Meet Me At the Barre

Last week I took my first barre class. First several classes, to tell you the truth. It happened by accident. I noticed the Pure Barre studio on the way home from the grocery store and on a whim, decided to check it out. I went home and did a little more research. I was in my first class the next day.

They set you up with some elastic bands, a rubber ball and some light hand weights. I picked out a set of 5lbs dumbbells and the instructor smiled and brought over a lighter pair "just in case". I thought, hey, how weak do I look? I lift way more than this in  the gym, 5lbs shouldn't be a problem.

I was wrong. Before we had finished the set I had swapped out for the little three pounders, which were suddenly far less dainty feeling than they were when I walked in.

During the course of that first class my legs were shaking, my arms aching, and my abs burning. "Everything hurts and I'm dying" I could be heard saying later that day as I tried to do simple tasks, like climbing the stairs, getting in and out of the car, lifting anything, or trying to sit down.

Pure Barre was deceptively hard. So, naturally, I signed up for another class. And another, and another, and another. I'm signed up for classes through the middle of October already. I'm totally hooked, like, seven classes in eight days, hooked. They recommend between three and four classes a week to see best results but I cannot get enough, it's taking all my will power not to try more than one class a day. I enjoy it that much. And when I say enjoy I mean I'm suffering greatly for 55 minutes straight but leaving feeling better than when I walked in the studio.

I was taking to some of the other women in my classes (yes, I have seen a couple men in there, too, so gents, do not be discouraged if you want to give a class a try, you're always welcome) and they were saying they love barre because even when you totally rock one section on one particular day you'll end up getting your butt kicked by something else. You're always working on something knew. the goal is the be your best version of yourself in the class and if you just focus on one thing each time until you've got it, you'll get there.

Maybe one day you just want to hold the plank the whole time, or complete all your push ups, or sink lower down in  your thigh workout, or get your heels higher during barre work. Whatever your goal is, and whatever your sport is, I highly recommend you find your nearest barre studio and give it a go.

Have any of you taken Pure Barre or another barre class? What were your thoughts?

Pamper Thyself

Just because I depend on my feet to get me everywhere I want to go doesn't mean I always appreciate them like I should. As a runner and former gymnast it's an understatement to say my feet have taken a beating over the years. The fact that I pride myself on being the only distance runner I know to never lose a toenail says about all you need to know on the subject.

So every once in a blue moon I like to place my feet in the hands of professionals and try to repair some of the damage I've done. I always get comments like "You have such...athletic looking feet" or "What have you done?!" and the occasional "you have the smallest feet I've ever seen!"

All things I expect to hear because as much as I try to ignore the narly state of my feet I know exactly what the veiny, overly-muscley, high-arched things look like. To sum it up, feet are gross. But no less important.

And that is why I propose that for every three months you pound the pavement you remember to give your feet a day off and the chance to be pampered for all their hard work. They've earned it, and so have you!

Afternoon Tea

With fall quickly approaching and the first day of classes looming on the horizon I'll take any chance I can get to spend the day out with my girls. This week was slammed for all three of us but we found a couple hours we could sneak off to get away from the world. In honor of my birthday we all went out for tea at The Queen Mary Tea Room, a local treasure.

With pages upon pages of teas to pick between we couldn't help but sample several. My top pick ended up being the Royal Rose, a flavored black tea with actual rose petals infused into it. Can you say yum? Ela ended up quite obsessed with their wide selections of chai teas and Chara went with the subtly fruity Mango Passion Fruit.

Between the beautiful floral china, delicious food and the exceptional customer service of the sweet girls who work there we had a wonderful time and can't wait until we have a chance to go back.

Me - Dress: Lilly Pulitzer. Belt: Lilly Pulitzer
Ela - Dress: Nordstrom Rack
Chara - Dress: American Eagle

Birthday Miracle

With my birthday on the first of the month I try to stretch my birthday out for as long into the month as I possibly can. Which is exactly halfway through the month when my best friend has her big day. I’ve always tried to mix it up and do something different, for those of you who have been readers for a while you’ll know I did the Disneyland Half Marathon last year. This time I stayed a little closer to home.

