facebook

The inevitable has happened.  I have officially entered the Facebook universe.   I can’t believe I caved into the peer pressure.  But I did.  And look (you are going to have to imagine me pointing down at the lower right-hand corner of the page)…I even added a link so we can all be friends. 

But I have to warn you.  I’m a horrible Facebook friend.  My page is very barren, no good pictures to look at and not much else going on either.  Also, I have no idea what to write on my wall and am coming to conclusion that other people lead way more exciting lives than I do.  Yesterday I contemplated writing about my overwhelming desire for a disgusting, chemical-laden 2-beef patties/special sauce kind-of a burger…and when my willpower was at its weakest how I sheepishly entered a drive thru only to be told there wasn’t any electricity at the un-named establishment & that my craving would go unmet.  Then I was going to prattle on about something like the universe was sending me a message loud and clear (Darcy, do not eat that crap) and about how I had to obey.  I mean, it was the Universe!  And because it really is crap, but like 10% of the time you’ve got to give yourself permission to fall off (or on….can’t ever remember the correct analogy) the wagon.  ‘Cause a 90-10 ratio is pretty darn good…

 But really, really do you want to read silly stuff like that on my FB page?  At least when I post brainless stories like that here you have to option of scrolling down & getting to the good stuff (i.e. stuff that is actually relevant to spinning and/or fitness.)  So how about that for an endorsement?   Ta da!

And on to the good stuff.   On Saturday we rode Spinning Profile #62:  Out and Back 

10 songs, 46.1 minutes, find the iTunes playlist here. 

We did an Endurance ride last week (which I loved), but we are back to the Interval Energy Zone for this one.  We will start on a flat road, move into a few climbs, back to a flat—then (figuratively) turn around and head back over the climbs to the start, where a final stair step awaits us. 

Surin (Unmixed)—Quivver (6:21)   warm up

Switchback [2001] INSTRUMENTAL—Celldweller (3:58)  Fast flat.  Get your heart rate up to 80-85% max.  It should be a hard effort

Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) [The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Song] {feat. Freshlyground}—Shakira (3:23)  Moderately steep climb.  Heart rate 85%.  3 tweaks to the top…one every minute. 

All My Friends—LCD Soundsystem (7:42)

• 0-2:00 Fast seated flat (80-85%)
• 2:00-3:00  Fast steep standing climb (85-90%)
• 3:00-4:00  Fast seated flat.  
• 4:00-5:00 Fast steep standing climb.
• 5:00-6:00  Fast seated flat. 
• 6:00-7:42  Standing run.

The Line (Bonus Track)—Battles (5:06)

• 0-1:00  Grab a drink.  Turn around, & we’ll do it in reverse (for the most part)
• 1:00-2:00  Standing climb
• 2:00-3:00 Fast seated flat 
• 3:00-4:00 Steep standing climb 
• 4:00-5:06  Fast seated flat   

Punks—Niels Bye Nielsen (1:22)  standing flat.  Jog if you need recovery, run if you don’t. 

Crossfire—Brandon Flowers (4:18)  Moderate climb.  In or out of the saddle, your choice.  Let the music dictate your pace. 

Cutdown—Matt & Kim (2:52)  Fast seated flat.  The finish is right around the corner.

Vox Populi—30 Seconds to Mars (5:43)  Our big dramatic finish.  Let your intensity match the drama of the song.  30 second stair steps.  Heavy resistance, like a climb in the saddle.    

What You Thought You Need—Jack Johnson (5:27)  Cool down and stretch. 

With the summer right on top of us there will be some changes coming to WSC-Alexandria Group Exercise schedule.  I’ll post my part as soon as I get confirmation.  In the meantime, and despite the upcoming Independence Day holiday,  I plan to teach Saturday at 10am (unless I can find a sub, then I will be headed down to VA Beach for some sun.)

So, I guess maybe I’ll see you on Saturday….until then…

 

Post WSSC Glow

Happy Monday!  I can, with confidence, say that I have fully recovered from WSSC…it took sleeping in until 10am on Sunday morning (scandalous), but I feel totally back to normal.  Oh, and a trip to our neighborhood pool helped a little with my recovery as well…which I think may need to be a weekly occurrence.  With the proper amount of sun block, of course. 

(can you guess who’s head is peaking over the side?)

Saturday’s class was the first profile I have created and taught since WSSC; those of you who were there may have noticed some differences, namely the music.  Little more trance/techno than typical for me. 

Of the many realizations I had at WSSC, one of them was the ability to really lose yourself on the bike and find your zone when the music was right.  I found that during the rides where there were a lot of lyrics competing for my thoughts I couldn’t as easily get into the zone, but when you just had a beat to move to (i.e. Taiko drumming) my mind shut down & I was able to focus… which is part of the reason I moved away from my typical music selections for this playlist.  Besides, it’s a good thing to mix it up a little every now and then….keeps them guessing!

Another WSSC conclusion I came to was remembering and appreciating how much fun it is to ride as a participant.  Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching…I would be happy as a clam if I could teach spinning 8 hours a day…but there’s a different perspective and energy when you are part of the audience.  No pressure, no thinking, just riding.  And so, on Saturday for our final working song I decided to jump off my stage bike and join the group.  And turn my mic off.  It was fantastic!  What a different outlook.  But what I liked best was the feeling of riding with a group, really hearing the pedals and the breathing.  Awesome.   

You will not find an iTunes playlist for Saturday’s ride.  A lot of the songs came from this CD (you can buy it here)

A little WSSC gift I picked up in Miami. 

