Rise and Grind: The November Project

September 21, 2014September 20, 2014 / foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

As long as I can remember, I’ve been a morning person. Sure, I rely heavily on naps, but when it comes to being up with the sun, I’m all about it. That said, when my buddies began raving about this workout “thing” they did on the steps of Philly’s Art Museum, I was initially intrigued and then immediately lost all interest upon finding out the start time was 6:25 in the morning on a Wednesday. See, it doesn’t really feel like “morning” when the sun’s not up. Don’t tell that to the Project November folks!

But if old dogs can learn new tricks, I certainly could wake up at (UGH) 5:30 to see what the fuss was about. I hopped on my bike, scooted up to the Art Museum, and was shocked to find not only a healthy mass of people BUT a feeling of excitement in my heart for this crack-of-dawn sweat sesh.

Sun’s not out. Guns still are.

If you’ve never heard of the November Project, that’s probably because none of your friends are doing it. Because I can pretty much guarantee that, if they are, they’re talking about it. Probably all of the time. From their website:

November Project™ is a FREE fitness movement that was born in Boston as a way to stay in shape during cold New England months… Our members vary from Olympic medalists, professional athletes, marathoners, triathletes, current and former collegiate athletes all the way to complete fitness rookies and recent couch potatoes just looking to kickstart their healthy life choices. If you think that you’re not fit enough to join the group, stop thinking and come see what the fuss is all about.

So I did. Luckily, I wasn’t alone in this insanity, and managed to rope a few buddies in for the fun.

Brother and I, moments before we hit the steps running.

Part of the reason I was so excited to check out this November Project is because my friends that do it…. they’re like FANATICS. Seriously, I feel like the term “cult-like” has negative connotations but… you get it. They wear branded shirts, they call the entire group “The Tribe”, and there’s this genuine pride and love for the movement. That’s the kind of thing I love, so I couldn’t stay away forever.

After a little pump-up session with the group leaders, we did some a suicide run using the landings of the steps for “stops”. And the rest of the workout, I’ll let November Project Philly speak for themselves:

we threw a few decks at the bottom of the stairs, ran the stairs and flipped cards at the bottom. Face cards required finding a buddy, running up the steps and squat jumping to the Art Museum door, Aces required finding a buddy and sprinting the loop, all other cards were a standard push-up/squat deck workout followed by running the steps.

HIT THE DECK!!

Look at us go!

And the view wasn’t too bad, either.

Oh, hey, there’s my pal Susan!

It wasn’t easy. For this non-runner, running up and down steps, laps around the steps, and generally all running is…. less than ideal. But the energy was contagious and these fitness fanatics kept a smile on my face…. most of the time.

Photo Credit to the November Project blog!

But then…. I felt great. I went into work sweaty and smiling, and though I didn’t rush back on Friday to join them again…. I kinda think I’ll be making a habit of setting that alarm for Wednesday mornings….

FIRST TIMERS!! WE DID IT!!

(Author’s note: Immediately after work, I rushed home and took a nap.)

Just Call Me a Fly Girl

July 11, 2014 / foodsweatandbeers / 1 Comment

I’ve got a bone to pick with whoever wrote that song about flying through the air with the greatest of ease. Maybe it’s just envy of the man on the flying trapeze…

I have no issues with heights. I thrive on adrenaline and love a new adventurous way of breaking a sweat. So when I was given a chance to try out Mary Kelly Rayel’s Fly School Circus Arts in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, I figured I’d grab life by the…well, the bar.

If you’re yearning for a way to kiss the sky WITHOUT jumping out of a plane, have a spare $60 bucks, and wanna test out that arm strength, look no further. Two hours may seem like barely any time, but after hardly any time “learning the ropes” if you will, it’s time to ascend.

I’ll be honest: my first attempt, I BLEW IT. I lost my grip on the bar and fell into the net, basically shaving my face against the rough ropes. It wasn’t pretty. It was scary, and unexpected, and jarring.

But, as they always say, life’s too short to let a net-burn slow you down. I climbed back up. I repeated to myself “Just hold on. Just HOLD on.”

And I did.

Wow, what a rush. Your body feels weightless for a moment at the top of your swing, and you can almost forget you’re ground-bound.

Your next “trick” is scooping your leg’s up so that you can hang by your knees. Easier said than done, but I somehow managed. And, unlike Carrie Bradshaw in Season 5 (you like that reference? Flashback Friday), I was able to let go. And just let it all hang out….

