For The Sake of Cake

My interest in physical fitness only started about two and a half years ago.

In October of 2010, I was 10 months out from my wedding and I had just moved back home to save some extra money. A bit of extra money each month meant that I could join a local gym, something I had wanted to do but couldn’t squeeze into my budget when I lived on my own.

Immediately after joining the gym, I tried out BodyPump for the first time. This was the class I had heard the most about (mostly from other blogs). I remember my arms shaking as I drove home from my first class, and I could barely muster up the strength to wash my hair afterwards.

For a while, most of my gym visits centered around BodyPump. I’d hop on some of the cardio machines from time to time, but with work, wedding planning, and grad school, it was hard to make it to the gym more than three times each week. I always made sure that at least two of those visits coincided with BodyPump.

Since then, I’ve started branching out a bit and now I regularly participate in a variety of group exercise classes at my gym. In fact, I almost exclusively take classes at my gym, rarely using the cardio/strength equipment.

If you’re looking to get started with group exercise—or try something new—here are a few of my favorites:

1) BodyPump

Pump is a strength class, but also incorporates cardio in a few tracks. Each class begins with a warm-up, and then follows with tracks dedicated to certain muscle groups. The class always follows the same order: warm-up, squats, chest, back, triceps, biceps, lunges/legs, shoulders, abs, cool down. I love schedules and consistency, so I appreciate the fact that I always know what’s coming. Every few months, Les Mills launches a new release. Each release still follows the same order, but different songs/new moves are added. My muscles are always sore after a new release!

2) CX Worx

CX is also a Les Mills class. It focuses on core strength and incorporates sit-ups, planks, and various exercises with resistance bands. This class is tough, and I usually have to modify some of the moves! Since I’ve been taking the class regularly, I’ve definitely noticed my core strength building. One of the things I like most about this class is that it’s only 30 minutes—perfect for when I only have time for something quick.

3) BodyStep

I’ve got to put a disclaimer on this one… I’ve only recently started taking BodyStep (maybe a total of 6 times so far?) and I’ve only done the express class offered by my gym (30 minutes versus a full hour). This class is like step aerobics on steroids. I always feel like I’m getting as much of a mental workout as I am a physical one—I really need to think about the moves and what I’m doing. I definitely look like a giant goober during this class—picture arms flailing, steps being missed, a general look of bewilderment and confusion—but I really have fun! Plus, it leaves me huffing and puffing (cardio!) and my legs feeling like jelly (strength!).

4) Spin

Spin was the second class I tried after I started taking Pump (however, it was months later). Spin can be a little intimidating—you have to set up the bike and if you’ve never taken a class before, it’s hard to know what to expect—so it might be a good idea to go with a friend (that’s what I did!). The only downside to spin (for me, anyway) is if an instructor doesn’t vary the workout enough. There are some spin teachers who seem to use the same playlists over and over (hearing the beginning of Sandstorm makes me want to unclip and run for the hills), or they inundate a class strictly with sprints; that gets boring. If you don’t love spin class the first time you try it, I’d suggest giving it another go, perhaps with a different instructor. It can make a huge difference!

Which do you prefer—group exercise or working out on your own?

If you’re a fan of group exercise, what’s your favorite class? There are two other classes that I regularly attend at the gym—bosu and Total Fit. Both are circuit-style classes.

Any questions about any of the class mentioned above? Not that I’m an expert, but I do take them pretty often!

Hello and happy weekend!

Guess what?! I saw Gatsby this afternoon!!!

Thoughts? I really liked it! It followed the novel closely—only leaving out a few things of notice—and was visually pretty amazing (as I’m sure you can tell just from the previews). If you’re a fan of the book, I definitely think it’s worth seeing and you won’t leave feeling let down.

The playlist I’m sharing tonight is actually Gatsby-inspired. Many of the songs I included are from the Gatsby soundtrack! The version of “Crazy in Love” is a must-download. Even if it’s only available as part of the soundtrack (I can’t remember which songs are), it’s worth the $15… it’s pretty awesome.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’m participating in the Under Armour What’s Beautiful Campaign through a partnership with Fitfluential. I definitely needed to put together a new playlist to help inspire me to get out there and get running!

So without further ado, here are some workout-appropriate songs that I’m loving right now:

What songs are you loving right now?

Did you see Gatsby? Thoughts? Any plans to see it this weekend?

What’s beautiful to you?

