Robert T. Klingensmith, Vice President, Media + Marketing, Thanks to everyone at Active who participated in -- and volunteered at -- the 2nd annual Gran Fondo Colnago San Diego (and bike wash).  Conditions were truly heinous. You all are tough!

Ricky Grey (Active Creative), Race Director and Active M @ M VP Rob Klingensmith and Jim Garfield (Active M&M) enjoyed another successful Gran Fondo Colnago San Diego. Jim once again channeled the mighty voice of Active's own Mike Reilly in announcing the race and battling the elements.   Over 3,200 riders braved a couple rain drops and participated in this year's event!

Chris Gielow, Lead Interaction Designer, Foundations, San Diego, did the San Diego Gran Fondo with the Active crew! There were 8 flats between us, but we hung together and finished strong!

I was intwo of the San Diego Union Tribune photos:

Emily Nesselroad Manager, Sampling/Promotions & ActiveRewards, San Diego, my sister and I rode in the 32 Mile Gran Fondo bike race on Sunday. It was poring rain for about 80% of the race. It was a real test of inner and physical strength. I'm so happy that we finished the race. The Gran Fondo was an all around amazing experience!

Jamie Williams, Data Warehouse Architect, Jamie Williams survived the Gran Fondo ride this weekend - starting from Little Italy in downtown San Diego, across the Coronado bridge, around the bay and back into town.  Actually it was the cold and the rain and the 8 flat tires our group of 7 had that made the ride a challenge! :-O  We opted for 32 miles instead of a longer ride since we spent over an hour just changing tires.  On the plus side I think we're all tire changing experts!

Regina  Huricks also completed  the Family Fondo ride and sent in some photos...they capture the mood of wet, cold and shaky...as most  are blurry..hahaha!

Toby Guillette, Social Media Specialist, San Diego, rode with the above-mentioned crew from Active (including Airey Baringer, Evan Witte, Brett Davies and Mike Reade) during the Gran Fondo and put this video together:

Jeannie Freis, Associate Product Manager in Boulder, snowboarded at Eldora Sunday.  Friday night I took 2 dance classes (hip hop and jazz). Saturday I took 2 tap dance classes.

Penny Curry, ActiveNet Consultant, my C League Ice Hockey team won the Winter Season Championship!  I don't have a picture yet of the team, attached is a picture of the cup.  Unfortunately, I was not able to play the last 4 games because I was injured during a playoff game February 24th.  I broke my right clavicle during a playoff game. The break was severe enough to require surgery, which was performed last Wednesday. Luckily, I was able to attend the last two playoff games last night to watch my team, and my husband win the championship!

Paul McLure, Account Manager, My wife, two daughters and I participated in the Kids Magic Mile on Saturday in Balboa Park.  It is a nice short 1 mile run - Lily our four year old ran the entire mile. Stella our 3 year old was on my shoulders most of the way for a free ride.

Joe Schum, Account Executive, Activeevents, Atlanta, GA, Ran the Albany Snickers Marathon in Albany, GA last Saturday, March 06 in 3:53:00.

Michelle L. Ulrich, Ran the SCPD 5k at the Beach 5k in 18:35 to finish first female and set a new course record for top female finisher!

Sijen Olthof, Sr. Implementation Analyst, Bothell, WA. Took advantage  of the sun and went hiking with family and friends at Barclay Lake,  beautiful day. Looking forward to spring and summer.

And last, but certainly not least, we have Demian Dorrance, Sr. Systems Engineer, Active Systems Team:

In our second year participating in the Gran Fondo Colnago San Diego, my 15-year-old son and I were determined to challenge the 101 mile route and complete a first century ride for each of us.  We spent the week before in the bike shop and on the road preparing for the event, and we both volunteered at the Gran Fondo event check-in. We were going for it rain or shine, but the weather didn’t cooperate. We were already soaked through before the start but still cheerful as we crossed the start line with a great group from Active.

