My last three weeks of workouts!
Monday, 4/8: Rip Ride (6:30 pm with Christianne, 60 min)
Tuesday, 4/9: Uplift Strength (6:30 pm with Liz, 55 min) – I loved this class. It was really upper body heavy, which is exactly what I wanted on the warmest day so far this year. Tank top season, here I come!
Wednesday, 4/10: Reinvention Chair (6:30 pm with Rachel, 55 min) – My first class with Rachel at Chaise23! She has so much energy and I was sweating like crazy with the small specific movements.
Thursday, 4/11: Flybarre (7 am with Kara, 60 min) – I’m quickly learning that any class with Kara is killer. This one was murder on my legs, but hey, that’s what I came for!
Friday, 4/12: Rest
Saturday, 4/13: Rest
Sunday, 4/14: Rest

Monday, 4/15: Flybarre (7 am with Khori, 60 min) – Killer class! It felt so good to work hard after three days of rest.
Tuesday, 4/16: Rip Ride (7:30 pm with Kira, 60 min) – Kira was on fire! Awesome class with incredible energy. We went almost fifteen minutes over and my heart rate monitor read 748 calories! Now that’s a workout.
Wednesday, 4/17: Flybarre (7 am with Todd, 60 min) & Uplift Workout & Wine: Book Club (6:30 pm with Shannon, 55 min) – I decided to take Flybarre on a whim the night before. And with serendipitous timing, I got my favorite mat! It turned out to be kind of a gross morning but Todd’s energy is infectious and got me going. On the flip side, I’d been planning to go to Uplift’s Book Club for a few weeks now but didn’t finish the book (Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In), unfortunately. It didn’t matter too much because the whole discussion ended up being more about feminism and our own experiences than anything else. It was an empowering night with the badass women of Uplift!
Thursday, 4/18: SLT (6:30 pm with Liz, 50 min) & Flybarre (8:15 pm with Todd, 60 min) – I met Liz at Uplift last week and really wanted to try her SLT class. She hit the core hard, as every SLT class does. My class with Todd after was excellent as always. I left especially happy after because Todd pulled me aside at the end to tell me how much I’ve improved since I started going to Flybarre. Always nice to hear!
Friday, 4/19: DJ Ride (8 pm with Dyan & Kira, 60 min) – Two of my favorites teaching together. Um, yes, of course. Not only were they hilarious together, but having a live DJ there took the energy over the edge. Loved it!
Saturday, 4/20: Flybarre (8:15 am with Kara, 60 min) & Uplifting Strength (9:30 am with Michelle, 55 min) – Oof. I’m gonna have to try to get into Kara’s 9:30 am classes on Saturday from now on because the 8:15 class is seriously stressful. Last week, my train was running late and they gave my mat away. This week, I managed to get off the train and call around 8:12 so I kept my mat but I rushed in last minute at 8:16. Oh well. Still a fantastic workout! I followed it up with Michelle’s strength class at Uplift, which was killer. She threw a lot of moves I hadn’t see before in there. Love!
Sunday, 4/21: TRX/Stretch (9 am with Katherine, 60 min) – My first time at Pedal NYC through the Classtivity passport and my first time trying TRX! I got a good workout in, but it was kind of hard to start because um, I have some serious trust issues and didn’t trust the skinny yellow straps. Also, I was a little hungover and a lot tired. But no accidents were had, so I may just venture back into TRX territory soon!

Monday, 4/22: Rest – This day was such a fail. I’d planned to go to 7 am Flybarre but couldn’t get up. Then I wanted to go to 6:30 Refine after work, but I missed the bus and knew I couldn’t make it after that. Whoops.
Tuesday, 4/23: Flybarre (7 am with Shay) & Uplifting Strength (6:30 pm with Liz) – I love Liz and her Uplifting Strength class. Girl knows her stuff. Thos class really effective and I like a lot of the moves she gives for the cardio tabata drills. We did half-burpees with a push-up for tabata which was fun. And we did 3 1/2 minutes of plank and plank variations at the end for abs. I didn’t think I’d make it but I actually had to cheat surprisingly little. Yay!
Wednesday, 4/24: Nalini Method (6:45 pm with Rupa) – My first time here, courtesy of Classtivity! I bought a LivingSocial deal for five classes here a while back so I’ll be back soon.
Thursday, 4/25: Real Ride (7 am with Kristen) & Flybarre (7 pm with Todd) – I have no idea why I hasn’t been back to Kristin’s class since the very first class I ever took at Revolve. That class had been awesome and so was this one! We rode Carson Pass and I had so much fun.
Friday, 4/26: Rest – I woke up late and missed Michelle’s Uplifting Strength class. Yeah, the alarm has not been my friend lately…
Saturday, 4/27: Zumba – I was visiting my parents so I went with my mom to her Zumba class which was… not a workout. I thought I was doing okay following along, but it just didn’t get me sweating.
Sunday, 4/28: Rest

