Will The Real Amy Stand Up?

I've got my groove back on, that's for sure! I've been up at 4:45 every day this week to exercise, a feat that I only dreamed about just 6 months ago. It's important to me but I have to be in the right mindset for it. And now I am. I think it's the impending triathlon season that's got me motivated.

I don't want to suck. And clearly right now, I do.

I haven't been to a spin class at the rec center in a couple of years and I recall back then I was going to the Friday morning class. For those of you not up on "spin" terminology, that's "cycle class" in a dark room, set to really fast and loud music designed to bring on a stroke. It's effective. It's a great heart-busting class.

So I show up about 3 minutes early for the class and wasn't I surprised to see that the entire class was full! Last time I was came, there was only about 5 people in the class that holds 17 bikes.

When you first get to the rec center, like most spin classes, you have to sign up and I haven't yet figured out why you have to do that for this one class - why not a step class? So there was one last spot on the sign-up sheet so I signed up and then proceeded up to the class. I get in there and it's already dark and people are getting warmed up. I start looking for my bike...and there is none which means 1 of 2 things. 1: someone is there who didn't sign up (most likely) or 2: a bike is broken and they didn't tell the front desk.

I go back downstairs and the girl at the desk tells me that if I'd like I can take the roll up to the instructor and have her find out who didn't sign up and I could take the place. Keep in mind it's 5:15 AM. I got up FOR THIS CLASS. I grabbed the roll and started hiking up there because I was mad! I did the right thing and am now being screwed out of what is rightfully mine! I paused though imagining myself going through with what I was about to do:

The room is dark, the music loud. The instructor looks at me and realizes I want to talk. She stops biking and ushers the class to continue on. But she can't hear me! She takes off her headset and turns down the music in the room. All of the class people look at me with irritation. I give her the roll. She starts calling out names like we're in kindergarten. Someone says they didn't sign up. They collect their things. They say they forgot to sign up this time and are sorry. They leave. I walk, trying to keep my head erect over to the bike and get on feeling the whole time like a big heel. The girl obviously got there before me.

The indignant side of me says: "But you have a RIGHT!"

The "new" me who I didn't know was in existence says, "It's okay. Don't make a scene. That person will figure out eventually that they have to sign up. You can always come next time."

Wait. Where did that person come from? It's not like me not to cause a scene when one becomes available!

I'm rather proud of myself today. I deserve chocolate.

p.s. I didn't come home and go back to bed.