Spinning #60:  11 songs, 48.4 minutes.  It’s all about choices…you get to choose your workout effort, your cadence, you tension, and even your riding position. 

Ego Trip (cirrus Remix)—Keoki (5:46)  Warm up.  Seated or standing, your choice.  At 4:07 pick up the pace.   

Gearbox—Todd Haberman (2:11)  Add resistance, stand at 0:27 find a comfortable pace.   At 1:00 drive it faster.

Eclipse (All Yours)—Metric (3:45)  Same resistance.   Steady pace at this resistance…be honest.  Fine tune your pedal stroke.  Accelerate with the music (seated or standing, your choice.)  Quick drink at the end if you need it. 

Superstylin’—Groove Armada (6:01)  Big hill…3 tweaks to the top, start right away with the first resistance change.   At 2 min dial in 2^nd resistance change.   At 4min give me that 3^rd and final resistance change.  If you need power—do your thing out of the saddle. 

Jonathan Low—Vampire Weekend (3:33)  Roll down that hill.  Grab a drink.  Game face on at 2:00…bring your bike back to life.  Seated or standing….your choice.    

Pizza Huh (Das Racist vs. The Rapture)—dj lobsterdust (3:18)  30 second jumps, alternating with standing run.  Make your feet dance.  Jump at your own pace.  Smile!  Hungry?

Lay It Down—Catalyst (5:27)  Melt into the saddle…seated climb.  Add resistance to force your feet to slow.  We will keep this resistance the whole climb so choose wisely.  It’s all about endurance….physically and mentally.  

Rollin’ Tumblin’ (Remix)—R.L. Burnside (4:13)  Standing climb.  Heavier…same rules…pick your tension & hold it.  Tackle this hill. 

Praan—Garry Schyman (4:29)  Final working song.  This is yours…take it for what it is.  Your ride, your choice, do whatever feels right.  Fall into the rhythm.   

Free Fallin’ (Live)—John Mayer (4:24)  Cool Down.

Guru Ram Das Chant—GuruGanesha Singh (5:26)  Stretch & good bye.

So what do you think?  Love it?  Hate it?  Somewhere in-between?   Who knows what we’ll do next week……………

Short and Sweet

This is going to be one short and sweet blog entry today as I am headed to the airport later this afternoon and still need to pack….

I somehow have to get a week’s worth of clothes from here (I know, my closet is beyond scandalous)….

Into here…..(now can you sense my urgency?)

 

So, where am I going?  Mexico? New York?  Paris?  Chicago? 

Actually, I’m headed to LA.  Um, that would be Louisiana, not Los Angeles. 

Specifically, I’m off to Baton Rouge for a week of fun-filled training for my new job/career.  I finished my last day at my old job on Tuesday (yay!) and quickly transitioned into this new one.  And let me tell you, even though it’s only been 3 days the new job is seriously kicking my old job’s ass!  But, to be fair most of this past week was spent buying office furniture and appliances…nothing beats shopping (especially if it’s someone else’s credit card!…no I’m not committing identify fraud, I’m just using the company card)  I’m anticipating an April 1^st grand-opening, but there’s still a lot to do between now and then!  Oh, there is so much to do!!!  I already mentioned that, didn’t I?   

On to it then….here is our profile and playlist from Saturday:   Spinning #49:  14 songs, 46.5 minutes

This is probably my favorite spinning profile to teach and ride.  It’s our Loop de Loop!  I think this originated from Jennifer Sage formerly of FunhogSpins…but can now be found at IndoorCycleInstructor.com, but I’m not 100% sure.  All I know is that I can’t take credit for this little gem of a ride.  This profile consists of 3 loops of work simulating a mountain bike ride.  You have an approach road, short steep climbs (really crank up the resistance), downhills, and a stair-stepping uphill.  First lap=reconnaissance, 2^nd lap= fine tuning your form and performance, 3^rd lap=give it your all!

Find this playlist (which I personally think is superior) on iTunes at Spinning Spincycles #49

Strange—Tokio Hotel & Kerli (3:51)  Warm up with a seated flat. 

Boom—Anjulie (3:14)  1min 30 second Seated Climb.  Control yourself, it gets steeper ahead.  For the final 1min 30 seconds transition to a  Standing Climb.  If you love climbing, use this to your advantage.  Otherwise take it easy conserving your energy for the stairs

Call to Arms—Exodus (1:33)  Drop the resistance a little but stay in the climb until 0:53 when the guitar kicks in.  Take more resistance off, have a seat for a fast seated downhill.  Cadence is a little higher than before. 

A Little Bit of Riddim (feat. Cherine Anderson)—Michael Franti & Spearhead (4:18)  This is the work!  Add resistance.  30 seconds seated climb, 30 seconds running with resistance 4 X! 

Wake—Linkin Park (1:41)  Seated flat downhill, use this as a quick recovery to prepare for the 2^nd loop

Fall Hard—Shout Out Louds (4:15)  2min: Seated Climb followed by 2 min: Standing Climb

Check—Goose (1:38)  Seated Flat downhill.  Get ready for the stair steps!

Fell Down a Hole—Wolfmother (5:03)    Make it feel a little heavy.  30 seconds seated climb alternating with 30 seconds of standing run 5 X!  

Always Running Out of Time—Motion City Soundtrack (3:00)  Whew, use the first minute to ride downhill, the final 2 minutes is our recovery/approach road.  1 more loop to go!

Resistance—Muse (5:47)  This is it, make it count! 2min 30 seconds:  Seated Climb followed by 2min 30 seconds:  Standing Climb  (musically there’s not much going on after the 5min mark, so I skip to the next song when I’m ready to hit the downhill)

Attack of the 60Ft. Lesbian Octopus—Does It Offend You, Yeah? (1:58)  Fast seated downhill! Quick pedal turn over.