I realized something yesterday that struck me as kind of weird. I did Flybarre in the morning, but didn’t book a class after work because I had the feeling that it was going to be a long day. Sure enough, I got stuck at work until 6. For my Jersey-commuting self, that’s basically the worst time to be ready to leave the office for a workout. It’s too late to get to a 6:30 class, but too early for a 7:30 class (I’m highly impatient and hate waiting). Anyway, I was kind of antsy from work and knew I didn’t feel like waiting an hour and a half for a 7:30 class. I spent a few minutes looking for a class at 7, but couldn’t find anything so I decided to just go straight home from work. This is when the kind of weird thing happened. I got on the light rail to go home and took out my phone and kept looking up classes at 7:30 that I could go to. I just really wanted it to work out. I didn’t feel super stressed or like I had a ton of energy to burn off either, so I have no idea why. I just really wanted to even though I knew I should just go home, save the money on the class, and relax.

Anyway, if you told me a year ago that in a year, I’d be convincing myself out of working out, I’d probably laugh in your face and then feel bad about my level of fitness and go binge eat some chips. I definitely didn’t enjoy working out the way I do now, but at the time, I was working out in a gym alone and hadn’t discovered group fitness yet. I’m glad that I’ve made so much progress and don’t feel like I’ll be stopping anytime soon. Group exercise feels like an important part of my life now, which is awesome because I feel that it’s given me so much of the purpose that I was missing a year ago.

Self-reflective moment over.

On another note, my hip has not improved since I received the cortisone injection in my left hip two and a half weeks ago. My doctor said it could take up to a week to start improving, but could take up to two weeks. Today makes three weeks since I had the injection, and I’m sad to report that I’ve seen no progress. It still pops with every step I take when walking which doesn’t hurt, but is annoying. I was hoping to be ready to start running again sometime in May, so not seeing much progress is frustrating. Equally frustrating is the fact that my doctor explicitly told me to let her know how the hip was doing in two weeks. I called her office and left a message for her last week, but didn’t hear back. When I called again this week, I was told that she wasn’t in the office and would be back next week. Oy.

And lastly, I bought a $300 masticating juicer over the weekend! It’s the Omega VRT350. I almost couldn’t justify spending so much money on it, but then I realized that I probably spend that much money on juice in two months right now anyway. Sooooo yeah.

Juice prep: three apples, four stalks of celery, a few cups of spinach, half of a lemon, and a tiny bit of ginger.

Using my Omega VRT350 to make green juice!

Excited to stock up on produce this weekend and try some more juice recipes!

And on another tangent, that is the Arrested Development box set on the right side of that second picture. I am PSYCHED for the season to start on Netflix at the end of this month – it will be awesome! Anyone else excited?

Short shorts season indeed. The ladies at Uplift know what’s up!

Before I forget, let’s recap what will hopefully be my last few cold-weather workouts for the year:
Monday, 3/25: Flybarre (6:45 pm with Todd, 60 min)
Tuesday, 3/26: Rip Ride (7:30 pm with Kira, 60 min) – This class started out kind of rough for me. I got stuck at work really late and didn’t get to Revolve until maybe 10 minutes before the class. I rushed to change and forgot to put my contacts in… fail. My glasses were slipping so badly that I had to take them off during the first spin segment and then run out during the first arms segment to put my contacts on in the lobby. I was a little shaken but fine after that and Kira rocked it as usual!
Wednesday, 3/27: Flybarre (6:45 pm with Amanda, 60 min)
Thursday, 3/28: Flybarre (5:45 pm with Todd, 60 min) – This was a really awesome Thrift Shop-themed class! Lots of Macklemore and Flywheel was collecting donations for Housing Works. I’d planned to follow this one up with Kira’s Rip Ride at 7:30, but got called in to a work event as I was leaving Flywheel. Blah.
Friday, 3/29: Fly 45 (9:30 am with Kari, 45 min) & Flybarre (10:30 am with Kara, 60 min) – I was super excited for my first spin class at Flywheel and my first Flybarre class with Fly’s master instructor Kara! No disappointments here, both classes were amazing and left me wanting more. Just, uhhh, not that day.
Saturday, 3/30: Uplift Cardio (10:30 am with Steph, 55 min) – My first time taking Steph’s class at Uplift! It was crazy hard and I was out of breath the whole time. I almost passed out like five times, which is the sign of a good class.
Sunday, 3/31: Body Ride (12:45 pm with Jason, 45 min) – I stayed out way too late the night before so I was a littttle hungover. Keep in mind that I don’t drink much anymore so hungover for me means a slight headache and being tired (which means not getting the full 7+ hours of sleep that I like to get). Still not the best combination with Revolve’s pulsing sound system… but I survived and felt good after!

