My Last Entry

This year more so than the previous 2 was an antithetical one. The emotionally heart-wrenching passing of Kristen’s dad was deeply sorrowful and it  touched us all.  That particular event seemed to galvanize the whole Lavender Palace closer beyond the proximity of our Schwinn’s.  We changed collectively and from this writer’s view so did KJ. I have suggested in a previous post this past summer how the spirit of her Dad now inhabits her persona and in almost every word that flows so elegantly from her vocal chords.  

Personally like the opening line from A Tale of Two Cities: “It Was the Best of Times it Was the Worst of Times.” That one sentence from the Charles Dickens tome encapsulated the roller coaster like track I took. We are the engineers of our own lives and sometimes I used a hammer when a screwdriver was the right tool.  I also know that unconsciously we bring ourselves to the place we really want to be. And it is also said that the road to hell is paved with good intention but often the undesired outcome was the only logical one we arrive at.  

Kristen’s Spin Class changed my life beyond my wildest dreams and other than my 23+ years sobriety no other group inspiration has touched me as deeply. I am forever grateful for these experiential rides. 

My Last Entry for 2012.  

P.S. This is No. 444. I never thought I would still be writing this blog. 

The Secret 7:30

Secret? Ah yeah….no.  Had it not been for Mary (the Angel) McCann who suggested I take the Wednesday 730 am class with Dana Varela Mancini I would never have heard of this time slot. I didn’t think it even existed on the schedule. Although it seems to have been going on beneath my very nose for quite some time now.  Maybe just maybe it won’t be a secret any longer. Wait…does that mean I have to get up at 530 on Tuesday’s to sign in? Hold on thar Baba Looey! I have my fill of that for KJ. I need my sleep man!  

What hits me about young Dana is how she is so self-effacing. I like that and her humility personifies who she is as well. But here’s the bigger thing she doesn’t have to make a name for herself she already is herself, one great personality. Does that make sense? There is no need to distinguish from anybody else on KJ’s remarkable staff. She fits her own glove. 

Her discography is original, thoughtful and it feels as if one song segues into another. She’s got that sensory deprivation thing going on which I think is her own “thing” which gives her sort of a trademark or iconic character to her rides. She is aggressively shy and if you need a definition of that ask me. She is really awesome in the words of my friend Roy. He thinks she is one special talent. I have to agree else why would I be writing about her?  How is that much energy encapsulated in what 40 kilos? 

The Secret 730. Can we please keep this quiet and not blab it all over EQ? Por Favor?

P.S.

I asked DVM for a picture and she said to use the one on FB. What? You can't see your face I said. I took matters into my own hand. Any complaints?  

Don't Wake Me Up Part II

I don’t think I have ever felt this tired since maybe after an ultra marathon. Not much sense to it either I took off from class today because frankly my legs just couldn’t take it. I know that I go too far in spin class because no one has anything near the pool of sweat under the bike when the hour is over. And let me say that there are plenty of my classmates in that room that give super human efforts. I am not saying I am super human quite the contrary maybe I need to stop pretending that I am. Wondering if I am just out of gas. Disconcerting to say the least. 

My resting HR is 47 now and that might be a tribute to me finally being in the shape I have always wanted to recapture since I was but a young pup at 45. Some people say age is just a number and most days I don’t feel on the precipice of 62 but nights like tonight I feel every day of my 22,606 here on earth. Doesn’t seem like a big number when you break it down to a day count. I suppose I am being dramatic and this is not exactly apropos for a spin entry but I just wanted to share what was going on with me this December 18^th.

Don’t wake me up. Well at least in time for the next class anyway. 

  

Kristen Science Level 42

I had to make today’s class because for the next 3 days the Queen of Spin is out of town. She deserves a rest the way she works but we will miss her nonetheless. No one can replace her but the substitutes will surely have to bring their A game because KJ is a tough act to follow. 

It’s not often but lately the sound system has been giving our Group Fitness leader fits. Today it was something in her microphone and at the end of class I think she concluded it was maybe a radio station horning in on our proceedings. Nevertheless I love watching her tinker with electronics it shows her vulnerable side but to her credit she didn’t let it fluster her one iota but its all good as new age cliché goes. 

No one gives us a science lesson better than she and I have learned more things about my working parts than I ever did in Biology class and she has the credentials we can rely on. Her expertise puts us on the right path and gives us practical solutions on how to develop a very fit anatomy. Today I concentrated on pushing down on the heel and it was a conscious effort I had to exert because the balance of the pedal in the spin shoe seems to have my toes pointed down. Although with a little concentration I was able to accomplish that for a time.  

Some of the regulars were absent but a packed studio it was as per usual. It’s good to see some new faces because it gives them a chance to sample what everyone talks about.  There must be a reason her class fills out in 4 seconds. Just sayin’  

 






A Star is Born

I could have called this entry: Sensory Deprivation Part II but whatever the title the 8 am was for me a breakthrough spin class with Dana Mancini.  I have been following her from a distance since her arrival and although I liked her immediately Ms. Mancini is now on an exponential curve of becoming one of EQ’s truly exceptional talents.  

