Still Spinning!

It has been a while since I've posted here! I've been accomplishing big things in my life that have kept me extremely busy!

• I finished my Master's in Educational Technology
• I trained for and ran a full marathon (St. Jude's in Memphis) . . . 26.2 - Wooo!
• I continued Spinning and creating new profiles

Since June, I have created 11 Spinning profiles! My profiles have progressed as I've learned more about the Spinning program and I am becoming a stronger instructor! 

One of my riders today actually said to me, "You need to go back to being new! It was so much easier to get into your classes then!" Early on in my Spinning journey, one of my goals was to create a class I would want to attend. I feel as though I am doing just that! Friday and Sunday mornings are my Spinning classes, and they are always full, which is amazing!

What can I say? I'm still here. I'm still Spinning. I'm definitely still kicking ass!

Goals May Be Reached, but We're Never Finished

REPEAT.

Goals are achieved and new ones are started. We are never finished improving ourselves! After reaching your goal, set a new one, make a plan, get to it, stick to it, and reach.

REPEAT.

Strong vs Skinny: Do They Really Go Hand in Hand?

I have been hearing this phrase for months now, especially as Crossfit and boot camps become more popular. 

So I've been mulling it over, trying to decide if I agree or if it is some sort of excuse to give women who can't force themselves to be skinny. I know, it sounds harsh, but this has been my thought process. 

Ever since I was 16, I've been trying to be skinny; sucking it in every chance I get. It's almost been 12 years, let's face it, skinny isn't in my future. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not fat by any means. I'm not skinny, but I'm not fat. According to BMI and ideal body weight standards, I am overweight by about thirty pounds; which always seems to throw my friends when I tell them. Let's be honest, I've got a little junk in the trunk and it's going nowhere fast!

Let's get to the bottom of this strong versus skinny debacle. When I went searching for a picture to add to this post, I Googled the phrase, "Strong is the new skinny," and guess what I found? . . . . . Give up? Let me tell you: A bunch of super skinny girls wearing next to nothing, with signs or tanks saying "Strong is the new skinny." Seems like an oxymoron to me. How can I possible agree if my search results in skin and bones and seldom, a strong woman? What kind of message does this send?

I think the slogan began with good intentions. And, don't get me wrong, I'm sure it has helped many women out there overcome the mental aspect of just trying to be skinny. However, for myself, I call BS and you're welcome to as well! I claim Strong is Strong, and Skinny is still Skinny. They are different and they should remain separated!

When do you feel you are at your strongest? Pre-workout? Mid-workout? Post-workout? My feelings of strength reside in Spinning and running. I feel strong when I am out in third and hammering the beat of a fast-paced song. I feel strong after one of my long runs. I feel strong on a rest day, because I'm aware that I'm doing what's best for my body. What about you?

For my own sanity, I am going to stop trying to force skinny. Instead of trying to feed myself lines of "Strong is the new skinny," I'm going to set my sights on this little beauty and even add that "Strong is the new happy!"

#100FitDays

Spinning (the brand, not the class) is putting on a challenge for everyone to eat right and be active for 100 days. Everyone is encouraged to use the hashtag #100FitDays to join the challenge! Even if you only want to commit to 50 days, give it a try!

Today is day 2 of my #100FitDays and this is how I'm celebrating it ------------------------>

I started my day off subbing a Spinning class at 8:30am, which was FANTASTIC! I always have a great time with the morning crew. You can tell they just love being there together, working hard, and having fun. The number one rule to Spinning is to have fun, and they are a beacon of that!

Now, I am snacking and enjoying my grapes, celery and water. All in all, a fantastic day 2 of #100FitDays! Take this challenge with me and let's make it 100 days of eating right and being active. We can keep one another motivated and excited about living a healthy lifestyle.

Join the Facebook group Spinning for updates and ideas.

Use #100FitDays on Twitter to be a part of the movement.

Follow Spinning on Instagram for photos of #100FitDays!

We can do it!

Listen to Your Body

The best thing you can do before, during, and after a workout is to listen to your body. It is the only thing that can help you prevent injury and even help heal an injury.

