I tried a couple of indoor cycling classes last year. They were difficult and I was distracted by severe discomfort. Those classes were a pain in the ass. Literally.
Even so, I became certified in case I'd like it enough AND be a strong enough cyclist to teach it one day. That day came sooner than I thought: I subbed for Becky and taught my first class today!
I had intended to get to class half an hour early, but only managed to get there 15 minutes beforehand. Normally, that would have been enough time, but I was new to the setup, and was a little flustered. The first thing I did was save a bike for Margaret. She said she'd be in class to lend moral support, and since this class occasionally fills up, I wanted to make sure she had a spot. Next, I had to switch out the instructor bicycle because it didn't have clipless pedals. Then I realized that the stereo cabinet was locked, and asked Sheila to retrieve the key. Afterwards, I had to fill my water bottle, put on my cycling shoes... Somehow, I managed to do everything on time.
I was very nervous at the beginning of class, and gave a spiel about safety, emphasized effort not speed, outlined Rules of the Road (no talking, no headphones) and pointed out my style of cueing (hand positions #1, 2 & 3; resistance levels 1-10). "Any questions?" I asked afterwards. "Yeah, who are you?" Doh!
After explaining who I was, I launched into class. I thought it went reasonably well, even though I had mechanical problems in the beginning and had to adjust my left cleat. I also found myself hyperventilating into the microphone a few times, and pushed the mouthpiece away from my face. I also wished I had learned the music better so I could coordinate the intervals with the musical phrases. Next time.
At the end of class, I told everybody that I had a confession to make - it was my first time teaching cycling. The participants were incredibly supportive and all told me they couldn't tell, they liked my class, asked me whether I'd have a permanent class, etc. That's one of the reasons why I love Stonestown Y members: they're so friendly, accommodating and understanding. I asked for feedback and a couple of people pointed out that I should turn down the music because there were times they couldn't hear me speaking. A number of them also commented that they liked my music: Burntrax Spin/Cycle #10 CD if you're interested.
As I mentiond before, Margaret was in class but I avoided her gaze since I was kinda embarrassed. Completely irrational, I know. Originally, we were supposed to go shopping for road bikes after class but I was pooped so we lifted weights instead.
We were treated by a pancake breakfast that followed starting at 11AM to honor volunteer staff, such as Margaret. It never ceases to amaze me how much care and effort she puts into her classes even though she doesn't get paid to teach them. The pancakes were tasty, and they even had a lucky draw to give away cakes. I won a poppyseed cake! I gave half of it away to Margaret since she's the volunteer and deserves it. We also got a free T-shirts each!
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