An Active Escape

You know what's the best feeling?  Escaping the cold winter of NYC for the warm exotic beaches of Belize.  Now, on vacation I do like to do my share of sleeping/resting on hammocks.  But, I also love to get active and explore my new surroundings.  And luckily for me, St. George Caye's resort gave us the perfect equipment to explore:  Kayaks!

working out in swimsuit = happiness

No one wants to find themselves lamely running on a treadmill when on vacation.  By the same token, not working out for a whole week would drive me up a wall.  Luckily, going to an island gives you plenty of opportunities to get out and workout, while due to the prettiness of your surroundings, not finding yourself tired at all.  And let me tell you, if you are looking for a good upper body/core workout, ocean kayaking is perfect for that.  We ended up kayaking around the whole island, and when we did we were super pumped to find this little secluded beach! I mean we were the only ones hanging out there! Going out, that was easy.  Coming back, well that was a different story.  The wind had picked up like whoa, meaning that we couldn't stop rowing for any breaks or the kayak would get pushed out to sea due to the current also being stronger.  By the time we had rowed back up to our resorts beach, trust me, we had for sure earned that rum punch!

What I realized in my time in Belize, is that it's the perfect place to go for an adventure vacation.  The beaches aren't that great, but the opportunities to kayak/snorkel/scuba/hike are endless.  So next time you are looking for an adventure vacation, not a lay-on-the-beach-drinking one, consider Belize and St. George Caye's resort. 

Who can be tired when you find yourself working out to this view?

Opening Day Extravaganza

Core Four!

You know what's the best feeling after a cold polar-vortex insane NYC winter?  A beautiful day coupled with Opening Day Baseball in Yankee Stadium! New york isn't new york when the Yankees aren't playing.  So opening day is always a good time.  But combine the regular opening day pageantry with the fact that it's the last opening day for the captain's Derek Jeter, and what do you get?  Pure insanity!  I mean the stadium was absolutely electric. 

Best moment?  When the Core Four were together again!  Mariano, Posada, Pettite and Jeter.  The people who have defined the Yankees the last 20 years.  I'm sure that everyone felt as I did.  I was secretly hoping that all of them would come out of retirement for one more year.  "One More Year!"   Sadly, not to be.  But if the game is an example of how the season is going to go, sign me up!  We are in for a good season!

New Workout Fun

view from CityRow

I get bored quickly, so I am always looking for a new type of workout to keep me interested and keep me pushing myself.  And in my quest for a new workout, I found myself walking into CityRow at 6:30 am ready to get my butt kicked. 

I've done some row workouts before, but never a class.  And let me tell you, this class was no joke!  I felt absolutely amazing afterwards as could feel how every part of my body was worked.  After that first class, I was hooked.  The class structure for the Signature Row (which is the only class type I've been to) is this: you do three row sessions, and in between you do some lifting/core work.  Usually the floor sessions are dedicated to core, arms then legs.  Then you finish the session with some type of sprint on your rower.  Sound tough?  Trust me, it is. 

But the best part is the competitiveness of the workout.  You are constantly being asked to beat your previous number.  So if you got to 45 at your last sprint, the instructor will tell you to go two numbers higher on your next.  Now I am someone who when at the gym, I can't finish my treadmill run till the person next to me finishes as I have to win.  So this workout completely tapes in to my competitive nature, which guarantees that by the end of the class I will completely wrecked in the best way possible.

So next time you are in the market for a class to get your butt in shape, head down to CityRow.  You will be looking svelte in no time. 

School Pride

All those business men liquid lunching..so proud

It's the best time of the year, as the Madness has officially begun.  The days when everyone in your office suddenly disappears for a two-hour lunch..and comes back reading of alcohol....and no one cares.  You know what's even better than March Madness though?  A March Madness where your team pulls off a huge upset!

That's right ladies and gentlemen, those smart kids from Harvard have done it again!  They have won a tourney game for the second year in a row and busted all those non-believers brackets. And yet again, I was there cheering them on obnoxiously at the Irish Pub bar in Manhattan. 

This year though, I upped my game in my choice of outfit.  Not only did I do the Varsity Sweater, I added the Harvard hat as well as painted my cheeks with Crimson lipstick. Were people surprised to see Harvard had crazy fans at the bar?  Yes.  Did they enjoy it?  Judging by the amount of free drinks thrown my way, I'm going with me being quite the amusement to many people. 

You know what'd be even better than one win?  Two wins! And a second win over a team (MSU) that many, including Mr. President, had going to the final four and winning?  Wow..even better.  So here's hoping that get to experience another upset come Saturday!  My liver might not appreciate it...but every other part of my mind/body will :)!

completely Harvarded-out

celebratory shots after big win!

Going Dancing!

