Visiting Chicago Video

My sister and her boyfriend visited Chicago this summer over the 4th of July and made this great video with a GoPro camera. Makes me miss Chicago!!

Farewell Chicago and Hello INSEAD

Tomorrow I'm getting on a one-way flight to Europe, and I don't know when I'll be back. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous or scared, I haven't even been able to sleep in the last week. I will miss Chicago and all of my friends (and kitten) here. However, I am also really excited for this unique year ahead. Besides learning international business and getting my MBA, I'm also going to make lifelong friends from around the world and travel to places that I have never been to. I know that INSEAD will change the course of my career and life and I can't wait to see what's ahead!

The content of Healthy Fit Goddess will change and evolve but the motivation will stay the same -- leading a healthy lifestyle in both the body and mind. I'll share my experiences at school, travels through Europe and Southeast Asia, the food I eat, the activities I do, and how I will live out of two suitcases. I hope that you continue to follow me on this journey!

Watch the Chicago 15J video! (Chicago INSEAD admits for the class of July 2015). I'll post the final compilation of my class once it's done.

Friday Favorites - Gyms in Chicago

As I'm wrapping up to leave Chicago for INSEAD, I'm reflecting on all of the wonderful experiences that I've had here. Because of this blog, so many of these experiences have revolved around being active and there is such a great health and fitness scene in Chicago, I'm going to miss it! A lot of times, please ask me where my favorite places to workout in Chicago are, so here's a list! There are way more gyms in Chicago than I could ever hope to visit so these are just a few that stand out to me.

River North CrossFit was my original box in Chicago when I first moved here. I spent many early mornings there and hot afternoons on the track training. The community is like no other!

CrossTown Fitness was a new addition to my fitness routine after I attended Sweatworking there with aSweatlife.com. Every class is different and has a combo of cardio and strength. Plus, they do stand up paddle boarding on the lake on Saturdays.

Not exactly a gym, but my friend Kate Hiipakka has been central to the Chicago fitness community since I got here and she introduced me to both NTC Chicago and Shred415. Check out her blog at The Four Percent.

And finally, the best running group ever, Crew Runs the World! They got me through my second Chicago Marathon and my half marathon PR earlier this year. We have very fond memories of battling polar vortexes, snowy sidewalks, and icy winds along the lakefront (I will not miss those things about Chicago).


Thanks to everyone in Chicago who has motivated me and pushed me to be healthy and fit!

Instacart grocery delivery service

You wouldn't expect to hear this from a health blogger, but I've gone to the grocery store once in the past month. I've been so busy prepping for my move and trying to catch up with all my friends before I leave, so Instacart has been a lifesaver! This app and website is super easy to use. You just type in your address, pick a participating store (Jewel, Whole Foods, and more for Chicago), pick your groceries, select a delivery window (as fast as two hours from ordering), and someone goes to grocery store for you and delivers the groceries to your door. There is a small delivery fee but I think it's worth it because I really dislike going to the grocery store. The best part is that you get free deliver and $10 off your first order with my link!

My orders with Instacart have all come out pretty good. The person calls you when they're in the store if they don't have something you want, you can then choose substitutes and the final price is adjusted accordingly. One time, I got some bread and opened it a day after the delivery only to realize that it was molded. I noted this in my delivery rating to Instacart and they refunded the amount for the bread. So, they work with you if something goes wrong. Good customer service is always a plus.

Another function that is growing on the Instacart site is the recipe center where you can actually browse recipes and add the ingredients directly to your cart. Here's the recipe that I posted for Sweet Potato Hash.

Give Instacart a try and let me know what you think!

CTF Paddle Boarding with Chicago SUP

It's official, my new favorite sport/outdoor activity is stand up paddle boarding! Betina at CrossTown Fitness invited me to check out her paddle boarding class and of course I had to do it. I'm enjoying every bit of the warm weather and #summertimechi before I move to France.

CTF's paddle boarding class is every Saturday this summer at 8 am at Chicago SUP on North Ave. beach. Included for CTF members as a regular class, which is normally $25 per class or less with packages. There are also great specials for new clients, like $30 for 3 classes or only $80 for the whole first month. You can purchase classes and sign up here.

