100 Club

I have been doing Pure Barre on and off since July 2015, and I have finally now joined the 100 Club at the Pure Barre Virginia Highlands studio. I achieved this momentous, if not rather delayed, milestone in September of this year.

I got to sign the 100 Club bar. There's barely any room on it, but I managed to squeeze my aggressively long name onto it.

I received a pair of congratulatory 100 Club socks. These are the reason I'm glad it took me so long, because I got a pair of the NEW sticky socks. Their stickiness is far superior to the old ones. I just kind of wish they were red. That's silver glitter by the way, and it's awesome.

I had 12 classes remaining on my package and I was going to Pure Barre a lot through the month of October. I'm leaning towards switching to a closer studio, but that means I'll be back at zero classes. Thoughts on moving to a different studio - is worth it to be able to walk to class?

Pain in the Rib

You know what's not fun? Shooting pain in your ribs. Back in September, I was walking down the stairs to take my dogs out and I missed a step. Of course my hungover ass couldn't find my regular flip flops so I was wearing a pair of Palm Beach Sandals with slick leather soles. I desperately tried to save my footing but instead I slipped and went up in the air only to crash down on the concrete stairs. I then proceeded to clunk clunk clunk on my side down to the next landing. It hurt. Really hurt.

I felt short of breath and sore, but the real pain came a week later. It felt like my rib was going to puncture my lung. I could barely lift 50% of any of my one-rep maxes. I called my primary care physician but no one ever called me back (I should probably reconsider him as my PCP), and I didn't have time to sit at urgent care (which is never that urgent, is it?) I figured I would've found myself in the back of an ambulance if I had a punctured lung, and resigned myself to scaling all of the workouts. ALL of the workouts. I couldn't row, go overhead, do pull-ups, do burpees, or box jumps. I apparently could still run a mile faster than most of the gym but it was over a minute slower for me.

Around that time, I realized I had several Pure Barre classes that were about to expire and so I committed to getting there 12 times in between all of the work travel I have been doing. It was pretty awful at first. Apparently I hurt my intercostals, the small muscles between my ribs. That's a lot of core intensive work when your ribs are on fire. Slowly but surely, I stopped feeling like I was going to throw up between each sit-up, tuck, and hold. I was able to do planks again.

I spent a week up north and went to yoga, and then kept up with the Pure Barre when I got home. Last Wednesday, I realized my ribs were pain-free and I have developed a lot of core strength.

On Saturday, the boyfriend and I went to his box for a partner WOD before the Chomp and Stomp chili and bluegrass festival. We shared an 85# bar. I was able to do pull-ups for the first time in over a month! My wallballs felt solid. My cleans were on point. I struggled with the jerks, and probably need to build up the weight I use for those, but overall I am pleased with my performance.

I plan to get back to my box this Wednesday and get back into the swing of things while remaining healthy. I haven't been a fan of the programming in a while and so I'm hoping that I enjoy it more coming back this time.

On Wednesdays We Wear Pink

We have a fun little tradition at CrossFit Identity - on Wednesdays we wear pink. Many of you likely get the Mean Girls reference. What I like the most about our Wednesday custom is that no one ever officially announced that this is something we do. People started wearing pink and then greeted other people wearing pink by saying, "On Wednesdays we wear pink." The coaches also ran an order on custom men's Virus shorts with a hot pink option, so that probably helped.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, another time when we are encouraged to wear pink. For every person who wears pink to a Wednesday class this October, Pure Barre Virginia Highlands is donating $10 to the Pink Agenda Atlanta and 15% of all retail sales will benefit this organization

These are some of my favorite pink things that I am wearing this month.

I ordered these pink 3.25 Fleo shorts because they are adorable, and I came to accept that we weren't ordering CFID custom booty shorts any time soon. I like the 3.25 because they give just a little extra coverage, which is nice when the WOD involves running or burpees. They are still available on the Fleo website as of October 16.

