I was concerned about my upcoming 11 miler but my toes felt much better the day before. And yesterday I ran 11 miles outside in the gorgeous weather and my toes did not hurt! I felt great.

I am so excited for the NYC Half! I know it will be amazing. I am especially excited to run down 7th avenue through Times Square amongst cheering spectators! I think I should make a shirt that says it’s my birthday? Tacky? Thoughts?

My friend Melissa wrote a post the other day where she mentioned a half marathon taking place in Queens on April 3, two weeks after the NYC Half. I was intrigued. The race takes place in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, in my hometown! Just a 5 minute drive from my mom’s house. And the race sounds fun — it is the inaugural 13.1 Marathon — New York. This race is part of the 13.1 Marathon series, which is popping up all over the country. The tagline is “Where the party meets the pavement” and I found out they have live bands throughout the race and a fun after party that might or might not include beer.

I registered.

Am I crazy??! Maybe. But here’s what I’m thinking: I can run another half marathon and won’t have to train!! I will ALREADY be trained. Really, what’s the difference between running 12 miles next week and 13.1 the week after? And then 13.1 again two weeks after? Not such a huge deal. And it will be FUN. And in my hood. My mom can come (read: drive me) and cheer me on. My friends can come. The course is AWESOME. And running two half marathons is kind of like running one full one, just with a 2 week walking break. No?  :)

The race begins at Arthur Asche stadium, where I was fortunate to watch Roger Federer (swoon) play in the US Open this past summer. The race ends here:

[Source]

And there you have it. If you think I am crazy or if you just want to praise me, feel free to comment or email and let me know. I am open to all opinions. Not that it matters, because it’s ON!

Anyone else want to run it too?

If I can run 11, I can run 13.1. Twice.  Let half marathon season begin!

Yesterday, I met Meghann and her mom and brother for lunch at Alice’s Tea Cup. If you can believe it, I’ve lived a few blocks away from there for 4 years and never went inside! So happy Meghann invited me because I absolutely loved it and I’m already itching to go back!

[Stolen from Meghann]

We shared scones to starts – Pumpkin and White Chocolate Cranberry. I actually preferred the White Chocolate one to the Pumpkin! I ate the majority of it since everyone else seemed to like the Pumpkin better. Fine by me!

[Stolen from Meghann]

I’d been salivating over this french toast on the menu: Alice’s Curious French Toast – French toast bites infused with apricot brandy tea, baked bread-pudding style and attacjed with fruit coulis, vanilla creme anglaise and sweet syrupy stuffs.

I don’t know what sweey syrupy stuffs are but whatever it is, I want it.

In the end I decided to go with a half sandwich and soup. I was so cold from my walk there and wanted to be warmed up by Tomato Basil soup, plus this sandwich sounded like the perfect thing to order at a tea house!

Cucumber And Watercress with lemon chive butter on whole wheat

It was wonderful! The lemon chive butter was especially amazing. I felt so dainty. I also ordered a pot of Organic Ginger tea. It was fantastic as well and didn’t taste too gingery at all!

Tea! Both these pics from Meghann’s camera as well. I felt like an amateur taking out my point & shoot when she had her fancy camera.

So this morning I was up before my alarm excited for the race! I was tweeting with Heather, Meghann and Ashley while getting ready. We were all so excited!

At my last cold weather race I wasn’t dressed warmly enough. During the race I was fine, but standing around before the race was unbearable. I planned better this time. I wore (all items are for running/workout) a long tank top, long sleeved top, jacket, wind stopping vest and a (not running) fleece. I wore running fleece gloves and big regular fleece gloves over them. I wore 2 pairs of running socks. I wore an ear covering headband and a hat over that.

I left my apartment at 8 and walked to the race. I found Meghann and Ashley standing in front of baggage check. I shedded a layer of warmth, my winter coat, and checked it with my bag. We met up with some other bloggers but they left because they were trying to PR and we were running for fun. We wanted to find Melissa and Heather (with Mark!) to run with but couldn’t find either of them.

All bundled up: Jesse along with Meghann, Ashley and me

We headed over to our corral. Well, mine and Ashley’s corral. Meghann is much faster but decided to run with us for a leisurely (for her) race and the fun that comes with talking the entire time. Ashley and I both run 10 minute miles during races.

Pink Corral. For girly runners:

We still had 20 minutes so we . . . bounced! The 3 of us just bounced up and down while talking. The sun was out and before the race started I was able to remove my fleece and tie it around my race so I could display my number and *maybe* actually appear in a race photo. I would probably have felt silly bouncing like that along but I loved doing it with friends! It warmed us up, except for our hands.

We briefly interrupted our bouncing to take photos:

And then the race started. I’m used to starting about 4 minutes after the race begins, by the time my corral gets to the start line, but today the wait was longer than usual for some reason and we started about 8 minutes after the start! Once we were off, things went smoothly. My hands eventually warmed up (I am definitely getting hand warmers for my half marathon)  and I started to feel my toes again. This was my first race without an iPod. We talked the entire time and we listened in on other people’s conversations. It is so interesting to hear what people discuss during a race — typically, other races! I really liked not wearing my iPod, although I would only do it again if I was running with a friend or the race provided entertainment.

Ashley and Meghann in action:

Butts:

I got a kick out of PINK scrawled across Meghann’s tush!

Best part about racing with friends? I finally get a RACING ACTION SHOT of myself! (You might know I rarely appear in official race photos). And yes, I realize how selfish I sound. But . . . pictures of ME! YAYYYY!

My awesome running vest in action. Love it.

During the 2nd mile, there were signs splitting up runners into which superbowl team they are rooting for. I don’t know or care about either team, so I asked which side we should run on. Ashley wanted the Colts to win, so we went on that side. We ran over the same type of tracking device at the start and finish lines, and that device tallied the percentage of runners for each team — how fun!

Apparently, we were in the minority:

Results from “Who will you root for?” split – SAINTS: 66% COLTS: 34%

I loved getting to know Meghann and Ashley more and the time really flew by. I know it was an easy pace for Meghann but for me it was basically my normal pace. I definitely got a nice workout but didn’t overdo it at all. I was worried because after my 5 mile run on Tuesday night, I woke up Wednesday with a foot injury. It hurt so much with every step I took. I have tendonitis. I am happy to say my foot felt great! It did not hurt one bit. I was so worried it would ruin my half marathon training, but I really think I will be fine.

Meghann took this gorgeous scenery picture. I feel bad taking all Meghann’s pics but I didn’t think to take these since I see the sites all the time. At my next race I think I will bring my camera again because I did have fun with it and it didn’t bother me while I was running like I thought it would.

Thanks Meghann!

Seeing the finish line is always an amazing thing, although we didn’t sprint. I was so focused on waving at this one race photographer that I didn’t notice 3 on the other side of me until too late! I just want to be in race photos!

My official time is 41:32 for 4 miles, with an average 10:23 pace. This was actually my slowest race ever! Not by much, though. I finished my last 4 mile race in exactly 40 minutes, and my 10K average was 10:13 miles.

After the race we met up with a big group at Arte Cafe for brunch! I finally got to catch up with Heather and Melissa. Heather was just a few minutes behind us in the race and Melissa was a few ahead. Too bad we missed them! Heather is hilarious, look at her “running” socks:

I also met new bloggers! I don’t have a list of people and their corresponding blogs although I might send out an email so I can get a list together, since they are NYC based like me, runners (like I attempt to be) and I had a great time talking to them all! Every was just so nice. I get intimidated in big groups but everyone was so welcoming today. The food was pretty good too, especially the muffins they gave out when we got there. So good and doughy. I was starving since all I had before the race was a green juice.

