OrangeTheory Fitness (OTF) and Fitness Favorites

Happy Sunday, friends! I hope you all had a great weekend. If you’re like me, you’re probably soaking up those last few hours before the work week begins again. We are in full Back-to-School mode in this house. Even though Ryan and I both work all summer now, the pace seems to change (ahem, speed up) when August arrives.

Time to be honest...I’ve been completely sporadic about my workouts all summer. Trust me, I have all kinds of excuses (and I promise they are legit) but I’m working on getting back into my routine of going to OrangeTheory about 3-4 times a week. I don’t think I have mentioned OrangeTheory Fitness (OTF) on the blog yet, but I have been going for about a year and a half now and I love it. You guys all know that I’ve been a Zumba instructor since 2011 and I still love Dance Fitness. However, a couple of years ago I just really wanted to add something different to my fitness routine. I knew I needed to add in some weights and some cardio that was different from Zumba. Two years ago, I started seeing Orange Bicycles around town and wondered what they were- turns out they were for OTF! I stopped into their temporary location to find out some information and signed up for a membership that same day.

I really liked their concept of cardio mixed with strength training. Going to OTF is a lot like going to a personal trainer because they tell you what to do and how to push yourself during class, plus they will help to make sure you use proper form throughout class. I work out so much harder on the treadmill there than I ever did on my own at the gym. OTF isn’t a traditional gym— you don’t go and just work out on your own. You sign up for classes ahead of time and workout in a group setting. I definitely work harder in a group than on my own, too. One thing you might be wondering is why it’s called OrangeTheory. Well, during class, you wear a heart rate monitor. Everyone’s name is up on a TV screen so you can see what heart rate zone you are in all throughout class. The goal is to get most of your minutes in the Green Zone (a.k.a. Base Pace) but to try and get 12 minutes in the Orange (or Red) Zone. I’m one of those weird people who never ever gets 12 points (minutes) in Orange or Red— and many times I get 0— but today I got 4! That’s major, for me. I think I just have an unusually low heart rate. I don’t worry too much about that— I just go by how I feel.

I tell everyone who asks that even though I have been exercising pretty regularly for years and have even been a fitness instructor for 7 years— I never worked out before like I do at OTF. I’ve learned I can do things that are a lot harder than I ever thought! Like burpees. Although, I swear I will never EVER love burpees. I love the way that every workout is different— you never know what you might do each day. My favorite kinds of workouts are switch workouts where you rotate to different stations or kinds of equipment every few minutes. It makes the classes go by really quickly.

Speaking of fitness, I wanted to share a great fitness apparel find with you. My favorite workout leggings were Under Armour for a long time. However, they were $40 a pop (sometimes more!) and then a few years ago, UA changed the way they were made and they just weren’t as thick as they used to be. Luckily, Amazon to the rescue! I found these great leggings.

I’ve bought 4-5 pairs now and I love them. I especially love that they are high waisted so I don’t find myself pulling them up all the time. And did I mention the awesome price? Most colors are around $19.99 and have free returns, so if you don’t love them, you can always return them.

I also have come to love Beachbody’s Energize for a pre-workout boost.

I used to try and eat some kind of protein bar before class, but I found many of them taste like cardboard. This mix actually tastes good— just like lemonade. I mix it with about 10 oz. of water and drink it about 30-45 minutes before my workout. Since I usually work out at 5:45 p.m., sometimes I need a little something to energize myself before walking in the door at OTF or for a Zumba workout. (FYI— I am not a Beachbody Coach and do not sell this product— this is purely my own opinion based on my own experience.)

And finally, I am never without PanAway!

This is one of my favorite oils. I think everyone has their own trusted brands, but I began using Young Living oils several years ago and I love them. Sometimes if I have missed a week of workouts or if we have a particularly tough workout and I’m pretty sore, this little bottle to the rescue! PanAway has Wintergreen, Helichrysum, Clove, and Peppermint— all great for supporting your fitness routine. Sometimes I add a drop to my lotion or to some coconut oil and I’ll put it on my muscles and joints before OR after exercise. It’s also great mixed into Epsom Salts for tub soak. Trust me on this! You can purchase PanAway through Young Living OR it is also part of the Premium Starter Kit, which contains 10 other oils, a diffuser, and lots of samples of other great products. Plus, you also get a one-year membership and you get discounts on all products. Click here for more information on the Young Living Starter Kit!

What are some of your favorite workout products?

