Rest is a Four Letter Word

I, like many people, don't enjoy rest days. What do you mean I am supposed to not workout on this day? Wouldn't activity recovery be better? Can active recovery be a 6 mile run? Try as I might, I keep finding that rest days are beneficial and even necessary to meet my goals.

Way back in 2007, I joined Equinox for the very first time. I loved it but I also needed to justify to my parents what was then considered an expensive gym membership. It was the summer after my junior year in college, I had a fake internship that only took place on weekends, and my parents were 100% financially responsible for me. To show my dedication to my pricey membership, I went to the gym every single day, sometimes twice. The instructors and front desk team loved me. I worked really hard and had a great attitude about it. But then on Day 34, I couldn't do simple v-leg raises with a Swiss ball. (And that my friends is how creepy detailed my memory is about workouts I did almost 9 years ago.) Bonne is telling me to put some effort in but I legit couldn't do it. My abs and legs were toast. Probably because I hadn't taken a day off in over a month. I went to visit my grandmother and only did a little running for a few days, and magically I was back in the gym the next week stronger than ever.

Then in 2010, I was regularly attending 2 to 3 Equinox classes a day while teaching and attending grad school full-time. February break rolled around and I was psyched to spend multiple hours at all three Long Island Equinox locations. But I felt exhausted and sick, and overcome by crippling anxiety about having to go back to school. (I really did not like teaching.) So I spent 2 straight days in bed eating the crap snacks my parents hide in the cupboards (hello Doritos!) and I lost 3 lbs. 

Jenna told me I had to start taking a rest day when we tried carb cycling. I was all, "Pure Barre is my rest day!" And Jenna was all, "Pure Barre is NOT your rest day. You need to rest, especially if you're going to go low calorie for a day." I learned that I do not like low calorie days. I also learned that rest days aren't so bad.

As I shared a couple of weeks ago, I did not workout at all on Saturday and Sunday of the Atlantic Regional. I spent all weekend on my feet cheering for Coach Bre but I was not going to CrossFit and I didn't feel like running either. Last week, I tried to take it a little easier. I went to Pure Barre Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I did go to CrossFit on Tuesday because the programming looked awesome but I wasn't adequately hydrated or fueled for running in 90 degree weather and knocking out thrusters. Anyway, I weighed in at 140.2 lbs. Rest is good.

Throwback Thursday: LifeTime Fitness Visit

Throwback to the time Christine brought me to Lifetime Fitness as her guest.

I met Christine in Yves Maco's kickboxing class at Equinox in the fall of 2010. She was one of the cool kids in the front of the class. I made it my goal to be one of the cool kids in the front of the class. Soon we were bitching about teaching in the locker room, sharing hair-ties, and kicking synchronized ass front and center. Life was good.

Then Yves left Equinox, I moved back to Manhattan, and Tuesday and Thursday afternoons have never been the same.

Breaking News: Darryl Gaines Quit Equinox

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This morning I thought I was going to Tripp Doherty's 6:30 AM spin class. Too bad it starts at 6 AM. Oops. I ended up getting on the bike at 6:25 and enjoying an awesome half hour ride. While there, I learned that Darryl Gaines has left Equinox.

Say what?

I haven't heard why Darryl decided to leave, but perhaps he got the idea from another person who has recently decided to part ways with the gym...

I'm not in Manhattan right now, but I can only imagine that mass hysteria. I'm not being facetious - people really love Darryl and I'm not sure how they plan on getting through the day without him. Actually, I do have an idea - invite Tripp Doherty to take over the lunchtime classes.

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Erik Von Detten Look-Alike at Equinox

Today I went to TranscendCycle at 12:30 PM over at Columbus Circle. I noticed that someone named Luke had signed up for Melissa's bike, bike number 8, and since I was signed up for bike #7, this Luke ended up next to me. Don't worry, Melissa had the pedal on bike #9 fixed (my bike) and we were in a nice little row.

So this Luke character walks in and warmly (and kind of loudly) greets Darryl. Obviously he is a regular at one of the TranscendCycle classes because Darryl greets him warmly as well. And yes, this is what I choose to spend my time doing - analyzing the dynamics between members and instructors at Equinox and assigning positions within the social fitness hierarchy.

Luke has a striking resemblance to the love of my life, Erik Von Detten. Although he was in The Princess Diaries, I first fell in love with Erik while watching the Disney classic Brink. Luke's hair is very early Erik Von Detten, which combined with the features of older Erik Von Detten, made me very distracted. And he smelled good.

