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My Thoughts On Being “Type A”

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Happy Friday, friends! I hope you’ve all had a good week. Mine has been good and even though I’m not working from home today (hopefully exciting news to share with you soon), I’m still feeling like it’s Friday- woohoo! I’ve got a little bit of a “heavy” post for you today, but I’m hoping some of you can relate and we can get a good discussion going in the comments section. So, read away and let me know what you think!

If you’re on Facebook, I’m sure you’ve seen this post, which gives 16 signs of being a little (or a lot) “Type A”. Since I frequently joke about being super Type A, I couldn’t wait to read through the article; I just had to see if I was really, truly Type A or if maybe I just carried some of the Type A traits.

Waiting in long lines kills you a little bit inside.
You’ve been described as a perfectionist, overachiever, workaholic or all of the above.
You bite your nails or grind your teeth.
You have a serious phobia of wasting time.
You’re highly conscientious.
You’ve always been a bit of a catastrophist.
You frequently talk over and interrupt people.
You have a hard time falling asleep at night.
People can’t keep up with you — in conversation or on the sidewalk.
You put more energy into your career than your relationships.
Relaxing can be hard work for you.
You have a low tolerance for incompetence.
You’d be lost without your to-do list.
At work, everything is urgent.
You’re sensitive to stress.
You make it happen.

Verdict? Holy crap. If being Type A was on a scale of 1-10, 1 being not at all and 10 being the definition of… I am right there with a big ol’ 10. Woof. I mean, it wasn’t a huge surprise, but I didn’t know that I would pretty much be/do all of them so much “by the book” (or article in this case).

With that said, this article made me think… a lot. While I like and appreciate a lot of these qualities that I have because I think they have been a huge factor in why I am where I am today, there are some that I’d like to be more of a 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-10 instead of the 10 I currently am.

As I mentioned in my New Years Post, this year it is my goal to relax more and stress less, go with the flow more and schedule less, live a little more carefree and worry less… you get the idea. Basically, it’s very natural for me to be the way and act in a way that’s listed out above, but is that “good”? Is that “healthy”? I do all these things for myself to be healthy and live a healthy lifestyle (workout, eat well, try to not drink too much, take the stairs and walk when possible, etc.), but am I doing too much? Is my need for overachieving, succeeding and always wanting to be better an unhealthy trait? Is my fear of wasting time, taking on too many things, saying “yes” even when I want to say “no” and having an inability to relax creating an unnecessary stress on me? Sometimes, yes, I think it is.

I’ve talked to my friend Athena about this before because I know she can relate. I remember telling her about one particularly upsetting weekend when my Type A came on strong. It was a Sunday last summer and I was really stressed… to the point my sister told me I was being a crazy person. The week had been crazy busy and I had a bachelorette party in NH on Saturday night so when I got home Sunday morning, I did go a little crazy. I was so stressed about cleaning the apartment, doing my laundry, going grocery shopping, getting my blogging done and working out that I was literally tunnel-visioned and wouldn’t stop until I got those things done. It was a terrible, terrible feeling and although my sister told me to relax and forget about all those things because they weren’t things that I HAD to do, I couldn’t. That’s the hard part… it’s when you know something isn’t really that big of a deal, but you make it out to be.

But, for me, it’s easier to just get the things done and off my list (I ALWAYS have a to-do list going and I love the feeling of crossing things off. Sometimes if I do something that wasn’t on my list, I add it just so I can cross it off…) when it’s bothering me and THEN relax. If I relax and push things to the side, when it comes time to face them, I am even more stressed than I was to begin with.

Knowing this about myself is one step closer to working on letting go of some of those thoughts and “type A” qualities in favor of relaxing, going with the flow, being spontaneous, putting more into a relationship and choosing that person over something on my to-do list, etc. I don’t always have to be in a rush or on a time schedule. I don’t always have to have a to-do list. I don’t always need to do X amount of things on one day because I did Y amount of things the day before. I don’t need to be home by a certain time so that I can blog and make my lunch for the next day. Because you know what? Life will still go on if I don’t do those things; I will survive, haha. Although it’s hard to imagine, it will all be ok if I let go of things for a day, few days or even a week. So, that’s my goal for this year. To loosen up and work my way down the 1-10 Type A scale and get a little more balance in my life.

I want to hear your thoughts! Where do you find yourself on the “spectrum”? Do you relate to any of those Type A qualities that I listed above? What’s something you want to work on this year?