Monday, 4/1: Rest
Tuesday, 4/2: Therapy & Rip Ride (7:30 pm with Christianne, 60 min) – This one is up there as one of the best classes I’ve ever been in. I felt so strong after my rest day, the room had great energy, and Christianne really pushed it. It was a really hard class (I was ready to be done after the first spin segment), but I loved every minute of it.
Wednesday, 4/3: Uplift Strength (6:30 pm with Chelsea, 55 min) – Fantastic class and evening spent with some serious inspiring ladies at Uplift! They were celebrating their first anniversary with champagne and treats. More on this one in a future Uplift review post.
Thursday, 4/4: Rest – I was not a happy camper. I’d planned to go to Chaise23 on my Classtivity passport but got stuck at work and totally missed it. Luckily, the folks at Classtivity and Chaise are absolute saints and let me try a class there again.
Friday, 4/5: Pure Barre (6:30 am with Jessica, 60 min) & Real Ride (5:30 pm with Steph, 45 min) – I tried Pure Barre on the Classtivity passport and thought I would love it since I love barre classes. I didn’t feel that challenged throughout the class though and really wanted a lot more after my impromptu rest day the day before. Luckily, Steph’s Body Ride still had some bikes left and I wasn’t too busy at work so I jetted out early to catch her Girl Power Happy Hour. Let’s just say that she had me when she started the class off with “No Scrubs” by TLC and then threw in my request, “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood midway through. I love music I can sing along to!
Saturday, 4/6: Abs & Arms (8:30 am with Amanda, 50 min) & Rip Ride (10:30 am with Kira, 60 min) – I’d planned to go to Kara’s Flybarre class at 8:15 on Saturday, but unfortunately, the PATH train was running late (what else is new). I got there at 8:15 sharp but they’d already given away my mat. Luckily, SLT Soho had a spot left so I didn’t have to waste an early weekend commute to the city! It was a special Abs & Arms class with the proceeds going to S.E.A.K. Foundation. I do not lie when I say I still had trouble sitting up in bed this morning, a full three days later. It hurts so good!
Sunday, 4/7:  Flybarre (10:45 am with Ted, 60 min) & Cardio Chair Express (12:30 pm with Seiji, 40 min) – My first class with Ted at Flybarre! He led a seriously hard class with a lot of new-to-me moves! I especially struggled through the abs portion after my torture session at SLT the day before. I was able to reschedule my Chaise23 class from Thursday for Sunday when a last minute spot opened up. Full review of that studio and the pilates chair to come, but let’s just say that I loved it and have already planned my next two workouts there!

The workout plan for this week!

Monday, 4/8: Rip Ride at Revolve
Tuesday, 4/9: Uplifting Strength
Wednesday, 4/10: Reinvention Chair at Chaise23
Thursday, 4/11: Flybarre
Friday, 4/12: Rest
Saturday, 4/13: Rest
Sunday, 4/14: Rip Ride at Revolve or Rest (depending on how I feel)

As you can see, I’ve planned for more rest this week than I ever usually do. It’s because I’m finally taking care of my hip popping this Thursday.

A little background: My left hip started popping in October last year. I saw an orthopedist for it and she told me to stop running and recommended getting a shot to reduce inflammation. I wanted to try physical therapy first though, so I’ve been going to PT for my hip for the past two months or so. It hasn’t helped at all, which has been disappointing. I’m going to see my doctor this Thursday and expect to get the cortisone shot in my hip to finally reduce the inflammation and stop the popping – hallelujah! I’m excited it’ll finally be gone but also a little nervous. Big needles are not my friend.

Anyway, the last time my doctor suggested the shot, she told me I’d have to rest my hip for about three days after getting it. Hence, REST (aka catch up on Arrested Development time). But I have some grand ole plans for when the rest is over… running! I’ll definitely have to ease back into it since it’s been over seven months (WHOA), but yay! I’m very excited nonetheless.

Also, since I will be on prescribed rest this weekend, I’ve decided to also do a two-day juice cleanse! I’ve been trying to do one for a while, but I normally never want to put exercising on hold for it. The timing is especially perfect because my stomach has been acting up lately and I also haven’t been eating as well. Plus I’ve been excessively snacking on the weekends just because I have free time. Time to do something good for my body and get back on track!

Since I decided last-minute to do this cleanse, my options were somewhat limited. I looked into all the “buzzy” cleanses like Blueprint, Organic Avenue, Cooler Cleanse, etc., but finally settled on Terri, a vegan restaurant in Chelsea. I love their smoothies, juices, and wraps (their buffalo “chicken” wrap is one of my favorite post-workout meals lately!), so I have a good feeling about it. I’ll be writing a full review afterwards!

Terri’s buffalo “chicken” wrap – that’s the stuff.

Yuuuum. I’m sure it’ll be hard to resist some of that Terri deliciousness when I go pick up my cleanse on Saturday morning. Bye for now!

