IT WAS A SEATTLE ROCK N ROLL PARTY!
CHRIS OCHS, Sales Mgr Active Events competed in the Great Urban Race, a scavenger hunt, (www.greaturbanrace.com) on Saturday. The hunt involved finding and photographing various landmarks around downtown Denver. The team with the fasted time wins the event and qualifies for the National Championship in New Orleans-He and his partner Kevin Davis (left) were not the fastest, but they had the most fun! On Sunday Chris ran the Lyons River 5K in Lyons, CO. His 5K time of 23:00 was more than six minutes slower than the winner. How do those high school kids get so fast?!?!
JAKE COONEY, Online Marketing Manager in Bothell set a PR at the Seattle Rock 'n Roll Marathon. It was a great day and a beautiful course. My previous 2 marathons were right at 3:40 so my goal was 3:30-3:35 and somehow managed to knock out a 3:12. I'm a little disappointed I didn't shave a couple extra minutes off and qualify for Boston but I'm not too upset because I wasn't trying and I did much better than expected. Gross photos are always a fun part of the weekend report so I included my shoe after the race. I'd like to note that this is only the blood that reached the outside of the shoe after my thick wool socks became fully saturated. In the next couple weeks I expect to pull my foot out of my sock with 1 fewer toenails than it went in with but it's all worth it.
Another RnR Roller CHRIS INOUYE (Implementation Analyst in Bothell, WA) PR'd in the Seattle Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon this weekend with a time of 1:29:36! Also raised money for Peak7 Adventures. I need 10 more people to donate $10. Help a kid get ACTIVE this summer: http://www.active.com/donate/teambothell/Chris4PEAK7.
NICHOLAS BATTAGLIA Implementation Analyst in Bothell, WA ran the Seattle Rock 'n' Roll ½ Marathon on Saturday. Nicholas didn't give a time but I hope he liked what he ran!
ANDY BUCHANAN, Technical Sales Engineer - Bothell, WA On Saturday with his Church softball team from Overlake Christian Church played in the Owen B. Shackett Softball Tournament in Kent, WA. SHANE WHITEHURST (Implementation Analyst) is also a member of the team, and RYAN MCDONALD (Account Executive, University Camp Sales) filled in for this tournament. We started off the day at 10:20 a.m. and promptly lost our first game (barely). Not yet recovered from our first lost, we dropped our second game immediately after in extra innings. Luckily this tournament was a three game minimum (normally losing twice would mean an early exit) so we got another chance. With nothing left to lose we played our 3rd game and won, convincingly (10 run rule enforced). We rolled that into our next game which happened to be against the first team we lost to. We again won with the 10 run rule enforced and moved on. The next game was against the second team we lost to, and again won by the 10 run rule. So we moved on to another team and rolled through them. Somehow we know find ourselves in the championship playing against the top team and need to beat them twice in a row to win the tournament from the loser's bracket. In the first Championship game we scored a bunch early and held them off late. So we forced a second championship game and only one win away from taking the whole tournament. The second game proved uneventful until the bottom of the fourth (we were the visiting team). We were up 3-1 before their offense woke up and scored a few to put them up 5-3. Heading into the top of the 5th we knew we had to score some runs. I came up with the bases loaded and proceeded to launch one (well) over the left center fence to put us up 7-5 and we ended the inning up 10 -5. Just as we felt the game was under control and had them beat, they rallied for a huge inning putting them up 14-10. We only got one run in our half of the 6th inning and then in the bottom they just ran away with it and enforcing the 10 run rule on us. All in all we played 8 games and spanned 10 hours in the 80-90 degree weather leaving us all sore and sun burnt. Yet we will do it all again gladly at the next tournament for another championship game!
SIJEN OLTHOF, Thrive Implementation Analyst Bothell had a wonderful weekend here in Seattle, WA. The weather was perfect for the Seattle RnR race. Ten people from the Bothell Office participated with the Active Team. 2 people, (Jake Cooney and Brian Cronrath) ran the full marathon, while the rest of the team ran the half marathon (Chris Inouye, Jason Karls, Joe Benoit, Matthew Wanamaker, Nicholas Battaglia, Nicole Pelley, Sijen Olthof, and Stephen Branstetter). Congratulations to everyone who ran the race. Thanks for participating in all the training and fundraising leading up to the event. Here is the photo I got at the race. People in the photo left to right (Chris Inouye, Nicholas Battaglia, Sijen Olthof).
For me the race is the first event after having a baby last fall. My goal was to run a 10 min mile and I completed the race at 2 hrs and 14 min. Great day, Great Race, Great Accomplishment. YES IT WAS SIJEN CONGRATULATIONS!
BRIAN CRONRATH, Thriva Application Support Bothell ran his first marathon. It was really fun but also ended in disaster. I started out fine, was hitting about 6 minute pace give or take a few depending on if the mile was an uphill or downhill. I was feeling great throughout the whole race really - I never felt overly exhausted, it was more of a fight against my legs cooperating with me. I had to stop soooo many times during the race it war ridiculous. I had to stop at least 3 times (as far as I can remember) to apply Vaseline to blisters on my feet. The nike Lunar road racers definitely didn't treat me too well. Despite the blister setbacks, I was still doing pretty well for the whole race. It was amazing to me how even though there were 25,000 so people racing, it seemed that I was completely alone for 95 percent of the race. It was crazy when people would be so far ahead of me that I could barely even see them, and later in the race I would reel them in.
I believe I was like 1:18 at the halfway point, and feeling great. Things were going very well until about mile 23. I believe a large blood blister on my right foot was causing me to favor one side of the foot slightly, and it just caught up with me at that point. The pain was only mild at mile 23, but it was enough to cause me to slow up a bit. I had had many various aches and pains throughout the race, but usually just backing off for a bit would allow them to go away after a little while. Unfortunately, the pain in my fight foot just kept getting worse and worse. To the point where I was hobbling the last two miles. My mentality went from away from trying to get a good place, to now I was just telling myself to "finish the race and not care about time or place". To give a little insight about how slow I finished, a friend (of a friend) of mine passed me during the last mile, and he finished in I believe 2:41, and I finished in 2:46. The last mile I swear felt longer than the entire race before it, I couldn't believe how long it took me to finish the last mile. I had to walk a lot of it. Surprisingly I think I only got passed by around only 8 o 9 people during my problems with my foot. After I finished the race, I went straight to the med tent and got all my blood blisters lanced, and got ice packs immediately applied to my foot. I could hardly walk, so I had to have my dad (who was spectating) drive around through traffic and pick me up behind the med tent. Since traffic was so bad, this took around 40-50 minutes, I'm not gonna lie it was kind of miserable... haha!! This whole weekend I basically just stayed off of the foot, it hurts immensely to put any pressure on it. Originally I thought my foot may have been broken, but now I just think it's a really bad strain. I'm going into a doctor later to get a proper diagnosis.
MEGAN HOLLSTEDT Web Designer Burnaby reports. Thanks so much for continuing to do such a stellar job with the weekend warrior report. Here's the goods for what went down here in Burnaby, BC this weekend:
ActiveX Team Burnaby made their inaugural appearance this weekend at the Scotia Bank Half Marathon and 5k. Together the group has raised $4052 so far for KidSports, a Canadian non-profit that provides support to children in order to remove financial barriers that prevent them from playing organized sport. A big thank-you out to Janette Kim for leading the way in organizing the crew and running with a hang-over at the same time.
Team Site (go ActiveGiving.com!!): http://www.active.com/donate/teamburnaby
Half-marathon runners:
Jamie Haaf - best time: 2:11:30
Jason Slusarchuk
Darren Jensen
Lorna Jensen
Matt Hoffman
Paul Hiller
Stanley Ulmer
5k runners:
Mathew Cox - best time: 25 min 30 sec
Janette Kim
Jennifer Saalfeld
Tamara Lee
Megan Hollstedt
Top Fundraiser goes out to Jason Slusarchuk $930.00 and change. Way to go Jason!!
Some team members thoughts on the day: From Matt Hoffman "Ran with Darren and his wife, Lorna, the entire way and had an absolute blast chatting away with Lorna J."
From Stanley: "This was my first attempt at that distance."
Janette & Jason: Ran with injuries!
Paul Hiller: New dad as of a few days before the half marathon, probably ran without much sleep!
Janette's comments "Absolutely loved the vibe of the run and having done this as a team. Next year will be even better."
Megan's comments: "My time would've been better is I wasn't tweeting the whole way."
