Very Meh About BFX

Remember when I got the deal of a lifetime? 5 classes via Class Pass for $20? $4 a class? Well, turns out I had a brain fart and missed one of the classes. So instead, I only got to try out 4 classes. C'est la vie. 

For my last class I attended BFX Build at BFX's Chelsea studio (555 6th Avenue - between 15th & 16th streets and conveniently RIGHT next to the FM subway).

THE STUDIO

It was a surprise for me to learn that BFX partners with Cyc - a spin class that I've taken quite a few times. (You can read reviews here and here).

BFX offers a ton of different membership and class options. Their website, to be completely honest, is confusing and overwhelming. There are Cyc classes, BFX Burn, BFX Build, BFX Barre, Box & Strength, BFX PTC Endure, BFX TRX, BFX Friction and BFX PTC Lift. Not to mention there is a personal training area with tons of cross-fit-esque machines like the air bike and True From treadmills.

On top of all that, they market their use of heart rate monitors pretty heavily on their website despite the fact that when I showed up and asked for one to use during class I was told that, "They don't usually work." Heart rate monitors weren't mentioned once during the class - not even a reference to what percent of your heart rate you should be working at throughout the circuits.

To me, it seemed that BFX is having a little bit of an identity crisis. They're trying to do it all. Trying to be a crossfit box, boutique group fitness studio, gym, cycling studio, Orange Theory amalgamation. And to be quite frank - they're not only failing to be good at all of the above - they're failing to be great at any one of those things.

The class I took is described as

A combination of TRX, kettlebells and UGI balls, this dynamic, full-body workout will build lean muscle, develop your core, improve your strength and fuel your body and mind.

And to be fair, it did all of the above. Except maybe fueling my mind. 

THE CLASS

BFX Build was set up as a circuit after a short warm up of jogging in place and jumping jacks. 

CIRCUIT ONE

:60 Walk Out Push-Up Ladder - start with one walk-out push-up, work your way up to as many reps as possible within a minute.

2 Minutes Single Leg Dead Lifts (:60 each leg) - for PT, I've been doing a lot of unweighted single-leg dead lifts and its been challenging because balance and glute/hamstring strength are not my specialties. Seeing people doing single leg dead lifts with 35 pound kettlebells was a real wake up call as I struggled with an 18 pounder.

:60 TRX Pushups - These not only burned my arms, but my abs!

:60 Burpees - I found myself completing 13-15 burpees in the 1 minute time frame.

X 3

We completed this circuit three times through with no rest for a total of 15 working minutes.

AB CIRCUIT

This section was really called "ab blaster" or "ab burner" or something like that but I can't seem to remember the exact terminology. Semantics.

:30 Slow Mountain Climbers With Sliders- the instructor, Derek, really encouraged us to do these slowly and focus on using our abs to draw our knees in without moving our hips. I really appreciated the fact that he made it clear that form was more important than anything else.

:30 Up and Outs - Leg lowers/raises with a booty pop at the top to really hammer home the lower ab work.

X 3

Again, we went through the circuit 3 times without stopping for 3 minutes of ab work. 3 minutes straight of ab work will really give you a nice burrrrn.

CIRCUIT TWO

:30 TRX Row Right Arm- These took some getting used to and while they don't appear like a big arm workout, once you get the form down right you're sure to feel it!

10 Reps Kettlebell Row Right Arm - going from TRX row to kettlebell row on the same arm was a big challenge.

:30 TRX Row Left Arm

10 Reps Kettlebell Row Left Arm

:60 TRX Back Lunge Left Leg- these were really hard. With one leg in the TRX strap, you had to go into a back lunge until your back knee touched the ground. Then, to make things even harder, on your way up, Derek encouraged us to add a hop. These were killlllllller.

:60 TRX Back Lunge Right Leg

:30 Kettlebell Thrusters - These are a pretty common Crossfit exercise and one that Derek came around and helped me out with form-wise. I always love getting tips during a class - it's like a mini personal training session!

:30 Kettlebell Swings - Derek told me I should be using the 35 pound kettlebell for these instead of the 18 pound one I swung on the first round of this circuit. EEK! I hated how hard it was, but liked being challenged and pushed.

X 3

We repeated this circuit 3 times for 15 minutes of work.

AB CIRCUIT

We finished up with another 3 minute ab circuit. 

:30 Army Crawls With Sliders- Oh boy, I don't think I ever realized how hard these are when your feet are on sliders!

:30 Jack Knifes

X 3

Total: 36 minutes of work + Warm Up + Cool Down for a total of 50 minutes. 

THE INSTRUCTOR

Derek was a good instructor who helped with form throughout the class, was full of encouragement, and explained each circuit ahead of time. He had a laid back yet "work hard" vibe about him. 

WHAT I LIKED: 

• I love a class that's broken into circuits. These went by fast, though I didn't love repeating the same circuit three times in a row without a break. 
• This class encouraged you to use heavy weights.
• Derek was attentive to form and offered corrections throughout the class.
• The ab circuits hurt like hell, and I've been slacking in that department so it was a nice change.
• I liked using TRX, Kettlebells AND gliders since I don't use them a ton on my own. 
• I was sore as hell the next day, which made me feel like even if I didn't love the class, it had been effective. 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: 

• Unfortunately, I disliked more about this class than I liked. First of all, I didn't like the fact that they advertise as using heart rate technology and that was completely non-existent from my experience.
• The room was pretty damn crowded and they ran out of some sizes of kettlebells that I would have liked to use.
• I understand that this was a strength focused class, but I prefer classes with a little more cardio.
• I didn't really love any of the exercises. I know, I know - it's supposed to be hard and challenging, not "fun." But there are some exercises that while tortuously difficult, are also somehow enjoyable. You know what I mean? I think you know what I mean. It's different for everyone. For me, this class didn't have any of those "ouch but yay lets do it" exercises.
• I didn't get any sort of community vibe from the studio. 

THE RUNDOWN

*Based on a scale of 1-10

The Studio - 8
The space was large and had two studios along with an entire separate gym area with tons of equipment - air bikes, rowers, spin bikes, a True Form treadmill, etc.

Class Size - Large
The class was packed and I do think it affected the experience.

Sweat-Scale - 7
I was definitely sweaty by the end of this but like I said - it was a much more strength-focused workout so I didn't have that "holy cow I'm sweating buckets because I just did sprints and burpees" sweat.

Fun-Factor - 5
Unfortunately, I was very very solidly "meh" at the end of this class.

Amenities - 7
What you would expect from a boutique fitness studio. Nothing over the top, but very luxurious for us New York Sports Club regulars.

Cost - $$$ 
(<$20 = $, $20-$30 = $$ and $30+ = $$$) 

BOTTOM LINE

If you're looking for a circuit based class - I would look elsewhere. I've taken classes that I leave SO excited about. There are classes that I can't wait to share with readers because I want them to go and feel the same endorphin-induced high that I got from the class.

BFX wasn't one of those classes. It just left something to be desired and was lacking that extra "oomph." I really think it has to do with the fact that they're trying to do too much.

You can read about the other Class Pass workouts I tried below! 

WTF: WORK TRAIN FIGHT

B|X: BRICK

CONCRETE JUNGLE CROSS FIT

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Why My First 5 Boro Bike Tour Was A Bust

In my short time as a bike owner, I've come to realize that New York City is not the most bike-friendly city - especially for someone just starting out. Sure we have miles and miles of designated bike lanes - but these lanes are part of busy streets where cyclists are forced to dodge buses, pedestrians, taxis and more. 

In 2013 there were 6,328 reported bicycle/motorist crashes in NY. So when I read that NYC is ranked #1 in "Bike Friendly Cities" I am verrrry skeptical of the criteria. 

But once a year, in the spring, 40 miles of NYC roadways become a playground for cyclists. In it's 40th year, the TD Bank 5 Boro Bike Tour is a chance for biking fans of all ages to ride all day with no fear of cars, buses, tourists or taxis. 

It's just you, your bike and open road. Oh, and over 30,000 other participants. 

For years I've heard how wonderful the TD Bank 5 Boro Bike Tour is. I know many people who insist you have to do it at least once, while others sign up year after year. 

Once I had a legit road bike, I knew I wanted in. I paid the steep entry fee (around $100) a few months ago and before I knew it, it was time to start preparing for the ride. 

TRAINING? 

I didn't do a lot to "train" for this bike ride. The 40 mile distance was intimidating, but in the end, I knew that it was a no pressure, casual ride and I could likely make it to the finish. Especially after my journey over the GW Bridge and into the Palisades, a ride that ending up totaling around 38 miles, I knew I had it in me. 

I attempted to do one more long ride the weekend before the tour, but I ended up falling off my bike and quitting. 

BYE CLIP IN PEDALS 

I had been told to expect some crowded areas during the ride, as cyclists of all skill-levels are out there. There are people with carbon fiber tri bikes and there are also people out for a joy ride on their Citi Bikes. 

I was expecting a lot of stop and go and to be surrounded by some people even more  uncomfortable on their bikes than I am - so I had my platform pedals put back on my bike before the ride. 

No thank you to clipping in and out and being petrified for 40 miles. 

Biking is NOT a cheap hobby, I'm coming to learn, nor is it convenient. I now need to get my bike back to a shop to have my clip-less pedals reinstalled. Will the headaches of cycling never end? Sorry, I'm being a grouch. 

BIKE EXPO 

In order to pick up my ride packet, I made my way over to South Street during my lunch break, where the expo was being held.

It was almost exactly like any running expo I've been to which meant sampling a lot of granola bars and taking any free thing that I could only to get home and say, "I HAVE NO USE FOR THIS WHY DID I TAKE A FREE PENCIL!?" 

As per usual, I spent unnecessary money on something because, "It's SUCH a good deal!" And workout clothes are my weakness. I walked away with my first cycling jersey - the Giro Ride short sleeve jersey in WILD LIME. It's retail price is $100 and I snagged it for $30 so I don't feel too guilty. 

As part of each participant's packet you get a bib to pin to yourself, a bib to twist-tie to the front of your bike, and a helmet cover that says TD 5 Boro Bike tour! No ride shirt BOO HISS. 

THE FORECAST 

Once I was done frolicking in the sunshine at Bear Mountain on Saturday it was time to face the facts - the forecast for Sunday's bike ride was miserable. Starting at 8 a.m. there was a 50% chance of rain throughout the morning. And it was a cold, windy rain too. 

My professor from grad school, who I was supposed to meet up with at the start, decided that it wasn't worth it. But I'm poor, and the fact that I had spent $100 for this bike ride made me feel obligated to at least give it a try. 

PRE-RIDE

In order to get more rain-free miles in, since I didn't expect to slough it out for all 40 miles, I rode to the start from my apartment. It was about 7 miles total, and the fact that I wasn't clipped in made it a whole lot less stressful. It also helped that it was 6:45 a.m. and the roads were basically car-free. Plus, as I got close to the start, there were tons of other 5 Boro Bike tour participants headed to the corals that I could follow. Directions aren't my specialty, so I was happy to have people to guide me. 

I found my way to the coral and waited for Wave 2 to be sent on our way at 8:10 a.m. 

As I sat in the corral waiting to start, I looked around and realized that thankfully, I was by no means the only cyclist without fenders on my tires. I knew going fender-less would result in lots of wet, muddy spray from the ground, but the price tag just wasn't worth it to me. $50+ to buy them and have them installed is a lot when I don't plan on making rain-rides a regular occurrence.

There were a lot of people at the start who seemed to have plastic bags or shower caps around their feet which would have been a good call - I'm clearly not a seasoned pro when it comes to dressing myself for 40 mile bike rides. 

Looking back, I probably would have lasted longer had I dressed warmer, but, c'est la vie!  I wore: 

• Icebreaker Merino Wool Beanie under my helmet
• Long Sleeve Dri-Fit Shirt 
• Fancy Shmancy Nike Winter/Rain Jacket 
• Northface Fleece Lined Winter Running Leggings 
• High socks over my leggings 
• Buff
• Winter Bike Gloves 
• SPIbelt

After some speeches from TD Bank execs (I have a strange obsession/love for TD Bank) and race directors, we were off! 

THE RIDE

I noticed lots of people with interesting things attached to their helmets in an effort to keep their sights on people in their groups. There were pineapples and beers that made me laugh.

The ride started up 6th Avenue and it was awesome riding through midtown with not a car in site! Hellooooo Bryant Park! Hey office! Lots of TD Banks that we passed had employees out cheering the riders on. 

Though the rain started promptly at 8:00 a.m., I was surprised at how high everyone's spirits seemed. There was lots of "Woo"ing and laughing and jokes around me. And for awhile, I was really diggin' the ride more than I had expected. 

While there were certainly tons of other people out there, it wasn't ever horribly congested - especially since I wasn't looking to break any records with my speed!

We made our way up to Central Park and I considered ducking out at Engineer's Gate to go to my apartment but decided to keep going. 

There were a few parts where you had to stop at crosswalks to let pedestrians through, but nothing too obnoxious. Everyone seemed to be having a great time which confused me a little because the weather was so miserable but, maybe those people were dressed warmer than me! 

Up in the 100s I started getting more and more cranky and after a quick stop to use a portapotty I decided that when I approached 96th Street on the FDR I would peel off the route and head home.