The heavy rain and winds for the first 22 miles caused us two stops to buy extra layers and a pair of dry gloves. We reached the 2nd aid station at mile 30 in the Olympic Training Center well behind the other century riders, and my son’s bike needed a bracket repair. Despite the delay, we were feeling good and decided to push on into the countryside for full mountain route rather than turn back for the 50 mile route.

We were the last ones to start the climb at the King of the Mountain timing line, just as the course timer was packing up.  Neither of us are strong climbers, but we ground out the mountain stage one mile at a time. The course crew tried to talk us out of it three times since we were now the tail end of the century group and behind course schedule, but neither of us would quit. We got a mental boost at the mountain aid-station, and some quick support to temporarily fix a broken bolt on my son’s bottle cage with tie wraps. Ride tip: you cannot each a sandwich on a mountain descent… even at slow speed each bump throws tomato and cucumber on the course

At mile 64, we met our match. My chain started skipping then the rear derailleur caught on a short climb and snapped off. We had brought the parts and tools we might need, but somehow a derailleur hanger hadn’t come to mind.  I told my son we were done and called ride dispatch to see if we could get a repair.  By this time, the repair teams were elsewhere on the course and they would only pick us up.  When I broke the news to my son, he wanted to continue on solo and finish what we started.  I admired his determination, but wouldn’t let him go on without support.  With 37 miles to go, I decided to convert my 18-speed bike to a single speed by tying the derailleur out the way and shortening and repairing my broken chain.  I thanked the SAG vehicle for the awesome moral support, but turned down the last ride in. The course was now closed, and we were on our own adventure to finish what we started. Who knew that you could seat mount a derailleur?

At mile 78, my son had a flat tire. After we had replaced the tube darkness had fallen, so we installed his bike light and made a push to get out of the backcountry. We were never so happy to see a street light, and the final miles in the city felt fantastic despite my slower pace with a single gear.

We successfully crossed the finish line in San Diego’s Little Italy 14 hours after we started. We were thoroughly soaked, but incredibly thrilled to have finished 101 miles distance, 4,000+ feet of elevation on climbs, and overcome every obstacle to finish our first century ride.

EPIC SAN DIEGO SPORTS DAY YESTERDAY WITH THE AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA LAST STAGE!  ESTIMATED OVER 300,000 PEOPLE ON THE 96 MILE COURSE INCLUDING OF COURSE ACTIVE-ITES.  Mike

SCOTT EVANS, VP Sales rode part way up Mt. Palomar to watch lance and the boys come by.  He said he was so jazzed after seeing the riders he rode back to his car like he was in the race!

PATTIE ROSENTHAL, Cycling Account Mgr drove 13 1/2 hours with her husband from Durango, CO to San Diego on Friday to watch the Tour of California.  Brought our bikes to get in a couple of rides in & reunite with some old racing buds.  The last stage of the TOC was a scene & well worth the long drive.  Saw a lot of friends & the racing was incredible - over 300,000 racing fans!   Went to the start & got a few photos of some of the racers (Chris Horner from Astana - my favorite all time US racer).  Then headed to the finish to watch the race on the big screen & saw Frank Schleck beat Nibali in the sprint. 

ARCH & CHRISTY FUSTON along with two friends from Boulder, CO, watched the Tour of California time trial in Solvang, CA on Friday.

What you don’t see is how hard these guys warm up before starting their TT. They are on the trainers for :30 to an hour, working up a huge sweat and getting their heart rates up. By the time they get into the chute, they are very ready for a hard effort, and don’t have to fight that immediate lactate build up. Keep this in mind next time you do a sprint triathlon or 5K.

We got to meet “helmet head” the guy that either wears longhorns or elk horns, depending on who he is supporting (longhorns = Lance, UT, elk horns = Levi, Montana). The crowds were amazing. Really suggest making the trek to Solvang next year, it is well worth it!

MIKE REILLY along with a couple of buddies Bernard Mougel (owns Bernardo’s restaurant in RB) and Todd Smith rode to the top of Palomar Sunday morning to watch the race.  Todd took a fully stocked car up there the night before and parked.  So when we arrived we had plenty of food, wine and Champagne!  Coming down the hill was a challenge with a full belly.  It was one of my most Epic sports days of my life and that might be saying a lot!

