2016 Year in Review

Well folks, it's January 31st.  The month is almost done, and here I am finally getting around to what is typically my first post of the year, in the first week of the year.  #winningattimemanagement

Whatever ... so is the life of a busy new mom, I guess.

Since I'm already late with this post, let's just get started, shall we?!

2016, a year in review!

Races

As you well know, something kind of slowed down my race schedule for 2016.

 

Yes, that's me, literally the night before I delivered.  I was having contractions every 3-5 minutes in that picture, can you tell?  LOL!  To be fair, I didn't know at the time that I was so near to delivery, since contractions didn't become painful until almost 24 hours later (or just roughly 3 hours before I had a baby in my arms).  So that may just be why I look so footloose and fancy free in that pic!

Baby talk aside, my race participation for 2016 was a record low with a measly 10 races. 

Feb - Tri-U-Mah, Indoor timed tri, no bib provided
June - Rainbow Run 5K
July - Freedom Five 5K, Froyo 5K, Gandy Dancer Fly In 5K
August - Webster Education 5K w/stroller
September - Lake Run 5K w/ stroller, Waconia Nickle Dickle 5K, Women Run the Cities 10K
October - Carreras de los Muertos 5K

Total miles raced - about 35ish miles
**Worth noting, the majority of these were done when I was 6 months or less post-partum, thank you very much.  You could also sort of add in the Volksmarch for 10K here, too, though it wasn't a race.

Cumulative info:
     Races 72 - 81
     Bibs 69 - 77



Costumes

Let's face it, there's no way in hell you can put a costume on this and still actually race:

That being said, life in costume was a little easier once the baby was out!  LOL!  Though I was still hesitant to wear a lot of my "good" stuff and risk stretching it out since I am still fighting off my baby weight.  Hence the somewhat smaller collection of pictures this year:

  

And of course, being an InkNBurn Ambassador helped in that category just a bit, too. 
Check out www.inknburn.com

 

 

 

Keeping Healthy

As you know, gestational diabetes was a really PITA for me in 2016.  Despite being active my entire pregnancy, and trying REALLY hard to not gain too much weight, I just didn't win in avoiding my family's curse (yes, others in my blood line also suffered this fate). 

Luckily, after having the baby, my blood sugars normalized and I'm no longer diabetic.  But regardless of that news, I do know that having gestational diabetes means I'm at an elevated risk of becoming type 2 in the future.

That being said, moving into 2017 my focus will be to lose the body fat I gained in, or prior to, my pregnancy (because although technically I weigh less now than I did when I first got pregnant, my clothes don't fit right, so I can tell I'm carrying much more fat than muscle right now).

Of course my weight loss and toning goals for 2017 are within reason - I'm still breastfeeding, which throws a real wrench into diet & exercise programs, as aggressive plans can hinder milk supply.  Therefore, this goal is really more long term and will likely see most progress mid to late 2017. 



Changes


2016 was a rough year in terms of changes.  Before I could even celebrate bringing a new life into the world, I had to say goodbye to my 16 year old beagle.  And while his heath was failing, I was in the mist of trying to prepare for my first child, so it was really a tough balance ... which was made even harder as I had to manage a lot of it alone, since my husband was out of the country for weeks at a time, doing business in London.

In addition to that, at the end of 2016 I made a major change that's been a little depressing for me, hence why I haven't shared it publically until now.  In October, I put in my notice as a group fitness instructor.  A lot of things in life were changing at that time, both for me and at the gym where I worked, and it just didn't make sense for me to keep working there anymore.  I miss teaching - a lot ... like, really A LOT - but I try not to let it get me down.  Hopefully I'll be back in action and teaching again some day soon.



Finally

In my 2015 recap, I took a minute to revisit my last few years of blogging / years in review as follows:

2013 was when I was peaking in my physical fitness, my life was finally coming together, and I was feeling great about things.

2014 was a year of struggle where I tried to cope with a miscarriage, some physical setbacks, and I still tried to maintain a healthy attitude and life balance.

2015?  I can't really say 2015 was an AMAZING year.  But I wouldn't rate it as bad, either.  I say this because I think coming into my mid 30's (yikes, that makes me feel old, lol!), I finally settled into a happy place in my life.  Some time around 2012 or 2013, I learned to accept things in my life for what they were, and to eliminate things from my life that didn't make me happy.  And somewhere in that process, I found an authentic me that I've just become ... happy with.  Which means, I don't really go into a year expecting it to be AWESOME or BAD anymore, I just hope that I can continue to maintain that authentic me.  And have a good time while I do it.  And in 2015, I did just that.  So I think that's just fine.

