What I’ve Learned from doing CrossFit

If you follow me on social media, you know I attend CrossFit 4-5 times a week. In June, I celebrated my first year of doing CrossFit at the best box in my area CrossFit Fireborne.

Here are 10 things I’ve learned so far:

• CrossFit is for everyone! – I would look at the WODs and I would get anxious about not being able to do pull ups. The goods news? Every workout can be scaled to your fitness level. I have not conquered my first pull up yet but I’m pretty close.
• You are stronger than you think – I was always scared of doing the RX weight of a workout but after I got out of my head and tried it, I was surprised to see that I could do it.
• There are no “easy workouts” – Every day I come to the box, I know we are going to do a super challenging workout but what keeps me coming for more is knowing that I’ll leave stronger.
• Pain is temporary – During Workouts of the Day (WODs), you are gonna feel like your dying sometimes. But when you’re done you will feel accomplished.
•  Failure is okay, as long as you get back to it – My biggest weakness was double-unders, I would always do singles. When I got my first double under I was so happy! I still can’t do 10 consecutively but I see progress every time I do them.
• You will make all the friends! – When you commit to CrossFit, you’ll see the same people at the same time everyday. You are never alone and we all die in the workouts together. We even hang out outside of the gym. Community is everything!
• You leave the gym stronger every day – I never imagined I’d be able to do Toes to Bar but after practicing, I’m able to do them every time I get to the box.
• Your coaches and classmates are your biggest cheerleaders – When I’m doing a timed WOD and I have one set of push presses left, just hearing people say I can do it pushes me even harder.
• If you want to be good at something you need to do it – When I first started CrossFit, I would check the WOD ahead of time. When I saw running was part of the workout, I would skip the class. After realizing that running was my weakness, I pushed myself to just show up. The more I ran, the less I dreaded it.
• You’ll surprise yourself – When I look at the board, I think there is no way I can do 10 rounds of this workout. Then you realize you’re done and you got through it!

Advertisement

Rockhill Orchard

Summer is coming! That can only mean one thing: ICE CREAM!

Last year, my family and I decided to explore farms in the area that make ice cream. There is actually a whole program dedicated to this called the Maryland Ice Cream Trail! I had no idea but Maryland is home to nine dairy farms that offer freshly made ice cream.

The first farm we visited, Rock Hill Orchard, was one of the closest farms to our home. What really sets Rock Hill Orchard apart is that they use the milk of Golden Guernsey cows. The cows are grass-fed and their milk contains double the amount of Omega 3 and a higher amount of beta carotene, which gives the milk a golden color. I am actually Lactose intolerant but since this ice cream is a cow to cone  I decided to not take my lactose pill as a test. The Results? I didn’t have any stomach pains or bloating!

The creamery has original flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry but they also have seasonal flavors depending on the fresh ingredients available on the farm. After sampling almost every flavor available, I opted for a scoop of dark chocolate and one of strawberry. Since strawberries are in season, the strawberry flavor had huge chunks of fresh strawberries which complimented the dark chocolate flavor! Sprinkles, hot fudge and whipped cream are all complimentary!

After enjoying our ice cream, we decided to take a walk to see the cows. The cows have tons of land and grass to graze on. You can also bottle feed the calves every day at 4 pm!

If you are in the mood to try one of the best ice creams I’ve ever had, make sure to visit Rock Hill Orchard to see everything it has to offer.

 

How to Stay​ Fit!

I have received several questions on Instagram about how I stay consistent with workouts and how I stay active. I figured I’d break it down in 10 easy ways to be active this summer! So let’s jump right in.

 

1. Plan your workouts/exercises in advanced – I like to plan my workouts at least a week in advance. I love spin classes so I try to fit them in my schedule 2-3 times per week. I also enjoy lifting so I rotate days with spin class. Sometimes you have no time for an actual class or going to the gym which is perfectly fine, but make an effort to take a walk in the middle of the workday even if it’s only 5-10 minutes.
2. Find a group of people with similar goals as you – I started lifting about 6 months ago and I fell in love with it. My aunt and mom started lifting with me about 3 months ago. We all enjoy lifting together at the gym. It’s so fun to celebrate new personal records (PRs) with a group and compete against each other.
3. Find a gym – When I was looking for a gym I considered many factors for choosing the right gym. I wanted a place that was close to my house, had a variety of classes and a lot of free weights. I love it because there is always a lot to do whether it’s taking a class of stretching or working on TRX. It’s always different.
4. Get a dog – or a pet that will motivate you to take walks. In one of my previous posts, I introduced everyone to Finn. He is a puppy with a lot of energy, so we have to walk him and run in the backyard with him every day.
5. Change it up – I like having options for working out. Sometimes that means going to the pool, working out at the gym, trying out new classes, or going on runs with my dog. Whatever you choose, make sure you make it a priority to be active.
6.  Try different workouts – The Washington DC Metro area has several boutique gyms like Solidcore, SoulCycle, Rumble and tons of new gyms opening. Check one out!
7.  Take a hike! – There are many parks around the DMV area that have walking trails and hiking trails. My favorites in the area include Great Falls, Lake Needwood, and Sugarloaf Mountain. Find a trail near you!
8.  Take the stairs – Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs. You will burn calories and tone up at the same time.
9. Take time for yourself – Being fit and active doesn’t necessarily mean just taking care of your body but also your mind.  Take some time to do some breathing exercises and clear your mind. This will help to reduce your stress levels. I have an app called Breathe Sleep & Meditation. You can also go on YouTube and search for meditation and breathing videos.
10. Have fun! – Do something you enjoy. It took me a while to find something I actually enjoy. I love CrossFit and SoulCycle but I tried several other workouts that I did not enjoy. When you find something that you enjoy it won’t seem like a huge undertaking.

 

 

My Soul Cycle Experience

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you’ve seen that I have been attending Soul Cycle for about 3 months now.

I first started taking regular spin classes at my local gym, and I loved it! I would attend spin class around 3 times a week. I started feeling unmotivated and felt like I hit a plateau. Then I stopped going to spin class for a few months and found Crossfit. I am still currently going to CrossFit and love it, but I was missing the spin class or some sort of cardio.

My best friend and I have always been curious about SoulCycle and made it a New Year’s resolution to try it out. On a Monday at 12pm, when classes open up for the following week, we signed up for our first SoulCycle class. We were both really nervous about attending our first class. It seemed kind of intimidating, especially since the clientele is mostly celebs.

When we got into the studio, I was nervcited. We were greeted at the front desk, signed a waiver, proceeded to get our spin shoes, and went to the coed locker room. We put our stuff away and got ready for class. The class before ours came out around the same time we arrived, and they were completely soaked. I was stunned to see all the different kinds of people that attend classes. I always thought everyone at SoulCycle would look super in shape. SoulCycle is for everyone!

As we set up our bikes, the instructor welcomed all the first time riders. The room was dark, candlelit and the music was very loud. We started the workout and OMG! The choreography was fun, the music was terrific, the atmosphere and energy were amazing. We did hills, sprints, and even an arm track where we used dumbbells. When the class was over, my friend and I came out completely drenched in sweat. I was hooked!

I consider myself relatively new since I have only been attending classes for 3 months, but I have noticed that I have seen a change in my mental and physical self. I was always self-conscious about how I looked or (thought) I looked just wearing a sports bra and leggings for workouts. I feel like SoulCycle has really helped me accept that we all have different body types. Instead of comparing yourself or putting yourself down, to just embrace yourself and be thankful for your body.

If you are anything like me (a busy body), it’s hard to turn our brains off and be present. SoulCycle has provided me with a safe place to be myself and turn my mind off. The instructors are all inspirational and motivating.  Try SoulCycle you won’t be disappointed!

Pinball Date

 

Pinball?  Is that even a thing anymore?

My husband and I went to check out Vuk in Bethesda, Maryland. Vuk is a pizza and pinball arcade. If you live in Montgomery County, you have probably heard of Mom’s Organic market, well the man behind Mom’s is also the man behind Vuk!

Café Georgetown Review

If you know anything about me, you know I am a coffee connoisseur.

My husband and I spent a lovely Sunday afternoon in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC. We wanted some coffee that wasn’t from a chain and we came across Café Georgetown. The café is very quaint. As soon as you walk in you see dark blue walls with an amazing black and white patterned tile. The interior design is just amazing and definitely an Instagrammer’s paradise! They have signs all over the café stating they are a laptop free zone. Which was nice because people were actually having conversations with each other and it changed the whole atmosphere. When we got there it looked like all the seats were taken until we realized it has a gorgeous back room with a wine bar.

First impressions with Furbo​

Do you have a fur baby at home and you wonder what they do all day? Say no more You need a Furbo!

Furbo is this cool camera to keep at eye on your pet from the Furbo app. The best part? You can even toss treats!

The Baked Bear Review!

Summer is almost here!

I have literally been counting down the days so that I can have the most epic cheat day EVER!  The Baked Bear is finally open! When Bub and I arrived, there was a line forming out the door so I knew it had to be good. As we got closer to the line I got a peek at the menu, I WANTED EVERYTHING!

 

 

I got a cookie dough ice cream sandwich with an M&M cookie and a funfetti cookie. It was DELISH! You start off by picking a cookie, the best part about this step is that you can mix and match cookie flavors. They also have doughnut ice cream sandwiches and you can sub a cookie for a brownie.  After that you get to pick an ice cream flavor and toppings. This is your chance to get creative. Bub opted for a white chocolate macadamia cookie with mint chip ice cream drizzled with hot caramel.  They also have vegan options! Make sure you get your sandwich hot pressed.  Bub loved the cookies so much we bought a dozen of them. You can buy day old cookies for 6 bucks!  If you are in the area make time to visit this amazing place,  you won’t be disappointed!

Bureaucracy Bureaucracy!

About a week ago a co-worker and dear friend unexpectedly passed away. When I heard about this news it shook me to the core.  He could not have passed away I just saw him a few days ago.  I broke down.

I didn’t realize how much of an impact he made in my life until he passed away.