Hot in the City. Literally.

July 20, 2013July 19, 20136 Comments

Hey everyone! How are you?? I am back from a wonderful little getaway at a work conference in Stowe, VT from Tuesday-Friday. The conference was held during a great week; being in VT and in a hotel during this crazy heat spell was amazing! Even if the temp was as high there as it is back in Boston (which, it wasn’t), there’s something about being surrounded by beautiful mountains that makes tolerating the heat a little more bearable. I’ll get to a full recap of my trip next week, but for now I just wanted to pop in, say hello and make sure that you checked out the two awesome guest blog posts from a couple of my friends:

Guest Post: It’s Not About Having Time, It’s About Making Time

Guest Post: Summer Favorites from The Truth About Vinyl and Bikini Tops

Big, big thanks to Athena and Rachel for helping me keep you all entertained while I was away!

Anyway! On Monday I had a long day at work trying to get everything ready for my week away. Doesn’t it always seem like work gets so much busier when you’re about to be out of the office for any amount of time?? By the time I left work, I knew I was in need of a solid workout. I knew I would workout while in VT, but I wasn’t sure how long or strong or intense they would be, so I wanted to make sure I got in at least one good workout during the week! And good workout it was! I hopped on the elliptical to warm up and then I created a circuit that I did 4 times through:

500M row
60 seconds ropes (If you’re not familiar, check out this video. killer!)
60 seconds kettlebell swings
1-legged push-ups up and down the ladder (a ladder is painted on the turf)
60 seconds plank pikes with feet in TRX straps

I did a few more ab exercises and a few shoulder exercises before calling it a day. I was SPENT! My knees were irritated from the turf, my hands were getting calluses. I call that a good day at the gym 😉

Post gym, I came home, watered my garden really well and then made myself the easiest dinner alive:

English Muffin Pizza’s. Doesn’t get much better than that, right?! Brings me back to my childhood big time!

I got up early Tuesday to A. work out and B. try to beat the heat for my workout. I was feeling pretty sore from my Sunday and Monday workouts, so I ended up doing a jump rope and ab circuit which was perfect!

After my workout, I showered and worked from home until it was time to pick my coworker, Tim, up at the airport. To ensure that we had healthy snacks for the road, I went shopping over the weekend and stocked up.

I also brought a few peaches and a yogurt. I don’t have a huge appetite in one sitting, but I sure do love to snack! It helps keep me from being “hangry”, which, if anyone has seen the “hangry Monique”, I think you can agree she’s someone we all would like to avoid 😉 These snacks kept both of us totally satisfied and the 3 hour and 20 minute trip almost flew by! I went to Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, VT, so the ride up 89 (both through New Hampshire and Vermont) is one I could likely do with my eyes closed. Tim had never been in that area (he lives in Florida, originally from NY), so he was totally in awe of all the mountains and trees and beautiful scenery.

Driving past the Ben and Jerry’s Factory, Cabot Cheese store and Pie In The Sky totally brought me back to my college years when my girlfriends and I would make the short-ish trip down to Stowe to (basically) eat our way through it. Ah, the good ol’ days! Anyway, it was fun reminiscing. #ilovermont 🙂

Well, that about does it for me today! I am teaching my 10am kickboxing class at the Oak Square YMCA and then babysitting for Trent and Lila again from 1-??? Pending on how I feel after that, I am going to try to make it to a BBQ at Rachel and Dan’s apartment. I hope you all have a great Saturday!!

Questions for you: Have you ever been to VT? What is your favorite New England state? What’s your favorite “healthy” road trip snack that you always make sure to pack?

Weekly Workouts: Totally Back At It

July 15, 2013July 14, 20132 Comments

Hey there! How was your weekend? I was so happy the sun came out yesterday, as it made for the perfect beach day!

