Epicurious Runner

Eugene Half Marathon Goals

It’s crazy to me to think about where I was at this point last year. I was was struggling and failing at running a half under 1:58, my previous PR. I tried 3 times with no avail before I threw in the towel and started marathon training.

Having said that, I can’t believe how much progress I’ve made over the past year. Only 1 year and I feel like a completely different runner. For many years I was a 9 minute miler, low 9s were my speed and high 9s were my easy runs, so to see this much progress in only 1 year is amazing to me. Last year, I was excited when my races contained all miles that began with a 9 and not seeing a 10:xx in there. This year, all my splits begin with an 8 and I am moving out of the 9 minute miler category (except for the marathon distance).

I have always felt that 7:xx minute miles were insanely fast and that it would take me a lot longer to get there. I don’t have any splits from a long run that have read that, but it doesn’t seem so impossible anymore. All of my speedwork miles begin with 7s and those are the days where my confidence is through the roof! Maybe next year I will be moving into the 7 minute miler category.

At the Philly Half, where I exceeded all expectations and pulled a giant PR out of nowhere! This was a magical day for me and a race I will always look back on with a huge smile.

I don’t think sub 1:50 is an unreasonable goal for the Eugene Half. Sure, it’s a bit ambitious, but it’s certainly possible, considering my training and my recent races.

I have big goals for Eugene, but in the grand scheme of things, it isn’t my BIG ‘A’ RACE. It’s an important race that will help me physically and mentally, though, and will no doubt prepare me for my goal race that is the Vermont Marathon.

There won’t be any real taper for this race, in fact, I will be running 22 miles the weekend before, but it will be a semi-easy week leading up to the weekend.

There’s obviously a chance I won’t make my goal, but I’ve always promised to myself to be extremely honest on this blog and to talk about my successes, as well as my failures. And since I have been thinking about this sub 1:50, there’s no reason not to share it with you all. It’s a big goal for sure, but it’s something I really want and I’m going to try as hard as I can to achieve it.

A goal: Sub 1:50 (< 8:23 avg. pace)

B goal: Sub 1:52:41, which is my PR (< 8:35 avg. pace)

C goal: Sub 1:55 (< 8:46 avg. pace)

Operation Strength Train

I’m glad my motivation to run has returned. It’s rough in the winter, the cold is definitely not my friend and I love my bed even more than I normally do. I’ve been joining an Astoria run club called the Hellgate Road Runners for the past week and a half and it’s been really great! They are so welcoming, friendly, and they are FAST. They are the reason, I have gotten my butt out the door the past week and I’m so happy to feel back on track.

First night at Astoria run club, thanks to Kristin for the photo!

They meet 4 times a week and do a different workout each time. Mondays are hill workouts, Wednesdays are at the track, Thursdays are an easy 10k, and Saturdays are the long runs. I’ve been to each type of workout, except the long run and so far, I am loving it!  I am pretty sure I am going to officially join the run club and make an effort to go 1 – 2 times a week.

I got my official schedule for marathon training from my lovely coach and I think I can make it work with the run club. I know I will be able to at least make it to the Thursday 10k and the long run on Saturdays. My track work is looking tricky and a little more complicated this time around, so I don’t think that will ever match up with what the run club does. And, did I mention they are a fast group of people? This is just what I need! Chasing people is key to getting faster, right?

Anyway, the run club has been super awesome and I’m so excited to get to know a few more people!

I know my running mojo is here to to stay, so I’m forcing myself to find some strength training motivation. I asked Lauren if she could help me out because she lifts pretty regularly and she clearly has the body to prove it. I enjoy strength training once I’m in the groove, but it’s so hard to actually start.

I’m challenging myself to do it 2 times a week! No excuses. Mondays and Thursdays are when I plan to do it and I will mostly be following this routine, posted by Lauren way back in the day. I need to buy a few more weights because all I have are 5 pound weights at home, so I am planning on getting at least a set of 10 lbs weights this weekend.

I did it for the first time yesterday and it was tough! It was manageable though, probably because I was only using 5 pound weights, but it’s a start. I am decently sore today, but not overly sore, which is good, since I have a 10 mile race on Sunday.

I’m feeling pretty soft lately and I do not like it. I want to feel in shape and I want to be strong. Sure, there is part of me that wants this for vanity reasons, but I also know regular strength training will for sure, help my running. A strong core and flat stomach is something I’ve never had and I want to work hard these next few months to achieve that.

