Back in December 2009, we posted a short entry summarizing the I Love Mountain View Site.  At that point the website was still relatively new but we saw great potential for the site becoming one of the better local resources for all who live, work  and play in Mountain View.

Well, almost a year later, the website has exceeded our expectations. The site is actually a blog site sponsored by the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce. Well vetted, with an attention for local vendors and activities, it is an excellent resource and one that should not be missed.

“I Love Mountain View” blog covers a variety of topics regarding life in our exciting community. It’s rare to find a site that addresses multiple age groups and a variety of topics.

They have categorized and tagged the posts so searching their site is very easy.  A RSS feed and an easy-to-read community calendar round out the site.  The site is sure to have  something for every member of the family:

If you don’t already have plans for this upcoming weekend, you may want to participate in the 2010 Dream Mile 5K/10K. Vibha’s Dream Mile Walk/Run is a great cause and an excellent reason to get outdoors and help those who are far less fortunate.

The Dream Mile is the flagship event in Vibha’s continued efforts to increase awareness about the plight of underprivileged children. The Dream Mile event has come a long way since its humble beginning in 1998, growing from being a small volunteers and friends event to a permanent fixture on the calendars of runners in the various cities in America.

This year Vibha has partnered with My New Red Shoes(MNRS), a San Francisco Bay Area non-profit organization. Part of the proceeds from Dream Mile 2010 will be donated to MNRS to help underprivileged kids right here in the Bay Area.

Find out more about donating or volunteering for this event by clicking here.

Image: BRUTE LABS

For those of you who have been following along since March, when we first made run! at Red Rock a “favorite” on the Gables End Facebook page – closing ceremonies will commence on May 8th from 7 -9 pm by celebrating the end of the run! at Red Rock campaign with music, food, and of course prizes (link to the event) ! Together, the run! at Red Rock community has completed 7,761.5 miles.

What was run! at Red Rock, exactly?

BRUTE LABS paired up with Red Rock coffee to get people moving… and now they are expanding run! programs to 15 Bay Area Schools to help promote physical fitness and health awareness! Kudos to  BRUTE LABS (an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization run by young professionals. We aim to change the world by using design and technology to address global challenges). The Gables End team in Mountain View applauds your efforts!

In their words -
“Mission: run! at Red Rock is a 3-month collaboration between Red Rock Coffee and BRUTE LABS to promote health, fitness and community building in the Mountain View, California area. We hope that we can inspire and empower each person who participates to build healthy habits, achieve their fitness goals, meet others along the way, and above all, have fun doing it!

So whether its running, cycling, swimming, rock climbing, going out for a walk, or something else, we want to celebrate and encourage everyone to get outside or to the gym to get their hearts beating and blood flowing.”

Finding balance between work and life is sometimes hard to do.  We get it!  So many of us spend our weeks commuting, working long hours in front of our computers, then dashing to daycare or off to errands, only to begin all over again the next day.  It’s easy to forget to take time for oneself.

If you like the outdoors the way we do, you’ll be happy to know that Gables End offers an ideal location for a variety of outdoor activities.  We are conveniently located just minutes away from The Baylands Preserve.  The 1,940-acre Baylands is the largest tract of undisturbed salt marsh and mud flat remaining in the San Francisco Bay.  Considered by many to be one of the best bird watching areas on the west coast, the Baylands has a substantial resident population of birds as well as being a major migratory stopover on the Pacific Flyway. A complete birding map, covering all seasons for year-around fun, can be found here.

However, the Baylands offers much more than birdwatching. There are a variety of activities to do, whether it is on the land – walking, running, golfing or biking – or on the water, wind surfing, and boating (non-motorized such as canoes, kayaks or small, hand-launched boats and sailboards).

There are fifteen miles of multi-use trails providing access to a unique mixture of tidal and fresh water habitats for the whole family to enjoy.  Especially popular is the duck pond!  By living so close to these community amenities, you can make the most of your free-time.

The Baylands, something for everyone and just minutes from Gables End.

I hate the treadmill. It makes me feel like some hapless little hamster on a wheel to nowhere. And even worse than a treadmill is a treadmill that is smack dab in the middle of some meat market gym where everyone is looking at my butt in my gym shorts while I’m trying to run. I don’t want to have to look cute while I’m running (there is plenty of time for that after my workout) which makes the judgmental stares from my fellow gym goers a little uncomfortable. So I toil away in said meat market until the spring and summer months bring out the warm weather.  Once that warm air starts circulating there is nothing I enjoy more after a day cooped up in the office than a refreshing jog on an outdoor trail. There is something kind of magical when it all comes together just right; the warm breeze, the gravel crunching under your feet and the weight of the day falling off of your shoulders. Since moving to Gables End I’ve discovered a new outdoor trail that allows me to enjoy the solitude of an outdoor run, but provides the safety of a gym (minus the dreaded treadmill). The Stevens Creek Trail begins near the Shoreline Amphitheater and gives you a loop of about 4 miles to clear your head. On the trail I’ve seen hawks, quail, opossums and all sorts of wildlife I never saw on my runs in the city. It gives me a chance to feel like I’m really connecting with nature and getting in touch with myself instead of tuning out under false lighting. This is the stuff running dreams and magazines are made of.  And knowing that as always the summer will fade and the gym will become necessary again means that my time is limited on the trail and motivates me to take full advantage of it while I can. Speaking of which, I think I hear the trail calling……