I bought the new Pure Barre Breast Cancer Awareness socks. I really like that they are a light heathered pink. I would wear them with grey leggings all year round. They are available online and in your local studio.

One of my favorite tank tops is from Pink Iron, the awesome all-women CrossFit-ish gym in West Hollywood where everything was pink, including the dog Barbell. Pink Iron doesn't exist anymore, but Holly has a new gym called Burn Babe.

We got these sweet crop tops for Regionals one year. Our coach Bre competes at Regionals, hence the pun.

I've been eyeing the pink Reebok CrossFit Grace. I really don't need anymore shoes but they are just really pretty.

February 2017 Goals

Fitness and Nutrition

CrossFit Goal: 32/200 WODs. I went to CrossFit 13 times this month, which I find impressive because I was gone so many days. I dropped in at CrossFit Downtown Atlanta, CrossFit Cool Springs in Tennessee, and CrossFit Central in Austin.

The all-ladies morning class at CrossFit Central.

Not CrossFit: I went to Pure Barre once with my mom, which I always enjoy. I went to Bikram in Roslyn with my friend Keith, and I went while I was in Houston. Bikram Yoga Meyerland Plaza was really nice. I really want to add Bikram to my regular schedule, but I want to take advantage of this 30 day unlimited deal and I can't decide on the best date to start.

Macro Tracking: I loosely tracked every weekend but I wouldn't say I fully captured my days or hit my numbers. I'm a little fluffier than I would like to be but at least I've put something into My Fitness Pal.

Water: I've been really shitty at tracking my water intake. I'm going to say I failed this goal this month.

Happiness

Church: I went twice this month and hit my goal. Woot woot!

Call a Friend: Even better than calling a friend, my best pal Kristen was in Atlanta for work and she met me for drinks at Ladybird. It was so wonderful being able to spend time with her in person. She was just happy she got to see where the Real Housewives of Atlanta live.

Mothertucker!

My mom is pretty badass. She goes to Pure Barre six days a week AND she also does cardio at her conventional gym. I came up north for two days of AmeriCorps training in Trenton, NJ, and I obviously decided to make a stop in New York for an almost free trip to visit my mama. (I paid for my LIRR train ticket thank you very much.) The benefits of being able to work anywhere with a WiFi connection are clutch.

My mom takes me with her to Pure Barre Huntington Village when I'm staying at the family homestead. Today's class wasn't particularly difficult but I enjoyed spending some quality time with her just the same.

It turns out that my mom has some serious fan girls at PB. They told me that her work ethic, agelessness, and beauty motivates them in class. My mom is very good at Pure Barre and she inspires me, so I get it.

I met her friend Laura, who is adorably sweet. She recently started Pure Barre and has already joined the 100 Club! Laura has sick shoulders and they are very mobile. I kept staring at her form in the mirror and was like, dang it woman, teach me your ways!

My mom refused to take a selfie with me but said we could take a picture of our socks. Clearly she doesn't care about my social media presence.

The family that tucks together looks a hell of a lot better in their spandex.

December 2016 Goals and Some Thoughts for 2017

Pure Barre Goal: 1 time for a total of 53 tucks in 2016.

CrossFit Goal: 160/200 WODs. I went to class 14 times, one of which was a drop-in at CrossFit Downtown Atlanta.

I PR'd my Kelly time at 26:44 Rx while injured on 12/28/16. Kelly is 5RFT 400 m run, 30 box jumps (24/20), and 30 wallballs (20/14). My old time from 1/31/15 is 31:29 Rx and I didn't have a shooting pain up my back. My back is getting better and I have been scaling most of the workouts. I did step ups instead of rebounding on the box jumps. I have been going really light on the weights each day.

We got some brand new Lynx barbells and they are gorgeous.

