Big Decisions

So remember that post I put up a few days ago about my alcohol inspired (and Boston Marathon inspired) Chicago Marathon lottery entry. Well, I got accepted! (Gulp).

Now comes the big decision - do I commit to the race?! I have to be honesty I'm about 80%/20% yes right now. I found out 2 of my other girlfriends were also selected to run, plus CM and I have been dying to plan a trip out there for some time now. Looks like I'll be doing more than just bachelorette partying in Chicago this weekend - I'll be scoping out my next marathon route!

This was last night's dinner. I made a delicious baked salmon brushed with dijon mustard and olive oil, baked asparagus, and I followed Pink's Pantry recipe here for the awesome acorn squash fries! Super easy and so satisfying!

Monday morning's class pass brought me to Lifted a relatively new local gym. I took the Group Strength class which consisted of high intensity interval training with weights. I enjoyed learning new weight training exercise and getting a good sweat. Plus, Mo always plays great music to keep you motivated. 

Saturday South End Sweat and Stroll

I had a very full weekend of fitness, food, and fun. It started with a class at Burn Fitness Studios in the South End. I took the Circuit Row Burn, description directly from the website below. It was a HIIT (high intensity interval training) class with rowing as the primary cardio segment. I have never taken a rowing class, and I loved the unique setup. The studio was pretty chic, too.

Circuit Row BURN

This total body circuit challenge combines different workout stations to inspire a results-driven, maximum effort. It is extreme cross-training at its best with Indo-rowers, functional exercises, and a whole bunch of other fun fitness toys in a team-oriented class that will challenge and transform your whole body.​

Next I had brunch at one of my favorite spots in the neighborhood, Local 149. I had the lobster mcmuffin, and a bloody mary. Delicious. CM & I ran some errands, next, and rounded out the afternoon at a barbecue to celebrate a friend who completed the Boston Marathon last week. I bought her this great bottle of wine as a gift. Each comes with a personalized oyster shell, and for every bottle sold 100 wild oysters are restored. 

Next CM and I attended Purple Party 2015 for the Boredom Buster's Charity. This annual event and others like it help to raise money to help provide hospitals with entertainment for children in long term care. Read more about the charity here.

Finally, one of my favorite parts of Saturday was waking up to this face. This is a before and after of her every-six-month transformation from shaggy to chic. How cute is she?!

Before:

After:

#MCM Marathon Crush Monday

This past Monday was the 119th Boston Marathon. I can honestly say that in my five years of living in Boston Marathon Monday is always one of my favorite days of the year. I love the spirit of the city on Marathon Monday. It feels like everyone is out to help and support each other, from the marathon runners and volunteers on the sidelines to people sharing pints at the bar. It's an amazing day.

Every year that I don't run the marathon (three years since I moved to Boston, and this year included) I get serious FOMO. I got such a case of FOMO this year that I signed up for the Chicago Marathon Lottery on a whim. (Whoops! You may be getting a lot of Marathon Motivation posts if I'm accepted - stay tuned!)

This year my friend JE ran the marathon for Cradles to Crayons, and this post is dedicated to her. She's my #MarathonCrushMonday. (See what I did there?) You might remember I posted a little bit about JE's training here. I am so proud of my little friend. She is admittedly not a runner, but trained through one of the hardest training seasons in history to be prepared for this day. Not only was it one of the hardest training seasons in history, marathon Monday was a cold, rainy, WINDY day. (Mother Nature, couldnt you cut them a break). Despite the hardship, JE never stopped smiling. Some of our friends met up with her from miles 17-25, and each of them said she was soaked, soggy, and smiling ear to ear the entire time! She raised over $10,000 for her charity, and earned every mile of that race. JE I hope Boston now has a very special place in your heart! It's such an incredible accomplishment!

I love this super sweet picture of JE hugging her dad. He's tearing up. He was so proud!

So as I mentioned I get serious Marathon FOMO, so I decided to do a Barry's Bootcamp workout on Monday morning. It was an Arms and Abs class, and for those of you who know Barry's, this was a "dirty thirty" class. You essentially spend 30 minutes on the treadmill and 30 mins on the floor without breaks - Killer! What I loved about this class is that the instructor modeled the tread workout after the marathon - 26 minutes, where every minute mimicked a mile of the marathon in incline and speed. It was such a cool way to celebrate the iconic day, and it really kicked my butt!


For breakfast I came back and had a delicious new shake I concocted. The Marathon Macaroon. (Are we seeing a theme here?) This shake sort of happened by accident when I added almond extract on a whim.

Marathon Macaroon

1 scoop vanilla protein

2 cups cold (cool-ish) coffee

5 ice cubes

A tsp of almond extract

CrossFit Virgin

I lost my virginity this morning.

(Get your minds out of the gutter).