In the business of spin in order for you to attract full studios you have to have something extraordinary for the riders to keep coming back again and again. Kristen has it, Tripp has it and Dana Mancini has it too!  

The lithesome Mancini has a physicality that belies her athleticism. How can so much power be contained in that package?  She is indefatigable and brings a relentless spirit that truly inspires.  She also has those iconic phrases like: “Hit the Gas” that makes this old boy truly go.  But what really has me captivated is that sensory deprivation thing. I was asking David in the locker room if I was crazy. He said he knew what I was talking about. What I experience is twofold. When I close my eyes as per her suggestion all my other senses get heightened on the task at hand which is a more powerful pedal stroke. But when I open my eyes I feel like I am descending into my body as if I had risen above it when I had my eyes closed. This makes the ride truly experiential for me. 

Her discography is  unique as well reaching back in time before she was born to the present day with just the right amount of remixes thrown in for good measure.  In hindsight I am glad I wasn’t permitted to go to Summit New Jersey because I had my own summit to climb right here.  Dana Mancini I am truly impressed with you young woman.  

Road Show

We have some great talent at our home base Woodbury EQ. This is not exactly broadcast news as I have been waxing about spin for nigh on 700+ stories now.  It never occurred to me when I joined the club 10 years ago to take part in-group exercise. Maybe it was the fact that I had the heart of a long distance runner. Any of you remember that 1962 movie The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner? Tom Courtenay was me.  Every day I would train in solitude never anyone to talk to except maybe on race day. When I joined the gym on day 1 ten years ago it never occurred to me take part in-group exercise. I remember Kristen urging me to but I just thought it wasn’t for me. Now I can’t think of working out without being with all of you.  

This Saturday KJ is helping “Christen” the new Summit New Jersey club and although I was going to take a road trip to ride, it seems that the new club wants as many of the new members to experience her and so I will remain behind. It makes sense too and God knows Kristen doesn’t need help.  I just wanted to wish her luck and a safe trip back home.  

Valerie

To begin with this class was off the Billboard Charts. The discography the Evil Woman chose today was a distinct departure from the AT 40 we are more accustomed to. Valerie may not be her name but to hear that song again was a nice flashback. Did I actually hear some of you singing along? In KSC? Really?   Oh and by the way Tiffany did not originate “I Think We’re Alone Now”. It was Tommy James and the Shondells in 1966. Don and I commiserated this fact after class. He thought he was the only sexagenarian that remembered.   Although I must admit Tiffany did a splendiferous rendition. So much for music history. 

 After so much time off the Schwinn I nearly came out of my shoes I had so much energy and when I spied a bike in the 9:15 I was so tempted to sneak back in to the Lavender Palace but discretion was the better part of my own pandemonium.   Kristen to top herself once again was in some outer space gear that had me enthralled from the 1st pedal stroke. Packed as usual the 8 0’clock was so energetically charged it was palpable. Sound incredible? I don’t think so Mikey and Roy agreed with me in the Boys locker room as they were both shaking their head as to the class’s intensity.  We will remember this session for quite some time. I kid KJ that each class is in the top 5 but today there’s just no doubt about it.   This quite possibly was the best spin class ever. I can almost see Kristen rolling her eyes at me thinking it hyperbole but I don’t think so. 

 Why is KSC SFG? I know it’s Kristen’s charisma and I also think it’s all of us that ride with her. We all have an unspoken communication collectively that almost feels communal. Anyone outside of this room might say “bollocks” but you all know different.  To me KSC is ethereal and the only regret is that I didn’t discover this phenomenon until 3 years ago but I only have today and I will enjoy it for however long it lasts.

Note to Mrs. Bean: I think she is over the fact that you didn’t name her Valerie. Besides we like the name Kristen much better. 

Tommy James and the Shondells: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkMFLUXTEwM

Locked Out of Heaven

I suppose that if your name is The Evil Woman you might have your work cut out for you getting past St. Peter at the holy gates and be locked out of Heaven.  But what’s in a name anyway? Sure she’s so mean and she does have an evil streak but KJ is a beloved figure inside her church. Just ask her aficionados if she should be locked out of Heaven. That might be true for Bruno Mars but with a little lobbying St. Peter will surely change his mind. She might put us through hell but heaven will embrace her just as we have.  

9 days absent from spin was my own ‘hell’ due to tendonitis in my knee and it was with crossed fingers that I got back on the bike for the Thursday 8:30. I am happy to report that with a little restraint in pedal stroke and transitions from standing to the saddle my knee didn’t buckle and I will try again tomorrow for another foray. Spin class is in my blood now and it’s hard to think of exercise without it as the focal point of my fitness regimen.  In other words I can’t do without it.  I missed all of you and especially the Queen of Spin.  

The Empty Bike

Bless me EQ it has been 6 days since my last spin class. I have imagined putting on some girth this Thanksgiving but the tendonitis in both my knees has kept me sidelined from KSC. Oh I did get a rest not having to check in 26 hours before but it carries little solace as I am missing my daily dose of Zen Evil Woman style.  