I started off by dragging my family up to Whidbey Island, my favorite place in the entire world. Where I went golfing with my dad, hung out at the beach, went for a run, went out to dinner and caught a movie in the idyllic single-screen theater in town. Perfection.

I clearly got my looks from him

For the first time in the roughly fifteen years since he first taught me how to play I finally out drove him. It was the most incredible shock! It was even more surprising when I did it another two times! Sure he beat me on the other 15 holes but to be able to hold my own after not getting to play almost all summer was a thrill! Clearly, it was a birthday miracle, no other way to explain how after all this time and so very little practice I could possible hit as far as him.


Top: Torrey Pines Pro Shop
Skort: Lilly Pulitzer

Chop Chop

If you ask me what my best feature is I will always say my hair. I can toss it over my shoulder like a cape or wear it close to my face like a human-grown shield. It can be braided, knotted, twisted, curled, tied up or down; how I wear it tells the world who I am for the day.

When I was younger I used to experiment with all kinds of fun cuts and styles until a tragic bangs mishap had me growing it out forever. Since then I always get super nervous when cutting my hair. A knot forms in the pit of my stomach at the mere thought of any of my hair ending up on the salon room floor.

Lately, however, my favorite feature has really gotten on my nerves. It grows faster than weeds and has become so heavy that it actually gives me a headache if it's up for more than a couple hours - super annoying! Ponytails, buns, braids, they all start to hurt after a while and my hair ends up down whether I want it to be that way or not. So I finally sucked it up and called the salon.

The mermaid hair in all its glory

This time, however, it had gotten soooooo long that I was almost looking forward to giving it up...well, more than usual, I was still a lil' shaky about the whole thing.

Now I love my mermaid hair, I really do, but it was past the point of making me look like a Disney princess and pushing unkempt, which is not at all what I was going for with my look. So, as anyone who is panicking about the future of their head does, I pulled together an almost ridiculous number of photos that looked like the hair cut I wanted. And before my truly beloved stylist got her hands anywhere near me I made her look through the whole thing to be sure she understood.

Mermaid hair is in the rear view mirror

Lucky for me, she nailed it! Eight inches shorter and I couldn't be happier with my decision!



Top: American Eagle
Skirt: Lilly Pulitzer

Treat Thyself

The world is a pretty zany, fast-paced place. As Ferris Bueler says, "If you don't slow down, you might miss it." With everything moving at the speed of light all around you it's easy to get caught up in everything and forget to take time out for yourself. You wake up early to squeeze in a run before work, come home exhausted after a long day, have dinner, and crash on the sofa until it's time to fall into bed. Whether you closed the deal, won the case, sold the house, taught a room full of students, fixed a car, wrote code, cleaned floors, edited reports, chased your toddler around the living room, suffered through customer service phone calls, or anything in between it's safe to say you had a long day.

You eat right (mostly, pizza last week was more or less necessary), you get enough sleep (that nap during your lunch break totally makes up for the hours you lost last night), you exercise regularly (well, you meant to, but things keep coming up, once a week isn't bad, right?) and yet something is totally draining you.

Even when you come home from vacation you feel the need to take a day or two off to recover before getting back to regular life.

So, please, for all our sakes, take some time for yourself. Pour yourself a glass of something and curl up with that magazine you've been meaning to read since it arrived in your mailbox two weeks ago. Take your dinner on the patio like you've been meaning to all summer before the weather gets too cold. Meet up with the friends you love but haven't seen in weeks. Go out for a hike or a bike or a run in a beautiful place. Take a picnic to the beach, or park, or backyard. Make your favorite meal for the first time in forever. Hire a babysitter and go do that thing you keep wanting to do. 

Whatever you end up doing, give yourself a couple hours to enjoy yourself. To do what you love or try something new. You'll be glad you did, I guarantee it.

Friday Funday

Today was all about strengthening my poor back and sculpting my biceps. One of the most important days when it comes to healing myself from the inside out. Core strength is vital to just about everything we do and a weak back means lots of pain if I'm standing for long hours at work or trying to race again. I also added in plenty of cardio since it's my favorite!

