Gym Memberships

Since finishing my half marathon in November, running has been a struggle.

And this is not OK with me.

It discourages me at times, but I also try to focus on the fact that I shouldn't force myself to run, because I don't want to lose my love for it.

So, when I stumbled upon a Groupon for a gym near me, I decided to go for it.  The Groupon provided me 10 passes, so I decided to try some classes and see what I liked.  Here is my take on the things I've tried:

Cardio Mix
I have done this class twice and am saving my last pass so I can go one more time.  I have pretty much determined that I love this class so much because of the instructor, which makes me sad since I don't plan to stay with this gym (too far from home).

"Core and More"
This class was the first I tried.  I had never really had the group fitness experience before, but I loved it!  I'm not sure if I loved the new-ness of it, or the fact that I got a great workout from something other than running.  I think it was both.  Let me tell you, though, I was SORE afterward!  Definitely taught me a lesson in stretching...

PowerPump
I had no strong feelings about this class either way.  Perhaps it was just this particular session, but I didn't feel very challenged.

Spin
I was shocked at my feelings about this class...because I LOVED it.  Growing up, I was never one to enjoy a bike ride for very long, but this class was fantastic.  I definitely feel like it was the best workout I got from all the classes I tried, and I loved the instructor's music choices...even Christmas spin was awesome!  This class pretty much sold me on the fact that I need to find a gym of my own so I can keep doing this class.

Zumba
I was also surprised by my feelings about this class, but in the opposite direction.  I was not a fan of this class.  While it was super fun to dance around, I didn't feel challenged at all.  I also definitely felt like a newbie, as pretty much everyone in the class knew the routines, so I always felt a step behind.  The people were really nice and the atmosphere and music were fun, but I would prefer Spin any day.

I am getting back into running, slowly but surely.  However, I don't want to rely on just running as a work out and end up burning myself out on it...especially when I've found something else I love.  Now that I only have one pass left, I'm trying to decide where to go from here.  Gym memberships are SO expensive.

Anyone have some input for me?  Any other classes I should try as well?

P.S. Check me out on Daily Mile!  It is definitely helping bring back my motivation to run.