Joyful Movement

Body movin’, get your body movin’.

 

This post is coming at-chya straight after taking a gluteus max-out fitness class at the gym with my FAV instructor, Nicole. Meaning, I’m still rolling the post-workout endorphins and struggling to walk down the stairs….

Endorphins or not though, let’s chat about the importance of finding JOYFUL MOVEMENT. Literally meaning, movement or activity that brings you joy, makes you happy, leaves you feeling like a bad-A in the best way possible.

Do you hate exercising? Do you scowl every time you walk into the gym or head to the basement to the treadmill?

WHY?

The reason WHY is most likely because you haven’t found an activity that you truly enjoy, and that my friends, needs to change today. You don’t hate exercise, you just don’t enjoy the activities you’ve tried.

There is no reason to be stuck in this life doing something you hate because guess what? There are so many other activities to try and finding something you love will make you want to go and go and go again.

Dance.

Swim.

Run.

Take group fitness classes.

Yoga.

Strength train at home watching You Tube videos or Beach Body.

Walk.

Bike.

Play basketball.

Clean the house from top to bottom (or feel free to come clean mine).

Cross country ski.

Play pickle ball.

I’ll stop now.

There are endless possibilities just waiting to be discovered. If you don’t like something, then try something else, but at least give it a fair chance.

Drop the excuses. Don’t wait for January 1st. Find your JOYFUL MOVEMENT.

Mic drop.

 

 

Continue Reading Joyful Movement

My KIND of Giveaway!

So here’s what happened…I wrote up this post on Friday to link up with Katie’s Friday Favorites but neglected to post it. I realize it’s now Monday but you know what? I’m still going to post because there is a serious treat at the end of the post!

My “Monday” Favs:

1. My family. My family is ALWAYS on my favorite list because they are incredible day in and day out.

2. My first postpartum outdoor run. On Thursday, I bundled up and hit the pavement for a 2.25 mile run! I was kind of nervous about it because I hadn’t run for over a year and I was afraid I would be disappointed with how out of shape I am, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well it went! Moose was my motivator through it all. Plus, the frigid wind got me running faster too—it got me home faster! To think that this run was about 30 degrees warmer than this one…

Polar Dash 2013

dana and melanie polar dash 2013

I have some toughening up to do!

3. Supportive moms.

4. Caribou Coffee. K, so really this may be a least favorite to my wallet, but a favorite to my tummy and to-do list. So delicious. I’ve actually informally vowed to myself not to buy any signature ($5) drinks from any coffee shops for the whole month of February.

caribou

5. The KIND Snacks company for sending me these delicious bars! They are the perfect on-the-go snack.

KINDLogo_Pantone_Pos

kind snacks

They sent me:

  • Kind Fruit and Nut bars: whole nut and fruit bars
  • Kind Plus bars: whole nut and fruit bars plus a nutritional boost
  • Kind Nuts and Spices: made with whole nuts flavored with delicious spices
  • Kind Healthy Grain bars: granola bars made with five super grains: Gluten Free Oats, Millet, Quinoa, Amaranth and Buckwheat

Talk about spoiling me, right?!

What I love about these products is that I can pronounce all of the ingredients and they are absolutely delicious and healthy.

And you know what else I love about them?! They are offering all of you 15% off and free shipping on a case of KIND using the code KINDNUTRITION! You have the entire month of February to use it (limit one per customer)!! Don’t miss out on this!

And if that weren’t enough, they are also going to give away a prize pack of 10 BARS to one of my Beautifully Nutty readers!

kind bar

Enter to win by :

1. Like Beautifully Nutty on Facebook

and/or

2. Tweet “I want to win @KINDSnacks from @NuttyMelanie! http://www.beautifullynutty.com/kind-giveaway/”

Do both for two chances to win! Just make sure you comment on this post telling me what you did! 

You have until Thursday, February 5th to enter. On Friday I will randomly select one winner!

Have fun, be KIND!

Disclaimer: I received free products from KIND but all opinions expressed on the products are 100% my own!

Continue Reading My KIND of Giveaway!