Way to go team Burnaby!
JASON SLUSARCHUCK Acct Mgr Burnaby did the Scotia bank Half Marathon in
2:46:39 in Vancouver, BC.
JIM HINE Mountain Biking in Ketchum, ID. On Saturday the family road the 'Rip and Tear' loop near the Galena Lodge 25 miles North of Ketchum. Our dog Lewis was on point the whole time on a trail that serves double-duty to xc skiers and snowshoers in winter. We had great views of the Sawtooths, checked out a couple of the rental yurts, and returned to the lodge for 'adult' grill-cheese sandwiches. http://www.galenalodge.com/ On the way back to Sun Valley I got 'dropped off' at the trailhead for Oregon Gulch. I rode the lower Oregon Gulch loop and connected to Fox Creek. Trails around Sun Valley right now have high-run off so some of the creek crossings can be deep and I had to climb over a half-dozen downed trees. But the 13 mile ride was 100% single track and the descent was fast and smooth.
MICHAEL WILSON, Sales Mgr Endurance & Giving and Brandon did the SD International Tri this weekend...beautiful day and great course! I finished in just over 2 hours and felt great. Saw some other Active-ites out there as well as some Active spectators. Beautiful day for a triathlon in San Diego!
MIKE DOBRANSKY (Team Lead, LeagueOne - San Diego) participated in the San Diego International Triathlon this weekend in sunny San Diego. There were a handful of Active folks out there and we had way too much fun.
Yours truly MIKE REILLY finished up 3 event weekends in a row with the Buffalo Springs 70.3 Triathlon in Lubbock, TX. It was there 20th anniversary. The event directors Marti and Mike Greer are among the best in the Country and produce a world class event. In the picture with me are Jamie Whyte top NZ triathlete, Cameron Brown 8x winner of Ironman New Zealand and Mike Greer race director and youngest 70 year old I know!
Scott Friesen, Business Analyst at the Burnaby office, travelled south to participate in the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Half Marathon on Saturday. He had a great time being apart of the largest running event in Washington State history. He also enjoyed bumping into several members of the Bothell team along the route and at the finish line. Scott ran his first half marathon in a time of 1:47:26.
Active Warriors
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LAUREN EDER found a great way to get the heart rate up while strapped to a seat. I spent an exhilarating hour on Saturday in a 2-seat glider over the Fraser River and British Columbia coastal mountains, near Hope which is about 2 hours west of Vancouver. Geoff, the pilot, is husband of ex-Class employee Judy Holt, who is really just on extended maternity leave. J Of course I had to say Yes to the offer of experiencing some aerobatics. I cannot describe the feeling of "pulling 2 G's" (new lingo for me), but want to do it again!
Saturday, three members of European Active Team went to volunteers to the St Jean de Luz stage of the charities race series called Odyssea.
From left to right: Loic Metais (St Jean de Luz triathlon race director), CEDRIC PRIMAULT (France account manager), PIERRE DUVELLEROY (Senior account executive) & LAURENT GAUTHIER (Endurance European managing director)
JIM HINE's Bogus Basis Weekend:
On Saturday we mountain biked the Boise foothills to Gardener Peak, just East of Bogus Basin ski resort....climbing 7,490 ft over 32 miles in a little over 4 hours. The single track along the ridge was solid, but one of our favorite descents - Shingle Creek - was rutted and sketchy after the heavy rain a week ago. Then on Sunday my family (and Grandparents!) drove up to Bogus and hiked to the summit of Shafer Butte. The views came and went with the clouds, but we made a couple snowballs before switch-backing down through the wildflowers.
ROBERT SUBKOW: There were dogs from all across the United States that came to ride the waves in Southern California. CBS morning show, Channels 5, 8, 9, and even a station from Germany were there filming the contest. The event has gotten so much notoriety that the film makers for the new movie Marmaduke were there to get shots of the "Big Dogs". Although my dog Jill didn't place this year, her team mate from the "Golden SurFurs" took 1st place in the dogs over 40 pounds. Next Year! Pictures are courtesy of the Union Tribune.
JAKE COONEY reports, "With one week left until the Seattle Rock 'n Roll Marathon, the Bothell office has done 2 team bike rides as an alternative training event. Cody Lamens, Jake Cooney, Jay Lee, David Knapp, Nicole Pelley, Chris Inouye, Joel Werdell, Zach Panther, Sijen Olthof, Jason Karls, Brian Grover, and Stephen Branstetter have all participated in the rides."
FRANCIS DUPUIS and his wife, Faye Dupuis were in the dragon boat races this past weekend: Recreational Div C Consolation - 4th place @ 2:21.240
She's in the back of boat #2
Also, my two boys played in a roller hockey tournament, their teams finished first and third. This is Devon with his third place trophy.
TOBY GUILLETTE completed the 26-mile 9-Peak Challenge across the San Bernardino mountain range on Saturday in 8.5 hours. My 32-mile day started at 2am with an ascent of San Gorgonio (11,499ft), the highest mountain in SoCal, arriving at the summit for sunrise and continued with hike/running 8 more peaks all above 10,000 feet. Since it was a point-to-point route, I had another 10 miles to go to get back to my car after the 26-mile traverse was complete. This is when the real adventure began. I'll post a blog this week with details 
ARCH FUSTON reports The ActiveX Endurance Camp at Warner Springs was a huge success! Over 70 athletes took part in the two-day event, which started with a very cool, windy, and hilly ride, followed by a transition clinic on steroids and a swim clinic. The day wrapped up with a massive group dinner featuring homemade jambalaya and adult beverages, and a night of debauchery at the Butterfield's Cantina. Sunday morning brought a yoga session, followed by a beautiful trail run. An amazing weekend was had by all, and a new ActiveX tradition has been born.
MIKE MCDONALD, Web Developer on a whim yesterday ventured out on my new Schwinn road bike (thanks Arch!) and ended up riding 24 miles ride between downtown and Sorrento Valley. I ended up being on the bike for nearly 2.5 hours. Big thanks to the sun for finally coming back and motivating me to get out there!
JIM DE LA CRUZ in the San Diego office on Saturday with his wife participated in the Manhattan Beach 5k on the beach nice out-and-back route on the beach. Next my 6-year old son Joshua participated in the same event for the kids 400 meter out-and-back route on the beach, both events were very mellow non-competitive. I was happy for both of them doing this event. Josh is wearing bib 5091 in the picture. On Sunday, I participated in the Redondo Beach Sprint Triathlon, it was a great event, the water was nice and the course was nice a flat, and the post-event booths had hot breakfast burritos, and small French toast bites Yummy! I'm pictured with my friend Marvin after the event.
JIM GARFIELD joined two thousand other athletes for the 2009 Escape from Alcatraz triathlon in San Francisco this weekend. He was cheered on by Active alum Janna Stewart and pre-road the course with pro Michellie Jones and crew. Even though it was a stunning day with favorable conditions, only a 4 knot current!!...it is hard to believe any prisoners of Alcatraz could have made that swim without a wetsuit!!!!!!
CHRIS OCHS completed the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon on Sunday with a finishing time that did not make him feel like he needed to think about quitting his day job as Sales Manager for the Active Events OnDemand (Boulder Office) Team.
LEIGH-ANNE FRANKLIN from the activeworks tech. doc. team protected her family from a marauding band of pirates (no small feat for a "word nerd"!).
MARK LISTER (Documentation - Burnaby) ran his first trail race on Saturday, the 5 Peaks Simon Fraser University. I ran the Enduro course (9.8 km) and finished 5th overall, 2nd in my age category (20-29), in a time of 48:08. I had an awesome time flying down the single track dirt trails, getting airborne over rocks and logs, and racing across the wooden bicycle bridges. There was a good mix of downhill and uphill sections, although the final hill was brutal, with 250m of elevation gain over 1.5km of distance!
Link to results: http://www.raceheadquarters.com/results/2009/run/5PeaksSFUEnduro2009.html
JIME HINE road in the Tour De Hood. Temps in the low 40's at the Mt Hood ski lodge starting point, but climbed to mid- 70's by the finish. 5 hrs, 30 min later. We were the first group to finish (5 riders), averaging 16.2 mph over 92 miles with 10,500 elevation with a time of 5 hrs 30 min. Three feed stops of great food and killer views of Mt Hood, small towns and beautiful farmland. We watched the pros come in on their 3rd stage of the Hood Classic, and were surprised to beat them to the finish (we had a 3 hour head start!) http://www.tourdehoodride.com/
We bagged on the 2nd day of the tour on the road and instead did a 25 mile mountain bike ride on Surveyors ridge. We have a bout 4.5k of elevation gain with 22 of the 25 miles being pure single track. The descent included 37 switchbacks with some pretty rocky turns. One of the best trails I've ever ridden. Both days included stops to Full Sail Brewery for replenishment and recovery.
