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Title Nine’s 2015 Fit Fest + Giveaway

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This is a sponsored post.  I was invited to a media event which included some fun gifts, including a free bra for me and a free bra for one of my readers who enter the giveaway.  All opinions are my own.  If I didn’t love it and think you would to then I wouldn’t be blogging about it.
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{{WE’RE TALKING ABOUT SPORTS BRAS}}

I’m pretty sure 99% of my readers are ladies, so if you’re a man, I apologize for this.  Actually, I don’t, because you probably know a lady or two and this post could be enlightening for you and worth sharing with them.

First, let’s get the middle school giggles out of our system: boobs, boobies, melons, jugs, tatas, hooters, globes, airbags, funbags, sweater stretchers, bee stings, laverne & shirley, etc. etc. etc.

Whatever you call them, and as great as they are, they’re pretty darn hard to shop for!  They come in various shapes and sizes, various degrees of symmetry (the big one, the little one), and it can be so difficult to find the perfect bra that meets the elusive trifecta of comfort, coverage, and support.  Most women are also wearing the wrong size and don’t even realize it.  I was a 34B in college and continued buying that size for years until I finally got fitted at Victoria’s Secret and the results came back as 36DD.  DD!  Say what???  I was shocked, but my bras definitely fit better these days.

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To add to the drama of finding good bras for everyday wear, the search for the perfect sports bra can be even harder.  Most exercising contains some level of bouncing, or if you’re into yoga/pilates it can contain some body angles that don’t work well when you figure in “the girls” and gravity.  Both of those could deter you from exercising and that’s no good, so the right sports bra makes a world of difference.

Title Nine understands that and wants to help you out!  Started in 1989, this California-based company focuses on “clothes that move for women on the move” and they’re all about form, function, and fun.  After hanging out with the crew at the Portland store last night, I can absolutely confirm that!

{{BRA FIT FEST}}

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FitFest 2015 is happening this spring and summer at locations across the country and includes:

  • Personalized bra fitting advice from a “bravangelist” expert
  • An expanded assortment of bras
  • Bras for sports, work-to-workout, everyday and date night
  • A “Bounce-ath-a-lon” for those who want to put TitleNine’s bras to the test, with stations like hula hoop, jump rope, cup stacking, run around the block, hippity hop ball & burpees

This event is devoted to helping athletes of all levels/shapes/sizes find the perfect sports bra.  One size does NOT fit all, and their Bravangelists are hardcore about making sure you find one that meets your needs.  They know their product, so just give them a size to start with and let them bring you ALL THE BRAS, but be prepared to sweat because trying on sports bras is a workout!  Those suckers are tight, but that’s the whole point.

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The gal who helped me was Jamie and she was so great! (She’s also an illustrator, you can check her out here!)  She knew exactly how things should fit and whether or not I should change band size or cup size and which brands/models would work best with my lopsided shape.  You get to know your Bravangelist pretty well, by the end I was just letting her hook my in and out of them because my arms were tired.  Like I said, it’s a workout.  Or I’m just really out of shape which is more likely.

FitFest 2015 is coming to Oregon in June:

June 3-4, 10am- 8pm
Title Nine Portland
1335 NW Kearney Street, Portland
503-243-2223
Facebook

June 10-11, 10am-8pm
Title Nine Eugene
296 East 5th Ave. #229, Eugene
541-343-1574
Facebook

Anyone interested in participating should RSVP at the local Title Nine Retail Location.

Not in Oregon?  No problem, check out www.titlenine.com for a full list of cities and more information.

Here’s the one I ended up with, it’s the Fits-To-A-T by Moving Comfort in Celery Jaquard, I love it!  It’s so comfortable and the straps use velcro to adjust which is genius and works better than you might think.  For some reason I just couldn’t bring myself to post a bra selfie, so I threw my tank over it and I was cool with that.  Even though there’s not much difference in how much of my body I’m showing you, haha! #weirdo

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“A pullover style bra with the support of a racer back. It has a clasp in the back so we can dial in the fit. It has hardware-free straps that are adjustable from the front. It has seam-free cups. No wonder it fits to a T. Wide, channeled elastic chest band supports our girls when they’re on the rebound. Bonus: we can actually remove this bra after a workout without calling for reinforcements. Mesh back inserts. Wicking poly/spandex. By Moving Comfort. 32-38 B-DD”

My second favorite was the Booby Trap, also by Moving Comfort.  The one I got retails for $50 and the Booby Trap for $54.  That seems to be a fairly standard price for higher quality sports bras these days.  It’s definitely more than the $15-20 I would usually spend at Target, but you do have to consider that you’re getting what you pay for.  I am very impressed with the quality and I see it holding up (haha–holding up) a lot longer than my cheaper ones.  Just FYI, I noticed on their site that they’re doing free shipping on orders over $50 through 6/21!