Erik Von Detten in photos

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It was a great workout with great music and great energy. I also thought I was having a heart attack. And I kept sneaking glances to my right. Maybe I need to join Curves or another ladies only gym?

I blame my susceptibility to great hair and the scent of deodorant on the fact that I was too tired to have sex last night. TOO. TIRED. TO. HAVE. SEX. Yes, the apocalypse is now upon us and you should be fortifying your homes and stocking up on food stuffs.

Speaking of food stuffs, I made dinner last night. Like, made salad dressing from scratch made dinner last night. (Alright, I just reheated the pork roast, but that salad was made by my own hands!) After working all day, going to the grocery store, taking more work calls, and then preparing dinner, I was so tired. I've come to the realization that without Chinese delivery, the American people would cease to reproduce.

Break Up

After a long period of reflection, I have decided to terminate my membership at Equinox. I first joined the Roslyn Equinox in 2007 and later became an all-access member in 2008. For many years, I found that Equinox fit all of my fitness needs, but as more of my favorite instructors have moved on to other ventures and my work schedule has changed, I haven't felt motivated to attend classes as I once I did.

Today I signed the contract ending my membership, effective May 1. It felt like I was breaking up with a boyfriend. Or at least I imagine it's what it feels like to break up with a boyfriend. My relationships tend to end in two ways:

1. The guy decides he is no longer interested in me and neglects to tell me for days and sometimes even weeks.
2. I never actually break up with the guy, instead dragging him through months, and sometimes even years, of quasi-emotional abuse until I get bored or he cries uncle.

My breakup with Equinox seems a lot more amicable and we seem to be on the same page.

Monday Morning Spin

This morning the sounds of "What Makes You Beautiful" and a light show woke me up at 5:45 AM. Bet you didn't know you could set your iPhone alarm to do that, did you? Nothing gets me to hop out of bed like a One Direction dance party and soon I was dressed and on my way to spin class.

This was the first time I've gone to a class with Betsy Buzaid. Turns out this is the last 6:30 AM Monday class she's teaching at Equinox, which is a bummer because I liked her. My body is pretty sore from kickboxing so I'm not sure how difficult this class is, but the music was good and there was some pretty decent climbs.

I'm always looking for ways to cut down on the amount of stuff I drag around. Today I wore my spandex under my jeans and packed my tank and sweater. I insisted on wearing my Uggs and packing my flats, which in hindsight was stupid. I should have just sucked it up and worn the flats even though it was chilly out.

fully showered and dressed by 7:37 AM

I got fed up waiting for mirror space. I also don't have the patience to dry my hair, so I put on some bb cream and put my hair up. Then I headed over to Juice Generation. I love when I do more by 8:30 AM than I normally do all weekend.

I got the very un-Paleo peanut butter split with almond milk. And then a fat girl came in and ordered the same thing. Eek.

Day of the Dreadmill

It's been cold and today's weather was a constant drizzle. Not exactly how I'd like to spend a long run. But since I definitely needed to get at least 10 miles in this weekend, I mentally prepared myself and drove to Equinox to run on the treadmill.

I told myself I would run 12 to 15 miles - basically whatever I could get in before my mother texted me to say that dinner was almost ready.

The Caumsett 50K is next Sunday, and you might remember from previous years that the course is a 5K loop. Yup, 10 times around a 5K loop. I'm a big fan of the 5K so this course actually makes me pretty happy. There's a porta-potty at 1.5 mile mark and I've learned from the past two years that I usually have to pee around 4.5 miles. Using this knowledge, I broke down a 12 mile run into the breaks I would probably take for the race.

I wanted to make sure that I wasn't starting off too quickly (um, yeah, might have run my first 5K loop in the 7 somethings last year), so I set the speed to 10 minute miles. It began to drive me crazy so I moved up to sub-9s and tweaked it back and forth for the first 5 miles. Then I attempted to go to the bathroom but some guy ran in before me, so I did a few shoulder presses.

I ran the next 3 miles alternating between 10 minute miles and sub-7 minute miles. I can easily run 8 miles outside, but I was really struggling on the treadmill. I was bored. My foot hurt. This idiot woman chose the freaking treadmill next to me even though there were twenty to choose from. Nothing interesting was on tv. I decided "Doses and Mimosas" could only be listened to so many times before I'd voluntarily blow out my own eardrums.