SARI RUDY Account Exec. Tennis reports her 13 year old son Andrew won the US Kids Golf Teen Qualifier this weekend by 4 strokes, he'll be heading to Pinehurst, NC end of July for the US Kids Teen Championship! Let's hope he continues to kill it!
JENNI MILLER participated in the Iron Girl 10k for my third year in a row. This is such an awesome event as it is a women's only run and everyone is incredibly supportive of each other. It was also really cute seeing all the dads on the sidewalk with strollers, cheering on their wives. I finished in 58:22 which is my best time yet for this race!
PATTI ROSENTHAL, Cycling Manager and her husband Mark did the Death Ride Tour 669 which started in Silverton, Colorado. First day you ride to Telluride (74 miles); next day to Durango (104 miles); and then back to Silverton (50 miles). Total of 228 miles with over 24,000 feet of climbing. Beautiful loop made up of several highways in south western Colorado called the San Juan Skyway. First 2 days we road our tandem bike & then the last day we jumped back on our single bikes which was quite a relief after riding the heavy beast over the big mtn passes. Highly recommend this ride - one of the most beautiful loops in southwestern Colorado!
Jim De la Cruz, System admin in the San Diego office on Sunday went to Del Mar. CA fairgrounds to cheer on and support my wife and some other Active Network colleagues in the IronGirl 10k/5k event. Great event if you are just starting out or like take a run with about 3500 other women-only event.
MICHAEL WILSON, Sales Manager Eundurance just got back from my 545 mile, 7-day AIDS Lifecycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles this weekend. This it the third year I have participated in ALC and it is one of the best weeks of the year. In total, the event raised over $10.5 million to help HIV/AIDS patients that cannot afford care and medication as well as prevention programs in SF and LA. It is a truly unique event that I love participating in and look forward to each year. No injuries or soreness - and NO FLAT TIRES for the entire 545 miles!
TINA NOVAK, Software Consultant headed down near Buena Vista, CO this weekend and did a Full Moon Float down the Arizona River. Our friends are professional river guides and a group of about 30 of us got together and launched our rafts around 11pm and rafted through Class III rapids, path only lit by the full moon. It was beautiful, exhilarating, freezing, and epic all at the same time!
CHUAN HU from the China office reports It was a busy weekend.! Day 1st Saturday was their Cycling day! Four of Chengdu ActiveXer, took the first trial ride of Active China Riding Club. Chuan transported his bike from Xi'an by train and LILY ZHANG, CRUSOE XIA and PAUL LI just bought brand new mountain bikes. We decided to take a ride around Chengdu city just for some fun. Paul also brought his friend with us. That day she borrowed an old bike which hadn't been touched in past 6 years! We kept riding as a group from the beginning to end. Still, we have a lot fun. Sometimes Paul was our leading rider with his friend's ooooooooooooold bike.
From left to right: Paul, Chuan, Lily, YuHang , Crusoe.
Day 2nd (Sunday): Soccer day! Active.com vs. Zhaopin.com - one of the most famous hiring agencies in China. It wasn't an easy game because their team was pretty strong. But we also got much, much stronger than before. The result was 5:5. This was ActiveX no. 7 passing two defenders using his right heel to kick the ball over their head.
We were so happy about the even result and so appreciated the hard work of our cheer team. Jean, GM of China office, also was there with us. Tom and Joey were our heroes. Tom scored 3 and made a penalty kick opportunity. Joey played as goal keeper in the last half of game and he saved at least 4!
ROBERT SUBKOW said the weekend that went to the dogs! In preparation for the 4th annual Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog Competition in San Diego http://www.loewssurfdog.blogspot.com/ coming up on Saturday June 20th, much practice was put in to prepare the pooches for hanging 10. To prepare for this competition we did a loop around Mission Bay on Saturday morning with the dogs in the Kayak's for balance strengthening. I paddled while my 90 pound Golden enjoyed the sights, GREAT WORKOUT! Then it was off to Coronado to test the surfing on Sunday morning. After 2 hours of working with the dogs, I think we may be in a position to repeat as champions as the Golden Surf'ers take the beach by PAW on the 20th of June.
DOUG WELLS, Data Analyst in AMG, ran the Camp Pendleton Mud Run for the first time on 12 hours notice as a last minute replacement for a team. It was one of my favorite runs I have ever done, and am definitely going to pre-plan next year's race. It only took one full box of q-tips post race to clean my ears.
TOBY GUILLETTE volunteered at the San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run and helped hang glowsticks to mark the trail for the runners who were running through the night into the next day. I had a 12-mile section and had some great memories of last year when I did the race. Only 39 days until the Vermont 100 Endurance Run!
NO ONE FORGETS THEIR FIRST TIME! Rock n Roll Weekend in SD for 12th year!
ANUSHEH CHAVEZ ran her FIRST marathon at Rock n Roll. She trained hard for the race but had no idea that the last 4 miles would be so hard! She finished in 5:03 and wished she hadn't taken that last pottie break cause she would have broken 5:00! Here is a pic with ALISON HARGRAVE INGLESE on her left.
ALISON HARGRAVE INGLESE, Application Specialist NFL was another FIRST timer at RnR. She wanted to break 5:00 hours. I ran the Rock N Roll Marathon with my dad. This was my 1st marathon and his 12th. My goal was under 5 hours and I came in at 4:59:22, barely made it! Such a great event and the support from everyone who came out to watch was amazing! It was so much fun and it was so great to share the experience with my dad.
JEN ROMINE reports on the RnR Marathon "We Be Runnin'" the Rock and Roll Marathon Relay!
LAUREN DACHILLE started us off in the first leg of the relay, 18 minutes after the gun went off as she hit the snooze one too many times on her alarm J. "It was packed with high energy from all the fans at the start, the drag queen cheerleaders in Hillcrest and the huge turn of fans lining the course cheering! Running wise, I had a great section that included a nice downhill into the city around Petco Park and then ending on Broadway. I felt like it was over way too soon!"
AMANDA BOURQUIN ran the 2nd leg "I was quite nervous waiting for Lauren to run through the relay transition line on Broadway, but without fail she came flying through screaming "Mandy, Mandy??". The baton handoff was perfect and I was off! I ran up Broadway and onto the scenic, yet uphill and deserted 163! Thank goodness there was a gorgeous downhill descent into Mission Valley and onto Friars Road with many fans and bands cheering me to the mile 13.5 relay hand off. JENNI MILLER ran the 3rd and longest leg of the marathon around Mission Bay. "Running through PB was by far the best part of my run. There were a ton of supporters including some awesome Active folks who came out to cheer (thanks guys!). Looking back at this race, what I will remember most is the continuous compliments I received for my socks.... Seriously, never running another race without them (ha-ha)!"
JEN ROMINE ran the final leg of the marathon. "I had so much fun running the race, especially coming into the MCRD with everyone cheering and Mike Reilly announcing was incredible, it inspired me to sign up for a ½ marathon and hopefully complete a full at some point. Thanks to everyone that came out to cheer us on, and all of the volunteers that helped make the race possible!"
Our Team finished in 4:11:09
LEVI SMITH, Tech Support Analyst this weekend competed in his FIRST ever marathon and was able to complete it!!!!!! The feeling is incredible and I never could have done it without all of the help I received through my training program and encouragement from team members but most importantly, I had MIKE DE LA CRUZ as a running buddy and that truly made all of the difference. I hit a major wall at mile 16 and had to walk the rest. Jim walked it with me even though he could have run the rest and received a better time. Without Jim I am sure I would have quit! By mile 23 I was crying from the pain and then I happened to notice several signs from the spectators. One said "Pain is only temporary, but the feeling of finishing will last forever" and another one said "pain is the body's way of releasing weakness". I must have had a lot of weakness in me because I sure was in a lot of pain ; ) I would have to say that hearing the voice of Ironman (Mike Reilly) bring us across the finish line was the icing on the cake! I can't wait to hear that same voice when I complete my first Ironman!!!!!!! What a weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JIM DE LA CRUZ, Sys Admin from San Diego finished the San Diego RNR marathon yesterday with Levi Smith. FIRST of many more full marathons. It was a great event and recommend it to anybody that likes to get past the 13.1 distance on to the 26.1. Thanks to Arch and ActiveX for getting my physical and mental mindset comfortable for this event! I also ran into some other folks from Active in the event as well as cheering us on for support which is an added plus.
