the time i went to west virginia and didn't even come close to getting eaten by a bear

The rock climbing trip was pretty awesome. I could give you a recap of all the cool routes that I climbed, I could talk about how I did my first sport lead climbs, and how I hiked all over the damn state with gear on my back. I actually did all of that stuff! And I had so many wonderful and new experiences along the way.  But reading about the intricacies of rock climbing is not really everyone's jam so instead I thought I'd share some highlights from the trip, in picture form, because that makes it more entertaining to read, right?

Also, in case you were wondering, I didn't even come CLOSE to getting eaten by a bear. I think that keeping the 3lb bag of Laffy Taffy in the car probably kept them away. I'm a smart thinker, a natural camper, even.

Dudes, I helped set up a tent. Not only that, I actually SLEPT in it. Like a person who camps, or something.

 In case you were wondering, I still prefer beds. And sleeping indoors.

Much like the cabin we rented for the second half of the trip:

I drank a lot of gin.

 See?

 

We got lost in the woods because this turd (LOVE YOU JASON) refused to stop for ONE SECOND to figure out where we were in relation to the hiking path.

 Don't worry.. we (and nature) got our revenge

We climbed to the top of this --

 

See?

Ate an absurd (and almost embarrassing) amount of Laffy Taffy. Mostly of the banana variety since it is OBVIOUSLY THE BEST FLAVOR THERE IS AND EVER WILL BE.

In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, I did a lot of thinking about my life and the people who I love. I made a conscious effort to truly be present in the moment. Life is just too short. I don't want to waste a single second of it.

the time i went to california and my brain almost exploded (and other tales)

How the hell is it already the middle of May? I've almost forgotten that I took a two week vacation from work at the beginning of April. The first part of the trip was spent on the West Coast for my annual Team LUNA Chix summit. This was my third year in attendance and it's something that I always look forward to. Unfortunately I got hit with the worst sinus infection I've ever had it and it made the weekend of schmoozing, running, and healthy-living sessions really difficult to handle. I was pretty congested, but the worst part was that I had a headache. Nonstop. For five days. And every time I moved my head too quickly it would feel as though my brain was too big for my skull. And my jaw hurt so much that I could barely chew. BUT, I really did try to make the best of it. I promise!

On Friday, Ashley and I spent most of the day in leader training. After that wrapped up we made our way to Clif corporate where we were joined by fellow teammates Bonnie and Lisa. We enjoyed a wonderful (and healthy!) dinner before heading back to the hotel to try to get a good night's sleep.

I woke up on Saturday feeling pretty miserable, so I took a double dose of cold and sinus medicine. It was a good idea because it enabled me to survive the track workout. But it was probably a bad idea because I'm pretty sure I was a little stoned. Eh, you win some, you lose some, right? The rest of the day was spent in various sessions of which I don't remember a ton since I was coming down from my self-imposed medicine high. I made it through dinner and some of the entertainment before calling it an early night.

I woke up on Sunday feeling slightly less like death, which was a huge improvement. I opted for the long, easy run which amounted to about six miles. After lunch, Ashley and I said goodbye to our fellow LUNA Chix before heading into San Francisco for some sightseeing. We explored the city, took a cable car, and had the most amazing burgers for dinner. On Monday we did about a million more miles of walking (good gracious, those hills are NO joke) and were lucky enough to get on an afternoon tour of Alcatraz. I'm pretty sure I spent the entire day screaming "WELCOME TO.. THE ROOCKKK". It was epic and everything I dreamed it would be an more.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure (like 99%) that I saw a ghost while I was walking around Alcatraz. Ashley doesn't believe me but WHATEVER. I know what I saw.

We rounded out the trip with a red eye on Monday night. Those flights are always a good idea in theory but usually ends up with me wanting to punch myself in the face somewhere over the middle of the country. I got back to Boston on Tuesday morning and had the rest of the week to prepare for the second part of the trip.. road tripping to / rock climbing in West Virginia! More to come on that (soon, I promise!).

review: the studio empower class with sebastien lagree

Earlier this week I was given the opportunity to take a complimentary class at The Studio Empower with founder Sebastien Lagree. The studio is a lovely, bright space that's located in Newton Centre, Massachusetts.  They currently have eight machines, but soon will be increasing to ten. It's nice to have a small class - especially when there's somewhat complicated machinery involved. It means that the instructor can really look at each person and to make corrections. It means you get a better workout and are less likely to find yourself injured from improper form.