I finally got my bathroom break and got back on the dreadmill for another 4 miles. I ran the first 2.5 miles really slowly and listened to some Neon Indian. I ran most of the race listening to this awesome band last year and was able to get back into the groove imagining I was back on the course. I also played through ideal scenarios for my 5 year reunion that's coming up this June. I have a really bad habit of living things in my mind over and over before they actually happen and then the actual event always pales in comparison. Or ends up with me facing a police officer. Never a winning situation, which is why I don't like to get a heads up on events.

I felt fine at 10 miles but I got the text from my mom saying dinner would be soon and to be honest, as long as I reached 12 miles, I felt comfortable calling it a day. I switched over to my workout mix and pounded in the last 1.5 miles listening to "Jump" and "Starships" and running 6:53s.

check out that sweet tie-dye tech shirt

I'm pretty proud of myself for running 12 miles on a treadmill because I have never run that far on one. I'm also pretty sure I will never be running that far on one again. Show your love and consider donating $12 to my fundraising campaign for Rock the Ridge.

Pain in the Neck

I woke up at 3:50 this morning with shooting pain in my neck. I've noticed that I've been rolling over on my left shoulder lately in my sleep, and this combined with last night's intense workout has completely killed my left side.

not a happy camper

I managed to drift in and out of sleep a few more times until 7 AM and then took a hot shower to relax the muscles. Then I dragged my broken body to CVS for Icy Hot medicated patches. The last time I did this to myself, these patches were a lifesaver. Shout-out to Matt who is facing his own neck pain. Feel better soon and if you're looking for someone to commiserate with, I'll bring the Dewars.

God bless Icy Hot

Now that I've thoroughly scared you, let me tell you about the classes I went to yesterday.

Omar Sandoval is one of my favorite instructors. I also harbor a not so secret crush on him. He is known for his Titan classes and his classes are nuts. He also looks great in spandex.

Back when I was teaching, I made it to Titan Method pretty regularly. He has since introduced another class called Titan Method Phantom that is done entirely with your own body weight. I was super psyched to be able to go to both.

Phantom is 30 minutes of planks, push-ups, burpees, lunges, and variations of those moves. Try lying on your stomach and launching your body into a squat so that you're doing a burpee without relying on your arms. Now do this for a minute. Try not to throw up. The yoga push-up is another killer. It's a fast paced transition from downdog to chatturanga to updog without stopping. It hurts and it's not easy.

I used 8 and 10 lbs weights for the hour long Titan Method class, but I saw some women rocking 15 lbs. To these women, I salute you.

You perform 20 sets of 5 exercises 3-5 times in 9 minutes. Then you mop up your area for a minute. There are 5 different circuits. Everyone moves at their own pace, which is bad for me because I can't follow directions that I hear nor can I count my reps without getting distracted. I tried to find people to watch in the mirror to use as a reference, but alas, I pitifully tried to remember the sequence in vain. I still think I looked pretty good with the one armed clean and snatch.

my disgusting pile of laundry that had to be left to dry in the shower

While lying in a puddle of my own sweat, convinced that this would be the day my heart finally gave out and I would die in the gym I call home, I remembered how fun a punishing full body workout can be. Omar offers Titan Method and Titan Method Phantom at 85th & 3rd on Tuesdays and at Columbus Circle on Wednesdays. I'm open to attending either once volleyball ends the last week in February. Hit me up if you're a member and want to join me.

in case you're wondering what I'm wearing to work today

Crap Weather, Errands, and Yoga

What's with this foul weather? First there's a snow storm that apparently shut down Suffolk county and now this rain is threatening to give me perpetual bad hair day. I give up.

After four months of putting this off, I finally walked over to Hermes to get my clic clac H bracelet fixed. Now it's going to Paris for 4-6 months to be realigned. So glad my bracelet gets such a lovely extended vacation. I am missing it very much.

just a few of my favorite things

In case there's a reader out there who has always wanted to buy me an overpriced gift, I absolutely love the jungle green bracelet.

There is a grey one with the H in white that is kind of tacky and kind of awesome. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of it because I foolishly believed it would be available online. If I find a pic, I'll post it. Bonus points to the reader who photographs it and sends me the JPEG.

So after walking in the rain to Hermes and then coming home, I went back to Aubrey's yoga class. Loved it.

Those are an ex-boyfriend's old sweatpants.
The relationship was entirely worth it for those pants.

There were a lot more people there than last week but luckily I secured my spot in the very front to the right of where the instructor goes. That's my spot in every class if I can get it.

