Is there a character limit for these reviews? That could be a problem.
I have been active my whole life - soccer from kindergarten through 8th grade, three seasons of track for all of high school, and a recreational runner during college. I had a few lazy years post-college, and built back to a regular running routine about six years ago. But strength training...I knew I should do it, I knew it would help my running, and help me to lose a little weight, but I COULD NOT bring myself to do it. I tried classes at other gyms I belonged to over the years, I tried using machines, and I tried putting together my own body-weight routines. I never stuck with a single thing.
In spring of 2012 some of my co-workers put together a wellness challenge, and part of the challenge was to work out more while another part involved weight loss. I knew that if I was going to earn points in both of those aspects, I needed to get strong(er, at least) and I figured that the boot camp class I used to see sometimes when I was meeting my running club would probably get the job done. Google-fu led me to AHB - and lucky me they had a deal on one of the local voucher sites so I could attend eight boot camp classes AND get a massage for cheap. I heart cheap, and the timing was perfect, so I signed up. Alicia's boot camp classes are awesome. Having a class that is fun (even when it's kicking your ass), where you laugh far more often than you would expect to while working out, and where you are constantly meeting other strong, amazing, inspiring people has made me a regular ever since. I also lost six pounds and dropped ~3% body fat, in case you were wondering if it works (I should add that I don't do the nutritional counseling that's available at AHB...but I'm positive that I could lose more weight if I did. I'm just a brat who doesn't like to be told what to eat.)
That consistent strength routine led me to a pretty amazing year of running in 2013: I set PRs in every distance I race numerous times that year (10k in April and again October, 5 miler in May and again in November, 5k in August). I was more comfortable running for longer distances than I have been since I ran three seasons of track in high school. I also climbed Mt Washington in 2.5 hours (aka the tallest mountain in the northeast - the guide book said it would take 4.5 hours) and wasn't even sore after hiking 12 miles and ~4,800 feet of elevation gain/loss in two days.
In 2014 I decided to train for a half marathon, and I wasn't going to do it without proper training. I hired Alicia to train me for it. Alicia provided me with weekly plans that included a mix of running and strength training, working around my schedule when necessary. Her feedback was supportive, helpful, and constant. Weeks before race day, I was confident that I would nail it. I ran a 2:16 half, and successfully trained for it without any injuries. Later in the summer I hiked the Presidential Traverse (19 miles and 8,815 feet of elevation gain over three days) and was barely sore. That wasn't because I go hiking every weekend, it's because working with Alicia at AHB has me in the best shape of my life.
Alicia offered weekly track workouts in 2014 as well, and despite having some lingering PTSD from all the running in circles that I did in high school, they turned out to be one of my favorite workouts of the week. Now that the track is buried in snow, Alicia and Erin offer runner-specific cardio conditioning and strength classes that, while sometimes feeling torturous (reminder: workouts aren't supposed to feel easy), have been challenging and enjoyable. You know, in that sadistic way that only hard workouts can be enjoyable.
I can't write this review and not mention that it's not just Alicia, Erin, and the rest of the AHB staff that is amazing and supportive. The other clients I've met at AHB are all friendly, welcoming, supportive, and inspiring...and a lot of them have become friends! These are my people, there isn't a day that I'm not grateful to have found this place. read more