Oh Hey, Stranger

Clearly I’ve been MIA, but since I’ve signed up for another half marathon (my third!) I figured I should start posting if not for anything but to keep track of my training and get motivated.

My workout routines thus far have been a lot of Pure Barre (they’re opening a new location in NYC so check it out!). I’m also trying to mix it up so in the last few weeks I tried As1 Fitness, TRX at Exceed and Refine Method. Of them all, Refine has a great new client pack so I’m going to stick with that for the time being. It also kicked my ass so hard that my cheeks were sore for days. So that’s gotta be good, right? Then there’s running. After ending up in PT twice, why decide to do another half? Well I’m Type A and competitive and didn’t want to break my one half marathon a year streak. (Yes, two years in a row counts as a streak!). So I chose Long Beach, Cali as the location so I could take a nice vacay at my parents who live in Southern California after. Plus it’s near the beach and a flat course supposedly and fit in my time frame. I’m nervous, not gonna lie, but honestly my runs these days are about doing them without stopping and not thinking about time. My days of PRs are over I think and that’s OK. I’ve only done 4 miles in my training so far, but this weekend I’ll aim for 5. Since I haven’t been doing long runs in seriously forever, every new mileage I hit from now on is a milestone for me.

BTW, this past weekend I did the Great Urban Race NYC. It was fun and exhausting and here are some pretty funny pictures from some of the tasks we had to do.

 

Lucy workout clothes review

It’s not secret when I’m not working out, I’m usually lounging around in workout clothes. I love all things comfy and have countless pairs of black bottoms. So when Lucy sent me their new Walkabout pant to try, I knew they’d be perfect for me. I have to admit when I first got them I wasn’t sure how flattering they’d be. The material was great, but the zipper and button threw me off. Turns out they fit great and will definitely be added to my rotation of pants I either workout in or run around the city doing errands in. (and they’re water resistant, a plus.)

The shorts I received are the propel run and they’re the shortest pair they make. Ok probably not the best for me since my legs are my worst feature. You most likely won’t be seeing me run the park in these bad boys, but I do already wear them around the apt. So comfy, not too short that it’s inappropriate and they have a little pocket in the back.

 

Do you own Lucy clothes?

Oh and in case you were wondering, yes I’m STILL obsessed with Pure Barre and going 5 days a week.

I have an addiction

My name is Robyn … and I’m a barre-aholic.

Since I first posted about Pure Barre and took my first class, I ended up purchasing a one-month unlimited pass. Since last Wed I have already taken 6! There are so many reasons why I love this class. Although each one follows the same outline of arms, thigh, seat, abs, back each instructor brings their own element to them keeping it diverse. The music is awesome (here’s a tip, download the Skyscraper remix and Never Leave This Bed remix). While the 55 min are tough I always want to push myself and sneak a little smile when the teacher calls me out by saying, “Great Job, Robyn.” In just 6 classes, I’ve already seen improvements. I can hold the full 90-second plank and go into the next plank position and I can reach around my toes when I stretch. Plus I’m definitely stronger. Yep, I can do this:

I haven’t been on a scale since before I went G-Free, so while I don’t know if I’ve lost weight, I’ve never felt better.

Coming up… a review of a new pair of Lucy shorts (if only I could get my butt away from Pure for a session at the gym!)

 

Pure Barre NYC Review

I love to change up my workouts, but usually find that going out for a quick run is the most convenient. This week I’ve challenged myself to diversify, and boy did I. This morning my friend Ashley (check out her blog here) got up at the crack of dawn for a 6:30am Pure Barre class. To say that I was frightened is an understatement. I can run, I can do spin, but balance on my toes with a ball between my legs? Terrifying. The class claims that it’s a “a total body workout that lifts your seat, tones your thighs and burns fat in record-breaking time.” Unlike the times I’ve taken yoga where I’m not sure if I’m doing it right or if I’m working muscles, this I felt from the first minute. Our instructor was Meaghan and not only was she adorable and not intimidating in that I’m-hot-and-skinny-and-can-put-my-legs-over-my-head kinda way. She made Ash and I feel extremely comfortable. The class was tiny with just 4 of us so she was able to really focus on making sure we were doing things correctly. And I appreciate her moving her mic to the side when correcting me so I didn’t feel totally lame. Overall I loved the class and as I’m writing this not even 2 hrs later my arms and thighs are like jelly. Certainly a sign I did something right (I hope). The only segment I wasn’t a fan of were a bunch of ab exercises on the barre that I didn’t understand and couldn’t really do. But everything else I got a grasp on and was even able to push myself to go just a bit farther or stronger. The studio was clean and the music was fab, which I find very important. I hate classes with crappy music or straight-up dance/techno/wordless beats.