My Kind of “Boxed” Wine…

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I don’t think I’m surprising anyone when I say I love wine, right? Nope. Definitely not. Well, with that said, it’s safe to say that giving me a present that includes wine is never a bad idea. And when it involves multiple- 6, to be exact- bottles it’s a very good idea! Imagine my face when I opened the box and saw these beauties!

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I don’t know where this was bought, but what I love about it is that there was a sheet of paper with each type of wine’s flavors and good food pairings.

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Although I drink a lot of wine and have been to a number of wine seminars, I really don’t know that much about different varietals, food pairings, aging, etc. My fellow blogger “friend” (is it appropriate to call someone a friend if you’ve only corresponded via social media? I’m going to make it appropriate.) blogs over at The Slant where he talks about the perfect pairing of wine and running… Burpees to Bubbly, Running and Wine… I couldn’t agree more with his outlook on the two! Anyway! He writes hilariously witty posts and I’ve learned so much about wine from his blog. I’m hoping to get him to guest post for me when I’m in Dallas in a few months (hint, hint…).

So, what I’m trying to say, is I can’t provide any in depth analysis of the wines, but I can tell you that if they all taste as good as the Rafale French Merlot, I’m in for a treat!

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I like heavier/thicker red wines and this one was definitely that. It was very flavorful and was perfect for a casual Friday night.

The box came with 4 reds and 2 whites and I think I’ll try one of the whites next.

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I feel like I’ve heard of Terranoble and since I’m a Chardonnay lover (and love Chilean wines), I’m sure it will pass my taste-test approval (but, let’s be honest, what doesn’t? Well, Franzia boxed wine. Sorry mom- I just can’t do it!).

The red that I’m most looking forward to try is the Pallas, simply because I think the label is really cool (yes, I judge wine by the label).

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So, pour yourself a glass of wine and let’s chat!

Red or white? It depends for me! I really enjoy both, but tend to order white when I’m out at a bar since it doesn’t do as much damage if I get bumped and spill. Weather also plays a huge role in terms of whether I’ll drink white or red. Hot, summer day/night? Definitely an ice cold class of white wine, please. Snowy, cold, winter evening? Big ol’ glass of red always does the trick!

What type of red or white do you enjoy the most? Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc for whites and Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot for red. Lately, though, I’ve really been enjoying a good Malbec!

What’s your “go-to” wine when you’re at a busy bar and need to just order something quickly? Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc

Do you judge a wine by the label? Yes! How can you not? Unless I’m craving something in particular (usually J. Lohr or La Crema), I’ll pick something out with a neat label.

Your turn! Let me know your favorites 🙂

Weekending: Pure Barre, Crock Pot Meal, Boston Visiters

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This past weekend was relatively quiet, which was good since I was still feeling pretty crappy unless I was drugged up on Sudafed. By Friday afternoon, though, I was itching to get out of my apartment (2 days in a row of working from home will do that to you!), so I decided to get my grocery shopping done. Woohoo, wild and crazy Friday night, huh? To spice things up, I stopped in at TJ Maxx first and scored this awesome Essie nail polish. Did you guys know they sell it there for $4.99?? I’ve been really into paining my nails recently, so I was stoked!

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My Friday night wasn’t entirely boring, though, as I did get together with someone for a class of wine, which ended up making me so stuffy I had to stop after one. The horrors!

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That was a bottle included in an awesome “box” of wine that I got as a Christmas present. I’m going to do a whole recap on that in another post because good wine deserves its own post, right?!

I had been looking forward to Saturday all week because I was finally cashing in my Christmas present from my sister, which was a class at Pure Barre on Newbury Street. I’ve been to a few barre classes, but I still went in without knowing what to expect. Well, 5 minutes in when I was dripping sweat holding all sorts of leg lifts and inner thigh squeezes and 90 second planks, I realized I was in for a real treat!

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I loved the class and could see myself going more often if it wasn’t so expensive, but I have to say that my first reaction of my first class wasn’t what I expected it to be. I think the reason I felt this way was only because the class moved SO fast and I had no idea what I was doing, which left me a little frustrated (it’s the Type A “I want to know exactly what to do, how to do it, what it should look like and how long we’ll be doing it for” in me.). I kept trying to look around for someone who looked like they knew what they were doing, but it was a class primarily full of “newbies” like Danielle and me, so I was out of luck. Even though I spent a lot of time fumbling around trying to figure out what to squeeze and tuck, I was able to “get” the move before it was time to move on, which was good. The instructor was also really attentive and walked around and corrected form (I kind of wanted her to just stand by me and fix me the whole class…) which was great.

