Small victories

I have been attending spin class at the YMCA for about seven months now. I go on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Wednesdays tend to be more physical than the other classes throughout the week. On Wedensdays besides doing drills on the stationary death machines, they jump rope, do push-ups, run stairs, lunges, and oh yeah run around the city block that the YMCA shares with the rest of downtown Springfield. Not once, but twice during the hour long class. I have always opted out of running down the three flights of stairs then out onto the sidewalk for a nice jog around downtown Springfield. I would sit up on the bike and spin away at around 65% and wait for the people to return. Tonight Ginnie told me to run around the downstairs gym once while they ran outside. I think that was sort of a dare.

Tonight, on their second trip around the block, I ran with them. Well, I ran most of the way with them. I stopped a couple of times, but quickly decided that waddling around the block was worthless, so I might as well run.

I ran out the front door and around the building onto Pershing street and was feeling pretty good about the whole idea, at frist. By the time I got in front of Springfield Blueprint I was breathing a bit harder and having second thoughts, maybe I could just turn around here and go back. Instead I turned the corner onto South Street. Passing by Bruno's, the little bookstore, florist, High Strung, Maria's, and the little pizza place on the corner of Walnut and South. I turned onto Walnut and made my way past the new Hyde Gallery, Emack and Bolio's, and Gailey's. By this time I was tired and was walking, and partly doing a "slow jog". I started actually running again in front of Stick it in your ear. I passed by the parking lot guy who I usually wave at while walking to the Mudhouse after my YMCA experience. Tonight he looked a little concerned as I lumbered my sweaty body past his little booth. I continued past Jimmy John's and the high priced modern furnishings store. I rounded the corner onto Jefferson. With the YMCA in sight and knowing that I was way behind everyone else. I was looking forward to a leisure walk up the three flights of stairs back to the comfort of my yellow stationary bike, its made by "Lemond", so of course it is painted yellow.

As I got closer I heard a familiar voice. Ginnie, our instructor, had some how found out I was actually running outside with them. Not sure how, since she had ran down way before me. She was waiting for me outside the front door of the Y, and gave me words of encouragement as I made my way up the front stairs of the building. Once in the lobby I stopped and leaned against a wall. Ginnie reassured me that, "You can rest after you walk up the stairs, around the track once and get back on the bike."

After climbing the three flights of stairs back to the workout area I took my lap and came to the conclusion that I wanted all the breatheable air in the universe. I got back on my bike and felt completley exhausted, but very fullfilled.

Seven months ago I thought spin class was for bored housewives and young college girls who liked music with a good beat, and didn't wanna sweat as much as everyone else. Well, it took only one class to discover, I was completely wrong. Spin class can kick your butt.  

Go attend a local class, but don't try to keep up in your first try. Just watch and pedal along.