Mileage Goal: I ran 10.8 miles this month for a total of 154 miles for the year. I chuckle because I used to run this in a month. The other day someone decided to lie to me about our evening plans and so I left my car at his place. When we ended up at the bar DIRECTLY DOWN THE STREET from my apartment, I was pissed. One and a half miles of this total mileage is me running back down the Beltline to pick up my car the next morning. I think this was just his way of making sure I came back.

I Did EVERYTHING This Weekend

I accomplished so much this weekend. After having my ass kicked at Friday's WOD, I powered through a work day that was defined by excessive amounts of coffee and a stupid federal website being down. Fighting with that thing was a true delight. I went out for drinks at the Lawrence, made the poor decision to try multiple selections off of their cocktail menu, and then finished up the night at The Highlander with my neighbors. Saying I was overserved is probably putting it lightly.

I ordered one of these as a road soda on Friday. It was pretty tasty.

August 2016 Goals

Pure Barre Goal: I went to Pure Barre twice this month, which makes 51 classes this year.

CrossFit Goal: 97/200 WODs. I dropped in at CrossFit Hamilton and CrossFit Central LI.

Mileage: I ran 23.5 miles this month. It included a brutal 6.4 miles on the Beltline, the Area 13.1 Half Marathon, and a nice 4 miler through Oyster Bay.

July 2016 Goals

Life and Wellness Goals: July felt like the longest month. I traveled to Memphis, Chicago, Houston, and Newark within a three week period. My inbox still has 400 emails in it. I feel like I wasted my weekends with too much drinking at the pool and I didn't accomplish as much as I would have liked. Despite some serious work stress and anxiety, I'm feeling pretty good about life.

I listened to both seasons of Serial during my travels. When is Sarah Koenig going to come out with Season 3? For real though, I miss her soothing voice.

Speaking of soothing voices, the highlight of the month was meeting Doug Larson at my box!

My GMAT prep course started again and I'm trying to keep myself organized and on top of the work. I need to do well in the course so that I feel confident taking the exam in October. I wonder if there are podcasts I can listen to for GMAT prep? If you know of any, send them my way por favor.

Pure Barre Goal: I went to Pure Barre twice this month, which makes 49 classes this year.

CrossFit Goal: 79/200 WODs. I dropped in at CrossFit Tupelo on my drive back from Memphis. They just moved into their new space and it's beautiful and air-conditioned. Looking at this, I don't think I am going to hit my goal of 200 WODs.

Mileage: 0. I should probably find some time to run before my half marathon on August 13.

June 2016 Goals

Hi y'all! So June was a pretty good month. I traveled to both Nashville and New York. I got to spend quality time with my parents, see old friends, drink too much wine on the Long Island Railroad, and tour a firehouse. Living the dream.

Because it's entirely normal to get a 20 oz soda cup filled with pinot grigio.
No, like really. It's an actual thing you can order at Penn Station.

Nashville and New York

Hello friends! I made my annual summer pilgrimage to New York by way of Nashville. Here's what I've been up to for the past week.

WORKOUTS

I was in Nashville last week for work and got a quick run in one morning. I looked up routes on Map My Run and did this 2.6 mile loop. It was a really pretty run that took me over to Nissan Stadium. I decided not to run with my phone because I am terrified of being mugged. Sadly that means no photos of the beautiful sunrise or the apartment building that's basically in the water next to the bridge. Nashville built some legit pedestrian/cyclist paths on their bridges, which is nice because it encourages commuting by foot or bike.

The red line is the portion I ran before the GPS kicked in.

Back on Long Island

I'm back on Long Island and enjoying myself immensely. My flight was ridiculously delayed last night coming in from Nashville. I was not very pleased, especially because I hate flying into LaGuardia. My dad is a saint and still came to pick me up even though it was after midnight.

This morning my mama and I hit up Pure Barre Huntington. The class wasn't particularly difficult but my thighs were smarting from the Hotlanta Half and way too much time sitting in airports and on airplanes.