Bring It On Down—Goose (4:03)  Our last set of stairs…you know this.  30 seconds seated climb alternating 30 seconds run with resistance 4X. 

Undeclared—The Dodos (1:53)  A much deserved (and much needed) cool down.  Seated Flat

Breakeven (Falling to Pieces)—The Script (4:21)  Stretch everything off the bike.  Well now, that was fun!

There’s so much more I want to write, but I seriously need to get my butt in gear and pack as well as get things organized for the week.  I’ll be back in time for Spinning next Saturday Morning.  But here is the list of subs (people, not sandwiches—ha ha, that joke never gets old) I have organized to cover my classes during the week.

• Monday 6:30pm Body Pump @ WSC-Alexandria:  Gigi (part of the “fab four” Body Pump inner circle)
• Tuesday 6:15am Spinning @ WSC-Alexandria:  Michael C.
• Wednesday 6pm Body Pump @ WSC-W. Springfield:  Julianne

There will be no spinning for me this week.  However, I plan to do a lot of yoga podcasts from yogadownload.com (in addition to their website, you can also find free yoga podcasts on iTunes from…free=sweet!)  and maybe a little running depending on the hotel gym/neighborhood.  Or, I’ll just veg-out,  watch a ton of TV and read mindless celebrity gossip mags during my down time.  I’m still 50-50 on which way it will go. 

–Spin On!

 

…In a Burning Room

Let’s start with last night.  The John Mayer concert = Aaahhhmaaazing! 

Mr. Mayer may not think before he speaks (or prior to giving interviews), but man can he sing and play a wicked guitar.  He may actually sound better live than he does recorded, his voice sounds richer or deeper or something like that…you know, better.  And I’m not going to lie, I was stick of butter that started melting the instant he hit the stage.  When he played Slow Dancing in a Burning Room (one of my favorites)…all that was left of me was pool of goo on the floor of the Verizon Center. 

Do you think I could rent him?  Hey, get your mind out of the gutter, I don’t want to rent him for anything naughty, I just want him to follow me around and serenade me all day.  I little Heartbreak Warfare while I’m reading the morning newspaper…Who Says as I get ready for work…maybe a stanza or two of Say as I’m making breakfast.  Ah, that would be nice.  My birthday is just around the corner, I’m just saying that would make a nice gift… 

Okay, now that little fantasy is out of the way, on to our Spinning profile from Saturday. This is Spinning Profile #47 (12 songs, 46 minutes) Dueling intervals a la Jennifer Sage over at Indoor Cycle Instructor.com.   Find the entire profile on iTunes at Spinning Spincycles #47.

Stuntman—Kasabian (5:19) Warm-up

An End Has a Start—Editors (3:43)  Flat road, building intensity, cadence surges with the music

21 Guns (feat. Green Day and the Cast of American Idiot)—Green Day (4:41) Climb – mostly seated with occasional standing surges to overcome the resistance, surge to the top to raise intensity final minute.

Never Miss a Beat—Kaiser Chiefs (3:07)  Fast Flat, mostly seated, can stand as needed, but keep your heart rate elevated.

Crying Lightning—Arctic Monkeys (3:43)  Easy Flat, catch your breath.

Boys on the Radio—Hole (5:10)  Climb – out of the saddle the whole time.  Perfect form, perfect pedal stroke.   

Dying Is Fine—Ra Ra Riot (3:52)  Flat with cadence surges, elevate intensity with a headwind.

July, July!—The Decemberists (2:53)  Easy flat, recover. 

Place Your Hands—Reef (3:38)  Last climb.  Engage all of the muscles of your legs.  Your choice seated or standing…just have enough resistance on the flywheel to challenge yourself. 

Zero—Smashing Pumpkins (2:41)  Fast flat.  Surge even faster on the chorus!

Island in the Sun—Weezer (3:20)  Cool Down.

Slow Dancing In a Burning Room—John Mayer (4:02) Stretch

Now, on to some very exciting news:  I gave my 2 weeks’ notice at my job last week!   YAY!!!!  Did you know I’m actually a nurse in my life outside of fitness?  I am (and have been for a while), but have always felt a strong connection to the fitness world, a connection that has seriously grown over the past couple of years. 

So anyway, I believe I have found a way to make  health & wellness & fitness & nutrition a career…and still make use of my BSN/RN (you know, so I won’t feel guilty that I spent all that time and money on a college degree.)  I don’t want to reveal too many details as everything is still in its infancy…but it’s going to be good, really good!  I have another week to put into my current job, but then the fun starts.  I will let you know all about it once we open our doors.  I can’t believe it is all happening, soooo exciting.   :o) 

‘Till next week, spin on.

It’s gonna get harder still, before it gets easy

(photo source)

I don’t know about you, but I have a couple of servings of Thanksgiving stuffing (and maybe some pumpkin pie) I need to burn off my thighs.  And what better way to do that than a high intensity, no holds barred, balls to the walls spinning class?!  Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!

Find this playlist on iTunes iMixes at Spinning Spincycles 11.28.09

Always Be—Jimmy Eat World (3:05)  Warm up and be prepared to say buh-bye to that extra helping of  Thanksgiving leftovers

Hurry Up Let’s Go—Shout Out Louds (2:19)  Add more tension and pick up the pace in the saddle.  Let’s keep our heart rate on the up and up.  Add another twist of tension around 1:20 because it’s time to run.  Go!

