The very best kind of morning, dinner in Berkeley and my workouts

A new day, a new week! Hi, friends! Are you coming off of a good weekend? I hope so. We had a nice one over here in our neck of the woods. Let’s look at the highlights and my weekly workouts …

The perfect morning with friends

Friday evening included a walk with Rudy and watching the Olympics Opening Ceremonies on the couch in my pajamas with Dave, which means we woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on Saturday morning ready for some action. Shortly after 7:30 a.m., I hopped in the car, and Dave set out on foot to the gym (he runs there, and I choose to drive), and we had some extra pep in our steps.

Although I’m always excited to teach BODYPUMP, this particular class was even more exciting, because we had three friends joining in on the fun. Jill, her guy Paul, and our friend Phil, all showed up for my class (two of the three were BODYPUMP first-timers, which is awesome). Together, we pumped out more than 1,000 sweaty reps with loud music and about 45 other participants, then all headed to downtown Walnut Creek together to grab some acai bowls at Vitality Bowls. Not before a photo-shoot of course …

While we all enjoyed our totally delicious and superfood-filled bowls (with protein powder, of course for quick muscle recovery after our resistance session), we chatted about life in the Bay Area, and of course, about BODYPUMP. I must say, I love to hear what people think of my beloved BODYPUMP after trying it for the first time. They were fans at that moment, but maybe not today, as two days later their muscles are probably aching.

A combination of an intense workout with a bunch of friends, followed up by a tasty and healthy meal is truly what great mornings are made of. I wish every day started like that! 

The rest of Saturday afternoon included some errands, chores and a hair appointment, which was only subpar. 

An incredible dinner in Berkeley at FIVE

Although Saturday morning was pretty perfect, the evening turned out awesome as well. Around 6:30 p.m., Dave and I headed out on foot to take the BART to Berkeley for a special dinner. While we usually stay local in Walnut Creek, we were excited to be invited by the FIVE Restaurant team to try out their dining experience, which is located in the Hotel Shattuck in downtown Berkeley. 

The air was crisp and the area was bustling, and we arrived at FIVE just a couple minutes after our reservation. Immediately, we were both impressed by the setting. While the hotel, nor restaurant was busy when we arrived, it was just gorgeous. High ceilings. Chandeliers. And a red, black and white color scheme, which was the color scheme of our wedding and one that I love. In fact, the wallpaper was reminiscent of our wedding cake!

We sat near the window and had the perfect spot to watch the restaurant and bar, as well as the street outside. For the next two-and-a-half hours, Dave and I were treated to one amazing meal. From the cocktails, to the food, to the service — it was all top notch. And being that we’ve been to almost 300 restaurants in the Bay Area, I’d say we are good judges.

We tried a selection of salads, some shrimp and scallops for the appetizers. (The pan-seared day-boat scallops were the most mouth-watering thing ever. And because Dave is not a fan of the round little sea creature, I got to eat them all.) The salad combinations were unique, and my favorite was one featuring smoked duck and feta, which is a seriously good flavor sensation. For entrees, I selected salmon (go figure), and Dave had the gnocchi. We also got to try the ravioli, and everything was totally fresh and delicious. That salmon will go on my list as one of the best ever. Just melted in my mouth.

We finished up with a sampling of the house desserts, in which the stand-out was definitely the mango cake. Needless to say, by the end of the meal, we were super full, and I was glad I had worn a loose dress. But clearly we did a good job on the food, because our server was impressed that we ate it all. (Leave no crumb behind has always been by motto.)

Conversation for the night was mostly about our upcoming trip to Vegas and about Rudy (slightly obsessed). But honestly, we were mostly just commenting on how great our meal was.

It was nice to get out of our immediate neighborhood for the night. It’s a little cooler temperature-wise in Berkeley, and the scene is totally different. Overall, it was one fabulous evening. If you’re looking for a nice dinner in the East Bay, put FIVE on your list!

*Thanks to FIVE for the hospitality and for treating us to a delicious hosted meal. We are still full, and we appreciate it!

The rest of the weekend

I spent Sunday doing some shopping, and I also met up for coffee (tea for me!) with an old friend from Florida — Tiffany — who was in town for a wedding. We showed each other pictures of our respective little dogs and caught up on life in Peet’s for just over an hour. In the evening, Dave made us some steak for dinner, we watched gymnastics and prepared for the week ahead. A strong weekend overall!

My weekly workout recap

And now here’s a look at all of the workouts I completed last week …

Weekly Workouts

• Monday: Rest day
• Tuesday: Taught a one-hour BODYPUMP class
• Wednesday: Took a one-hour yoga-barre class
• Thursday: Did 30 minutes of weights
• Friday: Took a one-hour BODYFLOW class
• Saturday: Taught a one-hour BODYPUMP class
• Sunday: Rest day

How did this past week of workouts go?

This past week was a lighter one, with two full rest days and two days of very light workouts (yoga barre and flow). Those were mixed in with three tough resistance sessions, so it all balanced out. The yoga-barre style class I took was at a local Walnut Creek studio, and it was unlike anything I’d ever taken before, with yoga poses mixed in with light weights and a little bit of barre pulsing. That class, along with BODYFLOW, gave me plenty of chances to stretch and breathe — just what I needed. What was the highlight of fitness this week? Saturday morning BODYPUMP for sure!

Have a lovely day, my friends!

Enjoy these tales of fitness, food and fun ... #WeeklyWorkouts #BODYPUMP Click To Tweet

P.S. Thanks to Meghan for today’s “Week in Review” link-up. 

Questions of the day

What does your ideal morning entail?

What was the best thing from your weekend?