The highlight of today's class was practicing crow. I suck at it and usually make one feeble attempt to get up there on my arms and then give up. I do remember being able to do it in high school, so I know it's not impossible. Apparently a lot of us were struggling, so Aubrey had us lay down on our backs and put our arms and legs into crow from there. Then we all flipped back over and low and behold, I was able to into crow for a whole five seconds. Genius.

Yoga Night

I went to yoga at 7:45 PM at the 85th and 3rd Equinox. On Mondays I have the luxury of escaping my office in the afternoon to see my therapist and then finishing up the workday at my apartment. I figured since I was home, I should get to the gym.

Don't mind me. Just casually taking photos of myself.

I haven't made it to a yoga class in a while and tonight I felt really good about my practice. I felt strong (as in I can hold this downdog and flip it bitch strong) and more flexible. I completely noticed how different my leg muscles felt after getting that massage last week. I was much more aligned in Warrior I and II and I didn't have that shooting pain up my shin. I felt more open in my twists and it was a great boost to my confidence to know that I had less of a gut to hike over my leg.

I also liked this instructor. Her name is Aubrey Lampkin. She was just the right amount of supportive/encouraging and funny. She also played a sweet playlist of folksy songs. I was into it.

Speaking of songs, I've been on a real Ben Folds tear lately. I had a Ben Folds Spotify radio station on during my run on Sunday and this song I really liked came on but I forgot to "like" it. Today I was Googling the lyrics I could remember on the ride into work and now Google is providing me with links to suicide prevention websites and the eharmony blog. The song is called "A Working Day" in case you're interested. 

Even if you're not interested, here's been the soundtrack of my life today.

And as we learned last week, people are pinning a photo of my wing tattoos when they were fresh and bleeding to Pinterest. Please folks, at least pin the photo below. They look so much better.

Wednesday Morning Spin

I have an early volleyball game this evening and felt it would be slightly inappropriate to spin during lunch and peace out of work at 5:30, so instead a I signed up for a 6:30 AM spin class at Equinox on 85th & 3rd. It was no Darryl, but I enjoyed the workout.

Amanda Shapin was covering the class for the normal instructor. She had a pretty solid playlist, although a little heavy on the Taylor Swift, and just the right amount of energy for 6:30 AM. I don't like too much forced energy at that hour, but I also don't want my instructor silent either. Amanda had us alternate between fast songs and slower songs for hill climbs. One of those hill climbs was 6 minutes long. My legs are dying.

I read an article on Running Times about junk miles and recovery runs and my takeaway was that it is important to train your muscles to perform when they are fatigued. The stress of spin on my legs after cardio sculpt or 30/60/90 will push me to work through pain preparing me for the 50 mile trail race.

I was eyeing Amanda's cycling shoes. I spent some time this morning trying to find them but I don't think I was able to. I am a huge fan of my Shimanos, but here's a rundown on some other cycling shoes I think are attractive.

The Shimano WM62 in black and white are similar to the light blue pair that I wear. I like that Shimanos have a little bulk to them and I find they are more flattering than the similar models SIDI makes.

http://www.zappos.com/shimano-sh-wm62-white-black

 But SIDI makes some damn fine looking cycling shoes. The T3 and T3.6 are so effing hot and they're lightweight because they are intended for triathlons. The

http://www.sidiamerica.com/sidi/tri/t3_women.html

http://www.sidiamerica.com/sidi/tri/t36.html

Some people prefer cycling shoes that look like running shoes. I'm not the biggest fan but I do love the colors of the Pearl Izumi pair below. They remind me of my crosstrainers. Is SCUBA blue now a real color?

http://www.zappos.com/pearl-izumi-w-x-alp-impact-black-scuba-blue

Day 16 Whole 30 - Weight Loss Wednesday 1.23.13

Last night, after 30/60/90, I was at the 50th Street subway station and I saw a Chinese man holding a bag of Chinese takeout. And I seriously considered stealing it from him. Come up from behind, grab the bag, and take off running steal it from him. My name is Alessandra and I know I have a problem.

Their smiley faces taunt me.

I fell off the Whole 30 wagon this weekend. There was alcohol, cheese, French baguette, and taco shells. I'm not proud of myself but I am once more clean. No orders were placed to Hunan Delight, but I did eat sushi. I can't believe I now consider sushi a cheat meal. This is progress.

My progress was solid last week and I can definitely tell that I gained some weight this weekend.
This is proof that I can't play with bread, rice, or cheese at all.