JULIE RAHILL, QA Tech. cross country skied to Panther Gap in Sequoia National Park Saturday night with a small group led by the SNHA (Sequoia Natural History Association). Camped out and skied to Panther Peak the next morning, learning some basic mountaineering skills (ice axe techniques, climbing, basic avalanche awareness) and then skied out. We caught a nice Sierra storm in the middle of the night, making things that much more beautiful! This was my first "backpack" on skis trip, but definitely not my last

JACQUELINE BERRY and LEVI SMITH participated in the 1st Annual SDMPI in San Diego. Give Your Heart to Monarch 5K on Saturday. The weather was perfect and the energy was great. It was also nice seeing Jim De La Cruz and his wife and son there as well.  Sunday Levi ran 9 miles for the first time ever. He is training for his first marathon through the “Who Wants to Get Active” program so be sure to follow his training progress and leave comments of encouragement!

http://community.active.com/blogs/get-active-first-marathon     

JIM DE LA CRUZ and his wife ERIKA pushed his 6-year old son JOSH in the SDMPI Give Your Heart To Monarch 5K Run/Walk at Mission Bay this past Saturday. Great weather, flat course that ran along the water, and small crowd. It was a great way to show support for The Monarch School by running with some of the students and teachers. I recommend this event next year for any first timers plus you can run or walk with your dog in the event.

JIM GARFIELD, AMG & JESSE HAMMOND(Active) cheered on the Tour of California this weekend at the Rose Bowl.  Jim was so inspired by his picture of Lance and of the fans that he did his own Tour of California and rode the next day to Oxnard…a lot slower then the racers.

LEAVE IT TO JIM TO HAVE A PIC WITH A BUNCH OF PRETTIES!

REBECCA DIVITA & NOLAN HANSEN raced in the Tritonman Sprint Triathlon on Saturday morning IN San Diego and Ryan Drew and Chris Wheeler came out to cheer. Despite the cold and foamy water, the course on Fiesta Island was great! After the race, Ryan, Nolan, and I biked to Pizza Port to celebrate with a few pitchers…making the ride home up Torrey Pines slightly more difficult. Nolan Hansen, Ryan Drew, Chris Wheeler and I finished the weekend on Sunday at the VIP tent (always in style) at the Amgen Tour of California.

TOBY GUILLETTE ran the Orange Curtain 50K (31 miles) in Long Beach and finished 5th overall in 4:27. This time is a new personal record by over an hour and fifteen minutes and was my third marathon+ distance race in less than a month. On Sunday, I was out in Escondido at the ATOC finish line to see the action. 

MICHELE CREPEAU had a great weekend, went up to Tahoe with family and worked on teaching my niece and nephew how to ski.  Too funny revisiting the rope tows and bunny slopes.  Have to confess did sneak in some real runs later in the day.  Shorts weather, beautiful spring days and fresh snow…

MATT & JENNIFER LANDA, DAVE & CHRIS ALBERGA and MIKE REILLY all played at the Coastwise Mile event held Saturday just down the street from the original Active office in La Jolla, CA (such good memories!). The event was sponsored by Coastwise Financial the company owned by one of Active’s original founders and former CFO SCOTT KYLE (back right of pic) and his wife CARLIE KYLE a former Sales rep at Active (Yes an Active romance & marriage). Scott ran the Mile and their son JET ran the 50 yard dash. 

MATT & JENNIFER LANDA were there with their 3 boys (all pictured) who each ran very fast and had fun. Even though their youngest, 2 year old ADAM decided to go missing during the event but was found heading down the stairs to the beach! DAVE & CHRIS ALBERGA ran with their daughters KATE & EMMA. KATE & MOM ran the Mutt Mile with their dog SCOUT while DAVE ran most of the way with EMMA on his shoulders. 

