Category: YMCA

This Week: Workouts, gearing up for lots of teaching & things I’m looking forward to

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Hi there! Can you believe this is the last week in August?? I seriously have no idea where the summer went, but to be honest, although I’m not ready for summer to be officially over, to have cooler weather and to lose some daylight hours, I am ready for fall. A slower schedule (hopefully), apple picking, pumpkin everything… you get the idea 🙂

I posted on Facebook last week that it was all about changing up workouts for me last week.

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When I was teaching a million classes a week, it was hard for me to try new things or change up what I was doing because I was on a tight schedule. However, now that I’ve lightened up my teaching schedule, I’m able to jump around and try new things. It didn’t hurt that I had 2 free classes at Exhale Spa before the end of the month 😉

My workouts, in addition to being different than usual, ended up being less intense, which came at a perfect time. Last week I was going through some stomach issues and a weird blurry eye/headache/sinus pressure thing, which made it really hard to workout (makes me so tired!). I’ve gotten them before, but never 3 in one week. Something weird is going on… hopefully it doesn’t happen this week because I’ve got a big week of teaching. RM is out of town so I took advantage of some subbing opportunities- never bad to make a little extra $$ 😉

Last Week’s Workouts

My workouts last week were on the lighter side, which is ok. It’s good to give your body a little break from the high intensity/impact workouts sometimes. I did a LOT of walking- both at lunch and after work since I went to 2 classes in the city, so that was a nice change of pace.

  • Monday- I still had a stomach ache when I woke up and was nervous about teaching my 6am class, but surprisingly enough, as soon as I started moving, I didn’t notice my stomach ache! There was just one girl in class but we had a killer workout!
  • Tuesday- I went to Exhale Spa for a Core Fusion Cardio class. I usually go to classes where Chrissy Snyder is teaching (because she’s amazing!), but she wasn’t teaching on Tuesday and that’s when I wanted to go so I went to a different instructor. She was good, but it wasn’t nearly as hard as Chrissy’s classes. Oh well!
  • Wednesday- My blurry eye thing was bad in the afternoon so I opted to go for a walk instead of run. I walked 20 minutes at lunch and power walked another 20 before teaching. I did about 50% of the class with my UXF Burn group- I hadn’t planned on doing any, but when I get in there and feel their energy, I can’t help myself!
  • Thursday- I walked 20 minutes at lunch and then went to Chrissy’s Core Fusion Yoga class at Exhale Spa after work. It was a great class- low impact but it had me shaking! Every time I go to yoga I’m reminded why I love it so much and why I should do it more often. Does it happen? not usually. sigh. haha

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  • Friday- I went to a Barry’s Bootcamp workout on the roof deck at the Revere Hotel. I thought it was a good workout, but it wasn’t as hard as I was thinking/hoping it would be! Still learned some good moves and got to workout with these beauties so I can’t complain!

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  • Saturday– Nothing 🙂 We walked the Marginal Way in Ogunquit but besides that, nothing.
  • Sunday– ANOTHER rest day! I don’t remember the last time I took 2 rest days in a row… it was actually nice. I’m teaching a lot this week so I figured it was best to rest. RM and I went on a 2 mile walk in the morning which was a nice way to wake up!

This Week’s Workouts

This is a big week of teaching and workouts for me! It’s funny how things tend to all happen at once- subbing, starting a new class, etc. That’s ok, though- having a big workout schedule before a long weekend is never a bad thing 😉

  • Monday- I’m subbing the 6am Muscle Work class and will do some cardio after.
  • Tuesday- My friend Christy’s sister-in-law, Kerri, asked if I was up for leading a bootcamp for her and her friends. Umm, yes! of course I was up for that! Tuesday is our first session and I am excited!
  • Wednesday- Probably some light cardio before teaching UXF Burn.
  • Thursday- I’m subbing my old double! SHRED and Cardio Kickboxing- I’m so excited!!!
  • Friday- Rest day 🙂
  • Saturday- Teaching Cardio Kickboxing at the Oak Square YMCA before heading to Maine for the long weekend.
  • Sunday- Not sure- maybe a walk with my mom and/or sister? maybe a bootcamp with them? maybe rest?