So that leaves me with 2016.  Which I have to say was just what I expected - authentic me, new baby in arms, and more adventures to come!

2015 Year in Review

Ah, another year on the books. 

Having run this blog for a few years, it's weird to think I've done a year end recap three times now (including this post).  But, it's a cool thing to think that I've had this journal of sorts going since 2013 ... even if it is a somewhat eerie feeling to know I've been documenting my "healthy" lifestyle in the public eye for so long. 

Somehow, the end result leaves me feeling a bit of deja vu. 

Anyway, enough psycho babble.  Let's get started, shall we?

2015, a year in review!

Races

I know I've kept you pretty updated this year with my running progression - or lack there of, technically, since I never really got up to speed after my set back with plantars fasciitis late 2014.  In fact, since then, it seems like running just wasn't the same for me. Mostly because ... well ... it hurt.

I did try to tough things out for the first few months, thinking eventually things would get better.  And it seemed like things were finally starting to shake loose this summer.  Of course, that was just in time for me to find out I was pregnant mid August, after which I was forced to suffer through some horrendous runs with morning sickness strong enough to kill a horse.

But when all was said and done, I was glad I raced what I did.  And it left me with a new all time race record - 17 races, with 16 bibs earned.  That's one more than I've ever done in a year before ... all with many being completed while pregnant!

Plus, I finally put my swimming fears aside and did my first real outdoor tri.  That's nothing to shake a stick at.


Feb - Tri-U-Mah, Indoor timed tri, no bib provided
April - Hot Chocolate 5K
May - Lake Minnetonka Half Relay, Cinco de Miler 5 miler, Run the Inferno 5K
June - Carlyle Sherstad 5K, Rainbow Run 5K
July - Freedom Five 5K, Gandy Fly-In 5K, Chase the Police Tri
August - Webster Education 5K
September - Lake Run 5K, Suds Run 5K, Women Run the Cities 10K
October - TC 10 mile, Patriot Power Run 5K, Mankato 10K


Total miles raced - about 78 miles
(Not too shabby considering I didn't run any half marathons on my own to really bank miles...)

Cumulative info:
     Races 55 - 71
     Bibs 53 - 68

And of course, don't forget the ever growing medal collection:

Heh!



Costumes

With my ever growing belly this fall, costumes seemed to be a bit more of a challenge for 2015.  But, none the less, I did my best to keep the tradition alive.

And of course, being an InkNBurn Ambassador helped in that category just a bit.  *wink*

Check out www.inknburn.com

 

           

 

 

 

Keeping Healthy

With my pregnancy progressing in September and morning sickness being my foe, I found that running wasn't exactly a great fit for me anymore.  Though I did try to tough out running through October, since I had paid for a handful of races in advance (and with my doctor's encouragement, might I add), I decided after my last race in October to take a break from running until after the baby arrives.  That's not to say I don't run AT ALL, since obviously I am active teaching and doing other things, and I still find myself sprinting from here to there on occasion. But longer runs were giving me weird stomach cramps and other things, so I decided for me ... other cross training methods were enough for now.

I know I'll likely pay for this come May of 2016 ... but whatever.  I will have 3 months of maternity leave to work that out, and I already have a jogging stroller for the occasion.

Besides, you imagine running with a belly that's gotten this big:

 

 

And to be fair, running hasn't exactly been my gig at all in 2015.  Which is why earlier in the year I decided to focus on cross training as much as possible.  That meant starting out my year with Class Pass, which I eventually dropped (for various reasons, mostly cost and convenience ... and the fact that I already had a paid gym membership closer to home).  Regardless of my dropping, I did still have fun making an ass of myself in the process.  I mean - when else would you EVER try Jazzercise?  Am I right?

Although I did drop my ClassPass membership, I found it opened me up to the habit of using other exercise methods as a way to stay active.  Technically, I was already open to swimming, biking and yoga - but ClassPass reminded me that I should be doing those things more often.  So I did get back into those disciplines quite a bit more in 2015. 

Cross training is always a good thing, right?



Changes


Aside from the obvious thing - pregnancy - I didn't have any real major changes this year for me from a fitness or physical perspective.

