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…..

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

a well-thought-out plan

Well, that photo certainly does not suggest the feeling of fall.  Nor does it convey the dreary raininess I have endured for this past week (I know, it could be worse, it could be snow)…but, this photo was taken just about 1 week ago.  Not possible?  Did I mention it was taken in Cancun?!?!  That’s right fellow readers,  I took a very last minute vacation (also known as an attempt to escape reality) to Cancun last week.  How last minute you ask?  Approximately 12 hours passed between the time we booked our trip to when we were actually boarding the plane that would take us to sunshine, warmth, sand and unlimited margaritas! 

You know me, I’m a planner.  I’ll be the first to admit that the 12 hours preceding our flight was stressful, but it all worked out in the end.  Turns out you really don’t need much more than a swimming suit, sunglasses and sun block when in Mexico.  Well, that and a good book (or 3 or 4.)  One of the books I read while lying in my lounge chair next to the ocean (you can hate me for that, I agree, Mexico twice in one year is very bourgeoisie) was Jillian Michaels’ new book Master Your Metabolism.  I’m a total sucker for marketing…what can I say, I love The Biggest Loser and I find Jillian rather motivational.  Anyway, the book it very interesting…all pro organic/anti processed foods.  In a nutshell, her message is:  if it didn’t have a mother or it didn’t grown from the ground, don’t eat it.

From a health standpoint (and seriously, who are we kidding…I’d like to shed a few pounds), I feel I get a B+ in the exercise department.  Food and eating, well, that’s another story.  I struggle with what I put in my mouth.  More accurately, I should I say I struggle with the fact that I put way too much food in my mouth.  There are very few foods I dislike and they are mostly found in the “melon” category.  Honeydew, yuuuuck!  Give me pad thai, pizza, cinnamon rolls, cookies, pancakes, mac-n-cheese…yum!  Jillian makes a very good argument for eating clean and trying to avoid all the chemicals/hormones/additives that are added to our foods.  I’m trying to incorporate a few of her suggestions a little at a time.   

A few of her “homeowork” assignments I am working on this week are:  

1. Eliminating (or cut down on) artificial preservatives, artificial sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup and preservatives.  Buh-bye Coke Zero…I’ll miss you.
2. Eating 1 serving of berries every day.  This is an easy task, I love all berries! 
3. Sleeping at least seven hours a night.  Not an impossible undertaking.  Apparently, in addition to helping balance out your hormones (and sensitivity to insulin)….some researches have postulated that a particular type of slow-wave sleep (which begins about 1 hour after you fall asleep) will help you burn fat while you sleep.  Sign me up!  I guess this hour after you go to sleep is when our bodies release a bunch of growth hormone and it’s this hormone that prompts the body to burn stored fat.  

One of her exercise suggestions was to add intervals to your work out.  According to Jillian “intervals give the same hormonal benefits and high excess post exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC—also known as after burn—as longer bouts of continuous intense exercise”.   Sounds good, you get more for your buck.  In honor of Jillian, Saturday’s class was all about intervals.  

Here’s the playlist and breakdown:  You are going to work very hard in this class, elevate your heart rate, push yourself out of your comfort zone for 4-5 minutes…but after each push you’ll be rewarded with a 1-2minute recovery.  Every time!  I promise.    

WARM UP

Nothing to Worry About (Jocko for Teaddybears Remix)—Peter Bjorn and John (5:18)  Burr, its cold outside.  We need a really good warm up today.  Start with light resistance.  Progressively add every minute. 

INTERVAL #1

Who Do You Love?—Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (4:15)  Flat road.  Your gear might be just fine from the warm up, but if it’s too thick, just drop a little…just a little, remember to hit it hard, a recovery is right on the other side (besides, we’ve just begun…toughen up!)  Start out of the saddle for 1 minute to raise the heart rate, seated fast pace 1 minute (keep the HR up), stand for 1 minute, finish seated. 

Battery Run—Thomas Newman (1:14)  Recover.  Don’t let your heart rate drop below 65% of max (we want to recover around 65-70% of MHR)

INTERVAL #2

Boys Wanna Be Her—Peaches (3:56)  Begin in a standing climb for about 1 minute.  Then the stair steps start!  30 seconds alternating between standing and sitting.  Keep the cadence to match the beat.  Oh yeah, that smoke you’re smelling…it’s your legs…on fire!

Go Go Go—John Murphy (2:11)  Recover at 65-70% MHR

INTERVAL #3

Medicate—AFI (4:21)  Medium resistance/find a moderate effort out of the saddle.  Start with a standing flat…but I want it fast.  Jump on the chorus (“medicate, you and me…”)  The song slows around 2:33, slow the standing run to a jog.   Remember to keep good control during your jumps.  If you have knee problems, or jumping is uncomfortable, turn the jumps into speed surges. 