After class, we ran errands and I got a toasted, scooped egg bagel with tuna fish from Bagel Boss. I don't eat bagels very often, but when I do, I want a real Long Island bagel. I also got a large iced black coffee and it was delicious.

Fast forward a few hours and a work call later, and I was off to get my nails did. Someone put a padlock on the gate that connects my parents' cul-de-sac to the local middle school parking lot. Apparently it's to keep parents from driving up our street to drop off their kids. Since I was walking to the nail salon and it's right near the middle school, that put a major crimp in my style, but no worries, because I just hopped the fence. Thanks CrossFit.

French manicures are required whenever I'm back in the 516.

Speaking of CrossFit, today is my 3rd anniversary. I feel like a putz for not going on my anniversary (two years in a row) but I'll make up for it when I get home.

My parents and I had a delicious dinner at the Brass Rail in Locust Valley. The lobster bisque is fantastic and I tried monkfish for the first time. I really love monkfish liver, but this is the first time I've had the meat of the fish. Very tasty. I also had a martini that hit me harder than expected. That made completing a vendor application for the state of Tennessee super fun. The key lime pie tasted more like cheesecake. It wasn't bad but it was no Publix.

I'll be terrorizing my mom all week so get excited for some posts about Pure Barre and yelling at people in grocery stores. (For real, it's already happened once since I've been here.)

May 2016 Goals

Life and Wellness goals: Life is pretty awesome, but I haven't managed my anxiety very well. It sucks when I know that I'm wasting precious time when I become paralyzed with anxiety, but then I just sit there freaking out and then I have more anxiety the next day because I wasn't productive the day before. Vicious cycle. I'm trying to be more mindful and let myself feel my feelings without going into full-blown panic mode. And I'm trying to curb my online shopping problem. There's just so many workout clothes I want! And then I start thinking about how that is not helping me reach my financial goals. I'd like to have actual savings and use them to purchase a house one day. Instead I have 5 pairs of Nanos...

May was really fantastic for friendships. I got to spend some much-appreciated quality time with my CrossFit community at Regionals where we cheered on our badass coach, Breona Evans. (Look her up. Pat Sherwood has recognized her greatness so you know it's true.) I felt very much included and had a great time going to festivals with box friends and apartment complex friends. I've also got myself a group of 5 PMers that I want to see every day. I jump around classes a lot, which allows me to meet a lot of people, but I really benefit from having a group that is going to motivate me and consistently show up at the same time.

I'm happy with my nutrition progress. I've been a lot more loose with my macros but I did weigh in at 140.2 lbs on May 25. I read Natalie Noe's ebook and I follow her on social media, and she talks about how she eats for performance. She doesn't care if she can see her abs one day and not the next because she has a goal - to be sick at CrossFit. I've gotten pretty lean but I'd like more definition, but I don't want to lift any less or not be able to keep up. Sometimes I see myself working out in photos and I'm disappointed that I don't look leaner. Or I'll be running around the gym in a sports bra and shorts and wonder if I have a muffin top. These things aren't important. I'm not going to ruin my performance by trying to suck in my gut so I look better in my shorts. Our coach requested that we send before, progress, and after photos his way for a motivation board at the gym. I looked at my photos from November 2015 (right after I started working with Jenna) and now, and it was a really good smack in the face. I'm proud of my progress.

Pure Barre Goal: I went to Pure Barre 4 times this month. I took some time off from CrossFit in preparation for Murph and did Pure Barre instead. I've attended class 39 times this year. I'm getting close to the 100 Club.

CrossFit Goal: 58/200 WODs. I went to CrossFit 13 times this month. I'm seeing a lot of improvement and I've been Rxing more of the workouts. I'm finally feeling like I'm getting back to where I was before I got mugged last May.

Mileage: I ran 18 miles. This included my first long run in a very long time. I need to be better about prioritizing running because I need to build a base for marathon training. The good news is that 10 miles felt comfortable. I've got another 5K with the boyfriend this weekend that I'm pretty excited about.