MIKE REILLY said announcing a 1 mile event this Saturday then next Saturday (Oct.11) the 140.6 mile 17 hour Ironman Hawaii World Championship is a bit of a contrast to say the least. Oh well someone has to do it! Then on Sunday, Reilly rode the 62 mile Tour de Poway bike event with over 3000 ft of climbing in east San Diego County!

JON BELMONTE reported another active weekend for the Belmontes. This week’s soccer matches had an interesting twist…Silent Saturday. Parents and coaches were restricted from yelling, screaming and cheering during the game.  An interesting experiment…benefits were that the kids were forced to be more self motivated / directed while also having the figure the game out on their own (as opposed to be told what to do by parents and coaches the entire game).  The other benefit was a heightened awareness by adults re: what’s appropriate behavior on the sidelines.  Hana and Jon’s team won their U8 Girls game 2-0, while Cal scored 2 goals in his team’s U6 co-ed game. 

On Sunday, Rita and Hana went on a Brownie troop hike at Torrey Pines reserve, and then joined Calvin and Jon for fishing at Crystal Pier.  They came back empty handed, but had a good time nonetheless.

CAITLYN BARKER reports that she and MIKE DOBRANSKY (Team Lead, LeagueOne) ran, crawled, climbed and push-up’d their way through the Boot Camp Challenge this weekend at MCRD. Mike raced the Men’s Elite division and placed 5th in his division and 20th overall with a time of 20:19. My friend Chelsey and I came in much later with a time of 31:37 but had a blast! They added a few new obstacles this year making for a very fun but still challenging run. ANDA WILLETT (Software Trainer, Active Net) came to cheer us on and decided it looked like so much fun that she’s going to participate next year! I included a couple of pictures; my favorite is Chelsey getting creamed by one of the Drill Instructors…I should have known better than to stop and laugh because he dropped me for ten pushups right after that….lesson learned!

PATTI ROSENTHAL (Industry Manger, Cycling in Durango, CO) did the Road Apple Rally on Saturday in Farmington, NM.  It's the longest running annual mountain bike race - 28th anniversary this year. A fast, fun course with lots of whoop sections. Finished 1st in the Beginner Women's 40-49 Division (blue-hair division). Main goal was to stay upright since I had fresh stitches in the arm from a MTB crash last Thursday.

TOYA REAVIS competed in the Balboa Boogie Cross Country 5K Race on Saturday. It was at Morley field in Balboa Park (without the crazy hill). Unfortunately I had a very emotional 2 weeks and no sleep the last 2 days before the race.  I won my age group in 20:39.  I am fitter than 6:39 pace but I could not move due to no sleep. I am glad I could win my age group and keep my team in first place in this Cross Country series.

MIKE MACDONALD, Web Developer, finished my first triathlon in 1 hour 10 minutes, just slightly slower than I had hoped.  The weather was great and I’m already looking forward to my next tri.  Thanks to all the Active folks that came out and cheered us on!

MARC VILLANUEVA, Web Applications Developer in SD, did the Mission Bay Triathlon this past Sunday.  This was my first triathlon and I had a good time.  Thanks to all of the Active folks who came out to cheer us on.

MARK WARBLE, Desktop Management Admin, participated in the Mission Bay Tri yesterday (sun 10/5).  It was nice being involved in one of the oldest triathlons held here in San Diego.  I had a finishing time of 1:08:28.  It was good to get back in the water…even if it was Mission Bay. =)  The morning was overcast and cool, which made for a nice race day.  I was happy to hear cheers from fellow Active employees (thanks for the support!) and seeing other Active members participating. 

KEVIN BEATTY, completed the Mission Bay Triathlon yesterday. Pretty interesting zig zag course and felt at times that a beach cruiser might have been a better choice of a bike to get through all of the puddles. Overall it was a great race and I’m excited for the next one…70.3 anyone? 

ASHLEY ELLIS was at the Mission Tri to cheer friends along. This was my girl Ashley and Jenny's first Tri and they did awesome.  Here is a cute picture from the event also with Kevin Beatty (account ex. Tennis) who rocked it. I have never attended a Tri before where I was so impressed with how well everyone did. Congrats to everyone from Active!