But before that, there was a quick roll through the Bronx (I can't believe how short the course in the Bronx is!) and over two bridges which was again pretty darn cool. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

I headed home after about 12 miles on the course for a total of 20ish for the day. Though it was cold, lonely and wet (not to mention uncomfortable considering all the bruises I got at Bear Mountain) I was proud of myself for doing it at all. I was just bummed that the weather had ruined what would have been an awesome, fun day in the sunshine! 

I guess there's next year? (Except not really, because I've sworn off paying lots of money for bike rides that could end up with a forecast like THIS - not worth it to me!) 

When I got home, I scrolled through Instagram and realized just how many 10K, half marathon and marathoners had trudged through the rain that morning as well. Special shout out to my best friend Allison for running her second half marathon in those conditions! 

YOUR TURN: 
WHAT'S THE LONGEST BIKE RIDE YOU'VE EVER BEEN ON? 
DO YOU LIKE RIDING IN THE RAIN? 
WHAT ABOUT RUNNING IN IT? 

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Is An Equinox Membership Worth Your Hard-Earned Cash?

In New York City, Equinox is typically known as the gym you go to if you're rich, ripped or runway-worthy. While I am none of those things, I did enjoy my few days as a member. You can read my reviews of the 5 classes I checked out here:

Ropes & Rowers
PURSUIT Spin
METCON3
30/60/90
Athletica

People pay big bucks for memberships at Equinox. Like, $200+ a month. That may sound cray cray to you, but there were quite a few times that I started to seriously consider whether or not it was worth it.

Reasons Equinox Is Worth The Hype

INNOVATIVE CLASSES

There are a huge variety of classes to choose from as an Equinox member. Many of these classes aren't cookie-cutter yoga and Zumba that you find at some other gyms. Equinox is pushing the envelope and offering cutting-edge classes that use new technology and the latest trends in fitness.

The Ropes & Rowers class was an awesome experience - one that people pay lots of money to take at boutique fitness studios like Row House and City Row where classes cost upwards of $30. 

A class like PURSUIT Spin uses new technology to create a unique experience that you won't find in just any spin class.

TOP-NOTCH EQUIPMENT 

All of the machines in Equinox are so shiny and new looking! And the fact that they casually roll in water-rowers and battling ropes for a 45 minute class blows my mind. 

There are not just a huge variety of foam rollers, but STICKS for your recovery sessions.

Sadly, I never got around to doing my own weight session at Equinox - I only took classes - but from what I saw, there are a LOT of options and no one area was ever over-run with people. Which brings me to - 

SPACE

Equinox gyms, at least the 3 locations that I saw, are pretty massive. So much room for activities! There's a main studio, a yoga studio, a spin studio and a room with Megaformers (torture device)!  

CLASS SIGN-UPS

Aside from spin classes and the treadmill-based group fitness class - there are no sign-ups required for Equinox classes. Is this easy? YES. Does it mean some classes can get pretty packed? Yes, it means that as well. But there is no dealing with cancelling, paying cancellation fees, signing up the second the class opens up online, etc. that is required at a lot of other gyms. 

*For me, I like the accountability of signing up and knowing I'm going to get charged if I don't show up. BUT, it's frustrating when something comes up last minute and it's not my laziness that's preventing me from getting to the gym. 

THOSE SHOWERS

When I start my day with a shower at NYSC, I don't feel exceptionally clean. 

After 5 days of showers at Equinox - I felt like I had been showering in a spa. Those Kiehl's products, the spaciousness of the showers - there's something to be said for ending a workout with a luxurious feeling shower instead of "how quick can I make this, some woman's hair is caked to the side of this shower and it's way too close for comfort." 

CAFES & JUICE 

Most Equinox locations have a cafe or juice bar attached to them. If you can afford the $200 membership, it probably means you can also afford the $10 green juice post-workout. 

Why I'm Not Going To Give Equinox All My Money

At the end of the day, Equinox does offer an elevated gym experience. There's no denying it.

But a gym,when all is said and done, is a place for you to go to move, sweat and lift heavy things. And a gym with a $50 membership still lets you do all of those things. 

The gym is what you make it. Your workout is what you make it. And with the money you save on a cheaper gym, you can spend a day at a spa, luxuriating in marble showers. You can take a few boutique classes at a place like SWERVE or The P.E. Club. You can afford that mid-week or post-hangover green juice even though it's insanely overpriced. 

And you can still get in a great workout. You can still find kick-ass classes with top-notch instructors. You can be creative with the available equipment. 

And you can have some extra cash moneyz for things like margaritas and ice cream cones because 

SPRING IS HERE! 

Then again - you could say, "I go to the gym every day and therefore I'm willing to pay top dollar for the best of the best." 

You could also say, "I have a body and the great outdoors - I don't need to no stinkin' gym!" 

Or, you could say, "Give me SOULCycle or give me death! I just want a membership at my favorite boutique studio." 

I'm not here to tell you what to do. But for me, a moderately priced gym as a place to take classes and do my strength training is what I require - the rest of the time  you'll find me pounding the pavement, riding my bike (ugh) or treating myself to the occasional boutique fitness class. 

And if I magically get a large raise or win the lottery despite not buying lotto tickets - maybe you'll find me at Equinox. 

For now, I'll be at NYSC avoiding the hairy showers.  It was fun, Equinox. 

YOUR TURN: 
IS A GYM MEMBERSHIP SOMETHING YOU ARE WILLING TO SPLURGE ON? 
WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE ABOUT YOUR GYM? 

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My Week At Equinox: Athletica

I'm taking you along for the ride on my 7 days as an Equinox member. Check out my other posts: 

Ropes & Rowers
PURSUIT Cycling + A Swim
METCON3
30/60/90

Day 5 & 6: Sorry, Equinox 

I had planned on taking some yoga or pilates classes at Equinox over the weekend, but that didn't end up happening. Instead, I took the day off on Saturday and ran a 4 mile race in Central Park on Sunday.

Day 7: Athletica 

It seems that I unintentionally ended up saving the best for last in my 7 day free-trial at Equinox. 

I had planned on starting the week on the right foot with a morning gym class on Monday. But when I found myself at Game 6 of the Islander's playoff series against the Florida Panthers - a game that ended in double overtime - and not in my bed until well past midnight, I knew that wasn't in the cards. 

Instead, I used my lunch break to go to a class called Athletica on my lunch break. 

The Equinox website describes Athletica as, "Sculpt and train your body like an athlete for an hour. Ilaria’s new class burns fat and delivers a strong athletic body. High intensity exercises based on power endurance and progressive strength training and strong emphasis on a strong core. Be prepared to sweat and test your willpower!"

I also realized that on the Equinox website, it gives you a chart explaining the focus of each class as it relates to strength, cardio, flexibility and regeneration. This is a great feature that I wish I had used earlier in my trial! 

THE SET UP 

For this class all you need is your body and a few different sets of dumbbells. I picked up 10, 12, 8 and 5 lb dumbbells and ended up using them all at different points in the class. 

CIRCUIT ONE 

• 16 Dumbbell Clean & Presses 
• 8 Weighted Squat Thrusts
• 24 Double-Dumbbell Swings (Wide or Narrow Stance) 
• 24 Renegade Rows
• :60 4 Jumping Lunges + Burpee 

CIRCUIT TWO 

• Repeat

CIRCUIT THREE 

• Repeat
• We changed up the :60 of cardio to 2 Jumps Squats + Burpee 

"REST" - DELT STRENGTH WORK 

• :60 Alternating Front Raises
• :60 Alternating Single Arm/Double Arm Lateral Raises
• :60 Flys 
• :60 Alternating Hammer Curl and Press with palms facing in 

CIRCUIT 4

For this round, each exercise got an added +8 reps. The cardio portioned remained :60 long.

• 24 Dumbbell Clean & Presses 
• 16 Weighted Squat Thrusts 
• 32 Double-Dumbbell Swings (Wide or Narrow Stance) 
• 32 Renegade Rows
• :60 4 Jumping Lunges + Burpee 

CIRCUIT 5 

• Repeat

"REST" - DELT STRENGTH WORK 

• :60 Alternating Front Raises
• :60 Alternating Single Arm/Double Arm Lateral Raises
• :60 Flys 
• :60 Alternating Hammer Curl and Press with palms facing in 

"LETS REST A LITTLE MORE BEFORE WE FINISH WITH ONE MORE CIRCUIT" 

• 10 Pushups
• :10 Rest
• 8 Rounds.

CIRCUIT 6

• 24 Dumbbell Clean & Presses 
• 16 Weighted Squat Thrusts 
• 32 Double-Dumbbell Swings (Wide or Narrow Stance) 
• 32 Renegade Rows
• :60 4 Jumping Lunges + Burpee 

Holy SMOKES. 

By far one of the best gym classes I've taken.

WHAT I LIKED 

The fact that this was a circuit-style class obviously appealed to me, since that's my favorite way to strength train. 

Each move within the circuit was a compound exercise which means we were working more than one muscle group at a time. But then, when we did the sets of delt exercises, we were focusing on isolation exercises. 

Even though there was no real "rest" the isolation exercises were the perfect time for your heart rate to settle down before ramping it back up again with more circuits. HIIT at it's finest. 

I was dripping sweat, the moves weren't requiring me to jump up and down (aside from the burpees) and I was using my ENTIRE body throughout the class. 

Plus, I loved the fact that this was a true strength training class - I felt strong and used 10 or 12 lb. dumbbells - not 5 pounders (except for those front and lateral raises - woooof!)  

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

The only real complain I have is that the studio was FRRRREEEZING cold. The weights hurt to hold because the metal was so cold. But honestly, after one circuit the sweat had started to drip and I forgot I had ever been chilly.

This was quite the way to wrap up my classes at Equinox.

I wish I had fit in more during my 7 days - I planned on some two-a-days with a strength class + yoga or abs/Pilates but it didn't end up happening. C'est la vie.

Next post, I'll wrap up my final thoughts about the experience - did I end up so enamored that I joined? Stay tuned.

CLIFFHANGER!

YOUR TURN:
O YOU HAVE A FAVORITE GROUP FITNESS CLASS?
WHY IS IT YOUR FAVORITE?

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My Week At Equinox: 30/60/90

I'm taking you along for the ride on my 7 days as an Equinox member. Check out my other posts: 

Ropes & Rowers
PURSUIT Cycling + A Swim
METCON3

Day 4: 30/60/90

I thought the class I was going to was going to be "Whipped" but turns out, I ended up in 30/60/90 - a non-stop, sweaty, cardio-centric HIIT class. 

SET-UP

You guessed it - exercises performed for 30 seconds, 60 seconds and 90 seconds. There is literally NO rest the entire class. You're "recovery" is all active recovery which means non-stop moving. At the end of each interval, you're encouraged to step it up a notch for the final 15 seconds! 

EQUIPMENT

This class used a step, a body bar and yourself for a mix of plyometric, cardio and strength moves. 

WHAT I LIKED

• SO MUCH SWEAT! There is no way to leave this class feeling like you didn't get in a good workout. 
• Since I was taking the week off from running, I liked that this class had a lot of cardio moves with the stepper. That being said, when I'm running a lot, I tend to try to find gym classes that focus more on strength for my cross-training days. 
• The class ended with 3 :30 intervals where you picked your 3 favorite moves from the class. Freestyle! 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE 

• The instructor didn't really give any corrections - because he had to stay at the front of the room constantly letting us know what was up next. 
• Jumping is rough on my shins, especially on hard gym floors. 30/60/90 has a lot of jumping. 

This class is not for the faint of heart. Now that I've gone once, it would be really daunting for me to get my butt in there again knowing how much work it was going to be. But it's totally worth it for the sweat & endorphins you'll have at the end of 45 minutes!

YOUR TURN: 
DO LIKE HIIT WORKOUTS? 

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My Week At Equinox: METCON3

I'm taking you along for the ride on my 7 days as an Equinox member. You can read about my first class, Ropes and Rowers, here and my second class, PURSUIT spin, here.

Day Three: METCON3

On Thursday, I had a PT appointment in the morning which meant an after-work gym visit. I'm not a big fan of waiting until the end of the day for my workout, but knowing I had a class I wanted to check out helped motivate me to go. Plus, I knew all I had to do was what the instructor told us to do - no thinking required.

Still, at the end of a long day I was a little nervous about the "fat incinerating" total body workout that METCON3 is advertised as.

THE SET UP

The way this class works is my favorite way to workout - pick a bunch of exercises, do them all without stopping. Rest. Repeat.

10 Exercises.
Perform each exercise for 60 seconds.
Rest 60 seconds.
Repeat 10 exercises for 60 seconds each.
Rest 60 seconds.
Repeat again.

That's three rounds of a 10-exercise circuit, for those of you who saw lots of numbers and skipped ahead.

THE EXERCISES

• Box Front Squat with Dumbbells
• Incline row in plank position
• Plank Jax + Pushups
• Diagonal lunge with dumbbell high pull
• Regular Pushup/Incline Pushup
• Squat slams
• Step up lunges
• Curl and press sitting on box with feet up
• Toe taps
• Incline bicycle

FINISHERS

Just when you're relieved that you've made it through round #3 - hold up (wait a minute, put a little boom in it - booooom dynamite...). There's more.

• 20 Single arm sand bag slams
• 20 Should tap puships
• 20 Butt kick jumps

No rest in between those three finishers. Wooooof.

