Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String Are Overrated

posted by Front Desk Wonder @ 5:15 PM

Maybe it's just my preference for brightly colored sparkly flowers with matching ribbon or the Unabomber images the description elicits. At any rate, I don't like them and come to think of it, I don't care a whole lot for warm woolen mittens (they itch) or schnitzel and noddles (I'm a veg). So, I've made up my own list of favorites (people are excluded, as I have far too many):

Honey Oatmeal Shampoo and Conditioner
Cleansing, moisturizing and with the perfect amount of fragrance, this stuff really makes my showers something to anticipate. Without the annoying overpowering aroma of so many bath products, the subtle scent is pleasant yet strong enough to last long after my legs have given out to Kurt's calls for a higher rpm.

Peanut Butter Crunch and Mocha Biogenesis Bars
Hey, we don't call 'em crack for nothin'.

Monkey Rings
I'm sure they have a proper, technical name but since I prefer to swing from them like a crazed Spider, this title seems most appropriate.

Rhapsody
Some may prefer the old favorite playlists stored in Windows Media Player or the complete randomness that comes with Pandora, but I'm a loyal Rhapsody fan. All I have to do is type in "Christmas Music" and a whole plethora of holiday hits come up. Elvis, New Kids, Frank, Bowie...I can't wait until December 25th! I may even have to give it a practice run before then, you know, for quality control. Right now seems like a pretty good opportunity...

The Chandelier
It's pretty and in my view almost the entire time I'm working. It sparks memories of The Phantom of the Opera, a reference that in turn makes me feel cultured and refined. Until I remember that my idea of highbrow living is adding spinach to my foot-long Subway Veggie Delite.

Striped Classroom Floor
Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but the alternating bands of color are great for separating bursts of high knees and heel kicks while traversing the floor's surface. The straight lines are also great for helping me know where to place my knees in Hardcore when we do those spin-your-toe-to-the-side-and-lunge-but-don't-let-your-knee-go-over-your-toe things. Man, I love those.

Germ-Free Zones
I may keep my Brooks tightly laced (subjecting others to the wonderful aroma they enclose might just cost me my job), but I appreciate that others do not. I've heard that the benefits of exercising barefoot are plentiful and since we run around in a place of cutting-edge, intelligent training, it makes sense. And thus, so does our upholding of stellar cleaning services.

Vegetarian Wrap
Intimidating in its burrito-esque grandness, this wrap is packed with fresh veggies, beans and some special lovin' (you will not find the last item on the ingredients list, but I assure you it's there.) A great post-workout treat, the wrap is refreshing and satisfying without making me feel like I'm going to explode twenty minutes after inhaling its every last bite.

Lack of Windows
It may seem like a real disadvantage to some, but let's be honest, with windows it's a lose-lose situation. Staring out at clear sunny skies would be a total tease and avoiding glimpses of dreary downpour would be downright depressing. So, I'd much rather be confined to my own little ZUM box, where the environment is always pleasant with a 98% chance of perfection.

This is just the beginning. My list of happy heart-makers could go on and on, and I'm sure it will as my time here continues and discoveries of new amenities unfold. How fortunate am I? What luck to have a running tally of favorites to recall and be grateful for should a moment of discontent strike, say, when the dog barks, or the bee stings, or I'm feeling sad.

Back on the Trail

posted by lydz @ 8:15 AM

Wow, I am walking on air this morning after my massage at ZUM with Judy last night. 

All week long I have been limping around, stretching out my hip/butt every chance I got, rolling on a ball or foam roller between clients, and finding every active stretch I could think of. 

Last night, with the expert helping hands of Judy I am pain free and loving how my body feels. 

My love for the outdoors and mountain biking sometimes has its consequences and my hip was telling me that all week after a brutal mountain bike ride on some of Washington's most technical bike terrain. 

I was not only gripped for survival as I was climbing and descending the trails, I was also getting off and on my bike more times than my body was used to. Every time I got off my bike I planted my left foot and hiked my right leg up and over my bike as I prepared to push my bike up steep, root ridden slopes that were too technical and steep for me to climb. 

As Judy worked all the muscles in my hips I was reminded of how hard I was working on that ride without even thinking about it. Of course as I was climbing uphill I was thankful for all the cross training like running and hundreds of variations of  lunges and squats,  but as I was descending I wasn't thinking about anything except for my line down. Its kind of an active meditation, your going so fast you cant think about form or what muscles you are working. 

Everything just comes together, all the hard work that is put in. It is so nice to have your body there for you in times like this, so your mind can focus on just getting down and drift from the other daily thoughts that fill our time up.

It is also so nice to have people like Judy available for massage to help guide the body to a happy place.

Feeling Raptastic about the Urban Adventure Race

posted by Front Desk Wonder @ 4:38 PM

Yo, my name is L.Boogie and I'm here to say
We're gonna raise a ruckus this Saturday

At ZUM's hella-fun Adventure Race
So you better put on your baddest face

Cuz it's a mix of smarts and physical stuff
Tons of awesomeness that's just enough

To make this event the best day ever
You'll be feeling strong and mighty clever

If racing's not your thing, you can still party
Just come with an appetite that's nice and hearty

For food, prizes, dance and tons of cheer
And perhaps the best part - vodka and beer

But we all know the true highlight is
All the little Treehouse foster kids

That'll receive this year's race proceeds
To better their lives and support their needs

So come one, come all this Saturday mornin'
If you don't, you'll have to answer to Lauren

Word

*******
If you give me one dollar, I'll give you a live performance.

Final Friday Hardcore. Funky and Fresh.

posted by JonnyBoy @ 5:36 PM

Hello, ZUMsters!
I'm teaching my last Hardcore this Friday at 12:30 before I depart for Santa Monica and would love to see everyone's smiling face turn red with effort for the last time. Funky Final Friday Hardcore will be an intense blend of strength, aerobic and anaerobic challenges fitted with a driving beat of funkadelic audio. I created a sign-up on the chalk wall beside the drinking fountain because I'm limiting the class size more than the standard 20 peeps. Post your names before the class is full. I may alter the attendance limitations to accommodate supply and demand ;)

Performance Swim 1!

posted by Mo Sullivan @ 4:18 PM

Hello, ZUM'ers!

