Good morning, happy Monday.
It’s been an interesting week and the fitness world, and all I’ve seen people talking about lately is the Hyrox Beijing shitstorm. Puma athlete and current women’s record holder Joanna Wietrzyk had a mid-race disaster that caused a biocontamination hazard for other participants. People have shit themselves during marathons and trail races hundreds of times, but doing it on an indoor course where everyone uses the same floor and equipment (she sat on the rower!) is another level.
HYROX has since said Wietrzyk is being harassed and threatened, which is obviously unacceptable. But I’m curious whether they’ll address the calls to DQ her time, considering the rules are strict enough to penalize athletes for spitting or blowing their nose on the course.
This week: The last gasp of summer fitness series, the merging of pilates and “strength” studios, run through the Vessel, and a free meditation session at Awake NY.
on the radar: this week’s fitness and wellness events
Monday September 14: We Move NYC Pilates Class (Seaport), 6PM, free
Joe Holder’s free summer series workouts won’t be going on for much longer, so get in while you can. This one is a recovery-focused pilates class led by Monice Small, founder of Goodform Studios and Nike trainer. Or, go to the Saturday strength and conditioning class if you want something a bit more challenging.
Tuesday September 15: Beecee Skincare Launch Day + Coffee (Flatiron), 12PM, free
A new clean beauty brand called beecee with very mysterious branding is launching this week, and they’re hosting a mid-day coffee get-together for people to get a first look at their product line. If you’re one of the first 100 people to show up, coffee is on the brand, so probably get there early.
Wednesday September 16: Bryant Park Yoga by Halara (Bryant Park), 6PM, free
This is the last week of the Bryant Park Yoga series hosted by affordable athleisure brand Halara (their flare leggings have actually been my go-to and lasted me a few years now). We can’t speak to if the yoga instructor is any good, but go get that free yoga class in while the summer series are still running and your only option is an expensive studio.
Thursday September 17: Vessel Run with Equinox (Hudson Yards), 7AM $50
One of the more interesting ways to get your intervals in: A high-intensity interval run class using the stairs in the gorgeous Vessel building. The running is paired with light resistance training using bands. But it comes with a pretty steep price tag.
Friday September 18: The Outsiders Sunset Meet Up (Meatpacking), 6PM, free
We’ve posted a ton of The Outsiders cool outdoor excursions, but if you’re intimidated to jump into a long outing with a group you’ve never met, they’re hosting a sunset meetup where you can meet new friends and hang out on a rooftop. Seems like a great place to meet a crew of people who will hike or get outdoors with you, if you’re having trouble finding that in the city.
Saturday September 19: Vital Run Club Field Day (Williamsburg), 11AM, $5
Field days are everywhere for the end of summer, including one hosted by Vital Run Club, a pretty popular social group based out of the climbing gym in Greenpoint. Expect egg races, leap frog, and dizzy bat, among other races. The reasonable ticket price includes drinks like sparkling yerba mate and pizza.
Saturday September 19: Free Peace Awake NY Meditation Club (LES), 9AM, free
Every month, Kenji Summers guides people through meditation set to the music of a different New York artist at the Awake NY store on Orchard Street. The listening aspect can be a way for meditation to feel much more approachable.
Saturday September 19: Doodles By Meg x Womens Sports Rally Craft Class (Williamsburg), 2PM, $25
Ok, I’m not big on the whimsy trend, but I could get into it by bedazzling a baseball bat keychain with illustrator Meghan Wallace at Blazer’s Sports Bar (go women’s sports!) It’s hosted in part by Warm Up Szn, an event org for queer artists/allies. Ticket price includes all materials, but drinks aren’t included.
things we like lately:
lying in a hammock listening to an evening thunderstorm
this Roark x Matt Costa 30-minute running playlist that will leave you feeling like you should be cruising desert trails somewhere
my midday sauna and cold plunge sessions at Lore Bathing Club. when I only have an hour between teaching, it’s enough of an oasis from the chaos of the city to reset me and give me a second wind for evening classes
Matador’s inflatable travel pillow so I don’t have to look like a dork at the airport but can still sleep comfortably
AKT Orange Grove deodorant. I love Salt and Stone Santal and Vetiver because the smell is to die for but it stains my white shirts and I have to reapply it every time I sweat. I haven’t had the same issues with this one.
happenings around town
Daybreaker, the company behind the sober morning dance parties, is hosting an all-day free festival on September 26th with breathwork sessions, a sauna/cold plunge village, DJ sets, run clubs. Regular general admission is sold out, but early bird tickets are available, and all ya gotta do is show up before 11 AM and then you can dance for as long as your legs will allow.
Literally everyone has a run club, including the hosts of Morning Brew, one of the biggest newsletters in the U.S. They’re back this September, running on Wednesday mornings at 6:30 AM from Hudson River Park. The series is in partnership with NOBULL, who makes pretty crap running shoes but if you end up demoing them, tell me if I’m wrong.
Arketa, the software platform that powers a huge chunk of boutique fitness, just launched it’s own IRL strength and sculpt studio—Powered—in Lower Manhattan. The picture on the website for their strength class specifies “heavier weights” yet pictures someone holding 5-pound dumbbells. IMO, the market for this type of studio is way oversaturated and we don’t need anymore in NYC. The brick-walled, sunlit studio does look beautiful though.
You know pilates has peaked when solidcore announces a progressive overload-based strength class. For the first time in nearly 13 years, the brand is launching a new workout called Ascend, a heated, floor-based class that swaps the solidcore machine for heavier weights and strength training. It’ll debut this winter at a new Manhattan West studio before rolling out elsewhere. But if progressive overload is the goal, I’d probably just go lift weights at a nice cheap box gym rather than try to squeeze it into a fast-paced heated class.
Sauna/cold plunge recovery chain Sweathouz is officially coming to the city, with a Tribeca location set to open in October and at least 12 locations in the works. It’s part of a rise we’ve seen of private contrast therapy rooms (for the introverts), like the ones and SAINT and Remedy Place—completely different than the group gathering nature of the likes of Bathhouse, The Altar and Othership.
See you next Monday.