Locks do not like me today. I got blisters after trying 10 minutes to open the lock on my bike because the dial wouldn't turn. After finally opening it I immediately threw it out and went to buy a new one. Tried it out when I got home and the combination won't open. Whatever. Onto my workout. Biked to the gym today. Started with MHC. I told Marc about the bike tour so he decided I should choose the cardio setting on the treadmill today and follow that. I never tried any of those settings. I had to enter all my info and then have to run while it monitors my heart rate and keeps it at a certain level. It doesn't go higher than a 4.5 which is good because I was able to run steady for most of it, and the incline changes on its own. The only annoying thing was I had to keep holding on to the sensors. BodyArt was good. We did a couple stretches. I didn't stay for spin because I had biked there. When I passed Prospect Park on my way home I decided to do a loop to add more miles to my ride because I haven't biked in the last 2 weeks (not good). Most of it was fine but I had to walk the big hill because by that point my legs didn't want to move anymore. Total biking: 18 miles. The fact that I couldn't go further is not a good sign but it might be because I had 2 workouts yesterday and took 2 classes today. My average time this morning when I got to the gym was 11.27 mph but by the time I got home it dropped to 10.89 mph. I really need to work on that.
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Krystal and I are back together :) I was going to go with Carl but turns out the price he gave me was for 5 sessions, not 10 as I had thought so Krystal was still the better deal. Before I had my session with her I took Diesel with Marc. It was tough but not nearly as bad as the class I took in LA. I asked Krystal to take it easy on me today. I didn't feel like doing a crazy workout, I didn't have lunch, and I had just come from Diesel. But then I also told her I need help getting ready for the century bike tour. Which is in a month! She said there's not enough time for easy workouts. So it was intense. She had me do real pull ups. On the pull up bar. No more assisted machine. Ok, she held my feet to help me a bit but I had to pull my head over the bar. Not easy. 2 sets of 10 of those. I also did knee drops (that's what Krystal calls them but when I googled it showed me something else-it's basically from a standing position dropping one knee then the other then lifting back up using your legs) while doing the ropes. Hardest exercise I have ever done!
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Because I didn't think I would have any real workouts while in LA I figured I would just write one general post when I got back. But today deserves its own post. In the last 2 1/2 years that I have been a Crunch member I have been to LA about 6-7 times and I never made it to their LA location. Until today. It is so weird driving to the gym. Everyone parks in the parking lot-which btw was $10.50 for an hour and a half, insane-and then takes the elevator to the escalator to get to the gym which is in a mall. When I got there I asked about classes and the guy at the front said there was a spin class and a bootcamp-like class. My friend didn't want to take spin so we went to the other class. Crunch LA has a HUGE (spacious) locker room. That was the only part of it I saw aside from the group fitness room. The class: as soon as I got in there I could tell it was very different from NYC. Completely different vibe, not as interactive as NYC. We needed a mat, step with two risers, body bar, and really light weights. The instructor got started right away and said he is not nice, his job is to be mean, and make you work, there are no breaks, and he won't be insulted if you walk out. We started by running up and down the step which seems like it's easy enough but I was having a hard time with it and when he said to do it with your arms up my shoulders were in so much pain. My friend tried to leave after the first 5 mins. He told her to stay. She stayed another 10 mins before walking out. I stayed. We did at least 10 planks. The break between exercises was running up and down the step. Every time he saw me slowing down he would come sit down next to my step and just watch me which of course would make me go faster. It was an insane class. The instructor is insane. He was yelling the entire time, running around, punching the air. Definitely an experience. I introduced myself after class. He said his name is Adam and again explained to me why he has to be mean in class. He agreed that people work out differently on the east and west coasts. Then he went over to my friend and asked why she walked out. She said she has a cold and felt like she couldn't do it. He said that's not a reason to leave. I guess now I can't complain when a class is too hard for me now because it's never been as hard as this one. The rest of my numbers are just general pushups/crunches, etc. I've been doing randomly throughout my vacation.
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It was a Jewish fast day today so no workout, but after it ended and I ate a little I showed my brother all different kinds of pushups I can do.
