This was a really unique 10K race, as it was entirely on packed sand during low tide. It was an…read moreevent for pretty much everyone, with a wide range of age groups participating as well as quite a few people in costumes. I knew I had to pick up my pace when a runner dressed in a King Tut costume (including gold makeup!) breezed by me. :) While it was fun, and I will most likely do it again, there are a couple of things that could be made better: - Stagger the starts, or at least have walkers start toward the rear of the crowd. Runners were bunched in with walkers, people texting, people pushing jogging strollers, people strolling along holding hands... the first half mile was just an exercise in getting through the traffic jam. - More mile marker signage. The only markers were for 1 mile and at the turn around point for the 5K participants. Are we there yet? If you are looking for something different than the usual run on concrete (and want a cool medal for finishing), definitely give this a try!

2nd Annual Surfing Madonna Save The Ocean 5K/10K Run/Walk is coming up on October 25, 2014. I did…read morethe inaugural race with my wife and kids last year and it was a blast! (And for a good cause...) Definitely doing it again this year! Very unique in that the whole course is in the moist packed sand along the beach. They hold it at low tide so there's plenty of room for everyone to go at their own pace.

I ran the Del Mar Mud Run (DMMR) a few weeks ago and after running THIS one, I can't even believe…read moreDel Mar claimed theirs was a mudrun! Unlike the DMMR- the course was natural terrain and there was a mud pit every 20'. It wasn't just muddy water, there was different textures of mud in every pit. This was also more family-oriented (vs. DMMR). There were costumes, but they were tasteful. There were more families enjoying the day together, than a bunch of young 20/30-somethings out for publicity. AND, let me not forget to add that the showers kicked ass. The DMMR had 2 people on a raised platform (15' high), with a garden hose- spraying us down. The SDMR had 2 sets of showers with water being pushed through pvc pipes (firehose-strength)- 24 shower heads in all. There was also a 'love for fitness' present at the SD Mud Run. One thing that was crazy annoying. The Kiddie Mud Run. It was the last run of the day, which is fine. But in order for the kids to start we had to wait for every last adult runner to cross the finish line, no matter how slow they were (the track needed to be altered for the kids- their mini-mudrun used the last 1k of the course). I wish (instead), the organizers would've altered the course so that the kids could start their race at the same 'Start' line as the adults- that way there wouldn't have been much waiting. It's hard to keep kids in check when they're stoked about playing in the mudpits! Overall- awesome experience! My daughter cant wait for the next one! After doing this mud run, I doubt I'll do the DMMR again. I'll stick to the Ridiculous Obstacle Cource, but no Mud Run.

This was an awesome event held on Oct 31, 2010…read more What a great course, lots of mud to go around for everyone. I will definitely be attending this event in the spring as well.

Beautiful trail! So much color after the recent rain. Not an easy hike, but it's worth the effort…read more Go early, and be mindful of your hydration needs.

Protip: If you are parking in the dirt lot outside of the gate (leading to the official gravel…read moreparking lot), park parallel to Gunn Stage Road. If you park perpendicular, everyone else will park normal and block you in (a busy day gets 12+ cars at one time). This is a fantastic place to hike, a lot of wildlife + plant + moss + lichen biodiversity. I wish there was more than a single dog poop bag station, which is halfway along the gravel drive to the official trail start, as evidence by the dozens of people who let their dog poop wherever and never picking it up. I know it isn't fair that rabbits, coyotes, and horses don't have to pick their poop up themselves; I don't make the rules. Accessibility-wise, these are dirt trails that start out wide (5+ feet) with gentle slopes. They are not graded flat, and can be off-camber. There is no real shade from the sun on most of the them, leading the park to be closed during the hottest weeks of the year. No potable water, but there is a horse and dog watering station.

