The Recurring Resolution: 5 Ways to Stay Fit and Healthy in SF
Twenty-ten is finally upon us. (And yes, I have been corrected by NAGG that the proper way of saying 2010 is “twenty-ten” and not “two-thousand-ten”.) And I can’t help but to be part of the millions of Americans who have the following item on their new years resolution list: Get Healthy and Fit or something along those lines.
So in honor of our new year, and everyone’s favorite resolution, I have created the top five ways to stay healthy and fit this year, on a budget. Just because 2009 has passed, we can’t forget about our bundling economy.
1) Friday Night Skate
I am sure you have seen this around the city once or twice. Its a group aka madness of people who skate (both in-line and rollers). They meet every Friday night in Ferry Plaza around 8:45 pm. The actual skating event begins promptly at 9 pm. It is a great way to have fun, while staying healthy and fit. Well, that is, if you don’t partake in the heavy drinking that usually follows the event. Its free for everyone and anyone.
2) Mission Cliffs Climbing and Fitness
Tired of the old, mundane gyms? San Francisco is home to many unique gyms and studios for people to work out in. One of which is the Mission Cliffs Climbing and Fitness Center in Portrero Hill. If you are looking for an exhilarating and fun workout, then this is the place for you. Their indoor rock climbing wall is one of the highest walls you will find anywhere. They also offer yoga classes, performance cycling, and weight and cardio machine rooms. Day passes cost $18 (after 3pm and on weekends). And if you are feeling overzealous and want to become a member, now is the time to do it. They are waiving the $100 initiation fee if you join this month (January).
3) Lyon Street Steps
I talked about in a previous post and I can’t help but to bring it up again here. The Lyon Street steps have been infamously known as San Francisco’s Stair Master. They are two sets of very steep stairs in Pacific Heights (where Green Street meets Lyon Street). And the end result (at the top of the stairs), breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay.
4) Lose It app
With our smart-phone era, there is no way I can leave out one of my favorite “health-conscious” apps out there. Now we all now that we can do numbers 1-3 above and burn some calories, but if we don’t watch what we eat, the pounds wont shed and the abs wont get tighter. I fell in love with the Lose It app last year, and it is still one of the most touched apps on my iPhone. It’s pretty simple to use too. You enter your current weight. You enter your goal weight. It asks you when you want to reach your goal weight by. Then it tells you how many calories you are allotted each day. You enter foods and drinks you consume and how many calories you burn roller skating, rock climbing, or using San Francisco’s StairMaster and voila! you have your very own nutrition consult right at your fingertips.
5) Mike’s Boot Camp
Are you the type of person who needs someone yelling in your ear to give it all you have! Mike (of Mike’s Boot Camp) started this program in 2003 to create a fun and energetic workout program, all in the outdoors! Classes meet twice in the mornings (6 am and 7 am) Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and in the evenings at 6:30 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. The groups meet at Dolores Park on the corner of 18th and Dolores. Mike offers a free trial (lasts one week), and charges $125/month for morning classes and $75/month for evening classes. Take a look at his website and see if Mike can help you get in shape this year!
So, what are you waiting for? Stop waiting until next weekend to get a start on your favorite new years resolution. Start now!
If this isn’t Perseverance, I don’t know what is.
A couple nights ago, I had the amazing opportunity to meet with Chris Martin and Martin Dawson. Don’t know who I am talking about? Then read their story here: Golden Gate Endeavor.
On Friday, November 13th, Chris and Mick stepped onto land after 189 days, 10 hours, and 55 minutes of rowing across the North Pacific Ocean. And when asked what their first meal was when they reached San Francisco, “Steak and Eggs,” they said.
Chris and Mick are two Brit guys who decided to do the impossible, to row, in their specially designed rowboat, from Choshi, Japan to San Francisco, USA. And hearing them speak about their adventures was enticing on its own.
I mean to think about two guys, out in the middle of the ocean, rowing every two hours, while the other prepares meals, catches some shut eye, or even blogs, is just incredible! At some points along their journey, they encountered sharks, a pack of 50 dolphins on a mission to get somewhere, and even 60 foot waves, all to fulfill their mission of doing what was thought impossible.
So…how has hearing their story changed my life? Well, it’s not like I am going to spend hours on the rowing maching at the gym and start practicing for my ocean rowing adventure, but what I am going to do is this. I am going to follow my dreams. No matter what it takes. I am not going to let fear inhibit me from anything. I am going to live my life to the fullest and take life as it comes. That’s what I am going to do. How about you?
