Work It Out - Choosing a Gym

Fact - few decisions in life are more complicated than choosing the perfect gym. When I was living in New York last winter, I decided that 2011 was my year to get fit. I joined New York Sports Club on a whim after having lunch with my mom. The year contract and $91 price tag scared me. What if my health kick lasted only three weeks as had happened so many times before? What if my internship ended and I couldn’t afford the hefty price tag? What if I moved away from the city and couldn't travel to the gym anymore? Turns out 2 of these three scenarios did happen in one form or another. I did move back to NJ, and my internship did end. But lucky for me, I stuck to my plan and started a new job in the city so getting to the gym was not challenging. I have consistently been going to NYSC four days a week for over a year now.

I definitely enjoy my gym. I attend Nina's Spin class on Tuesday evenings religiously…my entire office knows when it’s "Spin night." I run on the treadmills, use the free weights, master the stair climber, and have enjoyed a free personal training session. But the price is a little high for my “I have no money to spare” budget, and not having gym access on the weekends is less than ideal.

With that said, I made a call to the local health club in my new town, The Atlantic Club, to see what their membership plans consisted of. Anyone who knows this club (there’s another branch in Manasquan, NJ) knows that it is top of the line, and very pricy. When I made the call, I was informed that they had a nights and weekends membership for people just like me - commuters. The price is $79 per month, $11 cheaper than my current spend, and the club is a billion times nicer. I can enjoy spin and yoga on weekends, and run to the club from my apartment when the weather is nice. I’ll be sad to leave my rocking Spin class at NYSC, but I’m sure I will be more than satisfied with the three different Spin classes held at my new club. I am hoping this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Some things to look for when choosing a gym...

· Cleanliness is next to Godliness – Clean equipment, towels, locker rooms. It can never be too clean.

· Speaking of locker rooms – is the set up nice and safe for your belongings?

· Amenities – Sauna? Steam room? Daycare for people who have children?

· Group Fitness – If this is your thing, make sure there are enough classes available during the times you will be enjoying the gym. That 8 am yoga class is great, but not if it’s only held at 8am on Tuesdays and you leave for work at 7.

· Staff – Friendly, helpful? I love becoming friendly with the staff – they will always take care of you.

You will never go to the gym if you hate everything about it. Do the research, and hopefully 2012 will be your year to get fit. Now stop reading and go to the gym!

Wear Sunscreen, Kids!

Since I've been so focused on health and wellness lately, I'm turning this post into a public service announcement: WEAR SUNSCREEN! May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and I have encountered my own health scare in the past few weeks. I have been watching an irregular mole on my stomach for several months when I decided to have it checked out before summer arrived. The mole turned out to be pre-cancerous. My dermatologist removed the mole and good skin around it on Monday, and I now have 3 inches of stitches below my left breast bone.

I would never let vanity get in the way of my health, so this procedure was a no brainier. The scar that will inevitably stay behind once the stitches are removed and the wound is healed will serve as my own daily reminder to wear sunscreen (and reapply often) whenever I am outside. Not only did "Tanorexic Mom" prove how truly unattractive tanning is, it's dangerous. I think back to the hours I sprawled out on the beach and in tanning beds (what was I thinking?!), and the burns I've received in the process. It's never worth it. Pale skin is beautiful - and will keep you looking younger with less wrinkles. We need to embrace our natural selves. I'm never going to have a sexy, summer tan, and for the first time, I don't want one. Summer is right around the corner, so be good to yourself! I'll still see you at the beach. I'll just be the chick with the floppy hat and SPF 30 in her hands at all times.

Forget Summer, It's Race Season!

I did it…again! On Sunday, I completed my second half marathon with a personal record of 2:05:37. I am so proud of myself. What has worked best for me on my journey to fit girl status has been goals. Several goals. I need to be working toward something or else I lose motivation. So I schedule races on my calendar, races that I cannot run without training, to help me lace up those running shoes after work. The goal is always just to finish, but beating my first half marathon time of 2:15 was an awesome feeling.

The start of summer marks the beginning of race season. Racing is simply addicting. People line up along the course and cheer you on, making sure you don't give up on yourself. Running is 80% mental, so this energy is so important when you hit that wall at mile 11. I’m so excited to see how I compare to last year’s races, and I’m hoping to compete in a few new ones. A triathlon has been on my to-do list for the last 10 months, and of course, I'll be running the Marine Corp Marathon this October. 2012 is the year! Racing also completely changes your diet and how you treat your body. You start preferring fruits and veggies over burgers and fries and hot yoga sessions over binge drinking. It’s such a perk! What are your health and wellness goals this year? The couch to 5k challenge is the hottest thing right now. Give it a try, and I’ll see you at the start line!  

Let’s talk first jobs

Last June, I left the intern world and started my current position with my company…my first “real” job. I have been full time for almost eleven months now and with my company for more than a year and a half. Where has the time gone? My mind still thinks that come June 20th, I’ll be walking Bay Head beach again. As most of you remember, I graduated college with a BA in English – which essentially means, I am qualified to do nothing…well I can read and write. Yay. So needless to say, there have been LOTS of challenges with my new job. New industry, new systems, new rules (you can’t wear leggings as pants to work?).

