It was Monday morning, and my boyfriend and I had just finished meeting a friend for breakfast. We started driving around trying to brainstorm things to do, when he just started driving. We hopped on the highway, heading north toward San Luis Obispo. I finally asked where we were going and he said, “I thought we could go wine tasting, choose SLO or Paso.” So, I chose Paso.

We had a general idea of where we were going, but once we got to Paso we just kind of played it by ear. We stopped at three different wineries, and boy were they all different. First stop was Wild Coyote winery, a southwestern style winery with a tasting room and bed and breakfast attached. I literally felt like I had been magically transported back to Arizona, with the adobe  buildings and teepee out front. It was very small and quaint, with beautiful views of the rolling hills. We didn’t taste, but we did walk around the grounds a bit, which was nice.

Our second stop was the Eos estate winery right off Highway 46. The grounds were huge, keyword being “estate.” Simply put, it was beautiful. They have a complimentary tasting menu, which we took full advantage of, and there’s even a free self-tour of the actual winery. This stop was a lot of fun and the people were very knowledgeable and friendly.

Our third stop was Tobin James, a classic of Paso Robles wine country. It too had a southwestern style feel, but nowhere near as quaint as Wild Coyote. I think the best thing about our little spontaneous adventures, was feeling like I was on vacation almost, discovering something brand new, even though I’ve driven by these places before.

We capped off the trip with a nice lunch in downtown Paso Robles and called it a day. A fantastic day, actually! I know there are so many more wineries to see and experience on the Central Coast, but now at least I can say I’ve ventured into both counties.

Near the starting line

What a great way to start the day! More than 2,500 people participated in this year’s Miracle Miles for Kids 10K walk/run from Morro Rock to the Cayucos Pier.  It benefit the Family Care Network which serves foster and high-needs kids/families on the Central Coast. The weather was beautiful, the people were great and it was just an all around great time. I would have posted earlier, but I was pretty exhausted afterward and ended up taking a short snooze just seconds after hitting the couch at home. 

View from the Course

The entire 6.2 miles was on the beach, and beach running is a whole other experience. I’ve done a bit of beach running here and there on my longer routes, but I have to admit having the sand the whole way was quite a challenge. Not to mention there were also “rock-climbing” intervals throughout the course. Needless to say, I was not going for time this morning! I did a combination of walking and running and finished in just over 90 minutes. I actually crossed the finish line barefoot! My shoes got soaking wet from a little stream that was running down the beach around mile 1.5. There was no way around it, had to go through it, and when I did my socks and shoes took on a bunch of water. Around mile 5 I could feel blisters starting to form from my wet socks, so I just took them off and kept right on going!

We left some serious footprints in the sand!

As if running or walking the route were not hard enough, the real heros today were the parents running/walking with baby strollers! There were some points of the race where I saw them pushing with all their might to get through the thicker sand, and the rocks were definitely a challenge. But it was great to see people stopping to help! Overall, it was a great event and I’m so happy to have been part of it. KSBY’s Andrew Masuda was also there handing out awards and giving annoucements, meanwhile our photographer Ross Gracia was flying overhead in a helicopter shooting video for a story that will air tonight at 6, 10 and 11.

Me with KSBY Director Ryan Wilkinson at the finish!

I have the rest of the day off, Monica Quintero is filling in for me, so for the rest of the day it’s all about stretching and relaxation! Thanks again to everyone, all the volunteers,  all the people who lined the race route just to cheer us on, you made today’s event so much fun! Hope to see you out there next year!

First let me say I hope you all are enjoying the holidays! I just returned from a visit back home to Arizona, where I was able to spend Christmas with my parents and sister. It’s been a while since the four of us were all together so it was a much welcomed, and much needed, vacation. The only snag in my getaway holiday fitness plans was the fact that I came down with a bout of the stomach flu and was couch-ridden for half of the trip! It was a major bummer, but if I had to be sick, I was happy to be sick at home where my mom could take care of me, just like old times!�

Once the nausea and fatigue wore off, my mom and I were able to venture out onto an outdoor adventure. We decided to go hiking at a place called Pinnacle Peak. It has a 3.5-mile out-and-back route, but we did just under 1.5 miles of it. I wanted to take it easy since I was still getting over the flu bug. It had a nice, steady elevation but you could definitely feel the incline at certain parts. There were tons of people out walking, and running the trail, so at times the narrow, gravel-filled path made me a bit nervous. There is also rock climbing for the more adventurous, and detailed descriptions of the surrounding plant life for nature enthusiasts. Overall, it was a great hike and it provided great views of the city, even on an overcast, chilly day.  I used my GPS application on my Blackberry and this is the reading I got:

Distance: 1.36 miles

Time: 43:37

Average: 32 min/mile

Calories Burned: 112

Again, we were going for the experience, not the calorie burn! Here are some pictures my mom and I took along the way:

Me with my mom about half way up

My mom with a giant Saguaro cactus!

