Spin City

In the darkest part of the winter in 2005 I began attending Spin classes at a local bike shop.

Twice weekly a group of dedicated and quasi-dedicated cyclists and triathletes would troop into the shop, bikes over their shoulders, trainers* under their arms, set up in lines perpendicular to either sidewall of the shop and sweat buckets for 70 - 120 minutes. *Just so as not to confuse and Brits. that might be reading this – trainers are not running shoes; a trainer is basically a bike stand, with a fly wheel, that you attach your back tire to, which suspends the back tire above the ground (and on the flywheel); the flywheel generally has adjustable tension on it so as to simulate increased resistance – like hill climbing.

About 3 years ago, after a bad experience with the bike I bought from Shop #1 (I classify wanting to throw my bike in a ditch, due to technical issues, on each and every ride as a “bad experience”) I switched to Shop #2 (at which I bought my current bike) and THAT has made all the difference.

No, my cycling hasn’t improved scads – though with my current bike I quite enjoy riding now and I have never – not once – wanted to throw the bike in the ditch – though I often think I need to replace the rider somehow. But I have found a great group of people who help keep me coming to class. I know I have blogged before about the community feeling I get from road biking, but the support I get from the Spin Gang is more personal.

As I blogged last week about needing outside accountability for some things, I realized that for Spin I already had it. G, the weeknight spin leader, never fails to give me (good-heartedly) the gears (as it were) for missing a spin session to such a degree that I find myself going so as not to suffer his “wrath” (or seemingly disappoint him with my absence).

The owner and chief technician at the bike shop are also top-notch as they are both willing to tweak and fix and adjust on an as needed basis (generally free of charge) the bikes of any of the spin session participants, sometimes even having to stay late after work to accommodate the spinners’ needs.

I also quite enjoy the group in general – listening to the good-hearted ribbing that goes on between the long-time members, joining in conversations where and when I can (sometimes I have to opt for breathing over conversation) and the general spirit of the sessions generally pick up my spirits (while completely exhausting me physically).

I am always amused at one of the guys in the class who must set up his bike and trainer just slightly ahead of his wife’s and if someone were to come along at move it back slightly when he’s not looking, he notices it almost immediately and moves it ahead again – which never ceases to make me laugh.

Spin class challenges me to push beyond what is comfortable; be it doing hill climbing, cadence, or single leg drills; but it also brings out the competitive spirit in me when I get challenged by other spin members to go beyond what the workout calls for and forgo rest between climbing sets and just keep climbing.

I have learned I need to drink more water, compare myself to others less, stop the internal complaining altogether and just do the best I can and enjoy the music (which helps drown out the screaming in my head).

For me, being a not-so-strong cyclist, spinning is great – I can cycle next to strong and even elite cyclists & Olympians without getting left behind! Though sometimes it messes with my weak and feeble ego, I still go, I spin and I sweat it out with the rest of them – at the risk of sounding cliché, I give it my all!

The more I go the more I learn; about me, about my ability, about the proper cycling technique and not least of all, about what a great group of individuals I have to spin with.

Outside Accountability

I hate to admit this, it rankles – since I often think of myself as fiercely independent – but I just done seem able to do it on my own. I have tried.

More specifically I have failed miserably because I seem to hardly try at all! Obviously, I cannot do it on my own, so it is now time to call in the big guns.

Since having ranted last week about not being able to adhere to any sort of fitness and nutrition regimen; I have thought about it, while eating more junk and skipping workouts (oh, if ONLY I WERE joking), and want I really need is outside accountability.

Like a child having their homework checked when they claim to be done I think I might need to enlist the aid of some friends to help “encourage” me (read: kick me in the arse and slap me upside the head) on my fitness and weight loss path.

I have goals - that I believe to be realistic. I have a plan - that I believe to be not too challenging (for the fitness side of things) and not too restrictive (for the nutrition side of things) so maybe what I need to do is start tracking the reality of executing that plan and show it to a few close friends on a regular basis and have them - check my progress (read: pat me on the back or slap my wrist).

