Spinning in Germany

So after the first training ride I was off to Germany for business. These are brutal trips with the jet lag and workload making it easy to think I will skip working out.

I was able to get 3 spinning classes in while I was there -- hardly Lance level but it kept me in some form of shape. First, if you have ever done "spinning" you know it is intense and interactive, second, if you have ever done one in a foreign language -- that you don't speak then -- well you know where this is going.

I did one in the amazing SAP gym in Walldorf and that was fun, but the 2 at the gym in Heidelberg (thanks to Elena for making that happen), we hysterical. First the instructor in broken english looked at me and said "this is an advance class" -- ego hurt! - then seeing my heart rate monitor - took pity on me and let me take part. Two things on that 1) Pain is international - it was lactate threshold training - I now know the German words for that! and 2) a smile is international as I smiled at her during one point when we were up at 90% of maximum heart rate.

Altogher alot of fun

This was followed by a trip to Maui straight from Germany and I was able to find a great class at the hotel -- Kate was the instructor - and looked at me and said in perfect English "you know that this is an advanced class" - lesson 3 -- humiliation is international

So in the back row of her class, I watched the regulars at the front crank it out, while I took heart in the younger guy next to me -- who was with his new bride -- she was a "front row'er!" keep asking me-- "how much longer?"! --

I survived that class and returned the following day for part 2 and was not greeted with "this is an advanced class" -- I thought "there is hope!"

Vacation over it was back to CA to resume training with Gp4