I heard a new Enrique Iglesias song called: Now That I Have Found You that I am absolutely in love with and although I did hear it once on Kristen’s playlist I just had to get my own iTune version.  Dare I attempt Tripp in the morning or let 2 more days go by and make Friday a target for my return. I suppose some haven’t missed my spontaneous outbursts but there are those that do I imagine.  

Donut Girl

I guess I just thought that outside of an occasional libation the Evil Woman subsisted on salmon and three bowls of steam. So when I heard she ingests donuts on occasion along with a martini I was no less than shocked. Spin long enough and you’ll learn something new and find out that even the Queen of Spin walks in our shoes too!

On the way to class today Sunday I thought about the ritual I have of   setting the clock the night before at 6:25 so I can sign in for the Monday 8:30 with Kristen. I did and I got in and secured a bike but no sooner did I drift off for a short snooze and then had that reoccurring lucid dream: I had missed the sign in. Has that ever happened to you? Maybe I’m all-alone here but I’m thinking yeah-no. 

I had been using my MacBook to sign in with My EQ mobile and found it near perfect but in the last week or so I started using the alternate method on my iPhone. It didn’t seem to require the adroitness my computer version did. I don’t have to get out of bed and simply using my thumb to refresh at precisely 6:30 getting a bike carried much less consternation. One more thing I also have to practice breathing exercises as the time of sign in approaches. I find myself getting a touch of anxiety of: Will I get in or not. It just tells me how much I love spending 4% of my day in KSC.  

Sensory Deprivation

A late substitution had Dana Mancini filling in for Kristen today and her understudy did not miss a beat. Spin instructors have their own inimitable style but Mancini brings an eclectic portrayal in her musical selection and a new twist: Sensory Deprivation. 

Sensory deprivation or shutting out one or more of our senses like seeing for instance serves to heighten the others that remain. Dana suggested that we close our eyes and take a voyage of the mind. As I watched her close her portals I did as well and my breathing and pedal stroke took on another dimension. I felt as if my legs were in concert with my lungs and the beat of the music kept me in a rhythm like a syncopated drum. 

Dana’s star is rising fast with a bullet and when the Queen leaves her throne Ms. Mancini is one understudy that fits the marquee perfectly in her absence.  

Mostly Cloudy With a Chance of Mirror

The weather report from the Lavender Palace today was mostly cloudy with a chance of mirror. 

 A frosty day greeted me outside on the way to our EQ today and once inside the studio that same chill made me glad I kept my T-shirt on as I climbed aboard the KJ Express.  The majestic ride we had today was made kenspeckled with verbal etchings of the nuance of form and physiology as only the Evil Woman can convey.  She does have an MS after her name you know and an expert in exercise physiology she is.  

She thinks we don’t listen but for once she’s wrong we listen with acuity  to her whole repertoire. Its just all part of why we ride and why we ride with intent and such dramatic result. I have many times credited her with inspiration to what I write every day and this morning she sparked a few ideas that I will scribe as the day goes on.  

The Palace along about half way through got mostly cloudy with a chance of mirror. As I alluded to earlier the cool of the studio heated up quite a bit and behind her the mirrored background became occluded as the condensation of our collective efforts belied the sunny day that awaited us outside.  I love the effort and when I cry out please know it’s from my heart everyone.  KJ said I would be dangerous with a microphone maybe I will become a spin instructor when I become a septuagenarian.  

Skyfall: Kristen James 008 License to Kill

She does just that but before each kill she smiles. Most Double 0 agents look quite serious before they pull the trigger but not this version. She wants us to love her as well as she sets us up for the 55 minute Skyfall. 

Skyfall is the perfect metaphor for KSC. Because except for our connection to the pedal stroke we are literally in Skyfall when we begin our takeoff. In the luxury of a warm up we forget that it’s our turn to die but fortunately our MI6 female agent brings us to only a near death experience. And by the time we take all the resistance off we live yet another day because the Evil One wants to take us on yet another NDE* as soon as we are able to get back in the saddle. 

Make no mistake the woman may be beautiful but she is lethal and has a license to kill. 

James, Kristen James.  

*NDE- Near Death Experience. 

Ghost in the Machine

Looking particularly stunning today the Evil Woman had some operating challenges in the Lavender Palace. It started out electrical with the emergency light illuminated when it wasn’t supposed to be.  Louis along with Mario (a member of our stellar Maintain staff) entered the studio with a huge ladder that stretched almost to the ceiling. Mario scurried up the harrowing steps and extinguished the misbehaving light right quick so we could have the proper environs restored to the proceedings of KSC.  Maybe that started the Ghost in the Machine, as a strange presence seemed to haunt Kristen throughout the ride.  

Ever the perfectionist Kristen seemed put out at first by the intermittent outages in her mike and it gave me pause to smile because it really doesn’t matter we all were happy as clams in the 8:30 and whether she’s mike’d up or dependent on her eloquent naked speaking voice it was all good.  After a time she seemed to be accepting of the strange phenomena a ghost in the machine. After all the entire spirit world should know how just much fun we’re having back here on earth.

The Evil Woman was convinced that when she cocked her head to one side the microphone functioned normally but aligned center the spirit took over and I could swear the specter was smiling each time he and his chicanery “pulled the plug” out.  And we never get cheated in KSC. As the “interruption” would have taken two songs off the play list Kristen undaunted would have none of that and played on because we always get our moneys worth and then some each and every ride. 

