Hi ya’ll!
Saturday, I participated in Ride for Reason benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Life Time Foundation at the Life Time Fitness in Sandy Springs. I had a blast! I love me some spin! My ride on Saturday was even more fun for me because I was playing a part in making a difference in the world.
Ride for a Reason is a fundraising event that raises funds to support the cancer research done by St. Jude’s and initiative to eliminate the Harmful 7 from school food programs by the Life Time Foundation. Supporting these causes was a no brainer for me and I was excited to play a small role in furthering the causes!!
The event was an hour-long indoor cycle class. What does that entail for those of you who have never had the pleasure of a spin class? Well, you are on a stationary bike, but not your ordinary stationary bike. It looks more like the bike you see in outdoor cycling events.
You get on and the first thing you notice is that the seats are not those seats of your childhood or beach vacation rental days. Trust me you get used to the seat but you may feel like the bike is getting up close and personal. It really will be OK.
Here’s the thing each spin bike is slightly different. I have learned this by taking classes at a few different places (including on a Cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean) and take the help when offered to set-up your bike (especially your first time on that particular type of bike).
I was lucky that when I checked into the event, Nicole from Life Time was there to welcome me and get me set-up on the bike. She helped me adjust the seat to hip height and adjust the seat and handle bars. She even was nice enough to strap my feet into the cages (the little straps that hold your feet on the pedals when you aren’t wearing cycling shoes and clipped in).
Right before the class started, the woman next to me came back with towels. She was even nice enough to get me some towels since I was all strapped in and set to ride. I’m going to tell you I got a little nervous because I still consider myself a rookie at cycling. Well maybe not a rookie, but I’m still working up to the fitness level that allows me to blindly follow the instructors RPM and resistance instructions. Right now, I’m still in doing the best I can and working my way up to following all of the instructions. It’s actually the thing I love about spin. No one can see what you are doing (most of the classes I have attended are in a dark room with loud music…). Also, people are focused on their own ride. Sometimes it’s nice to be in a group of all levels and not notice the differences.
But back to the Ride for a Reason event… I’m all hooked up with towels, my bike is adjusted, and I have water. The lights went down and the ride started. During it the time flew by and when I started to feel it (10 minutes into a 16 minute climb), the instructor mentioned that a few people were in their 3rd hour of the event. It gave me a little more motivation to keep going.
I also took a moment to reflect on the good that they were doing and about those who did some good for cancer research that helped me during my treatment. I’m a survivor of Non-Hodgkin’s large B cell lymphoma. (More about that another time but it is a big factor in my fitness journey but not the only factor) Not only that, they offered us water and smoothies. Yup, you read right, smoothie offer in the middle of a spin class. I just might have to make some suggestions to my normal spin location…haha. At the end of the ride, we were given cold towels and a goody bag for participating.
Not only was it a great class and the location awesome, the ride made an impact on a cause I truly support.
My fundraising page is still accepting donations if you want to support the cause. Also, consider participating in a charity event with a fitness focus. You will support a cause and get a great workout all at the same time.
Big thanks to Jess of Jess Runs Atlanta for passing along this opportunity and unknowingly helping me continue my 2017 goal to be out of my comfort zone!!! It was a first for me to be somewhere because I am a blogger! It was easy for me to say yes with such a great cause, but not my norm. (Check out her site for a great read about different races and weekly work-out re-caps! She also has a great guide for a fundraising guide.)
Telling you to say YES to your friend who asks you to attend that charity fitness event (or just a spin class),
TJ
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TJ Tells It | COPYRIGHT © 2019 · TJ Hadley
What an awesome event! I did a Cycle for Survival event in February and it was so much fun. I love spinning, especially when it’s for a good cause 🙂