One exciting thing that happened while I was not keeping you all updated here was that I hit a major milestone in my exercise journey: I hit 100 classes at Cyclebar!!! (For those of you who are like “wait, what is Cyclebar?” here’s a post I wrote back in February about how what a class is like and how much I love it.)
This has been on my mental list of things I wanted to accomplish for a while. At this point I’ve been working out pretty regularly at Cyclebar since January and this is the longest I’ve ever stuck to a workout routine in my entire life (well, probably since I played sports in school when I was growing up). Some time in August I realized that if I planned it correctly I could ride my 100th ride ON MY BIRTHDAY! So, naturally, I did just that.
I ended up riding a double on my birthday and riding my 100th ride with my favorite instructor, Gabby. Part of what I’ve realized is that half of the battle for enjoying (yes, I said enjoying) my workout is enjoying my instructor. Now every instructor I’ve had at Cyclebar has been great and supportive but there are a few specific people who really just get my vibe perfectly. It’s easier to make it through a class and actually have fun when you know and like all the songs that are played, when your instructor knows you name and gives you shoutouts to encourage you, and when your instructor somehow knows exactly what to say to get you to push yourself harder. At the risk of this sounding like a love letter, that person for me is Gabby. I try to go to as many of her classes as I can (without waking up to make it to the 6am because lol no) because she makes the classes more fun.
So in honor of me crossing the 100 ride threshold (in fact, by the time I’m writing this I’ve actually done more than 130 rides), here are some things that I’ve noticed or learned over these past 10 months:
- Getting myself to class is 90% of the battle. Yes, I’ve had days where I *really* don’t want to work out. But if I get to the studio I will be able to get through the 45 minute workout.
- I always feel better after I work out. This is something that I’d heard people say before and kind of rolled my eyes at, but now I’m a believer. Working out improves my mood after a bad day at work, helps reduce my hangover, or just helps me get ready to kick ass later in the day!
- I’m definitely getting stronger. I’m able to ride more miles than when I started, I can use both of the weights during the arms section, and I’ve definitely noticed some changes in my body and how my clothes fit (disclaimer: I don’t own a scale because I don’t think it would be good for me so I can’t tell you if I’ve lost weight, but I do FEEL better).
- I’ve made friends and feel like I’m part of the Cyclebar community. This is another thing that kind of surprised me. I haven’t ever been that person who feels like they belong at a gym or fitness studio, but Cyclebar has always been so welcoming and encouraging and it really feels like my happy place.
So there you have it–my version of a fitness journey blog post! And if you’re looking for a sign to maybe take a risk and try a new class or workout, consider this it. I can honestly say that Cyclebar has helped change my life, maybe not in a major way but I’m now someone who looks forward to working out so consider me changed!
Leave a Reply