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Spin...

Today the RPM instructor had a sub who just does 'Spin' (meaning a freestyle class, not a structured program).  It was definitely a different experience.  One thing I've really taken for granted is how much the music in RPM is carefully chosen to enhance the ride.  RPM the sprints top out at the speed of the music, so to get 135 RPMs, you count the music and really try to fight to get to it (or in Kevin's case, ride with the music).  In this class, we sprinted only at 110 (woo! I can actually do that...) but the music playing was often much slower than the sprint, which made it hard to sustain, because you had to watch the number and fight the instinct to drop to the beats you were counting.  Music was just background noise.

My numbers were 83/84 rpm/watts, so interestingly I went faster in this class than RPM (though I did much easier climbs since my knees hurt, and I think that helped with speed) but worked way lower than my last class.  I really want to try to get some higher watts.

I got my bike shorts in.  Bike shorts are not good for the ego. Mine are an XL. I will be so happy the day that I grow out of them and have to buy a new pair! (I think L would have been fine, but the size chart made me worry.)  They definitely helped though. My butt wasn't sore until about 20 minutes in, and then only on the left side.

Still need to figure out how to adjust my bike 'just right'. My right shoulder hurts quite bad during class, and that doesn't make sense.

RPM

RPM went much better today.  I decided to not pay too much attention to my revolutions (because I can't come close to the numbers the instructor calls) but instead try to work the hardest I can in higher gears and pay attention to my watts.  Watts are what burns calories (though I don't even burn off 3 slices of bread in the class!

So today my RPM/Watt average was 73/95.  I worked a heck of a lot harder, and only a little slower than the last class.

I also got a much better bike with a seat that didn't slope.  I think that made a huge difference because I didn't feel like I was going to fall off the bike.  Kevin got a sloped seat and he did NOT like it.  He moved two bikes so hopefully if we get "our" spot, we'll get good bikes.

Skipping class.

I skipped ballet yesterday. I feel very guilty about this because ballet is pre-paid for.  But I don't enjoy it. The class is not what I was hoping for. So I kind of dread going. There are 3 more left, including one that is combined with kids classes. I don't want to go to those either, but I'm going to make myself.  It's paid for.

Anyhow- since I skipped ballet, I went to RPM (which is going to be my replacement once ballet is over). It went really well.  My physical therapist told me no standing on the bike, so I stayed seated during climbs, but my knee also didn't hurt nearly as badly as on Saturday (when it hurt during the climbs).  It hurt a teeny bit while on the bike, but I'm not sure if that was the bike set up, the class, or the fact that this was the end of the day and my knees always hurt.

 It was a really good class- I worked at higher gears than on Saturday (my first class ever). During the quick sprints, she wants us at 130 rpm, and I can only hit about 100- there just isn't enough time to make my legs get that fast, but at the sustained sprints, I hit 115, which I thought was decent.  At one point, I had my watts (which hover around 95-100) at a sustained 130 and hitting 150. That was a really good sprint (I love the sprints in the class, on a real bike, not so much).

Since I thought I was doing better to keep my RPMs and Watts high I was a little disappointed to see my averages after class were 75/78- but it is something to work to improve on (it also contains the super lows that we do in between sets, but still- the wattage especially should go up).

My only complaint- the bike that I was on, the seat was really tilted (that's not adjustable). I kept literally sliding off. Not feeling like I was tilted, but when we'd sit up, I'd slide.  That was super annoying.

I've also made the decision not to row seriously this year.  There is a punch card per row you can get and it is more expensive per row, but will allow me to just row Sunday (when Kevin can paddle). If I paid per month, I'd feel like I should go 2-3 times per week to make it 'worth it'. I really enjoy rowing, but with the gym already paid for, there are only so many days of the week to fit it all in!

Spinning

My husband really loves to bike, so when we joined the gym I encouraged him to try some spinning classes (it was winter, so biking was off limits).  He resisted for awhile, telling me indoor bikes were too different from normal bikes, but finally he went.  Turns out he LOVES spinning (but not as much as outdoor bicycling) and goes multiple times a week.

Part of working out in the gym rather than skating is that I spend more time with him and less with elementary schoolers.  Of course, this doesn't work if we are always doing seperate classes, so I tried a spin class called RPM (rotation/revolution per minute).

