Thank you Sea Otter attendees and Clif Bar fans… thank you all who crossed our path at the Sea Otter Classic last weekend in Monterey, California. Man, was it a hoot! And another sunny reminder that the bicycling life is the good life.

We pedaled hard, we worked hard, and we partied… very responsibly. And we were constantly filled with laughter, camaraderie and stoke, thanks to all of you. That’s the cool thing about Sea Otter, everyone there is on common ground and you can feel it. You can see it, hear it and even smell it. Sweet bike-elixir of life. It’s part camping/part hotel, part mountain/part road, part gnar-gnar/part flow, part race/part recreation… part of the greatest weekend of the entire year, and all because of the humble bicycle.

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If you’re running the ASICS LA Marathon this coming weekend, you’re in for an amazing tour of this city. However, a race of this magnitude – 20,000 people – requires that you be prepared for the challenges of a large, marquee event. Read on to learn about what you’ll see and how to handle this beautiful course.

The new “Stadium to the Sea” course does a lot of things right including placing the majority of its hills during the first six miles. However, don’t be deceived; this is not a flat course. You’ll encounter rolling hills and “undulations” throughout the course, but the trickiest and nastiest of your hills will be served up while you’re still fresh.

THE START
On race morning the energy will be electric at Dodger Stadium – and you want to be able to enjoy it. As with any race, allow ample time to arrive, drop your bag at gear check, use the porta-potties and make your way to the actual starting line. Once you’ve calculated how much time you’ll need, add another half hour to it. The last thing you want on race morning is added stress.

You MUST be at the start, in place and ready to go at the scheduled 7:24am time – but don’t be thrown off your game if it takes a few extra minutes to get moving!  Cool your heels, sit down on the pavement to rest your legs, and make some conversation with the runners around you.  Stay calm and save your energy for the race.

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The Clif Bar Field Marketing team has a reputation for containing some pretty enthusiastic folks, like Erik Winkler for example. Not one to shy away from a challenge, he donned a giant foam CLIF BAR costume and went backcountry skiing, UPHILL, no joke! Read on and watch to download the full adventure.

I’m Erik Winkler, the sign-up-for-anything man. A friend asks, “Hey, want to ride from Seattle to Portland this weekend?” “Yep, I respond”. “Hey, want to be in a 7 person multiport relay” “Yep”. I’m up for anything and usually happy to be so.

Well, this weekend was no exception. As a proud and loyal member of the NW Clif Bar Crew, when my boss asked me if I’d be willing to participate in a backcountry ski race wearing a giant foam Clif Bar, I naturally agreed without hesitation.

Welcome to Vertfest ’12 at Alpental, a backcountry ski race that starts at the base of the hill and ascends 2400 feet to the top and back down. However, this is just the recreational division…for the crazies out there, you could do a second lap, break out the Lycra!

Being that I am a mere mortal and covered in a giant foam CLIF BAR, I chose to go Rec. From the get go, my super-sized CLIF BAR brought smiles to my fellow racers and chairlift onlookers.

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Following Clif Bar’s Day of Action on October 1, Team CLIF Bar climber Cedar Wright submitted this video. Cedar was one of the participants in the Access Fund’s Day of Action event and created this piece based on his experience.

As Ceedy puts it, “I had the pleasure of taking part in Clif Bar’s Meet the Moment ‘Day of Action,’ which partnered with the Access Fund and their 2011 National Access and Stewardship Summit to do some trail work at North Table Mountain—the local climbing area of Golden Colorado. Clif bar and The Access Fund are both committed to preserving and respecting the outdoor places where we play, so I feel very lucky to be able to help out in my small way.”

We at Clif continue to be inspired by the people we work with and their passion for protecting the places we play! Big thanks to Cedar for sharing his time and his energy in capturing this day.

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The City of London Race took place on Saturday, September 10, and Clif Bar was there and in on all the action. Here with a recap is our very own Craig Woodman.

It was a strange feeling driving into the ghost town that is central London’s financial district on a Saturday morning. That weirdness continued as I pulled into a huge housing estate to find the event headquarters and registration area. I was immediately struck by the mix of architectural styles – from futuristic looking high-rise concrete apartment blocks connected by sky walkways to ancient chapels and waterways. It all looked a little crazy, but these surroundings and backdrop were perfect for orienteers to test their mettle.

Then followed a frustrating 45 minutes driving around London backstreets seeking out a parking place, one that allowed me to park for more than 30 minutes.

I eventually found a spot and hurried back to event base. By the time I had returned the hungry competitors and staff were already circling the booth and the morning unfolded to be busy from start to finish. The different courses – long, short and childrens dictated different start times and resulted in a steady flow of both pre- and post-race nibblers as they came to claim their free bar. 

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