I went to 30/60/90 in a wonderfully color-coordinated outfit. Take a look at that sweaty pile of awesome.

Since I pretty much stand all day, my legs are often swollen. Socks, jeans, and boots have been leaving me with some awkward looking marks that I'm a little embarrassed by when I show up to class.

Yoga on Our Day Off

The Obamanation is on all the tv stations and The Young and the Restless isn't on because of this hoopla. To keep my blood pressure from skyrocketing, I went to yoga. And it's no secret. I can't stand this president and look forward to when history books say that he was a worse president than Herbert Hoover.

The look of someone who can't take the next 4 years.

I digress.

I went to Adam Dobbs' vinyasa yoga class at the Roslyn Equinox. Solid class and I liked his soothing voice. I was having a lot if trouble calming my brain today though. And this old lady's breathing sounded like a cross between Lamaze and an asthma attack. I found her very distracting.

I want to send out a super big thank you to Lindsay for joining Equinox and listing me as her referral. I received a $150 gift card that I put towards my membership this month. You're the best girl!

Day 8 Whole 30 - 30/60/90

For the first time in months, I had the desire to go to a full body workout group fitness class at Equinox. It was actually a little bizarre. I was analyzing MYEQ for a yoga class that didn't start at 5:30 (wtf 50th & Broadway? Stop screwing with a working schedule) when I saw the 30/60/90 class I always ignore.

When I received a package with this t-shirt in it, I knew I had to go so I could wear it with black shorts and my Fiji blue sneakers. Yes, I let a t-shirt dictate my workout. It really wasn't yoga appropriate.

The 30/60/90 website says the following about the class:

30/60/90 is High Intensity Interval Training at its finest. It was developed by fitness expert Kristi Molinaro, and was named the “Best Fat-Burning Class″ by New York Magazine setting the standard for modern group fitness. “Pilates, kickboxing, and pole dancing can tone, but the interval training Kristi Molinaro’s signature class will do it faster.”

30/60/90 has no confusing choreography and no girly moves. It is a scientifically combined series of cardio drills in a high-intensity interval training format designed to get you (and keep you) in the best shape of your life. Unlike basic cardio workouts, 30/60/90 requires you to move in spurts in conjunction with a cardio strength workout that will rev up your metabolism even after you’re done working out.

Attracting women and men, newcomers and elite athletes, 30/60/90 has taken fitness to a whole new level. Kristi has developed a program based on timed intervals of steep peaks and valleys to dramatically improve your cardiovascular fitness and raise your body’s potential to burn fat.

I say the class is hard but it is doable. You do a move, then you have a chance to scale back for a moment before the surge. The surge can get ridiculous, i.e. I found myself flopping in a puddle of my own sweat thinking I was doing burpees off my bench. Many of the exercises are a combination of moves and by the time the surge comes around, us newbies are going to have to drop something. For example, you might need to jump on top of your bench, then jump off, do a burpee with one arm on the bench and the other on the floor, then do a push-up, and then jump back up to do it all again. The push-up is probably the first thing to go, but by the amount of flailing going on, I'm not sure I actually did the other exercises either. I was soaking in sweat, my heart rate was up, and I feel like I've been beaten, so I was doing something right.

I believe in the front row hierarchy. Those positions are earned and I admit that it bothers me when someone plops themselves up front and doesn't bring the energy (and skills) needed to motivate those standing behind them. That being said, I got to class early and put myself in my favorite spot - front row, right next to the instructor. I wanted to challenge myself to bring it, and since I have done 30/60/90 once before, I wasn't a complete beginner. I think I held my own.

The guy standing next to me was obviously a regular and I think I kind of kept up with him. He used 8 lbs weights throughout the class and I switched between 8s and 5s. He was able to hold his weights over his head during the cardio surges and I held mine to my shoulders. He is able to do push-ups. My weak little arms puttered out but I did hold planks when I could push up no more. He had some step aerobics background because we were in sync during over the bench lunges with the lovely jazz hands to boot. Basically I'm coming for him and he better be scared.

But in all seriousness, I like finding the best person in the class and following their pace. I also defer to that person if we're standing next to one another because I am easily distracted when someone is moving in the opposite direction as them. When I am the best person in the room, I really appreciate when others following my lead, defer to me. I'm clumsy and I feel no remorse if I end up kicking you in the head.