I might have taken 2 more muffins home.

I got a mushroom omelet, and it was pretty good. Ashley baked vegan macaroons for everyone and they were wonderful! They had the consistency of cookie dough and the taste of coconut custard pie. Yum!

And a group shot that Meghann took:

After brunch we stopped in at Alice’s Tea Cup (a different location than the day before) because Meghann loved her chocolate mint tea yesterday and wanted to buy some. I regret not trying hers when I had the chance! I was tempted to buy some tea but I don’t yet understand how to make loose leaf tea and I just want a better grasp before committing. Yes, I’m nutty and get nervous about strange things. But I live so close to Alice’s that I’ll just pop in when I am all set up to brew the tea at home.

I plan to go back to Alice’s Tea Cup soon anyway. I want to bring all my friends there. It’s just so cute and delicious. And I need to try that french toast. And a brownie.

Anyway, I took the bus back home and had the most amazing 2.5 hour nap. It was much needed!

I had such a great weekend! Racing with friends is so much fun, I hope I get to do that again. I skipped out on 7 am Core Fusion today (Monday) in favor of an extra hour of sleep and it was so worth it. Back this week with more Core Fusion recaps!

Click HERE for professional race photos from the Gridiron 4 Mile race!

I decided to handle any issues with cold/bad weather/dark running by trying a one month membership to a small gym very close to my apartment called Strive NYC. Their website advertises the following offer in two different places on their site:

Low Priced One Month Trial, convertible in the first two weeks into a Yearly Prepaid Membership or a One Year Commitment Pay-as-you-Go Membership

Sounded perfect for me! A low priced one month trial to use the treadmill as I pleased, just two blocks from my building. And by the time the month ended, it should be a little warmer out.

So last Saturday I went in to Strive to find out more details about this offer, as well as the price of their 3 month membership option. I met half of the husband and wife ownership team, the wife Malou. She took me on a tour of the gym.

Strive NYC is very small. There are no classes. It is literally just machines, which do not have individual TVs. However, there are shared TVs up against the wall. The locker room has no amenities, but it looked clean and nice. There were renovations going on around me.

I figured this gym would be perfect for me since I planned to use only the treadmill. I figured it would be much cheaper than NYSC since NYSC lets you use any of their locations all over New York City, has individual TVs on the machines, has a much larger variety of machines, offers lots of classes and has amenities in their locker rooms. Strive only has the one small location. And I read some reviews online that put the monthly price as low as $30 a month for some people.

Once the tour was finished, I told Malou I enjoyed the tour and was interested in the one month trial. Malou shook her head, looking at me like I had two heads:

“There is none,” she told me.

“But it says it on your website.”

“No such offer exists.”

“OK, but why does your website mention this offer on both the homepage and the membership page?” I needed to know.

But Malou seemed to have no idea what I was talking about. She would not give me a one month membership.

Malou and her husband Yves are the owners. So I assume they control what goes up on their website. I assume they approve the content. I assume they KNOW the content. But based on Malou’s reaction, either she truly has no idea what’s going on with her own business or she lied to me.

I decided to find out the prices for the 3 month membership and was SHOCKED to find out that each month is more expensive than a month at NYSC. That’s right. Strive is charging members a higher price for a small club with no classes & no amenities than NYSC charges for big clubs with individual TVs, locations all over the city, amenities, classes, etc. What a major ripoff. I really hope some of their members find this post and switch to NYSC. Even Crunch Gym is cheaper than Strive – and they are famous for all their unique classes!

I’m not saying anything is wrong with a gym that isn’t fancy. I’m not a snob. I just think that a less fancy gym should charge less fancy prices.

I told her that I was paying less at NYSC. Malou shrugged. I walked out. Malou did not try to make me any better offer. I went home with a bad taste in my mouth and pulled up the Strive website. Just to double check.

Yep. The offer was right there, both on their homepage next to a highlighted Special Offer image and also on their membership page.

I sent them an email using their contact form and pasted the one month trial text. I explained I was in there earlier and was told this offer doesn’t exist, and I asked why they advertise it on their website. I never heard back.

*Update: In a Google search of Strive, I found this case study from their web developer. As stated here, “I worked closely with the owners to create a clean and welcoming design aimed at attracting a wide audience.” So it is confirmed: the owners DO know the text on their website. They just don’t feel like honoring it.

I don’t like to bash businesses that are just trying to survive in a very expensive city, but I have no tolerance for blatant deception like this. I was willing to pay Strive a fair price for one or even three months. The owners at Strive don’t seem to care about standing by their offers or running an honest business. They don’t know who I am or that I’d write about their horrible customer service on the intertubes for everyone researching New York City gyms to see.

But they should treat every customer as if he or she writes a fitness blog. Because you never know who just might.

I will be running the NYC Half Marathon on my birthday, March 21. This is my first half marathon and I am running it for Think Pink Rocks, a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise awareness about early detection of and genetic testing for breast cancer and to provide funding for screening, treatment and research. My mom, a breast cancer survivor, was diagnosed at age 37. This is a charity that is extremely important to me and I am honored to run my first half to raise money for them.

My donation page is here:

http://www.active.com/donate/thinkpinkrocks/dysterious

To reach my fundraising commitment of $1,000, I am holding an auction on this blog on Thursday, Jan 21 — exactly 2 months from the race! I’d love you all to help me out and bid on something you might really want.

AUCTION RULES

1) The auction starts Jan 21 at 10 am. I will post the list of items and their bid start price. All items start at $20 and will be divided into the following categories: Professional Services/Goods, Homemade, and Baked Goods

2) Each item will have a title and corresponding number. You will email me using either this form or my email address dysterious at gmail dot com with the item NAME and NUMBER in the subject line. I will not accept bids left in the comment section.

3) The auction starts at 10 am EST and will end at 10 pm EST, Thursday, Jan 21.

4) I will post a list of each item and update the top bids throughout the day

5) I will send a confirmation email to the winners. Each winner has 24 hours to donate their winning amount to my donation page. If I do not receive their donation, I will contact the second highest bidder as the winner.

6) Serious bidders only, please! Please read item descriptions carefully as there are NO REFUNDS!

I am really impressed with the generosity of people and companies who stepped forward to donate their time and products. I am so excited by how amazing these items are and I really hope you are too!

AUCTION ITEMS

Professional Goods/Services

(1) Aurorae Yoga Set

Includes:

• Brand new pink “Hope” yoga mat, which was created with the intention of supporting women who have or have had breast cancer
• Rosin bag (for slip free yoga practice)
• Yoga towel

I have an Aurorae mat in lilac and I am in love with it! I even get compliments from my yoga teachers. And when you put your hands and feet on the mat and then move them, you can see the imprints. An amazing mat! I also have the rosin bag and it keeps my hands from slipping.

*Note – the Hope mat debuts in February and will be shipped to the high bidder as soon as it becomes available.

(2) Pastry Girl Cakes – 2 dozen cupcakes, flavor of your choice

2 high bidders will each receive 2 dozen cupcakes of their choice

*Note – Cupcakes are available for NYC area bidders only. If you live outside NYC and would like to bid on Pastry Girl Cakes products, you will receive 2 dozen COOKIES.

Pastry Girl Cakes is a custom cake studio serving New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. We provide delicious and beautiful cakes, cupcakes and cookies for your most special events. We specialize in wedding cakes, birthday cakes, shower cakes and cakes for corporate events.

