Cross Training, Here I Come! Hello Spynergy Cycling Studio

My right ankle has been bothering me after my runs recently.  It’ll be fine while I am running, and then start to bother me 4-6 hours later.  No swelling, just a dull ache that makes me nervous.

It reminded me of the importance of cross training – if I get into cycling or rowing, two great forms of low-impact aerobic exercise that utilize different muscle groups than running, I’ll have something that I can do to improve my VO2 max besides running.  This will improve my running performance while reducing my risk of over-use injuries, especially since I’ve been increasing mileage during my half marathon training.

I’ve been reading Run Less, Run Faster, and it suggests cycling as great cross training for runners.  So when a friend of mine mentioned that she loves Spynergy, a cycling studio in town, I decided I would check it out.

They offer a free 30 minute tutorial, so I e-mailed the studio and set up a time for my intro.

The studio is just under a mile and a half from home, so I ran there, did my intro session, and ran home.

runtospynergy

I met with one of the co-founders, Bill, who clearly LOVES what he does and is passionate about the benefits of cycling.  He was patient as he helped me find the right setting on the bike, showed me around the studio, and made sure I was getting the hang of the stance and posture required for each of their three cycling positions that they utilize during studio workouts.

I am SO glad I went to a free intro session rather than just showing up for a class with no spin experience!  Now I know my bike setting and how to adjust it (F2… kelly, F2) and where the towels are, and I’ve spent ten minutes practicing the cycling while standing position (which was tricky for me at first).  I know now that the classes will have stretching, warm ups, and then interval training and some additional stretching at the end.  I know how to adjust the difficulty setting on the bike (it’s just one knob, no electronics, easy breezy).

If I’d shown up for a class without this intro, I would have had to arrive early, find the instructor, pry her away from her set-up routine to show me the bike, feel self conscious, try to master the standing and cycling movement for the very first time in a room with a ton of other cyclists and no pointers from the instructor… it might have been fine, but this free private intro session was WAY better.

I also got an intro package of spin classes, 3 for just under $30.  Spynergy isn’t a membership based cycling studio, you buy your rides individually or in discounted packages.  This is much better for me, since some weeks I’ll want to cycle and some weeks I might just run more or not have time.  One ride is $18 for a 50 minute class, but 10 classes is $16.90 and you have six months to use it.  That’s less than once every two weeks that you’d need to spin!  Even I could manage that.  (But I’ll go to some classes before committing just to be sure!)

Writing this reminds me of how excited I was to do the Shaun T, T25 workout videos when we got them during the winter.  That didn’t work out as well, because they affected my running and it was hard to get up early enough to do the video when Will & Andrew sometimes spontaneously wake up half an hour earlier than normal.  I’m still glad we have them, because it’s nice to have a 25 minute workout I can do, but they were too high impact with too much jumping for me to keep my running mileage where I wanted it and still do the videos.

I’m excited to try Spynergy… and I even get to see the friend who recommended the studio when I go because she often does the time slot that works for my camp schedule for the next two weeks!  How sweet is that?  I can see this being a great once a week workout in the winter when the kids are at preschool and the roads are icy!

My first class is tomorrow… let you know how it goes 🙂

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