Was in der Zeitung steht—d.o.c.h.! (1:56)  Recover at 65-70% MHR

INTERVAL #4

Blood On My Hands—The Used (3:18)  Heavy, hard, challenging, tough resistance.  Standing climb (hands in position 3 of course.)  Speed surges on the chorus (“there’s blood on my hands…”)

Check—Goose (1:38)  Recover.

INTERVAL #5

But Tonight We Dance—Rise Against (2:48)  Find a moderate resistance out of the saddle and jog…run on the chorus.  Hands are in position 2, weight is balanced over the center of the bike.  Make your legs work for you.

Since that was a short song, you get a two-for in this interval.  Here we go….

Hurry Up Let’s Go—Shout Out Louds (2:19)  Keep that resistance knob right where it is.  Have a seat.  I’m going to ask you for a faster cadence with little tiny speed surges on the chorus (i.e. when the music speeds up.)  Earn your break!

Safari Beach—Goose (2:20)  Hello recovery, we missed you!

INTERVAL #6  also known as the FINAL INTERVAL!  (please hold your applause until the end)

With Or Without You—U2 (4:59)  Standing climb.  Elevate your heart rate by adding resistance back on the flywheel.  Get a little comfy for the first 3 minutes, then get really uncomfortable for the final 2 minutes with the same resistance, same cadence IN THE SADDLE.   Remember our pedal stroke drills from a couple of weeks ago?  Put them to use now. 

Meet Me On the Equinox—Death Cab for Cutie (3:44)  Recover & cool down. 

What a Day(2008)—Greg Laswell (5:09)  Stretch, breath, pat yourself on the back ‘cause you made it!

Find this playlist on iTunes at Spinning Spincycles 10.17.09

This class was fun!  So much fun that I’m going to repeat it tomorrow in the 6:15am class.  Yay intervals…burn fat burn!

When the wheels come down. When the wheels touch ground.

It’s been two weeks since I posted.  Humph.  Not a tragedy, but still, I like to maintain consistency and the routine of posting once a week.  So, what have I been up to that caused a break in my posting schedule?  In addition to trying to pass off buffalo as ground beef to PJK (yes, I was successful, you can hide anything in a good tomato sauce), I’ve been trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.  I was not as successful with this venture as I was with Operation Mystery Meat and am realizing I should have answered that question long before I technically “grew up.”  

As I investigated this topic further I found myself mentally making lists of what (and who) I don’t want to be.  But apparently, this is (really) the wrong way to go about things such as this.  I guess the theory is that if you put all of your energy into thinking about negative traits, even if you are thinking that way because you want to avoid them, you end up taking them on anyway.  Like an evil self-fulfilling prophecy.  Therefore, instead of focusing on the negative, I’m supposed to focus on creating lists of what (and whom) I do want to be.  And then I found this blog:  SPINTASTIC.  Speechless & totally impressed.  Hi, Melissa, will you be my friend?  We’ll be best friends forever!  And then I can move in with you and we can be roommates….no cause for alarm when I start to borrow a few things without asking. Your clothes, your boyfriend, your life…  Only kidding Melissa, no need to file that restraining order.  I am, as I mentioned before, entirely and completely inspired by you.  So I decided to borrow one of your motivating profiles for Saturday’s class.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…right?

Or maybe not. 

According to Pink (yes, I watched VH1’s Behind the Music last week) that’s a load of bullshit.  Speaking of, I’ve been in a Pink phase for a while.  Her music just sounds sooo good to me (I think it’s that emotional connection I’m always seeking in my song and playlist selections).  Okay, I have to go on a tangent real quick before I get to this week and last week’s playlists.  Here it goes….my current fixation on all songs Pink brought to mind a recent conversation I had with a friend.  The question on the table was:  “which celebrity would you go gay for?”  Wen asked this I immediately responded with Anne Hathaway.  But the more I think about it, the more I want to change my answer to….(you guessed it) Pink.  Don’t get me wrong, Anne is gorgeous, but I think I would rather be her then be with her.  What is it about Pink that’s so darn applealing?  The tattoos?  Her killer abs? The piercings?  Her general badassness?  Um, how about all of the above!  So there you go.  You can add that to all of the other interesting details I choose to reveal in this venue.  Maybe PJK should punk it up a bit….            

Allrightythen, moving right along, I think I’ve more than made up for my negligent blogging habits.  Here’s the playlist from last week:

Find it on iTunes at Spinning Spincycles 9.26.09

3 laps…each with a climb, a downhill and a stair stepping uphill…all separated by a much deserved recovery flat.   

No You Girls–Franz Ferdinand (3:40) Warm up with a seated flat.   

