Pages

Saturday, October 2, 2010

"Not just RPM babe, RPM MAX "

Despite my better judgement and doctor's orders I crawled out the door early to make the 8am RPM class at the uni gym.  G is a bouncing, bubbling ball of enthusiasm even at this early hour ... I'm just trying to cope with morning.

There's no traffic at this hour. and we arrive nearly 40 minutes before we had to be had to be there.  Did I mention its early ??  G strikes up a conversation with the all to chipper young guy at the front desk.  Gets the alumni discount for us old fogies.

I haven't been to the uni gym since I was a student, back then it was a musty, cramped, dark, outbuilding way out the back of the campus.  Things are looking different!  Now its big new and shiny, lots of light and space ... and air !  Fresh air !  Woot!

G makes a beeline through the weights room, past all the iron pumping short-short wearing jocks ( now that is just like I remember! ) to the RPM room.  Its packed with bikes.  No standing room even.  G sets up a bike for newbie me.  Explains how to stop it - ummm usually my problem is going, not stopping !  Ah, they have momentum in the fly wheel - ok, but still ...

Bike all ready, still time to kill - so I nominate to stretch my dodgy back.  Grab a mat and find a nice space in the corridoor.  Big window looking out to the trees - its almost relaxing ;)

When its time almost time to kick off I go back and introduce myself to the instructor.  G is off playing with a treadmill, so she checks my setup and gives me some advice.  Peeps start to filter in and G returns as well.  Everyone going through their own little habits - some warming up, others catching up on gossip, stretching.  No sure what to do I do a little pedalling, but feeling conspicuous and such newbie I just wish it would get underway.

And it does.  Clubby music out of place at that hour of the morning.  I switch off.  I pedal, i up the gear when I'm told - unless I am finding the current level really hard.  I am doing OK, puffing like mad, then we climb.  I cant do the standing for very long - I can't find my balance and the movement puts pressure on my sore back.  I do it for ten and sit. And it goes on. Eight tracks (i think), an hour anyway with my head down, keep pedalling hoping I'm doing OK.

We warm down, and i make a wobly dismount.  My pelvis(?) is seriously screaming at me.  I wipe down the bikes, G goes to change.  I stretch my back.

Walking out G is lookin at me funny.  Turns out he didn't think I'd make it through - that's why he wanted me to know how to stop the bike.  Well I said I would do RPM, and now I've done RPM ... "Not just RPM babe, RPM MAX "


| 1:02:01 | Av HR 150 | Max HR 176 | 

2 comments:

  1. It wasn't that I didn't think you would make it to the end of the class - I was concerned you might hurt yourself if you tried to suddenly stop peddling on an RPM bike - that's why I wanted you to know how to stop the flywheel...

    ReplyDelete
  2. LOL ... what u said after class must have been a freudian slip then :P

    ReplyDelete