View from the top

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and got the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful weather! I decided to take full advantage of it and go on an “outdoor adventure” of my own. I’ve tried surfing a couple of times before, but I’ve never been able to stand up, or actually feel like I was surfing until this weekend. I hit Pismo Beach with my fellow KSBYers Monica and Leslie (both pictured with me above). Leslie is a surfing pro! She has been doing it since she was about 7 years old so I felt safe, and more confident, being with someone who actually knew what she was doing. We suited up, and hit the water with our 9′6″ boards in hand, man those are heavy, and strutted our stuff in the white water for more than an hour. Some of the waves were pretty big, but Leslie showed us exactly where to stay so we could still catch the power of the wave after it broke, without being pummeled by it in the process. Worked out great! I finally started to get the hang of it and I’m proud to stay I stood up a bunch of times too! (Too bad no one snapped photos of that!) My arms are still aching from all the paddling but it was a great workout, and a whole lot of fun. I’m counting the days until we can go again! It was not only a fun new experience, but it really makes me appreciate where we live. My friends in the Midwest and East Coast were pretty jealous when they heard I was surfing in December! But hey, that’s just one more perk to living on the Central Coast

In life, we are often faced with the decision of taking the road less traveled, or continuing along a familiar route. That ever-present fork in the road analogy if you will.  Opinions differ on what one should do when standing at that fork. For example, Robert Frost once said, “I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Then again, Jerry Seinfeld once said, “Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.”

I know, I know, comedians may not be the best people to consult when it comes to life choices, especially since my “fork in the road” has more to do with my running routes than life-changing decisions.

When it comes to personal preference, I like running the same route over and over. I think it helps me gauge my fitness level and if I’m feeling tired, I know exactly how far I have left to go. For example, I decided not to set my alarm clock this morning so I could have the joy of waking up “naturally.” Well, I woke up “naturally” at 11:45 a.m! I had just enough time to hit my quick 3-mile route and still have enough time to get ready.

With that said, I also know how refreshing it can be to discover a new trail. Like when I did the Bob Jones trail for the first time a couple of weeks ago. There’s an element of surprise, w hich can make the run (or walk, or bike) go by faster.

Either way, does it really matter in the end what route you take? It’s just great to be out there, right?

Feel free to pass along your thoughts on the matter, and if you have any good running spot recommendations pass those along too! I suppose I can take the road less traveled from time to time

I am happy to report my exercise “tracking system” is working very well! I used to log all my workouts in a small, spiral-bound notebook. After about two weeks I noticed that small notebook spent more time in my purse or work bag than in front of my face. So, I decided to literally put the writing on the wall! (Okay, not exactly LITERALLY) I dug out a kitten-decorated wall calendar my mom sent me a while back, just as a fun gift, and tacked it up on a highly-visible portion of my wall. Now, each day I workout, I put a red “X” and a short description of what I did on that day. So on a good week, my calendar has lots of “X’s.” I am shooting for 4-5 days a week, whether it is running, hiking, going to the gym, you get the point. It proved especially motivating this morning, when I looked at the calendar and saw 3 days without an “X.” It was the kick I needed to get out the door for a nice and easy 3-miler. It’s a simple and easy way of keeping track, but in the end, I really think it’s helping me stay on track!

Okay, having lived in the Midwest maybe the word “frightful” is a bit dramatic, but it is COLD and pretty soon it will be RAINY again! This may force me to adjust my running schedule just a bit. I have come to love running outdoors and the thought of pounding away on a treadmill doesn’t exactly get the motivation flowing. But then again the thought of shivering my way through a 3.5 mile run along the beach doesn’t sound too fun either. Any tips on varying up a treadmill workout to make it more interesting?