Monday, 2/25: SLT (6:30 pm, 50 min) & Core Fusion Sport (8 pm, 60 min) – These were both new-to-me teachers. I didn’t feel the burn as much with this SLT class, maybe because the transition times were faster than the first time I took the class. I took Core Fusion Sport because I wanted a little more after the Megaformer. It definitely got my heart pumping but I found it somewhat repetitive. And burpees, you remain my mortal enemy.
Tuesday, 2/26: Rip Ride (7:30 pm, 60 min)
Wednesday, 2/27: Spin at Newport Swim & Fitness (7:30 pm, 45 min) – Dori was subbing in the gym right next door to my building! Their bikes don’t have RPM monitors but the instruction and cuing was clear and I felt I knew how hard I should be working the whole time. Loved taking Dori’s class – my only gripes would be that there was no instructor mic (ridiculous considering how much this gym charges) and my fellow classmates weren’t that into it so the energy was kind of low. Sadly, gyms in Jersey City don’t attract the kind of vocal screaming crazies that spin studios in the city do – I like being around crazies!
Thursday, 2/28: Rip Ride (7:30 pm, 60 min)
Friday, 3/1: Flybarre (7 am, 60 min) – This was supposed to be my rest day, but I really didn’t feel like taking one for some reason. It was a fun class but I was sort of disappointed with myself that I skipped my rest day.
Saturday, 3/2: Rip Ride (10:30 am, 60 min) & Flybarre Power 45 (4:15 pm, 45 min) – This was only my second or third Power 45 class and it was HARD. Stellar class but I was panting like a dog and had to take more breaks than usual.
Sunday, 3/3: JumpDance (11:30 am, 60 min) & Flybarre (4 pm, 60 min) – I’d planned to take a charity JumpDance class at JumpLife a week or two ago with a friend. As you might have guessed, it’s a trampoline based class. It definitely got my heart rate up but isn’t something I’d go back to. It was really repetitive and I got bored after just a few minutes. Flybarre was great as usual with Todd, who is one of my favorites. I actually hadn’t planned on taking it for the third consecutive day though – I just forgot to cancel my reservation before going into Power 45 the day before.

Monday, 3/4: Rest
Tuesday, 3/5: Rip Ride (7:30 pm, 60 min) – I considered skipping this class since the usual instructor, Kira, was vacationing in Aruba, but decided to go anyway to try out the Rip Ride with another new-to-me instructor, Dyan. I was glad I did because the class was amazing! I love Dyan’s energy and the music was so much fun too. I have yet to find a Revolve instructor that I don’t completely adore.
Wednesday, 3/6: Body Ride (5:30 pm, 45 min) & Flybarre (6:45 pm, 60 min) – Revolve was having an Instructor Reveal ride with Steph Nieman – their newest instructor! I never got around to trying Steph’s class at Flywheel and had heard good things so I was really excited. She did not disappoint! So much energy and a challenging ride.
Thursday, 3/7: Flybarre (5:45 pm, 60 min) & Rip Ride (7:30 pm, 60 min) – I took my first Rip Ride with Christianne, one of Revolve’s master instructors. It was an amazing workout as always, but the standout was the music.
Friday, 3/8: Rest
Saturday, 3/9: The Bar Method Shrewsbury (10 am, 60 min) – I was visiting my parents for the weekend and decided to give this class a try. It was a decent class but probably one of the least challenging barre classes that I’ve taken. I didn’t really find myself shaking much and I also simply couldn’t understand the purpose of certain exercises. The crowd was not what I’m used to in barre classes either – more of a soccer mom crowd than young hip Lulu-wearing workout warriors. I wouldn’t count it out for getting in a workout when I’m visiting my parents, but still. Eh.
Sunday, 3/10: Rest

The plan for this week (I realize it’s already half over):
Monday, 3/11: Flybarre (6:45 pm, 60 min) & Body Ride (8:30 pm, 45 min) – This Body Ride was a blogger ride set up by Dori and Melissa. It was fun to be around so many other fitness enthusiasts and the energy was great!
Tuesday, 3/12: Rip Ride (7:30 pm, 60 min)
Wednesday, 3/13: Uplifting Strength (6:30 am, 55 min) & Rip Ride (8:30 pm, 60 min) – My first time venturing to Uplift! Such a beautiful studio and hard class with Michelle. It was an amazing start to my day! Unfortunately, the rest of the day didn’t go so well and by the end of my long workday, I felt like I really needed to relieve some stress so I went to Dyan’s Rip Ride at Revolve on a whim. Stress relief and a fantastic workout, it was!
Thursday, 3/14: Body Ride (5:30 pm, 45 min) & Flybarre (7 pm, 60 min) – I was having another bad day at work and left early to hit up Revolve again. It was totally worth it – another amazing class with Steph.
Friday, 3/15: Body Ride (7 am, 45 min) – Fun class! I almost didn’t go since I was a little tired and had insomnia the night before, but so glad I did because Dyan rocked it out. She ain’t lying when she says Friday 7 am is a party!
Saturday, 3/16: Rest
Sunday, 3/17: Refine Method (10:45 am, 60 min) & Foxy Pole (3 pm, 60 min) – This was my second Refine class and I loved it. Super challenging and this one hooked me a little more than my first class there for some reason. Not sure why but I was itching to go back! I hesitate to even include Foxy Pole on this post but they describe their classes as pole-dancing fitness classes so I guess I will. I went with a few friends since we’d all gotten a Groupon together. I learned a few steps of a pole dance sequence. It was fun but definitely not challenging or a workout at all. It’s a fun thing to do with some girlfriends though.