In addition, the experience to taken to another level to have and see Mike Reilly calling out the names at the finish line, truly an outstanding voice to hear especially at the end of an event.
GISELLE DOMDOM was one of the many Active Rock 'n' Rollers yesterday. It was such a great experience for my FIRST marathon! The chance to run through my hometown made it extra special. Big thanks to my Content Team members for their support--and to all the familiar Active faces along the course! Very motivating! Attached is a post-race picture with two more Active first-time marathoners, Jim De La Cruz and Levi Smith. Yay for conquering 26.2!
AMBER MARTIN, SD office finished the Rock 'n' Roll marathon in her worst marathon time EVER. After acquiring tendonitis at the Boston marathon only 5 weeks ago, I still decided to attempt the race, because I have never dropped out of a race I registered for. The hill up the 163 killed my Achilles and I contemplated dropping out between mile 10-14. My stubbornness kept me in the race, and I limped across the finish line in excruciating pain with a time of 4hr 48 minutes. This morning I can barely walk due to increased Achilles tendinitis and bone growth on my right heel at the connection point of my tendon, and a left knee full of fluid, an injury probably caused by favoring my right ankle. After 11 marathons in 3.5 years I will be finally listening to my body and not running another marathon this year. I hope to get back in 3:45 marathon condition by the Pittsburgh Marathon 2010.
MICHELLE ULRICH, Account Exec Running & Justin Rock, Account executive- Active Educate participated with 2 other team members in the Rock and Roll Relay yesterday. The FUNtastic Four (our team name) finished 5th overall in the co-ed division and 9th out of 350 teams overall. Our finishing time was a 3:09:53. What a fun day!
MARK WARBLE, IT/Desktop Management, SD office. This was my FIRST full marathon and it was incredible. Tons of energy and cheers throughout the entire course. I felt good for the first half, but keeping a decent pace seem to get incredibly more difficult for the second half. The last six miles were the longest I've ever felt. I finished 4:20:42 and am very happy with that time. Had a great experience...the pain I'm feeling today, however, is a different story. =)
ERIC RAMOS cramped up the last 6 miles of the SD RnR Mrathon but finished in 4:55. It was his FIRST RnR marathon but 3rd overall in his young career.
MICHELLE NATION in SD office ran the Rock and Roll marathon yesterday with my big sister Kristie. Loved the perfect weather and all the support from friends and family. I didn't make my goal time but I did get a new PR so all in all an awesome day! Thanks to Mike and his voice for getting us off to a great start.
TOBY GUILLETTE also ran the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon this weekend and I am inspired by all the first timers who did amazingly well. I ran with video camera and got some fun footage to edit and share so stay tuned for a video later this week. Thanks to all for making it such a fun locals event!
BOB SHAFERWERE AND FRIENDS Were in Mammoth May 14-16 and skied all the Chutes on top (Gondola/Chair 23): Hangman's, MJB, Climax, Dave's Run and the Wipe Out Chutes (3 total)!
Standing left: Scott Willingham; 1979 World Free Style Ski champion, 2003 Legends of The Free Style Ski Champion, featured in 4 Warren Miller Films & Starred in Dick Barrymore's "Vagabond Skiers"
Standing Right: Bob Shafer-Business Development Advisor, Active Sports
Below left: Jim Martinson; Ski Hall Of Fame Member, 1981 Winner Boston Marathon, 1992 Para Olympic Gold Medal, Downhill Val D'isere
Below Right: Brad Parks; A founder of Wheelchair Tennis now an international sport, 3 time winner US Open of Wheelchair Tennis, 1992 Para Olympic Gold Medal Tennis Barcelona, 1980 Para Olympic 2 Gold, 2 Silver Medals Track & field Moscow
Hope all you US people had a nice 3 day Holiday weekend and the rest took Monday off just because! Stay Active everyone and create a great week! Mike
CHUAN HU from our Chengdu, China group reports they played a soccer game with a team from the Nokia Chengdu office. The weather was nice, as well as the condition of the field.
It was a hard match for us because Nokia team is a really strong team, but at our side, it was only the second time our team played together. We scored two, also lost numerous opportunities. It was nice that there were 5 girlfriends/wives joined in the cheer team. We had a lot of fun together!
HOW COOL IS THIS! ANDY GEORGE & BURT REPINE tackled Mt. Shasta (14,179 ft.) where they summited via the West Face and then snowboarded back down. Summit day included an 8+ hours, 5000 foot crampon climb to the top and a snowboard descent of almost 6500 feet back to the parking lot at the Bunny Flat trailhead. A day that will be hard to top! YOU GUYS ARE STUDS!
AMBER MARTIN & ANDREA RISHMAWI and friends hiked The Grandest of Canyons (that is the Grand Canyon)this weekend! While numerous rangers warned against attempting to do the 16.5 mile down and back hike in one day, the girls scoffed at the idea of camping at the bottom. While several canyon personnel told the girls to plan for at least 12 hours, they annihilated the 7 mile trek down in 3.5 hours, had an hour long lunch break, and powered through the 9.5 mile hike back up the beast in an astonishing 5 hours, bringing their total time to exactly 9.5 hours. That canyon's got nothing on us. This first picture is of a sign saying "Do Not Attempt This Hike In One Day." YOU GIRLS ROCK!
Yours truly MIKE REILLY was on a pleasure trip over the Memorial Day weekend in St. Louis and a few triathletes heard I was in town. Before I knew it I had a bike under my butt both Sat and Sun mornings and was discovering the Midwest on 2 wheels. The group in the photo are all competing at Ironman Arizona in November. Man is it humid back there!
TOBY GUILLETTE joined BRYAN PAVIN for a 12-mile trail run on Saturday morning and we crossed trails with ELAINE BERGERON who was mountain biking at Daley Ranch in Escondido. Then I ran 20 more miles that night (with a headlamp) at Mission Trails for a 32-mile day. My training is right on track for the Vermont 100 in July!
MICHELLE NATION reports: As part of my taper for Rock and Roll Marathon, I climbed from the Mountain Station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway up to the peak of Mt. San Jacinto (10,834 ft) on Saturday with a group of friends. We enjoyed amazing views and relatively mild temperatures but were surprised to find almost a fourth of the trail still covered in snow.
On sunday, I had the privilege to be an adult "running buddy" at the Girls on the Run 5k in Balboa Park. My 11 year-old buddy found speed in her legs that she had never exhibited in the 12 weeks of practice leading up to the event and it was all I could do to keep up with her intervals of sprinting and walking! I was supposed to be motivating her, but ended up finishing my fastest 5k since the 1990s. It was so inspiring to see the support of sponsors, parents and dedicated volunteers ... it's amazing how much the program has grown over the years. Congrats to our very own Megan Stillerman as one of the GOTR board of Directors for a job well-done. www.gotrsd.org
MICHELE CREPEAU: I ran the Santa Barbara Half Marathon with my brother, best friend and her son and cousins. We ran in honor of my Grandmother Sylvia Barter, through the Santa Ynez valley into her hometown of Solvang. Great weekend and family renunion for Mother's Day.
After a hard day of workouts and spectating at the Red Bull Air Races, NOLAN HANSEN (Active Accounting), Active Camps client Carson Sofro, RYAN DREW (Active Tennis) and JIM GARFIELD (Active) made their way to after party at the Hard Rock. Needless to say Sunday morning's work out suffered.