This might be one of my favorite photos of me of all time. For all you ‘grammers, an experience like this is RIPE for the photo opps.

Anyway, after 5-6 passes, I attempted one catch. That said, my hands were so shredded and blistered that, just as I did on my first attempt, I hit the net running (ok, flying). This time involved a lot less face-grating (though a lot more hand-shredding) and I knew I needed to call it a night.

Despite the sore hands and arms, and the almost-laughable videos of these attempts (no, you won’t be seeing THOSE failures), I intend to head back to FlySchool for another attempts. Maybe with a few more callouses, and after a few more pull-ups…. but that said, you don’t have to be an Olympic weight lifter to have a great time. I managed 3-4 insane passes, including my very favorite, a backflip! A little harder to photograph, but here’s a shot on the descent (I felt like a dizzy egg baby afterwards…)

You leave high on heights, and SURPRISINGLY ravenous. An excellent full body workout without knowing it…. Now I know why all the ladies flocked to that man on the flying trapeze. I bet he had excellent abs…

Thanks so much to Mary Kelly and her funky bunch for hosting us! Can’t wait to see y’all again!

Oh, and those sexy chalk marks all over my pants?

Just another perk of the process.

Spartan Race GIVEAWAY: Almost Makes Me Wish I Liked Running

August 9, 2013August 19, 2013 / foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

UPDATE: Giveaway winner is…

SETH! Sending you your code now!

Almost.

I’m pretty sure anyone who knows me for more than a few days is aware that I’m not much for running. Sure. I can do it for like… a mile. Maybe a little more. But I get bored. I feel like my body is rejecting the motion. There’s never enough shimmying (said like a true Zumba fan). Where am I going? What’s the point?

I’m sure there is a point. Something about fitness and heart and lung health and stress reduction and endorphins and not shooting your husband or something (at least that’s what Elle Woods taught me). But to me, it seems like a lot of silliness.

Yeah, I mean, I’m doing a 5k in a week (WHAT?! how? Why?) and I did run that portion of the Doughman (yes, that IS the coolest relay known to mankind). But mostly I liked it because mid-run, I got to eat a cupcake.

Wait? I have to run again after this?!

That being said, I kinda wish I liked it for one reason.

No, I probably won’t

I’ve always wanted to be a Spartan. Ever since 8th Grade when we had an in-school “Olympics” and my friends and I choreographed a dance to the tune of Space Jam only all the lyrics had to do with Athens and Sparta and Trojan Horses (thus began a lifetime of being awesome).

Did you know that women in Sparta were known for being the most badass chicks in ancient Greece? They truly followed the passage “Anything you can do, I can do better”, working their butts off in physical training along with the boys. They could also divorce their hubbies without worrying about losing all their personal wealth, but that’s got nothing to do with this.

See, the Spartan Race is this super intense-looking obstacle race. You run. You go through obstacles like:

Fire Jump
Barbed Wire Crawl
Wall Climb
Tyrolean Traverse (single rope over a body of water. If you can’t walk across the rope, you fall in the water and SWIM!)
Slippery wall (a wall covered in soap or GREASE!! whattt?!)
Log Jumps
Rope Climbs
Object Carry (maybe the object is a tire, maybe it’s a bucket full of ropes, maybe it’s a PERSON! [It’s not a person])

Dude, I don’t even know. This thing looks badass.

And with everyone getting into the swing of Obstacle Races lately, I figured why not share my love of Spartan ideals with someone who DOES want to try the Spartan Race (or the Spartan Sprint) for themselves!

I’ve got one freebie code to give to a reader (which is a pretty big deal since these events are NOT cheap, ranging from $115-200!!) So why not a contest??

Entering is easy and I’ll choose one person August 17, 2013 at like… 5pm to get a code good for any Spartan Race in the 2013-2014 season in the continental US! (There’s actually one at Citizens Bank Park in September for you Philly readers…)

Click here to see if there’s an event taking place near you!

HOW TO ENTER:

All you do to enter is tell me in a comment WHY you’d like to win an entry! That’s it.

So if you’ve been thinking about it…. well, give it a try. You’ve got nothing to lose.

GOOD LUCK, SPARTANS!!

(If you DON’T want to bother trying to win, but want 15% off of an entry, go to this site!!)

Protein WHAT NOW?!

