A Year Ago I Thought I'd Be A Spin Instructor By Now

A year ago today, I received my Spin Instructor certification and was on cloud 9.

It was one of the scariest "out of my comfort zone" challenges I had taken on at the time. It was amazing to be in a room with folks of all ages, sizes and backgrounds - there for the same reason. Plus, I can vividly picture how scared I was driving up to Manchester, NH for the orientation and knowing I overcame it is something I can't put a price tag on.

I physically took the day-long orientation on March 9th and the online test on March 10th.

If you want to know more about the day-long orientation, feel free to check my post out here.

I was anxious to get in front of a class and share what I learned. I reached out to Spin Instructor friends in the area to find out how they got their gigs. They clued me in on the audition process at most gyms/studios, knowing studio owners, being in the right place at the right time, etc.

I took my time reaching out to local gyms asking about availability and it kept being "No. No. No". I took it tough.

But at the same time, I was training for my 3rd marathon - the Boston Marathon - and took a step back from looking to focus on training.

I tried to network, but it wasn't going anywhere.

Now I sit here a year to the day ... and I am no closer to being a Spin Instructor.

Am I a failure for not becoming a part-time Instructor? Not at all.

Do I feel like I wasted the $333 it cost to attend the Spinning certification? Absolutely.

Would I have passed up the experience to become an Instructor? Definitely not.

I think that day has made me a stronger rider and more helpful to my Spinning friends and classmates.

I may not be in front of the room, but I still try to motivate my friends and classmates as best I can.

So am I truly okay with not closing the door on the dream?

Sort of.

I regret not doing more. I should've walked into studios, talked to owners, petitioned Craigslist to find classes to substitute Instruct in and just been more proactive.

But, maybe that was my subconscious taking the reigns of the situation.

I realized over the last year that I wanted to stay in the saddle as a student.

I cannot live in a world of shoulda, coulda, wouldas! I need to learn from the experience and move on.

So what is the next dream I will chase? I'm not sure ... but at least I keep trying!

Weekly Workout Wind Up (8/22-28/13)

Well this week I didn't find a way to incorporate my Jillian Michaels DVDs back into the mix, but I will.  

Thursday, August 22: 5k-Run

Friday, August 23: 10k-Run

Saturday, August 24: 12-Mile Run

Sunday, August 25: Spin Class

Monday, August 26: 3-Mile Run, 2-Mile Run and 53-Minute Spin

Tuesday, August 27: REST DAY

Wednesday, August 28: 5-mile Run with 3 hill repeats at the end

But now that I apparently have a Sprint Tri on 9/8 - hello free entry - I need to get back in the pool and on the bike this week... Oh yeah and tackle that little "hilly" half marathon in NH on Sunday!

Good problems, right?

Variety Is The Spice Of Life...

Cardio is my safe space. Since really starting my fitness journey a few years back, I have always gravitated to the safety and familiarity of the cardio machines:

*treadmill

*elliptical

*stationary bike

I always feared the weights floor at my gym, as well as, fitness classes.

For too long, I let my weight hold me back from trying new things.

Then one day in late 2010 I somehow gathered up all the courage I had and attended a Spin class.

After just one class, I caught the Spin bug.

I was hooked.

What had I been so scared of? Why had I let the fear of the unknown consume me?

So from that point on, it was time to break out of the comfort zone and try new things ... especially when it came to fitness.

And you know what? I survived.

And now I LOVE the variety of my workouts. I'm no longer in a cardio funk. I now have something different every day, which keeps me interested and rejuvenated.

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So what did my last 10 days of workouts look like? Here it is...

November 14, Wednesday: Comcast On Demand class - Kickbox Power

November 15, Thursday: Comcast On Demand classes - The 12 Minute Blend & Cardio Dance

November 16, Friday: Pure Barre

November 17, Saturday: Zumba

November 18, Sunday: Spin and Body Pump

November 19, Monday: Pure Barre in AM and Spin in PM

November 20, Tuesday: Walking

November 21, Wednesday: 5k run

November 22, Thursday: 5k run & backyard touch football

November 23, Friday: Pure Barre

November 24, Saturday: 10k run

November 25, Sunday: Spin and Body Pump

(Note: My core work is the same circuit each day at home, including #plankaday!)

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I love how in the past 10 days I have really worked all parts of my body, which keeps my muscles wanting more and my head doesn't get bored with the same old same old.

AND what's even more exciting? I'm finally starting to see some muscles now that I am making weight training a bigger part of my workout routine...

So if you are feeling like you are in a workout rut, I recommend switching up and trying something new!

Also, if you've wanted to try a new class and are too nervous to attend one at the gym, try to find it on On Demand and give it a whirl in the comfort of your own home. That's what I did with kickboxing. So when I whacked myself in the face at one point, the only people who noticed were the dogs. :P

How do you keep your workouts fresh?