Active Toby's Adventure Blog

Cross-country fun

Active Toby — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:17:47 GMT

Preview
I feel like a new man after a couple weeks of multisport training and a refreshing cross-country trip to surprise my parents in MA for July 4th.

Typical week
Monday: ActiveX, La Jolla Shores swim
Tuesday: Cycle-commuting, TCSD track workout (see below)
Wednesday: ActiveX
Thursday: Cycle-commuting, trail run
Friday: ActiveX, La Jolla Cove swim

ActiveX: The variety plus the social aspect of these group sessions is great. I noticed a great deal soreness initially and my body has already adapted to the fast-twitch, full-body workouts. This picture is from a weekend workout/fundraiser.

Open-water swims: The Ocean is gorgeous right now at an average of 68 degrees for these Monday & Friday ActiveX / TCSD group swims. Check out the video:

Cycle-commuting: It’s been good to get on the bike since I can’t stand driving anymore. A group of us at the office live close to one-another and have started to carpool on the days we don't ride in which is pretty cool.

Track workout: Speed is my new focus for the Accenture Chicago Triathlon in August. Tuesday, I attended a TCSD track workout for a two-mile time trial to determine how fast I should run the weekly intervals. I ran 2 miles in 12:12. I also began a demo of the new Zoot ULTRA Tempo+ for a review I will publish after Chicago.

July 4th trip
My brother and sister-in-law flew me out to the east coast as a surprise for my parents. We had a great Independence Day Weekend together. It was a much-needed trip for the whole family. The weather cooperated on Friday and we got out on my parents boat for the afternoon.

My bro and I got in a couple cool trail runs in NJ on his local trails which prevented any sort of jet-lag during or after the trip.

Slideshow

Active Toby — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 00:26:27 GMT

These are some of my favorite pictures taken last year. Enjoy the show!

2007 Review - 2008 Preview

Active Toby — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:48:06 GMT

Last night, I installed aero bars and a forward angled seat post to convert my road bike to a triathlon setup. I received some helpful tips from folks in the discussion boards so if you’re ever looking to make the switch, check out our dialogue: Road to Tri bike conversions.

Tomorrow morning, I’m meeting Airey and jesse@active for a 50-mile ride to test this new positioning. It’s going to be important to pay close-attention to my biomechanics because new muscles will be activated. There will be more stress on my neck, lower-back and hamstrings. I’m looking forward to the change in my training to prepare for the Ford Ironman 70.3 California.

I'm going to hit the lap pool on Sunday morning and enjoy another non-impact active recover/triathlon training session. Carrie Smith has kindly provided the following swim workout:

500 swim
8x50
300 swim
2x100
100 swim

The Avalon 50 took a lot out of me both physically and mentally. I’ve been resting all week, eating healthy and getting to sleep early each night. I’ve used the muscle stick for massage and a yoga class to salvage flexibility so my body has recovered from the soreness and my hips are no longer tight. Along with the physical repercussions, mentally, I’ve been in a slump all week and I’m finally beginning to come out of it. It’s hard to explain the way I’ve felt, but it’s actually been pretty depressing. It’s kind of scary for me because I am always so positive, no matter what, and this week has been a challenged to keep an upbeat attitude.

Despite the “runner’s low,” each day has been better than the last and I’ve used this time to reflect on my accomplishments in 2007 and also plan out 2008. This past year has been a dream--just look at this list of activities!

1/13/2007	Owens River Gorge rock climbing/Lake Sabrina snowshoe
1/21/2007	Mount San Jacinto tramway hike to summit
2/10/2007	New Jack City rock climbing
2/17/2007	Mount Whitney MR attempt
3/31/2007	Lake Hodges 50-km ultra run
4/7/2007	Joshua Tree NP rock climbing
6/23/2007	Sequoia NP backpacking/Sawtooth Peak hike to summit
7/14/2007	TCSD Beginner Race 3000M/11M/2M
7/29/2007	Solana Beach Triathlon Relay
8/11/2007	Mt. Disappointment 50K/50M Ultra Run
8/25/2007	San Bernardino Traverse aka 9-Peak Traverse
9/1/2207	Yosemite NP backpacking hike to Half Dome
9/9/2007	Mt. Russell via Fish Hook Arête
9/20/2007	SDTC Aquathon 1000M/3Mile
9/22/2007	Joe Decker World's Fittest Man Boot camp workout
9/23/2007	La Jolla Cove 10-Mile Relay Swim
9/29/2007	Noble Canyon 50-km ultra run
10/17/2007	Kings Canyon NP/Buttermilks rock climbing
10/26/2007	Joshua Tree NP rock climbing
11/9/2007	Joshua Tree NP rock climbing
11/17/2007	Malibu Creek SP rock climbing
11/25/2007	Grand Canyon NP backpacking trip
12/9/2007	Joshua Tree NP/Boyscout trail run
12/16/2007	52-mile Penasquitos trail run

2008 is going to be a big year and I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with you all. Over the course of this year, I am going to train and compete in effort to build my endurance for the main event in October: The San Diego 100.

Please join me for another awesome year in adventure!!!

