Music To Your Ears
When the right song hits at the exact right time in your workout, you’re on fire. You’re faster, stronger and better than you’ve been all day. It doesn’t matter if what gets you pumped is AM Gold rock or hard-core rap: Good music equals a good time. I have a “Running” playlist on my iPod, and some songs are great for some days while others are perfect for others. Below, some of my favorites (in no particular order):
Galvanize — The Chemical Brothers
Up — Shania Twain
This Dreadful Life — Kay Hanley
Truckin’ — The Grateful Dead
The Way You Make Me Feel — Michael Jackson
Hip Hop Hooray — Naughty By Nature
The Choice Is Yours — Black Sheep
Say A Little Prayer For You — Aretha Franklin (all the love in the world for Dionne Warwick, but I like ReRe’s version better)
Best Of My Love — The Emotions
Dani California — Red Hot Chili Peppers
Goodbye Earl — The Dixie Chicks
I’m Coming Out — Diana Ross
Could You Be Loved — Bob Marley & The Wailers
Sunday Bloody Sunday — U2
But enough about me. Leave a comment and tell us about the workout songs you can’t do without? The weirder, the better!
Where’s Kim?
I’m off Wednesday, but maybe we’ll see each other at one of these other classes this week?
Monday: 6:15 p.m. Arm Strength, 7 p.m. AbSolution and 7:45 p.m. Step at Palisades Sports & Fitness
Tuesday: 6:30 Body Sculpt and 7:30 Cardio Mix at ExCel
Wednesday: Yvonne graciously covers my Intro Step/Step I class at 7 p.m. at Feminine Fitness
Thursday: 6:30 a.m. Step at Feminine Fitness; 6:30 p.m. Studio Sampler at New York Sports Club Butler
Sunday: 9 a.m. Step at New York Sports Club Parsippany
Have a great week, everyone!
Glide Is Good
My thighs, like the best of friends, are very good at keeping in touch. Those among you who are curvy, zaftig, bountiful or otherwise bodacious through the hips know what I’m talking about when I say that chafing in that area can bring a girl to tears. All it takes is a sweaty day and a long walk in a skirt. In college, my friends and I used to call the condition “Jane Blaze,” as in, “Why are you walking so funny?” “Because I have a serious case of Jane Blaze.”
When I started running, Jane was my constant workout companion. I tried wearing traditional running shorts and spent the bulk of my run trying to halt their constant migration north. As the fabric rose, my skin rubbed against itself, and nobody was happy: Not me and definitely not the innocent bystanders who had to watch me tugging on my drawers every few steps.
I switched to bike shorts and things got a bit better, but my running life was revolutionized the day I was introduced to Body Glide. Ladies, in the annals of Things That Make Our Lives Easier, Body Glide ranks right up there with Spanx and paid maternity leave. It’s that good. The anti-chafing balm comes in a package that looks like a stick of deodorant. Before you work out, you take off the cap and rub the stick anywhere that you have usually chafing or blister trouble. Poof! Your hot spots are banished.
Even members of the Thighs Don’t Touch Club can reap the benefits of Body Glide’s goodness. It’s awesome under bra straps, on heels to prevent blisters, beneath the girls to stop them from rubbing against your rib cage. You can find Body Glide at sporting goods stores like The Sports Authority, and you can check it out online here. I get nothing out of promoting this product, but if I can help even one of my sisters in sweat elude that wench Jane Blaze, that’s payment enough for me.
Where’s Kim?
The rain is here all week, folks – beat the gray days by getting in a great workout or three!
Monday: 6:15 p.m. Arm Strength, 7 p.m. AbSolution and 7:45 p.m. Step at Palisades Sports & Fitness
Tuesday: 6 a.m. Spinning at New York Sports Club Butler; 6:30 Body Sculpt and 7:30 Cardio Mix at ExCel
Wednesday: 7 p.m. Intro Step/Step I at Feminine Fitness
Thursday: 5:30 a.m. Bonus Spin class (for those who took both Endurance Spin and Boot Camp Spin) and 6:30 a.m. Step at Feminine Fitness; 6:30 p.m. Studio Sampler at New York Sports Club Butler
Sunday: 9 a.m. Step at New York Sports Club Parsippany
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!
Recession Fitness: Who Needs New Equipment?
Another sign of our troubled financial times: More and more people are making do with their squeaky treadmills.
Where’s Kim?
Warmer weather, fun workouts! Here’s my schedule for this week:
Monday: 6:15 p.m. Arm Strength, 7 p.m. AbSolution, 7:45 Step at Palisades Sports and Fitness
Tuesday: 6:30 p.m. Cardio Mix at ExCel
Wednesday: 7 p.m. Intro Step/Step I at Feminine Fitness
Thursday: 5:15 a.m. small group training (Boot Camp Spin — final session), followed by 6:30 a.m. Step Blast at Feminine Fitness.
Friday: 6 a.m. Spin at Fitness Factory
Why sweat alone at home when you can sweat with us at the gym???
Shop Talk: The Empire Strikes Back
I almost don’t want to blog about these terrific workout tops from Champion for fear that you all will snap them up and I won’t be able to get them anymore. Seriously, they’re that good. But in the name of one Haul-er helping another, I’ll give up the goods.
The Champion Powerlight Seamless Empire Tech Tank is perfect for those of us who want a cute, supportive, wicking workout tank top but don’t necessarily want something that’s tight around the belly. I saw a woman wearing this top last year while I was running a race. I thought it looked cute on her skinny little self, but I didn’t pursue it because I was pretty sure it would make me look pregnant. Then I saw it on another, more curvy woman a few weeks ago and she looked great, so I gave it a try. It rocks! In fact, the top highlights the parts of me that I love (shoulders and arms) and falls nicely to my waist without clinging to my mid-section.
I bought two of these puppies and wore them running, teaching (Spinning and step) and taking yoga. They were super comfortable during every activity. If you want one of your very own, they’re available at the Champion site and through online retailers like Amazon.
But that’s just my take on workout gear. What are some brands/styles you love? Hate? Let’s hear it!
Ooh, Racy!
Here’s two more great events to motivate you in the coming months:
Revlon Run/Walk For WomenWhen: Saturday, May 2
Where: Begins in Times Square and ends in Central Park
What: A 5K (3.1-mile) run and/or walk for people of all abilities that benefits research to end women’s cancers
Three reasons why you should do it: 1. You get to walk around Times Square like you own the place (it’s shut down to traffic for the entire morning, which is pretty cool). 2. It’s really inspiring to see all of the cancer survivors who take part in the event, and it’s really sobering to see all of the people who run and walk in memory of someone they’ve lost. 3. Because it’s co-sponsored by Revlon, there’s free make-up in the goodie bags. Score!
The American Cancer Society’s George Washington Bridge Challenge
When: Sunday, June 14
Where: Fort Lee, N.J.
What: A 5K (3.1-mile) walk/run OR a 10K (6.2-mile) walk/run OR a 4-, 10-, 25-, 33- or 63-mile bike ride. (You have so many choices!) The event is a salute to local cancer survivors and their families.
Three reasons why you should do it: 1. All routes cross the George Washington Bridge, which is closed to traffic during the event. When else are you going to be able to walk or run down the middle of that thing? 2. With so much variety available in the courses, there’s got to be a route that’s good for you! 3. After all of your hard work, refuel at a catered post-race picnic at Allison Park. (Psst: Haul Buns also hears that some former contestants from NBC’s The Biggest Loser will be on hand to take part. (ETA: Thanks to a Haul Buns source, we now know that Ryan Rodriguez, Maggie King, Jenn Widder, Jay Krueger, Nicole Brewer and Damien Gurganeious are scheduled to appear.)
Fuel Yourself
Summer’s almost here, so why not get a jump on the smoothie making? This one’s yummy. And here’s a tip: Trader Joe’s has a seriously good frozen fruit selection. Just leave some mangoes for me!
Pineapple-Mango Smoothie
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup canned unsweetened pineapple chunks
3/4 cup unsweetened frozen mango chunks
Blend on high for a minute. Drink!
If you’re counting, it’s 4 Points.
Haul Buns 