So there I was on Monday afternoon, I think we can use the word categorically, telling a work colleague that I was never going to try spinning again. I’d done it once, it hurt a lot - that was that. However it didn’t take long for me to change my mind.

In fact less than 24 hours later I was heaving myself into my new padded cycle shorts (not a great look for me I must confess) and strolling nonchalantly into the class avec my husband. You see his interest in trying the class had been the key factor here. I really wanted to see whether he would suffer like I had first time around. Well, I didn’t have too long to wait for the answer... Now Scott (my husband) takes up the story......

And so that is how it came to be that I found myself entering an unfamiliar room with that very same air of ‘how hard can it really be’. Well, firstly I fumbled with the bike, adjusting the seat height to suit Ronnie Corbett and then Giant Haystacks, before eventually settling somewhere inbetween and we were off. Unfortunately having positioned ourselves at the back I couldn’t quite make out all of our instructor Steve’s commands and spent the first 10 minutes in gear 11. At least that was until I glanced at Sue’s bike, and realised I should have been at around 5.

Not a great start and just to prove we are truly made for each other as man and wife, I duly felt sick after just 12 minutes, exactly as my good lady wife had done the previous week. As Steve encouraged us to rise out of our saddles and ‘push it’, a shoal of mainly lycra-clad bottoms rose in unison in front of me and did just that.

I however, found my legs spinning uncontrollably in the low gears and grinding to a halt in the high ones. I wanted to leave, I wanted to die, I did a bit of both inside but I got to the end of the class. And after an hour, when my legs had stopped trembling, my eyes started to hurt. What is that all about?

Sue here again now. So, as you see, the proof of the pudding was in the eating, which was not something poor old Scott fancied doing for quite some time. (nb see the picture of Sir Chris Hoy? He is in better shape than Scott was).

I however positively breezed through the class. I didn‘t feel remotely sick until about the 38 minute mark, by which point we were getting so close to the finish, it was easy to ignore. And here’s a shock for you. I really enjoyed it. Yes really. In a strange and peculiar way the pain of it is strangely addictive. It feels painfully good because you know you’re getting a great cardio workout and if you can get past the first bit, it is so worth it.

This time around I had more time to actually notice the other people in the class. It was mainly women (well it was 9.45am). But there were some men there and the age range was varied. The hardest bit I think is getting past the warm-up. When it had finished, at around 12 minutes, the exact point Scott felt sick, an American woman in front of us turned to her friend and muttered, “Holy c**p, I am outta here.”

However she never left, because I think, like Scott, she felt strangely compelled to stick it out. He is now contemplating a return next week and so am I. In fact I may even have found a new little hobby. So whaddya say? Are you going to give it go? Or maybe return to the spinning class maelstrom. Either way, do let me know. I’d love to hear how you get on. Yours in sport Sue x

PS. I am still definitely trying something a little more sedate next week........

Tags: Spinning classes, Ronnie Corbett, Giant Haystacks, Sir Chris Hoy, Cardio workout

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