However, from a blogging perspective, this was quite a year for changes.

Not only did you see me celebrate my 10 year wedding anniversary, you got to see me open up about some of my more personal adventures.  That included a long European holiday in March and an extended review and recap of my brewery adventures throughout Minnesota (and some other locations as well).  Although inclusion of these stories may have seemed a little off topic, given this is more a fitness based blog, I decided to include them anyway.  Why?  Because I think it's important to show that while I do encourage a healthy lifestyle, it's OK to do things that aren't traditionally known as "healthy" or "good for you" once in awhile ... as long as you keep yourself active and healthy along the way.



Finally

Hm.  I guess this is where I'm supposed to draw some sort of big conclusion about life and what I thought of 2015, since that's what I did in 2013 and 2014.  But to be honest, those were very different years.  And when I think of 2015 ... well ...

2013 was when I was peaking in my physical fitness, my life was finally coming together, and I was feeling great about things.

2014 was a year of struggle where I tried to cope with a miscarriage, some physical setbacks, and I still tried to maintain a healthy attitude and life balance.

So what about 2015? 

I can't really say 2015 was an AMAZING year.  But I wouldn't rate it as bad, either. 

I say this because I think coming into my mid 30's (yikes, that makes me feel old, lol!), I've finally settled into a happy place in my life.  Some time around 2012 or 2013, I finally learned to accept things in my life for what they were, and to eliminate things from my life that didn't make me happy.  And somewhere in that process, I found an authentic me that I've just become ... happy with. 

Which means, I don't really go into a year expecting it to be AWESOME or BAD anymore, I just hope that I can continue to maintain that authentic me.  And have a good time while I do it.

And in 2015, I did just that.  So I think that's just fine.

Goodbye ClassPass

 

THE BITTER END 

 

Well folks, I've come to the bitter end with ClassPass.  Yes, after joining just over 3 months ago, I finally pulled the plug on this grand experiment and cancelled my membership before it was due to renew May 6th.

You may be asking yourself why I decided to cancel my membership, since most of my blogs recapping studios were fairly positive (despite a few used band aids, people praying over me and some fireworks fingers).  And yes, I will freely admit, I did have fun giving this a whirl. 

In fact, I liken the entire experience to the fun of reaching into the duck pond at the school carnival when you were a kid.

I say this because with ClassPass, when you try a studio for the first time, it is just like picking a duck from the pond: you walk in to the studio hoping you drew the lucky duck that wins you the premium prize in the tent, the giant stuffed unicorn (AKA the good studio). 

Overall, it's a super fun, exciting experience because you've got high hopes that you're going to win the unicorn.  And sometimes ... you do get that unicorn!  Hooray!!  Congratulations!!  You found a good studio. 

But other times, no matter how many fingers you cross, you walk into a studio and realize ... you pulled the duck that awards you a damn broken kazoo.  Boo!!  You found a studio that's dirty, or has bad instructors, or does something else weird (like opening with a Christian prayer). 

Oh well, at least you still get some sort of workout out of the deal, right?!

Anyway - at first, I really didn't mind that entire duck pond experience.  It gave me a new level of interest in working out, since I was getting to try all these new things.  And, just because I didn't like a particular studio didn't mean someone else wouldn't come in after me and love it - to each their own in fitness, right?!  I mean, whatever you enjoy and keeps you active!! 

But some time in my third month of ClassPass membership, I don't know when it was exactly, I realized something: I had grown tired of spending my time and money on broken kazoos. 

Now before I go too far, to be fair: I might not even be writing this blog if I lived closer to the downtown area of Minneapolis, and maybe I'd still be keeping my membership if I did live there.  When you consider the majority of the studios in the ClassPass network are concentrated in downtown Minneapolis and the immediate surrounding areas, I'm sure I could find lots of other unicorns to enjoy out there. 

But, living in the SW Metro, there's a stark reality to a Minneapolis based ClassPass network -  trying a new studio out, more often than not, requires a drive of 45+ minutes one way.  And driving 45+ minutes one way, when you weight it with the fact that you might find a "broken kazoo" ... well ... 

