Golden State Warriors parade, the weekend and workouts

Hello, my friends! What a weekend. I hope yours was good. Today, I’m going to give you a recap of what’s been going on in my life over the past couple-of-days and talk about some fitness.

Walking in the Golden State Warriors parade in Oakland

On Friday, Dave and I joined all of his fellow Golden State Warriors employees to walk in a big parade around downtown Oakland honoring the team as the recently named NBA Champs. The parade culminated in a civic pep rally on Lake Merritt, and it was estimated that nearly a million people were in attendance. Yes, one-million-people.

Golden State Warriors parade in OaklandThere was a waiting area for our group before the parade began, and the refreshments offered included muffins, pastries, smoothies and even McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches. Dave went for a sausage-egg biscuit from the Golden Arches, while I went for a fruity smoothie. 

I can best explain the experience of walking in a massive parade in front of a million people like this — Moments of glory and moments of horror. It was an amazing feeling to march down the streets of Oakland with confetti being shot in the air, music blasting and fans chanting, clapping and calling out at you. While we walked the course, we took selfies with our friends, Dave took video using a GoPro, we laughed, we high-fived and we reveled in it all. Of course, that was just the first half of the parade …

The second half was not as fun. The crowds got a little wild and began jumping the railings and crowding the path. At one point, it was a complete mess, and by the parade’s end, we were fighting to get back into the staging area for employees, so we could get to our seats at the pep rally, having to show our wrist-bands to make it through security. I guess it was bound to happen, when hundreds-of-thousands of eager fans are in one place and are all in celebration-mode. That was the Golden State Warriors parade.

Golden State Warriors parade in downtown OaklandDave did a great job of running by the crowd and capturing video footage of the madness. He’s hoping to edit that this week, so stay tuned for the clips.

After we finally made it to the pep-rally portion, we found our reserved seats and popped down to find that we were in direct sunlight. I would say the temperatures were in the upper 80s, but the bright sun was pretty rough. We were sweating, fanning ourselves and doing our best to stay shaded with hats, banners and whatever we could find. However, it was definitely worth it to enjoy the rally, which included funny speeches by players, video montages, a few typical politicians and words by the Warriors owners and leaders. What a team!

The funniest part of the day? I was wearing some leggings with meshed cut-outs, and because I was sitting for so long with my upper-thighs receiving direct sunlight, I got some ridiculous tan lines. Dave calls them my tiger stripes, and they are still super-apparent a couple-of-days later. Hilarious. I’m not sure how I will get rid of them, but they make a great story. All-in-all, I love that employees and their families were allowed to be a part of the parade and rally, and it was something we’ll never forget. Go Warriors!

Tiger stripes and all, after the pep rally, Dave and I joined some friends for a little while at Plank in Oakland. But the crowds and craziness were a bit too much, so we hopped on the BART and headed home to our little Rudy pup in the late afternoon. In the evening, Dave and I laid low, made an oven pizza, watched an episode of season three of “Orange is the New Black,” all the while, laughing at the things that had happened in our day.

Teaching classes and rushing around

On Saturday morning, I taught two classes at Orangetheory Fitness, rushed home to shower and change, and then Dave and I took Rudy for his first vet appointment. He did great with the doctor, and we learned a ton about how to better care for him. Turns out, Rudy is exactly four-months-old, about five pounds and a little cutie (well, we knew that!). He needs a few more shots before he can be around other dogs, so we were encouraged to keep him at home as much as possible, but socialize him with friends and family. He actually hasn’t met anyone other than us yet, so we’ll be doing that soon. Any takers??

Take me out to the ballgame in Oakland

Another weekend, another sporting event. After dropping Rudy off at home post-vet visit, Dave and I headed back to Oakland to catch an Oakland A’s game at O.co Coliseum (yes, that’s the name of the arena). We received some gifted tickets to sit in the Diamond Club at the stadium, which we had done once before, and it was fabulous. Our seats were right behind home-plate, and we had free food and drinks and a server for most of the game. It was another hot day in the sun, so we slathered up in sunscreen, ordered some cold beers and soaked up the baseball-loving scene. Being that it was all-you-can-eat, it was a bit of a gorge-fest for us both. I don’t do well around buffets, and so I felt like I should order a little bit of everything. Dave agreed. I can’t remember the last time I had Cracker Jacks, a fluffy pretzel and Blue Bunny ice cream, and it was all as wonderful as you would imagine. 

Oakland A's gameBalling? Yes, we watched the game, chatted with our seat-mate neighbors, and I spent the entire game in fear of my life, seeing as the foul-balls were flying over our heads. 

On Saturday evening, Dave and I went out to dinner to Vanessa’s Bistro 2 in downtown Walnut Creek and had some tasty small-plate Vietnamese fare. Then we went home to hit the hay. I wanted to stay up to watch “Saturday Night Live,” but once again, I didn’t make it. (Which just-so-happens to be a running joke in our house — one of these days, I’ll actually catch that show live!)