I very vividly remember the first time I realized I had “wide hips.” Is this weird? I must’ve been around 16 or 17, and I was checking out my outfit in a full-length mirror. Where had these hips and thighs come from all of a sudden? Okay, this isn’t a post about teenage growth spurts (thank God!) but it is about Under Armour’s What’s Beautiful Campaign, which I’m participating in as a partnership with Fitfluential.

I guess the whole point of my (irrelevant?) tangent is that if it weren’t for my “thunder thighs”—said with love!—that I once viewed as a negative, I never would’ve been able to train for and carry myself a full 13.1 miles.

The What’s Beautiful Campaign encourages female athletes—of all ability levels—to declare a goal and just go for it, whether it’s something big or small, short-term or long-term.

My goal? Set a 5K PR!

Since I’ve been running shorter distances post-half marathon, I want to work on increasing my speed and running a sub-30 minute 5K. I know that’s not fast for some, but goals should be individualized and this is something that will take work for me to achieve!

The What’s Beautiful Campaign allows participants to document their journeys—through photos/videos/etc.—and offers prizes to top performers. Swag bags are given away weekly, and 3 grand prize winners will get a trip to Costa Rica for a 4-day yoga + surf retreat.

I think the real goal of this campaign goes beyond winning prizes (they are some pretty awesome prizes though, aren’t they?!). What I like most about the What’s Beautiful is the sense of community that’s developing. You can join teams—I’m on a bunch of different teams myself—and motivate others to reach their goals while also working towards accomplishing your own.

Consider this your formal invitation to join me—and many others—and be part of the What’s Beautiful Campaign!

What’s a current health/fitness/life goal that you’re working towards?

Hello, all!

Another weekend in the books! As always, it went by too quickly. On the bright side of things, I’ve managed to stay relatively caught up on my school-related work, which has given me some time to actually enjoy my weekends… sort of a foreign concept!

Last weekend I did a Sunday Snapshots post—a photo dump, if you will—of pictures taken throughout the weekend. I liked it so much (a picture is worth a thousand words, right?) that I thought I’d do it again. Perhaps it’ll become a Sunday night tradition?

T-minus 5 days until Gatsby! And only Monday stands between me and the entire album… can’t wait! My students have a half day on Friday (it’s prom!) and up until this past Friday, I thought I got to leave at 11:00AM. Turns out, I have in-service in the afternoon which totally put the kibosh on my matinee plans. Argh. I still have plans to see this on Friday though; I definitely can’t wait any longer.

I totally got sucked into buying this coffee after seeing so many commercials for it. The good news? It’s amazing!!!

After school on Friday, I headed to King of Prussia to do a little dress shopping. My brother-in-law is getting married on the 18th, and I needed a long dress. I found this little number at Nordstrom, and I love it! Now I’m just hoping that the petite that’s being shipped to me fits without any necessary alterations; I waited until the last minute to get something!

A half-priced mocha cookie crumble frappe was enjoyed post-dress shopping. Who can resist the Starbucks happy hour deal?

Saturday was my cousin’s son’s first communion, and this was just a sampling of the sugar I consumed.

The cookies were made by my aunt, and the cake (amazing!) was made by a local bakery—Unique Desserts. A few year’s ago when my cousin’s other son made his first communion, they had a cake from the same bakery. Let’s just say I’d been looking forward to another slice for the last 3 years and it didn’t disappoint.

Last night, Chris and I headed to The Knight’s Pub (quickly becoming a favorite!) to watch the Phillies lose yet again. I’d been eyeing up the lobster mac ‘n’ cheese every time I had been there before, so I finally caved and got it. Um, amazing.

Last but not least, after all of the indulgent eats on Saturday, I definitely made sure to get myself to BodyPump this morning!

Tonight’s question is totally unrelated to anything but I heard this “would you rather” on Cosmo radio this morning, and I thought it was a good one!

Would you rather… give up cocktails/alcohol for a year, or give up makeup for a year? I would EASILY choose to give up alcohol. It wouldn’t be good for anyone if I couldn’t wear makeup for a full 365 days.

There’s a constant internal war that I wage with myself—do I spend money on high quality workout clothing, or do I go with the cheapest possible stuff I can find? I know what the ideal choice is—c’mon we’ve all had to toss the cheap stuff sooner than we’d like—but sometimes I need a reason to justify a more “extravagant” purchase.