This is a self proposed challenge and I am putting it out there in hopes it will keep me accountable. Care to join me? Do you suck at strength training, too? Check out Lauren’s post and lets do it twice a week together. It only took me 30 minutes, I think I can manage that twice a week!

I did take some measurements so I know where I stand. It shouldn’t be too hard to make some progress, because I have a ways to go and every little bit counts.

Do you strength train regularly?

The 2 Year Plan?

Recently, I feel like everywhere I look read, people are talking about their future, making 5 year plans, 10 year plans, or they are talking about their past and how they are at their 10 year plan mark. I know it’s obviously not the intention, but these things stress me out. They always have. For some reason or another, I have never had a strong vision of where my future will be, I’ve never been a very career driven individual, and a lot of “these plans” are made around a specific career goal.

Now, I’m not saying that I’m getting old, but I will be turning 28 on Sunday and to me, that pretty much means I need to get my shit together in the next 2 years. The goals I have all begin at the ripe age of 30 and I don’t even feel remotely in the process of achieving those goals.

Don’t even get me started on my job. I’m mostly happy with where I am at in my current job, but 1 – 2  times a year I go through a period where I am sure I am about to get laid off. And to say the least, IT’S STRESSFUL. It’s the industry though, I work at a television production company and laying people off is just part of the norm here. I don’t know how I’ve managed it, but I’ve been here almost 3 years and have somehow made the cut each time lay offs happen. I feel really LUCKY, but I’m not sure how long that’s going to last.

Alas, I am at one of those points right now, things are slow and I could easily be let go and then I am left wondering the hell I am supposed to do next. What do I even really want to do? I consider job hunting one of the worst things in the world.

Like I said, I’m not a super career driven person and that’s probably because I have never found that one thing that I know I want to do for the rest of my life. My future goals revolve around running and having children. Is that bad?

Mentally, I feel like a 28 year old, but financially, I feel like a 20 year old. Have I been irresponsible with money? I don’t think so. But, somehow I have no money saved and I’m in debt, mostly due to stupid veterinarian bills from my sick cat. But, whatever, a lot of people share the same stress regarding credit cards, so I try not to dwell on it too much because to an extent, there isn’t much you can do about it.

I guess this is me trying to make a 2 (3?) year plan. What will I do in these 2 years that will help me achieve what I want to by the time I hit 30?

If everything was perfect and it went the way I wanted to, this is how it would go down.

2013:

1. Focus on reducing debt
2. Run 2 marathons, while focusing on getting faster and closer to BQ’ing
3. De-clutter my life, most importantly my apartment

2014: 

1. Actually start saving money
2. Boston Qualify!
3. Go on a nice long vacation

2015:

1. Turn 30!
2. Run the Boston Marathon
3. Get pregnant and have a baby

Seems simple enough, right? I just have to learn to execute the steps to make these goals happen, but where do I even begin? I need a life coach.

I just feel so behind on life. Aren’t I supposed to have thousands of dollars saved and be buying a house soon? I know times are different and everyone is at different points in their life, but every once in a while, I get scared and wonder if I did something wrong along the way.

This is a personal post and it’s kind of embarrassing to put it out there, but it helps writing it all down and getting it out of my head and onto paper the blog and who knows, maybe there’s someone out there who is in the same boat.

Do you have a 2, 5, or 10 year plan? Did you make one 10 years ago, how how did your life turn out in comparison?

2013 Running Goals

Stay injury free – This is always my #1 goal!

Run less races – I ran 18 races in 2012! Although, I never physically felt burnt out from racing, my bank account sure did.

Run for fun and run happy – Why run if it’s making you miserable and feels forced?

Cross train more – This is very general, but it’s something I am constantly thinking about

Here are my big Number Goals for the year:

• 1500 miles total for the year – I ran 1,127 miles in 2012, which was a huge jump from 750 in 2011

• Sub 4 Marathon

• Sub 1:50 Half Marathon

• Sub 1:22 10 mile

• Sub 24 5K

I’ve also updated my race schedule for 2013, so let me know if you are planning on running any of these too!

Happy 2013! What are your goals for the year?

I Loved You, 2012

Hello!

It sure has been a while, 3 weeks to be exact. To move things along quickly, I took a week off after the marathon, I didn’t run, exercise, or move very much at all. I actually felt great and I wanted to run, but I was forcing myself to take a break mentally and physically.

After that 1 week was up, I immediately got really, really sick! It started as a terrible sore throat that led to flu-ish symptoms, 2 days off from work and 10 more days of feeling pretty awful. I feel like I can finally say after 2 weeks, that I am actually feeling better.