Especially when going back to my studio recaps, you can see that I determined only 3 of the 7 studios I did try were worth revisiting: 

The Good - all of which I continued to attend
     Good & Twisted Yoga, Chaska
     CycleQuest Studio, Eden Prairie
     Studio TimeOut, Minneapolis

The Bad - not really "bad", so much as I never made an effort to go back
     Kula Yoga, Edina

The Ugly - ok, these are the really bad ones, and yeah ... I'd never go back
     The Shed, Minneapolis
     3X3 Fit!, Hopkins
     Jazzercise, Edina

Using the above information, then, you could derive that for a suburbanite like me, there's a 60% +/- chance of driving 1.5 hours total to try a studio that would be a "broken kazoo". 

That statistic alone makes it pretty tough to justify a $79/month membership. 

Let's put that 45 minute drive aside, though.  Because you might be saying at this point - so what?!  After trying out enough studios, why would anyone continue driving around, pulling new "ducks from the pond" anyway?!  Since you already know which studios in the "pond" award the giant stuffed unicorn, why not just focus on those studios and be done exploring?

And yes, I landed there.  By month two, I had mostly tried out all of the studios that were closest to me and worked with my personal schedule.  After doing so, I found there were only two studios near me that were worth attending on a regular basis, and I really just wanted to settle in there. 

So why would I still want to look at other studios in the ClassPass network and drive so far to try something new, particularly when I knew there were two studios nearby me that worked?  Well, let me remind you of one of the basic membership rules - ClassPass limits your attendance to any one studio at 3 visits per month. 

Of course, I understand this rule 100%.  After all, participating studios don't want to lose their base business to ClassPass, so this restriction discourages studio members from dumping their membership for the ClassPass network. 

But here's where this restriction is a problem: in the end, I was shelling out $79/month for the option to visit any ClassPass studio my little heart desired ... but realistically, I was only regularly attending the 2 studios that were closest to home. 

In comparison, if I bought a class package at each of those studios (and got a volume discount per class), the real value I was getting for my $79/month ClassPass membership was:

     Studio A - 3 classes x $10 each = $30
     Studio B - 3 classes x $12 each = $36
     $30 + $36 = $66.00

Wow ... $66 to take the 6 classes/month that I really liked when ClassPass charged me $79?! 

I was over paying by $13/month!  Not to mention, these wonderful local businesses weren't even getting all the dollars I was spending, since ClassPass obviously ends up taking a cut.

And that's when I realized - ClassPass seemed like a waste of money.  Not that I was wasting it in a truly bad way, mind you.  It was more like I was spending money I didn't really need to spend anymore. 

Knowing that, I decided I wanted to directly support the local studios who deserved my money for my attendance, instead of giving a cut to a large corporation who ran a website that scheduled me to attend a class there.  And that meant finally cutting the cord with ClassPass.

Current Workouts & Getting Outside

I can't believe it's already May.  What happened to spring?!  In just a few weeks it's Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer.  Sheesh.

Since the weather is turning around, and I'm finally getting outside more to workout as well, I thought I'd recap my most recent workouts.

Other than that, I don't have a whole lot exciting to talk about.  But I'm going to do this every so often so I keep myself honest with how much (or how little) I've been working out ... and also to motivate myself to do more.

That's all folks!  :-)

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April 13th - 19th
Monday - Cycle
Tuesday - Hot Yoga AM, Teach TBC PM
Wednesday - Swim
Thursday - Teach TBC
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Hot Chocolate 5K
Sunday - Short indoor cycle ride at home

April 20th - 26th
Monday - Jazzercise lunch, Cycle PM
Tuesday - Hot Yoga AM, Teach TBC PM
Wednesday - Unplanned rest (AKA packing for Vegas and cleaning house)
Thursday - Teach TBC
Friday, Saturday, Sunday - VEGAS BABY!!

April 27th - May 3rd
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Teach TBC
Wednesday - Swim
Thursday - Teach TBC
Friday - Cycle
Saturday - Teach Saturday Rotation
Sunday - Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon Relay

ClassPass Review #7 - Jazzercise Edina

 

 

 

 

ClassPass Review #7 - Jazzercise Edina

7111 Amundson Avenue, Edina, MN 55439

(612) 251-8522, jazzercise.com

As you already know, early February I signed up for a ClassPass account.  You can read about that here.  Below is a recap of my 17th class, 7th studio, using the "pass".  If you'd like to read other studio recaps, use the search bar above and the search term: ClassPass.

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So ... I've been promising for some time now that you'd be seeing some stupid ClassPass recaps.  And, well, here it is.  Jazzercise.

Yep.  I did it.

