Cyclepath Spinning Studio

Hey there!

To begin I just want to let you all know that our hotel softball team had an impressive victory last night, I know that you were concerned so I just wanted to get that out of the way.

  Zach and I Softball    Pitcher and Shortstop reporting for duty.

To celebrate a few of us headed out to the beach to have a little bonfire and some hot dogs before the storm came in and forced us out.

Beach BonfireSandy toes on hot summer nights, what could be better?

Moving on!

Spinning isn’t something I have done frequently in life but every time I have gone to a class I always walked away so glad I did it.  It gives me that cardio without running which is a really nice change especially coming off a half marathon.  I’ve gone a few times to this great new-ish spinning studio called Cyclepath right in downtown Burlington.  I’ll admit I’ve been incredibly sporadic about going but I’ve been looking into making it more of a routine and finally found the perfect opportunity. I received an email a few days ago that they would be dropping the price on their normal monthly unlimited memberships from $120 to $60 in the summer months. To pay per class is $15 which is pretty typical for fitness classes around these parts. So I jumped on the deal immediately!

I realize that it is summer and an amazing time to take advantage of exercising outside but if you are anything like me “scheduling” a time in my busy day to then push myself can be somewhat difficult.  Plus there are days like today where the clouds opened up and God says “I hate you, Alfalfa!”

I saw an opportunity to use a Little Rascals quote and took it, sue me.

Anyway,the instructors (I’ve met 2 so far) pretty much treat you like they know you.  They seem genuinely excited that you are not only getting your spin on with them but also don’t seem to mind having a quick chat before or after class.  In the past I’ve been weirdly quiet in fitness classes. I have this odd anxiety about talking to the instructors but for some reason I never mind chatting them up for a minute or asking questions. For me, Cyclepath is basically the spin studio equivalent of Cheer’s and everyone does in fact know your name! (Minus the beer but they do have Kombucha on tap)

CyclepathSorry the picture is so grainy, gotta love that orange and white sign though!!!

Today’s lunchtime class was called InSANEterval taught by the lovely and perfectly intense Sara. The class was fast paced and flew by! She pushed hard but never overwhelmingly and always gave options in case anyone was feeling tired.  I like when I feel like the instructor is talking to me but also sort of let’s me do my own thing and she did that very well.  Also, any time work out classes are dimly lit I’m all about it. It reminds me of being at a club and sweating my butt off dancing awkwardly to the music, except not at all.

Speaking of club-like atmosphere, they let you request songs to be played during classes through their website which is a flippin’ brilliant idea! I mean personally I would lose my s*&! if “Sunglasses at Night” by Corey Hart played.  Hello Favorite Song Ever!

My only complaint was that I forgot my “real-people” workout gear and instead looked like I had just rolled out of bed in a baggy t-shirt.  I’m pretty sure there was a hole in the knee of my tights… epic fail.

Cyclepath is also Juice Box, a juice and smoothie bar that I decided would be the perfect post-class treat.  Last week after class I tried their pear, apple and kale juice and it was great- plus the girl who made it was literally one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met!  This time I went a little heavier and got the “Energizer Honey” because it had peanut butter in it and it was wicked delicious.

Energizer Honey#cubelife

I can’t wait to take advantage of their classes with this discounted membership. If you live in the Burlington area or plan on visiting soon you absolutely must make a stop at Cyclepath/Juice Box! They’ll kick your butt and then tell you you’re pretty afterwards;)

Have a happy rest of your hump day!

Burlington Wine & Food Festival

Aloha Friends!

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Burlington Wine & Food Festival located on Burlington’s gorgeous waterfront park.  This is my second year attending the festival and I could not have been more excited to return.  The tickets for the event are set at $50 which for everything you get is still a great deal however if you volunteer for a shift you are able to attend either session for free! $50 saved for 3 hours of manual labor sounds like a great plan to me.

The festival boasts over 40 wine distributors and vineyards from all over the world and an excellent selection of Vermont’s farm to table food. Vermont does such great job of not only producing incredible local fare but also promoting it especially at festivals like this one.

Lauryn, Maria and I Beautiful day with beautiful friends 🙂

Maria and IBefore we got the red wine lips…

Kyle, Lauryn and ICoworker love!

I wish I had taken more photos inside the tent but these were a few of my favorite wines (photos from their websites)

PlungerheadPlungerhead 2012 Lodi Zinfandel: I’m a sucker for a funny tag line, “Plungerhead is made with character for characters.” Plus the guy who pours it wears a plunger on his head… oh and it was delicious of course;)

FalerniaFalernia Syrah: I was really drawn to the symbols on this bottle and the gentleman who created them could not have seemed more excited to be sharing them with everyone.

As for the food Hen of the Wood never disappoints and Burlington’s newest seafood restaurant Bleu killed it on the seafood side but surprisingly enough my favorite food vendor was April’s Maple out of the Northeast Kingdom (how stereotypical Vermont of me). They don’t believe in white sugar only maple which is a cause I can definitely get behind!

April's MapleThis is their Maple Crunch Pancake Kit… holy delicious.

All in all it was a gorgeous day to be hanging out with great friends on Lake Champlain. I met a ton of new people and got to try out some incredible food and wine.  I have no doubt I’ll make it back next year to this awesome event!

Anyone attended any fun festivals lately?