Foxwoods Day 1: Recumbent rant

Greetings from the MGM Foxwoods in scenic Mashantucket, Connecticut. And when I say scenic, I mean scenic. There casinos stick out from the trees like giant shiny fingers reaching to the sky from a base of green. There are few roads, and the natural beauty provides a stunning contrast to the glitz and glamor inside the casinos of the 2 resorts (Foxwoods and MGM). Looking out our window from the 21st floor, it's amazing to see such an even mix of coniferous and broadleaf trees. It makes me consider running outside tomorrow, and definitely makes me wish I'd brought my bike.

Speaking of bikes, I awoke at 7 am after a long night restful night in a slightly too soft hotel bed wide awake and ready to get some work in. The gym here is very nice, lots of treadmills and ellipticals, but only 2 bikes. When Dan got into town yesterday, we walked several miles to show him the sights of Boston, and then of course walked all over the casinos. (Foxwoods is the largest casino floor in the world, and we're in other hotel, so it's a good walk). Needless to say, I wasn't in the mood to spend any time on the treadmill this morning.

One of my biggest pet peeves about gyms are recumbent bicycles. I recognize that there are people that ride them on the streets for various reasons, and many folks ride them in gyms because they are far easier to read a book on while riding. Personally, I can't stand them. I don't know if it's my pedal stroke, the discomfort I feel from the strange riding position, or the fact that you have to reach so far forward to adjust the controls; but the fact of the matter is I don't really enjoy riding them.

Never the less, with the regular bike full, and the treadmills looking less than inviting, I got on the recumbent and started pedaling. It's been a few days since I've ridden, and I wanted to work hard but quick. So I decided to do 10 miles and shoot for 40 minutes. A good pace, but one for sure I should be able to sustain. I chose a gearing that let me keep a very high cadence (105 -110 RPM) because I wanted this to be a workout that would really push me.

The exercise equipment here is really top notch. They machines all have pace and distance readouts, but you can also pick one of 3 different terrains, and actually see the distance accumulate along a path. I like this a lot better than some of the machines at BU. TV's are built right into the computer on the bike, and the gym provides complimentary earphones to use with the machines. The extra amenities were a nice touch, and probably helped me to a better ride, but seriously, I still dislike recumbents.

Thankfully, the guy on the regular bike finished his ride just as I reached the 6 mile mark, so I hopped off the 'bent and rode the regular cycle the rest of the way. The bikes were right next to each other so I was back pedaling inside 30 seconds from getting off the 'bent. Total for the ride was 10 miles in 32:30. Exercycles are of course easier than a regular ride outdoors on a real bike, but if I can come anywhere near that time during the Season Opener, I'll be thrilled.

Now let's see if I can eat the right way the rest of the day while playing cards and winning money.