2008 race preview:

1/12/2008	Avalon 50 Mile Ultra Run
2/9/2008	B&L 20KM TT Series
3/12/2008	B&L 20KM TT Series
3/29/2008	Ironman-70.3 Oceanside, CA
4/19/2008	Leona Divide 50 Mile Ultra Run
5/10/2008	PCT 50 Mile Ultra Run
6/8/2008	Teva Mountain Games 10KM Spring Runoff
6/29/2008	San Diego International Triathlon
9/29/2008	Noble Canyon 50KM Ultra Run
10/20/2008	San Diego 100 Mile Ultra Run

Malibu Creek State Park

Active Toby — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:44:00 GMT

I wrecked myself for two hours on Saturday morning with Joe Decker and his World's Fittest Man outdoor fitness class. Immediately following class, I went for a nine-mile run with a 7:30 pace in an effort to increase the volume of my training heading into the holiday season. I felt very strong through both workouts but ended up sleeping for three hours right after the run to recover. I took this as a sign that I still have a long way to go to condition myself for the Avalon 50, but the good news came on Sunday morning when I wasn't the least bit sore from my back-to-back training sessions.

I took a day-trip to Malibu Creek State Park on Sunday with a group of my climbing friends from San Diego. We climbed for a few hours, but at the end of the day, we ended up spending significantly more time driving than actually climbing. I'll spare you the details of the ordeal that ended up costing upwards of $200 and, worse yet, almost four-hours of our time, but it involved running over a screw and having to buy a new tire. This was increasingly dispiriting because I hadn't planned on driving but volunteered when our ride didn't show up. Not to be deterred, we still had fun climbing in a beautiful area of California that I hope to return to for further exploration.

Tomorrow I leave for Thanksgiving in Grand Canyon National Park. I'm really excited for this trip, mainly because my best friend from home is flying in to join me for this adventure. John arrives in San Diego at 1:15 a.m. tomorrow morning--his first trip to the west coast. John is in charge of the rental car and my duties this evening include preparing backpacking set-ups for both of us as well as food for our road trip. We're heading straight for the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and hope to be on the road no later than 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday. We should be at the Grand Canyon just after the ranger station opens where we hope to secure a backcountry permit. If we get authorized to camp at the bottom of the canyon, we'll take on the rim-to-rim-to-rim hike with an overnight or two by the Colorado River. If we are not able to get permits due to the heavy holiday traffic, our next option is to do the rim-to-river-to-rim hike in a day. We'll be ready for anything.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all--have a safe and pleasant holiday. Be sure to take lots of photos and check back next week to share with the community.

All the best, Active Toby

Here is my favorite photograph from the weekend:

Joshua Tree Group Trip

Active Toby — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:52:00 GMT

In anticipation of a busy three-day weekend in the park, our friend Austin left San Diego at 1 p.m. on Friday in route to Joshua Tree National Park. Austin, who had the day off, secured a campsite in Ryan Campground for the rest of us, who arrived just before 10 p.m. that night. Saturday morning, Gil and I climbed the large headstone next to our campsite before breakfast. At the top of the route, we met a climber from British Columbia who was on a climbing trip with his girlfriend from Italy. He snapped a few photos of us climbing which he promised to email to me. We invited them to join us that night at our campfire and they accepted the invitation.

Photo by Gil Weiss

Gil and I returned to the group and started cooking breakfast. I like to call this meal the lumberjack special. This hearty concoction consists of two eggs, two sausage links, two strips of bacon, fresh guacamole and salsa inside a whole wheat tortilla wrap. When served with a banana, a glass of OJ and a mug of coffee, this meal will provide all the nourishment one needs before a day outdoors.

Our group, ranging from a first time camper and newbie climbers to skilled lead climbers, set off to hike, climb and explore the park. We climbed a series of routes in the morning as a group and split up around mid-day. I led a brief four-mile hike to the top of a 5,000-foot hilltop and returned to meet up with the group before the early nightfall. Austin and I prepared a buffet-style taco dinner for the group as the temperatures dropped, and we all gathered by the fire to keep warm.

Sunday morning we all were awake and cooking breakfast by 8 a.m. The temperature was much warmer compared to Saturday. After breakfast, we broke down our camp and set off to hike, climb and explore the park for the day. I took a bunch of photos of the native plant life and the beautiful scenery that the park has to offer. We left the park as the sun began to set and returned to San Diego by 9 p.m. on Sunday night.

This trip was filled with good people and entertaining activities in a beautiful setting. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate friendship and shared passion for the outdoors. I hope my words and pictures excite that inner-adventurer in all of you.

Until next time, Active Toby

Active Videos

Active Toby — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:56:00 GMT

Here is an Active Video from my recent rock climbing trip to Joshua Tree National Park:

Here is an Active video from the bike ride through the Anza-Borrego Desert:

To publish your very own Active Video, click here.

Fresh air escape

Active Toby — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 22:26:00 GMT

This time last week, I was gearing up for a 60-mile bike ride in the Anza-Borrego Desert with the Triathlon Club of San Diego. Since then, a firestorm has destroyed homes and property and displaced thousands of San Diegans. The blaze, fueled by heavy winds and drought-stricken flora and fauna, continues to burn. Today, one of the multiple fires is 20 percent contained, another only 10 percent. Air-quality experts have deemed the wind-blown ash unhealthy for all individuals.

A week without fresh air has left me in desperate need of an escape. A four-hour drive and raging wild fires separate me from the 800,000-acre Joshua Tree National Park. Tonight after carefully navigating my way out of San Diego, I will sleep outside beneath a clear sky and a blanket of shining stars.

My goal for the weekend: climb hard, ride my bike 50 or more miles and snap plenty of photos and video for another Active Video installation early next week. I hope you all have a great weekend and please be sure to keep the people of San Diego in your thoughts.

Deep River Solo Movie

Active Toby — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 22:35:00 GMT

This was from my trip "back east" for July 4th. I swam to this rock out-cropping and my brother took the pictures from his kayak. My parents watched from their pontoon boat but were too worried to get any closer. Do you know that feeling when you see a rock and you just have to climb it? Well anyways, enjoy the show!