SPUD Organic Grocery Delivery Revie
With all the flooding wreaking havoc on the people of San Francisco in the past two weeks, it might be a good time to sign up with a service that delivers fresh organic fruits, vegetables, and a plethora of organic groceries right to your door. Well, I’ve got just the service for you. A San Francisco company called SPUD will do just that. The good folks at SPUD contacted me to see if I was interested in writing a review on their delivery service. I had heard good things about their service, but getting an actual delivery and trying all the goodies they offered was the only way to write a solid review. They told me my delivery day was Tuesday but did not give me a delivery time. Tuesday morning around 10am, I heard a buzz at the door and a friendly SPUD delivery driver was standing there with a box of goodies. To my surprise, I didn’t receive any fruits or vegetables, but instead received a variety of grocery items. Customers can customize what they receive in their deliveries, but I opted to receive a surprise delivery selected by the people at SPUD. There was organic apple juice, a granola bar, chocolate chip cookies, a salad kit, salsa, and chips. After unpacking everything, my eyes were instantly drawn to the homemade chocolate chip cookies. I took a bite and I was in heaven. The cookies are made by a San Jose based company called Kicks Cookies and Ice Cream. I’m a strong believer in supporting my local economy and I really appreciated that 90% of the items were produced within a 50 mile radius of San Francisco. How do I know that you ask? The SPUD website lists the distance all their products travel from the manufacturer to your door. Very cool indeed!
Some cool facts about SPUD:
- Spud! is the only 100% neutral online grocer.
- Each SPUD delivery van carrying 60 orders takes 120 cars off the road.
- Spud! buys fresh every day – 95% of the produce leaves the warehouse within 24 hours.
- Any extra food is donated to local hunger relief charities.
My Recommendation: Friendly and clean delivery driver. Great selection of groceries. Focus on locally produced items. Delivered to my door so I don’t have to get soaked in the rain. If you live more than a block away from a Whole Foods, definitely give SPUD a try. You just might fall in love.
The GO Urban Adventure Race – Sat 9/19
Want to combine your love for San Francisco with a fun, fast paced scavenger hunt loaded with physical and mental challenges? Then, I’ve found the event for you.
This Saturday, September 19th, San Francisco will be home for the 3rd GO Urban Adventure Race (so far, the race has taken place in Washington DC and Boston).
Each team, composed of two teammates receive 4 initial clues via SMS text messaging (therefore, it is mandatory to bring a phone that enables SMS text messaging).
Each clue leads to a specific GO point (any location in SF). You can run, walk, jog or take public transportation to the location.
At each GO point you will SMS a response to the clue, complete a physical or mental task, take a picture (with your phone or digital camera), and receive the next clue vis SMS text messaging.
There will be a total of 8 clues, and therefore 8 GO points. And once all 8 clues are solved, you race back to the finish line. 1st place wins $400, 2nd place wins $275 and 3rd place wins $100. And the top 30 teams from each city will be invited to compete in the Championship Race in Washington DC on July 17, 2010.
So? Ready to play?
It’s easy. Show up with your partner at Fort Mason (on the corner of Laguna and Bay Street) between 10:30 am and 11:45 am with $100 total, and you’re in. Just be sure to bring comfortable shoes. And just like any other event in San Francisco, costumes are encouraged. The race starts at 12:00 noon and should finish by 5pm or when the last team crosses the finish line.
Bay Area’s Bike to Work Day
I had every intention to bike to work today, but ended up taking my usual N-Judah instead. Why? I blame the weather. (I know it is sunny and beautiful right now, but I promise, it was crappola this morning!)
Thousands of Bay Area residents, however, had no excuses. An estimated 150,000 commuters and students hopped on their bikes today for the 15th Annual Bike to Work Day.
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has been holding this event for the last 15 years in May (May is National Bike Month) to encourage Bay Area residents to get healthy and fit, protect the environment, all by promoting bicycling as a viable method of transportation. Did you know that more than one million Bay Area residents live within five miles of their workplace? So why drive when you could bike? That’s the SFBC motto.
Bicyclists ranged from CEO’s and VPs in dress shirts and ties to school kids wearing jeans and backpacks to hard core riders in their spandex and biking gear, pedaling along bike paths and city streets. “Energizer Stations” were set up all throughout the Bay Area, where bicyclists could stop for refreshments, free giveaways, or simply to be “pumped up” by fellow participants.
As for me, I am kicking myself for not sucking it up and biking to work today, but, it’s not like I can’t bike to work tomorrow or the next day. People should bike to work as often as they can for the reasons stated above. Here’s to continuous healthy living in San Francisco. Never a dull moment!
