Archive for the 'San Diego County run routes' Category
Encinitas is a mecca for the active lifestyle
March 4th, 2010 Categories: Real Estate News, San Diego County Bike Rides, San Diego County Community News, San Diego County Triathlon Race Reports, San Diego County run routes
ENCINITAS- I love the active lifestyle and I love north county. The two of them are the best friends you never see apart. When I recently was presented the opportunity to move my
business to, Sea Coast Exclusive Properties, the location on the “coast highway” played as big a role, as did how I was going to be treated, their business and personal philosophies and , well yes, the financial benefits. I am now five doors down from the temple of triathlon, NYTRO where Ironman World Champions have been outfitted for years and across the street from Movin’ Shoes Running Store and their AWESOME Monday night runs. I have started to call it the love triangle!!
When one looks at the relationship between the active lifestyle and San Diego’s north county, the city of Encinitas definitely supports the reputation. World Champions in beach volleyball, Ironman triathlon, cycling and more have at one point or another have called Encinitas home both personally and professionally.
For the triathlete, Encinitas ranks at the top for training opportunities. The Magdalena Ecke YMCA sports a new world class swim venue and the masters program. while beginner friendly, can be STACKED with world class triathletes. Also Moonlight beach, starting in the spring, keeps a buoy anchored offshore so you can practice your open water swimming and sighting skills.
The city is also very central to many great bike rides and plays an integral part in the San Diego 
Century ride associated with the Encinitas Sports Festival held in the late spring each year. You can head north for a great coastal ride to the Oceanside Harbor or, make a day of it and ride through Camp Pendleton for lunch in Dana Point. Looking for more of a challenge, heading south takes you to the Torrey Pines hill climb and heading east out Encinitas Blvd leads through the neighboring city of Rancho Santa Fe to the famous Del Dios Loop or Lake Wholford ride. If you are ready and able to hammer, you may want to show up at NYTRO Saturday mornings to join the Swami’s cycling club drop fest. This ride is tough and has hosted some of the biggest names in cycling over the years.
For the runner, and third leg of triathlon, the Monday night Encinitas Movin’ Shoes run is not to be missed. This run attracts upwards of 60 runners of all abilities and is a great way for a new homeowner to build their social network the old fashion way. Additionally, the “Y” running group has a pocketful of running routes with titles, like “the butterfly run” or “the tunnel”. This running group is usually about 10:1 female to male, but guys, check you ego at the door as these women are FAST and patient.
Lastly, let’s talk beach volleyball.
There are three courts available at Moonlight beach and there is a dedicated group that train there in the mornings. Check with the lifeguards at the main tower 
and they will be able to dial you in on times or rent what you need to play a “friendly” from the concession stand when open. Also, this year is the 47th annual “Moonlight Mixed” co-ed tournament that was won last year by Casey Jennings and his wife Olympic Gold medalist Kerri Walsh-Jennings.
So there you have, a quick look at what makes Encinitas a great choice for the buyer looking to land in an active and affordable beach community.
Oh, yes Johnny, there are about a thousand places, from world class reef breaks to booming beach breaks, to get your surf on.
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Solana Beach townhome perfect for triathlete
February 12th, 2009 Categories: Real Estate News, San Diego County Bike Rides, San Diego County Triathlon Race Reports, San Diego County run routes, San Diego county Real Estate News, Triathlon Club of San Diego Race Reports
SOLANA BEACH– If you have are looking for the perfect first home west of I-5 and have the active triathlon lifestyle, you MUST consider this Solana Beach townhome.
For those that are familiar with city of Solana Beach, you already now everything there is for living the California active lifestyle. For those that are not familiar, read on. It’s worth it!!
Solana Beach, located between Cardiff and Del Mar, is primarily lived west of I-5.
First you have plenty of beach for surfing, sunning and fishing anchored by Fletcher Cove. This also happens to be where the Friday morning Triathlon Club of San Diego swim starts. Staying with the swim theme, just up the hill on Lomas Santa Fe from the beach, you have the San Dieguito Boys and Girls club which has a great masters program.