So many of us (yes, I say us because I'm more than guilty of this) tend to ignore what our bodies are saying because we want to out-do the person next to us in the Spinning Studio or at the gym. We are too thick in the skull to realize the warnings our bodies are screaming at us! Forget about the competition and do what is right for you. If your knees are killing you during Jumps or Sprints in a Spinning workout, sit down and rest them (while keeping your legs moving obviously!) and even lose some of the resistance. If you have knee problems, it's best not to lay the resistance on thick until after you've worked through some of the issues. If you need to sit down and grab a drink, then do it! You are in charge of your workout!

It's okay to back off when your body is telling you to back off! However, I once read a running quote that said something along the lines of, "Your legs aren't giving up, you are!" Know the difference between feeling the burn, feeling the pain, and just giving up. Remember, "There's a difference between feeling the burn and feeling the pain." Will you be able to tell the difference? Will you listen to your body?

10 Reasons to Try Spinning

If I haven't sold you on Spinning yet, just wait! I found this infographic out on the interwebs and thought you should take a look. Someone created the "10 Reasons to Go On a Spinning Bike" and they are pretty solid reasons. If I could add one reason, I would say "Because it's fun!" 

If It Doesn't Challenge You, It Doesn't Change You

Quitting. Giving Up. Taking the easy way out. If only it were that simple. I don't know about you, but when I give up on something, I feel worse than before I gave up. It's like a Catch 22!

I've certainly had my fair share of challenges in the last year. I left my dream job in Kansas City to return home to St. Louis to be with my family (which is the ultimate dream), only to be left classroom-less. I took on a couple of assistant positions that really weren't for me. I have learned that I do not make a great teaching assistant. Too many leadership qualities, I think (or I'm too thick-headed, potato pototo). The experience of running my own classroom effectively makes it very difficult to help run someone else's classroom ineffectively. I'm sure my teacher friends all understand!

The challenge has brought change, though. I'm finding that I have a lot of interests and am  passionate about more than just teaching! I love coaching others through a Spinning workout; to do the best and be the best version of themselves! 

During last night's class, the instructor decided to ride to a complete instrumental playlist, which sounded great to me. Talk about a challenge, though! I pushed myself harder than I have yet in a Spin class. Having music with no words allows you to focus 100% on challenging yourself to push harder, push faster, and ride longer. There were several points where I wanted to throw in the towel and quit, but then I thought about the sentiment above: "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you." To see growth, we have to be pushed further than we've ever gone. Don't quit, keep pushing yourself. Don't give up, accept the challenge. Remember, it's all mental. If you Believe you can, then you can! Don't be the person saying, "I wish I did that," be the one saying, "I can't believe I did that!"

You're Hired

Music to my ears! On Friday, I did my first Spinning Instructor audition with my local club. It was actually meant to be a "pick-your-brain" session that turned in to an audition. I stayed after class to chat with the person in charge of the group fitness classes and the lead Spinning instructor, Michele. She is so fantastic! She let me plug in my iPod so we could go over my first couple of profiles to see if it all made sense. We worked through a couple of question areas I had, and now the first two profiles are beautiful! I can't wait to use them for a class. I will add the revised profiles to this post and change them under the Profiles tab.

Anywho, we finished with the first profile and Michele said, "Okay, I'm new! Never been here before! What do I do?" And that's the moment everything changed! I set her up on her bike, got her up to speed on hand positions and Spinning positions one, two, and three, and we went through my second profile. It was really fun! Michele is so easy to work with and makes everything seem so simple. Following the session, she basically pulled a Donald Trump with a "You're hired!"

I am going to be added to the sub list so any instructor can call when they are looking for someone to sub their class. The awesome part is that any club in the area (gyms in this particular chain of gyms) can ask me to sub for them. I am pumped! Stay posted for my first, official Spinning Class!

Updated Profiles

How Your First Workout Feels After Vacation . . . In Pictures

I'm back and ready to work hard!

10 min in: Look at me go! I'm out in front!