Now, before you get me wrong - I'm not saying Jazzercise is stupid.  I'm saying that Jazzercise makes ME look stupid.  Got it?  Good.  Let's recap this thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ok.  So if I haven't said it before, the friend that I'm doing ClassPass with is a Zumba instructor.  Which means she is coordinated with dance moves.  And of course that means ... I am not.

You can probably guess who picked this class.  Not that I exactly refused.

Anyway, on to the meat of the story.  So it begins.

If you've been reading my ClassPass recaps, you know what's coming here: the requested 15 minute pre-class arrival rant.  And heeeerrrre it comes!  The above Jazzercise class was scheduled for 12:00 noon.  We arrived at 11:44.  What did we find?  Lights out.  And we were the first car in the parking lot.  Great!  Just what I want to see when I'm not dressed for class and want a tour of the facility.  Instead I'll just stare at the front door I guess:

Mmmm.  You know how much I love having spare time to enjoy the fine architecture of industrial wastelands.  Which this place totally is in, if you're wondering.  There even looked to be a few deserted, or at least not well patrolled, warehouses just across the way.  I was sort of tempted to see if I could give myself tetanus by jumping the rusty fences meant to keep us out.  Good thing it was cold enough that I was more motivated to just stay in my car and keep warm.

After killing almost 10 minutes, finally I saw someone open the studio door.  A little more than 5 minutes before class was to start.  Super.  Being that I wasn't changed, I rushed into one of two bathrooms while my friend helped check us in ... which ended up being a total cluster because the person at the front desk had no documentation showing that we were registered, and even worse, had never even heard of ClassPass.  I don't know how that was even possible, because we registered for this class almost a full week in advance. 

What a hot mess!!  I felt a little bad my friend had to deal with this while I changed.  However, I gladly would have traded "handling that cluster" for "needing to change" with my friend because the bathroom at this studio was gggaaaahhh-ross!  There was hair on the floor, a dripping sink, no hook on the door (although there had been at one point, since there was evidence that it had been ripped off), and no table to put your things on while you change.

Yeah.  This adventure didn't start off well.

Once I got changed, I walked back into the small lobby that opened into the main studio to help sort out the mess that was check in.  After that, I tried to check out the digs. 

The studio overall was pretty shabby, and not in the chic sense.  The floor was run down, there was chintz décor everywhere, and I felt like the whole place could use a good wipe down or vacuuming.  And no, I'm not trying to be mean just because this is a Jazzercise studio.  Case in point?  What does it say when a studio has a Facebook page that's around 4 years old and a website, and both have ZERO photos of the studio posted? 

Now wish I would have taken a few photos, since this is all I can find on the web and it really doesn't capture the essence of the place:

Despite the shabby studio, and the disorganized check in process, the students at class were very nice.  That's so great for anyone who needs support to stay active.  You can tell the regulars there have a strong sense of community, which I really appreciated. 

I did not appreciate, however, the fact that the instructor arrived at 12:05 and that we started late.  Especially when she excused herself by stating that she also teaches at the Chanhassen location and had just come from there.  If that's the case - just move the class to 12:10 to help balance the time better!!  *sigh*

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Since the instructor was running late, we launched right into class.  Wow, ok.  Let's get going then!

To her credit, she did notice that we were new and welcomed us during the warm up, but since she couldn't talk to us before class started, there wasn't a whole lot of preface to what we were going to do.  I felt a little lost at sea ... but I managed.

Managed to make an ass out of myself, that is.

There was a whole lotta shuffling and shaking and jazz hands fireworks.  (Yes, the instructor called it fireworks.)  I pretty much felt like this:

If you're curious what the class entailed, the format was pretty straightforward - there were a couple of slower songs to warm up, then there was the core of the class (which was obviously Jazzercise dance), then a few songs that incorporated strength and a very brief cool down.

During class, the instructor spent a lot of time bragging about how good of a teacher she was, since apparently she had just cleared her most recent brand inspection/certification process and was also going to be leading an instructor training in the next week.  She also talked about how she had just gotten some sort of fancy laser skin peel because she wasn't going to "age without a fight".  Both my friend and I were a little surprised at how self absorbed her conversation was, since we are instructors as well and couldn't even envision ourselves talking like that to our students.  But then again, it was Edina, so ...

Somehow, at 12:55 I realized - I had managed through class!  (Yep, we started 5 minutes late and ended 5 minutes early - good thing I didn't pay for this out of pocket and expect the full hour.)  In the end, I didn't trip or kick myself.  So I considered it a success.

