The Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay is nearing sellout capacity more than a month before the event date of Sunday, November 9. An increase in the number of runners and walkers registered from 5,000 to this year’s limit of 5,800 is expected to produce a record field at the event’s sixth presentation. Additional smaller fun runs for kids and families are scheduled for Saturday, November 8, and an expanded two-day Health and Fitness Expo is planned for November 7 and 8.

The popularity of the half marathon distance and the ongoing success of the Big Sur Half Marathon race prompted race organizers to increase the field by nearly 1,000 participants. A slightly-altered route will allow for wave starts, ensuring the course is runner-friendly throughout the entire race. The half marathon course begins in downtown Monterey, runs through historic Cannery Row, and along the scenic Monterey Bay coastline in Pacific Grove. The out-and-back course finishes near Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf with post-race festivities at the Custom House Plaza. Runners are expected from all 50 states as well as 10 additional countries.

The Run Forrest Run 5K sponsored by Bubba Gump, previously held concurrently with the half marathon, is being moved to Saturday to help lessen congestion on Sunday’s half marathon course. Now, Saturday will hold the JUST RUN! Just Kids 3K and the Run Forrest Run 5K, at 8 and 9 a.m. respectively on a course that travels from Cannery Row to the Pacific Grove oceanfront and back again, followed by family fun and entertainment on Cannery Row.

“Our goal is to create an entire running festival for all age groups,” states Wally Kastner, race director for the Big Sur International Marathon. “With everything from a kids’ 3K to a 13.1 mile half marathon, we offer something for everyone.”

A USATF sanctioned and certified half marathon course, the event is expected to again draw a large field of elite runners. Last year’s men’s second place winner, Michael Aish of New Zealand is confirmed, along with a half dozen professional runners. A field of more than 20 elites including Jeff Magallanes, Heather Gibson, Brooke Wells, Mary Coordt, Christine Kennedy, Elissa Reidy and others are expected to compete in the event.

The Big Sur Health and Fitness Expo has been expanded to two days, held on Friday, November 7, from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday, November 8 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. More than 40 vendors will be showcasing their fitness, nutrition, footwear, apparel and race information products.

Major sponsors of the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay include Saab, Asics, Runners World, Rabobank, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Granite Construction, KSBW and JetBlue.

For more information on the Big Sur Half Marathon events, contact 831.625-6226 or info@bsim.org.

On Sunday, my sister in-law Alison competed in the 2008 Orange County Triathlon. Alison killed it, 11th in her age group and 361 overall including the dudes. She looked strong the entire time and you could tell her hard work had paid off. Carter and I rode around in the Burley chasing Alison along course where ever we could while Julie hung with Landon back at the start/finish. Alison had around 10 people cheering her on at all time.

Breakaway Training athlete, Beth Gerdes was the first woman to cross the finish line. While I was standing at the bike transition Beth came tearing in and a bunch of the men hanging out said, “how does she get up and go that fast!?” She was hauling out of T2.

Read her write up at:
http://californiatraining.blogspot.com/2008/09/welcome-to-oc.html

AmateurEndurance.com has done an incredible write up on the day also.

Go to:
http://www.amateurendurance.com/2008/09/2008-orange-county-triathlon/

The promoters/race planners put together a fun race. I was jealous not to be out there. The course was beautiful and challenging and the weather was perfect.

I miss triathlon,

Andy B
outsideallday.com

10 Best Healthy Snack Ideas
By Fit Buff Brandon
September 30, 2008

Breaking your food intake up throughout the day is a great way to keep your metabolism going without burdening your digestive system with excess amounts of food and calories, and keeps you running at peak performance. Here are some healthy snack ideas that will keep you going, and keep your body in shape as well.

Click here to read more.

Sellers, read up, I don’t see maple scones on the list.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

My favorite podcast on the planet is back with a brand new episode. I hope Fitz can inspire you to get outside with the incredible way he tells stories! It inspires me every time I listen.

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No Car No Problem

A 1,200-foot rock wall in a wilderness area – that’s standard summer fare. In a day and back before dinner? Sounds easy. Without a car? That’s when my climbing partners stopped returning my phone calls.

Even with growing environmental pressures and climbing gas prices, we’ll drive hundreds of miles to exist in landscape devoid of gridlock and angry horns. The irony can be hard to ignore. Recreating without a car might seem impossible, but this summer I set out to test the preconceived notion. What happens when you find yourself trapped in the Urban Jungle? You blaze your way out.