BLOCK #1  feel it out, get to know the ride……………………………

Here It Goes–Ok Go (3:00)  We kick off the ride strong by increasing the effort and intensity.  Pick up the pace on the chorus to raise the heart rate just a little.  Prepare for the hard work we have ahead of ourselves.   

Tear You Apart–She Wants Revenge (Clean Version) (4:44)  Start in a seated climb, progressively adding resistance every 30 seconds until you cannot…move…the…pedals…anymore…but you will keep moving the pedals!  Because you are strong.  Focus on the pedal stroke.  Slide your weight toward the back of the seat…breath in calmness

All The Small Things–Blink 182 (2:48)  Take off ½ the resistance, stand and run down hill…all the way baby.  Feel the wind in your hair. 

Say Aha—Santogold (3:35)  Add a little more resistance back on, this should feel challenging in the saddle.  30second seated climb alternating with 30 seconds running with resistance. Try to maintain a steady cadence throughout the entire song.  This is where the real work is.  Don’t lose focus

Whoa Oh!–Forever the Sickest Kids (3:25)   Recovery seated flat, be wherever you need to be.  Advanced riders:  make it an active recovery.  Keep working while decreasing the heart rate a little

BLOCK #2  push yourself harder this round…………………………..

Counting Down the Hours–Pharmacists & Ted Leo (3:07)  How strong are you feeling?  Fast and steep climb.  Add resistance every 15 seconds for the first 1min 30 seconds.  Finish the song in a standing climb….keep adding if you can stand it.  Advanced riders…pick up the pace with the music.  Beginners:  hold it steady, you look great!

Bouncing Off the Walls– Sugarcult (2:21)  What goes up, must come down.  Drop about ½ of your resistance (it should still feel a little heavy in the saddle).  Seated flat…fast.  This is not a recovery! 

Spaceman–The Killers (4:45)  I love this song!  Stair steps!  Add enough resistance so it feels like a seated climb.  Now lets hit it:  30 seconds in the saddle, 30 seconds out of the saddle (running).  It’s really going to bite, hard…don’t let it slow you down, just keep going. 

Tomorrow–Ladytron (3:36)  Drop the resistance.  Grab a drink.  Recover where you need it. 

BLOCK #3  you know it, make it work for you………………………..

The ‘59 Sound–The Gaslight Anthem (3:13)  Last true climb.  Riders choice of seated or standing.  Make it heavy…make it count.  Surge ahead on the chorus, then slow it back down. 

Lights and Sounds–Yellowcard (3:28)  Downhill….have your cadence follow the speed of the music.  Drop the resistance every 30 seconds…stay in the position you chose for the climb. 

Helena (So Long & Goodnight)–My Chemical Romance (3:23)  The last working song;  it’s finally here.  Intensify the resistance and stay in a nice heavy climb…one more time, hit the stair steps.  Hit them hard!

Wait–Go Set Go (2:47) Cool down in a seated flat with light resistance.

Say–John Mayer (3:50) Stretch your legs off the bike. 

–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–

And now for this week’s playlist:  find it too on iTunes at Spinning Spincycles 10.3.09. 

This week I wanted to focus on pedal stroke.  It’s easy to assume that it’s a no-brainer to ride a bike, but if you can develop an efficient pedal stroke you will find yourself less fatigued and better equipped for intense efforts and a greater use of muscular power.  Sounds good, right? 

You want to pedal in a smooth, elliptical motion.  Push forward with one leg while you pull back with the other; this will allow you to minimize the dead spots at the top and bottom.  Focus on lifting your ankle toward your hip to enhance hamstring recruitment.  Keep your feet flat over the center of the pedal (no ballerina toes!) 

It helps to think of the circular pedaling motion being broken into four parts.

1. First, you push the pedal down, working your quad. Here, your heel should be lower than your toes to get the most power out of your legs.
2. At the bottom of your stroke, actively pull your foot back like you’re scraping muck off your shoe. This phase engages your hamstring, the muscle on the back of your thigh.
3. Next, pull the pedal up working your hip flexors.
4. The last part of the circular stroke is the top; you want to kick your foot forward and feel like you’re pushing the pedal, which sets up your down stroke, or the first phase.

 

WARM-UP

Honey, Let Me Sing You a Song—Matt Hires (4:09)  Warm up for a strength ride.  75-85% MHR.  I love a good standing climb.  It’s my go-to move.  But today we are going to learn to appreciate (and love) seated climbs today…burn out our glutes and hips, strengthening and sculpting our legs while paying very close attention to our pedal stroke. 

We will stand…don’t you worry…we will stand to recover.  Three blocks of work, each comprised of seated climb, standing run, seated climb.  Blocks will be separated by short recoveries.  Let the fun begin….