I do have to admit, though.  This happened:

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So, you might be wondering: after all was said and done, what did I think ?

Well... Jazzercise is exactly what everyone stereotypes it as, let's be real.  It's a lower intensity workout aimed at a mature female audience.  If you enjoy it, though, go for it!  Why not keep active? 
DIFFICULTY - low

That being said, the class format is a little tricky, since there are some dance moves.  They're not terribly hard, but may take you a couple of classes to catch on to.
SKILL - some repetition required for mastery, but suitable for beginners

In regards to staff and environment, I would rate this studio as low in both categories.  They really need to work on being more timely with their schedule, refurbish the floors and sweep/clean.  The ventilation was fantastic, though - loved the plentiful ceiling fans.
STAFF AND ENVIROMENT SCORE - low

And of course - the most important part: would I do it again?
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? No, even if they cleaned the studio up I wouldn't go back.  Dance aerobics just aren't my style.

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So now, what class is next?!

Current Workouts & Keeping the Mojo

With ClassPass still in my regime, and having got back on the workout horse after my trip to Europe, the last couple of weeks working out for me have been a little busy:


March 30th - April 5th
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Teach TBC
Wednesday - Swim
Thursday - Teach TBC
Friday - Hot Yoga AM, Cycle Lunch
Saturday - Hot Yoga
Sunday - Rest

April 6th - 12th
Monday - Cycle
Tuesday - Hot Yoga AM, Teach TBC PM
Wednesday - Swim
Thursday - Teach TBC
Friday & Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Three hour basement cleaning project (blech!)

April 13th - 19th ... in progress!!  :-)


Despite the full schedule, it feels good to be getting back into the swing of things.  Plus, I have a sense of real accomplishment, since the only activity I have left to work back into my routine is a more regular running plan ... Oh, I suppose I need to start on that if I'm going to relay a half marathon with a friend the first weekend in May?!  Whoops - good thing I only have the 5 something mile leg.

Anyway, with summer just around the corner, I know my cardio volume will just continue to increase, so I'm no longer worried about keeping my workout mojo up ... at least for myself.  But I HAVE been worrying a bit about my TBC students', as it seems every year without fail summer hits and everyone is all "oh, happy hour on the patio..." or "oh, boat ride on the lake", etc., etc., etc.

Last year, to combat that summer slide, I started a program I called "TBC Summer Push".  And actually, it all sprung from a happy accident: I was given a coffee shop gift card that was supposed to be for $20, but ended up having $50 on it. 

With the bonus $30, I got an idea and "TBC Summer Push" was born. 

I told the TBC class: the person with the best attendance all summer would get a coffee shop gift card.  Oh!  With a chance for extra credit, of course - get one spare point for each time you bring a new friend to class.

Wouldn't you know it ... funny things happen when you give people an incentive.  Suddenly, instead of the standard summer slide, I was starting to see a summer influx!  By the end of Summer, my average class size had increased from 4-6+ people to 8-12+ on any given night.

It's true!  My classes blew up!

And of course, once people got in the habit of working out over the summer, keeping with me through fall and winter was a no brainer.  Plus, when I offered a special Saturday class for the month of January, my numbers ballooned even more, to as many as 20 people in one class.  Whoa!

Since I had such success last year, I had been thinking a few weeks back that I should try to do a similar program again this summer.  Just as I was stewing over what to do, a few of my regular students started inquiring what their motivation would be this summer ... since the first few warm and sunny days just hit.

I told them I was working on it, but it I was definitely saying "oh crap" in the back of my head.  I mean, how do you repeat a success like that for a second year in a row?

Finally though, last week, I had a "oh duh" moment.  I mean, seriously, DUH!  I am an InkNBurn ambassador...

Yep.  So that's the deal.  Workout with me, get a shot at a super sweet T from InkNBurn.

Ready to sweat?!

ClassPass Update

UPDATE

 

 

Well ... it's been awhile since I've talked about ClassPass.  Lest you think I cancelled my membership, which I did not, I thought I better update you what's happenin' in that arena...

