Workout Review: Soul Cycle

By ellen on April 6, 2010

[source]

I’ve been dying to try out Soul-Cycle for quite some time. That time came on Friday. I was willing to pay the steep price of a class ($32), but was delighted to see that the Westside location was offering a free community ride on Friday at 1pm. And since I was on vacation, I happened to be free at this time :)

I went to the 72nd St. location, and by the time I found the entrance (it’s just a lobby-front, the studio is in the back), it looked like everyone else in the class was already there! The narrow entry-way had soul-cyclists changing shoes and getting their stuff together, and I squirmed by to get my borrowed shoes (clipless pedals).

This was, I should tell you, my first time wearing cycling shoes. Once I awkwardly walked over to my bike, I snapped my shoes in (after a few minutes of failed attempts and having the lovely girl next to me help me out a bit) I started rolling. The lights were dim, the music was awesome, and the studio was candlelit. Almost more like a yoga studio, than spinning – in a good way. The zen similarities ended there.

Surrounded by fit women of many ages, mostly Lulu-clad, we got started with our instructor, Kaili. The warm-up through the very last minute was high-energy and saturated with awesome music, and loads of encouragement from the instructor. I almost forgot how badly my thighs were burning about 20 minutes in.

Afterwards, the room emptied quickly for a new group coming in, I rode my Spinner’s high to the juice bar next door for a tasty reward :)

The verdict? I’m in LOVE. I’d love to check out a few more classes, and I’ll keep my eyes peeled for some freebie community classes. I think I can only justify paying full price about twice a month, but that’s good enough for me!

Have you hit up Soul-Cycle? What did you think?

Tagged , , , , , Leave a Comment

Back in the Game

By ellen on September 3, 2009

I recently made the decision to defer my place in the 2009 NYC marathon. I ran in 2008 and ran the qualifying races for my placement in 2009s upcoming race. Truth be told, the decision to defer was not a very difficult one and it was only made in the last week or two.

The 2008 NYC marathon was arguably the single most profound experience of my life (wedding is up there too). While it was my second full marathon, it was my first NYC. For years I had watched the coverage on tv (even before I was a distance runner), and once I moved to Manhattan I’d stand along the park to watch people finish for hours and hours. Just watching – on tv, in person – gave me such a rush of emotion that I knew that I had to do it. Even thinking of it know gives me the same chills I feel when I’m there.

To say that running it last year was an unparalleled adrenaline rush is a gross understatement. I think I had a giant smile plastered across my face the whole way… up the energetic streets of Brooklyn, over the 59th Street Bridge, waving to my friends and family on 2nd Avenue, and even when I felt like someone had pounded a nail into my heel as I entered Central Park.

It’s an incredibly humbling experience to be a part of something of that magnitude… to realize that it’s something much much bigger than you and the training you did for the last few months.

I loved it. And I’m not doing it this year.

I’m the runner who has run many, many races – like every other weekend it, it seems. It’s as if I had to run every race that graced the New York Road Runners calendar. I was always training for something. Something got lost in that mix. At a certain point, I stopped running for me. I was no longer running for the reasons that I loved it in the first place. It became a chore – a means to an end. I was no longer reveling in the journey.

It was only when I seriously began to consider deferring my entry to 2010 that I began to relish running again. I ran because I wanted to – not because it was on my training calendar or I knew I’d have a rough marathon if I didn’t. I am now running because I need to. I need running in my life to keep me balanced. I need it to clear my head after a long day of work. I need it to connect my mind and body and remind myself of my strength.

In the meantime, I’ll just keep running. Because I want to. I’ll plan a handful of well-chosen races. I’ll focus on dropping my half-marathon time below 2hrs.

I’ll be ready next year.  I’m already looking forward to it. And if you’re running NY this year, I’ll see you there. I’ll cheer louder than everyone else and I’ll be there cheering until the last of the marathon warriors crosses the finish line.

Posted in Tagged , , , , 1 Comment

Resolutions for the "New Year"

By ellen on September 1, 2009

As I mentioned before, I view my years from September to September. I set my goals and resolutions around this time each year. Generally, rather that set nebulous goals like “lose weight” or be more thoughtful, I try to make measurable short-term (month to month) mini-goals to help me get there.

Here’s what I’m striving for this September in…

Fitness:

  • Do yoga 2x/week (either at home or at the studio)
  • Complete regular exercises every weekday morning (push-ups, squats, sit-ups, etc).
  • Run 3x/week (2 shorter weekday runs, 1 longer weekend run)
  • Strength train (either at the gym or at home with Shred) 2x/week
  • Swim weekly

Health/Nutrition:

Now, I admit, some of these I already kinda do. I already run 3x/week and I already try at least 1 recipe from HtCEV per week. I think this kind of motivates me though, and helps me develop the others into good habits too.