BLOCK #1

Feel Good Time—Pink & William Orbit (3:57) Seated flat with progressive loadings to seated climb: 65-70% MHR.  Focus on pedal stroke mechanics, hip alignment, pelvic tilt. 

The Hand That Feeds—Nine Inch Nails (3:32)  Drop a little resistance.  Stand and run to stretch out the legs.  70-75% MHR  Pay attention to what happens to your heart rate and perceived level of exertion.  Adjust resistance and breathing to modulate any changes. 

Wheels—Foo Fighters (4:38)  Have a seat.  Progressive loading to seated climb: 75-80% MHR.  Focus on dropping the heel on the backstroke to keep a flat foot.  Slide your weight toward the back of the seat on the widest part.  Breathe.  If you are feeling it, give me a little acceleration on the chorus.  Last 1:30, push it to an 85% MHR

RECOVERY

Beware (Jay-Z Remix)—Punjabi MC (3:59)  Light resistance.  Let your heart rate recover.  2 minutes…make the recovery whatever you need it to be.  Final 2 minutes, add a little more resistance on the flywheel, bring it up to a standing run and start to raise your heart rate again.  Block #2 is waiting for us…..

BLOCK #2

Black Gloves—Goose (2:34)  Pile on the resistance in the saddle, we’re right back in the thick of it.  Seated climb, 75-80% MHR.  Relax the upper body…remember, it’s the legs that are supposed to be doing all of the work.  Direct your awareness to anyplace where you might be wasting energy…is there extra tension in your shoulders?  What about your hands, your face? 

Thrash Unreal—Against Me! (4:14)  Standing climb for first 45 seconds of the song.  Drop the resistance a tad and start running.  Maintain a 75% MHR.  Stretch your legs.  Throw in cadence accelerations on the chorus

A Dustland Fairytale—The Killers (3:45)  Slow it down.  Find your seated climb.  Make it heavy, but keep your heart rate between 75 and 80% of max.  Don’t sandbag this.  Think about moving the pedals in a circle…don’t mash down, use the entire pedal stroke to your advantage, you are triggering your glutes to fire with each forward extension and upward stroke.  Use the beat to push you faster for the final 2 minutes of the song.  I’m looking for an 85% MHR…adjust if you need to. 

RECOVERY

I Wanna-The All-American Rejects (3:29)  Drop the resistance.  Catch your breath.  Let your heart rate slowly decrease.  Stand and jog or run around the 2 minute mark.  We’ve got another block of work straight ahead

BLOCK #3  We know this, we’ve seen that we are strong and focused and have the drive to do it one more time.

Cochise—Audioslave (3:42)  Seated, progressively adding on resistance until it’s challenging.  Looking for a 75-80% MHR.  Stop thinking, just feel and climb

Crawl Back In—Dead By Sunrise (3:03)  Don’t stop working, stand to stretch your legs at 75% MHR.  Drop the tension if you need to.  Jog or run, just don’t let you heart rate drop.  We’ve got about 3 minutes to enjoy out of the saddle. 

Run This Town (feat. Rhianna & Kanye West)—Jay-Z (4:35)  Ah, yeah.  Last climb, about 4 minutes long.  Our goal is a 75-80% MHR.  It’s heavy, it’s slow.  Your choice to stand or sit for this one.  Check your form.  How are you feeling?  Last 2 minutes at 85% MHR…all the way to the end

RECOVERY/COOL DOWN:  Fireflies—Owl City (3:48)

STRETCHES:  Flightless Bird, American Mouth—Iron & Wine (4:01)

Reminders:  

1. Starting Tuesday October 6^th I will be teaching the 6:15am (yes, that is early in the morning) 45min. Spinning class at the Alexandria WSC.  Come spin with me in my pj’s and bed head (which probably won’t look too much different than how I look on Saturdays)!
2. Les Mill’s Body Pump…and not to be forgotten Body Combat classes are coming to several WSC’s around the DC metro area.  I don’t have a permanent class (yet)…but will be substituting at Alexandria, Springfield and probably Clarendon too.  If you haven’t experienced these classes, please please check them out.  Next Saturday 10/10 we are doing short (30min) demos!  The schedule at Alexandria is this: 8:15am BodyPump in Studio 1 and 8:15am BodyCombat in Studio 2; 10am BodyPump in Studio 1 and 10:30am BodyCombat in Studio 1.  Please come and check it out, you will have fun for sure!

Okay, okay! This post is way too long.  I’m off to continue to try to figure out what I want to do with my life…

Fall Is Just Something that Grown-Ups Invented

Can you feel it?  I can….it’s fall!  I love the fall, it’s my favorite season of the year and makes me want to do all things cozy.  I’m overcome with the urge to bake things like fall fruit crumble, and burn candles with names such as frosted pumpkin and mulling spices while watching oodles of football (go Bears!); and oh, the candy corn pumpkins…that tooth-rotting sweetness will be the death of me.  Yum.  It always comes down to candy with me, doesn’t it?      

