Tell us about yourself and your daily life

I’ve been happily married for 23 years. I have a 20yr old daughter that attends MSU. I’m celebrating 30 yrs as a Client Service Specialist at Warde Medical Laboratory. My hobbies are bowling, golfing, scrapbooking, and card making. 

How long have you been cycling?

I’ve been cycling for 3 yrs. I started in March of 2016 at Ryde On. I’ve tried every exercise there was from Step Aerobics, Turbo Jam, Yoga and Zumba. I would get bored and quit. But with cycling, there is no getting bored. I love it and I look forward to going. 

What do you love about cycling?

First and foremost, I love the people that I cycle with. My fellow riders have such a positive attitude and I never hear anybody complaining about their day. I look forward to every ride. Oh, and the instructors are amazing! Their energy level is through the roof. Each instructor has their own style of riding which makes each ride unique. I love how they are very knowledgeable about cycling and the effects that it has on the body. It shows that they really care about my physical safety. I like how each instructor reminds me about my posture and my breathing. They always remind me that this is my ride and I need to listen to my body. My degree is in Physiology and I have a pretty good understanding about the mechanics of the body and how all of the parts work together. 

Recently, Dena added strength training to her routine.  After an hour of cycling, she does 30 minutes of core, arms and some lateral leg or hip dominant leg movements to round out the muscular work she puts in on the bike.

We asked her what differences she has seen in her strength….

When I first started strength training it was intimidating. I had never lifted weights before and I had no idea what a TRX was. I remember the first time I tried to do a plank, I held it for about 10 seconds. It was hard. But after 3 months, I’m able to hold a plank for 1 minute and I welcome any exercise that I’m asked to do on the TRX. 

That one minute plank was so fantastic to witness!  Thank you, Dena for being Delirious with us!  You can catch Dena on Tuesday and Thursday evenings!