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Fitness Magazine’s Blogger Meet & Tweet

Last week, I had the most amazing time spending time with like minded fitness bloggers at Fitness Magazine’s Blogger Meet & Tweet event at the Metropolitan Suite in New York City.

After a sweaty Soul Cycle session with Julie and Kristine, I walked the mile West over to the event space, unsure what to expect from the day.

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Over 100 fitness bloggers and professional were in attendance which overwhelmed me at first. But, within minutes, I joined the rest of the crowd for the brand interaction portion where we had the chance to network and mingle with brands such V8, Pure Protein, Kiwi Sweat, Birkenstock, and Oakley.

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I had a great time getting to  know each of the brands better and even went home with some amazing swag from the sponsor brands. During this portion of the event, bloggers were given a passport, featuring each of the brands logo, which needed to be stamped in order to receive the large swag bag at the end of the day. While each booth was great, I especially loved learning more about Kiwi Sweat since they are a local NYC pop-up fitness company! Just last week they hosted an outdoor spin class on the East River promenade!

From 10:30-12:30 I spent the next 2 hours in the third row of the speaking area listening to amazing fitness professionals share their wisdom with us. Luckily, I wasn’t alone, and instead was joined by my fellow blogging buddies as we recorded, took notes, and asked questions of the speakers. Looking back, I wish I had spent more time networking and catching up with some of the out of town bloggers who were present for the event. But, as someone who has put together events such as this, I know how important it is to have an audience. Therefore, we focused and took notes as we laughed along with each entertaining speaker.

AJ Jacobs

IMG_2310Talk about hilarious; this self proclaimed nerd left us laughing as he shared his memories from his year of living healthy. The author of two other New York Times best sellers, his book, Drop Dead Healthy just hit the bookstores and chronicles his year of living healthy. Below are a few nuggets I captured from his presentation:

  • Healthy isn’t all about diet and exercise. Noise can also be detrimental to your health.
  • Respect your older self. The more you think of your future the healthier you’ll act.
  • Harness peer pressure and use social media to motivate you towards a healthier life.

The Real Deal on Carbs, Cleanses and Caffeine with Keri Gan and Tanya Zuckerbot

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These two classy ladies shared their thoughts on some of the most frequently asked question in health and dietetics- to cleanse or not? Both agree that over the past 10 years carbohydrates have gotten an unfair bad wrap in the United States. Years ago Americans indulged with one Oreo but during the past 10 years they have replaced that one Oreo with a sleeve of Low Fat Snackwells.  Here are a few of the key nuggets I took away:

  • It’s all about portion control.
  • Carbs don’t make you fat. Carbs in excess of what your body needs, make you fat.
  • Your workout without the carbs and energy won’t be as successful.
  • Cleanses can lead to lost muscles because they decrease metabolism so you gain weight faster after the cleanse.
  • You have a kidney and liver to cleanse your body naturally.
  • There are lots of health benefits of coffee, especially if you have 3 cups per day!

The other discussion that I really enjoyed was Laura Gellar’s beauty tip session during which she amused the crowd with her amazing personality and taught us industry tips and tricks. I am going to include these tips in a later post as I’ve already started putting some of them into action.

Overall, I feel like Fitness Magazine did a wonderful job putting on this event, especially considering it was their first one. I wish I’d spent more time connecting with amazing bloggers but really appreciate the speakers I was able to hear as well. This definitely excites me for the upcoming events this summer such as BlogHer, Healthy Living Summit, and Fit Bloggin! I always learn so much from these events and love the chance to spend time with other bloggers; especially those within the Fitfluential family!

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Yoga Vida NYC

Happy Sunday! I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend. Bo and I have enjoyed plenty of time with our friends, catching up on sleep and relaxation, cooking in the kitchen, and long walks through our neighborhood enjoying the Fall weather.

After yesterday’s amazing run and afternoon of rest, my body wasn’t feeling too rough when I woke up this morning. Then I bent over to grab a pillow that had hit the floor and I felt the tightness that I expected. My hips were screaming and my quads were definitely tight.

Luckily, an hour later I was walking towards Yoga Vida NYC for the second NYC Blogger Play date, organized by the lovely Keelie. I really enjoy events like this that combine catching up with fellow NYC bloggers and an activity, such as yoga.  IMG_5107 (640x478)

Everyone in our group arrived by 11:45 so we were able to spend fifteen minutes chatting and catching up. It was great to get to know Juliette and Keelie while catching up with some familiar faces like Theodora, Ashley, and Sofia.

IMG_5108 (478x640)This was my first time practicing yoga at Yoga Vida NYC and I was immediately impressed. A local studio which has two locations, one in Union Square and one in NoHo.  As I left the elevator I was greeted with a fresh, light incense scent instead of sweat and grime which is often found at NYC yoga studios. The receptionist was very friendly, quickly informing me that they have a special for first time students, $10 for 1 week of unlimited classes!

The space includes two very large studios, bathroom, changing area, a relaxing lounge, and mat storage area.  IMG_5109 (640x478) IMG_5110 (640x478) IMG_5111 (478x640) Everyone I encountered at Yoga Vida really reinforced their philosophy,

At Yoga Vida we make yoga accessible, affordable, and inclusive.  Believing your daily yoga practice should not become a financial burden; we serve as a comfortable and inviting oasis where you can connect your body and your mind through the movement that resonates with you. There is no judgment, pressure, ultimatums, nor demands.  This is yoga for everyone.