15 min in: Legs are feeling great! Just gotta keep moving!

30 min in: I'll just take a little break now . . . 

40 min in: Can I quit now?

45 min in: I may just throw up now.

50 min in: Did she say "Exit your bike?"

60 min in: Well crap.

Spinning Profiles

A teacher's motto: Beg, Borrow, and Steal! We share things in the educational world (unless you're an uptight, I-don't-want-to-share-what-I've-created-even-though-I'm-sure-it's-been-done-before-and-probably-better-than-what-I've-done kind of a person (there are plenty!)) in hopes of receiving feedback and creating a collaborative team.

SO . . . 

I have (finally!) added a Spinning Profiles page to my blog. Now I have a place to collect all of my profiles and share them with whomever cares to look at them! Any feedback is also more than welcomed. I am a newbie at this and have a lot to learn. I will say, though, with practice, I'm getting better at creating these suckers! You have my permission to pick what you want to use and ignore what doesn't work for you. Just like in the classroom, some things work for individuals, and some things don't. There are no hard feelings! 

Also, if you have created Spinning Profiles and would like to share with the Spinning Instructors community I am (feebly) attempting to build here, send them my way and I will add them to the list! Thanks for your continued support (or for at least opening my blog and reading my posts, at least someone is reading them!). 

P.S.
A little extra motivation for your day:

Vacations Are Great, But . . .

Oh, vacation! Everyone loves a good vacation. It breaks us away from day-to-day habit, routines, and stress.

I've just returned from the annual Spinner Family Vacation and I'm ready to get back to work! In the seven days I was gone, I only worked out once! There were ZERO Spinning bikes in the area, which was devastating! I also felt like such a slacker when I wasn't posting to the blog! I did, however, create my second Spinning Profile. It just has to be typed! Look for that in the next couple of days! It is certainly hard to break away from the daily routine, but nice to be away.

But . . . I'm back! I'm energized, rejuvenated, and refreshed! The next step in my spinning journey is to practice for my audition, and audition! These things should be happening within the next week or two, so I will keep you posted! Also, be looking for a tab across the top for a place to collect all of my Spinning Profiles!

It's Official!!!

It's official! I am officially a Certified Spinning Instructor! I came home and decided to go over my Spinning Manual. I got up the nerve to take the Test and BAM! 98% baby! 

June 11th is an important day for so many reasons! It is today that I started dating my husband ten years ago. It is today we buried Grandpa Henry four years ago. It is today my niece was born three years ago. And it is today, this very day, I became a Certified Spinning Instructor! So excited! Get ready students! We're going to work our butts off!

Don't Confuse Your Path With Your Destination

"Don't confuse your path with your destination." So cliche', I know! I have a thing for cliches, idioms, and redundancies. One may call me slightly philosophical, or just slightly full of crap! Whatever works!

I love this picture to the right. We see this concept a lot when people are struggling with life, but it holds so much truth for those of us who are fighting to be fit. Working out is hard. It's frustrating. It's tiring. So many times we want to give up because we just aren't seeing progress. Progress doesn't happen overnight; "Don't confuse your path with your destination." And, the destination should never be a final destination. You should always have a goal, whether that is to to lose weight, maintain a healthful lifestyle, or become stronger; a goal should always drive you to push harder.

So why am I ranting about this this morning? I am so excited to announce that my blog inspired an amazing individual to try Spinning. The best part . . . she LOVES it and plans to continue. A conversation ensued on a social media post that I want to touch on. 

There are a lot of things to consider and be prepared for when you are new at Spinning. Let me address the one on everyone's mind at the end of their first class; your butt is sore! Your "sit muscles" will be sore at the end of that first session, the next day, and even through the next couple of sessions. However, "Don't confuse your path with your destination." That soreness goes away after a couple of classes, I promise! Don't let sore sit muscles deter you from returning to Spinning.

