Certified

The class on Sunday was great. It was suppose to be 8 hours-9-5, but we got out around 3:30. We had a handbook we went over. It was very informative. There is so much to know about Spinning! But Schwinn does not call it Spin, it's indoor cycling. Which I like. The certification was through Schwinn. I loved there approach. It's AUTHENTIC CYCLING. Meaning, they don't teach or do, anything that you wouldn't do on your bike outside. Which I love because.. I bike outdoors! Isn't it crazy to think, most Spin instructors don't even own a bike?
I have gone to some classes where they do crazy things with your arms, standing straight up and down with a straight back (acting like the bike is a stair master), hovers (which I do), and the biggest things.... Sprints always seem to be done incorrectly.
When you are on the road on your bike, if you want to go faster what do you do? [Confession, when he asked this I wasn't really listening..oops]. I answered, "you pedal". Wrong. You "Gear up". Duh! I just rode my bike for 26.1 miles the day before and I know if you want to go faster you go into higher gear. I did most of the ride in gear 5 and 6 (mountain bike) unless going up hill. Most classes I've done sprints in is on low resistance and pedal fast. That's not doing anything except hurting your knees he said. Makes sense.
He showed a clip from Tour De France [which by the way is 2,000 miles in 21 days, averaging 95 miles a day!], he told us to match our leg speed to theirs. We did. He said most of our legs were going faster, but they were really going faster. Why? They ride in high gears. It was interesting.
I have always tried to ride just like I would my bike outside because that's what I am training for. I don't put my head down, I don't rest my elbows on the bars when we are going up a hill, I don't stand straight up and down. Maybe that is why people comment on my form? I really didn't know much about it, I just knew if I cycled indoors differently than that's not helping me outdoors.
I got there about 40 minuets early because Davey had to drop me off before him and the boys went to church. Skip (the instructor) who is from Hollywood, and teaches at Crunch where Bob Harper teaches, was there and asked me how long I had been cycling. I told him 8 months, and that I have lost 53 pounds, and done 3 triathlons and other events. (I just have to tell anyone I can you know), and he gave me a huge high ten. During the first part of class we all went around the room and told about how we got into spinning. Everyone was shocked when I said how much I've lost and how many event I've done (only 5, not many). Felt good though. There were 4 people there that already teach, 2 from Bakersfield, 2 from LA, (they needed a Schwinn certificate), a personal trainer from my gym ( which I thought, "oh great, she will definitely get a class before me!") another guy from my gym who is a serious cyclist, another girl from my gym (who seemed to be struggling a bit during the rides and wasn't prepared for the day), and an older guy that travels all over So Cal and goes to different gyms.
Skip kept referring to me as his athlete. Ha! I'm such an amateur it's not even funny. It was fun though. He even brought me up on his bike to show proper bike set up. He pulled up my pant leg above my knee so he could show my knee, I was so thankful I shaved! ;)
I know Jackie, the manager of Group X for 24 all over So Cal. I like her a lot. She is Christian, Republican, and sweet. She lives here and teaches here so we've talked quit a bit and we are friends on FB. I wrote on her wall right after class was done that I was ready to audition :) Really I have to get my ride planned out and music together (which is sooo much more complicated than what I thought.. knowing beats per minuet to find revolutions per minuet.. yeah confusing). I will keep bugging her until I can audition. In the mean time I am going to go to Ladies First and the YMCA.
Weigh in was okay, down 1 pound... I think! My scale is being soooo silly. One high number, then an E for error, then a low number, then a number that looks about right, and I have to try it about 10 times. Ugh. I need a new one but don't have the funds right now! I was going to weigh at the gym but the scale is gone! :/
Really looking forward to running this week, and I can't wait for Coaches class tonight! It's been 2 weeks!
I realize all my posts are about the fitness part of this journey. I will talk some about my food.
I have not been tracking, but really want to. I just need to do it. Today I had 1 cup Oatmeal with 1 tbsp brown sugar, coffee with fat free Coffee-mate. Bite of boys toast, a piece of toast with Margarine (horrible I know), and a couple of table spoons of chocolate chips. Bad too.
Okay.. I determine... starting right now... I will T R A C K my P O I N T S. I mean it. I have not been counting calories, on WW at all, just burning a lot and not eating much fat. I can do better. Only 2 1/2 more weeks until Santa Monica Gobble Wobble!