Just Keep Spinning

I have never been someone who loves doing classes at the gym.  I always look at the class schedule, write down possible ones to go to, and then never go.  There are two main reasons for my lack of interest in classes:
1. A lot of classes require a certain level of coordination and rythme.  Both of which I desperately lack.
2. I'll be the first to admit I am a creature of habit. I am used to and like my gym routine (cardio, stretch, abs, maybe a little bit of weights thrown in if I'm feeling adventurous).  It takes a lot of motivation for me to change it up.


The summer of 2009, I started my training for the Sprint Triathalon.  Since I needed to work on my biking endurance, I started to do spin classes and ended up loving it!  I felt great adding a new workout to my regular (and I'll admit boring) routine.  I could feel myself getting stronger as I worked new and different muscles.   It also gave my knees a break from the regular pounding the recieved from running.  However, soon after my race ended so did my stint with spinning.  I no longer had to "need" for spinning class.

This past winter, the pressure of running started to hurt my knee.  I needed to take a break from running and decided to give spinning another chance.  I was nervous to go.  I hadn't been on a bike since the summer and to a spinning class since 2009.  I forced myself to go to the class, get on the bike, and give it my all. Truthfully...I hated just about every minute of that class (the minutes I did enjoy included the flat roads and water breaks).  I pushed myself harder than I remember pushing myself in a long time. I thought my legs were going to fall off and my heart was going to pop out of my chest.  However, the upbeat music and instructor's energy kept me going.  Of course he said the cliche lines ("Catch up to that bike in front of you." Um...really?! It's a stationary bike!) that made me want to jump off my bike and yell at him to be quiet.  But those stupid lines worked.  He convinced me that I could do it if I, as Dory says, "just keep swimming" (or in this case spinning).

When the class was over, I felt strong and motivated.  I had pushed myself past what I thought was my upper limit.  The feelings that I felt when the class was done, overrode the negative feelings that I had during the class.  The negative feelings lasted only 60 minutes.  The postive ones carried over for the rest of the night.  Soon, spinning became a part of my "regular gym routine".  I'll admit, every Monday night I still dred going to class.  But, before I walk into the spin room I force myself to I think about how I will feel when the class is over instead of during it.

How I look after spin class

How I feel

Also...a little motivation from my little friend never fails to help:

While I'm not rushing out to try new classes to add to my regular gym routine, I am definitely more open to the idea than before I started spinning.  A little change (and challenge) can be a good thing!