BURT REPINE and his friend day hiked Mt. Whitney (14,497 ft.) on Sunday. Though the previous day’s snowstorm left some parts of the trail a little dicey we had a gorgeous day of weather w/o a cloud in the sky. The 21-mile roundtrip (we shaved a mile off of the distance by starting at the old trailhead) took roughly 11.5 hours and I am happy to report that I made it all the way back home and in bed by 9pm last night -

gotta love So. California! Here’s a pic of me on the summit.

JAKE COONEY ran the Portland Marathon this weekend which was my first marathon. My goal was to get around 4:00 and ended up with a time of 3:40.  It was a very scenic run with just enough rain to stay cool but not get soaked. Also, with the help of Lauren Dachille and Dana Blackwood, I got some video footage of the race director Les Smith for the ActiveEndurance website. Stay tuned! I’m waiting for the website to post race photos.  If they get posted before the report goes out, I’ll send a photo.  Thanks.

KRISTIN HACE, Online Advertising Account Manager, participated in the MCRD Bootcamp Challenge for the second year in a row. It’s an extremely fun, fairly quick race that’s 3 miles long with bootcamp-type obstacles to go through, such as jumping over walls, crawling through tunnels and pushup stations (blew through those, thank you very much for the practice Arch!)  If you haven’t tried this one yet, definitely keep it on your radar for next year…it’s a great group of people and a great time!

LAUREN DANCHILLE, along with Dana Blackwood and MIke Coleman, attend the Portland Marathon Event Directors College in conjunction with the Portland Marathon on Sunday. Dana and Lauren even participated in the 10k Mayor's Run that started at mile 20. It was a beautiful course and we even braved the rain!

KRISTI DUBIEL, Implementation Analyst, woke up bright and early to run in the Hope for a Cure 5k on behalf of the Arizona Diamondbacks.  It was a perfect morning and it was so great to see so many people, young and old out supporting such a great cause.  Immediately after the run I had to go to my indoor soccer game where we ended up losing 7-8!!!  I have a fabulous battle wound on the back side of my leg.  One of the guys launched a shot and my leg caught the brute of it and now I have an actual soccer ball bruise on my leg.  It is pretty classy

JENNI MILLER, Account Manager, Running, did the MCRD Boot Camp Challenge this weekend. It was one of the most fun races I have ever participated in. Throughout the course there were drill sergeants yelling at everyone and obstacles you had to go through including hay jumps, tunnel crawls, fox holes & trenches. One note to anyone who ever does this race in the future – don’t smile at the drill sergeants when they are yelling at you or you will be forced to do pushups until they allow you to proceed… I learned that one the hard way! Good times!

GT from the San Diego Foundations team took part in the 23rd annual Tour De Poway. The 18 mile loop was scenic and the people great. Could have done without the 1,000ft climb though…

Liz Harrell, San Diego…Another great ride up the coast this weekend.  47 miles!!!  This was after I had to take a 2 week break due to some medical stuff. UCSD up to Oceanside and back.  No Torrey Pines this time. My goal was to increase mileage, not the number of times I conquered Torrey Pines  I’m close to the half way mark as I train for my first century ride.  Why the insanity?  Check it out…http://pages.teamintraining.org/sd/tucson08/lharrell

Amber Martin, Bret Harris, Andrea Rishmawi and friends summited Half Dome peak this weekend in Yosemite National Park.  The weekend started off as great as we rented beach cruises and toured through the valley floor on Friday.  Then came the 24 hour torrential downpour to try and dampen our spirits…but in spite of a few soaked sleeping bags and the rather ominous beginnings, the weather cleared up on Sunday and we were able to make the climb.  Standing at an elevation of 8,842ft, the 17 mile trek took about 12hrs roundtrip.  The final ascent to the summit is made possible by some metal cables, a few wooden planks, and a traffic jam of people suspended at 60 degrees of granite slab!

