Canadian Cycle Class: It's American-like but with different-coloured bikes.

When I was back in Canada last month, my sister, known to all just you guys as GymSis, could not wait to take me to her gym.  And since I had inspired her with the posts here, here, here and here, she felt compelled to drag her younger sister to her spin class. Oh joy.

People say we look like twins, but I don't see it.

She was kind enough to bring me a water bottle (courtesy of ChatterNephew). Oh hey, can we talk about this water bottle for a minute?  I struggle with these in general.  I avoid wide-mouth bottles when I can because I end up looking like I have a drinking problem.

No, like a physical problem.

I tend to do best with the adult sippy cup, a.k.a. the CamelBak water bottle.  You just bite... and sip! (Anyone else hearing the "Bend and Snap"?)  

I think we could all agree that I would be Paulette in this scenario.

Don't get me wrong, the *bite and sip* is awesome.  But it did not prepare me for the fancy Contigo bottle.  You have to push a button under the lip of the bottle that retracts the top so you can drink.  There is a timing issue that GymSis had to explain to me after I may or may not have spilled everywhere:  you let go of the button before you take it away from your mouth.

Well when you explain it that way...

Ok, back to the class. We chose our bikes and hopped on; GymSis found one with a fancy, sparkly red seat.

The bikes were on the older side, so the tension knobs were a little off.  I would turn and turn and turn, spinning tension-free.  Then suddenly I would just jerk to a halt.

Once the class started, the teacher (her name was Natalie) always had lovely motivational phrases, such as:

And:

Start??  Really, Natalie?  I think that happened when I sat on the bike.  I was definitely a level beyond 'slightly breathless'.

I got to try something new in this class:  jumps.  Natalie was once again very um, uh, motivating.

Side note:  While talking about this later with my mom, she couldn't understand how we performed that maneuvre without hurting ourselves.

After surviving the ride, GymSis took me downstairs to meet our mom for a nice, relaxing BodyFlow class.

Imagine my surprise when I saw the instructor.

(That white scarf did not fool me.)

The class involved some tai chi,

some pilates,

and some yoga.

GymSis' bendiness is so impressive!

Hmm? What's that?  Where's *my* yoga pose, you ask?

Ta-da!


NEXT POST: A NEW WAY TO RUN


DON'T FORGET, you can go to my Zazzle store to buy your favourite TRI-ING TO BE ATHLETIC picture on a shirt, tote, mug, bumper sticker, or tech decal! There are lots of shirt styles and colours so look around.  Let me know if you have any questions or requests :D

The Day I Broke a Sweat

Over the months that we have been going to our indoor cycle class, it has been all I can do to try and keep my legs moving for the entire hour.  I've perfected eked out the climb,

(just barely) survived the sprints,

and happily confusedly gone for a run.

During the last class, our teacher gave us a new directive:

I decided perhaps I should try to work beyond the basic skill of cycling and try to get an actual workout out of it; y'know, actually get my sweat on and all.

I frequently checked my heart rate, trying to get it in the optimal 'fitness' and 'performance' zones as posted on the chart on the wall.

 Oops.

By the way, is it just me, or do you other Gen Xers out there want to break out into a little Kenny Loggins a la Top Gun every time you read "Danger Zone"?  No?  Just me? Ok, carry on reading then.

The whole aerobic thing was a touch harder than I had anticipated.

(I wish I were exaggerating.)

Sadly, there are no more Sunday classes again until the fall. (Did you catch the dripping sarcasm there?)  So, we're focusing on outdoor rides for now.  Which, of course, have their own obstacles.

*SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION* (as if having a blog isn't that in and of itself):  If you belong to For the Love of Blogs, they are having a BEST IN CATEGORY contest...ok, it's a popularity contest.  At any rate, you can vote for me here. THANK YOU if you already voted (I read somewhere that you can vote daily).

UPCOMING POSTS:  BIKING 3.0, PEOPLE LIKE ME (a.k.a. blog awards) and TRIATHLON RECAPS 

Welcome to Sit 'n Spin Sundays!

Well technically, it's Swim 'n' Spin Sundays, but it is haaaaarrrrrrrddddd so it makes me feel better to call it SIT 'n' Spin Sundays (bet you all didn't know I use edgy language like that, didja?)

So here it is:  Dave and I now have a weekend training routine that involves hitting all three sports.  We do our long run on Saturdays,

pretty much leaving swimming and biking for Sundays.