Some other things you should be ready for in Spinning: 1) the lights will either dim, or get shut off (trust me, you'll appreciate that others can't see the swimming pool of sweat you are creating and the fact that you're having a hard time catching your breath) 2) you will need LOTS of water, 3) if you have asthma, come with inhaler in tow, and 4) most importantly, be ready for an amazingly fun form of therapy! 

Just remember two things and you will be a Spinning (or fitness) RockStar!

1. Your body doesn't make you, you make your body!
2. Don't confuse your path with your destination! 

There's a First Time for Everything

Ever since I was a kid, doing something for the first time always made me nervous; uncertain; scared. Before every road race I run, I get very nervous! I'm one of those runners who has to go to the bathroom before the start! But, who doesn't get a little nervous before embarking on a new journey?

I have definitely become more confident as an adult, however, I still get those butterflies before doing something that puts me out there. Yesterday, I created my first Spinning Profile; complete with movement and music. Now, of course I will have to test it out and run it by the pros out there. I'm lucky to have an incredible support system at my local gym who will help me out. Just like being a classroom teacher, it is important to know the material before presenting it to the students. At least with kids, if something doesn't work as planned, they are very forgiving. Adults . . . ? I imagine adults are much less forgiving!

There is certainly a first time for everything! This is the first time I've created a Spinning Profile and I'm nervous about how it will be received. I have found that everyone has a different way of organizing their profiles, so I found the way that works best for my brain. Take a look and tell me what you think! I would love feedback if you are a seasoned Spinning Instructor!

Profile 1 - Interval

"Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End"

Semisonic (1998) sang, "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Gabriella and Troy sang, "This is the start of something new." I'd say these folks nailed it! Sometimes we view starting fresh as a negative thing. Honestly, I'm excited!

Today was my Spinning Instructors Training here in St. Louis. I arrived at 7:45 AM, ready to ride and ready to take on a full day of learning. Just like any training, you have to go through the motions and "review" the things you already know. I'm sure for legalities and logistics, the Master Instructor had to discuss the things that felt monotonous or silly.

Now, I can set anyone up on their Spinner (stationary bike for those who don't know. Spinner is the brand.) successfully! I could also teach someone how to set up their Spinner, which is the most important part. Just like being in a classroom, I will not do your work for you but will give you the tools necessary to do it yourself. There is so much that goes in to being a Spinning Instructor, or as the Master Instructor put it today, the Spinning Coach (I like the way that sounds!).

You know how Spinning Instructors make it look so easy in class? They just plug in their iPods and away they go! Well, the music and movement decisions they make are much more calculated than that! They have to decide which of the five energy zones (Recovery, Endurance, Strength, Interval, & Race Day) they wish to focus on for that ride. Instructors need to decide what their purpose is and take the group population into account. They then have to decide the plan for meeting the goal they have for the class that day. What movements are going to help to meet that goal? After thinking about all of those, they create a Profile, which is the sequence of movements (it comes with specific symbols, so serious!). After all of that is decided and created, the music comes in to play.

For me, deciding what music to play is the best part! Music's purpose in a Spinning class is to create a fun environment where the riders can make an emotional connection to the atmosphere and their bikes. It should help the riders get lost and find a rhythm; and of course is fun and helps us get into a groove and sweat our butts off! Since music is the final thing to plug in to the mix, it fits my motto in life: Save the best for last!

So, as I sit here and reflect on things, I realize that not having a full time teaching job is not the end of the world. I now have the opportunity to become passionate in other things. I have the time to develop that passion. I have the energy (boy do I have some energy!?). I realize how blessed I am to be in a position to explore other things and won't take that for granted.

Becoming a Spinning Instructor is going to be a blast! I am super excited and it's just the beginning! I am closing the door on teaching children for now (this definitely will not be forever!) and moving in to teaching adults to persevere through the difficult times. As Semisonic put it, "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

A Spinning Instructor! What?!

I am two days away from my Spinning Instructors Training here in the Lou and I am getting so excited! I started reading the manual a couple of weeks ago and am now to the point where I am halfway through reading it. Having been a teacher for a few years, I think in a "teacher-y" way. When designing lessons, I would think, "What do I want my kids to know and be able to do by the end of this unit?" It wasn't until I got to a certain section of the Spinning manual that I began thinking like a Spinning Instructor:

"What do I want my students to experience or learn during this ride? How can I help promote their health and happiness?"

