Classpass Los Angeles: Yoga

I used to despise yoga. I thought it was boring, way too long, and a bad workout because I wouldn't sweat. Then I started training for half marathons and realized I needed yoga to heal my body from those long runs. Since that realization, I've started going to Yoga every week. It's helped me manage my stress and I think it helped me run better! I didn't train for my second half marathon nearly as much as my first, but I started adding yoga to the mix. I PR'd on my second half AND it was way more hilly than the first. I'm crediting yoga.

Since I started Classpass, I've tried out a few Yoga studios here and there in LA, and so I thought I would share! 

Sweat Hot Yoga (Santa Monica): My fav hot yoga studio I've been to. The room is hot, the music is loud, and the instructors are great. It's a one hour class and they go over various vinyasas, but then they turn the music up and let you do your own flow for a few minutes. It's almost like a dance class. They have time for inversions and handstands (if that is what you're into) but you can also tailor it to a beginner level. This was the first hot yoga class I ever did, so my expectations are very high now! The amenities are also really nice - they have 3 showers, a large area to get ready, and lockers. Free parking at the library right across the street! 

YAS: Yoga for Athletes (Venice): I went to YAS fitness mainly for the spin classes, but they have an awesome class where you do 30 minutes of spin and 30 minutes of yoga. The studio is located right on Abbot Kinney, but it's easy to find parking in the surrounding streets. The spin classes are great and the yoga classes are focused on athletes, which was cool. It was the perfect way to cool down after 30 minutes of intense cardio. They have showers, but no locker rooms. 

Red Diamond Yoga (Palms): My favorite yoga studio (see my previous post here). They have 3 studios, they burn incense and put essential oils on your hands after each class. Everyone is SO nice. They have a billion different classes every day so you can always find one to fit your schedule. 

Set and Flow Yoga (Hollywood): The studio is brand new and they do more than just yoga (TRX, barre, etc.) It was beautiful - the locker rooms are so nice, they have a kambucha bar, there is free parking underneath in the garage. The hot yoga class I went to was hard - but my only complaint was that there was no music the entire time! I don't like silent yoga! I think I would go back and try to TRX classes. 

The thing I love about yoga is that the practice is ever-changing. There is always room for improvement. I always leave yoga feeling much better than when I started.

See you later - going to work on my handstands now :) 

-A

PS. $20 off classpass --> http://class.ps/dr1cB

Viva Las Vegas!

This weekend I made the 4 hour trek from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to visit sin city! It was my third time heading to Vegas, and it never disappoints. Vegas is another world where normal societal rules do not apply. This is made partly possible by the copious amounts of alcohol flowing freely from anywhere the eye can see, the open container laws of Paradise, Nevada, and the crazy amounts of money circulated through that city. Everytime I go to Vegas I have a different experience, but it's always a great time.

We left LA at 8:00 AM on Friday and arrived in Vegas a little after 1:00 PM. First thing you must do in Vegas? Go get yourself a Fat Tuesday! What is a Fat Tuesday? An incredible slushy-type alcohol drink that comes in various flavors. My personal fav is a mix of Pina Coloda and Strawberry.

We decided to walk the strip after we had drinks in hand. The craziest part of Vegas is how GIANT the strip is. It takes so long to walk from one end to the other. You are basically forced to go inside casino after casino. The developers did not make it easy to stay away from each and every casino. We stopped a few times along the way to gamble. I'm not a huge gambler (I'll try a penny slot!) but I like watching other people play poker. It's always fun exploring all the different hotels, casinos, and shops along the way.

[the Cosmo]

[the Venetian]

That night, we went to the MGM to Hakkasan. I'm not a huge club person, and the techno (no-words) music is not my favorite, but we found a hip hop room after a bit. It's so crazy how huge each club is, how many levels there are, and how many different rooms dedicated to different musical genres are in each club. My favorite club in Vegas was Tryst (but now it's under renovation and will re-open as something else). Chateu is also pretty awesome because it's located in the Eiffel Tower.

The PAC12 Tourney was happening at the same time

Saturday we brunched at an amazing place called the Yardbird and then we went to the pool for the majority of the day. That night we decided to try out the High Roller wheel. It was SO cool! I would recommend it to anyone who is going. We were able to score some discounted tickets from a blackjack dealer at the Linq, so we only had to pay $20 at night. The views are pretty amazing.

[sausage.egg.bacon brekkie]

Vegas is always a great time, but everytime I come home I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation. Good thing that's coming up next week :)

Time to conquer those Monday blues.

