Leave it on the Bike

Okay, so I'll admit that there is a small piece of me that hates fitness trends.  As in other areas of my life, I kind of stay on the outskirts and observe before I jump headfirst on to the newest "bandwagon."  I guess I'm a minimalist, but I just can't see myself swinging from straps in the ceiling...at least not in the Spin room.  I also have a hard time imagining interrupting the flow of a ride, to which I am so addicted, to pink up tiny pink hand weights and do some upper-body work.  My intention, here, is not to stir up this debate and I fully understand the reasons these things are done.  I just can't shake that little voice inside that keeps saying, "Just get on the bike and RIDE, already." Then again, if it wasn't for jumping into this trend called "Spinning®," taking my first class sometime in 1996 (and, more importantly, giving it a second chance), I would not be writing this right now.  I would not have had the opportunity ...

I often get asked if I start planning my rides with the music or the profile first.  Honestly, it's a bit of a split, but heavily weighted on the side of the profile.  I really think about what and how the students have ridden lately and where our training needs to go.  Only one facility where I teach requires me to do a certain type of "training" each class.  Everywhere else, it's all by my planning.  However, I do like to keep us on some sort of a program, even if it's loosely designed, and I keep track of every class I've taught.   Not today. Today's ride started with the music, and it was a collaboration.  I wish I could take 100% credit, because it works so well.  We did not use exactly the same songs or profile, and each of us brings our own personality to the ride.  I would hope the same holds true for those who borrow ideas from this blog.  It's great if you want to use the exact ride I put out there, but I think it's even...