Pictured – Coconut cupcakes

Find a list of available flavors here: http://www.pastrygirlcakes.com/flavors2.htm

Find pictures of more cupcakes here: http://pastrygirlcakes.com/cupcakes_coconut.htm

(3) Exhale Spa 10-Class Pack of Core and Yoga Classes ($350 value)

Core (CORE FUSION!)

Build a strong core… Develop washboard abs… Improve your posture… Deepen your practice… Focus your mind.

Experience a transformational Core Fusion® toning class, based on Lotte Berk Method fundamentals, Pilates, and 50 years of combined fitness expertise, to achieve a strong, athletic, flexible, and youthful body. Improve your performance in sports with the total body workout, Core Fusion® Sport. Or strengthen your overall wellbeing within a combination of yoga asanas, Qi Gong, core strengthening, and stretching with a Core Fusion® Yoga class. All classes include a cardio element and are fueled by upbeat and inspirational music rhythms.

Yoga

A union of mind and body… linking breath with movement… a meditation in motion… the flow of energy.

Our yoga classes are ritual journeys that respond to the changing needs of urban life by infusing the highest quality of teaching with a revolutionary approach to yoga. For this amazing transformational practice we have created an equally amazing space.

Exhale as you discover your sacred space for this ancient healing practice.

Namaste.

(4) Professional Cooking Lesson for high bidder + 1 guest

New York City area only

Mercedes Vargas is a chef who currently works at the Ritz-Carlton. Formerly pastry chef at Gemma, Pair of 8’s and La Bottega. She also works with private clients on different functions as well as with Great Performances caterers. Her menus mostly consist of fresh, seasonal and local foods.

The cooking class for two people would be approximately 2 hours. The menu will be determined by Mercedes and the client, it would be three courses, all appetizers or dessert, depending on what the client would like to learn. The certificate will cover her fee of $300 for the class. All other expenses are covered by the client.

(5) Personal Training Session with Celebrity Trainer Brynn Jinnett

New York City area only

(6) The Blog Fairy Custom Blog Header

A custom blog header designed by The Blog Fairy, who has designed many blogs including Dori’s Shiny Blog, Missy Maintains, Just Flourishing and more! Visit http://theblogfairy.com to view samples of her work.

(7) Yoga OR Dance Lesson with Emily Oldak (Modern dancer, certified yoga instructor, former Cirque du Soleil star)

High bidder + up to two guests can select a private one hour yoga session or dance class

New York City area only

Emily Oldak was born and raised in NYC. She began dancing when she was 4 years old and became more serious when she attended “The Fame” School where she discovered her love for modern and contemporary dance. Following high school Emily graduated with a BFA from the Juilliard School in 2005. While at Juilliard she danced works by contemporary choreographers such as Aszure Barton, Paul Taylor, Ohad Naharin, Dwight Rhoden, and Robert Battle. Directly after school, she joined Cirque du Soleil for their new Creation of “Love” which was in collaboration with the music of The Beatles. While at Cirque, she learned others street forms of dance as well as aerial acrobatics. In her free time in Vegas she studied to become Yoga certified. After 3 years at Cirque she decided to return to her home to pursue a freelance dance career. She currently works with the Chase Brock Experience and Aszure Barton and Artists. Emily is represented by Mcdonald Selznick Associates. You can catch her in her latest commercial gig with MSA as a body double for Shakira in her newest music video “Did it Again”.

(8) MyPublisher - 20-page Classic Hardcover Photo Book with Book Cover

A customizable 20 page MyPublisher photo book with a personalized photo Book cover

http://mypublisher.com/products/classic

(9) Personal Training Session OR Health Counseling Session with Catherine Hesse (Core Fusion teacher & certified Holistic Health Counselor)

Personal training for New York City area only. Health counseling session can be held in person or via phone depending on location.

Catherine is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition with Columbia University and is trained in all the different dietary theories, eastern and western nutrition, modern health issues, personal growth and development, and health counseling. She is a Core Fusion Yoga Teacher Trainer, and a senior teacher of Core Fusion®, and Core Fusion Yoga, at Exhale Mind-Body Spa, in New York City. She specializes in body image, emotional eating, general wellness and healing through self love. Catherine is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.

(10) Tees For Change - Chase Dreams bamboo short sleeve t-shirt

*Two t-shirts are up for auction. I will accept two winning bids.

Made from 70% sustainable bamboo and 30% organic cotton, this tee is luxuriously soft and silky and has an amazing fit.pumpkin tee, yellow text on the front

• pre-shrunk and runs a bit smaller
• fair-trade and sweatshop-free, imported
• available in sizes S (0-2), M (4-6), L (8-10) and XL (10-12)

http://www.teesforchange.com/chase-dreams-bamboo-short-sleeve-tshirt-p-102.html

(11) Six month subscription to TurnUpMyWorkout.com

TurnUpMyWorkout lets you choose your favorite kind of music, pick the intensity level you workout at and each month you will receive a list of motivating workout songs! I’ve tried this service myself and absolutely loved it — it gave me a new list of awesome songs that pushed me through my first half marathon training run! (Will be posting a review soon)

For more information, visit the website at http://turnupmyworkout.com

**Please note the music downloads are not included

(12) Bumble and bumble Hair Care Gift Pack from Missy at Missy Maintains ($200 value)

Pack includes:

• 1 bottle Spray de Mode Hairspray
• 1 bottle Classic Hair Spray
• 1 bottle Bb Gel
• 1 bottle Gellac
• 5 oz. Holding Spray
• 5 oz. Styling Creme
• 5 oz Medium to Thick Curl Creme
• 5 oz Medium to thick Curl Conscious Shampoo
• 5 oz Medium to Thick Curl Conscious Conditioner

(13) Sign Language Lessons with Jenny from ColorHungry –Boston area only

Includes 2 one-hour sessions

Born the child of profoundly deaf parents, Jenny could sign the alphabet by 1 and a half. She went on to learn American Sign Language and as a hard of hearing individual herself, often serves as an interpreter at her workplace for deaf students visiting campus. She has over 20 years of experience.

(14) P&G Prestige Fragrances Sampler Pack from Ashley at Healthy Happier Bear

Includes:

• Flora by Gucci 2.5 oz
• Escada Marine Groove 50mL
• Lacoste Challenge 75mL

Value $192

(15) Health and Fitness Book Prize Pack from Melissa at FitnessNYC

Includes:

- 12 Steps to Raw Foods

- The Secrets of Skinny Chicks

- Extreme Fat Smash Diet

- Runner’s World: The Runner’s Diet

- Fast Track: Training and Nutrition Secrets from America’s Top Female Runner

- The 90 Second Fitness Solution

- 8 Minutes in the Morning to Lean Hips and Thin Thighs

(16) Gold’s Gym – Bailey’s Crossroads (Falls Church), VA – Washington, D.C. Area & surrounding area bidders only

Four items are up for auction. Limit one per customer.

- Three Month Membership to Gold’s Gym + 1 personal trainer session

- One Month Membership to Gold’s Gym + 1 personal trainer session

- One Month Membership to Gold’s Gym + 1 personal trainer session

- One Month Membership to Gold’s Gym + 1 personal trainer session

Please specify if you are bidding on the one month or three month membership when bidding.

(17) PriorFatGirl e-Cookbook

A collection of healthy recipes from the friends of PriorFatGirl! Over 50 recipes + tips from personal trainer MizFit

Homemade Goods

(18) Colorful Bulky Afghan

A gorgeous, high quality handmade multicolored afghan. Looks stunning displayed on a couch and will keep you warm and cozy!