Oh and this tuck your tailbone thing in. Yeah well as she stood up and demonstrated her pelvic tilt I said men can’t do that s*it! I told Greg in the Boys locker-room and after a belly laugh (he has no belly) he concurred with me. I have to consciously sit back to accomplish that thing women can do.  And I love when they shake that thing called the gluteus maximus cause it sends me right to where I see a Ghost in the Machine.  

Artistecharismatique

This entry is purely emotional and resembles an ethereal quality singular in nature. These things arrive nascent and so it must be that they have complete veracity. 

Saturday morning would not be Saturday unless it started with Kristen James in the Lavender Palace. I am where I love to be in #4 because the energy and charisma are best felt up close.  Some shy away from the 1st row and it would be pure speculation as to why and so I will not venture any hypothesis.  

Charisma: a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm. She has it and we all know it and when it’s palpable like today I just had to mention it. Since the end of summer something has changed and its either I am listening with more sensory acuity or the Evil Woman is just getting better. I am drawing the conclusion that it’s a little bit of both.  

Today in the locker room as if by a form of clairvoyance I started talking to a stranger named Peter. I was waxing on about spin class and Kristen’s Spin Class in particular. I told him that it was in essence a moving form of Zen with the bonus of 55 energetic athletes adding fuel to your inner fire. He instantly perked up and  it was then I knew I had found a new enrollee.  Peter is a member of EQ Manhattan but works out here on weekends. I told him that unless his hand to eye coordination was par extraordinaire he probably should look for another EQ star performer. He looked quizzically at me and I told him that the class is literally sold out in 4 seconds. 

Today after a week or more trying to figure out how to tuck my tailbone I finally got it. Although I am blessed with an abundance of grey cells common sense has not much room in my head. However, when Kristen said push back on your tailbone off your pubic bone it all became clear. Instantly the ride for me changed and instead of pressure I felt comfort in the saddle.  Remarkable that after almost 3 years I am still trying to perfect my form and today went a long way in changing it for the better. 

Charisma is an ethereal quality and at times it’s visible in nature and in the Lavender Palace.  

Just Give Me One More Day

At rides end I think of one thing always. Just give me one more day in the Lavender Palace with Kristen James.  I know one-thing two things actually.  The first is Monika Keano the spiritual intuitive who worked with me for 5 years opened my gift of writing. Kristen James when I asked her if I could blog about her almost 3 years ago was the 2nd gift that helped tune my channel to the artistry of the language of the universe.  I know I do the writing but if it were not for these two women the treasure God gave me would have  stayed in Davy Jones’ Locker. 

Pink Tights and Other Delights.

Another Saturday arrives and the ceremony begins at 8 AM.  In bike #4 I see everything. Even though I don’t have eyes in the back of my head.  The front row in my opinion is the only place to be in KSC because the Queen of Spin is best observed up close especially when she is dressed in pink tights. She never hides the physiology she works so hard to keep and even though she is so mean she is eye candy to both genders. But that’s only the surface what lies within is much more important and why we come again and again. Since her father’s passing her heart is on her sleeve more now than ever in the 3 years I have had the pleasure of spinning with her.  When she speaks of him or uses the lyrics of her favorite tunes to recall his memory, this man I never knew comes alive in Lavender Palace.  He must have been a parent that knew what he was doing because KJ knows when to be firm even when it’s not popular and soft and approachable when others might turn a dear ear.  

Her theme today was about leasing 3 years with an option to buy. (She likes everything in 3s or so she’s told us time and again)  I should have heard this soliloquy before I became a serial monogamist with 3 wives.  It makes sense too because as KJ said our hopes and dreams at 25 go through monumental changes as we traverse through our 40s and 50s. Those of you lucky enough to mate for life are of course in the minority and your strength of character and selection of a significant other was not about luck. If I knew that I had to be on my best behavior all the days of my life maybe I could have avoided some of the devastating mistakes I’ve made with the women in my life.  Is this too personal? Maybe but I feel like some of you are actually my friends and still others in the very least fraintances. 

Oh by the way I don’t really recommend taking back to back KSC classes because if you do it right there is no need to do a 2nd hour. Half way through I was spent and I could feel the sugar levels drop as if I had a measuring stick in the palm of my hand. It was fun however hearing two of my past and current favorite songs twice.  

Doing It My Way:

http://mylifeafteraa.blogspot.com/2012/10/doing-it-my-way.html

Lemon Law

This morning I had two lemons between my cheeks and I guess I was supposed to make lemonade with all the “squeezing” I was to do.  I hope that I didn’t “squirt” Stacey in the eyes because lemon juice stings kinda.  And another thing.  When the Evil Woman tells us to tuck our tailbone under I feel like I should grow a tail first.  If I had one I might be able to do just that.  Otherwise I am stuck with this white boy ass doing not much except shrinking and drooping getting in and out of the saddle.  

There oughta be a law because lemons are for lemonade, garnish for booze and for cars that suck.  Do they have a place in the Lavender Palace? I guess so if I can blow whistles and cause a ruckus lemons can join the party as well. 