I cannot remember or figure out from whom or which website I borrowed this ride from for Saturday’s class, but I thank you, it was quite a good workout.  It is composed of high intensity sliding intervals, and is more appropriate as an advanced class, though you can always modify it for beginners. 

This ride is four repeating blocks of about 11 minutes, each with the same sequence of movements (except for the last block…which I had to shorten to keep within our allotted 45 min. class time.)  Within each block, there will be one segment where you will push yourself as hard as you can achieving heart rates between 85-92% of MHR (those are bolded).  After the hard push, your heart rate will come down slightly, but not by much.  Condition your body to “recover” while still working.  Beginners: do not achieve as high of heart rates, take the full recovery time…maybe put about ½ the resistance I suggest to the class. 

This class is also a great reminder of the importance of wearing and using a heart rate monitor….which I’m trying to do with more consistency.      

The Fixer—Pearl Jam (2:58)   Warm up.

BLOCK #1

Funhouse—P!nk (3:25)  1:00 Seated Flat (75%). Bring your level of intensity up one notch.  Medium resistance.  1:00  Standing Flat (80%).  Increase 1 turn.  Prepare for the level of effort to come.  Know that I want you to push as hard as possible for the 1 ½ minutes.  1:30  Seated Climb (85-92%)  Beginners: keep the resistance.  Advanced: Add ½ turn.  Push as hard as possible for 90 seconds.  Test yourself! 

Uprising—Muse (5:05)  2:00 Standing Climb (80-85%)  This is the hard part, you need to drop your heart rate a little while in a standing climb.  Calm down mentally and let the rhythm drive you.  3:00 Seated Climb (80-85%)  Sit down.  Stay with the rhythm, don’t quit, you are still working.  The recovery is coming.

Keep Fishin’—Weezer (2:52)   Seated Flat (75-80%)  Back off, breathe.  Take your recovery at a level where you need to be.  Mentally relax.  Be prepared to get it going again. 

BLOCK #2

Casanova, Baby!—The Gaslight Anthem (3:10)  1:00 Seated Flat (75%)  Back to work.  1:00 Standing Flat (80%)  Bring up the level of intensity.  1:30  Seated climb (80-85%)  After this seated climb, we’ll be ready to get rolling.  Find the gear you’ll need for the big push, but keep the cadence under control….here we go….add ½ turn

Help I’m Alive—Metric (4:46)  2:00 Standing Climb (85-92%)  Standing and give me all you have for 2 minutes.  2:30 Seated Climb (80-85%) Drop the hear rate by the necessary beats (drop ½ turn if you need to).  Don’t recover just yet….you’re still working.

The Impression That I Get—The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (3:15)  Seated Flat (75-80%) Back off, breathe.  Take your recovery at a level you need it. 

BLOCK #3

Man Ray—The Futureheads (2:20)  1:00 Seated Flat (75%)  Back to work.  If you let your heart rate drop in that last recovery, bring it back to working levels.  Medium resistance.  1:20 Standing Flat (80%) Don’t touch anything, just stand and let the intensity rise a little.

Say Hey (I Love You)—Michael Franti & Spearhead (3:56)  1:30 Seated Climb (80-85%) Add a BIG gear.  Keep cadence in line with the heart rate.  2:00 Standing Climb (80-85%)  Add tension to stand, but keep speed under control.  Stay steady.  You are getting ready to fly in the next movement.  Be a little afraid!  I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think you do it!  Ready?????

Bleed It Out—Linkin Park (2:44)  Seated Climb (85-92%) Here we go!  Your gear is probably fine, just push through that pedal stroke, a little speed.  Give me all you have for the next 2 minutes 30 seconds

King of All the World—Old 97’s (2:52)  Seated Flat (75-80%)  Back off and breathe.  Relax.  You’ll probably need the entire song after that last effort. 

BLOCK #4

I Want You—Fefe Dobson (2:10)  1:00 Seated Flat (75%)  This is it.  I know you’re tired, but I also know you can finish this.  1:00 Standing Flat (80%)  Bring up the intensity.  The upcoming hill is short…think about that final flat section—that will be where you push  that will take us to the finish

Full Chemical Gear—Thomas Newman (2:00)  1:00 Seated Climb (80-85%)  BIG gear in the saddle.  1:00 Standing Climb (80-85%)  Add a little gear and stand, but keep the intensity about the same.

The Gutterati?—The Fratellis (2:29)  Seated Flat (85-92%)  OK, this is it.  Show me what you’ve got and drive it home.  Cadence should be a good solid flat road cadence of 90-110 RPM.  You’re not sprinting…make sure it’s a pace you can hold for the entire song.

