FitLabPGH is a podcast about movement and movement opportunities in the Pittsburgh, PA area.  Once a week we also highlight a FitLabPGH mover…someone who understands that movement is a lifestyle…not just an activity.  The questions are lightly edited to allow for easy readability.  Click FitLabPGH Features for more info if you want to be featured/know someone who should be featured.

This Week: Bethany Conley

Are you a Pittsburgh native? If not, what brought you to the Pittsburgh area? I was born in Northern Michigan and raised in Wexford, PA. I moved to the City of Pittsburgh for my college studies. The urban environment, arts culture and music scene in Pittsburgh really appealed to me so I stayed. I briefly moved away to another country for a year, which was great, but then I came back to my natural habitat.

What are your three favorite movement activities in the Pittsburgh area? Walking, dancing, and swimming.

Describe your fantasy movement-focused vacation…cost is not an object…where do you go and what do you do? I would love something where I could safely swim from one island to another somewhere. Kind of like in the book/film The Beach, but I’d prefer it with no shark dangers. Also, my friend just showed me her photos from a 4-day camping trek to Machu Picchu and it looked amazing. That’s runner up.

What is your go-to weekday breakfast? Your weekend breakfast? On weekdays: greek yogurt with chia seeds, fruit & nut granola, lemon water, and coffee. On weekends: a poached egg on whole wheat English muffin, with butter and jam, papaya slices on the side, lemon water, and coffee. Sometimes pancakes or biscotti will make a special cameo on the weekend.

What is your favorite thing to eat in Pittsburgh? Note: it does not need to be healthy. Lately it’s been Baby Loves Tacos (in Bloomfield). No matter what kind of taco I get there I am always in tastebud heaven. Also, my husband and I really love Azorean Cafe, Tram’s Vietnamese, People’s Indian and Chicken Latino. You can’t go wrong with any of those places.

What is the most unusual and/or challenging movement activity you’ve done? Would you do it again? I guess jumping rope/running, while singing. This helps me with singing in my band (Balloon Ride Fantasy). It’s hard to sing when your heart rate gets up, so it’s pretty unnatural at first.

What movement activity/event are you looking forward to in the next year? On Saturday, October 26, our band is playing an annual party in Bloomfield called the Evaline Halloween party. This year it is “moon” themed. We go every year, and we have so much fun there, running around the curated rooms and yard, dancing and hanging out. It’s open to the public and everyone in Pittsburgh should check it out at least once.

Would you rather go scuba diving or skydiving? Sky diving. I’ve been wanting to go for a while. I’m looking for someone to give me a figurative push. I will probably need to be a little medicated in order to go through with it, but I do want to check this off my list as a life experience.

What is your favorite recovery or self-care practice? Stretching and massage.

What is the one place visitors to Pittsburgh “must” see? The Panther Hollow trails at Schenley Park are impressive because there’s a lot of beautiful woods and open green space there, in surprising proximity to the city. It’s a lovely escape from the concrete jungle.

Contact info for Bethany Conley:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bb_conley/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balloonridefantasy/

And don’t miss Bethany’s cats: https://www.instagram.com/rollo_and_geo/

FitLabPGH is a podcast about movement and movement opportunities in the Pittsburgh, PA area.  Once a week we also highlight a FitLabPGH mover…someone who understands that movement is a lifestyle…not just an activity.  The questions are lightly edited to allow for easy readability.  Click FitLabPGH Features for more info if you want to be featured/know someone who should be featured.

This Week: Robert Treglia, From Fat to Somewhat Fit

Are you a Pittsburgh native? If not, what brought you to the Pittsburgh area? Yes

What are your three favorite movement activities in the Pittsburgh area? Biking, Hiking, and walking

Describe your fantasy movement-focused vacation…cost is not an object…where do you go and what do you do? I would love to go to Africa and go hiking

What is your go-to weekday breakfast? Your weekend breakfast? Weekday: Overnight oats or protein shakes. Weekend: Eggs, toast, and spinach

What is your favorite thing to eat in Pittsburgh? Note: it does not need to be healthy. Headwich from Fat Heads

What is the most unusual and/or challenging movement activity you’ve done? Would you do it again? I just got back into bike riding after 20 years. I only rode the bike a few times before I did 30 miles on the Montour Trail.

