Row, Row, Row Your Boat (WOW #3)

So after ballet class and pilates, mom and I decided we would try a new fitness class offered by the Cincinnati Rowing Club.  Billed as a low impact cross-training class, we went in with a little familiarity with rowing machines having used them for warm-ups during cardio workouts. 

The gym itself is a pretty low key building.  It shares the space with an Irish dancing company and when we entered were greeted by the site of 10 year olds jigging like crazy.  The No Limits Rowing class is a combination of rowing drills, weight training, and core work and we started with a short warm-up followed by intervals of weight lifting and then rowing.  This was overall a pretty good workout.  As total newbies the instructor did give us some minor corrections in regards to form which really helped in getting a smoother pull and release.  I kept waiting for the sound of a drum and a little skinny pirate guy with a whip to come out and yell "row ye bastards."  Alas no such luck.  

By the end of the hour our shoulders were burning and I'm sure if we kept up with the class we would start looking like these guys....

All in all a good workout and definitely something different than our usual running routine.  

Workout of the Week (WOW) #2 and Resolution Run

Well its a new year and these two bloggers were definitely ready to bid 2011 goodbye.  Aside from some great goals that we accomplished on the fitness front, our personal and family lives have been less than stellar.  So like many others out there we both are hoping that 2012 is a better year for everyone!  But before the ball dropped I coned mom and sister into joining me for round two of new fitness classes and we went to a local workout studio called Pure Barre.  This place provides Barre classes which according to the website is a technique designed to "lift your seat, tone your thighs and burn fat in record-breaking time."  Using the ballet barre you perform small movements that are designed to work your whole body and build lean muscles.  They call this "intelligent exercise"  but all three of us felt pretty stupid at some point during the workout.  Luckily it was an early morning class and we were the only three participants.  Yet while we laughed at our inflexibility and weak core movements (must work on this!!) and sometimes flat out fell (okay that was just me) we all REALLY enjoyed the class. Angela our instructor was very patient and the workout was amazing.  Who knew that squeezing a small ball between your legs while doing squats and leg lifts would burn so much!!  We also all felt this class the next day further proving that Barre workouts are not BS.

However, once the calendar year flipped to 2012 it was back to running so the three of us hit a local running store Buckeye Running Company which was hosting a New Years Day brunch run.  Amanda over at Run to the Finish  had posted a virtual Resolution Run for the start of the year so I signed mom and I up for this and we headed out to Buckeye for a free breakfast and a quick 3 miles.  It was super windy with 40 mph gusts so the first mile which featured a slow uphill and was run right into the wind was our slowest.  Mile 2 we picked up some steam and really got moving for the rest of the run as the wind was at our backs and literally pushed us back to the store.  If you ever visit Cincinnati and need running apparel think of heading over to Buckeye.  Steve is the nicest store manager and really caters to runners needs!!  Bagels, muffins, fresh fruit, mimosas, red wine, and more greeted us once we got inside so between drinking and shopping we had a great New Years morning.  Hope everyone else enjoyed their holidays and had a wonderful New Years....our journey continues in 2012!