After trying a piece of YMX by YellowMan, I think I’ve got a reason (actually, a few reasons)!

As stated on the YMX website, the company provides:

Multifunctional athletic wear with stunning prints for men and women. Perfect for running, cycling, skiing, yoga, travel, workout, leisure, causal wear, and more.

You can read more about the company here.

I was sent the Infinite Geometry long-sleeve shirt for review.

YMX uses silky, lightweight performance fabric that is sweat-wicking, quick-dry, and wrinkle/odor resistant. I also like that the shirt has a UPF30+ rating (I’m fair-skinned, so that’s important to me!).

I’ve worn this shirt a few times for various workouts—bosu class, running, BodyPump, etc. On all occasions, it was super comfortable and the fabric did a great job of keeping me cool. Plus, I loved the fact that this top was so bright and had a fun pattern—definitely different from most of my other workout stuff!

One thing that’s really important to me—especially when spending a good amount on any piece of clothing—is how well an item holds up after a few go-arounds in the washer/dryer.

I was happy to see that my shirt was machine wash and dry!

It came out of the dryer feeling just as soft and wearing just as well as it did when I first received it. Definitely a big “pro” in my book!

YMX by YellowMan offers a variety of products for both men and women. The shirt that I reviewed retails for $98, and most of their other long-sleeved shirts are around that amount as well. They also offer:

• Hoodies (starting at $178)
• Tees/running tops (starting at $69)
• Tanks (starting at $59)
• Cycle tops (starting at $98)
• Leggings and shorts (starting at $49)
• Jackets and vests (starting at $110)

Additionally, they have a line of sport sleeves ($32) and plus size options, too!

Overall, I was highly impressed with the quality of this product! I’ll be the first to admit, my tightwad tendencies tend to win out when buying workout gear. However, I don’t mind spending extra money if I know the quality of a product is good and it will last a long time. Plus, YMX clothing is so cute, you can even where it outside of the gym!

Do you wear bright colors to the gym or keep things more subdued? I almost always wear black bottoms, but I’ve got my eye on some of the YMX shorts and skorts!

Disclaimer: I was provided this shirt for free as part of my affiliation with Fitfluential, LLC. No other compensation—aside from the product—was provided to me. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing weekend.

This evening, I’m keeping things simple with a relatively wordless post. Here are a few snapshots from the past few days… enjoy!

This is how I left Stewie Friday morning before work.

Finally getting my car washed Friday afternoon. This was looong overdue!

Spin class on Saturday morning.

Peanut butter cup protein smoothie from my gym. This is amazing and tastes like a milkshake. (Yes, that’s a pillow with a pug on it that you see in the background.)

Saturday dinner – Pulled pork over bleu cheese potato gnocchi from Say Cheese!

Saturday dessert – pear tart… yum.

Sunday AM snack – strawberry banana Cho. I think I’ve decided this is my favorite flavor.

Sunday lunch – burger with portobello mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, and cheese.

How was your weekend? Relaxing or filled with lots of to-do’s?

Yesterday, I ran my first 5K.

Well, I guess it wasn’t technically my “first.” Obviously, I ran quite a few 5Ks during my half marathon training. However, this was the first time I participated in a 5K race!

I roped Chris into participating in the “Brighter Than the Sun 5K,” a local race that even included a little bit of trail running. I didn’t realize until I was on the trail that I had never ran on anything but a paved surface.

The race started at 10:00AM and Chris and I left our house around 8:50AM. We had a short drive, then picked up our race numbers.

I was pretty pumped to be number 100 (I love even numbers, or numbers that end in “0” or “5”!)

By this time it was a little after 9:00AM, and it was pretty chilly out, so we decided to wait in the car. Closer to the start time, we ventured out to get ready.

This was a relatively small race, so when 10:00AM hit, the participants casually gathered at the start and before I knew it, we were off.

I’m not one to set specific running “goals” for myself (my goal for Disney Princess was simply to finish!), but I told Chris going into this that I wanted to maintain a 10:00/mile pace.

Chris and I started together, but eventually I could tell that his competitiveness was taking over and I urged him to go on and leave me in his dust.

The race was a quick, out-and-back course, with a water stop halfway through (I passed on the water!).

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed running a 5K! Even though I would never consider myself to be competitive – when it comes to sports, anyway – I enjoyed challenging myself to pass runners who were just a bit ahead of me.