The class was good- with RPM as the focus I expected more sprints and fewer climbs, but they were about even.  The climbing (high resistance, standing on the pedals) really hurt my knees, but when we were seated I did okay.

My "numbers" (RPMs and gear) are lower than what the instructor suggests for the class, but considering I really don't care for cycling, I think I did an okay job of keeping up with the class.  Kevin is a freaking rockstar and outdoes everyone in there (there are other men too)- the instructor seems to have a goal to beat Kevin in wattage. She would ask him what he was at, and he'd say like 420 or something and I'd have to try not to laugh because I'd be working my butt off and be at like 93.

So this is definetly something that I think I'm going to keep trying to do.  I will definetly need to get some bike shorts though.  My behind is SORE!!! 

(Also went to PT today and she told me not to stand when I climb...)

It's been awhile.

So I had high hopes of a comeback, at least to Saturday skating. Sadly, I haven't been back to the rink in a long time. Without a lesson to get me there, 8:00 is really early on a Saturday! I've been going to the gym now, and go 4-5 times a week, plus ballet on Thursday.  I'm enjoying working out with my husband, skating was very solitary. (Though I do aerobics classes while he does spin on some days.)  I hurt my knee again, working out with a trainer.  It didn't hurt while I was doing things (I am assuming it was squats and running stairs) but it has been two weeks and I'm still waking up in pain from kicking the comforter on my bed, needless to say, I didn't even think about going skating this weekend.

Adult Nationals was this weekend.  For so long my goal was to pass the Bronze test and get there.  I am a little sad that I'm not there.  I decided not to go long before I stopped lessons- it was just way too much money between a flight, hotels, entry fees, etc.  Kevin and I could go on a vacation together for that amount (we really want to go on another cruise- but OMG airfare is insane! The cost of a 6 hour flight is more than an 8 day cruise!)  Reading about it on icenetwork was sad.  And seeing that Adam Rippon was wandering around there- that made me even sadder! 

Once the knee heals, I'm going to think about getting back on the ice.  However, with warm weather approaching, I think it is time to start rowing again.  So that might make even less time for ice!

Every other week

So I seem to have an every other week thing going.  I didn't skate this weekend (I meant to, but then we stayed out late at a basketball game, and I slept again)- but I did skate last week.

It was not as good as my previous time back.  The rink was CROWDED- insanely so.  The Cedar Rapids skaters had all come down because their rink was shut down for a wrestling tournament (yeah, wrestling).  So the ice was very crowded, with fast movers, and a coach giving a group class.  Groups are tough, because it is hard to skate when  people are moving as a pack.  Ice times like this make me wish I didn't skate CW, it was very very hard to set up jumps.

It was also not a good session to not be able to stop on!  So the fall out of the blades- the sharpening was good. It was nice to have good bite on the ice and my skating was pretty good.  I CAN tell he moved the blade- I'm kicking up a lot of snow near the front of my blade (not the back, like I sometimes do on sit spins) when I spin.  However, I centered 3 or 4 really excellent scratch spins (and did 3 or 4 awful ones) so I can't really blame the blade for things being off, I think I just need to get used to it.

So no harm, no foul I guess.

Just need to make it back to the rink... My schedule really just doesn't let it fit in much anymore.  I was kind of thinking about doing the club show next month, but the rate I'm training, it just isn't going to happen!

Sharpening

This is just an FYI for me.  I got my blades sharpened.
It had been quite awhile since I got them done, so I expect a bit of an adjustment period.

I didn't want to drive to Cedar Rapids to have them done, so I had Burton sharpen them for me. He's done a nice job in the past.

He said the right blade was off centered so he moved it (?!!!) for me.  Since I've been skating on these skates since June 2011 with the blades where they were, I'm a bit terrified of this.  I wish he would have asked me first.   I'm going to give them a try and see what I think before taking them to my regular sharpener and having her move them back, but it seems like if they were as bad as he said I would have noticed by now (he suggested I'd have a hard time holding outside edges.)  Maybe they will be a huge fix and I'll be able to mohawk or something better than before.  It isn't my landing leg, so at least that shouldn't be different.

Well that didn't last long...

I see why skater's don't bother announcing retirements any more- it is just too tempting to come back.

After barely skating at all in November or December, and none in January or February, I really missed skating.