{{ABOUT TITLE NINE}}

Before last night, my only experience with Title Nine was drooling over their catalog, but I had never been in a store and didn’t know much about the company.  Now that I’ve experienced them I’ll definitely be back, and I’ve learned some cool things about them:

  • They’re fun and don’t take themselves too seriously – check out their fun facts and stats.
  • They’re evangelical about women’s participation in sports and fitness activities – that’s what their namesake, Title IX, is all about.
  • They’re earth-conscious and serious about sustainability.
  • They’re involved in their community and generous – check out Starting Block, Bra Brigade, Poster Girls, and Lift Certificate!
  • Their models are “ordinary women capable of extraordinary things” and represent competence, confidence, and joy.  Think you’ve got what it takes to model for them?  Let them know!  No giant wings or diamond studded DDs involved!

Check them out on social media to find out more:

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{{GIVEAWAY – CLOSED}}

Now for the fun part!!  I don’t do many of these but I couldn’t pass this one up!  Enter now through June 1st and the winner will be announced and contacted on June 2nd.  How to enter?  I’m not good with giveaway widgets so we’re going sweet and simple, you can do one or both of these:

  1. Leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite way to burn calories!  Or your funniest stuck-in-a-sports-bra story 😉
  2. Tweet this and then leave a  comment here letting me know you tweeted it (you know, just in case there’s a Twit glitch and I don’t get notified over there):
    Need the perfect sports bra? Enter to win a #T9FitFest fitting + bra from @TitleNine + @WillRunforPasta… Click To Tweet
The Fine Print: The giveaway is open to anyone in the US and will include a personalized fitting (either in-store or by-phone, depending on location) and one bra.  A winner within driving distance of a Title Nine store will be asked to redeem their prize at the closest/preferred retail location.  A winner NOT near a Title Nine Store, will be sent a certificate to redeem with the call center.

{{WINNER WINNER}}

Congratulations to Tenacious Little Terrier!!  You guys, check out this adorable Portland pooch, he’s so cute, and if he can hike Angel’s Rest then I can too!  Right?

Mr. N, tell your human that I’ll be sending them an email shortly!

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On a personal note… although you already know my bra size so I’m not sure how much more personal we can get… events like this are a little difficult for me since I tend to be quiet and reserved, especially in larger group settings.  The stronger personalities overwhelm me (I love them though!) and it’s hard for me to jump in, but I think I did pretty well.  I knew there would be a few people I knew, but I’m still proud of myself for showing up alone, approaching new people, chatting them up, and making new friends – maybe even breast friends.

A lot of these ladies are doing giveaways too, up your chances of winning by entering with them as well!

(If I forgot you, let me know!)

Sorry I’m so wordy, thanks for sticking with me :)

The Struggle is Real. Real Early.

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You guys, I can’t even believe I’m saying this, but I was at the gym the last two mornings at 5:00 AM!  AT the gym!  That means I was awake and out of bed BEFORE 5! A! M!

If you’ve known me for more than two minutes this should amaze you because I am the furthest thing from a morning person and I feel like that’s an understatement.  We joined a gym over the weekend (partly because we both need it physically, and partly because I need it mentally), and we decided we’d go together but the best time for us to do that is in the mornings.  The early mornings.  Early = setting my alarm for 4:40am.  Gross!