I’m pretty sure I unintentionally started sprinting at the end, because just as I was rounding the final corner, I became painfully aware of how heavy I was breathing. I slowed down a tad, and finished the race in just over 31 minutes (10:03/mile pace) – I consider that meeting my goal!

I’m really excited to run more 5Ks and hope to improve my time. I think I might have found my niche.

Have you ever run a 5K? If you’re a runner, what’s your ideal distance? I’d like to try a 10K, too!

This is a post that I’ve had on my “to write” list for a while, but for whatever reason (likely my hectic schedule!), I haven’t gotten around to it.

After training for – and completing – the Disney Princess Half, I’ve been trying to determine what’s next for me in regards to running.

I’ve grown to like and enjoy running, but I have to be honest when I say that I didn’t immediately feel a compulsion to sign up for any and every race possible. Sure, I felt accomplished, but I was also exhausted and relieved to not have the race “hanging over my head.”

For me, I think that running shorter distances might be ideal. I enjoy varying my workouts and I oftentimes felt frustrated that I had to spend a Saturday morning running instead of enjoying a BodyPump or spin class. I have the ability to be committed to something, but I also like to have options and freedom when it comes to working out. If I don’t, exercise becomes a chore, and I definitely don’t want that to be the case!

Chris and I are signed up for a 5K this coming Saturday. I’ve done a handful of runs throughout this past month, and I know I can complete 3.1 miles without (much) struggle. (Side note: No run is easy for me!) I can’t wait to see what it’s like to run a race that is a shorter distance (the half was my first race… ever).

My sister (my half marathon running partner!) has already signed up for the Philly Rock ‘n’ Roll Half in September.

(image source)

There are several reasons why I haven’t jumped on-board yet. At the top of the list? The fact that training would occur throughout the summer (meaning I’d have to be running at 5:00AM to beat the heat and humidity!), and that it could still be pretty steamy in Philly on September 15. I immediately flashback to Disney Princess and recall that the humidity was a definite issue for me!

I also get hung up on the price of races. Since I’m not a competitive runner, why can’t I just go out and run 13.1 miles – for free! – whenever I want? I get that the race atmosphere adds something, but I can’t say that it’s super important to me.

With all that being said, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still contemplating signing up for the race.

My running days definitely aren’t over, I’m just trying to figure out what’s best for me!

Are you a runner? If so, do you prefer shorter or longer distances? Have you ever participated in a Rock ‘n’ Roll race? Is it worth the money?

Hello, hello!

I didn’t intend to skip posting last night, but I’ve been feeling so overwhelmed lately. I feel like my level of stress usually tends to ebb and flow throughout the school year. Some times – like research paper grading time – are more stressful than others, but it usually balances out pretty well. Lately though, I feel like I haven’t had a breather in months. I just cannot get caught up for some reason.

It feels like I have so much to do between family, work, housework, fitness, the blog, etc. that I just can’t get ahead. It’s like there’s always a mountain of things to be done, so I just feel hopeless and barely do anything… mostly because I don’t know where to start. This is weird for me because I’m usually pretty on top of things and good at working under pressure.

The fact that I have plans almost every weekend through mid-April isn’t helping things, but at least most of these plans are fun and will be nice distractions.

Okay, that turned into a bigger tangent than I expected!

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I wanted to share some final thoughts on my Disney Princess Half experience, and then I promise, I’ll stop talking about it!

1) A Disney race should be on every runner’s bucket list. It was so well organized, that I’m sure I’m spoiled if I ever run another smaller race. The entertainment and volunteers along the course were amazing. It’s definitely worth traveling to if you’re not a Florida or California native. In summary: we got our money’s worth!

2) Staying at a Disney resort was ideal. My sister and I stayed at the All-Star Movies Resort, a “value” resort. We considered staying at a “moderate” resort, but figured we could rough it for two nights.

Our hotel was just fine, especially for a quick trip. The real benefit of staying at a Disney resort is the easy access to transportation – both to race events and to the parks.

3) If I were to do things again, I’d definitely plan to arrive in Disney on Friday. My sister and I were feeling a bit “rushed” and barely had any time to enjoy the parks. Flying in on Friday would’ve been ideal, although that also would’ve meant taking another day off work (I only get 3 personal days a year!) and paying for an additional night’s hotel stay. Anyway, I just wanted to share this as food for thought if you’re thinking of doing a Disney race!