Things I’m Looking Forward To

I am most excited about heading home to Maine this weekend for more than a 24 hour period. My sister is also going home, so it will be fun to just have the 4 of us since that hasn’t happened in-gosh- months and months! I foresee lots of laughs, lots of good food and lots of wine and I CAN.NOT.WAIT! I’m also excited for the first bootcamp session and going back to my Thursday night double 🙂

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? Did you try anything new? What are you looking forward to this week? Has your summer gone by fast?

This Week: Workouts, B/Spoke Review & Things I’m Looking Forward To

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Good morning! Did you guys have a good weekend? Mine seemed extra long because it was kicked off by going to the Red Sox game on Thursday night, but I’m not complaining!

Last week was a pretty solid week of workouts- a good mix between at-home stuff, teaching and GOING to classes- one of my favorite things to do!

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A while ago, I was invited to take a class at a new indoor cycling studio in the financial district: B/Spoke. It’s been a LONGGG time since I’ve taken an indoor cycling class, so I was really excited to get back “in the saddle”, as they say. I reached out to my friends Athena and Caroline to see if they wanted to join. Sadly, Athena had wedding planning plans, but Caroline was still able to come so that was fun! I also invited my friend Megan to come since they offer a free first class.

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As soon as I walked in, I was greeted with smiling faces and asked my shoe size. I love that all these studios provide shoes- I hate wearing non-spin shoes on those bikes now that I’ve seen what it’s like to wear them. It really makes a huge difference in your ride! I was also given a free water- never a bad thing! They have elastics, ear plugs and gum- free of charge- as well.

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The studio is a little cramped in places, but they definitely made the best use of the space that they could by offering lots of locker space and a nice bathroom area. The showers were stocked with fancy shampoo, conditioner and body wash, they had towels to use and soap, q-tips, and other necessities to make getting showered and ready after class a breeze. The only thing I wish they had was more bathrooms, but it seems to be a common thing to only have a few of them at these types of studios. I guess I’m just used to big gym locker rooms.

Ok, enough about the building and amenities, how about the class, right?! I actually loved it! The room was the right size- not too big, but big enough to fit a crowd of people.

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They keep the lights down low so you’re forced to just be in the moment and focus on your ride rather than looking around at everyone else. Caroline, Megan and I were front and center, which is where I generally like to be when I take classes, but not always when I’m in a spin class since that’s not my forte. However, I didn’t feel like a fool or like I couldn’t keep up in this class- maybe I didn’t push myself hard enough? I felt like I was working hard, but when we finished I felt like I could’ve done another ride. I was actually a little sad it was over. I must have definitely not pushed myself hard enough 😉

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The instructor was really great, though. She wasn’t annoying or boring- she was the perfect mix of bubbly energy and hard-core “push yourself” type of instructor. I’m fairly critical of instructors these days, and she passed the test for me. We chatted after and she was super sweet. I loved her choreography because we were hardly in the saddle, which is my least favorite place to be! We did lots of booty drops and oblique work and then the arms song left my delts screaming!

All in all, I really liked the class and would love to get back there. You really can’t pass up a free first class, so if you’re looking to check out someplace new, I suggest getting your bums over to B/Spoke. Take a class with Natalie- she was great!

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I went to B/Spoke. Before I went, I filmed my 7 Minute Body Weight Upper Body Burner and did this workout from Pumps & Iron. Loved it!
  • Tuesday- I went to a Chisel class at my new gym. The instructor was awesome!!! I loved her energy and southern accent and it was overall just a great class. I used a lot of moves in UXF Burn on Wednesday.
  • Wednesday- I ran 3 miles on the treadmill before teaching UXF Burn. We worked hard… like really hard. Lots of back to back shoulder exercises and leg stuff and cardio. For the cardio blast, I took Nicole’s format from this post, but did a 5 minute AMRAP of the 4 different stages of a burpee and at the end just had them do 1 round of 10 reps of the 4 stages. They loved to hate it 😉 The crowd is definitely growing now that I don’t teach there on Thursdays anymore. And, now that I don’t teach on Thursdays anymore I have LOADS of energy when teaching my Wednesday class. No holding back anymore!

