reading list - kerr time.

Read of the week, this NYTimes piece, Tragedy Made Steve Kerr See the World Beyond the Court. Highly recommend....

sport it.

Maybe I am late to the party but JCrew now has a sports line and, while I will be the first to admit I am taken by anything involving stripes, color-blocking or polka dots, I am loving what they are putting out.

goooooooooooooal.

You have to watch this Messi goal from the weekend! The man is just pure genius. I don't even know how he cuts through those three defenders and I have watched this no less than ten times. Not to mention, the goal alone would have been masterful. How does he do it?! And, in case you missed it, previous Messi links here.  Hat-tip to Ben on this latest one.

spun up.

Good Monday morning people! It's officially summer. How do I know that? Ben and I slept on very separate sides of the bed last night in an active effort not to be touched because it was hot. Short story - we are getting our air conditioning checked!

On another note, Flywheel. For all of you in DC (they are also all over the country), it is worth trying out. Stephanie started instructing there this spring and I have been promising her that I would come check it out. So, a couple weeks ago, I committed to doing a class this past Sunday and Ali also joined. It was awesome. I have been slowly - baby-stepping - my way into the spinning world and Flywheel was fantastic. I am bias, but Stephanie teaches a phenomenal class and the actual building/facilities studios are great. But here is the real game-changer, at most spin studios, they prompt you to turn the nob on your bike to increase your resistance. And, I find myself always wondering if I am increasing it enough and trying to figure out if I am keeping up with the rest of the class. Not to mention, it is much easier to cheat yourself on the workout when you have no measure of whether you are challenging yourself. But at Flywheel, there is a little digital screen on your bike where you can see both the Torq and your RPMs, so the instructor is telling you where your Torq should be and giving you goals to reach on your RPM. There are also two screens at the front of the room - these are leaderboards - that show (you can opt out if you don't want to be on it) how you are competing with the rest of the class. And finally, all of your personal stats/data are collected in your profile - so you can see your improvement and track your progress over time.

Anyway, I could go on, but you get the point. I'm a big fan and you should sign up. Your first class is free (shoes are included) and they also have barre classes - though I haven't tried one yet. Let me know if you want to go - I am going to be making this a weekend tradition!

messi mania.

Holy moly. Did you all see Messi's goal last night? I think I have watched it no less than twenty times! Dear god - he is just unbelievable. Unbelievable! Here is the link to the ESPN video. After seeing so much talk about his goal this morning, I went down a rabbit hole of Messi clips - I highly recommend this for some motivation! Also, this NYTimes piece - The Burden of Being Messi is a fantastic read and a good reminder that we should all remember to appreciate and love Messi not just when it is a World Cup year!

dean does it again.

You know what makes my day, this kind of news about Dean Smith leaving $200 for all his players for "a dinner out".  In my ongoing tribute to Dean Smith - this only makes him even higher on my list of people I wish I had had lunch with...what an amazing man!

p.s. I thought that I had posted this amazing ESPN profile of Dean Smith, Precious Memories, last go around - but apparently I forgot - my apologies! You should read this. Or print it out and save it for your next plane flight - I promise you will thank me!

dean time.

Yesterday was a sad day. Dean Smith died. For those who don't know, Smith is the legendary and beloved North Carolina basketball coach.  Dean Smith has always ranked on my top 8 list of people I want to have lunch with. Yes, in part, because I wanted to hear his Michael Jordan stories but also because his coaching style was brilliant and inspiring. And his background, story and his well documented activism on behalf of civil rights, gay rights and so much more would have made that lunch-date incredible. RIP Dean Smith...when my kids end up playing sports, I promise to invoke "Dean Time" in your honor and they will always be on time. This Mother Jones piece is a short and sweet tribute to him...

classpass.

Are you all on ClassPass? Have you heard of it? Tried it? I just put myself on the list and I am intrigued. It basically allows you to sign up for unlimited classes at various studios for class workouts. If indeed it is full access to classes, I am pretty psyched since this will help vary up workouts and save money!

the summitts.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love Tennessee women's basketball through and through. This started very early. I adore Pat Summit. I started following Candace Parker when she was in 8th grade. I was borderline obsessed with Chamique Holdsclaw and still occasionally check in on Tamika Catchings. And, I won't stand to have anything UConn or Auriemma related in our house or near me. I was devastated by Summit's diagnosis two years ago- not just because of the actual diagnosis but because she had so many years left to coach and for her legacy. So, earlier this week when I saw that 60 minutes did a feature on Tyler Summit, we spent 20 minutes trying to hunt it down online a couple of nights ago. I finally got to watch it today and I actually cried watching it. Besides having watched him grow up on tv on the sidelines of his mother's games, and besides the fact that he is Pat's son, he is just impressive on his own. Always a Volunteers fan but now I'll also have my eye on the Lady Techsters. Great stuff. This is great great stuff. You should watch.

lebron.

I have had some choice words about Lebron during the last 4 years. But I will be the first to say, I just read his annoucement and pulled a 180. Not simply because he made the right decision but this is one of the more thoughtful, honest and real decisions with explanation that I have seen. LeBron - you just won me back.

olympic prep.

Who's excited for the Olympics? I am! So excited. I just realized we have to get our new tv mounted asap for this - we are less than a month out people! Anyway, if you aren't excited yet, read this profile piece from the NYTimes on Mikaela Shiffrin (credit to Ben for sending along!). Can't wait, can't wait...

barre.

I am at a fitness cross-roads. I am debating whether I should join a gym or if I should do combined pilates/barre classes. I need some regimen to add to regular runs. I am in fine shape but not great shape and want to kick it into high gear for the next year or two. There are a lot of logistical pros and cons for both options that I won't bore you all with but I have to make a decision soon - my personal deadline I set for myself is September 25th.  I am headed to Pure Barre here in DC on Thursday to check out their class and decide if I like it. I will be sure to report back on it but in the meantime, if you have thoughts/suggestions - let me know!

runners high.

Ben and I went for a short run this morning and I took some pictures along the way (good excuse for a breather!). We ran along the Metropolitan Branch Trail and I loved it. The trail is 8 miles and runs from Union Station up to Silver Spring and it follows the B&O Railroad running alongside the tracks north of NoMa. It was a beautiful morning and I really enjoyed a new route for a change of pace and scenery and the trains running through it...

pure michigan.

If Michigan wins tonight, I lose the office pool. Mind you, the Secretary's pool. I'm one of the last three standing. With that said, Go Blue. Go Blue. Go Blue!!!

up.

Jordan was telling me about these bracelets, UP. He has one and also got one for my Dad. It tracks your activity, beeps when you have been sedentary for too long, tracks your sleeping, moods, eating and more. It sounds really cool and kind of maps your rhythms so you can maximize your energy and figure out what might be slowing you down. It is the kind of thing you really have to check out their website to get an idea for just how cool it is. I am tempted to give it a go...

go blue.

You better be watching tonight and backing Michigan. The team. The team. The team.