getting my 7AM Sweat on: Things I never thought I'd say

6:15 AM my alarm goes off.
Is this an accident? a terrible mistake when I was setting my alarm?
Nooooope. I sorta wish.
This is my "time to sweat" alarm. I am actually going to get up and go to the gym while it is still dark out. When did I become this crazy?????
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One day over winter break, I had the brilliant idea to become a morning exerciser. In the various fitness blogs I read, bloggers always talk about waking up super early, working out and feeling fabulous for the rest of the day. So I decided, hey, I can do that too. and o-m-g, crunch offers some classes at that god awful hour.
Winter break was the baby steps to this brilliant idea-- if I can wake up at 8:30AM every single day all break to drive 20 minutes away to the gym when those were my only plans for the day, I can totes wake up at 6:15AM, walk 2 blocks, and work out before an action packed college day.
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Have I been successful in these first 2 weeks of school? Yes, and well no.
But I HAVE made it to one 9:30AM Cardio Groove, one 7AM conditioning, and TWO (YES TWO) 7AM yoga classes. Thats like, more yoga that I've done like ever, and all at 7 AM.
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Do I feel fabulous after waking up super early and working out? I'm gettin' there! I am surprised at the fact that I don't feel tired considering I woke up while it was still dark, and while some college kids are still procrastinating on facebook. I am shocked at how much I have enjoyed the early morning yoga class-- I generally detest yoga, but this teacher and his style really work for me, and cause me a minimal amount of wrist and joint pain. I leave there feeling awesome, and oh so ready for starbucks chai and 9AM dance class.

conditioning at 7AM was a bit more of a struggle and shock to my body, but I still got a good work out. Since I had woken up so early, it also gave me loads of time to take a shower, actually look like a functional person for class, AND go food shopping at Whole Foods when the line was short--- all before a full day of classes followed by a broadway show at night
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Conclusion? It is early in the semester still, but I'm lovin' this early morning sweating. It is a great way to kick start my day, and it free up my night. If i have rehearsal, or tickets to see a show, or life gets in the way at night, its all good-- cuz I already sweated it out in the morning.

A bonus? its rather peaceful and lovely to see manhattan eerily quiet, and motivating to see Union Square Crunch bustling with energy from other crazies like me

Kayla in the Suburbs: Socializing while you Sweat

me and my super tall, wonderful and pink clad gym buddies Sarah & Annica

I'm used to working out alone. As much as I love going to the gym and get obsessed with certain trainers and classes at Crunch, its hard to feel motivated to sweat when I just wanna sit around and watch Modern Family. 

Over this break I experienced for the first time true gym-buddies. Almost every day the three of us pictured above in obnoxious pink, would coordinate what classes we wanted to take (basically zumba, zumba and more zumba). Afterwards we would go out for lunch or dinner, and then sit down for an extremely long time at someone's house, exhausted from our gym-tivs.

I've never had gym buddies before, but I must say it's pretty awesome and I recommend it.

Perks of having gym buddies:

-- Going to the gym can feel like a hassle, and like I'm missing out on plans with my friends. By going to the gym with two of my closest friends, I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything.

-- I'm a bit terrified of swimming and avoid the water at the gym. If i had to pass the deep water class at day camp, I'd probably fail miserably. However, my two gym buddies are certified life guards and enjoy water classes. Going with them encouraged me to go to Aqua Zumba-- a hilarious and awesome variation of my beloved dance class.... And I felt super safe with even more life guards near by.....

-- I'm not a morning person, at all, but making plans to work out at 9AM with friends makes it worthwhile to wake up. There was someone to hold me accountable because I let them down if i decided to sleep in. It was nice when I felt like the only college student awake that early to get text messages from the other two while we got ready for super early morning aqua zumba

-- we soon made all our plans revolve around our favorite gym classes. during the summer we used to go out for dinner with all our friends every wednesday, but our favorite zumba class was on wednesday nights so we had dinner on tuesday instead.

-- we also knew when to split up, we loved taking group fitness classes together, but also knew when to do our own thing. Sometimes they would swim in the lap pool, and i would pretend I could swim in the shallow pool. We worked on different things in the weight room, but generally met up again to go in the hot tub or out to eat after.