Renu Bhushan, ran 5K yesterday!! My fellow 'Diva's' and I participated in the Scotiabank Marathon over the weekend. It was a beautiful (and easy!) course, with lots of stunning views of our BC mountains and ocean. It has only been 6 weeks since I joined Active Burnaby and I am already running marathons! !

!IMG_1196.JPG!

Paul Cheung, from LeagueOne dev team, completed Scotiabank Half-marathon on Sunday with a time 2 hr 02 min, knocking down my last year record by 28 minutes.

Arch Fuston and The ActiveX Charity Team completed a mock triathlon on Saturday at Glorietta Bay Park on Coronado. Nearly 30 came out to charge the 500m swim, 15-mile bike, and 3-mile run. It was a great event made even greater with a visit from Jessi Stensland, providing a transition clinic for the team.

Carrie James, Account Executive, Education. I did the triathlon workout with the ActiveX Charity training team on Saturday in Coronado. It was fun to put all three aspects of the race into action and actually finish a full “triathlon” on Saturday morning! Sunday I finished my FIRST 10K EVER in 71 minutes. Not bad for my first, I guess. It was HOT out and took everything I had mentally to finish, but thanks to some awesome encouragement from Karen Hardy and the other Active ladies at the race I made it to the end! It feels incredible to cross that milestone for myself. I barely notice the pain in my legs. HA

Jenni Miller, Janean Nation, Sari Rudy, Caitlyn Barker, Laura Hilts, Emily Chan-Norris, Hannah Sansone, Erika Winter, Melissa Cohen, Carrie James, Amy Sutton, Karen Hardy, Amber Martin, Caitlyn Barker, Tawnya Bordalo, and Andrea Rishmawi all ran in the Iron Girl 10K this weekend!

This year’s race was a new course, starting and ending in the Del Mar Fair grounds. The race as a whole was great, however the combination of starting and finishing on the soft dirt of the horse track and the grueling heat, definitely took its toll on the 3,000 women running the streets of Del Mar. The Active girls that ran the race met up afterwards – here is a picture attached.

Francis Dupuis and his wife (Faye Dupuis) competed in the International Dragon Boat festival this weekend in vancouver, and her team finished third in their division.

http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver/local/article/72280

(She’s in the second row obscured by the arm)

My older son D'Alton competed in an indoor Roller Hockey tournament (6-9 year olds) this weekend to finish off their roller hockey season. They finished second, and had a great time.

Tina Wilmott in the Public Relations department. Headed up to Ventura this weekend to visit a close friend, and on a whim we decided to compete in a Splash & Dash. We came in second and third and I won my age category. But I much confess, this was the first time they’ve held this particular race so there weren’t many participants. In fact, there were only eight women in the short course which we did (400m swim and 2K), but who’s counting! It was followed up by some great horseback riding in the hills.

Jim Hine, Director Database Sales, rode the Cycle Idaho Mountain Bike Tour from Boise to Idaho City this weekend. We had a group of four riders that did about 102 miles and +12,000 feet of elevation over two days. We camped overnight in Idaho City and drained a few kegs of New Belgium with the small group of 85 riders, then tenting it with light rain around a big campfire. We detoured on Day 2 in search of extra single-track and added 10 miles of pines to the ride.

Marea Blue and Kirstin Hartos (Implementation Analyst, LeagueOne) played in the Las Vegas Midnight Sevens Rugby tournament on Saturday. Sevens is a variant of rugby where teams of seven compete for seven minute halves on a full size pitch. Basically it’s fourteen minutes of sprinting (harder than it sounds) per game. We started our games at 5:00 pm in 104 degree weather and finished around 1:00 am. We held the first two teams we played scoreless and defeated our league rivals in our third game to finish as the top seed going into the finals. We won our semifinal match against a motley San Diego team and then lost in the championship to a Canadian team that frankly just seemed less tired. As usual, we went on to win the party, making us undefeated in social wins this year. J

Jim Garfield, proudly swam with Toby Guillette and Rebecca Divita (who had a PR of longest swim) in La Jolla Cove. I also waved the Active banner high training with the HerSports magazine team with a two hour costal ride on Saturday!!