Strength Training Tips for Beginners

Hello friends! My name is Caroline and I am so excited to be guest posting on Beautifully Nutty. Melanie and I met at the Healthy Living Summit in 2012 and have been inseparable, online friends ever-since.

me-and-caroline1

melanie and caroline

I live in Boston, MA and have been a personal trainer for the past 4 years. I just recently was able to pursue my passion for blogging and now work full-time as a fitness content writer for the Boston-based media publication, BostInno.

caroline

As I am still a personal trainer part-time, I work with clients that are just beginning their fitness journeys. With questions like “What are the best exercises?” and “How do I tone up?”, I felt the topic of strength training for beginners to be a great topic for my post. So let’s get right to it, this is your no-excuses, step-by-step guide to getting fit and ruling the weight room.

Strength Training Tips for Beginners

1. Don’t be afraid of the strength room.

All the time I see women too afraid of venturing to the “other” side of the gym. Whether it’s out of confusion or fear, we must begin to break that habit. Check out what your gym has to offer, you may be surprised by the variety of options they have. From Kettlebells to Bosu balls, modern gyms are typically stacked with the newest and coolest fitness gadgets. So go check it out, then move on to tip #2.

 

2. Ask. We won’t bite.

When I was working at the gym full-time, I was amazed at how many members would come in, walk around and then leave without so much as touching a piece of equipment. As a fitness professional standing in plain view, I grew confused as to why no one would ask me for assistance, for guidance. And then it dawned on me: people hate to ask for help. Well, I’m here to tell you, ask! You’re not looking to get a free training session, but a simple ‘what is what’ around the gym floor is a perfectly acceptable question.

 

3. Try a class!

Most gyms offer a variety of group exercise classes. From Zumba to bootcamp, these classes are a great way to learn new exercises and get ideas for your own workout. If you’re not feeling motivated, begin taking strength classes 2x/week so it becomes routine. When you feel confident you can train on your own, hit the floor with all the moves you’ve learned in class.

 

4. Don’t quit.

Speaking of motivation… the number one reason why people quit an exercise routine is because they aren’t seeing the results they want. Make sure you’re not only challenging your body, but also putting in the time and allowing for proper recovery. If you’re just starting off on a workout routine, go slow. Don’t bombard your body with two-a-days and logging millions of miles. You’ll burn out and most likely get injured. Like they say, slow and steady wins the race.

 

5. Recover, recover, recover.

After your workout it’s easy to put your feet up and call it a day. But before you hang on the couch or go sit at your desk, make sure you’ve properly stretched and fueled your muscles for proper recovery. Within 30 minutes of exercising, aim to take in a small serving of protein and carbohydrates. Hydration is key as well. If you’re not used to exercising, you’ll need to make sure you’re replacing the fluids lost during that sweat session!

Thank you, Caroline for those great tips. I am such a weinie when it comes to lifting weights with all the buff guys at the gym. I am getting better about it though! Love you twinie! ~Melanie

Continue Reading Strength Training Tips for Beginners

Facing My Fears: Skiing at Lutsen Mountains

I can’t remember the last time my entire body was this sore. My quads, calves, triceps, biceps, back. Sore. Getting out of bed this morning was a chore.

But it was so worth it. This weekend Dana and I headed up north to Lutsen, MN with our friends Adam and Stacy.

To those of you who aren’t from Minnesota, Lutsen is a popular ski area in Northern Minnesota. It is absolutely gorgeous. Adam and Stacy got married at the top of one of their mountains!

We made the five-hour trek up on Friday afternoon and on Saturday we hit the slopes.

I haven’t skied in ten years. To say that I was terrified would be an understatement. I was afraid of falling, of getting stuck on the chair lift, of not being able to stop at the bottom of the hill, of going too fast and running into someone on the hill. I’m a big ol’ worrier if you haven’t noticed.

To those who told me it’ll come back to me and it’s like riding a bike…it’s not. First, I don’t know if I ever had proper lessons when I skied when I was younger. Second, I was much more fearless when I was younger. Intermediate hils? Sure. I didn’t care. I was closer to the ground and more resilient then, so it wouldn’t hurt as bad if and when I fell. Plus, I had to keep up with my skier friends. 😉

But now, I’m wiser and a much bigger baby.

