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THE IDEA OF RUNNING HILLS makes a lot of joggers want to, well, run for the hills. But if you train only on flat terrain, chances are you're going to be in for a rude awakening — or, at least, a rude incline — at your next race. "Rarely do you get a totally flat course," says Sean Hanrahan, the endurance coach at Rockville's Life Time Fitness (1151 Seven Locks Road; 240-314-7022), who's leading a "Hills Are Your Friends" workshop this Saturday at 8 a.m. (non-members welcome, too; just register ahead of time).
Not feeling too chummy right now? Hanrahan promises to change that by retooling your stride. "What we're trying to do is teach the body how to lean forward," he explains. That doesn't mean hinging from the hips, but rather the ankles, almost like you're ready to splat flat on your face. If you can harness that momentum to help propel you forward, you'll have more energy to conquer elevation. And, he adds, proper positioning raises the odds that you'll load weight on your feet correctly, too.
Since he expects to attract a mix of indoor and outdoor runners, Hanrahan hopes to split the two hours between treadmill time and outdoor terrain. Both have advantages — machines let you play with elevation and stamina in any way you choose, and the outdoors offers more unpredictability. Whichever you prefer, Hanrahan says there's nowhere to go but up.
IT'S STATING THE OBVIOUS to say that China is a huge country. But here in this huge country, when we hear "Chinese food," we still think only of General Tso's sweet, gloppy chicken and Eastern-Western mash-ups like chop suey. Fortunately, there are Chinese restaurants that refuse to dumb down their food for Western palates.
A&J Restaurant in Annandale features traditional Taiwanese cuisine perfect for a weekend morning or afternoon brunch. Put aside the English-language menu; the Chinese one has more enticing grub. The flaky thousand-layer pancake is topped with sesame seeds and filled with pork. Scallions are mixed into the batter of the savory scallion pancakes; they're also used to fill sesame balls.
Dinner choices include dishes from China's Sichuan province, such as beef noodle soup with handmade noodles, and spicy dan dan noodles.
For more Sichuan-style food, visit Peking Village Restaurant in Falls Church where the chef hails from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province.
Continue Reading "After Chopsticks: Chinese Quisine Opens Up" »
YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD the news: Kate Gosselin, of TLC's saddest reality show ever, "Jon and Kate Plus 8," might be moving to Rockville (although some reports say she isn't). We want to be good neighbors either way, so we'd like to extend a hand of friendship and a few quick suggestions for local stops she might like to hit while she's minus Jon.
» L.A. Boxing Gym (192A Halpine Road, Rockville; 301-881-4269, laboxing.com)
Kate gets a lot of flak for being, um, a grouch. But we'd be ticked, too, if our husband wore that much Ed Hardy and turned out to be a giant manchild and made us be the grown-up all the time. Kate probably has a lot of anger she needs to work out, so we'd send her straight to a punching bag, since it looks like her old one's made other arrangements.
» Orange Ball Billiards and Cafe (430 Hungerford Drive, Rockville; 301-309-6440, obbilliards.com)
Hey, even single moms need to have fun. Rockville is short on meet markets — and many of the bars that exist are messy buffalo wing places that would give neatnik Kate a coronary — but we think she could shake loose at the Orange Ball, which boasts cheap drinks and some of the best-kept pool tables in the Metro area. Really, we're just hoping little Aaden grows up to be an adorable pool hustler. Oh, and that we get to make lots of eight ball puns in the upcoming weeks.
Continue Reading "Reality in Rockville: A Guide for Kate Gosselin" »
PEOPLE PEEKING INSIDE Rockville's Transform Fitness (6001 Montrose Road; 240-383-8402; Transformfit.net) often aren't sure what to make of the studio. "Are you open? You don't have any machines," they keep telling owner Anne Johns, who explains to them that her arsenal of functional fitness tools — including tubing, balls, sandbags and kettlebells — is all anyone really needs.
Well, that and a room that's empty except for a couple chairs.
They're not props for balance exercises or triceps dips. The seats are simply for sitting and talking, which Johns hopes to make as integral a part of her clients' experience at Transform as sweating.
"As a trainer, I found the biggest hang-up wasn't knowing you need to exercise or how to eat well. It's how to get around the mental barriers," Johns says. "Coaching is the missing link in making these lifelong changes."
The idea is to pair workouts with check-in discussions, either for individuals or groups with similar struggles. Think new parents, chronic pain sufferers — or people looking to lose significant amounts of weight, such as Mannie Pallia, 40, and Geneva Hoey, 54.
WEDNESDAY: Although the demise of Screen on the Green is sad — another iconic D.C. activity bites the dust — there are still plenty of free movies to sustain us.
Tonight (and every Wednesday this summer), you can see a free screening in Rockville Town Square while local restaurants offer picnic dinner specials. Tonight's film is tear-jerking dog-flick "Marley and Me."