 In KJ’s absence I found myself spinning with Dana on Wednesday.  I have only one set of legs and split classes for the most part between Kristen and Tripp. So the opportunity presented itself. I took it.  She’s kinda cool.  She’s kinda young but she’s also kinda fierce too!  Ostensibly it’s hard to imagine how this sylph can bring it but she delivers like the milkman used to right on time.  And she kinda makes me sweat. Yesterday in addition to the 3 usual lakes I leave under my bike (Apologies to the Maintain staff) I started an estuary that stretched up into the next bike where Stacey was.  Jack the River whenever I spin with Dana Mancini. 

Tuesday in a rare appearance in the Blue Sapphire’s class, Carolyn Mellace I felt like Flo Rida, I was all in and at rides end I was all in too. This woman is charming, sophisticated and one great performance artist. Her discography is tailor made for the unique design Carolyn brings to the party. It’s always challenging and it’s a killer workout.  I have to get back to her class she is pure talent.  

Revelry

I miss the revelry and the almost pageantry like ceremony that is KSC.  I know one day it will come to an end but the memory will live on even when I hear Casper whispering to me.  Returning to Bike #4 (if my hand is quick enough) is just days away and I cannot wait to lose my breath and break away with the Queen of Spin.  

I have always appreciated the talent we have at Equinox Woodbury and last week when I went to a combination spin class floor exercise strength class did I really appreciate it. While I finished out my hour on the bike I watched 3 yes 3 people on the floor doing their best imitation of Jane Fonda. I know how good I have it.  

For the Love of God Revisited.

Venturing into KG’s one-hour class this past Thursday was a leap of faith. I had been in the 45-minute versions almost exclusively but in this winter break I was able to secure a bike in prime time. I hadn’t thought much about the extra 15 minutes until Kristen said “you will feel like giving up today.” Now I’ve completed 17 marathons and 3 ultra marathons and was a DNF (did not finish) in just one. My mind turned to that one time and I started to doubt my own resolve but I couldn’t stand the embarrassment of unclipping and getting off my bike and waltzing unceremoniously out of the studio.

When I heard Kristen talk about her 8-year-old son as he said to her “For the love of God, you’re teaching again?” That was all I needed to dismiss this qualm and I settled back into my gel seat and gone was any notion that I was in any way quitting. I took on the face of the 17 races I had completed and the 1 I didn’t vanished with my next breath.

In this class we have heard a lot about the Hard Zone and going anaerobic, And my awareness of being out of breath and being accustomed to it has expanded and I am determined to visit this middle ground of the hard zone rather than just being out of breath the whole session. This will take discipline I thought but maybe it just comes with my rising fitness. The hard zone, breathing in through my nose and out my mouth takes concentration because the easier softer way is just to breath through my mouth.

But let’s get serious now; can I really escape being out of breath for virtually the whole session? “For the love of God” the answer is that I don’t know and my sense is that I’m okay with it. I am okay with it because my quality of life in the other 23 hours has already seen a marked improvement. My weight is dropping and my lungs are starting to take on  the size of a yellow physio ball. And I am starting to feel sorry for all my other Equinoxites that work out exclusively in the main room. Poor things they’re just going through their workouts in the infield while we are getting comfortable on the warning track and not afraid of hitting up against the outfield wall.

The Story in Our Eyes

Sometimes we cannot see what our eyes are saying, but our minds manipulate our feelings so strongly so adeptly that the power play releases the strength to change the shape and hue of our eyes which in turn governs what the rest of our face looks like.  And that face illustrates for us as to how our body contorts.

We can tell the story that we are struggling to breathe, to accelerate and give ourselves enough reason why we shouldn’t add more ‘road’ when Kristen asks us to. These vignettes are perfectly legitimate because the excuses are justified we tell ourselves. However, they are just that, stories and they are just pure fiction, even though we swear they are gospel.

The story in our eyes is there for anyone to see but only we can change the script. So we might as well tell the story the way we want it to turn out. 

She's So Mean Part II

 KSC has me feeling compelled to hop aboard #4 whenever I obtain a bike online. Today however  was a day I should have stayed offline. Unable to muster much in the way of speed or resistance I fell short of my own expectations of what I usually put into the class each morning. I can hear Kristen’s voice in my head: What do you want to get out of this class when you walk out?  The woman haunts me with her Zen like sonnets but today all I did was put a strain on my heart that I needn’t have done.  It’s my damn ego or as I like to think, Easing God Out. I promise you and myself my friends I will not do that again. I used to think that I could exercise my HR down but it’s not only dangerous it’s stupid as well. Thanks to my friends Soren and Mikey who watched over me in the boy’s locker room.  

Now playing her new theme song: She’s So Mean the Evil Woman assured me that if I did have a heart attack she had the capable skills to resuscitate me.  She also said that I would have to be removed quickly so that she could go on with the class, which was another blow to my fragile ego. I love Kristen’s jocularity and it keeps my overacting in check.  She’s still so mean though. 

In spite of the Yom Kippur holy day a huge turnout had the Lavender Palace nearly full as only the Blonde Bombshell of Charisma can do.  I wish I could have more to say but that might have to wait for tomorrow.

