By Erica

As I mentioned in the previous post, I’m now the leader of the Wednesday morning Spin Classes for the UW Tri Team.  This happy accident came about because Eileen made me email the team captain at the beginning of the semester when they were looking for a new Wednesday leader.  They’d already filled the spot, which was a relief to me since I’d never actually led a class.  But last week, the Wednesday instructor suddenly announced she couldn’t lead anymore, so I was tapped to fill in.  And so yesterday, with zero training, I led my first spin class.

I got into spinning last year to keep in cycling shape during the winter months, and I was a lot faster in the Spring because of it. I’ve learned that there are two types of spin workouts— those that are more for general fitness, and those that are good for cyclists.  The former is more dance-y and reminds me of the music video for “Phsyical” by Olivia Newton John. The latter has longer drills and climbs that simulate the terrain of outdoor cycling.  I aimed for that in yesterday’s class, and I think I was successful because Chris said it was one of the hardest spin classes he’s been to yet.

I’m also training to be a spin instructor for UW rec sports, so hopefully by the summer I’ll be leading a bunch of other classes, too.  I’ll post my playlists and workouts periodically for you to peak at!