I had the opportunity to film both the ceremony and the reception/New Year’s party that ensued. It was a fantastic time to celebrate and a great way to start the New Year.

You can watch the video in HD here.

Thanks to Laura and Troy for putting together such a memorable occasion!

I truly appreciate being on my own on some of my long training runs, being left alone with my thoughts and my choice of cheesy music. However, I see these running events as a reward to all the hard work. It’s not every day that thousands of people join you on a run.

I highly recommend you get involved and sign up for a run. You won’t regret it. If you haven’t tried it before, just head to a local running shop and you will find information about races and how to get started. If you are a runner but haven’t raced before, consider adding a bit of excitement to your training and sign up for a race.

Here are some of the reasons I think you should sign up for one:

• You will get in the best shape of your life. Running is a simple sport that requires very little in terms of investment of time and equipment. I took up running to stay fit between business trips where I couldn’t pack my bike or had the time to go for a ride. All it takes is a pair of running shoes and half an hour, and you can get a good quality training run. And once you begin it, you will be surprised at how far you can go after a few weeks.
• You will have an incredible sense of accomplishment when you finish. There’s nothing like crossing the finish line after a long run, especially if you have never done it. Believe me, the feeling is exhilarating. You will feel rightly proud of yourself and of what you can accomplish in all areas of your life.
• You will feel more energetic and productive at work. This is a benefit I didn’t expect when I first started. I thought regular exercise—especially training for a half marathon—would sap my energy. It had exactly the opposite effect. I am never more focused and energetic than when I am in the middle of training.
• You will have a more positive outlook on life and on dealing with stress. The stress of modern life takes its toll. The economic realities of the past two years haven’t helped. Training for a run will also train your perseverance and your discipline, and in term you will be able to deal with any stress more efficiently. You will even sleep better. Guaranteed.
• You will gain the confidence to take on other challenges. This is one of the main reasons I love to run. It gives me the opportunity to tackle my biggest challenge—me. If I can overcome the mental obstacles I encounter on the way to the race, I can put those skills to use in other endeavors.
• You will provide an example for others. True leadership begins with self-leadership. When you lead yourself, you inspire others to want to follow. Maybe it’s a spouse, or a friend, or one of your children. They need to exercise, but they don’t have an example to follow. You can be that example.
• You can help raise money for a worthy cause. This takes running to a whole new level. It’s no longer just about me, but about something significant that makes a difference.
• A great excuse to travel. You can make running a race a weekend event for you and the whole family. Nowadays there are tons of running events in every city, and you can make a whole trip out of the event. A chance to explore a new city. How about the Rome Marathon? A 10K in Madrid? Half Marathon in Paris?

Truth is these are just a few of the reasons I love signing up and participating in running events, and they only begin to scratch the surface of the hundreds of reasons I’ve heard over the years from runners. So take advantage of the good weather and sign up today for a 5K, a 10K, a Half Marathon or a full Marathon.

A few days ago I had the opportunity to run the Toronto Half Marathon, and even though the conditions were less than ideal (wet start, light rain and a bit windy on the course), it really makes no difference when so many people are running together. Passing so many people standing in the rain waiting for their family members or friends go by, only fuels you to stay on target and keep going all the way to the finish line.

Happy training!

This past weekend I had the chance to run a triathlon in Mallorca, and on the same day I was able to share with my family not only a few photos from the experience, but also the course of the event on Google Maps, and how long it took for me to suffer and finish it!

I’d love to share with you my experience and invite you to do the same with your experiences…

The tracking of my activity in RunKeeper.com (I carried my iPhone in a waterproof case throughout the entire race)

 

Animoto Video I made from the photos of the event

Thanks to everyone who made this event, and the technology to share it possible.
 

I’d like to thank Andreu Llabrés for the invitation to take part in a swimming event organized by the Balearic Association for Multiple Esclerosis (ABDEM) on the pool of Hotel Horizonte in Palma de Mallorca on July 11th.

It was an excellent opportunity to both become aware of a disease that affects over 2,000,000 people, and to support (even in the smallest of ways) a great cause. A superb event by the people behind ABDEM, the hotel’s staff, and everyone who came to get wet! And thanks to everyone who participated in similar events across the pools and beaches of the island.

I can guarantee you that this summer alone, there are tons of events and activities in your town organized in support of a great cause. And thanks to the great work of all the volunteers, organizers and sponsors, that number is only increasing every year. You don’t need to know anyone personally to take part or feel like getting involved (I didn’t before this event). So please get out there and take part in one of hundreds of events happening this summer!

Can you think of a better way to enjoy your favorite activity than by supporting a great cause in the process?

Here’s a great video put together in support of Multiple Esclerosis with an inspiring song by U2:

A day to celebrate the revolution of media becoming social.

Here in Palma de Mallorca, we had a great event right by the waterfront, and it was a blast to meet and connect with so many different people while enjoying the views from the terrace of the BLD Restaurant.

I wanted to mark the occasion with a video timelapse of the event and here’s the final result.

Filmed in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Music “Shout” by Lulu and the Luvvers.

Special thanks to BLD Restaurant, the organizers of Social Media Day Palma, Mashable and everyone who joined in the fun!

Here you can see all the Mashable Meetups Worldwide.

Here’s the video we recorded of the event:

Thanks to the organizers for putting together this event and for the next one we’ll jump in the pool!!

-Franklin

Big thanks to Pau Bori for hosting us at the hotel and to Jaime Izquierdo for letting us know about this hidden gem on the island.

Big Yuyu Blues Band Web: www.bigyuyu.net, and their page on Facebook.

You can find this Trio playing every tuesday night at Porto Sóller Hotel.

It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.  Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.  ~Ernest Hemingway

Most people that know me personally have heard me speak about cycling in some way or another.  Whether it was about some grueling hills ride I discovered during the weekend, or in relation to my other business venture Orange Velo, at some point or another always end up boring my friends with what cycling means to me and what I’ve learned from it.

Every year I pick a couple of cycling races to cover as a sports photographer for either printed or online publishing companies, and ever since I’ve lived in Mallorca, I’ve done the Mallorca Challenge, a 5-day tour over the entire island that marks the start of the European professional cycling season.  This year was no different, and I’d like to share some of the images taken during the race, while covering the event for CyclingNews.com.

Why I these races?  I found myself asking the very same question at the beginning of the year when I was asked to do it by the media.  Besides the obvious reason that it helps me to add content to my business in OrangeVelo.com, I believe the real reasons have more to do with how cleansing, clarifying and sharpening the whole experience can be.  Imagine going down a mountain descent at 90km/h and from the back of a motorcycle photographing the action that the cycling peloton plays out as it nears the finish line.  Seeing up close the palette of colors streaking by some of the most beautiful and historic towns in Europe.

No matter how busy things get, I hope to continue adding a couple of these experiences every year.  And if you haven’t had a chance to see a cycling race up close, I strongly suggest you give it a go.  It will surprise you how entertaining the chess match played by the cyclists and their teams can be.  Here are some of the photos from all 5 stages from the Mallorca Challenge this year:

This year I brought along my camera to try to catch a glimpse into the emotion and excitement found in these Fiestas de San Sebastian.  I hope you enjoy it.

Watch it in HD in YouTube and in Vimeo.

Special thanks to the people of Palma de Mallorca who organize and participate in these fiestas.

Let me know what you think in the comments!

-Franklin