WHAT I LIKED

I loved the way that METCON3 was set up. The circuit-style is my favorite. I also really liked the fact that METCON3 wasn't just a cardio class with burpees and jumping jacks, etc. There were weights and lots of strength moves.

It was also great that each of these moves had different levels that the instructor offered. A level 1, 2, 3 (hard, harder and hardest they should have been called!)

By the end of the class, you could challenge yourself by trying to "level up" on one or more of the exercises.  Or just try to make it to the end alive. Either way.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

I didn't like the fact that the instructor started class and taught us all the exercises along the way. It meant that the entire first round of exercises I was unsure what I was doing which meant a lot of wasted time not actually doing the exercises.

It would have been easy enough to run through the 10 exercises ahead of time, which would have helped a lot to make round 1 more efficient (and sweatier).

However, since that's just the particular instructor that I had, I would definitely recommend the METCON3 class at Equinox. Or, just use this format to set up your very own kick-ass workout! Just try to make sure you're using exercises that target all the different muscle groups.

YOUR TURN: 
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE EXERCISES TO PUT INTO A CIRCUIT? 

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My Week At Equinox: PURSUIT Spin Class + A Swim

I'm taking you along for the ride on my 7 days as an Equinox member. You can read about my first class, Ropes and Rowers, here. 

Day Two: The PURSUIT 

For Tuesday morning's workout I decided to try a spin class at Equinox and was surprised to find that the bikes were very similar to those used at Swerve. That means METRICS which is always a positive in my opinion. 

I went into the class not knowing what to expect in terms of if I would be able to ride in my Nike's or if their bikes would only be able to be used by clip-in spin shoes but I was pleasantly surprised to find that an Equinox staff member was going around putting cages on pedals for riders who couldn't clip in. He was also taking said cages off of pedals for people that had spin shoes. 

I hopped on my bike and took in the scene - a very large spin studio (I would guess 40 bikes) but a raised platform for the instructor. Melissa Morin taught the class, and I recognized her from when she used to teach at New York Sports Club. I liked her style then and I still like it now - though the way PURSUIT is set up requires much less from the instructor. 

Behind the instructor is a bigggggg screen that makes the class feel like you're playing video games on your bike. 

METRICS 

Your bike will show you your RPMs, MPH, total mileage, and watts. I missed having a metric that shows "resistance." What's most important throughout the class is your watts - or power you're producing as you spin. 

5 GAME FORMAT

After a few minute warm-up, it was time for the workout to begin. PURSUIT is broken up into 5 "games," each lasting between 4-6 minutes. The ultimate goal is for the entire class to reach a pre-determined wattage score by the end of these 5 games - the more people in the class, the more wattage you'll need to produce. 

GAME 1 

During game one, we focused on our RPMs. For one minute the goal was to spin between 65-75 RPMs before increasing to 85-95 for a minute and then a minute at 105+. Then, we repeated. The graphics on the screen showed each person in the class as their bike number in a circle. That circle glowed and filled up as your wattage increased. 

For this game, there were two horizontal lines that represented the high end of RPMs we were aiming for and the low end of RPMs. The goal was to keep your dot shining bright in the middle of those two lines. 

GAME 2 

Game two focused on distance intervals. You clicked a button on your bike's screen which zeroed out your distance (though your total mileage remained) and then tried to spin your way to .25 miles as quickly as possible. You took the rest you needed before clearing the screen and sprinting to another .25 miles. 

The goal was to accumulate as many quarter-miles as you could in the allotted time (the studio record was 14!) 

GAME 3

In this round, riders were partnered up with someone else in the room and switched off riding every :30 racing the rest of the pairs in the class. The screen continued to show your glowing circle, as well as where you were in regards to the rest of the class on your race. 

The screen also highlighted which teams were competing for first and second place - a huge boost to the individuals on those teams (as proven by the last minute come from behind victory by the team in 2nd place!) 

GAME 4 

Another game was similar to game 1 as we focused on staying within a prescribed RPM range. The challenge was that between 65-105 RPMs we had to try to keep our resistance the same! Ouch. 

GAME 5 

The last game split the entire class into different teams. The whole team sprinted as hard and fast as they could for 1:00 before getting a break - the team that amassed the most power (watts) won that round. 

WHAT I LIKED 

Metrics. 

Always diggin' the metrics. Even though lately, I've discovered that the metrics make me feel pretty damn bad about myself! Here I was thinking I was pretty decent in a spin class and, well, not so much. At best it's motivating to see just how much I can improve and at worst it's discouraging to see how much more power my classmates were able produce throughout the 50 minute class. 

DIY. 

Stand when you want, sit when you want. Make the resistance what you want. This can go both ways depending on the day - sometimes I need the structure of detailed instructions to get the most out of my ride, but some days it's nice to feel in control of my own workout. 

TECHY. 

This class is super high-tech. The games and graphics are awesome. For games where you're partnered with someone - if there's an uneven number of people you have a computer ride with you that performs exactly as you were performing. If it's a team game and one team is lacking a player, there's a computer rider that produces results that equal the average of the other riders. I'm not a tech-person at all, but it really impressed me thinking that someone designed all this stuff! 

It's also awesome to crank up your resistance, keep your RPMs the same and watch your icon on the screen start to glow brighter - it KNOWS. 

COMPETITION. 

This class has team competition. partner competition, group competition (the entire class is trying to reach an end watt goal throughout), and solo competition. After each game, the screen will show the leader board - the top 8 female riders and the top 8 male riders for some extra motivation. 

POWER. 

I love that this class isn't like SoulCycle or Cyc - it doesn't matter how FAST your legs are flying around the flywheel. What matters is producing WATTS. POWER. Strength. No dancing on your bike. No bicep curls on the bike with baby weights. 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE 

SHOES. 

My own fault, but not being clipped in for this class was a major bummer. 

WOMP WOMP. 

I was shocked at how poorly I performed. My sad little circle was by far the least brightly shining. I thought it might have to do with the fact that my age, weight, height, etc. wasn't in the Equinox system, but since the class is based on watts - it's essentially how well you're able to keep up your RPMs at heavier resistance - which I apparently am not-so-good at. It was disheartening, but I did what I could and left feeling like I had gotten in a solid workout for sure. 

BIKE COMPUTER. 

It drove me CRAZY that the computer on the bike had a button you had to KEEP PRESSING to turn the light on if you wanted to see your numbers. I wish that it would have just stayed turned out!! 

Overall, I really really liked this spin class. It was high-intensity but also focused on strength. It went really quickly because of the 5-game format. It had metrics, it had good music, the instructor was great and the competitive aspect kept me putting in a solid effort. I would like to see more studios implement this "gaming goes to the gym" idea! 

Day Two: Swim 

Tuesday I went for the two-a-day. After work  I headed to a different Equinox location (Columbus Circle) to meet up with my friend Kaitlin and check out the pool. Entering through the Shops at Columbus Circle - I eventually managed to find my way to the pool. 

It was SO NICE swimming in a 25 yard pool vs. an 18 yard pool. It doesn't sound like much, but it made a difference. 

The lanes were very crowded though (2-3 people per lane) - probably because we were there after work as opposed to early in the morning. 

Instead of just showing up at the pool and aimlessly swimming back and forth which is SO BORING to me, I looked online and found some suggested workouts which I modified since I can swim like 50 yards at a time before I need to stop for a breather. Hey, at least I #Tri. Ha, get it? 

I had my workouts written on index cards which was like, DUH LAUREN, pool + paper. The woman I was sharing a lane with clearly knew what she was doing and had her workout in a zip lock baggie. Now I know! 

SWIM WORKOUT 

Warm Up - 100 Yards
4 x 25 - Counting my strokes and trying to stay consistent
4 x 50 - :30 rest between each 50 yards
4 x 25 - Counting my strokes and trying to stay consistent
100 Yards
4 x 25 - Breathe every 4th stroke
4 x 25 - Breathe every 2nd stroke
8 x 25 sprints with :30 rest
100 yards counting strokes per length
4 x 25 sprints (as few breaths as possible) with :30 rests
100 yards counting strokes per length
4 x 25 kicking (alternate sides) 
2 x 25 no kicking
2 x 25 hands in fists

Total: 1500 yards 

It took me about an hour and was much better for me than just going to swim for an hour. But still not enjoyable by any means. Glad that my friend was there to hold me accountable for showing up! 

YOUR TURN: 
ANY TIPS FOR CREATING A SWIM WORKOUT?  
ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR EQUINOX CLASSES I SHOULDN'T MISS DURING MY FREE TRIAL? 

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My Week At Equinox: Ropes & Rowers

When I first moved to New York City, I prided myself on 12+ months bouncing from gym to gym on free-trial memberships and Groupons. I was a poor college student who was trying her damnedest to stay fit without paying for a membership fee. 

NYSC, David Barton, Crunch, 24-Hour Fitness - you name it, I found a way to get a free trial.

One place that I always held off on was Equinox. The reason I never signed up for a free trial there, despite being bombarded by emails from them, is that I'm going to be so sad when it's over.  

Equinox is like the Emerald City of gyms in New York City. It's got the answer to everyone's problems, just like the wizard. Everyone raves about their clean locker rooms stocked with Kiehl's shower products. Everyone knows Equinox is filled with fabulously fit people using all the latest equipment. If you're thinking, "If I only had a brain..." nope, you don't need one because Equinox has so many different classes that take all the thought out of figuring out your workout plan. 

So I've been hesitant to activate my free trial because of the sadness that will come when it's over and I have to say goodbye. But the perfect storm of scenarios arose and today I started my 7-days as an Equinox member. 

After an 8-mile long run on Sunday, I promised my physical therapist to take 5 days off of running so I could go back and re-asses before ramping up my mileage in the final weeks before the Brooklyn Half Marathon. 

A few weeks ago, I had my InBody scan done at Equinox as part of a ProjectFit through my work - our final weigh in is on May 4 and I had to activate my 7-day trial before then. 

SO - no running for 5 days but the green light for any other exercise seemed like the perfect opportunity to try out as many Equinox classes as I could fit into a 7-day span. Challenge accepted. 

Day 1: Ropes and Rowers

The first class I signed up for was called "Ropes and Rowers." Equinox describes it on their website as, "A full body circuit built on battling ropes and the WaterRower, driving balanced strength and greater cardio fitness to propel your performance. The exhilarating solo and team competition will push you to bring it, beat it and brag about it." 

Warm-Up 

First, the instructor described to us how the class would work - quickly demonstrating each exercise. Then, we did a 2-3 minute warm-up with a rotation of

• 50 high knees
• 10 burpees
• 10 push-ups
• 30 mountain climbers

I was a little scared for class to start after that warm-up. 

Set-Up

The class was set up in four separate stations which you rotate through 2 times. Though the workout is technically only 28 minutes long - I guarantee you'll feel accomplished by the end of it. 

Round One - 4 Minutes Per Station (16 Minutes Total)

Station One - 

• 1 Minute Up and Overs on the Stepper 
• 1 Minute Weighted Punches
• 1 Minute Burpees with a Push-Up on the Stepper 
• 1 Minute Knee Ins and Pike Ups with the Glider

Station Two - The Ropes

• One partner stands on weights while the other does rope variation (squat jumps, in and outs or burpees) 
• Pull the weight/ropes towards you 
• Push the weight back 
• Switch 

Station Three - Weights 

• 10 Reps Squat/Curl/Press with 12 lb dumbbells 
• 10 Reps Row/Tricep Extension with 8 lb dumbbells 
• 10 Reps V-Ups with 12 lb dumbbells 

Station Four - WaterRower

• 4 minutes of rowing - goal = 1,000 meters

Round Two - 3 Minutes Per Station (12 Minutes Total)

Station One - 

• 1 Minute Up and Overs on the Stepper 
• 1 Minute Weighted Punches
• 1 Minute Burpees with a Push-Up on the Stepper 

Station Two - The Ropes

• One partner stands on weights while the other does rope variation (squat jumps, in and outs or burpees) 
• Pull the weight/ropes towards you 
• Push the weight back 
• Switch 

Station Three - Weights 

• 10 Reps Squat/Curl/Press with 12 lb dumbbells 
• 10 Reps Row/Tricep Extension with 8 lb dumbbells 
• 10 Reps V-Ups with 12 lb dumbbells 

Station Four - WaterRower

• 3 minutes of 100 meter intervals alternating with your partner (who is on the machine next to you)  

What I Liked 

The instructor explained all of the exercises which was helpful as a newcomer to a class that seemed to be compromised primarily of "regulars." 

I loved that I was dripping in sweat at the end, loved that it was quick & to the point, loved that it featured cardio & strength moves and loved getting to use the ropes and the WaterRowers. 

What Could Be Better

Though the class description made it seem like this would be a competition - the instructor that I took didn't lead it in that way at all. I think that could have added a lot to the class and kicked up the intensity another notch. 

Post-Class

After class I did my physical therapy exercises - side planking and glute bridging up a storm. 

The Locker Rooms

Ok - I will admit that the showers at Equinox are pretty damn magical. There's a whole bench section with towel hooks that's separate from the actual shower and those Kiehl's products are pretty awesome. 

The lockers are digital so there's no need to bring a lock. 

And get this - there is a STEAMER for your clothes. 

Mind blow. 

More to come on my 7 days at Equinox, stay tuned! Tomorrow I'm signed up for a spin class! 