» Rockville Town Square, between Maryland Ave. and Gibbs St., Rockville; Wed., June 3, 8:45 p.m., free. (Rockville)
Photo courtesy Barry Wetcher
WHATEVER THE OUTCOME of Tuesday's election, the winner is bound to emphasize he'll bring change to Washington. Perhaps the candidates don't realize it's already here. But instead of taxes or rebates or regulations, Hyun Martin has her own techniques. "I came to Washington to change the world, and I'm doing it in a spa," says the owner of Bethesda's Be You Bi You Wellness Center and Spa (5602 Shields Drive, 301-493-4911, Beyouspa.com).
Her bipartisan suggestion: Get a jaw massage.
Whether you've been gabbing incessantly on cable news — or at the dinner table — or gritting your teeth as you listened with a forced smile, your jaws have taken a beating over the past few months. And that, my friends, could wear out the muscles that support your temporomandibular joint (TMJ). So, Martin, who hatched the idea to target beleaguered jaws after dating a dentist, designed a 30-minute massage ($80) that targets trigger points on your cranium, neck and mouth. She slips on gloves and dives into your oral cavity, fatiguing the jaw muscles with pressure. "I ask them to clench, and after awhile, they can't clench anymore, so the muscle has to release," she says.
Continue Reading "Take a Break, Talking Heads: Loosen Up Jaws" »
EVERYTHING IN THIS town is political. So many people work for (or writes about, or contract for) the government, everyone talks about politics after work and everyone will be out in force for the giant election party that will take over the city on Tuesday night. But before that happens, you can chow down on political-themed food at local eateries that are using election fever as a chance to get creative with their menus.
AFTER NINE YEARS of Halloween infamy, Nightmare on M Street still hasn't been disbanded. Because, really, who wouldn't want to see and hear big drunk kids clamoring down their street from sundown to 2 a.m.?
More than 6,000 people are expected to attend, starting at Front Page in Dupont Circle and crawling between the 15 participating bars.
Be sure to get a wristband, or you'll have to cough up a $10 cover at every bar. Don't want to wait in line, or pay $20 at the door? Buy your ticket in advance at lindypromo.com. Or, when you're picking out a costume — be it clever, cliche, or downright slutty (hey, Halloween only comes one night a year; we don't judge you) — head to Party City in Rockville and get a free ticket with a $25 purchase.
» Front Page, 1333 New Hampshire Ave. NW; Fri., Oct. 31, 6 p.m., $12-$20; 202-296-6500. (Dupont Circle)
Photo by Andrea Bruce Woodall/The Washington Post
THE ECONOMY IS NOT WORKING OUT so well these days, but you might be, considering the number of gyms sprouting up (two — a new Vida and Results — opened just last week). Top-of-the-line equipment should help take your mind off financial crises. And if you invest your membership money wisely, you're sure to get a solid return no matter what happens on Wall Street.
» Vida Fitness Metropole
"It's not just a gym," clarifies David von Storch, owner of Vida, indicating Bang Salon and Aura Spa. Located on the entrance level of the 28,000-square-foot space in Logan Circle, that's where folks can get blown out and body-wrapped before descending into the three floors of fitness downstairs. Sound cavernous? An open design means huge windows on the street level are visible from two floors (and 50 feet) below. "It feels urban and sexy without feeling sexual," von Storch says.
It starts with a cardio area, featuring a D.C. exclusive: Real Ryder stationary bikes that shift from side to side to create more of a core workout. TVs are mounted on virtually every piece of equipment, but the real show may be downstairs, where the weights and machines are; they're divided by body part rather than grouped into circuits. Locker rooms lead to the Zen Spa, with two endless pools and a steam room.
1515 15th St. NW, 202-588-5559, Vidafitness.com.
» Results Gym Mount Vernon
There isn't a pool here, but there is pool. It's just the kind with an eight ball. A pingpong table completes the quirky game room that greets all visitors to Results' digs at City Vista, which were designed to maximize natural light. Think wraparound, floor-to-ceiling, southern exposure windows -- providing quite a view of the developing neighborhood.
But there's plenty to see inside, too. The abs area has TVs loaded with class content, so you can be guided through a core workout. Peek through an aquarium to spy on the co-ed Jacuzzi. A disco ball winks from the ceiling of the cycling studio. And there's a low-tech but clever innovation: "express" lockers on the fitness floor for people who want to lock something up quickly but have no need to change or shower. Owner Doug Jeffries seems almost giddy about the new Hoist line of weight equipment, which makes you move your own body in addition to the traditional weights. "It's more fun because the body rocks. Anyone who does this has a smile on their face," he says.
445 K St. NW, 202-234-5678, Resultsthegym.com.
Continue Reading "You Can Find Me in the Club: D.C.'s Newest Gyms" »
BOB'S NOODLE 66 is worth the inevitable wait for a seat. Open for breakfast and lunch, the restaurant features delicious hot pots, a communal bowl of broth that's accompanied by meat, seafood, vegetables and an array of condiments.
Hot pots are ideal for staving off the winter chill, and gathering friends around a steaming bowl is also a nice way to welcome in the Chinese New Year's Year of the Rat.
» Bob's Noodle 66, 305 N. Washington St., Rockville; 301-315-6668.
Addison Road