Monday, 3/18: Rip Ride (6:30 pm, 60 min) & Flybarre (8 pm, 60 min) – I was super excited for this Rip Ride because I tweeted Christianne before and she said she was playing one of my song requests (Nightcall by Kavinsky)! I loved how she used the song and it fit right in with the rest of her playlist. Only Christianne could play this kind of slower, intense song in her class and pull it off. I’m continually impressed by how well she uses music in her classes – her DJ experience shows!
Tuesday, 3/19: Rip Ride (7:30 pm, 60 min) – This was a fun one with a loud front row! You better believe I was part of that loudness.
Wednesday, 3/20: Body Ride (7 am, 45 min) – I almost couldn’t get myself out of bed for this one. The morning classes have been hard for me lately for some reason! I blame winter. This class was well worth it though – it’ll be one of the ones I try to remember for my next wake-up call.
Thursday, 3/21: Uplifting Strength (6:30 pm, 55 min) – I went to Chelsea’s class with my friend Christine. I love workout dates! And the best part? Uplift served us some post-workout snacks (almonds and craisins) and WINE! Let me tell ya, this studio knows the way to my heart and is winning me over fast. Full review coming after I try their Uplifting Cardio class next weekend!
Friday, 3/22: Rest
Saturday, 3/23: Refine Method (10:45 am, 60 min) & Flybarre (1:15 pm, 60 min) – I was so excited to go back to Refine! This class was really fun and we did a lot of things that I liked. Dori mentioned that she’s not the biggest fan of the sliding discs so I was really intimidated when I walked in and saw them out. I actually really liked what we ended up doing with them though. The post-Refine Flybarre class was hard, but I was excited to see Shay back since she’d been away for about a week. I’m learning that Refine is probably best left on its own for the day for me though.
Sunday, 3/24: Real Ride (9:30 am with Steph) – This one rocked. A smallish class, but Steph’s amazing energy is boundless even on a Sunday morning. I was tempted to stay for the double, but really needed to get some errands done.

The plan for this week right now:
Monday, 3/25: Flybarre (5:45 pm, 60 min)
Tuesday, 3/26: Rip Ride (7:30 pm, 60 min)
Wednesday, 3/27: Rest or Flybarre
Thursday, 3/28: Flybarre (5:45 pm, 60 min) & Rip Ride (7:30 pm, 60 min)
Friday, 3/29: Flybarre (60 min)
Saturday, 3/30: Uplift Cardio (60 min) & Flybarre (60 min)
Sunday, 3/31: Refine Method (60 min)

It’s pretty obvious that I’ve been upping my workouts a lot lately. I don’t want to get into much detail, but let’s just say that my work life has been frustrating lately. I feel the need to relieve stress almost every single day after work and lately, I feel like the time I spend working out is the only time I can get my mind off work and feel truly happy. Yes, I’m complety aware just how depressing this sounds. I’m just going with it though.

That being said, I recognize that while exercise is a healthy addiction, it can also be damaging in excess like everything else. I’ve been trying to watch myself and make sure I don’t overdo it. I always feel good after a class and have seen my endurance improve a lot. I’m still actively trying to make sure I get in at least one rest day a week.

Anyway, switching gears now. When I first started this blog about a year(!) ago, I intended it to be a lifestyle blog. But lately, it feels like the only thing I want to write about is the NYC fitness scene – probably because I’ve completely switched from working out by myself in a gym to working out at boutique fitness studios in the city. So whatever, I’m not going to stress about the “direction” of Sleep and Repeat anymore and just let myself go with it.

Let’s be honest, it’s not that serious anyway.

Here’s how the last two weeks went:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Revolve Rip Ride (7:30 pm, 60 min)
Wednesday: Barre Fusion (7:45 pm, 60 min) – I really wanted to love this class, but there really wasn’t as much barre as I’d hoped for. I was expecting a pretty typical barre class, with slightly more time spent on stretching and maybe a sun salutation or two but instead it seemed more like a straight vinyasa yoga class to me.
Thursday: Bowchickawowow Flybarre (5:45 pm, 60 min) & Revolve Red Hot Rip Ride (7:30 pm, 60 min) – I normally don’t double up on weekdays but I couldn’t resist this particular day! Two of my favorite classes were doing Valentine’s Day themes. Flybarre had a bowchickawowow class full of sexy music and Rip Ride had a ladies’ only class and playlist. Such a fun day!
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Rip Ride (10:30 am, 60 min) & Flybarre (1:15 pm, 60 min)
Sunday: Flybarre (4 pm, 60 min)

