Hi.  My name is Mark, and I’m Deconditioned.

“hi mark!”

About 15 years ago I was actually in non-horrible shape.  I lived right next to a 50 mile rail-trail in Northern Virginia, rode most weekends, and bike-commuted occasionally.  Then I  changed jobs and stopped commuting.  The work got crazy and I rode less.

After moving  to Western PA some years ago, I stopped riding altogether. Between the hills killing me, and the inconvenience of attaching the bike rack to the car and packing up the bikes  to go to a rail trail, it just wasn’t worth it.  15 years and 50 pounds later.  I was growing out of my 38″ waistband pants.  Clothes just weren’t fitting any more.  Woof.

Now that we have a vehicle that can easily hold two bikes inside (a Honda Element  – we really like it),  I  decided that this would be the year of getting back on the bike.  My wife Sharlotte’s bike did not fit her well, so I said “find a bike that fits and we’ll get it for you”.  In the course of researching a new bike, she stumbled across this “Global Ride” website.  Hey!  Lower Burrell – That’s close!  After poking around the site a bit, we decided to take a Yoga class to check the place out.  We’d always wanted to try Yoga, but it’s hard getting started with just books and video tapes.

We showed up on a Saturday morning in mid-April.  Before the class, Gino gave us a tour of Global Ride.  We were impressed.  An indoor facility geared for “real bikers”, and not a bunch of yuppies clad in spandex doing aerobics. We’re also Mac people, and  all of the Macs sitting around were comforting.

I wouldn’t say that first class was a disaster. Kelly was so very patient with this new blob that showed up  for Yoga One in the Sun.  I was actually able to hold many of the poses for a short period of time.  But some of the balance-related things just didn’t happen.  Tree pose.  Oy!  I was sore for days afterwards.  Luckily my sister, who has done the Yoga thing for years, said that was OK, and would soon pass.  She was right.

That next Monday we showed up for one of Gino’s Acclimation classes.  I had heard about spinning and indoor cycling, and the usual mass-media stuff looked and sounded kind of bizarre.  I was nervous.  We got there early and went upstairs to the studio to be fit for the bikes.  I was impressed when the leg angle gauge and the plumb-bob came out.  “These guys know what they’re doing.”  I strapped down the toe-clips and started spinning.

It was so much fun.  I liked riding outside.  The indoor experience, while not identical to the outdoor experience, was close enough to make me remember 20-30 mile trips up and down the W&OD trail in Virginia.  Plus it was nice not having to worry about sunburn, headwind, or bugs.

I think we started with a cadence drill.  I can do cadence.  I’ve always spun the cranks quickly.  Then partway through we had our first “standing song.”  I couldn’t do it.  I couldn’t find the right resistance to counterbalance my weight.  My muscles couldn’t hold me up for more than five seconds.  Gino was also so very patient with this new blob.  I was totally done after 20 minutes. And I hurt afterwards.

But I also felt good afterwards.  It was weird.

The first rule when doing anything important is “Show Up.”

The second rule is, “Come Back.”  Seems simple enough.

So I came back.  And came back.  We took classes from other instructors.  Tried Pilates.  Tried the core strength class.  What was amazing is that all of the instructors were kind, patient, and helped guide me through the work and do what I could.

The third rule is, “It’s just work.”

Playing a musical instrument well takes a lot of work.  You’ve gotta learn your scales and arpeggios.  Programming a computer well takes a lot of work.  (I’m a professional programmer).  Gotta learn your data structures. There’s no reason why losing weight and getting to a reasonable level of fitness won’t involve a lot of work.  There’s no reason why getting ready for a 40 mile MS ride won’t involve a lot of work.  It took 15 years of concentrated deconditioning to get to this point, so it’s crazy to expect it to all go away in a month.

At the time we joined Global Ride, Gino, Nina, and Jennifer were just about to go to Italy for the Giretto.  It was mind-blowing that a guy in his 50’s, with two artificial hips, was about to do 415 miles of climbing in Italy.  That’s quite the inspiration.