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Every Weekend a New Race

I am in the thick of 9 + 1 which, for those of your who don't know, is a way to guarantee entry into the 2017 New York City Marathon. You pay NYRR to run 9 races, and you volunteer at one of their races (for free) and then you are granted the privilege of paying them ANOTHER $200+ to register for the New York City Marathon. 

Okay, okay I'm sorry for being a grouch. New York Road Runners is a really fabulous organization and when you pay for an annual membership, you save a ton of money on race registration. Plus, having guaranteed entry into the marathon as opposed to crossing my fingers and praying come lottery time is much better for my mental sanity and life planning. 

So far I've run 5 NYRR races this year and already volunteered at the NYC Half. That means 4 more races and I've all but committed to running a third marathon. Gulp.

Every one of my weekends seems to be running-focused now that the races are in full swing. In 8 week I'll have run 6 races and gone for a 40 mile bike ride. It's a bit overwhelming, but it's also re-focusing me.

Since I last did a race recap I ran the Scotland Run (10K) and the City Parks Foundation Run for the Parks (4 Miler) - both in Central Park. 

Scotland Run 10K

The 10K was a welcomed surprise because my shins were virtually pain free! I was able to negative split and felt pretty good about my 48:00 time considering I haven't been doing a whole lot of running. The Scotland Run was my first ever NYRR race and one of the first times I ever stepped foot in Central Park back in 2014. I ran the race with no watch and finished 12th in my age group with a 45:23 (7:19 pace) which remains one of my best 10K times. Crazy looking back on it that it was my first organized race other than a half marathon. First time running Harlem Hill. Nuts. 

Baby runner Lauren had wheels 

Anyway, I like that the Scotland Run goes in the opposite direction than what I always run the park in because it's a distraction and helps make it seem different. 

The entire time I kept thinking I had to run 6.1 miles so my kick was a little too early. .1 may not seem like a lot but I felt it by 6.2 

City Parks Foundation Run for the Parks 4 Miler

The City Parks 4 miler my shins were back to not-so-great but not-bad-enough-to-stop. I ran to the start which meant a solid 2 miles under my belt before the start of the race. NYRR implemented a staggered start for this one - which I am a proponent of. There's nothing worse than that first mile dodging in and out of a massive crowd of people who all seem to be going different speeds. 

Despite the annoying pain in my left shin, my legs were turning over quickly even up and down Central Park's many hills and I was able to finish with a 7:24 pace. After a cup of water I finished with another mile at the end for 7 miles total at around a 7:44 pace which made me feel like the Brooklyn Half might not be tooo awful if I can keep increasing the mileage between now and then. 

I wrapped up the morning with free yoga at lululemon but it was pretty miserable and I did a lot of unprompted child's pose.  

Coming Up

This weekend I'll be shipping up to Boston as a marathon spectator and I'm so pumped to go to a November Project workout and experience the marathon for the first time. The goal is to one day qualify to run it and I think this might be just what I need to light that BQ fire once again. 

I'm hoping to get in 8 miles Saturday or Sunday and a mid-week 10 miler is bouncing around my head for sometime next week so that I can focus on racing my 4 miler on Sunday. 

I'm cautiously optimistic that physical therapy has been somewhat successful - I've been going twice a week for a month now and am trying to be diligent with my exercises and stretches during the week. I haven't been 100% successful but the pain in my shin has started to subside a little and it's moved to a new place which we're thinking may be due to the inserts I've been experimenting with. 

Time will tell, but I'm trying to keep it slow and steady. My weekly mileage has been 10, 14, 16 and this week will be 16 again. 

Here's what's next: 

Sunday, April 24: Run As One 4 Miler
Saturday, April 30: North Face Endurance Challenge Bear Mountain Marathon Relay
Sunday, May 1: 5 Borough Bike Tour
Saturday, May 14: UAE Healthy Kidney 10K
Saturday, May 21: Brooklyn Half Marathon

YOUR TURN: 
WHAT ARE YOU TRAINING FOR? 
DO YOU LIKE RACING OR DO YOU PREFER DOING YOUR OWN THING? 
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE RACE DISTANCE?

7 Reasons to Find Yourself a Weight Date

For a long time, I've loved working out. A sweat sesh a day wasn't a chore - it was my favorite part of the day. My "me" time. 

I had goals, I made progress, I learned a ton. I challenged myself to go faster, to run longer, to get stronger. But recently I've been discouraged to find that my trips to the gym left me feeling uninspired, frustrated and just plain bored.

Leaving the gym used to make me feel like I had just kicked ass and was ready to go out and conquer my day. Even if life and NYC were making me feel a bit small and beat down - in the gym I was on top of the world. But these days, I feel like I'm in a rut that not even dumbbells and burpees can lift me out of. 

Throughout this rut I've gone back and forth between "just push through, it will get better, just go, you won't regret it" and "my bed sounds like a better plan than another disappointing and un-enjoyable workout." 

If you've ever found yourself floundering on the fitness-front, I have a game-changer for you and I'm calling it the WEIGHT DATE. 

Don't worry - this has nothing to do with setting weigh-in dates or a weight loss challenge. 

It has everything to do with finding a badass lady friend to be your motivator if you're struggling to motivate yourself. 

There's certainly something to be said for solo time at the gym - you can get in the zone, focus on the exercises that you want to, go your own speed, and get that quality "me" time that we all need. 

But nothing has shaken up my fitness routine and put the fun back in my gym-time in the past few months like the workouts I've done with a friend. Here's why. 

1. Accountability 

If your weight date is going to be at the gym at 7:00 a.m. - she's counting on your to be there too. Knowing that you're letting someone else down if you hit the snooze button is a major incentive to get out of bed in the morning. 

And if your workout is scheduled at the end of the work day - that can be even harder to show up for. But it's better when, again, you know there's someone waiting for you. 

2. That Extra Oomph

My biggest problem recently was that I left the gym feeling like I just hadn't pushed myself. I hadn't put in a big enough effort and as a result, I felt completely unsatisfied. Sure I had gotten myself to the gym, but I took shortcuts  and that really bothered me. 

I wasn't doing a good job embracing discomfort, and that's something that you have to do at the gym. It's not supposed to be easy.  

If you're like me, a little bit of competition goes a long way. While my weight date and I are certainly not competing, we are pushing each other and that has been HUGE for me. 

"Let's do 12 reps!"

"Well, I usually do 10 but I guess I'll try 12!"

"If she can do :45 of mountain climbers, I guess I'll try to do :45 too instead of my usual :30!"

Competition is the wrong work - we're working together to push ourselves further. 

That being said, being comfortable and communicating with your workout buddy is key. Many times I've had to say, "there's no way I can do that exercise with the same weight as you, I need to drop down 10 pounds." Heck, I'll even do things unweighted while my weight date busts it out with 25 pounds. 

But you'll be much more likely to give that extra oomph, to try those extra reps, to go up those 5 extra pounds, when your weight date gives you that motivation. 

3. Changin' It Up 

Another main reason I was bored at the gym was I had stopped trying new things. I was totally stuck in my boring old comfort zone. 

Finding a workout partner automatically gives you double the options when you're in the gym because I guarantee you that you'll each have a different arsenal of torture techniques. Er, exercises. 

I've been able to step outside my comfort zone and try a ton of knew things thanks to partner workouts. At first, my immediate response was, "No I definitely can't do that - I'll just stick with the version that I'm used to." 

It made all the difference in the world to be told, "No, just try." Eventually, I did and BOOM - so many new favorite exercises! 

4. Whole New Kinda Circuit 

I love doing circuit workouts where I rotate through a number of different exercises. But the breaks I take between each exercise and each set have been starting to get seriously long. 

With a partner, the intensity of your circuits can go up a whole notch. While one partner does one exercise, the other does something else. Then - switch. 

So instead of exercise, rest, exercise, rest it becomes exercise, exercise, exercise, exercise. 

It's wonderful in an "I think I'm going to throw up" kind of way. 

5. Built In Cheerleader 

Having someone to give you little cheers of motivation along the way helps a TON. Just hearing, "You've got this" or "One more round" can do a lot to keep you going and to keep you giving it your all. 

It's also great to have someone to look over on minute #5 of planking and to exchange that look of, "OMG I'M DYING BUT WE TOTALLY GOT THIS." 

Plus, there's nothing like sharing a victorious high five after a killer workout. 

6. Challenge

Something my weight date and I have just naturally started doing is adding little challenges in throughout our workouts. 

Today, for example, we agreed to do a 3 minute warm-up rotating through jumping jacks, high knees and butt kicks. As our final 30 seconds expired I called an audible - finish with 10 burpees! 

My weight date could now leave the gym with 10 more burpees under her belt than she would have had she been working out alone. 

Later on, she threw down the gauntlet on me as we finished our last round of 10 sumo squat jumps and 10 squat/side kicks. "20 this round!" she exclaimed as I silently cursed her. 

But did I do them? Yep. Was I glad for the challenge? You better believe it. 

7. Exchange of Ideas

Throughout the week, my weight date and I tag each other in cool exercises we see on social media, text about our solo runs and workouts, and just generally keep fitness on the brain. 

It makes me excited to know that the next time we work out together we'll have new ideas so that the workout is always far from boring. 

This exchange of ideas also keeps each gym-sesh moving quickly. Instead of finishing an exercise and standing there for 3 minutes while I figure out what I want to do next - when there are two brains involved, it's a lot easier to throw out an idea and get down to business.

YOUR TURN
DO YOU WORK OUT WITH A FRIEND? 
DO YOU WORK OUT IN A GROUP? 
DO YOU PREFER TO WORK OUT ALONE? 
HOW DO YOU GET YOURSELF THROUGH A FITNESS RUT?

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Biking Blues

I spent a lot of time last year saving up the money required to purchase a road bike. During that time, I dreamed of zooming around Central Park, going on epic adventures into New Jersey, and kicking ass in triathlons. 

In the past few months of owning said road bike, I have covered 116 miles, but I have not achieved any of those 3 above-mentioned things. 

1. Zooming Around Central Park

Instead of zooming around Central Park, I have been boldly reminded that Central Park is hilly. Very hilly. And I have been humbled to find that as I climb the park's many hills, I look longingly at the runners and think, "That sounds so much easier right now." 

Cycling and running are both hard. I had the uneducated opinion that the bikers had it easy as they whizzed by me in the park. Nope, not at all. My legs burn like hell each climb - so much so that I'd like to ditch the bike and go up Harlem Hill on foot. 

2. Epic Adventures into New Jersey

I attempted an adventure into New Jersey and to be honest, it was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of my life. Getting up to and over the George Washington Bridge was terrifying as a new cyclist who is still not entirely comfortable being clipped into her bike. 

My instinct on an uphill ramp with people flying past me is to stop. When I stop, my instinct is to pull my feet up - not to click them out and think, "Ok, now which side do I need to lean to?" 

I've fallen in a mud puddle and I've fallen in the middle of 96th street at a red light. And those weren't even the worst parts. 

Finishing that ride felt nothing like a victory. It felt like I had been run over by a car. I immediately fell asleep for an hour before waking up so ravenous that I thought I would cry. 

3. Kicking Ass in a Triathlon

I have certainly not kicked any ass in a triathlon. 

In fact, I have not even mustered the courage to seriously consider registering for one. My time in the pool has been non-existent these past few months and while I originally thought the biking portion would be no big thang - I am now absolutely terrified to ride in a crowded group of cyclists. 

I know I need to stick with it. I don't plan on quitting. But it would be a lie to say that I haven't been feeling discouraged.

With the weather getting nicer, and my legs still not having a ball with running, it's time to look at this whole biking thing as a challenge to conquer. I worked hard to afford the bike but that's not where the hard work stops. 

The Room Where It Happened

It’s normal for me to hear a song on the radio and think to myself, “Wow this beat would be great for climbing a hill in spin class!” Or, “This would be amazing for jumps!” Whenever I hear Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” I wish I was on a stationary bike. Does this make me weird? Probably.

But I can’t help it that some songs just make me want to sweat.

While I haven’t spent a small fortune to buy myself a ticket to see HAMILTON on Broadway – I have had the soundtrack on repeat for about 2 months. So when I discovered that Cyc’s Hell’s Kitchen spin studio would be offering a HAMILTON themed ride, I knew the $30 price tag was worth it.

To be in a room with 40+ other people who wanted to work out to showtunes was bound to mean I was in good company. And to be led by the instructor that wanted to put on this class surely meant he was wonderful.

The space on 8th Avenue is pretty large, with a big open locker section in the middle for people that don’t need to change along with smaller locker rooms for Men and Women with showers and amenities like q-tips, tampons, hair dryers, hair gel, etc.

This is also a studio that offers complimentary spin shoe rental (the worst is paying $30 for a spin class and THEN needing to rent spin shoes for $7). And inside the building is the Glam & Go studio if you should ever need to go from a spin class to a fancy event. You never know. Birthday spin class + blow out + boozy brunch sounds pretty great to me now that I think of it…(#basic).

Before class, everyone was milling around in the middle section and it seemed like they all knew each other. I got a really nice community vibe from the place and there was an audible gasp of excitement when the HAMILTON soundtrack started playing over the loudspeakers.

The 5:30 class let out of the studio and their energy was super high, super friendly, and they all seemed like they were best friends who just had a great night out together.

The 6:30 HAMILTON riders walked into the studio and what I initially thought were two separate studios turned out to be one massive studio with tons of bikes.