Skirt Chaser

Thursday is Cross Training Day!!! Can you tell I'm excited?

With the temps in the mid-80s this week the runs have been brutal! I was glad for a change of pace and more air conditioning action.
I also love that this is an outfit I can wear to the grocery store or out running other errands and still look cute rather than the rest of my "gym only" clothes

Top: Nike
Skort: Athleta
Shoes: New Balance 890v4
Socks: Thorlo

Pretty in Pink

Me immediately after completing my Leg Day workout: "Ugh, everything hurts! Why does everything hurt?!"
Me the day after Leg Day: "Yep, this is the end. Just leave me here to die."
Me two days after Leg Day: "It's Leg Day again?! Alright, let's do this!"

As you can probably tell, today was the second leg day of the week and I was struggling! Told my friend they felt like they were falling off earlier this week but I've brought it upon myself for not training with better consistency this summer. I'm just looking forward to the time when all this weight training starts paying off and my runs get faster as the weather cools off (it's been in the mid 80s all week)!

Today I broke out one of my favorite color combos: Pink and Grey! Something about them just gives the appearance of girly, but with a little bit of an edge. Sweet as a flower, tough as steel.

Tank: American Eagle
Shorts: Lululemon
Shoes: Nike
Bra: Athletic Essentials
Socks: Thorlo

Blue Belle

Today I  worked out Chest and Triceps! My legs were killing me from the day before so I took it slow on the run but I was happy to feel the burn and know my time spent in the gym is working. This year I plan on getting more consistent weight training to ward off the runners' knee that took me out last September. Fingers crossed!

Top: Lululemon
Shorts: Marika Tek
Shoes: New Balance 890v4
Socks: Thorlo

Purple Peril

Today's workout is all about the legs and abs! I'm definitely already feeling it and I know everything is gonna be sore tomorrow, too! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Shirt: C9 for Target
Tights: Under Armour
Bra: Champion
Socks: Ralph Lauren Sport
Shoes: Nike

Green Machine

Today's workout was all about getting back into the swing of things. For me, that means a little bit of each of my favorites (minus running, that is). And not just my favorite workouts, either, but the workout clothes that I feel best in, too!

Booty Rehab

When I hurt my back I had to stop squatting as heavy as I used to. Knowing I'd never reach a new max was a huge bummer. I decided to take some time off from the weights all together to see if that might heal me up. But I didn't realize how much good those weights had been doing until my runners' knee came back during my training runs and I had to ditch the trail for a stationary bike. That was another low blow to my ego since I used to be able to run no matter what other training I had been doing.

I hadn't worked out like I should have nearly enough during that first bit of summer because of all the set backs and the traveling my family was doing as well as the extra hours I had been working. Then came the "Oh No" moment. The girls and I went up to spend the weekend at the beach and when we came home I was going through all the photos and saw one of me in a swimsuit. It wasn't like I had packed on the pounds or anything like that, but I had lost nearly all of the muscle I had built up over the winter! I hadn't noticed it because, frankly, I don't spend enough time around mirrors and my clothes were still fitting. But that was not my hard earned booty in those photos, it was the butt of someone who doesn't work out!

My Oh-No Moment from July 6th, 2014

The bit of a muffin top wasn't helping matters, either

That was the moment I knew I had to get my rear in gear and back under the weights. Unfortunately I didn't see these photos right away or I would have started right then! I drew up a new schedule that had me running and lifting like crazy and since I didn't have any classes going on during the summer I had more than enough time to spend in the gym.

I'll be posting my workouts each day so feel free to follow along with me! I'll be throwing in outfit inspiration occasionally, as well, because who doesn't like to look cute? Even if they are covered in sweat...



Swimsuit Separates: Target

Abs of Bronze

As everyone finishes up the school year and comes home for the summer I've been seeing more familiar faces around the house lately. Yesterday I went to the gym with two of the guys, both my younger brother and one of his friends. They went off and did their own thing while I did mine. Monday meant legs day for me and chest day for them. But then my brother had to leave and I was on my way out, too, when his buddy challenged me to a game of Ab Tag.