Friday didn't start like any other day.  Well, I mean it did.  It started with me reading the Wall Street Journal while Sportscenter played in the background.  But, this wasn't your everyday Sportscenter viewing.  Nope.  This time my school was highlighted on the program.  That's right, Harvard's game against Yale was picked for the "What to Watch For" segment!

Look, I get that seeing your school's sports program highlighted on ESPN isn't a big deal for many schools.  But Harvard tends to end up more in publications like the WSJ than on ESPN, so it was cool to see our game against our biggest rival (ewww Yale! safety school much?) spotlighted for everyone to see.  And it got me in the mood prior to hosting a viewing of the game later that day.  I was super-hyped all day!

Clinching a tourney berth is always a big deal.  But clinching a berth against your biggest rival on their home court?  Yeah, that's even sweeter.  Seeing the Yale fans stream out of their stadium as Harvard fans chanted "This is our House" while holding "Just Like Football" signs was something any Harvard alum could appreciate.  So here we are again.  March is here, and Harvard is again making its way into the tournament.  Lets hope they can repeat their success and win at least one game!

It could happen.  As just like Harvard's most famous basketball Jeremy Lin says, "#nerdscanhooptoo"  !!!

City Escape

Early Morning Bus Ride

I love the city.  But sometimes, it's just nice to get away.  And thanks to a great trip organized by Ovrride, I was able to escape with a group of friends for some skiing.

It was great.  For $120, they pick you up in the city, feed you bagels, drive you two hours to the ski resort, give you your lift/rental ticket, then hand you a beer as you re-board the bus to drive back to the city.  It was an extremely well-run and efficient trip that was completely worth the money I paid.

Tired after our last run of the day

Not going to lie, the 5:30 am wake-up time on a Sunday was a bit tough, especially as we didn't exactly go to bed early the night before.   But hey all we had to do was drag ourselves to the pick-up spot, stumble on board and then pass out for the 2.5 hours it took to get to the ski resort.  And the skiing itself? So much better than I expected.  Guess the Polar Vortex was good for one thing, as there was much less ice and more snow than you usually see in East Coast skiing. 

Let me tell you, I didn't realize how hard my legs were working throughout my day of skiing as I was having so much fun, but the next day?  Yeah my calves and thighs were screaming at me the day after. I'm always looking for a new way to work out.  So after a winter spent indoors running on treadmills day-after-day, I'm dying for some new ways to get my work out fix.  And if it comes accompanied by some good friends and beers?  Even better!

So next time you are feeling a little stir crazy from the constant rush of people and the lack of nature, use Ovrride and escape from the city while doing something active at the same time.  You won't regret it. 

Happy Days

Exhausted after a run outside

You know what's the best feeling?  That first warmish day after a snowy/cold/polar-vortex winter to end all winters.    As suddenly you got to go OUTSIDE!  And what does that mean for someone who likes to run?  Time to ditch the treadmill and head out to the park. 

Look, I love the gym.  But there are only so many times you can workout in doors without going stir crazy.  So as soon as the first Spring-Like day rolls around, you know that I'll be out there hitting the pavement.  And trust me, I wasn't the only New Yorker with that idea. 

The crazy thing was, I thought I was being adventurous with my clothes choice.  Capri-tights and a light long sleeve shirt in February in New York?  Nope, not that crazy.  As when its 50 degrees, well it might as well be 80 as far as NYC runners are concerned.  As I saw a lot of shorts and tank tops in my run through central park.  And hey, with how hot I felt in my outfit by the end of my 4 miles, I found my self just a bit jealous of my less-clothed fellow runners.

Checking Off Stadiums

Another stadium was checked off my list with my visit to Barclay's Center Sunday night to see the Nets.  And I have to say, I was super impressed with the building.  It might look like an odd alien spaceship from the outside, but the inside is clearly designed for the modern consumer. 

It's always nice when a visit to the stadium doesn't eat up your entire paycheck.  NYC just isn't the place to see live events if you aren't willing to shell out a decent amount of money.  But the Nets are for sure one of the best deals in town in terms of ticket prices.  Sure you'll end up spending money inside the stadium, but since the starting point is lower than other options it doesn't seem as crazy a night out as other venues end up being.

Once you get in, the stadium has a really slick look to it.  The all-black color makes it seem a bit like a NYC club, but to me that gave it a really unique feel.  And the food options? AMAZING!  Usually I find basketball to have pretty standard food, but Barclay's had a crazy array of great food.  We went with Fatty 'Cue BBQ, where the pulled chicken sandwich was to die for.  It was hard not to get the Brisket Mac and Cheese, but personally I'm glad I went with the sandwich.

