As a NYC Fit Week ambassador, I’ll be helping to kick things off at The Fhitting Room next Monday at 7 a.m. (because, seriously, who needs coffee when you have Emily?!).  There are still a few spots left, so, I’d love to see you there.  And, check out the full schedule including cult favorites like Brooklyn Bodyburn, intenSati and 3o5 Fitness.

Once you’ve selected your favorites, use code StrengthSole10 to receive 10% off all NYC Fit Week classes.  Enjoy and thanks for your support!

Class experience and head-to-toe look provided by SIX:02.
(Reebok pineapple pants are also available at select SIX:02 stores, find yours here.)
As always, all thoughts/opinions expressed are my own.

The catch? You can book four classes at any given studio from the 1st to the 31st.  So, if you’re a die-hard cyclist and prefer Peloton, once you’ve redeemed four classes there, you’ll have to spin elsewhere.  But, for those of us who seek out something new, it’s an effective way to sample a range of activities at in-demand studios like Mile High Run Club, Nalini Method, The P.E. Club and Xtend Barre.

I used FitReserve to try a range of classes that were new to me, like cycling at CLAY in Union Square and Core Fusion at Exhale Gansevoort. I tend to work out in the morning vs. evening, so, I had little trouble booking at my ideal start time, another common gripe among passport holders. My take? Try it. You might like it. Log on here to learn more.

And, because we New Yorkers are always up for a collective community-based challenge, it should come as no surprise that 100 tickets to Union Square’s Sweat Fest sold out in just nine minutes! The neighborhood’s first annual celebration of fitness kicked off with a party at JackRabbit Sports and featured classes led by instructors like Andia Winslow at Athleta and KGBody’s Katherine Greiner at Bandier.  

Here, a few photos from the fun and stay tuned for more spring festival updates: Sweaty Saturday on Saturday, March 21 and NYC Fit Week from May 11-16.

Tonight, it was alive and in action in front of the iconic Flatiron building, where a few of the city’s hottest instructors and fitness bloggers gathered for the official #NYCFitWeek selfie.

The brainchild of She’s the First, a non-profit dedicated to girls’ education, and Emily Cook Harris, founder of EMpowered personal training and Racked Hottest Trainer in 2013, NYC Fit Week is rallying boutique studios and fitness fans to pay it forward by sweating for the cause.  100% of proceeds from 16 classes at many of NYC’s most popular studios including 305 Fitness, Flywheel, The Fhitting Room and Uplift Studios this week will go toward helping girls around the world become the first in their families to graduate.

The fun is already underway, so book now!  And, show us your sweaty selfie in front of the Flatiron or around town after class by tagging #NYCFitWeek.

Featured in photo, clockwise: Emily Cook Harris (EMpowered NYC), Julia Avery (The Fhitting Room & average2athlete), Dyan Tsiumis (SWERVE), me and Jaclyn Sklaver (FitmissNYC).

It was Heroes Row the Harlem, the first annual crew race between NYC’s finest: NYPD vs. FDNY. The event was hosted by the non-profit Row New York, which teaches underprivileged kids to row competitively, in partnership with the festival and one of my favorite fitness studios Row House.

After the race (P.S. my firemen smoked the cops!), we got in on the action, hopping aboard a training barge docked at Peter J. Sharp Boathouse, Row New York’s home base in the Harlem River, with a coach who taught us the ABCs of crew in just over an hour. It’s MUCH more complicated on the water than on an erg and a different experience, altogether.

When the yachts cruised by at high speeds, we were suddenly drenched in their wake and for me, there was no escape–I got the worst of it.

So, I was happy to be in Sperry H2O Escape sneakers. As our coach said, “It IS a water sport.” Ships ahoy!

Sneakers provided by Sperry; all thoughts/assessments are my own.

Want to pitch a tent and sleep under the stars in Brooklyn?  Or, learn how to surf in the Rockaways?  And, did you know that Staten Island is NYC’s greenest borough? Take a hike at Wolfe’s Pond Park where birds, wildflowers and mushrooms abound.

June 4th is National Running Day and to celebrate one of my favorite sports, I’ll be leading a 5-mile loop of Hudson River Park with pro runner Eliud “Heldy” Ngetich. He grew up running through the mountains of Kenya, traveling distances of up to 150 miles as the family’s messenger. His story is unsettling and amazing, and, I’m humbled to partner with such an accomplished athlete and Olympic hopeful.  After the run, we’ll gather at Tent & Trails downtown to re-fuel and talk more with Eliud.  Register here.

In New York, there are lots of opinions about everything, from politics to polenta. But, one thing is for sure: OutdoorFest will be the most rockin’ way to kick off summer in the city. See you there!

