It was so so hot in Oakland early Sunday morning as the Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders club took off from the finish line. Some ran a speedy 5K, while others sweat their tails off with two or three laps around the lake, completing either the 10 or 15K. The Bear Naked table definitely soaked up some scorching sun, loving the delayed summer weather in the Bay Area.

First-timers, old-timers and everyone in between jogged and strode around the shimmering water, chatting and reminiscing about past Fourth Sunday Races. Bear Naked Granola with cool yogurt? An excited “Yes, please!” was often the answer.

The See Jane Run Triathlon in Pleasanton was packed with charm– a beautiful sunny day, strong ladies everywhere and an all-around good vibe that went down perfect with a side of Bear Naked. The “Super Janes” were in their capes and bright-colored jumpers, but it was the rest of the crowd that did the impressing, making powerful strides through the race’s ups, downs, ins and outs. Cool yogurt on top of our all-natural flavors was a nice way for all the Janes to recharge post-race and everybody had a great morning, in spite of the fact that this See Jane Run event didn’t include champagne– good thing the bubbly Bear Naked staff was on site to fill the flutes– or compostable cups.

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.

The palm trees, the view of San Francisco and San Francisco Triathlon were all reasons to love Treasure Island this weekend. Bear Naked was surrounded by superior athletes working their tails off to compete and we proudly gave high fives and plenty of granola to refuel their bodies. Our Peak Protein granola with dried cranberries was a huge hit– lots of men and women were asking for a snack with a little power and a lotta taste.

NBC was all up in our business over the weekend, filming 50 former contestants from the show “The Biggest Loser”–  all of which were major Bear Naked fans. We hooked up all the contestants with BN reusable grocery bags, samples and coupons. Don’t worry– the non-celebrities got the same goodies

Our tent was busy both Saturday and Sunday on the Island, granola yogurt parfaits were quite popular and sample packs of our original Fruit & Nut were flying off the tables– these little 1-2 oz. packs are great for stuffing in the backpack while you’re out on a hike or as a hold-over between your evening run and dinner with the family. Better come visit Bear Naked live– that’s the only place you’ll be able to snatch up the little guys. See you soon!

They were wild. They were revved up. They were in-shape! Fifty former contestants of NBC’s The Biggest Loser show competed in this year’s San Francisco Tri at Treasure Island. Lean and muscular, cast from seasons one through nine swam the bay, biked the island and ran for a chance to win $25,000; the first man and the first woman to cross the finish line both won the huge prize and years’ worth of bragging rights.

We met the whole crew on Friday, in front of about 20 cameras during their pre-game “Meet the Press”. We  handed out samples of Bear Naked and chatted up the friendly folks, all of whom deserve a ton of high-fives for their hard work and accomplishments on the game show. Everybody was raving about their favorite flavors and their fondness for Bear Naked– looks like these ‘Losers’ have turned into natural-snack lovin’ winners!