Friday Five: 5 Things I Love About Spinning

Once again, I am participating in the Friday Five Link-up hosted by the fantastic ladies behind Eat Pray Run DC, You Signed Up for What?! and Mar on the Run. Please visit these awesome blogs to find out what 5 things these ladies are loving on this fine Friday!

5 Things I Love About Spinning!

Even before I got back into running following my long hiatus after college, I was spinning regularly. Spinning class is my cross-training activity of choice and although running has become my focus, spinning is just as important in my weekly routine. Here are five things I love about it:

1- Cycling Without Thinking!

I know this sounds weird but if you hit the road on your bike you need to worry about several things including weather, equipment failure, road safety and preparation for possibly being stranded in the middle of nowhere. Spinning allows for you to turn off those worries and just zone out on the bike, focusing on the ride and giving it your all.

2-No Impact!

Those of you who also run understand that all the strength training, stretching, yoga and foam rolling in the world does not change the fact that sometimes you just have aches and pains from running on pavement. I mean you're basically flying through the air then landing over and over again for miles upon end, which is actually super awesome. However, I feel that it is incredibly important to incorporate low and no impact cardio and cross-training work whenever possible. Don't get me wrong, spinning can hurt if you gear incorrectly or do too much, however it's a great way to get a challenging workout without the pounding!

3-Music!

I run with music or podcasts, I just like having something in the background, but spinning to music is really different as spin classes are designed to have the beat of the song play a part in the actual workout. I love different classes with different music themes and songs I never even thought of for a running playlist but work really well in spin class! A long, winding hill to some inspiring Celtic instrumentals, jumps to Broadway tunes, fast flats to classic rock...yes please!

4-Jumps!

I love jumps during spin class, it's a great way to get the heart rate going and to really work on your core while on the bike. My usual instructor is awesome about incorporating a lot of jumps into her classes and I love how the sweat really starts to pour on those songs.

5-Combo Classes!

Spinning is a great combo class component. The spin studio I go to has a variety of spin/other class options with a 45-60 minute spin and a 15-30 minute "other" component. Some of my favorites are Spin/Core, Spin/Yoga and Spin/Fitball. If you've never tried one of these classes, I would highly recommend seeking one out in your area, they're an amazing total body workout!

Do you spin? If so do you love it?
What are you favorite cross-training activities?

Friday Five Link-up: Fitness Goals

Happy Friday all and Happy Holidays to those that are celebrating a holiday!

I participated for the first time last week in the Friday Five Link-up hosted by You Signed Up for What?!, Eat Pray Run, DC and Mar On the Run. Thank you ladies for hosting this link-up and for giving us great ideas each week!

This week is 5 Fitness Goals. This was a great one and really got me to focus on my fitness goals are in general and for the immediate future. So without further adieu, here they are:

1- Complete My First Half-Marathon

I am registered for the Rock n' Roll St. Louis Half-Marathon on October 19th and I'm incredibly excited for it. Last year I went and cheered on some of my friends and sister-in-law who were all running and wondered, "When are you going to get there?" At that point I was just running 3 miles a few times a week and had a few 5ks under my belt with no real specific plans for more. After my first runDisney event a few weeks later, the race bug had taken full hold. So now here I sit with a few more 5ks, a 6k, a 5 miler, a marathon relay and a 10k under my belt and I'm feeling good about this goal!

2- Get My Pacing Correct

I run about 10 minute miles. During my leg of the marathon relay, I ran 9:36 or under for the first 3 miles, but that's the most I've ever done at that pace. The thing is whether I'm tracking myself or not, that seems to be my pace and truth be told, I think I can run faster. I feel like I just have too much left over at the end of some of my runs. I know training runs are not supposed to be difficult, but I feel like I'm just kind of hanging in this space where I could be doing more. Last night I ended a 5-miler with a pretty steep hill. While it was awesome to feel so good finishing 5 miles, I know I should probably have left more out there. I'm not going to do anything about this until I meet with my new running coach (yay!) on May 6th. I do not want to assume anything and would rather go with what he prescribes after talking about goals and watching me run, etc.

3- Hold a Steady Plank for 2 Minutes

I know this seems like a small one, but I'm currently participating in the #plankaday challenge on Instagram and increasing my hold time is not going as fast as I'd like. I'm finding it's taking me a few days to hold 5 more seconds. I'd like to get to the place where I'm holding a plank for at least 2 minutes, steadily and with good form...which will hopefully be helped by my next goal-

4- Backin' it Up!

I, like so many others, do not focus nearly enough on my back strength and conditioning. It's so stupid considering it's the thing holding the rest of me together! When focusing on core strength, I tend to focus too much on ab work and throwing a few Supermans (Superman's...Supermen...who knows) in just for good measure, but I know to really achieve a strong core, it's all in the back!

5- Just Breathe

During my awesome runs I don't even notice my breathing too much because I am just in the zone and doing everything I need to be doing without doing a mental checklist. But I'll admit that as a new-ish runner there are times where I know that my breathing is off and that I should be more focused on getting it in line. I know I'll be a more effective runner with proper breathing so it's something I really want to work on as I move towards my half-marathon. This is also something I plan on addressing with my running coach.

Thanks for reading and have a GREAT weekend...hope Spring has sprung wherever you are...unless I randomly have some Southern Hemisphere readers then I hope that the Fall is treating you well!