Tag: biking

Improving Fitness Through Spinning with Sherry Chlysta

March 26, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 2 Comments

Fit Strong Women Over 50 Podcast Episode #30

In episode 30 of the Fit Strong Women over 50 podcast for the Becoming Elli community, Chris and Jill discuss improving fitness through spinning with Sherry Chylsta. They talk about the basics of spinning, working your muscles, and share advice about working out.

Sherry is a Star 3 lifetime-certified spinning instructor who enjoys making classes challenging and fun for all at a gym in Hudson, Ohio. She has been a certified instructor for about ten years. Sherry loves athletics and while she misses road races, she knows a no-impact workout like spinning is something she can enjoy for a lifetime.

On a professional side, Sherry is the Director of Studies at Western Reserve Academy, a co-educational boarding and day school in Hudson, Oh. She teaches college level calculus and is the school’s head volleyball coach. During her tenure at WRA, she has coached track, girls’ basketball, and a winter conditioning and weight training program. She lives on campus with her husband and three children.

Improving Fitness Through Spinning

Chris has taken many spinning classes from Sherry and loves her ability to motivate. Sherry encourages everyone to try something new at the gym — especially different classes. She advises new members to overcome the feeling of intimidation by those who are already in shape. She suggests you remember that everyone had a first workout, and they didn’t look any better starting out than you do now.

In today’s episode, Sherry provides some advice for the gym in general and spinning in particular. She advises us to introduce ourselves to the instructor before class, who will help modify a workout if necessary. For a spinning class, Sherry says the instructor will also help get the bike adjusted for you before you begin. That’s something that many of us struggle with when we’re first starting out.

Spinning Tips and Techniques

Sherry explains some of the principles of spinning and how to use what she calls periodicity in work outs and in training. She also describes the three positions of indoor cycling and the advantages of each. Sherry shares some of the mistakes that some riders make that can cause injury and how to know when you have too much or too little resistance set on your bike. The group also discusses how to get faster for riding outside and how to use your heart rate to determine your recovery, even if you don’t wear a heart monitor.

Ever wonder about fast and slow twitch muscle fibers? Chris asked Sherry who explains the benefits of training both fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers and tells us what they are.

Having Fun

The point of spinning is that we all want to be there to have fun. If the instructor can make hard work fun, then you will continue to attend class. Sherry tells how she uses music, little mind games and light humor to making classes challenging and fun. These are some of the ways she helps with improving fitness through spinning. Sherry’s love of spinning is reflected in her words, “I get to teach spinning.”

Some of Sherry’s favorite sayings for spinning class are “No one wants to go spinning, but everyone wants to have been spinning” and “You can do anything for one minute.”

As an added bonus, Sherry was kind enough to share her favorite potato and kale soup recipe.

If you have any questions for Sherry, you can send them to Chris@becomingelli.com or Jill@becomingelli.com and they will forward the questions to Sherry.

A Workout Wrap up from Last Week’s Fitness

August 27, 2018 / Chris Brown / 7 Comments

Most weeks I have a plan for working out but sometimes my week just rolls along. That’s how I felt about last week’s workouts.

Monday – rest day – restorative yoga

After lots of driving for sister weekend, Monday’s workout consisted of a restful day. I find that weekends are usually a busy time for me, so having a Monday yoga class at my gym fits well into the schedule. Restorative yoga is a workout for the brain where you help your body learn to relax. I am learning how to let go, focus on breathing and getting my body to relax.

Tuesday – slow jog

The goldenrod are just starting to open up in this field near my run/jog/walk.

The weather wasn’t cooperating very much on Tuesday, but I did manage to get a few miles in. Tricky with my Achilles Tendonitis acting up, so I keep the pace very slow and tried not to think about the 13.1 miles coming up the end of September.

Wednesday – 17 mile ride

This is my screen capture from Strava, an app on my phone that tracks miles, elevation and speed.

I had a nice ride with my bike riding group through Cuyahoga Valley. We started at Brandywine Falls and rode up to the lookout above Tinkers Creek. Two minutes into my ride, my Catseye mileage thing popped off my handlebars so I turned around to find it. Then I spent the next 5 miles really pedaling hard, trying to catch the front group. That got me breathing hard and it felt good. There’s one pretty big hill that also got my heart pumping hard, so by the end of the ride, I felt I had earned our potluck supper.

Thursday – missed a run

I had planned to run with a running group that I found through a woman at my gym, but ended up having to work late. Boo. 🙁

Friday – gardening

I didn’t get all my steps in, but managed to burn over 2000 calories anyway. Did a bit of gardening, but I feel can’t really call it a workout because I didn’t do a whole lot of heavy breathing. I did get some bending and stretching in.