The instructor Kevin VerEecke had a solid playlist of top radio stuff and I liked his instruction style. Not overly chatty with an attention to form. He teaches the 30 minute AB Blast class right after 30/60/90 as well. I enjoyed that class, especially because the first 10 minutes were standing up. However, my quads felt thrashed so the woodchoppers felt awful.

My favorite move of the entire evening was a burpee from the bench to a twist plank to a twist push-up. I'm not at twist push-up level yet, but I will be.

30/60/90 classes are offered at Equinoxes around Manhattan. This class is at 6:30 PM on Wednesdays at 50th & Broadway.

Day 6 Whole 30 - Bareburger

Tonight my parents and I ate at Bareburger  on 73rd and 1st. I had read that Bareburger's meat was grass-fed and that you could get your burger wrapped in a lettuce lead instead of a bun. I convinced the parents to support my paleo diet and go here over the standard pizza. (My parents love pizza. I do not. Who is the child here?)

I ordered two beef patties, medium rare, wrapped in lettuce. Iceberg is the only choice, although I think Boston or Bibb would've held up better. I got fried onions and mushrooms on one and raw red onions and country bacon on the other. They were pretty damn good. I was pretty pleased until one of my many pseudo-ex-boyfriends told me that Bareburger uses frozen meat. Meh.

I didn't have any cheese, sauces, or French fries. I did eat a few cornmeal crusted spicy pickle spears because they looked interesting and sounded tasty. So cornmeal is not paleo - I'll live.

This morning I went to Inside/Out with Jonathan followed by spinning with Carolyn. Good workouts but I felt a little lightheaded. If I'm not in perpetual carbo-loading mode, do I now need to eat breakfast before morning workouts?

Day 2 of Whole 30 and Weight Loss Wednesday 1.9.13

Day 2 of Whole30 started off with a breakfast of 6 strips of bacons and 2 fried eggs. And this is a diet?

I took pictures for Weight Loss Wednesday and weighed myself. As per the Whole30 instructions, I will have to stop using my scale. I decided to weigh myself today instead of Monday because I always weigh myself on Wednesdays because I like consistency. For the next 30 days, you will only get my fat kid photos.

144.2 lbs
27.3 % body fat

I weighed myself during the holiday break and I weighed 150 lbs. I weighed myself last Saturday morning after binge drinking and eating Chinese food and weighed 148 lbs (I was just curious.) So this sudden weight loss either has to do with no bread and no rice, or the fact that I couldn't keep my dinner down last night. I guess we'll find out in a month.

My Wednesday schedule just changed and I will be working from home in the mornings. I have a weekly doctor's appointment at 11:15 AM that conveniently leaves me in Columbus Circle for 12:30 PM TranscendCycle with Daryl Gaines. The class is really popular and everyone loves him. I'll admit, there hasn't been an instructor I've wanted to like me as much as I'd like Daryl to like me since Yves. I'm not sure if I found his class difficult today because of my run last night, my crappy night's rest, or what, but I'm convinced I should have rocked it. Now I have to go every week to prove that I'm the best.

I ran into two of my high school friends in the locker room who were going to 1:30 yoga. I yelled, "You're busted" because I saw them at the gym when one said she was unable to attend 12:30 spin. Turns out I really freaked her out because she was hiding from her boss who was also in the locker room. Sorry girl! I hope you enjoyed Warrior Flow!

I felt incredible lightheaded on my way into the office and was overcome for the need for fruit. Is this because my blood sugar was low? Someone who reads this blog must know the answer so pipe up please. I made a quick fruit salad at the deli down the street (yes, I know that this fruit is neither local, farm fresh, or organic - shoot me), grabbed a coconut water, and headed into work. I inhaled the fruit and my coconut water at my desk before going to heat up my steak and asparagus.

This is not cute.

I think I am going to Target and pick up these Room Essentials® Chevron Melamine plates and cereal bowls so I can experience fine dining at work. Only $6.99! It's okay. I don't mind if you copy me.

New Year's Day 2013

Since I stayed in last night, I was up at 6:44 AM. I can't begin to tell you how great it was to watch a sunrise on New Year's Day when I hadn't been up from the night before. Boycotting New Year's Eve two years in a row have been two of the best decisions I ever made.

I was booked for bike 3 at the Woodbury Equinox to take 8:30 AM spin with Tripp. The first class was solid. There was no place I would rather have been that sweating it out in the front row, listening to Tripp share stories about my fellow spinners and learning more about Cycle for Survival. I am now fully on board for the 50 mile Rock the Ridge Endurance Challenge.

