What if a dog runs out at me? What if a car runs me off the road? What if someone is texting and doesn't see me and hits me from behind? What if a car squeaks too close to me and I go off the shoulder (which are like two centimeters wide and a mile high around here) and I bite it?What if I get to a hill that is so steep that even in my lowest gear I just can't do it and I fall over? (The last one is by far the weirdest and least probable, but I seriously contemplate it, and I like to think the first step in getting better is admitting all my neurosis).
After a great outing, I can answer all of those with "mmm hmm...yep...what if?...who cares?..you're a ridiculous idiot". But by the time I've got my shoes off, the idea of a ride on the road with cars, and gas trucks, and texting teens, and dogs, oh my...has already lost its luster.
Compliments of my mom Christmas 2008, I have an indoor trainer that (sadly) gets more use than my bike ever does on real roads. The bike on the trainer is a sweat fest. Within fifteen minutes it's heavily beading, and from 20 on it's pouring. Leave a puddle around your area kind of pouring.
But even sweating that much, I always wonder how much of a workout I'm really getting on the trainer. Am I really pushing myself? I know I don't emulate sprints and hill climbing. I just pedal hard at a comfortably difficult resistance and watch tv. And sweat.
I've seen advertisements for a "local" (keep in mind, local here means you can get there in an hour by car, eww) bike shop's spincore classes. 45 minutes of spin, 15 min of core. I've always wanted to check it out. Yesterday I did.
As the instructor was setting up my bike he asked what I wanted out of the class. "To suck less as a cyclist...I'm a runner who signed up for a triathlon." I don't know if he was doing me a favor, or if every Wednesday is like this (I'm assuming it's the latter), but seeing as I was not only pouring sweat but also saying to myself "you can NOT turn your knob down, you can NOT slow your cadence, suck it up or they'll all think you're weak" throughout the whole class, I believe that if I stick with it, I will ultimately suck less as a cyclist.
The core part was great too, and no doubt a much needed break for Mike who I routinely demand be my core and strength training coach in the living room. The poor guy just trying to watch Jon Stewart and there's me "Mike...I need to do core, tell me what to do. Mike...is this a good push up, or do I look ridiculous? Mike..."
I also really enjoyed the company. It was so much fun to be a fly on the wall for an evening. I was coming off an extremely rough day at work (the kids were, as always, fantastic, but yesterday was one of those rare days I had to deal with adults and oh my...I chose the right profession for me...kids = astounding, adults = drive me batty!), and it was just so nice to have no one know my name, no one know a thing about me, and no one care. They have a really fun little spin group vibe going on, and I just gritted my teeth through the workout, enjoyed the fellow sweat, and giggled at their warm up and cool down banter, including their informing me that I could sell my eggs for $5000. Nothing says welcome quite like an estimate on your reproductive materials! (Which, for the record, I'll be keeping tabs on).
And so, hopefully, many Wednesday evenings this winter can offer Mike a break from personal trainer (don't be fooled - I'm really only inspired to do core or strength work a maximum of twice a week...and that's an ambitious week), and myself a break from the worry and fear of dogs, gas trucks, and distracted drivers while still getting some bike fitness in.
No comments:
Post a Comment