Last but not least, I wanted to give some shout-outs to the brands that helped power me through the race (this isn’t sponsored in any way)!

– I ordered this headband from Chickbands (an Etsy shop) and it worked out perfectly! Trust me when I say my hair was super sweaty and this headband didn’t budge an inch. I loved the headband so much that I’ve actually ordered three more!

– My tank was an oldie but goodie – C9 ala Target! I actually intended to wear a new, short-sleeved shirt but I’m so glad I went with the tank.

– I got a new running skirt from Athleta just for the race and I’m in love! It’s super-cute and I love the ruffles. I’ve worn this to the gym since, and I know it’s a piece I’ll get a lot of use out of.

– I wore a pair of PRO Compression socks that I won in a giveaway from Nikki. They were really comfortable and I really don’t think I could’ve made it through the race without compression socks… I love ‘em.

– Last but not least… I love my Sauconys.

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Just a head’s up, I’m “checking out” until the weekend. Chris and I are traveling to Baltimore Friday night and probably won’t be back until Saturday evening. Catch you later!

What’s your must-have running or fitness item?

When I left off, my sister and I were just reaching mile 3 and had been weaving in and out of people for the beginning of the race.

Around this time, the course began to narrow and it became more difficult to get around walkers. Eventually, we stopped for a walking break ourselves, and continue to walk up a pretty decent incline that was just before the entrance to Magic Kingdom.

Upon entering the park, we veered off the course for a bathroom stop. I loved the fact that we were able to use the park restrooms… so much better than using port-o-potties (I only had to use one once, before the start!)

Running up Main Street in Magic Kingdom was awesome. Looking back, I wish we would’ve stopped for a few photos, but by this point – yes, still pretty early on in the race – we just wanted to stay focused on the task at hand. We actually didn’t stop at any of the photo ops (which is why this post is virtually picture-less).

Magic Kingdom was where things really went downhill for me. After running through the castle (awesome!) my stomach started cramping up really bad. I stopped at another bathroom in the park, and when I met up with my sister, she could tell I wasn’t feeling well.

I’m not sure if it was the Grand Floridian burger not sitting well, the heat and humidity, or race-related nerves (I’m guessing a combination of all three!) but this was the first time that I doubted I would be able to finish. I definitely felt discouraged because we hadn’t even reached the halfway point.

Luckily, I started to feel a little bit better as we continued on.

Our least favorite part of the course was after we left Magic Kingdom. It was great being able to run through the park with spectators cheering, but after that it was a long stretch before we entered Epcot… like, a good 5 miles.

One of the things that we found most frustrating during the race was the volume of walkers. If you’re choosing to walk the race, hey, that’s great! But that wasn’t our intention and it seemed that every time we got going again, we’d hit a group of people walking. We’d try to keep running but we’d realize we could be walking at the pace we were “running,” and eventually gave into the crowds. (I’m sure this was not a problem for runners in corrals A-C, but being towards the back really worked against us.)

This made it even more difficult to start up again when the path became less crowded. Our feet were aching. (I ended up with a black toenail when all was said and done! TMI? Sorry!)

During this stretch, we stopped at nearly every water station and my sister stopped at the food station as well (I skipped it since my stomach was hating me).

There were quite a few hills throughout the last few miles. I knew these would be coming – I had read many recaps of people who had run the race previously – but knowing they were coming and actually tackling them were two different things.

Around mile 11, we became determined to finish… ASAP. We started running – and of course, weaving! – and didn’t stop until we crossed the finish line.

Just like with Magic Kingdom, I loved running through Epcot. Seeing the spectators was one of my favorite parts of the entire race. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy as I was to see the finish line though!

My sister and I were in a daze after completing the race, and barely spoke to each other! We got our medals, grabbed our goodie box of food provided by Disney, and immediately jumped in line for a bus back to the hotel. I didn’t even stretch afterwards, which seems so ridiculous/unbelievable to me now!

I can’t believe I actually did it. Despite being relatively active, I’m not even a little bit athletic and up until about 3 years ago, I was virtually sedentary. To know that I have the ability to complete 13.1 miles blows my mind (even if I did take a lot of walking breaks)!

I plan to do one more post on the race… some final thoughts on the experience and what’s next for my running “career” (ha!). Stay tuned!

Have you ever run a race? Would you classify yourself as “active” or “athletic”? I fail at all sports.