(19) Handmade “Passage to India” Bracelet by Jenny from ColorHungry

(20) Handmade Earrings by Katherine from Low Fat Kat

(21) Handmade Necklace by Katherine from Low Fat Kat

(22) Food Blog Charms by Mara from I Made Dinner

Four items for auction: 2 computer charms and 2 peanut butter jar charms. Please specify which charm you are bidding on when you send your email.

Charms are handcrafted out of lead-free pewter. They come on either a vegan-friendly nylon cord or cell phone charm.

Baked Goods

(23) Seattle Cookie Bars by Mallory from Bacon Wrapped Life

Up for auction: two dozen cookies – one dozen Cherry Almond and one dozen Hazlenut

A Northwest twist on the classic Magic Cookie Bar.

The flavors are inspired by Theo’s Chocolate, a local Seattle love that makes organic, fair trade chocolate that is unbelievable.

The Theo Classic Combination bar, Dark Chocolate with Cherries and Almonds is in the first cookie, along with lots of chopped almonds, dried cherries and shredded coconut. The sour bite of the cherries and the smooth, bitter dark chocolate from Theo cut through the sweetness of the cookie for a really addicting treat.

The 3400 Phinney Chocolate bar, Hazelnut Crunch Milk Chocolate is in the second cookie, along with a ton of chopped hazelnuts and of course shredded coconut. Wonderfully sweet, nutty and delicious. Plus, a couple Theo bars thrown in for good measure, so non-Seattle folks can appreciate the inspiration for the cookies.

(24) Choice of Whole Cake by Maggie from Say Yes to Salad

2 high bidders will receive one of the cakes listed:

• Hot Milk Sponge Cake with a brown sugar and coconut topping. Goes well with fresh fruit and whipped cream.
• Pumpkin Fruit Cake made with homemade pumpkin puree. A seasonal favorite.

Please specify which cake you are bidding on in the subject line.

(25) Peanut Butter Butterscotch Brownies by Jenny from ColorHungry

Jenny discovered these puppies one night when she was too upset to sleep and started baking. Imagine her surprise when these turned out to be some of the tastiest brownies she’s ever eaten. And don’t take her word for it- others have agreed!

Remember — these items will all be up for auction starting at 10 am EST on Thursday, January 21. I will post the item list on that day along with the top bid for each item. I will update this list throughout the day.

http://www.active.com/donate/thinkpinkrocks/dysterious

Good luck!

On Monday, I rushed home from work to change and hightail it up to the Upper East Side exhale studio. This was my second time at this location and like my first time, I was in awe of the lobby area with lots of gorgeous jewelry, yoga clothing, skin care, yoga mats, weights and more for sale. I touched a few things but had to stop myself from touching everything. It was all just so soft and pretty.

I must have arrived at the perfect time because I managed to get the very last locker left. There were two classes going on at the time, so all the lockers were being used. I turned around, feeling lucky that I snagged the last locker (for the time being until the other classes let out) and was faced with a mob of tight bodied women who were less than pleased that I got the final locker.

Then I realized, as these tightly toned small women stared me down, that these were the people Fred was tweeting about last month when he said “Teaching at Upper East Side. Some of these women take class 4-5 times a week and it shows!”

Yes, Fred, it does show.

While I felt a little intimidated, I had arrived earlier than they did. You snooze you lose. And now that I am taking class as often as they are, I will be prepared the next time for a locker room brawl.

[Source]

When the classroom opened we all went in, and once I was set up I chatted with Fred a bit about the juices in the  Blueprint Cleanse. After we finished talking, one girl near me, who overheard our conversation, shouted to her friend on the other side of the room (why was her friend on the other side of the room? Missy and I stick together when we take class) and she said “Hey – wanna do a Blueprint Cleanse next week?” in a clearly sarcastic tone. The friend shouted back, “Uh, yeah, sure. Let’s start this weekend!” and the first girl replied, “Yeah, I can’t wait! Can’t wait to do our Blueprint Cleanse.” And the two girls burst into laughter.

They were making fun of me.

When something like that happens, being publicly made fun of – and teamed up, two against one – like that, I don’t confront it. I just feel ashamed and humiliated. I pretended not to have realized what was going on, but it really hurt a lot. Especially because they don’t know me, they don’t know my reason for doing the cleanse – which was to give myself a break from the constant pain and discomfort I experience. But that doesn’t matter! Who cares the reason? Who cares if I did it to look hot on New Years? So the eff what. It was my decision and they don’t know me or my situation enough to judge me.

I know, I know – these girls are nobody, all that. But still. When I got home later than night, I had an entire community of amazing Twitter friends (all bloggers!) who supported me, cheered me up and made me feel better. I love blogging and Twitter.

Ok, rant over. Back to the class!

The class started harmlessly enough, with a nice long plank. But since it was Fred’s class, I actually held the plank the entire time. I sometimes let myself collapse once or twice during it, but since it was Fred teaching and I feel like I have to impress, I didn’t do that. This set the stage for the entire class.

Pair the fact that I was trying to show Fred how great I am at Core Fusion (ha!) with the fact that he corrected my alignment numerous times throughout the class (had I been doing them wrong this entire time?!) and you can pretty much understand why this was, without a doubt, the most challenging Core Fusion class I had ever taken. As hard as class generally is, the proper alignment makes all the difference.

The moves are so much harder when you are actual in the correct position! Don’t get me wrong – the teachers do come around and correct your form during class – but it is only natural that the guy who INVENTED the class would be able to do this best. Fred is also very inspiring throughout class in everything he says and the way in which he teaches, so everyone really just wants to do their best. People work HARD in that class. And, of course, it was packed.

I found out that when the class does plies and we raise our toes off the floor, I was never actually raising my toes high enough off the floor. What a big different when you just get a little higher. It was really, really hard. And then, out of nowhere – HOLY LEG SPASM. My entire right leg was cramping. I often get foot cramps in class, but this was the first time it was my entire leg. I think I pushed myself a little too hard my first time in this position. And the next day my right calf was hurting badly. I emailed Fred and he said I probably pointed my foot a little too hard and strained my calf musles. He gave me some great advice: massage Capzasin or Tiger Balm into the calf muscles and gently stretch by flexing my foot. I had never even heard of Capzasin but I went right to Rite Aid, bought a little bottle and did what Fred said. WOW. That thing is a miracle. The pain practically disappeared.  Lesson learned – take it slow, kids. Good thing I had two days off from class to rest up.

[Source]

When the class holds their legs straight up while sitting against the wall, I cannot do this. My legs just don’t go straight. Instead, I have to take a strap and stretch my legs while everyone else is going the movements. I tend to get very frustrated because I always feel like everyone can do this thing and I can’t — and why can’t I? Why is this something so many people, all shapes and sizes, can do. And I can’t. Sometimes I get upset.

Fred came up to me and told me to look around. “See,” he told me. “You aren’t the only one stretching during this part. Look at all these other people.” And it was true. There were a few other people in the same situation as me. It did make me feel better, but it still feels like a weakness on my part — even though it is obviously not my fault. I can’t even bend down and touch my toes. I took dance from kindergarten grade through senior year of high school and I have never been able to touch my toes. Or put my legs straight up un front of me as I sit low down against a wall.

It gives me something to work on.

