Last week was our last team outdoor Tuesday night group ride out in Cochrane. This week we moved to spin classes indoors at Bow Cycle. I had initially signed up for an indoor tri cycle clinic on spin bikes at the YMCA, but when I learned that coach had her own cycle session on trainers I cancelled out of the Y class to take hers.
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I spent Monday night flexing my engineering muscles by putting my trainer together. I wound up ordering the Nashbar adjustable fluid trainer after getting a good deal on it, and reading some good reviews on it. The set up was pretty easy (if you aren't talking on the phone while trying to read the instructions). I hopped on the bike in the garage just to make sure the thing actually worked before showing up to class Tuesday night.
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Coach's class is definitely popular! The floor was pretty full, but it gave a chance for you to get to know your neighbour pretty well. It was also a fantastic time to ogle other people's bikes. Sigh... Coach also has Suunto heart rate monitors available. Wear the strap provided and your HR will be projected on a screen with other participants' so you can see how hard you are working, also in relation to everyone else. We wound up riding for about 1:45 and did a variety of different exercises as an introduction. We did some cadence pyramids (holding a certain rpm for a minute, then increasing up), gear ups (holding steady rpms, but taking another gear every two minutes while trying to keep the same rpms) and a spin off (to see who could hit the highest rpms). We also did some single leg drills, some at an easy gear to hit some high rpms, and some at a hard gear to really work our leg muscles. After the hard single leg drills we would get off the bike to do some squats to really make sure our legs were burning. After finishing up my legs were toast...I worked hard! We finished the evening off with some core work and push ups.
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So...I did the class without a bike computer as I've been relying on my Garmin for my outdoor rides. Coach bases most of her workout on rpms though, so I really need a computer now. Does anyone have any recommendations on a good one? I'd get the cadence sensor from Garmin to go with my 305 but I can't seem to find it up here and Amazon won't ship it outside of the US. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
10 comments:
I swear, you have the coolest classes! :) I am hoping to go back to spin once the snow hits but ours is no where near as nifty - they just have Christmas lights!
I am exhausted just reading about your class!
I checked out your class and I'm jealous!!!! I bought my computer with cadence and can't bike without it now. I love the Suunto HR screen. I want my classes to get that.
I had no idea Bow Cycle had spin classes! What a great idea.
This post went right over my head (cycling what? RPMs who?) but go you!!!!
Sounds like a tough class...ouch...I have yet to do a spin class.
Anyway, still catching up, but trying to get there and maybe by this weekend. Thanks for the props on my run...it was a tough one and my report is now out there (pouring rain is not fun for a marathon!!). I still can't believe I did it.
I have Polar CS200 Wireless Cycling Computer - with Cadence - big fan because it's all wireless, and you have all the info you want on one screen (without having to scroll through) - when I spin, I'll have it on Cadence, time, HR.
Outdoors, it's usually speed, distance, HR, and Cadence. Pretty slick little device.
Here in Calgary, you can get it at Bow or Tri-It.
You must be getting coached by Team Trilife, right? I am a TCR coached athlete myself....
Good luck with your training - only words of advice - watch how much you do this fall as with GWN being not until July, there's a chance you can get quite 'burnt out' from tri training if you go too hard this early (just my opinion) - the fall for us is just maintenance and doing other things - come January, the work begins! (We being my husband and I and we're doing IMC in 09!)
Good luck!
Sounds like a great spinning class! I would prefer to ride my own bike on a trainer than use the spinning bikes we have to use (I hate the seats on them and they don't fit me well). As for the cadence sensor, seems a shame to have to buy another bike computer when you already have a Garmin 305. Anyway to get the cadence sensor via another suppier who sells Garmin products in Canada?
Cinc - Thanks so much for the suggestion! I'll be making a treck to Bow this weekend and I'll definitely check that one out.
Yup, I am with Team TriLife. So far, so good! Thanks for your comment about burn out as well. Somthing I definitely don't want to have happen. My running is a bit more intense, just because I'm training for the marathon in January. Swimming and biking are mostly supposed to be for technique and maintaining a base. That's the theory anyway!
Man, what an awesome cycle class. To take it with a real coach who rides the roads makes such a difference.
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