Luckily, I was skiing with two very seasoned skiers (Dana and Stacy), who walked me through the basics to insure I didn’t crash into anybody at the bottom of the hill, break my legs, or get stuck on the chair lift.

We started on the bunny hills. I did a whole lot of pizza’ing (“wedging”) the skis. Slow and steady wins the race. Once I felt a bit more confident, we headed to the real hills.

Lutsen Lutsen melanie dana

Adam…

lutsen adam

Melanie…

lutsen melanie

Stacy…

lutsen stacy

 

I was taught to use the entire hill; doing large zig-zags all the way down and to wedge my skis when I felt I was going too fast. I got real nervous when other snowboarders and skiers were heading my way. This is when I would panic and surrender and usually fall on my rear or faceplant. But I was lucky to have remembered the practice I had with wakeboards.

I felt pretty good though as I skied down the green hills; they were slow and involved some cross country skiing.

I even did okay on a couple of the blue hills but some of the blue ones gave me terrible anxiety. Standing at the top of the hill and looking down and seeing a steep slope gave me the heebee-jeebees. Going down the hill was the only option though if I ever wanted to get back to the lodge. I wasn’t really into the idea of camping out on the hill for the rest of the weekend being as it was absolutely freezing on Saturday and I didn’t have any food or drink. 😉

My support group guided me down the hill and I made it to the bottom after a few tears of doubt. Seriously when did I turn into such a big baby?

Come 3:30 pm, I was completely spent. The emotional and physical demands of the day had finally gotten the best of me. I cozied myself in the chalet as the rest of the group finished out their last runs before the hills closed.

We stayed in a lodge that was located right in the middle of all of the hills; a ski-in, ski-out lodge. This was SO nice because we could take breaks throughout the day as needed to warm up and thaw out. Chili and a fireplace at lunch time was a lifesaver!

After our day of skiing, we relaxed in our warm lodge, fire blazin’, showered, and grabbed some grub. Then we made our way over to Papa Charlie’s Grill for some live music. Has anyone heard of The Honeydogs? Their band started in St. Paul and they are a lot of fun! The only song I recognized was called “I Miss You.” Stace- thanks for forcing me out on the dance floor. I should have said yes a lot earlier because I had a blast dancing!

lutsen papa charlie's honey dogs

I was ready to crash by about 9:30 pm but managed to stay up and enjoy the band for a couple more hours before heading to bed.

Sunday morning we packed up our stuff, admired the fluffy fresh snow that was coming down, and headed home.

lutsen

I’m thinking that I probably need to start skiing more often than once every ten years. I think that with confidence, I could really enjoy skiing. Confidence and warmer weather. This negative fahrenheit business is getting kind of old.

Thanks to my support group for the ski lessons and helping me out this weekend (that includes you too, Adam). Without you I would have been down in the chalet all day! The only way to get better is to practice.

Fun fact: I learned about the spelling suffix of the word “ski.” I was skiing in the mountain. I skied this weekend. Confusing, but I guess it makes sense if you think about it.

Happy day my friends! xoxo

Have you ever skied? If so, did you like it?

Continue Reading Facing My Fears: Skiing at Lutsen Mountains

Favorites from the Week: Spin, Florida, Food

Happy Friday! I’m linkin’ up with Katie’s Friday Favorites today. Thanks, Katie!

Many of my Friday favorites involve events that you have already heard about this week. Although, there is one amazing day that I still have to share about (I won’t forget I promise!).