We like to hit the pool first.

Um, while we're on the subject of swimming, let me just clarify something from my last swim post.  When I said "things are coming together", I may have been overstating *things* just a skotche.  The truth is, I now swim like this:

as opposed to this:

I am constantly trying to get better.  So, in addition to all my previous strategies,

  

           

I am also trying to focus on cantilevering my body from side to side,

while reaching,

and swimming downhill... Uh, say what now?

Yes, this is the latest technique to be brought to my attention.  By submerging your head you supposedly cut through the water more efficiently, and your legs bob up closer to the surface. Like yay:

Yes, it is supposed to look like that.  *Trust* me.

So, after "swimming" for an hour we transition upstairs to the cycle class.

*After* we change, that is.

I am still trying to get the whole indoor cycle thing down (not to mention, the whole *outdoor* cycle thing).  It has been six classes and it still is not easier.  Not on the legs...

...or on the butt.

One of the activities our teacher likes us to do is to stand up while pedaling, stop bouncing, and:

The first time she said that, I honest-to-goodness thought she was kidding!  (She wasn't.)

A few weeks ago, we had a substitute.

I thought he was kidding!  (Nope.)

After the most unmotivating workout ever,  it was time to stretch.  We were told to put our pedals at 9 and 3.

9 and 3??Where the heck's 9 and 3?? 

Once the stretching was over, I noticed the clock on the wall directly across from me.

I blame it on the reggae-induced confusion.


So, that's our nice little Sunday.  I'm workin' it out.  But, I'm thinking I should get some Stickum.  I could really use some for my seat!

On a side note, I would like to thank Bernie over at One Mixed Bag for giving me the No Hoops Award!

The best thing about it?  No need to talk about yourself--just say thank you and move on!


*HEY GUYS!  THERE'S STILL TIME TO ENTER THE DRAWING FOR A DRAWING!  JUST HEAD OVER TO THE LAST POST HERE.  I WILL ANNOUNCE THE WINNER NEXT SATURDAY NIGHT!

Send the Men in the White Coats

And tell them to bring their pint-sized butterfly nets.

I have gone back to spin class.  Twice. And let me just tell you, it has *not* gotten easier.

The 2-minute "warm-up" is really nothing more than a way to weed out the wussies (and I totally want to wuss out but the bikes are in a circle so everyone would see me leave.)
Now, if you decide to stay for the rest of the class, you are in for a treat an hour of pure torture.

OK, here's the thing.  I use up my first wind in those first two minutes and my second wind never quite finds its way. Perhaps that has to do with the fact that the cycle studio is always safely tucked away at the top of the stairs. Which means, I spend a good part of the class hatching plans for how to get back down the stairs at the end of the session. It has come down to these top contenders:


OPTION A

OR


OPTION B

And by the way.  All that fancy *standing* on the bike gives me some serious stitches on my right side.  Which leads me to believe that I may not be exactly, what in some circles you might call, totally upright?  

Why hello, athletic stance.

Also: why must we increase the resistance each and every time we move in and out of the seat?  Can I tell you a secret?  But, you have to promise it will just stay between us, ok?  

*Sometimes*...I cheat. See, what I do is, I put my hand on the resistance knob, and I just pretend to turn it up.   (Oh, the shame.)

(Or, on only the rarest of occasions...I turn it DOWN.  But that, uh, almost never happens. Nope.)

By the way, all that pedaling and bouncing around makes the room just a tad bit warm, so there are about 10 fans blowing on you at any given time.

Hmm?  What's that? Oh, ok.  FINE.

Yup, that's more like it.

The last teacher I had kept telling us to do something more challenging ridiculous in one minute increments.  In what I can only assume was a ploy to have us obey her commands, she repeatedly said

Really?  Wow, me too.

After the second class I asked the teacher how long it takes before you start to feel good...you know, not feel like you have cycled through the nine circles of hell, a trip from which you will never quite recover physically or psychologically (or something to that effect).  She cheerily told me to stick with it, saying it *only* takes SIX classes to get accustomed.

Really?? 'Cause I'm pretty sure crackheads need fewer hits to develop a full-blown addiction.


NEXT TIME: MUSINGS ON MY RECENT SKI TRIP


PLUS: AN EDIT TO SOME OF LAST POST'S PICTURES (Because it's my blog and I can do that if I want to :D...Thanks Ann, Ann-Marie and Rachel)