My CrossFit virginity, that is! Thanks to ClassPass I was able to try CrossFit Southie for the first time. It was great! I took a bootcamp class at 6am this morning. The class started with an extensive warmup (a little too slow for me), but the instruction was excellent. I think CrossFit can get kind of a bad rap because I've heard of many people being injured from not doing exercises properly. This bootcamp and instructor made sure to show us how to properly swing a kettlebell and complete a jumping pull-up before the workout began. The workout was a 20 minute "AMRAP" aka As Many Reps As Possible. The breakdown of the reps was this:

• 400 meter run
• 21 kettlebell swings (bringing the kettlebell over your head)
• 12 jumping pushups.

I did 6 rounds in 20 minutes and was pretty pleased with myself!

Last night I made veggie lasagna for dinner, and loved it!!! I followed Frankie Hearts Fashion's recipe here. Instead of turkey, I used tempeh and sautéed it with a little coconut oil. It was one of the best veggie lasagnas I've ever had! Low in carbs (thanks zucchini) and a good dose of protein (thanks tempeh and cheese!)

Bachelorette Break

This weekend I celebrated with one of my good girlfriends and all of her closest friends in Newport for her bachelorette party! This party was a little different than other bachelorette parties I've attended, because all of the girls were interested in health and fitness in some way. The bride and her fiancé met at CrossFit, as did many of the girls at the bachelorette. One of her other girlfriends is training to become a power yoga instructor in VA, and one was training for the Boston Marathon. It was refreshing to be around a group of women who were excited to celebrate while also making healthy decisions.

The weekend started with a run along Newport's scenic Cliff Walk. We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather!

That's the bride in the pink. This is the view from one of the tunnels. Look how blue the ocean is!

The next stop on the agenda was a tasting at a local vineyard. I was surprised by how much I liked each of the wines I tried. My favorite was the dry Riesling.

The bride and I before a night of comedy and 80s cover bands. The grey dress is definitely being put to good use.

Dinner at an amazing Mexican restaurant before a very fun night!

Protein Pad Thai

Again, not my most appetizing looking dish (I hope this isn't a pattern here), but one of the most delicious! CM is a big fan of pad thai. I had a bunch of those black bean noodles left over from this recipe, and this was the perfect way to put them to good use. I followed The Nifty Cupcake's recipe here. It was so easy, so quick, and so good! I definitely recommend the extra limes. This made lots of leftovers so I had it again for lunch today, too.

I know I went on and on about the nice weather in yesterday's post, but I am still so happy it's finally warm and sunny! After my barre class and run I decided I wanted to celebrate spring. I stopped by the grocery shop near our house and picked up a few selections of cheese, peanuts, and pretzels. CM and I enjoyed this spread on the porch with a couple of glasses of red. #sundayfunday

I'm biased, but how cute is he?!

Finally, I ABSOLUTELY love the following photo found today on Instagram. Look at those adorable rolls! This is my Monday Motivation.

Sunday Runday and a Shake

This has been such an amazing weekend, and I think that's in large part because we didn't make any plans in advance. While I really appreciate being organized and planning things in advance most of the time, I sometimes totally enjoy being a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants gal. (You and me both, Julia.)  That's just what we did this weekend. On Friday I went to see one of my girlfriends sing in her band at a bar downtown. I wasn't sure I wanted to go out because I was recovering from a cold that brought me down all week, but once I got there I had such a great time! It was a great ending to a long week.

On Saturday I was a little groggier than usual (thanks to Friday night and cold meds), so I welcomed a 2 mile jog and 75 minutes of Power Yoga at Exhale. Exhale is such a beautiful facility with waterfall showers, a first class spa, and beautiful classrooms. I feel better just sitting in their locker room. The power yoga could've been a little more challenging, but then again I'm not sure I was completely up for more of a challenge. It was a great way to detox - especially the complimentary green tea at the end. 

After class I met up with some girlfriends for shopping on Boylston. The girls had just taken a FlyWheel class, and we were all ready to wind down with some retail therapy. It was beautiful out (finally!) and I bought myself some goodies including this new grey dress. As soon as I saw it on the hanger I fell in love, but not sure it was worth the price??

Another splurge I am more sure about was the Quest Protein I picked up. The girls have been raving about Quest for quite some time now, but the promotional shaker and sample protein pack really sealed the deal. I made THE BEST protein shake today to treat myself after a 3.5 mile run and C2 BeatBarre Class. 

The view on my run. Sea & sunshine!

Apple Pie Protein Shake

1 Scoop Vanilla Quest Protein Powder

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

4 ice cubs

1/2 cup apple sauce 

2 tsps cinnamon 

Last night Kels, her boyfriend, CM and I went to dinner at M.C. Speidos near the water. The food was great, and the company was even better. I wore the new grey dress and started the night with a glass of rosé. Spring is finally here!