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First of all, if you recall, I went to 6 different ClassPass studios prior to my Euro trip:

The Good - all of which I've continued to attend
     Good & Twisted Yoga, Chaska
     CycleQuest Studio, Eden Prairie
     Studio TimeOut, Minneapolis

The Bad - not really "bad", so much as I haven't made an effort to go back
     Kula Yoga, Edina

The Ugly - ok, these are the really bad ones, and yeah ... I'd never go back
     The Shed, Minneapolis
     3X3 Fit!, Hopkins

In regards to tracking the above list, I'd like to mention one of ClassPass's functionalities - the "heart" feature.  Essentially, "hearting" a studio while logged into ClassPass bookmarks that studio for you.  By simply clicking on the little heart next to a studio name (see yellow arrow below), you've marked it as something you like, and it automatically falls into your "favorites" list on your main account page:

 

I think this feature is really cool, since it makes it waaaayyyy easier to remember which studios I liked for future class bookings, and it also allows me to flag new studios I want to try (so I remember to look into classes there the next time I'm free). 

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Speaking of ClassPass functionalities, before I go on, let's talk about the "friending" feature.  Since I'm doing ClassPass with the Man to my Robot (Dawn), I've found the friending feature on ClassPass really convenient ... although it did take a few times of trial an error to figure out.

By unchecking the "keep my profile private" box (yellow arrow below), and sharing the link provided next to that box, my friend Dawn and I were able to friend each other and connect our accounts. 

Linking has been REALLY cool, since we can see each other's workout schedules and they include  clickable links.  That means if I sign up for something and bully Dawn into joining me invite Dawn along, she can just go to my profile, search for that same class, and then add it to her schedule as well (assuming there are still open slots).

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In addition to the above features, you may have noticed some stats on my side bar:

As you can see, I've completed 14 classes in total on ClassPass, which bleeds into where I really wanted to take this conversation ... which is ... is ClassPass worth maintaining after a month or two worth of trying out?

Warning - soap box.  There's a dig in this, at least for me: I forgot to pause my membership when everything blew up and I got whirled winded into planning my surprise Euro trip and then leaving the country, so I feel like I cheated myself out of some workout dollars.  I say this because you can put your account on hold for $15 when you aren't able to attend classes for whatever reason ... which is better than paying $79/month when you're out of commission, or cancelling your account and then paying a reactivation fee.  Anyway, if you subtract out the two classes I've taken in my current month, I only managed to squeeze in 12 classes for my first 2 months of ClassPass membership.  This is a dig to me because I was averaging 4 classes a week prior to the Euro whirlwind (which works out to be 12 classes / month). 

But ok, ok - in reality, 4 classes a week may actually be pretty aggressive for the average Joe.  So maybe 12 classes in a 2 month window is technically more realistic from a cost analysis perspective anyway. 

For argument's sake, let's take the 12 classes in 2 month scenario and put some math to it:

     $79 per month membership fee x 2 months = $158
     12 classes / $158 = $13 per class

At $13 a class, ClassPass might seem a little steep.  Yeah, I know classes at a boutique studio typically run $15-20 for drop in, but I say $13/class is steep because I think many people would say that $10+ for one workout is a little on the high side.

But $13 price tag aside, I have really enjoyed going to a few of these studios, especially CycleQuest (since it is something I can do over my lunch hour at work) and Good & Twisted (since it is practically right in my backyard).  And when I look at the class packages they offer, I would still be paying $10-15 per class anyway (since I'm not willing to purchase a super huge class pack and sink several hundred dollars into workouts at one time).

Taking that into consideration, as long as I go to both CycleQuest and Good & Twisted 3 times each per month via ClassPass, anything else I add on after that is essentially free.

So ... following that logic, I may end up keeping ClassPass for longer than I anticipated.  Especially because, as I mentioned in my 2 week touch base, I really enjoy the concept of ClassPass and the idea that a network of classes are available to me metro wide, with everything consolidated down into one master schedule.  Not only does it allow me to workout anywhere on a whim, it keeps things new and interesting.

Plus, I can't wait to try out a few new studios this month - just wait to see what I have up my sleeve!!

ClassPass Review #6 - Good & Twisted Yoga

 

 

 

 

ClassPass Review #6 - Good & Twisted Yoga

1018 Gateway Drive, Chaska, MN 55318

(952) 448-9642, goodandtwistedyoga.com

As you already know, early February I signed up for a ClassPass account.  You can read about that here.  Below is a recap of the 6th studio I tried out using the "pass".  If you'd like to read other studio recaps, use the search bar above and the search term: ClassPass.