Some of my Friday Favorites…

1. Spin class with Dana and Dara Torres. A great workout instructed by an olympian with my honey by my side. Sounds nice, right? dara

2. Snacking on Driscoll’s blueberries! So crunchy and sweet and fiberlicious. blueberries

3. Homemade California Rolls with quinoa instead of white rice. This was my first ever attempt at using quinoa instead of white rice in these rolls. I let the quinoa cook for an extended period of time before stirring in a vinegar, honey, salt, and water mixture. The combination of overcooking the quinoa and adding the vinegar mixture made the quinoa perfectly sticky and so easy to use in the rolls. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to white rice! sushi 4. Mini getaway to Orlando with Dana. Sunshine, relaxation, and Disney. 🙂 orlando 5. Salt ‘n Vinegar Blue Diamond Almonds. I mentioned these a couple of days ago I realize, but they make an appearance again because they are SO good. blue diamond almonds

6. The kettle chips from M. Tavern in Orlando. The chips were super crunchy just how I like them. kettle chips 7. Egg salad with avocado. One hard-boiled egg, 1/4 of an avocado, mustard, green onions, and pepper. A perfect snack or addition to your lunch! egg avocado salad 8. Wild Harvest’s Organic Green Chai Tea. (I originally typed green thai chee. A little dyslexic today I guess). 🙂 I’ve been limiting my coffee intake and replacing with tea instead and this has been a morning staple for me. I add a splash of coconut milk creamer too. green chai tea   Friday Favorites

There you have it!

What are some of your Friday favs?

Current breakfast beverage?

Current favorite snack?

Continue Reading Favorites from the Week: Spin, Florida, Food

Spin Class with Dara Torres Again!

You may remember back in September when I had the honor of meeting olympian Dara Torres as she promoted Koss headphones at a spin class in Eden Prairie. She is such an inspirational role model; she is kind, motivated, funny, positive, and so much fun to be around. I was thrilled to have met her!

I feel even more privileged to say that I had the opportunity to attend a spin class with Dara Torres once again this past weekend, and this time my husband Dana got to join me!

She was in town promoting AmLactin lotion, “a clinically proven, intensely hydrating, triple action, patented ULTRAPLEX®formula to gently exfoliate, and three essential ceramides to quickly strengthen the skin’s protective moisture barrier.” source 

dara

 

photo: source

And she was leading a spin class again! This time she had to take it easy with the spinning because of a broken shin but she still rode along! Yes, a broken shin and she is still on that bike. Such a fighter!

spin with dara

photo: source

The spin class took place at LifeTime fitness in Chanhassen. Holy moly have you seen their facility? It’s like a small city in there. So beautiful!

spin with dara

 

We rode along to Dara’s energetic playlist as she instructed us through the 50-minute spin class. It got real hot and sweaty in there!

spin with dara

photo: source

dana melanie spin with dara

 

After an endorphin-filled workout, we had the chance to meet Dara and grab our goodie bag courtesy of AmLactin.

 

spin with dara

spin with dara Since Dara and I are old friends now, I took the opportunity to introduce her to my husband. 😉 I feel like such a shrimp next to her!

 

spin with dara

 

It was yet again a successful spin class led by the one and only Dara Torres herself. I wouldn’t argue with another chance to do it again someday! I am so grateful for this opportunity!

Disclaimer: I was not compensated by AmLactin, LifeTime fitness, or Dara Torres to write this post. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Continue Reading Spin Class with Dara Torres Again!

The Food!

Thanksgiving was a huge success.  I had so much fun with family and friends.  I don’t think I stopped smiling all day.

I started the day off with my first 5k run in goodness knows how long!!!  This particular 5k is my all-time favorite and I get excited for it every year. It has probably been 4-5 months since I’ve run a 5k but I ran the whole thing alongside a great friend and it felt fabulous.

My body is aching a bit today but I am okay with that! I am ready to start running again! I am extremely motivated to get back in shape after the rollercoaster past four months or so.

I hadn’t planned on running so my pre-race fuel wasn’t exactly the most nutritious, but it sure was tasty. We started the day off with cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven! My mom would always make these for us on holidays so making these in the morning definitely brought back a lot of memories.

cinnamon rolls cinnamon roll

Not much needs to be said about the food on Thanksgiving except for OMG. My all-time favorite meal of all times.