I had never heard of Ab Tag but I'm always down for a challenge. He explained the rules for me. Each person takes turns picking an ab work out until one of the people can't keep going anymore and you have to quit. Sounds great, right? Especially after I had already finished doing my abs for the day. But I didn't want to give up before we even began so I grabbed us a couple of mats and we were ready to go!

We were at it for about an hour when he finally gave in. Which was good because I had to get home to make dinner! After we left the gym I wrote down everything we did since it had turned out to be a great workout!

Running Shoes

For a shoe addict like myself it shouldn't surprise anyone that I have a large collection of running shoes, and lifting shoes, and spikes, and fashion-over-function sneakers, and too-sentimental-to-toss grubby old shoes with hundreds of miles worn in.

That being said, I'm on the hunt for a new pair of go-to running shoes. My current favorites, the Nike FLEX TR, had long been discontinued and have only really got about 75ish miles left in them. I absolutely adore these shoes and wish I had known how much I would love them at the time because I would have bought up as many pairs as I could before they were gone!

So now comes the time I wish I worked for Runner's World and had access to all their different shoes to test out! Sadly, that's not the case. But luckily for me they did just send out their 2014 Summer Shoe Guide in their latest issue. And those results are all available online as well!

I'm someone who cares just as much about what's going under my foot as what it looks like, hence the super stylish white cheetah print pair on my instagram, and most of my running gear does match my Nike FLEX TRs (because running clothes can be just as stylish as the rest of your closet). This time around, however, it was the knowledge that I've got 700 miles between me and my next big race that had me feeling like I would have to sacrifice looks for practicality.

Fortunately, the designers at New Balance understand a woman's desire for both function AND fashion. They've partnered with Heidi Klum for a line that looks as amazing as it performs. And with the excellent reviews from Runner's World I went with the New Balance 890v4 in one of the Heidi Klum designs.

HKNB 890v4 Graphic in White Mint

HKNB 890v4 in Grey with Cosmic Coral

In fact, two of the Heidi Klum designs. I couldn't decide which I liked better so I ordered both! I justified it by saying the store doesn't carry anything smaller than a 6.5 and I didn't know which size I needed but I really just had to see them up close before making the final call. The womens' shoe comes in 17 different colors and narrowing it down to these two was hard enough that I needed to make the final decision in person. I'll let you know what I go with when they arrive next week!

Doughnut Dash

This morning I made my way down to Greenlake for the 5th Annual Top Pot Doughnut Dash 5k! The weather had been incredibly temperamental lately so everyone was dressed like a bunch of crazy people who did not look like they were all supposed to be in the same place.

 I, for one, was wearing my all-time favorite workout shorts from Lululemon (yes, I know they say they're for yoga but I love running, rowing, lifting, tumbling and dancing in them, too), partnered with an over-sized rain jacket from The North Face. There were others in long tights and tank tops, and everything in between.

My latest pair of my favorite workout shorts

Standing in the corrals waiting for the starting gun to go off felt like we were in a wind tunnel it was freezing! The runner next to me commented that she had run a race in February in DC in 30 degrees and this still felt colder even though the weathermen were telling us it was in the upper fifties. Turned out, it was only one side of the lake that was freezing this morning because when we rounded to the sunny side it felt closer to 75 than 50. The runners in tights were giving me the jealous looks I had been giving them when we were waiting to start. I guess everyone and no one dressed right today.

The race was a beautiful, cloudless, lap around the lake that also took over a couple sections of the nearby streets. I finished just sigh of a new PR (and yep, I'm totally blaming it on the headwinds I hit on the last mile) but I was still happy as I crossed the finish line and got right into the que for an old-fashioned glazed doughnut. Totally worth it.

Strong Shoulders

Thursdays are my cross training days and always super important when it comes to preventing injuries! But I don't just swim or bike on Thursdays, I work on those shoulder sculpting lifts, too! Here's what I did today as an example of what you can do to stay active even on days when you're not expected to be out running.