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  • Thursday- I was given tickets to the Sox game on Thursday night so I got up and did 30 minutes of kickboxing in my kitchen before going to work. I hadn’t done any kickboxing in 3 weeks- I was sore on Friday!
  • Friday- I went to the Lynnfield BSC during lunch and kicked my butt on the UXF turf- no cardio, but my heart rate was up the whole time!

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  • Saturday- I finally taught my kickboxing class at the Oak Square YMCA. I missed that crowd so much!
  • Sunday- Rest day 🙂

This Week’s Workouts

    • Monday- I taught my Muscle Work class at 6am today and did some cardio after.
    • Tuesday- I plan on going to a Core Fusion Cardio Exhale Spa. I have 2 free class coupons to use by the end of the month so I’d like to take advantage of it!
    • Wednesday- I’m either going to do a double or run before teaching UXF Burn.
    • Thursday- Not sure! Maybe the cardio/strength fusion class at PUMPS? Maybe kickboxing at Wellington? Who knows!
    • Friday- I’m going to a Barry’s Bootcamp workout/event at Revere Hotel with my gym friend Jen. I can’t wait!
    • Saturday- Probably rest day since RM and I are getting up early to head to Maine for my dad’s birthday (and a beach day).
    • Sunday- Not sure- maybe a jog or walk in Maine?

Things I’m Looking Forward To

What I’m most looking forward to this week is going home to Maine on Saturday- I haven’t been home since FATHER’S DAY, which is unheard of for me! My dad is turning 65 on Saturday so it worked out perfectly for us to get up there for a beach day and celebration for him. I’m also looking forward to having a quieter week and hopefully not drinking during the week. I know it’s summer and summer brings about reasons for social gatherings more so than during the winter months, but I’ve just realized how often I’m having a casual cocktail multiple nights a week at this point. I know it’s not a big deal, but I just like to have the week as a detox from drinking.

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? Have you been to B/Spoke? What are you looking forward to this week? Do you drink during the week?

This Week: Workouts, Announcements & Things I’m Looking Forward To (CHICAGO!)

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Good morning and happy Monday, friends! It feels weird not having started my day teaching my 6am Muscle Work class. I have to say, although it’s not necessarily fun getting up and to the gym that early, especially on a Monday morning, it sure makes for a much better day knowing my workout is done and over with and I can spend my evening relaxing, blog writing and cooking!

I’ve got lots going on this week, but think the most important thing to talk about first is a BIG (at least for me) change I made recently. It wasn’t an easy decision and although I wanted some consistency in my day to day, especially after my other big change, I felt like it was the right thing for me to do right now. It was something I needed to do, even though it was a really hard decision to make. You ask what that is?

I have decided to give up my teaching my Thursday night double.

I know- it kind of came out of nowhere after my one (err 5) too many little mental breakdowns I’ve had over the past couple of months. I just realized that something had to give, and although I didn’t want it to be my classes and teaching schedule, I realized that, ultimately, that was giving me the most stress and wearing me down the most. By the time Thursday afternoons came around and I realized I was going to have to gear up to teach my double after work, sheer dread came over me. And, it’s not like this happened once and a while. It started to be a weekly thing. I didn’t feel this way before any other class, so I can only attribute it to how much energy it takes for me to teach and DO a double, generally after an intense workout on Wednesday night, too.