To appetize….Kevi brought crackers with cream cheese, olives, and bacon. These little babies are wayyyyy too good. I stopped myself at three but it was a struggle to keep my paws off of them.

appetizers

The glorious 20# turkey…

turkey thanksgiving turkey cranberry thanksgiving

Dressing/Stuffing…

stuffing thanksgiving

Sweet potatoes…

sweet potatoes thanksgiving

Green bean casserole (I brought this one), recipe courtesy of Alton Brown with a few changes made by moi.

green bean casserole thanksgiving

I forgot a photo of the mashed potatoes—one of my favorite parts of the whole meal!

My glowing plate. Oh wait, it was me that was glowing, not the plate.

thanksgiving 2013

My homemade desserts: Pumpkin pie and caramel apple pecan pie!!!

thanksgiving pie pumpkin pie and apple pie

caramel apple pecan pie thanksgiving

I finished the holiday feeling perfectly satisfied—not so stuffed I could hardly walk, but enough to satisfy my favorite meal food quota.

I am so thankful for this meal, for my friends, for my family, and for hope and faith.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving to those who celebrated and a great Thursday to those who didn’t! Happy FRIDAY! 

Continue Reading The Food!

Weekend Favorites

So it’s for real Monday already? This weekend flew by! Mine was incredibly relaxing which I couldn’t have been more excited about. I was thinking, instead of doing a full recap of my weekend, how about I just breakdown some of my favorite moments from the weekend? Yea, I like that idea.

1. Watching an insane amount of New Girl with Dana while cozy in my sweatpants and snacking on some homemade caramel corn. What made it even better was that Dana made it!

homemade caramel corn

 

2. Meeting up with Katie for lunch at Panera! The excitement of getting together with Katie would have been enough but then you add Panera on top of that?! Man alive I was excited. And believe it or not, I actually branched out and instead of the usual French onion soup, I actually got broccoli cheese soup. It totally hit the spot! I was so happy to be with Katie for a while. Such a treat.

katie panera

 

panera broccoli cheese soup

 

3. Making some delicious food. For breakfast one day I made a two-ingredient pancake topped with peanut butter and real organic maple syrup. Not the prettiest photo I realize, but so tasty!

egg banana pancake

I also whipped up a batch of gluten-free pasta salad. I can’t remember if I used quinoa noodles or brown rice noodles (I had gotten them from the bulk bin at the co-op) but I do know it was one of the two. In the mix: peas, olives, celery, onions, chicken, mustard, mayo, salt and pepper, and a splash of lemon juice. This stuff was crazy good! homemade gluten free pasta salad

4. Watching Home Alone while walking on the treadmill in my warm home. Doesn’t that just sound cozy?!

 

home alone

 

5. Sleeping in and waking up with no alarm clock. And sleeping a lot. And getting an extra hour of sleep.

No-Alarm-Clock

 

6. Dinner with my family on Sunday night. I should really say feast and not dinner. My mom and dad went all out with steaks, potatoes, broccoli, salad, and fresh fruit! So good! I think my body was really screaming for some iron from the red meat because it tasted really good to me last night. Our bodies know best after all. It was so nice hanging out with family as always!

 

steak dinner mom and dads

 

As you can see it was an incredibly relaxing weekend. Ahhhhh….

How was your weekend? What were your favorite moments of the weekend?

Continue Reading Weekend Favorites

How to Survive a Hard Run

Hello Beautifully Nutty readers!! My name is Katie and I blog at Running4Cupcakes. My blog follows my life and my quest for balance and healthy living. I blog about everything, but my favorite topics are running, teaching BODYPUMP and aerobics, being a new Mom, daily life, my latte addiction, crafts, new recipes, baking, and lots of pictures of Luke (my 17 month old) and Abby (my 8 year old collie mix). I am so happy to be guest posting for Melanie while she is out having an awesome vacation. I can’t wait to see pictures and read all about it!!

So, recently I had a super hot, hard 4 mile run. I don’t know if it was just one of those hard runs, if it is because it had been over a week since I pushed Luke in the jogging stroller, the heat, the humidity, my breakfast, or what?!?

katie running4cupcakes guest post

 

Do you ever have hard runs?

katie running4cupcakes guest post

Duh, right?

If you do any running, you know that hard runs are the name of the game, but how do you survive and push through?

