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Gym Belle  - noun  one who enjoys pull-ups, push-ups, lifting things up/putting 'em down, PRs of all kinds, racing, jumping, spinning, daring and blogging re same (more here)

  

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Entries in Spinning & Biking (13)

Wednesday
Jul142010

Somewhat Belated Breaking News

Last Sunday was a major day in the sporting world.  Spain won its first World Cup and yours truly finally learned to ride a bicycle:

Me on a bicycle with YSG not too far behind!

This picture from my sister's blackberry is a little grainy, but there I am.  I was very excited to cross this off my list

I rented the bike from Larry & Jeff's Bicycles NYC on 3rd ave.  The plan was to wake up really early Sunday morning and bike along the 102nd St. transverse in Central Park.  That didn't happen.  Instead, I met up with Little Belle and her friend, Yellow Shirt Guy, at 10:15 and we headed over to the East River, figuring that path would be less crowded.

Little Belle and YSG seemed confident that I could do this.  I was hopeful, but less certain.  I'm really not sure why I never learned as a kid.  I wasn't totally uncoordinated.  I figure skated.  I horseback rode.  I just never figured out how to bike without training wheels.  Just before my 7th birthday, my family moved to a town with lots of windy, hilly roads and no sidewalks.  I think that's when I gave up trying.  It wasn't a good town for kids on bikes.  I was a bookworm, anyway, and perfectly comfortable being quirky. 

There have been times when being able to ride a bike would have been helpful.  When I was fifteen or sixteen, my whole bunk at sleepaway camp went on a long bike ride on some field trip.  Oddly enough, my best friend couldn't ride either, though, so that ended up being ok.  Somewhat more recently, I had a moment of panic when I learned that one of the firms I was considering interning at during law school had sent their summer associates on a bike trip the previous year.  I figured I'd just call in sick that day if it came to that. 

Mostly, though, not being able to ride a bike has just been interesting trivia, good for ice breakers and first dates.  (It's also a failsafe comeback to "it's just like riding a bicycle.")

As I walked my rental bike to the East River last weekend, it struck me that the mechanics of bike riding aren't all that different from those of horseback riding.  It's much easier to steer a horse when you're moving at a decent clip.  You don't want to steer much with your hands.  You need to focus at approximately the same point in the distance in front of you.   (There are differences, of course.  A bike won't hesitate to crash into a fence, but it will never purposefully try to throw you, either.) 

YSG deserves lots of credit for teaching me, but, actually, once I figured out how to start, I was pretty much fine.  Yes, I fell a bunch.  And I went off the path a few times.  But I managed to go for decent stretches between incidents and didn't hit any people or dogs.  I was hoping to go again this weekend to make sure the progress sticks, but the heat's just been awful.  Hopefully riding a bike is, in fact, all it's cracked up to be, and I'll remember everything I learned next time.

I'll keep you posted.

-Gym Belle-

 

 

Monday
May242010

Flywheel: Spin by Numbers

Remember the old days, when your spin instructor told you to turn the "resistance" up "a quarter turn" or "just enough so you feel it, not enough that it slows you down?" Of course, each bike was different. Sometimes, you'd have to turn the knob a few times to go from a level 6 to a level 7 on your personal scale of perceived exertion.  Other times, the gentlest tap would take you from cruising to climbing.  Well, kiss those days goodbye; spin bikes have gone digital.

I realize that spin bikes with digital consoles aren't brand spanking new.  NYC Equinoxes started getting in the new Schwinns last fall.  Even now, though, they're far from ubiquitous, and until last weekend, I hadn't had an opportunity to try one out.

Last Saturday, Jess from Fit Chick in the City hosted a special class for her followers at Flywheel, the city's newest spin studio.  Flywheel was founded by Ruth Zuckerberg (formerly of Soul Cycle) and Tiki Barber.  There are currently two NYC locations, and a Sag Harbor location is set to open this weekend. 