October 3, 2012 / foodsweatandbeers / 9 Comments

Just a quick post, because I can’t stop thinking about this:

Must we jam ALL of our meals/dishes with protein powder? Smoothies, pancakes, muffins, cupcakes, frosting?

Mac and cheese? Jello? Burgers? (Ok, these are a little wacky and I haven’t really seen them pop up on blogs too often… but ew.)

Pardon my abbreviation, but WTF?!

I understand it’s important…. but come on.

PSA: Not EVERY food you make/eat must be jammed full of protein powder in order to fit protein into your diet.

(And, I know, for some people, it’s tough to get protein in their diet otherwise. And more power to you for making the effort. But the idea of some of these recipes…. revolting.)

Two-a-Days and the Results

June 7, 2012 / foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

The past two days, I’ve doubled up on my workouts.

Zumba + yoga on Tuesday had me feeling like this:

So Zen, so happy.

Zumba + Pilates yesterday had me feeling the burn in my thighs. But, at the time of the class, I was feeling long and lean and lovely. Like this:

Am I the only one that thinks all this equipment looks like some sort of crazy Fifty Shades kinda sex room?

However, this morning, I’m pretty sure my legs feel like this:

So heavy. Not Zen.

In case you’re not as interested in piping as I am, those are lead pipes.

Oh walking, you’re gonna be tough today.

Do you ever double up on workouts?

I was feeling like a champ…. until I got outta bed this morning. Oy VAY!

The Hazards of Being Fabulous

May 23, 2012 / foodsweatandbeers / 15 Comments

I know, I know, it seems like all I talk about these days is Zumba. How I dress for it, how much I love it, how great it is. Whatever, old news, right?

Well, did you ever know how dangerous Zumba can be?

It’s risky to shake it as hard as I do, sometimes.

Let me explain.

Certain instructors like to split the room in half and work the room in a dance-off. A battle of epic, Step Up proportions. And these are excellent times. On Monday, I visited Women’s Only Workout in Chapel Hill for the first time (membership is a perk from the Healthiest You Challenge). I figured I’d tour it and try a Zumba class. Only my fellow participants weren’t exactly as hyped up as I’m used to. While I was hooting and hollering, they were sort of silent coyotes, dancing without words. So, when the room was split up, the instructor called me out.

Instructor: “Who do you Zumba with? Like, who taught you?”

Me: “Oh, goodness, like… any and every instructor, really.”

Instructor: “Well, class, you gotta Zumba like THIS GIRL! Get into it, let’s hear some noise!”

Me – “Challenge ACCEPTED.”

That was a challenge, right? So I decided to REALLY bring it.

The side vs. side dance-off began simply enough, lots of shaking and shimmying.

Then, we took it to the next level. We’re talking booty-popping, locking, and dropping. So I decided to top it off with a grand finale, guaranteed to garner cheers and joy from my fellow Zumb-ers.

After shaking my way to the center, I thrust my hand in the air (like so):

You know what’s coming

Then, in an epic gesture, I dropped it low and SMACKED the floor. Like this:

MAKE THAT FLOOR WISH IT WAS NEVER LAID!

And, the moment I spanked the living daylights out of that floor, I felt it. Right in my hand, a searing pain that one might expect to get had they slapped a brick wall for sassing them, or had their hands rapped with rulers for being snarky in school. So, I continued to dance as the crowd roared with laughter and cheering and claps. But what I WANTED to do was this:

MOTHER OF ALL THINGS HOLY THAT HURT!

The result?

Hand bruises are no jokes, y’all.

What did we learn from today’s lesson, friends?

Winning a Zumba dance off is worth any and all pain.

I don’t regret a thing.

Healthiest You Challenge: Week 3 with Jazzercise!

May 8, 2012 / foodsweatandbeers / 12 Comments

Jazzercise.

Yup.

That is the first image that pops up when I google image search the term. Jazzercise, according to a pal on MyFitnessPal, evokes this response:

OMG, I haven’t even heard that term in like 20 years! Makes me think back to my old Jane Fonda videos!!

Well… Turns out that’s not really what Jazzercise is all about. According to the internet, “Jazzercise is a fusion of jazz dance, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, and kickboxing.” When I visited the Chapel Hill Jazzercise location (located dangerously close to a bagel shop and a barbecue joint, eep), I didn’t know what to expect. While I didn’t imagine unitards and shiny leggings, I sort of wish I’d brought a pair of leg warmers, if only to get the full experience.

The full experience, however, was pretty fantastic.