This past week, I had a 5 day string of really awesome workouts. After having been sick and having been in Maine, it felt awesome to be back into the full swing of workouts! I am traveling for work this week (Stowe, VT from Tuesday- Friday) so my workouts will be TBD for most days, but it will be nice to mix it up again.

Last Week’s Workouts:

Monday: I went to The Studio Empower, which was a really nice change-up from my normal workouts! During my lunch break, Jess and I filed for our 2nd Mommy’s Moves video. Check it out here. Also, Jess’s newsletter is worth a glance, too!

Tuesday: I ran 30 minutes (3.34 miles) before work and then did some upper body strengthening since my legs had gotten quite the workout the day before.

Wednesday: A fellow instructor asked me to sub her 5:30 Sports Conditioning class, so I ended up teaching a double. 3 people, between the two classes, said they almost threw up. Loved it!

Thursday: 2nd double of the week! Numbers were a little low, which was a bummer since I was sill really amped up about being back!
Friday: I ran for 15 minutes on the treadmill before subbing my old SHRED class at the Allston BSC! Felt really great to be back 🙂
Saturday : Rest, besides walking around the city.
Sunday: I got up and did a 5 minute warm up (jogging in place, jumping jacks, high knees, squats, etc.) and then did 25 reps of lots of different moves (squats, lunges deadlifts, biceps curls, rows, skull crushers, leg lifts, etc.). After 3 or 4 moves, I would throw in 2 minutes of cardio. I was literally shocked at how sweaty I got!

This Week’s Workouts

Monday: I will likely go to the gym after work and do cardio and weight training, big focus on the abs!
Tuesday: Pending on how hot it is, I’ll try to run outside before work. I am driving up to VT in the afternoon, so I want to get my workout done right away!
Wednesday/Thursday/Friday: I will be in Stowe, VT at a conference, but will absolutely be getting in some workouts! I’m traveling with Tim, who loves to workout, too, so it will be easier to make sure workouts happen! Likely runs outside and weights in the gym.
Saturday: Teaching kickboxing!! 🙂
Sunday: Pending on how my workouts went for the week will determine my Sunday workout, if any. I am traveling Mon-Wed of the following week, so I would like to get in solid workouts before that.

Questions for you: When it gets really hot, are you more likely to skip workouts? What days do you like to rest on? Did you try any new workouts last week?

Weekly Workouts- {Hopefully} Back At It

July 8, 2013July 7, 20136 Comments

Hey everyone! How was your long weekend? Was it just me, or did it feel like the 4th of July festivities went on and on and on? Not that I am complaining, it was just a long string of celebrations! It felt great to have some time off to be home with friends and family- just what the doctor ordered (literally).

Although I was sick at the beginning of the week, and therefore couldn’t work out, by the middle to end of the week I was feeling good enough to bring in some light workouts to my schedule. It felt great. It’s amazing how much I need workouts for the mental aspect in addition to the physical aspect. Don’t get me wrong, I love the feeling of sweating and leaving the gym physically exhausted, but I really love the feeling of a clear mind after my workout and feeling great because of all the endorphins flowing through me. Who else feels this way?

Last Week’s Workouts

Monday- Nothing. I had to cancel my visit to The Studio Empower because I had a sinus infection and was severely dehydrated. What a bummer!
Tuesday- I went for a 2 mile light walk after work. Tuesday was one of those days were I NEEDED exercise mentally more than anything.
Wednesday- I went for a 2 mile light jog in the morning and then went to Jackie’s Ballet Barre class with my mom at 5pm.

Thursday- I got up and did my 4th of July Workout before my 2nd workout, which consisted of candy sprints at the parade.
Friday- I got up and did Athena’s Red, White and Blue workout. It felt great to get some lifting back into my schedule (since mom only has 5lb. weights, I doubled them up for the upper body exercises and did unilateral lifting).
Saturday- I tried to get a last minute sub for my kickboxing class in Brighton since I had decided to stay in Maine for the weekend, but I couldn’t get one so I made the trek to Brighton, taught and then drove back to Maine. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be and there were 25 people in class so that made it worth it!