Interview With The Spud! CEO
Spud! is the largest organic food delivery company in North America, serving more than 19,000 customers in major metropolitan areas on the West Coast (Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle and now, San Francisco), in addition to Canada.
And, I had the pleasure of interviewing the CEO of Spud!, David Van Seters. Check out the interview Q&As below.
Cheryl: How did you get into the organic food business?
David: I was working as a sustainability business consultant, making a business case for companies to adopt higher standards of environmental and social performance. While I enjoyed consulting, I was keen to actually launch a business that integrated environmental, social, and economic values.
I wanted to start a sustainable business that related to the four major individual lifestyle choices that impact on the environment:
a) Sustainable transportation – how people travel (e.g. eco-tourism, long distance ride sharing etc).
b) Sustainable building – how people live (green building design)
c) Sustainable consumption – what people do with their incomes (ethical investing, conscious consumerism)
d) Sustainable agriculture and food – how people eat.
I chose the latter because food affects literally everyone – it is the one industry sector that no can say – food, nah that’s not for me. Everyone is involved and so it has the potential to have a big impact.
Coincidentally, I was hired to do a study on the economics of sustainable community food systems. Through that work I became much more aware of how much power in the food industry is controlled at the retail and distributor levels and how little trickles down to the people who acturally produce the food. I also learned how aternative retailing approaches like farm gate sales, farmers’ markets, and a new concept called organic food delivery, could restore that balance. I chose the latter because I was really looking for a for-profit enterprise and it could be implemented in an urban setting, where I lived.
Cheryl: How did you create the name SPUD?
David: Because I was just looking to create a little demonstration business, I looked for a suitably modest name. Because the business involved food, with an emphasis on produce, I thought it would be appropriate to call it “Small Potatoes”. I also wanted to highlight the delivery aspect. The initials for Small Potatoes Delivery, spelled SPD, and it wasn’t a big leap from there to realize that if I added the word “urban” that the initials of “Small Potatoes Urban Delivery” would spell SPUD.
Cheryl: For Sevenwide readers that have never tried organic, let alone any grocery delivery company, how does this all work?
David: It is quite simple actually. Customers just go to spud.com and enter their zipcode to make sure that we deliver to their area and to learn their delivery day (we deliver to each neighbourhood just once a week to reduce delivery costs and fossil fuel emissions). Customers then just click on the “Go Shopping” tab, add the items that they want and then go to the checkout, just like Amazon.
Like many other produce-only delivery firms it is possible to order a customized box of organic produce, however there is no obligation to do so, nor is there a requirement to set up a recurring order. Delivery is free on most orders over $32 and our prices are competitive with local groceries stores (we even publish price comparisons to provide proof!).
Cheryl: You recently started delivering in the San Francisco Bay Area in the last year. What makes San Francisco a unique location compared to Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, and Canada?
David: spud! customers in general tend to be very well educated. What is unique about San Francisco customers is that they are the most educated of all of our locations. Over 80% of our San Francisco customers have a university degree and over 40% have two degrees or more! San Francisco customers also value the time and money they save by avoiding shopping trips more than our other locations.
Cheryl: Where do you get your produce from? Does it come from local farmers? What are the names of some of the Farmers you work with?
David: We buy our produce from a large number of local farms. A few examples include: Benzler Farm in Fresno, Jacob’s Farm in Pescadero, Lakeside Organic Gardens in Watsonville, Durst Organic Growers in Esparto, and Twin Girls Farm in Dinuba. We are so passionate about buying local that we publish the distance from each farm to our San Francisco warehouse. I am not aware of any other grocery retailer that has as high a percentage of local products as we do. We vow that we will never be under-distanced!
Cheryl: Besides produce, what other groceries can customers buy from Spud!?
David: Our local suppliers provide us with bakery items, beverages, baby food, dairy products, meat & meat alternatives, prepared meals & soups, snacks, health & home products, and even bulk staples. It is very important to us that our customers be able to order a full range of groceries so that can really avoid a shopping trip.
Cheryl: Does Spud! work with any organizations that give back to the community?
David: We support a variety of non-profit organizations that are compatible with our social mission. For example, currently, we are collecting business suits, dress shirts, shoes, etc for The Riley Centre in San Francisco donations, which assists women in abusive relationships.
Cheryl: What are your plans for Spud! for the future?
David: We are hoping to expand from seven cities today to 24 in the next 5 years. We passionately believe that getting organic and natural groceries delivered from a service like ours is one of the easiest and most powerful things that people can do to reduce their environmental impacts and support their local community. We want to extend our model out to other cities so that people come to associate grocery home delivery with a more local, healthy, eco-friendly and socially beneficial way to buy their food.