Oh yeah, there was also a game going on.  But to be honest, that was probably the least interesting part of the trek to Brooklyn.  Regular season NBA games just don't have any edge to them.  The crowd is only kind of into it at the best of times, but in a game where the Nets led from the very beginning the stadium was even more lethargic than usual. But hey, it was for sure better than my usual Sunday afternoon of lounging around on the couch.

Will I be going again?  For sure!  I have to go to Calexico next time!

I Love Technology

Winter Olympics.  Hmm.  Not sure how you feel about it, but for me its a chance to cheer on USA (which I always love), but there's not the same excitement as when its the Summer Olympics.  I think people are either winter or summer people, and I am for sure a summer person, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy watching the events.  

Technology for sure helps with my enjoyment.  As not only can I have the Olympics on in the background (as I mean realistically I am watching 90% of these events to see if the American wins, so I don't really need to concentrate on it at all), but I can use my computer to pull up whatever sporting event I also want to watch.  God I love technology. This morning, it was 6 nations Rugby and the Olympics that were tickling my fancy.  So I turned to my trusty VIPBOX link on my computer, and boom instant rugby (without the $20 cover, so I was being fiscally responsible as well...productive morning if I do say so myself).  So not only did I get to cheer on Ireland while they dominated Wales, I also got to watch Bode Miller pull out the fastest qualifying time.  And I didn't have to go to a bar to watch both.  How sweet is that? 

 

Rugby Fun

This is a HUGE sporting weekend! No, I'm not talking about the Super Bowl...well not only about the Super Bowl.  I'm also talking about the start of the Six Nations Rugby Cup!  And yesterday, it got off to a roaring start.

We decided that we had to find somewhere to watch the France vs. England game.  So we ended up heading to our trusty bar the Australian. Sadly, I don't think we are going to be doing this throughout the tourney like we were planning on, as the people who run the 6nations Cable require that all bars who show the games charge a $20 cover.  We walked into the bar to be met by someone clearly not associated with the Australian demanding we pay up.  Paying $20 plus whatever bar tab your run up is just a bit too steep to pay on a regular basis, but it was worth it on opening day.

France vs. England ended up being a classic.  France went out to an early lead, but the England came storming back, only to have France score a try in the last minutes to put them ahead for good.  The game, combined with a large/vocal crowd, made for a great day out.  I mean, anytime you have old-school country rivals going at it, it's going to be an interesting time.  But when you combine the already festive atmosphere with an actual quality game, it becomes even more fun.

I've already circled England vs. Ireland and Ireland vs. France as the two other games I'm willing to part with a $20 cover to get the rowdy crowd.  Let's go Ireland!!!

Super Bowl Fun

Super bowl festivities in NYC is genius. Take the craziest city, add the biggest event and what do you get?  Fun.  The actual game?  Yeah that's going to suck.  But who cares about that?

Times Square has been taken over by the Super Bowl, making what is always an ADD inducing feast for the eyes ever more crazy.  The best thing for sure is the extra point taker in the middle of Times Square.  The kids just get cheered, but if you are any older than 13 you better be ready to be heckled if you miss your kick badly.  If public humiliation isn't your thing, you can also take a photo with the Lombardi trophy, go sledding on the giant toboggan run, rock out to the live music, or get autographs from the various players that stop by.  Sound like you're type of event yet?

And this is just the free stuff. So the stuff I am going to be doing, as I really have no desire to spend thousands of dollars to go to the huge parties.  But I'm sure if you were inclined to go that route, the MAXIM, ESPN, and other parties will surely make it worth you're while. 

Cold? Yes.   But at least for the week leading up to the actual game, that hasn't stopped the party at all. 

Food and Football

What's the best part of watching sports at home?  Well, the best part is your warm while those at the game are dealing with 30 degree weather if they are lucky.  But the second best part, at least for me, is coming up with a fun menu to eat throughout the night. 

So with the boyfriend and the parents coming over to watch the first set of NFL playoffs games, I had to come up with a menu that would keep us going.  What I came up with was Greek Style Stuffed Mushroom and Buffalo Chicken Wanton Cups for Appetizers.  My parents came out of the 11degree NYC weather and were greeted with two different warm appetizers.  My favorite was the buffalo chicken cups, but the boyfriend found it to be a bit to creamy/cheesy so he preferred the mushrooms.  Either way, by the time the appetizers were gone, it seemed as if the Colts were already down 20 points.  Luckily we had wine and board games to amuse us.

And then, suddenly the game was interesting! Somehow, someway, the Colts came all the way back to win the game.  And how did we celebrate?  By pouring the rest of the wine into our glasses and then sitting down to the main course.  To finish off the night we had braised short ribs that had been cooking all day and a green bean/potato salad.  Perfect hearty winter fare. 

I love to cook.  And I love sports.  So its great that I get to do two of my passions at the same time.  And its even better when I get to share those passions with friends and family.  Here's to a great new year filled with amazing sporting events and even better food!