Exhale Power Yoga Breakdown

Challenge: 2

Sweat Factor: 1

Music: 5

Pros: One of my favorite workout facilities in Boston. Really great stretch & detox after a long week.

Cons: I thought it could have been more challenging given that it's advertised as power yoga. 

C2 BeatBarre Breakdown

Challenge: 5

Sweat Factor: 5

Music: 8-9

Pros: I loved this barre class and this studio! I havent been to C2 in a while, and I was happy to be back! I love her chabby chic decorations, and this class was a challenge set to upbeat music. Carolyn, the owner, teaches Sundays class, and she really strives to kick your butt. There's some jumping and a lot of squats, so you do work up a sweat, unlike some barre classes.

Cons: There's a class right before this one that ends at 11:30, right when the barre class starts. I thought that made things feel rushed. Her microphone was giving her some trouble so it was difficult to hear her instructions at times.

Fauxasta

Roasted Red Pepper Zoodles and BBPasta

Admittedly, this is not the most appetizing looking dish ever made. However, it was tasty and super satisfying. Today was a frigid, rainy, and sleet filled day in Boston. The kind of day that will make you want to eat a giant slice of pizza for lunch (whoops!), and have something even heartier for dinner. That's what I came home craving today - something hot, hearty, and satisfying. I found a recipe for Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Zucchini Noodles here, and modified it a bit. I prepared the zoodles and sauce as GI 365's recipe requires, but I also added Black Bean Pasta, and sautéed white onions and garlic. It was the first time I've ever tried black bean pasta, and I really liked it! It's made from 92% blackbeans and 8% water. It has consistency very similar to pasta, a non-distinct flavor, and it was much more satisfying than zoodles alone. Not to mention it has 25g of protein per serving! Not surprisingly V from vfeathersandfur.blogspot.com recommended that I try the black bean pasta out, and I am passing on the same advice to you! It will not dissapoint.

The easiest sauce made in the blender.

Black bean spaghetti

Zoodles

The finished product topped with some parmesan 

Simply Barre

Thanks to ClassPass I took my first class at Simply Barre. It's a beautiful new barre studio here in Boston. I took the 6am class, and easily found parking outside. Dorothy taught the class, and she was a great, upbeat instructor. She also took the time to make corrections and pay attention to each student. Some criticisms - I didn't love the music selection, and thought the class could've been a little more intense. I feel like I often say that about barre, but then I'm sore for 3+ days afterwards. I think if I am to take this class again, I will do a half hour of cardio (likely a jog) before class starts to round out the workout. 

Simply Barre Breakdown

Challenge: 5

Sweat Factor: 3

Music: 5

Pros: Use of totally different muscles which will likely make me sore for days, beautiful facility, easy to find parking.

Cons: Not sweaty enough, needs a music makeover.

The Sweet Life & The Sweat Life

CM & I had such a nice, relaxing Easter weekend. On Friday we had dinner with some friends near our place. On Saturday we took it easy, dyed eggs (yep, you read that right), and played Scrabble. (Pretty 90-years-old of us, I know).

Trying to take a family portrait with Ry... Impossible.

I do a much better job of meal planning and prep when my weekends aren't so crazy. I've been making it a point to sit down on Sundays, plan out my meals for the week, and pack my lunches. As a perk of all that planning, I've been able to try some new dessert recipes.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Pops

I followed this recipe from Joy the Baker. She has some amazing looking recipes. (Not all extremely healthy, but they look extremely delicious!) These could not have been easier. I swapped the peanut butter for almond butter, and loved the combination of coconut oil and chocolate. I found that they were best slightly defrosted.

Healthy Chocolate Fudge Brownies

I was inspired by my best's blog Vfeathersandfur.blogspot.com. She raved about these brownies here and I just had to give them a try. (Original recipe from Amy's Healthy Baking). One thing I did wrong - instead of wheat flour, I used soy flour (very high in protein!) However, soy flower also has a very distinct flavor. You should only swap about 30% of the flour your using for soy flour, but I swapped 100%. Next time I would definitely do half soy flour, half wheat. I didn't like the taste of the flour, but once I added the frosting and tossed a couple chunks of dark chocolate into the batter, these were heavenly!!! I definitely recommend.

ClassPass

Last night I signed up for ClassPass and I am beyond excited. Class pass allows you 3 visits to any club on their list (there are hundreds of workout clubs/gyms/studios to pick from) each month, and you can go to an unlimited amount of classes. I took Box Fiit at George Foreman's Boxing Gym this morning (it kicked my butt), and I have already signed up for 4 more classes this week: Barre, Bootcamp, and Exhale Yoga (I cannot wait to hang out in the spa this Saturday). I am most excited to take some additional Barry's Bootcamp and Flywheel. The pass comes with a pretty hefty price tag ($100 a month), but given the fact that each of the classes is anywhere between $15-$30, I am hoping to find that the pass quickly pays for itself. Stay tuned for updates!