Weekend Fun

I had an awesome weekend! I’m not even sad it’s Monday because I’m still in such a good mood.

The weekend kicked off with an urban picnic.  After work, I made a stop and Whole Foods Bowery and Luke’s Lobster to create a Cape Cod-style picnic for Frank and I.

picnicIMG_6173

On the menu:

  • Berries
  • Salads (goat cheese cranberry for me, cesar for him)
  • Potato salad
  • Lobster rolls
  • Crab claws with the best cocktail sauce ever
  • Seltzer+diet coke
  • Chips (which came with the lobster rolls but weren’t consumed)

IMG_6182 IMG_6185

 

Delicious.

On Saturday, I had all kinds of bachelorette party fun lined up.  You might know the bride:

photo-14

 Dori!

We started out with a great workout class at Refine.  The 90s playlist was seriously baller. Plus, we all wore tiaras through the entire workout.  Tiaras might be the new headband.  The tiara stayed on my head better than any headband ever has!!!

Next up DryBar:

drybar

It was my first blow out ever!  I selected the Cosmopolitan.

While my hair was styled, I sat back while they served me wine and fruit.  Crazy, stupid, love was on, so the experience was all the more enjoyable.

drybar2

Life is good.

Viola, all blown out:

hair

Sadly, my baby fine hair doesn’t hold curl and the look above lasted all of 45 minutes before flopping. But it didn’t matter because I was with these lovely ladies…

group

 

Next up, Beauty and Essex, a place I love!

Dinner was great and the company was better. I can’t wait for your wedding, Dori!

Other highlights of the weekend included, an awesome Uplifting Strength class with Michelle.  Bridesmaid dress shopping and chatting with Liz!  I owe you all a wedding update.  :) And last but not least, dinner at Sushi Samba with Bo and Ashley.

Yes, it was a good weekend!  Next weekend should be great too!  We just booked (literally today) a trip to Newport, Rhode Island for Memorial Day.  Neither of us have ever been there, so if anyone has recommendations, send them my way!

Working It With Dolvett!

I managed to miss the first 13 seasons of the Biggest Loser, but boy was I into season 14.  That tends to be my style. I completely miss a huge trend until it’s almost embarrassing to become a fan. I’m surprised I didn’t get into the Office this season.

Anyways, I love the idea of getting my ass kicked by a personal trainer. There is something about the idea of torture by exercise that really appeals to me. So when I was invited to a Dr. Scholl’s event with Biggest Loser Trainer Dolvett Quince, I could barely contain myself.

Let me just take a moment to thank Dr. Scholl’s for making dreams come true!photo (8)

Dr. Scholl’s has new active series insoles which aim to  prevent and relieve pain from shin splints, planters fasclitis and runner’s knee by reducing the shock on your feet and legs during exercise.  As someone who has dealt with planters, I always wear inserts in my sneakers and I’ve found them to be very helpful in keeping me mostly  injury free. (knock on wood.)

On the workout front, Dolvett started us out with a light warm up before we went into about five sets of intervals–which reminded me of last chance workout. It was all about muscle confusion, bicep curls while dropping to your knees on the mat and standing back up or doing v sits on the bosu ball and then jumping into the air.  It was a short and sweet workout. Dolvett is definitely a tough trainer, you won’t get away with one second of bad form with him.

After the workout we had a q and a. Dolvett’s enthusiasm for a healthy lifestyle is really inspiring!   I was actually kind of starstruck, but he was so nice that I actually felt comfortable asking quite a few questions.  I want to learn everything I could!

photo (9)

Here are the tips!

“What is the most effective way to get in shape?”

By doing cardio and strength in every workout and by working more than one muscle group at once.  So doing lunges and bicep curls together, not one at a time.  My workouts are always based in muscle confusion.

For women, he recommends light weights and lots of reps.

“What piece of equipment do you recommend that doesn’t take up much space.”

The bosu ball is great and you can just tuck it under the bed.

How do you burn fat?

Diet is a big part of burning fat.

What are your diet tips?

Portion control is the most important thing. I have clients who can’t help but overeat, so I tell them to use a saucer.  You can eat what you like, but you need to watch portions.

Also, I make sure to have fruits or veggies in every meal. I add spinach to eggs or lots of vegetables in a sandwich.  I also don’t eat romaine or iceberg, I eat kale or spinach for maximum nutrients and fiber.

What do you eat when you travel?

When I eat out I have an absolute.  I will absolutely not touch the bread basket.  It’s too late in the day, my body is not going to digest the carbs well.  Plus, if I don’t eat the bread, I won’t eat his friend butter.

Side note: Wow, I can not resist a bread basket to save my life!  None.at.all. It’s like that basket of delicious rolls can subdue my completely until I succumb.  I have to work on that. 