Sunday- Nothing. I thought about working out but decided that since I had a hectic weekend (lots of driving and sunning and BBQing), it was probably a better idea to rest, especially since I had 4 days in a row of good workouts. I shopped around Kittery a little bit because I wanted to get a new suit since I am doing a lot of work travel this month (Stowe, VT, Toronto, Canada and Atlanta, Georgia).

This Week’s Workouts

Monday- Jess and I are filming July’s “Mommy’s Moves” workout during my lunch break and then I am finally going to get to The Studio Empower for the class they invited me to take. Can’t wait!
Tuesday- I am going to try and get up and run or do something else since I have plans with someone to get drinks after work.
Wednesday- I think I will finally be able to get in my own cardio session before teaching UXF Burn- it’s been a while!
Thursday- Teaching SHRED and Kickboxing at the Central Square BSC- missed my classes last week because of the holiday so I’m pumped to be back!
Friday- Attention Allston BSCers: I am subbing my old class this Friday!! 5:30pm at the Allston BSC- please come so it can be like the good ol’ days!
Saturday- I don’t have to teach, so I am going to go to BodyPump in the morning- I really like taking a day to focus on weight training!
Sunday- Probably a rest day or active rest day.

Feels great to look at a full schedule again!

Questions for you: Were you able to get in any workouts during the 4th of July? Is it hard for you to keep your schedule when you’re traveling or going home or away for the weekend? Do you like BodyPump classes? Ever been to The Studio Empower?

Slowing Down, Maine, Ballet Barre, 4th of July Festivities, Beach Day

July 6, 2013July 5, 20135 Comments

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great 4th of July, and week, for that matter! Last time I wrote posts, I was planning out my weekly workouts. Well, I ended up waking up on Monday still feeling quite sick, so I called my doctor and was able to get in right away- perfect. 20 minutes later, it was confirmed that I had a sinus infection and was told that I was “severely dehydrated”. Now, how that happened is still beyond me; I drink at least 100 ounces of water a day, but apparently when you’re sick, your body needs even MORE. The doctor said that the humid weather also takes more out of you, hence why I got so dizzy last weekend. Needless to say, I did not take the Studio Empower class that I was scheduled to take. I spent a lot of time on the couch sleeping and just trying to relax- much harder than it would seem!

Tuesday I worked in the office, but was allowed to go home early which was perfect since I knew I was heading to Maine later that night. I went for a 20 minute walk to shake my legs out and, more than anything, needed some “me” time to think and clear my head. After my walk, I packed up Charlie and headed north. Luckily, traffic was non-existent and I was able to get home fairly quickly!

I woke up on Wednesday feeling much better, thankfully! Since the temp had briefly cooled down, I headed out for a nice and easy 2 mile jog. I didn’t want to push it too much, so I told myself that if I was feeling tired or sick, I would stop and walk. The 2 miles flew by and I felt great, besides sweating A LOT. Once I got home I made myself a festive yogurt-bowl breakfast.

After my run, I worked from my parents house and called it a day around 4:30 since my mom and I had plans to go to Jackie’s Ballet Barre class at The Mind Body Studio which is only 5 minutes from our house- perfect! Jackie and I have connected so much through teaching and classes and all things fitness (and blogging!) and it’s been a blast. Unfortunately, since we live in different states and both teach a lot, we can’t really make it to each other’s classes, but my mom is an avid-Jackie follower (party dance class- say what?!). Anyway, it worked out that I was home and available to go to her Ballet Barre class. I brought mom with me and we had a blast! So many squats and leg lifts and planks… I was a happy, happy girl. For anyone who is in the Shapleigh area, Jackie teaches this class on Wednesdays at 5:45pm and Saturdays at 8:30am and has an affordable drop-in rate, so I highly suggest checking it out!