So, after sitting my butt on the couch for 3 weeks, I FINALLY went for a run on Saturday!!! It was kind of weird, mostly I was feeling a little fluffy around the edges and a little out of shape, but it was pretty good overall. I ran with Kim and Kristin and the 5 miles flew by.

I had a wonderful Christmas and an abbreviated stay in NH due to a sick cat, but it was so nice to see my whole family, I miss them so much.

And….now it’s almost 2013! I haven’t looked at the goals I set for the year since, oh, last January?!

Let’s see what we have.

Instead of going over each one individually, I’m just going to go over the ones that really matter.

My first goal was to run 6 half marathons, I initially was trying to run all of the NYRR Borough halfs so I could qualify for the 2013 NYC Half. That didn’t happen, but I did run 6 Half Marathons, just a few different ones than I expected.

I ran the Manhattan Half, Rock n Roll DC Half, More/Fitness Women’s Half , Staten Island Half, New York 13.1, and the Philly Half! CHECK!

I also wanted to take a Spin Class – CHECK! I took 3 spin classes this year, 1 at Flywheel, 1 at SoulCycle, and 1 at PedalNYC!

Goal #3 was to PR at the NYC Marathon. Even though I clearly could not run NYC this year, I PR’ed at Rehoboth Beach and that definitely counts as a big fat CHECK!

I was really hoping to Try Crossfit at some point this year because my sister LOVES it and I was hoping to tag along to a class with her, but it just never happened.

Run the NYC Pizza Run? Ha! I have a problem paying $50+ to run 2 1/2 miles.

And a random one; Take better care of my nails – CHECK! I’ve been painting my nails way more often, which helps me from biting them and allowing them to look terrible.

It’s hard setting goals at the beginning of a year, you have no idea what that year will bring! 2012 was a seriously amazing year for me!!! I never would’ve guessed it would turn out so awesome! I am so thankful I had so many opportunities! I made a slew of running friends and I’m so happy to have them in my life. They have made me a better person, and a better runner, and I can’t wait to experience another year running races and eating my face off with them.

2012 Highlights:

• Going to DC with my sister where she ran her first half marathon!

• I got picked to run Hood to Coast with Team Nuun!!

• I got to take some kick ass UXF classes at NYSC

• I raced the Al Goldstein 5k series last summer with a bunch of great friends

• I hired my first running coach!

• I ran Hood to Coast with Nuun and had one of the best weekends of my life

• I celebrated my 1 year wedding anniversary and ran a 6:59 mile

• I ran the hardest race of my life

• The NYC Marathon was canceled

• I was chosen to be a part of the Oiselle Team!!!

• I had a huge PR at the Philly Half

• I had another huge PR at the Rehoboth Beach Marathon!

I ran some great races, set some new PRs, and made a whole bunch of new friends. Seriously, one of the best freaking years ever!!! Here’s to 2013 being even better! 

RB Marathon Goals

**Somehow my last 2 posts got deleted, so I am re-posting this!

You know, I never thought about it too much, but Jocelyn is absolutely right! It IS scary to post your goals on the internet. Maybe I’m not concerned because I don’t have 10,000 people reading my blog, but either way, I’m going to let y’all know what my goals are and how I plan to kick ass at my race next weekend. I’m generally a positive person, so even if things don’t go as planned during the marathon, I know this is the best attitude to have right now. Stay positive, strong, and focused!

I obviously set some goals at the beginning of my training, but they have changed some over the last few months. I thought I was setting high goals in this post, but since then my goals have gotten greater, while still staying pretty realistic.

Maybe a month before NYCM, I had decided that my new A-goal would be a sub 4, instead of 4:10. An ‘A’ goal to me is if everything aligns perfectly on race day and you run your best race ever. A stretch, but not unrealistic. So at that point, my goals were this:

A: Sub 4

B: 4:10

C: 4:20

A few people asked me if I was shooting for sub 4 and I always said no, not really. I mean, my goal all along has been 4:10 for the most part and I was only planning on shooting for sub 4 if come race day, something magical happened.

So then, the NYCM was canceled, I signed up for Rehoboth Beach, then whined a little bit about how I didn’t want to train for another 5 weeks, but now, here we are, 9 days out from MY MARATHON.