Dolvett also has two guarantees at dinner.  He’s always going to have a protein and a vegetable.  ”When you have a guarantee and two absolutes, you win everything,” he says.

To sum up:

  • Cardio and strength in every workout
  • Work more than one muscle group at once (muscle confusion)
  • No bread basket
  • Portion control
  • Dark leafy greens–No iceberg!

It was a really fun event!  Thanks to Dr. Scholls for inviting me!  Now, if I can just learn to say no to bread and his buddy butter!

photo (7)

If you are wondering if I grinned like this throughout the event, the answer is year :)

Self Workout in the Park and the Japan Day 4 M

I never know where the days go!  But boy was I happy to login in to wordpress and see a much improved drag drop photo option! Major score.

Saturday I went to Self Workout in the Park! If there are any Chicago readers out there, SWITP hits Chi-town on June 1st!

0-7

I actually spent almost the entire time doing the workouts and didn’t spend much time grabbing freebies from the sponsors.  The lines were just too long!  I did grab some delicious Smart Food popcorn selects.  That stuff is good, check out the Honey Cinnamon Pecan Granola-Coated version.

I also grabbed plenty of this:

0-4

I really only like Mango flavored coconut water, but as long as there is mango, I’m a happy camper.

The classes were good, I was exhausted by the end.  As always, Masala Bhangra was my favorite!

0-5 0-2

 

 

I went to Chopt to refuel after the workout.  I decided to try the Melrose seasonal salad: Romaine, mesclun, avocado, broccoli, quinoa, peas, cucumber and goat cheese (subbed) with yogurt dressing.

0-6

I find it’s a little cheaper to order a salad from the menu rather than create my own.  This was an okay combo–lots of green veggies, but I discovered that I really don’t like the texture of quinoa in salad. Is that weird?

The next morning, I kind of decided to run the Japan Day 4 miler on a whim.  I am way behind on my 9+1, so I just hopped into a cab up to the park and registered.  There was way more security than I have ever experienced before and I didn’t realize that when I checked my jacket, I had to put my number in my clear plastic bag rather than just pin on the little tear off from my bib. After showing me the new bag check requirements,  the security guy was like, “you know you have to pin that on you, right?”  He was pointing to the bib in my hand. I blushed and assured him that I was aware that I had to wear my race bib during the race.

I was pretty sore, but I took the first mile real easy, around 10 minute mile, which was all I was hoping for really.  The next mile I felt okay, so I pushed a bit more.  The third mile I was just trying to get through the hills.  The fourth and final miles, I was just ready to be done. I love how familiar every step of the 4 mile loop is for me. It’s like an old friend.  While I didn’t really push that hard at all, I ended up with a pace not too far off from my PR, which was shocking.  However, I also realized that I really have no business running the Brooklyn Half on Saturday. My endurance is just not there yet.  Not sure what I am going to do about that one!  Please excuse me while I mull it over…

Have a wonderful night, ya’ll.

Sweet Soreness

It’s official, I am sore!  I’ve had three great workout in three days and they kicked my booty!

After last week was filled with fun, parties, events and weddings, it was great to sweat out some of that celebrating. :)

I started my Cinco de Mayo with a 7 mile run down the east river to the Brooklyn Bridge. I forgot how great the people watching on long runs can be.  Last week, I watched many couples strolling across the Williamsburg Bridge with their La Columbe. This past weekend, I literally ran right into a movie set, until I was chased out my some assistants.  It may not be the prettiest path, but you just never know what you are going to run into on the east river.

The Brooklyn Half is only two weeks away, so it’s nose to the grindstone with training.  I don’t think I am going to taper, as I really need to get in some milage this weekend.

Speaking of running, on Monday, I hit up Barry’s Bootcamp with Meri.

It kills me every time.  It’s a workout you could do on your own at any gym, and yet, I almost don’t mind paying to have an instructor kick my butt into oblivion.  It was Barry’s Classic:  two treadmill sets and two strength sets. Here is one of our treadmill workouts that is easy to incorporate into your gym routine:

  • Warm up: 2 minutes jog
  • 1 minute of each:
  • 7.0 (or starting at 8.0 if you are fast!)
  • 7.2
  • 7.4
  • 7.6
  • 7.8
  • 8.0
  • 7.8
  • 7.6
  • 7.4
  • 7.2
  • 7.0
  • 2 minute cool down

Yesterday morning I met Ashley at Uplift for a 6:30AM workout. I went from Barry’s to Uplift with only dinner and sleep in between.  The cardio class is really growing on me.  It’s one song of cardio (6 total throughout the class) and then a set of strength focusing on one muscle set.  There was lots of arm work yesterday. This explains why I can barely lift my arms this morning.  Fortunately, there’s no heavy lifting on the schedule.

