Tag: New Balance

Five on Friday {5.12.17}

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Good morning- TGIF! I don’t know about anyone else, but it’s been quite a week! First , one day I dialed into the wrong conference call, next, I emailed Lauren asking why I didn’t get my first workout in the Fit in 15 quickie series, only to have her tell me it starts NEXT week, haha I think between still battling a head cold, exhaustion from the weekend and teaching so many classes, I can’t keep things straight!

So, let’s keep it simple today- here are some things of possible interest!

  • Mother’s Day Pink Ribbon Low Cut Cleat– New Balance is offering a Mother’s Day edition of the baseball cleats some of the pros (Dustin Pedroia, Robby Scott, Hanley Ramirez) are wearing these days. The pink accents represent the fact that they are part of New Balance’s Lace Up for the Cure® Collection, meaning that a portion of the proceeds go to breast cancer research, as well as the Susan G. Komen organization/foundation. As a bonus offer, if you purchase these cool looking cleats, you’ll also win a pair of pink CFX Pro batting gloves! I absolutely love all that New Balance does to support cancer (especially breast cancer) research- they are truly a company all about giving back.

  • Free Spin Class at B/Spoke Wellesley– This Sunday (Mother’s Day),  B/Spoke Wellesley is offering a FREE RIDE to sons & daughters who bring their mom’s to either the 8:15am or 9:30am class. In addition to a free class, you’ll be entered in a raffle for the chance to win gift cards to various other stores in the area such as Gretta Cole, Gretta Luxe, MiniLuxe, Cocobeet & more! If you are interested, email Grace Goodearl at ggoodearl@bspokestudios.com.
  • Gold Medal Bootcamp– On Thursday, May 18th at 6pm there will be a really cool workout opportunity in Boston Common. EF Education First and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, DeeDee Trotter are hosting a FREE, public outdoor workout! Cherry on top? Eliza of Kick It by Eliza (duh!)will also be there an running you through a “Kick It” aspect of the workout. There will be music, refreshments, a New Balance pop-up shop and more that you can check out after the event. If you’re interested in this, make sure you register here. Maybe DeeDee will even let you touch her gold medals?! 😉
  • Sweat, Shop, Snack {Round 1}- On Wednesday, I hosted my second class/event at the New Balance Flagship Store in Brighton. While it was certainly a much smaller crowd (so many people told me they couldn’t go because of other plans- May is a busy month!), the crew who showed up was fierce! Most of them had never done kickboxing before, but you could never tell by looking at them. They caught on SO fast and were so energetic- laughing and smiling throughout the whole workout! Didn’t hurt that DJ Sprino was crushing it on the turn tables (is that still a thing people say?!), per usual. The staff at NB are all SO nice and helpful- they make having events there so easy. Huge thanks to Purity Organics for providing juices again, Hint Water for providing delicious waters and GoMacro for providing macrobars for people to munch on after class! I won’t be doing any more events there until the fall as Seaport Sweat starts up in a few weeks which will add more classes to my schedule and leave less time for other events.

  • GoMacro- GoMacro recently reached out to me regarding their company and product. I had actually tried Go Macro bars when they were on sale at Whole Foods and absolutely LOVED them, so I jumped on board to work with them. For those of you who may not be familiar with GoMacro, it’s a family-owned vegan nutrition bar company based in Viola, WI. They started the company when they decided to switch to a macrobiotic diet, which means they eat in a way that is balanced in terms of what you’re eating and when you’re eating it. They chose to do this as a lifestyle when one of the founders was diagnosed with breast cancer. They had read that a macrobiotic diet could help and figured it was worth a shot. The full story can be found here, but spoiler alert: it did help!

Along with being Vegan, their bars are also Organic and Gluten Free- plus, they taste great! When I’m looking for a pre or post workout bar, I like to make sure I’m choosing something with minimal unnecessary “filler” ingredients, lower sugar count, a decent amount of protein and have to taste good. GoMacro fits all of those criteria and I love that their core principles include keeping everything wholesome, organic and vegan. Plus, with all of the various flavors they have, it’s hard to pick a favorite!

Earlier this week I hosted another event at New Balance and was happy to be able to share some mini bars with my class participants. Everyone who tried them gushed about how “surprisingly good” they bars were. I think people tend to shy away from protein/healthy bars because they think they will taste awful, but that’s not the case with these. I brought some extras into my office and have had so many people stop me and tell me how great the bars are! Bottom line is if you’re using real, wholesome ingredients and you know the right combinations of flavors to put together, you’ll likely (hopefully) have a good tasting final product. People have this notion that “healthy” doesn’t taste good, but I think it’s because they’re misinformed with what “healthy” means- bland, no flavor, no fat, etc. – and haven’t given it a chance. We cook so many “healthy” things that taste great, but again, it’s all about what goes in and how its prepared.

