It felt, for many reasons, like a final spin class and it was oh so many shades of dammit mixed with awesome. You know how turquoise is a blend of blue and green? It was just like that.
To get the night off to a great start, I arrived at the studio late. Huh? I'm never late for this class, but I was nervous for this one. Not sure how it took me 20 minutes to put on eyeliner, but yeah, it did.
There were tons of people attending. I chalk it up to cooler weather plus the desperate need of participants to finish off their 8-class card by the end of the season. Among the gang there were lots of regulars and at least four new people I had never seen in my class before. Which meant that I would have to evaluate where they were on the experience threshold, if there was time. There wasn't. I was sorting out pedals like a madwoman and then I remembered that my boss was in the shop so I wrestled him in to the studio and put him to work changing pedals. Even with his assistance there was much set up work to do, and I had to start the class a bit late (but assured everyone that it was just a longer warm up).
It can be intoxicating to look out to a roomful of people waiting to do your bidding, the nastier the better. When the room is full, I transform, like a werewolf, into a monstrous version of myself, acting and demanding and generally throwing instructions around like the Queen of Hearts.
Tonight I rocked a new type of class, one that mirrored an actual bike ride up many, many hills. It was tough one, and probably more challenging than my previous classes because we were never allowed to get comfortable in one position. We were up and down like seesaws.
A nice couple brought me a CD of punk music for future classes! And I consequently gave the woman, Cathy, the most intensively painful charley horse of her life from lots of sprints! Argh. But a cramp is a million times easier to live with than a heart attack, so I am grateful that Cathy is still with us (albeit limping). It was a buzz kill, though. I could feel the concern in the room and some people slowed down. Good thing only 10 minutes remained for the class.
After locking up the store, I ran to the veggie resto for take out and while on the sidewalk my nose caught the aroma of grilled steak and dwelled upon it for at least three blocks.
A few people said goodbye after the class. I will particularly miss the mother and daughter dynamic duo that have attended faithfully for the past 2 seasons. They rock!
So, it's been a few hours since the end of the class, and I am starting to come down from the high now. I will miss the workouts and the participants, the thrill of teaching, and the never ending task of trying to motivate people work hard and give their all while sitting on the wobbly, uncomfortable seat of a bike that doesn't move. I will actually miss seeing these people every week which is weird. I can't believe how attached I can get - I'm like a housecat, but for people.
What will I do on Wednesday nights from now until the end of summer? Write your ideas in the comments section.
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