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Went to this farm in PA yesterday. Shady Brook. Huge place. Really good produce. We didn't have enough time to actually pick our own things so we just bought what they had out but everything is so delicious :)
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SLOW bike ride today. My legs are not enjoying this. I biked to yoga with Ellen at Crunch 38th st. I decided to try other yoga teachers while Jess keeps taking off for his project or whatever is keeping him from teaching Monday mornings. I thought it was a good class until she chanted 5 times at the end. But seriously she was ok, a little basic but I needed a yoga class. I think she comes to Jess' classes sometimes or some other classes. I've seen her around. On my way home I had to stop at a Farmer's Market. The website I found said there was one at City Hall on Tuesdays which would have been perfect because I was taking the Brooklyn Bridge home but I couldn't find the market so I went to the one at Bowling Green. It is tiny, maybe 5 tents. It look liked they were closing and they didn't have good produce but the red jacket juice people were there and I love their juice so I bought a cherry stomp.
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Marc decided to switch things up today. For MHC we had to run a mile, go to the wall for wall sits, walking lunges across the gym and back trying to beat the number on the way back, run another mile quicker than the first. I told Marc I couldn't run for a mile straight. I took a 4-min walking break and finished my mile in 11:45 which is a great time for me (at this point). Marc sat on me towards the end of my wall sit to make sure I wasn't cheating. It took me 14 lunges to the other end of the gym and 13 back (I might have had shorter strides the way there knowing that I had to beat it the way back. When I got back on the treadmill my legs didn't want to run. I made it to a half mile and had to cool down. We were short one TRX today. I usually save my spot as soon as I get to the gym but all the places I wanted were taken so I figured I would just take what was available. Bad move. Of course I was the one left without a TRX. So I had to share with Marc. It's so much harder to take that class after running. After class someone told me I did a great job as instructor so I guess I was doing some things right. Walked from there to Buff Yoga. I love how the two gyms are so close. Jess was watching me today and when we did the half moon/curl into a ball thing he was standing right there making sure I was getting it. I did fall over a couple times but I got it-at least on my right side. My left side isn't as strong so I couldn't stay up. Stopped into the farmer's market on my way home because the challenge month is almost over and I don't want to be in the same situation as last time.
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I got onto a treadmill for MHC but then didn't feel like running. Marc was ok with that and told me to power walk instead. His idea of power walking is very different than mine. It is mostly done at inclines between 8 and 12. I did run for a little bit when I was getting bored and just wanted to get to a mile already. I blame all the biking I did this week for not being able to keep up in TRX. Also I popped a blood vessel or something in my palm (from biking, I think) and I was afraid of putting too much pressure on my hands. But I still went from there to Buff Yoga. There's this one move in that class that has always been impossible for me to do. You'd think if I took the class long enough I would somehow figure it out, but no. Basically, with one weight in your hand you lift into half moon then round, bringing elbow to knee. After class I complained to Jess that I can't do it. His answer: Because it's f***ing hard. He also told me it's not true that everyone else can do it and I can't. And that when he was "inventing" it, it took him forever to get it right.
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SO SORE! My entire body is aching. I worked out like crazy this week. Tomorrow is major rest day. Today I took BodyArt and Spin.
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Three classes. I don't think I ever took three consecutive classes at the gym. Mile High Club, TRX, Buff Yoga. I was at the gym early anyway to sign up for TRX so I took Mile High Club. There were a lot more people than the last time I took the class so the first part was general running. Starting at a 12 incline walking, 1-minute sprints, then bringing down the incline in increments of 2. For the last 15 minutes Marc gave everyone an individualized workout. I had to get to 2 miles by the end of the class running at 6.5-7.5. Not easy for me. Before the class I was talking to one of the regulars at TRX who complained that since they added the running class Marc brought down the cardio level at TRX. She doesn't run. I didn't mind that because I take MHC. So when we jumped a lot in TRX I thought she spoke to Marc. (She didn't) There were times I couldn't keep up and Marc noticed so he decided to make me the demo. The first time I just did the easy version but he told me everyone was watching to see what I was doing. When TRX finished I walked down the block to Crunch Lafayette. I was only going to take Buff Yoga if Jess was there (somewhat hoping he wouldn't). He was, and said he would be watching me today. I said that wouldn't be a good idea because I just came from TRX. That wasn't necessary though because the class was really good today. It went by so quickly. I am usually dying in that class counting down the minutes. Today the first time I looked at the clock it was already halfway through. That could mean either: I was running on adrenaline from all the exercise I did right before that; it was easier today than usual; I'm getting stronger.
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