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Peloton Diaries is a series where we feature Peloton Members who have written about a week of their life and the Peloton classes they took. If you would like to submit your own Peloton Diary for a chance at being featured, you may do so here.
About Me
My name: Grady L.
Find me on the Leaderboard: HTownGirlDad ??
I've been a Peloton Member since: 2019
I use the: Peloton Bike and App
My occupation: Stay-At-Home Dad
To introduce myself: I am a stay at home dad with two daughters, one aged 9 and one age 2. My wife is in the medical field and works longs hours some days, so each day is different and sometimes an adventure. I’ve found that clipping in on the bike (even still) takes a LOT of motivation for me. Some days I procrastinate so well I should get a medal for it! But really, I’m just a guy who wants to be around for his wife and kids as I can be. I ride for them. I love the cardio and heart health benefits I get from this bike, and I’ve found some outstanding communities/groups along the way. Outside of Peloton, I’m a music lover, former worship leader, and big-time dreamer. I am working on myself everyday, inside and out, and my Peloton Bike is a HUGE part of that process.
A recent fitness achievement I'm proud of: I recently hit 700 rides and I am currently (as of this writing) at ride number 716. I’m working towards ride 750 right now!
My most frequently taken class: Climb rides with Ben!
My advice to other Peloton Members: If I can do this, you can do this! I was afraid to even try before my first ride. I saw that bike sitting in the fitness center day after day, and eventually I decided that I had nothing to lose. My first ride was August 9th, and I put in over 100 rides on that bike at the fitness center. I got a bike at home on April 8th, 2020 and never looked back! Also, and this is hugely important, do not compare your numbers or results to others. Comparison is a thief of joy! Output results are a small part of the overall picture. If you have to, hide the leaderboard! If you don’t want to hide it, send lots of high fives! Peloton has lots of benefits, but it is also FUN! Never forget that we don’t have to ride or run, we GET to!
My Favorite...
Instructors: Ben Alldis and Alex Touissant
Recovery day class: If I do choose to do something other than totally rest, I will generally do a low impact ride.
Class playlist genre: This is a tough one. But...probably 90s Rock.
Post-workout snack: Probably a protein shake or something similar.
Time to work out: It varies because you know, well...having a toddler and such. But if I could choose, probably late afternoon.
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My Week
MONDAY
30 min Rock Ride with Ben Alldis
10 min Cool Down Ride with Ben Alldis
15 min Upper Body Strength with Ben Alldis
Today I took Ben's 30 min rock ride (on demand, as it happened at about 1:30am my time) and a 15 minute upper body strength class. This was a good day on the Bike, and I felt good afterwards. Sort of just a typical day in our world today!
TUESDAY
45 min Power Zone Ride with Matt Wilpers
I clipped in uncertain of what I wanted to do today. I have been trying to mix up my rides on the Bike a little more, and just get a little more variety. I am not ready to fully commit to a Power Zone challenge, but I do really like the endurance rides. So, I decided (after browsing the library) that I would give a 45 minute power zone ride a shot. After the 60 min PZE ride on Sunday, this was a good choice for me. I had no time for a proper warmup or cool down, but I did get a good 45 minute ride in, so I felt okay about that!
WEDNESDAY
30 min 2010s Ride with Ben Alldis
15 min HIIT Ride with Ben Alldis
5 min Cool Down Ride with Ben Alldis
There was a live ride with Ben Alldis today, and it was fantastic! Now, I will say that my toddler was not interested in me getting on the Bike initially. There was a mini-meltdown, a diaper change, and other various toddler shenanigans within about 5 minutes of start time. I hit start on time, clipped in late, and was distracted for most of this ride. BUT, I did what I could with the time I had, and was thankful to be on the Bike! The #BensArmy and I got together and we took the live 30 min 2010's ride (GREAT playlist!) and afterwards a few of us added on a 15 minute HIIT ride from the on-demand library. This ride was exactly what I needed, as I hit a new PR for 15 minutes! I ended this day with my favorite cool down. Many of us call it the Coldplay cool down as "Fix You" is the song for almost the entire 5 minutes. After that, this day on the Bike was done and dusted, as Leanne would say!
THURSDAY
30 min Power Zone Endurance Ride with Matt Wilpers
15 min Upper Body Strength with Ben Alldis
Today I did not have much time on the Bike, so I wanted to maximize it in the best way possible. After pushing so hard on Wednesday, I knew that I could NOT do that again. So, I opted for a 30 minute Power Zone Endurance ride with Matt Wilpers. Don't get me wrong, this was no walk in the park, that's for sure. I was putting my new zones from my most recent FTP test to work, and this ride definitely did the trick. After this ride I did a 15 minute strength workout, and that was that!
FRIDAY
Today was rest day! I glanced at my active days in the Peloton App, and saw that I had worked out pretty intensely for nine consecutive days. I tend to get carried away like this more often than not. With the community and the new rides it can be difficult to step away and take time to recover. But, rest is important!
