Some people go for long hikes stretching up through mountains or snaking through tree-shaded pathways. Others (whom I deem crazy) run marathons for miles and miles passing cheering sweat-stained faces. I choose to find my solitude in spinning. No, I'm not talking the Rumpelstiltskin kind, but the stationary road bike kind with the controls that allow for many terrain type variations. My spinning bike resides in a class room at my local gym. The venue is definitely a class, as it holds up to 26 bikes, but the room is actually a converted squash court.
I love it because it is dark and cave-like and full of an incredible community of folks from diverse ages. The music and bike path varies depending upon the instructor, but I tend to like the Top 40 and Alt Rock tracks with the most brutal of work-outs. I believe in totally maximizing my time, so the more calories I can burn in 60 minutes the better! I have been an ardent spinner for almost a decade. In the years when my schedule was lighter, I had been known to spin nearly 6 days a week (not bad at 600 calories/spin).
I love the cool darkness of the room and like to start my day with an early morning spin. It wakes me up, clears my mind and offers up a quiet space to think, meditate, pray ( I have said many decades of the rosary while pushing my quads to the max!) and to plan my day. It is a gift to myself; one that I treasure immensely.
I also treasure the community of men and women (ok, I have to admit that its mostly women with about a 1:10 ratio) who play an important part in my experience of the exercise. I love walking into a room knowingly looking like crap, only to be greeted by spin friends who ask follow-up questions to news from my life. We share our stories, good times and heartache; our recipes with some tasty samples thrown in, encouragement and even hold the occasional bitch session. No matter what happens between those painted cement walls with the black lights (really purple- think 1970's), we walk out feeling invigorated and refreshed.
And hey they serve coffee upstairs for free!!
Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2010
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