Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Smoothie Spinning

This morning after posting, I headed to the gym for a 45 minute spin class. I usually have school during that time, but since I morning class was cancelled I decided to try out a new instructor.

The class was really different from the others I've taken- we completed 3 sets of 3 minute intervals with 1 minute rests in between, in the aerodynamic, standing and seated positions. Each set began with a moderate exertion, then progressed to intense, and ended in all-out effort. The instructor was really informative in that he explained precisely what muscles we were using, and why we were completing the intervals as we were. It was a break from the usual dance club atmosphere of spin class, but I really enjoyed it!

During class, I tested out my new cycling shoes. Last week I went to Sid's in Chelsea and simply asked for the cheapest, most basic shoe. The guy there was really helpful, and I ended up getting the Body Geometry Specialized Riata women's shoe:


It took me a minute to figure out how to clip in and out, but once I did it was instantly easy. I did notice a difference in the ride- it's way easier to pedal harder and faster when your feet are actually attached to the pedals. Worth the investment, I think!

* * * 

There's a snack bar with smoothies in my gym, and when I saw someone walking out with a chocolate one I immediately knew what I wanted for lunch!


I combined:
 - carton of Silk chocolate soy milk (I got two at the expo on Saturday)
 - large banana, broken into chunks
 - 1/4 c Trader Joe's peanut flour
 - large handful of spinach
 - whopping spoonful (about 2T) of creamy peanut butter
 - spoonful of Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder
 - pinch of xanthan gum

The xanthan gum made this uber thick, and the cocoa powder made it super chocolatey. Plus, the combination of peanut flour and peanut butter gave it a slight peanutty taste- delicious.


Along with my smoothie, I also had a gala apple for crunch.


I'm pumped for an easy afternoon of classes- one of my professors is traveling, so we're watching a movie. I've had such a light work week! Hope you're having a great day!

What's the last piece of fitness equipment/gear you invested in? Was it worth it?