IT'S PONYtail TIME

Thursday night in the back of the CS my vantage point for watching The Blue Sapphire was somewhat compromised. I was able to see her legs moving at warp speeds I have never even contemplated of trying for myself.  However by class end I had my RPM’s higher than I have ever reached before. I knew it was fast because as we hit the closing moments my calf started to cramp up. 

Carolyn’s dedication to her craft is always on display and quite frankly the blue precious stone always mixes up her classes with different roads and music.  But, this is only the back page story, because tonight for example I just felt disengaged somehow from the trials and tribulations of the day yet I was drawn in by TBS and her personal magnetism, it’s irresistible. And by class end the familiar puddle under my bike was there in it’s usual triangle pattern. 

What about that ponytail? It was moving faster than Zorro’s whip and it might have to be registered as a lethal weapon.  Fast and furious on all counts and the hour disappeared like Nestlé’s Quik. 

Breathing

I asked Carolyn about how to breathe during our classes. Now that might seem like a dumb question from yours truly but here is what she had to say:

During most exercise routines, there's a tendency to breathe in and out through the mouth as opposed to in and out through the nose, which will basically oxygenate your body more efficiently and utilize less CO2.  Keep in mind that this is for more strenuous cardiovascular routines as opposed to weight lifting... Here's the deal in a nutshell for both running and cycling (which you'll appreciate since you were a marathon runner). According to most fitness experts, they say that to fully oxygenate the muscles and clear the body of carbon dioxide you should breathe a 3:2 inhale-to-exhale ratio (i.e., full inhales and full exhales). This means you INHALE on the LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT foot strikes and EXHALE fully on the RIGHT, LEFT foot strikes. This pattern is not that hard to turn into a habit, but it may require you to slow your pace down for a few runs or during spin class in order to master the technique.  Most people will notice a lower heart rate since they're able to get more oxygen in and more importantly, push all the carbon dioxide out of their bodies.  You might notice that you will naturally drop to a 2:1 ratio when you are really pushing it to the finish and that's fine...but it is difficult to maintain a pace that requires you to breathe at a 2:1 ratio. The CO2 in your body will increase if your breathing patterns are short and hurried. This will increase your heart rate and lactic acid production, and decrease your endurance in any cardiovascular event whether you're running, swimming, biking, etc.  I hope this helps!    

Lollygagging

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  Webster’s Dictionary defines lollygagging as dawdling.  When the Blue Sapphire caught some of us dawdling today she called us out on it.  Now I am not about to claim: It wasn’t me, because when we spin together we are in a sense a collective and we are all in spin class as one even though it is an individual effort.  We are a team for three  reasons:  First we have for various reasons chosen this time to be in her class and if we are not first timers we all know what is expected of us from a professional like Carolyn. Secondly the energy in the studio is vital to each and every one of us. When it’s high we can all feel it and feed off it. When it’s low the same holds true because our collective effort suffers.  And thirdly Carolyn is pouring her blood sweat and tears into the class by doing what she is asking of us.  How can we let her and ourselves down as well?  That’s why it’s a team and we have to all pull together. 
  
  
  Are you buying into this?  My guess is yes because in a club like Equinox our time is valuable and we are not going to waste it on lollygagging. 
  
  
  The Blue Sapphire had me so focused on my breathing Thursday night and for the first time most of the hour I was breathing through my nose instead of my mouth.  Carolyn had explained to me that when we take air in via the mouth it’s CO2 we are breathing as opposed to Oxygen when we take air through our nose. I can’t say it was easy because I was suffering from the belief that I could get more air via mouth breathing but I was wrong and I have to tell you that I was less fatigued and my pedal stroke was more powerful.  I may have been hallucinating I will let you know if it works a second time.
  
  
  Carolyn likes to use the word “Beautiful” and it is her that is.  I love coming to her class and I love writing about her.  

Sunday Hazing

To a packed house The Blue Sapphire pumped out a rhythm that had us all relative strangers in synchronous pedal stroke up and down the steepest of ladders.  Her chant:  “How are you Sunday” had us responding in unison in exasperated breath.  

The art of spinning is starting to come together for me. Four months in has me comfortable in the uncomfortable zone and balancing speed, cadence and resistance like bacon and eggs and toast.  I am even starting to feel graceful in and out of the seat too. Thanks to Carolyn and her “Fine China” metaphor I am placing my derriere in the saddle rather than slamming back down after a strong effort in #3. 

A Memorial Day weekend treat was having Carolyn leading us today. And from the back in #38 I must say fellow riders we did look good.  A familiar face in Debbie to my right with her carved features showed me she was leaving nothing for tomorrow and that was incentive enough for me to empty my tank just in time for “Mea Culpa”. 

The Blue Sapphire is as cute as a lamb but whoever heard of a killer lamb?  They just invented it and they call her Carolyn Mellace.

The Lamb Leads Us to Slaughter

The Blue Sapphire had my legs on fire this Thursday night. The resistance dial seemed to be moving to the right by voice command giving me the workout of the year. 

 I say to myself how can a woman so small in stature command such a presence in the CS the way she does.  It’s not just her fitness or even her perfect physiology it’s something else.  Might it be her relentlessness in going after what she demands of us?  That is certainly possible but what about her delivery? She has a way of making torture feel like it’s right and proper and not outside the laws of humanity.  This must be it I thought because ultimately it’s our choice to be here and be with The Blue Sapphire. 

She has her own haunting way about her as well.  Her smile is captivating and when you see the whites of her eyes you just want to perform at a higher level.  When she rocks from side to side pounding the pedals we all know that Carolyn is doing the same thing she is asking of us.  Effort comes natural to her and it makes perfect sense to me to follow her lead.  Tonight especially had me focused on pedal speed something, which I now know, can bring me to breathless and increase my level of fitness as well. I had thought it was solely the resistance that would get me to succeed at spin and because of Carolyn I am learning that both speed and resistance compliment each other.

Sunday is coming up fast my friends and who better to spend part of our Memorial Day Weekend with than The Blue Sapphire. 

Thursday Night With The Blue Sapphire

Relax it's not Thursday Night Yet!

A Little Bit About The Blue Sapphire

As if you didn't know already.

About Carolyn:  Carolyn is a certified cycling instructor and also teaches interval training at Equinox.  She is a yoga practitioner and has taught classes in Bosu, Urban Rebounding, Weight Training, Boot Camp and Step Aerobics in her 20-year span in the fitness industry.  Carolyn’s engaging and unique style has brought her a huge fan base.    She is part time at Equinox as she maintains a full time career in the Pharmaceutical Industry. 

There are many things that strike you when you see this diminutive figure of power.  She has a lithe form that belies her endless endurance and strength. She moves with grace and speed. And when she flashes her smile and winks blue, you can almost feel her hand on your shoulder guiding you through the most challenging parts of her ride.  I feel lucky to have discovered her through Kristen and I know that Peter wishes she were here more than two days a week.  She teaches Interval Training and Spin classes on Sunday mornings as well as a Spin class at 6 PM on Thursday evenings. I call her The Blue Sapphire you’ll call her Sensational.  You can follow her exploits right here.