I recently saw somewhere that in October of 2009 the World Health Organization declared that Obesity was now killing more people that Starvation – so I know I am not alone in my struggle.

Tonnes of people (pardon the pun) are part of Weight Watchers and PART of what makes WW work (at least for some) is the Outside Accountability - you show up every week and get on a scale in front of some stranger and have to justify how much you weigh this week versus how much you weighed last week - and though I DO NOT agree with the "scale as your benchmark" focus, I do like the idea of having to justify my actions to others.

Well, at least in principle...

I think that I could ask my friends S & C to help keep me honest – but the trick will be accepting the kick in the pants when they are required (and I hope C & S are brave enough to apply their foot to my backside) and ULTIMATELY being honest with them. After all, they can’t be around to KEEP me honest, and they will only know what I report to have done (sorry C, but random spot-checks of the contents of my kitchen garbage will not be sufficient to keep me honest).

Maybe just the act of consciously thinking about having to account for my nutrition and exercise on a daily basis will be enough to help me think twice about cheating.

Maybe, since I don’t want to lie to C & S, I will be able to be honest with them – and ultimately honest with myself.

Maybe, if I’m really lucky, I will get a Gold Star on my homework.

It’s Not Rocket Science; So Why Do I Crash and Burn?

It is not complicated, it’s bloody simple and yet I am still not capable of doing it!

It is merely a matter of accounting – is you spend more than you get than you run a deficit! And darn it – I WANT TO RUN A DEFICIT!!

Sorry – maybe I need to apologise for this being a rant – I try very hard not to rant in my blog – to paraphrase (read bastardize) something from “Anne of Green Gables” said – if you only knew how much I’d like to rant about but don’t you’d forgive me this rant.

Now that I have added this disclaimer and taken a deep breath I can explain what I am actually ranting about. I’m trying to lose weight – well probably more accurately - I would like to weigh less; because claiming that "I’m trying to lose weight" would imply that I’m actually making a true concerted effort.

AND THEREIN LIES THE RUB – OR THE RANT.

I WANT to lose weight but I seem incapable or unconsciously unwilling to MAKE the concerted effort that is required.

As I stated before – it is not complicated – the theory s relatively straightforward – run a deficit! Expend more calories than you consume!

The problem is I don’t seem to be able to stick to either side of the equation – I can’t seem to resist eating the junk that I (almost daily) sabotage myself with; and I keep skipping workouts that I plan to do during the week.

So why – when I HAVE the DESIRE; do I LACK the WILL!?!?!

It’s not that I have done it for several weeks and then fallen off the wagon after feeling completely hard-done-by. I can’t even manage to go ONE BLOODY WEEK without detouring down the junk food aisle on my foray to the grocery store. And it’s not like I am doing a crazy reduction (read starvation) diet – ALL I am TRYING (ok WANTING) to do is to cut out the CRAP (chips, chocolate, etc.) and adhere to a reasonable fitness regime.

I would really like to know why the WILL is lacking when the DESIRE is there!

I know some will argue that’s it is part of the Human Condition, (finding it easy to do what you ought not to be doing and finding it hard to do what you really want to be doing) – heck there is even some poetic bit in the Bible about it – but darn it – wanting to better oneself is ALSO part of the Human Condition – as is being the BEST THAT YOU CAN BE – or maybe that’s just American Military propaganda.

But still I ask: why – when I am clearly unhappy with my current physical state and I have the tools at my disposal to do something about it – am I unwilling to make an effort to change things?

I wish I could answer that question – because after all my ranting and wishing – I’m now craving a bag of Baked Old Dutch Dill Pickle Chips (more easily referred to as: Evil in a Bag) and really hope I can avoid the grocery store on my way home from Spin class tonight – but I’m not sure I have the willpower to do so.