For the Healthiest You Challenge, we are required to try a few community health options out over the 8 weeks. 6 complimentary Jazzercise classes were on that list. While I’m accustomed to a gym full of hyperactive “yo pros” (Young professionals) with the occasional student mixed in at O2 Fitness, Jazzercise was definitely an older crowd. That being said, it definitely wasn’t “OLD” old, and there was a range from about mid- to late-20s all the way up to (I assume) 60s. A great mix, and everyone seemed very excited.

Getting JAZZY!

As far as the outfits, folks weren’t rocking my dream of Glitter Body Suits, but all looked pretty fashionable in bright colors and comfortable workout gear. Nothing out of the standard fitness gear.

There were only females in my class, though I know that Jazzercise welcomes males and females.

(Sorry for the lousy picture)

The perceived exertion chart sort of set up the class as far as how we’d be working out. There’s a buildup with a warmup, a sustained peak for four songs (in this particular class, I’ve heard it can vary), and then a period of slowing/cooling down, which included some strength training.

My thoughts?

I’ll admit, I was wary initially. The warmup was REALLY slow, and my heart rate stayed a lot lower than I’m used to in my standard dance fitness classes (like Zumba or Bodyjam). However, after a little while, I could see why folks were so dedicated to this class. Though it moves at a slower pace, you definitely are getting a solid workout in. Most of the songs I’d never heard before (with about 3 exceptions during the whole hour class), and I always kind of prefer being able to sing along, but (at points) I was working so hard that singing would’ve been a challenge.

Jazzercise is less about sexily shaking what your mama gave you, and more about a fun dance workout to music. I get the feeling it sort of set the groundwork or foundation for lots of more modern classes, and it’s always good to know where your roots are. The participants were all in good spirits, which was contagious enough to have me whooping with the rest of the class about halfway in. My favorite part of the class, though, was definitely the strength portion.

The gear!

There was a section for arms, for lower body (booty, thighs), and an ab section, covering ~~all~~ most of the bases. This was a nice change of pace from my usual cardio-only classes, and I liked jumping off that cardio high to focus on small, controlled weight lifting and inner/outer thigh work.

As far as Jazzercise goes, while I can’t say that I’m a convert, I will happily say that I’m a believer that it can be a great fitness workout for some people. It’s affordable, it’s a great feeling of community, and, I imagine, with enough practice, the steps feel like second nature.

Without any practice, you may end up bumbling around like a fool for few parts.

I know I did.

According to my HRM, I burned 692 calories during the hour (with a few questionable peaks that make me wonder if, at the end, I may have bumped it or made it go funny). But hey, I broke a serious sweat, and had fun doing it.

I haven’t had a chance to get my weigh-in for the week (blessing in disguise after a bit of overeating on the weekend), but I’ll let you know when I check in on that, too.

Have you ever tried Jazzercise? What’d you think?

or, if you haven’t, What’s one exercise class you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t had a chance?

Healthiest You Challenge: Week 2

April 30, 2012April 30, 2012 / foodsweatandbeers / 7 Comments

And so we’re two weeks into the Healthiest You Challenge. I’m feeling great, and I’m down 4.6 lbs! Admittedly, that’s since my higher-than-normal weigh-in, but my team went from an initial gain to either maintaining or losing this week! It’s especially tough, as our weigh-ins are on Mondays, but it’s just a big reminder to not go crazy on the weekends.

After our successful weigh-in (any loss is a loss!), we met our assistant coach, Anne, for a big group workout. She took us outside for some running, skipping, walking lunges (OUCH!), and lots of squats.

Since I’d already warmed up on the treadmill, I tried to push myself as hard as possible during our time with Anne.

The always-popular butt kicks:

It looks like I have a tiny yellow nub for a right leg. Sexy.

Some slow and low shuffles (followed later by some speedy ones!)

LASER-LIKE FOCUS!

We even had our own ~~mascot~~ mascat! I’ll assume his loud, meowing was actually him cheeering us on. Then again, his speed running away from me as I tried to take a picture of him suggests otherwise.

DON'T RUN, LITTLE FRIEND!

Oh well, he just made me run faster.

We wrapped up the night with full-team squats! Looks like team “The Drop Off” knows how to drop it low…

Drop it drop it low, girls (and guys!)

It was strange, after a long, intense workout, I burned lots of calories… but I didn’t feel very hungry.

Check out those spikes!!