If you’re interested in trying some- I suggest heading to their site as new customers can get 30% off AND free shipping! Thanks, again, GoMacro- loved being able to share goodness with so many people 🙂

Questions for you: How has your week been? have you done any fun workouts? What’s your favorite pre/post workout bar? What are you doing for Mother’s Day?

Kicking It At Fenway {& Other Birthday/Long Weekend Celebrations}

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When I told people that I got up to go to a 6am workout at Fenway on my birthday, most thought I was a little crazy. Who wakes up extra early on their birthday, and day off, for that matter?! Me, haha But for me, starting out the day/year with one of my favorite things (working out) is exactly what I love doing. And, when you combine that with getting to workout AT Fenway and WITH Eliza & a huge Kick It Crew, it makes for a pretty awesome start to the day and year.

Big thanks to New Balance for inviting me to take part in the workout & DayBreaker event. and providing me with this awesome outfit to wear! I’m totally obsessed with everything!

Unfamiliar with DayBreaker? In short, it’s a really incredible way to start the day- first you workout (yoga or some other fitness class) and then you dance… all before work. Yes, it is as amazing as it sounds! Founders of the idea came up with it as a way to show that you can dance and have fun while being sober, and that doing that before work is a great way to get the brain’s “happy chemicals” going (dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin & endorphins). Another cool part about the event is that you wear headphones to hear the music and instructor, so to onlookers it looks like a silent workout since you can’t hear what’s going on. As I looked back through my Instagram Story, I was laughing at how funny it looked because there was no sound!

I had a blast hanging out with fellow instructors and bloggers!

From there, I came home to the most beautiful, springy bouquet from RM and then went to get my nails done.

For Christmas, my sister had gotten us a night at a hotel, so we opted to cash that in on my birthday up in Portsmouth, NH. Being from Maine, Portsmouth has always been that perfect halfway meeting spot for family and friends, but other than lunches or dinners up there, I haven’t really spent any extended time getting to know the city. That said, RM and I totally fell in love with the city- so many great restaurants, bars, shops, etc.

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, which was a perfect location for everything downtown. The room was big and clean- we would definitely recommend it! Here’s a quick recap:

  • Lunch at Gaslight- food was good, but the service was terrible and so slow!
  • Post lunch drink on the awesome (but small) deck at Old Ferry Landing– we has so much fun there!

  • Birthday dinner at Black Trumpet– This came highly recommended by Athena and some others so we decided to check it out for dinner. They did not steer us wrong- we had the most unbelievable meal there! It’s a small spot with 2 levels and we grabbed seats at the bar upstairs. We had drinks (the wine on tap was SO good) and then shared the following: Chickpea Socca, Goat Doner Kebab, Warm Octopus Salad,  Archer Angus Chuck Steak and cookies & milk for dessert.

  • My parents met us for lunch the next day and we went to Rudi’s, which was also fantastic! We had a drink at the bar and then enjoyed a great lunch. My parents had just gotten back from a 3 week road trip/vacation so it was fun to catch up with them!

We squeezed in a quickie workout when we got back before having a quite night in.

Easter Sunday started with breakfast and Church followed by a small Easter dinner at RM’s mother’s house and a long walk when we got back.

Before we knew it, Marathon Monday was upon us and we were heading to Solas to hang with the NB crew. This is such a fun day and event- so thankful to get to be a part of it!

All I could think about when I saw this photo was “I’m on a boat!” haha

Overall, it was such a wonderful birthday/holiday/long weekend filled with pretty much all of my favorite things.

Friday Things {4.21.17}

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Hey there! TGIF! It’s been so long since I’ve done a “Five on Friday” type of post, I barely remember what to do 😉 I have a recap of Kicking It at Fenway & my birthday coming, but for now, I wanted to share a few things of interest with you- enjoy!

  • SpotHero– This is a lifesaver parking app! Seriously. It allows you to pre-book a spot in a garage at a discounted rate. This is key for me for Thursdays when I teach at EBF since I’m there for longer than a street spot would allow. You set up your card in the app so that you don’t have to worry about paying later. If you use this link you get $5 off your first time using it.
  • Vegas- We booked a totally last minute trip to Vegas the other night. We leave on Friday the 28th, as in a week from today! SO crazy, but so fun. We are staying at the Wynn- any must try restaurants or must do things to do/shows to see?
  • Sweat, Shop, Snack Round 2– On Wednesday, May 10th at 6:30pm I am hosting my second event at the New Balance Flagship store in Brighton. Tickets are $12 and it includes a 45 minute kickboxing bootcamp class, a live DJ, 20% off the whole store, GoMacro protein bars, Hint Water ANDDDD Bubbly & Purity Organic Belinis! The last one was so much fun I just had to get another one on the books before my schedule fills up with Seaport Sweat classes this summer! Be sure to sign up here if you’re interested.

  • Seaport Sweat– Speaking of… Seaport Sweat starts back up in JUNE!!! and it’s going through the end of September. I’ll be there on Mondays and Tuesdays after work- more details to come, but checkout this for a teaser 🙂

That does it for me, today. This weekend will be a busy one getting ready for our trip and getting a dress and possibly shoes for my SIL’s wedding in two weeks. I’m heading back to Best Dressed- can’t wait to see what their spring selection is!