By the way, I forgot to mention that I am right in the middle of a Whole30! I’ve been reading a great book and will share some details soon! It’s got some great meal ideas. More info to come!

Saturday Adventure: Tubing the Catawba River (Fort Mill to Rock Hill)

Hope you guys all had a great weekend! We definitely did… it was busy but really fun. I wanted to write a blog post about our adventure on Saturday… Tubing the Catawba River! If you’re local (or within driving distance of the Rock Hill/Fort Mill area), you’re going to want to check this out while the weather is still hot! Which, let’s be honest, will be until October.

So, a little background… I’ve gone tubing several times before. I’ve been in the mountains near Greenville and also close to Boone, NC. However, I had never been tubing on the Catawba, even though it is right here, practically in our back yard! (Actually, when we lived in our old house, it really was just about in our back yard!) Over the past few years, I had seen pictures on social media of friends tubing on the Catawba and I just had to try it! The Catawba is much wider and deeper than other rivers where I have tubed before.

I had many questions, and I had a lot of help from friends in preparing for our trip, so I thought I would share some tips that were passed along to me, in case any of you want to try it! (And you definitely should… it’s so much fun!)

So, we debated about buying our own tubes or going through a rental company. When I started looking online, it turned out that you can buy the exact same tubes the rental companies will rent you… but they cost about $13 (Academy actually has them on sale right now for $9.99!) to buy vs. $20 to rent. All of the rental companies I looked into also included a life jacket with the tube as well. We found that you can buy life jackets at Wal-Mart for about $10 and up. (I’ll be honest and tell you that we were just about the only people with life jackets on the river— but I still think it’s better to have them than not. I think if you take a dip in the river, you absolutely should have one.) So for only $3 more than a rental company, you can own the equipment you need and go tubing any time! Here are the tubes we got:

We got this 2-person tube from Amazon.

This tube is awesome for a couple or two friends. We figured it would be great for day-dates! There is a round built in cooler, although we used it more for storage. We actually put towels in there and they stayed dry the whole time! There is also a place between the seats to store a small cooler. Each seat has a cup holder and handles. It’s super comfortable and you stay cool because you’re sitting in the water.

We got a single tube from Academy which was made by the same company— it was really easy to connect the tubes together because this brand of float comes with these nifty little connectors that lock together.

We also picked up a paddle at Academy.

I was advised by several people that a paddle would come in really handy in case we were having to steer around any rocks or in case we came to a standstill in some of the slower-moving spots. This paddle was great because you could adjust it to the length you needed.

The next thing I had lots of questions about was river levels. I’ll be honest… I had the hardest time figuring this part out. In the end, I found two websites that were really helpful.

This one will tell you when they are releasing water from the dam. Typically, you want to go when they are releasing water because it helps cover the rocks and you won’t get stuck in the middle of the river. If the water levels are really low, you will move very slowly down the river. (On this website, look at the Wylie Release schedule. Lake Wylie dam flows into the Catawba.)

And this website will tell you the approximate current river level— plus it explains the different ranges. The ideal river levels for tubing and kayaking are between 3000-3600 cubic feet per second.

Finally, it is always good to take a look at a map of the river. Here is one that will tell you a little about what you’re passing on your journey.

Click here to download a printable version of the map.

We decided to put in at the dam in Fort Mill. In case you’re like me and have no clue where the dam is… here is the address:
2541 New Gray Rock Rd, Fort Mill, SC 29708

We planned to start at the dam and get out at Riverwalk. We figured with the Pump House at the end, that would be a good “marker” for us to know where to get out. That’s about a 3.5 mile “cruise.” Based on what everyone told us, we were expecting it to be between 2-4 hours, and it was about 3 hours for us. It would be slower if they aren’t releasing water from the dam, though.

We dropped a car off at the Riverwalk, then went to the dam to get in the water. (Important tip… store your towels in your ENDING car. You’ll want your tubes, air pump, paddle, life jackets, waterproof bags/boxes (for phones/cameras), sunscreen, coolers, etc. in your car that you park at the starting point. (Make sure you have the keys to both cars with you in the tubes! We put ours in plastic bags in one of our coolers.) We carried a cooler of drinks with ice and another cooler with sandwiches and snacks with a cold pack. Take your sunscreen with you so that you can reapply as needed. I tried out my Young Living sunscreen and it worked GREAT! I loved the fact that a natural sunscreen worked just as well as commercial sprays! There is no better test than sitting in the hot sun on a river for 3 hours.