Shine a Light—Wolf Parade (3:47)  Climb #1 of the day.  No messing around, crank the resistance so it feels difficult and heavy in the saddle.  Hold a strong seated climb for 1 minute 45 seconds.  Increase the resistance and finish the song in a standing steep narrow climb.

Molly’s Chambers—Kings of Leon (2:17)  Hold hands in position 3 but lighten the tension for 1 minute.  Coming down the hill…finish the song with hands in 2 and find a jogging cadence.  Advanced riders give me a little speed surge to match the music

Brick By Boring Brick—Paramore (4:14)  Heavy resistance in the saddle again.  Stand and run with resistance on the chorus alternating with a seated climb.  Oh yeah, it’s supposed to hurt a little.

Give It All—Rise Against (2:51)  Light resistance in the saddle.  Quick 45 second recovery only to add resistance back on to a moderate feel.  Picture a wide open road.  Seated flat….advanced riders: speed surges on the chorus

Back It Up—Colette Carr (3:09)  Climb #2…in the saddle for 1min 30seconds.  Finish the hill out of the saddle.  Check your resistance, can you go heavier than climb #1?  Of course you can! (I can’t find the MP3 on Amazon.com, but you can watch the video here or find it on iTunes)

Ring of Fire—Social Distortion (3:51)  Back to your seated climb.  Pick up the pace it’s time to alternate 30 seconds seated 30 seconds standing run.  Hold it steady. 

Fire Away—The Swellers (3:52)  1 minute opportunity to lighten up the resistance and recover.  Start to pick up the pace again.  Seated flat or standing jog…riders’ choice. 

Jars—Chevell (3:20)  Climb #3.  Heavier than last time.  Start seated for 1 ½ minutes, finish strong and solid out of the saddle. 

Photograph—Weezer (2:19)  Quick downhill, recharge your legs.  Jog—sit—jog

Piranha—The Prodigy (4:05)  Last push, ask your legs for a little more power…we are almost finished.  30 seconds in the saddle 30 seconds running with resistance.  Resistance should be on the heavier side, but we need to keep the cadence up

This Is Beautiful—Tyrone Wells (4:36)  We are finished, what’s more beautiful than that?  Take a nice long cool down in the saddle. 

Come Back When You Can—Barcelona (3:44)  Stretch, give yourself props for finishing with gusto…now relax…

Self magazine’s December issue (the one with Amanda Peet on the cover) has a short one-page feature on Spinning.  You can check out the article and corresponding video here.  It’s mostly the basics that are covered, though I love one of phrases they used and will probably start incorporating it into cueing my classes. Here it is:

• During a standing run…use your core to hold your body over the tip of the seat to avoid knee strain.

Oh, and by the way, please ignore the advice they give about pulling your abs in tight.  According to Mad Dogg Athletics (whom I hold my certification with) in order to properly perform deep breathing, the abdominals should NOT be pulled in or kept tight…as this practice will hamper optimal breathing. 

You’ll serve yourself best by performing ab exercises off the bike….or taking my Body Pump class on Wednesday evenings where you’ll get strength training and killer ab exercises!  (you know I can’t pass up  even the smallest opportunity for self-promotion)

 Have a great week spinners!

Click on This

(You’ll have to pretend there’s a great photo here to top off the page as I have officially run out of personal bike-themed photos to feature on this blog.  My photography hobby hasn’t quite taken off like I thought it would.)

 

I have two new website resources to pass along to you.  The first one may be of greater consequence to fellow Spinning instructors:   http://www.indoorcycleinstructor.com/ This website is chock-full of valuable spinning instructor tips!   You have the option of becoming a member or simply enjoying the free articles and podcasts.  It will change the way you teach!  I swear!

As you may, or may not know, I’ve started to become much more interested in nutrition and how the food I consume affects my body.  Case in point, I was teaching a Body Pump class a few weeks ago.  I love Body Pump and am usually, well, pumped to teach.  But not that night, I felt like I was forcing the energy and by the 8^th track I was dead in my Nikes.  Driving home from class I realized that I had not had anything to eat since lunch (the class I teach is at 6pm)…so yeah, food has a huge impact on energy levels, mood, and of course weight loss or gain.

And so I give you the second new website resource.  About a month or so ago I stumbled upon The Fitnessista    At first I found the extra fizzle wizzle schizzile confusing (the Fitnessista has her own vernacular), but now I find it endearing….and she has impressive food and recipe suggestions (complete with photos).  In fact, I’m going to make my very own Breakfast Cookie as soon as I finish my blog post.  In the words of The Fitnessista herself:  foodgasm!

Saturday’s class goal was to use the first 3-4 songs to slowly elevate our heart rate to 80-85% MHR…and then hold it there for the remainder of the class.  This ride should be a test of your training over the past few months.  Heart rate should be steady, mind focused and uncomfortable areas handled with ease.  The mind must stay calm and supple in order to be successful at combating the difficult of this task.

Find Saturday’s playlist on iTunes at Spinning Spincycles 11.21.09

1. Swing, Swing–The All-American Rejects (3:36)  Start to warm up your legs with an easy seated flat and prepare to burn some extra calories today.

2. Storm In A Teacup–Red Hot Chili Peppers (3:44)  Stay seated with your hands in either position 1 or 2, add resistance until it feels moderate or medium…pick up the pace and hold it for about 1 minute.  Give the resistance knob another bump up, bring yourself to a standing jog…pick up the pace and…yep you guessed it…hold it for another minute.  Last position, add resistance, hands in position 3 & start climbing with an increase in cadence & hold it there for the rest of the song

3. Does This Mean You’re Moving On–The Airborne Toxic Event (2:12) Medium resistance, have a seat and get your legs moving!  Stay here for one minute, add more resistance, and a little more to come up & stand.  Hang out here and use this position to transition into the next song….

