A Spin instructor is supposed to foster comradery among his students.
If we are going to get up at 4:30 in the morning to make a 5 AM call time for a cycle class, there had better be some evidence of shared burden in the room. In some Spin classes, the cyclers holler and whoop when they feel their muscles burn.
[I personally, am not a "whooper" but I do give a thumbs up now and again.]
At the very least, some of us sing to the music that can vary from U2 to Michael Jackson, Fergie to Crosby, Stills and Nash, and Beyonce to The Beach Boys. Singing is encouraged. It helps to foster the mini community that is created every Wednesday morning for one hour when it is still dark outside.
We see the same bleary-eyed people, women with no makeup and a handful of men who smell like they had Italian for dinner last night.
My girlfriend, a relative Spin newbie, was attending her third indoor cycle class ever and was spinning along right next to me this morning. Skip, our Beach Boys-obsessed instructor, had the music in the class up so loud that I was sure my husband sleeping through his alarm back at home could hear it.
I leaned over to talk to her. Briefly. Non-obtrusively, about our weekends. We giggled at something, I was in the middle of telling her something about Bass Lake [all the while pistoning my feet like he requested], when Skip jumps off his bike and comes to scold me. For talking.
Yes, like I was in seventh grade science.
Now I’ve been in hundreds of cycle classes over the past nine years. I’ve taken classes with friends, with my husband, with people I didn’t know and under dozens of instructors. Not once have I been scolded for speaking to someone else.
Skip is old enough to be my father, but even so, I don’t think he thought of me as a daughter he needed to mold into a slient, respectful cycler.
What he did, beside creating a more quiet fitness class, he killed any community that was in the room. An instructor should inspire us to want to work harder but his scolding sucked any motivation out of me. And a Spin instructor should work to create a short-term fellowship of team members who together, cycle up the imaginary hill and together get to the top. Skip perceived my talking to a friend as disrespect. He failed to recognize it as community. He valued a rule-following, silent class more than he valued one who would work together to reach a common goal.
The other women near me heard Skip’s one-way conversation with me, were justly appalled at his treatment of me. The irony is that by scolding me, he ostracized the whole left side of the class, who incidentally, sided with me. He divided us.
I was embarrassed, I considered leaving the class, but I stayed. I just worked harder than I would have, maybe, if he’d left me alone. I wasn’t going to let him win.
Skip may have killed the community in the room, but he didn’t kill me.
I can’t believe he scolded you. It’s a spin class, not high school math or anything! Wow! I, personally, do not like spin. I’m more of a pilates, yoga, zumba girl!
Ugh! I’m all tense just picturing this scene. So sorry friend.
you ARE braver than you think.
next time that happens, sarah, i suggest the following: “yo, raise up off me, skip! i’m getting my burn on.” then yell. (or give a thumbs up). diffuses awkward situations every time. i imagine.
yes, andy, i will have to say that. i will laugh while i say it, but i will say it.
it might take the power out of it if I laugh… =)
My first reaction–what a jerk! My second–Wow. Honestly, I think I’m too thin-skinned. I would have left, but its great you didn’t!
Then I was thinking–okay–don’t stone me here, but maybe he is thin-skinned, too (not that I wnat to be compared to this guy/jerk) and thought you were laughing at him. (maybe?) Anyway…regardless, I’m glad you hung in there and didn’t let it kill you–I’m still learning that one! Will you go back? Although, I’m thinking–I like Andy’s answer!
donna – not sure if i’ll go back. maybe. maybe not. we’ll see how i feel next wednesday.
Ok, my blood just started boiling. REALLY boiling for you.
Then I read Andy’s “yo, raise up off me, skip! i’m getting my burn on.” and I hurt myself laughing.
I may not cycle, but I just got emotional whiplash reading the blog
wow. I wouldn’t go back to Skip…He’s a party pooper. Just sayin’
ok, I have to ask…were you ready to see if you could squeeze his head thru the spokes on your wheels???? I would have! =)
seriously, skip needs a life.
i am not a whooper or talker when i am spinning (probably because i am too focused on breathing and not passing out) but the few classes i have been to people talk a bit amongst themselves and with the instructor. skip needs to chill.
this still frustrates me.
have you gone back?
skip, pick on someone your own size. and gender. so there.
I think you are all missing the point here. HOW is it even possible that you were able to talk while spinning? I am very impressed (and jealous), and maybe Skip was too! Glad you stayed – have you been back?