The weather will no doubt have me altering my running attire as well. So long tank tops and shorts, hello pants, sweatshirts, gloves and ear warmers! At one point I was actually looking to buy some new winter-appropriate running clothes when I realized just how expensive it can get! So, I mosied on down to Marshall’s a while back (other discount stores like Ross or TJ Maxx have similar deals) and found a pair of Everlast workout pants and a nice zip-up long sleeve shirt for under $20! I actually wore my blue zip-up during the City to Sea half marathon. Any other tips on finding winter-proof gear without breaking the bank? Until next time, happy running and stay warm!

Danielle Here:

I’m a little late, but I finally took my co-blogger Ryan’s advice to get an updated cell phone and download the free trial of the Allsport GPS Blackberry application from Trimble Outdoors. You can check out Ryan’s review by clicking here. I’ve often wondered how far I walk when I’m at the shelter and how many calories I burn, so today I decided to give the GPS application a try! I used it on three separate walks and one of the great things about the application is it saves the data from each individual session, making it very easy to go back and see the different numbers for the different walks. It took a few minutes for the app to connect with a satellite but once it did, we were off and walking. Here are the stats from each walk, broken down by dog:

Duff (the satellite kicked in a little late on this one):

Distance: .8 miles

Time: 11:31

Average Pace: 14:20/mile

Calories: 90

Ozzie:

Distance: .95 miles

Time: 13:45

Average Pace: 14:32/mile

Calories: 106

Buddy:

Distance: .96 miles

Time: 13:32

Average Pace: 14:08/mile

Calories: 107

So, there you have it. Granted the numbers may be a little skewed, especially when it comes to the calorie burn, but considering I’ve been known to jog a 13-minute mile, I was walking pretty fast! With just those three dogs I got in just under 3 miles of walking and probably burned between 250 and 300 calories. Not too shabby! On days when I can stay longer, I try and walk about 5 or 6 dogs… so that would double the numbers I put up today! All in all, it’s a pretty good deal. The dogs get their exercise and I get some of mine! It’s the ultimate win-win Have a great weekend!

Enjoying Montana de Oro!

Danielle Here:

On Saturday my roommate and I decided to go on a little adventure. We headed to Montana de Oro, a place I’ve reported on and heard about many times, but never seen in person. Well, after Saturday’s excursion I can tell you I will certainly be going back! The weather was beautiful, the drive out there was scenic, and the park itself is just incredible.

We parked in one of the first parking lots we saw and were lucky to get a spot with all of the horse trailers, bikers and hikers around, and we set out down our first trail.

The adventure begins!

The sand that marks the trail is very soft, so be prepared to have a mini sand box in  your shoes by the time you are done! The path was flat the whole way and it wound through a forest area before dropping us off at the beach. We spent quite a while on the beach, climbing on the rocks, walking on the sand and checking out the marine life in the tide pools. We even stumbled upon a mysterious sea creature we have not been able to identify (see picture below). If you know what that is feel free to let me know!

Does anyone know what this pink thing is?

After about an hour, we turned back and tried out a few more trails before reaching the parking lot again. In all, it was a great way to spend a Saturday! Montana de Oro offers free, fun outdoor entertainment, and it’s a great way to be active while enjoying all the beauty the Central Coast has to offer!

Beauty Shot Courtesy of Bethany Tucker

Danielle Here:

There’s just something about exercising in the morning. With my whole “take the option out” plan in full swing I’ve had to do some serious adjusting to my sleeping schedule. I consider myself a pretty busy person, but this week has taken the cake. Fitting in exercise has required some creative rescheduling but hey, whatever works right! That’s why I found myself running in Shell Beach at 6:45 a.m. and that’s where I snapped the picture you see above. You know it’s early when you can still see the moon! Whether it’s a trip to the gym or a run I find that when I can get myself up and out of bed, the reward is well worth it. Not only does it give you that sense of accomplishment for the rest of the day, but I find the whole morning workout experience to be pretty soothing. The streets are pretty quiet, the weather is cool and crisp. You can hear the birds over the ocean and the waves crashing (if you live by the beach). It always helps  me zone out and just enjoy the journey. So if you’re used to working out at the end of the day, I suggest waking up early just once. You never know, you may end up liking the a.m. workout after all!