Whenever you do a 2000m Row always do it for time! That way you can watch yourself improve as you keep at it, my record is just under ten minutes.I love doing it at the end of a workout because it feels harder than when I'm full of energy when I first get to the gym. I definitely feel all my muscles working together the last 500 meters. If you're not sure about form please ask someone at your local gym or find an instructional video online, using improper form can really mess up your back!

How to Make Mondays Enjoyable

How do I make my Mondays enjoyable? Simple, I head to the gym. I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by incredible people who make even the hardest workout a good time. But that comes from constantly being at the gym and getting to meet new people all the time. While I'm usually more of an introvert my extroverted side comes out when I'm working out. Something to do with all the extra endorphins I guess. But something about having an encouraging group around you definitely makes a colossal difference.

My gymnastics group is like a second family and the guys I lift with are like a pack of the coolest older brothers a girl could find. So, naturally, when I'm looking to make my Mondays a little more bearable I know working out is gonna be the fix I need.

Today I did a workout I had made up last week that I'm really starting to love. I'm able to tweak it each time I do it so that I'm always challenged. Some days I'll try to set a new record for my 2000m on the rowing machine, or I'll increase weight on my calf raises, or add additional reps for my abs circuit. No matter what I choose to focus on I know this is a great one to target my core and abs without taking up an entire afternoon. I can usually finish in a little under an hour depending on how many breaks I take or how long I choose to stretch out after.

Got Your Back

As spring break continues Ela and I have spent most of it in the gym. Yesterday was all about the biceps and back muscles.

We even tossed in some clapping planks for fun! (I know planking doesn't sound all that fun but when you're high-fiving your partner the whole time it tends to take your mind off the strain of muscle against gravity.

Legs for Her

Today I had a wonderful surprise when my best friend, Ela, stopped by work to visit me after she had finished with her finals. And although we didn't get the chance to work out together I did write up a little something for her to do while I was busy.

Calf Burner

One of my favorite machines at the gym is the calf raiser. Not sure why but a well toned calf muscle has always been important to me. Maybe it's because they look so much better in high heels when there's a bit of muscle showing. Whatever the reason, they're one of my favorites to work on (part of leg day, after all). Sadly, being sick lately meant I hadn't been running and my normally muscular calves had shrunk down to a very average looking leg. Not cool. I was determined to remedy it, stat.

I did the calf raises with 55lbs of added weight. My workout proved to be a killer when I had trouble walking the next morning. The up side? being able to see definition in my lower legs again!

Buns of Steel

I hit the squat rack after work today and kept it short and sweet. Alternating working on the booty and the core I got in a nice post-work energy boost.

I did the ab rollers from my knees but if you want to increase the intensity you can start from your feet!

Just Keep Swimming

With all the glorious weather we'd had the last couple weeks it had started to feel like summer. I was loving the chance to pull my shorts and sunglasses out of hibernation. But it went back to raining this morning. In an attempt to keep that summer feeling I spent this morning's workout in the pool.

I grew up swimming but only ever for fun and never competitively. So, when it came to creating a water workout I was at a bit of a loss. Lucky for me I've got some wonderful friends who are always willing to help a girl out. This workout was made for me by my dear friend, Chara, who knows what she's talking about when it comes to the pool.

If you are looking at that unsure of the difference between the swimming, kicking, and pulling, never fear! You are not alone! Swimming is exactly what you think of when you get in the pool, nice clean strokes, and going at a pace that works for you. Kicking is when you're holding onto a board and propelling your body through the water using only your legs. Make sure you're using the entire leg to kick and not just knees down. Pulling means you're pinning a floating device between your legs and using arm strength alone to travel down the lane. Pulling was absolutely the hardest for me because of my serious lack of arm strength. Didn't realize how weak they were until I tried it! Swimming 100 means you go down-and-back the length of the pool, whereas 50 is just one way.

I was pretty exhausted by the end but I know with time that will improve as long as I keep at it. Good luck to everyone out there trying this one!

Running with Friends

After months of nagging I finally convinced some friends to enter a race with me! 5am Sunday morning we dragged ourselves out of bed for the Seattle Hot Chocolate 5k. We had picked up our packets earlier in the week and were all ready to go as we made our way to the Seattle Center for the start of the race.