So now for the adventure! It was crazy busy at the dam on Saturday— LOTS of tubers! Parking at the dam is limited. There is a parking lot that can probably park 20+ cars, but after that, you can park on the sides of the road. Get there early to get a good parking spot, or you’ll be parking down the road. (TIP: if you go around 3:00 pm and see tons of cars parked far away along the road, take a chance and pull all the way down to the parking lot. Chances are, someone has left a parking spot close to the ramp.)

When we got in the river, we used the paddle (and Ryan gave us a couple of good pushes) to get us going.

Then we just relaxed and enjoyed the ride!

We would recommend wearing water shoes or Chacos (or something similar) because if you have to hop out for a second, the rocks are slippery.)

It was really cool going under the bridges. If you take this route, you’ll pass under two bridges and then you’ll get out at the ramp just past the Pump House.

If you haven’t been to the Pump House, you can grab casual eats/drinks after your tubing trip on the top floor without a reservation. There are also several other spots to grab a bite or a drink at Riverwalk.

We loved our tubing day so much, I’m sure we will go again really soon! We want to try the Riverwalk to River Park route next. That’s a little shorter. I hope this post helps you plan your tubing adventure!

WHAT TO BRING (I’m sure I’ve left something off— but if I think of other items, I’ll edit this post and add them.)

For the Starting Point Car

• Tubes (obviously)
• rope for tying tubes together
• life jackets (especially for the kids)
• pump to inflate the tubes
• paddle
• coolers with drinks/snacks/ice
• sunscreen
• water shoes/chacos
• keys to both cars
• sunglasses/hats
• phone and/or camera in a waterproof bag or box (you can find these ar Academy or Dicks… or Amazon of course!)
• speaker to play music (optional)
• wallet/debit card (so you’ll have your license at the ending point— or you could lock this in your ending point car)

For the Ending Point Car

• Towels
• change of clothes if you plan to grab a bite at the Pump House afterwards
• wallet (optional- see note above)

Finally, HAVE FUN! If you try tubing on the Catawba, drop me a comment and let me know how it goes! I hope you love it as much as we did!

Fitnessy Weekend: Electric Run and National Dance Day!

Happy Sunday, friends! I'm a little under the weather today, so I sent the husband to church without me. Mucinex and Drop Dead Diva on Netflix are helping me through the morning.

How was your weekend? The first half of the weekend was pretty full of action. Friday night, my friend Allison and I headed to Charlotte for the Electric Run! Here's a little recap/review of the Electric Run for you!

I actually registered for this run way back in the spring. I thought a night run at the Charlotte Motor Speedway sounded pretty interesting and exciting. I intended to do a little more running this summer... but I just hate to run when it is hot outside. Ugh!

The Electric Run Course at Charlotte Motor Speedway

 

However, lucky for me, the night of the Electric Run was surprisingly (uncharacteristically) cool! Allison and I (and about 20,000 other people) gathered at the gigantic start line.

 

This is BY FAR the largest 5K i have ever participated in. The Electric Run is so big that they have to release people at the start line in "waves" of about 1,000 people at a time. Believe it or not, when I FINISHED the race, there were actually people still waiting to START! We were in the 3rd or 4th wave, starting around 9:20 p.m.

If you do the Electric Run, you will not need your headphones- there is a speaker system set up all along the route with music. And there are tons of cool light displays set up all along the route, too. I had to stop a few times and snap a coupe of pics. (Where are the Google Glasses when you need them?!)

 

My time wasn't awesome- 44 minutes. But I will take that, considering I have not been running routinely. My first mile was about 14 minutes. Mile 2 was my quickest at 12-13 minutes. Which means I was dragging a$$ on mile 3, at about 17 minutes! Oh no! I need to work on my endurance.

After you cross the finish line, there is a huge after party. I have to say, I was blown away by the after party. It was HUGE. I was expecting a DJ and some dancing and people standing around chatting. Nope. It was actually a full-on RAVE.

For a minute I thought I was back in that episode of 90210 when everyone goes to the Rave and Emily gives Brandon Ecstasy. It was a little insane. Or a lot insane.

So overall... It was definitely an interesting experience. Would I do it again? Maybe...it was pretty expensive, as far as 5ks run. (It was over $50) But it was pretty cool. We also encountered a lot of traffic on the way in, but we realized we were caught up in TI/Lil Wayne Concert traffic. (Taking place about 2 miles away on the same night).