SATURDAy
5 min Warm Up Ride with Ben Alldis
30 min Rock Ride with Ben Alldis
10 min Cool Down Ride with Ben Alldis
30 min Bon Jovi Ride with Sam Yo
Saturdays are always a fun day for me. I am in a Facebook group called Ben's Peloton Army (for Ben Alldis) and each Saturday we have a swarm ride. This week was a 5 min warmup, a 30 min rock ride, and 10 min cool down ride. We call it #SinkoSaturday (named after a couple of people in the group) and we always give out ALL the high fives. I have hit many PR's doing this, and it is so encouraging and motivating to have this to look forward to each week! After our swarm ride, I HAD to check out the Bon Jovi class with Sam Yo. It was great! This was my first ever class with Sam, and I had a blast. GREAT playlist on this one, definitely bookmarked for a repeat session!
SUNDAY
I had to rest today. I did NOT want to, but I think I pushed a little too hard yesterday, and I had some nagging pain in my hip that I have never gotten before. So, rest was a must, even though I just had a rest day Friday, if I don't listen to my body and rest today, I will almost certainly end up injured and that would be no good!
Peloton Diaries: Real weeks of workouts written by real Peloton Members.
My Active Retirement Includes Search-And-Rescue and Climbing Kilimanjaro—This Is A Week From My Peloton Routine: Peloton Member Don S, who served in the Canadian Military for 33 years and is now more active than ever, says: "I can say with certainty that Peloton will be my training partner for many years to come and will be pivotal to helping me to achieve my fitness goals."
I'm A Mom Getting Stronger on the Tread, while Cross-Training on the Bike and App: "I have struggled, pushed limits, persevered and hit many goals in my time as a Peloton member. With this incredible community I have experienced success beyond what I thought I was capable of."
I'm A Former Competitive Athlete, A Husband and A Dad—This Is My Week of Peloton Workouts: Peloton Member Eryn J. loves that Peloton has him competing and working towards goals again, instead of just exercising.
A Full-Time Working Mom's Week of Workouts on the Peloton Tread and Bike: "I live in Ontario, Canada and am a mom of four teenagers, two golden retrievers, five alpacas and a handful of laying hens! In my spare time, I work full-time as an accounting clerk."
A Week of Outdoor Runs, Strength and Rides with the Peloton App and Bike: Member Uriel L. is a husband and a dad of two (very active) boys, who are five and seven. The family goes on a vacation over the weekend, but he still gets some classes in with the App!
I'm a 54-Year-Old Runner—This Is My Week of Peloton Workouts: Andrew E, who committed to a healthier lifestyle after quitting smoking ten years ago, uses his Tread, Bike and App for a holistic week of Peloton workouts.
My Week of Peloton Rides, Strength and Flows as a Full-Time (and First-Time!) Working Mom: Meet Tatiyana S. on the Leaderboard in the early afternoon, so that she still has time to relax later that evening.
A Week of Peloton Workouts for A Stay-At-Home Dad of 2 Daughters: Meet Grady L: "I am working on myself everyday, inside and out, and my Peloton Bike is a HUGE part of that process."
I'm A Bestselling Author Who Loves to Ride and Flow—This is a Week of My Peloton Workouts: Andra W, a self-described "yogi-cyclist" and New York Times bestselling author enjoys a week of flows, rides and meditations.
My Week of Workouts in My NYC Apartment with the Peloton App: Combining strength and HIIT cardio and meditation, Ayesha S. leaves no corner of the Peloton App untapped to build a well-rounded week of classes.
I'm A Dad Who Loves To Run, Ride and Lift—This Is A Week of My Peloton Workouts: When Member Sean T. isn't playing hockey, on his motorcycle or spending time with his family, you can find him on his Tread or Bike.
I Worked My Way Up To Running 60 Minutes Straight—This Is My Week of Peloton Workouts: Member Ali J. started as an App Member and got the Tread as soon as it was released in the U.K. Thanks to her hard work, she can now run 60 minutes without stopping!
I'm A Young Professional In Ohio—This Is My Week Of Peloton Workouts: Member Maggie C. uses Peloton to keep up her exercise routine and to keep in touch with her friends.
A Week of Peloton Workouts While Caring for My Children 24/7: Angela T. has a full-time job as a mom and a part-time job as a jewelry designer, but she still made time to do a Peloton class every day for a year.
My Week of Peloton Workouts As A D1 Softball Coach: A week of Peloton workouts with Member Ashley G, who uses the Peloton App and her own equipment for a week full of sweat.
My Week Training for a Marathon on the Peloton App: Member Anthony W. uses the Peloton App alone to train for his third marathon, from strength to long runs.
My Cold, Wintery Week of Peloton Rides, HIIT, and Strength: Charlie W, a dad of two from just outside of Leeds, uses his Bike and the App to push his training to the limits in mid-December.
I Love Power Zone Classes, but My Week Doesn't Stop There: Meet Kaya T. on the Leaderboard for a week of Power Zone rides and so much more.
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