Fitness

Heard the controversy over the ING NYC Marathon? Non-running New Yorkers are up in arms about it. They're saying resources are being misused for "entertainment's sake"...that a marathon during survival mode is unnecessary and disrespectful. The NY Post is so anti-marathon they won't cover any of the amazing runner stories or charities tied to the race. Instead, the Post is bad-mouthing it.

People are PISSED...and I don't blame them. But I still don't think the marathon should be canceled. 40,000+ runners from all over the world including myself are laced up and ready to go. I believe the show must go on! Here's why...

1. Because it sends out a message to the rest of the country and the world that New York City will survive, rebuild and be stronger than ever.

 It's an attitude...a state of mind...A GOAL.

2. Because it's freakin' positive! The race will inject our city with good spirit and solidarity.

3. Because exercise relieves stress and makes the...

I've been training for the ING NYC Marathon for a month...

I've given up my weekends for 7AM training runs and surrendered to the aches, pains and insatiable hunger that all come with marathon training. But it hasn't been all torture. I've gained something huge--the opportunity to immerse myself in yoga. My plan was to do a lot of yoga for stretching and pain relief but what I found is that it improved my running performance as well as my romantic life.

The more yoga I did in between my runs, the longer and faster I could run during my training. I definitely felt less sore, physically exhausted and mentally stressed as long as I could fit 2 to 3 yoga sessions into my week. It's been incredible and if I ever run another marathon again after November 4th (this year's ING NYC Marathon date), I will without a doubt train the same way.

So you're probably wondering what all this has to do with SEX...

You might be familiar with Briohny Smyth...and you may have watched some...

Normal or Not?

Before I met them, I'd never guess that Karena and Katrina from Tone It Up would be anything close to normal. For crying out loud (as my Grandma would say), they're beach babes! They probably walk down the street with an entourage of hecklers and panty-shot prone photographers. Could these girls, featured in countless magazines and known online globally as the Tone It Up Girls, really be normal?

That's what I wanted to find out because word on the fitness scene was that Bravo had been scouting them for a show. Luckily, I got to meet and hang with Karena and Katrina over the summer and find out more about their journey, including how they found each other and where they're going next. I interviewed them on the red carpet at Pedal On The Pier in Santa Monica...

...and then spent a weekend with them as part of Oakley Women's Perform Beautifully experience in Napa Valley, California.

Being in the fitness world (which can be as caddy and...

Q.Where are you two from? You both seem like true Cali girls.
A.
Karena: I’m from Indiana and Katrina’s from New Hampshire! I think it’s hard for anyone to live in California and not get a little sea salt in their hair and wear flip flops every day.

Q.How’d you two meet? What spurred Tone It Up once you became friends?
A.
Karena: We met at Equinox! I was training for a triathlon and had a shoot coming up. Katrina was a trainer and asked me for my number to train me. We realized we were neighbors and started hanging out. It was like we knew each other our whole lives. 

Almost immediately we started Tone It Up. We wanted it to be a blog where girls like us could come support one another to be fit and healthy.

Q.Is having a sexy beach body the core concept of Tone It Up?
A.
Katrina: When Karena and I first started TIU we didn’t really know what it would turn into. We wanted to promote healthy living, balance and fun, so when we started doing videos...

Makeup CAN motivate your fitness routine!

I'm expecting a lot of hater-ation on this post because most women tell me they would NOT wear makeup to the gym. But, I personally believe in putting your best face forward for fitness, whether you're at the gym, on a run or in a class. 

I'm not implying that you need to have a full face of makeup to break a sweat. I'm just sayin' that a little of the right kind of makeup goes a long way. I like the even skin tone, color and dimension that makeup gives my face. I'm no beauty queen without it, but feel like one when I'm done up!

Check out the products that we used to make the video you just watched. 

Here's the makeup we used and where you can get it:

Tinted Skin Perfector: Maybeline Dream Fresh BB Cream Sheer Tint

Eyeshadow Base/Primer: Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Eye Brow Pencil: Too Faced Brownies Browne-y

Lengthening Mascara:  Loreal Double Extend (waterproof)

Lip Stain:...

Women's fitness fashion is exploding with competitive players.

And it's pure nirvana for me to witness! Brands that typically weren't recognized as being fashion forward enough for style-minded women are finally getting in the game. One that I must point out is Under Armour. They've been under the radar for women for some time (unless you played a sport in high school or college and wore their team gear), but they're changing that. They're making edgier apparel that doesn't flash you back to the locker room.

I recently attended a cool Under Armour event hosted by Exhale Spa and The Glam Network at NYC's downtown Gansevoort Hotel. I was invited to preview and test out Under Armour's newest collection (which I was already privy to) and to find out more about their recently launched What's Beautiful Campaign (#WhatsBeautiful).

The best part was that I got to test out everything in a Core Fusion Bootcamp class. I must admit, I love Core Fusion DVDs but I'm...