COOL DOWN & STRETCHES

Why I Am—Dave Matthews Band (3:53)  Relax, breathe.  You made it!

I Will Follow You Into the Dark—Death Cab for Cute (3:09)  Stretch.

Find this playlist on iTunes at Spinning Spincycles 9.19.09.

Woo!

I want to be a Woo girl. 

You know who I’m talking about.  There was an entire How I Met Your Mother episode devoted to the Woo girls (hilarious).   They are those girls who have endless amounts of enthusiasm, and unable to contain the aforementioned enthusiasm; constantly shout “woo!”  These “woo’s” are often accompanied by some sort of elevated arm movement/fist pump/devil horns hand gesture. 

It seems like a prerequisite for group ex instructors (especially Body Pump instructors).  I tried it out a little at Saturday’s Spinning class. did you notice?  I hope not…it’s embarrassing, it just doesn’t come naturally to me.  I’ve got the fist pump, the hand gesture, I definitely have the enthusiasm…but the woo just doesn’t sound right.  Is it too pitchy…not loud enough…am I not fully committed to the woo?   Whatever the reason is, it needs some work.  Which is why I plan to practice it over the next few weeks.  You can now find my dogs constantly in a state of anticipation, they think each woo is preceding something very very exciting (like a walk or a treat or a spilled box of Rice Krispies) instead of something mundane.  Woo! It’s time to wash the dishes!  That alone incites much tail wagging and shuffling into the kitchen, only to be followed by two heartbreaking dog stares in my direction.  Oh, the doggie guilt trip…woo, I guess it’s time for a walk…

Wooo! Find Saturday’s playlist on iTunes at Spinning Spincycles 9.12.09.  Woo!  Here’s the break-down of our ride….wooooo!        

Knights of Cydonia—Muse (6:07)  Time to warm-up. Do plenty of stretching and grab some water before we really get into it.  First three minutes = good warm up.  Add a little tension on the bike and stand and run for the final minutes of the song.  We want you really warm today. 

Hey Driver—Luck Boys Confusion (2:34)  Seated flat.  Increase your cadence to 90-110 RPM.  Stand and slow down to a jog on the acoustic portions of the song.  Increase ½ turn after each interval (will happen 3 times)

The Rat—The Walkmen (4:22)  Can you stand the resistance?  If so…keep it right where it is.  30 seconds in the saddle and 30 seconds out alternate for the whole song.

The Underdog—Spoon (3:42)  Don’t touch that resistance knob.  We’ve got a climb. Focus on opposing movements of the pedal stroke.  Stay seated for the first 45 seconds, then make it a standing climb.  Increase resistance at 1:50 and cruise through the rest of the song

(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To—Weezer (3:29)  It’s new Weezer!!!  Decrease the resistance and move out of the saddle to a standing flat.  Make sure you have control of your flywheel.  Use this as an active recovery if you need it.  Have a seat and increase your cadence on the chorus.

Run to Paradise (Radio Edit)—Nick Skitz vs The Choirboys (3:57)  Gimme more resistance and keep it rolling…we’re running with resistance for the whole song.  You decide your pace…I’m going to try to follow the music…

Magic—Ladyhawke (3:27)  More resistance (what???  That’s right, add more) it’s a seated climb.  Add a little more resistance each 30 seconds.  It’s a steep steep hill.  Focus on your strength, not your speed. 

A-Punk—Vampire Weekend (2:18)  Decrease the resistance and recover.  Seated flat.  Use the whole song to recovery so you can hit the back half of our ride hard.   

She’s a Genius—JET (2:59)  Find a moderate resistance.  It’s time for jumps on a hill.  Maintain good form and use your smooth moves to transition in and out of the saddle.  Jump on the chorus, standing jog in-between.

I Owe You a Love Song—Shiny Toy Guns (3:44)  Gradually increase resistance on this moderate seated climb. 

Electric Feel—MGMT (3:50)  Resistance should be very heavy at this point.  Bring it to a standing climb.  Feel the beat.  Find your rhythm.   Sit and burn it out at: 1-1:15, 2:15-2:30, and 3:15-3:30.

It’s All Your Fault—P!nk (3:52)  Decrease the resistance and take a short (i.e. 45 second) recovery.  Add to create a moderate resistance and pick up the pace on a standing flat.  Sit and catch your breath during the slow parts of the song, only to stand and push your legs faster.  Advanced riders:  increase resistance after each interval.  Really push it on the last 30 seconds…this is it…make it count!

Stick With Me Baby—Robert Plant & Allison Krauss (2:51)  The long awaited cool down seated flat

Friendly Fire—The Federalists (2:37)  The end is here.  Finish with our standard stretches. 