We had a pretty big group show up on the beautiful Saturday morning. We got our paddles and life vests and then headed to the water to pick up our boards. After a short lesson, we were ushered to the water and on our way out to sea! I mean, the lake. I've never paddle boarded before so I really didn't know what to expect and was sure that I would fall in the water immediately when I tried to stand on my board. I hesitated at first, but once I got up, I was really surprised at how easy it was to keep my balance. However, I could definitely feel my core working not only to stay upright but also to paddle.

We were on the water for about an hour. We paddled north along the beach and then back. It was work, but fun work and just felt like a stroll along the water. My arms were definitely sore the next day! My favorite part was how peaceful it was out on the water and the incredible views of the city. The pictures really speak for themselves.

You can wear a bathing suit or workout clothes while paddle boarding but it's better to wear something you can get wet in case you accidentally or purposefully fall in. I'm wearing my new Mika Yoga Wear in the picture, more on that later! Also, don't bring your phone on the board (I had my waterproof camera strapped to my vest).

Stand up paddle boarding is so fun and a great way to kick off your Saturday morning. Sign up on CTF's website and check out Chicago SUP to learn more about other paddle boarding programs.

Are you trying any new outdoor activities this summer?

Happy Memorial Day and start of #summertimechi

Happy Memorial Day! I just got done doing the 21 Guns WOD saluting our fallen troops and the hard workout was nothing compared to sacrifices those men and women have made. Remember them as you celebrate the unofficial start of summer this weekend!

As you all know, I'm moving to France this August to start the full-time MBA program at INSEAD, and while I am SO excited, I know I'm going to miss Chicago. So, in light of surviving this horrible winter and celebrating my last couple of months in Chicago for a while, I'm going to do all there is to do in Chicago before I leave, and I need your help! What do you think of when you imagine summer in Chicago? What are all of the typical outdoor Chicago summer things? I don't care how cheesy/touristy, I want to do it all! Here's my list so far:

• Running on the Lakefront Trail
• Paddle boarding on the lake
• Beach day and Castaways
• Outdoor music festival
• Outdoor food festival
• Cubs game
• Pub crawl
• Brunch at Zella's
• Jazzin at the Shedd
• Classical Music Festival at Millennium Park
• Picture with The Bean
• Fireworks at Navy Pier
• Air and Water Show
• Six Flags Great America
• Arlington Race Track
• Jump in Lake Michigan
• Beach volleyball
• Lottie's Kickball League
• Big Ten 10k
• What else??

I'll be posting all of this on Instagram with hashtag #summertimechi, so follow me!

BurnThis and Pilates ProWorks

Are you tired of a million different MindBody accounts and trying to keep track of all of your fitness classes? Me too. Well I was contacted by BurnThis to take a look at their new app and try some fitness classes and I must say that I am impressed! BurnThis works with studios to sign up and pay for all of your classes in one place, with one account. You can add classes to your calendar also connect with your Facebook friends and coordinate workouts. As a person who loves to vary my workouts and try new things, this app is perfect! BurnThis also has reviews and tips for each class/studio so you're prepared.

BurnThis is in twelve cities right now, including Chicago! Studios in the app in the Chicago area include Barre Bee Fit, The Bar Method, Sweat on State, Air, Exhale, and Pilates ProWorks. More are coming! Pilates ProWorks is having a great 50% off special right now at just $15 per class, so I decided to check it out!

Pilates ProWorks is a brand new studio in Lincoln Park on Halsted. To be honest, I thought a pilates class would be "easy" so I went last week, two days after my half marathon. Um, bad idea. The class was much tougher than I expected and I was still sore from running and then went to CrossTown Fitness the day after. That was rough, but anyway, I decided to give it another try this week without the soreness and it was still tough but I felt like I could keep my balance better without the leg soreness.

Pilates Pro is way more than pilates because of the FitFormer machine each person uses during class. It contains a suspended carriage with springs and band that allows for a large variety of movements with resistance. In the picture above, you can see that I'm doing a lunge by sliding my back foot backwards and moving the carriage back. There are spring connecting the carriage to the frame that you can adjust for resistance. I think this system forces you to have good form and use your core, because you will lose your balance otherwise, which did happen to me a couple of times. Have you ever done planks sliding up and down with discs under your feet? It's like that but harder. There are many core, leg, and arm/shoulder movements. We didn't do any of the same things between the two classes that I took and thus the 55 minutes went by really fast.