I was hoping to get in 5 miles outside today, but the crazy rain means I might be treadmill bound this afternoon! Fingers crossed for evening sun!

KettleX with Lorna

A few weeks ago, Fitmapped held an event at the Fitness Cell Collective.  I’ve heard some buzz about the collective, so I was eager to check it out.

The studio is set up with a nice lobby area with a snack bar.  The workout area is pretty much a gym with many different types of equipment from rowers to suspension systems to weights and steps.

The Cell aims to provide full mind/body conditioning for an overall well-balanced lifestyle. The classes are taught in a small group, semi-private or private setting.

I definitely like the Cell’s mission and I was excited to get to try a KettleX class with Lorna.  

The class was a great balance of cardio and strength. We moved from standing kettle bell swing variations to toe touches on the step to push ups and planks with and without the bell.  I liked that we didn’t do the same thing more than twice, so there was a lot of variation.  It was a challenging class even with a light bell.  Lorna was great about checking form and pushing us harder throughout the workout.

While I worked up a good sweat, I have never been the biggest fan of kettle bells. As in other Kettlebell classes I have taken, I got a decent workout, but I didn’t actually enjoy the class all that much.  The Fitness Cell offers plenty of non-kettleball classes, the Barre Drill class looks right up my alley.

The studio is located at 328 East 61st Street.  Individual classes are $50 each (pretty steep) and a 21 day trial membership is $300.

On a side note, there was a cute article in the Post about people meeting at Fitness Studios. The article gives Flywheel credit for Jake Gyllenhaal meeting Emily DiDonata.  Apparently workout first dates are becoming really popular on sites like match and Howaboutwe, up 15% for last year.

What do you think about a sweaty first date at Flywheel?

 

Weekend, don’t go!

This whole week went by so fast!  It was go, go, go, work, work, work, but definitely lots of fun too.  I just wish the weekend wasn’t almost over! I need another day. But before I forget, I should announce the winner of the Self Workout in the Park Giveaway.

Thanks for all the entries!  I used RIG to pick a winner:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

14

Timestamp: 2013-04-28 21:41:44 UTC

And the winner is Margaret of Have a Good Run!

Congrats Margaret, you are going to LOVE Masala Bhangra.

If you didn’t win, you can still register online! I hope to see you all there!

In other news, I joined Sarah Fit’s Diet Bet yesterday!!  I hope that this will help kickstart the weight I’d like to lose before my wedding.  My strategy is just to make one or two better food decisions each day and then work on cutting portions a little bit!  For example, limiting snacks to fruit, veggies and raw almonds or having avocado or cheese in my salad, not both.

On the workout front, this week was a good one with lots of variety!

Athleta was kind of enough to invite me to preview their fall collection and take a Pure Barre class last week!
Here is the new Union Square location of Pure Barre!

I have to say, this is my favorite Athleta collection so far!  The muted colors feel very urban and easy to wear.  

I like the little details, like the paisley on the waistband and leg of the pants!

 

Lots of seamless bras, tops and pants!

While I hope I don’t need a vest this warm for a while, it looks so cozy.

Happy Sunday!

Wedding: The Grand Tasting

Don’t forget to enter my Self Workout in the Park Giveaway.

This weekend Frank and I went upstate to attend our “grand tasting” and to take care of other wedding details. It’s getting down to the wire on booking things and we are in full steam ahead mode!

We are working with Mazzone, a company that is the exclusive caterer to many venues in the capital district. Rather than set up hundreds of tastings, they host four “grand tastings” a year and invite you to pick the one that works with your schedule.

It’s a cool idea because you get to sample so many different appetizers, entrees, sides and desserts.  You also get to see how they serve a few hundred people at once.  We didn’t get a whole lot of personal attention, but we have a meeting with our event coordinator next month and we’ll already have a good idea of what we want.

Here’s just a quick sample of what we tried.  I only had my phone, so the photos don’t do the food justice.

I didn’t get a shot of any of the items from the vegetarian room, but they had cauliflower steak which was one of my favorite dishes of the night!

The real highlight for me might have been meeting photographer JP Elario. I read his blog almost everyday for wedding and vendor ideas.  There are many great photographers upstate, but Elario has hands down the best blog. I always feel like I was at the wedding and he links to almost every vendor used. It’s actually been invaluable in my own planning! After I gushed all over about how great his blog was, we hopped in the Elario Photobooth.

I am still a very bad jumper.

The rest of the weekend was spent trying to run and getting rained out, which wasn’t ideal considering all the eating we did.  But we did manage to get in one sweatfest of a spin workout.