Monday: Flybarre (9:30 am, 60 min) & Body Ride (12:30 pm, 45 min) – Can I have every Monday off, please? It’s too fun. The Flybarre class was a blast with Shay, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite Flybarre instructors. She’s so cheery but with a laidback cool vibe. And Christianne’s class after that was incredible too. I was really feeling that day’s music.
Tuesday: Rip Ride (7:30 pm, 60 min)
Wednesday: Body Ride (7 am, 45 min) & Flybarre (6:45 pm, 60 min) – After a lot of back and forth on Jason’s Body Ride on Wednesday morning, I’d decided not to go the night before. But I just so happened to have insomnia that day and woke up at like 6 am so I went and rocked it out. It was an awesome way to finish out my unlimited month at Revolve. I would’ve skipped Flybarre after work but I was already past the free cancel period so I went anyway. I tried a new-to-me instructor this time, Amanda, and she was really upbeat and fun. No regrets.
Thursday: Rest – This is what the title refers to. I reluctantly took this planned rest day, even though I didn’t want to.
Friday: Revolve DJ Ride (7:30 pm, 60 min) – I really liked this ride. They had a live DJ and both Christianne and Kristin were teaching. Both are amazing and it was awesome!
Saturday: Rip Ride (10:30 am, 60 min) & Flybarre (12 pm, 60 min) – Rip Ride was amazing as always. I tried another new-to-me Flybarre instructor, Khori, and she was awesome! The triceps work was especially tough.
Sunday: Flybarre (4 pm, 60 min) – This class is quickly becoming my Sunday afternoon staple. Love it.

Recently, I’ve had a lot of trouble with rest days. As in, I don’t want to take them because my workouts are the perfect form of stress relief and too much fun. Though I really should take more for the sake of my bank account. Those expensive classes really add up.

Anyway, last week, I’d planned to take a rest day on Thursday but I wasn’t too excited about it. What made it even harder to stick to taking my planned rest day was my schedule for that day. My boss and I spent the day recruiting for interns, which meant the day started early and ended early. Usually I’m busy with work so I jump at any chance I get to get to classes during work hours and beat the after-work or before-work crowd. I got home around 3:30, so of course, I was so, so tempted to squeeze in a late afternoon Flybarre class, but ultimately, I decided it would be better to stick to my rest day.

I felt like I was wasting my free time, which annoyed me at the time, but in retrospect, it was a really smart decision. It gave my body time to recover from from my workouts earlier in the week and I felt strong at Revolve’s DJ Ride on Friday night.

My lesson learned for the week: rest days are your friend!

And just to include some color in this post, last night I went to Plataforma in the city for a work dinner and their salad bar is just as unbelievable as people say. For those who haven’t heard of it, it’s a rodizio (Brazilian BBQ) place, but their salad bar is supposedly so great that it even draws vegetarians. Truth!

The past week or so has been full of some good workouts:
Sunday: Local Barre (5:30 pm, 60 min) – Dragged myself out of bed (which I had not left for a good two days) for this and it was worth it!
Monday: Local Barre (5:45 pm, 60 min) – One of my less memorable workouts this week, though I remember struggling a bit since I’d taken most of the week before off.
Tuesday: Revolve Rip Ride (7:30 pm, 60 min) – My first time taking this class and I loved it! Great upper body workout too, which I don’t usually expect in a spin class.
Wednesday: SLT Megaformer (5:30 pm, 50 min) – Another first-time workout for me. It was really hard but a lot of fun! My abs and obliques were feeling the burn the next day.
Thursday: Flybarre (5:45 pm, 60 min) – Not my first barre class, but my first at Flywheel. They switch things up and hm the class overall was harder than what I’m used to. A lot of fun and I really loved the instructor!
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Flybarre (1:15 pm, 60 min) – I wanted to double up on classes on Saturday, but I had to cancel my planned classes since I didn’t know what conditions would be like after Nemo. I ended up going to Flybarre for an afternoon class and tried a different instructor this time. She was more laidback than the first but the class was still killer. I especially love Flybarre’s arm series.
Sunday: Refine Method (12 pm, 60 min) & Flybarre (5:15 pm, 60 min) – Finally got around to trying Refine for the first time with Dori! I expected it to be more similar to my barre classes, but it’s really different with a lot more cardio and strength. No complaints here because it was a fun mix with a great instructor! And I went back to Flybarre for another class, which my inner thighs and glutes are seriously feeling today. I wore my new heart rate monitor for the first time at both classes and was happy to see that I burned over 900 calories between the two. Love my double-up days!

As you can see, I tried a lot of new things this week! I’ve been wanting to get out of my Local Barre comfort zone for a while and I’m so glad I did because I loved everything new that I tried and it made me feel challenged in a whole new way. I’m especially loving Flybarre since it’s something new but still in my barre comfort zone. I’m also really excited about Refine and getting back into spinning at Revolve – both are really fun and great ways for me to get in some cardio without running. This week, I’m planning to get in a good mix of Revolve, Flybarre, and Refine.

Speaking of running, I went back to my orthopedist about my snapping hip last Wednesday. She agreed that it doesn’t seem like the topical cream is working and wanted to give me a shot. I’m not big on shots or the idea of putting chemicals into my body though, so in the end, we settled on doing an ultrasound on the hip and starting physical therapy. I’m getting the ultrasound done this Thursday and starting physical therapy next Tuesday. In the meantime, I’m fine to continue my usual fitness regimen as long as it doesn’t cause pain in my hip – which it hasn’t up so far. So good news overall!

