Preppy Runner – Theodora Blanchfield

(If you’re new here, you might want to check out my newly updated About page or my weight loss page. If you’re not new…well, carry on!)

Jess said it best: “It’s these sort of things I never in a million years would have predicted would happen when I started writing a blog.”

What sort of things, you ask?

This afternoon, I got an email about inviting me to a Fitness magazine class at Soul Cycle with Olivia and Hannah from the Biggest Loser.

Of course I jumped all over this. I’d only been to Soul Cycle once before. This class was free. The Biggest Loser winner (and her sister) would be there. Blog buddies would be there. Done.

So I sort of ignored the fact that I had a rest day on my schedule today. (I swear, I’ve never done that. I’m usually so so happy to take a rest day, but I figured it wasn’t every day that I got asked to a class that the Biggest Losers would be at.) I ignored the fact that my stomach felt like it was ripping itself apart after having coffee and vitamins this morning, which apparently is a toxic cocktail for my sensitive stomach.

The studio set-up in Soul Cycle is relatively similar to Equinox and other gyms’ spin studios: bikes, facing the instructors. (Groundbreaking, I know.) What’s different: there are cute little candles in front of the instructor and one of the water bottle holders, there are two one-pound weights. I know that sounds like nothing, but when you’re mostly through a spin class and you have to pick up these little weights and do high reps, one pound feels like 50.

I haven’t spun in a while, so when the Soul Cycle dude offered to help me set up my bike, I figured it couldn’t hurt to make sure I had proper form and stuff.

I have proper form? Sweet. Why don’t you take a picture? By the way, I honestly didn’t realize that backdrop until I posted this picture.

The class was 45 minutes of fairly intense spinning. I didn’t know the first few songs and was in sort of a bad mood until Jenny, the instructor, started playing Backstreet Boys. Within seconds, I was smiling and mouthing “Backstreet’s back–alright!” There was a lot of push-up action on the bike and up-and-down action. It was a good class, but I think it was a little much for my marathon-training-fatigued body. I haven’t taken a rest day since last Tuesday, and my body felt it. I’m really sore already.

But I got an awesome picture with a bunch of sweaty bloggers, Fitness mag staffers and readers and the two Biggest Loser sisters, so it was worth it.

Smaller group shot. Better.

Even better? A shot of just me and Jess. I love Jess, and I’m always excited to see her at blogging events.

So, I haven’t been posting my food recently for a few reasons: it’s boring, it’s been definitely on the more unhealthy side lately (yeah, training for a marathon and being stressed about not having a job will do that to you. Weird.), it’s no crazy amazing creative creation.

But you know what?

I like to eat healthy food, but I usually like simple food. I have no problem with the majority of my meal being microwaved when it’s just me.

Like tonight’s meal.

Trader Joe’s roasted chicken patties.

Microwaved brown rice.

And some broccoli I also steamed in the microwave. This meal’s not pretty. It’s not fancy. But it’s nutritious and filling, and that’s enough. I can cook, I just don’t always want to. And that’s okay, too.

Oh? One more thing I never dreamed would happen from blogging?

All the press I’ve gotten. As someone who started their career as a reporter, I was used to being the press. Not getting press. It’s a weird feeling that still feels as exciting as it did the first time. (TWSS?)

Today, Glamour featured me in their series of tips from weight-loss bloggers.

Apparently they like bananas as much as I do, because I sent them a few pictures and they chose this one. I love you, too, Glamour. Many thanks to Meredith, the editor who wrote it, for such a sweet introduction. Be sure to check out the other tips from bloggers, including my buddies Liz and Beth.

What would you have never in a million years have predicted happening–through blogging or just in life?