I’ve always wished I was a morning person, and those times I’ve had to be up earlier than normal it’s been nice to get up and get going, and of course early morning starts for vacation are not usually a problem because you’re up for an exciting reason, but other than that it’s a real struggle.  Even when I worked the early shift at a bakery, getting up closer to 2:30am, I never ever got used to that, not even a tiny bit! I’ve tried in the past, planning to get up early and make breakfast or work on the blog or get to Zumba class, but then my alarm goes off and I could NOT care less about breakfast or blogging or booty shaking.  I actually care a negative amount, like I’m totally pissed with the body snatcher who took over the night before and set my alarm for an ungodly hour.  So, color me surprised when it wasn’t that hard to get up this morning, even after getting to bed later than planned. I fully attribute that easiness to my new best friend, this Philips HF3520 Wake-Up Light With Colored Sunrise Simulation
: Have you guys heard of these wake-up lights?  They simulate the sunrise so your body wakes up more naturally and with more energy and it totally worked.  I’ve had this clock for a while now but only used it a couple of times so I’m still figuring out the settings, but the light starts coming on about a half hour before the time you set the alarm for, starting out a dark red and slowly phasing to orange then yellow then white by the end.  I set the alarm for 4:40 but I woke up earlier than that to a peaceful orange glow instead of a harsh technological melody jolting me awake.  I’m hoping the last two mornings weren’t flukes and that I wasn’t just excited to prove to Mr. Won’t Run (and myself) that I could get up that early, but that the clock really is doing what it’s supposed to.  I’ll keep you posted!

I also decided to sleep in my workout clothes to save some time, and also because I’m not positive I could wrangle a sports bra that early in the morning without strangling myself and I’d rather not end up on an episode of 1,000 Ways to Die!  Speaking of sports bras, tonight I’m attending a media event (thanks blogging!) to preview Title Nine’s 2015 Bra Fit Fest that is coming through Portland next week and then tell you guys all about it so you can RSVP if you want to go.  It’s a sports bra fitting with their “Bravangelist Experts” and I’m so excited, it feels like kismet that it’s happening just as I’m getting back into working out, and goodness knows “the girls” could use some updated support!  There will be a giveaway happening too, so stay tuned for that!  In the meantime you can check out the event on the Portland store’s Facebook page.

And stay tuned to see how long this 5am gym thing lasts.  I have high hopes but it’s a big change! #thestruggleisrealearly

Are you an early bird or a night owl?  Either way, if you’ve got tips for making early mornings easier, I’m listening!

Where’s the Running?

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Running, you say?  Hmmm, sounds vaguely familiar as well…

Yes, I started this blog when I was getting back into running, and things were moving right along until last Spring, mid-April, when I rolled my ankle pretty badly.  I was on my usual route around the neighborhood when I saw a large dog on the sidewalk the next block up.

I’m not afraid of dogs, but this was not a dog I recognized, there was no collar or leash that I could see, and there were no people in sight.  Instead of barreling straight towards this large, unfamiliar dog, I decided to respect its space and cross the street.  Not that my running could be considered barreling, but you get my point.

Easy peasy, right?  It’s just crossing the street, it can’t be that hard.  Unless you’re me.

As I headed down the next driveway to the street my left foot landed on just the right/wrong spot, and I rolled off the curb.  And swore.  Loudly.  I hobbled back to the sidewalk and leaned on a lamp post until the pain subsided.  I noticed the dog was looking at me curiously and I may have yelled “this is all your fault, you know”.

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(don’t bother stalking me, we don’t live in this neighborhood anymore)

I was able to walk back home with just a little throbbing and I figured I’d be back to normal in a few days.  Nope!

Normal walking didn’t cause me any issues, but bending my ankle a certain way still resulted in a sharp pain and I didn’t want to do additional damage so I rested it for a few weeks.  It was still bothering me at the end of May so I mentioned it during an annual physical and the Doctor said that a bad roll can take up to eight weeks to fully heal so I should give it a little longer.  Eight weeks would have been mid-June and I gave it until the end of August when I decided to see a foot/ankle specialist.  He took x-rays and found… a big-fat-nothing.

I decided to keep up the no-running-regimen and accept that maybe it would always be a problem, but almost a year later now, I realized I hadn’t felt the pain in a while.  I can bend my ankle any which way and it feels fine, nothing funny at all, so I think I’m ready to get some running back in my life.

I’m currently training to WALK a half marathon in May, and now that my walks have been getting longer I’ve been getting the itch to run, especially now that the weather is getting nicer and a lot more runners are out and about.  I’m getting some serious running envy and have decided to add some running intervals to my walking this week, short and slow to start with.  Crossing my fingers – and laces – that it goes well!

