Who tried 2 new fitness classes ...

Before we get to our regularly scheduled blogging, I wanted to update you on the future schedule of the blog. I think quality is more important than quantity for this blog, so I am going to be blogging on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I am hoping to have some guest bloggers pop in on Tuesdays and Thursdays too! The easiest way to get the newest posts is to sign up on the right to get emails =)
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It was definitely hard to get up and get ready for work this morning! Mondays after a holiday weekend are just cruel!

But, after my work trip to Boston, I have a lot of follow up to do, so hopefully today goes by quickly and is productive.

Speaking of my work trip to Boston, I wanted to share some highlights with you. When I travel for work my days are filled with meetings, but sometimes my meetings are in cool locations. For example, I got to go down to Mystic, Connecticut (about 2 hours south of Boston) to meet an alum for lunch.

The area was gorgeous  - right on the Long Island Sound with sailboats everywhere. I love the smell of salt water and that sticky feeling you get near the ocean. Mystic is known for having the largest maritime museum too (I did not have time to go through it).

Beside touring Connecticut, I also made time for TWO new workouts while I was in  Boston. On Tuesday evening I went to a cute, local boutique gym called Btone  to take a class called Tone & Blast. The first 20 minutes of the class were on a machine called a Megaformer, which is described on their website as, "representing a significant evolution of the traditional Pilates reformer. It is designed to cater to both upper and lower body muscles, using a system of springs and pulleys to accomodate the resisteance and counter-resistance elements of the workout." 

Everything was new to me, but I feel like I caught on quickly and got a great workout on the machine. You had to use your core to balance you a lot which I loved! The last 30 minutes of the class were at the barre - but it was very different than a typical barre class... I was SWEATY! It was a lot of cardio and quick moves. I liked it because it was a great contrast to the slow, deliberate moves on the megaformer. 

The second workout I squeezed in on Wednesday morning, I woke up early to check out the November Project . It was probably one of the coolest workout experiences ever - and I think it will be hard for me to describe. Their website states it well - "November Project™ is a grassroots FREE fitness movement that was born in Boston as a way to stay in shape during cold New England months. Now present in multiple cities in across four time zones in North America, the movement is using a simple sense of accountability to motivate and encourage people of all ages, shapes, sizes and fitness levels to get out of their beds and get moving."

The group meets 3 mornings a week in Boston, and each morning the group meets at a different location and does a different workout. On Wednesday mornings they meet at Harvard Stadium and do stairs. I consider myself to be in shape, but this workout kicked my butt! You run up the big stairs and come down the little stairs, and let me tell you the big stairs were HUGE!  As a newbie, we started at section 37 and went to section 19 ... does sound too bad, but my legs were shaking sooooo bad by the end! Veterans went all the way to Section 14 AND back ... cannot imagine.

The whole group that was there for the morning workout! See me??

So the workout was tough, but what made it such an amazing experience were the people. The November Project was started by 2 guys -Bojan and Brogan - and they have SO much energy -  it is contagious. They really stress that the movement is about creating a sense of community. As a newbie, I had to introduce myself to people and also give 3 people big bear hugs. Sounds silly, but it was so much fun.

Lastly,  I knew there would be a lot of people there - but there were at least a 100... but it did not feel cramped because everyone went at their own pace and spread out. 

If you imagine doing a really tough workout with over 100 people encouraging each other ... that is what November Project is all about, and it is such a cool idea! Look to see if there is a branch in your city by going to their website!

It was a pretty busy trip, but also pretty amazing! 

Have you tried any new workouts recently? And how was your 4th of July?