Our instructor had great energy, and explained that he had been begging to do this theme-ride forever. I was so excited to be a part of it – especially after he explained that his “dream” was for everyone to fist pump and yell “WORK” during Schuyler Sisters. That sounds like a dream I would have.

The class was really fun, because the instructor was clearly having the time of his life, it was impossible for everyone else not to get into it. Plus, that soundtrack is just A++++.

That being said, I don’t love the type of spinning that studios like Cyc promote. It’s more like dancing on your bike – which is fun, but seems very likely to cause injury since it’s jerky movements that count the beat on one side. I always feel like I’m jamming down on my right hip. Not to mention there is almost no resistance on the bike so your legs are spinning dangerously fast. Some of the moves were just so stupid (in my mind) that I didn’t do them.

Cyc, like a lot of studios, also does weighted songs throughout the class for arm work. They always kill me, despite the fact that you use very light weights, and this class was no exception. I would much rather do 10 reps with heavy weights then 100 with light weights – although I know that both have their place in overall strength work.

I could have sat there spinning to Lin Manuel Miranda’s silky smooth rapping all day – but before I knew it we were wrapping up class with Jonathan Groff singing to us.

Afterwards, we took a group picture and though I felt like an outsider, there was such a great sense of community. I can tell that Cyc attracts a lot of “regulars.” It was even more obvious when they brought a cake for someone’s birthday and we all sang.

At the end of the day, I had a great time. Though Cyc isn’t my favorite spin studio, I will say that their instructors have a great energy, the space is beautiful, the community feel is super welcoming and I LOVE the fact that they did a HAMILTON themed-ride. I would definitely go back for another themed-ride that appealed to me, but probably not for just any other class.

Try your first class at Cyc using my referral code and we'll both get some fab savings ;) 
http://cycfit.me/SQU  THANKS! <3

YOUR TURN:
Do you know the type of spinning I’m talking about, or am I crazy?
What is your dream song to hill-climb to?
What’s the most important part of a great spin class for you? Music, instructor, lighting?

SWERVE Fitness Spin Review

It's another Workout Wednesday, where I give you the rundown on a different New York City fitness class.

But before we jump into things, I'd like to make an important announcement that I can't believe it has taken me so long to post - I am the proud owner of a brand spankin' new Bianchi road bike! I am just as excited as I am panicked about this latest development. 

I'm panicked about actually riding the bike. 
I'm panicked about clipping into the pedals. 
I'm panicked about being SO POOR. 
I'm panicked about how many things I need to buy other than the bike. 
I'm panicked about how little I know about bikes. 

So any and all advice is welcomed and needed! 

I'm signed up for this year's 5 Borough Bike Tour and looking into another long summer bike "race" (ha, ride, lets not get ahead of ourselves) but that goal of an Olympic Distance Triathlon is still intimidatingly unscheduled. 

I have yet to be on a bike ride on my bike and I've owned it for oh, I don't know, 5 weeks! Pedals, a helmet and gloves have all been ordered so - the time is approaching. I'll keep ya posted. 

Despite not being out on my bike - I have continued to go to spin classes. I had the chance to take a class at SWERVE and was really excited to try it out - mainly because they require you to clip into the pedals and I know it completely changes the feel of cycling. It's something I'm really going to need to adjust to after countless NYSC rides in my Nike Frees. 

THE STUDIO: 

SWERVE is located on 18th Street between 5th & 6th Avenues. When I walked in, running late as usual, I was given a pair of spin shoes  and told my bike number. After quickly changing, I walked downstairs to the actual spin studio and was helped with adjusting my bike and clipping in. The room was super dark, so clipping in was a challenge and the help was greatly appreciated. 

I was impressed with how many bikes SWERVE's studio has - at least 35. 

THE WORKOUT: 

SWERVE's "thing" is that each class is split into three teams which compete for first place. Your personal and team score is based on your RPMs, Watts and resistance. Each  bike has their own mini computer which lets you know all of this information and the team score is displayed on two screen in the front of the room. 

At first, I was a little iffy about the two screens in the front of the room - I was under the impression they would show the whole classes score. But nope - it just shows a general team score along with the person who is performing best for each particular team. 

I'm a big fan of numbers and data in my workout - so being able to hear that I should be within a certain range of rotations per minute was really helpful - it usually was right in time to the music as well. In the past, I've had trouble performing at the level that the instructor was expecting, but I found that the RPM and gear ranges that our instructor, Seth, suggested were a challenge, but doable. 

Knowing that I was riding as part of a team pushed me to give that little extra kick at the end of each interval. There were many intervals throughout the class - which is my favorite type of spin class. Seth was always encouraging and had some great things to say about both competing for your team and being there to improve yourself as an individual. He turned off the screen a few times so that we couldn't see who was in the lead and we had to just push ourselves without that visual to motivate us. 

The one thing I didn't love about the class was the song during which we picked up those little 2 pound weights and did so many pulses and straight arm holds that I felt like I was gunna die. I still don't understand how such tiny weights can kill so much. And I also am still not sold on why this is necessary in a spin class. But, at least there was no bike-squating or crunching while we were spinning. 

By the end of class, our team came up victorious! And I was absolutely DRIPPING in sweat. My face was bright red and I was shaky. The stretch was a little short for my liking, but in that short time I managed to completely slip and wipe out - cycling shoes are slippery people. 

AMENITIES: 

There are both men's and women's locker rooms as well as a big central room with more lockers. The women's locker room was fairly small though well stocked with products and a shower. On my way out, I looked around and one thing really stood out to me was the smoothie bar! You can even place an order before class and it will be waiting for you when you finish! 

I had a great time and really liked the competitive aspect of this class along with the numbers and data provided by the computers on each bike. At the end of class, they email you your statistics and you can see how you stacked up in the class. 

Like I knew going into it, riding with clip-in cycling shoes is a lot different and really gives you the ability to focus on that upward pull motion of your pedal stroke just as much as the push down. 

STAFF: 

So often, the quality of a spin class is dependent on the instructor. Seth was great - he was motivating and clear in his explanations what what we should be doing. 

SWERVE Instructor Kate Bailey was kind enough to answer some questions - enjoy! (*My comments are in italics). 

When was SWERVE created?

SWERVE Fitness first opened in Fall ’13. Founded by a trio of best friends and former Ivy League athletes, the studio inspires you to achieve your best workout by creating a community of people who inspire each other to continuously redefine their best.

What do you think is the appeal of a cycling class where participants ride for teams?

Well, let's be honest.  We all have a little bit of that competitive spirit in us.  I think when people hear "teams" that is what gets them into class! They want to win.  Who doesn't.  But once they leave they have gained so much more.  The team aspect at SWERVE encourages a sense of community and drive that, for me, makes me feel like I can conquer anything that comes my way!  And I think that is what keeps people coming back.  You gotta show up for your TEAM!!!

How did you get involved with SWERVE?

I took a class with a friend and the rest was history! I wasn't even looking to be an instructor, but after one class I just had to be a part of it.  That was about two years ago and now SWERVE has become my second home in NYC.  

What’s your favorite song to sweat to?

I have so many! But my favorite song to sweat to right now is, "Wait For It" from the new musical Hamilton on Broadway.  I know... I know... HAMILTON? I don't usually play showtunes in class, (although that is all I listen to outside of SWERVE) but the music of Hamilton is something everyone in NYC should hear.  Truly awesome and inspiring stuff.  (Who is going to have a Hamilton themed spin class? Anybody? Bueller? PLEASE!) 

Do you like peanut butter? What’s your favorite way to enjoy it?

I love peanut butter! Hmmmm... I have to say my favorite way to enjoy peanut butter is with Apple Slices or Celery Sticks.  It was my favorite snack as a kid, and still such a great go-to for me today.  

THE RUNDOWN: 

*Based on a scale of 1-10

The Studio - 6
It's clean and there's lots of lockers, but the locker room itself is very small for a studio where the class size is 30+ people. 

Sweat-Scale - 8
Spin classes always get me the sweatiest. I'm talking full on puddles underneath my bike by the end of class. 

Fun-Factor - 8
If you're like me, you'll love the little "gimmicks" that SWERVE offers - teams, competition, a chance to be "#1" and data that you can track from class to class to monitor improvements. 

Amenities - 7
Forgot hairspray? SWERVE's got ya covered. Need a smoothie waiting for you when you get out of class? Yup. Get on that.

One of each, plz.

Cost - $$$ (Single Classes are $34 but new riders can buy one get one free! OR sign up as a new member and receive 1 month of unlimited classes for $150!)
(<$20 = $, $20-$30 = $$ and $30+ = $$$) 

Class Review: Broadway Bodies' Broadway Cardio

I love trying new things. It’s one of my favorite qualities about myself (am I allowed to say that?) From a young age, I would eat anything put in front of me at least once. But I wasn’t always willing to put myself in situations that I knew would cause discomfort.

There aren’t many things that terrify me more than the awkwardness that ensues when I attempt to dance. To say I have “two left feet” is an understatement. Actual dancing skills aside (which I assure you are dismal) I am just completely, 100% uncomfortable and embarrassed when I dance. I feel insecure and self-conscious.  I don’t “dance like nobody’s watching” because I am sure that everyone is watching and everyone is thinking, “this is just like a car crash that I can’t turn my eyes away from.”

Step Classes, Zumba, Kickboxing – these are all fitness classes that have pushed me out of my comfort zone and left me feeling defeated and self-conscious because they rely on things that are way too closely related to choreography and dancing.

Suddenly, tons of friends were attending classes at “Broadway Bodies” to learn the dance to Justin Bieber’s “Sorry.” It looked like a ton of fun – but nothing I would ever be confident enough to attempt.

While doing research for my Valentine’s Day Fitness blog post, I stopped by the Broadway Bodies website where I immediately saw they were offering a class to learn the choreography to Spring Awakening’s “Mama Who Bore Me” in a class titled, “Broadway Cardio.”

Now, I’ve expressed my love for Broadway on the blog before but I don’t know that you understand the extent of it. For 5 or 6 years it was my passion, obsession, social life. And Spring Awakening was my favorite.

Somehow, that all came rushing back and I was clicking “send” on an email asking if I could take the class and write about it on Peanut Butter Is My Boyfriend. They said yes, and then I had to face the fact that I had indeed just signed up for a dance class.

Not a class at a gym with some steps resembling dancing. A full-on Broadway choreography dance class.

I was panicking. But I was also weirdly excited. I recruited two friends who always loved Spring Awakening and on a Tuesday night I checked my dignity at the door and entered Broadway Bodies.

That's the Spring Awakening cast after the productions' final performance - 7 years ago!!

THE STUDIO:

Our class was held at Pearl Studios – where each and every day, real Broadway stars show up for auditions and rehearsals. This was not your typical gym class, which was very obvious when we walked down the hallway and saw people who were clearly real-life, serious dancers.

We signed in, and entered the studio. In total, there were about 20 of us, which was a bit of a squeeze.

THE WORKOUT:

To start, Broadway Cardio classes do about a half hour of some easier, cardio-centric routines to Broadway classics. I actually worked up a sweat and my heart was pumping – but the most shocking thing of all was that somewhere between a Hamilton song and “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray, I had realized there was a huge cheesy grin on my face. Despite the missteps and extreme concentration required to remain semi-on beat, I was truly dancing around the room as if I were alone in my apartment blasting some showtunes (a very common occurrence). Every time a new step was introduced I would send a panicked look across the room to Carolyn or Roseanna, we would crack up, and just keep moving our feet.

Our instructor, Natalie, was so sweet and put the whole room at ease.

After the cardio wrapped-up it was time to learn the dance to Mama Who Bore Me. After learning our “first 8 count” (I learned so much new lingo…) I was feelin’ pretty confident. But that didn’t last long. I found that whenever we were instructed to do something with both our arms and our legs, I was a lost cause. It was like asking an infant to rub their stomach and pat their head.

But again, I had fun.

Once we got through the whole song, the room split into two groups so we had a little more room to get our groove on. I sprinted to the side that Carolyn and Roseanna were on which the instructor good-naturedly pointed out and laughed at.

It was a total disaster but I rocked those stomps and angel wings as best as I could and soaked up the experience.

At the end of class we were dripping with sweat – though that was due more to a stuffy hot room than my intense dancing.

We spoke with Natalie who was SO awesome – it was no surprise to her that it was our first class, none of us were dancers, and she just kept commending us for trying, for smiling and for never quitting.

So while I know I was uncomfortably terrible at this class, it was so so nice not being terribly uncomfortable. Broadway Bodies welcomed us with open arms and gave us a unique, fun experience. While I doubt I’ll be returning for another class anytime soon, they do offer BYOB Birthday Parties which definitely intrigue me…

I never in a million years thought I would smile through a class like that – never once feeling frustrated or embarrassed. (Okay, I was a little embarrassed, but not in a sad/terrified way).

The program director of Broadway Bodies, Rebecca Bradford, was kind enough to answer some questions for me.  I can’t thank them enough for this experience!

How did you get involved with Broadway Bodies? 

I had just moved to New York and am an actress/singer/dancer who was working in the food industry (so typical haha). I was desperately looking for a way out of the restaurant when I stumbled upon a Playbill.com listing from Broadway Bodies and they were looking for new cardio instructors. It sounds right up my alley and I am so happy that it worked out. From there, I took on the position of program administrator and, in addition, teach Bieber Fever classes. I just love this company and how much happiness it brings to people. 

