Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Resonance

Today we had a sub in spin class. She had great music but the choreography didn't quite work for me so as usual I did my own workout. The regular spin instructors know this about me and aren't offended. They know me and what I'm about. Apparently the sub didn't appreciate that my plan didn't fit her plan.

The new single from Evanescence came on. The sub instructed us all to spin easy and recover. Spin easy and recover? During an Evanescence song?!? Are you insane??!!?? I couldn't do that if I tried. Even if I tried really really hard.

As a musician I think I hear music a bit differently than most. Actually it's probably more close to say I feel it differently than most. For the right band or the right song the music totally surrounds me. It moves from a strictly aural sensation to a physical one. The way a tuning fork vibrates when the guitar string reaches the correct tension. Resonance. That's the closest word to describe what I feel. And few bands resonate me like Evanescence does.

So I cranked the resistance and launched - switching between high tension/cadence seated spins to standing sprints during the choruses. Each time I did this earned me a scowl and glare from the sub. I alternated my pedal stroke rate between being on beat, triplets on the beat, and double time over the beat. Most around me were spinning easy. I was the polar opposite. Muscles bulging, sweat pouring over the bike, breath coming in ragged gasps. The next song was "Points of Authority" by Linkin Park followed by "Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5. I was in my own class during the whole ride.

Coming back from my run I ran into the sub on the way out of the club. "You know, the schedule for today was an endurance ride" she said curtly. "I guess I'm not on the schedule" I replied and smiled. At first she looked like she wanted to deck me. Then she smiled. "Good music huh?"

Oh yeah.


Workout Summary
  • 1440 yd swim - ( 360 hard, 360 easy ) * 2
  • 45 minute spin class - endurance/intervals
  • 3.5 mile run - extended intervals
  • 20 minutes core/circuit/stretching

    Had another one of those "wow!" runs today. For some reason I felt very quick and light today (despite the fact that I'm up 3lbs). During the intervals I glanced down at my Forerunner - zone 5.3 at a 6:40 pace. 6:40? I had to look around to see if I was picking up interference from somewhere. It's amazing how much my weekend mega-runs are improving my short run speed and endurance. Earlier this year my zone 5 pace was around 8:15 or so. I definitely can't sustain a 6:40 (or even a sub 8) for big distances but it's good to see the improvement given how bad my running was at the beginning of the year.
  • 3 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    That sounds kinda rude to me.

    Habeela said...

    Easy spin on ANY of those songs is just suicide! What did she expect?!

    3iron said...

    Rude? Perhaps. But then again my workouts are all about me!

    I try not to be disruptive by staying off to the side. The regular instructors know me and aren't offended. New ones (especially the controlling types) need a bit of a break in period. Once they understand that I'm not deliberately trying show off or sabotage their class - that I've really got a point behind my approach - then they're ok with me being a little out of sync with the rest of the class.

    Plus, some days if the energy's there you just gotta flow with it!