This past Friday, my alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. to kick off Reach the Beach weekend! Our first runner was about to begin her first leg, and our team woke up bright & early to cheer her on at the start of the race!

For those of you who don’t know, Reach the Beach is a 200-mile relay race, starting in the Bretton Woods ski area and ending at Hampton Beach. A traditional team is made up of 12 runners, where each teammate runs 3 legs of the relay. I was lucky enough to be a part of New Balance’s media team #NBGirlsRunBeta with 11 other fabulous bloggers and editors.

15.1 miles run, 2 vans, lots of peanut butter, hills galore, 11 new friends, loads of laughs and 200 total miles to the beach later, I’m now back in my Boston apartment recovering and reminiscing on one of the best weekends I’ve had in a while! If you’re considering running a similar relay race or perhaps want to participate in Reach the Beach next year, here’s what you should know. (Stay tuned for a full recap on the blog soon!)

1. Pack more than enough outfits! Seriously, you are … Read More!

The past couple of months, I’ve been working on stepping outside my comfort zone in all aspects of my life.

I took part in a 5-day meditation course where I didn’t know a single sole.

I took some risks with my career….and wasn’t afraid to speak my mind.

I hosted my third New Balance Girls Night Out event in June, where I spoke in front of 75+ women.

I said no when something didn’t feel right.

And I said yes to running Reach the Beach on September 18th.

Yup, you heard that right!

What is Reach the Beach, you ask?

It’s a 200-mile relay race, starting in the Bretton Woods ski area and ending at Hampton Beach. A traditional team is made up of 12 runners, where each teammate runs 3 legs of the relay.

The funny part is my dad has been running this race for years, and I’ve just never mustered up the courage to try it myself. But what better time than now?

I won’t lie; when New Balance first approached me about this exciting opportunity, a part of me wanted to say “No.” “I’m too busy.” “Maybe next year.” “I’m not quite ready.”

But I … Read More!

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you probably recall my involvement last summer in New Balance’s Girls Night Out campaign, a night for women to socialize, sweat and have fun with their girlfriends! Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to return as a host for June’s GNO event, and I couldn’t have been more honored to dive in.

We all met at the New Balance Boston Experience Store in Back Bay to kick off the evening, and were served Essentia Water (thank goodness, it was a hot one!) and delish homemade granola bars upon our arrival.

[eek, that’s my name on there, minus the extra “R” ;)]

When I got there, I was immediately greeted by the lovely staff at Regan and New Balance, and then head straight to the back to get my TribeTats on before the girls arrived. I was super thrilled to have them as one of the sponsors, as I absolutely LOVE what their company is all about — self-expression + empowerment, baby! While all the tats were super cute (decisions, decisions!), I decided on the gold feather as they’ve always been super meaningful in my life. To me, they symbolize strength and … Read More!

This past Tuesday, I helped host the third (and final!) GNO Celebration in Boston this summer as part of New Balance’s Girls Night Out Campaign.

The theme this time around was Self Expression: Freedom to Be Fit. You can read all about my thoughts on self-expression in my blog post over here. I think this was my favorite themes yet as I’m all about encouraging women to express themselves (be it through fitness or creativity) while discovering what works for YOU and your body. After all, what works for me may not work for you or your best friend (which I’m sure you’ve heard me mention before on the blog).

In honor of the theme, each woman was able to choose their own workout for the evening: an outdoor spin with Flywheel, a signature bootcamp with Equinox or a fun 3-mile run. I helped organize and plan the 3-mile fun run (using the GNO Meetup tool), which we dubbed “Freedom Fighters Fun Run Plus.” The run was definitely hot (in the low 90s) but our group had a blast cheering one another on and stopping along the way for pics!

After sweating it out, … Read More!

Remember when last week I mentioned I’d announce the next GNO event on the blog soon? Well, my friends, I don’t break my promises.

And since I consider you officially in my social bubble of girlfriends, I wanted to give you the insider scoop. Registration for the third Boston New Balance GNO event goes live tomorrow, Monday the 7th, and ladies you won’t want to miss out. (You can scoop up your free tiks here starting tomorrow!)

The event will be held on Tuesday July 22, and is once again held at the New Balance Experience Store on Boylston St. The theme this time around? Self-Expression!

Festivities include choosing your own workout that fits your personality including a spin at Flywheel, signature Equinox class, or pre-mapped-out run utilizing the GNO Meetup app. Plus there will be music, healthy apps and cocktails to keep the party going afterward!

And if you’ve attended any of the past GNO Celebrations or read my review, you can bet New Balance has a few sweet surprises up their sleeves (like the premium gift bags each lady will take away at the end of the evening!)

If you’re itching to squeeze in … Read More!

Note: This event is now full. Please stay tuned for updates regarding additional spaces.

Remember last month when I posted about New Balance’s Girls Night Out campaign? If you missed the post, no worries you can catch it here! In short, New Balance is working to redefine the meaning of “girls night,” focusing on empowering women through fitness, socializing and simply having a good time.

And I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I’m going to be playing a part in hosting the upcoming “GNO Celebration” in Boston this month (and in July, more on that later)!

The Details

The big event will be held on Thursday, June 26th at 6 p.m and it’s 100% free of charge. Participants will meet at the New Balance Experience Store (located at 583 Boylston St in Copley Square) and then take off for a bootcamp-style workout with New Balance Fitness Ambassador Holly Perkins.

After the workout, we’ll all come together for the ultimate girls night fully stocked with appetizers, cocktails, music by BrekOne and swag bags.  Oh, and did I mention SHAPE Magazine’s fitness editor Laurel Leicht will be their sharing insights on what makes her strong?

Excellent is Strong

Speaking … Read More!

Good morning lovely ladies, hope you are enjoying all of this sunshine! I’ve been a busy bee lately and it sure has been a while since I’ve given you some serious life updates so I figured you were due for a lil recap on this Healthy Chick. Hope you enjoy and know that while I may no longer blog every day, I’m still always here to connect + answer and questions you may have!

{Wedding Planning}

Wedding planning is in full gear! Save the dates have gone out, our venue has been booked for October (our reception is held in an old rustic barn in CT) and all of our vendors have been secured. I’ve also found the most perfect plum shoes to match my bridesmaids dresses to wear on our wedding day! Oh, and my first dress fitting was last month which put me at ease after a little freak out I had that my dress was “too big!” Man, those seamstresses are amazing at their jobs. Now it’s onto the little details like finding a pretty headband, creating our invites, and collecting decor for the big day. Oh, and choosing our HONEYMOON DESTINATION!!

Speaking of weddings, J and … Read More!

If you know me well, you know I love a good, solid girls night out. There’s nothing like getting all dolled up, sipping cocktails or going out dancing (er, trying to dance) with your favorite gal pals.

Mix in a sweaty run + healthy apps + being surrounded by empowering women? Um, I’m sold.

You heard me right. This week, MA-based company New Balance launched their very own Girls Night Out campaign, bringing a refreshing new meaning to “Girls Night.” In their own words, “Less primping, more pavement pounding. Lipstick’s optional, footwear’s not.”

By signing up online you are given all the tools needed to plan your perfect “Girls Night Out” no matter where you live, or who you run with. Map your routes based on fave running hot spots, get alerts on other sweet runs going on in your area, and even share upcoming runs with your lady friends! Because, I mean c’mon, running & sweating is always better with your best friend followed by a solid catch-up sesh.

Oh, and it gets even better! This one-of-a-kind brand is actually hosting a series of special, 100% FREE “GNO Celebrations” in cities near you including our very own Beantown!

Next … Read More!