It was a gorgeous day and everybody was happy to let out a big ahhhhh for summer and the Bay Vista 5K/10K. Set up beside some comfy shoes, a chiropractor  and some athletic tape, Bear Naked was a prime treat post-race. Who doesn’t love a little Fruit & Nut topped with organic vanilla yogurt, eh?

All kinds of in-shape humans flew past the bay while kicking up their  heels, racing to win a place in the pack. (Speaking of packs…I spotted a pack of wild cats, as in feral cats not tigers, hiding in the woods- avoiding the fast feet). People were sweaty, smiling and happy– Bear Naked definitely had something to do with the last part.

The Bear Naked team bundled up Saturday and served granola-yogurt parfaits to a chilled crowd of runners– the San Leandro Summer Breeze half-marathon, 10K/5K had a great turnout despite the sun-less weather. The fast, flat, scenic route made runners forget the wind and soar through the course in pursuit of the all-natural snacks waiting for them at the finish line.

As always, Bear Naked’s Heavenly Chocolate was a hit and everyone was more than excited to try their own scoop. Good thing we had a stack of $1 off coupons– pretty sure I saw a caravan of post-race appetites headed off to the neighborhood market to stock up!

Zooming down the hilly trail, all tires skidded to a quiet, but quick stop when they spotted the bright orange Bear Naked tent. It was a beautiful day for the Tour de Peninsula in San Mateo and over 1,000 racers traveling four different course lengths stopped by to refuel before finishing the homestretch.

From the kid’s 1.3 mile race to the advanced 63-mile ride, all the racers were hungry for some all-natural granola. “This is exactly what I wanted to see when I came down that hill,” was a common phrase the Bear Naked crew heard from dozens of sweaty, motivated athletes.

From chocolate, to cranberries, raspberries and walnuts, these bikers were more than grateful for a Bear Naked bite!

Chomping on a Fruit & Nut parfait, one racer chuckled to himself and of course, we had to inquire. “Bear Naked, huh? Well, I’ve had real bear…and I can tell you, this granola tastes much better than the animal itself.” …Now that’s a comment we hadn’t heard….wait, is that even legal? Thankfully, Bear Naked is– grrrrrrr!

With 24,000 registered runners, the 2010 San Francisco Marathon became the largest in the race’s 33 year history. Bear Naked was in attendance all weekend, making fresh granola-yogurt parfaits for the swarms of athletes over a three-day stint. By the end of the race on Sunday, our big team of parfait-makers/sample-hander-outers were covered in yogurt goop and finding granola pieces in their shoes. It was crazy fun!

The two-day expo was packed with all kinds of healthy drinks and energy-pakced items, but Bear Naked was definitely the champion of the all-natural snack genre. People were totally diggin’ our selection of granolas, each with their own assortment of fruits, nuts and yummy stuff. Heavenly Chocolate was definitely the most popular, but that seems obvious, right? Who turns down chocolate?

Race morning was full of jitters– runners suited up for a multitude of challenges, including two 1/2 marathons, the full, a 5K and a kid’s race…Bear Naked raced to prepare enough snacks for everyone– what a workout!

Our Bear Naked team was so so proud of all the runner’s sweat and ambition that we couldn’t stop shouting, “Congratulations”, giving out high-fives and rewarding folks with sample after sample of the good stuff. Quite an inspiring day by the Bay.

check out that creep in the background!

Hey Bay Area Bear Naked fans– We’re in the midst of a photo contest and need your help to win win win. You know you love the sass behind San Francisco’s crew, Mr. Phil and Amber Darling, so ‘like’ our photo and help us show the Seattle, Denver and Boston tour crews how to really Live Bear Naked!

That’s the photo there up above. Now go to this link: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/photo.php?pid=4192542&id=47640734132

Then click, “Like.” It’s that simple. And if you do it, you’ll also get hooked up with a ‘Buy One Get One Free’ coupon! Annnnnd if you mention this blog post next time you “run” into our booth– we’ll be sure to reward your good deed.