What's your advice to fans of fitness who may be scared to venture into the world of dance?

Dance, in my opinion, is the best way of expressing yourself. I would say don't be afraid to try new things. We are ALWAYS thrilled to have newcomers at Broadway Bodies. We really try to create a shame-free environment to encourage people to take risks and try new things. We truly do not care if you nail the choreography or completely trip over your feet. Dance is all about having fun, letting go and living. 

What's your favorite song to sweat to? 

Ah, right now I am OBSESSED with "Hands to Myself" by Selena Gomez. I'm also one of Taylor Swift's biggest fan, so basically anything from the 1989 album. 

Can you give me some history on the creation and mission of Broadway Bodies? 

Around 9 years by two amazing men, entrepreneur Jeff Vilensky and choreographer and director, Stephen Brotebeck. It began with Broadway Cardio and grew into a pop culture phenomenon in New York. The idea began when Jeff was watching a Broadway show and wanted to do what the performers were doing on stage. He thought to himself that he wasn't a dancer, but there was still a way to do what they were doing on stage. Broadway Bodies is a shame-free, inclusive dance community that teaches original and custom choreography to the music of movies, musicals, and music videos. Our only goal is that our participants have fun and unleash their inner superstars.

Do you like peanut butter? What's your favorite way to enjoy it? 

I love peanut butter. How can you not?? My favorite is to slice up a Honeycrisp apple and spread peanut butter on each slice, but like a super unhealthy amount of peanut butter. 

The Rundown

*Based on a scale of 1-10

The Studio - 5

This isn’t your typical fitness studio – it was a room in a building which was incredibly stuffy and hot. Everyone just piled their bags up in the back of the room.  That being said – it’s a legit Broadway studio – as we were leaving we apparently passed the winner of last season’s So You Think You Can Dance. I joked that I just danced in the same building as Idina Menzel but…actually…that’s where she goes for auditions and rehearsals just like everyone else.

Class Size - Small

Though the class had no more than 20 people, it was a tight squeeze which made any arm motions a little difficult.

Sweat-Scale - 5

I was pleasantly surprised that the first portion of class had my heart rate going. But, overall, it isn’t a very physically demanding class. However, my sweat scale was about an 8 just because the room was so hot.  

Fun-Factor - 8

This is where Broadway Bodies shines – this is a unique, fun experience that makes for a great story and some laughs. Whether you’re a great dancer or an awful one, this class is no doubt fun.

Amenities - 4

Since our class wasn’t at the Broadway Bodies Dance Studio – I can’t speak for their amenities. But be sure to do some research about where your class or workshop will be held – I wouldn’t recommend going to a class offered at Pearl Studios before work because there really isn’t anywhere to shower/change/etc.

Cost - $

(<$20 = $, $20-$30 = $$ and $30+ = $$$) 

Fitness Class Review: The P.E. Club

I’ve been great about getting myself to the gym despite the cold, despite work trips, and despite my lack of anything major to train for. There is no marathon on my horizon and my next half marathon isn't until May. Yet I've still been showing up. 

But once I get to the gym, I haven’t been great about doing much. I leave feeling like I more or less wasted 50 minutes.

As they say - when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Walking into the gym with no idea of what I want to accomplish has resulted in, well, not accomplishing much. Shocker, right?

So I thought it was time to have someone else kick my butt – since I certainly haven’t been kickin’ my own. A group fitness class was just what I needed. Preferably one that was slightly intimidating. I like a challenge.

After perusing a multitude of NYC boutique fitness studios, I found one that piqued my interest with its use of kettle bells and TRX. Not to mention they’re conveniently located for an early morning workout – my favorite kind!

The spot? The P.E. Club.

The Studio

This personal training and small-group fitness class located on the Upper East Side offers a number of different class options – but to get an overall feel for the studio I decided to sign up for TRX Xtreme Total Body. The class is described on their website as a 50-minute class full of high-intensity, low-impact cardio.

High-intensity and low-impact?  I was already sold.

Rebecca and I showed up 10 minutes prior to class starting and got a quick look around the studio, which also specializes in personal training. The space is absolutely immaculate – by far the cleanest studio I’ve ever stepped foot in.

We hung up our jackets and met Morgana, the instructor for our 7 a.m. class. She asked if either of had any injuries, and I mentioned my shins had been acting up so any jumping would probably bother me.

Low-impact, Lauren, duh. She assured me there would be no jumping before telling us to pick out a kettlebell (15-30 pounds) and dumbbell (8-10 pounds).

The Class

Class Size: 

I was shocked when I realized just how small this “small-group fitness class” would be. There were only 8 of us, which made a huge difference in the attention Morgana was able to give to each students’ form. Throughout the class, she walked through the room giving pointers and also adjusted our TRX straps when necessary so that the class ran as smooth as Skippy. 

The Workout:

The way the class was formatted, we did a ton of different exercises to hit each body part. Since we had to cover the “total body,” each exercise lasted approximately 30 seconds. I liked that this kept things moving and interesting, but it was also difficult as it was my first time doing a number of these exercises and :30 didn’t seem like enough time to get my form down right.

That being said, some of the exercises, especially the core-focused ones, burned so much that :30 was the absolute max I could last! Ouch!

Again, there were a bunch of moves that were new to me, especially the moves using the TRX straps. I love learning new things that I can incorporate into my own gym-sessions!

We also used the kettle bell and I appreciated Morgana prompting me to go up in weight in the nicest way possible – but she was totally right – I wasn’t challenging myself enough and I was glad for the push! That’s the thing about a room with only 8 girls – there is no hiding!

The Amenities

After class, I showered in one of The P.E. Club’s two showers and was amazing again by the cleanliness. They had so many wonderful products – I wish I could get ready for work there every day! Not to mention the free tea station where I got a refreshing cup of cucumber mint tea.

Rebecca and I checked in with each other the day after class and both agreed that our arms were mighty sore!

I’m hoping to go back for a Lower Body class or for one of their Kettle Bell circuit-based classes for a chance to get a little more cardio.

I must admit, The PE Club didn't have anything super unique or "fun" about it, but if you’re looking for a place that challenges you, teaches you new exercises, and gives you a lot of personal attention during class – The P.E. Club is a great studio – though it doesn’t come cheap. Drop-in classes are $38, though first time guests receive a second class free. They also offer a ton of different membership and class package options that can save you money.

Co-owner Nedra explained to me that while your first class will be an introduction to the TRX straps, each class after that will leave you feeling more confident and better able to challenge yourself once you get the ~movez~ down.

Q&A With Co-Owner Nedra!

Everyone at The P.E. Club was so helpful, and the co-owner Nedra was kind enough to answer a few questions for me too! Her story is inspiring - she is pursuing her passion and proving that you too can be a #girlboss! Here’s what she had to say.

How did you get involved in the fitness community?

When I was 16 my dad got me to go workout with him in the gym. It was "our time" where he taught me how important it was to be a strong woman inside and out. I always loved working out and though it wasn't my primary job until I moved to NY. I was approached by Equinox to become a trainer and decided to leave my desk job to pursue my passion. The rest is a story of love, perseverance, failure, family, friendship and determination. I have never looked back, never been more happy and have never worked so hard!! 

What was your reason for starting The PE Club? What was the hardest part?  

After years of training on the UES and running around from gym to gym, Alex and I started The P.E. Club. We wanted to bring simplicity back to fitness, make it about the client, make it intimate and most importantly make it fun. We put all our savings on the line and worked day and night to create a unique space for clients to feel comfortable in. Running a small business is no easy task. The hardest part was learning and changing your mindset from being just a trainer to now being an owner and having responsibly over others. Time management and delegation skills became highly important to develop. 

What are the benefits of TRX and Kettlebell training vs. the standard dumbbells and cardio routines?

Kettlebells with TRX are the perfect marriage of strength straining, cardio and balance training in one. Kettlebells are intimidating to most people, but when used properly, they deliver strength while allowing for a cardio component at the same time. A traditional swing works your entire lower body, posture and is an amazing ab workout! When you use TRX you are constantly putting your body into unstable positions so your core is firing the whole time. Not to mention you are able to do movements in their full range of motion (ex. push ups which most people can't do properly on their own) and work each side of the body individually. While traditional strength training and cardio is great, it isn't always the most efficient time wise. Our classes were designed to feature an unstable piece of equipment (TRX) that increases strength, flexibility and balance along with other modalities. So your body is constantly guessing, re-configuring and adapting which ultimately creates change in the body. 

What’s your favorite song to sweat to?

Eyes by Kaskade...an oldie but a goodie. 

Do you like peanut butter? What’s your favorite way to enjoy it?

Omg crunchy peanut butter on anything...a spoon, in a protein shake, and in peanut butter cups!

The Rundown

*Based on a scale of 1-10

The Studio - 8
Everyone was extremely nice and helpful. The studio was immaculate, spacious and had tons of equipment for its personal training customers. 

Class Size - Small
There were only 8 girls in my class, meaning lots of personalized attention from the instructor - but nowhere to hide! 

Sweat-Scale - 7
This class definitely elevated my heart-rate (hello, squat to shoulder press) but wasn't overwhelming. I wasn't a puddle of sweat afterwards, but felt like I had gotten a decent workout in for sure! 

Fun-Factor - 6
There's no live DJ or social-media component to these classes - which may or may not appeal to you. It's a straight-forward total body conditioning class that will help you become comfortable using TRX and kettle bells - two great pieces of equipment to shake up your stale routine.

Amenities - 9
Simply superb. 

Cost - $$$ 
(<$20 = $, $20-$30 = $$ and $30+ = $$$) 

I attended class at The PE Club for free in exchange for writing this review. All opinions are my own. 

What's Next on My Fitness Journey?

During a cold, wintry long-run last February, my friend Rebecca and I ran together for a few miles in Central Park. My foot was giving me problems, we were dressed in 20 layers to stay warm, and we very quickly fell into an easy conversation that helped distract us from the general unpleasantness of an outdoor run in February. 

The topic of conversation? Food. I had found my culinary-counterpart. We bonded over our love of all things epicurean – and since then I’ve come to the conclusion that no one can make eating look as life-changing as Rebecca. Just look at her with this Pepe’s pizza. Is she not making you want to hop on Metro North for a slice 

right now?

(I don't make it look as believable) 

Anywho, since then, Rebecca and I have bonded over things besides food – one of those being fitness! Like me, sometimes (lots of times) Rebecca likes to lift heavy things. I love that she knows MUSCLES ARE SEXY. And let me tell you, her gun show is the best in town.

Recently, we both started to do Kayla Itsine’s 12 week “Bikini Body Guide.”

I’ve explained in previous posts

that originally, I thought this program would be no big deal. I mean, it’s called the “Bikini Body Guide.” How legit could it be? It sounded like just another trend that would over promise and under deliver. But as I wasn’t able to run at the time, I figured I would give it a shot.

Shit that shit was hard.

Leg day? I would be sore for at least 2 or 3 days afterwards.

Kayla Itsine’s guide isn’t anything revolutionary. She’s taken a bunch of standard strength and cardio moves and put them into an easy to follow plan – it’s short but high intensity. You WILL be dripping in sweat by the end.

As someone who generally despises any and all jumping exercises – this was especially challenging for me. If I never have to do another jumping lunge in my life it would be too soon.

I was loving Kayla’s BBG for a while. And then I started running again. And suddenly the 3X a week commitment on top of trying to run 18 miles a week, swim and fit in yoga got to be overwhelming. I wasn’t looking forward to the workouts anymore and while the leg and ab routines were awesome, my arms weren’t feeling challenged.

Not usually one to quit things, especially fitness-based things, I pretty un-guiltily just…stopped…

After a solid 8 weeks of completing all the workouts, I had had enough. I felt a little bummed. But I also felt excited to be running again, and that off-set any “You’re a quitter” thoughts that I was having about cutting Kayla’s BBG short.

Last week at November Project, I got really excited when Rebecca arrived and I got to run with her for 2 miles. And again, we totally bonded over the conversation topic of choice– Rebecca’s statement of, “I’m just kind of confused on my fitness journey.”

DING DING DING!

Exactly how I have been feeling! And since that run together, I’ve been thinking about it even more. I’m feeling a little lost on my fitness journey so I’m going to try to write it out to gain some clarity.

I’m not training for a marathon.

 The fall marathon I thought I was going to run as an attempt to BQ – that most definitely didn’t happen. I've been a little sad lately watching everyone around me planning for and running their long runs – especially when it’s so beautiful out!

Do I want to run a spring marathon? I still can’t decide. I trained for Pittsburgh over the long winter months last year and it was hard. I know Peter will be an amazing source of support if I decide to do it again, but I just don’t know if I have the motivation right now for 7 a.m. alarms when the thermometer is in the teens. Then again – I want that BQ. The weather for spring marathons is beautiful. What else am I going to do all winter? So – the jury is still out.

I have been slowly increasing my weekly mileage and so far so good – except that it's still frustrating that I feel like I'm having a fast, strong run - putting in a ton of effort and left completely gassed after 4 miles - yet my pace is so. much. slower. than a few months ago. I know I need to be patient, but I may or may not have cried on a rock in Central Park after Saturday's run. I used to wake up and run the 6 mile loop at a 7:50 pace pretty consistently while training for Pittsburgh. Saturday, it took every ounce of energy to run 4 miles at 7:58. Grr. 