Saturday – walk/slow jog

I notice when I walk instead of run, I tend to see more things. How many times have I run past this little mini garden without noticing?

When I woke up my ankle was acting up again. Feeling stiff mostly. So Saturday’s workout consisted of an hour of walking and slow jog. I listened to an upcoming podcast of Becoming Elli after doing some production work on it, so I was able to multi task to use the time to do an audio proofread of the podcast. I’m psyched about the one that is going to be published on Tuesday. I’m eager to hear your comments on it.

Meanwhile, I did some icing on my calf and ankle when I got back home, followed by heat from the rice bag. It felt better.

Sunday – 51 mile ride
My big cardio workout of the week turned about to be a bike ride instead of a run, which was more fun and a better workout than I would have gotten on my sore ankle. Four of us took the Valley Parkway up to the marina near the lake, had lunch and rode back. There was a big steep hill at about mile 48, but I managed to ride it all the way up for the final push. Definitely a big effort and a great way to start this next week.

After I got home, my husband and I went to the gym to go swimming. Definitely loosened up my muscles! A great way to finish the weekend.

Workout Wrap Up

This link goes to other women fitness bloggers who do a weekly workout wrap up accountability link up. The Weekly Wrap is organized by the rope-climbing Wendy and Holly, who’s starting a new empty-nest normal. I’m also linking to Liz, a writer who runs in ~~London~~ actually in Birmingham, in the Midlands. – Chris

Rejuvenate with a Hike along the GAP

August 25, 2018 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

If you’re like me and your legs get stiff from driving too long, you might enjoy taking some time and rejuvenate with a hike. This little waterfall treasure is an oasis located in Rockwood, Pennsylvania, which is about 10 miles south of the Somerset exit #110 on the PA turnpike.

Why was I in the middle of Western PA taking a photo of this little waterfall? It was part of an annual tradition of Sisters Weekend. You see, I grew up with three sisters. We are close in age – my parents had four daughters within five years – and even now, we are still close to each other, although the miles separate us.

The four of us try to meet up once a year to reconnect. Usually we pick a place that is about halfway from our houses. This year only two of us could make it, so we skipped the regular routine of a Somerset hotel and instead experienced the fun of a vintage Bed and Breakfast.

The Gingerbread House has a beautiful wrap-around porch. Our B&B was a good place to stay for a hot shower, cozy bed and delicious breakfast in the morning.

The Gingerbread House B&B has little outdoor sitting area with a bike stand just behind the house.

The B&B we selected is just a few steps off the GAP – the Great Allegheny Passage – which is a bike trail that runs 150 miles all the way from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, Maryland.

I think it is pretty neat that the GAP connects to the C&O Canal trail and you can ride all the way to Washington DC. The other B&B guests told us it is generally a 6-day bike riding trip to do the whole thing.

Although I didn’t bring my bike on this trip, my sister and I did get a chance to experience it, when we walked along the GAP.

Like many small towns, there wasn’t a lot of activity – just a couple of small restaurants, some small town shopping and a convenience store, but it had a bike shop right off the trail!

This bike shop is where the GAP crosses Rockdale Road in Rockwood, PA.

The hike was just what I needed. It felt so good to stretch my legs and do some walking and talking… especially after sitting in the car for hours to get there, followed by even more sitting at the restaurant for lunch.

The cool waterfalls send off a mist that felt so refreshing. I find there is something really soothing and relaxing about running water!

Hiking in Western Pennsylvania is especially enjoyable. For walking on the GAP, you only need some sneakers or walking shoes, not hiking boots. They do a great job of maintaining it. There are lots of little streams along the trail and the experience makes you feel like you are in the middle of the forest… but without the challenging terrain of rocks, roots and trees to dodge.

Bike riders take this path because the surface is a crushed stone and asphalt, built on top of what used to be the path of the railroads.

Bikes and trains in one piece of art sculpture on the trail.

During our hike we actually saw a lot more walkers than bike riders, but I think it was because we walked during late afternoon.

It’s funny, after doing a lot of driving, I felt tired when I got there, but soon after going for a 3-mile walk with my sister, I got my energy back. Does that happen to you? – Chris

Do you find that using energy gives you back more energy? Have you had good experience staying at a B&B instead of a hotel chain? How do you work in some exercise during a weekend away from home? Who else has a family tradition to stay close to siblings? Leave a message below or more privately on Facebook group.

What Should I Wear? A Guide to Workout Clothes

May 3, 2018 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

A young friend and I were talking recently and she said “I spent 20 minutes today trying to figure out what to wear to yoga. You should write about workout clothes in Becoming Elli.” I said, “great idea!”

Thinking about this made me remember the horrible gym uniforms we used to wear at school. They were one piece outfits with bloomers and they snapped down the front. Why did we wear those things? Anyone else remember them? Anyway, those days are long gone and now we wear whatever we want to work out in.