The Fitformer system looks complicated but will only take you 1-2 classes to get the hang of, and the instructors are very helpful (along with all of the mirrors to follow your classmates). I found this great video on YoutTube (below) that explains the class better than I can with pictures and words. Pilates Pro really is the next level of pilates and I think a great cross training option for anyone. My lower abs are sore, which doesn't happen often, so I know I'll be going back!

Pilates ProWorks also has other classes, including TRX, Barre, and private sessions. Like I said, the studio in Lincoln Park is brand new and their current special is $15 per class if you sign up through the BurnThis app. New clients also get a week free!

Do you practice pilates?

Don't forget to enter my Mamma Chia giveaway!

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored but I did receive a complimentary Pilates ProWorks class from BurnThis in exchange for this review post. All text and opinions are my own.

CrossTown Fitness and #CTFSweatworking

I got to check out CrossTown Fitness in West Loop a couple of times in the past month and I must say that I am impressed! Betina Gozo (pictured below) is one of my favorite trainers in Chicago. She's the type of trainer that can really encourage you to do your best and makes you feel like you're the only one in class with her individual attention. Betina's smile also brightens up the whole room! 

CTF is a studio gym at 1031 West Madison Street with hour-long classes that involve a variety of movements…you'll never get bored! There is no set program, but each trainer is required to design the class so that is it half cardio, half strength. All of the weights and movements are scalable so you can be a beginner or an experienced athlete and still get a great workout. There are treadmills, pull-up bars, medicine balls, free weights, body bars, kettle bells, resistance bands, and much more. I would compare the CTF workouts to CrossFit without the Olympic weightlifting. Therefore, you don't need an on-ramp class and can just get into it.

I went to CTF for the first time in April for #CTFSweatworking with aSweatlife.com (pictured below). "Sweatworking" is seriously my new favorite thing! Networking usually involves happy hour - as in, not healthy. But sweatworking is networking with a workout, much more productive! We first started with an hour-long workout with Betina involving rotations between the treadmills and body and weight movements. There was little rest in between and I liked the variety to keep things interesting. Afterwards, we networked with each other and a few brands that came by to give us samples. I even won one of the raffle prizes! More on that later. You should attend the next sweatworking event on May 24!

#CTFSweatworking with aSweatlife.com (I'm in the white top on the treadmill)

I went to CTF again this morning and I am spent. I think I should have taken a few more days off after the Indy 500 Mini Marathon because my legs are still sore. But it does feel good to get back to weight training after tapering for a couple of weeks. We did AMRAP rotations today involving 6 rounds of 6 minutes of work each. Rotations involved, running, box jumps + rows, TRX + push-ups, kettlebell swings, pull-ups + burpees, and core movements. It was definitely a full body workout and I liked that I could go at my own pace but still had the 6-minute interval to push me to do as much as possible.

CrossTown Fitness has some great programs going on this summer so check it out! You won't regret it!


40 Days Till Summer Package starting May 12

Includes:
Three 30-Minute Personal Training Sessions
Unlimited High Intensity Interval Training Classes at CTF
CrossTown Fitness Custom T-Shirt

Costs $220 per person, and is available for new clients only. Classes can be booked through CrossTown Fitness’ online scheduling center. Must purchase between May 1-12.

Stand Up Paddle Boarding Boot Camp

Saturdays at 8 AM at North Ave. Beach starting June 7.

Included for CTF members and open to everyone, sign up on the online scheduling center.

I'll be at the first paddle boarding class with Betina on June 7 so I hope to see you there!

You don't have to be a Bride to Sculpt!

Last week I got to check out a fabulous new workout in Chicago, Bridal Sculpt! No, I'm not secretly engaged, and you don't have to be planning for the big day to do this great workout. But it is geared for women that want to get in shape to look their best on their wedding day. My friend Jeana from Fab Fit Chicago teaches the class on Thursdays at 6pm so she suggested I try it out. I actually went to the Tuesday 6pm class with Ashley.

The Bridal Sculpt classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday at 6pm at the Dance Center Chicago on Lincoln Ave. I tried to take some pictures during the class but they were blurry. You can see in the pic above that the studio has full-length mirrors which is great for checking your form. 

Ashley led us through a couple of circuits involving body weight movements, jump rope, planks, and strength movements with a resistance band. The class is an hour long but went by fast because we were constantly doing something different by rotating through exercises. Ashley is a great instructor and is able to give individual attention because of the small class size. All of the movements allowed for modification so this class is great for beginners. 

GIVEAWAY!!