DUH! Why didn't I think of that? Of course I should think like a "teacher" when designing rides for Spinning class! I guess I need to start getting into the mindset that I am going to be a Spinning Instructor. Before now, it has been a dream. A possibility. A date off in the distance. But now?! Now it is only two days away! Now, it's really happening!

Since I am two days away from making this dream a reality, I started thinking about my goals. Of course these are SMART goals (if you're a teacher, you know what that means!), a work in progress, and subject to change along the way.

Goals:

1. Be inspirational (whatever this may mean!).
2. Design classes I would want to attend.
3. Always have fun!

Your Body Doesn't Make You

Two important things happened for me yesterday. The first, I missed my Spinning workout. I know! After that awesome post I wrote about being super excited for my first ride of the week. There's a reason, I promise! Let's just say . . . I allowed an obstacle to block my path to the gym, for good reason. Life is short and sometimes we miss the things we love to do for the ones we love. Had I gone to Spinning yesterday, I would have missed this little excursion:

I love my pups! I couldn't pass this up!

So, since I missed my workout, I conned my husband in to signing up with my gym and forced him (I didn't have to do too much forcing, my husband enjoys a good workout) to do some weightlifting with me. This leads to my second thing of importance.

Between reps, my husband and I were carrying on a conversation. I was complaining about my body. I was saying how my saddlebags (or my legs, whatever) are never going to go away. He said, "You just need to focus on that area and work hard." I said, "No, I think that's just my body type. They're never going anywhere." Then, the most profound thing came out of my husband's mouth. I will never forget this and he gave me a lot of motivation to leave the saddlebags to the horses and motorcycles. He said:

 "Your body doesn't make you, YOU make your body."

Mind = Blown! I certainly needed to hear that! Body image is every girl/woman's worst enemy. Think about it, name one girl you've met who has said, "This body is perfect!" We always find something to complain about, which is why I love all of the movements about loving our bodies and the skin we're in. 

For me, getting involved in Spinning was the first step to loving the skin I'm in. I found something I can latch on to. Something I enjoy. What's not to love about 20+ individuals sweating and stinking up a room on stationary bikes?

If you are one of those people who struggles with your body image (don't lie), take the plunge and try out a Spinning class. It's an individualized training session, meaning you work at your own speed, led by a certified instructor who is going to help you change your mind about yourself. The change won't happen overnight (rats!), it will take some time. It will take some hard work and dedication. But, you will be hooked after your first class and will be well on your way to making your body. Happy Spinning!

I'm Too Excited to Sleep!

The first day of school. Christmas morning. Family visiting from out of town. I just get so excited for any of these things to happen. I'm like a kid in a candy store the night before any of these events! I am too excited to sleep!

I woke up this morning, so excited that today is my first Spinning day of the week! On Tuesdays, I go to a 5:00pm class with one of my favorite Spinning instructors and I just get so excited! I woke up this morning, and my first thought was, "Spinning day!"

Tuesdays are rough days. They are just so pointless. I mean, think about it:

• Monday: first day of the work week (Blahhh)
• Tuesday: . . . (nothing)
• Wednesday: HUMP DAY!
• Thursday: there's one more day before Friday
• Friday: It's Friday!

Tuesdays are just pointless. So, how do we give Tuesday meaning? We make them the first Spinning day of the week! Now they have a point! Now they hold a special meaning! So, if you need a Tuesday pick-me-up, make it the first day something exciting happens for you (for me, Spinning class). Then, jump around like Buddy the Elf screaming, "Spinning!! Oh my God!!"

Spinning! Woo(f)!!!!

I Think I Can . . . I Think I Can

Thomas the Train nailed it when he continuously told himself he could: "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!" There are days I just don't want to get out of bed and prep for a ride. As a runner, I've heard the saying, "The hardest step for a runner is the first step out the door." I like to think the hardest step for a Spinner (as in Spinning, not my last name!) is the first one out of bed. If I can just stop hitting snooze and force my butt to get ready for Spinning class, all is good.