EMILY CHAN-NORRIS, HEIDI ACHENBACH, TAWNYA BORDALO and CHRISTINA HANSON participated in the Dam Sprint Triathlon on Saturday up in Lake Perris. We went up there with Tawnya Bordalo who competed in the Big Rock Olympic Triathlon and met up with fellow Active-ite Victoria Wilkens (also doing the Olympic distance) who spotted us in our Active.com gear. It was a beautiful day and a fun race for all. There were a lot of first-timers in the group and we all had a blast! (pic from left to right: Heidi, Victoria, Emily, Christina, Tawnya)
TOBY GUILLETTE attempted the PCT50 on Saturday morning in Cuyamaca State Park but dropped out at mile 25 for my first, and certainly not last, DNF (Did Not Finish) of my ultra running career. My PR at OC Marathon last weekend took more out of me than I realized but had to give it a shot just to test my limits
ROB PUCHER reports: MATT EHRLICHMAN, NICOLE PELLY, JASON KARLS and ROB MAGNUSSON won the Bothell, Washington office Golf Tournament last Friday afternoon at Bellevue Municipal Golf Course. After fierce competition all afternoon long it came down to an incredible long clutch birdie putt by Nicole Pelly on hole 18 to win it all for Team Magnusson. This dream team put together great shots all day long, with every player contributing. Rob Magnusson, team captain, had an impressive showing with several birdie putts to anchor their impressive victory. Magnusson was quoted as saying, "I am so proud of my team! What an incredible team effort! Nicole Pelly really stepped it up on 18 with that long birdie, and we couldn't have done it without key shots from Jason Karls and Matt Ehrlichman all day long. I felt like Matt Ehrlichman learned a lot from me today on how to swing the golf club. It's apparent he is a natural when it comes to golf and I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the PGA tour if he continues to progress."
Team Magnusson won 1st place with a score of 4 under par. Team Hawley received second place honors by shooting a 3 under. 3rd place went to Team McCathern at 2 under. Closest to pin contest was won by Matt Ehrlichman and longest drive went to Sean Fortune.
The Bothell office will put on another tournament in late August or September. This is the second time this event has taken place and it keeps getting more and more popular. There were 36 participants to make it an even 9 foursomes. In addition, the Bothell office had a potluck on Friday afternoon with grill masters, Rob Gillespie and Joel Werdell, flipping up burgers and dogs prior to the golf event so the entire office could have some fun.
DON CRAMER competed in the Zone shooting event in Olympic Trap. Shooters from California, Utah and Nevada competed in the hot Las Vegas sun in shooting over 125 clay targets. Some of the competitors have represented the US past World Cup events. This event is looked at as a warm up for the USA Shooting National Championships scheduled for July in Colorado Springs, CO.
At the end of the match, I manage to grind out a score of 106 out of a total of 125 targets, leaving me alone in second place and 1 target behind the leader Aaron Holguin of Southern California. To conclude the event there was a 6 person "single shot" final to determine the overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. As it was late in the day, the 6 finalists had a very difficult time breaking targets as they traveled into the setting sun. With a final score of 15, I secured second place with a total of 121. Aaron Holguin broke a final score of 16 for a total of 123.
It was a great day for shooting and catching up with friends and colleagues. Now it is time to focus on the Nationals coming up in a couple of month.
For more information on Olympic Trap, please feel free to visit www.usashooting.com, the National Governing Body for Olympic Shooting Sports.
PAUL CHEUNG of LeagueOne (Active Sports) in Burnaby office completed his first marathon on Sunday in Vancouver International Marathon with the time of 4 hr 35. His legs feel like **** but he feels like a million bucks.
FAST MAN MARK LISTER (Documentation, Burnaby) also ran his first marathon at the Vancouver Marathon on Sunday. Conditions were ideal; partly cloudy with very little wind.
After starting a bit quickly, I settled into my race pace and work with a small pack. I hit the dreaded “Wall” full-on around 30km, but thanks to the energetic spectators, I pulled it together soon after, even managing to catch a few runners in the last few kilometres. I finished in 2:50:07 (19th overall, 3rd in my age category 25-29) and I’m very happy with my result. Mike Comment – “You better be happy with a FIRST MARATHON TIME OF 2:50 buddy, you make us all jealous”! THIS IS THE FASTEST ACTIVE TEAM MEMBER MARATHON TIME THIS YEAR, WONDER IF ANYONE WILL BEAT IT?
David Detar (ActiveOutdoors – Campgrounds) and his nephew (Dan Price) ran the half marathon in Pittsburgh on May 3. The marathon / half-marathon returned after a 5 year absence to Pittsburgh and set an attendance record with 10,500 participants. It was the first half marathon run by either of us. Having never completed this distance in a race, we both set a goal of 2 hours & 30 minutes. With the weather cooperating (temps were in the 50s with no wind), we were able to exceed our expectations. After running together for the first nine miles, I pulled ahead slightly at the end to finish in a time of 2:06:35. Dan was just a few minutes behind at 2:09:57. I’m anxious to compete at this distance again and now want to break the 2 hour barrier. Here is a picture of my nephew (on the left) and me after our run.
PS: Active’s own Mike Reilly was in Pittsburgh to announce the event!!!!
(david pic)MICHAEL WILSON & MIKE REILLY did work the Pittsburgh Marathon and ½. It was a great day and the race after a 5 year hiatus came back in full force with over 10,000 runners.
GISELLE DOMDOM ran the Orange County, CA Half Marathon. It was the first year on the new course--beautiful and a lot of fun! I would recommend it and will probably be back again next year.
TOBY GUILLETTE (AMP) our resident Ultra Man is preparing for the Vermont 100 Endurance Run in July. Racing back-to-back this weekend was great training. Saturday did the Sun Strides Black Mountain 7K Summit run, finishing 5th overall and 1st in my age group with 28:31. Later that day, drove to OC Marathon expo where I ran into Active Alumni Marques Charbonnet.
Sunday: the new OC Marathon course, finishing top 70 overall and 5th in my age group with 3:29. Solid training weekend in the books
ARCH FUSTON reports the ActiveX Charity Challenge group in San Diego did their workout at the La Jolla cove on Saturday morning. After a beautiful 4 mile coastal run, the group completed a 4-stage ActiveX workout, much to the delight of German and Japanese tourists.
Our photos can be scene at: http://picasaweb.google.com/afuston/ActiveXCharityChallengeTraining2#
Active X’s RYAN DREW, REBECCA DIVITA & JIM GARFIELD were among the 1,000’s of athlete’s and other Active employees racing the Wildflower Triathlon weekend in the hinterlands of Paso Robles, CA. Chill’s (rain), Spills (Jim crashed) Thrill’s (great course) were had by all. Of course the camping experience would not be complete without the edition of Rebecca’s cappuccino machine which despite her best efforts sucked to much juice out of the Prius to be used!
NOLAN HANSEN, Account Specialist also participated in the festivities of the Wildflower Triathlon this past weekend. The race weekend consisted of over 7500 athletes and nearly 30,000 spectators in all. I raced in the Half Ironman Long Course Triathlon and finished in a time of 4:47.
ALEYNA PERSZYK-DORR Yesterday, we had a beautiful day for a hike in the San Gabriels. My father, my boyfriend and I completed a 9.2 mile hike on Mt. Baldy. We approached from the South from Manker Flats via the Baldy Bowl Trail. After the first mile on the paved San Antonio Falls Road, a single-track trail climbs steeply up the west wall of upper San Antonio Canyon to the Sierra Club Ski Hut, across the base of Baldy Bowl to the south ridge, then ascends the ridge directly to the summit. The hike was challenging and the scenery was stunning!
STEPHANIE SNAMAN reports on Sunday did the Spring Sprint Triathlon in San Diego which marks my one year anniversary of triathlons! HANNAH SANSONE was also out there racing and we had CARRIE JAMES, EMILY CHAN-NORRIS AND KAREN HARDY for support! I had a great race and was able to shave nearly 9 minutes off of my previous time. Can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has in store!
Laurent Gauthier (Endurance European managing director) and Jack Caress from Pacific Sport (Event director for L.A. Triathlon, Newport Beach Triathlon, Catalina Marathon, etc...) were meeting together with some potential venues during the London Marathon week.
Laurent & Jack are currently working together on a very large project where Active will paly a big role; stay tune for the worldwide announcement on May 19th at Nyc!
DAVE NEFF Systems Admin InfoSpherix ran in the 2.6 mile Greenway Stadium Run in Frostburg, MD to benefit the high school field revitalization. Included in the picture is his friends cousin Killian.
SARA ALLEN participated in the LIVERight 5k Run this past Saturday along the Charles River in Boston. It was a beautiful day, 85 degrees and sunny, and a wonderful race. Thanks!
JENNIFER MAGNONE participated in the Melbourne Arts Festival 5k Flamingo Run in Melbourne, FL. She shaved 2 minutes off her previous 5k run so it was a very successful weekend!
