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My First Spin Class

You. Guys.

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I joined the YMCA in our neighborhood, which means I joined an actual gym.  EEK!  The Y in our neighborhood is like a country club.  Seriously.  It’s the prettiest Y I ever did see.  It has a great pool area for the kids, including a splash pad and giant water slide.  It has swim lanes for laps and swim team (which Bean is going to join in two weeks!).  It has a huge, beautiful work out floor with gorgeous racquetball courts, rooms for classes, and even a rehabilitation center for injured athletes.  It has a cafe and deli, and an enormous childcare center where I can drop the kids while I head to work out.

It’s is, quite simply, suburban paradise.

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So, our family joined last week.  It has gotten too hot to run outside, no matter the time of day.  And I have been craving some kind of work out other than running, which gets a little boring and solitary after a while.  Now, I can take yoga classes, strength and conditioning classes, and… SPIN CLASSES!

I went to my first spin class yesterday morning.  My greatest fear was falling off the bike.  I just pictured getting myself spinning so fast and then one foot flying off the pedal and off I would go.  Needless to say, when the instructor showed me how to set up my bike and strap in my shoes, I pulled those straps a few extra times.

Have you ever been to a spin class?  If not, let me think of a comparable situation that might be more easily understood.  Spinning is like being in a North Korean prison camp.  Only not as fun.

Yes, I think that’s a pretty good analogy.

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First of all, my instructor was the cutest middle-aged, hairy, Latino man, who spoke with such a heavy accent that I could hardly understand him.  But he was so darn NICE that it was hard to do anything other than smile and say, “I’M DOING GREAT!” whenever he called out over the music, “How you do, Kahhh-tie?”  He was infectious and I would gladly go into a North Korean prison camp with him.  Which I did.  Yesterday.

I’m a pretty strong runner, so I didn’t think that spinning would be that much more intense.  SPOILER ALERT:  It’s nothing like running.

One thing I didn’t know about spinning was that most of it is done standing up, not sitting down on your bike.  This makes it an entirely different workout than running.  My thighs and giant gluteus maximus were on FIRE.  You know what else was on fire?  My lady parts.  Because when you DO sit down on your bike, it’s a lot like intercourse.  At high speed.  While running.  In a North Korean prison camp.  Only, you know, not as fun.

The first half of the class, I seriously thought I was going to pass out.  Or throw up.  (Did I tell you guys about that time I threw up in a bootcamp class a few years ago?!)  I kept thinking, “At the next break, I’m going to just leave.”  BUT THERE WERE NO BREAKS!  My cute, hairy, Hispanic friend kept yelling, “VAMANOS!  WE HAVE FUN!” and then he would laugh his infectious laugh and I would start to laugh, too, and then I’d start to believe I actually WAS having fun.

By the second half of the class, I hit my stride and I started to feel *great!*  Like, really great.  Like, better than a runner’s high.  Like, escaping a North Korean prison camp high.  By the time we started our cool down, I was yelling right along with my instructor, “VAMANOS!  VAMANOS!”  And it was right here, at the end of class, as I stepped off my bike, that I fell down.

Turns out, the hard part about spinning is not staying on the bike, but walking after you get off the bike.  Everyone around me laughed and helped me up, saying nice things like, “That happens a lot,” and “I still fall sometimes when I am done.”  They are probably big, fat liars, but I really liked those liars.

After class, my cute, hairy, Hispanic instructor came by as I was wiping up the massive amount of sweat off my bike.  “Jew so good!” he said, enthusiastically patting me on the back.  “Jew come back.  We make you Spin Queen!”

So, I’ll probably go back.  Cause, like, I’m pretty sure a Spin Queen gets a tiara, right?

10 Comments

  • Dyanna

    I absolutely love spin. The last city I lived in I joined a place and went 2-3 times a week. My body has never been in better shape. And it was therapeutic for me as I was going through a divorce. If you continue I would highly recommend cycling shoes. A good pair will run about $100 and allow you to click into the pedals, it allows you to have a much stronger workout and increases stability when standing. Those Keiser bikes are the best also because it allows you to see your resistance, most spin bikes aren’t like that. I promise the lady parts get use to it after awhile, and your butt too. I remember my butt being so sore for a few days. You can invest in padded cycling shorts/capris. I didn’t, my parts just conformed, lol.

  • Kelsey

    I took one spinning class once and same thing, my lady parts were sore for a couple of weeks. There were old men in that class, with their padded shorts, that put me to shame 🙂 Never went back, mainly because I couldn’t walk, but it was a fantastic workout!

  • PJ

    The sitting to standing ratio tends to depend on the instructor and the day. So don’t count on your next spin class being identical to the first one and expect drastic differences between instructors. I highly recommend bringing a little towel and getting some padded shorts if you’re going to continue with it. I thInk cycling shoes are overkill and would skip them for spin class, unless you plan to start bike riding using them.

  • Deepa

    Spinning is addicting. I hope you go back – once you find the right spin family it’s an amazing workout and so empowering That, and your ass loses about 10 years:)

  • Brittany

    I went to a spin class one time in college. Bear in mind that I worked out every day and played sports my entire life. Halfway through the class, I had to run out and find the nearest trash can so I could throw up…and I never went back! Ha! Good work!

  • Unique

    I remember my first spin class! You’re so nervous!!! Sounds like the instructor took care of you and made the class entertaining. Just keep going and I promise your lady parts will adjust 😉 and you’ll be addicted! I’m now an instructor and love it!!!

  • Rachel

    This post had me rolling! I’ve been a part of a spin class years ago, but the new gym I’m at seems pretty intimidating. After reading this, I can’t help but want to saddle up again.

  • Jenna

    Oh man. I’m laughing like a maniac. My husband is probably slightly concerned for my mental health! Happy spinning, Spin Queen!

  • Jordan

    No doubt spinning can hurt. A bit of self inflicted torture, but it is the best exercise. I can barely walk after class. It does not help that the spin bike seats are so narrow and hard. I use the Komfy spin bike seat cover to provide some more cushion for my sit bones. http://www.sokomfy.com

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