I am a firm believer in "No Excuses." I think we give ourselves too many excuses for different things in life. We learn at a young age that "The dog ate my homework." Then, we hit adolescence and learn that "I don't have time." This excuse we never let go of! Being a certified teacher, with four years of classroom experience, my favorite excuse is "Well, he did it first!" When do we say enough is enough? How far do we let our excuses carry us?

Spinning is constant training. Some of us are training for bike races, foot races, or even triathlons. Really, we're training for life. We want to wake up every day and think, "Damn, I am a champ!" Muhammad Ali said it best, "I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'"

How do we find the motivation to keep going? How do we release ourselves from the countless excuses we make? Remember the greats, Thomas the Train (I know some of you will argue that Thomas is not a great. However, my five year old nephew would disagree and I'm not arguing with him!) and Muhammad Ali: Live like a champ and know you can!

Do Those Shoes Really Make a Difference?

"Do those shoes really make a difference?" I don't know how many times I hear this at the gym when I'm changing into my Spinning shoes. Of course they make a difference! They are built to provide you the best ride you can get in class. The solid soles create a platform for your feet, so they are not as sore as wearing regular, rubber-soled tennis shoes to class. It took me two weeks after my first ride to buy these shoes. At first, I thought there was no way it could make that much of a difference. Now I know better!

Since buying Spinning shoes, I feel my hamstrings working just as hard as my quads. My calves also feel the burn! I have found that my technique has improved, too, and that is important to me. I want to get the best workout I can get, so I have to make sure I am using proper technique! In wearing these specialized shoes, I have also found that my feet aren't killing me by the end of the ride.

I think working out is completely mental and I know that I get in to my head sometimes . . . okay most days I work out! Before I bought Spinning shoes, I would be worrying so much about how bad my feet were hurting in the toe cages that I'd be ignoring the music, slacking on proper riding technique, and begging the clock to move faster! Now I'm focused on how the music makes me feel and pushing myself to sweat more than last class.

So, if you're one of those riders who asks, "Do those shoes really make a difference?" and you're trying to decide whether or not to fork out the money for Spinning shoes, I hope I've helped sway your decision, if even slightly!

I'm a Spinner, Not a Writer

I'm a Spinner. In more ways than one! I married into the Spinner family in 2012 and a little over four months ago, I found my way into a Spinning class at my gym. I've heard all the puns: "Oh a Spinner Spinning!" and "The Spinning Spinner." I'm not gonna lie . . . I love every one of those puns! How appropriate to be a Spinner who enjoys Spinning! It's like I was truly destined to be a Spinner (in more than one way!)!

The moment I walked into the Spinning studio, I wanted to turn and run away! I was completely overwhelmed and felt way out of my league. I won't pretend that I loved riding my bike around the neighborhood, so I thought I'd give Spinning a try. I hated riding my bike around the block! I had no stamina for riding my bike! I cringed at the thought of a bike! However, I fell in love with the sounds coming from the Spinning room at my gym. The music. The camaraderie amongst those riding. The music (yes, I'm aware I listed music twice!). It was much more appealing than running on the treadmill!

So I took my first Spinning class. Then I took my second class (my "sit" muscles were screaming at me!). Before I knew it, I was taking four to five classes per week and loving every minute of it! I became the person helping newbies set up and get comfortable. And now . . . I'm getting trained and preparing to be a certified Spinning instructor! This blog will be dedicated to my journey to becoming a well-seasoned instructor. I'll have plenty of yays! and woes (wah-wah) to share with all who care to read. Stay tuned for what may come next!

So I'm the type of "writer" who looks up catchy quotes to find something to hook my readers. Then, when I find that quote and who said it, I have to look up the person who said it, because 99% of the time, I have no clue who they are! Here goes nothing: I can't tell you who said it or where it stems from, but I can tell you it makes me feel better about my fitness goals!