4. The Rake’s Song–The Decemberists (3:15)  Since you are already up out of the saddle, make the resistance thicker and keep climbing.  Your legs should be fresh at this point, so take it advantage of that & tough it out.  Once you’ve found that uncomfortable resistance vary your cadence to match the music.

5. Highroyds–Kaiser Chiefs (3:18) Breathe!  Drop the resistance and sit down.  Find a comfortable seated flat and recover for no more than 1 minute.  Stretch your legs and start jumping for 45 seconds.  Alternate that with a standing flat run for 30 seconds, go into jumps for 30 seconds after that.

6. Rock Star—Everclear (3:30) Medium resistance sit and spin fast x 30 seconds; Stand and run fast x 30 seconds; Sit and spin x 15 seconds; Stand and run x 15 seconds; Add resistance & make it a little hard; Sit for 30seconds, stand for 30 seconds, sit for 15 seconds, and finally stand for your last 15 seconds

 7. The Red—Chevelle (3:58)  Start seated & add resistance every 15 seconds for a minute or so.  Bump the resistance knob to find the hill, then stand with hands in position 3 and keep pumping your legs.  Once there add a little more resistance & hold it for 30 seconds alternating with subtracting a little resistance & holding that for 30 seconds.

 8. Percussion Gun—White Rabbits (3:08) Make it feel thick and hold it in the saddle for 1 minute.  Make it thicker and bring it to a standing run for 1 minute.  Can you make it even thicker….finish the song in a climbing stance all the while keeping your cadence up. 

 9. New Noise—Refused (5:12)  This one of those songs that has mad-cadence changes which force your legs to follow.   We are going to stop thinking and let our body just follow the speed of the music.  Start with medium resistance and stand to run…when the beat hardens have a seat & sprint…do this for the first 3 minutes of the song.  At that point the music will slow, add more resistance & let your legs recover a bit while in a climbing position.  Of course the music picks up again…drop off a small amount of resistance, sit down and sprint it out for the last minute of the song.

 10. You Better Pray–The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (3:35) Whew, slow it down, drop the resistance to easy and recover for about 1 minute.  When you are ready add a tad bit more resistance back and find a fast seated spin.  The words “you better…” is our cue to add more resistance and come back up into a climb.  Drop back to the saddle after the chorus. 

 11. Zero—Yeah Yeah Yeahs (4:25)

• Easy sit x 30 seconds, then make it hard x 30 seconds
• Add more resistance to stand x 30 seconds, make it harder for another 30 seconds
• KEEP THE RESISTANCE
• Sit x 15 seconds, stand x 15 seconds, sit x 15 seconds and so on….

 12. Talk to Me, Dance with Me– Hot Hot Heat (2:47)  Your choice of resistance (make it harder if you are an advanced rider) and jump on the chorus!  Recover with a standing run between the jumps.

 13. Know Your Enemy—Green Day (3:10)  Love this song, love this drill.  30 second stair stepping uphill.  Find a seated flat tension and alternate 30 seconds in the saddle 30 seconds out.  Power through the resistance by keeping your breathing steady and using a strong pedal stroke. 

14.  Alphabet Soup—Bell X1 (4:50)  Cool down in the saddle.  Finally let your heart rate slowly come back down. 

15.  Maybe—Ingrid Michaelson (3:12)  Stretches off the bike. 

Nice work!!

Hmmmm, it feels like I’m forgetting something.  What could that be, oh what could that be? 

Oh yeah, New Moon opened this weekend!!!!!!  SQUEE! Oh Edward, I’ve missed you so much….(thank you everglow….http://www.edwardandbella.net/)       

And I would be remiss if I did not mention Jenn Lancaster’s fantastically accurate portrayal of the New Moon story via Twilight action figures:   New New Moon.

Have a Happy (and healthy) Thanksgiving everyone! 

She got hot, they did not

Ah yes, The Vampire Diaries, it was only a matter of time before I wrote about this fine Twilight substitution.  Of course I’m watching the series…but purely for musical research purposes only.  I promise! It has great music (see Saturday’s cool down song).  Sure, I could skip the actual viewing process and just visit this website.  But really, where’s the fun in that, and miss all that Ian Somerhalder?  No way!

Must make a small confession here…I may be getting too old for all this teenage-angst/vampire lore.  As I watching this past week’s episode I kept thinking to myself “where the hell are all these kids’ parents?”  Ugh.  Now that’s some serious old-lady-speak.  What’s next…mom-jeans? Noooo…    

For Saturday’s profile expect to travel up and down hills as well as experience brief time trials on the flats to help improve mental discipline and recovery time.

WARM UP

The Girl Got Hot—Weezer (3:15)  Warm up.  RPE 3-4: easy, feels perfectly comfortable.  It’s new Weezer!  And yes, if you were wondering, my Weezer snuggie is ordered and should be making it’s way to me!

ROUND 1

‘Till Death—A Brand (2:52)  RPE 5: moderate, conversation requires some effort, the work is beginning.  Increase overall cadence, small accelerations on the chorus.  Focus on pedal stroke while establishing a rhythm and smooth breathing pattern.   (I couldn’t find this MP3 on Amazon, you’ll have to check it out on iTunes.)