Boost A Move

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A few months ago when I had the chance to visit the Nautilus Headquarters, they shared that they were launching an activity tracker bracelet of their own and it’s finally out!  They generously provided me with one for review purposes, and here’s what I think so far:

Bowflex Boost

Bowflex Boost

Like most of the trackers out there, the Bowflex Boost is a bracelet meant to be worn all day and it tracks your daily steps, distance, and calories with a free app (just on the iPhone for now but they’re working on one for Android).

What makes this one special?  They do it for a lot less than the competition, just $49.95,

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At that price it doesn’t include GPS or a heart monitor, but it does have a sleep setting which tracks your hours slept and your activity levels during sleep.  If you’re waking up tired and have no idea why, this could be very enlightening.

It’s incredibly easy to use, lets you set activity goals, and syncs wirelessly with Bluetooth to the iPhone app.

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Throughout the day you can glance at your wrist and get an idea of how you’re doing on meeting your goal.

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The app is really fun too and gives you lots of fun info charted out.

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I was surprised how it motivated me.  I expected that I’d just go about my usual day with maybe a run in the evening, but it really starts bugging me seeing that red light.  It has also helped me realize that I do NOT move enough during the day, and with all the new reports coming out about how sitting will kill you, this helps me to be more conscious of my time spent sitting vs. moving!

If you’re looking for a way to track some of your fitness goals, I think this is a great way to do it, and at a more manageable price point.  I’m not a “serious” runner yet, still working up to 3.1 miles, so I’m not worried about monitoring my heart rate yet, and I have MapMyRun for GPS, so Bowflex Boost tracks all the other basics I’m looking for.

I’ll share more as I play around with it, I can’t wait to see what I can glean from the sleep cycle.  There are days I just feel exhausted and really don’t know why so it will be interesting to see if I’m really active in my sleep the night before.  Then I can look into how to fix that!

Bowflex also has a new blog called Bowflex Insider where they offer fitness tips and workout videos.  Their focus is healthy living in ALL areas of your life – eating, moving, living, AND playing!

So, stay tuned for more Bowflex Boost posts, and in the meantime, be sure to check out my Portland Blogger friend Kayla who wrote a review too, check it out here.  If you’re a runner you’ll love her, she’s “serious”.

Do you use an activity tracker?  Which one?  What are you most interested in tracking?  Do you find that it helps motivate you?  Geez, 20 questions!

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The Color Run is Coming!

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(Disclosure: This is a Sponsored post for The Color Run.  In exchange for sharing the discount code and my experience with the race, I will be receiving compensation in the form of free race registration.  All thoughts expressed are my own.  I was actually planning to register for, and blog about, this race anyway so it seemed like a good fit.)

Saturday, September 7th, just under four weeks to go!  Who wants to run with me???

My TimeHop app reminded me that I was asking this same question about a year ago:

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Last year I was going to run it with a work friend but she had family stuff come up and I was too chicken to go by myself so it didn’t happen.  This year, it WILL happen for sure, and Mr. Won’t Run may even do it with me if work doesn’t interfere.  Running is not his exercise of choice, but I think the idea of throwing stuff at me is too fun to pass up.

I just finished week 5 of Couch to 5k, so if you do that math, it’ll work out perfectly.  C25k is a 9 week program so I will be finishing it just in time for the race.  It’s like it was meant to be!

W5R1 W5R2 W5R3 pace

The idea of running 3.1 miles still seems impossible, but my last run was 20 minutes without stopping and I actually did it, so maybe, just maybe… At least my running routes are pretty!

W5R3 route

But seriously, who wants to Color Run with me in Portland???

I have a code for $5 off registration to sweeten the deal!  Come on, you know you want to!!

They don’t call it the “Happiest 5k on the Planet” for nothing, check this out:

You could even get a group of friends and run it together.  If you register with a team of 4 or more you automatically get $5 off, then you can use the code as well for a total of $10 off.

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Sign up quick though, these races usually sell out, use COLOR5OFF when you register!

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I love that this is a fun run and not a serious race, especially for my first one.

Less stress, more fun.

My new life motto.

So tell me…
Have you done a Color Run before?  Are you doing one this year?
Any tips for a first time 5k runner?

(Disclosure: This is a Sponsored post for The Color Run.  In exchange for sharing the discount code and my experience with the race, I will be receiving compensation in the form of free race registration.  All thoughts expressed are my own.  I was actually planning to register for, and blog about, this race anyway so it seemed like a good fit.)