-A

Friends (that are not) Forever

Today I was on Facebook and noticed a post about someone who I was good friends with at one point in my life. Naturally, this led to a few more clicks and before I knew it I was looking at photos of her from 2 years ago and googling her LinkedIn to see what she was up to now. We all know the blackhole that social media can lead to. Usually when this happens, I get sad that we aren't friends anymore, mad that we haven't done a good job keeping in touch, and I'm left wondering what life would look like if we were close. It's sort of like a breakup of sorts!

I'm the kind of person who looks for lifelong friendships. I would rather have a few close-knit best friends that stay besties for life than a ton of good friends. I went to a small grade school and had two solid best friends. The girl I grew up next door to has been my best friend since we were 7 years old. In high school, I had five best friends who were my life. We spent every waking moment together. In college, I was in a sorority and for awhile it felt like I was living a life with more good friends rather than a small amount of best friends. It was hard for me and I think that was one of the reasons that I didn't 100% love my sorority until I was a junior (2 years in!). Today, my best friends are made up from a few of the people in those groups. I'm still close with most of the girls I was friends with in high school. I see my next door neighbor, who also now lives in LA, regularly. My pledge class from my sorority continues to grow closer. The girls who will be bridesmaids in my wedding will have known me for many, many years.

When I look at people from my life who were only in it for a short time, it makes me sad that we lost touch. But today, along with those sad reminiscent feelings, I'm grateful for all the short friendships I've had in my life. One of the weirdest things about finding yourself in your twenties is accepting that friendships can be fleeting. I think a lot of the sadness I've felt over the last few years has been attributed to this. But once I've accepted that it's just a part of life, I can smile at the old times and realize how far I've come since I've known these people. They have enriched my life and I owe a small part of who I am today to those girls.

To E, the girl I spent my study abroad with, thank you for teaching me to be spontaneous. When I studied abroad, I was homesick and craving the comforts of home. E quickly became my bestie away from home. She was fun, spontaneous, and the perfect person to travel with. Her independence was contagious.

To J, my Spanish partner in college, thank you for making me realize I wanted to travel. We talked about our hopes and dreams studying abroad for hours. We had so much fun in Spanish class. You were my first "non-sorority" college friend.

To L and A, the girls I met through my leadership positions, thanks for being my mentors and helping me become a better leader. We traveled to a few conferences together, and you both encouraged me to have more fun in situations where I wanted to be serious.

To O, my "school" friend in high school. We had every honors science class together. You were the one who made me realize I was not going to be a doctor, and probably never survive that AP-Chem test (yeah, definitely failed that thing). But we made those terrible classes fun and I got to know a lot about you in that time. Learning about your family life helped me prepare for when the same thing happened to mine in college.

To M, my old swimming buddy. You pushed me and made me competitive. You helped me branch out of my small private school bubble and introduced me to what real life was like in my small town. You were right alongside me when I got my first job.

I know I don't talk to any of you now. I know that if I saw you today, we would catch up and chat like old times. Even though we aren't in each others lives currently, you've taught me a lot and helped shape me.

Thank you.

Classpass Favorites in Los Angeles: Spin, Yoga & Strength

Hi all!

I've been using Classpass for about 2 months now. Before I joined, I worked out regularly but just lacked motivation a lot of the time. I got so bored with going to the gym all the time, so I trained for a half marathon. But by the time I ran that, I was bored with running. I needed someone to push me. That's where classpass came in! I love it because it motivates me to get to class. You're charged a $20 fee if you cancel/don't show up 12 hours before the class starts. This gives me the motivation to actually attend classes.  Since joining, I've lost a few pounds and gotten a lot stronger. I really like spinning, strength training, and yoga. Since I've tried out a TON of new studios in the Los Angeles area, I thought I would start doing some reviews  of the ones I have tried.

Today, I'll share my top class for each of my favorite workouts:

Spinning = House of Fitness with Aldo [Culver City] or FlyWheel [West Hollywood]
I love House of Fitness in general - for both their spin classes AND their strength training classes. Aldo's spin class is amazing because he works you out HARD on the bike, but also adds in some strength training during the class (usually abs or arms). You get off the bike for 5-10 minutes to do these exercises. It breaks up the class nicely and it goes by fast. FlyWheel is another great workout. I like that they have the board that tells you how hard you are working in comparison to the rest of the class. It motivates me to not slack off (which can be easy to do in a spin class by simply taking the resistance off). FlyWheel has the best music by far and the atmosphere there is great. Also, they both offer free parking!