As tough as thighs were, as difficult as butt was, nothing in the world can compare to abs on this day. In abs, we sit in a C curve. I always do it, hold myself up, hold my arms up when we are instructed to, trudge along. But on this day, Fred repositioned me and I found myself inches lower than I usually am. And suddenly the exercise was a zillion times more difficult. When the class started raising their arms and all that, I just had to grip my legs as tight as I could to maintain that position. I have never felt a burn in my abs like that. Wow. When I got up, the mat was soaked in my sweat. I almost never sweat in Core Fusion, and especially not like that.

The next day, I went to another Core Fusion class. I couldn’t decide between Core Fusion and Core Fusion Yoga, but I thought I would only get to go once more this week so I went with Core Fusion. My triceps were so sore, I could barely bend my arms during reverse pushups. My quads were so sore, I was pretty much unable to stay in the plies during thighs. It was actually pretty frustrating, as I had to stop and stand a few times. During the butt section, my right leg with the bad calf was spasming and I couldn’t hold it. Even though Fred’s class the night before was the most challenging, this class was physically the toughest I have ever taken. I figured the teacher either thought I was there for my first time or a major slacker. And since it was clear it wasn’t my first time (I know to keep yoga blocks next to me and to stretch with a strap while everyone else raises their legs under the bar) I was worried she thought I was an awful student. While I admit to slacking sometimes, it is never that blatant. So after abs were over (I wasn’t able to get myself that low again like Fred got me – how do I get back there??) and class ended, I went up to the teacher and explained myself. “I took Fred’s class last night,” I said.

She understood.

And now you all do, too. I took the next two days off from class to give my body a much needed rest after four straight days of class. And I am feeling great and ready to get back into it. I’ve got two more classes this week (turns out I was wrong about only being able to go to one more!) and I am ready. This is my first week of taking so many classes, so it is natural that my body is reacting. I do feel ready for more now. However, if Friday’s class bothers my calf, I will take it easy and definitely cancel Saturday. Always listen to your body! I am only going to class on Friday because I genuinely feel better.

I am loving reading my Core Fusion Challenge participants blogs and tweets about their experiences. I am so happy so many people are really sticking to the guidelines and working to improve their core strength and flexibility. If you are participating and haven’t updated me on how it is going, please let me know! I’d love to hear it.

I will report back next week! OH and I have a HUGE announcement about the NYC Half Marathon!!! I don’t need fundraising ideas anymore — I know exactly what I am going to do and I already have lots of people signed on to help! More info coming very soon!



I’m pretty crushed about this for a number of reasons, the main one being that this race takes place on my birthday, March 21. When will that ever happen again??! A new, ambitious distance to conquer ON my actual birthday? And I just started running back in June, so a half marathon on the start of a new year for myself would really set the stage for the year to come. Plus, how pumped would you be for a race before and during it if it was your birthday! It would have been a really cool start to a new year.

The other big reason I am upset is because I am on the fence about surgery. I haven’t made any decisions and won’t until I am 100% sure. But, if I do have surgery in April as I had originally planned, it might not be possible for me to run a half marathon anymore.  I’d really like to accomplish this goal before then.

I had selected April as a tentative time for surgery for a number of reasons, most importantly because my position at work is ending on March 31. It just made sense to do this when I don’t have to take a month of work off. However, if I were to find a new job within the next couple months, I would change my plans.

But again, I am not 100% sure I am even doing the surgery. I still have doubts.

I know there are other half marathons. I am considering abandoning the surgery idea and doing the More Magazine/Fitness Magazine Women’s Half Marathon in April.  But I am not ready to commit yet without knowing what is going on with my medical situation. And if I sign up, it would be making a decision on surgery before I am ready. But I am considering it. Strongly…

And I have been toying with the idea of guaranteed NYC Half Marathon entry by running for a charity. While this is of course a wonderful thing to do, I am not sure about this either because I would have to raise at least $1,000 depending on which charity I choose, and I don’t know if I can do that. Do you have any good ideas for fundraising? I’m not one to organize any type of blogger bake sale, but I would be interested in hearing any other ideas you have. If $1,000 can seem attainable and not a big scary number, I might do it. But I’d have to decide soon because I need to train.

Maybe I am overreacting or being dramatic. This is just a race, after all. There are much more important things to worry about; I do realize that.  It is also 5:05 am right now so maybe I just need to sleep and wake up and I will feel better. But for now, please let me know what you think about me running for a charity.

Thanks blogworld.
______________________
Update: I signed up with a charity and I have an amazing fundraiser coming. More info coming soon!!!!

Update– Melissa told me that Core Fusion workouts are free on FitTV if you have it.

And I am excited to announce that my Core Fusion challenge experience can now be found on the exhale website! The posts are similar to these blog posts but edited to be appropriate for their website. So if you hate me but like Core Fusion, you can now read about the challenge there. But everyone else should check it out too!

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On Sunday, the second day of my Core Fusion Challenge, I decided to try the Core Energy Flow class. Actually, it appears on the website that the rumor I heard is true and the class has been renamed Core Fusion Yoga. I like that name even better!

Here is a description of Core Fusion Yoga:

Developed by Elisabeth Halfpapp, one of the innovators of Core Fusion®, Core Fusion® yoga is yet another transformational experience efficiently programmed into a 60-minute class that is fueled by music.

Designed to shift your energy and improve overall wellbeing, Core Fusion® Yoga inspires guests with a combination of yoga asanas that raise the body’s heat and increase cardio endurance, intense core functional training to strengthen and tone the core, Qi Gong circular movements, and stretching to move energy and produce a state of inner calm and balance.

I was very nervous going in to this class. I’ve mentioned this on my blog before, but I have taken a few yoga classes in the past few years and never liked them. I felt bored and I felt like I struggled and was unable to do many of the poses. I forgot about yoga for a couple years, but lately I had been feeling a strong urge to try again. I took a Yoga – Level 1 class at Exhale and actually enjoyed it for the most part. I did a couple 20 minute yoga workouts on ExerciseTV onDemand, two 10 minute ones from Yoga Is Yummy and then I bought two Rodney Yee Beginner Yoga DVDs from Gaiam. I decided to try and like yoga.

But still, I was nervous for this class. I wasn’t worried that I wouldn’t enjoy it so much as I was worried it would be too hard to me and I would feel lost and embarrassed.

So I made Missy come with me.

Before leaving, I rolled my brand new Aurorae yoga mat that you might remember being given away on a bunch of blogs last month (see, blog marketing DOES work!) into my brand new yoga Bendie Bag!

Bendie Bags are being improved and relaunched in March, when they will start appearing in stores and be available for purchase on their website (also relaunching).

I had been wanting a yoga mat bag and Melissa and Gena have both written about Bendie Bags. I was really happy when I was offered a bag to review.

There are lots of colors to choose from and I love the color I chose, a medium/dark green with light green dots (color A_03 on their website for better pictures). Inside is even better, dark purple with light green dots! There are two external zipper pockets, one on either side of the bag. There are also pouches inside the bag on each side for further storage.

The bag is a very soft quilt material and I was so comfortable holding it on my shoulder. I surprised myself – I looked like a real yogi carrying this bag!

I’m very excited for the official Bendie Bag launch in March because there might be a little giveaway here for you!

Anyway, back to Core Fusion Yoga.

I specifically wanted to go on Sunday for my first Core Fusion Yoga class. This is because one of my favorite Core Fusion teachers, Barbara, was teaching. I knew that she would be perfect for my first time because Barbara is so friendly and understanding of any limitations or anything people are unable to do. I love her teaching style in Core Fusion as well, and she explains the exercises and the reasoning behind doing them in really interesting ways. I always come out of her class having learned something in addition to having gotten an incredible workout!