Frank’s parents came into town to finalize the rehearsal dinner location.  I’m happy to say–we did it!  We even nailed down our after party locations.  Somewhere along the way, I got to meet Giddy P. who works at the gift shop at the Gideon Putnam.  He is one hardworking bear. And that is one hardworking dress :)

While I was fairly exhausted when I got home from the weekend, I am more excited then ever to get down to the details of wedding planning! The one thing I really didn’t expect going into planning was how often you have to compromise or pick one thing over another.  For example, we wanted to get married in a church, but we also wanted people to arrive at the reception venue during daylight since the venue is in a very beautiful park.  However, the church only had a 5:30 ceremony, so it might be close-to-dark by the time people arrive at the reception. Yet, we didn’t want to get married at the reception venue if we couldn’t do it outside–and in late October, outside is a gamble.  I’ve found that once I realized I couldn’t have everything I wanted, but I could pick the things I wanted most, I’ve been much happier moving forward with decisions.

Self Workout In the Park GIVEAWAY

Self Workout in the Park is always one of my favorite fitness events to the year! I’ve been almost every year since I moved to the city 11 years ago–you can read my recaps from 2012 and 2010, not sure where all the other recaps are hiding :)

I love the full day of mini workouts, fun sponsor tents and the great energy of begin surrounded by women on a healthy mission!

This year, I have two tickets to giveaway!  One reader will win a pass for herself and a friend to attend the annual Self Workout in the Park  on Saturday, May 11th, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Central Park. 

This year, in addition to full day of classes from crunch, beauty and nutritional consultations and lots of freebies, the celebrity host will be Shay Mitchell (of ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars) and there will be a special guest appearance by Skinnygirl Daily founder Bethenny Frankel!

It should be an AWESOME day!  To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on why you want to attend Self Workout in the Park by Thursday, April 25th at 11:59PM!

It Feels Good

This morning I went on a nice run along the East River, and I have to say, it felt good.  On my way south, I was one of the few people who were out. It was a strange solitude. It reminded me of the famous book, The Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner.  I wasn’t lonely though. It was more of a serene feeling where thoughts could float through my head with abandon.  I lovc those runs.

As I said, the run felt great. It wasn’t fast or particularly strong, but I was so happy to be running and enjoying it.  I’ve been away for so long that I am happy to finally be recommitting. I remember why I love training for a race so much.  The sense of accomplishment is indescribable. I’m not going to say that I am ready for the Brooklyn Half. I’m scared out of my mind still.  But at least, I’ll know that I’ve tried!

I’ve stopped making excuses and started getting out there. I’ve worked out in one way or another everyday this week.  That used to be the norm, but lately I’ve been letting my 3 mile commute count as my workout.  However, between spinning, a Fitmapped event at the Fitness Collective and running, I’m back on track :) .

That’s all for now, but as a teaser, I’ve got a fun fitness giveaway coming up on Friday, make sure to check back!

 

Thinking of Boston

It’s hard to describe my emotions since yesterday afternoon.  Like so many of you, I am shocked and stunned over the events that occurred.  There is great sorrow, fear and sadness in my heart for the entire community of Boston, who had their day of celebration taken away in a merciless, senseless tragedy.  I remember in late October when people were making threats against the NYC marathon; I couldn’t believe that people would respond to a tragedy by threatening to cause another.   The NYC marathon was ultimately canceled to protect the safety of runners.
Marathons represent perseverance, personal challenge,  community and triumph.  Runners from all over the world raise money and awareness for charities that need their support.  Friends and family support runners all year long, and especially on race day when they stand with signs and smiles to greet their crazy runner on the sideline. To me, it’s unthinkable that someone could want to hurt all the people involved in making an event like this happen, friends, family, race officials, medical volunteers and runners.
I came to a point last night, where I had to try to focus on the positives, the amazing way that Boston and the world has come to together to support the individuals impacted yesterday.  On facebook and twitter, the outpouring of support is incredible. It is comforting to find my emotions were shared around the world. It was the power of social media at it’s best.
Through twitter, facebook and blogs, I came across articles that helped restore my faith in humanity in the wake of these tragedies.  I thought would share some of the tweets and articles that highlight the amazing good in human nature.
Stories of Kindness After the Bombing (a truly incredible article)

Thanks to generosity of volunteer blood donors there is currently enough blood on the shelves to meet demand. #BostonMarathon

Lastly, an amazing article in the Washington Post that reminds of us Katherine Switzer’s great words, “if you’re losing faith in humanity, go out and watch a marathon.”

Finally, thank you to Greatist (and Laura for tweeting) for posting How to Help: Boston Marathon Support and Resources.