Workout Clothes

So here’s my quick list of what to wear for a few sports.

Yoga

I remember my very first yoga class. I had no idea what to expect. I went to the local drug store and bought new socks because I had this vague idea that I would need them. I got there and discovered that you typically do yoga in bare feet.

Here’s what I think is best for a yoga class. I like pants that come up high enough to my waist that I don’t have to worry about my clothing when doing something like a down dog. If you go with bell bottom pants, be award that the extra material may get in your way when you do some balance poses.

Also, shirts should be tight enough that they’re not billowing around your face when you’re doing a forward fold. I like my shirt to be fairly tailored for yoga class.

Running

Ah, running seems to entail a lot of wardrobe choices. You really shouldn’t need a lot for running but I’m always dealing with my clothes. Here’s what I deem important for running attire:

Running pants. If these are too short, you may experience chafing of your thighs. It hurts, believe me. I like capri length pants but of course that’s a personal choice. If you find running pants with pockets, BUY THEM! I love pockets and most running pants don’t include them.

I prefer a looser shirt for running but stay away from a regular old T-shirt and instead wear a “tech” shirt that is made from material that wicks the sweat.

Get a good sports bra. If it’s too small, you may have chafing. (Yes, chafing is a theme in running clothes.) You want adequate support and coverage and make sure it doesn’t rub under your arms. Because you know what will happen…chafing!!

I like a hat when I run. It keeps the sun out of my eyes and protects my head. If it’s hot, I might just wear a headband to help absorb the sweat.

Shoes…running shoes could have its own blog post and may at some point. This is where your money should go. Go to a running store and get yourself sized and analyzed. They should be able to analyze how your foot strikes the group and recommend the best style of shoe for you.

I bought compression sleeves for my calves and they helped tremendously. I was surprised at how much they helped. If you’re having problems with tight calves, invest in these.

Biking

Like any sport, you can spend a lot of money buying the fancy outfits and accessories when you take up biking. Here’s what I would say are the basics:

A shirt that wicks the sweat. You want this shirt to be tight enough that it’s not billowing about you as you pedal but you also want it loose enough that you’re comfortable.

If you can, get some bicycling pants. These are pants that have padding in the rear. I have a fancy brand of bicycling underwear. They have the padding but I have to put something over them. They’re not made to worn alone. I also have a pair of biking shorts that just have the padding and can be worn as is. Whether or not you get official bicycling shorts with the padding, whatever you wear should be tight on your legs. You don’t want loose leggings getting caught in the bike chain.

Don’t forget your helmet!! That’s important. Get a decent helmet and wear it.

If you’re going to be doing a lot of bicycling, it’s probably worth investing in bike shoes. Make sure that the shoes you buy work with the clips on your pedal. Or make sure that the pedals you buy match the shoes that you have. However you do it, there are different configurations for pedals and shoes and you want to make sure they match.

Until you decide you want to make that investment, a comfy pair of running shoes will probably suffice.

Swimming

Really, what can you possibly need for swimming except for a bathing suit? If you’re going to take up swimming, invest in a swim cap to cover your hair. Also you will need goggles. It took me a while to realize this but swimming is much easier when you wear goggles. That’s pretty much what you need: suit, cap, and goggles.

If you’re buying a swim cap, consider spending a bit more and upgrading to silicon. They cost a bit more than the silicon ones but last longer. On the other hand, if you don’t know how much swimming you’ll be doing, buying the cheaper one to start with is fine.

If you want to buy more, consider buying water shoes. If you’re going to walk in the pool, you’ll definitely want some water shoes. Also, if you’re going to do open water swimming, you probably want something on your feet.

I’ve seen aquatic earphones that allow you to listen to music (or podcasts!) while you swim. I’ve not invested in these so I can’t tell you anything about them.

Lifting

When you’re lifting weights or working out at the gym, you don’t need a lot. A pair of comfy shorts or leggings and a t shirt is fine. Again, don’t wear the baggiest T-shirt you own because you don’t want to have to worry about it riding up when you bend over. I don’t seem to need the fancy tech shirts for this so much and it’s my chance to wear some of the t shirts I’ve gotten from various races.

People say that you should wear flatter shoes when you lift. I just wear an older pair of running shoes, the ones that don’t quite have enough support for actually running in and haven’t had any problems with this.

You often see people in the gym wearing gloves for weight lifting. I’ve not gotten to that and I like having calluses that I get from lifting the bar.

That’s about it for lifting. I haven’t figured out a way to spend money on this workout, other than my gym membership.

Here’s a helpful hint for all of these clothing items. You can often find great deals on sports apparel at consignment shops or thrift stores. I found some great bicycling shorts at the local thrift store.