Vanessa's Bistro food in Walnut CreekDave got to choose our items on Saturday night, so he went with the prawn spring rolls, vermicelli filet mignon salad and jumbo prawns in garlic noodles. Not what I would have chosen, but it was all totally delicious, and we licked our plates/bowls clean.

Sundays are for sweating and catching up on life

On Sunday, I went to the gym in the morning to take a Les Mills GRIT Plyo class from a fellow instructor friend, Will. While I almost always use Sunday as a rest day, I had an unplanned day away from exercise on Friday with the parade festivities, so decided to fit in another session. I’m glad I did, because Will put me through an awesome class. I hadn’t taken a 30-minute GRIT class in a while, and man, it was tough, but efficient.

The rest of the day was full of chores. Now that it’s officially the off-season from the NBA, Dave will be home more and our lives should be a little less crazy. That being said, we decided to address a few things around the house, which had been slightly neglected. We did some deep-cleaning of nearly every room, and I even went through my closet and drawers to pull out clothing to donate. To top it off, we gave Rudy his first bath. Good times! 

We finished out the weekend with a grilled meal at home, then laid on the couch for some family time. An eventful and fabulous couple of days, if I do say so myself.

(By the way, if you haven’t already, there’s still time to enter to win some delicious and healthy GoMacro Macrobars. Check out the giveaway now, because it ends tonight.)

Now let’s switch gears and talk about fitness …

My weekly workout recap

Because it’s Monday, it’s time to take a look at my last week of workouts …

Weekly workouts via A Lady Goes West(Photo credit to Leah Bentley Photography, 2015.)

Weekly Workouts

  • Monday – Taught a one-hour BODYATTACK class, foam rolling
  • Tuesday –Taught a one-hour BODYPUMP class, foam rolling
  • Wednesday – Taught a one-hour BODYATTACK class, foam rolling
  • Thursday – Taught a 45-minute BODYPUMP class and a 30-minute core class
  • Friday – Rest day
  • Saturday – Did a 30-minute CXWORX workout and 20 minutes of yoga at home
  • Sunday – Took a 30-minute GRIT Plyo class, foam rolling

What was good about my week of workouts?

This past week was a little bit different for me. While I was supposed to be teaching several additional Les Mills classes, I had to get them covered at the last minute to participate in the Warriors parade. That meant I had an off-day on Friday, which gave me a chance to take a class on Sunday. Les Mills GRIT Plyo is an incredibly challenging 30-minute session full of jumping moves, which also features weights. I loved the chance to be a student and have a coach pushing me. Overall, I fit in three cardio sessions (BODYATTACK and GRIT Plyo), as well as two-and-a-half strength sessions (BODYPUMP and Plyo/CXWORX), and a short jaunt of yoga. Good stuff.

What could have been better about my week of workouts?

Once again, I’d love to see my week consist of a full three strength-training sessions, yet I didn’t quite hit that this past week. But I did my best, so we’ll call it a day. I mean, I did as many lateral-burpee-jump-over-a-bench-with-risers as I could on Sunday in GRIT, so that’s got to be enough.

That’s all I’ve got, friends! Because it’s Monday, today, I’m teaching a couple of classes at Orangetheory in the morning and teaching BODYATTACK tonight. See you back here tomorrow!

Questions of the day

Have you tried a new workout lately?

What did you do this weekend?

Have you ever been in a parade?

, , , , , , ,

36 Comments

    1. Hi Megan! Hahha! Yes, I will probably give some self-tanner a shot today to see what I can do. Or just wear pants all week to hide it! Happy Monday!

  1. Championship parades are the best! I’ve been to quite a few for the Pittsburgh teams and got to march with my high school marching band in a Steelers super bowl parade. It was so much fun and we go to talk to some of the players before the parade started. So cool that you got to walk in it! I bet it was crazy.

    1. Hi Gretchen! Well then you’ve had your fair share of parades for sure. It was quite the experience in Oakland! Happy Monday to you! 🙂

    1. Hhhaha Stacie! Oh yes, I was in a Christmas parade a few times when I was younger too. That was nothing like this Oakland scene though! Hope you had a nice weekend, lady! 🙂

  2. I have not tried anything new lately, but am hoping to try out my local OrangeTheory studio next week! I’ve heard great things about the workout and am excited to challenge myself in a different way! I’ve never been in a parade, but when the NY Giants won the Superbowl I went into NYC to watch and it was absolutely wild and so much fun! No crazy plans this past weekend, just lots of Netflix binge watching (thanks rain) and some Father’s Day celebrations yesterday! Hope you have a fabulous Monday!