Granted, by the time I finished my second cool down of the night and I knew it was time to go home I was fine, but I realized that I shouldn’t go into a workout or teaching a class dreading it. I- and my members- deserve more than that, so I decided that I needed to give up those classes to help free some time up in my schedule and hopefully allow some extra room for me to, dare I say it? RELAX. I can’t be entirely sure that will happen, but I will say it will be nice to be able to do things on Thursday nights, especially during the summer.

I’ve got some other things brewing on the back burner with regards to some new teaching opportunities, but for now, I’m just going to enjoy having 2+ hours back to my Thursdays. My last class is THIS week and I’m dreading it already. I’m going to miss my members so much! I’ve grown the 5:30 SHRED class from 3 or 4 people to generally 16-20 people and I’ve grown my kickboxing class to an average of 16 people (and before me there was no kickboxing class, so I had to build that all on my own). These members come to my classes week after week, ready for any of the crazy (and, I mean that- I throw some weird stuff at them) things I think up and throw into the mix. We’ve grown to know each other as more than just the person standing next to you in class, so it’s going to be weird to not see them as much anymore. One of the members said he felt like I was dumping them, and it broke my heart a little! Luckily, I’ve decided to keep my Wednesday night UXF Burn class at that gym so at least I’ll still see most of them… they’re just going to have to get used to only 1 dose of me, not 3.

So, with that said. I’m hoping this change will help bring a better balance to my life. I’ve been juggling teaching an average of 5 classes a week, working 40 hours, commuting, writing this little blog, spending a lot of time with RM and friends and going away on the weekends that if I didn’t cut back somewhere, I was going to break. I’m sad to end this chapter but excited to have more time for my own workouts (maybe even start to consistently lift heavier) and try out other classes in the area.

OK, enough heavy talk… let’s get to the workouts!

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I taught my 6am Muscle Work class, which did include cardio, and then did 15 minutes on the stair stepper again.
  • Tuesday- The heat and humidity were killer on Tuesday night so I ended up cutting my run at 3 miles and then doing a butt kicking bootcamp-style workout finisher. I’ll post it on Wednesday for you!
  • Wednesday- I ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill before teaching (and doing most of) my SHRED class. It was a big class, likely because of the rainy weather, but I’ll take it! I even had a coworker come and there were 4 guys in the class!
  • Thursday- I taught SHRED and then Kickboxing… lots of members in both- we had fun!
  • Friday- Nothing. I went for a 15 minute walk during lunch but otherwise rested.
  • Saturday– After 2 weeks away from my Saturday kickboxing class at the Oak Square YMCA, I was back! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: that class is the best start of my weekend! We worked so hard and I love seeing the members push themselves each time I’m there.
  • Sunday- I got up and did 20 minutes of yoga and then 15 minutes of core and glute work at RM’s apartment before we went for a 45 min power walk. We went for another stroll after our afternoon meal at his moms, too.

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- Not sure! I’d love to get in a workout during the day, but it may be an after work thing.
  • Tuesday- I have a hair appointment after work so I’ll either try to get to a muscle class during the day or do something before work.
  • Wednesday- Teaching UXF Burn and probably running beforehand.
  • Thursday- Teaching my LAST Thursday double *tears*. Dana requested stations during SHRED, so I may do that and some partner work at the end. Kickboxing requests? Maybe the booty burner?
  • Friday- I am going to Chicago for a long weekend and we have an early flight so my guess is that I won’t get up for a workout, especially after a Thursday night double!
  • Saturday-Monday- I’m not sure. Like I said, I’ll be in Chicago so I’m sure I’ll be doing lots of walking, but knowing me I’ll be getting some other workouts in as well 🙂

Things I’m Looking Forward To

So many things this week! My 2nd Stitch Fix is coming in today, so hopefully they gave me good stuff for Chicago. I’m also getting my hair cut, which is long overdue. Lastly, I’m going to Chicago for the weekend. A longggg time ago my friend Jessi asked if anyone wanted to go (she was going with her boyfriend and his friends) so my friend Lauren and I jumped at it and booked our stuff. Sadly, Lauren ended up not being able to go so I asked RM and he was game since it’s a city he’s never been to. I can’t wait to go back and do more exploring and hang out with my friend JP again! We are also having dinner at the top of the Sears tower and going to a Cubs game- I am SO excited!!