A Peek Inside Nautilus Headquarters

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When I say Nautilus, what do you think of?  My first thought was gym equipment that you would use at an actual gym.  That answer is correct, but I recently discovered that Nautilus is a lot more than that.

I was invited to a meet-and-greet for local bloggers at the Nautilus headquarters in Vancouver, WA.  How did I not know they’re basically in my backyard?  We would be able to test out their current products, learn about upcoming products, and chat with them about the latest industry trends.

I was going by myself which is always nerve-wracking, so it was great to walk in and see Kayla from Fit Life Forward who I had met a few times before at Portland Blogger events.  The next gal to walk in was Pepper from Pepper Scraps and we had just recently connected online from FitBloggin’ but had yet to meet in person so that was fun.  The other blogger there was new to me, Gentoku from Mind Fit Move, he is a personal trainer with a focus on mindfulness based fitness.

The Nautilus team was very welcoming and they had a fun spread of food and drinks, and even some swag which was totally unexpected.

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We gathered in a small conference room and learned how Nautilus began, how it has changed over the years, and how they are looking to the future.  I was really impressed by the people we spoke with, it was obvious that they love their jobs.  They were passionate about fitness and getting others excited about fitness as well.  They were genuinely excited to have us there and to share with us about the company.

They have their own line of equipment (exercise bikes, ellipticals, home gyms), the most recent item being the Core Body Reformer, but they also have the following brands:

  • Bowflex – home gyms, SelectTech Dumbbell Weights, UpperCut, TreadClimber
  • Schwinn – Upright Bikes, Recumbent Bikes, Ellipticals, Airdyne Bikes
  • Universal – Dumbbells, Kettlebells, workout benches
  • Peak Fit System – A 10 DVD workout series of progressive intervals that blend cardio and strength moves.

Next, we got to see their show room and get physical with some of the equipment, this is only part of it, there was stuff on the sides I couldn’t get in… because I keep forgetting my iPhone does panorama.

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I came straight from work and did not bring appropriate footwear so I chose to stay off the equipment, but Kayla was a great fitness model for the evening.

Here is Kayla, and Rob from Nautilus, demonstrating the TreadClimber which is great for those who can’t/don’t run but want to up the power of their walking while still keeping it low impact.  It’s different than just using a treadmill at an incline because you’re having to raise your leg from a lower elevation with each step.

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Here’s Kayla showing off her bicep curl skills with the SelectTech dumbbell weights.  These are cool because it’s a lot of different dumbbells in one so you don’t have to have a set of each weight increment, you just adjust the dial on these and it gives you that much weight.  It takes up much less space than a full set of weights which makes it perfect for a home gym setup.

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And here’s Kayla on the Core Body Reformer… the one that all us gals wanted to take home!!  It combines pilates, yoga, and dance moves for a total body workout and also incorporates some cardio moves and lots of balance work which is great for the core.  The price on this isn’t too bad either, and the weight/resistance bar comes off and slides into the main body for easy storage.  Aaaaannnnnddddddd, maybe the best part, the main body can be used as a foam roller for that hurts-so-good muscle massage afterwards.

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After playing in the showroom we got to see the onsite gym for employees.  Yes, I was (am) so jealous!!  It even included healthy drink and snack options instead of junk food vending machines.

Here’s Rob demonstrating the UpperCut which is geared towards guys who really want to bulk and chisel.

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It was so fun to hear about how the employees train together, and a group of them did the Tough Mudder this year and how it has generated even more interest for next year.  How fun would it be to work in a place where people were so into fitness?!!  And more than that, so into training together and encouraging and motivating one another.  So fun!!

Again, I’m so jealous!

We went back to the showroom after checking out the gym and ended up talking fitness for a while.  The event went a lot longer than anyone thought it would because we were all so excited to ask and share and learn.  I think we could have chatted for hours longer.

I am excited to partner with Nautilus in the future, and I will have something fun from them to share on the blog in the next few weeks so stay tuned!

Sorry, I know the bogger tease can be so annoying!

Do you have any of the products mentioned above?  Which ones look the most interesting?  The TreadClimber, CoreBodyReformer, and Peak Fit System videos are my top three.