Oh and for my fellow Asians out there – happy Chinese New Year! I didn’t do much to celebrate since I couldn’t make it home for the weekend, but I did celebrate in another way! According to superstition, since this is the year of the snake and my Chinese zodiac symbol is the snake, I should wear red for the entire year to ward off bad luck. So I bought myself a cute little ring with a lab-grown ruby. Another something new! It’s good luck, right?

Case in point, this week I’ve been tasked with working with senior management on an important strategy deck that’s due this Friday. Normally, I really wouldn’t complain at all about having to work hard and stay late for this type of thing. I’m good at these kind of things and I recognize the importance of getting exposure to your senior management in your first few years of work.

It’s kind of a different story this time though. I woke up with a seriously sore throat yesterday morning, which morphed into a full-blown cold by the time I woke up this morning. I’d had plans to go Revolve’s Rip Ride with Kira after work today, but decided earlier in the day that I’d just have to cancel so I could go home and rest up. But rest and my warm bed wasn’t in the cards tonight… Instead, I ended up getting stuck at work until 8:30 for a meeting for my new project.

I don’t mean to complain with this post. Really, I just want to remind myself that I need to work on this work-life balance thing and making sure I get enough “me time” in a week. “Me time” is important to me. All of my friends know that it’s a priority. I can’t totally blame work for the lack of “me time” either. I mean, just look at the last week or so when things were slower at work:

Sunday: Local Barre (5:30 pm)
Monday: Local Barre (5:45 pm)
Tuesday: GoRow (6:30 pm) & Local Barre (8:15 pm)
Wednesday: Local Barre (7:15 pm)
Thursday: Revolve Real Ride (7 am)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Revolve Body Ride (8:30 am) & Local Barre (10:15 am)
Sunday: Local Barre (10 am)
Monday: Local Barre (7:45 pm)
Tuesday: Rest

That doesn’t leave a lot of “me time” on the weekdays. So anyway, while I would love it if I could manage to work my usual hours in a day, work out, and still have “me time” in the evening, it’s just not realistic. I need to work on treating myself a little better.

Anyway, switching gears now. One of my favorite ways to treat myself is with good food! On Sunday, my parents and aunt met me in the city to see Chicago and get dinner afterward. We ended up going to New Wonjo in Koreatown and it was amazing! It’s the perfect cuisine for cold winter day!

Let’s take a better look at the table!

Dduk boki (spicy stir-fried rice cakes)

Sundubu Jjigae (spicy soft tofu soup with kimchi)

Bibim Bop (rice with ground beef and vegetables)

Galbi Jjim (boiled marinated prime short ribs and vegetables)

Anyway, that’s more than enough of my introspective self-indulgence for this blog. Nyquil always makes things interesting…

As cheesy as this sounds, I’m on a fitness high. Ah, endorphins. It’s true what they say about you and your magic.

Let’s back it up so I can tell the whole story. I had plans after work today to try Go Row with a coworker since we bought a LivingSocial deal for it last week. It’s a rowing based class in Hoboken that also mixes in some strength training. Rowing’s not my favorite exercise but it’s a great way to get in some cardio without putting pressure on the hips so I thought it’d be a good option.

I’ll admit that I probably could have challenged myself by going a little heavier with the weights, but even so, it was a good full-body workout that made me sweat. It also made it abundantly obvious that I need to do more cardio! The strength intervals were comfortable for me, but the rowing sprints were a lot harder. Overall, it was really fun though and I’m looking forward to going back.

Afterward I felt like I still needed a little something more – maybe because I didn’t work myself to exhaustion during the strength circuits. I ended up going to the 8:15 Local Barre class to close out the night and it was an awesome decision! My favorite instructor (whose class I haven’t been able to take for two weeks or so now) was teaching and the class was tiny with only four people in it. I love having all that space. And the cardio-toning combination is stellar. I need to do this more!

So, yeah. Endorphin-induced fitness high. Embrace the cheesiness.

See it?

I mentioned in my last post that I’m kind of obsessed with Local Barre in Hoboken lately. Well, yesterday I had plans to go and even though I woke up early enough to make their morning classes, I was being lazy and it just wasn’t going to happen. Instead I decided to try one of Exhale’s afternoon Core Fusion Barre classes.

It actually worked out perfectly because I’ve been curious about other studios’ interpretations of the Lotte Berk method compared to Local Barre’s anyway. There are about ten or so different studios in the city that offer barre classes and Exhale is one of the more popular ones.

I found Exhale’s class to be pretty similar to Local Barre’s, though not as challenging overall. I did get that signature barre burn a few times, but most of the sprints were shorter than I’m used to and didn’t feel that hard, especially the thigh section. Exhale’s glute section is a lot different from Local Barre’s in that we did most of it while sitting on the floor. The ab section was different too and I just didn’t get it. Maybe I wasn’t doing it right but it felt awkward and didn’t burn at all. I remember having some trouble with the movements at my first few Local Barre classes too, so it could just be that I need more time at Exhale to get the hang of their methods.

