachers- separate from general admission. We love the kids zone tickets for the shade, meals included (this year it was Raising Canes), drinks (alcohol also) & face painting. I love that they support the Ronald McDonald house and love that they have someone sing the National Anthem every year. We will be back next year!

We went to the Poway rodeo last month for the first time. This was the first time it was held…read moresince before the Rona. So, I think technically it had almost been 3 years. Anyways, it was ok. I am not a huge rodeo fan but my friend had some extra tickets. The place was way too busy. Because of the years off everyone wanted to go on this Saturday night. Their was not enough seats for everyone and it is open bench seating. The area for the rodeo isn't a big lot and it was very crowded. Overall, too much alcohol, dirt and sponsors for my taste. I get the alcohol and dirt, that's what rodeo's are about. But the sponsors riding out between each event, plus more times, and the lack of seating was no fun. We had seats up high but were so packed in that it wasn't comfortable. I know they were sold out but maybe re-evaluate the numbers on what it takes to be "sold out"

Completed my very FIRST trail run hosted by Dirt Devil Racing !!!…read more ***NOTE: Out and back course - Distance is 13.3 kick butt miles! What to watch out for: 1. ROCKS !!! Almost twisted my ankle ! No bueno. 2. Narrow trails. I'm accident prone so one small mistake and you just might fall into the lake. Yup..I've had a few close calls 3. Very hilly. One brutal, STEEP hill at the very end of the course ! I admit to having walked this part of the course. My body was ready to give at this point. 4. Again..those DAMN rocks I tell ya ! Definitely hard to avoid those suckers. A huge challenge for a novice trail runner. Definitely a setback. 5. Be careful and cautious. Parts of the course you'll get overtaken from behind on the one path trail and runners heading back are racing towards you so try to dodge them as best you can. Love: 1. Sweet looking medal ! 2. I actually prefer a smaller event such as this (i.e. 250 participants). 3. Aid stations, energy drinks/gels, and water stations were well-maintained and gave me enough replenishment throughout the course. 4. Very organized for an inaugural event. No chaos/mishaps to report. 5. Beautiful location - overlooks Lake Hodges Hate: 1. Prefer race tech t-shirts over the race cap. 2. No timing tag so I wasn't really sure what my official start/finish time was. Overall, I was pleased with the whole event ! I didn't realize how difficult trail running was until now. Nothing like road running ! Seemed like an obstacle course with you against nature and other racers. Quite thee challenge ! The scenery did make up for the difficut portions of the course and IMO made the race seem much shorter. Would I attempt trail running again ? With proper training, YES ! I'll have to invest in a good pair of trail shoes too if that's the case ! My body endured a different kind of beating. Thanks to the participating sponsors: San Diego Running Institute and Amateur Endurance for a great event ! Trail running is officially scratched off my bucket list !

This was my first trail half marathon and I hated it .. but loved it! I think the description of…read morethe course being "mostly flat with rolling hills" was a huge lie and should have carried the disclaimer of "compared to most trail races". Luckily I train on hilly trails and was prepared for this race, but this race is not well suited for the trail runner novice. Pros: Beautiful course Well organized Affordable race entry price Nice medal Race hat vs shirt Good parking Cons: Misleading course difficulty description Out and back on a single file trail is dicy in parts Course is longer than 13.1 miles (but they tell you this up front) This race was a lot of fun and I'd do it again .... and now I'm curious to try some of Dirt Devil's other races!

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!

First time track rider here. Took the beginner's ride class and dawned the colored mesh vest as a…read morenewb level 1 rider! Wow! The instructor (Thom C.?) was the best. I think his leather's said Thom C...but the people in the class were calling him John? That confused the heck out of me. I also had Terry as my riding coach. The ratio was 3 newbs to 1 instructor. Had a veryyyy good experience the first time out. The owner of Fastrack Riders even came out and gave a class ending speech and thanked everyone for attending. He also roamed the garages and chit chatted with the folks out there and checked on us! Fastrack Riders is top notch in my books. They run their trackdays at Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) in Fontana. It was professional, SAFE (that is the KEY world here) and fun! All of their employees from the check in staff, to the Techs, to the instructors and corner workers were A+! I highly recommend them and I'll be back to work on my leaning skills again in the near future. They also give you a transponder to track your lap times. I only got up to 131 mphs on the front straight. They said 170+ for the pros? WOW!!!! Bring your own food and drinks.

I was just going thru pics of the dozens and dozens of track days I've attended over the last 10…read moreyears and realized that the vast majority were with Fastrack Riders- mainly at California Speedway but at other tracks, too. My wife and I still use a pic from the day of our first date that was at a track day there. Besides great support, access to tech, tires and guidance, training sessions and photography, this group has always been the most professional and reliable. I've done track days with others where there was essentially no supervision and found it dangerous - and on the other side, some with others that had too many constraints. Fastrack Riders offers the perfect balance and have so for a long time. I highly recommend them and suggest that even if you're just a street rider, you'll find a vast increase in your skills and ability to ride safely on the street by taking one or more track days - And it's the ultimately E ticket ride!!

Excellent customer service and response time - also not over priced which is helpful these days.read more

I have my second Olhausen pool table -- the Sahara model. The pool table is great, but I ordered…read morenew pockets directly from Olhausen Online a couple of months ago and have not received an update. The last response I got from Willie Olhausen was over a month ago and he said the order should be shipped out. It wasn't. I guess you're all right if you buy your table from a dealer but if you want something directly from Olhausen, watch out. Hopefully they'll respond in the next year or two....