I have decided that these extra 5 weeks have been beneficial, as opposed to detrimental. My training has continued to be strong and I think I’ve made some real progress. I jumped back up to 40 – 45 miles a week for the past 2 weeks, I ran a 15, a 20, and a 16 before I began to taper once again. I also ran one of the best races of my life at the Philadelphia Half! I had goals for that race, but somehow I absolutely crushed them and pulled a 5 minute PR out of it! I’m not sure where it came from, but it kind of changed everything.

I always thought a 1:52 half marathon was pretty fast, I mean, it seemed like a stretch for an average runner like me. After running the Philly half at an 8:35 pace, I feel like I’m not even sure who I am anymore! Okay, that’s dramatic, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen some real progress.

In a way, I am glad that the NYC marathon didn’t happen. It allowed me to RACE Philly and achieve what I thought was impossible at the moment. Because of Philly, I have a renewed sense of confidence and some new intentions.

You may have seen this earlier on Twitter or Instagram, but according to the McMillan Calculator, I should be capable of running a 3:57 marathon. A 3:57 MARATHON!!!! That seems crazy to me. The NYCM course is hard! Who knows how well I would’ve done on it, but Rehoboth Beach? It’s supposed to be a flat and fast course! Maybe this is what was meant to be, maybe I’ve actually been training this whole time to run Rehoboth, maybe it’s because I need the confidence boost.

I haven’t set new goals, but I’ve set new intentions. I am going to shoot for my A goal! I am going to to run Rehoboth Beach aiming to sub 4 3:57 it! I KNOW I have it in me. I know it’s possible. But, will it be my day? That’s the real question.

I’m pretty sure tears will be shed at the finish line, but hopefully they will be happy tears! I want this so badly.

Queens 20 + Philly Half Goals

I did it! I got that dreaded 22 20 miler out of the way yesterday! And you know what? It was a pretty good run. My legs felt tired and heavy by mile 5, which was not a good sign, but I knew I HAD to get this run done today, so I kept pushing through. I felt like no matter what pace I ran, my legs felt the same, so I stuck with MGP ~9:30 as much as I could. I planned to start off in Astoria, and then head over the bridge into Manhattan, but that never happened.

I ended up running all 20 miles throughout Astoria and Long Island City. I explored new areas and found a bunch of awesome new running routes! I had no desire to run over the Queensboro bridge, so I just avoided it altogether. Even though it wasn’t easy and my legs felt tired the whole time, it was a good run! I averaged a 9:40 overall pace! Thank you run gods for this confidence boosting run! I really needed it.

Today was like Christmas in the mail for me! No mail comes on Veteran’s Day, but I had all kinds of fun things waiting for me at work that got delivered Saturday.

I received my Oiselle Racing Kit!!! Woo hoo!!! Now I can run Philly in my new Oiselle Team gear!

I had also placed a Oiselle order last week and I bought the Lesley tights and the Aero Tank in the crush color and those also came in. But, that’s not it! I also bought the Young House Love book. If you haven’t heard of them, definitely check out their blog, they are a cute married couple with an adorable daughter who have a fantastic DIY blog.

Moving on…

The Philly Half Marathon is this weekend!!! This is my first time going to Philly and I couldn’t be more excited! I’m definitely going to eat 100 cheese steaks to commemorate the experience. I’m going with 5 other friends, 2 of them are also running. I coached them through their training and this will be my friend Em’s first half marathon, I’m so excited for her! I’m pretty sure she’s already hooked on the running thing since it didn’t take much convincing for her to sign up for the Rehoboth Half as well.

So, I want to try and PR this weekend. Or rather, I kind of want to run a 1:55 this weekend. I’m not sure if it’s possible, but I sure as hell am gonna try. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen, it’s not my ‘A’ race anyway, so no big deal, but I figured I would at least see what I can do.

A 1:55 half equals out to an average of ~8:45 min/miles. I totally feel like that is possible to do, it just depends on how my legs are feeling come Sunday. I ALSO have to run an additional 5 – 7 miles around this race, so there’s that to factor in. I’m pretty sure I’m going to do 5 slow miles on the treadmill before the race starts.

This has been a weekend my friends and I have been planning for months and we are all so excited to go and hang out in Philly, so I really don’t want to make everyone wait for me after the race while I run another 5 or so miles. It’ll be a nice warm up, right?

A 1:55 would be a pretty substantial PR, well for me anyway! I seem to have a hard time PR-ing in this distance. My PR was (finally) set at the Staten Island Half this past October. I ran 1:57:21, so I would definitely be happy with anything faster than that, or even a sub-2 would be fine. I’m in the mood to run fast though, so let’s do this!

