We Love LA! (we love it!)

Danny and me at a few Kings games over the years

This past weekend Dan and I ran a Kings' sponsored 5K and stayed afterwards for the Kings vs. Canucks game. We didn't take the run very seriously, in fact the extent of our "training" was that each of us went outside and ran 1 mile and decided that if we could run 1 mile then we'd be ok to jog 3.1 miles. Dan hasn't run that distance in 9 or 10 years, and I have never run more than 1 mile in my whole life (side note: I used to "run" 5 or 6 miles on the elliptical as part of my normal workout routine. Now I know I should have never really called that running, because it's WAY different, but you know, live and learn.)

When we got to the event, I was actually surprised at how intensely many of the participants were preparing themselves for the race. I saw several people with games faces on, doing crazy stretches, and running down the street doing high-knees and butt-kicks. I sat there people watching while I ate the rest of Dan's chocolate-filled croissant and sipped on my Starbucks concoction, feeling maybe halfway guilty that I wasn’t stretching (but not guilty enough to put down the croissant).

Since I’d never run 3 miles before, Danny let me set the pace and we jogged the race together. I was actually somewhat surprised that we came in at the finish line around the 26 minute mark, because I felt like we were going slower than that. In my head I thought we were probably jogging a 10 min/mile pace, but it just goes to show that since I'm not a runner I really have no concept of "feeling my pace". All in all, it was pretty fun and I'm glad that we did it. Although I have zero interest in running regularly (I personally feel like that would be too hard on my body) or training for races, at least now I know that I am capable of running that distance if there are any causes that I want to support, or if friends or family ask me to join them.

Ok – signing off with a picture of Bailey (the Kings mascot)!

xox,

Bre

My Valentine

*after our 53 mile Valentine's ride*

When asked what I wanted to do for Valentine's Day, I told my husband that I wanted to ride a 53 mile out-and-back beach ride (and of course have an excellent seafood dinner while sharing a bottle of wine!). Sometimes it amazes me that he goes along with my hair-brained ideas (it's not like we've every ridden anything close to that in one day before, I just figured we could handle it), but he did, and I'm so glad because it was so much fun. We bike 26.5 miles from Yorba Linda park to Huntington Beach and found a nice little spot to grab a beer and have lunch before heading back. Although this might not be the typical Valentine's, it's very us, and I wouldn't have changed a minute of the weekend.

Hope you all enjoyed your Valentine's too!

xox,

Bre

Bike Crazy!

(a view from my bike ride this past weekend)

It's official my friends, I have gone a bit bike crazy. Getting back into biking this Spring has been such a rush for me. I love it! It reminds me of riding the neighborhood aimlessly as a child: wind in the face, sun shining, and not a worry in sight. It's also a great way to get out and have a beautiful view while you're getting a good workout.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm going to be doing the bike portion of a relay triathlon this August, but in the mean time I've signed up for plenty of things to keep myself occupied. This weekend I'll be doing a 28 mile out-and-back beach ride down in San Diego with some family members (this isn't an actual "event" just something we've been looking forward to doing).

I'm also very excited for Memorial weekend, since my husband and I will be participating in the 45th annual Great Western Bicycle Rally. If you haven't heard of it, it is a great cycling celebration. There are 27 different rides/routes; all varying in distance and level of difficulty. Most events are non-competitive and are not timed nor guided. We have chosen to do the 30 mile "Bike the Wine Country" route. It is a 30 mile bike ride (with a 2,000 ft. elevation gain) through the beautiful wineries of Paso Robles, California. There are 5 wineries along the bike trails, and for those wanting to stop in for a tasting or two, they have arranged to hold your purchases back at the fairgrounds for you so you don't have to carry bottles with you on the long trek. I think it will be gorgeous to bike through and I'm just very excited for this adventure with my man.

We will also be doing the Fiesta Ride in San Diego next month (which has 20, 40, and 100 mile ride options). We aren't trying to race and get a best time or anything intense, we just want to enjoy the ride & the view...and of course the Mexican fiesta and mariachis at the end of the ride. Seriously who can turn that down?

So there it is. Proof enough of my obsession? lol. My husband even bought me the Garmin Foreruner 305 watch for my birthday last week. So far I really love it for both the biking and running modes (I'm sad I can't play with my watch this week since I'm staying in a hotel and would look a little silly wearing a training watch in just the hotel gym, lol).

So what do you think? Gone a little crazy? What hobbies are you really amped on this Spring & Summer?

xox,

Bre

p.s. Wow, this was a long post for me without a lot of pictures. Hoping to get back into more of a normal routine next week. :)

Time to Get Motivated: Triathlon + Workout Wear

Aerie F.I.T. workout wear.

A few weeks back some friends at work asked me to join them in a relay triathlon. I was very stoked at the idea (why haven't I thought of doing something like this before?), but unfortunately I realized the event was the same weekend as a good friend's wedding so I wouldn't be able to go. But if you know me at all, I don't like to say no to a challenge so I figured I would just have to find another triathlon in which I could participate (thanks for inspiring me Wendy & Mariel!). I did some research online and found this great website (www.trifind.com) where you can search by state for all the triathlons. I started with the beginner's triathlon list, since I figured I would die if I did the Olympic distances, and found a few in my area that might work.

Then I thought: How cool would it be to do a triathlon with my brother and sister? A Team Staggs event! They are both very active, and it would be something that would be cool to accomplish together. So lucky me I was very easily able to recruit them to join me. My brother Trent will be doing the 1.5K swim, Camie will be doing the 5K run, and I will be doing the 20K bike ride. Now my only fear is that they will totally kill it, and I will well....die! So now that I've convinced them to do this, I need to get crackin' on shaping up or shipping out!

I've created my own workout program that is a cross between the P90X workout series and biking. I’m calling it “Bre 90X” :). I like the P90X program, but I feel that the cardio for Phase 1 is not very effective for me so I've mixed and matched to come up with my own routine (if you'd like specifics let me know). I'm officially in week 2 of my Bre 90X regimen and so far I'm doing good in terms of sticking with it. I figure maybe I will post every so often about my training progress to help encourage me to stay on the right path (unless nobody is interested, lol).

Oh yes, and of course since this is mostly a personal and home style blog, I had to do some searching for cute and affordable workout wear to help motivate those of you working towards fitness goals of your own. I don't know why it always seems so difficult to find cute and functional workout clothes, but to my surprise I found really really great workout wear at American Eagle (Aerie FIT brand). I have found an abundance of things I wouldn't mind wearing and the prices are very reasonable. So here goes:

Some black & white combos (if you didn't notice I'm obsessed with this combo):

Aerie F.I.T. underwire active bra in black & white (underwire for extra support for the well-endowed), $39.50

Aerie F.I.T. striped rollover pant (I think the stripes are so cute), $39.50

Aerie F.I.T. floral ruched tank (it has a built-in sports bra too!), $39.50

Aerie F.I.T. bike shorts, (these look like they will be long enough to not ride up during a long bike ride)$29.50

Some little bits of color:

Aerie F.I.T. flower tank, $19.50

Aerie F.I.T. cropped workout pants, $39.50

Aerie F.I.T. v-neck workout bra, (also comes in 3 other color combos I just think this one is cheery) $24.50

Aerie F.I.T. Sprinter Blue workout bra, (same style as shown in intro picture just different color)$24.50

What do you think? You like? If you have any tips on where to find cute workout wear, or are working towards one of your own fitness goals, I'd love to hear from you! Maybe we can help motive each other. :)

xox,

Bre

All photos courtesy of American Eagle Outfitters