Woo!

Labor Day 2009

Happy Labor Day! 

I obviously survived last weekend’s Body Pump certification training…though if you had asked me Saturday evening if I thought I was going to make it, my answer may have been “doubtful.” It was tough…both mentally and physically.  But, I am so excited about this program & if you are a member at Alexandria WSC…just wait…you’ll see very soon for yourself how amazing this group exercise class is.  I’ll let you know as soon as I know the days and times of Body Pump classes.   

Speaking of the holiday, thanks for making it to class Saturday morning.  Here’s the rundown of our 10am class:

Cherub Rock–Smashing Pumpkins  Warm up your legs with a seated flat & a few upper body stretches

Little Dawn–Pharmacists & Ted Leo  Add about a ½ turn of resistance and start to pick up the pace.  Cadence changes in all 3 positions: sitting/standing/climbing.  Add a ½ to a full turn of resistance before each position change.  End the song in a standing climb for the last 2 minutes when the lyrics  It’s alright, it’s alright, it’s alright  is repeated about 150 times. 

Sugarbaby–Morningwood  Keep the resistance for 8-count jumps on a hill alternating with a standing running with resistance during the chorus.  Remember to keep your jumping transitions smooth 

Don’t Leave Me Hanging–Jet Lag Gemini  Lighten up the resistance.  Start seated, alternating between a jog and a run, add resistance to stand & repeat, add more resistance.  Find yourself back in the saddle and repeat tempo changes.

White People for Peace–Against Me!  Don’t take a bit of resistance off.  Stay in a seated climb, add resistance until it feels thick and heavy, and then hold it steady for the rest of the song.  Bring it to a standing climb at 2:15 and finish strong.

Laid–Better Than Ezra  Lighten up on the resistance, grab a drink & then jump right back up into another standing climb.  This time is a little heavier and a little slower pedal stroke than the song before.

Far Behind–Social Distortion  No more climbs for a while.  Reward yourself with a 1 minute recovery.  Add a ½ turn of resistance back on, then, when you are ready, find a racing speed in the saddle for 1 minute.  Stand and jog to recover, sit and let your legs fly for the last minute of the song.

Stumble and Fall–Razorlight  Find a challenging resistance.  Find a good rhythm with your legs and don’t slow down.  Alternate between sitting and standing every 30 seconds trying to keep the same beat the entire time.

The Comeback–Shout Out Louds  Advanced rider?  Add more resistance.  4 count jumps on the chorus, climb in-between the jumping intervals.  Pick up the pace if you can manage.

Lifeline–Papa Roach  Make the resistance feel hard, then harder…do this in a seated, standing & finally climbing position.

Honestly–Zwan  Hey Billy Corgan, thanks for making dual appearances on the the playlist this morning!  Standing climb with rolling hills  (adding and subtracting resistance to simulate an uneven ride.)

Happiness Is Overrated–The Airborne Toxic Event  Short recovery for the intro of this song.  Pick up the pace on a seated flat for 1:15.  Add resistance for a short standing run until 2:00, finish in a standing climb for the last part of the song.

You Look Like I Need a Drink–Against Me!  This is our last working song (smile).  Catch your breath then find a fast racing speed and burn it out for 1 minute.  Another quick catch of your breath…then race faster and faster and faster and faster and…..whew!  And, you’re done. 

The Wrestler–Bruce Springsteen  Cool it down on the bike.

1, 2, 3, 4—Plain White T’s  Stretches off the bike.

Find this playlist on iTunes iMixes under Spincycles 2.28.09.  Yeah, I borrowed a playlist from the past.  Didn’t think you would notice since it was 6 months ago…nor did I think you would mind, since it’s a really great mix of music.  I plan to have some new stuff next week.

Reflections on Labor Day 2009:

• No matter how many times you shout “Sit down! Stay still!” dogs do not instinctively know the importance of motionlessness and keeping their weight balanced in the middle of a kayak.  I foolishly thought my typically hyperactive terriers would magically turn into docile creatures the moment their paws touched the inside of a kayak…I was very very very wrong. 
• Ducks, surprisingly, do not mind being sprayed with the garden hose.  I, on the other hand, mind (a lot!)
• Big Ed may be more obsessed with squirrels than my two dogs.  Unfortunately, the end result of that obsession has a slightly bleaker outcome than the squirrel scampering up a tree to escape a couple of canine chompers.
• A tree in a ditch next to I-95 starts to seriously look like a viable alternative to a rest stop bathroom after you have been stuck in a car in Labor day traffic for many many hours.   

–Goodbye summer, see you next year!

Pressure Makes Diamonds

Waiting in my email inbox Thursday evening:  Congratulations!  You have been selected by WSC to participate in next weekend’s Les Mills’  BODYPUMP training – many were called and few were chosen. 

