Sweat Baby, Sweat

What: Spin Class
Where: 24 Fitness
Who: Me (and other more experienced members)


Whether I decided to endure such a painful workout because: my roommate is a semi-pro cyclist, I had just recently broken up with someone and wanted to lose weight, or because I had just read about the Bike Snob, I am unsure. Regardless of the reasoning, I decided to sign up for my first spin class a few weeks ago.

I would consider myself in good shape, I work out 5-6 times a week and regularly use the elliptical (because of asthma and a bum knee, otherwise I would run). And at the very least I had assumed that there would be a few attractive men in my class. When I entered the room and there were only 3 other men I should have immediately walked out. When the instructor asked if this was anyone else’s first time and only one other person rose their hand I should have ran out.

The instructor failed to see my hand, which I took to mean I would have to step up my game: become a real pro in a matter of minutes. Within two minutes I realized I could not fake having done this before. I was dripping with sweat; droplets were plummeting onto my arms, the bike, and the ground. My sweat towel had become useless in a matter of minutes since it had become sopping wet. And being the wise old man I am definitely not, I had forgotten to bring a water bottle. Being the cheap (and environmentally friendly) guy that I am, I refused to buy a bottle of water.

The instructor was great, he was excellent at encouraging us and occasionally making us laugh, even during a 14 minute climb. And while he reiterated “You only get out as much as you put in,” there were times I was going slower than he wanted, or turned the resistance down…almost off. And then got snide looks from the girl next to me who was not cheating herself, I undermined her arrogance my trying to aim my sweat droplets in her direction.

It was more of a workout than I had anticipated. And I was counting down the minutes until it was over. There was a clock staring me in the face, which was hard to look away from. The class before us had ended 8 minutes early, I thought ours would too and was extremely disappointed when I looked up at the clock and saw 5 minutes left.

What??? We were supposed to end 3 minutes ago!

But I made it, I did not walk out (even though I wanted to after 10 minutes and half of what kept me on my bike was that I was all the way across the room from the door). The instructor gave me a high five and told me I had done a good job, he must have known that for me to ever come back I would need the encouragement.

Dripping with sweat, red in the face, legs burning in pain, and carry a soaking towel I walked out with my head held slightly higher than before I waddled very slowly up the steps to the exit.



Goals Accomplished:
1) Spinning is new
2) Comfortable was never a thought I had during it
3) Learned that most women can kick my ass at cycling