ashleyd /

48 Hours in South Beach

This is definitely something I could get accustomed to seeing every single evening after a long day of work. There is nothing like the warm, setting sun over the ocean and the sound of crashing waves.

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I spent a whirlwind 48 hours down in Miami for a business trip with my co-workers. It was one of the better work experiences I’ve had down in South Beach for a multitude of reasons and while I am definitely exhausted I was able to enjoy the trip. (You can see a few of my other Miami posts here, here, here , and here)

Run

No trip, whether business or personal, is complete without a run around the area to explore new sites and enjoy fresh air. This trip was no different and while I only squeezed in one run during the 48 hour trip, it was at least a good one. The views were gorgeous early Tuesday morning as I ran down Collins Avenue enjoying a strong breeze and took in the art deco hotels and sites.

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Hotel

Grand Beach Hotel: It is often difficult to find hotels in South Beach that fit the price range for corporate travel. We were all very pleased with our hotel this trip, Grand Beach Hotel. Located in South Beach the hotel boasts an all-suites model which means that every room is complete with 2 full baths, sofa, private balcony with ocean view, and king size bed. The balcony allowed me space to enjoy the morning breeze as I checked emails and the beach access was convenient for our group’s free time yesterday afternoon. I really can’t find a negative thing to say about the hotel. The staff was friendly, the breakfast was delicious, the pool was gorgeous, and the hot tubs stayed open all night!

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Dinner and Night Life:

 Last night our celebratory team dinner was held at Yuca which is a located in the middle of South Beach on Lincoln Road. From the first sip of their mojito I knew it was going to be a delicious evening. Everything was a fresh and new taste on Cuban classic dishes such as mojitos, empanadas, and slow marinated flank steak with plenty of spice. There were multiple large groups at Yuca last night but the service was still very attentive. I would come back here again for a fun dinner in South Beach before a night on the town as it was walking distance from the other bars we visited last night including The Delano and The WALL Nightclub Lounge at the W Hotel.

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Your turn: Which do you prefer- South Beach or Las Vegas? If you’ve never been, which one do you want to visit?

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40 Minute Boredom Buster Workout

May 1st is here and it’s supposed to be 80 degrees today in Cincinnati! That my friends means Spring is finally here!

Last night I spent a few hour sipping beers and catching up with co-workers of past and present at Pavillion in Mount Adams! The sunset was pretty amazing last night!

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Since I knew my evening would include at least a few beers, I spent 40 minutes in the hotel gym yesterday morning. As we’ve discussed previously, I get bored very easily which is one reason that I love places like Uplift Studios and Barry’s Bootcamp. When traveling I tend to create workouts that will change things up every few minutes while also making sure that my muscles are quivering and my heart is pumping. Efficient workouts during travel are the best!

For the below 40 minute workout I focused on fast speeds and heavy weights. The weights I used ranged from 15-25 pounds and the treadmill speeds were faster than normal. I hope you guys like it as much as I did! This one is definitely a keeper!

Boredom Buster Workout

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ashleyd /

3 Easy Healthy Travel Tips

Greetings from Cincinnati!

In case you missed it, we spent the weekend with our friends exploring Cincinnati! It was such a fun weekend that we didn’t want it to end! Monday mornings are especially tough after long, fun filled weekends!

Bo flew back to New York City last night while Amy, Ryan and I relaxed in their basement watching The Impossible and chilling. We kept things simple last night by enjoying some healthy snacks during the movie and then making easy taco salads for dinner!

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This morning, before heading to the office together, Amy and I went out for a quick, easy 3 mile jog around her neighborhood.  It’s amazing what a few hills can do for a 3 mile run! Holy heck this run wasn’t easy but it sure felt great when we were done just a short while later. There were two monster hills that we ran and each time I just kept telling myself to push through to the top. While getting up at 4:45 wasn’t fun and neither of us were that talkative during the run due to the hills and exhaustion, it still felt great to know we finished our workout bright and early.

I’m traveling for work this entire week and will spend the next four nights in a hotel room and each day in meetings. It’s easy to get off track and use the different environment as an excuse to take a few days off from healthy eating and workouts. But, as I’ve mentioned before, I believe that I feel even better if I can keep up with my normal routine as much as possible. Here are a few things that I try to do while traveling to stay energized.

  • Go to bed as early as possible. Sleep is always such an important part of how you feel but we rarely get enough. Take advantage of the time away from children and loved ones to focus on getting a few extra minutes of sleep! I do my best to avoid watching tv while traveling as I know I’ll stay up far too late!
  • Bring your own water bottle! Between air travel and the dry hotel and meeting rooms I tend to get very parched during business trips. I start each day by drinking a bottle of water and then ensure that I drink one before bed too! During the day I carry this bottle with me to each meeting and refill it during breaks. A water refill is a great excuse to stand up and walk around but can also save money since I get to refill it versus buying a fresh bottle each time!
  • Move as much as possible! Maybe the gym isn’t for you. Regardless of your fitness level, always pack your workout shoes and at least lace them up for a short walk around town or the office park. Need to call your loved one to catch up after a long day? Try walking up and down the hotel hallway if you don’t feel safe outside alone. You’ll be surprised just how far you can walk during a 30 minute phone call! If you normally work out at home, use this travel time to try something new using Pintrest as a great source for travel workouts! My 35 minute full body workout and 45 minute full body workouts don’t require any machines and will leave you out of breath!

Hopefully this week I’ll create another workout for you guys as I know I’ll grow bored quickly. Unfortunately my hotel isn’t located near a park so I’m limited to running around a corporate business park or on the old treadmill.

How about you? How do you stay healthy during travel?

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