Whoo-hoo…I made the cut!  And can I even tell you how freaking excited I am?  And maybe a little scared…so, I was a teensy bit sore after Wednesday’s audition, that’s not a big deal, right?  (and by “teensy bit” I mean every time I moved from the sitting to standing position on Thursday I felt the need to emit a small groan of agony sounding exactly like an old decrepit man)  The soreness was probably from my BodyCombat audition…right? Not my beloved BodyPump.  Give me a little reassurance here…it was the multiple round-house kicks that burned up my quads, right?  Seriously though, I can’t imagine how I am going to feel Sunday night at the end of the training.  No wait, I know….I’m going to feel AWESOME!  (Did I mention I’m pretty wound up about this certification training?  Yeah, well, maybe just a little.)    

No playlist from me next week as I was specifically instructed to “clear your schedule completely for the duration of the training”…in the meantime, enjoy Saturday’s playlist on iTunes iMixes at Spinning Spincycles 8.22.09.    

Saturday’s class was inspired in part by my activities last weekend in addition to some great suggestions from Jennifer at FunhogSpins.  My goal was to try to simulate a mountain bike loop (minus the wipe outs) with three laps of a flat, a climb, a downhill and an oxygen-sucking stair stepping uphill. 

I Gotta Feeling—Black Eyed Peas (4:49)  Nice easy warm up.  Start to pick up the pace (85 RPM) for the final minute of the song.  (Emily—this one’s for you.  Mozoltov!) 

LAP #1…use this first lap to get a feel for what to expect during the ride today

The Nerve—MuteMath (2:58)  Add ½ turn to raise your heart rate and prepare for the first hill.  Seated flat, cadence 80-85 RPM

Daylight—Matt & Kim (2:51)  Add a full turn of resistance and start a seated climb.  Don’t get crazy with resistance just yet, there will be time for that on laps 2 and 3.  Climb for 1:52.  Add a ½ turn and finish the song in a standing climb. 

Ruby Soho—Rancid (2:38)  Drop ½ turn, but stay in hand position three for 30 seconds, drop another ½-a full turn.  Sit down, pick up the cadence to 90RMP and finish the downhill in a seated flat to get ready for our next challenge.  Grab a quick drink, but don’t slow down. 

Please Visit Your National Parks—Oxford Collapse (4:09)  Add a little more resistance back on, this should feel challenging in the saddle.  30second seated climb alternating with 30 seconds running with resistance. 

Flathead—The Fratellis (3:17)  Drop the resistance, have a seat and hustle (90-95RMP) downhill for a minute.  Drop the resistance once more…slow your cadence and use the rest of the song as a recovery. (I can’t find this on Amazon, which is really weird, because I swear I’ve linked to it before.)

LAP 2:  start to push yourself….here we go again…

Now We Can See—The Thermals (3:30)  Make this heavier than your first climb…add 2 turns of the resistance and go right into 1:27 of a seated climb, finish song in standing climb

Whoo! Alright, Yeah…Uh Huh—The Rapture (3:49)  Drop the resistance a ½ turn back to the seated climb. 30 seconds alternating with 30 seconds running with resistance

Full Chemical Gear—Thomas Newman (2:00)  Drop the resistance to something light (but keep control of the flywheel) and pick up the pace in a seated flat.  Shoot for 90-95 RMP…don’t slow down just yet

LAP #3:  you know what to expect…now make it work for you

The Angels’ Share—Pharmacists & Ted Leo (3:46)  Take a quick 45 second recovery…longer if you need it….if you don’t need the extra rest start to pick up the pace.  Add ½ turn as we start our third and final lap.   At 2:45 (when there is 1 minute left in the song), pile on the resistance and start your seated climb

Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)—All Time Low (3:11)  Keep the seated climb going strong for another 50 seconds.  Quick!  Add another ½ turn, stand and climb to the top (pick up the pace if you have the energy during the chorus).    Start to drop the resistance and move to seated fast down hill with 15 seconds left in the song.

Sick of Me—Green Day (2:07)  Seated flat, pick up the pace (90 RPM’s)  let your heart rate come down just a little.  We still have 1 more working song left, use this as a working recovery.

Million Miles Away—The Offspring  (3:40)  Use the first 30 seconds of the song to grab a quick drink.  How are you feeling?  Strong?  Add ½ turn to finish….if this a recovery day for you keep the resistance where it is.  You know this:  30 second seated climb alternating with 30 seconds standing run with resistance. And. You. Are. Done. (this one isn’t on Amazon either, WTF?)

World Keeps Turning—Brett Dennen (3:00)  Shed that extra resistance, find a nice seated flat to cool down

Hero of War—Rise Against (4:13)  Nice ride!  Don’t forget to stretch.