bike shorts

in my never-ending quest to find non-boring alternatives to running, i tried a spinning class last wednesday. it was actually pretty intense, so i'm going back tonight. it's a popular class, apparently, because a bunch of people got turned away right before the start. but not me, because i was there about an hour early like the loser i am.

anyway, i learned two very important things in that class: first, since the bikes are manually controlled by the rider, it's possible to "cheat" and not have to work as hard; second, contrary to my initial assumption, bike shorts are not just a fashion accessory. all i can say is, wow - i really felt bad for the dudes in the class who thought they were too cool to show off their packages and instead opted for the more stylish (but far, far less comfortable) baggy gym attire.

of course, this being boulder, there weren't too many people lacking this all-important article of clothing. most people were rocking what looked like the most expensive brand-name spandex ever. except for me, obviously, because i just randomly decided to take the class at the last minute. so this week i went out and bought some bike shorts (not the wicked expensive kind). they basically look like spandex shorts with a diaper wedged in the crotchal area. needless to say, i. cannot. wait. to. wear. them.

update: i was just asked by my astute friend katie why in the world i had never tried a spinning class before last week. answer: it was deemed (by me) to be "too 90's" and otherwise "uncool." and it still is. it's just that now i don't care, because let's be honest: if i'm willing to strap on a waist float and flippers and pretend to "run" in a public pool, then i'm definitely not too cool to take a spinning class. i draw the line at jazzercise, however.