6 at 6

Woke up early this AM to drag myself to the gym... T minus 25 days 'til wedding and 26 days 'til honeymoon... It's about to get serious up in hurr... Doing a smooth 6 miles at 6a sure does set the pace for the rest of your day, though. AND I discovered that one of my favorite former co-workers joined my gym a few months back! I was totally zoned out around mile five and I looked up and he was standing in front of my treadmill! Awesome! I might try to make him my 6a gym buddy...

It's BLISSFULLY quiet at my gym at 6a, though by 6:45 that place was poppin'! I put my music on anyways, so I didn't really get to enjoy the quiet, but I'd imagine that on a day when I come in to lift, it'll be reallllly nice... 

If nothing else, it's worth the view on the way home...

Today will be a MARATHON day... Teaching at Block Institute, then teaching at PS 209, then in to Manhattan for a Box Office training at my theatre, then down to Wall St. to pick up supplies for my Bronx teaching gig... 

I do hope to get another kettlebell video up, though... judging by your comments on the last one, maybe I'll try something that doesn't involve overhead moves? :)

When do you prefer working out? Early AM? Afternoon? PM?

6 Miles and Some Kettlebells

Hey Pals! Happy Monday! It was pretty rainy and gross here in NYC, but I managed to drag myself to the gym for a nice 6 miles on the treadmill (technically 5.85 because I may have been checking my email on my phone for the first mile, extending my warmup... oops...). The TMs at my gym shut off after an hour, which I understand, but don't like...

I was doing some KBs this evening, and decided that it'd be fun to share some of my favorite moves with ya'll, since I talk about KBs a lot... 

Here's a video of me doing a windmill with a 10k bell (can also be done w/ a dumbell). DISCLAIMER- I am not a trainer. I am not certified to teach you kettlebells. I love using them, though and have worked with an awesome trainer who's given me my base of knowledge. Do with this video what you will! :)

Enjoy!

Feelin' good (aka SORE)

As I mentioned previously, I've been a bit lax with my workout and diet, but I'm determined to look fierce on my Puerto Rican/ Eastern Caribbean honeymoon, so I've officially set myself back on the right track! I squeezed in a  six-miler today and am hoping to get some serious KB work in tonight. I'm LOVING this awesome Kettlebell Workout Guide (fun fact- the guy in the photos is a friend of my trainer).

On a totally unrelated topic, I used up my store credit at Modcloth today! Does anyone else shop here? I LOVE IT! I actually went through a series of ordering and returning (hence the store credit), mostly because the sizing varies with the individual designers... I snagged two HAWT dresses that have some honeymoon potential...

The Madame Mercury Dress

and

The Curve Your Enthusiasm Dress

I'll post a review when they arrive! 

How's your Saturday been?

Wedding countdown...

29 DAYS! AGGHHHH!!!

I'm so excited! I can't believe it's finally here! I've kicked the diet/ exercise into high gear because THIS GIRL will be lookin' good on her honeymoon to Puerto Rico and the Eastern Carribbean!

My family threw me an upstate bridal shower last weekend (I live in NYC, so my bridesmaids threw me one here, too- I know, I'm lucky)!

NYC Bridal Shower at Chestnut- I'm a crazy person...

Can you tell I love my mom?

 I <3 my bridesmaids! From L to R- My sister, Kieren: Maid of Honor, My sister, Courtney: Maid of Honor, Me, My soon-to-be-sister-in-law: Liz, and my dear friends Christina, Genevieve, Inga and Kira! (Missing- my friend Corey).

Sitting in the Bridal Throne at my upstate shower!

With one of my first pageant directors, Helen!

Toilet paper wedding gown contest! I modeled along with Sheena and Christa, two of my BFFs from high school- my Grams was the judge- guess who won? :)

I'm DYING to show you guys my wedding dresses (yep- that's a plural: a gown for the ceremony and then a shorter dress so I can boogie down at the reception), but since I'm keeping them under wraps until the wedding, I'll have to substitute by showing you the shoes, which were an additional $15 off plus free shipping (I <3 DSW)!

This weekend will include AT LEAST two 6+ mile runs and some serious kettlebell work!

What are you currently looking forward to?

Graduate School, here I come!

I've accepted an offer to join the Brooklyn College MFA Acting Program this fall! I'm thrilled, to say the least! Brooklyn College is conveniently located near my apartment (where I've lived for almost six years), the faculty were wonderful to meet and work with at the callback and I've heard wonderful things about the program. 

The opportunity to spend two years focusing solely on my growth as a performer is something I've long been hoping and waiting for! Check back soon for more details!

Adventure must start with running away from home..."

One of my favorite William Bolitho quotes. To me, it means that the first step in adventure is stepping out of your comfort zone. And that's exactly what I'm striving to do with my:

ADVENTURE OF THE MONTH CHALLENGE

It's so easy to get caught up in a routine, especially if you're contented with your routine. Don't get me wrong- I'm quite happy with the way things are now, and I have A LOT to be thankful for. But sometimes, you need to shake things up a bit, which is why I have resolved to go on at least one adventure every month.

What constitutes an adventure?
-At it's most simple, an exciting new experience. It can be a class, an event, a trip, a meal...

Where will these adventures take place?
-Who knows? It's tough for me to get out of the city with my schedule, so I'll be searching out new nooks and crannies to explore.

How are you doing so far?
I decided on my "Adventure A Month" challenge on the last day of January, so I did two adventures in February. They were my Yamuna Body Rolling Class and my trip to the Brooklyn  Banya. Look for a monthly adventure post from here on out!

Do you go on adventures? 

YAY MARCH (A few days late)

I feel like I blinked and February was over! After an epic January, I’ll admit my expectations were a bit low (not EVERY month can be fabulous, can it?), but February rocked my socks off! The month started with two graduate school auditions and my beautiful sister winning the title of Miss Fulton County 2011 (an official preliminary to the Miss New York and Miss America pageants) along with a $4500 scholarship! I’m so proud! My YWCA and Community Word Project students in Brooklyn and the Bronx (all 180 of them) had their big shows mid-month and both were huge successes! My one-woman show was submitted to the NY Fringe Festival (keep your fingers crossed) and I’ve had some exciting opportunities for partnerships and possible tour venues…  Obviously my lips are sealed until contracts are signed, but send good vibes! I got my $700 Badgley Mischka DREAM WEDDING GOWN for $85 at Loehmanns (under wraps until the wedding, but believe me when I say it’s KILLING ME not to show everyone! I PROMISE to bombard you with a million pictures after…). I fulfilled my monthly requirement for adventures (look for a post about this) and I was selected for a playwrighting residency in Little Switzerland, NC!

February was also awesome because I (sort of ) got myself back on the workout bandwagon. January was a TOUGH month diet/ exercise wise, and I paid for it. I was exhausted, cranky and felt pretty gross overall. Not fun. I have a really bad tendency of over-booking and over-extending myself and I always regret it. So this month, I’m taking a different approach. I’m scheduling my workouts like I’d schedule work appointments, and I’m sticking to them. Aside from wanting to look HAWT in previously mentioned designer wedding gown and on my Carribbean honeymoon, I also want to FEEL good. I’ll need the energy and strength these next few months and I know how to get myself there. I just need to carve out time to do it!

I don’t usually set specific number goals, but in the spirit of mixing things up for spring, I’ll give it a try this month.

Goals:

-Lose 5 lbs

-Foam Roll for 5 minutes before bed AT LEAST 5 nights/ week

-Attend three yoga classes

-Get 7.5 hours of sleep EVERY NIGHT.

March will be a big month for me as I wait for decisions on a lot of exciting opportunities... Wish me luck!