Yoga = Red Diamond Yoga [Palms]
Red Diamond is the best kept secret in Palms. Don't be fooled by the outside strip mall, the studio is so cute and relaxing. It always smells so good and they provide you with refreshing eucalyptus towels after each workout. They have so many classes and times to choose from - from beginner to yin yoga with massage (yes, you read that correctly). The environment is super welcoming as well. They have a free parking lot.

Strength Training/Circuit = Burn 60 [Brentwood]
This workout is my favorite! You alternate between circuit training on the floor and then running/sprinting on the treadmill. I feel like I get a really good workout in every time I go to Burn 60. If you park in the giant lot across the street, you get free parking. I wish they had showers, but that is my only complaint about the studio.

If you aren't a classpass member and want $20 off your first month, try this link :) --> http://class.ps/dr1cB

Pityriasis Rosea Update

Hey Everyone!

Just checking back in with a pityriasis rosea update. It had just started to go away when I wrote my last post on March 4. It has been 4 more days, and things are still going well. As I said in my last post, the bumps went away, and now there are just light spots all over my body. A few of the smaller spots have disappeared completely. It doesn't itch at all (even when I wear yoga pants) and I totally forget the spots are there except when I take a shower. I have gone back to my normal workout routine and have been sweating profusely everyday in my workouts and the bumps have not returned. I read on a few blogs that you shouldn't workout with PR because it aggravates it, but that is not the case for me. Once the raised bumps go away, I think it's fine!

I have stopped showering with Selsun Blue and have been moisturizing as usual. I haven't taken an oatmeal bath since Friday (thank goodness). I've been showering at a normal (hot) temperature. I haven't been tanning (I only laid out in the sun 2x with PR - both times with SPF 30). My diet has been normal.

Thank goodness because I am off to Las Vegas this weekend and then Hawaii and I was really worried about wearing a bikini with PR. The spots are still there and might not fully go away before my vacations, but they are faded enough to the point where I am not as self conscious as a I previously was. So if you are struggling with it right now, don't worry! It gets better, even if it can seem like the worst thing in the world at the time.

Have faith :)

-Alex

My Experience with Pityriasis Rosea

So I haven't been around the blogging world in a while. My feelings regarding blogging are mixed, but something happened to me two weeks ago that I need to share with others. I had a virus called Pityriasis Rosea. If you are reading this, that likely means you have it to. I want to share what I did, how long it took to get better, and how I dealt with this nasty virus.

What is PR? -- It's a virus that produces a rash on your body for up to over a month! It is super itchy and looks disgusting. There is no treatment or cure for PR, so you have to just wait it out. Doctors don't know how it spreads - but it is viral. My doctor said I probably caught it orally. However, I will note that I live with my fiance and he did not catch it.

My Experience:
I woke up on a Friday morning and just felt itchy. (I'm going to call this "Day One"). I didn't have any bumps on my body, but my skin itched. I remember texting my fiance and asking him if he felt itchy too - we had gotten massages the night before so I assumed I was having an allergic reaction to the massage oil. He said he felt fine. I took a shower and didn't think anything of it.

Days 2-3: Same general itchy-ness. On day 3, I started to notice a rash. No bumps yet, just redness. One of the main treatment signs of PR is the "herald patch". I never had a herald patch, or if I did I did not notice it. There was one spot on my stomach that seemed to be bigger than all others and did appear on the first few days, but it wasn't like I had that spot 2 weeks before anything else like some other people.

Day 4 (Monday): I was getting itchier by the hour and there was definitely a rash. The bumps first came on my stomach and chest, but also started spreading on my lower back. I had a few on my upper arms and a few on my thighs.

Day 5 (Tuesday): I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with PR. He warned me that it would get worse before it got better. I worked out that night for the last time in a week. I was really itchy at my workout.

Day 6 (Wednesday): Spots got worse and the itchiness was unbearable! The rash started moving up to my neck, which was super unpleasant because I couldn't wear anything to cover it up. I started googling every single thing I could do for PR. I went to CVS and bought diaper rash cream (destin). I also read that UV rays help. I was reluctant to try tanning because I have very fair skin and know that I am more likely to get skin cancer than anyone else. I decided to try tanning while wearing sunscreen.

Day 7 (Thursday): I laid out by the pool (luckily I live in Southern California so I could do this even in Feb) for about an hour wearing SPF 30. After tanning, I would be Aloe Vera on the spots. The spots were still not getting better. I also started taking a daily oatmeal bath. I did more research about PR and went back to CVS to buy oatmeal lotion (CVS brand, knock-off of Aveno) and Selsun Blue dandruff shampoo. I also started to feel a lot more tired than usual.