Luckily, thanks to an amazing coupon, I picked up one of the new Summer Berry Blend Quaker Real Medleys. I don’t go gaga over oatmeal most of the time, but this mix was delicious.

Quick, easy, and delicious.

Just what I needed, but I just wasn’t hungry enough for anything else tonight… I’m sure I’ll be ravenous tomorrow.

Tonight was a great night for my team, and for me, personally. I’m loving it.

If you weigh yourself, do you have particular days of the week or times of the day you like to do it?

I used to always have the weigh-in Wednesdays with Weight Watchers, but Monday nights have totally been a challenge! I must remember: No going overboard all weekend, every weekend!

Maybe a few less late night french fries….

‘Cuz I’m Bossy

April 19, 2012 / foodsweatandbeers / 14 Comments

I don’t really like board games. And I hate bowling. Mini golf, go-karts racing, and the like… They bring out this intense, competitive creature that normally lies dormant inside of me, and she’s kind of a jerk, so I tend to avoid them like the plague.

But there’s another activity that fills me with this unexpected aggression that you’d never see coming.

When I go to a new Zumba class, I feel like I am at my first day in prison. I can’t help but assert myself as the baddest bitch in the class. My claps are loud, my hips are bootylicious, and my steps are huge.

And I wear shirts like this:

Come at me, bro.

With Arnold by my side, you better believe I was the boss of yesterday’s class.

(I’m a crazy person.)

Healthiest You Challenge: Let the Games Begin!

April 17, 2012April 17, 2012 / foodsweatandbeers / 13 Comments

So I haven’t necessarily been the healthiest Holly lately. There have been pork partie s, Beer Festivals and entire bottles of champagne, and a few too many Easter Peeps (when you’re at the Peeps mecca, it’s hard to resist). And I’ll let you in on a little inside scoop: It’s sort of been on purpose.

I know, I know, what kind of a reformed overeater am I?

The kind that’s been gearing up for something big.

I was notified, not too long ago, that I was selected to participate in a most EXCITING adventure! UNC Health Care and 1360 WCHL are putting on their second annual Healthiest You Challenge, during which 8 teams of 8 will compete against each other for 8 weeks to get fit, get healthy, and get down to business. We had our weigh-in on Sunday so, I’ll be honest, I might’ve crammed a few extra pork bites in the mouth before the big step on the scale!

All the stats!

My blood pressure was apparently a little higher than usual, I’m hoping that had more to do with the pork I crammed in my mouth earlier in the day, but hopefully a chat with my coach, an RD/LDN, could help me out. I’ll work on it.

My team, The Drop-Off, is sponsored by The UPS Store. Ha, get it, the drop-off? While this does mean that our shirts are a weird looking brown/tan/beige/skin color, it also means WE COULD GET SOME FREE COPIES!

The little things, eh?

Yesterday, we had our launch. This included meeting our teammates and our coach, as well as a little tour of the UNC Wellness Center, our headquarters for lots of the workouts and services offered.

Sweet cardio section!

I loved their vast machine area, lots of cardio AND weights, something for everyone.

Upstairs track

We also checked out the track on the second floor, which also housed the cycle room or the Zumba room (I think it’s a multi-purpose room, depending on what day of the week it is). On the left, you can sort of see the blue of the pool room. They also have a whirlpool and a sauna (!!!!! YES !!!!)

Another bonus?

We are REQUIRED to take advantage of a free massage from Massage Envy.

Fine, pull my leg.

I started off today strong, tracking my food intake and exercise on MyFitnessPal (I guess I’m the last human on the planet to try this out?) It told me that “If every day were like today… You’d weigh 164.2 lbs in 5 weeks.”

Little does it know that, in the next 5 weeks, all kinds of craziness will go down. I’ve got a trip home this weekend, a visit to Jersey in the middle of May, and that mysterious “Triangle Bucket List” that I’ve still yet to get all on paper. But, with vigilance, exercise, and moderation, I think I can do it. And I know I’ve said that whole “I can DO IT! I’m gonna stick with __ plan!” in the past, I think that those plans (30 Day Shred, Fitbook) were a little too unfamiliar. This plan feels more like Weight Watchers, which is what I had so much success with when I first lost 40 lbs.

Tracking.

Balancing.

Sweating.

I got this.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...

Let the ~~74th Annual Hunger Games~~ 2nd Annual Healthiest You Challenge begin!

Food, Sweat, and Beers

That's what this girl's made of…

fitness