For cycling, BnL Bike is located on the coast highway at just over a mile from this townhome. Time to ride? You have the ability to roll out your door and do a coastal ride or head inland for a Del Dios’ Lake Wohlford route, Del 
Sur or ?.
For the runner in us all, you can easily hit the coast running right from your new home or head up over the hill on Valley and connect with the running trails of the San Elijo lagoon.
Now for general fitness, there is the Boys and Girls club as well as Frog’s Fitness Center. Again all within a mile and a half.
Friends coming over? Head to Cedros Design District for some shopping, dining or live music at the Belly Up. You can also hit the Plaza on the coast 
highway for more dining choices.
Summertime? The Del Mar Fairgrounds is an easy walk. Invite friends over for a walk to the fair in June and then see the ponies run in July or checkout the 4 o’clock Friday’s live concerts there also.
What about the groceries? At the top of Stevens you have Henry’s, Bev and More, Dixieline plus many other shop, while across the freeway is Vons and more.
Heading downtown for a Padre or Charger Game? Want to do a ride from LA back to Solana? The Coaster and Amtrak train station is just around the corner.
Also Del Mar’s dog beach is an easy walk and a great playground that your best friend will love!!!
Again, ALL of this lies within a mile and half of your door, with the exception of the Vons.
There are a few things I especially like about the house itself.
Firstly, it is a 3 bedroom 2.5 bath with an attached garage that accesses the house through the common bath which is the perfect place to shed those sweaty clothes. Secondly, the three bedrooms are all upstairs and 
provide an opportunity for a guest bedroom AND an office. Thirdly, this homes sits on top of the hill on a cul de sac and has a huge greenbelt area just off your private patio which is a perfect spot for friends and a BBQ. Lastly, the owner has updated the home, it has a nice Provencal style kitchen, and added windows to bring in plenty of natural light. About the only thing I would do is add a couple skylights in the living room to enhance the openness of the cathedral ceilings.
If you are considering a coastal purchase, you really need to consider this Solana Beach townhome.
You can contact me here.
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Hey San Diego, STOP renting!!!
January 19th, 2009 Categories: Real Estate News, San Diego County Fixer of the Week, San Diego County Triathlon Race Reports, San Diego County run routes, San Diego county Real Estate News, Triathlon Club of San Diego Race Reports
SAN DIEGO– You heard it here first. San Diego’s real estate market should find its bottom this summer and that sound you’ll be hearing is the market hitting the bottom. Now I know, you are reading this with some skepticism but don’t take my word for it.
First, let’s take a look at the big economic picture and see what two Stanford economists had to say on January 12th, 2009 in their piece titled, “The recession will be over sooner than you think”.
“A key source of the today’s economic weakness is uncertainty that led firms to postpone investment and hiring decisions. This column, by the authors whose model forecast the recession as far back as June 2008, report that the key measures of uncertainty have dropped so rapidly that they believe growth will resume by mid-2009.”
Then turning our attention locally, there was an article in the San Diego Union subtitled, “First-time buyers take advantage of foreclosure sales”. The headline of the article,”Home prices tumble 24% from 2007”, captures the attention of the reader better then the essence of the piece in my opinion.
Economist Christopher Thornberg, who predicted the bursting of the housing bubble long before many other analysts, was confident that this is the year housing prices finally hit bottom(emphasis mine). But he cautioned that it could be at least a couple of years before housing values begin rising again.
“It’s pretty clear that from the numbers we’re seeing, price declines are falling at a slower pace than a year ago, and this is good news, because you need to see a slowing decline before prices stop falling,” said Thornberg, of Beacon Economics.
In this article they made a few key points I have been speaking about for 
quite sometime. Mainly, I had always regarded the rent/buy relationship as the precursor to a recovery. Once home prices reached the point where the cost of ownership was near or equal to what it would cost rent, the decision becomes very easy and in many areas we are at that point.
Clairemont and Encinitas rent versus buy
Looking at two areas that seem to fit the first time buyer/triathlete lifestyle I choose Encinitas and Clairemont.