Jesse Hammond and Jesse’s girlfriend Emmy went on a three-hour, hot, hilly bike ride through North County (San Diego) Sunday morning and joined up with Toby Guillette along the way. The ultimate goal was the Golden Spoon frozen yogurt store in Del Mar. However, when they got there at 9:30 a.m., they discovered it didn’t open for another hour and a half. If anyone knows where they can get frozen yogurt that early in the morning, they would be much obliged.

via Slate.com

MELISSA EISLER, Content Producer for Consumer Media checked in with an update from her South American adventure. “I just got back from the four-day trek to Machu Picchu. It was absolutely the most amazing experience. Day two was a little rough on the legs, but I made the 28 miles without any problems. These photos are from the very end of the Inca Trail. I did the hike with my brother (in photo). You would love this place! I have a million more photos and videos to share when I get home. Hope you’re well!”

ROB KLINGENSMITH, Vice President of Active Marketing Group, attended a party hosted by Sharon Worman and Richard Bryne, the owners of locally-based Speedplay Pedals on Sunday. What made it fun was that the guest of honor was pro cyclist and 2006 Giro d’Italia winner Ivan Basso. After a lively 35 mile ride through Elfin Forest (****, that guy can climb!), we settled into a multi-course Italian lunch and listened to Ivan talk about how he got started in cycling, racing against Lance and his plans for the future.

JUSTIN LAKIN, Software QA Tester, met up with a friend and his friend’s 6 year old son for a half day trek around the tide pools and children’s pool of La Jolla Shores on Saturday (03.29). The landscape is ideal for beginners and spans roughly 1.25 miles from the southern-most point of the tide pools to the children’s pool.  Seals, sea anemones, hermit crabs, and other cool ocean dwellers added to the entertainment during the trip. Below is a short video of the seals that congregate in the children’s pool this time of year.

The weather was nice and the tide was low, perfect for an enjoyable day at the beach. 

On Sunday, Justin ventured out on a solo run around Lake Miramar to test his problematic Iliotibial band.  A short history, Justin experienced pain in his left knee following the Carlsbad half-marathon and found that running short distances (1.5 miles) would easily aggravate it.  After adopting some additional stretch techniques, Justin is happy to report there is no pain following his 4.92 mile run and he is encouraged to resume training for future half/full marathons. 

EMILY CHAN-NORRIS, Account Manager for Active Trainer in San Diego, did the Race for Autism 5K in Balboa Park on Saturday and then hiked Cowles Mountain. 

ANDREA RISHMAWI and some friends took the Active Hiking group out of state this weekend. They climbed Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, AZ - though it's only a 2.2 mile hike, you gain a SICK 1200 feet of altitude. The views are amazing - check out the Active Hiking Blog, the pictures will be posted tomorrow morning.

http://community.active.com/blogs/activehiking

WIL FLUEWELLING, Staff Accountant in San Diego, played 18 holes of golf with a couple of friends out in Escondido @ Eagle Crest. (Thanks go to Mike Carran for the suggestion!) It was my first time out in over a year since my motorcycle accident last February. My score was very indicative of how out of practice I was--nearly doubled par, but it was great to get out on such a beautiful day.

AIREY BARINGER, took part in the San Dimas Stage Race. Finished the time trial stage on Friday in 14th place out of 100 (1 minute and 18 seconds behind the winner). The stage consisted of a 3.8 mile climb up Glendora Mountain Road in Glendora, CA and I completed the course in 16:48. The road race was on Saturday and was 42 miles long. I crashed on the second of six laps when my left pedal hit the ground as I pedaled through a steeply banked corner. The crash took me out of contention for the rest of the race. I finished the stage but did not make the time cut (5% of winner’s time) and thus, could not compete on Sunday.

I will take a couple days off to heal up before beginning to train hard again.  I will continue racing over the next several weeks so I can earn enough points to become a Cat 3 road racer.  My training will also shift focus a little as I begin preparing for the San Diego International Triathlon (Olympic distance).

Keep the rubber side down!!

