Should I?

It's time to register for the marathon. My heart is sinking with every passing week- I still can't walk much faster than a 18/min mile without pain. Every time I'm forced to pick it up, like when I've misjudged how long I have to get across an intersection, I'm rewarded with a surge of pain and soreness for the rest of the day.

I'm in a really low place.

I started the year on such a high note, loving running and loving the clarity, peace, and happiness it gave me. And now? I'm lucky if I'm able to walk 30 minutes on a treadmill at a 3.0 pace and pick up a 10 lb dumbbell for some bicep curls without wincing in pain. My next doctor appointment is next Monday- and although I'm no MD, I can tell I'm not ready to run again. That's mid-May. Absolute latest start day possible for training is July 1st--- and that would be coming at it with a zero base. Last year, I could at least run 5 miles comfortably before I started training.

Call it dramatic, call it wallowing, but I'm going to call a spade a spade- this sucks. I'm at the point now where friends glaze over when I tell them I still can't run. My boyfriend is losing patience with my whining. And yet I can't help it as I see my dream of running the NYC Marathon- 4 years in the making- slipping away for yet another year.

First CSA

I am unreasonably excited to join my first CSA! I was researching available options this morning for the Upper East Side (my new neighborhood!), but was a little discouraged at the high prices (at least the UES is consistent with their image?).

A typical CSA box (via)

But before I go into too much detail, what's a CSA?!

CSA allows city residents to have direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown locally by regional farmers.

 

When you become a member of a CSA, you’re purchasing a “share” of vegetables from a regional farmer. Weekly or bi-weekly, from June until October or November, your farmer will deliver that share of produce to a convenient drop-off location in your neighborhood. (via)

Unlike weekly shopping at a farmer's market, you pay one time at the beginning of the summer- it works out to a few dollars a week, but the upfront cost can be a bit of a shocker. The ones in the Upper East Side were in the $400-$500 range for the summer, which was just a bit too much to handle. Plus, there were no 1/2 share options- a full share is designed to feed a family of 4-5, so there would be too much waste for just an apartment of 2 people. 

But as luck would have it, I got an email today saying that my office participates in a CSA- with 1/2 share options! I'll be able to pick up my goods every week at the office coffee bar (yeah, that's a great perk- an in house barista!) and even better, for a fraction of the price I was finding for the Upper East Side CSAs!

We decided to do a 1/2 share of fruit and juice to see how it goes-I was gung-ho for the adventure of discovering 'new' vegetables and the challenge of creating new recipes, but my housemate is a little picky when it comes to vegetables. So we decided to play it safe and see how the fruit worked out, and if we liked it, we'd try vegetables in the fall. There are some other exciting choices as well- bread, meat, cheese, and honey were all additional options. I think the meat and cheese would be really great, but they were a little on the pricey side-- especially during the summer, when it's harder to plan when you'll be home to take advantage of the yumminess!

I can't wait for my first box... I wonder what will be in it! Currently dreaming of peaches! If you're looking to join a CSA, the one I signed up for through work (Local Roots) also offers pickups around Brooklyn. If you don't live in Brooklyn, visit JustFood and enter your zipcode to see your options! Happy eating :)

$32+

While I'm still sitting on the bench with my running injury, I'm thinking about my plan of attack to get stronger once I'm 100% healthy. I've been reading lots about the benefits of cross-training and strength training, both things I'm woefully bad at and know I need to incorporate into my mostly running-only exercise schedule.

But the frustrating thing is, every single cross-training or strength-building class I'm finding in NYC seems to be $32/class or higher. <pause> !!!

Ballet/Barre classes- I actually used to regularly attend Physique 57 and then became a member at Exhale for a few months (back when I thought spending over $300 a month on barre classes + a gym membership was reasonable). Drop-in classes at Physique are $36 and $37 at Exhale. Going just four times a month = over $140.

Spin classes- Soulcycle and Flywheel incorporate arm weights into the spin classes, so you get more of a full body workout than just cardio. At $34/class and $32/class they are slightly cheaper options than barre classes, but still almost as bad.

Small circuit classes- I think this is what I'm most interested in pursuing, but the prices are still so dang high! I've always been scared of the weight room at gyms and have zero motivation for circuit-style workouts on my own. Other bloggers rave about Uplift (which apparently pairs workouts with wine!) and Refine (love their infographic above, because this explains my dilemma perfectly), but classes are still $32 each.

Crossfit- I am something holy terrified of Crossfit. Two bloggers that I love (here and here) are obsessed with Crossfit, and both have banging bodies, but I am terrified that my clumsy self just won't be able to handle it. That, and I'm absolutely petrified to attempt jump boxes. Petrified. Crossfit does offer somewhat of a break with pricing at only $25 per class, but it's still a pretty penny.

I bet you're saying, but just join a gym that offers classes! Been there, tried that. NYC gyms are always PACKED and trying to join a group class is more headache than it's worth- no personal attention (which I think is important, especially if you're new) to check form, and usually, not enough room to properly perform a move.

Frustrating, right? It's a little disheartening to think that to take a few strength training classes a month it's at least an extra $100 bucks... and to see real results, it's more like $200-$300. Not for the faint of heart, and not for someone on a tight budget.

What's a girl to do?!