Blonde Bombshell of Charisma? Does that have legs? 

The Big O

We have a plethora of Big O’s in KSC. There’s the hOly s**t zone, the Omg, and Oh I can’t catch my breath. The Big O is usually associated with the peak sensation but here in KSC it’s a multi-O experience.  

The All-new Thursday night edition brings to the Lavender Palace many of the morning regulars some doing a double but also a lot of new faces as well. The 55-bike capacity is usually filled most mornings and its no surprise that Kristen draws a crowd at any time day or night. For those that either work during the day or simply can’t get a bike this night affords others a chance to see what all the hubbub is all about. 

I love words as most of you might glean but what is going on here in the Evil Woman’s class can only be described as ethereal. In practical terms we can say it’s her personality, her presence, her semantics but that does not describe why or how each class seems more challenging than the last. How could that be? I don’t know how but I would swear that I have just a bit more giddyap in my pedal stroke each ride. So that’s why I say it’s ethereal because it’s simply unworldly.  

What do you think of the 45-minute spin class? Most classes outside of the big 3 of Great Neck, Roslyn and our Woodbury conduct the shortened versions and I got a feeling we just might be headed that way. If you knew that there’s only 45 minutes to ride your heart out would  you ride differently? I think we do. What’s your take?

Oh and one more thing you know how KJ tries to get us focused on breathing in via the nose and expelling through the mouth so we get maximum O2 to our legs? I don’t know about you but I have to make a conscious effort to really do that but I did figure out if I had a 3rd nostril it might just work. The Big O it ain’t no joke.  

She's So Mean (and Evil)

My friend Jesse Walia was in attendance today and although he has done maybe a sum total of a half dozen classes with Kristen in the past, KJ knew his name and gave him several shout outs within the hour. Jesse was amazed at this and wondered how remarkable it was that  she remembered him.  I told him that she knows everyone in her room. The superlatives from my dear friend didn’t stop there; as he waxed poetic about her professionalism and the way she conducted the class and herself. 

I for one cannot fathom how the Evil Woman elicits an ever-greater effort out of my creaking frame every single class. I discussed this with the boys in the locker room and they were unanimous in their incredulity. At the end of every ride the pool of salt water beneath my bike is more prodigious than the day before. This morning in particular I asked myself after 15 minutes would I be able to make it to the cool down. That could be a function of too much spin or I have too much resistance on the red wheel. Nonetheless I made it through and by the time the remixed version of Don’t Wake Me Up sounded its last note every ounce of puissance had left me. Its just WOW! 

Something was different about Kristen today and when I asked her about it she made no bones as to what had changed in her and that kind of honesty is rarer than a   black and blue steak with cool centers. Most would hide behind vanity not Kristen and the veracity she showed me just verified what I have known all the while this woman is authentic and no one cares greater than she about our progress on our “road” to fitness. When she says she’s excited to be here she means it. 

Oh and Mrs. Bean even though she’s Evil and So Mean she was a model citizen the whole hour.  

Hello Mr. Scott

 Jeffrey Scott graced his presence in the Lavender Palace Saturday all the way from California and Kristen said we’d love him and we did! There were some similarities discernable between the two stars but each one has an individuality that is unmistakably their own. This was a thrill for me to see the one that inspired the one we are inspired by. Kristen as big a personality as she is never fails to give credit to the ones that influenced her success. 

 Jeffrey was here to certify other trainers and we look forward to his presence one day soon again.  Kristen without a microphone in the CS was indeed a rare moment but her presence was felt and welcomed just the same. 

Jeffrey has a well-defined science to his class but is playful enough that the seriousness of the ride never takes precedence over the fact that we are here to have fun. Not an easy task as many instructors are competent enough but few (except our EQ staff) can capture the imagination of their riders and keep them motivated for the whole hour.  

I wasn’t sure that a Left Coast spin instructor could hold our attention here in Woodbury because we have the best instructors in the Nation. However Mr. Scott delivered as if he was an East Coaster. The discography was mostly new music refreshing to be sure and we spent more time in the saddle than we are used to but outside of that one subtlety we are raving fans. Come back Jeffrey anytime. 

Broad Sword Calling Danny Boy!

If they’re gossiping to you then they’re gossiping about you.  A beautiful piece of wisdom from the Evil Woman today and truer words could never have been spoken.  When people tell you who they are, believe them. 

I spied some new faces when I looked around the CS today even the front row comprised many newcomers.  A rapid fire Q & A was given to “Danny” about mid station in the Lavender Palace and he did not shrink from an amusing rapid fire from KJ and for that he deserves meritorious mention on his first day. He’s moved here from Long Beach California and I am sure we will take the time to make him feel welcome in our beloved Woodbury.  Really? What am I getting sentimental? He will have to tow the line just like the rest of us otherwise he will be sentenced to the salt mines to either the treadmill or the elliptical.  Let’s get real this is ain’t no disco.  

