Dude, Where’s My Dumbbell???

Greetings, friends!

Today I made a major workout buddy faux pas. I overslept for a gym date with Katie! I WOKE UP ten minutes after I was supposed to meet her there! Fortunately, the gym is right around the corner and very little preparation goes into a gym outing. I felt so, SO guilty, but fortunately I think she mostly thought it was funny. I was quite a mess when I arrived!

Anyway, I stumbled through a very awkward (nearly) 2 miles on the treadmill (one mile I actually ran, the rest I jog/power-walked/flailed around for). Next up was my favorite “Ballet Abs” workout that I posted last week from a Tumblr.

Apparently, not only was I a complete fail at waking up this morning, but I also seemed to have left my brain in bed. At the end of our workout when I went to go return my dumbbells to the shelf, I realized that I “only had one!” Just as I was about to walk back over to our little mat corner, Katie called to me to inform me that the weight was in my HAND. I was HOLDING it. Oy vey. I scare myself sometimes!

Today’s trip did feature a new workout outfit!

Ok fine, it was just a new shirt, but this is definitely one of my favorite combos I’ve had in a while!

Shirt: Avia “Moisture Wicking” shirt from Marshalls. It was $12.99, but it is SO light and comfortable and I love the bright color!

I love the back of this shirt too! Stylish. 😉

Capris: GapFit “gFlex capris.” These are THE best workout pants that I have ever owned. They are so cool and I LOVE the fit. I generally do not like tight-fitting pants, but these are wonderful. They are fitted through the leg, but flare out ever so slightly at the calf. They are flattering (even on my more “athletic” (read: chunky) thighs.

Sneakers: ASICS “Gel-1170″s. I purchased these at Kohls a while back for work and I love them. They are extremely comfortable and even 12-hour days spent on my feet don’t result in backache (as I’ve experienced with many other sneakers). I also frequently wear them to the gym (yes, I know you’re not supposed to do that!) and they have served me very well from BodyPump to the treadmill! I highly suggest trying out a few different styles of ASICS however, because the lovely little numbers featured on my title bar (the bright ones) I purchased to train for the famous 5k in, but ended up wearing old, beat-up sneakers on the day of instead because they actually hurt my feet quite a bit. Even after being broken in!

I have to say, in addition to some other great finds I’ve purchased lately at Marshall’s, their “activewear” department is fantastic! I have found some of my favorite shirts and sports bras there and never spend more than $13 per item! I highly recommend making a trip.

I spent the rest of the day at work and ended the day with a trip to the grocery store that left me with two exciting purchases. (Have you ever met a 22-year-old who loves going to the grocery store quite as much as I do? Doubtful.)

1. A (new) flavored coffee.

You guys are all well aware of my ridiculous weakness for coffee. Throw me a holiday-flavored coffee and I’m in heaven. This one sounded absolutely amazing: Cinnamon Gingerbread Truffle by Godiva. It’s a limited edition and features gingerbread men on the bag. Say no more, I’m there.

2. A Pomegranate!

I have been wanting to try pomegranates for the longest time. I have had them (at work, samples at the grocery store, etc.), but I’ve wanted to try them on oatmeal and yogurt and in salad, so when I discovered a $1.00 off coupon, it seemed like the appropriate time. After researching how to properly bust into it, I went to work!

 

 

 

I ended up with a whole bowlful of these tasty little seeds. I was taste-testing as I cut it open and they are delicious! I can’t wait to throw them in absolutely everything I eat.

Have a great night!

I Skipped Boot Camp. Please Don’t Tell.

I know what you’re thinking. Actually no I don’t, but please don’t be thinking that I’m a terrible slacker!

I had full intentions of going to class this morning and just taking it easy, but somewhere around 1:45 am when I was STILL awake and coughing and congested and felt a little bit like an elephant was sitting on my chest, I decided that I should probably take a pass on the 7:45 am class and give myself one more day to sleep in and hopefully kick this cold to the curb. I realized that this is the first time in about three years that I’ve had a cold and I don’t much like it! I’m feeling 250% better than I was the other day and I definitely think it’s on its way out. I must say, in retrospect, those few extra hours of sleep this morning were definitely worth the sacrifice of pretending to be Rocky for a morning.

I also must give some well-deserved credit to NyQuil. I hate taking cold medicine– or any medicine really, but the past few nights, I haven’t been able to sleep so well so I finally caved and took a NyQuil before bed and I must say, I have never felt quite so rested as I have the past few nights. It is a magical, magical little capsule and I’m so glad because let me tell you, the past few ridiculously busy days of work would have been absolutely dreadful following a terrible night’s sleep!

My boot camp snow day this morning means that I have missed out on four whole days worth of exercising! I really do not enjoy that fact, but tomorrow I will be jumping right back into the saddle. I  have even planned out exactly what I will do upon my big return. I found two excellent full-body circuit workouts that I plan to complete. I am also SO psyched because the gym has expanded their Les Mills schedule and there is now a BodyPump class on Mondays! That means that I should be able to hit up my first ever barbell class this week on my day off! Hooray!

Now for something unrelated to my cold. I am hoping that someone can help me out with my workout wear conundrum.

First of all, I must say that I LOVE running gear (it’s actually probably about 50% of the reason that I love running. Just kidding. But really.) I love tank tops and running sneakers and running shorts.

These are my favorite ever:

They are Under Armour’s Great Escape Shorts. And they’re fantastic. They’re breathable and come in a zillion wonderful color combinations and the waistband means business. They stay put which is fantastic. I can’t recommend these enough for running and other cardio workouts. They are wonderful and I love them.

But here comes the problem. As you have probably noticed, my workouts have shifted from lots and lots of running to more classes and strength-based things and my favorite staple shorts just aren’t cutting it anymore! They’re not quite long enough for things such as the ridiculous moves in boot camp or my new favorite conditioning class that involve a lot of squatting and lunging… Additionally, as fall is upon us, I have to find some more seasonally-appropriate gear and I just don’t know where to start!

I would love to hear about your favorite workout gear so please, do share!