my chemical romance

When a White Thing Goes All Black – Spin Class

I love how exercise makes you love and hate yourself simultaneously. On one hand--yay physical activity. On the other--boo, I need more physical activity!

Curse you spin class for making me dance!

Gym activities can be trick territory for an Oreo. On one hand, RBP are pretty athletic–I’ve seen sports games!

On the other hand, there are a few classes available at most gyms where an Oreo can be in safe company: Belly dancing, gymnastics, hot yoga, Tough Mudder training and spin classes to name a few.

I was in spin class last night and having a great time cycling to Pink, MCR, Daft Punk and a little Blue Man Group.

And then they started the uphills.

For those unfamiliar with spin classes, here’s how it goes. You strap your feet into a stationary bike that has an evil crank on the low bar part. Depending on which direction you crank the crank, you will either add resistance or take it away. The instructor leads you through a routine designed to mimic different types of bike riding environments. Less resistance and lots of RMPs and you’re speeding along a highway. More resistance and fewer RPMs and you’re headed up a mountain.

And that’s where things got wonky.

At one point during that uphill, I had so much resistance on that I had to move my body to get the pedals to go. Suddenly, I my upper body was bouncing in time to a rhythm. My shoulders were dipping in a really hip hoppy sort of way. My torso was twisting with each bounce and it looked like a dip and step. And with the way I had to whip my head back and forth to distract myself from the burning in my quads, I might as well have been an extra in a Rhianna video. 😦 *sigh*

Luckily, I’m headed out to get my box step on at Lindy Groove (an LA swing dance club/event) tonight!

And this isn’t the first revelation I’ve had during spin class. Check out this post to see what else goes through my head on that bike. Or this post to see why the wrong dance moves can be disastrous. Or this post to see what happened the time I actually tried to dance.

I’m also seriously considering doing an endurance race next year. Tough Mudder might be a bit too tough–they run through a field of live wires–but I’d like to try something. What do you think? If you’ve done one, tell us what it’s like! What is the most interesting physical thing you’ve endured? Let us know in the comments!

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My Head’s All Spinny

I don’t know what it is about spin class that makes me clearly delusional.

I start off feeling all frumpy and gross in my sweats…as I think one is meant to feel in front of an ever-peppy instructor with thighs that don’t touch and happy faces on her bike shoes. I’m less than plussed about biking in front of this mirror because I can see all the wrong, wobbly bits.

But then, something happens.

I don’t know if it’s hearing Harder, Faster, Better, Stronger on the warm up, Helena on the uphill or heck, Mickey on the cool down downhill, but by the end, with the endorphins racing, I look in the mirror and think that I should be rocking a runway without even showering. 

Does this happen to anyone else? This weird sense of I can do anything post workout? Am I not breathing from my diaphragm, so it’s just the asphyxiation setting in? Whatever it is, I wish I could bottle it. Anyone know how?