Whatever you do this weekend, I hope you find time to relax, move your body and laugh!

 

All the feels {why i fight}

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I am still feeling all the feels after the event/class I lead at the New Balance Global Flagship store in Brighton through my connection with MoveWith. If you remember, I wrote all about my first MoveWith experience here. Since then, I’ve taught two more, including the one last week.

Going into this event, I knew I wanted it to be just that: an event. Not just a workout, but rather an event where I could offer more than just a sweaty 45 minute session. When I spoke with the manager at the beautiful new New Balance Global Flagship store in Brighton, I knew that I would be able to achieve my “event” idea if I hosted the class there. It’s a big store so there would plenty of room for a big crowd, a DJ and product samples. I was hoping for 25-30 people, so I was totally blown away with the fact that 39 (!!!) signed up.

As the day got closer, I had a mix of of nerves and excitement because everything was really coming together. But, as soon as people started showing up, my nerves went away and all I felt was excitement. The fact that so many people showed up was so amazing. Some people I knew, but many I didn’t. Some people were friends from college, friends of friends, friends from the gym, friends from my office and friends/contacts I’ve made through blogging, and many from New Balance. But, what was so amazing was that everyone showed up smiling and ready to work.  I couldn’t help but smile because of this- heck, even as we were halfway through the kickboxing aspect, people were STILL smiling!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- the fitness community in and around Boston is really wonderful. So many people make fitness a priority in their day to day and this shows by how many people an event like what I did last week can bring to it. These people- ranging in age, fitness levels, gender, likes and dislikes- all came together for a 45 minute fitness class, many of them likely not really knowing what to expect besides my short write-up in the event page on MoveWith.

And, while this can be a bit intimidating for instructors because we, also, have no idea what to expect in terms of what levels people will be at, it’s also something that gives me so much drive, energy and passion. It puts my teaching abilities to the test, gets me out of my comfort zone and really reminds me why I love to teach. As for many of us fitness instructors, we teach the same classes week to week and similarly, the same base group of members come to our classes week after week, so it gets to be familiar. It gets to be comfortable. Which is great, but it also doesn’t challenge us the way new classes and new groups of class participants do. I always feel like I leave these types of classes with a new perspective on teaching, and a new pep in my step.

So, I thank MoveWith, New Balance and everyone who came out last week for giving me so much happiness from the 45 minutes we were sweating together. Also, a huge thank you to DJ Sprino, who is THE BEST DJ in Boston, especially for fitness events, Purity Organics, DRINKmaple and Larabar. I’m already working on my next event there, and rumor has it, we’ll take Burpees to Bubbly quite literally 😉 Save the date for May 10th- more information, including a signup page, will be blasted soon!

 

Friday Things

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Hey there! Happy Friday! This week has flown by- can you believe it’s already mid-March? And St. Patrick’s Day, at that! Is anyone doing anything to celebrate? I don’t think I am, but I’m OK with that- I’ve had plenty of years where I’ve had St. Patty’s day celebrations so a quiet one this year doesn’t bother me.

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve popped in with a Friday post! And, to be honest, I’m not sure if I’ll continue with my “Five on Friday” series. It’s been fun, but these days I feel as though I’m struggling to find 5 share-worthy things with you, so what’s the point in that? Instead, I’d rather just share things of interest and relevance when they occur- sound good?

  • As Close to Us As Breathing- This was another book club book for one of my book clubs and I really enjoyed it! It was about a Jewish family in the mid 1900’s and it was interesting to see just how different things where back then and how badly different ethnic groups did not get along. It’s also interesting to see the family dynamic of the main character’s family.

  • Share your stuff!- After class last Saturday, two people tagged me in their after-class meal pictures and it was so fun to see how they refuel. I always re-post in my Instagram stories, so if you want to be included, be sure to tag me!

  • Snow Day Baking- While we were home together on Tuesday, RM and I both felt like cookies. We didn’t have the traditional cookie ingredients in the house so I googled “Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies” and this recipe popped up first. Luckily I had all of the ingredients so I whipped them up and we were both so happy with how they came out! They’re definitely “healthy” cookies, but they satisfied our cookie craving, too!

  • Sweat, Shop, Snack at New Balance– Don’t forget, in 2 weeks I’m hosting a fitness event at the New Balance flagship store in Brighton. At 6:30 we will start a cardio kickboxing class and then after that you’ll have a chance to shop around (with a 20% discount) and snack on Larabars, sip on Purity Organics and more. Grab a girlfriend (or boyfriend!) and get your spot now– you don’t want to miss this!

I think that does it for me! I’ll be at the Y tomorrow morning for kickboxing if anyone wants to join in on the fun 🙂 10am!

Questions for you: Have you read any good books lately? Have you done any good baking lately? What are your plans for this weekend?