During the first four months, I went home every single day and said to anyone who would listen that my company was going to fire me. My family tried to tell me this was not true, but I was adamant. I was never going to get it. Then, the craziest thing happened. I got it. It all started to click one day. Almost one year later, I still have days where I have no clue what to do next. I still have days where I sit back in my chair and sigh at my computer screen. But then the woman in the cube next to me states, as if on cue, “I feel you, Katie” (I love that she calls me that), and I don’t feel as miserable as I did five seconds before. She’s been working in this industry for years! We all have those days. The days where we want to walk outside and never come back; the days where we want to tell the person yelling on the phone where he can go. But we do come back (most of the time.) A couple deep breaths (and yoga poses in your cubical) can make it all a little better.

So to all of you newbies in the working world, I feel you. It can be terrifying and so overwhelming you could cry, but then the fog clears and things hopefully become a little brighter.

Meatless Mondays – Post 1

Meatless Mondays seem to be the new trend with health and wellness magazines. Not only is eating less meat better for the environment, it can also improve your health and shake up your menus if you’ve been in a meal rut (not chicken again). I’ve been eating meat much less frequently lately, and I decided to do my own meatless posts to help those who may want to try vegetarian or vegan friendly meals, but aren’t sure where to start. Feel free to send me your recipes as well – I love adding to my collection!

Black beans, corn and salsa lettuce wraps, a sweet potato, and green beans.

I made these wraps last night – quite possibly the simplest meal in the world. This is a variation of a black bean and salsa chicken recipe I cook from time to time, but in all honesty, I didn’t even miss the chicken. The lettuce adds a cool, crisp taste to the meal, but you can use whole-wheat wraps as well.  

Ingredients

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup salsa

4 large romaine lettuce leaves

1 sweet potato (I use half for dinner and half for lunch the next day)

1 package of Steamers Whole Green Beans

Cinnamon

Simply combine the black beans, corn and salsa in a saucepan on low heat until warm (5-8 minutes). Place the washed lettuce leaves on a plate (pat dry) and when the bean mixture is heated, scoop onto the leaves. In the meantime, cook one sweet potato and steam the green beans. I cook both in the microwave (potato setting for the sweet potato and I follow the bag directions for the green beans), but of course, you can cook both in an oven and on the stove respectively. Sprinkle the potato with cinnamon, and enjoy!

Your yummy vegan dinner is served. 

Change is Good

I’ve updated my life lately, and with these changes, I’ve decided to begin blogging once more. I’ve missed it! So much has a changed; a new job, a slightly new body, a new apartment, a new outlook on life. But one must never become too complacent, and so on to the next journey…whatever it may be. I’m running my second half marathon next weekend and have signed up to run the Marine Corp Marathon in October. I moved to Red Bank, NJ – a town Smithsonian Magazine has named the third best small town in the nation! – and have spent the last few weekends familiarizing myself with all the shops and restaurants surrounding me. I’ve completely changed my diet and lifestyle to ensure that my body and mind are the best they can be, and have lost 15 pounds in the process and have never felt more at peace. Speaking of peace, I inked myself for the first time this past winter – a peace sign is now printed on my left foot. A friendship tat that my best friend and I share, but also a daily reminder of Gandhi’s famous quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” I have changed almost every facet of my life in the last twelve months, and I hope to take these lessons I have learned and send them out into the world. We all spend so much time searching for our purpose. I believe it’s as simple as sending love to others. So glad to be back.

Resolutions...In November

A friend of mine the other day tweeted that she was starting her New Years Resolutions now, so that by the time January 1st rolls around, they will be formed habits. It was at that moment that I realized in my 22 years, I had finally done something I had never done before – stuck to a New Years Resolution.

Every year I tell myself that I will lose a few pounds and try some fun, new activity (photography, skiing, painting), and every year I work out for approximately three weeks and avoid leaving my comfort zone. This past year on January 1st, I made a resolution to start running, and I mean really running, and in the process I lost more than a few pounds (go me!) and finished my first half marathon this past October. Last weekend, I completed a 5-mile Turkey Trot, my sixth race this year. I’m proud of myself for proving myself and other naysayers wrong and competing in what I thought was the impossible.

It’s not about “How skinny can I get?” although jean shopping is now a guilty pleasure, but how hard can I push myself and how will I be rewarded for my efforts. I have a new connection with my body – every muscle, tendon, and bone feels different to me now. I eat foods based on how they will assist me in performance. You try running a 10k after a night of drinking and see how you feel; or running on a sugary cereal breakfast. It just does not work. Egg whites, spinach, oatmeal, fruits, veggies and lean meats make my body feel good. Cheese, greasy fast food, pizza and ice cream make my body feel lousy. And what the body wants, the body gets, especially when that half marathon I ran in 2:15 has motivated me to run my next half in under two hours.

So in keeping with my friend’s idea of early planning, my 2012 New Years Resolutions are to run my second half marathon AND my first full marathon…Let the training begin!