With a long, snowy winter underway has come a return to indoor exercise which for me means more challenging sessions lifting weights, instructing a few new classes at our gym and more classes on the spin bike. If you are curious about spinning indoors, this post is for you! The easiest and most accessible option is to ride at home. I used to place my road bike on a trainer (aka rollers), hit play on the VCR and ride until boredom seized me. But companies like Zwift and Peloton have changed the home riding game. You can now ride from home with an online trainer, group and team and compete against others in real time. Sounds pretty cool huh? The next option for riding indoors is to head to a gym or spin studio and sample one of the many group classes offered. I personally teach both Stages and Les Mills RPM but there are literally hundreds available. Stages, for example, is great for those who are data driven and goal oriented whereas Les Mills seems to attract people who like sound, fun music in a more lighthearted atmosphere. And of course, there is always the option to head to the gym and spin on your own. You can do your own workout on your phone, listen to books or music, or watch the lates episode of Last of Us. It may take time to sort out which option is right for you. If you try a class and hate it, try another. There is truly something for almost everyone who is interested in keeping their cycling fitness up to speed. All you need to do is show up and be open to whatever comes your way. Time to level up your fitness and discover the next level version of you!
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My dad once told me that life is just a series of problems, one after the other, until you die. Maybe you can get a feel for the kind of man my father was from this statement, but to be fair, he wasn't wrong. The word 'problem' connotes something negative but if you replace it with 'challenge' or 'setback', it makes more sense. Recently I was enjoying the beautiful fall colors on our local ski area, riding a trail called Sunshine Loop I have wanted to do forever when I slid off one of the bridges on the downhill. My foot did not release from the pedal and I fell pretty hard, landing on my twisted handlebars hard enough that they went through by face and knocked two bottom teeth loose. After a long ride down to the ER and 9 stitches, I immediately went into negative thinking and self-talk. Why? Fear. I was afraid that I was not strong enough to bounce back from this, that all my hard work would be undone, that I would return to the depressed state of shame and despair that once permeated my life. I called by nutrition coach who admittedly can lay down the truth like nobody else. She told me in no uncertain terms that setbacks are part of the process. The success comes not in following a plan to perfection but in how you react when setbacks occur. How fast can you get back on track, whether it's your training plan, your nutrition, or just your mental health when faced with a challenge. She is right (yea it gets old). I pulled the stitches out myself yesterday, 10 days after the crash, and know that the few days when I couldn't lift my usual weight, or taught class at 75% were just part of healing. I'm ok, back on track, and stronger than ever because I learned that when faced with a setback, I will not quit. So you won't either. |
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