    1. Hi Jamie! Make sure you read my post about Orangetheory before you go, so you’re all prepared!! It’s linked in this post, but I can share it with you again if you want. So glad you’re going to try it out! And hey, a rainy weekend calls for some Netflix for sure. Happy Monday, lady!

  3. Love the pics Ashley!! The parade looks like it was absolutely ridiculously fun! That’s the way to do it though, partay in the morning and chill at night 🙂 Grit Plyo sounds cool – I’m going to sign up for Classpass in July (when I am here for two weekends in a row so I can make the most of the ten day trial!! :P) and give Barry’s, Cardio Barre, Burn, and The Dailey Method a shot here in the city. Maybe Avant Barre too! Maybe I will get some ideas to open my own 😉 Have a great day!

    1. Hi Jill! Oh yes, ClassPass is the way to do it. Using ClassPass, I tried like 15 studios in the span of a month in SF. Never went to Burn or Dailey Method though — but I did a Burn workout last week during FitSugar. You should definitely do Avant-Barre — I know the owner, Nini, and she is a sweetheart. Also try Pop Physique! Yay for staying in town for two weekends in-a-row, you jet-setter, you! 🙂 hahahah Happy Monday!

  4. Wow! That is a ton of people. I love parades, for the most part. 🙂 I’ve been trying new workout videos, and I have a goal to try a Body Attack class with my gym buddy sometime soon… but I haven’t done it yet. 🙂 If you lived close, I would go to yours!

    1. Hi Emily! Yes! You have to try BODYATTACK, and as soon as you do, let me know what you thought of it. Too bad you can’t come to my class! Have a lovely Monday, lady! 🙂

  5. That parade looks nuts! I agree that everyone should experience being a parade at least once, though. My experience was many years ago, when I was a newspaper reporter and got a pass to walk in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! It was cold, but amazing. …Also enjoyed your workout recap. Thanks for sharing!!

    1. Hi Gina! Well the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is THE parade, so nice work on getting to be a part of that. I’m a Florida girl now living in California (I went WEST!), so I’d be shivering in that parade, for sure. Thanks for saying hello, Gina! Hope you have a great week!

  6. What a fun parade! I know our city did it up big when the Steelers won the superbowl a few years ago and the Penguins won the Stanley Cup. It was so much fun. Glad you got to partake in that. Rudy is a cutie. Glad she got a good bill of health 🙂 My weekend was full of partying, and while exhausting, it was so fun to catch up with people!

    1. Hi Heather! Well I guess it’s easier to recover from parties all weekend when you’re NOT drinking. Right? hahahh! 🙂 Glad you had a full weekend, lady!

  7. What a fun weekend! I’ve only been in a parade once and I remember feeling slightly overwhelmed!!! Still fun though! So glad to hear your puppy is doing well, it’s so fun when you get to introduce them to other dogs because that’s when they really learn to rules of being a dog! lol…humans can only teach them so much!

    Weekend was great, got in a great spin workout and house work that was driving me nuts..things you could easily do every week but you put off, so I’m glad they are done! Topped the weekend off with a nice dinner with my dad for Father’s day!

    Hope you got a good rest after such a crazy busy weekend for you 🙂

    1. Hi Fiona! So you got into some needed chores as well this weekend? Feels good to get it done, right? And I can’t wait to introduce our pup to some other dogs soon. Happy Monday, lady! 🙂

  8. This past weekend I tried a new to me Barre3 class. I have never taken a barre class of any kind (seeing they can be expensive) and since they are opening up a new Barre3 studio here they offered a free class downtown on the square. I took the opportunity to try it. While I definitely “felt the burn” I don’t think it will be something I will incorporate regularly. I thought the class was never going to end! I guess I just enjoy something faster paced. It was good to try something new though!

    1. Hi Amanda! Did they have barres set up or have you do it in place with no equipment? I like it when a barre class incorporates some props. I will say it’s not my favorite workout, but at least it’s low impact. Good for you for getting out and trying it! Maybe the studio will offer a free week or other promotions so you can give it a go in their permanent location. Happy Monday, lady! Trying new things is important:)

    1. Hi Sarah! Well I chose pants today to cover the stripes, and may do that all week until I can get some self tanner on there hahah! Happy Monday to you!!

    1. Hi Niki! We’ve been eating a lot of Asian-inspired food lately at restaurants, and it’s all been good! Hope you had a nice weekend too! 🙂

  9. That was a great basketball win! That A’s… I with the Padres had played them better. Oy.

    The tan lines thing is hilarious. I’ve done that to myself before too. I’m surprised that hasn’t become some sort of fashion trend like when they gave out fun shaped stickers ate the tanning bed back in the day.

    1. Hi Laura, Sadly, I do recall wearing a sticker in the tanning bed many moons ago. I’m glad I don’t do either of those things any longer. But yet, here I am with tiger stripes hahah! 🙂 Happy Monday!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.