Katie (Katie Gormley, Sportsister The Women’s Sports Magazine ~ http://www.sportsister.com/ has been attending Pedal Studio classes.
Ladies if you want inspiration read her Blog !!
Spending extensive amounts of time in a darkened room listening to bad music while being shouted at by some aggressive protein addict as I furiously peddle nowhere is not something that has ever appealed to me.
Spinning always seemed utterly ridiculous but I was assured by my most competent cycling acquaintance that if I want to get in shape for the Etape the best way was going to be to combine long weekend rides with spin sessions during the week. The dark mornings and nights of winter mean getting out on the bike during the week isn’t really an option. I don’t have a turbo trainer and nor do I want one (it’s just taking it a little bit too far for me) so I set about researching spin classes.
After loads of searching I found the perfect spot – The Pedal Studio http://www.pedalstudio.co.uk/ is cycle specific so no crazy push-ups half way through your training session. Other benefits are that there is no joining fee so you simply pay for the sessions you complete. The other options I found were as part of a gym so this either meant large joining fees and monthly subscriptions or strange combination classes that although good for general fitness aren’t quite what I need.
My friend Chris is training for an Ironman this year, she is super fit already and makes my measly efforts to complete the Etape Caledonia look like a walk in the park. In spin though you take your own pace so she was keen to come along with me. She lives in East London too so we can make the rather epic journey to Putney in South London and back together.
I did a couple of classes as a test run and am now utterly converted. Spinning is great! How could I have been so wrong for so long. A couple of training sessions down there every week is going to form a considerable part of my mid-week training. I haven’t totally locked in on my actual training schedule yet, its all a bit fluid right now but with 14 weeks still to go I’ve got time. Note to self though – must do this soon.
Katie’s Uphill Battle – Week 1
BLOG : http://www.sportsister.com/2010/02/11/katies-uphill-battle-week-1/
Monday 8th FebruarySpin – Aerobic Intervals
As I’ve said before, I was initially a spinning sceptic but am now converted!
One of the great things about the Pedal Studio is that there isn’t any maniac shouting nor any hardcore techno-rave music. Its a really friendly little studio with a great vibe, there is also lots of helpful advice available if you want it. Everyone is encouraged to take their own pace. Your objective effort levels and training zones are explained to you at the beginning of each session as well as the reasons why you are working in this way. Over the course of the session yo
u can then follow your own individual levels as every bodies heart rate and effort levels are displayed on a large screen at the front of the class. I have never worked with a heart rate monitor before and am loving the geek element of it. What I am not loving is how long my recovery is, my unfitness twinkling away in bright colours for all to see. This can only get better and I have convinced myself that my fellow spinners are far too busy minding their own efforts to give a thought to mine. Immediately after your session you receive via email a summary of your performance. You can see my print out from last night here.
Katie’s Uphill Battle – Week 5 – officially back in the saddle!
Blog: http://www.sportsister.com/2010/03/14/katies-uphill-battle-week-5-officially-back-in-the-saddle/
Wednesday 10th March
Spinning – back in the saddle
Ah, its good to be back! An endurance session with Richard and it feels like I’ve never been away!
32 minutes of climb which was perfect as my return to exercise. Strangely, or not, I actually felt better than I have in ages and ages – my heart rate was a bit higher than normal but I think that’s the medication and I’ll check this with my doctor next week.
Warm up – 3 minutesHill Climb increasing resistance as we go – 39 minutesCool down – 3 minutes
I have also asked Andrew from the pedal studio to look at my new training schedule which I’ve devised to accommodate for my time out and illness.
Friday 12th March
Andrew has given me feedback and my new programme looks like this: Programme 2 – post illness. I’ve incorporated more hills and am potentially cutting down on my commute. I’ll have to get a good book and succumb to the minimal delights of the Number 38 bus a little more regularly. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to achieve your goals! Now where is my Oyster card?
Katie’s Uphill Battle – Week 9 – searching for hills in London, yoga for cyclists and finding ourselves 1 man down
Blog: http://www.sportsister.com/2010/04/16/katies-uphill-battle-week-9-searching-for-hills-in-london-yoga-for-cyclists-and-loosing-a-rider/
Monday 5th AprilPutney, not Ibiza
Easter bank holiday today and what better way to celebrate it than with a 1 ½ hour special at the spin studio! The weather was predicted to be awful, as it the British bank holiday tradition, so the studio have created a longer class to simulate a sort of Pedal Studio Mini-Sportive. Chris and I cycled down to the studio which was about 10 miles, a nice warm-up.
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