#gritcycle

Today was a milestone in my life. I don’t have that many milestones in my life any more at 53 years old. I have years of employment milestones but that’s about it. So spin class and my class count has become a new milestone. Today, August 14, 2023, I hit a milestone at Grit Cycles, I hit 100 lifetime rides. Now if I’m being truthful, I actually have 172 lifetime rides.  I have 100 at Grit Cycle, 71 at Cyclebar Traffic Circle and 1 at Full Psycle in Huntington Beach.

The real important lesson here is that I have stuck with it. Despite set-backs, illness and injury. In March 2022, I had to leave a Grit Cycles class to go to the emergency room. But I was fine and returned the next week. (My emergency room visit had nothing to do with class at Grit Cycle). In July 2022, I fell, at home, and seriously hurt my right foot. I couldn’t even get my cycling shoes on for almost three weeks due to bruising and swelling. But I returned to Grit cycle after my foot healed.

And this year, I was chugging along getting close to 100 classes, and I came down with COVID-19 and ended up in the emergency room. And although I recovered from COVID-19, the fatigue I felt kept me from spin class for weeks.  But despite all this I still made it to 100 classes.

I reached that milestone that I was longing for and I’m so proud. I wanted to highlight some of the instructors that helped me get to 100 classes. First is Steph Castro (@stephie_cee). Your energy and instruction is infectious. I smile and laugh in all your classes; you are so awesome. Coming to your spin class makes me happy each and every time.  Second is Elise Tate (@real_elliet). I love your music and energy. You are so supportive and happy all the time and I love seeing you. I plan to take more of your classes as I work toward more milestones. Lastly, there is Carina Taboada (@carina.tab). You were the first instructor that I ever had at Grit Cycle, and because of your amazing class, I came back, 100 times. (To quote Taylor Swift: “Look what you made me do!”)

Thank you to all the other instructors whose classes I took as well at both Grit Cycle, and Cyclebar. Cyclebar, I will be back, and Grit Cycle I will continue.  Spin class is truly the only exercise class that I have stuck with and I feel better for it. Here's to more milestones in everybody's lives.

Back in Feb 2022, I started to think seriously about my health. I felt fat, and unmotivated. I was pushing 52 years old. Some of this was due to anxiety and depression, but that is another story. I started thinking about the things that I enjoy in life, and I always liked cycling. I got a bike for Christmas a few years ago, that I loved to ride, and I remember when I liked going to spin classes at LA Fitness. I quit LA Fitness a few years back, it was really hard to get the classes. I got really into it at the time, going to class regularly and starting to understand the basics of spin class.

So what is spin class? It’s indoor cycling, with music and a motivating instructor. Spin bikes are stationary and do not move, but it is a ride and the workout is intense. I searched out cycling in my local city and I found two cycling centers that were fairly close to my condo. There was the Exchange and the 2nd and PCH location.  It is called Grit Cycle. I checked out their website and signed up for a free 1st time rider class. I was nervous, this was more exercise than I had done in years. Would I make it through class?  My first class was on a Sunday, I put on old shorts and a t-shirt because I didn’t really own any workout clothes. I remembered that on hot days in Jamaica, during the Peace Corps, I used to wear a bandana on my head to soak up sweat, I decided that I would wear a bandana to spin class. 

I searched out my bandana collection and found my Jamaican flag bandana and my Bob Marley bandana, both purchased in Jamaica. I decided at that time I would wear one of those bandanas during class. Just to remember my time in Jamaica.

My first day of class I arrived early, and checked in. I found the lockers and the restroom. I remember being nervous, and not knowing where to get water. A staff member at Grit Cycle was super nice to me and helped me. I filled up my water bottle and then found my bike. She helped me set up the bike, and then the instructor took over. Her name was Carina. This was it, class started. I had my glasses on and realized pretty quickly that I couldn’t wear them, they would fog up and collect sweat. I took them off and put them in the water holder on the bike, and I was pretty much blind. I couldn’t really see, a lot of blurry images.

But class started, and Carina started calling out, Hand-Hops, Motorcycles, Power Jumps, Push-ups, and Sprints. I remember that one of the bikes broke during class and a pedal came off the bike.

Carina said during class, “That’s the kind of commitment I’m looking for! She literally broke the bike!” I didn’t break the bike, but someone did.

Anyway, I completed 45 minutes of class, dripping with sweat and feeling pain in my feet and on my butt. I got off the bike and went to find my locker. I couldn’t stop sweating, I was dizzy, I went out to the locker and couldn’t get it open. My mind was numb and I was not able to concentrate. I put on my glasses to try to see the locker combo, I couldn’t focus and couldn’t get it open. I went to the very nice staff at the front desk and asked for help and they had a master key. I retrieved my items and sat down. Everyone was so chatty after class, but I was just trying to catch my breath and focus on changing my shoes.

After class, I cooled down and remember that most of the rest of the day I was tired. I remember I took a nap that day for two hours, and I laid around on the couch. I was deciding if I wanted to go back to class, do another one, and I did a few days later. An obsession started that day that has only grown. It has not always been easy or good, but I have grown as a person and I’ve gotten stronger and in better health. Stay tuned for more Adventures in Spin Class!