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? Boston friends- do you have suggestions for any new workouts in the city to try since I’m going to have more free time? Any suggestions on what to do while in Chicago during the summer? I was there in November (Boston>Dallas>Chicago, Chicago: Part1 {Shopping and Bar Hopping}, Chicago: Part 2 {The Bean, Navy Pier, Boat Tour, Brewery}, Chicago: Part 3 {Brunching, Architecture Tour, Homemade Dinner}), but I feel like there’s still a lot of stuff that I didn’t get to do!

This Week: Workouts, JP Morgan Race Review, Things I’m Looking Forward To

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Hi there! Happy Monday 🙂 Can you believe tomorrow is JULY 1st?!?! Where the heck has the spring gone?! I feel like once July 4th hits, it’s a race to the end of summer- I hate that! Although my July is crazy busy with a cape trip for the 4th, Bachelorette party on Nantucket the weekend after and Chicago at the end of the month, August should be a bit slower, which will be nice.

Last week was a good week of workouts, for the most part. I’ve really started to enjoy teaching my Monday morning class- it’s such a good way to kick off the work week! On top of a full teaching schedule (5 classes this week), I also ran the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge with my company. There were over 12,000 runners this year and while they tried to make it more organized by bib colors, the start of the race was still a big cluster and I found myself forced to walk until the crowds thinned out a bit. But, even with that, I finished the 3.5 mile race in 29:29, which I was happy about considering my first mile was 9:25! I came in as the first girl for my company which was pretty cool, especially because I’m not a “runner”. We headed to Granary Tavern after the race for celebratory drinks and food. I was STARVING by this point, so the flatbreads, sweet potato fries, fried calamari and buffalo wings couldn’t have tasted better 😉

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Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I taught my 6am muscle class and did a Tabata format, which left me sore for literally 3 days! I finished up my workout with 20 minutes on the elliptical.
  • Tuesday- I ran the 3.5 mile race and did a little extra running/walking when getting there, too.
  • Wednesday- I ran a hard 3 miles before teaching my UXF Burn class. It’s so crazy how runs can be good one day and bad the next day. I blame it on the heat!
  • Thursday- I taught SHRED and Cardio Kickboxing… in some more new lulu 😉

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  • Friday- I went for a 25-30 minute walk during my lunch break and then walked a bit when I went into the city for drinks.
  • Saturday- I taught Cardio Kickboxing at the Oak Square YMCA. Smaller crowd, but we still got in a good workout!
  • Sunday- I did an at-home, self lead 30 minute yoga sesh and then 15 minutes of abs. After breakfast, RM and I went for a 45 minute power walk.

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This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I plan on going for a run (4 or 5 miles?) and then doing some core work.
  • Tuesday- Some of the ladies in my office invited me to check out a muscle class at their gym during lunch time, so I think I will do that, which works out well because I have a hair appointment after work.
  • Wednesday- I’ll probably run before teaching UXF Burn.
  • Thursday- Sunday- To be honest, I’m not sure! My Thursday classes were cancelled and I am heading to the Cape so it’s hard to tell what I will do. I’m sure I’ll go running and go for walks and do some at-home boot camps when I’m on the Cape. Anyone have any good ones I should try?

Things I’m Looking Forward To

This is a fun week because the 4th of July is one of the best holidays! Tuesday I have a hair appointment to get some highlights, which I’ve been waiting to do for a while now. On top of that, I’m really excited about going to the Cape for the holiday weekend. Although I’m going to miss being in Maine with my family and friends (and going to the parade!), it will be fun to try something different.

Questions for you: What was your best workout last week? Did you run the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge? What are you doing for the 4th of July?

