why Spinning is awesome.....

Ok. When I started the co-op term this January, I knew that I needed more
physical activity in my life. DESPERATELY needed more activity. I've
always enjoyed the facilities they have here for employees who try to get
a little more excercise. They have a 3/4 size basketball court/Gym, and a
weightlifting/workout room, in addition to a multipurpose excercise room
people just call the "spinning room" - because that's what it's used for
most.

So, I've known for a while that this is a popular activity here. Normally
I've really just kept to myself when I work out here...and normally my
frequency of working out just kind of dies off after 2 months or so... I'd
get really pumped up about losing 5 pounds...do it....then just gain 10
back. So I think that being a loner about it was my problem. I decided
that the only solution for me was to join a class.

Spinning, for the uninformed, is where a bunch of people sit in a room
and ride excercise bikes together. Read that again. Go ahead, I'll wait.
I know, it sounds absurd. To a degree, it genuinely is. But let me
elaborate.

The "Spinner" is an excercise bike developed by the SCHWINN company
explicitly for this excercise program. It has no electronics whatsoever,
so compared to other modern excercise bikes, it's fairly primitive. Its
main feature is that the front wheel is a 40 pound hunk of steel. And
right behind the fork is a giant knob that controls a frictional brake that
adds resistance to the wheel. So one of the main draws of it is that YOU
are in control of your resistance at all times. But let's get one thing
clear: that fucker can be EXTREMELY difficult to turn if you want it to be.

So how is a spinning class structured? Well I've only done it at work
here, so I don't know about other places...but basically we (about 9
bikes) are arranged in a horseshoe shape facing each other. The room is
outfitted with a kickass stereo that the intructor plugs his laptap into.

So the instructor (who does NOT ride with you), arranges a playlist,
and his basic job is to tell you how hard you should be pedaling. Again,
I'll jump back to reality with you....the first time I did it, I was
awe-struck by how simple and dumb the whole thing is.... but I've
come up with some reasons why its so great.

1) Because you're all stationary, even though everyone in the class is at
a different level of proficiency - you're all in the same place at the
same time. So that jackass who races in the amateur circuit on the
weekend doesn't do a horizon-job on you...you can still stand side-by-side
and offer encouragement to each other.

2) Again, because you're in the same place....AND facing each other...
EVERYBODY can see if you're trying hard or not. Generally, I think peer
pressure is crap....but in this case, you really want to NOT look like
a fat-ass infront of everyone..so you pedal as hard as you can! From a
motivational standpoint...the shame of wussing out on the next set of
sprints works really well to get me on my feet....

3) The music is great. My Friday morning instructor is a disco fanatic.
I hate disco. But, even I can appreciate the absurd comedy of pedaling so
hard I want to pass out and having my last cognizant thought being....
"BOOGIE!! *in falsetto voice 3 octaves higher than mine* "...if you like a
song it really does make you pedal harder....and if you hate it then it
becomes one of those zen moments where you think about if there is a
higher power or not.....

4) The people-watching is priceless. We have a pretty loyal following
here at work.... people who I don't necessarily work with, but I'm very
familiar with as spinning buddies. We have all the stereotypical
characters... we have the fat girl in her 30's who really doesn't try
hard at all (i don't know why she comes...), we have the young gun who's
doing it to get ripped (and he is), we have the tough-old-goat guy who
looks like the type I could beat up in a dark alley....but jeeesus could
he kick my ass in a bike race...especially uphill.....et cetera.

5) This is the first time in my life I've actually been enthusiastic about
any kind of excercise.... when I get off that bike my body is surging with
so many endorphins I feel like I could whip a linebacker. It's taken me
over 2 months, but my body's finally appreciating all the abuse I put it
through to get here.

So yea. You probably stopped reading 4 paragraphs ago, so I'll wrap this
up shortly.

I'm kind of bummed out about the whole thing, though. I have less than 8
weeks of work left. Now, I'm getting a little burned out with my job, and
I am REALLY ready to go home to Houston for a while and then finish up my
degree.....but I know that I won't be doing as much excercise as I am now
for at least a year (I spin 3 times a week...and twice a week I have,
shall we say, "alternative" forms of activity..more on that later..).
When I'm at school, I really focus on doing my work.

I'm probably WAY TOO focused on doing my work....but I'm just really not
as smart as some people think I am and it takes me a while to "get" what
I'm supposed to be learning... so as a result I spend my life at the M.E.
building. Last semester at school I think I went out to the bars less
than 5 times..and I pulled an all-nighter once per week to finish my 363
lab report. This summer should be so-so....I'm only taking 2 classes...
And this Fall shouldn't be super-tough....but I'm sure I'll still find a
way to never have any free time.

So I'm trying to convince myself to bring my bike back with me when I drive
back to IN in the early part of June... cuz I doubt I'd be able to keep
with a schduled class during any of my last 3 semesters.... I know a couple
of guys in my program who are bike fanatics, too....maybe I can sponge
some motivation off them.....suggestions?