In fact, when I took my Humor Writing class from September through December, I was really disappointed that the class was on Wednesdays, the evening that Barbara teaches Core Fusion. Her Wednesday classes are always packed, so if you decide to take one sign up in advance! I was really happy to be taking Core Fusion Yoga with her because she already knows my strengths and weaknesses during Core Fusion (particularly my poor flexibility and knee injury).

I got to Exhale Spa early. I used to always say I would never join a gym I had to take a subway to, but going by subway to Central Park South has been so quick and easy. I don’t mind it at all, even on these freezing winter days. Since I was early, I was sitting on a bench in the locker room reading my BlackBerry when Barbara walked in. She came right up to me and started talking to me! She asked if I had my yoga mat (I did!) and I told her this was my first time taking this class. She was so sweet and started explaining things to me, and she asked me if I was there alone and I told her Missy would be there too for her first time.

Missy arrived and we both went to the yoga room. I love the Core Fusion room because of the openness and the skylight in the ceiling and I love the yoga room because it is warm and dark and has a fireplace! Barbara told us to lay our mats in the front near her and then she sat with us (it was still pretty early) and went over the way the class works and some of the poses we do during it. After she walked away, I turned to Missy and said, “And this why I wanted to take the first class with Barbara.”

Class began and I enjoyed it from the beginning. I felt flowy and stretchy and strong. Barbara was very clear in her instructions and I never felt lost. Of course, there were a couple of moments, particularly when we had to balance on one leg with no hands, that I was unable to do it, so when I put my hands back down on the yoga block Barbara would say “Good, Dori. That’s right.” I loved the positive reinforcement. That’s not to say I didn’t keep trying to balance; I did my best!

But for the most part I was able to do every movement! Remember in my last Core Fusion Challenge post when I said I despise pushups? Well, let me tell you something. We definitely did more pushups in Core Fusion Yoga than we do in a Core Fusion Open class, but I didn’t mind them at all – in fact, I enjoyed them. Not only did I not mind them and enjoy them, I actually did them full out. In Core Fusion, I do “girl” pushups, with my knees on the ground. That is because we do so many in a row that I just can’t support myself with my legs extended.

The reason I was able to do the pushups full out in Core Fusion Yoga is because we only did FOUR at a time before moving on to something else. We came back to the four pushups many times throughout the workout, but because we only did four at once, I was able to do them without putting my knees on the ground.

I LOVED THIS. Four pushups is not a big deal, and thirty pushups are not a big deal if they’re not all done in a row (for me). I felt so accomplished and happy about this! Maybe I will improve by the end of this challenge and do the pushups full out in Core Fusion as well? That wasn’t a goal for initially since I don’t usually like pushups and didn’t care one way or the other if I got better at them, but maybe it is something I should rethink.

We went through lots of different poses in a flowy way, repeated the same sequences a number of times. Lots of downward facing dogs, some upward facing dogs, some warrior and warrior two. I loved all of it. I really need to stretch like this more. The music was perfect as well, it really kept me going.

I was SWEATING. This class is cardio! We were moving the entire time without stopping. I’d love to incorporate this class into my routine to get a mix of strength and cardio in one.

We did some poses that made my thighs burn and was reminiscent of Core Fusion, such as holding a chair pose, only this time with our hands in prayer. We did some strengthening moves in our seat as well that I was all too familiar with – in fact, Barbara even said to me during the class “See, you already know this!” since she has taught many of my classes. Further encouragement. Love.

And, like any good Core Fusion class, we ended with abs. Abs were SO HARD. We used a heavy yoga block and held it on front of us while maintaining a boat pose and C curve and doing other movements while in this position. We raised and lowered the block. We moved it around. We put it between our thighs. The block made it so challenging. But before I knew it, we were done! Time to rest in savasana. I earned it.

I truly loved this class. The time went by quickly and I felt confident in my yoga abilities, something I have never experienced before. I was able to follow the class easily and so many of the movements felt so great, stretches I really needed.

After class, Barbara complimented me on my lilac Aurorae yoga mat!

I want to take Barbara’s Core Fusion Yoga class every Sunday, but unfortunately this coming Sunday I won’t be able to make it. Every Sunday after that, though, I will be there! Since I can’t make Barbara’s next week, I scheduled the class with another teacher for a different day, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it. I can’t believe I actually love a yoga class – I feel so excited about this.

I found out today that they filmed a DVD for Core Fusion Yoga – and it is coming out some time this year! I can’t wait to get myself a copy and try it out. I hope you all decide to get it too, because this was the yoga class for people who think they don’t like yoga.

I have three more Core Fusion classes this week. Wish me luck!

And oh yeah — I love having a place to wear my Bendie Bag to.  :)

Yes, I made a list of things to post about the other day, but today I am going to post about none of those things. That is because I am not motivated to create new content. I am riding this bad blogger streak out as long as I can. Although I will be posting my 10K race recap (race is Sunday!) because I tested out my playlist today and I think I am in love.

I told you all how I signed up for a Humor Writing class at the Gotham Writers Workshop back in September. I took a free one hour course through them in Memoir Writing and loved it. When it came time to sign up for class, however, I had a hard time deciding between Memoir and Humor writing classes. In the end I opted for Humor because I read the instructor’s book, absolutely loved it and hoped to make her my best friend. I also figured that the lessons I learn in Humor would carry over into the memoir sector.

This proved to be true, as the class is modeled on humorous memoirs, such as anything by David Sedaris.  While I do realize in retrospect that Memoir might have been a better option for me based on my needs and the fact that I am hideously awful at constructing clever similes (a key aspect in humor writing), this class has challenged me and forced me to be a better writer. I learned the rules of the funny, and while I don’t plan to write a humorous memoir, I do plan to pepper my more somber future memoir with humor to make it more appealing, relatable, readable and overall better. Since my memoir would certainly be about my illness and possible upcoming surgery — a surgery that is very rare for a 26 year old in otherwise perfect health to get — it would certainly need some moments of funny in there.

I do plan to take the Memoir class at Gotham; just not next semester. After 8 weeks (out of 10) of 3 hour classes taking up my entire Wednesday night, I am ready for a break. I already use one night a week for a GI appointment, so it is hard for me to find time to see friends, work out, blog and relax. I’d like my time back for now, and maybe I’ll sign up for the Memoir class the next time around.

In my Humor class, I had to write two longer pieces that get critiqued by the class as well as shorter one page homework assignments. While I am not comfortable sharing my previous longer piece, I do hope to share my next one that is due next week! I will, however, share with you my most recent homework assignment. The assignment was different than most; usually our assignments are exercises in writing that remind me or writing like David Sedaris. This assignment, on the other hand, was to write a sales pitch for a product I invented. The more absurd the product, the better.

Because I have very few funny ideas of my own (at least none that can be leveraged for this particular course) I turned to my friends. I often turn to my friends for my homework, asking them for examples on funny sounding diseases or any type of simile. This time, my friend Dr. McGriddle (we love IHOP, I used to love Grey’s) came through and helped me with the idea and supporting elements. Thank you, Doctor.

For this particular homework, I volunteered to read it out loud to the class because (a) I was proud of it and (b) it meant I would not be called on to read my in class writing assignment, which tends to be beyond awful. When you read something out loud, the instructor critiques it on the spot. Some critiques I received was that the first paragraph is very strong, but the rest doesn’t fit with it; it is a one note joke and the tone got old very fast; I could have found a better flavor for one of my examples.