SCOTT EVANS, STEVE MAZZA and TOBY GUILLETTE took on the Ford Ironman 70.3 at Oceanside, CA on Saturday with the support of many familiar (Active) faces along the run course. They each had a great race and Steve says he “feels awesome”

Here’s Steve representing ActiveX:

!DSCN8335-1.JPG!

Scott enjoyed his race/training session for the Ironman Coeur d’ Alene on 6/22.

Toby had a blast in his triathlon debut and is very satisfied with his performance/training session for the San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run on 6/7-6/8.

STEVE TWOHY in Acounting, was unable to make the Ford Ironman California 70.3 race due to IM Arizona training, "so I decided to test my limits otherwise. I did a nice Crystal Pier to South Mission Swim which was an ocean swim a little over 2 miles. Then, as most Ironman Trainees do, I ran for 2 hours up and down the beach to shake the water off…Best Regards to those of you who did the 70.3 this weekend. Congrats!"

TIM MCMAHON - Sr. Account Manager - Major Accounts (Running) ran the Shamrock Shuffle (8K) this weekend in Chicago and finished the race in 35:58. Extremely sore today, but happy to improve on my last year's time by 36 seconds.

TRISH OBERHAUS, Online Community Specialist for Team Sports out of Chicago also ran the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8k on Sunday morning along with 30,000 other participants. The course starts in Grant Park and winds through the streets of downtown Chicago before finishing back in Grant Park. It was a fun race and is known for kicking-off the running season here in Chicago. I’m looking forward to future events on the Chicago race calendar this year and nicer weather (I’m excited about the opening of baseball season, too!)

Hey everyone, Trish and Toby here. This month we've created a guide to our best seasonal articles to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout the holidays. No matter what your active passion may be, we've got you covered.

Lifestyle:

With holiday feasts right around the corner and weather that can diminish our motivation to train, it is not uncommon to pack on a few extra pounds this time of year. Active Expert Charles Stuart Platkin’s article, The Diet Detective: Fall Into Healthy Eating Habits, offers valuable tips for maintaining fitness without a compromise in performance at winter races and ensures a return to peak form in the spring.

Endurance:

Have you ever heard the saying, “athletes are made in the off season”? Now's the time to target your weaknesses and build proper technique and habits to lead into a successful racing season. Check out Boost Your Endurance in 7 Simple Steps and get the most from your off-season training.

Team:

Basketball season is upon us and it’s time for fundamental workouts with and without the basketball. Mississippi State basketball coach, Sharon Fanning, shares a 45-minute Workout that will developing confidence, coordination, strength, timing, and stamina on the hardwood.

Action:

Indoor Climbing Gyms Offer Year-round Fun Fitness and a nice break from the treadmill and stationary bike routine. Don’t let the winter elements take you off belay—utilize indoor climbing gyms to build stamina and confidence in a controlled environment. When the weather warms enough to head outdoors, you’ll be in peak condition.

Activities of Interest:

Check out Sacramento Winter Softball Camp  by Olympic gold medalists Tairia Flowers and Natasha Watleyto hone your softball skills at the plate and in the field. Focus will be on increasing offensive power, slapping techniques, defensive fundamentals and pitching development. This camp will also feature practice-structure tips and drills along with valuable college recruiting advice from the pros.

Take advantage of The Classic Y-100, one of the last century rides of the year on November 25 in Ormond Beach, Florida. Crank out 100 in this inaugural ride that promises a beautiful route leading north along the Intracoastal waterway through parks and along the Atlantic coast. This event features a great safe route for beginners as well as 65- and 35-mile routes.

Folks in Southern California have already begun to register for the 2008 Carlsbad Marathon and Half Marathon on January 20. This was Toby’s first half marathon back in 2006 and he recommends it for runners of all abilities because of the fast course and beautiful ocean view.

See your training bear fruit at the oldest Ironman-distance triathlon held in the continental United States. Check out one of five 2008 Vineman events: Ironman 70.3, full Vineman, sprint tri at sundown, women's half or Aquabike during this weekend-long triathlon celebration.