Spinning = Winning…

…or exhaustion!

So, as always, there is a story behind my decision to go to my very first spin class this morning. 

You see, what had happened was…

I went to bed pretty late last night (11 pm) because a coworker came over after a work event, and we had an impromptu girls night.  Girl talk + wine = fun times!

Anyway, I set my alarm for 5:10 am and decided that I would make a game time decision as to whether or not I would go to the gym in the morning.  This kind of planning usually ends in resetting the alarm and sleeping in, but today was different.  I sat up, changed into my workout clothes, brushed my teeth, and walked out the door before I could convince myself otherwise. 

I didn’t know if it was a wise decision to go to spin class with only six hours of choppy sleep, but I went for it regardless.  My gym actually offers group spin classes from 5:50 – 6:40 am four mornings a week, which works out perfectly with my work schedule.  And since I joined my gym (and pay $50 a month for my membership), I wanted to at least try it out once to see if it was my thing (and make the most use of my money if it was). 

I walked into the spinning room and probably looked really unsure of myself because a very nice woman walked over to my bike and started helping me (I didn’t even have to ask).  After some initial conversation, she told me that if I decided to give it a chance, “spinning would change my life.”  Well, ok then!

As the instructor was setting up, I watched a few others in class that looked experienced because I honestly had no idea what I was doing.  Smart I know! 

We started off by pedaling at a low resistance to warm up our legs.  Then, the intensity kicked in.  Most of the class was spent spinning at a moderate to high resistance level.  There were lots of hills and jumps mixed in with flat roads.

I really liked that I could set my own resistance throughout the entire class.  And for being a newbie, I think I did ok staying on track with all of the instructions.  However, I made a conscious effort not to overdo.  Even still, I was extremely sweaty and tired by the end of the workout.

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Definitely didn’t look pretty after today’s class…

I also noticed a few other things as the day went on – my hunger levels went from 0-10 every couple of hours, and around 2 pm, I hit a plateau and felt extremely exhausted.  Now, I don’t know if I can completely attribute those two things to the class, but I definitely felt like I got a good workout this morning.  I think the exhaustion thing also had to do with the lack of good sleep.  Duh! 

And finally, I already know that I’m going to be pretty sore tomorrow – legs (obviously) but also my arms and abs.  Lucky for me, I love that feeling.

The only major issue I had with today’s class was getting comfortable with the seat on the bike, even with the use of a seat pad.  But I hear that after a few classes, it’s no longer a major issue.

So with that, I think early morning spin classes are going to make a regular appearance in my life.  My goal is to go to at least two a week.  In my opinion, variety is key, so I’m going to keep up with running, zumba, and my strength workouts as well. 

With a wedding in my future, it’s time to work hard!

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While I plan to keep this little mantra in mind, I also plan on having fun while I’m at it!

Are you a spinner?  Do you believe in workout variety, or do you like to stick to the same routine?  What’s your favorite motivational workout mantra?