Absolutely NOTHING.

Oh wait, that’s not how those click bait things are supposed to go, are they?

I’m clearly messing this up already.

Let’s try this again. My Peloton Bike arrived a week ago today, January 8th, 2020.

I’ve been dreaming of this for awhile now but the reality set in on Christmas when my husband gifted me the bike. Actually, he gifted me a Peloton hat and water bottle with the promise that the bike would arrive a few weeks later.

A few things to note:

1. I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve gone to a cycling class.
2. Actually, I might be able to count on one finger the amount of times I went to a class.
3. I am beyond a newbie when it comes to this.

I’m also an adrenaline junkie and looking to change up my routine. If you don’t keep track of my every move, I lift weights, I run, and within the past year, I took up hiking.

Additionally, I get nervous about new things because I’m crazy clumsy and always factor that in to my decision-making but eventually curiosity gets the best of me.

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING DELIVERY

We had a great team arrive with my bike, ready to set it up. They gave us a time window of 4-6 and called around 3:30 asking if we were home to receive the delivery.

People, I love punctuality. And in this case, I was on pins and needles WAITING for this delivery so I was even more excited that it was arriving a few minutes early!

The duo quickly set up my bike in the space we’d chosen for it and then gave me a tutorial on adjusting the height and location of the seat and showed me how to set up my profile (um, I might have already done this on the app because I’m a planner).

They made sure I knew how to get on and off the bike, clip my shoes into the pedals, and answered all the questions that I had regarding maintenance and general care.

NOW WHAT?

Remember, I’m brand spanking new to my brand new bike. I was slightly intimidated. But curious. And since I was already on the bike, there was no time like the present to do my first ride.

There are over 240 classes in the Beginner category and based off friends suggestions, I went with the 20 min Beginner Ride with Cody Rigsby for my first ever Peloton bike experience.

It was a blast! I was talking back to my BFF Cody (it was a recorded class) and getting a feel for what it’s all about. My actual BFF, my husband, stood there shaking his head at me the entire 20 minutes and so he didn’t feel bored I had him get me water. And then a few minutes later, a hat.

Before the bike arrived he said he had no interest in using it but I could tell during that first 20 minutes of riding, he’s already considering it.

My second ride was the next day, another 20 minute Beginner Ride with Olivia Amato. I’ve heard of everyone’s favorite instructors and my friends all have differing opinions of who they love the best, so my goal for the first month is trying them all.

A friend and I discussed doing a live class together because we didn’t want to be “alone” during our first go. We landed on a 30 min 80s Ride with Leanne Hainsby which was so much fun. I loved Leanne’s energy and her song choices were so much fun. What can I say, I’m an 80s kid, through and through.

THE PELOTON APP

In addition to the rides on the bike, I’ve been making great use of the Peloton App. With it, I’ve done a couple of Fun Walks on my treadmill (I have an adapter so I’m able to see the videos on my television set up). When they say “Fun”, they mean it!

I needed a rest day on Monday with no cardio whatsoever so I tapped into 10 min Restorative Yoga with Aditi Shah and it was incredible. While I’m checking out all of the instructors for the bike, I’ve been drawn to Aditi for mediation and yoga.

My kiddo and I did her 5 minute Sleep Meditation and Sonya and I took a break from non-profit work to do Zen in Ten.

I believe the app has a month free trial and then run $20 a month. If this is something you’ll use on a daily basis, I highly recommend it!

FINAL FIRST THOUGHTS

It’s only been a week but I’ve been on the bike 6 out of 7 days! There are thousands of workouts to choose from and I have a list a mile long of ones that I want to do so I don’t think that I’ll be getting bored any time soon.

It’s challenging but you’re able to listen to your own body too. There are times when the instructors suggest a certain resistance and I try to follow their instructions and quickly regret that decision. So I do what I am feeling but I love that I can always push myself a little bit harder.

The metrics that are on the screen help put a numerical value on what you’re doing AKA a ranking. There’s a competitive aspect to it, if you want there to be. You are able to see others who are riding with you and where you land among them.

That’s not what I’m about though and it’s never has been what I’m about. As we were all saying a few years ago, YOU DO YOU.

It’s convenient. I belong to a gym but that’s mainly for weight training and HIIT. I like not having to think all the time when it comes to exercising. My mind races throughout the rest of the day so it’s always nice when I’m exercising to push myself and just listen to someone else tell me what I’m doing.

My biggest challenge? There are two.

1. Getting out of the pedals at the end of the ride. For the love of Pete, I wish I were joking about this but I’m not. Remember the aforementioned clumsiness? I was so sure I was alone in this struggle but my Instagram buddies assured me that I’m not and that it will become more second-nature as time goes on. Yesterday I was able to do it and nearly threw myself a party. Then I walked from the carpet to the tiled bathroom and nearly slipped on the floor in the dang shoes. *Puts away party hat.*
2. My tush hurts. Yeah, I said it. It does. I got a gel seat. I hope it helps.