Right now there’s a deal in NYC on gilt city for 2 months of unlimited classes for 299. Yes, it’s pricey, but if you can afford it, it’s worth it. If I hadn’t just renewed my month of bootcamp I’d consider it and maybe freeze my gym membership. Regardless I hope to return. Ashley is probably buying the pack so I’m sure she’ll get me to come back for another hardcore sesh.

Have you ever tried any barre-type of classes?

A week in gluten-free living

Week 1 is done and I feel great! I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I’m eating healthy and eating clean, but since I started I’ve only had 1 tummy ache I can recall. Ironically, it was when I got home Saturday night after eating out (dinner at nice restaurants is a bit tricky for gfree) and drinking.

Here’s what my dinner menus looked like (breakfast and lunch were boring, but I cooked for din):

Monday: Steamed salmon with diced tomatoes and feta, quinoa and steamed broccoli with balsmamic

Tuesday: Baked tilapia (frozen pack from Costco) with diced tomatoes, feta, leftover quinoa, brussel sprouts

Wednesday: Gluten-free pasta topped with baked tilapia, diced tomatoes, feta, side of brussel sprouts. (Yes that’s a big bowl of sprouts, yes I ate them all).

Thursday: Leftover g-free pasta with side of broccoli (not pictured)
Friday: Stir-fry veggies with shirataki, brown rice in a gluten-free soy/peanut butter sauce. I tried to make it thai, the leftovers were much better than the first night.

Going Gluten-Free

I recently made the decision to go (or temporarily try) gluten-free and today is the first day. I’m anxious, excited and scared, to say the least. There are many reasons why I’m trying this out and my health is the No. 1. Growing up I was always plagued with stomach aches. Some landed me in the emergency room and some were just frustratingly embarassing when they came on during class in school. On my umpteenth trip to my doc I happened to mention that eating a bagel for breakfast would sometimes result in the belly ache. She immediately wondered if I had Celiac, something I had never heard of and an illness that had yet to be on the rise of awareness. After ending up with one positive blood test, one negative, I never really stuck to the diet. My symptoms somewhat disappated through adulthood (or I just learned to deal). It’s years later and Gluten-free is everywhere. Not only that, but more and more people are being diagnosed as gluten-sensative, which is different than having straight up Celiac.

A few weeks ago a bunch of my girlfriends were getting together with two ladies who were in town. One you might remember from a little show called The Bachelor. Tenley has been G-free for about four years (she has great recipes here) and upon chatting with her about  it, I really started to reconsider. I’m not sure if my on and off stomach issues or the fact that I am ALWAYS tired, among other things, is because of gluten sensativity, but it’s worth finding out. So today is Day 1. Since I’ve been doing Jenny Craig for over a year, the biggest change is certainly going to be convenience. I always just throw in my breakfast and lunch meals for work and now I’ll have to do a bit more planning. For today, I packed a banana, yogurt, cottage cheese, salad, carrots and cantaloupe. For dinner I plan on making steamed salmon with some tomatoes and feta and a side of broccoli. I’m not sure I’m ready to tackle the rice pasta, etc just yet. So wish me luck and please share your own stories, comments, questions, complaints, etc below!

Indian Summer in Fall?

As many of my fellow New York runners know, this is the time of year when we dig out our layers, grab our gloves and hats and brace ourselves for impending frigid temperature runs. Right now? Not so much. This morning I grab a t-shirt, some capri pants and was out the door for a quick 2-miler. How was there snow on the ground less than a month ago??

(I got an iPhone, it makes things look extra pretty.)