The NYC Marathon Is Canceled: Now What?

So, as the whole world knows by now, the New York City Marathon has been canceled. It’s kind of a big deal! In all of it’s history, this race has never once been canceled. I’m frustrated with how it all went down. If it was going to be canceled, it should’ve been done 3 days ago. To cancel it just 36 hours before it began is frustrating. It wasn’t even canceled for the right reasons, it was canceled because of all the negativity surrounding it.

Part of me is relieved that I don’t have to run because of how different it would’ve been, because of how guilty I would’ve felt. No matter how I hard I would’ve tried to stay excited and pumped up, I know there would’ve been that nagging feeling in the back of my mind. I wish they would’ve canceled 3 days ago.

Too bad I bought a $130 jacket for a race I will never run. I mean, I will run it next year for sure, but the jacket has the date on it. I am happy to know that all of the proceeds from the merchandise at the expo will be donated to the relief fund, so I’m glad my money is going somewhere beneficial. I will think of the jacket as a symbol of my hard training.

I bought the teal one pictured below:

I actually love it a lot! I’m not sure if I would even return it if I could. I don’t have any kind of waterproof/running jacket, so it was definitely a good investment.

I am surprisingly okay with the marathon being canceled. I did shed a few tears, but I’m shocked at how well I seem to be over it. Maybe the several beers I drank last night had a little do with it!

I am definitely really sad that I won’t be running it! I’ve pictured race day over and over again and it’s kind of surreal that I won’t be waking up tomorrow morning and heading to Staten Island. I would be a ball of nerves right now if it was still happening, but instead it’s a regular night in our household, minus the fact that my husband is cooking dinner instead of me

It’s been quite the freaking week! I’ve been out of work all week, I’m not running the NYC marathon, and now I have 5 more weeks of marathon training.

5 more weeks?!

Yep! I’ve decided to run the Rehoboth Beach Marathon in Delaware on December 8th. You didn’t think I was going to let all that training go to waste, did you? There were a few options to choose from, but I didn’t want to just run a race to run a race. I wanted to find a race I was going to be excited about! I was so, so excited for NYC, I needed something that would at least partially make up for the excitement that was lost.

The Manchester Marathon is also tomorrow and while this is a race that I will always hold near and dear to my heart, I really didn’t have a desire to run it again. I didn’t want my first and second marathon to be the same.

Another viable option was the Richmond Marathon, which is happening next weekend and is actually where a lot of runners are headed to since NYC was canceled. Richmond is 6+ hours away and I would probably have to get Friday off from work. It was going to be too much rushed planning, so I decided to pass on this one also.

The Philly Marathon is sold out. I am signed up for the half, and I’m not sure if they would’ve let me upgrade.

The Rehoboth Beach Marathon has been in the back of my head since the Spring. I was thinking I might run it even if I did end up running New York. It’s on my race bucket list, so it’s something I am definitely excited for! It starts and ends right in front of the Dogfish Head Brewpub, what more can I ask for?

So, there’s that. I have 5 more weeks of training now and the course is fast and flat, so maybe I will even adjust my goals a bit.

I will be back for you next year, New York!

Week 1, Hiring a Coach, + Goals

Hello friends!

I know I’m a bit late, but I hope everyone had a great 4th of July and also a great weekend. I went to my first Mets (thanks to this girl for the free tickets!) game and then watched the fireworks in Jersey on the marina with some friends.

I’ve been quite busy, hanging out with lots of friends and doing some summer apartment cleaning. It’s been nice and I am very much looking forward to my 4 day weekend in 2 weeks!

I finally bought some new shoes. I went with the obnoxiously bright yellow and I couldn’t love them more, they are so much fun!

Marathon training has officially begun for me and I just finished up my first week. It was a rather easy week, which is a great way to get started. I just wanted to review what I did and my overall goals for the race.

My training cycle is Sunday to Saturday, which I’m not used to, but it is nice to end my long run on Saturdays and feel finished for the week.

Week 1:

- Ran 4 days

- 25.19 miles

- 1 cross training day

No speed work in week 1, all of my runs were done at an extremely easy pace, including my long run. I’m trying to appreciate this first week of easiness because I know it’s not always going to be like this.

I ran 10 miles with Kristin on Saturday! It was the earliest I have ever woken up for a training run. I know that sounds crazy, but I am NOT a morning person. I woke up at 5:45 and met her for a 6:30am run in order to beat the 100 degree weather on Saturday.