I talked to the instructor after class to thank her for a great workout and to ask if it’s normal to be confused with the moves/terminology and she said that everyone feels that way after their first class and that after a few classes you learn the lingo and the moves and it becomes easier in that respect (not in terms of the workout). This made me feel better! And just because I was frustrated didn’t mean I didn’t like it, because I loved it. We worked muscles I didn’t know I had and when I woke up on Sunday morning, I could feel EVERYTHING. Holy moly. My hamstrings, abductors, triceps (I didn’t even think we did anything to work our triceps) and back were screaming as soon as I woke up. It was great. Thanks for a great Christmas present, Danielle! It was so fun trying something totally new and having it literally kick my butt. I want to go back!

After class, we headed to Douzo Sushi for a healthy and light lunch. We shared a Bento Box, Tempura Broccoli and Edamame. We didn’t share our wine, though 😉

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I love going out to lunch and having wine SO much. It’s probably one of my favorite things to do on a Saturday! I had to babysit on Saturday night, so I had to stop after 1 glass. Womp, womp.

Sunday morning I got up, did laundry, made granola (I’ll post it soon- SO good), went for a run and then got my crock pot meal ready since Danielle and I were getting drinks with our cousin on Sunday evening. I got the crock pot recipe from Eat, Live, Run and was happy with how easy it was to prepare. Are all crock pot meals as easy as cutting things up and putting them in the crock pot? I should do more of these…

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I followed Jenna’s recipe exactly except I used sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes. I tried to halve the recipe, but I ended up doing probably 3/4 of the recipe. Soup freezes well, so I’m sure I’ll be doing that!

On Sunday evening, my sister and I met up with our cousin who was in town for various camp fairs (He’s the director at Hosmer Point in Craftsbury Commons, VT.) at Otto Pizza in Coolidge Corner. We got to meet some of his former campers/counselors which was really fun. We talked about Burpees to Bubbly (Hi everyone if you’ve ventured over here!) and I loved it 🙂

And that about sums it up! All in all, it was a good weekend… a little quiet/laid back, but with this stupid cold thing that’s probably just what I needed.

Questions for you: What was the best part of your weekend? Have you been to Pure Barre or another Barre studio in Boston? Do you have tips for a newbie?? What’s your favorite crock pot recipe?

How to survive the “January Rush” at the gym

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Who else is already frustrated with the crazy crowds at the gym this week? As an instructor, I love it; it’s my time to get people hooked on exercise endorphins, get them to keep coming back to my class and become an all year round gym goer. However, as a member looking to go to the gym to work out, it can be quite frustrating! Don’t get me wrong, I love that people are trying to kick off a new year with taking time for themselves to get healthy, I just wish they would stay for longer than a few months 🙂

With that said, this week I’ve been thinking about how to survive the January Rush at the gym without throwing some elbows. Just kidding. I wouldn’t do that, but I do get aggressive which isn’t good. My first thought was to stop going to the gym on my own during January and pick back up when the crowds have died down, but let’s be real. I can’t stay away from the gym for that long, so here are some tips to get you through the gym rush.

1. Mentally Prepare. Yes, it’s January. Yes, there are going to be twice (if not more) as many people at the gym than the other 11 months of the year, but you just have to deal with it. Going into the gym knowing that you might have to wait for a machine or share a space near the weights makes it much easier than going in there thinking you’re going to jump on a treadmill and then find them all full. That’s really not fun.

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2. Try going at “off” times. So you usually go to the gym after work, but that’s also one of the busiest times at the gym, right? Why don’t you try going before work (tips for getting up and working out before work can be found this post)? Or, try doing something during your lunch break or maybe after dinner. These may not be ideal since they require extra work and planning, but it’s better than skipping the workout all together because you can’t stand the crowds!

3. Sign up in advance! The BSC lets you sign up online, as do a lot of specialty studios (Spin, Barre, Yoga, etc.) and YMCA’s. My YMCA doesn’t, which is annoying, but you can get a ticket before class, so you just have to make sure you get there early enough to get one!

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4. Try out something new. Barre classes, Spin classes, Yoga classes, Pilates classes, etc. Those fancy boutique studios can be pricey, but there are often “first time joiner” deals where you can get a week pass for the same price as 1 class, which is great. Not only does it get you out of your normal routine, it introduces you to a new type of workout that you may actually really like.

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5. Skip the gym and do an at-home workout. If the crowds really bother you, there are so many workouts you can do in the comforts of your own home. I’ve got a bunch to choose from here.

6. When all else fails, put your game face on and be ready to stake your claim on a machine, near the weights or in a class. 😉

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Questions for you: What’s your game plan for the gym during January? Have you tried new workouts because of the crowds? Do you welcome the new comers or get frustrated when they take over the gym?