Click here for more info on this episode of the Dirtbag Diaries by Fitz Cahall.
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Andy B
outsideallday.com

The new Electronic Shimano Dura-Ace is one of the most impressive pieces of product developed for 2009. This is going to be one of the most important developments in cycling that will take equipment to a whole new world. After the long drive back home the Outsideallday group has decided we absolutely need the new Electronic Dura-Ace.
However, we were not the only people excited or obsessive about the new Dura-Ace as there were hordes of people around the sample bike all day waiting for their turn to ride, photograph, and drool over this shifting progression.

The best way to explain to people the feeling of the new Dura-Ace electronic shifting is by comparing it to the electronic hand towel dispensers in public restrooms, as you place your fingers in front of the shifters and start to apply pressure (very minimal amounts) the shifters begin to work. They just shift up or down as you please and their is no finessing the chain into a gear. This system is going to take some great mechanic skills otherwise it will shift as asked whether that is into a gear or between two gears.

Regardless, this is amazing new gear for cycling.

-DSheek
Welcome to the future!

PERCENTAGE FULL:
Half Marathon 90%
10-Mile Walk 82%

The Sixth Presentation of the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay will be held on November 9, 2008. Please join us for a run or walk along the “Edge of the Western World.” Come for the run and then take some time to enjoy the many pleasures of the world-renowned Monterey Peninsula. The Half Marathon offers…

* A gently rolling fast course that winds through historic downtown Monterey, along Cannery Row, and proceeds along Pacific Grove’s coastline with incredible views of the Monterey Bay.
* An unparalleled race destination weekend. After the race, take some time to enjoy world-class golf, a Spa afternoon, whale watching, world-class dining, shopping, wine tasting, a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and more.
* A walker friendly course that features a separate Half Marathon Walk division as well as a 10-Mile Walk. Other weekend events include Saturday’s Run Forrest Run 5K and the JUST RUN!® Just Kids 3K fun run.

Join us Sunday, November 9, 2008 for the Half Marathon experience of a lifetime.

Matt Smart
Outside All Day

To celebrate our 760th post on Outside All Day we wanted to give some props to Greg Sellers at Motor Tabs. Greg thanks for the water bottle. We carried it across Europe. Let us know if you get international shipping orders to Roma…especially at the Piazza di Spagna at the bottom of the Spanish Steps where the 17th century Fontana della Barcaccia spouts water as she sinks.

Matt Smart
Outside All Day

From on-road triathlon races, off-road triathlon races to youth and hill climb events, the Scott Tinley’s Adventures Triathlon has something for everyone – including your friends.

Bring a friend for race day registration to the Tri-California registration booth, and both of you will receive a custom designed Scott Tinley’s Adventures running cap at packet pick up.

Print this email, grab a buddy, carpool to the race, split gas money and come on down race weekend to pick up a race hat for you and a friend. Outside All Day expects to see you there. There will be gratuitous shots of racers on our site after the races so bring your best gear and smiles for photo day.

Matt Smart
Outside All Day

Bamboo Bike Maker Grows His Frames, Bonsai Style
By Leander Kahney
September 25, 2008

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Bike maker Craig Calfee has found a way to grow bicycle frames in a field, with sunlight and water. He makes them out of bamboo. “It’s like bonsai basically,” said Calfee, who is based in Santa Cruz, California. “If you grow it in the shape you want it, it’s by far the strongest way to get it in the shape you want it.” He’s been making bamboo bikes for awhile now, but because each bicycle is made to order, his workshop can turn out only limited numbers of the $2,700 frames.

Click here to read more.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

For the last few weeks I been really pondering the question, is my good friend Greg Sellers really super star road cyclist Magnus Backstedt from Garmin-Chipotle?

You decide…

Or is this the real Greg Sellers, with maple scone in hand?

Tough call if you ask me.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

From: Cyclocross Magazine

Katie Compton (Spike Shooter) and Ryan Trebon (Kona) beat the heat, their toughest competition of the year, and the hype and distraction of Lance Armstrong’s attendance to win the second annual Cross Vegas UCI C1 race.