Bridal Sculpt is offering one of my readers a 3-class package for free! That's a $60 value! All you have to do is comment on this post telling me what you want to get in shape for, whether it's your wedding, looking good in a bathing suit this summer, or just to be healthy. Then, fill out the Rafflecopter app below letting me know that you commented. (If it doesn't work, let me know in the comments and I will add you manually.) You can also get extra entries by tweeting about the giveaway and following me and Bridal Sculpt on social media.

Giveaway ends on Thursday, May 1st, at midnight and is open to residents of the Chicago area only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Bridal Sculpt provided me with a free class and the giveaway in exchange for writing this review post. All text and opinions are my own.

Race Recap: CARA Lakefront 10 Miler

First of all, congrats to everyone who ran the Boston Marathon this morning! I'll be logging a run on the Nike+ app later today to support Nike's campaign for the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Week 8 of Indy Mini Marathon training was light and ended with the CARA Lakefront 10 Miler on Saturday. It was a chilly but beautiful spring morning. Ryan and I drove to Montrose Harbor and got to the starting line by 7:30 am. I love that about smaller races is that you don't have to get to the race an hour or more earlier to get into the corrals. There were about 1300 runners and the course took us north a bit, over Cricket Hill, and then south along the lakeshore. I was cold at the start but warmed up within the first mile. And I'm glad that I didn't wear more layers because the sun was warming up towards the end of the race.

Ryan got this action photo of me (he didn't run). I took it easy for training last week because my ankles and calves have been in pain, and they did hurt during the 10-miler. I powered through the pain and kept my pace under 8:30, which was my goal, and my projected race pace for the half marathon in a couple of weeks. So I finished in 1:24:17 at 8:26 pace! This was a great time for me and a PR by over 10 minutes from my last 10-miler, the Cherry Blossom in DC in April 2011. 

The race was well organized and I really enjoyed it, besides the pain in my legs. The post-race party featured some interesting food samples, like macaroni and cheese and beef on a stick, I gave those to Ryan haha. I ran in to some CREW and RNCF friends and then we headed home, but not before stopping at the Over Easy Cafe for a delicious brunch!

Any tips for easing ankle/achilles/calf pain?

Did you run for Boston today?

Shamrock Shuffle Race Recap

Thanks to The Crew and Nike Chicago, I won a free race entry to the Shamrock Shuffle this year! This was my first time doing the shuffle and it was a blast! It seems like everyone in Chicago does this race to kick off the spring running season. I've been running all winter so this race was just a fun break from the long(ish) runs of half marathon training.

I went to the Shamrock Shuffle expo on Friday afternoon to try to beat the crowd. I decided to get my easy 4-mile run in by running from the L to Navy Pier (about 4 miles roundtrip). I got my packet and walked around for a bit. Tried a couple samples and bought some Nuun tablets because they are cheaper at expos and I love them for travel. I always love the view of the city from Navy Pier.

Ryan and I had some friends in town this weekend so I took a rest day Saturday to hang out and watch basketball with them all day. Eating fried bar food and drinking beer probably didn't help my time on Sunday but hey, it's March Madness! I did go home at a decent time, picked up a burrito and went to sleep early. But of course my friends came home rowdy and so my sleep was pretty interrupted. So I woke up Sunday tired and a bit dehydrated but I took all of my usual pre-run liquids and met Lindsay to head over to Grant Park.

I was in Corral C, which was so crowded that there was spill over to the outside. The first mile was very crowded and it was hard to go fast. I just wanted to enjoy the race and not use up a ton of energy weaving through people and risking injury so I stayed with the pace of the crowd, which was about 8:30/mile. The temperature was great once I warmed up and I'm still glad I wore long sleeve, long pants, and a headband even though I was a bit hot. I even wore some shamrock socks, which you can kind of see in the pic below. The course weaved through the loop and went by fast and before I knew it, we were going up that treacherous "Roosevelt hill" to the finish. I finished in 42:01 with an average pace of 8:27/mile. Not bad for a fun race and it was a PR since this was my first time running an 8k! This time was actually very similar to a 5-miler I did in Florida at the end of last year (post).

After the race I met up with The Crew (above) and we hung out, trying to pretend it was warm in the sunshine. We then headed over to the Resolution Crew Celebration with NTC Chicago. I was in the "get a PR" crew with Kate, since my goal is to get a PR in the upcoming Indy 500 Mini Marathon. We had a 5-week program leading up to the Shamrock Shuffle with running and cross training. I'm going to continue the pace of the program for the next 5 weeks of training! Below is a picture of our crew at Rockit.

