This is a great duathlon (run/bike/run) race program with a series of three races. I've been doing…read moretriathlons and duathlons in So Cal for about 5 years, but did the Camarillo Duathlon for the first time yesterday. I have to commend the race organizer -- Elite Sports Ventura County -- on a very well organized and well supported event. This is one of the smaller duathlons I've done in terms of number of participants, but it felt big time. Good volunteer support, well-marked course with sheriffs controlling traffic at intersections, technical t-shirts, finishers medals, free massages, nice swag, etc. I did the race as an early season training exercise to assess my race fitness. Both the run and bike courses are very flat and offered a good test of my straight speed without climbs and fast descents. I recommend this series highly whether you are new to the sport or have more experience want a fun challenge. I'll be back in April for the next race!

Had a fantastic time if that's possible doing something very tough and challenging as is the case…read moreof a Duathalon. It was my first after doing 6 full marathons and other runs. It was my first cycling competition. I haven't been cycling for long and have much to learn. Did the Olympian version, sprint was half version. Olympian was 2 loops of each leg. Run 3miles, 19.5 cycle, run 3miles. Run was flat and very doable if you don't mind loops. Ride was mostly flat but had it's challenges. A couple of small inclines, quiet and peaceful around the fields. Wind was tough at times. Event was very well organized. Volunteers were great, road police support at intersections were helpful. Had I gotten in trouble I would have hated walking back, no bike support for unexpected things like flat tires. Goody bag was ok for $42 Olympian version thru Living Social - Clif bar, technical tshirt, body glide, and reusable bag. Why not 5 's? Unexpected large turn out meant insufficient medals for many especially slower Olympic participants that came in after Sprint participants. They claim medals will b mailed in 4-6 weeks. Would I do it again and recommend? Absolutely! Great first Duathalon experience and many very experienced too but expect a challenge and train!

Ventura was my first stop for the Lexus LaceUp running series. The Palos Verdes 10k in November is…read moremy next. I did the half marathon for Ventura and it was a lot more intimate than I'm used to. There were 267 participants and I'm used to races with thousands of runners. It definitely made for a different experience. The route was beautiful for the first 4 miles with scenic views of the ocean. The remainder was along a river trail, which wasn't as nice. With not as many people, I found myself running alone the last half of the race. It was therapeutic, but at the same time, didn't feel like a real running event. It felt like an ordinary training day run. There was a point where I wasn't even sure which way to go and had to ask a pedestrian if they knew which way the race was. The post race activities was excellent! Free food from food trucks or fruit juice smoothies, beer, and good giveaways. Plus our awesome tech shirt and finisher's medal! I recommend doing this running series, but would suggest doing the shorter distances (5k or 10k).

Great race for a great cause. This was the 16th annual race and I will do this one again. Starting…read morein East Ventura and trailing through the bike path leading to Ojai. This was a smaller race and a shame due to this race benefiting Habitat for Humanity. Low registration fee to sign up compared to other races. Half marathon and 5k options. There was no pre race day packet pickup. Same day and that was convenient. Starting point and check in was at the Ventura Unified School District. The course is beautiful, calming and rustic. Very nice. Loved it. Well put together race and at the finish line Aloha Steak House served some bomb burritos. Be sure to catch this one next year my running friends.

This was a great race. Much smaller than others only a several hundred people and lots of kids…read moreparticipating. Starts and ends at promenade park. Packet pick up available same day. Both the 5 and 10 K head north. The 10k course has a few hills and also nice ocean views. There was water stops at 1 and 3 miles I think. Water, Gatorade and gels were available. The post race was fairly small and not too many vendors. Oranges, bananas, and pretzels available for runners. There were massage tables which are free but tips accepted please. There were a lot of giveaways here. Duffle bags, towels, water bottles, two back packs that were donated by the US Air Force and several bicycles! I was not a lucky winner but a lot of the kids got some cool stuff and that was nice to see. Being that this was a Father's Day run there were dads and kids teams. Also grandparents and grandchildren! There was a kids run too. Can't wait for my lil guy to be old enough to participate in a kids run. I recommend this run if you're new to running or even if you're not. It's a great way to spend with your child or teen or introduce running to a child.

Bottom Line: I…read moresomehow got talked into doing a sprint about 5 years ago and have not missed this event since! This is my absolutely favorite event of the year. If I only do one event; bicycle race, marathon, tri - whatever - it's THIS event. The venue is second to none, its very well organized, professional.... besides you finish and go load up on pancakes and bacon from East Beach Grill! EVERYBODY WINS, PEOPLE

This triathlon offers an incredible family friendly venue. From the parent/child race which is one…read moreof the numerous activities in this weekend long event and the finish line at the beach where kids can play in the sand while waiting for the adult triathlete of the family to make their arrival, to nearby Shipwreck Playground and all of the wonderful kid friendly eateries in walking distance of the race course, this is one of the most family friendly triathlon venues I've seen in my years of rooting for my husband at these races. It is also a beautiful setting with lots to offer varying interests that occur naturally in a family or group. A sidewalk art sale along the sidewalk next to the beach, kites sailing in the sky near the wharf and cheering everywhere you turn, these were only a few of the sights and sounds I enjoyed at this event with my nine and six-year-old in tow and I look forward to doing it again. Register for this race again, Honey!!!