Since it’s been a few months since my last post, here’s a mini update on what’s been going on. I haven’t run in any races, but I’m still running, in fact I’m contemplating a 2012 half marathon. Any location suggestions? My work life has been insane with lots of fun opportunities, a few Today show appearances and some other things in the works. Look, that’s me!

(Sometimes I talk about shows that were on before I was born.)

I also signed up for a month of unlimited bootcamp classes through Living Social. The class is Bonstar and I’m slightly obsessed. You might even say I can now do a push-up.

What has everyone else been up to the last few months? (Although I still read your blogs religiously, so I kinda already know.)

I’ve Missed This

Hi! So it’s been quite awhile since my last post, and I’m sure most of you have deleted me from your Google readers, but in the small chance you haven’t, well thanks for sticking with me! It’s been a crazy 7 months and when it comes down to it, I just didn’t have time to blog anymore. So what have I been up to? Well since December, I got a promotion at work and had some exciting opportunities like being on the Today show. I ran the Disney Princess Half in Feb which was awesome! I’m still on Jenny Craig, well sorta, my sister got married and I joined a CSA (community supported agriculture). It’s actually the CSA that made me think about writing again. Staring at these pretty and somewhat strange veggies made me think that no one, other than bloggy friends, would appreciate them! (I bet you missed my use of exclamation points.) I have a half-share for the season, but this week my share partner was out of town so I got extremely lucky with being able to take home the entire crop — and what a crop it was. Look how pretty and colorful these babies are!

The first item I wanted to tackle was the tomatillo, which I’ve never had or cooked. I looked up a few recipes and decided to make some fish tacos with tomatillo sauce based on this recipe. I chopped up the pound that I got and added to my food processor along with a clove of garlic, a little white onion and some salt. I tasted it and was surprised just how yummy it was. Almost sweet with a tang.

While I transfered the mixture to a saucepan and let it warm on medium heat, I broiled my defrosted tilapia filet. I have a whole bag of them from Costco, and they always come in handy for random recipes like this one.

Once the fish was done, I cut it up, put it on a tortilla and spooned over the tomatillo mixture. Perfection.

Are any of you enjoying a CSA this summer?

Taking a break…

This post is clearly a long time coming. I feel awful that one day I was blogging, and a month later, no word from me at all. The truth is, I haven’t had any time and where running used to be a big priority in my life, some things, well mostly work, have replaced it. I’m still planning to run in my second half marathon in Disney and hopefully I’ll fill you all in on how it goes. For now, you can follow me and my entertainment career on Twitter at RobynRossTVG. Miss all my bloggie friends!

Prepping Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is no doubt my favorite holiday. While I won’t get to spend it with my immediate family this year, I get to enjoy an awesome meal with my grandma and cousins. Since all the food is taken care of, I decided I wanted to make some dessert. Apple pie and pumpkin cupcakes w/ cream cheese frosting here I come.

Wednesday:
I started with the apple pie. Who cooks something they’re allergic to? Me apparently. I’m allergic apples, but only when they’re raw so baked is a ok. But snacking while prepping is a no no. So I peeled and cut 6 organic fuji apples I picked up at TJ’s over the weekend.

Next up I added a cup of splenda, tablespoon of flour, lemon juice and cinammon. Then added into the pie dish and crust. Now my friends instructions on this part were, make sure it’s a heaping mound. Looks pretty heaping to me, right?

Next I added the top crust, cut some slits, and it’s ready to bake.

And done.

Next up were the cupcakes, Martha Stewart style. Mix the dry ingredients in 1 bowl, wet in the other. Then mix together with the pumpkin puree.

Ok so the recipe says it makes 18 cupcakes yet I ended up with 24. Hmm.

20 minutes later and you got this:

Thursday:
Woke up for a Thanksgiving morning run. Now that the temp has dropped, I’m remembering what it’s like training in the winter and how my body needs to get used to it. I did a 2-miler and it wasn’t so easy peasy, but still felt good nonetheless.

Ok time to make the cream cheese frosting. Cream cheese, 3/4 stick butter, tspn of vanilla and 3 1/2 cups (yep) confectioner’s sugar.

Frost the cupcakes (try not to lick spoon)



Ready to be transported…Happy Thanksgiving!