BollyX

On Saturday, I joined my friends Andrea & Nandanie for a free BollyX dance class in Brookline.

Per usual, it was a blast! (But I guess I was unintentionally hiding in the back row because I’m not in any of the photos from the class. That’s OK with me though.)

I earned 3 Weight Watchers activity points from the class.

My muscles were a little sore (from New Balance Girls Night Out earlier in the week working muscles I don’t usually work) so I went light on some of the dance moves, but it was still a great workout and wicked fun class.

New Balance Girls Night Out Boston

I loved the “Girls Run This Town” on the back of the trainers shirts!

I’m in this photo – gray shirt on the right.

I had a wonderful time at the New Balance Girls Night Out on 6/26!

A huge thank you to New Balance & Rachel from Healthy Chicks for hosting the night out – outdoor boot camp style workout.

It was a great workout!

We were split into 3 groups and did circuits of workouts – Burpies & sprints across from the Trinity Church (make sure to look out for animal droppings); strength training inside New Balance (photo above); then running to the Commonwealth Mall to use the wall of a sculpture for stretches & squats. (On the run over I inhaled a bug. Gross.)

The theme of the night was “Excellent is Strong”.

Most of the night stuck to the theme well – but I was a little annoyed and surprised when the trainer for my group started talking about being “bathing suit ready” during squats. I’m working out to improve my fitness level & get stronger. I’m not concerned about “looking good in a bathing suit” thank you very much!

Once we returned to New Balance, there was a photo booth set up and food & drinks were waiting for us too! (I grabbed a smoothie and it was delicious.)

I checked my phone in the bag I brought to the workout – so I’m looking forward to seeing the photos from New Balance of the event.

I’m definitely signing up for the July NBGNO the second RSVPs open. You should join me for a wicked fun night out!

Hard Rock Cafe Boston – Blog & Tweet Boston Blogger Lunch

I’m third from the left – with the pink top & long necklace. My husband, David, author of Staying Square in MA is to my left.

Wow! On Saturday, 6/21, I had the pleasure of joining Blog and Tweet Boston as one of the bloggers invited to lunch at Hard Rock Cafe Boston.

The group pictured above sampled all of the delicious food in front of us – and a few alcoholic beverages as well.

The Hard Rock Cafe also gave us a guitar keychain – that is also a USB drive – loaded with high res photos of the menu items we were sampling! I was so happy to know I could just enjoy the lunch and company without having to worry about getting photos for my blog.

My favorites from the lunch were:

Twist & Shout

Guinness Draught Beer, Bacardi OakHeart Spiced Rum, Dark Crème de Cacao, Chocolate Syrup, Monin Salted Caramel Syrup blended with Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla Ice Cream and topped with whipped cream, caramel, chocolate and our signature applewood smoked crisp bacon

Why yes – that is bacon on top of this delicious alcoholic beverage!

Barbeque Sampler

Barbecue Chicken

Brined then basted with our hickory barbecue sauce and roasted until fork-tender.

Mini Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwich

Slow-cooked beef brisket topped with hickory barbecue sauce and crispy onions on grilled sourdough bread.

The brisket sandwich was amazing!

Red Berry Press

Fresh Strawberries, Raspberries and lemons pressed together with Svedka Clementine Vodka, HRC made from scratch Lemonade and Lemon-Lime Soda

This was a tasty sweet drink – which could get a bit dangerous if you aren’t paying attention because you can’t taste the alcohol in it.

Cool presentation too – with the waitress using the press before serving the drink but leaving the press on the table.

Thank you so much to the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston for hosting us!

November Project Week 5 – Music included

My plan to stay under the section number to be seen in the photo didn’t work as well as it has in past photos – but my head is blocking the “2” in the photo below. Not worth risking being kicked in the head by the people sitting above me. Live and learn. 🙂

Slowly but surely, I’m improving my stair climbing with November Project Boston.

Today – I climbed 21 sections – 2 more than I got in last Wednesday.

The energy this morning was amazing!

There was a DJ with all her gear set up to blast music for all of us climbing at Harvard Stadium. I may not have felt like jumping when I heard “Jump Around” but it made me grin.

There was spray painting “November Project” on work out clothes for #GrassRootsGear thanks to some awesome volunteers. I now have 3 NP shirts that I can wear to future workouts & 5Ks (when I’m on November Project teams).

I’m proud of myself for pushing through my thoughts of “you should quit this” and pretty much telling my mind to get out of my body’s way. It was hot this morning – 70 degrees – so the workout felt harder than the 1st week but why wake up early and join the amazing crew of November Project Boston if you’re not going to push yourself and do the darn workout. My abs are sore right now – but that’s OK.

When I hit tough points where my legs were shaking, I’d think of my friends that have Multiple Sclerosis and despite the disease do amazing things like biking 150 miles with Bike MS Cape Cod Getaway and/or walking 50 miles in the MS Challenge Walk Cape Cod. I  thought – if they can be amazing while dealing with MS fatigue and other symptoms – I don’t have any excuses!

A bunch of other climbers encouraged me during the climbing tell me I was “doing great” and one commented on my “Dig Deeper” headband. (She liked it and agreed with the statement.)

I gave water to a climber who was sitting on the steps because her foot was cramping up. Stuff like that makes carrying a large water bottle through the climb worth it to me. It’s usually more water than I need for myself – but it’s inevitable in summer weather that I’ll pass someone who needs the “extra” water.

I’ve never been happier to be part of the November Project Boston tribe.

Edit: A picture with me in the background descending steps has surfaced. Thank you Scott Yellow!

I’m on the front left – pink stripe down my work out pants and holding a water bottle

Cardio Pilates Summer Bootcamp on the Rose Kennedy Greenway

Over 200 people showed up for Cardio Pilates Summer Bootcamp

On Monday, 6/23, I took a free Cardio Pilates class on the Rose Kennedy Greenway lead by “Move Sweat Love” Ali Baldassare. SweetGreen Passport program listed the class in it’s monthly round up and I signed up right away.

Ali’s a great instructor and I was looking forward to a fun class with her.

The problem with outdoor yoga type work outs though is that the creepers come out to take photos and video.

Tourists who are genuinely amused by us taking photos or the photo above taken by the event organizers – I don’t mind – but this wasn’t that.

It was men being creepy and treating the women working out as objects to be filmed.

I was working out on the side of the grass closest to the path the men were filming from. I thought about shouting “Yes all women” at them, but didn’t think they’d understand what that meant. I also thought of directly calling them out on being creepy – but I didn’t think they’d hear me over the music playing during the workout.

I did however angrily stare back at men who were taking photos and/or video. (If you’re filming during a legs spread apart in the air move or downward dog pose – you are creepy! End of story!)

It really upset me. Why should my workout be ruined because technology is available to be extra creepy & film?!

If I go to a future workout on the Greenway – I’ll try to arrive earlier so I can get my mat closer to the center of the grass – so at least I won’t be able to see if people are taking photos.

 

November Project – Week 4

I was back at Harvard Stadium at 6:15 AM this morning to get some more stair climbing in with November Project Boston.

Today – instead of the group photo – every attendee was asked to take an individual “yearbook” photo. I’m looking forward to seeing how my photo turned out. I was wearing the Bondi Band I won from Blond Bostonian’s blog contest which had “Dig Deeper” written on it. I tried to use that as a mantra to keep me going this morning.

We were asked to go from section 37 to section 19 today and then take our “yearbook” picture.

“OK!” I thought to myself. “If I can make it to section 19 I’ll have climbed one more section than I did last week. I can do this!”

And I did! 😀

For some reason – my legs felt worse than they usually do when I started out. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to climb more than the 18 sections I climbed last week. (I think I was tired from a skype call with my god-kids and their parents out in Seattle, WA on Tuesday night – but they’re worth the consequences from less sleep than I normally get.)

Along the way – I also helped out another climber who had been away from NP for a month and forgot how hot it can get climbing in the summer. He was very grateful when I offered him my water bottle. (That’s part of the NP experience that I love. Someone is always there to help you. Some days it’s cheering you on. Some days it’s offering water to someone who’s sitting at the top of a section of stairs panting.)

Tonight – I have to help a co-worker set up a fundraising night at a Boston bowling ally – but I’m hoping I’ll be able to get out in time to attend the fireside chat with Jeremy Balboni of Brooklyn Boulders and Brogan Graham of November Project.

Edit: I had to stay staffing the fundraising event till 8:15 PM, so I missed the fireside chat. 😦

Hump Day Blog Hop

Just a reminder that I’m participating in the “Hump Day Blog Hop” hosted by Fitness Blondie

. Check it out at the link below:

Back Up Plan Time – Which Workouts Do You Recommend?

I’m a little disappointed to announce that Social Boston Sports canceled it’s summer “Fit League” (boot camp) program due to low registration.

I was registered for Tuesday & Thursday night sessions that would have started tonight and run until early August.

I’ve participated in two other sessions of SBS Fit League – in 2012 & 2013. In fact – that’s where I met Jess L. – who’s turned into a great friend and fitness coach.

So, I’m trying to look at this cancellation as an opportunity to try new workouts in my new found free time.

What workouts do you recommend I try?
The only requirement for me is that sessions be available post my work day. I can get to sessions in Boston by 6:30 PM – but anything earlier than that could be a problem. (Darn rush hour traffic vortex & working till 5:30 PM in Natick, MA.)

I’m definitely looking at the schedule of Ultimate Bootcamp to see if that’s possible for me to attend now, and I’ll be heading to more Bolly X dance classes with my Bolly X obsessed friends. (I’m wicked happy to see friends that I brought to their 1st Bolly X class love it so much that they’re now training to be instructors!)

I’m a sucker for race photos

Here are some photos from recent races that I bought from the race photographers.

Color Me Rad – May 31, 2014

My brother & me post race

Runner’s World 5K – June 6,2014

Running through the finish line

My husband & me post race

November Project – Now with Cowbell

I’m in the back row again – under the 37 – in the yellow shirt

It was another great morning climbing stairs with November Project today!

The sun was shining and the weather was comfortable.

There was a new addition to the workout this morning. Every time we heard a cowbell ring it was time for a “fire drill” which meant you had to stop and drop wherever you were and do 5 push ups. (On your knees was OK & I stuck to that.)

My goal for the workout this morning was to get through 16 sections – 1 more than I completed last week. I actually completed 18 sections – even with the push ups in between! I’m proud of that accomplishment.

“Progress – not perfection” is a Weight Watchers saying that motivates me often. Speaking of WW – I weighted in yesterday and was down 1.6 pounds. That’s back to 26.4 pounds lost total. Woo-hoo!

There was a camera crew at NP today. Brogan was cracking me up with his speeches in front of the camera. “We’re a fitness movement!….or, maybe we’re a cult. We haven’t finished that paperwork. You’d be surprised at how much there is.”

I did my entire work out this morning hands free. (Which means I wasn’t using my hands to help push my legs forward like I did my 1st week.)

Note to myself for next week – don’t forget to wear sunscreen & bring your keys/phone in a drawstring bag so you can leave it on the stairs at the start and not be carrying a jacket around your waste with stuff in the pockets! (See – I’m learning as I go.)

If any of my blog readers come from Quincy to be a part of the 6:30 AM November Project Boston group on Wednesdays (or if you know someone who does) let me know. I’d love to get a carpool going.

And if you’re thinking about joining me for November Project some Wednesday soon – you totally should! It’s the best way to start a morning! Stop thinking about it and show up. 😀