April 2016 Goals

Life and Wellness goals: I slept more in April than I think I have in the rest of 2016. It was glorious. I've even managed to go to sleep without taking anything more than a few times. I've spent time with friends and enjoyed some time at the pool, because this is Georgia and yes, it is already pool season. The boyfriend and I have made our relationship even better, which is fantastic. Life is good and I am happy.

Pure Barre Goal: I took class 4 times in April, including the Row. Tone. Om. class in Piedmont Park. That's 35 classes in 2016. I bought myself a class pack and I'll probably use the 20 classes by the end of August.

CrossFit Goal: 45/200 WODs. I went to CrossFit 11 times this month. It is so awesome to be back in the box on a regular basis. I PR'd my hang power clean at 135# (10# PR) and got my very first strict pull-up. I've gotten 2 more since then. I'm also loving the opportunity to see my CrossFit friends on a regular basis and being included in fun things outside of the gym. Being away all of the time sucked because I felt like I wasn't a part of the community anymore.

Mileage: I ran 20 miles this month, including a 5K. I love my Garmin 360 and my Brooks Ghost 8s. You can also follow me on Strava, although I'm not exactly sure what that means.

Row. Tone. Om.

Last Saturday I went to Row. Tone. Om. in Piedmont Park. It was a 90 minute circuit class combining Orangetheory, Pure Barre Virginia Highland, and Highland Yoga.

March 2016 Goals

This month was humbling. I wanted to be someone who could accomplish a ton of things and be a ladyboss, but it became apparent that I had too many things on my plate. The quality of my work at my real job suffered. I was constantly tired. I even got so stressed out, I yelled at my dogs. I don't want to be a person who yells at her dogs. Even when one of them refuses to potty outside and the other refuses to stay outside long enough for the first one to consider going potty. I accidentally tazed myself this morning. I was so tired and it was 4 AM and instead of pressing the button that locks Frank's retracting leash, I pressed the button on my taser and I tazed the shit out of my hand. I was so tired that it took me a few moments to even realize where the pain was coming from. It was in that exact moment that I knew I had made the right decision. My first priority is sleeping enough to succeed at my job and to be a good dog momma.

I withdrew from my GMAT class because it became painfully obvious that I am significantly behind in the math content. Once I have become proficient enough in the work that pays my salary, I am going to get myself a math tutor. Veritas Prep told me I can re-enroll without penalty whenever I'm ready. I have also put in my notice at Pure Barre and will only work a few shifts this April. The 4 AM wake up on Wednesday and Thursday was killing me, especially since I produce my best work between 6 and 10 AM. By the time I got home, I couldn't concentrate and frequently needed a nap. I was also late for my shrink every Thursday. I am disappointed that I didn't get to enjoy a free membership. It seemed like I was asked to cover a shift every time I signed up for class - like legit, Hey we see you're signed up to take the 4:45 PM. Can you show up at 4 and leave at 8? I'm a hard worker and I understand that helping to pick up weights is a small sacrifice to make for free class, but I didn't want to get pulled in to cover the desk every time I went near the studio. I have a relatively flexible work schedule that allows me to exercise during a typical work day but that's only because I make up that hour before 9 AM or after 6 PM. It doesn't mean that I'm free to work 4 hours in the middle of the day or that I can drop everything to handle an apparel shipment at 11 AM. If it sounds like I'm pissed, it's because I am. I'm a big fan of the studio and the owners and everyone who works there, but working there isn't the right thing for me anymore. I'm going to buy myself a class pack and go back to being a client.

Life and Wellness goals: FAILED. I didn't sleep enough and I certainly didn't live in the moment because I was miserable and panicking on a regular basis. I got so stressed out that I tried to find things to give up that weren't GMAT or Pure Barre so I told Jenna I needed a break from nutrition coaching. Even thinking about my macros changing made me freak out. The good news is that I'm back on track and have a carb cycling and workout plan set for the month of April.