I had actually purchased a deal for five classes and, though I had taken one class, I didn't quite know what to expect. I was under the (incorrect) impression that it was just a Pilates reformer class. Luckily, after the class we had a chance to talk with Sebastien and he cleared up a lot of the misconceptions. According to the website:

"Lagree Fitness™ (formerly, SPX Fitness or best known as Pilates Plus) incorporates the basic principles of traditional Pilates but has transformed itself into a high intensity, low impact workout using strength training – allowing for all fitness levels to achieve sculpted and toned physiques quickly and safely.

Newton (MA) is the first Lagree fitness studio in the world to introduce clients to the Megaformer, M3 (the latest member of the Megaformer family – just released the end of January 2013!)"

Off the top of my head I remember doing front/rear lunges, squats, carriage kicks, ninja kicks, pushups.. and I could go on. You can do literally hundreds of different workouts and stretches on the M3. It's "designed to cater to both upper and lower body muscles, using a system of springs and pulleys to accommodate the resistance and counter-resistance of the workout".

y so serious?

Weight lifting alone simply targets individual muscles - but that's not how the body works. All of your muscles are connected and working on the Megaformer helps to build long, lean muscles. I really enjoyed the range of motion that I was able to get on the machine because I felt as though I was really able to sink into each exercise. Also as someone who has a bad knee, and who does a lot of high-impact cardio classes, I can appreciate the focus on slow, deliberate motions. The idea is to really focus on your form and to use control to bring the carriage in and out. And all of this is done with little-to-know impact on the joints.

Apparently there are people who do these classes every day, and I'm pretty sure that they are either brave, or very masochistic. Though, I'm sure people have said the same about me for running a marathon or climbing mountains. In my opinion, I think that classes at The Studio Empower would be great to use as a supplement to your main sport (in my case, that would be running and/or rock climbing). The machine does take a little getting used to but believe me, if my clumsy self can master it, so can you!

If you live in the Greater Boston area, I suggest making a visit to The Empower Studio - you will not regret it -- though you may not be able to sit without pain for a few days! And it's just like Sebastien says, "It's not how you start the workout, it's how you end it".

here we go again..

#bostonstrong

It's been over a week since the Boston Marathon bombing, four days since the MIT police officer was killed, and people seem to be returning to normal. The trees are starting to blossom, and it's looking like it'll be a lovely spring. And me? How am I feeling?

Stressed.

Overwhelmed.

Sad.

Anxious.

I work at MIT. It's not something I have mentioned on my blog in an effort to keep my personal and blog lives separate. I've been working here since the day after I graduated college back in May 2006. If I'm being honest, I feel more of a connection to MIT than I do my own alma mater. I also work one building over from where Sean Collier, the fallen MIT police officer, was killed.

I understand that people have been profoundly impacted by the events of last week. I know that I wasn't even in the state when everything happened. I won't pretend that I'm special in any way. But I can explain a little bit of how I'm feeling. Yesterday was my first day back in the office in over two weeks (I was on vacation). I forced myself to ride the T, even though I was internally panicking. I forced myself to walk past the makeshift memorial to Officer Sean Collier, even though it made me cry. I forced myself to sit through a day at work even though my skin was crawling and I all I wanted to do was go home and bury myself under the covers. I saw a student walking around with a backpack with a large antenna sticking out and I panicked. I was so exhausted last night but all I did was toss and turn. This morning the idea of riding on the T made me so anxious that I drove to work.

I distinctly remember the feeling of helplessness and utter despair after watching the Twin Towers fall.  It was an event that changed me, and New York, forever. And it's interesting that I hadn't made much (or any) connection between September 11th and the Boston Marathon bombings.  I feel very fortunate that my therapist is a New Yorker who lived there during 9/11. I think that people are entitled to their feelings regarding such life-changing events, but there's a special understanding between those who have lived through the same trauma.  She gets it. In our session today, the first since everything that has happened, I (mostly unsuccessfully) tried to explain how I was feeling. The words that came most easily to mind were overwhelmed and anxious. She asked if I was sleeping? Nope. Did I have trouble sleeping after 9/11? Absolutely. Was I anxious using public transportation after September 11th? Definitely.

I'm trying to process and to move on, but even walking to my office is a constant reminder of what has happened. Realistically, I know that I am probably more safe in Boston today than I was before the bombings. Realistically, I understand that the chances of anything else happening are one in a million. But  I can't help but feel as though I have been hit on so many fronts - as a runner, a New Yorker-turned Bostonian, and an MIT employee. It feels intensely personal. I'm giving myself permission to feel everything I need to in order to move forward.

"there will always be those who are helping"

How are you all holding up? What has helped you to find peace and comfort?