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.