Thanks Mike

So, Mike Hemme of Killjoy hooked-up me, Helge, and Jason with free passes to Crunch Gym at North & Sheffield for a rousing spin session. Normally, I'm out on the road on Sundays, but with a high temperature of only 5 degrees and a brutal wind from the NW, my time outside today was measured in only seconds. The idea of riding my bike out in such cold wasn't really all that appealing, so when Mike arranged for a workout in a warm gym, I couldn't say no.

It's been a long time since I've done a spin workout and I've totally forgotten how hard they can be. The instructor expected more out of the four of us than most of the other classmates – more than once, she walked over to our machines and cranked the resistance knob a few more turns, saying something akin to "You guys can do better than this. PUMP THOSE LEGS! C'MON PUMP IT UP!" I was scared that I'd pump my legs so hard that I'd burst something.

But pump I did – I was covered in sweat and pretty proud of it. After the class, us four watched the 2005 Paris-Roubaix DVD, and spun out the legs. After showering, we were given the pitch from the Crunch membership squad, and then made plans to go for post-ride grub at Pho 777 on Argyle. Lunch was great – I had a spring roll, some tofu vegetable medley, and an iced coffee with condensed milk. Helge then persuaded us to walk down the block to a Vietnamese bakery where we gawked at strange baked goods including foamy cakes, little pastries covered in goo, and pork cookies. Yes, pork cookies. Mike bought one – I fully expect him to give his full report somewhere on his blog. I ended up with a walnut cookie (good), bean curd cake (even better), and a coconut 'long' cake (ehhh), and a pulled-pork bun for Allison, 'cause she was home doing laundry and grumpily at that. Total spent for the pastries was $3.95. That's value.