On Sunday JIM HINE and some buddies did an 'exploratory' 31-mile ride to the top of the Boise foothills in Idaho to see if the ridge road at 6,000 feet was clear. It wasn't. At the end of the main climb, we had to push the bikes across dozens of snow fields until we reached the summit. The work paid off with a fast 3,300 foot descent down dry, fast singletrack. The only downside was the little black fluffy-haired nipper dog that nailed 5 out of 7 of us (in a row) as we rolled slowly past its laughing owner! Maybe the dog was trying to tell us to stay off the ridge until June...
MICHELLE ULRICH from San Diego office traveled to Nashville, TN this weekend for the Country Music Half Marathon. It was my first time in Nashville so I was excited to get a tour of the city by running in the race Despite the hot weather (@ 87 degrees) I had a GREAT race! The course was hilly and challenging but I ran a 1:29:24. This brought me in as 9th Female Overall. It was a great race for me and a really fun weekend.
MARIA LAU San Diego managed to stand up on her surfboard for the first time on the whitewater at Beacon's Beach in Leucadia. It was definitely an awesome experience and one that I attempted to repeat after that first time. I guess I will just have to wait until next time to try it again.
KAREN HARDY, CAEHLE ROMANO & BETHANY DOMINICK in San Diego attended Self's Magazine's Workout in the Park Saturday...it was no ActiveX, but it was a great time with some free swag and some fun workouts from Crunch instructors...who knew the Salsa and ChaCha could be such a good workout?!
THE LA JOLLA ½ MARATHON WAS HELD THIS WEEKEND AND WE HAD MANY SD TEAM MEMBERS PARTICIPATE.
MIKE DE LA CRUZ System Administrator in the San Diego IT department. My wife and I took part in the La Jolla Half again this year, no pushing jogging stroller for me in this event. Thank goodness the weather was beautiful for this event, we finished in 2:35:19. This always is a great challenging event for any runner, and recommend it. Look forward to doing this event again next year!
MICHAEL READE like a lot of people (6500 to be exact) ran the La Jolla half this weekend. Goal 2:00:00, did it in 1:56:27. Great run, better weather than last year and lots of fun.
CHRIS WHEELER ran the La Jolla Half Marathon this weekend in 1:41:49.
TINA WILMOTT, Public Relations had a beautiful day at the LJ Half this weekend! Felt good and crossed the finish line with my training partner. Ran a personal best placing 20th in my age division!
RICKY GREY ran La Jolla Half Marathon on Sunday. It was my first half, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I was hoping to finish in under 2 hours and I came in at 1:57. Lots of active folks out there running and spectating. It was nice to see some familiar faces cheering us on!
JESSE HAMMOND with the Content Team didn't run but on Sunday did the Dana Point Grand Prix, a criterium bike race consisting of laps around a .8-mile course. Though my race didn't go as well as I'd hoped, it was a beautiful day in a beautiful setting, and I then I went to Disneyland afterward!
MIKE DOBRANSKY participated in the La Jolla Half Marathon this weekend. It was great to see all the Active folks out there - in the race and on the course supporting. A huge help!!
ANDY GEORGE placed 7th in 8-Hour Mountain Bike Relay. He and a buddy competed in the 24 Hours of Adrenaline race series at southern California's at Hurkey Creek (6k ft) . One lost chain ¼ mile from lap finish, a broken shoe cleat, and a faulty primary light (night trail), competing against bike shop teams, all-age sub-event, not a bad place for a couple old guys.
JON JAMES & PHIL GRAHAM out of the Draper Utah office rode the epic White Rim Trail which is also referred to as the Island in the Sky. The White Rim Trail is about 30 miles outside of Moab, Utah and wraps around Canyon Lands National Park offering 1,000 foot cliffs, hoodoos and scenery that is unmatched. The ride itself is 103 miles, encompasses 6,000 feet of vertical climbing and if done in a single day becomes a journey of questioning your sanity, to being awe-struck at the incredible vistas and landscape to finally feeling pretty dang good climbing the final 1,000 feet at Horse Thief Hill. We had rain, sun and the ever constant 20-40 mile/hour winds that for the first 70-80 miles were head-on! In total we were a part of 70 other riders that did it in a day and look forward to it again next year.
SCOTT FRIESEN, Business Analyst for Golf Desktop in Burnaby, participated in the 2nd Annual River Run 10 K to support the Family Education and Support Centre in Maple Ridge. He finished 6th overall with a time of 45:12.
DAVE NEFF reports, four members of the InfoSpherix (Frostburg, MD) branch competed in the inaugural Mountain MD Marathon 5K Race. Pictured left to right are: Larry Golden - Finished 7th (23:02), Joe Snyder Finished 6th (23:00), Dave Detar Finished 12th (24:07) and Dave Neff Finished 29th (25:58) out of a field of 137 runners. All four members surpassed their own expectations by posting their personal best times and finishing within the top three of their respective age groups.
ADNAN ZAIDI played in and WON the Coral Springs Adult Tennis Championships in the Men's 35 Singles this past weekend. It feels GREAT to win a tournament again. Here is a link to the draw: http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/Draws/EventDraw.aspx?T=74485&E=4
JIM GARFIELD (AMG) had a blast at Active X's first charity work out! It was truly the gift that keeps giving....I'm still sore!
CATHLEEN SWALLOW and ANDREA RISHMAWI started out Sunday Funday the right way with a hike up Iron Mountain in the 85 degree heat. We love San Diego!
BROOKE KIRKPATRICK and her husband, Jim, celebrated the last day of Vail, skiing (sort of) and having a blast. Everyone went big with their 80's neon, shorts, and wigs. A group of my friends pulled out the sombreros and I skied in jeans and powder gaiters, which actually was not so bad! O.A.R. played a free concert in the village as well. Now it's time to pull out the bike and hiking boots.
Vancouver Sun Run!
One of the largest 10 K runs in North America swelled by 40 Active Corporate participants this weekend.
Our times ranged from 50 minutes to 1:50
http://www.vancouversun.com/sunrun/Gallery+2009/1512553/story.html
Our team included Behrad Bayanpour; Benjamin Wong; Brandon Leung; Carlos Chan; Carol Zhang; Daniel Li; Darren Jensen; Doreen Xue; James Reyes; Jamie Haaf; Jan Karlsbjerg; Jane Van Sickle; Janette Kim; Jennifer Yang; John Kadota; Julius Dagot; Mark Myo; Matthew Hoffmann; Megan Hollstedt; Myo Thein; Paul Cheung; Paul Hiller; Raymond Lei; Rong Peng; Ryan Carniato; Shazia Iameo; and team captain Doug Johnson
MICHELLE NGAI - Co-op Website and Email Designer - finished my first Vancouver Sun Run (10k) in 1 hour, 8 minutes and 50 seconds!
DARIN ADLER drove up to Lake Elsinore this weekend to take part in my first solo jump skydiving. I flew up to about 13 thousand feet and jumped without being attached to an instructor. Attached is a picture in the plane and one of me jumping out with my teacher. The weather was beautiful and it was an amazing jump.
ALISON TERRY swam with the Mission Valley YMCA Masters Swim Group on Saturday morning and on Sunday, I helped my husband Alan Voisard conduct a swim clinic for the Challenged Athletes Foundation's Catch a Rising Star program. There was a great turn out and it was a beautiful day.
The purpose of Catch a Rising Star (CRS) is to provide post-rehabilitation support and mentoring to individuals who have suffered a traumatic injury or been born with a congenital defect, resulting in a physical disability. The support consists of an introduction to sports activities and mentoring relationships. This program is for the physically challenged person who desires a balanced life of work, family, friends and fitness. Whether you desire to learn to ride a bike, handcycle, rock climb, swim, run, engage in winter sports, or compete in a triathlon, this program will provide you the opportunities, knowledge and confidence you need to pursue an athletic life. Visit http://www.challengedathletes.org/ to learn more.
KIRSTEN DIXON did her first charity event this weekend. I was part of the Walk for Autism Speaks and earned $165.00 for the cause. (Sat) Also, I was part of a big golf group from our office. We had 13 people participate. (Sun)
Bothell Corporate Challenge - Group Run
As we prepare for the Inaugural Seattle Rock 'n' Roll Marathon/Half Marathon. Team Bothell takes on Discovery Park the biggest urban park in Seattle. We finish the run with a Team Breakfast of pure energy and nutrition.
TOBY GUILLETTE (AMP) volunteered at the Sunstrides Chollas Lake 5K on Saturday and helped with set-up, split timing, photography and breaking down the equipment after the race. The race doubled it's numbers from last year as more folks learn that the proceeds from the event go to the Sunstrides Foundation, which funds solar power projects in Africa.