I

do

have a few running-related goals to work towards, however.

I just signed up for the NYC Runs 10K on Roosevelt Island on Halloween! I want to be excited, but I know the reality of how much speed and endurance I’ve lost in the past 5 months is going to hit me like a ton of bricks when I cross this finish line. At the 2014 Scotland Run 10K, I threw down a 45:23 – 7:19 pace.  Yikes.

I plan on running a new Turkey Trot this year – a 5 miler near my home on Long Island. My official 5 miler PR is the Poland Spring Marathon Kick Off which I ran monstrously hungover last fall – so we’ll see if a 7:45 pace is something I can top.

With our upcoming trip to Austin, Texas planned – my 4

th

half marathon is on the calendar. The Decker Challenge is a hilllllly course that I’m not expecting to PR, but hoping to feel OK running. It will be my longest run since May’s Brooklyn Half Marathon if/when I cross the finish.

Ted Corbitt 15K is the last NYRR points race of the year – and since I’ve been unable to race as a member of November Project’s team yet, I want to be out there running! It will be a PR no matter what, as it’s a new distance for me.

Last but not least on the calendar (for now) is the Blue Point 10 Miler – which was an AMAZING race I ran last winter. This year it will be even better since I will hopefully have friends to drink with after. By then, who in the world knows what my pace will be like – but I don’t anticipate it being easy to beat last year’s 8:13 pace. Time will tell!

Focusing on these shorter distance races will be different for me and I’m hoping it eases me back into running/racing/going fast and then if I decide I want to go far – we’ll see about that spring marathon. I have another month or two to decide.

Strength Training

has not being something I’ve been focusing on a lot – but I do really love it! I love going to the gym and coming up with my own circuits focused on certain body parts – waking up in the morning and knowing within a minute, “Oh yeah right, I did triceps yesterday – definitely worked!” Marathon training makes it really hard to spend a ton of time doing much besides running. And it makes it really reallllly hard to spend any time at all focused on arms. I’ve come to accept that I need to include one day a week of leg strength training to keep my hips and glutes strong. But in the next few weeks I hope to incorporate some more abs and arms as well, despite the fact that I’m not still following Kayla Itsine’s guides.

If anyone has fun strength training ladders/HIIT/Tabata/etc. that they’d like to share, please do!

Triathlons

are something I’ve been super gung ho about for a few months now. I started saving, I started researching bikes, I started bothering people with a million and one questions (sorry everyone). I spent $80 on shoes for spin class that I have yet to attach the cleats to. I started swimming once or twice a week. And now, I’m signed up for swimming lessons once a week.

And suddenly – I don’t know if I want to do a tri.

Oops.

That’s not true. I know I want to do a tri. I think I would like it. Maybe love it. That “Iron Man” challenge is definitely still in the back of my crazy mind. But I just don’t know if right now is the time. Triathloning (yes, it’s a word…) is

really really expensive

.

I just booked a flight to Austin for a 6 day vacation and half marathon and it’s probably going to end up costing me less than a bike would cost me. Not to mention the $200 entry fees, a wet suit, and the tons of biking things I’m sure I don’t even know about yet.

So, jury is also out on whether or not a tri is in my future at the moment -  but I do still plan on stopping at a bike store to get myself fitted so that I can properly stalk Craiglist for a used bike in my size. Doesn’t hurt to keep my eyes open!

And in the meantime, I’ve found that swimming is a nice new challenge and I’m looking forward to finishing this 8 week course and keeping a weekly swim in my fitness repertoire.

Yoga

continues to bore me for the most part – but I

do

notice a huge difference when I go twice a week as opposed to, you know, thinking my body will magically be fine without zero stretching. So, I’ve been trying to be consistent with that!

Unfortunately, writing all of that out didn’t give me any real clarity on why I’m feeling kind of “meh” at the moment – why I can’t seem to figure out what I want to put my energy towards.  

But maybe the moral of this incredibly long blog post isn’t, “Figure out what your next challenge is” or, “Figure out what muscle you want to develop next!” Maybe the moral of it is that I’m going to accept the fact that sometimes, we don’t know exactly where we’re headed. 

If there’s nothing calling to me right now, maybe it’s because physically or mentally I need to take a chill pill. Or maybe the lack of direction is making room for something else to unexpectedly turn up – roller blading, that field hockey league I’ve been wanting to join, trapeze school? I’m keeping an open mind and not ruling anything out. 

Some days it makes me a little antsy. Without a calendar to tell me how many miles I need to run on Saturday morning, who am I?! Answer: still Lauren.  

And sometimes, for a lot of fitness-loving ladies and lads – I think that’s harder for us to believe than it should be.

So listen up. I’m talking to you and I’m talking to myself: If you’re ever feeling a little down because you feel “lazy” without a big shiny goal – stop.

Stop scrolling through your Instagram and getting down on yourself because you aren’t preparing to run a marathon. Stop scrolling through your Instagram and getting down on yourself because you aren’t spiritually moved by downward dog. Stop scrolling through your Instagram and getting down on yourself because you didn’t do a WOD at the box this morning.

Maybe you enjoyed a walk through the fall foliage. Or a jog. Or a giant picnic. Maybe you dragged yourself to yoga because you know you needed to stretch your calves. Maybe you hope to never use the term WOD in your life. Maybe you slept in.

 As long as we are moving our bodies in ways that feel good and right for us in the moment, and letting them rest when they want to rest, we shouldn’t feeling anything but appreciation.

Appreciate that we’ve found ways to move and be active that we genuinely enjoy. Appreciate that we’ve realized endorphins really are like drugs. Appreciate that fitness is a great way to connect with your body – to know when it wants to move and how it wants to move and when it wants to rest.

To know on the day that you’re signing up for a marathon that you are ready to commit to it.

To know on a certain day that you can go that extra 100 meters in the pool.

To know on a certain day that you are definitely not going to make it to that spin class you signed up for.

To know on a certain day that the time has come to train for your first tri.

To walk into the gym ready for a tricep workout only to get there and see tthe TRX machine is empty and you feel like doing some back exercises instead.

I loved that Rebecca referred to it as her

fitness journey

.

No two people’s journeys are going to be the same. Some days your journey is going to be awesomely downhill and wonderful and fun and some days or weeks or months it’s going to be slow going. Then there are those forks in the road where you’re not quite sure what’s coming up next.

It’s allllll part of it. 

So instead of getting down, embrace it and keep your eyes open for the moment when your next goal appears on the horizon. And when it presents itself, you give that goal your all.

Friday Funk

Happy Friday to y'all!

I should be smiling - lots of great things happened to me this week. But it's cold and rainy and there's a hurricane coming and for some reason I just feel super BLAH.

I'm not sore. I don't have any "injuries" per say. I just have zero motivation or energy and everything feels achy - like I have the flu minus the cold symptoms. So I'm not really sure what's up.

I do know that I failed at completing all 3 Kayla Itsine's workouts this week for the first time in 7 weeks. I did legs on Monday and Abs/Arms on Tuesday but Abs/Cardio? I did the first 7 minute circuit this morning and then I quit. Yep - complete honesty. I was feeling grumpy and lazy and achy and I laid down on the floor and I tapped out.

I'm trying to give myself some grace. It's very unlike me to get started in a workout with a plan and then not to follow through. I'm trying to give myself the benefit of the doubt - listening to my body which is very clearly saying, "WE DON'T WANT TO DO THIS. We want to lay in bed and binge watch Orange is the New Black!"

I get it body, message received. In a few short hours we will be home spending quality time with Piper and the crew.

So here are a few reasons why I should turn my frown upside down.

1) Tuesday's run felt pretty OK which is all I'm really asking for at this point. I let my brain get a little carried away, and somewhere around mile 2.5 I decided, "Ok, you're wrapping up 5 miles with a sub 8:00 pace." While that may have been totally do-able 4 months ago - it is certainly not realistic at the moment. And you know what? Instead of feeling really discouraged by the actual pace I finished at - I felt satisfied that I had pushed myself and gotten in a run at a solid effort - no phoning it in, no saying "I'm slow now so it doesn't matter." The past few weeks getting back into running, it's been really easy for me to settle for a slow, easy, casual run just because that feels comfortable. But Tuesday's run pushed me outside of my comfort zone which in turn gave me a much better mindset for the rest of the day.

2) Wednesday I challenged myself again - with the goal of swimming a total of 1 mile at the gym. Though it definitely wasn't continuous, I accomplished my goal!

3) I GOT A GOPRO and my Instagram game is going to go WAY up ;)

4) The running store won a Brooks contest and I get a free pair of sneakers. I'm excited to try out the Pure Flows! I know, I know - they're neutral and everyone in the world tells me I should be running in a stability shoe. But both sneakers I trained for Pittsburgh in were neutral sneakers and I made it through relatively pain and injury free - so I'm just going to keep on keepin' on that neutral flow. For now.

5) Peter and I's Date Night this week was my first time seeing an IMAX movie in about a million years. I'm pretty sure the last time I went was in high school to see Harry Potter. We saw "The Walk" about Philippe Petit who walked a high wire that he illegally rigged across the Twin Towers. I thought the movie was really well done, Joseph Gordon-Levitt was great and now I MUST read the book ("To Reach The Clouds").

6) I had a dream last night that I actually remembered when I woke up- which is very rare for me. In the dream, I was just doing Greek things on Paros Island (where I took a 3 week photography class back in 2011). It made waking up a little bit harder, but it was nice to take a few minutes to remember what an amazing opportunity it was to visit Greece. It was also a reason to spend some time flipping through the pictures in my (Facebook) albums and remind myself to make an ACTUAL physical photo album of my pictures. 

Speaking of pictures - I used to be so so interested in photography, and I've been missing it. Taking my DSLR out is usually a pain in the butt but I DO still try to some ~artsy~ pictures with my iPhone. I liked these two that I took this week. They're kind of boring on their own - but as a little mini "pop of pink" series I like 'em.

7) Last week I discovered the joys of picking a salad theme and stickin' to it when I created an Asian-inspired salad. This week, I went for Greek (hmmm, wonder if that's why I had the dream about Paros?) It was pretty damn delicious if I do say so myself - I had it Monday, Wednesday and Thursday night - and still have ingredients to make one more salad tonight! 

Here's what it had:

Peppers

Carrots

Sundried Tomatoes

Plum Tomatoes

Olives

Feta

Cucumber

Chick Peas

Sprouts

Spinach

Balsamic Vinegar for dressing 

One day I'll figure out the proper leaf to topic ration but until then, I will continue to essentially eat bowls of salad toppings. 

8) Avocados exist and were 99 cents at the grocery store this week. I've been digging half an avo mashed with feta, chili flakes, sunflower seeds, sundried tomatoes, olive oil and sea salt! 

9) I got free coffee for National Coffee Day AND my box of Quest bars was delivered - although I've already eaten half of them... (did everyone see they have PUMPKIN PIE QUEST BARS for a limited time? I mightttt need to order a box!) 

10) New snack alert! 2 new snacks this week. The first was an idea from

Georgie at In It For the Long Run - nut butter dates! 

 I didn't make mine as pretty as fancy as hers - all I really did was dunk a date in peanut butter and call it a day -  but it was delicious and sweet and satisfying after my run and before I had time to sit and eat a real breakfast! The other snack was this DIY Kale Chip bag - in theory it's great - open the bag, pour in the olive oil, bake, voila! In execution - the chips still came out a little soggy. But texture aside, I dressed them up with some sea salt and NUTRITIONAL YEAST (cheesy, mmm) and they were pretty bomb.com. 

In other news, I'm really trying to make this blog more than just a running account of my life.

I really enjoyed writing Wednesday's post

and was happy with the feedback!

I've been brainstorming some other post ideas - but if anyone has any suggestions or anything they'd like to see on PB is my BF - please feel free to share your thoughts :)

In the meantime, here are some blogs that have been really inspiring me:

arunnarounddlife

Just The Elevator Pitch 

The Real Life RD

In It For the Long Run 

Any other favorite blogs I should check out? 

Are You "That" Girl?

She holds a fancy Starbucks drink in one hand while the other masterfully flips through the pages of the latest book from the New York Times bestseller list. “That” girl. A Michael Kors bag is perfectly perched in the elegant space between her wrist and her elbow and her outfit looks like it was thrown together effortlessly despite the fact that it could be featured in the pages of Vogue. Her Essie manicured nails are perfect  - not a chip to be seen. “That” girl. Straight from your Pinterest board.

How did she juggle her morning coffee, her book, her purse and her metro card to step through the subway turnstiles like she was walking down a runway? How does she only have one small purse to get through the day, while I’ve felt like a bag lady since the second I moved to Manhattan? Because she’s “that” girl. A different species from you entirely, right?

Her hair is long and gleaming in the early morning sun and she’s outfitted from head to toe in Nike gear. This season’s newest fashions, of course. She looks like her morning miles in Central Park should be used in a commercial. “That” girl.

She’s floating, and girls and guys alike can’t help but follow her with their eyes as she makes the rolling hills of Central Park look like an enjoyable amusement park ride instead of a pain in the ass. “That” girl is who you will never, ever, manage to be – right?

We’ve all seen these women, and chances are you’ve asked yourself, “How do they do it? How do they make it seem so easy? So natural?”