Whenever I set my goals like this, I also think of some rewards for my success. For example, if I keep up with all of my fitness goals, I’ll treat myself to a new, cute workout outfit after September is over. This tends to work for me.

What do you do to stay motivated?? Do you reward yourself? Set short-term goals? Let me know your thoughts!

Posted in Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment

Training: The Bike (part 1)

By ellen on May 26, 2009

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m training for a triathlon this summer. I’ve been a runner for a while; I’m accustomed to training for marathons/halfs/etc. As for the swimming/biking portion of the tri, I’ve been hitting the pool about once/week since December, and have just been taking the bike out on the road since the weather has gotten nice (the last month or so). For the next three weeks, I will be posting my progress in increasing the intensity of my training for biking (on Tuesdays) and on swimming (on Thursdays). This will be the first of the 3 part biking series.

Getting Started:

Whether you’re training for a triathlon, recovering from a running injury, or just looking to try something new, biking is a great addition to any fitness program. It’s low impact so it’s helpful to those who are recovering from or who have knee injuries. To me, though, the best part about biking is enjoying the outdoors. Sure, I’m outside when I run, but for some reason  (maybe the speed? the wind through my hair?) biking is much more fun to me.

  • Safety: Naturally, you need to wear a helmet. Also, make sure you know where you’re going… and, perhaps more importantly, someone else knows where you are going. Bring water, and depending on the length of the ride, some sort of snack.
  • Choosing a Route: If you’re heading out for your first time in a while, it may be a good idea just to ride around a familiar area (your neighborhood) to get a feel for the bike, and how your body responds to it. Best not to get too ambitious your first ride out (also, your tush would punish you the next day, haha).
  • Getting on the Bike: For information on how to adjust your bike, and biking basics, SELF magazine has a video clip from a professional triathlete. It gives the ins and outs of getting started far better than I could.

Enjoy your ride! Next Tuesday I’ll post about my favorite long training ride…

Posted in Tagged , , , Leave a Comment

Summer Resolutions: May/June

By ellen on May 24, 2009

In case I haven’t mentioned it, I love summer. I’ve officially kicked off my summer this weekend, and hope to make this a great one. In the past, I’ve used the summer as an excuse to try new things (private pilates sessions, kayaking, etc.) I’ve found it’s been a great way to make summer a little extra special and treat myself to things I may not always have time to do during the year.

This summer, I have some great things planned. Each month (June, July, August) I’m going to try a new fitness program (one part at home, one part at a facility) in addition to my regular run/bike/swim. For the remainder of May and all of June, I will:

  1. Do ten sessions of bikram yoga at Bikram Yoga Harlem. I’ve done a handful of sessions in the past, but I’m eager to see the results that regular practice yields.
  2. SELF’s “Effortless Abs” workout. (See video below). I LOVE SELF magazine, but don’t always do the monthly workouts included. I think I will this summer. My goal for this one is to do 3 sessions/week – preferably in the morning before work.

[brightcove vid=22783825001&exp=1568178630&lbu=http://www.self.com/video?videoID=22783825001&w=300&h=225]

I already have my programs picked out for July and August, and am very excited to get through all of them. I’ll keep you updated on how they go — AND (maybe more importantly) what kinds of results they yield at the end of each month!

Posted in Tagged , , , , , , 1 Comment

Training Run

By ellen on May 21, 2009

Speaking of keeping the pace… I’ve realized that I haven’t been chatting enough about my fitness routines/training programs. As I’ve mentioned before, I have a few races coming up including a half-marathon next Saturday, my first triathlon this August, and (of course) the NY Marathon in the fall. It feels like I’m almost always training for something, but I like that a lot. 

In preparation for the half-marathon, I’ve just been doing a long run on the weekend and a few short runs during the week. Today I ran 8 miles (so as to free up my weekend), and I’ll run about 3-3milers between now and the race. After the race, I’ll steer clear of running (but not yoga or swimming) for a few days.

What I’ve found to be most helpful in training is extensive cross-training work. The more I swim, bike, strength-train, do yoga (whatever!) the stronger I feel, and the faster I get as I run. I’m actually running less this year than in prior years, and I find it feels easier. More on my cross-training next week…

Happy trails!

Posted in Tagged , , , Leave a Comment