Here are a few tips and tricks that I use to get me through a particularly hard run whether it is 2 miles or 20 miles. ..

*Disclaimer – if you are trying to get faster or improve your running times, sometimes, all you can do is push through those hard runs. . . but these tips might help make the run better.

1. Walk. Sometimes a quick walk break from 10-30 seconds can bring your heart rate down and give you a little breather. Perfect time to grab a picture too!!

katie running4cupcakes guest post

2. Slow down. If you are having a hard run, forget about your pace, forget about any time goals. Slow down, concentrate on your breathing and re-set your expectations. A hard run can sometimes be made easier if you just re-adjust your goals. . .

3. Run faster. Wait, what? Didn’t you just tell me to run slower? Yes, yes I did. But, if you are my husband and you are having a hard run, he will run faster so it is over faster. . . now, that doesn’t work for me, but it is an option.  😉

katie running4cupcakes guest post

4. Take a water break. Same principle as a quick walk break. Slow your pace down and grab a drink of water, stop to walk and take a drink or swing by that water fountain or 7-11 and take a quick break for a drink. This slows your heart rate down and provides some hydration.

5. Pick a new goal. So, when I am having a hard run, sometimes, I will push through and complete my goal number of miles, but there are sometimes when that just isn’t going to happen. And that’s ok. . . Not every run is going to be perfect, great, with fast splits and speedy pace. Sometimes, adjusting your mileage, hilly course, or amount of breaks that you take, can make the difference between todays run and tomorrows run.

6. Change up your music. I just heard a great tip on Hungry Running Girl about having a playlist only for running. So, you only get to listen to specific songs while you are out on a run. You don’t get burnt out on music, so, when a song comes on you can totally rock out or dance down the street, because you love it!

7. Call a friend. Or pick up a friend to run with! I usually run with my phone so if I get bored on a run or I want something to distract me, I phone a friend. I always explain that I am out for a run, so please excuse the heavy breathing. . . but normally friends are more than happy to chat away while you are cranking out the miles. Also, being on the phone makes you slow your pace so that you can talk while running too!

katie running4cupcakes guest post

8. Motivation, baby. I have a few key motivation phrases that I think about when I am pushing through a hard run. 1. What doesn’t kill you makes your stronger (thank you Kelly Clarkson!). 2. You never regret a workout 3. If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. 4. Finish hard, finish strong.

9. You never regret a run. <—See #8 motivation quotes. I obviously use this one a lot. 🙂

katie running4cupcakes guest post

10. Reward yourself. I always always always think about what I am going to do when I get home. Anything from take a long hot (or cold, depending on season) shower, food I am going to eat, what I am doing later that day, etc. FYI cupcakes are always good rewards for running –> get it, running 4 cupcakes? 😉

katie running4cupcakes guest post

And no matter how far your ran or what you pace was, you survived a hard run, and that’s something to be proud of! So, please don’t beat yourself up over it, it’s one more training run under your belt, or good workout for the day. And you are better and stronger because of it.

What do you do a get through a tough run or workout??

Continue Reading How to Survive a Hard Run

Spin Class with Olympian Dara Torres

I couple of months ago, I was contacted by the company Koss; a company that was founded in 1958 when John Koss created the first pair of stereo headphones. They now have a line of headphones, headsets, fit clips, ear buds, and more that have been comprehensively reviewed on whoishuman.

dara torres koss event

Koss has partnered with Olympian Dara Torres to create a new line of ear buds called the Fit Line which includes the Fit Buds, which are designed to be 33% smaller than the normal ear buds, and fit perfectly in women’s smaller ears (and some men’s ears too).

Koss invited me to attend a spin class lead by one of the Cycle Quest instructors, as well as Dara. You better believe I cleared my schedule to make this happen!

Remember when I hosted the giveaway to attend the event a while back? You can read up on some more Dara stats from that post!

So, on Tuesday night I made my way over to Cycle Quest in Eden Prairie, MN. Not only would I be attending my first ever spin class, but I would be working out with Olympian Dara Torres; five time Olympian and 12-time medalist Dara Torres! I don’t know how many times I will have to say it to believe that it really happened.

