By Audrey Davis, News Editor
I arrive at the Rec Center around 8:50 p.m. -- about 10 minutes before the Spin-In Movie with the Crawfords begins. I wanted to get here early in hopes of claiming a spot. I had shamefully been waitlisted.
I walk into the Rec Center Forum and make my way to the very back where a large projector screen shows the DVD menu of "McFarland USA." In front of the screen, students sit on stationary bikes, waiting to be told what to do next.
I check in at the front table and am told that those of us who are waitlisted will have to wait on the bleachers behind the bikes until 9:15.
I chat with a few of my friends and watch their smiles turn to confusion when I say I've never been to the Rec to actually work out before.
My friend, Lucy, promises to save me a spot by her, but for now, I wait alone on the bleachers.
The Crawfords mingle and take pictures with students before the start of the event. They look like proud parents at a sporting event, decked out in their comfiest Miami gear.
Greg wears a red Miami hat, a grey Miami sweatshirt and tight black joggers. Renate dons a red Miami shirt with the logo of the event on the back that will soon be handed out to all of the participants.
Renate introduces the event and thanks everyone for coming.
"You guys don't have to go super fast, you just have to beat Greg!" she says.
Everyone laughs while Greg just shakes his head.
One of the instructors takes Renate's place up front and give some tips for the evening: pace yourself, drink lots of water, take breaks to stretch.
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Greg takes his place on a bike in the front row. Renate finds a spot in the middle of a group of girls near the back. Greg looks back at her and smiles.
A few kids next to me on the bleachers giggle to each other.
"Did you see that? They just waved to each other!"
A guy walks by the bleachers to find a bike. He looks at the waitlisters and laughs.
"Did you all get rejected?"
I blush and nod, yes.
"I feel like a reject now," someone next to me says, "Trash. B-list. JV team."
My name is the first of the waitlisters to be called over the speakers. I feel everyone's eyes on me as I walk to the empty bike in the very first row next to Lucy.
I climb up on my bike and struggle to get the pedals to move. Eventually, I find my rhythm.
After only five minutes of pedaling, my thighs start to burn and my butt is sore. Only 1 hour and 40 minutes to go.
Greg gets off his bike and winds through the rows of people, taking pictures as he goes. He walks over to Lucy and me and points his phone at us. I don't know if I should smile or look like I'm working hard. Before I can decide, he moves on to another group.
The instructor tells everyone to try standing up and grabbing on to third position. I have no clue what third position is, but I stand up and try to see what everyone else is doing. Instantly, the burning in my thighs intensifies, and for the first time, I realize just how out of shape I am.
I try to slow my pedaling, but my foot slips, and I narrowly save myself from a wipeout ... on a stationary bike.
I sit back down to relieve the burning even though I stick out in the sea of people who are still standing. I vow to never stand up again.
Renate walks through the bikes carrying water bottles.
"Is everyone drinking water? I don't want anyone to pass out!"
She sees that I'm without one, so she drops a bottle off at my bike. I'm grateful. I forgot to grab one at the beginning, and I didn't want to leave my bike and risk walking past everyone again.
Greg walks by to take selfies. I ask him for a picture, and he stands next my bike and flashes a big smile before heading to the next person. I check the picture, thinking it's going to be great. But it's blurry. I screwed up my one chance to get a cool picture with Miami's president.
When Greg gets back on his bike, I notice that he's still wearing the heavy grey sweatshirt. I don't understand. I feel like I'm dying of heat in a tank top.
An hour passes filled with mindless pedaling. The movie acts as a perfect distractor to make me forget how much pain I'm in.
Greg comes over and taps my water bottle.
"Drink, drink, drink!" he says.
By 10:30, only half of the people who started are still here. Those of us who remain have slowed in pace and are staring at the projector screen.
I'm starting to feel exhausted. It's past my bedtime. Well, past the time I like to lay in bed and do nothing.
From what I can tell, the movie is about a group of Latino teenagers and a coach who forms a cross country team from scratch. At the end of the movie, the team competes in the California State Cross Country Meet, and I notice my pace picking up to match the intensity of their steps. I see others unconsciously speeding up too.
The movie ends a little after 11, and everyone around me claps and smiles. It's super cheesy, but I clap along too.
By 11:06, the movie ends. I get off my bike and mentally prepare myself for how sore I'm going to feel in the morning.
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