The Spin Doctor

from today's Ledger-Enquirer

SPIN DOCTOR
BY ALLISON KENNEDY
Staff Writer
Frank Pacheco slips out of a pair of sneakers and into heavier shoes with special cleats. He tightens the shoes. Then he puts on a headset with a microphone and turns on some loud, upbeat -- very upbeat -- music.
For the next 50 minutes, he won't travel far. In fact, nowhere at all. He will sit in the same place and challenge his students, as he does, to pop out of the bike saddle at certain times; ride faster; crank up the tension; towel off; and drink plenty of water. By the end, he will have left puddles of perspiration on both sides of his stationary bike.
Until 2003, Pacheco was just another guy at a gym, staying in shape by attending Group Ride classes at North Columbus Athletic Club. In the U.S. Army since 1986, he's a Ranger and former Ranger instructor who began parachuting out of airplanes about two years ago with the Silver Wings. They often drop into sporting events such as college games and NASCAR races.
The Army also sees to it that he stays in shape, but while at the gym he was spotted as a potential instructor by gym owner Jason West.
"He was always a good member -- polite, personable. I just knew that if he said he was going to do something, he'd be determined and he'd be good at it," said West. "He brings the magic."

Certified

After he got the training to teach classes on the local level, Pacheco set a goal to become a national instructor. As of mid-December, he's one of only five nationally certified trainers with the Marietta, Ga.-based Body Training Systems. He got the official phone call one evening while sitting on a bench outside the club. He is the only one in Columbus. The others are spread about the United States.

What certification means is that he trains other riding instructors around the country; and as an added perk, he'll be featured on BTS training videos, the first one this spring. The national certification process began for him about a year ago, which meant extensive travel, taping and evaluation. There was a lot of competition; he was pleasantly shocked when he was chosen. As an added marketing tool, Pacheco sent a pitch to BTS in the form of a tape of him parachuting onto a field, and facing the camera with the words "Group Ride" written on his palms.

Because of all the travel for BTS, "I don't have much of a social life," joked Pacheco, 38, a divorced father of two young children. "But this is what I want to do when I get out (of the Army.)" Being part of such a small team means mostly weekend travel. Most of it is on the eastern side of the U.S., but he has also trained in Portland, Ore.

The workout

At North Columbus, Pacheco teaches about four times a week, in a room with two ceiling fans, a mirrored back wall and dimmed lights. The gym has four other instructors for Group Ride, which is sometimes called spin. He is the only male.

The main light in the Group Ride room is on the instructor, who may face as many as 29 riders at a time. The group goes through seven songs, followed by stretching. Pacheco and other teachers encourage people to go at their own pace and skill level but to maintain certain form.

The BTS song track changes every quarter, but the routine is such that riders get variations including rolling hills, intervals, chasing and hard hill-climbing. The difficulty is manipulated by turning a black knob on the bike.

Pacheco said he's motivated by situations like this: "About a year ago, a lady came into class in the middle of the warm-up. She took a bike up front. I could tell she was intimidated. She walked out in tears."

Eventually the woman came back in the room, and he led her through private instruction. She stuck with the class.

"She went from intimidation to a smile on her face," he said.

As the name Group Ride suggests, every rider starts and finishes at the same time; the difficulty level depends on each rider. "The big focus is being part of a team," said Pacheco, whose certification with BTS is also "not about individuals or superstars."

The BTS program has other group fitness classes: Cyntergy (similar to yoga); Power; Step; Kick; and Groove. Pacheco is also certified in Power, which utilizes weights.

Outside of the gym and outside of the Army, Pacheco rides a Fuji Roubaix a couple times a week, usually on Fort Benning or along the Riverwalk. He admits a weakness for peanut M&Ms. But now that he's part of this elite Group Ride team, he's trying to take better care of himself -- including taking vitamins and watching what he eats more closely.

"My metabolism's not what it used to be," he said.