I went to my fourth spin class tonight at LA Fitness. First off, after four sessions I still think the spin bikes are incredible. They are so much better than any others I’ve used. I’ve been really happy with the classes, especially the last two. While I’m ridiculously out of shape, I’m really impressed with how well I am doing.

In the past I’ve talked with people that have done a few marathons and then don’t run much for a couple years, and ramp up really quickly for another marathon. I think I get that more now. Even as ridiculously out of shape as I am right now, I’m finding that I can hang in the class pretty good. My guess is that I don’t have the mental barriers that others may have. I get that it hurts when you climb, and I know what that hurt is like, and I know how to manage it. The fitness level just determines how much power I can get with a certain level of suffering. Over time, I’ll get more power, but the suffering is the same. I’m also really pleased that my natural cadence is still right around 90 rpm’s. That still just feels “right”.

I was pretty proud after tonight’s spinning session. I wore my heart rate monitor for the first time and I actually reached max heart rate a couple of times (about 187). Here is the floor under my bike. 🙂