Overall, I enjoyed my first Shamrock Shuffle and loved kicking off the spring race season with a fun race. I did skip my 11-mile long run this weekend so I'm trying to figure out if I should make it up this week or not. I already have to run 12 miles next weekend!


Did you run or watch the Shamrock Shuffle this weekend?

Do you make-up long runs if you miss them in a week of training?

DAVIDsTEA Spring Collection Preview

Last night I joined the Windy City Blogger Collective At DAVIDsTEA to try out the new spring collection, which comes out in stores and online today!

Look at that selection of teas! I love tea soo much.

Taco Joint catered the event with some tacos and the delicious guacamole above. It had mango in it and salsa on top, very good!

Yes, I'm drinking an ICED tea because this was the SPRING collection preview. (It snowed in Chicago again today.)

I tried the blue lagoon and cool cucumber. The blue lagoon is a fruity white tea and very refreshing, tastes best iced. The cool cucumber is a pretty strong black tea with real cucumber. I think it's good hot and cold and a great afternoon drink.

Do you drink tea, or coffee, or both?

What's your favorite type of tea, and iced or hot?

Peeled Juice Cleanse

One of the most important things that I learned when I did Karyn's Raw Detox last year was that juice cleansing and fasting is the ultimate way to keep healthy. I have not been truly sick since I did Karyn's cleanse and that's pretty amazing for someone who used to have a perpetual cold and cough during the entire winter and really severe sinus infections. The one time I thought I was sick in 2013, it was actually just mild asthma due to allergies. (Asthma runs in my family.) Anytime I do feel like I'm getting a cold, I eat a bunch of vegetable and take spirulina and/or chlorella, much more effective than chicken noodle soup or cold medicine.

Anyway, back to the cleanse! I tried some juice from Peeled a couple weeks ago at the NTC Chicago opening and it inspired me to do their 3-day juice cleanse. The Groupon is only $97, which you can easily spend on veggies alone for juicing. Juice fasting is one of the best ways to get rid of the toxins that your body has built up from processed food, pesticides, alcohol, other chemicals, air pollutants, etc. These toxins reside in digestive system, which you can clean out by taking a break from food. Cold-pressed juice has all of the nutrients of fruits and vegetables but not the fiber. Therefore, minimal digestion is needed to absorb the nutrients, thus giving your intestines, kidneys, and liver a chance to clean out. It's like taking a day off work to organize your life and clean your apartment, your gut needs a day off once in a while too!

The Peeled juice cleanse is composed of six juices a day for three (or more) days. You take the green and maroon juices twice. The labels of the four different juices are shown below.

Green juice is always a great way to start the day, juice cleanse or not. 

Lemon and cayenne together tastes amazing. I'm going to make this at home more regularly.

This is the sweetest of the juices and not my favorite. I think it could go without the apple because, believe it or not, carrot and beet are pretty sweet on their own.

This was my favorite juice during the cleanse. Maybe because it's the most filling and felt satisfying at the end of the day. But the maple/cashew blend is really good. I might try to make this one at home too!

After picking up my 3 days worth of juice at the Lincoln Park location and stocking my fridge, I was ready to start the cleanse! To maximize the effects of the cleanse, you should eat raw vegan and no caffeine or alcohol at least the day before and after the 3-day cleanse. Eating healthy the 3 days before and after is also good. This will also make the cleanse easier and you won't be as hungry.

Juice fasting is not easy. You don't feel famished or that hungry during the cleanse, but you just keep thinking about solid food. I don't have enough energy to workout during juicing. I did try Bikram yoga during this time but I had to lay down a lot. 

Some people react to the cleanse with unlimited energy. I feel that way after the cleanse. Other people can get a cold during the cleanse because your body is releasing so many toxins. The more often you cleanse, the easier it gets. Your first one might be really rough, but trust me that it gets better! No matter how the cleanse goes, you will feel more energetic and healthy after, and filling, greasy food won't sound as good anymore.

The day before the cleanse I ate mostly liquids to get ready. I had a Vega smoothie for breakfast, avocado soup for lunch, another smoothie for dinner, and then some popcorn as a snack (not recommend but I caved in). When breaking the cleanse after the 3 days, be sure to go slow and not shock your system and ruin the cleanse. Start with a smoothie, veggie soup for lunch is great, and then something easy to digest for dinner. Great example is veggie stir fry with white rice. If you eat dairy and meat, wait a couple of days to reintroduce those into your diet. You might not even want to!

