Frustrated? Go Front Row

I’m not going to go into the details of my day. Ali on the Run is a happy place, and today frustrated the heck out of me.

That being said, there were two things that got me out of my funk (aside from my cheery pink skirt).

First, I did what most people probably say you shouldn’t do: I marched downstairs to the local Duane Reade and bought some dark chocolate covered almonds. Some people say it’s best not to turn to sweets and to avoid emotional eating.

I am not one of those people. I wanted something sweet, and that’s what I got. And it was lovely.

Phase 1 complete.

For Phase 2: I went to the gym. Is anyone really surprised by that?

I wanted to sweat out my anger and spinning is one of the best ways to do that. When I run, I feel at peace. When I spin, I feel aggressive.

Before class, I spent 30 minutes doing various strength training activities. Tonight’s random routine included:

• 20 alternating bicep curls with 12.5 lb. weights in each hand (I should have done more, but I got bored really quickly)
• 25 tricep presses with a 12.5 lb. weight (Again, I got bored fast)
• Two 2-minute planks
• One 1-minute side plank on each side (Yay!)
• 100 tricep dips (In increments of 40, 30, 20 and 10)
• 25 incline push-ups
• Foam rolling for my quads and IT bands

Lately I’ve been settling comfortable at a nice bike in the second row of class. But today? That wasn’t enough.

Front row seat, please.

I saddled up — quite literally — got my feet locked in and spun my brains out. There was a sub in tonight’s class and he was shockingly awesome. Usually I’m not a fan of subs because they always seem timid, uncomfortable and unfamiliar.

But tonight, “John” (if I’m remembering his name correctly — I hope I am) knew exactly what to do to get me in my groove.

First of all, we warmed up to Britney Spears. Hell yeah.

His other tunes included some pop-heavy favorites such as the Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry and my new favorite, “S&M” by Rihanna.

Also, the sub didn’t know how to turn the air conditioning on, so I was melting for the first 15 minutes. Thank goodness someone asked him to turn it on, because I was nearing pass-out territory!

By the end of class, my worries from the day weren’t necessarily gone, but I definitely got them off my mind for that 45-minute period. Spinning was a wonderful distraction, and the motivation of sitting in the front row, at the head of the class and in direct eye-shot of the instructor, gave me an extra push.

Oh, and Phase 3: A repeat of last night’s dinner of grilled cheese and soup with a side of cantaloupe.

TELL ME: Do you have a method for getting yourself out of a funk? Most of us enjoy exercise, I know. So tell me what you do beyond working out that perks you up. Please.