Their classes are all 65 minutes, other than the Saturday and Sunday flow classes which are 75 minutes in length.

We were signed up for Yoga Flow, a 75 minute open level Vinyasa class, taught by Alex F. Alex immediately took his place in the front of the room on the yoga podium, an elevated mat sized podium where the instructor can practice so all students in the room can see the poses. His voice was calm and soothing as he welcomed us to his class. Like many distance runners, my muscles have grown extremely tight during training even though I stretch and foam roll frequently. There are some tight areas and knots that only a deep twist or inversion can access.  This class started with a longer than normal sun salutation series before moving into hip openers, twists, and floor poses.  Alex focused on adjusting students throughout the entire class, helping us move deeper into poses and properly align in unfamiliar poses. 

I am already looking forward to my next class at Yoga Vida NYC, hopefully one evening class this week and Alex’s noon class again next Sunday.

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BLT Fish Shack: Fifteen Bottles of Beer

There is nothing better than an evening of beer and delicious food after a long run.

After a relaxing afternoon with Bo, we headed over to the Galway Hooker to meet Theodora and Tina for a drink.

IMG_2143 (640x480)Luckily, the bar was pretty empty, so we were able to snag a booth and hear ourselves talk without having to scream. This is a rare find in New York City during football season so we were all pleasantly surprised!

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Per Theodora and Tina’s suggestion, I started with Sam Adams Octoberfest since the bar was lacking on pumpkin beer selections.

IMG_2144 (640x480) IMG_2141 (480x640) It was absolutely delicious! Drinking regular beers is still a very novel idea for me as I used to be the “light beer” girl who would never fathom drinking a full, malty beer. This beer was malty with a little bit of spice,  luckily lacking on the hop flavor that I don’t normally like. This may become my go to beer this season since Sam Adams is normally available in most bars.

After a round of drinks and lots of laughter, we headed downtown to meet Gabriella, Rebecca, and Clare at BLT Fish Shack.  Even though this is one of our favorite spots in Flatiron, we hadn’t been to BLT Fish Shack since our Memorial Day weekend date night.

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IMG_2150 (640x480)Bo saw on Twitter that BLT Fish Shack was celebrating NYC Beer Week with a special prix-fixe beer paired menu for $40! I quickly sent the suggestion to Theodora and Tina, originally hoping we could go Friday night before I left for Philadelphia. Luckily the stars aligned and we were able to enjoy the evening together last night!

IMG_2148 (480x640)Upon arriving, we were quickly seated towards the back of the restaurant. Luckily, unlike many NYC restaurants, they were willing to seat us even though only 6 of the 7 people had arrived. This is just one of the many ways the service out did their self last night.

I love the Shack’s cute decor details such as the lobster placemats and dish rag napkins.

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IMG_2155 (640x480) Within minutes of sitting down, our waitress graced our table with their famous garlic cheese bread. It’s easy to enjoy too much of this bread at one sitting as it’s so delicious. Luckily, I was forced to share last night and therefore limited myself to only one piece.

IMG_2156 (640x480)Bo was craving raw bar and quickly asked the group if anyone could help him enjoy some oysters, clams, and shrimp. Clearly we were all more than happy to oblige his request but were taken by surprise when the large seafood tower was presented!

IMG_2157 (480x640) The shrimp were absolutely divine and could have been a meal alone!

Everyone except for Bo chose the pre-fixe special for their meal since it was such a great deal and most of the items aren’t regularly on the menu.

The first round of beers were delivered to our table within seconds of us ordering!

IMG_2152 (480x640) Our first course was a rich but delicious corn & crab chowder, paired with Blue Point Toasted Lager. This was my favorite beer of the night, going down very smooth and paired perfectly with the rich soup. The chowder was delicious but the crispy bread, especially when dipped in the chowder, was the real winner. I only finished 1/3 or so of the bowl since I knew I still had two more courses coming.

IMG_2161 (640x480) IMG_2164 (640x480) The second course included tempura fried branzino served atop braised Swiss chard and lemon jalapeno aioli paired with Lagunitas IPA. Now I know why I stick to grilled or broiled fish. While the tempura was quite as heavy as other fried options, it really took away from the flavor and was too heavy to enjoy the whole serving. The Swiss chard was delicious however and thoroughly enjoyed!

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IMG_2168 (640x480) The final course of the evening was my least favorite unfortunately.  I was excited for donuts when I saw it on the menu but disappointed to find that they were churros instead. Furthermore, the final beer was Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, a very heavy beer that I could barely swallow. The rest of the ladies were very excited to happily pass my bottle around to share.

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The conversation flowed just as easily as the beers all night long! In fact, we may have hazed Tina at one point in the evening tempting her to double fist in true champ style!

IMG_2173 (640x480) IMG_2174 (640x480) Such a great time with wonderful food and wonderful ladies, plus Bo! He was a true champ!

After dinner I went to a friend’s house for a farewell to summer party but was in bed passed out by midnight! Beer+heavy foods+long runs=exhausted Ashley!

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