Thinking of doing the Electric Run? I would definitely recommend getting there early so that you can be in one of the first waves. I would HATE to be starting the race at 10:00 or after. Also, even though Electric Run claims this is a "family friendly" event... I would leave the kids at home. It's really loud, and there are definitely some drunk runners using some not-so-kid-friendly language. Get a babysitter. Unless your children are into getting their rave on.

You'd think that after running a late-night 5K that I would, sleep in, but Saturday was National Dance Day! So...I was u bright and early to help my friend Ashley and host a 90-minute Zumba class to celebrate! Aother instructor friend, Jennie, also came to help. It was so much fun teaching together, and we had such a fun group of ladies dancing with us! Happy National Dance Day!

(Photo credit: Ashley)

 

Now, THAT is what I call a "fitnessy weekend." How was YOUR weekend?

 

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Seafood by the Sea

Happy Saturday, friends! I can't believe it, but our week at the beach is already over. As I type, we are in the car, making our way back home. It's always sad to say goodbye to the beach and our family after our fun week is over. This week, we ate too much, played lots of games, soaked up lots of sun, swam in the pool, enjoyed nightly golf cart rides, and had a lot of laughs.

 

I thought I would write one final beach post about some of our beach eats.

 

First up: Creek Rolls

 

My sister Meredith and her husband David introduced us to Creek Rolls last year. Creek Rolls are a lot like spring rolls, but they are filled with all sorts of goodies, like local shrimp. You can buy Creek Rolls from The Crab Cake Lady or from Harrelson's Seafood Market in Murrell's Inlet. I couldn't find a website for Harrelson's, but here is a listing on Urban Spoon:

 

If you happen to be in the Surfside Beach, Garden City, or Litchfield Beach areas, this would be a great place to get fresh seafood.

Warning about Creek Rolls: these do not last long! Once is platter was set out on the table, I had to snap pictures quickly before everything disappeared!

 

Next: Low Country Boil.

 

If you are from the South, then you have probably grown up eating this simple meal. It has lots of names: Shrimp Boil, Frogmore Stew, etc. This is my brother-in-law's signature beach meal. He and my sister make this for us every year at the beach. Low Country Boil includes: potatoes, sausage, shrimp, and corn on the cob. Sometimes, you can add in crab legs for an extra treat, also. Everything is cooked in a pot together with Old Bay seasoning.

 

David's Low Country Boil:

Ingredients:

(Note- the amounts ar appropriate- these can be adjusted for your tastes)

• 6 Budweisers
• 3/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning
• Red Potatoes (1-2 per person)
• Corn on the cob (frozen, 1-2 per person)
• Sausage, sliced (ex: kielbasa, 1/2 lb. per person)
• Shrimp (raw, unpeeled, 1/2 lb. per person)

Preparation:

(We cook outside, but this can be prepared on the stovetop in a large stock pot.)

1. Boil water, Budweisers, and old Bay.
2. Add potatoes and cook 10 minutes. (David just leaves then whole.)
3. Add corn on the cob and cook 5 minutes.
4. Add sliced sausages and cook five minutes.
5. Add shrimp and cook until pink and floating to the top.
6. Drain water and serve!

Cooking tip: playing a game of corn hole helps pass the time.

 

So does great scenery.

 

This year, we decided to make things REALLY simple. We lined our table outside by the pool with newspapers and just dumped everything on the table.

Cheers to seafood!

 

We gathered around with empty plates and dinner was served "family style!" After dinner, clean-up was super easy. Just grab the newspapers and boom: clean table.

 

Finally: Mom and Dad's Baked Shrimp.

 

This simple appetizer made by my parents was a huge hit! It is so simple, but so delicious! My mom found this recipe on Pinterest, but adapted it slightly.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter
• 2 lemons, sliced
• Shelled uncooked shrimp (approximately 2-3 lbs- as many as will fit on your baking sheet)
• Creole Seasoning (as much or as little as you like)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet (with a rim) with foil or parchment paper. Melt stick of butter and pour over the baking sheet.
3. Lay sliced lemons on the melted butter. Space evenly over pan.
4. Lay shrimp over top of the butter and lemons.
5. Sprinkle everything with creole seasoning.
6. Bake for 15 minutes (or until shrimp is cooked through).
7. Dump everything into a serving dish and serve immediately. No sauce needed!

Again- these do not last long! These would make a great appetizer for a summer party!

 

We sure had a lot of great eats this week. I am already missing the beach! Hopefully we will see the waves and put our toes in the sand again sometime soon. But for now...

 

Goodbye, Surfside!

 

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