Of Cadence, Cleats and Confidence
Two months ago, if you had said “cadence”, I would have sung you a song; if you had said “cleats”, I would have said “Huh?” and “confidence”, I would have associated with something totally different. Now, when the Spin instructor says get your “cadence” up, my little legs go round in circles. Okay, the legs are not so little, but work with me here…I am wearing cleats for goodness sake!
Over the last few weeks, my posterior seems to have adjusted to a seat. I know to set the saddle to the top of my hip and to look down at my feet to see that just the tops of my toes are visible, when my knees are bent. I know the difference, between “ride easy” and “attack”. I can go into a class and not feel like a Bambi in the headlights and I have even mastered “push pull” on one side and then switching to the other. All of these things I would have thought impossible, especially for a girl who used to be terrified of exercising. I am not sure why, but my self esteem was not robust enough for PE classes as a young child in primary school, and often I was reduced to girlie sniveling in a PE class. This somehow, developed into never liking exercise and avoiding it as some people avoid a spider. I have never really sweated in an exercise class, today, a tiny bead of sweat hit my top lip, after 43 years people, I can confirm sweat is salty!
At the end of the 45 minute class, I had done what all the fit people in the class had done, I felt strong and confident. Probably the first time ever in an exercise sense…mmmhhh…maybe you can teach old dogs new tricks?
I wait, with much more than bated breath… more like battered breath, to feel strong during or at the end of the 45 min Spin class. I do, however, LOVE the journey!