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A Monday Double: Spinning and Core Fusion

The hunger monster is in rare form tonight! I want to eat everything in sight but have limited myself to this delicious glass of homemade granola, peanut butter, and yogurt instead since dinner is still in the oven.

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I hold today’s workout schedule responsible for my hunger level! This morning Bo and I enjoyed another Dave M spin class which was an absolute sweat fest. By the time he blasted a Girl Talk mash up of Ludacris around the 40 minute point I was sweating, sore, and exhausted. Luckily, I was able to find today’s Girl Talk song and have already downloaded them to my computer. They will definitely make their way into my National Half Marathon playlist.

After a long Monday of work, I enjoyed an amazing Core Fusion class at Exhale on Madison.

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It had been ages since I’ve taken a class with Fred. He spent the entire time adjusting students, making everyone feel like they were in a personal class. I felt like his class was more demanding than a few of the other ones I took in December but I loved every minute of it- even when my legs were burning and quivering.

Tonight’s class reinforced the benefits of strength training and cross training. The arm section was much easier today than it was in December, after the marathon. Due to the arm work I’ve been doing the past six weeks, I was able to do the arm portion of the class with 4 pound weights. My c-curl form has also improved greatly since my last class in December. I’m looking forward to working with Fred to develop a cross training, stretching, and restorative plan I can use to balance the running and spinning. I’m very curious to see what he recommends to keep my hip flexors, ITband, and glute muscles in check.

What is the best food to silence your hunger pains when nothing else seems to help?

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ashleyd /

Scenes from Grand Central

I took myself outside of my comfort zone yesterday afternoon and spent two hours learning about photography composition. More specifically, I spent two hours taking pictures of moving objects versus food. Trying to compose a picture and scene when you don’t control the subject is far more difficult than I ever imagined.

While the class didn’t exactly meet my expectations, the dedicated time did help me practice a skill which I have been ignoring for too long.

Here is a quick glance of some of the scenes captured during yesterday’s class.

Question: How did you learn to use your DSLR camera? Manual? Class? On-Line training?

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ashleyd /

Eggland’s Best Spring Brunch

 

Thanks to Eggland’s Best, I had the great opportunity to host these lovely ladies for a Spring brunch.

DSC_0145 Eggland’s Best sent me a hostess package this week which included multiple coupons, an apron, a Flipcam, and a prize pack for one lucky guest.

Last night, after my long run, I spent the evening preparing for the brunch. I chose a menu which included a little bit of everything while also being easy to execute.

Eggland’s Best Spring Brunch Menu

  • Salmon, Onion, and Dill Crustless Quiche
  • Vegetable Strata
  • Fresh cut fruit
  • Vanilla and Greek Yogurt
  • Homemade Maple Almond Granola
  • Local whole wheat bread
  • Coffee, champagne, orange juice, and assorted hot teas

Bo and I had a great time cooking and laughing together last night!

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After the last minute prep was done this morning, we spent a few minutes ensuring that the house was spotless for our visitors.

Here are a few pictures of our home! It’s small but we love it! I’m trying to convince Bo that we need to paint the walls now that we know we’ll be here at least another year. DSC_0127DSC_0128  DSC_0125 DSC_0120 DSC_0121At 11 on the dot, the girls arrived! It was the perfect mix of old friends and new, all chatting about the latest fitness trends, healthy recipes, and more. I loved seeing everyone laugh and get to know each other. Today’s group was especially talkative.

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Thank you Eggland’s Best for a wonderful event. I think it’s safe to say that every lady feels the same way about you all as I do! We LOVE Eggland’s Best!

Please note it is important to disclose to your readers that Eggland’s Best provided you with VIP coupons, a gift card, a flip video camera, information and prize packs to giveaway to guests.

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