The first round of Performance Swim is completed and it was wonderful! We had a full class of 15 participants, each with different goals and swimming levels. I will admit, I was very nervous at first to coach everyone since it's the first program of it's kind at ZUM, but quickly got over that when I saw how much everyone benefited from the class. For those of you interested in taking the class, round 2 will begin around the holidays (neatly placed between the huge meals) in November and December. With the success the program has had so far, my plan is to hold class for 6 weeks, twice a year (summer and winter) and assign workouts in between for those dedicated to their pool time!

If you're curious about what happened in class, it went a little something like this: Arrive at Ballard Pool at 9:15 AM for a "dry land" workout, comprised of abdominal exercises, shoulder mobility exercises, and spine exercises. At 9:30 AM we all jumped into the water for a brief warm up, followed by swimming drills to iron out everyone's stroke. Toward the end of class we do pull sets (with buoys and paddles) to increase our pull strength, and kick sets. On the last day of class at Ballard Pool we played a big game of water polo, which was an insanely great workout and will certainly be added to PS round 2 on a more regular basis! The final class was held outdoors at Madison Beach where we tackled open water swimming technique and triathlon tips.

My goal with this new program at ZUM is to teach everyone that desires to swim how much fun it is, and how to make it a safe and rewarding workout. I expect the beginners and technique-oriented few will swarm the first few rounds of class, but ultimately I think we should start a TEAM! Maybe we can even reserve 2 hours of pool time and hold beginner swim first and the performance swim in hour two...

What can I say? I love the smell of chlorine in the morning :).

Urban Adventure Race

posted by Front Desk Wonder @ 2:25 PM

I thought about making some elaborate post that was sprinkled with subliminal messages but that's just too much work. Here's to overtness:

SIGN UP FOR THE URBAN ADVENTURE RACE!

Why? I'll tell you why.

-It's for a great cause - foster children.
-You get a cool commemorative t-shirt that will make all your friends jealous.
-Strategy + physicality + wit = the most fun you'll have all summer.
-Amazing prizes that may be kept or re-gifted as the most amazing present ever to your nearest and dearest this holiday season.
-Post-race booze and food for members and non-members alike!
-You get to stare in wonder at the staff as they put on their special performance.
-Spandex is not a requirement.

Snaps To You Swimmers!

posted by Front Desk Wonder @ 1:35 PM

I can't get enough of this heat. Perhaps it's because of my Midwestern upbringing and the countless stifling summers I had to endure, where temperatures hover well into the nineties with heavy humidity hanging in the air. It's the type of environment that makes breathing a chore, when no amount of showering will ever make you feel completely clean. It was a seasonal hell I lived for eighteen years. Without air conditioning. Somehow my parents reasoned that because we had a pool in our backyard, we had no need for refreshment indoors. They did not take into account the fact that they consistently opened the pool late (due to some lame excuse like a duck invasion or cottonwood clogging the filters) or that one could not very easily sleep or do homework (I come from a long line of nerds and spent many a summer at academic camps) whilst performing somersaults around a foam noodle. All the whining and perpetually sticky skin sunk in and my parents broke down and finally installed AC. After my sisters and I moved off to college.

Now I'm finding myself thrown into that same scenario: trying to function in an apartment that generates heat from its every square inch, being too hot to accomplish anything except take yet another shower, and sleeping with a fan one inch above my face. I thought a move to the Pacific Northwest would cease such activities but just like I thought I'd never have to scrape ice off another car, Seattle has proven me wrong.

Despite the fact that I feel like I'm back in Ohio, one enormous distinction has made it very clear that I am not: the plethora of natural swimming holes. The closest I ever came to Cleveland-hugging Lake Erie was when my family would go on annual fishing trips and I'd stand three feet from it's murky edge. After reeling in line after walleye-less line, I deemed the brown-green water toxic and unlivable. It was this recollection that made me shudder when last Sunday a friend asked if I wanted to counter the oppressive heat by cooling off at Madison Park Beach. "What, like swim in the lake?" I asked. Her response was something to the effect of, "Duh."

So I went. And my understanding is that many of you did as well, for one final dip with Mo in her Performance Swim Class. What a feat! You took on boat-induced waves, darting fish, nebulous vision and kids in floaties to traverse Lake Washington. Talk about a killer workout!

In a nostalgic urge to recapture my youth, I decided I HAD to go off the floating dock diving board; the short distance to the ladder alone was tiring. Granted, I was wearing a tankini that was probably as old as my last cannonball success, which resulted in a lot of one-armed freestyle: one hand sculling an exaggerated "S" pattern, the other clenching on to my baggy bottoms. Even if I had encompassed the foresight to forgo the ill-fitting suit, it still would have been a challenge. Which is exactly why I'm commending you all right now. Your body may have been sore the next day but I'm sure it will be thanking you in the end. And if that was your first time swimming in open water, I hope it's not also your last. It certainly wasn't mine! I can't wait to get in more beach time. Maybe I'll even dig out my old Speedo... and see if it has any elastic left before diving into the fun headfirst.