Spinning

I went to my first spinning practice with Team Z. I thought it would be more trouble to get my trainer and bike set up, but there was plenty of parking on the street and I was set up in no time. I found that I like spinning because there's no one in front, no one behind, just a bunch of people working out at their own pace. I felt like I was on the same page as everyone else. There were beginners and Ironman finishers there, and we all had a great time. Also surprising to me was the intensity of the workout. When I spin alone I'm uncomfortable and bored. We spun for about 50 minutes total last night, and it went by quickly and without discomfort. I got to chat with Kerri Kramer, who I never talk to on rides because she is much faster than me, and Stacy, who is new to biking and the team. Overall it was a great night.

I'm on track with my nutrition, at least in the right direction. I've scaled back my snacking, simply by writing all the facts and figures about the foods I consume. Sometimes I want to eat something but I don't want to write all the information down, so I just don't eat it. Weight loss by laziness! I'm recording the calories (overestimating quantities just in case), fat, total carbs, fiber, protein. When I get my computer back I'm going to put it in a spreadsheet so I can do fast calculations and track my weight against it. My current weight (this morning, naked) is 161.4, down from a high of 166 a few weeks ago (right after the new year).

I'm beginning to put more intensity into my workouts. Last track workout I ran a mile in 8:22, my fastest ever, and that was with two more laps to go. We were doing Zone 4 for 1.5 miles, so I timed my first 4 laps. With more weight loss and more speed work I could be in the 7-8 minute range! Right now my focus is to shed the winter fat layer and eat for performance. I'll do more research on that as my habits allow for more specific tweaking.