Seriously, though, a few cool things seen & heard over the weekend that I can’t wait to share with you:

1) There’s a new fitness app coming to town and it’s called SportSetter.  You input data like where you live and work, what types of exercise you enjoy and your availability, and the app curates a highly-personalized fitness program, complete with 2-4 class passes at gyms and boutique studios per month.  You can also join forces with friends to make the experience more social, both online and off.   I’m interested to see how it differs from the other passport programs that we already know and love.  Click here to be notified when the app is ready for download!

2) Have you tried a FlyBoard?  I hadn’t.  It looks like a skinny snowboard with edges that curve up toward the sky, born from the Italian BodyFly technique centered around postural alignment and balance.

More info and photos to come (I’m curious), but, judging from my first encounter, I could totally see it popping up at gyms and studios everywhere this year.  It’s strangely soothing.  And, maybe you’ll even find me on one of these in my apartment, while talking on the phone or answering emails.  Stationary standing desks are so 2013.

3) When you hear the name Reebok, you might think of fluorescent high tops or the super-sized fitness space on NYC’s Upper West Side.  Now, the brand is a publisher, too.  The first edition of RALLY (available as both a print book and e-mag, which you can download here) was floating around the event, featuring fitness industry influencer profiles and stylishly sweaty action shots. Plus, of course, a few of those signature colorful, can’t-miss high tops.

High fives to readers Elyse and Liza for joining me.  Hope that you both had fun and here’s to more STRENGTH+Sole “socials” this year!

Want to attend a STRENGTH+Sole event?  Comment below and I’ll add you to my list.

Reebok RALLY images are property of the brand.

Here, pics from Thursday’s press party, where a select few of us made it through the early morning master class led by NYC’s fittest: Sadie Kurzban – ((305)) Fitness, Erica Giovinazzo – BRICK CrossFit, Daury Dross – The Fhitting Room, Brandon Goodman – FlyWheel & FlyBarre and Lauren Imparato – I.AM.YOU.

Because it’s always chic to sweat, especially for the cause.

The final contenders: posing with our amazing instructors, the Mio Skincare girls and Neda Talebian Funk, the co-founder of FITiST.

Product provided by Sweaty Betty & Mio Skincare; all thoughts/assessments are my own.
Photos by Willy Somma.

Ready to move it–and make a difference? Called “Fashion’s Night Out for Fitness,” NYC’s second annual Sweaty Saturday happens this Saturday, 2/22.  Dozens of NYC fitness studios will participate, some providing special gifts, live music and snacks, and all donating a percentage of proceeds from the day to Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), a childhood obesity non-profit.

A sampling of who, when, where–and what you get:

• ((305)) Fitness (Chelsea): 9am class; each purchase of ((305))’s signature “Make Sweat Sexy” tank ($32) will benefit PHA
• Barry’s Bootcamp (Tribeca): “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” themed TRX class at 5:45pm, led by instructor duo Amber & Lindsey
• BRICK CrossFit (Chelsea): 9:45am and 12:30pm BIX classes, mixing high-intensity intervals with conditioning
• Brooklyn Bodyburn (Williamsburg): 11:30am and 12:30pm classes; live DJ, Juice Press tasting and giveaway (dinner & wine pairings for two)
• City Row (Flatiron): 12:30pm Signature Row
• Cyc (Astor Place): 9:30am class
• FlyWheel: 9:30am class at UES, UWS, Flatiron & Tribeca studios
• I.AM.YOU. (Little Italy): 11am and 2pm classes; DETOX to RETOX gift bag
• SLT (Soho & Midtown): 3:30pm MENgaformer (Soho) & interval (Midtown) classes, plus a $100 donation to PHA crowns you DJ for a day–you can curate the playlist for a future class–and with a $500 donation, you get a private session for 10 of your friends
• SWERVE (Flatiron): 9:30am class
• The Tracy Anderson Method (Tribeca): Three classes open to non-members: 3:30, 4:30 and 5:30pm

Sweaty Betty, the English activewear brand, will be Sweaty Saturday’s event hub, with a series of master classes hosted at the Soho store from 9-5pm.  Click and scroll down for details.

Follow me, @FitGirlRachel, on Twitter and Instagram for live updates from Thursday’s press preview.  And, in the meantime, log on to check out the studios’ offerings and select your class.  See you on Saturday.

So, on the walk downtown, we passed by the small but sweet ice skating rink outside The Standard.

After lunch, over to Bleecker Street (aka: “Marc Jacobs Row” – the designer has taken over four separate storefronts dedicated to fashion & beauty, plus lifestyle, with Bookmarc).

This year, Santa’s workshop has a pricey satellite location at Marc Jacobs women’s boutique, where sporty caps are custom-embroidered in assembly line fashion.

Spotted: Julianne Moore and her daughter designing one.

Lights. Camera. Action. Sidewalk photo shoot, styled by Marc.

Follow the Photo Truck: @marcjacobsintl #worldofmarc

And, on the way back uptown, SantaCon in action…these guys were camera-ready, no props needed.

Just another snow day in the city…how did you spend yours?