Thanksgiving Day Ass-Kicking

I got my ass kicked at 8:01 a.m. on Thanksgiving.

Brian informed me that Caroline, the spinning instructor with a cult following at my new gym, would be teaching a "short" hour-long class at 8 a.m.,and I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to break myself into the spinning bikes and get in a good workout. I arrived knowing full well that she's a hard-core cyclist whose following includes Ironman triathletes and elite amateurs; I'd joined Brian in a class years ago, a few months after I had started spinning, and hated the bikes, the room temperature and the spinning clique atmosphere so much I couldn't even give the class my all and was miserable. But that was then, and this Thanksgiving -- a full two years on the bike indoors and outdoors under my belt -- I felt I could do it.

Hah! I found myself following the same advice I give to newbie spinners, either in class for the first time or friends who are doing it for the first time: "If it's too difficult -- and it probably will be -- just take down the resistance. No one will know! Just keep peddling and do your best."

I can tell you right now that when you're dying, even that advice doesn't cut it. And it's exactly what Caroline told me before class.Caroline's super nice and was super welcoming and excited to have me in class (Brian told her I was joining the gym). But hearing the newbie pitch irked me a bit; I've been spinning and cycling -- in the "tough" classes, thank you very much! -- for over two years. Hearing myself lumped into that category hurt my ego.

So I got on the bike, and the ass kicking began at 8:01. But it was great! And she's great. She's more a coach than anything, and I can see why the die-hards do and die by her. As we did a "perceived exertion" exercise, in which you push yourself to the point the instructor's telling you you should be at, she walked around and yelled at people, including me, "Go harder! This is difficult for everyone! Harder!" She's petite with has dark curly hair but could pass for any drill sargent. She gets your ass in gear.

I nearly felt like puking but did push. I would love to take the class again after my body's adjusted to the bikes.

Alas, I had lowered the resistance.

I can't go to her class regularly because teachers while I'm just getting out of work. But maybe I can drag myself out of bed on Saturdays -- maybe. She teaches at 6:30 a.m. -- now that's hard core.

Too hard core for me? That's the difference between the die-hards and the committed folks like me, I guess.