What movement activity/event are you looking forward to in the next year? I am doing the great pumpkin run in October. It’s a 5k where you can run carrying a pumpkin. If you finish with it, you get to keep the pumpkin.

Would you rather go scuba diving or skydiving? I am not allowed to skydive per my wife. So it would have to be scuba diving. However, I cannot swim either. So it would have to be shallow enough for me to walk the bottom.

What is your favorite recovery or self-care practice? I have started doing red light therapy at REDjuvenate

What is the one place visitors to Pittsburgh “must” see? West End Overlook. Everyone does the typical Mt Washington view. The West End Overlook I feel is a better view of the city.

Contact info for Robert Treglia:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromfattosomewhatfit/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fromfattosomewhatfit/

FitLabPGH is a podcast about movement and movement opportunities in the Pittsburgh, PA area.  Once a week we also highlight a FitLabPGH mover…someone who understands that movement is a lifestyle…not just an activity.  The questions are lightly edited to allow for easy readability.  Click FitLabPGH Features for more info if you want to be featured/know someone who should be featured.

This Week: Emma Yourd, Fittsburgh Project

Are you a Pittsburgh native? If not, what brought you to the Pittsburgh area? I’m a Pittsburgh native, born and raised in the South Hills! I spent 10 years away for college and then my job, but moved back in 2018 to start grad school and ultimately a new career here in the city.

What are your three favorite movement activities in the Pittsburgh area? Is it biased to say my own free fitness group?? Fittsburgh Project is definitely one! I love trail running, mostly at South Park. And I’m a fan of vinyasa yoga-still trying to find that perfect studio in the city.

Describe your fantasy movement-focused vacation…cost is not an object…where do you go and what do you do? I haven’t spent that much time out West, so I’d love to go there for a week. Maybe Colorado or California, wake up early and do some morning trail runs. Spend the week hiking the mountains and end everyday with some yin/restorative yoga to stretch and unwind. I love vacations where you can work fitness into your daily activities instead of it being something else I *have* to do.

What is your go-to weekday breakfast? Your weekend breakfast? I’m in grad school right now, so breakfast has to be enough to fuel me but also be fast and convenient. I do a lot of smoothies and overnight oats during the week, something I can make the night before and then grab and go. Weekends can be more relaxed, so I mix it up with eggs – a favorite is cottage cheese topped with a fried egg and Tabasco. I also love a good waffle.

What is your favorite thing to eat in Pittsburgh? Note: it does not need to be healthy. La Gourmandine almond croissants.

What is the most unusual and/or challenging movement activity you’ve done? Would you do it again? Pilates is SO HARD. My mom and I recently went to a few classes at Moxie Pilates and I definitely went in with an ego, thinking “I’m so fit, this will be fine.” It was the most difficult workout I’ve done in years! They force you to work all these smaller muscles that runners don’t normally develop and I was shaking 10 minutes into class. 10/10 would love to make that part of my regular workout routine.

What movement activity/event are you looking forward to in the next year? I spent six months last year sidelined from running with a stress fracture, so I’m looking forward to signing up for a race this fall and just getting back into the competitive aspect of running that I’ve missed so much.

Would you rather go scuba diving or skydiving? Scuba diving! I’ve been snorkeling a few times and would love to get closer to some of the things I’ve seen from the surface. Also, falling out a plane sounds terrifying.

What is your favorite recovery or self-care practice? I LOVE yin yoga for relaxing and really stretching those deep connective tissues. I also try to do weekly Epsom salt baths to help with recovery and muscle inflammation. Journaling has been a huge part of mentally recovering from my injury last year.

What is the one place visitors to Pittsburgh “must” see? I know Mount Washington is a popular place for visitors, but I think that the view from behind the Pirates dugout in PNC Park is the most beautiful view in the city. Also, I always take visitors to the Strip District because I think it gives you such a flavor for Pittsburgh.

Contact info for Emma Yourd, Fittsburgh Project:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missyourdy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fittsburghproject/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fittsburghproject

Twitter: https://twitter.com/missyourdy

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fittsburghproj