The Active X'ers had a great Saturday morning 46 mile hilly ride in San Diego thru the Elfin Forest. ANDREA LEVINSON was there and completed her longest ride ever. She said I got my but kicked and was basically left in the dust by all of you hard core cyclists, got a flat and fell in the street, I made it 46 miles (longest I have ever ridden) and up a ton of hills! I was almost going to quit after the fall but Arch and Sarah picked me up and said "you are going all the way with us" So glad I kept going and finished! That was tough physically and mentally but I did it J
JULIE RAHILL, QA Technician Active Community Solutions spent Spring break in Yosemite - snow, rain and sun all rolled up in one. On the rare sunny days, I hiked to Upper Yosemite Falls, Nevada and Vernal falls. Most of the other "longer" trails were closed due to snow and ice... still the amazing changes in weather were fantastic as were the views!
JIM GARFIELD (AMG) had an opportunity to sit on the floor in the land of the giants at this Saturday's Clippers/Portland game. For all the Active X'ers out there it was good to see that even giants need to stretch and warm-up before exercise.
LAURENT GAUTHIER - European managing Director - was in San Diego for few days last week and had the chance to enjoy the great Easter weather by doing a long bike ride along the magnificent Pacific Coast. Pic of Laurent, going up the Torrey Pines hill from the La Jolla Shores.
TOBY GUILLETTE (AMP) camped out at the top of Mt. Laguna for a 20-mile trail run on the Pacific Crest Trail Sunday.
MICHAEL WILSON, Director of Sales in San Diego had a great 70.3 Half Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mi bike, 13.1 mile run) race in Oceanside, CA on Saturday with his family watching and cheering. He was among the 2113 racers and wanted to break 6 hours which he did in fine fashion going 5:38:50, great effort Michael! Your Mom & Dad are proud of you!
TOBY GUILLETTE was at CA 70.3 to support the Active folks who were racing and then on Sunday, kicked off training for the Vermont 100 Endurance Run in July. I raced the Carlsbad 5000 in 19:03 and then ran 26 miles along the coast from Carlsbad to Clairemont for a total of 29 on the day. Starting the day with an all-out effort and then going for distance too made for a very challenging day of running and I don't recommend it.
LIZ HARRELL & MICHELLE NATION got on their bikes and rode from the Solana Beach Train station up to Carlsbad. 13 mile ride up...a few miles tooling around the Carlsbad 5000 fun, then 13 miles back. Got to see Mike in action announcing the runners coming down the chute. It was an amazingly crazy beautiful day in San Diego.
RYAN WOOD in the San Diego office ran the Carlsbad 5000 road race with his wife Lauren on a beautiful day by the beach! Though we were smoked by the high school kids in the 29-and-under race, we still had a blast and finished together in 27:42. We will knock a few minutes off when we run it next year!
JUSTIN LAKIN SD Office embarked on a 7.5 mile hybrid trail and street "urban" hike/walk from North La Jolla Shores (near Scripps Institute) to Downtown La Jolla ("The Village" area) and back. The objective was to view full size cow sculptures that were set up as part of the Cow Parade. Each cow is uniquely painted by truly amazing artists and they were well worth the trip. The Cow Parade will go through June 15, 2009 and you can get more information here if you are interested: http://www.cowparadelajolla.com/. Afterward Justin ran an additional 5.5 miles in preparation for the Rock 'n Roll Marathon at the end of next month (here in SD). This is Justin's first marathon and although he is anxious, he has been sticking with a 16 week training program and has been using the Active Networks' vast online resources for guidance.
The Active Events Management Team went skiing at Whistler in Beautiful British Columbia.
It consisted of CHRIS OCHS, Sales Mgr RegOnline, ERIC OLSON, Sr. Director Active Events, ADAM TESAN, Dir. Wingate Web and TYLER DOUGLAS, Dir. Active Government. A fun day was had by all.
JIM HINE took his family on a road trip over Spring Break - snowboarding in Tahoe, beach days in San Diego and hiking in Zion. We stopped in Moab and rode a 15-mile out-and-back on the Klondike Bluffs trail over a mix of jeep trails, sand and slick rock. At trail end we left the bikes for a short hike out to the bluffs with views of the La Sal Mountains in the distance. The dozen dinosaur tracks were cool along the way, and I was really proud of my girls powering up the long climb, past the lumbering ORVs! WAY TO WORK OUT THE KIDS JIM!
AMBER MARTIN in the SD office ran the Carlsbad 5000 in a time of 23:04, which was better than anticipated after running my last hill training run from Del Mar to PB over Mount Soledad the day before.
DAVE ALBERGA our CEO with his daughters KATE & EMMA were out on Sunday at the Carlsbad 5000 to watch his wife run the race. The girls had huge smiles on their faces when Mommy came thru the finish line. Plus Kate and Emma participated in the Junior Carlsbad races on Saturday.
How about this for a tough way to prepare for a race? LAURENT GAUTHIER who works for Active Europe is based in France. He worked the Paris Marathon Expo for 2 days then jumped on a plane for 12 hours to head to the US. With no food in the stomach and a 9 hour time difference he headed directly to the Carlsbad 5000 to run. He ran with MITCH THROWER one of the founders of Active.com and said he had fun.
BURT REPINE had a true Work Out Family Affair this weekend! His son raced in the Jr. Carlsbad and his Mom raced in the Ford Oceanside Ironman 70.3 (winning her age group and a spot in Kona) on Saturday. Then he and his wife raced in the Carlsbad 5000 on Sunday. Great job announcing by the way. And what a gorgeous San Diego weekend!
GARETH BRUNT spent the weekend in the terrain park at Big White Ski Resort with my two boys Lewis 7 and Owen 5 getting in training for the 2022 winter Olympics (we start them young up in the frozen north) I've attached a couple of pics to show you how they are progressing. Go Team Canada! OH MY GOSH GARETH WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THOSE 2 FLIERS OF YOURS IN THE GAMES!
JENNI MILLER, ANDREA LEVINSON & MICHELLE ULRICH all ran the Carlsbad 5000 race on Sunday. Between the heat and having not been running much lately Jenni said she was struggling toward the end and hearing my name called on the loud speaker was definitely that last push I needed. I started the race with Andrea Levinson, who was having a much better run day than me and took off around mile 1. Andrea ended up finishing just over 25 minutes and I finished in 29:22... not quite what I was hoping for but still happy with it. Michelle Ulrich also ran the 5000 yesterday and had a great race finishing in 19 minutes flat (just 2 seconds off of her PR from last year).
BRENDA SEIDNER REILLY, Director Online Media sales works out of the New York office came to San Diego and competed in the Carlsbad 5000 for the first time. Since the northeast has been so cold, it was a shock to the system. What a fun race. Tracy Sundlin the VP of Elite Racing who produces the race used to coach Brenda and her Husband at Georgetown University.
TIM & KATIE MANION who both work in the SD office camped out in the Borrego Springs Desert this weekend and woke up Saturday morning to hike the 1.5 mile trail into the Palm Canyon Oasis. It was a beautiful morning and the Oasis at the end was worth every rock-crawling on the lookout for rattle snakes step. If you have never been on this short but awesome hike just 2 hours drive from SD we highly recommend it.
NOLAN HANSEN, Accounting Specialist SD office had the fastest time from Active in the Oceanside 70.3 Half Ironman. The race went well and I finished in a time of 4 hours and 42 minutes. The best part of the race was hearing cheers from all the Active people who came out to watch. They seemed to be all over the run course providing extra encouragement.
CHRIS WHEELER Senior Account Exec also raced the Oceanside 70.3. He finished his first Half Ironman but it proved to be a challenging task. I crossed the finish line in a painful 5:17. Thanks to everyone who came out to cheer us on. You guys definitely carried us through the last couple miles.
JIM GARFIELD (AMG) channeled his inner Mike Reilly in announcing the Nautica South Beach Triathlon in Miami this weekend. Over 1,500 athletes, from over 40 states and 11 countries braved the hot 85' temp and 85% humidity to complete the Olympic course. The athletes, including noted triathletes and celebrities including, Anna Kournicova and Dave Scott raised over $139,000 for St.Judes Children's Hospital.