Wednesday night, I met up with my very good friend Jason. Fun fact: Jason and I dated back in high school and throughout most of college and have still maintained a really great friendship ever since. We grabbed dinner and drinks at the local hangout: The Backstreet Grill. It was fun catching up, but even more fun that we could see the fireworks from the parking lot on our way out. I LOVE fireworks and all things 4th of July!

4th of July

My family loves the 4th of July, parade and parties that go along with it. I woke up and whipped out my 4th of July Workout before heading to the parade. Even with a 5 minute warm up, I was finished in 20 minutes- perfect! It was almost silly to shower, though, because I was sweating within seconds of running for candy at the parade. Yes, you read that correctly: I am 28 and still fight children for candy run for candy at the parade. I don’t know what it is, but I LOVE the thrill of running out and grabbing as much candy as I can. And, the thing is, I don’t even eat the candy after I get it! I have issues. Sara’s step-daughter, Grace was egging me on, though, so I blame her this year! We did a superb job and got a LOT of candy.

It was fun having all the Shapleigh girls together, and little Zeke!

After the parade we headed up to Sara’s house on the lake for a few hours since it was 90* and the pool party we were going to didn’t start until 2. It was hard leaving the lake, but at least we were headed to another body of water; the temps this week made it really unbearable to be outside if you were not in or by the water.

The Mahoney’s was a blast, as always. So many little babies to play with!

I didn’t drink much this year, only because I was afraid of getting dehydrated since it was SO hot out. I did have a new Sam Adams summer beer which was delicious! As well as a fun cocktail that my sister found from Health.com: champagne, Grand Marnier and pomegranate juice- wow was this good!

Yesterday, my mom, sister and I went to the beach. I got up and did Athena’s Red, White and Blue workout before packing up for a day at the beach with mom and Danielle. I was afraid it was going to be TOO hot at the beach, but we were pleasantly surprised! There was a nice beach breeze that kept us from getting too hot. We packed lots of snacks, waters, seltzer and wine & beer- mom is the ultimate beach queen!

That stupid bag rig thing was the death of me. I took over bringing it down to the beach and by the time I got to the beach I wanted to throw it in the water. This is how it looked when we got home:

Anyway, the beach was lovely and we ran into lots of people we knew (small world, right?!). After the beach, we met up with Sara, Amy, Chris and Zeke for cocktails at Barnacle Billy’s.

And Zeke snuggles!

When the six of us get together, it’s like no one else is around, and like nothing has changed since we were little kids… except now we drink with our moms 😉

So much fun! After Billy’s, mom and I headed home since I knew dad was cooking up some ribs for me. I’m not a huge rib person, but dad had been raving about the ribs he had made last week I asked if he’d make me some. Let me tell you, they did NOT disappoint!

Wine and ribs.. classy 😉

All in all, it was a really great little getaway from the craziness that Boston brings on a day to day basis. I tried to get a sub for my class today, but it was too last minute. Since the heat wave is here to stay and my other plans fell through, I’m unfortunately driving BACK to Maine after I teach my kickboxing class. I just can’t even think about how sad I would be being in the city alone in the oppressive heat, so I’ll do the trek back to Maine for the day and night. I mean, there could be worse things to worry about, right??

Questions for you: How was your 4th of July? Get in any workouts? Do you like parades? What’s your favorite beach?

PS- I want to wish my friends Jessi and Josie a very happy birthday!!!!

Wednesday Workout: 4th of July Workout!

July 3, 2013June 30, 201310 Comments

I wanted to pop in and provide you with a fun, festive & fast-but effective- workout that you can squeeze in no matter what your 4th of July plans are! There are no weights required, but you can feel free to use them for the squats if you want. I tried to make the moves as festive as I could, but my creative juices were not flowing as well as I would have liked… oh well! I think this is going to be the perfect little workout to do before heading to the parade tomorrow 🙂 I hope you all have a happy and safe 4th of July!