We may have found an awesome fountain in one of the playgrounds in Central Park.

I have hired a coach for the first time! I’m stoked to have someone who knows what they are doing and who will help get me to my goals. I have heard good things about having a coach and I knew I had some big goals for this marathon, so I was ready to splurge and hired Michele as my coach.

Michele is a running goddess. Not only is she pregnant and still a speed demon, but she won the Foot Locker 5 borough Challenge last year at the NYC Marathon! I still don’t know her very well, but I am very much looking forward to talking with her and soaking in every piece of advice and guidance she has. She is already an inspiration and I am honored to have her as my coach! I highly recommend checking out her 4 part series about the Foot Locker Challenge last year, I guarantee you will be inspired.

So, big goals, huh?

Well, first and foremost, this has been a great year (so far) of running for me. Even though, I missed my HM PR multiple times, my mindset is completely fresh and different this year than it has ever been before. I am ready to commit myself to become a stronger and faster runner. With that said, I am still trying to be realistic in terms of my goals.

My first and only marathon was finished in 4:34 and naturally I want to PR and beat this time my second time around.

A-Goal: 4:10

B-Goal: sub 4:20

C-Goal: sub 4:34

I am going to work hard to obtain that 4:10, I think it’s realistic, but obviously not without some hard work attached to it. Things may change as my training progresses, but hopefully my A-Goal will stay a strong contender.

I ran the Manchester City Marathon as my first and if that’s not hillier than NYC, then it’s pretty darn close because that is definitely not considered an easy marathon. I’m prepared (or will be) for hills and the overall toughness that comes with the NYCM course.

117 days to go!

Are you running a fall marathon? Which one and when does your training start?

Pedal NYC + My Very First Spin Class!

*I was exhausted when I began writing this, so let’s pretend it was actually finished and posted last Wednesday night!

Yesterday I took my very first workout class ever! I’ve been dying to go to one, but I never had the chance before because I either didn’t belong to a gym or I was broke (or both). It was a Cardio Abs class that was held at my gym. It was fun, but it was a little too easy or maybe there were just too many breaks. Either way, I can’ t complain too much because I had a good time and I was sore from it today.

Tonight’s class was a WHOLE different story. I was contacted by Pedal NYC to come in and try one of their classes.

They offer a variety of different classes:

• Indoor Cycling
• Pilates
• Yoga
• CoreRxN
• TRX

They also have combo classes called 30/30, which is what I chose. I did 30 minutes of cycling along with 30 minutes of TRX.

I was looking forward to this class all week because first of all, I can check off “Take a Spin Class” from my 2012 list of goals. But, I was also nervous to go, I was really wishing I had someone to come with me. I just get nervous doing new things, but I kept thinking about that well known quote; “Do one thing every day that scares you”.

I felt welcomed as soon as I walked in and I felt like I really belonged there. Mr. Ray, who is the owner of the place talked to me like we were old friends. Also, I enjoyed talking with the girl at the front desk (I didn’t get her name) Everyone was super friendly and welcoming.

This was my very first spin class and it was almost exactly what I expected, but I say that in a good way. I’ve read a lot about spin classes and I’ve built their awesomeness up in my head for so long now that I was expecting a lot out of this class. Ray taught the class as well and said he wanted to make the class feel long, so it was going to be tough!

The music was awesome and the sweat was flowing. It was a small class, but the energy was high and I felt the drive to push as hard as I could.

After the 30 minutes of spin, we moved into the other room and did 30 minutes of TRX, where we used these suspension straps and our own body weight for resistance. Check out this picture as an example.

We mixed that up with squats, jumping jacks, push ups, and some final ab work at the end. Needless to say, I WAS SPENT! Halfway through this second half, I literally thought I was going to puke. I haven’t worked that hard in LONG TIME. I was seriously considering going to the bathroom because I was worried I was about to throw up my quesadilla from lunch.

Luckily, I was able to keep it down and continue on. This class was awesome and I will definitely be back! My muscles were worked hard and it left my whole entire body feeling incredibly sore and exhausted. But, in a good way, of course.

They have a special for new clients that is Buy 1 Class, get 1 Free, so be sure to take advantage of that and check out PedalNYC. The schedule is available online at their website: http://pedalnyc.com and if you have any other questions, check out their New Student Info FAQ’s.

Disclaimer: This class was courtesy of Pedal NYC, but all opinions are my own. I would never write positively about something that I did not believe in.