First I looked at 3 bedroom townhomes in Encinitas. Encinitas has the coastal community feel with the Rancho Santa Fe running trails nearby, easy 
access to the coast for riding and surfing and two great pools nearby at the Magdalene Ecke YMCA and the San Dieguito Boys and Girls club.
Next I looked at 3 and 4 bedroom single family homes around the canyons in Clairemont and the northern portion of Bay Park. While some of these homes can have amazing views, you also have access to Rose and Tecolote Canyons as well as Mission Bay for your workouts.
Using craigslist.com for my rental survey, the cost to rent a 3 bedroom condo in the Encinitas area is just under $2200 a month. Looking on the Sandicor MLS at homes for sale the average sales price in the Village Park area was $414,000 starting in the mid 300’s.
I then went to bankrate.com to use their mortgage calculator. I figured 3.5% down as required by FHA and calculated a the cost of a $400,000, 30 year fixed mortgage at 5%. The payment on this mortgage would be $2147.29. Now I would be remiss not to talk about HOA fees and property tax which would add approximately $600 a month, but on the flip side is the positive impact of being able to write of approximately $30,000 off your taxes!! Additionally, you are building equity on $400,000+ that only cost you roughly $14,000 to start with.
Now applying the same to single family homes in Clairemont, we find the 
average rental as described above to be $2415. Taking this figure and applying it towards a mortgage payment would qualify as a $450,000 mortgage. Applying the 3.5% for FHA as a down payment there currently are 16 homes listed on the MLS for sale and a few on some amazing lots.
As you can see we are at that point where buying, even with a small down payment, can be as much, or even less than renting.
Mortgage interest rates are more good news
Now in the above scenarios I used 5% as the interest rate as I am a strong believer in painting a realistic picture. The reality in some cases however are that rates have been as low 4.65%.
According to a CNNMoney.com post titled on 1/15/2009 titled, “MORTGAGES: Benchmark 30-Year Mortgage Falls Below 5% For First Time”, 
the AVERAGE, not the lowest, 30 year mortgage rate fell to 4.96%.
The national average rate on the 30-year loan fell to 4.96% in the week ending Jan. 15, down from 5.01% a week ago. That is the lowest on record. Freddie Mac began its rate survey in 1971. A year ago the loan averaged 5.69%.
If you are waiting for that elusive bottom to make your decision, you may not be waiting to much longer. Realize, the only way to truly know where the bottom lies is to be looking back while on the upswing.
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San Diego’s busy weekend of endurance sports
August 17th, 2008 Categories: Aquathlon and Duathlon Race Reports, San Diego County Bike Rides, San Diego County Community News, San Diego County Triathlon Race Reports, San Diego County run routes, Triathlon Club of San Diego Race Reports
SAN DIEGO– Well we are in the heart of the thoroughbred season currently running at the Del Mar fairgrounds, but this weekend was all about endurance junkies. Young and old!!!
Saturday, the Triathlon Club of San Diego hosted 170 triathletes at Glorietta Bay for our monthly San Diego Running Institute race series. Behind the scenes, the race was experiencing some hiccups as TCSD race director Cory Osth, timing guru John Hill and big time race volunteer, TCSD VP Dave Huff were both absent. This left TCSD member and co Race Director Karam Gill with a pretty large task. The beauty of the tri club is that it only took Karam one email to round up a solid group of 
volunteers and the race went off perfectly!!!
A couple notables at the race were Triathlete Magazine President Mitch Thrower as well as Brennan Lindner of Generic Events and founder of the Playa Del Run series.
The bay was perfect, no one crashed on the bike and everyone was greeted with a wonderful breakfast buffet, croissant sandwiches, parfaits with Kashi granola and fresh fruit, taken care of by Denise Pitre and her crew. If you are not a member of TCSD, you are missing the VERY BEST part of the San Diego Triathlon scene.
Y-TRI youth triathlon
While the grown ups were doing their thing at Glorietta Bay, tri club member 
Troy Cundari with ZEAL Optical, was putting on the first annual Y-TRI youth triathlon.