That being said, my arms are a little sore today, especially my triceps. Yay! No complaints at all here – in my opinion, there’s nothing like some muscle soreness to let you know you worked hard! I didn’t feel that the arms section was that hard but something the instructor was doing was clearly working. Their Core Fusion series also includes cardio, sports, and yoga classes, which I’d like to try even though it’s a bit of trek for me (especially compared to Local Barre).

Oh and another benefit of going to Exhale? I was in the city and passed about a million chopped salad places on my way back to the PATH. Mmmm. I really love these make-your-own-salad type places… I wish there was one closer to me. I had a magnificent mix of mesclun, avocado, cherry tomatoes, craisins, bleu cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette.

And going back to the theme of switching it up, you’ll notice my blog looks a lot different. It’s had a major facelift! Let me know what you think.

But anyyyyway. My OCD self doesn’t quite feel right starting up my blog again without giving an update on my life – more for myself than anyone else.  So here we go!

Fitness: I started going to barre classes at Local Barre in Hoboken in October and I’m loving it! I really can’t say enough good things about it. I’m stronger, more toned, and more flexible than when I started. I go four or five times a week with a few rest days spaced out. Barre classes are mostly strength and toning though, so I want to start re-incorporating some cardio into my rest days soon.

Health: My cholesterol has been high for over five years now. In June, I had it tested and was disappointed to find that my total cholesterol was 251 (125-200 is normal) with 165 milligrams of LDL (the bad cholesterol, <130 is normal). I had it tested again in December with much better results! This time my total cholesterol was 224 with 133 milligrams of LDL. I’m not sure what changed, but hey, I’ll take it. I’m planning to keep up the same diet and exercise routine with a few tweaks here and there to hopefully get it to go down even more. Unfortunately, it’s most likely genetic so there’s no telling how much more I’ll be able to get it to go down. I still want to try though.

Food: I no longer count calories but I think I typically eat between 1200 and 1400 calories a day. My meals are mostly plant-based but I still enjoy fish, turkey, chicken, and some occasional lamb and pork. I rarely eat red meat and seafood since those have been shown to cause high cholesterol. I always try to drink red wine at happy hour too since it’s good for heart health. I still eat a lot of fruit and definitely get enough fiber every day; if anything, I would like to get better at learning how to incorporate proteins from plants into my meals. I’m sometimes not sure how to ensure I’m getting enough protein short of drinking protein shakes or eating Luna Bars (which are my favorite thing ever).

Body: I’ve been at a steady 126 pounds since September or so (I can’t be sure of exactly when since I don’t weigh myself regularly). I would like to lose a few more pounds, but it isn’t a priority for me. I like my body the way it is right now, and I feel comfortable most days. I do still have some abdominal bloating and discomfort every once in a while though.

Unfortunately, the hip popping I started experiencing in August hasn’t gone away even though I’ve been using an anti-inflammatory cream. It gets sore if I walk a lot, but other than that, it doesn’t affect my daily life except for the fact that it’s annoying to feel it catch and pop. I’m happy going to Local Barre and am now not as bothered by the fact that I can’t run as I was when it first started. I’m planning on going back to my orthopedist later this month so she can take a look and let me know if there’s anything else I can do.

Work: Work is work. I don’t love it every day and there are definitely days that I don’t like it, but I’m lucky to have a fun group of work friends that always find new and fun ways to make me laugh and the day pass. (That rhymed!) That’s been especially important lately since this year has gotten off to a slow start as I’m completing a transition into a new team and role. I’m hopeful that it’ll be picking up soon with some new projects though. Honestly, I can’t complain too much. I know I’m lucky to be employed at a reputable company and get paid a great salary with great benefits.

Personal Life: Of all these different aspects of my life, my personal life is probably the one that I think needs the most work. Unfortunately, the friends I first made when I first started working in the area like to go out clubbing and drinking a lot, which isn’t really my style. I’d always prefer a yoga date, low-key dinner, movie night, or happy hour with friends rather than crazy late nights out at clubs (though those are fun every once in a while), but I wish I had more friends that are interested in that kind of thing.

Dating-wise, I’ve only been a few dates in the past year or so and none very successful. As my mother loves to remind me, the clock is ticking… Of course, I don’t really believe that. I’m fully happy being single and focusing on me right now, though like everyone else, there are times (like the holidays) when I wish I had someone special in my life. I guess the plan for 2013 would probably be to put myself out there a little more and see what happens – for both platonic and romantic relationships. It can’t hurt.

And random, but I’ll say it here since I don’t know where else it can fit. I want to start reading and writing again. I’m pretty sure I haven’t read a book since my Hawaii vacation over the summer and I haven’t written anything besides this blog for at least double that long. Yikes. It’s time to get back on that proverbial horse.

This is a long enough post for now and it’s been fun writing this down – it makes me feel like I’ve really come a long way from where I was about a year ago! Be back soon with some more variety and food photos.

I’ve decided that I’ll be returning to Sleep and Repeat soon. It’s not a New Year’s resolution per se, just a goal of mine.

See you soon!