Days 8-10 (Friday - Sunday): On Friday, I laid out by the pool again and applied Aloe Vera afterwards. I took an oatmeal bath in the morning and then washed my body with Selsun Blue. After the bath, I would douse my body with Oatmeal lotion. Before bed every night, I would apply Destin diaper rash cream on my spots. This was by far the WORST part of my experience with PR. I was SOOOOO itchy, especially on my neck. My neck during this entire time was by far the worst. I itched it, which made it even more red and raw. I felt constricted because I couldn't wear any of my clothes. I couldn't even wear a bra! I wore high-necked sweatshirts all day long but it was 80 degrees outside. I was frustrated I couldn't work out. I felt so hopeless because I had no idea how long it would last. I was depressed and tired all weekend. However, by Sunday night I did notice some of the spots were starting to dry out/flake off.

Day 11 (Monday): I woke up feeling good! My spots stopped itching as badly! My spirits were lifted.

Day 12 (Tuesday): I woke up and looked in the mirror and my spots were starting to fade! The bumps were still raised, but they looked less red. I wore normal clothes for the first time!

Day 13 (Wednesday): I went to Yoga! It was the first time working out in over a week and I needed it. I tried not to sweat, but that didn't work. However, even though I was sweating a lot, my skin was not itchy at all.

Day 14 (Thursday): The bumps were almost gone, but the spots were sometimes itchy (only a few and only a few times throughout the day). I could even wear a v-neck shirt to school.

Day (15 - Today, Friday): The bumps are gone!!! Now the spots are still light pink, but WAY less noticeable than before. They haven't been bothering me, except where the elastic of my yoga pants hit the bumps on my stomach. However, I went to my first spin class this morning and I was totally fine. I am still showering with Selsun Blue and using the Oatmeal lotion every day.

I can tell I am getting better and probably by the end of next week, the spots will be gone. I am not sure what made it go away, or if it was a combination of all the things I tried. Or I may just have a strong immune system that was able to get rid of the virus quickly.

Just a recap of what I did: Tanning 2x (with SPF 30); Selsun Blue as body wash daily; daily oatmeal baths; moisturize with oatmeal lotion 2x a day; stopped working out for 1 week; took a few more naps than normal; ate a pretty healthy diet (although I was still drinking the occasional glass of wine); applied Aloe Vera (refrigerated) after tanning or when a certain bump was itching more than normal; applied Destin diaper rash cream on my spots 2-3x a day, but especially before bed (when they were itching badly).

If you have PR, even if it feels like it will NEVER go away, just know that it will eventually!

Viirtual Coffee Date

If were having a coffee date with you right now, here's what I would say:

I would tell you that I just got back from seeing Phantom of the Opera for the first time and I am pleasantly surprised and amazed. I have never been a musical or theater girl, but this blew me away. I was hesitant going into it because I've never really been into Opera, but this was beyond anything I could have expected. The music was amazing, the theatrics of the show were very impressive, and I loved the storyline!

I would tell you that work has been going really well! I got to observe a trial all day today, I am going to a hearing tomorrow, and I am attending a deposition Friday! I love observing events that litigators do on a weekly basis. Today was the first time I actually observed a trial where I knew one of the parties, had an understanding of what was going on in the case, and really paid attention to the little things, like what the jury was thinking. It made me even more excited for my life in the real world after law school.

I would tell you that I am a little disappointed in myself because I didn't start training for the Nike 1/2 this week, which the Nike training schedule recommends. I know that if I start a week later, my life will not be over.  But I've been having a hard time figuring out my work/exercise schedule. I am not a morning workout person and so whenever I have anything planned after work (or something unexpectedly comes up), I just have to skip my workout. I think I'm going to start training my body to workout in the morning a few days a week, but I really love my mornings to slowly wake up, drink coffee, read blogs, and relax into my day. I will be sad to give that up. If anyone has ideas, I am all ears.

I would tell you I am SO excited to head to my friend's wedding this weekend! It's the first wedding of a friend that I was invited to because I am a friend, not because it's a family friend or my parents were invited.

I would tell you that I really need to drink more water every day. I have a large water bottle and I'm trying to drink 4 whole bottles a day. Water is so good for you, but why do I find it so hard to drink enough?!

I would tell you that I am anxious and excited about my upcoming move in two weekends. I felt like such an adult last night-  I ordered a U-Haul and scheduled an internet/cable appointment. Even though I've been living on my own since college, this was the first time I did everything without the help of my parents and it feels really good!

Happy hump day :)