In brief: I am a beginner rider that has recently moved from…read moreindoor to outdoor with a new bicycle and had been having saddle soreness, a numb right foot, a tweaky pair of knees, and tired hamstrings. Dean was knowledgeable, congenial, and committed to finding my comfortable and fast configuration. The adjustments to my bicycle, cleats, shoes, pedalling technique, and riding position gave me the same buzz as a new bicycle and no more imbalanced pain/strain. Across two 2.5hr rides, I'm seeing 8 watts up on average power and 1.2mph up on average speed. In detail: I had been trying lots of different adjustments to my riding position based on YouTube videos and online guides, but it felt like playing whack-a-mole. Every attempted remedy made a different problem somewhere else. I have been really enjoying spending longer on the bike and when the knees started aching I knew I had to get some real help. Dean started off with a comprehensive examination of my posture, walking mechanics, various body lengths/widths, the range of motion of all my lower half's joints in all axes, and even things like the natural resting angle of my foot. We then ran through a gamut of tests on the bike with sensors for saddle pressure as well as a computer vision setup to analyze all the angles of motion of each of my joints when pedaling. Apparently there's an even more comprehensive pedal analysis rig that my bicycle wasn't compatible with (due to having a one sided thru axle in the rear wheel, e.g. 2025 Canyon Aeroad) that would have given a better look at the exact mechanics of my pedal stroke. All throughout the testing, Dean was making iterative tests so we could see how each adjustment affected my position, comfort, and range of motion on the bicycle. In the end, my saddle went up almost 4cm (I know right??) and forward a bit, my handlebars came back out wider to match my shoulders, I got two wedges in my right shoe and one in my left to account for the differing varus or tilt of my feet, new cleats installed (that I brought) in positions slightly better angled for my ankle mobility, my shifter hoods were tilted in and given a bit of a variation to account for my right arm that's 1.5 inch longer than my left, and probably some more that I'm not remembering. Just a note, this is not some ritzy corporate establishment, the lab is in Dean's home and the vibe is very much like hanging out for an afternoon with your cool cycling uncle who has literally all the cycling nerd science stuff. The whole process took about 3.5hrs and I was very happy with the adjustments initially and even more so now that I have taken a few benchmarking rides so I could finally write this review! Thanks Dean!

A few weeks ago my cousin and I were looking for a chill way to spend the day. Our plan was to…read morelook for a place without a lot of people, hike for a while... nothing too challenging, but to get some exercise. We also wanted to bring a picnic for after our hike. Goodan Ranch was suggested to us by a family member, as he does regular mountain biking there. Anyway, getting there was relatively easy. We spent a good deal of time on a small, but neatly paved road that lead a ways off a highway to a gravel lot. I know that they do stargazing and other events there, so I imagine the lot can get crowded, but that day, there was ample parking available. I liked that there were several signs mapping the trails around the area. There is a large loop, larger loop and a few ways to cut back for a shorter hikes. The paths are mostly open, providing space for bikers or horses. We only saw a couple bikers and a couple hikers during the time that we were there. I enjoyed the green pastures and variety of colorful wildflowers. It was really quite beautiful. There were a couple of picnic tables. When we had finished our hike, we grabbed our cooler from the car and we were able walk back down a short ways to the picnic table. Another plus is that the restrooms near the parking area were very clean. I look forward to heading back for a stargazing event!

I was looking at hiking trails online and noticed this was a 6.5 mile loop on a preserve just south…read moreof Scripps Poway Parkway and west of Hwy 67. I entered the property on the northeast side off Hwy 67. It was a staging area set up for horses to be unloaded and taken on the trails. The path started off wide for equestrian riders and meandered up and down to the south and west before tailing off. After the descent, the trek followed very flat terrain and headed northbound to a ranger station which was in the middle of the ranch. On my way, there was a historic windmill which I somehow completely missed. I will have to notice that landmark next time and take a photo. I didn't make a stop inside the ranger station, but it was a nice sized building which had outdoor restroom facilities too. Continuing north for another mile or so brought you to the Goodan Ranch Staging Area. That was the main entrance to the Sycamore Canyon Open Space Preserve. A small lot was available for parking. To finish the loop back to where I started, a one-way trail (Martha's Grove) took me east, south and then west before a sharp switchback towards the east again led me up Cardiac Hill. This was the last segment before I arrived where my vehicle was parked on Sycamore Park Drive at the Hwy 67 Staging Area. Overall, this was an easy to moderate difficulty hike. There wasn't much shade until you were near the ranger station and then on the Martha's Grove Trail. I completed the entire circuit in 2.5 hours in beautiful mid-70 degree weather with low humidity.

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

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.

Totally recommend Cal Coast Adventures. I rented their…read morenewest Adventon for the week and enjoyed it so much, I didn't want to give it back..lol Elias was very helpful and did such a great job explaining every detail to get me familiar with all the ins and outs of the e-bike. We will definitely come back and most certainly have fun again. Cheers!

The guy who rented out bikes to us was so kind and patient with me to teach me how to ride the…read morebike. Incredibly accommodating when I needed to shift days. Thank you .