We were greeted by the lovely staff of Cycle Quest who got us all checked in, gave us a bag of goodies from Koss, and steered us in the right direction towards the locker room and the cycle room.

First stop was the locker room. I had worn a tank top and a t-shirt not knowing exactly which one I would prefer. I had capris on too—that much I knew would be okay. The girls that were there all told me I’m going to want to be in a tank, because I am going to sweat my face off.

So, as I was getting ready in the locker room, guess who walks in? The one. The only. Dara Torres! I was a bit taken back because she was in the normal locker room, not a special locker room just for her, and she was so casual and friendly. She said hey and introduced herself as she used a facial wipe to remove her makeup. Oh my she is so gorgeous and obviously ripped like you wouldn’t believe! What perfect motivation to high tail it during a spin session!

With a giddy grin on my face, I made my way into the cycle room…

dara torres koss event

I was so excited that my Katie was there too! I got to spent all weekend at HLS with her and then I got to see her two days later! WIN!!! She had the brilliant idea to suggest we get a pre-workout/non-sweaty photo with Dara. Dara happy obliged. Yes, she is super tall. Yes, I still have the giddy smile.

dara torres koss event

We all got settled onto our bikes and I had a sweet member of the Cycle Quest team teach me how to adjust the seat, change gears, and get my feet all strapped in.

dara torres koss event

I was dead front row center with Katie by my side and a handful of other bloggers surrounding me. There were also a number of Cycle Quest instructors who took the spin class too. It was a full class and I was so pumped to get started!

dara torres koss event

dara torres koss event

Katie and I started a warm-up ride while Dara and the Cycle Quest instructor finished getting set up in front.

dara torres koss event dara torres koss event

We all wore a pair of the Koss Fit Clips (photo is at the top of this post) and the music as well as the voices of the instructors were streamed through the Fit Clips. These things are SO comfortable! They fit behind your ear and have a bud that sits in your ear. They didn’t move a smidge once I got them suctioned into my ear, even with the insane amount of sweat going on.

Dara played a killer playlist which really helped to keep me pumped throughout the entire session. We have very similar taste in music and I had so much fun singing and dancing along to the tunes.

I wasn’t able to hang on to my phone throughout the spin class (my hands were too wet with sweat to handle a phone anyway!) so I don’t have any photos during the actual spin portion. Let me tell you though, being that this was my first spin class, I am now obsessed with it! I loved the intensity of the workout and also loved how it was so low impact (I will be writing a post hopefully in the near future about my latest thoughts regarding my physical activity). Just like the girls said, I did seriously sweat my face off, and my buns, and my legs. Everything. We were all dripping sweat by the end of the workout. I loved it.

After the class, we had the opportunity to chat with Dara again. It was like hanging out with a friend. She was so easy to talk to. We were asking her about her recent knee surgery (just 9 days ago) as well as where she keeps her medals and what her plans were for when she was in the area. All of her responses were extremely genuine, and she really took the time to talk with us. It never felt rushed or forced; just natural.

dara torres koss event

I was thrilled to meet some new blog friends and see some old ones too! 🙂

As if meeting Dara and getting to participate in a free spin class wasn’t enough, we were also sent home with a whole bag of goodies. Another swag bag! How do I deserve this?! In the bag were three adorable tops: a 3/4 length hoodie, a coral tee, and a bright neon yellow tank. I am in love with all three of them. I also go to take home the pair of Fit Clips I wore in the class along with a pair of the Fit Buds to try! ANnnnndddd….Koss Corporation even wrote us all hand-written notes, thanking us for attending the class and acknowledging that they had checked out our blogs! Not to mention, I also got a pass to attend another Cycle Quest class. I just may need to go back!

dara torres koss event

dara torres koss event

Talk about being spoiled.

This was such an incredible opportunity and I want to thank Koss Corporation, Dara Torres, and Cycle Quest for inviting me to be a part of this event. I can’t wait to try out the Fit Buds and to get my cycle on again!

Disclaimer: This was a free opportunity given to me by Koss Corporation. All opinions expressed are my own.

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