Posts filed under ‘It’s A Group Thing’
Developments
Loyal haulers, how I’ve missed you. Both of you. (No, I’m kidding. There are probably three or four of you, not counting my mom. Hi Momma!)
So much has happened since last we met! A highlight reel:
The Boyfriend is now The Fiance. (Insert girly sounds of joy here.)
Photo credit: Stephanie Pinsdorf
I attempted two triathlons this summer, one of which became a duathlon due to poor river conditions. . .
Photo credit: The Fiance
… and one of which caused me to have a sobbing breakdown one mile into the run. Gory details to follow in another post.
Not crying here... because it's over. Photo credit: The Fiance
I ran a PR (personal record) at this year’s Boston Half Marathon, which left me sore for days but happy to run with old and new friends!
Cez and David, meet Rose and Steph. Photo credit: The Fiance
The good news, which is making me just about as happy as the sparkler TF put on my finger, is that the nagging plantar fasciitis that was keeping me from running and teaching step has calmed a bit. (Thanks, physical therapy and yoga!) This means I can finally run again, which means I’m no longer feeling frustrated and insane. Yay! Thank you to everyone who offered kind words or sent healing vibes into the universe.
The bad news, which is making me really quite bummed, is that my physical therapist and doctor have decided that step classes aggravate my chronic injury in a way that running doesn’t. In step, there’s just too much bouncing on the heel, which tightens the calf and inflames the fascia—a thick band of tissue that inserts at the heel. Not wanting to believe my doctor, I secretly snuck in a step class at a friend’s gym two weeks ago. Though I got through the class all right, I could barely walk when I woke up the next morning.
For now, at least, my step days are done. I won’t be returning to teach the Wednesday evening Intro Step/Step I class at Feminine Fitness, and my Thursday morning FemFit class is going to remain a Spinning class. I don’t know who will teach the Intro class from here on out. Please know that step didn’t cause my injury—that happened when I was dumb enough to try to text and walk at the same time a few years ago, breaking my foot as a result.
You’ll still see me around the gym. Karla, one of the cool chicks who reads this blog, is whipping my tush into shape for my big day. I’ll still sub for body sculpting classes when I’m needed. And you know I’d love to see you haul your buns to my Feminine Fitness Spinning class at 6:30 on Thursday mornings, or my New York Sports Club Spinning class at 5:45 on Monday mornings. Come on down, and give it a whirl! At the very least, bookmark www.haulbuns.com and visit it often. I promise to update it on a much more regular basis.
Teaching the Wednesday night intro class has been my extreme pleasure for the past five years. I will miss working out with all of you intro steppers, but I know you’ll keep on showing up, putting in the hard work, and supporting each other like you always have. Ladies, you’re awesome.
Hasta la vista.
Kicking It Old School
I must be a fitness psycho psychic. Just last week, I was praising the much-mocked Fill-in-the-body-part of Steel series from the early 1990s. In comparison to today’s much-higher-budget workout DVDs, those tapes look downright shabby. And the tush-floss leotards and shiny leggings worn by the instructors are a bit off-putting. But the moves contained within are still some of the best ways to tone your buns, abs or arms. Every once in a while, when I want my butt kicked, I pop the Buns Of Steel tape into the VCR — yeah, I still have a VCR — and go to work. I can always feel it the next day.
Little did I know that while I was having my fitness flashback last week, Her Royal Cardio-ness Jane Fonda was preparing to get back into the home-fitness realm. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Fonda, who looks pretty great at 72, will begin taping new workouts in the spring. “We will film them in mid-March,” says the actress, who made working out at home chic in the ’80s and ’90s. “Mine will target an audience that has been left out, my age group and the (baby) boomers. I want to get to people who have stopped working out or never did.”
I think it’s clear what we have to do, Haulers. Just pull your legwarmers out of the attic…
Try This At Home
During my attempts to straighten up my apartment at the beginning of the year, I realized that I have a heck of a lot of fitness DVDs and tapes. I also realized that I can’t remember the last time I actually did one of them. Some of the seals are still intact on the cases, indicating that though I might’ve thrown them into my shopping cart during a post-holiday-eating guiltfest best-intentions impulse at Target, they never actually made it into the player. For the ones that had been used, I couldn’t even recall whether I’d liked them or not.
So in the name of resourcefulness, re-committing to goals and the recession, I’ll be your fitness guinea pig. Every week, I’ll do one of the workouts from my stash and then tell you what I think. If you’ve done that particular DVD/tape before and have some input, I’d love to hear it in the comments section. And then I’ll let you know what workout I’ll do in the following week, so you can join me in a virtual class if you like. We’ll save money. We’ll be productive. Most importantly, we’ll try these things in the privacy of our own homes where no one can gawk.
First up, Prevention Fitness Systems’ Dance Yourself Thin with Marie Forleo
Format: Warm-up, isolations, 30 minutes of cardio dance and a cool-down
Instructor annoyance level: Very low. Forleo isn’t too perky or chirpy, and her breakdowns of the steps are pretty easy to follow if you’ve ever taken any kind of choreographed class. (If you haven’t, there’ll be a bit of a learning curve.) I kept staring at her abs, though. They’re very nice. If I had abs like that, I would probably bare my midriff to anyone who passed by. “Here’s your mail, ma’am.” “Why thanks! Look at my abs!” or “How would you like your coffee?” “Skim and Splenda, and take a look at these abs!” But I digress…
Sweat factor: Low. I was warm and slightly glistening during the two dance segments, but nowhere near as sweaty as I get during my regular workout. The steps were fun, particularly in the Afro-Latin segment. Lots of big arm swoops, hip rolls and tush pops — my default club moves. I didn’t feel silly until the reggae-funk segment, where my white-girl coordination made it hard to get up the proper Rasta swagger, but I kept at it anyway.
Worth it?: Dance Yourself Thin is a perfectly lovely way to spend half an hour, but like most dance dvds, it’s difficult to sustain an increased heart rate throughout. If you want to try out a few moves before making your Zumba class debut, though, this may be the disc for you. And if I were going for a real burn, I might use it as an extended warm-up for a toning workout
Next week’s workout: Fat-Blasting Yoga: 21 Days To A Yoga Body with Denise Austin
It’s A Group Thing: Do The Du Outdoors!
All of this warm weather (and a chat with Stephanie, one of the cool chicks who visits Haul Buns!) has inspired me: My next small group training will be Do The Du Outdoors! We’ll do a half-hour Spinning ride on the bikes inside Feminine Fitness, then 20 minutes of walking/running work in the area surrounding the gym — just like a duathlon! Ten minutes of cool-down and stretching will finish off the 60-minute class. You’ll burn calories, build endurance and have a great time in the great outdoors while you do it! The six-week session will meet at 5:15 a.m. Thursdays (May 21 & 28, June 4, 11, 18 and 25). Cost is $60, no cancellations or refunds. For more information, or to sign up, contact Kim by mailing haulbuns AT gmail.com (I’m not writing out the address, because I’ll get too much junk e-mail!).
Space is limited! Sign up now!
Your Vote Counts!
I’m thinking about what small group training we’re going to do next. What would you like to see?
DATE CHANGE: Free Spin Class
If you signed up for both my Endurance Spin and Spin Boot Camp small group trainings, you’re entitled to a free Spin class that was scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 2. I’m now going to be out of town on that date, so I have to change the date of that free class to 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 7.
If you didn’t sign up for both sessions but would like to participate in the May 7 Spin class anyway, it’s $10. Just let me know to expect you!
Haul Buns 