The cycles we ride in spin class are like snowflakes. Each are unique. A "10", the highest resistance at which you can still make the pedals move is a different turn of the hand dial for each cycle. Sometimes a "10" is when the crank is at twelve O'clock. Sometimes its closer to 2:30. But its usually somewhere in between the two.
Today I got to spin class late, and had to take a cycle I was unfamiliar with. I spent my warm up attempting to find "10" versus "5" (the feeling of a flat road). I was a bit puzzled. Usually "5" is somewhere near 6 o'clock. Today, 5 was at 4 o'clock and 10 seemed to be near 8 o'clock. This is a smaller range than I'm used to, but i figured it wouldn't be a problem.
Then the class started, and my difficulties increased. I'd dial in to what i thought was a "7" and find my self struggling against what felt like a "9". I'd try to turn it back down only to find myself at "2" (problematic, because at anything less than 5, you feel like you're about to fall off the bike). I kept turning the dial, thinking I'd found the right resistance only to feel it increasing within moments. I'd try to dial it back, but what had been a lazy "4" earlier was at least a "7" now. What was happening?
I stared down at my black cycle, with its red dials and silver wheels. I could hear the voice of K.I.T.T. (the car from Knight Rider). "You call this a workout?" I tried to mentally convince KITT-Cycle that we would work our way up to a "10" eventually, but we didn't need to start there. KITT-Cycle did not believe me.
Instead of helping me to fight crime like KITT the Car, KITT-Cycle was pure evil.
I still can't believe you're in a spin class. Does your class do the arm circles at the end, so even though your legs are burning, they'd like to make your shoulders ache just for good measure?
ReplyDeleteSee you in several days!!! :)
I still can't believe i'm in a spin class. The world is a crazy place. and when i skip class, the instructor notices enough to come and bug me while i'm on the elliptical machine. There are, thankfully, no arm circles. But sometimes we do a sprint for the last song and just when you think you're going as fast as you can and hard as you can, you're supposed to add a little resistance and go faster. exhausting!
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