Toby Guillette: Athlete, Adventurer, Social Media Expert

March was such a crazy month! There’s lots to recap so I’ll keep it short and sweet. Hopefully things chill out a bit in April.

First and foremost, watch this video I put together (with help) from our Joshua Tree NP camp/climb trip. It features music by The Northstar Session:

Not bad, right? Such a great track! Check out more music from The Northstar Session.

Two weeks ago, I hosted my best friend, John, and his wife, Patty, for their visit to San Diego. I took a couple days off work to show them all around the county--from Stone Brewery in Escondido to Cuyamaca State Park in Descanso. We had a blast!

Lunch at Stone World Bistro


The open-air patio is amazing.


On the way up Stonewall Peak

View from Sunrise Highway

On Saturday, the Ironman 70.3 was held Oceanside so I drove up to watch my friends who trained hard through the offseason to throw down in this official season opener. I was so stoked for everyone out there giving it the best they could. There are too many names to list here, but definitely check out Beth’s and Tawnee’s race reports.


James with his Kona-qualifying wife, Beth

After the race, I drove straight home and got primped and ready for Albert and Kara’s wedding. They had a perfect sunny day to get married here in San Diego. Albert is a great friend and a huge source of inspiration for me. He was voted National Geographic Adventure Magazine’s Adventurer of the Year for his expedition in Mongolia to search for the lost tomb of Genghis Khan. Albert’s spirit for adventure and love for his friends runs deep. I’m so stoked for “Kalbert” and their son who is due in August! 

Albert and the groomsmen


Jake, officiating the ceremony


Me and Alicia :)

Such a fun wedding!


Congratulations to the love birds!

On the training tip, I absolutely love riding my new mountain bike (MTB). After getting a tune-up, new rear cassette and a pair of MTB shoes from Gordon at B&L; I’ve been riding a bunch lately. I’m feeling stronger with bike handling, (minus the crash into a stream that led to the drowning death of my iPhone a week ago) and excited I’ve been able to channel my energy as I haven’t been able to run in a month.

Bling!


Exploring via MTB

My plan heading into 2010 was to announce my main event for the year as a 135-mile run and fundraiser on the Pacific Crest Trail from the US/Mexico border through all of San Diego County to the Riverside County border. I was going to officially begin training this week, but it’s not going to happen...

I’ve got a brutal case of iliotibial band syndrome, and it’s gotten progressively worse since it first showed itself in February. I thought that with a bit of rest, things would clear up as they’ve always have, and it would be back to normal with long training runs. That couldn’t be further from the truth of where I’m at now -- I can barely run for 20 minutes. So for now, I’ll be gradually rehabbing this injury and spending my training hours exploring San Diego via my new ride.


A little too excited to ride

Injuries are part of the adventure when pushing the limits the way we do. It's up to us how we react to adversity and I've chosen not to let this prevent me from enjoying my journey.

I’ll catch you next week!

~T