Riding the Rhythm
As I clipped my shoes into the bike, the dark, barely lit room filled with a sense of excitement. Slowly, others started to file in as we prepared to go on a 45-minute grueling journey of a fusion of intensive cardio and immersive rhythm.
Trying new spin studios is my forte, but this experience was different. In the room you saw sleek bikes neatly spaced in rows. Maddie, the instructor with bright blonde hair and a plum-colored matching set on, walked into the thumping beats of electronic music, setting the stage for an exhilarating class. Her enthusiasm fills the space as she says, “We do choreo, we do fast, slow, all of the jazz. If it doesn’t feel good, don’t do it,” Emphasizing the need to listen to your own body.
As a remix of “The Box” by Roddy Ricch fills the room, a rush of serotonin passes through my body, a feeling I love to chase. Making eye contact with myself in the mirror, I let the dark powerful room motivate me as I hear Maddie say, “Start to let it melt away, allow yourself to find your breath, find your space.”
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All you hear is the huffing and puffing of 30 people moving in sync. The lights beam into my eyes as I find my rhythm, the illuminated room allowing me to melt away and focus on my purpose of becoming a stronger me. As I find myself pedaling, I feel my blood pumping with every dig of my foot, traveling and racing to an unknown destination on my stationary bike. This group of strangers looked perfectly choreographed as if we practiced a million times.
The music morphed, shifting between tempos and genres, as David Guetta’s “Crank It Up” comes blaring through the speakers, guiding us through the peaks and valleys of extreme effort. The room dances, alive with every “right, left” we hit in unison. The synchronization electrifies us, the world doesn’t exist for a moment.
The room fills with the stench of sweat as we struggle to keep up with Maddie, who makes this seem easy.The front row, filled with the stars of the show, push themselves as they fall into a chorus. Those who doubt their capabilities lurk in the shadows and the depths of darkness.Regardless, the room filled with the desire to cross the finish line. We embrace the sweat that drips off of us. Towels swing in the air as the final song “Where You Are” by John Summit plays. My eyes close as I hear “Allow yourself to connect with your breath, allow yourself to be present, connect with your movement and your body.”
As Maddie cheers us on, we run it home in this sticky room while hitting every lean and sway. The lyrics pulse through our bodies. We close in on this journey. Suddenly, the group is one.