The race featuring approximately 80 kids, took place within the grounds of Mt. Carmel high school and was open to kids ages 8–13. The kids 8–11 did a 75 meter swim, a 1.5 mile bike and a one mile run while the 12–13 year olds did a 175 swim, a 2.5 mile bike and finished off with a one mile run.
Look for another larger edition of this race next year.
Playa Del Run Solana Beach
The ZOOT Playa Del Run series rolled into town for the second time this year. The six race Aquathlon, swim/run, series kicked off in San Diego’s Mission Bay on April 27th 2008.
Sponsored locally by Solana Beach’s own BnL Bikes, this race features a 1000 meter ocean swim followed by a 5K run. Starting at the newly redesigned Fletcher Cove beach, the weather was perfect with some surf, but not too much. As always Triathlon Club of San Diego volunteers were on hand as swim buddies to help those get through their first ocean swim. Every week TCSD hosts a swim at Fletcher Cove Friday mornings, so there was a lot of local knowledge working to help newer swimmers.
Personally the best thing about this race was seeing ZOOT sales representative and former TCSD beginner coach Sonja Johnson Doherty. Back in April, Sonja was hit by truck on a training ride and shattered her lower leg. Because of the work of great doctors, a great healthy, fit and positive patient and a whole lot of hardware, Sonja was swimming today and has been back on the bike. The run is still in the future, but it was FANTASTIC to see Sonja back competing and wearing that ear to ear grin!!!
AFC Half Marathon
I told you it was a weekend for endurance junkies and the America’s Finest City half marathon closed the weekend. 
This 13.1 mile run starts with a nice downhill from Cabrillo National Monument and finishes with a strong uphill into San Diego’s famous Balboa Park. Along the way runners race along the San Diego Bay and briefly visit sites such as the Embarcadero and the Star of India.
Now in it’s 32nd year, make sure that you do this race at least once.
Well that’s it. Tired?
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Dean Karnazes is on a Mission
May 30th, 2008 Categories: San Diego County Community News, San Diego County Triathlon Race Reports, San Diego County run routes, What to do in San Diego
SAN DIEGO– Last night the Triathlon Club of San Diego hosted the public premiere of the Dean Karnazes film UltraMarathon Man at the La Paloma theatre. As president of the club, Bob Babbitt of Competitor magazine, sent over the idea about a month ago. I knew this would be a special night about a great athlete and told Bob he had the club on board. The idea was then sent to Dean and Journey Film filmmaker JB Benna whom both jumped at the idea and the plan was set.
We were able to sell out the club’s first 100 tickets, the theatre holds about 390, in about a day so we purchased 150 more and in no time the theatre was sold out. As the planning went on through the normal process, Dean decided to throw in a twist. He was going to run from San Francisco to San Diego, culminating with doing the San Diego Rock N Roll marathon. 
During his introduction he dead panned that he did because with the of gas it was so much more cheaper and the only he could afford to get here!!!
The run Dean did though was to try out a vision of a race he has planned. The multi stage race that would raise awareness of, not only the importance of fitness, but also on the importance of California Missions to our state’s history and much needed revenue to help maintain these icons.
My hope is that this endeavor will evolve into an ongoing yearly event. My vision is that there would be a competitive
division, for those looking to race to each Mission Tour de France style, though most of the participants would run or walk between Missions as the challenge (and adventure) of a lifetime. Many of the Missions are in a state of disrepair and in dire need of restoration and refurbishing. This could be a way to help revitalize the Mission system, while simultaneously promoting health and physical wellbeing in a State where childhood obesity and adult inactivity are rampant. Participants wouldn’t have to run or walk between all twenty-one Missions. They could choose the ones that appealed to them the most, maybe two or three, and could spread it out over a number of rest days, if so desired.– Dean’s Blog May 16,2008
As a native Californian I think this would be a great idea. Right now most elementary schools study the missions as part of their curriculum. Would it not be special to also hold running events for these young minds and the community on the mission grounds and or the area?
To see more about Dean’s current events you can go here. Also, his book UltraMarathon Man is also a great read. How strong is Dean’s pull? We had
runners who flew down from Cananda to see the film and get to run with Dean as well a gentleman who flew in the day of the showing from Chicago to see the film and then run the marathon!!
