my first ever spin class, and I survived

Last Sunday I decided to pluck up the courage and give spinning a go for the first time.  I say �pluck up the courage� because I�ve been wanting to try it for about a year, but always managed to find excuses to not go.  I�ve done every other class at my gym so why I had �spinning fear� I don�t know, maybe it was the rumours I�d heard about people mopping a pool of sweat up off the floor after they�d finished, or getting off the bike and falling over because their legs were so weak.

Sunday�s are usually for Body Combat, but I was running a bit late, and I just couldn�t quite muster up the enthusiasm.  I noticed that spinning was starting 15 minutes later, with a teacher I know, and the thought of spending the next 45 minutes sitting down just seemed that bit more appealing.

I didn�t get off to a good start.  I got to the class later than anticipated, I wasn�t actually late, but I�d wanted to get there early so I�d be fully set up (preferably on the back row) before all the regulars arrived.  Turned out I was the last to arrive, and not having a clue what I was doing, I needed the instructor to help me set up my bike.  So she picked a bike for me (right in the middle, great!) she positioned the seat, got my feet strapped in, and showed me how the screen worked.  Then asked me to have a go and peddle.  Nothing happened.  With a bit more effort, I tried again.  Still nothing happened.  I was either definitely not cut out for this, or the bike was knackered.  Turned out it was the bike, not me.  By this point, the class was running late and I was the cause, I could feel eyes burning into the back of my head and I would have quite liked to get up and walk out there and then .

Anyway, bike number 2, I was set up and ready to go.  Warm up starts and I seem to be going ok.  Then we start to up the pace, the intensity and the incline (yep, all three!).  I spot a woman just in front of me whose screen I can see, she�s shall we say a good few years older than me (ok, thing maybe twice my age) so I figured I�d be able to match her gear levels and reps.   And then we start to climb up what felt like the tallest mountain ever, and just when I think we�re good to scale the top, it turns out we�ve got quite a hike to go, and the gears have to keep going up.  My legs are like jelly, and I�m slower than the lady I�m trying to keep up with, and we're upping the gears again!

Next up is speed, so this has gotta be easier right? I can sit back down, lower my gears, and then peddle my legs like crazy.  Yes it�s definitely easier, but now I�m shattered and we�ve got another 5 rounds to go.

The sweat starts flowing, the legs are crying and I�m only two thirds through!

Somehow, I do get some inner strength from somewhere, I make it to the end of the class and almost cry a little with relief (just like my legs).  According to the instructor I did really well, I'm sure she's just trying to make me feel better, and it works.  Feeling smug, I wobble home on legs ready to collapse.


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Convinced I�ll struggle to get out of bed the next day, I have a bath and let my legs relax.  Turns out it wasn�t my legs I needed to worry about, but a bruise on each bum cheek from the saddle makes sitting down the next day pretty uncomfortable...nobody warned me about that.

I haven�t been back to spinning yet, it�s probably going to take me another few months to pluck up the courage to go back, but at least I did it, and that�s something to be proud of, right?!