Cycle - NOT Spin....

And don't get the two mixed up peoples...

Matt from work said he was greatly enjoying the Cycle Class at his local gym in St Leonards, and asked me to come up and do a workout with him.  Well, people, do NOT get Spin and Cycle mixed up,  because Spin has nice pumped up music, pretend hills and a lot of getting your arse off out of the seat the pretending you are working hard, and Cycle on the other hand is just pure 45 minutes of fucking torture.  30 seconds of sprints sounds ok.  Except when you join lots of thirty seconds of sprints together.  And you have a butch looking muscly bird GLARING at you if your legs aren't going fast enough and you are not crying and hanging on to the handlebars and calling for your mother. 

False advertising people.  30 seconds x 6 = 3 minutes.  It is not a thirty second sprint.  I was waiting for the euphoric feeling of pushing up the resistance, getting out of the seat and going for it but oh no.  It is all about sitting down, pushing up the resistance and KEEPING THE FARKING SPEED UP.

Actually, after the class I was loving the thought of it.  And very glad that Matt made us go up the front so that the muscly lady could see whether I was working hard or not, so my ego was involved as well as my pride. 

It wasn't as euphoric as the Spin class at the time but man it was a damn good feeling afterwards.  Given that I'd cycled Sat and Sun and Sunday I found all the hills I could locally (with my new found bike setup, I reckoned I was ready to take them all on) - so the thighs were already destroyed, but god it felt good and honest and nice afterwards.  I will be back but I will be back with a knowledge of what to expect and hopefully fresher legs!!!!

I might add that Matt used to Cycle for a living and when she yelled out SPRINT!!! he went for it like a demon, and one, I was shamed into trying to keep up and two, I freaked out and tried to keep up.  Going along to such a class with someone who is totally mad and wants to up the ante every time is fun and a little scary.  But mostly fun.  No, scary.  

Mosquitoes....

The interest in Lady Gaga music continues.  You know she's not bad......!!!

This weeks training has been really enjoyable - but perhaps not terribly fruitful....

Sunday - Free weights with Yvonne (she smashed me, I smashed me!!!)
Monday - Spin Class
Tuesday - 7km walk
Wednesday - Spin Class
Friday - Pump class
Saturday - Ride (a bit social, not really a workout) around Homebush, 10km run / walk.  Ran first 5km, walked last 5km (to ensure Achilles not angered)

Is my arse smaller?  Is my stomach flat?  NO!!!  It is not!!

Todays run was lovely.  The plan was to do the half and half - half run half walk.  This was my first run for two weeks due to achilles problems.  So with all this rain, I knew the little creek at the bottom of Lovers Walk would be full.  So the plan was to sit there, bathe the angry ankle in the cool water with the added advantage of time to myself to think with no distractions.  The creek was perfect.. Bubbling and busy as only small creeks can be after a lot of rain.  I was planning a good sit down and a damn good think there.  That was until a mosquito the size of an eagle (ok. slight exaggeration) bit me on the arse.  Through my skins and through my knickers.  I jumped up from my contemplation quick smart.  Which was probably not a bad idea, given that eagle sized mosquitos probably harbour unwanted viruses.  Anyway, what started off as a beautifully warm almost sunny day started to get dark, overcast, rumbly and finally thunder, lightning, raindrops the size of golfballs (again, another huge exaggeration) and so the last half hour I was power walking up Mitchells Pass in the pouring rain, day dreaming about a nice glass of Sancerre and a dry towel. 

Pretty happy with this weeks training, even  if it doesn't seem to have made any massive difference to my arse, it has to my head.  I am loving being back at the gym, god knows why.  I loved the bike ride today and the run and the walk and being caught in the rain, and still loving Lady Gaga....!!

Side Effects....

Ok, so the side effects of running a lot (for me) are sheer exhaustion, sore hips, ankles and thighs.

The side effects of going to the gym are a real decline in your taste in music and a strange desire to download Lady Gaga songs.  And sing along to them.

There is nothing I HATE MORE than that shitty ner ner ner ner ner trancey shitty crappy dance music.  But turn off the lights, give me a spin bike and I am TOTALLY LOVING some remix of a 1990's "dance anthem"....

Yes.  I plucked up the courage to do a spin class today at the North Sydney gym.  Oh man.  That was fucking AWESOME and I came back to work with wild hair, red cheeks and feeling a lot bloody calmer thank you very much.  I was a bit worried, because the first time I did Spin I wanted to spew afterwards, but I guess having a real bike helps, and that ability to control the effort is great.  Until I started worrying about having a heart attack (because I am not young).  But I was having too much fun and I swear that dial could not have gone any further on the last track.  I will be BACK!!!!   Loved it!

So, now I have Pump, Spin and walking on my agenda.  It is not running, but it is releasing that much needed stuff into my brain to bring me back to normal.  It should also have some effect on my arse, which will be an added bonus. I still don't have the courage to go back to the pool after that damn Giardia episode.  It needs to be a much more distant memory than it currently is.  Anyway, I have something to keep me out of mischief, give me pimples and keep me fit.  So that will do for now.

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah! Roma-roma-mamaa! Ga-ga-ooh-la-la!

You get the idea.....

The Gym

Out of sheer frustration, and necessity, I have re-joined the gym.  And I am LOVING it!!  I have to admit to being a bit terrified of my first pump class in 700 years - especially as it was at North Sydney gym.  But North Sydney gym is no different from any other gym, so that was ok.  I don't know what I was expecting.  Anyway, I still haven't worked up the courage to do a spin class but have done two pump classes this week and a free weights work out with Yvonne. 
After the pump class my hand was shaking so much that I couldn't actually control the movement of my hand and had to put my makeup on in a sort of stabbing motion, which left me with very odd looking lipstick.  But I didnt really care because the excitement of doing something with my body again was just fantastic.  Today my tummy muscles are tight (who doesn't LOVE that feeling?) and my legs are a bit stiff, but I am feeling great.  Maybe when I get up out of this seat on the train, I will re-consider that statement! 

So whilst the Sydney summer is having an identity crisis, I will be indoors pumping iron, or out on the bike working on getting a more rounded bottom. 

I tried to run on the treadmill at the gym.  I had my bondi b's on, and that coupled with the bouncy treadmill surface felt very soft indeed.  I power walked for about ten minutes on an incline but then decided to test out the achilles.  Felt ok whilst I was doing it, not sooooo good afterwards.  I did stretch and nurture my ankles and calves last night, just to remind them I do love them and to come back to normal soon.  I've been told haemaroid cream is good for blood flow to that area, so might give that a go too.  I'll try anything!!!