One of the things I love the most about Tripp is how he remembers the songs each person likes and plays them for that person. My song is "Starships" by Nicki Minaj, which is kind of weird because I normally do not like her music. This song just gets me so psyched to spin and I push myself past any wall my legs think they're going to slam against. I love that the breakaways build up, i.e. "Let's do this one last time, can't stop" and then bust out with, "We're higher than a motherfucker," and that throughout the song, the breakaways get closer together. I also love that I can scream motherfucker with little judgement (it's in the song!) because I swear all the time while working out.

With 30 minutes left to class, Tripp advised us to hop off our bikes to sign up for the next class if we were interested in a double. I showed off my running skills on my way to the front desk and was back on my bike in the same song.

What I look like after the 1st class. I forgot to take a post 2nd class photo.

After the first class, I switched to bike 10 and wiped it down with disinfectant wipes. If you're going to double and you have to switch bikes, chances are the cleaning crew isn't coming in so you should clean your own bike. For that matter, if classes are close together, chances are the cleaning crew didn't come in so you should clean your own bike. I also switched into a dry tank top.

The second class didn't have the same "We're all obsessed with Tripp" energy as the first, but I think it was a better class. The music was more to my liking and I warmed up and ready to rock. When Tripp played "Starships" for me during the second class, I felt like I actually brought my A game. I was a little self-conscious the first time because I wasn't attacking the song as strongly as I often do. Part of the reason is that I tend to go into my own world when the song is on - I think I look awesome and can do anything - so having Tripp call attention to me is neat but also a little daunting. I also wear these ridiculously short spandex shorts that ride up my ass and it occurred to me that people's attention had just been drawn to my massive wedgie. So that was kind of a blow to the whole "I look awesome" mindset.

I'm rocking out to "Starships" right now and all I want to do is get back on the bike. A lady in the locker room asked me about Tripp's classes this morning and said she heard he's a talker. After I told her that Tripp's talking inspired me to run 50Ks and now a 50 miler, she was all about taking his Friday class. Tripp is living proof that what you put out to the world impacts others. I don't want to equate his classes to religious experiences, but the things he says reminds me of some of the more poignant sermons I've listened to over the years. I genuinely want to be a better person when I'm in there. This Christmas, I let go off some major resentment and mended relationships with the family members I disowned. The main reason I chose to do this was because of the messages I've heard in Tripp's classes.

Sometimes I look like a crazy bag lady when I leave the gym.

I took a shower and got changed into clean workout clothes. I drove back to my parents' house to eat a quick lunch. I had leftover almond-encrusted tilapia and some dried apricots with a glass of milk. I try not to drink milk anymore but I wanted some quick calories.

I love that bumper sticker.

My sister was back from her NYE party in Westchester, so I invited her to join me at Yves and Coco's #$%@# Loco x2 class. Ninety minutes of Zumba, kickboxing, lifting, and dance. These classes are my absolute favorite.

We left a little early so I could spend some Christmas money at lululemon. I bought two Run: Back on Track tanks and wore one to class. How I lived without this top is beyond me. It is so incredibly flattering.

My sister. She told me I had to write about how cold it was in the studio when we arrived.

The workout was great. Unlike the Thanksgiving class, I hit my hinge kicks and felt like the athlete I used to be. And by some miracle, apparently I can now dance. Kind of. I think it was the top to be honest.

We had to show up early to stake out our spots.

My friend Christine called me right after I took that photo to say that she was on her way. I was so happy to see her! Christine, you better call me to play more often! I just bought 10 classes at MC Dance & Fitness, so let's plan some days when I can use them.

(If you're special, maybe I'll write you direct messages within blog posts too.)

The new top.

Even though the top is soaking wet, I think I still look pretty cute. I also went with my girly ponytail today. You can watch the video on how to create this high-intensity hairstyle here. It's basically a high pony with long bangs pulled to the side. In order to get it to stay, you'll need two bobby pins and two contour clips.

I was starving when we got home and quickly volunteered to go to the grocery store with my dad. I hadn't showered but at least I had changed into a sweatshirt and out of that sweaty top. This is me being freezing cold in the supermarket and looking nuts.

I look like a giant stuffed animal. I am okay with this.

The Class So Nice, I Took It Twice

Tripp Doherty teaches four classes on Long Island on Friday mornings - 2 at Woodbury and 2 at Roslyn. I signed up for the 8:30 AM class at Roslyn using the MYEQ app with the intent to sign up for the 9:45 AM Roslyn class in person. I get why you can only sign up for one class a day using MYEQ, but it drives me nuts. I really like double spin classes and I find it a little stressful when I know I need to get back down to the front desk to sign up for the second one. If I know I can get to the first one early, I will use MYEQ to sign up for the second class and sign up for the first one in person, but that can get iffy if you arrive and all the bikes are taken and then you have to figure out something else to do for an hour.

I love Tripp's classes, as anyone who reads this blog semi-regularly knows. He is truly inspirational. And his music is good. I feel like I get so much out of his classes because not only am I pushing myself to exercise harder than I thought possible, but the stories and advice he shares challenges my way of thinking and what I think is possible in my life.

Today I felt really special because Tripp asked what is the longest distance I have run - 34 miles - and my fellow spinners cheered. I don't think Equinox is known to be the friendliest gym, especially on Long Island, but everyone in Tripp's classes supports one another and the energy is extremely positive. Tripp then said I should run the Rock The Ridge 50 with him May 4. Tripp inspired me to run my first 50 kilometer race so it is fitting that I run my first 50 MILE race with him, so I am going to sign up. There is a $250 fundraising commitment and I hope that you will all help me reach that goal once I set up my page. I'll post about it after I register.

My friend Rose came to the second class and I am so happy that I got to see her. I met Rose in 2007 when I first started going to Bonne's classes. She's a teacher and helped me so much when I taught for the DOE providing advice and emotional support.

I might head up to Westchester in a little bit to play some paddle. I've never played before, but I am mildly decent at tennis and I took intro to squash in high school, so cross your fingers that I don't make an ass out of myself if I go.

A Lot of Pictures of My Feet

After spending all of Saturday in my pajamas inhaling pasta salad and deli meats, I prayed for divine intervention to fit into my spandex and went to the Woodbury Equinox. I loved the opportunity to go to Jonathan Carroll's Inside/Out class again. Those 3 lbs weights have my arms shaking and the glider makes my legs quiver. Speaking of quivering, I've been reading Fifty Shades of Grey for the third time and I'm back on the third book. I know I have a problem. Back to Jonathan's class - it's the micromovements that really make the difference. We did this thing where we laid on our sides, kept the lower leg bent and lifted the upper leg. The movements were so small but so killer. I could barely cross my legs after to stretch.

I conveniently sneaked out of Jonathan's class at 9:45 AM for a bathroom break and signed up for Carolyn Mellace's 10:15 AM spin class. The class was full for online sign up and I really wanted to go. After finishing Jonathan's class, I grabbed my spin shoes and headed upstairs.

Equinox redid the Woodbury location a few years ago and my only complaint is the studio cycling room is where the bathroom used to be. I chug water and I think my Ritalin makes me always have to pee and it's super annoying not to be able to quickly run out of class. I was thinking about this during class, which is the reason I share this here. I don't think anyone actually reads this blog, but if you do and you go to the Woodbury location, do you want to start a petition to get that Pilates room turned into a bathroom?

Carolyn's classes are awesome. Eclectic array of music. Great energy. She powers right on through the workout with you. We did A LOT of hills and my legs can definitely feel it. I also like that Carolyn motivates everyone to work hard and really sweat. I don't look pretty when I work out and I don't think others should either.

It's awesome when your face matches your shirt after spin class.

I prefer to shower at Equinox than my own home because the towels are warm and fluffy, the shower pressure is awesome, and each shower is stocked with Kiehl's. This is why I can never quit for another gym. Flywheel's showers were gross the other day even if they had Bliss Lemon Sage products in them. Oh, and there were only two showers! I don't even want to imagine what showers look like at Crossfits. No matter where I shower, I prefer to air dry. I spend a lot of time chilling in my towel. Sometimes I wonder if this bothers my colleagues when we room together for conferences.

Just sitting in a towel on Facebook in the locker room.

After the gym I went to get a manicure and pedicure.

Does this gold polish make it look like I have a toe fungus?
Be honest.

After Angel Tips, I fought for a parking spot at the Americana and went to lululemon to buy my sister a present. Mission successful. I also saw Tripp Doherty's lululemon ambassador poster on the wall, which is neat.

Tripp Doherty

This is a picture of me after the Christmas party I went to last weekend. Yes, I am wearing cowboy boots. Yes, I am wearing sunglasses. Yes, it's 2 AM.