U + Ur Hand—P!nk (3:34)  RPE 6-7:  moderately hard, conversation requires effort, feeling “comfortably uncomfortable.” 30 seconds seated flat alternating with 30 seconds running with resistance on the chorus (“I’m not here…”)  Add resistance for the run & a reduce it slightly for the saddle

East Jesus Nowhere—Green Day (4:35)  RPE 7-8: difficult or very difficult, conversation requires max effort, light burning in the legs.  Add resistance for a seated climb.  Establish your rhythm, breathe, and focus

Last One to Die—Rancid (2:24)  RPE 8: very difficult.  Add more resistance for standing climb….1 minute only.  Make your legs talk to you!  Then find a RPE 4: moderately easy.  Drop the resistance.  Seated flat recovery for remainder of song

ROUND 2

New Moon Rising—Wolfmother (3:46)  RPE 5-6: moderate, conversation requires effort.  Increase cadence as you head into a fast flat road for 2:15.  Transition to RPE 7: difficult, uncomfortable by adding resistance and maintain cadence in the saddle for the rest of the song

Are You Ready—Three Days Grace (2:46) RPE 7-8: difficult, feel a light burning in your legs.  Seated climb alternating with jumps on a hill on the chorus

This Heart’s On Fire—Wolf Parade (4:00)  RPE 4: drop the resistance for a brief downhill as need to reboot your legs x 30 seconds.  RPE 6-7: difficult, conversation required a lot of effort for a Seated Climb x 1 min 30 seconds.  RPE 8: light burning in the legsRun with resistance x 30 seconds. RPE 7:  comfortably uncomfortable standing climb x 1min 30 seconds….Stay focused!

ROUND 3

Square One—Coldplay (4:48)  RPE 4: moderately easy for a 2 minute seated flat recovery.  Find RPE 6: Moderately hard, conversation requires quite a bit of effort and begin a long climb in the saddle, find a pace you can build from.

Back Against the Wall—Cage the Elephant (3:48)  RPE 7-8:  very difficult, light burning in the legs, now add resistance and climb strong!  Jumps on a hill during the chorus….stay focused

Broken Man—The Von Bondies (2:09)  RPE 4:  moderately easy Seated Flat to recovery for 1 minute.  Then back to work with REP 6:  moderately hard Seated Flat.  Increase both cadence and resistance

Bastards of Young—Against Me!  (3:40)  RPE 8-9:  Peak effort, cannot talk (only hit 9 during the running with resistance drill.)  Finish the ride with a small Standing hill alternating running with resistance.  Power through this!  (once again, I’ve come up empty-handed with Amazon…)

The Weight of Us—Sanders Bohlke (5:35)  RPE 3-4:  Being to bring the heart rate down and move into stretches off the bike.  Thank you Vampire Diaries for turning me on to this haunting song.   

Road—Nick Drake  (2:00)  More stretching time if you need it.

Find Saturday’s playlist on iTunes at Spinning Spincycles 11.14.09

I cannot end today’s blog entry without a big announcement:  I GOT A NEW LAPTOP!!  I can’t believe it.  It’s so beautiful and shiny, and new.  It’s like seeing the internet for the first time!  Whoo-hoo!  Excuse me as I dance for joy in circles around my new toy .  La la la la la……

That’s all they really want…Some fun…

Find Saturday’s playlist on iTunes at Spinning Spincycles 11.7.09

1. Original Fire—Audioslave (3:41)  This is our warm up, lets wake up our legs.  My goal for this profile is to have some fun, listen to good music and burn some serious calories! 

2. The Resolution–Jack’s Mannequin (3:06) Find a medium resistance while standing to jog…Pick it up to a run.  Keep the resistance, have a seat & pick up the pace on the chorus (“I’m Alive” is the vocal cue.)  Stand to run in-between.

3. Oh Yeah–The Subways (2:57)  Keep your medium resistance and say seated until about 55 seconds into the song.  Increase the resistance, stand and run until the song hits the 2 minute mark. Increase the resistance again, move to hand position three & climb until the end of the song.

4. Salute Your Solution–The Raconteurs (3:00)  Easy jumps for 30 second intervals alternating with standing run.  For an extra challenge increase the resistance after each interval. 

5. Goodnight Goodnight–Hot Hot Heat  (2:11)  Light to medium resistance for a fast seated spin.  Crank the resistance & come up to a climbing stance whenever you hear “so goodnight” and hold it there for the chorus.  Go back to the flat spin & pick up the pace. 

6. Starlight—Muse (4:00)  This will be our first true climb of the day. Start in the saddle, add resistance every 15 seconds until you cannot stay seated any longer…but hold it there for 2 minutes, then come to hand position 3 & a climbing stance.  Stay in the climb for the entire song with cadence changes based on the beat of the music.  Add a little more resistance as a bonus challenge

7. I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor–Artic Monkeys (2:56)  Stay in the climb, but decrease the resistance & pick up the pace….feel your legs fly down the other side of the hill.  After a minute or so come out of the climb to stand and run. Keep a nice fast pace, this should feel great after that long climb!

8. One Week–Barenaked Ladies (2:50)  Have a seat & drop the resistance for a 1 minute (much needed) recovery.  Let your breathing slow & your heart rate drop a bit.  Then add resistance back on the flywheel and…start jumping on the chorus with a nice seated recovery in between jumps. 

9. Sometime Around Midnight—The Airborne Toxic Event (5:04)  Grab a nice drink before you join me because this song is going to be a long climb (5 minutes) meant to challenge your endurance.  Once you are ready, heap on the resistance & tackle this mountain. Slow and steady at first, picking up the pace to match the beat of the music.  Climb for the whole song!  Stay focused, and resist the urge to slow down…and if you were wondering, this is one of my all-time favorite songs.  I could listen to it again and again and again.