I'm looking pretty lean but I'm still working on losing more body fat.

February 2016 Goals

I didn't realize how accomplished my friend Trevor was until I attended his funeral. I knew he was brilliant because it was nearly impossible to speak with him and not notice his intelligence, wit, and kindness. I knew he had a job he was passionate about and that he was also attending school. I knew he was a good student because I had friends attend high school with him. I knew he was a great friend because he put up with my shenanigans and checked in on me regularly. I had no idea what he was really up to. He excelled at his job and changed people's lives as a mental health professional. He was a straight A student (honestly not surprised but very proud.) He made the internet laugh and mentored a bunch of people and made time for the literally hundreds of people who considered him a best friend. He also had an awesome girlfriend who lives in LA, which meant time zones and travel. As I sat at the service and I listened to family and friends describe Trevor, I was struck by the impact he had on so many people in such a short time. I would do anything to have more time with him, but he lived his life in a way that somehow quadrupled time. His "free time" activities included beautiful art and creating hysterical videos. My free time activities include panicking on the couch about something I have to do in 3 weeks. Trevor is my motivation for 2016 and all of my goals. I want to make him proud. His life was cut tragically short and I feel compelled to step up my own to honor him. So here's my February check in.

Life and Wellness goals: I had my first Veritas Prep GMAT class last night. Oh my goodness am I behind in math. Like sooooo far behind in math. I have a lot of studying to do and I am going to take it seriously. I have three hours of arithmetic review tonight. If you are any good at algebra, please send words of encouragement!

I've been trying to sleep more but I am experiencing something that feels a lot like exhaustion. The past month has been really rough. It's no secret that I have problems with insomnia. Lately I've been falling asleep immediately and pretty much anywhere. I've passed out on my boyfriend within the first 5 minutes of about 8 movies. I find myself falling asleep on phone calls. I'm going to start taking a multi-vitamin more regularly and avoiding early AM workouts whenever possible. I'll go to a doctor if I don't see an improvement soon.

Last week I skipped Pure Barre to have brunch with my new friend Myra. Most people shouldn't skip workouts. I was proud of myself for putting life into perspective and spending some quality time with someone I really like. I consider this living in the moment.

Pure Barre goal: I took class 5 times in February. I decided to adjust my goal from 10 classes a month to 120 classes in 2016 because some months are challenge months. I'm at 21/120. March's challenge is 20 classes in 31 days. I think I'm going to aim for this challenge because I already ripped my hands in the Open and need to heal this mits up. More Pure Barre means less stress on the hands for the foreseeable future.

CrossFit goal: 22/200 WODs. I went to CrossFit 14 times in February. I dropped in at CrossFit and Fearless in Austin, Texas and loved it. Talk about a welcoming community!

Mileage: The Garmin's official count is 4.9 miles. The boyfriend and I decided to run to brunch on Saturday and I lost satellite reception. The round trip was about 2 miles but we walked some of it, so I'm okay with the official total.

January 2016 Goals

Good morning! It's February 1, so 36% of Americans have already thrown in the towel on their New Years Resolutions. I am one of the 64% who still have their butts in gear.

Pure Barre goal: 16 classes in January. My monthly goal is 10 classes, but our studio had a 16 classes in 31 days challenge and I like to win challenges.

CrossFit goal: 8/200 WODS. I went to CrossFit 8 times in January, making a slight dent in my goal of 200 WODs in 2016. I had two drop-ins - CrossFit Willy B and Beltway CrossFit.

Wellness goals: I have been tracking my water intake on most days and getting close to 100 ounces of water or more a day. I have been sleeping a little better. I also have an Ambien prescription but I try to not take it.

I've been working with my nutrition coach Jenna from Crazy Healthy Fit since November and I've been making some real progress. Today I weighed in at 143.8 lbs., down from 150 lbs. I have this Omron body fat tester but for the life of me, I cannot get a consistent reading. I am going to get my body fat tested again this month to see how much I have improved since October 31.