This Week: Workouts, Weekend Recap, Things I’m Looking Forward To

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Hi there! I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was really fun, but also really busy. I was supposed to go to my gym friend, Jen’s, “Porch Friday” summer kickoff gathering, but after the week I had, I was beat and decided to lay low. I hate missing things, but knew I needed to take it easy since Saturday and Sunday were going to be nonstop. Instead, some wine and snacks at Piers Park helped me relax from the week.

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Saturday started with a super sweaty UXF Burn/SHRED class that I subbed at the Central Square BSC (my usual gym). It was awesome to see so many of my Wednesday and Thursday regulars in class! Here’s some of my new lulu that I bought 😉

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Paycheck + Lulu near my work= a little splurge 😉

From there, RM and I headed north for a BBQ at Christy and Jaime’s. Sadly, I didn’t take ANY pictures- whoops! But everything was amazing- the food, drinks, company, weather- all in all it was a great afternoon! From there, I headed to Liz’s house for a gym friends party. I always look forward to these nights because it’s so fun to chat with other instructors and share our crazy interesting teaching stories.

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(thanks for the photo, Liz! And hosting us 🙂 )

Sunday started with a UXF Burn class and then RM and I went for a nice, long 3 or 4 mile walk along the beach before going to Jess and Brian’s baby shower. They had it at Shake Shack in Harvard Square. I’ve never been there before, but I am sold- their burgers and fries were amazingggg. It was such a fun baby shower- they didn’t open gifts or play any games, which is more my style. We were able to chat and mingle- perfect!

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Phew! What a weekend- I love when I get to spend time with my college friends and it was fun having RM meet everyone! But, let me tell you- 3 parties and party food in 2 days makes me really ready for some clean eats. Indulgences are totally worth it (and sometimes why I workout 😉 ), though.

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I taught my 6am muscle class and did 15 minutes on the elliptical.
  • Tuesday- I ran 5 miles after work and it felt great! I had fast splits (for me!) and was able to clear my head.

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  • Wednesday- My new company had their summer outing after work so I got up to workout before I headed into the office. I was going to do a 2 mile jog and then body weight strength training but ended up running 3 miles and just some push-ups, squats, planks, etc.
  • Thursday- I taught SHRED and then Cardio Kickboxing. I did a 25-15-4 rep format for SHRED and liked it!
  • Friday- Rest day since I was teaching on Saturday and Sunday.
  • Saturday- I ran 2 miles on the treadmill before subbing UXF Burn/SHRED. We worked so hard and I loved every second of it!

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  • Sunday- I didn’t want to get out of bed, but I was happy I did. There were only 2 people in the UXF Burn class I subbed, but it was fun because I was able to do stuff I don’t usually get to do! Also, there was another instructor in the class who teaches Barre so I let her lead the last 5 minutes of core work and it was killer!

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- By the time this post goes up I will have taught my 6am Muscle Class and done a little cardio after.
  • Tuesday- I’m running the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge after work. It’s a 3.5 mile race, so nothing too crazy.
  • Wednesday- I’ll either run or do some other cardio before teaching UXF Burn. I missed them last week!
  • Thursday- Teaching SHRED and Cardio Kickboxing.
  • Friday- Probably a rest day besides a walk at lunch.
  • Saturday- Back at the Oak Square YMCA for my Cardio Kickboxing class… I hope my front row is back 🙂
  • Sunday- I would LOVE to get some yoga in. I need to make that happen.

Things I’m Looking Forward To

I’m looking forward to running the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge as part of the team at my new company. Our shirts are so dorky, but it’s kind of funny! I’m also excited to go out with some former coworkers, including my friend Tim, later in the week. Other than that, I’m excited for a weekend where I really have nothing planned. I may head to the Cape with RM on Saturday, but if I ended up sticking around here I wouldn’t be mad at all. I want to get my hair highlighted, so that would be great if I could fit that in on Saturday.

Questions for you: What was the best part of your weekend? Have you been to Shake Shack? What are you looking forward to this week? Are you running the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge?