Just got back from a spinning class and I have just gone over the top on energy expended. Only been down the gym for a month and I joined it for the Cardio workouts but I have settled into a routine each week. I also have a lack of Upper body strength so gentle weights and high repetitions to build this up so 3 visits a week. One for an hours cardio that is still not impressive but gradually working myself harder. One visit is for the weights machines and I am seing an improvements on what I can pull and the number of repetitions. But it was that Spinning class today. Don't like the session as I feel I am already into riding a bike so why do more? What it is doing though is building the Mind. When it hurts and the instructor is telling you 5 more RPM or one more gear--it gets hard.

Today's session and I felt no different at the start but wasn't long before I was putting on gears to make the legs work or another 10 RPM to get the lungs full. Only problem I found was that I have a strong sense of rhythm and although the instructor was saying 90 to 100 Rpm--I had to set my cadence to the music that was around 90. No problem- just put on another gear or two to keep working. And it was not only to keep working-It was to keep working hard.

I still do not think that cycling a stationary bike is what I need to build up strength on the bike but the Combined programme I have set up for myself obviously is. The Cardio still has some way to go- although the spinning is improving that. The weights and what hurt 4 weeks ago is getting easier- but less so as I am putting weight on at every session.

But that spinning class this morning. I said at the start it would take 6 or so sessions before I got into them and this was the 7th. Found myself two gears above what I have pulled before- slow cadence seated hills and I was way up and the watts output and today I was looking at the meter and thinking "How high can I push it up" instead of- "Better slow down- there's still 20 minutes to go". That mind over matter is coming in. Still did not push myself into the pain stage but I normally use around 500 calories in the session. Today it was 600.

Still a long way to go but in one month I reckon I have improved overall tremendously. Don't feel any fitter and thanks to the weather I have not been able to check if those hills have got any shorter on the bike. They will never get easier but as I improve they will just take less time to climb.