Social Workout

Events

Is It Shallow To Pick Your Team Based Purely On Their Name?

There's a strong possibility that, gasp, you've failed to follow the Brooklyn Kickball League this season. But the New York Post wants you to know, it's not too late — playoffs start this weekend, and the Post has a handy guide to which crazy teams to watch (complete with wry little lines like "Who is the dark horse? Is it the aptly named Pony Boys?")  Perhaps most interesting — the team names. You've got:

New York

Quidditch

Are You Ready For Some Magical Fitness?

If November 19th is already circled on your calendar with the note "Harry Potter 7 opens!" there are a couple of other dates you should also be marking: November 13th and 14th. That's when the Quidditch World Cup comes to town. Hosted by the International Quidditch Association, the games go down this year in NYC. And Social Workout's very own Killercadoogan is fielding a team in association with the NYC Harry Potter Meetup Group aka The Group That Shall Not Be Named (TGTSNBN). Try-outs are this Saturday! But that's not all. As a lead up to the Quidditch World Cup, Killercadoogan and TGTSNBN bring you the Quidditch Team Training Challenge. 28 days of magic and fitness. Details after the jump. 

New York

Events

Last Chance To Sign Up For The Warrior Dash

Here at Social Workout HQ, we take regular stretch breaks during which we touch our toes, do pushups, and awkwardly lunge around the office. Yesterday's stretch was all aflutter with talk of the upcoming Warrior Dash. Seems a number of our cool Flavorpill officemates are doing the dash, which involves, mud, flames, rock walls, cargo nets, old tires, swamps, planks, tunnels...you get the idea. In sum, it's 3.23 miles of dirty mayhem. And this is the last weekend to sign up. The details:

New York

Events

Chelsea and Bill Spin For $100K

How much do people love spinning? Or maybe the better question is, how much do people who love spinning love the Clintons? So much that Soul Cycle's hour long ride with Bill and Chelsea this weekend raised more than a $100,000 for the Clinton Foundation Haiti Fund. Very nice. And also intriguing. I've developed a theory: I think it has something to do with spandex. Spandex is not a conservative fabric. The more spandex you wear, the more liberal you are. Spinning and its full body spandex...you do the math.

New York

Events

Sweaty, Muddy Ways For Bankers To Unwind

For angry bankers who can't work it out with the Wall Street Journal's suggestion of Bikram Yoga, Business Week has another idea: The Spartan Race. To kick it off, a guy in a cape and helmet yells "Spartans, prepare for glory! No retreat! No surrender! That is Spartan law. Remember to return with your shield—or on it! Ah-roo!" and then racers run three miles, jump hurdles, climb over piles of wood and dirt and dodge bare-chested men with jousting sticks.

Events

Ride With Chelsea and Bill This Saturday

Soul Cycle's Ride for Haiti event this Saturday still has a few bikes left. The details:

• What: A 60-minute ride to benefit The Clinton Foundation Haiti Fund, led by instructors Laurie Cole and Stacey Griffith, with Bill and Chelsea pedaling away alongside the rest of the class. 
• When: Saturday, August 28th. 4:15 P.M. 
• Where: SoulCycle Bridgehampton, 264 Butter Lane, Bridgehampton, NY 
• Link: Join Soul Cycle and Chelsea Clinton to Help Haiti 
• RSVP: Email HaitiRSVP@soul-cycle.com for pricing information and to request a spot.

New York

Events

Break Through Your Yoga Barriers

Want to finally get into wheel, crow, or handstand? The "Advancing Your Practice" workshop at YogaWorks Soho this weekend is all about helping you figure out what's holding you back, either physically or mentally. Instructors Katie Malachuk and Keith Yzquierdo will get into the nitty gritty of alignment, examine the component parts of challenging poses, and explore strategies for overcoming the fear and aversion that can affect your practice. You'll leave with specific tips for what to work on at home and in class to advance your practice. The details:

New York

Free Market Solutions

Salutation Nation This Saturday

Lululemon is leading a massive yoga charge with "Salutation Nation" this Saturday. All over the country, from 9:00 - 10:00 A.M., Lululemon is offering free outdoor yoga classes. As Lululemon says, "Across the continent, mats will roll out onto grass, sand, and pavement as part of this incredible outdoor yoga experience grounded in community, elevating connections." Check the local listings for locations. Of note: Of the nine fattest states, only two have Lululemon stores, so no Salutation Nation for the other seven. Not that I'm claiming any correlation/causation whatever whatever. But maybe we don't need fitness tax credits? Maybe we just need a Lululemon to open in Jackson, Mississippi...

Fitness Holidays

Not Too Late To Learn The SYTYCD National Dance Day Steps

Saturday was National Dance Day. There's a National Dance Day? Yes. I think it's the first reality TV holiday. Proposed by the folks at "So You Think You Can Dance" and backed with a Congressional resolution, it kicked off this year with dance celebrations in cities across the country. There was an official You Tube dance you were supposed to learn and everything. We're all for dancing, and who cares if you missed the official holiday — not like there's an expiration date on smooth moves. Check out the official Dance Day video after the jump and start your celebration STAT.

Events

Wanderlust Wrap-Up: What You Missed

Yesterday Wanderlust 2010 wrapped. Highlights from the second year of the Lake Tahoe yoga and music festival:

• Moby's post-performance speakeasy chat on why he's a vegan
• The Village Anusara tea house, which Elena Brower said was "a magnet for the chill outs."
• A tidy $6,000+ raised for Yoga Aid "Off the Mat into the World"
• Lots of dancing in yoga pants
• Souvenir Wanderlust gear

If you're bummed you missed it all, you can still get a little taste of Squaw Valley with the Elena Brower Daily Asana Wanderlust video series.