Spinning Class: No Ride in the Park!

In keeping up with my goal to try out all the “pay-as-you-go” classes McGill Athletics has to offer this semester, I decided to test out the waters of a spinning class yesterday evening.  Spinning, similar to Zumba last week, was a workout I had yet to experience.  Biking has never been my favorite pastime or means of exercising, but I had heard great reviews about spinning as a workout from friends, so I figured I might as well try it out at least once.

Not surprisingly, the friends who had promised to tag along bailed on me at the last minute and I found myself once again trying something for the first time all on my own.  Luckily I was feeling very optimistic and thankful that it wasn’t a dance class; the likelihood of me embarrassing myself was much smaller than it was last week.

When I got to the spinning room the instructor and around a dozen other people were already setting up their bikes.  Unlike the Zumba class, there were already some males who had shown up, looking ever-so intense and experienced as they adjusted their seats and handle bars on their bikes.  It was at this moment when my optimism for the class was quickly replaced with skepticism- I had absolutely no clue how to adjust my seat or handle bars on the bike, let alone to what position.  It must have been obvious that I was completely clueless and new to the class, because the instructor, a very fit, young and blonde girl, came over to assist me.  She asked me if this was my first time at a spin class and I did not hesitate to admit that yes, it was my first time spinning.  She enlightened me on how and where to adjust the seat and handlebars of the bike, and within minutes I was on the bike, with my feet tightly fastened into the paddle straps, ready to spin.

The total workout was just over forty-five minutes long, however it felt as if it went on for hours.  After the first song I was already drenched in sweat and completely out of breath.  The way spinning works is that there are four positions you take- sitting, squatting, sprinting or standing.  I found each position challenging and the more tension you added (by turning the tension wheel one spin around or backwards at the discretion of the instructor) the harder pedaling became.  Sprinting with added tension was definitely not my strong suit, however, I managed to somewhat successfully tackle the standing position.  The squatting position is one to which I hope to never return.  The pain that position brought me is indescribable.  Had my mother been there I probably would have removed myself from the bike and run into her arms for comfort- it was that bad.

When the class was finally over and I stepped off the bike, my legs were shaking to the point that I didn’t know whether or not I could walk.  I consider myself a rather fit individual but this class literally took everything out of me.  Walking up to the stairs to the girls change room was unbearable and I could not stop sweating.  When I got home to my apartment the only thing I could do was lie on my bed.  Notwithstanding the fact that when I woke up this morning my legs hurt even more than they did after the class ended, I’m also positive that the spin class will become routine on my Friday evenings.  Friends have told me that spinning becomes a little bit easier each time you go and I am hoping that this is true. 

Zumba, Zumba!

This morning I put the dancing skills I have never had to test at the fitness class Zumba, offered as a one of the drop-in fitness classes at McGill.  A huge part of me did not want to go to this class.  Not only am I a terrible dancer but I was forced to go to the class on my own since all my friends were snuggled up in their beds after a night out in the cold at Igloo-Fest.  Despite the fact that I consider myself quite independent and adventurous, when it comes time to trying something new and out of my comfort zone I would much rather do so with a familiar face by my side.  Nevertheless, I sucked it up, made my way up the hill to the gym, and put on my running shoes, anxiously anticipating and dreading the unexpected.

When I got down to the Aerobics room I was relieved to see no one I knew.  I was a bit early so lucky for me, my awkwardness immediately kicked into high gear as I stood in the corner trying to come across as the girl who wasn’t there for her first time or alone. As more girls showed up the instructor signaled for everyone to choose a spot on the floor.  I strategically went as close to the far wall as possible, nowhere near the front or back- drawing attention to myself was the last thing I wanted to do.  The music started with an upbeat exotic-sounding song, and the instructor led our warm-up, which consisted of fairly simple steps.  I tried not to get too excited over the simplicity of the steps because I knew as soon as the song was over the instructor would be switching into a high-intensity Zumba mode.

If I was not determined to master the steps of Zumba I was determined to give off the impression to others that I at least knew what I was doing.  As we started into the first song after the warm-up, I soon realized how ambitious I was being.  It’s not that the steps were extremely challenging, but as soon as I got the hang of some of steps after a few tries, our instructor would start into a new routine. I was relieved however, when I looked around and saw that almost every other girl there was equally if not more confused and uncoordinated as I was.

As far as steps go, the class included a lot of booty shaking, twirling of the hips, fist pumping and clapping.  As soon as I started to get the hang of the steps a bit more I found that I was actually enjoying myself!  And the more I was able to nail down the moves, the more of a workout the class became.  Within twenty minutes I had worked up quite a sweat and needed some water.  The instructor was extremely encouraging and made my first Zumba experience not only less intimidating than I had originally expected, but also a lot of fun! Not one girl in the room didn’t have a smile on her face and giggling could be heard from all directions as girls tripped over their own feet or bumped into one another.  What started off as a very nerve-racking experience ended up being a very enjoyable time.  I am determined to return to Zumba next week to master some of the steps, and this time I am definitely bringing along some friends.

Shoot for the Cure!

Last Thursday night, members of McGill’s women’s basketball team laced up their kicks and swapped their traditional red and white jerseys for flashy cotton candy pink and white uniforms to take on the Concordia Stingers at the annual “Shoot For the Cure” double header game in McGill’s gym. 

Despite the fact that basketball happens to be one of my favorite sports, not only to play but also to watch, this was my first time attending a basketball game at McGill.  I showed up to the game excited to support a fundraiser for breast cancer and to reconnect with a sport that once my occupied a significant amount of my time back in high school.  And to be perfectly honest, I was definitely looking forward to enjoying my first hot dog of the year from the concession stand at the gym.  So with my hot dog in hand, and my newly purchased pink ribbon pinned to my sweater, my friends and I found a seat in the middle of the stands surrounded by some familiar and unfamiliar faces.  The Martlets weren’t the only ones dressed for the cause.  Many female fans were wearing pink shirts or sweaters and men jazzed up their customary dull suits with pink ties.

The game got off to a quick start with the Martlets throwing up six points in a row to take an early lead against the Stingers.  As I watched the energetic Martlets run up and down the court, I couldn’t help but notice how chic the girls looked in their pink uniforms next to the Stingers in their boring black uniforms with only a hint of red and gold.  I felt quite empowered by the players while although donning their overly feminine outfits were also kicking some serious butt on the court, showing the Stingers they weren’t about to get beat on their home court.

The excitement and pace of the game persisted even as the girls rested for a time-out or at the end of each quarter with regular performances given by McGill’s cheerleading squad. During half time an exceptional and heartwarming number performed by McGill’s very own Tonal Ecstasy entertained the crowd.  As the game continued, more McGill fans showed up, creating a Valentine’s Day effect amongst the crowd, some wearing red and white, others wearing pink.  Although the Martlets held the lead for the entire game, the last ten seconds were as exciting as a championship game.  The Martlets not only scored themselves another win for their undefeated season, they also raised breast cancer awareness, and they did so in style.