We are having so much fun in KSC and it’s getting monotonous. I am sick and tired of liking Kristen’s class this much! I can’t go on much longer. Well maybe I will stay even if I don’t have my whistle. Notice how she pushes the envelope every morning? Just when you think we have given our best effort on Monday along comes Wednesday and some how some way we shake that ass just a bit more. I like that song Shake that Ass for me Shake that ass for me. I hope Mrs. Bean doesn’t read this one.  

And welcome Danny Boy!

Don't Get Too Excited

Easier said than done. The energy in KSC is always ramped just a bit more on Saturday. I don’t know why and I think for me it might even trump Thursday’s 8:30. Maybe because there are new faces on Saturday that we don’t get to see on weekdays. It also could be that on the weekend we are more relaxed looking forward to Saturday night.   This might be an exaggeration but as a sentient man I think the rhythm of the road is so palpable here in KSC and yet different each day.  

Chris Brown’s Don’t Wake Me Up has me so cranked almost like New Order’s Bizarre Love Triangle does. I go immediately into an anaerobic state when I hear theses two songs plated.  I almost feel like I might need a resuscitator by the time the music’s over. This might sound morbid but when I do expire what better place to be than among you all in the Lavender Palace. It is in this room that I lock out all my issues, problems and personal situations. Just like KJ says they’ll all be there when we finish our road. 

Although we have missed Don Berman his replacement today was none other than Pitbull. Mr. Perez was wearing his trademark sunglasses and though he did not break out in song his presence was a suitable substitute until the apple of someone’s eye returns. 

A note to Mrs. Bean. Your beloved daughter might need a mouthful of soap as the scatological references were being bandied about freely without a care for my virgin ears.  Just sayin’  

Remote Viewing

I guess we are either spoiled or just stronger athletes in Woodbury or maybe neither.  Most classes outside of our EQ are 45-minute stationary excursions. And truth be told I think maybe or a year or two a go Kristen said that spin classes are better designed for the ¾ hour rather than the 60-minute versions we are so accustomed to.  I guess that if cognitively I knew that the class was only going to be 45 minutes I suppose I might work out at an even higher level than I do now. (Some of my friends are saying harder than you workout now? Really Jack?) 

I am in Central Florida taking care of my aging father this week while my dear sister Nancy and her husband are visiting family in N.C. However the Sebastian Gym in the city of the same name has a limited number of spin classes and tonight I took a 2nd with a Ms. Diane Rauff.  A splendid athlete if physiology is any judge and her eccentric like call was a spirited workout and left me in the usual way; puddles beneath my bike and a soaked jersey and shorts. 

The discography was rock and essentially for this writer superfluous to my ride but the intimate setting of 15 bikes in a circle on Greg LeMond RevMasters provided a strong energy field even though no one except yours truly was bellowing at the top of his lungs.   These bikes are collector items and rather than say they are from the year of the Great Flood these antiques were in great working order considering their advanced age. The wheels much narrower than our Schwinn’s back home serve to make the bike much lighter and easy to move about than ours in the Lavender Palace. 

The ride here was more in saddle than up in #3 which I am not accustomed to but Diane had us do 100 jumps in rapid succession which proved to be the strongest part of the ride and had me breathless. As we counted off each interval of 10 edging closer to the century mark I was reminded of 100 bottles of beer on the wall a silly song from my youth. At rides end I asked Diane for her FB page and hopefully she won’t mind this entry in her name.  

Something About You

Well there was something about the discography today too.  KJ was feeling nostalgic when she made out the play list for this mornings ride and this ol’ boy was very happy.  Most of you that know me realize that Erasure and New Order are just about my favorite two groups of all time and the songs: A Little Respect (Erasure) and Bizarre Love Triangle (New Order) literally put me in orbit every time they are plated by Kristen. 

And both bands predated my first day sober and remind me of my life as a dancer in spandex and white capezios. Incidentally my second ex-wife has my one piece black spandex outfit in her Jack Museum at home and although I have lost weight those I wore when I was a mere 142 pounds.  I also wore red and white spandex but they were two pieces.  TMI?

Today was a fun ride and every time I think I am at my max I get caught up in the Kristen Vortex (ooh I like that) and I take it further than even the class before. And there are days when I am just not ready to Flame On! But nonetheless it doesn’t matter I catch fire before long.   I was talking to David about it and he said that some days he just feels like he would like to take it just a bit easier but to no avail he too gets swept up in the force field just like me.  It’s good to know I am not alone. 

Level 42 sang that song: Something About You and what it reminds me of is that there’s something about all of you and at the risk of sounding maudlin thanks for reading and thanks for riding with the likes of me.  

The Undertow

KJ was asking us if we remembered the Undertow story. I don’t think she realizes just how much we retain when she expresses her motivational vignettes.  This particular story was about her dad and she who got caught in a wicked undertow and literally got almost swept out to sea. Most people would panic and desperately try to swim back to shore in that situation but David W. Bean was not like many men because when others might resort to alarm he met the undertow with calm. No easy task when you consider that our natural instincts are to fight and resist but not this singular man he instead told his young charge to relax and in essence go with the flow and lo and behold instead of risking their lives this man of virtuoso talents used the power of the sea to land both he and his young daughter safely back on shore. 