Given the rapid decline of our environment, our health, and the social fabric of our communities there is an urgent need for ethical companies to get to scale so they can counterbalance all those big companies out there who only care about making a profit. We believe that business can be a powerful force for creating a better world and we want to be a strong example.
Cheryl: If you could breed two fruits together to make one, what would that be?
David: Grapes and Bananas – I haven’t got a clue what it would make but they are my two favorite fruits.
Cheryl: What special offer do you have for the readers of Sevenwide.com?
David: We would be happy to offer readers of Sevenwide.com $25 worth of free groceries ($5 off their first three orders, and $10 off their fourth order). All they would need to do is enter the promo code SEVENWIDE, when they sign up!
A & H Athletics
Today, on this beautiful San Francisco day, I had the pleasure of speaking with Heather Scott, co-founder of A&H Athletics. Heather, along with her running teammate, Andrea Johnson, hope to encourage others to learn about and experience the joy of running. They have even got the attention of REI, who have joined on as a sponsor.
The program starts this June and will continue throughout the entire summer. Sign up now at A&H Athletics before spaces fill up.
San Francisco’s Stairmaster
I’ve heard people talk about it. But have never seen it or experienced it for myself. Until today.
This morning, I decided to take my usual indoor workout routine outdoors. And found myself at the bottom of SF’s Stairmaster, where Green Street meets Lyon in Pacific Heights. I looked up the two sets of stairs, and took a deep breath. Did I really want to put myself through this at 8 in the morning? Hell yes!
This is absolutely, hands down, the best outdoor workout in the city. Not only are the 269 steps a rigorous cardio workout, the views are absolutely stunning. The first set of stairs is super steep, and I was a little afraid that my size 11 feet would not be able to have a handle on the steps. But I managed! The second set of steps is not nearly as steep, and has landings (break points) every 20 steps or so.
Once you get to the top of the steps, at Broadway and Lyon, the views are breathtaking. The 269 steps it took to get there are all worth it!
The Dailey Method
With all the health-conscious, public transit using, work-out enthusiasts that live in San Francisco, it comes as no surprise that San Francisco is ranked number one as the fittest city in America. There is something about bragging to my friends on the East Coast or even in LA about MY city being the most healthy city out there that feels so damn good and makes me feel so freaking proud!
So how do I keep fit? Aside from trying to eat as healthy as possible and walking/using public transportation everday to and from work, I recently started going to The Dailey Method. A close friend of mine had taken this class several years back and had such positive things to say about her experience. And with a South Beach trip coming up at the end of the month, I decided that now was the time to get started in The Dailey Method. I am about 6 classes in and let me tell you, this class really knows how to kick your butt (in a good way, of course).
Ill be honest, though. After my first class, I came home feeling so discouraged, feeling as though all the other girls in the class were lightyears ahead of me. Their flexibility was just astonishing. There I was, with probably the tightest hamstrings in the world, unable to even place my foot on the bar. Luckily, I am surrounded by an immense amount of support and love in my life, that I was convinced to go to a second class. And it was after the second class, I realized that it didnt matter how flexible I was then, but rather, how flexible I was going to become.
The Work-Out: It is the hour that goes by the fastest in my day, by far. The workout includes mat stretching, weights, ballet barre work, and tons of core conditioning involving very familiar yoga and pilates moves. There is not one body part that gets to sit out during this workout. Every part of your body that you would want toned, gets toned: biceps, triceps, deltoids, abs, butt, thighs, quads, everything. No body part gets to sit this one out. You WILL feel a sore the next day, a sore that will want to just bring you back for another class.
Location: Fortunately, there is a studio literally just a half-block away from my apartment, which makes it so easy to come home from work, put on my yoga pants, and make it to a class. The studio is very well kept, well lit, and they have a nice locker room for those ladies who are coming straight after work. They have many other locations in and around San Francisco, and in Illinois as well. Click here to find a location near you.
Instructors: Amazing. In my 6 different classes, I have had 4 different trainers and all were good. Some were amazing, some less amazing, but overall, my experience with each of the instructors were good. So far, my favorite is Stephanie because she took the time (even when the class was full) to focus on my technique and alignment. After talking to several of my classmates, however, it seems that Katina is by far the most saught after. I will have to try her class next time.
Price: Not bad for the workout you receive. I have tried Pilates before and paid up to $35 per class. DM offers a new client one-month unlimited special for $100. Mind you, each class is $20, so for me, having gone to 6 classes, I have already made the most of my unlimited special. But trust me, you are going to want to keep going.
I highly suggest this class for women who are looking to get longer, leaner, stronger and more fit.