Compton, after a successful mountain bike season this summer which included the short track national championship, started her first ‘cross race of the year tonight, and left off just where she ended her U.S. campaign in Kansas City last December – with a win. The hot and dry course through thick grass favored a powerful rider, and Compton quickly distanced herself from the field, with only two Luna riders in tow: Katerina Nash and Georgia Gould. Gould crashed after tripping on a barrier on the third lap, and Compton gassed it, permanently dropping the Luna-sponsored American.
Georgia Gould trips on cyclocross barrier at Cross VegasUpfront, Nash and Compton pulled away, with Compton doing most of the work but looking very comfortable. But entering the last few turns, Nash was in command, leading Compton until taking the second to last turn a bit wide. That left the door open for Compton to get by and take her first Cross Vegas win. Gould kept her position to finish fifth.

In the men’s race, most of the pre-race attention was not on the world-class ‘cross riders assembled in Vegas for the first UCI C1 race of the year, but on the former world-class Tour de France rider Lance Armstrong’s (Livestrong) last-minute appearance. Flying straight from New York City, Armstrong used Cross Vegas as another step in his comeback from retirement.

Early in the race, a group of 15 riders quickly formed a lead pack, while Armstrong, starting from the fourth row, moved up quickly through the field and threatened to join the leading group until a hard crash caused him to lose time. Tim Johnson (Cannondale – Cyclocrossworld.com), Jonathan Page (Planet bike), Geoff Kabush (Litespeed – Maxxis), Adam Craig (Giant), Todd Wells (GT) and Trebon all traded attacks, but in what Trebon would describe as “negative racing”, nobody was really willing to work together to make a gap stick.

Adam Craig Endo Over the Bars – Cross Vegas 08Craig surged to the front with four laps to go, and entering the barriers in the lead, he attempted to bunnyhop them and went over the bars. Page attempted his own attack, but it was matched by the others. With a lap and a half to go, Trebon finally took control, accelerating around a corner and quickly gapping the big group. Johnson and then Page gave chase, but Page’s earlier effort had cost him, as he couldn’t bridge to Johnson. Craig, recovering from the time lost from his bunnyhop crash, passed Page and set off in pursuit of Trebon and Johnson. But everyone had left it too late. The long straightaways and thick grass were to Trebon’s strength, and the powerful rider would continue to put time into Johnson and beat him by nearly 10 seconds at the finish to defend his last year’s title.

Armstrong, after a strong start, faded as the laps wore on and finished outside the top 20. Check back soon for full report, photos, and videos.

Cyclocross Magazine

-DSheek
This was the best race I have ever seen… Kabush off the front, then Page, Trebon, attack after attack for miles.

Yesterday was my first ever cyclocross race. I think I’m hooked. Sorry for all the vanity shots in the photo gallery, I’ll have to train the family take more general shots next time. After the race a dude came up to me and told me how awesome my family was for cheering so much. Thanks to Julie, Carter, Landon, Alison, Alex, Dave and my mom for the on course love.

The 35 minute race went 42 minutes for me. My average heart rate was 176 with a max of 186, that’s way faster than I imagined I could hold.

For more info on the SoCalCross Prestige Series go to:
www.socalcross.org/

Dave will be doing race write-ups and providing the results for each race:
www.outsideallday.com/event-coverage/socalxcross-08-09/

For more photos go to:
www.flickr.com/groups/socalcross/

Get out there and race, its fun and everyone is laughing the entire time. Hopefully Old Man Sellers will come out sometime so I can drop some pain on him. That is if he can find his MTB shoes.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Life has been a little hectic lately and blogging has taken the back burner for the last 30 days. My world revolves around family and work and the rest is getting pushed aside. Our newest, Landon turned 30 days old today. Most of the time he’s great but sometimes he’s a pain in my neck. I’ve figured out a trick to calm him down when he is screaming bloody murder in my ear. I place him in the Baby Bjorn and bounce on the exercise ball for as long as necessary. I’m not sure if his is helping my core and my back is killing me!

Speaking of core, the boy’s at Amateur Endurance have an incredible article with full pictures up on a daily stretching routine that looks really legit.

As noted in my last article on the (debatable) benefits of stretching, I stretch on a near daily basis to keep things loose. My daily stretch routine usually takes me about 30 minutes, and I try to do it shortly before bed in a quiet room with minimal noises to help relax me before hitting the pillow.

Click here to read the rest of this article.

Sleep tight my limber friends,

Andy B
outsideallday.com