I’ve been on this health kick for a bit over a year now. I do enjoy working out now, but still, there are only so many times a girl can hop on the eilliptical/Stairmaster/bike/AMT trainer without getting bored.

That’s a big reason why I started running. I could get outside, I could challenge myself in races of all different lengths. But I don’t want to run too much either, because I don’t want any overuse injuries.

So when I got a free pass to Soul Cycle in my Winter Ball goodie bag, I was psyched to try it out. I’d read about it on Mary’s blog, and I was both intrigued and intimidated. But it was free, so it was worth a try.

There’s spin, and then there’s Soul Cycle.

It’s billed as a full-body workout, and it definitely lived up to that.

They gave me rental spin shoes to use on the bike (it’s not an option), and the spin shoes definitely make a difference. I have spin shoes in my closet that I’ve never used, and I’m definitely thinking of finding some clips and busting out my shoes the next time I take a spin class. The shoes definitely enhance the experience, helping you focus on the up-and-down motion on the bike without worrying about keeping your feet in the pedals.

I went to the 7:30 class at their UES location with Kalla, and it was all kinds of awesome. The music was a bit too R&B for me, but it was otherwise amazing. She had us shaking our moneymakers from side-to-side when we were in third position and doing a butt bump backwards when we were doing our jumps — it felt like I was totally rocking out on the bike. Towards the end, she had us pick up one-pound weights and do a bunch of arm exercises – bicep curls, tricep extensions, shoulder presses. By the end, I was absolutely drenched in sweat – and I am not usually a very sweaty person, even when I’ve completely kicked my own ass.

But at $32 per class, it’s not cheap. At all. (Maybe that’s why I hadn’t tried it before!) I’d do it every once in a while to really mix things up, but I don’t see it becoming a part of my regular routine. I hear there’s an all-Madonna class; THAT, I would definitely try!