Bottom Line: An awesome triathlon…read more I have had the chance to participate in this event a few times now and it was bigger than I thought it was going to be. Very professionally run but still relatively casual and fun. The venues for all three portions is awesome. The bike leg is longer than most other Tri's that I have done so it definitely benefits bikers, at least for the sprint. Great expo afterwards, lots of community support... I highly recommend this event!!

Xterra holds a series of trail runs throughout the year with the best of the best competing at the…read moreXterra Nationals. The Boney Mountain Trail Race is #4 of the series (7 total). There are two options for this run. A 6K and 21K. Since my fiancee and I are training for 2 marathons (LA And Paris) and a 1/2 Ironman Triathlon, we decided to go with the 21K (13 mile) course. The 21K course has 2,800 feet of climbing with 1,800 of that climb coming at mile 6-10. If you can get yourself up to the top or even close to the top the views are amazing (well if you aren't concerned with your time and can enjoy the views). This is a tough course. It's the toughest of the series. The course consist of very little pavement (in the beginning and the end), some fire roads and mostly singletrack. The race is well organized with a good amount of support. There are water/Gatorade stations scattered throughout the course and at least 1 or 2 Gu stops but I didn't stop since I usually carry my own nutrition on long runs. I'm sure the people were friendly. The one thing that stood out to me about this race was the amount of paramedics available. There seemed to be a couple of them station at every 3 miles or so. It goes to show how tough and dangerous this course can be. As the saying goes "what goes up must come down" the descents on this trail is pretty technical. If you can master the downhill and not be afraid you can pick up a lot of time. During the first practice run 3-4 weeks back I was hesitant on going full blast down the hills because I didn't want to eat dirt and I don't like pain. This time I decided to just go for it and make up as much time as possible. I'm so glad I did because I shaved a lot of time off. The weather was sunny on race day but cold. However, this wasn't the problem. The Santa Ana winds were blowing so it made the run a lot tougher in the beginning. Once you made it past the first 2 miles or so the wind wasn't bad until the last mile. The final 1/2 mile was the toughest because you knew you were at the end and wanted to give it your all only to have mother nature and her 20MPH head wind coming at you. It felt like running in slow motion. I really wish there was somebody I could have drafted off of. In the end I did have fun. Got my butt kicked by the trail but got a great workout and a better understanding of trail running. Happy runnings!

Fun, challenging course (the most challenging in their series)! I had run the Xterra Crystal Cove…read morerace, so I was familiar with the event and knew them to be small, but well-organized and efficient. I love that they offer same day packet pickup. The shuttling to Boney Mountain was great and easy to figure out. If you've never run a trail race, you should know the ambiance is different than a road race. It tends to draw a more "running for the sake of running" type crowd and obviously, on the trails, there is no crowd support, save for random hikers and runners who may give you well-wishes. The climbs in this race are no joke - prepare for a fair amount of walking unless you're in truly top condition! But the views are lovely, as was the trail. I love the finish line at Xterra events - it's always really enthusiastic, especially given how small the race field is. They have good food following the race and usually some giveaways and lots of age category prizes. The medals are small and definitely "budget" but these aren't big races, so that's par for the course. I would highly recommend Xterra events to someone new to trail running who wants a more structured way to explore the trails. I plan on doing more in the future - I really enjoyed the vibe of the Xterra races and this race in particular was the right combination of challenging and beautiful!

There were so many native plants even though most things were dead this time of year. I got to see…read morewhite sage, purple sage, deerweed, black walnut, coastal live oak, buffalo gourd and a few other plants. Sadly there was some nonnative and a ton of invasive weeds such as the caster plant that castor oil is made from. Apparently the fruits of that plant are VERY toxic and can kill a human so I wish those plants were removed. Parking is very ample and it appears to be a hidden gem in some ways. I went on a recent Sunday morning and really enjoyed it.

Perfect day for a short hike/walk. With recent rains Happy Camp was extremely green and so fresh. A…read moregood hike for those with young children. We have two toddlers and we didn't finish, but had a wonderful time exploring. We even saw a few poppies! Nestled in the beautiful rolling hills in Moorpark, the views on the trail are breathtaking. A good fall, winter and spring hike. Not the most challenging, but great for a quick walk. We saw a few people on horseback, and only passed a handful of other hikers. I love an uncrowded trail Free parking and easy to get to. Not challenging or long but great views and fun. Looking forward to bringing the pup and kids again!