This Week: Workouts, Schedule {Finally back on ‘normal’ track}, Things I’m Looking Forward To

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Has anyone else not had a full week of work for at least a few weeks at this point? And, on top of that, for the days I was working, things were really quiet, which was a nice change! It’s going to be weird to be back to the “full swing” of things this week, including everyone back to work, full week of teaching, full week of lunch preparation/meal planning, etc. I could really get used to working “short” weeks with days off in the middle, though, how about you?

I had some good workouts last week, but still wasn’t able to get back to my full teaching schedule due to the New Year on Wednesday and the Hercules blizzard on Thursday. I also splurged on a New Years Day and took a yoga class at Exhale Spa as a way to start off the new year with a clear, positive mindset! The classes there are pricey, but when you factor in the locker room luxuries (heated towel holders, sandals, robes, straighteners, blow dryers, high end shamp/cond/body wash, etc.), it’s totally worth the price… once and a while 😉

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I subbed a kickboxing class at the Watertown BSC. It was a small group, but it was still a fun class. I did 15 minutes on the elliptical beforehand.
  • Tuesday- I worked from home and did Fitnessista’s Day After Christmas Crumble workout after I saw it posted on Athena’s workout post last week. It did not disappoint!
  • Wednesday- I went to Exhale Spa for a yoga class!
  • Thursday- I was all excited to teach my double, but due to the storm, I was only able to teach 1 of my 2 classes. I used a new format (taken from Men’s Health, which, in my opinion, often times has better workouts than Women’s Health!) in my SHRED class and we were all sweaty and shakey by the end. Instead of teaching my kickboxing (only 2 people showed up and classes were cancelled by that point anyway) class, I ran 2 miles and headed home.
  • Friday- I thought I’d have to shovel out my car for hours after I saw what it looked like, but a super nice guy offered to snow blow me out- I was SO grateful! Instead, I did some lower body and core strengthening and stretching.

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  • Saturday- Taught a super, duper sweaty kickboxing class with lots of fun faces in the crowd (and so many others, too- there were about 50 people there. Bring on the crowds, January!). My favorite part was seeing everyone’s tweets and facebook status’s after!

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  • Sunday-I decided to take advantage of the “heat wave” and go for a 3 mile run outside. My pace was all over the place because I had to dodge snow banks and puddles, but I averaged 8:29/mile for the 3 miles. I was happy with that. After my jog, I headed into the gym and did some strength training (super sets at first, 3 rounds through, then I got bored with that and jumped around to all sorts of stuff) and core work.

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This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I think I’ll take the 6pm spin class if there’s space. I love the January crowds as an instructor, but as a gym “goer”, I HATE it. I know I should be more supportive, but again, unless I’m teaching, I just can’t be that supportive because these people are taking up my gym space. Ok. That was harsh, but still. It’s annoying!
  • Tuesday- I will do some type of strength workout since I’ve been slacking on that lately.
  • Wednesday- Probably running then teaching UXF Burn- hope there’s lots of new-comers in my class!
  • Thursday- Thursday double! SHRED and then Kickboxing. Can’t wait to finally get to teach my double.
  • Friday- Rest!
  • Saturday- My friend, Lindsay, is a new instructor at Recycle Studio and wants me to try a class since she knows I am just getting into spinning, so I may try to get to her 9:30 spin class on Saturday morning since it’s my off weekend from teaching. Also! I think my sister (and maybe Amy and Rachel) are going to cash in my Christmas gift and go to a noon class at Pure Barre! Should be a fun-filled fitness morning 🙂

Schedule

A fairly regular week, which will be a nice change! I’m looking forward to getting back into the work and teaching groove. I have plans after work on Tuesday, so I’ll get my workout done before work. I love when I have something right after work and can be one of those “young professionals getting drinks after work” people, haha.

Things I’m Looking Forward To

Normalcy! And, getting drinks after work and trying a class at Pure Barre with at least my sister (and hopefully Amy and Rachel) on Saturday. I love doing “new” fitness things with people, especially my sister, so I’m excited. I hope I get to take Lindsay’s class, because even though I don’t feel ‘ready’ to go to a fancy spin studio, I think it will be a true test as to whether or not I can become a “spinner”.

Questions for you: Have you been to Recycle studio? Did the snow storm mess up your gym plans? Did you try and new ‘at-home’ or snow-inspired workouts (snow shoeing, skiing, shoveling, etc.)? What are you looking forward to this week?