Now, four and a half months later, I’m down 12 pounds.  I can stand for every standing song in a class.  I’ve taken a 50 minute Gino “Strength” class and lived to talk about it.  Shoot, I’ve done back-to-back  classes with Bill.  I can ride rail trails for 20 miles.  I am shocked and amazed at the progress.  This is with 3-4-5 indoor biking classes a week, along with a weekly Yoga class.

OK, so how did I really do it?  What’s the trick?  A lot of work!  But along the way I learned to use a lot of new tools that helped out, and focused my effort, to get to where I want to go more quickly.  And I’ll start talking about them next time.  Stay tuned.

Hi. Jeff here. Of course, I’m usually the one here – but I’m calling myself out for this post so you don’t get a false impression of someone else’s lifestyle. Anywho, this post is about a lot of things. It’s about the mission of Global Ride and our virtual spin DVDs. It’s about motivation and exercise. It’s about technology, the future, and how they relate to everyday sports and fitness. And finally, it is to bring that all together. At least I hope that’s what it’s all about when I’m done writing it.

If you’ve ever read this now rarely-updated blog, you know that I was a person that never exercised for any reason. In fact, I’m probably still that person, but because Gene and Lorraine are nice enough to let me Spin for free before my work day, I can’t pass up the offer. That and if I were to stop doing it, Gene would no doubt cast a stank eye in my direction for quite a while (and his stank eye is staaaaanky – it often comes out when he’s on hold with FedEx). But that’s not the point – the point is, I have always hated working out with the fire of a thousand suns. I’d rather be beaten in the eyebrows with bamboo reeds than lift weights. Running makes me wish for the cool hand of death to give me a firm high-five. And yoga? Well, I’m as flexible as the Statue of Liberty. But now, things have changed. Since becoming involved with Global Ride and our video projects, I’ve been given a means to tolerate exercise… and sometimes, dare I say with ample hesitation, even enjoy it.

I’m also a geeky computer person. Thick plastic glasses and all. But guess what! Sports are slowly but surely being tailored to me. Technology is getting involved. Sports and exercise are evolving. I’m not the only one put off by all forms of physical activity – that’s why we’re known as a country full of fat, out of shape people that are ironically obsessed with all things healthy. Nobody wants to do this crap. But the fancy high-paid geeky computer people in science labs are working to bring technology into fitness, making me happy and giving me a chance at exercise. It’ll make things more enjoyable, more interactive, and more, well, virtual – as if fitness is a game!

Don’t know what I’m talking about? Check out this website, which is full of articles about technolifying sports and exercise. I just coined that word, by the way. Don’t use it. If you do, royalties can be sent to my paypal account.

From virtual bikes to digital track and field, virtual soccer, Wii fitness and virtual handball, we’re all going to be buffer than Jean Claude Van Damme in a few years, and we’re going to have fun and score points getting that way. It’s all coming together. Excuses to not exercise are disappearing, so you might as well get on board – or get more clever with your reasons to keep slacking off. Lord knows I’ll try my best to come up with some.

So how’s this connect to Global Ride? Well, kiddo, while we might not be strapping a set of virtual reality goggles to your face and sending your conscious mind into a digitized land of athletic splendor, we’re taking technology and applying it to exercise in an accessible, realistic way for today’s average person. We can get you on a bike, burning hundreds of calories an hour, and make it seem less like work and more like fun because you aren’t staring at the wall, a sweaty butt, or a clock. You’re in Hawaii. You’re in Italy. You’re journeying through exotic locations that you’ve probably never been to in real life. Your mind is in a more comfortable place, distracted, but focused on the ride and the adventure. It’s entry-level virtual reality that anyone can understand, use, and benefit from. It’s one step towards the eventual full-blown fusion of sports and technology, and we’re happy to be on the cusp of that movement. We want to combine the indoor and outdoor worlds of cycling, convincing each group that the other has its benefits, and we want to do so by creating the best product in a blooming field.

It’s all doing its best to convince me. And trust me, the fact that it’s even remotely close means it’s worth trying.

Now all we need is you. I’ll end with a plug: Buy a DVD, punk.