ashleyd /

Starting a new routine out on the right foot and a new favorite breakfast

Joining Equinox was an easy decision for me as it finally allowed me to enjoy one of the things i’d missed so much since moving to NYC- gym comraderie. When I lived in Philadelphia, I belonged to three different gyms during my three years there. I changed gyms each time I moved as most of my friendships revolved around long elliptical or treadmill conversations. I loved having a partner every morning to not only help hold me accountable but to also help out with workouts, serving as a spot, and motivation. When I moved to NYC, Bo and I were lucky enough to move into an apartment building with a very nice gym. However, the gym only offered one class a day which rarely fit my schedule and my two friends in the building (holler Melissa) worked out in the evening. Therefore, I wasn’t able to build a “gym friendship”. I found myself feeling lonely on the treadmill and therefore lacking the excitement and motivation to extend my gym session. There is nothing better than having a great friend to keep you on the treadmill 5 minutes longer, motivate you to run .5 mph faster, or do one more crunch!

Luckily, my best friend in NYC, Lauren was already a diehard Equinox fan. However, sometimes I believe that she goes there due to reputation and star factor instead of the workout. For example, she insists on frequenting the Meat Packing or Greenwich locations on the weekend since that is the place to be. 🙂 Don’t get me wrong, these are both amazing Equinox locations with more atmosphere and decor than I could have ever imagined! But, at the end of the day, it is the memories we create while trying inversions during a crazy Diana’s crazy L2/3 (Vinyasa Yoga which I highly recommend if you’re in NYC) Greenwich Sunday yoga class or gossiping on the elliptical that make the monthly membership worth every penny!

I knew that I wanted to take advantage of every perk Equinox offers it’s members. Therefore, I immediately signed up for my complimentary Equifit session. An Equifit session is a 45 minute session conducted by a personal trainer which helps setup realistic goals, aid in progress tracking, and assess your current fitness state. This is done through a number of tests and exercises that test strength, agility, balance, and cardio levels. Many of these tests were completely foreign to me such as the VO2 test and the core balance test which showed just how much weaker my left side is! In addition, Sarah, my personal trainer, conducted a lean muscle mass ratio test, blood pressure, and took my weight. The most exciting part of the whole session was that i’m actually a half inch taller than I ever believed! I’ll take 5’9.5 though it is still shorter than my favorite childhood athletic star, Gabrielle Reece!

After the Equifit session, each member receieves a complimentary training session. This evening Sarah put me through the rigors of a specially designed training session that targeted my focus areas: triceps, thighs, and core. Strengthening my thighs and core will aid in my running while toning my triceps will help me get ready for all the adorable summer pieces Bloomingdales is currently previewing! (I love these two for day and night  The hour session consisted of high kicks, pushups (3 sets of 10-male version), front and rear lunges (3 sets of 25), bicycle abs, ball plank, 100’s, close grip pull down, row, tricep pull down, overhead press, and stretching! It was definitely tough but I thoroughly enjoyed the workout. I also like that I can break it down into 3 15 minute sessions and tack them on to my morning workouts before my Monday and Tuesday spin class and Wednesday’s cardio kettlebell class.

Tomorrow morning will be my treadmill day as I strive to lower my 4 mile time! I am hoping to run in NYRR Gridiron Classic 4 miler on February 7th. This was the first of my 9 NYRR races in 2009 and one I thoroughly enjoyed! My time was 39:35 but my PR last year was 39:21 for a Central Park 4 mile race. My goal for this one is 39:00. I’m hoping my spin classes and training this month will help! 

I am sure some of you are wondering if i’m ever going to talk about food again! 🙂 Yes, I will! In fact, I am in love with my new breakfast routine. The 44th and Lexington Avenue Equinox features a City Chow cafe which has more healthy food options (on the go and sit down options) than I have ever seen! Their cases are filled with hard boiled eggs, a breakfast dump similar to Meghann’s (yogurt, apple, and granola), water, and more. But, the true hidden secret is their reasonably priced egg white omelet meals. I have enjoyed a 4 egg white omelet filled with spinach, tomato, onion, and mushrooms for $3.95! This has helped me start my day on a healthy, protein filled track. I find that if I eat enough protein after a workout, i’m less likely to over eat during the day.

