Spin Cycle

Years ago, when I was around 40 and worrying about making it to 50 and beyond healthy I got up 3-4 mornings a week at was at the gym lifting weights by 6 am.   spent about 30 minutes doing a routine, then home for shower and work.    A few times I would go to an exercise class.   I always passed the spin cycle room.   It looked kinda fun and they had loud music.   So I tried it out one day.   I made many misstakes, the first being not letting the instructor know I had NO idea what I was doing - but how hard can it be to get on a stationary bike and pedel?   She was kinda intimidating and maybe a little rude so I suffered and muddled through.   I could barely walk when the class was done, and I didn't keep up very well.    The spin room is on the bottom floor of the rec center.   That means two flights of stairs to get up because there's no elevator.   I. Thought. I. Would. Die.    I vowed never to get near one of those horrible things again.

So, I kept up with my weights, until I wasn't really working too hard anymore, and the very pregnant woman was doing way better than I was.   So I quit. 

I walk not far every day, but as long as it's not over 95 degrees out I go about 5 miles a day with my daughter, probably 4 times a week.   I Yoga on occasion, especially if I'm feeling like I've sat too much.  I wii on occasion, and keep saying I need to start doing that again.

My older overweight sister decided earlier this summer it's finally time to do something about her health.  YEA!  She's eating better, not depression eating quite as often and goes to the gyp 3-5 times a week.   And she spin cycles.   She wants me to do it too, becuase she wants me to ride a bicycle with her on the paths.   Of course we live 70 miles from each other so I'm not sure when or how often we can get together for that, but I haven't ruled it out.    So after months of nagging I found a beginner spin cycle class.   In the very same room where I. Thought I. Would. Die.   She came with me this past Sunday for my first class.

The class was taught by a woman named Karen.   Karen was apparently sick Sunday so Bruce was teaching the class.   Bruce is about 6' tall and has arm muscles bigger than my fat, flabby thighs.   I was a little worried.   But I put my big girl panties on and said with my hand raised, I've never done this before.   He was SO NICE.   He showed me how to adjust the bike to work for me, and since it was a beginner class, it wasn't so difficult.   Don't get me wrong, I sweated, and quite a bit, but I could walk up those stinkin two flights of steps when we were done, and I was starving by the time we went to get lunch.  

I actually may even go again.   Apparently sometime a year or so ago, I bought a block of visits on my rec center card.    I have 19 times left to go that have already been paid for.   

Fate.