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A Long Winded Explanation of My 2012 Workout Goals

Last year, I posted my 2010 DSB Year in  Review. I just started working on the 2011 DSB Year in review yesterday so I’ll be able to post it next week. At first, I was a little concerned because 2010 was such a big year for me and my blog, and I thought I wouldn’t have anything worthwhile for 2011. But as I went through each month, I realized that is not true at all. Isn’t it weird how all our memories of the year merge together?  One of the reasons I’ve come to love blogging is because it lets me really dissect my year month by month, and I’m reminded of how many really great things have happened this year. But I’ll get to all that next week.

I may have spent another unproductive weekend on the couch. Although in my defense I did get up to take Core Fusion Cardio on Saturday and Refine Method on Monday, and to continue my Jewish family tradition of going to the movies and eating Chinese food on Christmas Day this past Sunday.

Something that bothered me during and after marathon training was that my jeans stopped fitting. I cut back on my strength workouts and ate less healthy meals, and once the race was over I of course wanted to get back to my normal. I got pretty close, even being able to wear the jeans once (though they were admittedly not as comfortable as last year). But then I got a cold and spent more time lazing, less time working out, and now I am back to not being able to get them on. It really is quite the vicious cycle, and even though I have a relatively small frame, I am not immune.

So now I get serious again. Right now, that means a mix of Refine Method, Core Fusion Cardio and Core Fusion Yoga. Also, Core Fusion Boot Camp (which I like to call Core Fusion Fusion), although it’s not on the schedule often. I also have a month of Figure 4 at Pure Yoga to use at some point. Because of my hip injury, I still can’t take regular Core Fusion. And honestly, I don’t know that I will ever be able to again. And I’m OK with that.

But I love the workouts I can do. And the thing about Refine is that Brynn Jinnett, the founder, constantly makes changes and tweaks the class based on what she sees working and what she learns and researches about exercise (sometimes she writes about it on the Refine blog). Because of that, the class has gone through a number of changes since I started taking it last year, and they all make the workout that much better. I took a couple months off during training and when I came back things were more different than usual. And if it is possible, I love the workout even more. The most remarkable thing about my absence was coming back and seeing all the same people I normally see at Refine — but the change in the way they look is astounding. It is amazing how well this class works and it’s also amazing how out of cardio shape I am in. I can run a marathon and feel great the entire time, but make me do an intense cardio burst at Refine and I feel like I’m going to pass out.

[Me at Refine, all smiles. That girl is next to me in almost every single class. Photo by Erica Sara]

This goes to show how much I have to improve at Refine, and I think it will help with my running too because I’ll get used to pushing myself harder. One of my goals for 2012 is to PR the half marathon distance, but I have a specific time in mind that I’m not ready to share yet. But I’m in no way ready because I never really worked very hard or did speed work.

The workout highlight of my week, however, will be Phish Yoga. I’m excited to have the day off from work and to take the class with Missy and Cameo. When I stopped writing for NBC New York, it was a huge relief not to have to take classes that I didn’t want to or that I might not love when I could be at a class that I know I love, and that I know would be a great workout. But I still like to try the classes I actually want to try, and that includes most music-themed yoga and spinning classes. I love my Beatles Yoga and I have a feeling this class will really be something special. I haven’t been so excited about a new class in a very long time. And the fact that it’s a special workshop and not a regular class makes it that much more exciting.

The long-winded point I am trying to make:  I want to devote 2012 to workouts I truly love and want to do. No more wasting efforts on workouts I don’t care about — even if I might be missing something great.

I hope everyone had a really great holiday weekend and has a wonderful New Years!

 

 

Laziness, Holiday Parties and Photos of Myself

Last weekend, I did not leave the couch except to briefly go see The Muppets movie that my brother, sister in law and everyone on Facebook raved about. I hated it.

It was just trying way too hard to be clever or funny or cute or for-the-adults-too or something. I felt bad for making Andy go see it because I promised him it would be as awesome as everyone said, and as soon as we got home I rented Muppets Take Manhattan on iTunes and made him watch it with me on the iPad just to show him what an actual clever Muppets movie with jokes for adults can be like. After, he said, “The new one was pretty much the same story as that, but not nearly as good.” Exactly.

Anyway, the point of my long winded story is that I basically did not leave the couch all weekend. I didn’t do any work and I didn’t blog. Sundays, in my new Dori life, are for football. I’m still not quite sure how I not only got roped into that, but accepted it and eventually welcomed and looked forward to it. I guess cute boys will do that to you.

Then my Monday and Tuesday work days were so busy and the week went by without a blog post. And by busy I mean I actually did work at work and then after work on Monday I went to Refine and Tuesday morning before work I went to Refine and then randomly ran into my aunt and uncle from new Jersey on the street on my walk back. Because things like that somehow happen and I can never understand how. It felt like a relief in a way. I’m still trying to figure out how to balance my blog with everything else and I want to do shorter posts on non-preset days, but I haven’t had any success at all yet. But here I am today.

Other things in my life recently? Well, remember when I started that new job in August? I had my first company holiday party with them. I’ve been to quite a few company holiday parties in my day. My first one in 2006 was awesome.

   
[Me with Ranman – read his daddy blog! Seeing these makes me miss having normal eyebrows that weren’t made stupidly thin by overly ambitious threaders. Also, I look so young. And I wore the same winter coat to that party and this year’s.]

The Merrill Lynch years were nice, the Bank of America year was non-existent and the real estate company year was miserable. I hated that party and felt uncomfortable and lonely. Another sign that the job wasn’t right for me, really. I remember being so glad I left that job before the summer company picnic day somewhere in Westchester or something. I was dreading it so much. But here at this job, I actually look forward to the events and spending time with the people. The party was a really great time. We were allowed to bring guests, so it was really nice meeting everyone’s husbands and wives and boyfriends and girlfriends, and introducing Andy to the people I talk to him about. They brought in a caricature artist and a photo booth and I was totally in my element: having photos taken of me. Really, that is all I ever want. A sign that this job is right for me.


[Looks more like me than any I’ve had before, including my Bat Mitzvah signing board]

   

And also. . .

   
[That is always how Andy reacts when I try to kiss him. I wish I was joking.]

Also this month, I went to the wedding of a friend I met through this blog. I know I’ve told this story a hundred times, but one day in winter 2010 I got a nice comment from a girl who was also training for the NYC Half Marathon and enjoys Core Fusion. I sent her a pretty long email back, and after a few back and forths she came to my apartment (as all people I meet on the internet do) and we went out for a cold weather training run together. We ended up becoming running friends and real-life friends, and trained for and ran half of the ING NYC Marathon together.

And since this is a very narcissistic post, I might as well include my new favorite foto. Awwwwwwwwww.

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas and happy anything else you celebrate. Also, happy birthday to anyone who has birthdays this week because I know you get forgotten in the holiday excitement. I hope you don’t get one combined present “for both.”

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