So today, I went skating.

I have no coach, and I don't really want to do group lessons right now, but I'm thinking about trying to adapt my old program to compete in June.

Being back on the ice today went pretty well.  Jumps are tiny, spins went okay.  The biggest surprise was that I was able to do my three turns in both directions (I usually freak out CCW).  I tried about half the silver moves (no spirals or 8-step)- do you think they'd give me 45 minutes to finish the test? Because I skate slow...

But the best part: my sit spins totally look like I'm sitting!

Here's the combo spin I'm going to try to work on. We'll see if it makes it into the program. ( Is there a time limit to change feet, because man it takes me awhile!)

Good news...

Well, good news for the blog. I'm thinking about going back to
skating. Since I won't have a coach, I'm not sure how it is going to
go- but at least I'll have skating to write about. I plan to just
skate once a week for now. I'm not sure what I'll work on- maybe a
program for the summer competition?

I have to say, I'm glad I decided not to continue toward the dances.
It would have cost me a lot in coaching fees, plus inconvienent lesson
times since my coach doesn't do weekends anymore, to keep taking
lessons to this point (I haven't skated since before Christmas I
think) and the test session papers for April came out- they aren't
offering dance! So it would have been in vain, and I would have had
to wait until June!

So when I return to skating, dance is pretty much out. There is a
girl at our rink who I think may be willing to do lessons with me, but
I need to get there for awhile and decide if I still want lessons. I
know she has her first few ice dances, but what made Carson so ideal
for dance was that he was a great partner. Plus, I don't think I'd
want to do the first 3 dances for more than a month or so before the
test, I am so tired of them! I do like the cha-cha, even though that
was pretty well finished too. (The swing dance though, that needs a
ton of work and that feels like a real dance!)

Mostly, I just want to spin.


I think the longing for skating is coming because the ballet class is
just not working out. I had decided to set a 2 years to pointe goal,
which I thought was realistic, my ankles have gotten quite weak while
skating. But our class has turned into adult exercise social hour. I
won't sign up again, but it is a 16 week session, so it goes until the
summer. Sigh...


I am really enjoying classes at the gym. I do a Kick Butt Step class
that is insanely hard and a Sh'Bam class, which is kind of hip-hopish
dance. I love them both. Last night, KB step was replaced with
"Athletic body step". Body Step is a Les Mills program like Sh'Bam
is. It was terrible. It was simultaneously too hard for me, and not
much of a workout at all. I say too hard because so much of it was
jumping- it wasn't a step class, the step was like an accessory. And
not enough of a workout because we took these hugely long pauses
between all the songs. It was ridiculous. In KB step, I rarely do
even the medium option (the high option- no way), but even the low
option provides me a chance to work my butt off. In this class, I was
taking a lot of the high options that I could, and I still never felt
that challenged, and then the things I couldn't do there wasn't really
much I could do in the time except basic steps. It was not a good
class. The other thing that just drove me crazy is the way Les Mills
has their instructors call the class. The instructor NEVER stopped
talking. The other thing is the instructor says the lyrics to the
song as part of her cueing. They do this in Sh'Bam too, and I've
often felt it was silly, but maybe because it was a dance class it
didn't seem as weird. But during one song, she kept telling us to
"keep our eyes open". I was wondering if this was a problem or
something, until I realized it was the song (I wasn't familar with
it). She also kept saying "we are nearing the finish line!" for
another one. But in Sh'Bam they do it in a singing along way, and in
step it was like a motivational yelling way, so it was just
ridiculous. I did not enjoy the class at all. (We also did burpees
and pushups with our hands on the step- and the steps are PAINFUL. I
think maybe I had an allergic reaction to the rubber or something,
because my hands hurt for the entire class after those.) Oddly, it
had about half as many people as normal in it, and Kevin said his spin
class had about 6 people in it who were usually in step, so it seems
like I'm not the only one who didn't like the class. People were
purposefully avoiding it when the change in class was announced.
Thankfully, next week is KB step again.

So wish me good luck in skating on Saturday. Not sure what to do for
my program. Maybe I'll just keep my music cut from Geisha, and
rechoreograph to meet the jump and spin requirements of Bronze (my
current program doesn't because my test had 3 spins, and the jumps are
too basic.)