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ashleyd /

It’s not fitness, it’s life and other changes

Where do I even begin? It has been six months since my last post and quite a bit has changed! The biggest of which is that I enjoyed the most wonderful day of my life on November 21, 2009! Bo and I were finally married after six years of dating! The wedding was gorgeous, our friends and family flew in from all over the country to celebrate, and the honeymoon was a week of warm and sunny bliss. We chose Cap Juluca, on Anguilla, as our honeymoon destination after months of research and contemplation. We knew we wanted a destination which would allow for water sports, excursions, luxurious treatment and service, while also answering the needs of two foodies! The restaurants on Anguilla took us completely by surprise. Each one, filled with it’s own unique atmosphere, was very different but also allowed us to taste some of the freshest red snapper, goat stew, and plenty of caribbean influenced dishes. I will definitely dedicate a post in the near future to our honeymoon food.
Since returning, we have been going non-stop with work, holiday parties, traveling back to our home in Georgia for Christmas, hosting Bo’s best friend for New Years, and now this weekend we have two friends coming into the city for their first taste of New York! Living in a “destination” city is definitely one of my favorite parts about New York City! 
One of our big decisions upon returning was whether or not we’d finally join a “real gym.” My friend Lauren had been pestering me for the past three months to join Equinox. She insisted we’d be able to work out together, motivate each other to leave our desks at a reasonable time, and get to spend quality time at the gym. The price tag was definitely hard to swallow, but in the end, Bo and I chose to join on December 31st! We were able to take advantage of their awesome New Year’s program which meant no initiation fees! Bo even received one free month since he “referred” me. 
The gym has been incredible thus far. It has allowed Bo and I to finally enjoy classes together that challenge our bodies while also keeping our workout fresh. Last week, our first week as members, we enjoyed three spinning classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Each instructor has a very different motto for their class. For example, Dave M makes you happy you woke up and braved the cold for a 6:45 Monday morning workout. His motto is, “You have 23 other hours to recover so make this one your hardest.” His class pushes you with hill workouts, “dumbell sets”, and great music. Danielle, tomorrow’s instructor, has a more moderate paced class, but it serves as a wonderful recovery. In addition, she teaches a treadmill running class from 7:15-7:45 which i’m dying to try tomorrow. It combines speed and hills with the added benefit of having someone their to coach and inspire you. Last week I was amazed that over half our class joined her afterwards. I wonder if I can at least give it a try tomorrow? In addition to spinning, i’ve resolved to enjoy at least two yoga classes each week. Lauren and I were blessed with last Thursday’s Power Vinyasa class at 54th street. The teacher’s voice was young and calming but she also walked around during class ensuring that everyone was in the right posture. I yearn for teacher’s correction during class as that is the primary difference from using a DVD. On Saturday, I took a risk and enjoyed a yoga class on my own after my Equifit evaluation. I was intimidated when I saw people practicing headstands before class. While I enjoy yoga and hope to improve my practice this year, this bear is no Jenna from Eat Live Run. But, I put my worries aside and left my thoughts on the door’s threshold. An hour later I had attempted crow, one leg at a time, been assisted into an inversion, and released the week’s tension with four bridge poses! 
While I haven’t truly figured out what the role of this blog will be in my life, I have realized that I miss the community and the experience to capture my adventures. It will always include food adventures because as Julia Child’s character in Julia and Julia said, “oh I eat so well!”  In addition, I hope to capture some of the fitness experiences that a membership to both Equinox and New York Road Runners will allow this year.
So, that being said, i’m exhausted and have to be ready for another great spin class tomorrow morning. But, until then, if you have any thoughts or suggestions on returning to a blog please provide. As well, remember that i’ve been out of the blog world for 6 months and haven’t been reading during that time either. So if you’ve discovered a great new blog please send the site my way!
 
 
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