Each and every morning I try to figure out how to somehow read my book (very rarely is it a New York Times bestseller – more like something I’ve pulled from the shelves of the New York Public Library), answer text messages I’ve failed to respond to, and get my metro card out from its Vera Bradley change purse. The change purse which resides in my backpack – not a Michael Kors purse that sits perfectly in the crook of my arm. But what does sit in the crook of my arm is a reusable bag filled with my food for the day – since I definitely can’t afford $12 Chop’t salads and $10 fresh squeezed juices every day. Adding a morning coffee into the mix? Heels? Impossible.  I’m just not “that” girl.

When my alarm goes off for a run in the morning my hair resembles a rat’s nest and I’m likely wearing Old Navy or some other running apparel I’ve managed to get on clearance for less than $20.

But this morning during my run I had an interesting thought. “That” girl ran by and I thought, “Does she know that she’s the object of envy?”

And you know what I realized? She probably has no idea. She probably groaned when her alarm went off too. And maybe her Uncle Bob works for Nike and gets all her pretty gear for free. And chances are her legs are burning up those hills just like everyone else’s.

And then my next thought was, “Oh my GOD. What if people look at me and think

I’m

making it seem so easy? Could I possibly be “that” girl in someone else’s eyes?” And honestly – yes. Any one of us can be. Because we all have admirable strengths and qualities and we all have days when we’re rockin’ it. Our outfit is on point. We aren’t a bag lady for once. Weeks of yoga has made it possible to make the commute in wedges instead of your Saucony’s. Weeks of hard work have paid off and Harlem Hill is a little less torturous. In those moments, we can unknowingly become “that” girl to someone else.

If someone saw me running up Cat Hill this morning, chances are they didn’t give me a second thought. But I was pushing the pace past Engineer’s Gate and my shorts were pretty cute – so maybe for a split second someone compared themselves to me. Without knowing anything about me.

“That” girl that you see in the morning and use to put yourself down and make yourself feel inferior – is probably doing the same exact thing. And she’s probably no different than you. With good days and bad days – confident days and days she isn’t feelin’ so hot.  

Are there girls that walk around

knowing

they are the shit? Yes. But those aren’t girls you really want to strive to be, are they?

Instead, take a little comfort in the fact that you 

don’t

feel superior. You can’t imagine someone looking at you and thinking that you’re one of the ones that have your shit together. 

We can’t imagine being “that” girl. But chances are that whoever we look at and put on a pedestal – feels just as insecure at times as everyone else.

So yeah,

we’re all “that” girl.

But seriously, there has to be a better way to juggle all my shit in the morning... 

Weekly Mileage 22!

Let's do a recap of last week shall we? It's not a novel for once - things are settling into more of a routine and I can't say I mind!

Monday - Kayla Itsine's leg day and closing shift at the running store. 

Tuesday - Kayla Itsine's arm and ab day, a few extra arm exercises and a little night time yoga session. 

Wednesday - Double session at November Project for a total of 6.5 miles! Beautiful sunrise and RING POPS to celebrate the wonderful

Ali on The Run

's last workout as a Feyonce! Another closing shift at the running store. 

Thursday - Kayla Itsine's abs and cardio + 75 lengths of the pool after work! My most substantial swim yet! And then - Avenue Q for Peter's birthday! I think seeing it now was even better than the first time, when I was still in high school. So funny, and such a great concept with the puppets. On my way to getting Peter hooked on Broadway...hopefully! 

(Worst part of seeing a show? Dealing with this place.)

Friday - We woke up bright and early for the 7 mile run to Brooklyn Bridge Park! The sunrise and view were unbeatable and I spent the hour taking pictures instead of working out. So damn pretty! 

Saturday - I ran 5 miles total - to the running store and back - for a really interesting/exciting staff meeting in between. New York Running Company + JackRabbit Sports plus

all

Running Company's across the country are now "

JackRabbit

." A new and improved website is just the start of the exciting changes to come. 

When I got home I showered and made a smoothie and avocado toast. The avocado toast came out pretty damn delicious if I do say so myself! 

{Avocado + Olive Oil + Sea Salt + Chili Pepper + Sunflower Seeds}

The next 8+ hours were spent waiting in line for Global Citizen's Festival, waiting in line for the bathroom at Global Citizen's Festival, and finally, falling in love with Beyonce. 

(AND MICHELLE OBAMA!)

Sunday I went to Lululemon yoga and slept through the swim I had planned. Oh well! 

Later in the day Peter and I got some a pumpkin beer to celebrate fall and the one year anniversary of the day we met - aww! 

In total last week I ran 22 miles! My legs are feeling pretty tired though - so I think I'll dial it back a little bit this week before trying to go for a weekly total of 25. 

Happy Monday! 

Happy Birthday Peter! Hanging Onto Summer

Everyone warns you that you shouldn't wait until something's gone to appreciate it. You know, "Don't it always seem to go, that you you don't know what you've got til it's gone." 

But lately, I've been suffering from something we'll call "Missing Something While It's Here." I'm trying desperately to cherish every last bit of summer we have. Soaking up every last ray, taking advantage of every opportunity to eat outside or run at dusk in shorts and a tank-top. But it's making me SO SAD thinking that any day now, restaurants will be packing up the al fresco dining option and going out for a run will require a whole lot more "hmm, which layers do I need?" 

Luckily, while it's creeping into late September, we had another week of beautiful weather. 

Monday was Kayla Itsine's leg day workout and DAMN was it a killer. No joke, my legs didn't feel fully recovered from it until Saturday. X jumps, weighted step ups, jump lunges (does anyone else find these to be the most difficult thing ever?), tuck jumps, sumo jump squats, split squats, weighted walking lunges and broad jump burpees.  My legs hurt all over again just thinking about it. 

A closing shift at the running store made for a late night. 

Tuesday was arms and abs with a little post-work yoga session. Then, I finally got back into the world of theater - writing a review of the Off-Broadway play Laugh It Up Stare It Down. The story wasn't my cup of tea, but the creative design was wonderful and one of the actresses from the cast of 4 graduated high school with my aunt and played for the same field hockey coach I played for! I stuck around after the show to introduce myself and Amy Hargreaves (Homeland) was extremely friendly and gracious. 

This was a first - during intermission, my friend was really hungry so we successfully took a pizza break in 15 minutes and didn't even miss the start of the second act! 

Wednesday morning Peter and I went to 5:30 November Project where we ran a whole lotta stairs! My ankle and shins still aren't all too happy about it. We had planned to do the 6:30 workout until around 7 but one of the worst things for IT Bands are stairs and hills so I didn't want to push it. Instead, we went for a nice flat 2 miles along the river. 

(Nothing like it!)

And again, a night at the running store. 

Thursday was PETER'S BIRTHDAY! He's old. Basically 30, now. We started the day with a 5:45 a.m. wake up call and journey downtown to Yoga to the People for my first ever hot vinyasa class. It was sweaty. And our teacher LOVED plank and chaturanga. My arms didn't love our teacher. But it was a good class - and for $20 for Peter and I ($5 class + $2 towel + $1 water bottle + $2 mat), it didn't break the bank either. (Although WHY does the NYSC yoga class schedule SUCK?!) 

During my lunch break I finished Kayla Itsine's workouts for the week with abs and cardio. 

After dinner it was time to celebrate! Peter had picked out a restaurant he wanted to go to for his birthday and DAMN did he pick well. Marc Forgione is an Iron Chef with a restaurant in Tribeca called...Marc Forgione's. There will be a review to come, but first, I need to see if it helps me win a Time Out New York contest that I entered to find the next NYC food critic! I'll let these pictures that I spent a lot of time perfecting speak for themselves. 

|

(There was even champagne waiting for us when we sat down!)

No birthday is complete without birthday cake, so after dinner I told Peter we were walking over to Parm for their famous, ginormous slice of ice cream cake. Pistachio, Strawberry and Chocolate ice cream with whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry on top. Doesn't get much more classic than that! While there was certainly a TON of ice cream (think: Ben & Jerry's container) it was served super frozen and the chocolate crunchies in between each layer of ice cream just didn't measure up to Carvel. 

The fancy diner interior of Parm, though not at all what I expected, was cool and made me want to stop by for an eggplant parm hero at a later date. 

We went to bed fairly early because Friday:

Up at 5:00 a.m. to run 6.5 miles down to Pumphouse Park near Brookfield Place for a November Project workout. AND we did the workout - loops of the park + pushups + squats + dips. The pace was a little slower than our run to Southstreet Seaport the previous Friday, but both of our bodies were still functioning relatively pain free so SUCCESS. 

Then Peter did a million and one push-ups because that's what you do when it's your birthday at NP. And when you want to show off but forget that yesterday you did chaturanga approximately 1 million times. 

Friday during lunch I went to my favorite yoga class and stretched it all out. 

That night I honestly don't remember what I did. A lot of laying around watching Orange is the New Black and baking a LOT of cookies. Bed early so I could get up and workout before Peter's birthday party on Saturday. 

(S'Mores and Snickerdoodles!)

First up on Saturday morning, 50 laps at the pool. Each and every time I go I feel a little better, and this was no exception. It's probably the most I've swam in one workout too! After swimming I went to a 45 minute spin class. 

The spot for Peter's party was Loreley - a German beer garden on Steuben Day at the start of Oktoberfest. So fitting. We had a great time, and I even had avocado toast with my free beer from the keg they tapped at the bar to kick of Oktoberfest. 

They also paraded around this POOR LITTLE PIGGY!

My millions of cookies were a hit, and I unintentionally followed a German tradition when I decided to bake Peter a cookie shaped like a heart. Oktoberfestherzen are gingerbread cookie hearts! Mine was a snickerdoodle but close enough. 

During the day drinking we took a TO to stop by Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream which is supposedly one of the "Finest" Ice Cream "parlors" in NYC.  Peter and I disagree. 

Yes, you can tell that this stuff is definitely made fresh and with care. Each is in a TINY container. Like, I have bigger tupperware in my apartment. Talk about small batch! And yes, they have some interesting flavors. But you'll never know which ones are good because each customer is only allowed one sample. So when we tried one and didn't like it, obviously we weren't going to spend money on "Salt and Pepper Pinenut" without because able to give it a taste. That's not exactly a flavor I can conjure up in my mind and decide if I'm a fan. So instead we went with Raw Milk and plain old chocolate with their "homemade" whipped cream that was literally soup. For $8, I'm going to give this place a big old "OVERRATED." 

Anyone else have a better experience with Morganstern's?

The night went on, we moved locations, we had fun, we ate nachos. I helped myself to a piece of cake when we got back that night because Peter's mom is a wizard when it comes to baking. 

Sunday when we awoke I was the least hungover but that didn't mean I was feeling refreshed. There was a lot of lounging around (and maybe another slice of cake) before exploring the 92Y Street Fair on Lexington Ave. I finally bought some succulents to hang in little glass orbs about my bed! One is up and hanging and he other WAS up and hanging for about 5 minutes before crashing down, shattering, and spilling dirt all over my bed. 

At the street fair I also bought 3 beautiful fall/winter colors of ESSIE NAIL POLISH for $10. Favorite part about street fairs, for sure. 

The weather on Sunday was ridiculously gorgeous. The sun was hot, there was a cool breeze and not a cloud in the sky. We were lucky enough to snag one of the four outdoor tables at Meatball Shop for brunch where, after considering everything on the menu for a solid 10 minutes, I ended up ordering what I order every single time. Everything But the Kitchen Sink with veggie balls and pesto. Sunday's plate included broccoli rabe, zucchini, red cabbage slaw and fennel. It made for a great brunch/dinner. 

After Meatball Shop, we were too close to 16 Handles NOT to go.  A heaping cup of Graham Cracker and Birthday Cake froyo later and I was in a sugar coma. I left the boys to watch football and promptly passed out in bed. 

(This is how I could get into football...)

When I woke up I managed to motivate myself to do a 50 minute yoga video from YouTube and then headed out for some speed work in Central Park because it was such a beautiful night and I really wanted to get a picture of the sunset at the reservoir. So why not run, right? Right. A ran .5 miles to Engineer's Gate and another .5 miles on the Bridle Path. When I hit a mile, a kicked things up a notch for .5. Slowed down for .25. Kicked it up for .5. Slowed down for .25. Kicked it up for .5. Entered the reservoir loop and did two quarter mile intervals. My ankle was bothering me a little bit, so while I initially wanted to do 3 miles of fast running, I settled for 2 and comfortably ran myself back home for a total of 4.25 miles and a beautiful picture of the sunset. 

And a huge case of "Missing Something While It's Here."

Next up was grocery shopping, food prepping, an episode of Orange is the New Black, leftover Meatball Shop and bed. 

My alarm this morning was supposed to get me to the gym for Kayla Itsine's leg day but - that didn't happen so it will have to be a sweaty lunch hour today since I have work at the running store tonight. 

Here's to hoping this week is just as wonderful and filled with happiness and sunshine as last week! (Although there was a definite chill in the air this morning!) 

Funny story: Friday night I was shaving and, since I'm terrible at shaving, somehow managed to shave off a LARGE strip of skin on my ankle. It WOULDN'T stop bleeding! And of course, I had no bandaids in the apartment. So how did I improvise? Pantyliner wrapped around my ankle and held in place with an Ace bandage until I could get to Duane Reade in the morning. When I unwrapped it in the morning, it was STILL bleeding! Ugh.