Spinning out of Control!

“We’re coming up on a team from UPENN, check out their matching uniforms. Get ready Team Animal, we’re going to blow past them on the left, in 3-2-1 Go –Go! PUSH, PUSH, PUSH! Faster than that! Faster than that! Yes you can! You can do it! AND… Recover. Bye-bye UPENN”

Nope I’m not on a cycling team. In fact, I’m not actually on the road at all, although I AM going about 100 MPH. This is my Tuesday afternoon Spinning Class at the Drexel University Recreation Center, led by Deb. Deb is a little powerhouse who likes to play 80’s hair metal and tries to make us throw up before the end of class, and I keep going back!

I never took a Spin class before this term, and here is my list of excuses why:

1. “I would feel like I was exerting all of this energy and not getting anywhere.”
2. “I prefer to do my work outs standing up.”
3. “I don’t want to buy special shoes”
4. “My legs would get huge.”
5. “Sitting for an hour, I think my butt would hurt too much.”
6. “It’s not a good time.”

Bullshit, all of it. The truth is I was a little scared. Spin class was an unfamiliar situation, I didn’t know anyone, I didn’t know how to set up my bike, I was afraid my butt was going to look ridiculous on that little seat, all of these things prevented me from stepping into that room of bikes.

What I learned during my fitness assessment is that I needed to add more cardiovascular activity into my workout schedule, so I took the leap. I went and talked to the instructor and she helped me set up my bike and I went at my own pace. At the end of the class, I had fun, I was covered in sweat, my legs were like Jello, and I’m totally hooked.

Moral of the story, be honest with yourself and don’t be afraid to try new things.

Next post: “What’s a motto? Nothing, what’s the motto with you?!”