One last note, to make a juice fast truly a cleanse, you should strongly consider doing a colonic or enema. This will completely clean out your colon to allow for maximum toxin release. I've heard some say that it's not even worth it to do a juice cleanse without an enema because you won't clean out anything. I talk more about colonics and enemas in this post. Trust me, it's not as scary or gross as it sounds!

Have you ever done a juice cleanse?

What is your favorite fruit/veggie juice?

Disclaimer: I am not a physician or registered dietician and all recommendations are from my own experience. Please consult your doctor before you make any major health or lifestyle changes.

*This post is not sponsored. I bought and reviewed the Peeled Juice Cleanse on my own.

Working out the body and mind

I had a pretty eventful weekend but my two favorite things were working out the body with NTC Chicago and working out the mind with Both Sides.

The finale of NTC Week in Chicago was a speakeasy turned workout! Kate of The Four Percent and Emily of On Your Mark led us in a great NTC workout which was only enhanced by learning some moves from flappers. I'm not very coordinated but I still had fun!

There's Amanda from The Ghost Guest! She won my plus one giveaway for the NTC event! I'm excited to see what NTC Chicago has to offer us in February.

On Sunday, Ryan and I headed to Both Sides Art in the Pilsen area (southwest of the loop) for some art therapy. I met the owner, Meg Frazier, a couple years ago when she did a painting class for us at my friend's baby shower. She opened this studio as a multipurpose space for painting class, yoga, art shows, etc.

Painting seriously takes my mind off of everything. The name, Both Sides, means using both sides of the brain. Using my creative side in a different way than writing is so refreshing. I would compare doing art is as good for your mind as yoga is for your body. They are both relaxing, restorative, strengthening, and we usually don't find the time to do them. I know I need more art and yoga in my life!

Here's some close-ups of our paintings. Mine is of some mountains and Ryan's is of the Purdue bell tower with a sunset background. Both Sides has 3-hour BYOB painting classes every Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon, among other classes and events. There is also a Groupon available for the painting class right now!

Poll! Which painting do you like better?

How do you exercise and relax your mind?

NTC Chicago and GIVEAWAY!

Many of you know that I've been involved in the Nike Training Club (NTC) community in Chicago and led run club at NTC Lincoln Park. Well, I'm excited to tell you about the new transition from NTC LP to NTC Chicago. Nike is bringing free fitness and running events to everyone in Chicago and the grand opening of the new studio space at 673 N. Michigan (right next to the Niketown store) was last night! Here's some pics of the new space:

About 40 young women showed up for the opening and they had us write down our resolutions for 2014. This week in January is when everyone starts forgetting about their New Years Resolutions, so this was a good reminder. My resolution is to reach my Nike Fuel Band goal of 3000 at least six days a week. This is especially challenging for me because I work from home and need a reminder to move!

We then did an hour workout with some awesome NTC trainers and had a competition to see how many fuel points we could get. I got 1850 and came out in the top few! We each got a ticket to this Saturday's secret NTC event. I'm giving away my +1, more on that below!!

There's Jeana from FabFitChicago.com and I with our winning tickets and champagne to toast the grand opening!

GIVEAWAY!

To finish off NTC Week and the grand opening of NTC Chicago, there is a secret event on Saturday 1/25 that will involve getting fit and a party after. If it's anything like the WinterFit event last month, it will be a blast! And we might get some free Nike gear…

I'm giving away my plus one for my ticket to one of my readers!  The event is at 4:30 PM on Saturday, January 25th, in the south loop area. You must live in or be visiting Chicago this weekend to enter, transportation is not provided. Male and female (and everything in between) welcome.

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below. You must comment on this post as a minimum to enter. Tell me what your fitness goals are this year! Then you can follow NTC Chicago and me and tweet for extra entries! If the widget doesn't work for whatever reason, just say so in your comment below and I will manually enter you.

Contest ends Thursday at midnight and I will announce the winner on Friday morning! Good luck and I'm excited to have fun and get #NTCfit with the winner on Saturday!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Nike/NTC but they did provide me with the tickets for Saturday's event and some of the pictures in this post. All text and opinions are my own.