Each bike at Flywheel has a small display with four numbers: torq, RPM and current and total power.  Torq (yes, that's how they spell it) replaces resistance, but is basically the same idea.  RPM is your rotations per minute.  Power gives you a sense of your output.  I'm told it's comparable to calorie burn, but my heart rate monitor wasn't cooperating that day, so I couldn't confirm that. 

The digital display really shaped my experience.  I realized how much time I usually spend during spin class trying to gauge my speed and resistance.  At Flywheel, all of those thoughts were unnecessary.  The instructor's cues are given in numeric form, i.e. "turn your torq to 20 and stay between 60 and 80 RPM."  I knew exactly where I was and where I wanted to be, so I was really able to focus.  Having a tangible goal also made the class that much more intense.  I really didn't want to fall short.  

The flatiron Flywheel location is sleek and modern.  The bikes are arranged stadium-style in a semi-circle.  Flatpanel "Torqboards" hang on either side of the instructor's podium.  I was a little disappointed that our instructor didn't make use of them.  I'm told they can broadcast your data on the screens so that people can compare their speeds, etc. 

Each bike is also equipped with a basket containing two adorable mini body bars.  One is 4 lbs, one is 6 lbs, and you can use either or both of them for the arm sequences at the end of class.

Our instructor, Erica, led a great class.  The playlist included Mama Said Knock You Out.  Really, it doesn't get better than that.  The best part for me, though, was getting to hang out with blogger friends old and new.  I didn't get to chat with everyone, but was very happy to spend some time with Jess, Mari from Namaste Mari, Alison from Foster Fitness, and Mo from Food Snob.  My good friend, and fitness blogger at heart, Erica, was also there.

Thank you, Jess!

-Gym Belle-

 

Sunday
Feb142010

Try Tri Again

There are a few things I'm terrible at, and saying no to a fun opportunity tops that list.  Particularly when that opportunity is a challenge.  So when Equinox emailed out this week about an indoor tri competition next weekend, I signed up right away.  I run and spin all the time, and I used to swim, so I figured I could handle it.  No problem.

I was pumped.  I'm totally tri-curious, but somewhat hesitant, in part because I never learned how to ride a bike.  I tried, but I never could get it.  Honestly, I have no idea what that's about.  I figure skated as a kid, so it wasn't a coordination or balance problem.  I just had some kind of hang-up, I guess.  Anyway, the indoor tri seemed too good to pass up because I wouldn't have to worry about the biking.

Reality started to set in about 24 hours later as I tried to figure out how to throw swimming into the mix when I'm training a half-marathon that is three weeks away, running the Haiti race next Saturday, and have two more nights of Elements at Crossfit this week. 

Yesterday, I hopped in the pool to see if I could really manage 500 yards next weekend.  I started swimming a few years ago when my knees were really bad.  My doc had tried to tell me not do any exercise that involved bending my knees.  You can imagine how I took that news.  Suddenly, my cardio options were the arm-bike and swimming.  The arm bike is a torture device, so swimming became my thing.  Sort of.

I have a love/hate relationship with swimming.  I love: actually swimming.  I hate: the bathing suits, the shaving, the swim caps, what the chlorine does to my hair, what the chlorine does my nail polish, getting water up my nose, splashy men, old men with baggy swimsuits, the who swims in what lane politics, etc.  The second my knees started to improve, I stopped swimming.  It's cool, but it was such a hassle.

My swim yesterday was great.  It felt really nice to be back in the water.  I kept it short because I'd already run, and I knew I had a big run coming up today.  As I sat in the whirlpool afterwards, I figured that I could get through the 500 yard swim for the tri.  But I'd be "getting through."  It wouldn't be pretty.  Perhaps doing this two weeks before the half-marathon wouldn't be the best idea.

I had a lot of time to think about it on my 11ish mile run this morning.  When I got home, I cancelled.  It kills me to back out of something, but there will be plenty of time for tris in the future.  If I hadn't signed up to begin with, I wouldn't have swam this weekend and remembered how much I like it.  So, it all worked out well.  And who knows, maybe I'll even learn how to ride a bike this spring.  I'll keep you posted.

-Gym Belle-

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