10. When your Heart Stops Beating–+44 (3:13)  1 minute, or more if you need it, of recovery in the saddle with a light resistance. While in the saddle, add more resistance so that it feels moderate and start running, short sprint on the chorus.

11. House of Wolves–My Chemical Romance (3:04)  Bring it to a standing run, make it heavy and challenging.  Hold it there for about 30 seconds.  You know this drill….don’t touch the resistance, have a seat & hammer the legs for 30 seconds.  Alternate these two drills, added or subtracting resistance to keep it physically demanding throughout.

12. Kiss Off–Violent Femmes (2:57)  It’s almost over!  This is our last true climb of the day.  Find your climb, add resistance to make it a little tougher.  Focus on perfect form: feet flat, butt over the saddle, upper body relaxed, ears away from the shoulders, and give yourself a little sideways sway.  Alternate the cadence to match the song. 

13. Atari–Lucky Boys Confusion (3:08)  Last working song!  Smile and try to enjoy this.  I mean, really, how can a song with the lyric : I just want to drink beer and play Atari  be anything other than awesome!?!  We are going to apply our “fast… now faster” drill to this.  Have a seat with medium resistance & pick up the pace…now faster on the chorus.  Slow down, add resistance & bring it to a standing run…now faster!  Slow down again, of course add more resistance (make it really difficult) & climb fast…(you guessed it) now faster!  Finish strong!

14. Confines of Gravity–PlayRadioPlay!  (2:49)  Stay on the bike for a couple of minutes to catch your breath and slow your pounding heart.

15. Romeo and Juliet–The Killers (5:28) Take some time for stretches on the floor during this sweet Dire Straits cover.

Have you seen this snuggie? 

I want one sooo bad!  Preferably with Rivers and his guitar snuggled inside…..

Happy Halloween

Did you dress up for Halloween?  Of course I did, would you expect anything less from me?  I was torn between dressing as homage to the 1980s workout queen Jane Fonda (a la sweat bands, leg warmers and a leotard…belted, of course) and some sort of flying bug/beetle/insect.  The insect won…specifically, a lady bug.  Overall I was pleased with my choice and the unexpected surprise of some serious wing movement during standing climbs!  Lucky for me and my fluttering wings, Saturday’s class was all about hills and climbs with the goal to make you stronger on and off the bike.   

In an effort assist newer spinners, and taking into consideration that not everyone wears a heart rate monitor (shame shame), I decided to use the RPE scale to monitor our efforts. 

What is RPE?  RPE is the rate of perceived exertion is used to gauge your intensity in cardio workouts.  Here’s what the numbers and correlating % of max heart rate (MHR) mean:

RPE	Description	% MHR
1-2	Very easy; you can converse with no effort	50-55%
3	Easy; you can converse with almost no effort	60%
4	Moderately easy; you can converse comfortably with little effort.  Feels perfectly comfortable	65%
5	Moderate; conversation requires some effort; the work is beginning	70%
6	Moderately hard; conversation requires quite a bit of effort	75%
7	Difficult; conversation requires a lot of effort; “comfortably uncomfortable”	80%
8	Very difficult; conversation requires maximum effort; light burning in the legs	85%
9-10	Peak effort; CANNOT talk.  You have just enough wind to finish the effort (30 seconds max)	92%

 WARMUP   I’ve divided the class into 4 rounds of work, each round is a little different from the other.  Let’s get started…..  

Supermassive Black Hole—Muse (3:31)  Seated flat warm up.  RPE 3-4(feels comfortable)

More Human Than Human—White Zombie (4:30)  Alternate 30 seconds seated, 30 seconds standing; increase resistance each time to start our hills.  RPE 5-7(starting to get difficult and uncomfortable)

ROUND 1:  3 short climbs alternating with recoveries

Numb/Encore—Jay-Z & Linkin Park (3:25)  Boost resistance for standing hill x 2 minutes RPE 8-9.(very difficult, maximum effort)  Lower the resistance and find a seated flat for the remaining 1:25 RPE 4

Talk to Me—Peaches (3:05)  Boost resistance back up again for standing hill x 2minutes RPE 8-9.  Lower the tension, seated flat x 1 minute RPE 4

Tremendous Dynamite—Eels (2:46)  Back up to find your standing hill x 2 minutes RPE 8-9.  Less resistance, seated flat x 46 seconds RPE 4

ROUND 2:  strong steady climb

Unthought Known—Pearl Jam (4:09)  Settle into the saddle.  Seated climb.  Increase tension about 1 minute in.  Good strong pedal stroke RPE 7-8 (difficult-very difficult)  Three minutes in I want your RPE 8-9(peak effort)…to achieve either maintain resistance and boost pace or maintain pace and boost resistance.

Glow—Alien Ant Farm (3:17)  Lower resistance, seated flat, active recovery for 1 minute.  RPE 4.  Dial in a bit more tension to bring your RPE 5(moderate, feels like the work is beginning again)

ROUND 3:  long endurance climb starting in the saddle, then out

Normandie—Shout Out Louds (3:23)  Seated climb.  RPE 6(moderately hard)  Add resistance every 1 minute.  Keep breathing under control. 

Kings and Queens—30 Seconds to Mars (5:48)  Oh yeah, turn your seated climb into a standing climb.  RPE 7-8 (difficult to very difficult, light burning in the legs) Maintain focus.  Close your eyes if you need to.  Check in with your body.  Concentrate on a strong pedal stroke pulling up with one leg while the other pushes down.  Active all of the muscles in your legs. 