It makes sense too. Often if we let the power of what we think is an opposing force do the work for us we save on angst, needless worry and in this story panic. It took awhile for me to learn that my first reaction of fight or flight was not the only ones afforded me. There is a 3rd alternative and its simply to recognize what is and utilize instead of over analyze. Kristen’s dad had that innate talent to respond and not react. It takes patience and its secret partner tolerance. 

It is my own hallucination that our Kristen will take up her Dad’s soul right here on earth and I bet he will whisper plenty of his selfless personality her way.  

And our hello to Mrs. C Bean let’s keeps her in our prayers too.  

Tracks of Her Tears

Well it was simply great to have her back in the saddle but when she said to us: What have you been doing for two weeks? I suspect that some of us realized that when she’s not there we have a letdown emotionally as well as physically. Are we just a little codependent? We might be guilty of same but that’s a personal question we have to answer individually. There is no doubt that she brings out in us more than we think we are capable of every time we clip in.  As to a letdown? I suspect the answer is in the affirmative to varying degrees. All you have to do is look at the availability of bikes when she’s absent. Well after all we do love her and although every one of her substitutes is a star in their own right there is no replacing her.  

Did you notice that in the first 30 minutes there was not going to be any frivolity? I had my whistle at the ready and fortunately the Flo Rida hit played well into the session because I could have hardly blown it sooner and I was careful to keep my big mouth shut until KJ seemed to relax as I could feel the CS take a deep sigh of relief.  

By rides end the emotion of being back took hold of Kristen  and as she gave her own soliloquy of thanks to all of us the sweat blended with her tears but it was a thin disguise.  We all knew her heart was broken but one day at a time we will do our part to mend it.  

Without You

How apropos to make this song a tribute on KSC to the departed David W. Bean?  It is one of KJ’s favorites and I am sure there were times when she played it in the studio  she had her father in mind.

  There’s much to say about how Kristen James has affected our lives. Her charismatic charm and singular personality has given us a fitness for the ages. Her inspiration transcends the physical however. When someone inspires you it carries over into the other key aspects of your life.  If you ask me (no one is) but besides losing 30 odd pounds her Zen like sonnets have influenced my writing in just about every one of my blogs. Come to think of it I am sure I could ask every one of you what she has meant to you and I would find 100 different responses. 

From a riders perspective she is also enigmatic. On the one hand she is one of the most adroit fitness instructors I have ever met but by the same token a very shy woman when she takes “off” her EQ persona and slips into Kristen the woman. Some might disagree here because her countenance and physiology belie any such notion. But watching from Bike #4 I can see a demure woman who has almost a girlish quality that is totally innocent.  I think her close friends might agree but I am not sure.  

But what did her dad really mean to her? Some might say “the world” and at the services on Monday the testimony from her uncle gave us a birds eye view into a man that was humble and deflected attention away from himself as only true heroes do. I think that Kristen’s dad was her Hero. A casual observers view told me that this was a tight knit family one that let others into their lives but never letting anyone diluting the strong love that’s woven in their collective hearts.  

Today in the 8:30 my friend Tripp Doherty wanted to make sure KJ knew he cared. And as the tears started to fill his eyes, I told him she knows and quietly to myself even if she didn’t she knows now.  We are so ready for her return on Thursday and I know my finger will be at the ready just as the digital clock strikes 6:30 am tomorrow.

 She is without him but we are not without her.  

David Guetta-Without You ft. Usher http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUe8uoKdHao

Spin Discography

If you will indulge me I wanted to share with you about spin class discography.  What I discovered is a subtlety that Kristen opened my afflatus to. When a current selection is new and rising on the Billboard Charts people want to hear the song in its entirety not a remix version. A remix version is a viable alternative to songs that were ‘hits’ a year or even 18 months ago. The effect of bringing back a popular song makes it ‘new’ again in a remix version. This is not the case in my opinion for up to the minute chart toppers. 

For example the song by Carly Rae Jepsen: “Call Me Maybe” is a huge hit now and it was featured in a small clip with US Olympic athletes acting it out. No one wants to hear a club mix of this song, not yet anyway. It takes time for us as the listener to engage a new song, as one of our favorites and to alter its original form too soon can rob of us the pleasure we clamor for.  

Not all remixed songs are welcome especially if they are altered too much from their original form because what attracted us to these selections in the first place become sour notes in our memory of the original.  Personally David Guetta’s monster smash  “Without You” had a remix done   and when I heard this version played in KSC I was immensely disappointed because in the original the bridge featured two 23 second choruses that are so rousing but the remix completely ignored this part of the song and therefore   was a letdown. A much older song from 1986 by New Order called Bizarre Love Triangle was issued in a remix format with two other old songs sandwiched between and the effect of a rap version instead of the original lyrics was to me blasphemy.  

Remix is not new I can remember on the dance floor back in the 80’s DJ’s mixing some great disco and punk rock songs primarily by extending them through rewinds of the intro in order to make the song longer and delay the opening set of lyrics. And as a former dancer and now spin aficionado when you hear your favorite song you want it to last forever.  Now the technology makes these early attempts at remix seem Neanderthal by comparison. Thanks to David Cooper for the inspiration for me to write about this small nuance.  

A remix is like putting a new sole on a favorite pair of shoes.