A little sweat ain't never hurt nobody...

Teddi-eight was worth the wait!

No rhyme intended, but as sad as I was to miss the regularly scheduled programming due to my double attack of the flu and stomach virus, the party two weeks later was every bit as good as I imagined it'd be.

Yesterday myself and 13 of my favorite people pedaled our little hearts out in my Sunday morning Soul class. I sent the wonderful instructor, Emily, a bunch of songs a really long time ago, saying I'd love to hear any of them make it onto the playlist. She played EVERY SINGLE ONE.

I think the crowd was elated to hear THRILLER during the weight segments. I don't know that they were as thrilled (Thriller-ed...) when Beyonce's "Get Me Bodied" came on. It was at this moment that Emily invited me to hop up on the instructor bike. "Get Me Bodied" makes me... well, want to have a nice body, so I listen to it pretty much every day. It's six minutes long and when you're on a bike doing quick choreography in a very hot room, it kind of feels like it's never going to end. 

CORRECTION, when you're on the INSTRUCTOR PODIUM with a light as bright as the sun shining on you, sweat pouring out of your body like rain, a room full of riders all facing YOU... Oh my God. I thought I was going to die up there. I sucked. And to think that I entertained the idea of doing the ENTIRE ride up there? Oh boy. I gave instructors a lot of credit before, but I give them a thousand times more now. THAT AIN'T EASY. But I did it, and I lived to tell the tale. And I clipped out of that bike and catapulted back to mine faster than you can say BLUE IVY.

It was a perfect ride, with glow sticks and a banner and a miniature cake with a candle for me to blow out while the room sang "Happy Birthday" to me.

A few years ago, I remember going out to family dinner and my cousin said that she couldn't drink or stay out late because one of her friends was having a birthday ride at SoulCycle the next morning.

And I made a face like this.

And I thought to myself, WHO in their right mind would want to have a birthday party at a gym? Or spend a precious hour of their birthday WORKING OUT? And SWEATING?

My oh my, how the tables have turned. I could not think of a place I would have RATHER celebrated my 28th year.

Life is funny. And sweet. And so damn good.

I wish we took more pictures but it's kinda tough when you're a) in a dark bike studio, operative word being dark and b) when the hallway/vestibule/lobby is very compact and filled with sweaty, rushed riders. Not exactly a photographer's dream. But we got a few.

A bunch of the girls right before the ride. Love my ladies!

The spread. My dad made that AMAZING monogrammed cake.

And AEG made these INCREDIBLE SoulCycle-themed lemon cake pops.

My Good Lord, I love cake pops. And a good photo bomb from BHB.

Thank you all so much for SOUL-ebrating 28 with me!

"I choose to be happy because it is good for my health." Here's to the BEST YEAR YET!!!

P.S. I was so wiped from the ride and party that I slept through the Super Bowl, awaking only to see Beyonce's performance. Get me bodied, baby. As far as I'm concerned, SHE won.