All Good (Radio)—Zeroleen (3:02)  Active recovery.  Lower the resistance.  RPE 4.  After about 1 minute, start to jump on the chorus. 

ROUND 4:  our final push!

Dragula (Clean)—Rob Zombie (3:43)  Hill-type tension.  It’s not Halloween without Rob Zombie!  Stair steps…seated climb alternating with standing run.  Make this count. RPE 8…Last 30 seconds RPE 9-10 (give me all you’ve got)

COOL DOWN & STRETCHES 

Who Says—John Mayer (3:00)  RPE 3

World Spins Madly On—The Weepies (2:45)

Find this playlist on iTunes iMixes:  Spinning Spincycles 10.31.09

Stomp!

I made a quick little trip up to NYC this weekend to meet my sister and her boyfriend and to ramble around the city a bit…and, of course, to see Stomp at the Orpheum. 

Have you seen this show?  Have you heard of it?  It is…”a high-energy, percussive symphony, coupled with dance, played entirely on unconventional instruments, such as garbage can lids, buckets, brooms and sticks.  It is a movement , of bodies, objects, sounds-even abstract ideas, made completely original through the use of everyday objects in totally non-traditional ways.”  Bottom line:  Stomp is mind-blowing! Talk about cadence and rhythm and sheer physical strength and endurance!  At one point four of the actors came out on stage with giant metal drums attached to their feet via ski boots.  I have never seen anything so amazing and am pretty sure that my mouth was hanging open in awe the entire time.  At the conclusion of the show I was totally ready to quit my full-time job to join the Stomp cast and start banging away at some trash cans of my own.  I’ve got good rhythm and everyone looked like they were having such a fun time!  

Regardless of my level of exhaustion, the drive home was incredible (well, other than the smoldering VW Beetle on the side of the road and subsequent rubber-necking that followed.)  Seriously though, the ride between DC and NYC is beautiful.  The fall foliage is really incredible.  Reds and oranges and yellows…any shred of denial that I was holding onto was completely obliterated today:  autumn is in full swing! 

Speaking of autumn, with the fall colors (and colder temps) brings bigger Spinning classes.  What a great turnout on Saturday!  Nothing beats a huge Spinning class with fantastic energy.  The profile I used on Saturday is one of my favorites and once again it did not disappoint.     

Saturday’s profile:  3 laps each one includes an approach road, short steep seated and standing climbs, downhills and our favorite stair stepping uphill. 

Use the first lap to get a feel for the ride.  Use lap two and three to challenge your body.  You will get a recovery after each stair step drill.  Our goal is to maintain 80% MHR for the bulk of the class.  An 80% MHR (or feeling comfortably uncomfortable) is going to keep us very aerobic and increase our fat burning levels.  Try to keep recoveries at 75%.  Train yourself to recover while still working.   

WARM UP

Always Something—I Hate Kate (3:36)  Dial in a resistance so you feel the road underneath your feet—as you know we never ride with no resistance, even in the warm up.  Gradually raise your heart rate. 

LOOP #1

Everybody—Goose (2:25)  SEATED FLAT  This is our approach.  Find a moderate resistance and begin to accelerate.  Raise your heart rate to about 75%. 

Non Dairy Creamer—Third Eye Blind (4:26) 

SEATED CLIMB More resistance!  Use the first 1:40 for the seated climb

STANDING CLIMB  (1:40-3:10) Make it a little heavier.  Hands in position 3.  Keep climbing until 3:10.  Don’t forget to maintain great form. 

SEATED FLAT DOWNHILL  (3:10-4:26) This is our downhill.  Decrease the resistance, have a seat.  Let your heart rate come down a little in preparation for our next drill…but not too much, we aren’t going to recover just yet

Danger! High Voltage—Electric Six (3:35)  STAIR STEPS  30 seconds seated climb, 30 seconds run with resistance.  Alternate for the whole song.  This is where the real work is.   

Best of Me—Morningwood (3:03)  DOWNHILL/RECOVER  Use the first 1 minute to ride down the hill….finish the song in a seated flat and recover.  Make this recovery where ever you need it to be for you and your fitness goals. 

LOOP #2

Famous Last Words—My Chemical Romance (4:59)

SEATED CLIMB (0-2:00)   feel your legs respond to the hill

STANDING CLIMB (2:00-3:40)  

SEATED FLAT DOWNHILL (3:40-4:59)  concentrate on not bouncing in the saddle, if you are add a little resistance

Get U Home—Shwayze (3:14)  STAIR STEPS  Seated climb alternating with standing run on chorus (“take me…”)

Chase This Light—Jimmy Eat World (3:27) DOWNHILL/RECOVER  Take 1 min to come off of the hill, then recover where you need it  (or no lower than 75% MHR)

LOOP #3

City—Hollywood Undead (3:34)

SEATED CLIMB (0-1:56)  keep your breathing under contro

STANDING CLIMB (1:56-3:34)  stay committed to the climb

Pickin’ It Up—Hot Hot Heat (2:34)  SEATED FLAT DOWNHILL x1:30, then add a little bit of resistance back on and get ready for our last set of stairs

Silver and Cold—AFI (4:11)  STAIR STEPS  Focus and breathe.  Seated climb alternating with standing run with resistance at the chorus (“nothing….”)  Stop thinking.  Feel the music.  Hear the acceleration in the beat and match it.  Go! 

COOL DOWN

Hey, Soul Sister—Train (3:37)  Keep moving until you get below 65% MHR.  Keep pedaling, keep breathing. 

STRETCHES

Maybe—Ingrid Michaelson (3:13)   

Find the entire playlist on iTunes at Spinning Spincycles 10.24.09