Please keep in mind this is very different from the writing I usually to do for this class, which tends to be humorous memoir type stories. Also, I struggle to make the most of the humor writing rules. Being funny is hard work. I have a hardcore newfound respect for these writers. Consider that next time you pick up Augusten Burroughs.

Behold, my writing class homework. My sales pitch.

Twinkie No-Crush

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Have you ever taken a class for fun? What did you think of it? And, what do you think of my homework?

I want to talk about Thanksgiving this week. I feel like it is always Thanksgiving. Every time I turn around, it is time for Thanksgiving again. Last year was the first year I got in a workout on the holiday. I couldn’t go to my own gym because I had stayed over at my mom’s the night before. My little brother was visiting from The Seattles and I wanted to spend as much time with his mushy face as possible. I get guest passes to a bunch of a gym’s through my company’s Global Fit account and I was thrilled to see Meadows Spa on the list. Meadows Spa is an all women’s gym that I was a member of for a short time when I lived at home. I actually used to come home from my full time job, go right from the bus to my car and drive to the gym to take a class (never did machines back then) after work. What motivation!

Anyway, I used the guest pass there in the morning and got a good 1:05 on two different ellipticals. It felt great and I was so happy to have done something great for myself before the huge meal. I was able to enjoy my meal much more too knowing I got a great workout in.

Which brings me to my Turkey Day Tips. I know variations of these have been floating around the blog world, but I’d like to throw mine in there as well along with my plans for this year. Oh, and while I do not eat turkey, I just love saying Turkey Day.

Turkey Day Tips

1. Schedule your Turkey Day workout. Otherwise it gets easy to lounge around with your family or watching the parade or football or whatever it is you do to lounge. I scheduled my workout — a Core Fusion class with one of my favorite teachers (my favorite teacher Brynn is no longer at CF, sad). I was so happy to see that my other favorite, Barbara, was teaching on Turkey Day, so I jumped at the chance to take her 11:00 am class. Now that I signed up, I am obligated to go. And excited to! If I happen to wake up early on Thursday I might try to get in a quick cardio workout as well, but if there’s no time, no worries! I know I will feel amazing after Core Fusion — I always do! Plus, I have been meaning to get my butt there more!
2. Plan your Day After workout. Knowing you have a workout planned and ready to go the following day might help you not stuff yourself to the point of food coma, or, as my brother and I like to say thanks to Chris Rock, “the itis.” And a workout the day after Turkey Day will just feel nice, knowing you had a fantastic day of indulgence and now you are back to treating your body well. I already scheduled my Day After workout – another Core Fusion class with the same great teacher! I was happy to see Barbara is teaching on Black Friday because it made me really want to sign up for the class. She usually teaches on Wednesdays when I am at my writing class, so now I have two great opportunities to take her class!
   I will probably do a cardio workout this day as well since I will have more time.
3. Work out throughout the week. From Sunday – at least Friday of Turkey Day week I will be/have been working out. More than I usually do but it makes me feel that much better about the festivities.
4. Enjoy! If you workout before or after Thanksgiving, great! If not, also great! The point of this holiday is to enjoy your time with family and friends and eat delicious foods you really only have once a year. So enjoy it and don’t feel guilty or bad or anything negative at all about indulging — or over indulging. Just enjoy.

Looking for a fun and challenging Turkey Day workout? Read this post from Well + Good NYC, a great blog I just found out about. While this blog is NYC-centric, there are great ideas in the post for everyone, so check it out!

Speaking of NYC workouts, remember when I struggled with the decision to join a gym? The day after I made the decision and joined, I received an email from the PR Director at New York Sports Clubs. She had read about my issues with having little money but wanting to work out in a motivating environment, and she offered me a complimentary month! While I was really happy, I had also just joined and wasn’t sure if the offer was still valid. After some working things out, I am happy to say I received my free month and that makes me so happy! I am very impressed with NYSC’s keeping up with what people are saying in the social media/blog world and their generous efforts to make sure I got to belong to a gym. The signs of a great company. Thank you, New York Sports Club!

Speaking of NYSC, I wanted to update you on how I’ve been doing with my new membership. As for my home location, I’ve only gone twice, both times to spin. My evenings have all been so busy so I haven’t gotten there after work and I have been too tired to make it in the morning. But that is OK — since I have been using the location across the street from my job! I can only use that location during off peak hours which has been working out well.

Remember I discussed scheduling a Thanksgiving workout earlier in this post? Well, I’ve benefited from scheduling all my workouts when I go during the work day. I’ve found that if I block off a time in my Outlook calendar, I make it to the gym. If I don’t, I tend to let work wrap me up and I don’t make it. So I block off a time, go across to the gym, get in a quick 30 minute workout and get right back to work. It is as if I was never even there! As if I didn’t work out, except that I DID.

I love, love, love this new arrangement. I am kicking myself for not doing this sooner. Then when my day is done, I am done. No workouts hanging over my head, taunting me. I’m in, I’m out, I’m done.

I was doing elliptical mostly. I did the arc trainer once and I did the elliptical/stairmaster hybrid once. Then yesterday, inspired by Janna, I did a machine I haven’t done since I belonged to my old gym: the stepmill.

I forgot how hard this thing is! I did 30 minutes and I was dripping by the end. My shirt was soaked through! What an amazing workout when you are strapped for time. I will probably incorporate this into my workouts much more often now. Hopefully soon I will have less of a hard time on actual stairs! I definitely recommend the stepmill if you need a quick but tough workout. Just don’t attempt to pick up a water bottle or a BlackBerry during it because you might fall off. It requires focus and balance!

Another reason my gym membership has been worth it. The building gym doesn’t have this machine! And NYSCs are everywhere. The other day, I went with the boy to his haircut appointment and there was a NYSC across the street. If I’d known, I could have brought clothes and gotten my workout in. Next time!

I am kickstarting my return to Core Fusion with my Turkey Day schedule as well. I opted not to participate in Angela’s Whittle My Middle challenge because I have 25 Core Fusion classes to use up and I know they would whittle my middle and strenghten my core better than I could ever do on my own. But I haven’t been using the classes aside from a really great beginner yoga class that I didn’t hate a couple weeks ago. Starting Thanksgiving, I am back in Core Fusion mode. I will be whittling my middle there and strenghtening my butt, legs and arms as well. I can’t wait to get stronger again!

A quick random note on workout clothes. I was on eBay trying to find the Lululemon Run Swiftly Tech L/S shirt that is sold out in my size everywhere, and I came across some auctions for the Brisk Run Gloves that I have. In Lululemon stores & online, they cost $26. On eBay, they were being sold as Buy it Now for $40. Rip off! You could just buy it straight from Lululemon.com with free shipping. Always check to make sure you aren’t being ripped off on eBay — that made me really angry.

And lastly, some quick food news. I made amazing pumpkin pancakes. So perfect and fluffy — without a doubt the best pancakes I ever made. I used Arrowhead Mills Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix. I replaced the vegetable oil with coconut oil and I added in a couple healthy spoonfuls of Whole Foods organic canned pumpkin. Perfection.

And if you want a book of healthy, easy, yummy recipes please check out Jen’s PriorFatGirl e-Cookbook. It is an amazing collection of over 50 recipes submitted by Jen’s readers and put together by Jen herself, with tidbits on getting some movement into your day from the ever popular MizFit throughout. It makes a great holiday gift and is an invaluable resource for yourself. I have one and I can’t wait to use it. The cookbook costs $5, with $4 of it going to the YMCA, which promotes healthy living for millions of Americans. Click here to learn more and order your copy!

