Photo Blogging Challenge – Spring

The May photo blogging challenge theme was “Spring“.

MA weather seemed to skip straight to Summer. (Welcomed after our snowiest winter on record!)

Despite the temperature, I was able to get a few pictures to choose from.

Quincy, MA’s “most nearly perfect sphere in the world“

The city I live in is beautiful. I love the flowering trees behind our granite sphere.

City Hall is under construction again – so that’s why the green fence is up.

To me & my husband – Spring means free comic book day is here! 

It’s always the 1st Saturday in May.

We’re lucky to have a New England Comics in Quincy that’s a few blocks from our house.

They go all out to celebrate – bringing in cosplayers, artists to sign comics, and even sampling wine (a few years ago)!

There is a pond behind my office complex.

There are a few geese families with goslings this spring!

I didn’t dare get any closer. Don’t need protective parents getting mad at me.

Took the photo above in Hull – a beautiful beachside town on the south shore of MA

The second flag is for the Boston Celtics – our basketball team.

I don’t understand why everyone thinks we’re such huge sports fans in MA. 😉

My husband holding a Carlton Fisk bobblehead from the giveaway night on May 5th at Fenway Park

I know most people associate baseball with Summer, but I think of Spring as the start of baseball season.

I’ve been to 3 Red Sox games this year. (They only won one of those games.)

You may remember from my Red Sox Girls of Summer post that I’m a big Red Sox fan.

I stand by my team, even in their slumps.

Bonus photo – me holding my ticket to the Red Sox game on May 5th, in front of my Red Sox purse

This monthly photo blogging challenge is facilitated by PJ of the Northeast Bloggers Network.

Thanks for inspiring me to take more photos!

November Project 5/25 – Destination Deck – Castle Island

Monday workout locations change every week for November Project Boston. That’s why they call the workouts on Monday “Destination Deck”.

The location is announced in a blog post on Friday before the workout.

I was very happy to see that the location for Memorial Day was very close to my house. (20 minute drive) Castle Island in South Boston.

The destination deck workouts are always fun and different.

On Monday, we were asked to start at the top of the hill with 20 air squats.

There I am, on the right, not exactly speedy with my squats

Then, we were supposed to grab a partner and wheel barrel down the hill.

No photo of me available –

I was only in wheel barrel for a few seconds before I fell and went to the next exercise

At the bottom of the hill, it was time for 20 burpees. This was the point in the workout where I just started laughing like a mad woman. I don’t know what I was doing differently, if anything, but when I tried to plant my hands for the jumping back part of the burpee, I started sliding down the hill instead. (My guess is, I have more body weight than the others & momentum was not on my side for this working.) I kept at it though.

After the burpees, we were told to grab a partner and jump over them going up the hill. I formed a team of 3 for this & it looked something like this:

I’m actually on the top left of this photo (not jumping)

Then repeat the workout as many times as you could before “time’s up” was called.

Here’s the group photo (I’m on the right again) –

I love that NP members bring their children to workouts on holidays that they have off from school!

It was a wicked fun morning workout, and I’m glad I attended!

I enjoyed starting my Memorial Day working out next to Fort Independence.

Red Sox Girls of Summer

The 1st weekend of Summer seems like the perfect time to blog about my experience with the Boston Red Sox Girls of Summer event. (Spoiler for those that like to skim posts: It was AMAZING!!!)

Thanks to Jessica at Keeping Mommy Sane, I won 3 tickets to the event & took my Sister-in-law Jen and my friend Amanda (who was Maid of Honor at my wedding).

What is Red Sox Girls of Summer?!

It was a wonderful day where 40 women participated in

• Clinics with Red Sox Coaches (4 different activities)
• Lunch and Q&A with Front Office Panel
• Meet the Red Sox – Brock Holt & Mike Napoli
• Press Conference with the Manager
• Tour of the Park
• Pregame Party
• Red Sox Game
• Dinner

Just wow! I got to live out a dream playing baseball in Fenway Park. I think I may have spent most of the day jumping up and down on the field saying “I can’t believe this is real!”

After checking in at Fenway Park, we had a welcome session with Executive Vice President & Senior Advisor to the President/CEO of the Red Sox, Charles Steinberg. He talked about how he thinks women will be playing in Major League Baseball in the near future.

Then, we were divided into groups of 10 to go through the coaching clinics. I was on the white team. (Hi to any awesome teammates that may be reading this posts!)

I freaked out with joy upon 1st stepping on the field!

Amanda, me, and Jen in the Red Sox dugout!

Put me in coach! I’m ready to play!

Our 1st stop was the bullpen for pitching lessons from Red Sox bullpen coach Dana LeVangie. 

Amanda getting some pitching instruction

I was so in awe, I didn’t think to hand off my camera and ask someone to take my photo. Oops.

The next stop was fielding off the green monster!!! (I’m grinning now just typing that!)

Our coach for fielding

OMG! I actually caught the ball! (My former SBS softball teammates will be shocked.)

Then, it was time to talk base running with Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo.

Jen’s got this!

I’m out by a mile but I’m laughing with joy the whole time

Finally, we walk through the dugout to get to the batting cages!

I’m totally team personnel as I walk through that door!

Jen & Hilary wait to enter the batting cage

At this station we get instruction from Red Sox hitting coach Chili Davis

Jen channels her jersey’s namesake and totally rocks!

I’m actually connecting!

Instruction over, we headed back up to the EMC club. This sign in the dugout made me laugh:

At the EMC club we had lunch & the Q&A with the front office panel.

Red Sox front office staff panel

Then, the amazing surprise of which Red Sox players we’d get to meet.

We all assumed “meet the Red Sox” would mean lesser known players that just joined the squad. Not so! It was Mike Napoli & Brock Holt!

Mike Napoli, Jen, Me, Brock Holt

Mike & Brock stayed after pictures for their own Q&A session with us.

Then, we went to the rows behind the Dugout for a Press Conference with Red Sox Manager John Farrell with us asking the questions!

Finally, we went on a tour of Fenway.

Our awesome tour guide

Amanda & Jen in the 1st row of the Green Monster seats

Display about the concerts that have taken place at Fenway Park

Fenway Farms – an organic garden on the Fenway roof – Yawkey Way side

Love this shot of Fenway with Boston in the background

Finally, it was time for dinner & then the game.

Cool dinner ambiance in The Champions Club (inside the park) – Those baseballs are all signed by the  Red Sox World Series Champion players & coaches for 2004, 2007, & 2013.

My sister-in-law Jen & I goof around in the kids section of the park before the game

All & all it was an amazing day! One of the coolest days of my life! Thank you to the Red Sox for hosting this wonderful day!

November Project 5/20 – Washington DC

This week I was in Washington DC for a business trip, I joined NP DC Wednesday morning at 6:30 AM to climb the steps of the Lincoln Memorial – plus some push ups & planks at the end for extra spice.

It was the 1st time I’d visited a November Project tribe outside of Boston, and I’m glad I did. They were just as welcoming as NP Boston is!

Here are some fun photos from the workout:

6:30 AM group photo (Lincoln in the background)

I’m in front of the person with their hand up, wearing a pink long sleeved shirt

Post NP DC workout I pose with President Lincoln (top of the steps) as my victory shot

I climbed the Lincoln Memorial steps 5 times that morning, followed by 15 push ups, before the group photo.

I loved the scenery at this workout.

At 7:30 AM, I walked the 1.5 miles back to my hotel & got a closer photo of the Washington Monument.

I highly recommend visiting the November Project DC tribe when you’re in their city!

November Project 5/13

“Oh what a beautiful morning!”

November Project workouts leave me starting the day wanting to sing.

The workout for Wed was to run as many sections of the Harvard Stadium stairs as you could in 22 minutes, then turn around and race back to the start.

I was running late that morning & arrived at 6:30 AM on the dot. (I missed the warm up bounce so I got my own in as I waited.)

This meant I was one of the last in line to start, a full 9 minutes after racing began.

No matter though! I was there to improve myself & I’d do what I could. It’s all better than being back home in bed.

I got in 12 sections climbed. (No PR – but that’s OK.)

I was happy to see the positivity award that day given to author and long time November Project Boston member Caleb Daniloff. Caleb’s working on a book about November Project! I just finished reading his book Running Ransom Road: Confronting the Past One Marathon at a Time and I recommend it.

The November Project Boston blog post about the day talked about how our movement is growing and why you should join us.

Can you find me?
I’m wearing purple & am about 7 rows from the front – right side

Yelp Boston’s Ultimate Field Day

On Saturday, I had another fun day with Yelp Boston.

My husband Dave 

They held a field day at the Boston Whitcaps Ultimate Frisbee League in Medford. (I had no idea this existed.) Here’s my review of the day on Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/elite-event-yelps-ultimate-field-day-medford?hrid=I8t9J3oiTOA0IeYaco6ecw

Spunky the Clown & me

Edited to add pictures from the Yelp Facebook Album: Yelp’s Ultimate Field Day

Thanks for the great photos Tatsu!

Blog and Tweet Boston – Blogger Brunch at Elephant Walk South End

Thanks to Blog & Tweet Boston, my husband Dave & I attended a blogger brunch at Elephant Walk in the South End of Boston on Sunday.

The fitness portion of the day for me was when my husband Dave & I showed up at the wrong location and had to run to get to the actually location on time. Ooops! I guess that means #bruchearned though right?

Elephant Walk has a mix of Cambodian and French cuisine.

The chef stopped by our table to explain her influences.

For the 1st course we had Rouleaux (Cambodian spring rolls).

They were amazing. The chef mentioned that you’re supposed to wrap them in the lettuce & add sprouts/mint to the wrap before eating it. (She gets sad when people think that the lettuce & sprouts are just a garnish and don’t eat them.)

For the main course, I tried Crêpe au Canard (crepe filled with duck braised in soy tamarind juices, portobello mushroom, crème frâiche, scallion, dressed baby greens). I’m a big duck fan but I don’t get to eat it often. This was a delicious presentation and I hope to be back to try it again soon. The duck was tender and the flavors worked great with the mushrooms!

For dessert, I had Délice au citron.

Delicious way to end the meal!

Thanks to Elephant Walk for hosting us and Blog & Tweet Boston for setting up the lunch for us!

A Tale of 2 Workouts – November Project & Fusion Class

On Wednesday, I decided to have 2 workouts in one day: 6:30 AM with November Project and 7:30 PM with Ladies of Equinox Fusion class event.

I should have just stuck with November Project & relaxed in the evening instead, but I’ll get to that.

The proper response to the question “You all good?”

One of the NP Boston leaders, Emily, wearing a “November Project Beast” shirt 

First, November Project stair climbing was lovely on 4/29! It was the last Wednesday of the month, which meant that DJ Phoenix was there to play music as we climbed.

I climbed 12 sections, with a few dance breaks.

After work, I took an hour T ride to get to Boston for the Ladies of Equinox Spring Fusion class.

I was really looking forward to it, but sadly, it didn’t work out.

Waiting before Ladies of Equinox class – different NP shirt than I wore in the morning

I was one of the 1st attendees to arrive, and I put my water bottle & camera on top of a yoga mat, intending to use the mat when it was needed.

The 1st section of the class was dancing with Ali Baldassare (Move Sweat Love with Ali). It was very fun.

After Ali finished, she told us to grab our waters & a mat.

That was when a catty other attendee literally took the mat I was holding out of my hand to use herself.

I was shocked! It happened before I could even react.

I left the class, thinking “I’ll just look for a mat on the other side of the classroom”. Much to my disappointment there were not enough mats for the attendees.

This event was ticketed – twice! Once to get in the gym & then another ticket to get in the classroom. (Both free, but I assumed they were intended to prevent exactly the situation that happened to me.)

Glumly, I left the gym – taking another hour T ride to get home & missing Sweat with Lauren Hefez & Jennifer Phelan Pilates sections of the class.

On the brightside, I got in 11,678 steps for the day & I was able to read Running Ransom Road: Confronting the Past One Marathon at a Time by Caleb Daniloff (November Project Boston member) while I was on the T. I’m really enjoying Caleb’s book and recommend it to anyone that runs – if you love running, hate it, or are somewhere in the middle!