Run within yourself, Spin to your heart’s desire

Scott here for my next blog entry. As most of you know, I have been continuing my running training this Spring/Summer for the end goal of a half marathon in Las Vegas in November. Who knew there would be challenges within my challenges. Several running events which I had registered for I was not able to attend…for various reasons beyond my control. That said, I am persevering as I continue to learn and expand my skills. My running journey was to land me in San Antonio last month for the Alamo 13.1 event. Yes, starting and ending in front of the Alamo. Unfortunately a last minute flight cancellation prevented me from attending. So last weekend, I ran the 10K RunRabbitRun event in Queens Harbour, to replace my missed Alamo run. This brought my distance level up to a 10K and it was a beautiful, early morning run through Queens Harbour and along the Intracoastal. Lessons learned so far? As I’ve been training, I have learned to adjust my gate in order to increase my distance and endurance. I have also learned not to focus (or obsess) about the finish line when I’m running, and instead just get lost in the run. “Running within yourself” that is, and not straining, is a great concept. “Running within yourself” probably falls somewhere in between moderate and maximum exertion, tilting to the one or the other, depending on your mojo on a given day. To be less prone to injury and have the ability to keep running, for longer distances I would trend more toward the moderate. “Running within yourself” means listening to your body. Some days your body will feel as expansive as your mind, and you’ll want to run farther than planned. Other days your body might feel tight and tired, and you’ll may want to take it a little easier. Understand though, you can run within yourself and still go fast, and you can run within yourself and take it slow. When you stay within yourself getting lost in the run, you’ll know which is the right choice. My next event: Colfax half marathon and Urban 10-Miler in Denver. May 16th, and I’m running the 10-miler…in the mile high city. This should be interesting.

Spin, spin, spin! Definition Fitness’ Cyclepower room is near completion, so I encourage you to check out the progress next time you are at the gym. Having a dedicated room for spin classes makes a big difference in the experience making the class more of a journey, more of an emotional experience, and a bit more cathartic. Those new to spinning may feel a little intimidated… but don’t be. I was a newbie once about 12 years ago when I attended my first spin class, building up my courage and sitting in the back row. Since then, I have never looked back and eventually became an instructor about 4 years ago. I start every class with a review of fundamentals and safety points so that everyone–regardless of weight, age, or fitness level—can have a safe and effective workout. I tell them this truth: Spinning is your workout. I may yell and push you through the hills and sprints to your max, but YOU actually control everything from your speed and resistance to your intensity level, so it can be as moderate or as challenging as you want it to be. Like many things in life, you will get out of it what you put into it. The basics for anyone who are not familiar with this form of group exercise: Spinning is a specific format of indoor cycling. Only certified Spinning instructors are allowed to teach “Spinning,” but other group cycling programs exist by different names, and some have their own certifications. Spinning is a cardio (aerobic) workout set to high-energy music and led by a certified instructor (that would be myself). Most classes last between 45 and 60 minutes. In my NEXT blog, I will cover the simple basics of spin classes: what to expect and class format, what to bring, handlebar positions and climbing angles, and resistance levels.

Scott Winters, cPT