My new Target bathing suit. How many more days until pool season?

My friend Drew inspired me to commit to losing some body fat. Drew was one of my first friends in Atlanta and she welcomed me to CrossFit Identity right away. Then she decided to leave me for Dallas! Drew is a badass, a lawyer, a CrossFit coach, a wife, and a wonderful mama to some beautiful furbabies. She's basically my hero. So when Drew made a goal to lose some body fat last summer and then knocked her goal OUT OF THE PARK, even after attending the Texas State Fair, I was like girl, you need to make a commitment to yourself too. Today is Drew's first day at her new job, which is sadly still in Texas, and I hope she has an awesome day!

Drew came to visit us in October and it was magical.

My Thighs are Hungover

This month I'm focusing on Pure Barre because our studio is having a challenge. The goal is complete 16 classes in the 31 days of January. I have two work trips this month but I'm on track to finish my 16th class on the 31st. I really like filling in the circles on the studio tracker chart. Clients who complete the challenge receive a special tank top. I'm not sure if I get one because I'm a team member, but I did use 8 or 9 of my paid classes towards the challenge, so maybe I do. I at least deserve half a tank top, right?

Sometimes I feel like I should wear a tank top to class that says, "Disclaimer: These thighs came from CrossFit." I know I look bulkier than many of the other girls who take class as often as I do. Some of the language that gets used in class includes describing movements as something that will trim your thighs or side seat, and I get that trimming lower body parts is a goal for many women. It is not a goal of mine. I actually work very hard to have thighs and a butt as large as I do. My goal is to make these muscles more defined and that's something I'm working on through my diet. In my head, I imagine some of these women thinking, "Oh that poor girl. She's here all the time and her thighs are still so big." Mission accomplished, ladies.

One of our front desk associates, Michelle, was wearing this tank the other day.

Even though I've been going to Pure Barre more often that CrossFit, my lifts are improving. I credit the isometric holds and increased body awareness I've gained from regularly tucking, shaking, and pulsing at Pure Barre Virginia Highland*. Yesterday I went to CrossFit in the morning and Pure Barre in the evening. The strength portion was 5x3 tempo squats (3-3-1-3) at 65% of your 1RM. My 1RM is 200 lbs but I haven't hit that since November 2014. I've been struggling to hit my percentages since before tour and dropped all of my numbers down. It was disheartening, but I knew I had lost strength and needed to check my pride before getting hurt. Sixty-five percent of 200 is about 130 and I used 135#. I was over the moon excited that I was able to move that kind of weight and it felt easy. I credit Pure Barre for teaching me how to active my glutes and hold uncomfortable positions for a long period of time comfortably. I got down into my squats and hung out in the hole for 3 seconds without panicking that I would get stuck. I will say that I should have switched my workouts because tucking in a squat on high tip toes felt like the devil later that evening.

*I live in a neighborhood called Virginia Highland. It is named after the intersection of Virginia Avenue NE and North Highland Avenue NE. Some people call it Virginia Highlands, even though we're not named after any highlands and the street does haven't an S. I've seen our studio written as both.

Come See Me at the Front Desk!

It's no secret that I fell in love with Pure Barre this summer. I think it is the perfect complement to CrossFit and it's just super fun. I especially like the lovely ladies who take class and work at Pure Barre Virginia Highlands. I like them so much that I applied for a job.

I've been training this month to be a Front Desk Associate, and I am proud to share that today I was given the go-ahead to officially start. I received my own key and everything.

I use a Day Designer to keep my life organized.

I will primarily work morning shifts (5 AM to 9 AM) and some weekends. If you're thinking about trying barre class, come experience Pure Barre. I've done a lot of classes over the years (jump back to 2010 if you'd like to read through some class reviews) and Pure Barre is the only studio where I've ever wanted to work. I'd love to introduce you to our instructors and give you a tour.