BILL KENNEDY, Account Mgr Multi Sports said Michael Wilson put him to shame but had a great time racing in my first 70.3 at Ironman California in Oceanside. As I zig-zagged the swim course it became painfully apparent to me that I was no longer in my clean, clear, chlorinated pool following my black strip and should have spent more time training in the open water! The bike was a unique opportunity to ride along the beautiful Pacific Coast and through the pristine, untainted land of Camp Pendleton. The best part about the run was hearing Mike Reilly's voice from across the beach and knowing the suffering was almost over! The rest of the run was a blur, but I am told I finished and the next morning I woke up with a medal around my neck! It was a great reminder to me of what my clients and their athletes experience every weekend!
Last but not least yours truly had a Blast this weekend calling 2 of the best events in the Country. The Oceanside,CA Half Ironman on Saturday and the Carlsbad 5000 on Sunday. The best part was calling in all the Active team members across the line!
SPRING HAS SPRUNG, GET OUT THERE AND GET ACTIVE!
JB LEEP and CAROL MARTIN with Blue Bear in Poway, CA office hiked through the flooded Amazonian rain forest just outside of Iquitos, Peru. We are back in Lima today (Saturday) after completing a week long cruise adventure that included visiting people who live in villages along the river and numerous wildlife sighting trips. Tomorrow we leave for Machu Picchu and explorations in the Andes. What a wonderful country!
How Diverse are our Team Members From the AMAZON Rain Forest to COLORADO Snow!
PATTI ROSNETHAL Cycling Durango, CO. Snowcat skiing in the San Juan Mountains with the San Juan Snow Cat Company. Rented the snowcat & went skiing with 10 of our local Durango friends. At close to 12,000 feet the views were incredible & the powder was awesome. A great blue bird day with about 11 runs of great skiing. Our photographer (& my husband) took some great photos & video clips of us including him crashing into a tree where he ended up breaking his collarbone on the 3rd run. He still skiied the rest of the day but his ski season is now over. Besides the collarbone mishap it was a great day! PATTI WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO, COLLECT ON LIFE INSURANCE ON THE GUY?
LARRY GOLDEN AND DAVE NEFF, InfoSpherix in our Frostburg, MD location completed their first 5K of the season with a time of 29 minutes. Larry & Dave we have to get you some ACTIVE gear to wear!
This was an incredible weekend for me! This Saturday I ran 14 miles training for my first marathon! I am a member of team "First Time Marathon Runners" through the "Who Wants to Get Active 2009" program and you can see video and updates of my training progress as I attempt to run my first marathon on May 31st, which will be the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon!
LEVI SMITH, Tech Support SD office competed in his first mud run! It was really amazing seeing everyone completely covered in mud and having a good time! Here is a link to my blog; and video of the run will be up soon:
http://community.active.com/blogs/get-active-first-marathon/2009/03/30/half-marathon-
BRAIN BERGEY, Reg OnLine in our London office completed his first half marathon! He decided to make it a destination and travelled from London to Northern Ireland for a long weekend. I spent a couple days exploring the beautiful area and rugged coastline, and then ran the Larne Half Marathon on Saturday the 28th of March. Despite gale force winds along the beautiful coastal route, I managed to finish in 1:49:23. Not bad for my first try, but definitely room for improvement!
ALYSON TYSON, SD office ran the inaugural Pacific Half Marathon (Part of the Great Race of Agoura Hills). It started in Paramount Ranch in Malibu and ended at my old high school in Agoura, CA. It was a hilly but beautiful race. I ended up taking 7th in my age group with a 1:55 finish. Feels good to be back running!
GISELLE DOMDOM ran the Valley of Gold Half Marathon in Oro Valley, AZ near Tucson. I feel great having my first half under my belt. It's just a checkpoint for the bigger goal--running the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon on May 31st.!
KELLY SHULTE SD Office braved the costal fog and met JIM GARFIELD (AMG) for a 20 mile training ride in Malibu over the weekend in preparation for the Solana Beach triathlon. Kelly had her game face on as she borrowed Jim's gloves, put on her yellow hoody, blue sunglasses and charged up and down the hills of PCH. Truly a fashion maverick! Of course we were both proudly wearing our Active Tri Kits as well!
ERIN LANG, HR Assistant spent the weekend up at North Lake Tahoe with her family. Got in a couple of good days snowboarding, the snow wasn't great but the weather was beautiful (the picture attached is overlooking Donner Lake from Sugar Bowl) and it was fun to get up to Tahoe before the season is over.
TOBY GUILLETTE, Community Development Specialist, organized a run with two members from the Active.com Online Community on Saturday morning. The three of us met "offline" at Mission Trails for a 5-mile run. On Sunday, I cheered on the triathletes competing in the Superfrog and Superseal Triathlons on Coronado Island.
If you haven't already be sure to join the ActiveX Charity Challenge.
BURT REPINE SD office said all his ActiveX workouts of just the right mix (shameless plug) I finished 4th overall and 2nd in my age group at the Xterra Black Mountain 5K Trail Run on Sunday.
STEPHEN BRANSTETTER, GM of Camps Bothell caught "the stair climbers cough" this weekend participating in the Big Climb for Leukemia (69 floor stair climb) in Seattle. Beating his goal time of 9:19 he completed the 1311 steps in 8 minutes and 58 seconds good for 13th place out of 2918 racers. He sends a special thanks out to Robbie Rech (Foundations) and Jake Cooney (Marketing) for help training.
EDNA CASTANEDA (Active NYC=Account Manager-Account Management & Operations) was accompanied by her consistent cheering team and of course the top cheerleader Guapo (pictured in photo) on Sunday for Nestle Beverages St. Paddy's 10 Miler Race. The course was all hills and the weather was great!
DAK JORDAN, Account Executive in Educate, and his brother Derek went fly fishing on the Yakima River in Central Washington. We landed 12 rainbow trout on our trip and released all of them...even the record setting fish we didn't get a picture of.
TRACY ROJAS SAYS What a difference a day makes! I saw it all in Mammoth this weekend. From beautiful, sunny spring conditions in the 50's on Friday, to snowy conditions on 16 inches of fresh powder on Sunday. It was an epic weekend of snowboarding.
KICKBALL - Friday afternoon there was a showdown on the kickball field between Team Endurance (Jenni Miller, Lauren Dachille, Michelle Ulrich, Jennifer Romine, Jason Chicoine, Jeff Fallis, Michael Wilson, Josie Donnelly, Scott Evans, Shannon Turner, Ally Terry and Jamie Wells) Versus Team Sports (Amanda Bourquin, Tim Manion, Ally Ward, Elaine Bergeron, Bret Harris, Nick Mowbray, Melissa Magat, Todd Alloway, Kathleen Gendron, Janean Nation, Nahied Rahimi, Laura Hilts, James Satchell, Greg Lopez)
Team Sports came out strong in the beginning and took an early lead. This is a competitive group willing to run over anyone that stands in their path (Bret Harris slamming into Jen Romine at 1st, and Todd Alloway taking down Michelle Ulrich at 2nd). Team Endurance came back and showed they were not a group to be messed with (Amanda Bourquin was pegged in the head with the ball running to first, and later in the back running to home). Both teams made some incredible plays (Josie deflecting the ball flying at her head to Jeff Fallis who makes the catch, and James Satchell covering the entire outfield from Right to Left making plays).
Team Endurance was able to keep their stamina throughout the game and although they were down a few players, ended up with a 20-11 victory!
It was a fun afternoon and a great team bonding experience. Since we played a team sport for this competition, next time shall we try an endurance event maybe a relay race?
JASON KARLS ran the Mercer Island, WA 1/2 marathon. Despite the threat of rain and lack of anything waterproof, this was a fantastic half-marathon for me. After one mile, the rain blew over and my gamble paid off - no need to worry about extra clothing or over heating!
Having last run it in 2002, this event has grown significantly. The course is relatively the same - a loop around the island and the vibe from the runners is really positive. Even the locals come out and cheer with sincerity. The course is absolutely beautiful with rolling hills along a two lane forested road. The hills are not that bad and you can make it up them with adrenaline and an easy recovery on the down side. The one exception is at mile post 11 with a 100' hill that can def take some steam out of you. But really - if you've made it this far, there's no turning back now!
I was shooting for a pace of 9:00/mi and expecting 10:00/mi w/ the way my training has been going. I was surprised with a finishing pace of 8:40/mi and how strong I felt.
A side note for cyclists - this is one of the must rides to do on your way out to zoo hill 
For SD active-ites give me a shout if you're in the NW for some serious hills!
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