If you would like to buy your own California Mission Bell, they are being cast from the original molds used to reline the El Camino Real from 1906 to 1913.
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Double amputee cleared to compete in Beijing
May 16th, 2008 Categories: San Diego County Triathlon Race Reports, San Diego County run routes, Triathlon Club of San Diego Race Reports
OLYMPICS– I just love asking my friends if they brought their legs. It always seem to get a inquisitive look from bystanders. The best ones occur at the airport when I am picking up athletes competing in the Challenged Athletes Foundation triathlon, a charity a support and love. I’ll go to pick up a bag and want to know just how many legs I am lugging around because a bag full of walking, swimming, running and biking legs can be quite cumbersome. Invariably the stares shift from the athlete to the bag.
When I first read the article about Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee South African sprinter who was hoping to compete in the Beijing Olympics, who was denied participation, I could understand, not necessarily agreeing with, the fear and reasoning. The International Association of Athletics Federations’s has a ban on technological aids like springs and wheels and I could see other athletes not understanding the impact, positive of negative, of not using ‘legs’.
The question became, without all the muscle, bone and connective tissue to build, strengthen and maintain through training and competition, do the
carbon fiber blades give him an unfair advantage and act as a spring. While the governing body look into this question, the dilemma was summed up by one council, Robert Hersch, as “an extension of our general principles that competition should be between athletes and not manufacturers,” he said in a telephone interview. “For example, we’ve specified what you can or cannot do with the javelin. We haven’t yet looked at prosthetics, but we are looking now. We’re looking for fairness. We haven’t prejudged.”-New York Times, July 11, 2007.
In January of this year, the IAAF, ruled that the carbon legs did give Oscar an unfair advantage saying, ‘An athlete using his prosthetic blade has a demonstrable mechanical advantage (more than 30 per cent) when compared to someone not using the blade.’ – Daily Mail January 14,2008
Well today it was reported that the Court of Arbitration for Sport has given Oscar their blessing;
“The panel was not persuaded that there was sufficient evidence of any metabolic advantage in favor of a double-amputee using the Cheetah
Flex-Foot,” CAS said. “Furthermore, the CAS panel has considered that the IAAF did not prove that the biomechanical effects of using this particular prosthetic device gives Oscar Pistorius an advantage over other athletes not using the device.”
This now gives Oscar the chance to compete as long as he meets the qualifying times he can compete. He has posted a time of 45.46 for the 400 meter sprint, but needs a 45.55. The exception to this, is that the South African team can place him on the relay team without him having to meet a qualifying time.
Look for the movie soon.
Oscar winning actor Tom Hanks is reportedly interested in bidding for the rights to a movie documenting Pistorius’s career, desire to compete in Beijing and extraordinary life story.
The film draws similarities from Hanks’s Forrest Gump role, where Hanks was a runner while his best friend struggled after losing his legs in Vietnam.
Although Pistorius is yet to hear from Hanks, his sole focus at present is his career and “my move to Hollywood can wait”.
However, Pistorius is quick to point out that he’d like to see the “rugged, good looking Colin Farrell” play him in the movie, while “the most beautiful woman in the world”, Rachel McAdams would be the prefect choice as his leading lady.-News24.com, May 15, 2007
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Do it yourself Boston Qualifier
April 19th, 2008 Categories: Aquathlon and Duathlon Race Reports, San Diego County Community News, San Diego County run routes, Triathlon Club of San Diego Race Reports
SAN DIEGO– Triathlon club of San Diego member, 64 year old, Carl Johnson 
wanted to run the Boston Marathon this year with his daughter. He had run it before in 1996 and planned to qualify for this year’s race at the Long Beach Marathon.
As often happens, the wheels fell off the wagon around the 20 mile mark and after a curbside lounge, Carl missed his qualifying time and finished in 4:35.