Ela, myself, and Chara at the Space Needle before the race

The sun didn't rise until after we were in our starting corals but it never really shone; it just got a little less dark out. The clouds gathered overhead but didn't let loose until after we finished, thank goodness!

The race started at the Seattle Center and wound around the downtown area. We went through the Battery Street Tunnel (totally closed down the city this weekend - oopsie) and our turn around point was after we had passed through Pike Place Market.

We crossed the finish line on the other side of the Space Needle, next to the EMP. We were ushered into the finishers' party where we each got a new mug filled with hot chocolate, chocolate fondue, a banana, graham crackers, pretzels, rice krispie treats, and a wet wipe for after. It was a scrumptious way to end our first race together.

Me:
Windbreaker: The North Face. Top: Old Navy (also featured, here). Tights: RBX. Ear Warmer: Target (old, also featured here. Similar here)
Chara:
Fleece: Paradox. Tights: Vintage Insport (similar here). Belt: Tune Belt. Ear Warmer: Turtle Fur. Earbuds: Yurbuds.
Ela:
Fleece: The North Face. Tights: Lululemon. Headband: Lululemon (old, similar here).

Dinner for Three

Three of us met up on Saturday night to start our weekend off right. Though us girls are thick as thieves and on the phone to one another constantly we're not all that great at actually getting together (we only just exchanged Christmas presents this week). Between school, work, the gym, eating and sleeping, we have trouble finding a time when everyone is free, no matter how often we promise to be better about it. Lucky for me, I've got the greatest friends and whenever we're together it seems as though we've never been apart.

We were having a sleepover before our race in the morning so we knew we needed to carbo-load. However, with dietary restrictions that eliminated lactose, gluten, and shell fish, dinner was a little more creative than a simple bowl of spaghetti.

Chara and I stopped by the store and picked up two boxes of quiona, a bin of mixed greens, four bell peppers, and a half pound of shredded chicken before meeting up with Ela.

Chara cut the tops off three peppers and diced one while I got the quiona ready on the stove and tore up the shredded chicken.

This is a super simple recipe I came up with a few years back. It is one of my favorites to make because it only takes about 20 or so minutes but tastes fantastic! We cooked up the diced peppers with the chicken and some olive oil while we waited on the quiona to finish.

Finally, we mixed everything together and stuffed it into the bell pepper bowls.

Ta da!! A delicious dinner for three.



Cardigan: BP.
Blouse: Vans (old, similar Here)
Jeans: 7 For All Mankind
Boots: Born (old, similar here)

Squat and Sprint

It was a glorious, sunny day here in Seattle so working out indoors took a bit more effort than usual today. I was pressed for time between engagements but knew the day would seen less stressful once I had gotten my sweat on! This workout barely took me 40 minutes but I can still totally feel it!

I did the squats at about 75% of my max weight and really felt it on my last set! Good luck trying out this new workout, everyone!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Winter Treats

My mother taught me from a very young age that you should always feed the people you care about. My friends who live out of town have even called to see if they could come over for one of my mother's home cooked meals on more than one occasion. And what is dinner without a little dessert? Baking is a biweekly event in my house, sometimes even more often than that! During the summers we've been known to bake almost every night, especially when my brother and all his friends have taken over the house. So when the mixer gave up the ghost a couple weeks back it was pretty devastating. Granted, the mixer was about thirty years old so none of us were all that surprised. Over the weekend our new mixer arrived and I was thrilled! I got right to work on one of my all time favorite treats: Almond Cake Bars!

This particular dessert is not what anyone would consider healthy in any way whatsoever so Mom rarely ever made them but they've always held a special place in my heart so when she finally gave me the recipe a couple years back I started making them all the time.

They're essentially just sugar, flour, almond extract, and eggs. Possibly why they're so wonderfully scrumptious! I top the cake with sliced almonds and a little more sugar before popping it into the oven for the longest twenty minutes ever.

Few things smell better than almond cake fresh out of the oven!

I love how  they turned out! Can't wait to see what else I can do with my new mixer!


Mixer: KitchenAid (in Ice)