GoodBye Summer

It seems like it was just last week, my girls and I were celebrating the first day of summer at the Y's pool party and I was jetting off for a girls' weekend to Puerto Rico.  And here we are, bookbags hung by the front door all ready to go in just under two weeks.

Yes, we still have the rest of this week and another full week of summer vacation.  So we are going to live it up as we have been doing for the last ten weeks!

Some of our favorite memories from this summer are:

• Summer Play Days @ the Disney Store
• Mr. Kurt singing at the library
• Playdates with our friends from school
• ARUBA!
• The girls' birthdays & collaborative birthday party
• Having our cousins visit for a few days

Every year I do a "best of summer" playlist.  It's a collaborative playlist from the regulars in my spin class where they suggest their favorite song of that summer.  I work in all of their suggestions whether it be as a warm-up, cool down or a killer climb.  They love hearing their suggestion come up.  This year, most of my regulars are on vacation this last week before Labor Day, so they begged me to do it next week.  How could I say no??  But last night, while catching up on facebook, another instructor posted a  fantastic End of Summer playlist.  I changed a few songs around, but the idea came from Chris.  I am really excited about the playlist tonight.

GoodBye Summer

I am looking forward to the fall.  My oldest daughter starts kindergarten and my youngest is going to preschool which means lots of time to run and swim. (Yes, I have something I am training for! More info on that later!)

We have a lot to look forward to this fall:

• apple & pumpkin picking
• running an Oktoberfest 10k
• my husband's birthday
• Halloween (can you believe that the girls know what they are going to be?)
• my BFF's wedding & wedding related events

We all started somewhere.

Over the past couple of weeks, a couple friends have asked me what to expect for their first Spinning class.  And I think one of the best parts of teaching Spinning classes is having beginners walk through the door for their very first Spinning class.  I love giving them a first and hopefully fun dose of what the Spinning program is all about.

During their initial set-up and explaining a little about the class, I do inform them that it should be a fun and enjoyable workout, but it is a challenge.  Some of the other things I tell them are:

• Your butt is going to hurt.  The bike seat isn't the most comfortable the first couple of times you ride.  Give it time; you will get used to it.  
• If, after a month of classes, your toosh is still not used to the bike seat, invest in a gel seat cover (approx. $20 @ Walmart or Sports Authority) or bike shorts that has the padding inside.  Scour Marshalls, TJ Maxx or those kind of stores for a better price!  The shorts can be pricey, but worth it.
• The resistance knob is a useful tool and should not be feared.  Challenge yourself to add a little extra resistance, but don't be afraid to take it off if you need to and by need to, I mean, you feel like you are going to die.
• You can't judge how much you love or hate it after the first, second or even third class.  Give it a good shot.  Also try a variety of instructors.  Not all of us teach the same way.  As much as I would love for you to become a regular in my class, I didn't love every instructor's class I happened to be a part of.
• Bring water. Lots of water. (at least 40oz for a 40 min class)
• Bring a towel.  You are going to sweat.  
• Use a heart rate monitor.  It's what the Spinning program is based around to give you the most  effective workout.
• I started Spinning 80lbs ago.  If I made it through my first class, you will too.
• This is your workout.  You get out of it what you put in. Think of how you want to feel when you are finished (and it better be something positive).  

And then I remember the first time I walked into my first Spinning class.  I was anxious, terrified, nervous, but yet excited.  I had wanted to try Spinning for years, but at the gyms I was a member at previously, I just never felt comfortable.  However, now at my heaviest weight, I somehow got the nerve up and decided to give it a shot.  I showed up early, picked a bike and waited for the instructor and now that instructor is one of my biggest fans, my mentor in all things fitness & most importantly, a friend.  I got set up on my bike and off I was to ride in my first class.  I can clearly remember thinking: "What did I get myself into?", "What was I thinking?", "Was I nuts for thinking I can do this?" and a whole bunch of other sentiments very similar to those.

I made it through my first class and although I felt that I barely made it through, a Spinning addict was born.

Give it a try.  Have fun with it!  And let me know how it goes!

Spinning Instructor certification:: post 2

Accomplishing this certification has been a goal of mine for the last year and finally the day arrived.

The first part of the day was learning the background of Spinning, Johnny G, and other basic fundamentals such as setting up a bike for a first time student.  We spent a good deal of time partnered up setting up each other's bikes.  From watching spin instructors whose classes I take I already had the basic knowledge, but the why's behind it are so important to know.  After setting up our bikes for our "students", we got on and did a form ride.  The purpose of this ride was to go through all the different positions.  The best part of this ride was learning the cadence ranges and then using our cadence sensors to monitor our rpms at the consistent rates that we were instructed to.  After about 25 miles & 90 minutes on the bike, we broke for our lunch break.

After lunch we discussed the five different energy zones.  Who knew that Spinning was based around heart rate training?  Honestly, I had no idea.  After discussing each one in depth, we worked to create a class profile.  I wish we had spent more time on this topic because designing a class seems so overwhelming and is the epitome of your class.  However, it was time to get back on the bike for our final ride of the day.

Our Master Spinning Instructor led the class again.  In the beginning of the ride, she led us through a reflective exercise where we had to think back on what brought us to this day.  This really struck me and I could totally feel my eyes welling up with tears.  As she said, "A goal. A dream...", and here I am fulfilling a dream that I never in a million years thought I would.  The final ride was awesome.  We went through a piece of each of the energy zone rides and then finished up with what is possibly one of the most intense pieces of Spinning, SPRINTS!  And just like that the day was over.  And my journey as a Spinning instructor was just beginning.

Spinning instructor certification, post 1.

Spinning has helped me lose the almost 80 pounds that I am up to over the course of this last year. Last year, I decided that I wanted to get my certification to be a spinning instructor and share my passion for this exercise with others.

I am a bit anxious about the day; it's a full day from 8am-5pm, including two rides led by a Master. But I am very excited about the opportunities and doors this will open for me.