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Having just done a stretch class over the lunch hour on Thursday, you'd think the last thing I'd want to do again the next day is ... well ... stretch.  But for some reason, nothing quite does it for me like yoga does when it comes to needing to work out muscle soreness. 

Plus, I haven't done a heated yoga class in almost a year.  And I've been dying to visit the studio that's practically in my backyard. 

So, that's how I ended up at Good & Twisted Yoga.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Of course, the one time I decided to arrive less than 15 minutes early for a class, it just HAD to unexpectedly snow the night before.  And then I ended up behind some dumbass going 15 mph in a 40.  And my gas tank was on empty.

Let's just say that when I arrived to Good & Twisted, I was a bit twisted myself.  Or at least, my undies were in a twist, if nothing else.

 

Thankfully, I was not the only one struggling with traffic delays, so I wasn't the last one to check in for class.  That helped me relax right away.  And it also meant I had a quick second or two to check out the digs.

 

 

No, your eyes don't deceive you.  Those are FREE TOWELS in the locker room.  Man, that was luxury!!  I was in heaven.  Had I known they provided towels, I wouldn't have packed one to use post-shower.  Now I know.

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Since I didn't have a ton of time before we were scheduled to start, I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked perusing the two studios, locker room or retail area in the entry.  Basically I just browsed as I walked to the bathroom, threw all my things in a locker, stripped off my extra layer of clothes (we'll call it sub zero temp proofing), and shimmied over to the studio class was being held in to roll out my mat.

Being that this was a hot yoga class and heated to 100+/- degrees, I made sure to bring my mat, a yoga towel to place over it (a beach towel will do if you don't have a yoga towel), and a large bottle for water.  Oh, that reminds me - my bottle was extra easy to fill thanks to their snazzy water fountain.  

That was the first time I'd seen a fountain like this in a gym.  And you can call me a nerd if you want, since I was pretty excited about it.  I guess if you've spent as much time as I have fiddling with water fountains and trying to fill a water bottle, you'd understand.  Moving on...

When I settled in to my mat, I realized I had forgotten how some folks like to keep an extra dry hand towel or washcloth nearby their mats to wipe their face as they sweat.  To me, that didn't' really matter anyway, as I stopped doing that after about a year's worth of hot yoga practice.  So, despite the forgetfulness, I was set to go.

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When everyone had settled into the studio, the instructor began our practice.  She mentioned that the heat was a tad lower at the start than it ought to be and apologized for that but ... I considered it a blessing, because as soon as the studio hit the proper temperature, I was sweating like a beast.

The general "bones" of the class were modified sun salutations with some added warrior poses and plank work.  I really liked - no LOVED - the way the forms all flowed from one to the next, and could tell that there was some definite thought put into the planning of the class.

Additionally, the instructor was fantastic.  Her delivery felt natural, flowed well, and didn't feel overly scripted (as some bikram based classes can be).  I may have even developed a little girl crush on her because she had such pretty eyes and some fantastic tattoos, but that's neither here nor there.

Eventually, our time sweating came to an end, and we wrapped up class by lying on the floor, doing some simple spinal twists, and ending in a savasana.

Not gonna lie, at the end of class when I had showered and was dressing for the day, I felt like I was dreaming.  It was almost as if ClassPass karma was shaking my hand for sticking out the last two studios I'd dealth with.  This experience was so fantastic that I just couldn't believe it was real.

Eventually reality struck, and I noticed I had to go.  At which point, I hopped in my car to head to work.  Boo-hoo-hoo.

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So, what did I think overall?

Well, as far as difficulty, hot yoga is definitely a challenge.  Plus, this is a faster paced flow class, and the instructor only talks you through the forms (she did not roll out a mat herself and demo the poses).  If you are new to yoga, I would recommend you take one of Good & Twisted's more beginner based classes rather than jumping straight into this.  But, if you're familiar with a standard sun salutation and some variations on that form, you'd be ok in this class.
DIFFICULTY - medium/high
SKILL - best for those with some yoga background

In regards to staff and environment, I would rate this studio extremely high in both categories.  Quality of instructor wise, this was likely one of the best yoga classes I've ever been to.  Quality of environment wise, the entire facility is beautiful, and brownie points for towels, soap / shampoo / conditioner in the showers, and a fancy water fountain.
STAFF AND ENVIROMENT SCORE - extremely high

And of course - the most important part: would I do it again?
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? Already registered for the next session!!

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So now, what class is next?!