But you see, we triathletes are an unusual lot, full of ‘outside the box’ thinkers. We set cycling on it’s ear with aerobars and steep framed bikes and Carl applied that thinking to his problem. See 
Carl, a retired art teacher, put the creative energy to work and set up his own marathon course. The Otay Lakes Marathon was laid out starting in Jamul and ending at the Cricket Wireless Ampitheatre in Chula Vista. The course was submitted to and certified by Ron Scardera of USA Track and Field. Now the first of the two requirements that would get Carl his entry, a certified course, was met. The other, run it in under 4:00, was about to be confronted as well.
ON January 20, 2008 with the help of family as volunteers, Carl ran the first annual Carl Johnson Invitational Otay Lakes Marathon and he not only beat the 
qualifying time for Boston, he finished first AND set a course record!!!!
It did take awhile, 43 days, for Carl to get the Boston Athletic Association to acknowledge the results of his race, but they did and father and daughter will be spending a nice New England Monday together looking forward to heartbreak hill!!!
When life gives you lemons………
Congratulations Carl and for Don Norcross’s article, go here.
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Nalgene sports bottles; Goodbye old friend
April 18th, 2008 Categories: San Diego County Bike Rides, San Diego County Triathlon Race Reports, San Diego County run routes, Triathlon Club of San Diego Race Reports
SAN DIEGO– The production of Nalgene sports bottles so many of use is being halted and stock is being pulled from shelves. It seems the bottles contain a chemical, bisphenol A, which in animal studies are linked to “low 
doses to a wide variety of ailments — from breast and prostate cancer, obesity and hyperactivity, to miscarriages and other reproductive failures”. -msnbc 4/18/2008 2008 The Associated Press
Additionally “ an expert panel of 38 academic and government researchers who attended a National Institutes of Health-sponsored conference said in a study in August that “the potential for BPA to impact human health is a concern, and more research is clearly needed.”– msnbc 4/18/2008 2008 The Associated Press
The manufacturer, Nalge Nunc International, will contniue to make a similar polycarbonate sports bottle that will be of the chemical BPA.
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Clairemont area a hit for first time home buyers
April 4th, 2008 Categories: Aquathlon and Duathlon Race Reports, Real Estate News, San Diego County Bike Rides, San Diego County Community News, San Diego County Triathlon Race Reports, San Diego County run routes, San Diego county Real Estate News, Triathlon Club of San Diego Race Reports
San Diego– I recently picked up a new listing in the northern area of 
Clairemont. It is a short sale, as are most of the homes there and in the county. It’s a 3 bedroom 1.5 bath on a nice canyon lot with a pool. We listed it for $399K-475,000 with the hopes of being able to present the bank an offer of close to $450,000. We received 13 offers in 3 days and have two over the goal.
In the last 90 days there have been 40 homes that have sold and there are currently 22 in escrow. The average sold home is a 3 bedroom 2 bath that is just under 1500 square feet with a purchase price of $490,787. The overall median home price in San Diego county, the good, the bad, the detached and attached, is $472,000 and Clairemont has a little of everything San Diego has to offer.
For the endorphin junkie, Clairemont sits on top of the running and mountain 
biking trials in San Clemente and Rose Canyon which link together. Rose Canyon is also a bike path used to connect Mission Bay , where the triathlon club of San Diego holds many workouts and closed course club events, and southern end of La Jolla. There is also the golf course in Tecolote Canyon for a round of speed golf or just to relax in the sun.
Because Clairemont sits above the canyon, some areas have great canyon view lots of Mission Bay, the ocean, Mt Soledad and/ or the surrounding open areas.
Centrally located, the beach, La Jolla, north county, downtown, mission bay and east county are all a pretty short drive.
If you are a first time buyer or a move buyer looking for a livable community you should give this area a close look. It’s a great location for those with an active lifestyle.
Call or email me for more information.
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Awesome Clairemont Location
March 30th, 2008 Categories: San Diego County Community News, San Diego County Triathlon Race Reports, San Diego County run routes, San Diego county Real Estate News, Triathlon Club of San Diego Race Reports
This home is located on a finger tip canyon lot just above San Clemente Canyon. Access to the trails and ability to hook up with Rose Canyon are all at the bottom of the hill. This home is offered at $399,000 to $475,000. Call me if interested. 760–415–3329
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