-- because we were a mini group, we met other people as well. The first day of zumba we didn't know anyone, but now we've met a bunch of people who are as obsessed as we are.

-- the instructors started to recognize us and give us feedback since we travelled in a pack and were younger than most regulars. 

Sadly, Annica already went back to college in Pennsylvania, and I only have one more day of gym-tivs with Sarah, but we will be back at club fit, making friends with everyone, and being obnoxious soon enough.

I'm surprised actually how awesome of a winter break I've had when it's been pretty low-key and I've barely left New York State. I kept on track with my fitness goals, utilized both my gym memberships, and enjoyed mixing sweating with socializing.

I'm gonna miss having gym buddies and allowing my social life to revolve around Club Fit

A Love Letter for Flying Trapeze

I have tried to put into words my love for trapeze on multiple occasions. When I realized that this weird activity I did was more than a phase I even tried to make a theater piece about it.
Its nearly impossible to put into words an activity that I love so much, that has transformed my body and mind, and made my college experience what it is, but here is a lame attempt.

For starters, yes, I do trapeze.

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I actually don't remember much about my first flying experience. I was 4 years old on vacation at Club Med in Ixtapa, Mexico.

Was it love as first fall? Quite the opposite.

I was terrified as any four year old could be. You would think I was still scarred from that experience.

11 years later I decided to take the plunge again, on vacation at another club med resort.

While I was older, and a tiny bit less afraid, I was still far from comfortable, or even remotely good.

I continued to get more comfortable and a little bit less afraid of flying and flew on vacation for the rest of high school

My first ever catch in Cancun, senior year of high school.

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Its hard to describe the sensation, but flying is freeing. While you are up there, you cannot think about anything except for the trick you are doing and what your body needs to do in order to execute that trick.

For a girl that spends a lot of time over thinking and analyzing, I realized that flying was a way I could be free of this overactive brain.

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I flew at Trapeze School New York for the first time at the end of my senior year with a friend from vacation. I had just been accepted to NYU and was thrilled that I would be able to do trapeze while in college.

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it took me until the end of freshmen year at NYU to return, but once I did I was hooked. I went back the next day, and signed up for a 10 week intensive in the fall.

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That first 10 week intensive set in stone my love for trapeze, and introduced me to my best friend Samantha.

during that fall semester I looked forward to every Thursday, learning a new trick, jumping a little bit higher, and learning how to let go.

Its amazing, really, but I find that the critiques I get at theater school about not being able to let go and being tense directly correlates with what happens while flying.

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At the end of that 10 week intensive I had fallen in love with the throbbing hand pain, the chalk and the adrenaline rush so continued to fly weekly.

I began to gain strength-- mentally i had a new sense of what I was capable of as a person, and physically, well my arms and back didn't look to bad either.

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I signed up for more 10 week intensives, and began to meet more and more people, in love with the adrenaline rush. Since arriving at college I have felt out of place, but here I found my clique. Although I am the baby of the Thursday group (I have been a devoted thursday flyer now for over two years), age doesn't matter. job doesn't matter, background doesn't matter. Its about coming together and seeing what we can do. These people are amazing and inspiring

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Thursday is still my favorite night of the week, and when I don't get to fly my week doesn't feel complete. The group has expanded, and all of us have progressed immensely in our skills. We have theme nights where I get to finally live out my college dream of theme parties.

While my college experience at NYU has been less than typical, because I decided to attend this university in manhattan I have been able to pursue my love of flying. 

At trapeze school new york I have found a safe haven where nothing can harm me. No matter how stressed I am, everything is better when I'm covered in chalk.

I am so grateful I decided to come to this college where I can fly weekly.

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My hands may be permanently calloused, my wrist destroyed, and I fractured my pinky on a catcher once, but I freaken love trapeze and i love these people.

So i encourage everyone to face their fears and take the plunge. 

there is nothing more freeing than the sensation of flying.

(and the back muscles rock too)

and unlike in life, there will always be someone there to catch you when you fall. if not, there's always a safety net (my carrie bradshaw moment...)