How do you fit a workout in on Thanksgiving? Ever done anything unique?

I will be back tomorrow for my 4 mile race recap and playlist!

After my post, I set out to do some further research. And my research was fruitful!

I am really, really good at the internet. As I said in my last post, my company didn’t offer a real discount. At least, not one that employees could actually find on the intranet. But with my talents, I found another company’s website for employee offers, typed in my own work email address, and before I knew it I was on a webpage for employees of MY company — with an amazing discount right there! All I had to do was sign up and it was mine! Why is this information nowhere on our intranet?

There was one catch, though. In order to take advantage of this offer, I had to commit for a year. I started weighing my options once again, trying hard to rationalize a 1 year commitment. But it kept coming back to one problem — I don’t expect to be employed past April, and there is no way I can pay for a gym membership without having a job!

I rationalized and rationalized. I emailed lots of friends. I had multiple phone conversations with the boy. I tried talking myself into just going for it. I still was not ready to commit. And then I got a phone call.

The membership director I spoke to on Saturday called to check in on my decision to join and to see if I was able to find I discount. “I have a website open in front of me right now with this discount,” I told her. “But it requires a one year commitment and I just don’t think I can do it.”

She started thinking, suggesting all the ways I might be able to use another discount. “Does anyone in your apartment belong to NYSC?” Nope. “Did you used to be a member?” Nope. “Were you a member at another gym recently?” Yes! “Do you still have your barcode from that gym?” Yes! “That’s it. We have a discount for you.”

And that is how I got a pretty good price on a month to month, commitment-free NYSC membership! In order to pay for this, I will be cutting down on one medical treatment a month. If I find that I am suffering too much, I can just cancel my membership (with 30 days notice).  I am so glad I didn’t sign up on Saturday. I KNEW there had to be a better offer and I got one!

I went to the gym after work to sign the papers and get my membership card and I was all set!

That is, until this morning when I woke up to an email from the PR Director at NYSC who read my blog entry about my dilemma with a very generous offer. How cool is that. I love when companies step up. I can’t reveal yet what the offer was since I am waiting to hear back from her on my follow up email, but I am hoping to be able to save a little bit more money . . . it might be too late though.

Either way, now I have a gym membership! I can use my “home” location at any time and all other locations (such as the one across the street from my job) during off peak hours and weekends. Not a bad deal! And there is another location pretty close to me that has some good classes on the weekend’s, so I am sure I will be heading over there a couple times. And working out during the day by my job. I have to start leaving gym clothes at work again. And I can spin again! Once I get the hooks back in my shoes, that is.

Another thing that is annoying about the building gym that I forgot to mention yesterday: I only have access to it when the boy is home because I need his key to get in. That is why I bought the rebounder, which I still plan to use, but now I have this my new gym as an option as well. Perfect.

After all the excitement of joining the gym, it was time to meet some friends for dinner at a restaurant I was very excited for. The plan was for Missy, Melissa, Gena and I to eat at Peacefood Cafe on the Upper West Side. I read about it in a Vital Juice newsletter and given its convenient location to my apartment, knew I needed to try it out. The menu sounded divine!

I got there early and sat on a bench in front of the restaurant. Nearly every person who walked by made some comment about the restaurant’s name. Think “Oh, Peacefood. Just what I need. More peace in my food!” in British accent. I guess not everyone is ready for the Peacefood!

Unfortunately, Melissa had to back out since she was given some urgent work to do, so it was just three of us. The restaurant itself was adorable. We each ordered tea that came in large mugs that I loved. I got peppermint and it was delicious. I had obsessed over studied the menu during the day and wasn’t able to decide between these two choices:

Roasted Japanese Pumpkin (Kabocha) mashed and seasoned with a little sea salt, ground black pepper and extra virgin olive oil, topped with caramelized onions, ground walnuts, vegan goat cheese and seasonal greens

or the

Mushroom Duxelle with roasted sweet peppers, onions & zucchini

As much as I wanted to finally try kabocha after reading so many blog raves, I was really craving pizza so that is what I went with. Luckily, Missy ordered the kabocha sandwich and Gena ordered a side of kabocha, so I could have the best of both worlds.

I made the right choice. Seriously, that might have been the best pizza I have ever had. It tasted amazing, and the peppers and zucchini really added something special to it. Everything was cooked to perfection:

AMAZING. Devour is too dainty a word to describe what I did to that.

Gena got an amazing salad topped with some delicious looking avocado. I took one look at her giant salad and felt a pang of envy. When I see a salad like that, it makes me miss salads so much and depresses me that I can’t eat them (my stomach will not allow it). While I couldn’t taste her salad, I could, however, taste her roasted kabocha!

Cut off a piece, put in mouth. Chew, chew. Chomp. Swallow.

The verdict? Ehh.

Maybe it was so built up to me from other blogs? Maybe it wasn’t a particularly sweet kabocha? I don’t know. What I do know is that I would take a sweet potato over that kabocha any day. It just didn’t taste that sweet to me. I will need to try again, but that is my first impression. So I am not in any big rush.

This is Gena’s big salad with the kabocha in the background.

Then I tasted Missy’s kabocha sandwich. I don’t have a picture here yet, but when she posts it I will be sure to steal it. The star of her sandwich was without a doubt the caramelized onions. They were so sweet and flavorful! Delicious!

Aside from the food, our meal was great because we had so much to talk about. This was my first meet up with Gena in such a small setting; while we have emailed countless times, we’ve only seen in each other in large groups, so I am thrilled to have gotten the chance to sit down and eat a meal with her. And Missy is one of my closest friends (for those of you who don’t know, we met in Israel 2 and a half years ago), so there was great company!

As I looked around the restaurant, I was especially happy to see that it was pretty filled up. It is so great to see a vegan, healthy restaurant doing such good business.

Of course, we will have to do it again with Melissa — who, I might add, is running in the NYC Marathon on Sunday! Good luck to Melissa, I know she will do great! Melissa is my running idol since she went from not being a runner to running (like me) to running marathons (not like me. yet?). And she introduced me to Girl Talk.

After we paid the check (imagine 3 girls; 2 english majors and 1 blonde trying to do the math) we walked to the counter and spoke to the restaurant owner. This man was so nice! I asked them if they deliver and they said they do! The boy and I are BIG into food delivery. As I mentioned, SeamlessWeb is my best friend. But there aren’t many places on there that are affordable and healthy. The healthier options are a bit pricey. And I am always wary of what goes into making my food these days. So I was so happy to learn that Peacefood Cafe delivers. I plan to start ordering and trying everything on the menu! And I emailed SeamlessWeb to suggest they add Peacefood Cafe to their service.

Before leaving, we approached the pastry display. The desserts all looked so good! I bought a mini brownie (keep in mind, everything is vegan) to take home. When I got home I tore into it! Sorry, no picture. But know that it was so so so so good! I have been craving a brownie for about a week now, and this one really hit the spot. Perfect small treat for my sweet tooth!

If you’re in NYC, I definitely recommend stopping at Peacefood Cafe. They also had a lot of smoothies that I am dying to try, like the Chocolate Mint – Cocoa, Avocado, Mint, Agave. Yum. Wow. I want that right now.

And of course I want to try lots more menu items. I expect this restaurant to become a staple for me.

I’m going to the Seattles tomorrow morning very early, so I probably won’t be back on the blog until the middle of next week. Maybe a little surprise before then. Maybe not. I might be spending too much time smushing this little girl: