Stephanie Nieman’s Revolve Body Ride

After a week of fighting a cold and feeling lethargic, I was ready to try a new tactic yesterday. It was finally Friday and that meant it was time to welcome the weekend! I spent the day at the office finishing lots of work and taking extra doses of Vitamin C and warm liquids in hopes that it would soothe my throat.

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Once 6pm arrived, instead of heading home and crawling in bed, which I’ve done every other night this week, I decided to try sweating out all the germs.

I was feeling better but definitely not 100% and therefore couldn’t imagine hanging my head upside down at yoga or going for a run in my beloved Central Park. But, I could see myself jamming out on a spin bike. I knew I wanted something that would boost my mood and get my body moving. I hoped to find a class at Equinox but unfortunately either the classes were at the wrong time or they were all booked. Fail!  This is just one of the reasons I’m finally parting ways with Equinox after almost four years as a member. Twenty three hours in advance all their Saturday spin classes were already booked solid! Really? I’m not sure what has happened lately but it’s getting harder and harder to find a spot in their classes. That’s not something I’m okay with when I’m trying to have an active weekend!

Luckily, I’ve been chatting with Stephanie Neiman on Twitter for the past few weeks and had a special code to try out her spin class at Revolve for free! (The code is SN2013 for your reference!)

I snagged the last bike available and headed down to Union Square ready to give Revolve another chance. As you read in my previous posts, I wasn’t in love with the studio. The front desk staff hasn’t been the friendliest, the rides are a bit shorter than I’m used to, and the studio itself is still growing and finding it’s niche.

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What a difference an instructor can make! As luck would have it, due to availability and class schedule, I took the Body Ride for the 3rd time (initial Revolve review) and expected to feel the same way about it as I did the first two times. Rushed, too short for a real workout, and an arm’s section that doesn’t necessarily challenge me. Oh Stephanie was going to have none of that at all! The Friday night happy hour dance party started at 6:30 on the dot and by 6:40 the entire class was dripping sweat! The ride itself was filled with hills which kept us pushing the resistance and then, when we’d hit the top of a hill instead of getting a break Stephanie would have us push the speed for 25-30 seconds hitting RPMs of 100-105! Her music selection last night was mostly 90s jams, perfectly on tempo with the workout, that had us all bobbing are heads and shaking to the music.

Stephanie’s class had us riding for 39 minutes before squeezing in about 6 minutes of arms. Thanks to the 5 pound sandbag weights I used versus the 3 pounds my arms definitely felt the section. It was a mix of tricep, bicep and shoulder work but I liked that she didn’t have us keep riding during this section. In previous classes when instructors ask us to keep pedaling, even slowly, I find I have a hard time focusing on my arm form.

This was the perfect way to get back into the swing of working out while still fighting the last bit of the cold. After 45 minutes I felt like a new woman who was ready for a girl’s night out with Melissa!

If you haven’t tried Revolve yet I recommend you hop on downtown if you’re in New York and give it a try. The instructors who have been recommended the most to me are Kira Stokes, Dyan Tsiumis and Stephanie Nieman! If you’re around Sunday afternoon at 3pm Dori and Melissa are hosting another class at Revolve! Find out more information here!

Do you give studios a second chance after one not so great experience?

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Barilla Microwaveable Meals

After a ten days on the West Coast my body needed a recovery day. I can’t believe that I’ve been up and down the West Coast for the past ten days! While Los Angeles was a great work trip, I’m so happy to be back on East coast, aka #thebestcoast in my opinion!

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I slept until 11:30, ran 3.5 miles without music or my Garmin, deep cleaned and organized my closet, enjoyed Fall scented candles, relaxed on the couch with Bo watching Notre Dame and Georgia football, and finally enjoyed an easy pre-long run dinner. Though, I have to admit, the highlight of my day was watching Bo enjoy his first post long run ice bath!

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Neither of us were in the mood to cook tonight. Bo was heading out for a birthday party and I didn’t feel like peeling myself off the couch for more than a water refill. Luckily, while I was traveling the gang at Barilla sent me their new Barilla Microwaveable Meals to test.

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I have never been a fan of microwave meals as they are normally filled with preservatives, almost a day’s worth of sodium, and lack flavor. Therefore, the first thing I did when Bo grabbed two of these from the pantry was to check out the nutrition facts.

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I was pretty impressed by the nutrition facts especially the protein and fiber.

Nutritional Info in The Mezze Penne with Traditional Marinara Sauce: 320 calories; 11 grams of protein; 58 carbs;5 grams of fat (0 trans fat); 6 grams of fiber.

While the sodium is almost 1/3 daily value, this is far less than some other microwave meal options and is actually perfect for me since I’m running 18 miles outside tomorrow and know that I’ll be sweating A LOT! A little extra sodium is actually good for me!

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I thought the ready in 60 seconds advertisement had to be too good to be true. But, much to my surprise in just 60 seconds the pasta was steaming and the sauce was bubbling hot. The sauce container easily lifts out so you can combine the sauce with the pasta in the provided dish. To make this feel a bit more like a Saturday night dinner, I used a pasta bowl and added some grilled chicken, steamed cauliflower and goat cheese before mixing everything together.

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Bo and I both enjoyed these for dinner and were really impressed. While I had the traditional marinara sauce flavor he tried the spicy marinara sauce which was a perfect dinner before hitting the town with friends for birthday celebrations. He added some thinly sliced prosciutto to the mix for a perfect, flavorful bowl of pasta goodness.

 

There are five flavors available for around $3.29 per package in major grocery stores.

  • Mezze Penne with Tomato & Basil Sauce
  • Mezze Penne with Traditional Marinara Sauce
  • Mezze Penne with Spicy Marinara Sauce
  • Whole Grain Fusilli with Vegetable Marinara Sauce
  • Whole Grain Mezze Penne with Tomato & Basil Sauce

These are great options for nights when I don’t get home until late or as easy lunch options. I think I’ll always add some protein and vegetables to the pasta and sauce for a more filling and nutritionally well rounded meal. But, for the price and flavor it can’t be beat! How often do you have half used jars of sauce or boxes of pasta sitting around in the house? This package will stay fresh for a year in the pantry!

I hope y’all have a great rest of your weekend. I’m heading to the bedroom to enjoy the rest of this UGA football game before running 18 miles tomorrow morning! I’m doing 6 miles solo before heading up to the Bronx with Gia for the NYRR Bronx 10 miler and then 2 miles solo after the race. Afterwards Meg and I are going to take my mother-in-law to the Wanderlust Yoga Festival on Pier 63!

Question: Do you ever eat microwave meals? If so, what is your favorite? 

FitFluential LLC compensated me for this Campaign.All opinions are my own

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The Fekkai Blow Out Bar

While indulging in a blow out is something I can’t justify very often, there is something to be said for the way it makes you feel. A fresh new look comes easily when someone else is in charge of styling your hair whether that means giving you unfathomable straight hair or romantic curls.

Just in time for New York City’s hot and humid summer, the Frédéric Fekkai/Fifth Avenue salon, which is also the flagship salon for Fekkai, is offering a pop-up blowout bar Memorial day through Labor Day.

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The bright space greets guests immediately with beach inspired décor, beach blanket music, a full juice and coffee bar, along with friendly staff excited to help you fight off the summer humidity in style. Open from 7:30am-11:30am the hours allowed me to squeeze in a blow out after my favorite Wednesday morning Soul Cycle class but before my first meeting of the day.

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As soon as I arrived I was asked to “choose my style” from their menu of five choices, inspired by the salon’s locations around the globe. All styles are $50, which includes shampoo, condition, blowout, and style.

The New Yorker: straight and sleek, Fekkai’s signature blowout
Dallas Chic: volume, volume, and more volume
Hollywood Glam: a cascade of loose waves
Palm Beach Polish: sleek and supple
St. Barth’s: sexy ocean-beach hair

Not one to make a decision easily, especially when it comes to my hair, I took the advice of my stylist and went with a mix of Hollywood and St. Barth’s. I wanted something that would look remarkably different than my normal style and would hold, at least until my evening workout date at Uplift Studios.

While I loved the signature Fekkai shampoo which included a wonderful scalp massage, what stood out the most to me during the blow out was his patience and the lack of product. Due to his artistry and ability with the round brush, barely any product went into my hair until the final spray of Coiff Sheer Hold Hairspray. Don’t believe me? Well, below is what my hair looked like at 8:15 when I left the salon.

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The second picture, albeit a little silly, is my hair at 5:30 right before I headed downtown for a workout. Proof that quality product and a quality blowout work in any type hair! This style even held through a sweaty workout session! I threw it up in a tight bun for the workout and then took a blow dryer to it for a few minutes post workout and voilà, I had beautiful curls in time for my dinner date at Pure Food and Wine!

The Frédéric Fekkai/Fifth Avenue salon (212-753-9500) is located at 712 Fifth Avenue (at 56th Street), fourth floor (atrium balcony), New York City.

While this experience was complimentary for me in exchange for a review, the thoughts are all my own.

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