A Road to Ride On Cycling Mix (60 minutes)

Okay, I’ll cop to it: I work full-time, I teach three cycling classes a week, I have a husband and a preschooler at home. I have zero free time. Oh blog, I have thought about you so often. Many times I’ve had the computer open and fingers poised over the keyboard only to be drawn away. So here it is, going on midnight, but I’m awake and I have a new ride  that I really want to share.

From time to time I’ll put together a ride with a focus on one particular movement: climbing, jumping, sprinting.  This one is all about the seated flat.  I love standing climbs and I find that sometimes plain old seated flats don’t get enough attention in my classes but I have been absolutely loving this ride.

The profile is simple: six seated flats alternated with something else.  Each seated flat has a purpose. The music is almost all brand-new stuff that’s come out in the month or two. Geeky indoor cycling instructor bonus points for using songs with titles about roads or riding, right?

A Road to Ride On – Joshua Radin (3:03): Warm up perfection, this. Zach Braff called Radin, “the new Paul Simon” and he’s not far off.  Peppy, energetic, all good things here.  “We’ve been waiting, anticipating, your arrival…. Turn the lights on, give us road to ride on…” Thanks to Chris over at Chrispins for this one.  If you haven’t been over to her blog, you must check it out. She is incredibly prolific and uses awesome music.

Crazy Kids (feat. will.i.am) – Ke$ha (3:49): A smooth transition into a standing climb with 1 minute each at the intensity of 7/10, 8/10, 9/10.

Hey Boy Hey Girl – The Chemical Brothers (4:50): This one is from reader Ian, and it is magnificent.  The first of six seated flats, this one has two purposes. First: practicing a round pedal stroke. I ask riders to focus first (20-30 seconds) on the downstroke, on trying to make it round. Then we focus on the scrape across the bottom of the pedal stroke, like scraping mud from a shoe, and finally on the upstroke. Then we put it all together into a round pedal stroke. I ask them to think of a pencil attached to their ankle making circles as they ride and we ride for a minute or two, then do a cadence check.  I ask riders to hold a hand over one knee so that the knee touches their hand as they ride, then I will call time and we’ll count (silently) how many times our knee touches our hand.  I used 30 seconds but you could also use 10 (x6 for RPM), 15 (x4), 20 (x3) or 30 (x2).  Everyone should be between 80-110 RPM for seated flats.

I have heard that the RPM program goes higher than 110 RPMs.  One instructor told me she goes to 140 RPMs and I don’t know if the program permits this or if she’s doing it on her own.  I’m not overly worried if an experienced rider goes somewhat over 110, provided they’re always in control of the bike and not the other way around, but I have trouble believing many riders can be in control at 140 RPM on an indoor bike.  You can use this song to demonstrate the need for adequate resistance to maintain control: get riders to take all the tension off and they’ll see immediately how the bike starts driving them along so they can know to avoid this.

A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got) – Fergie, Q-Tip & Goonrock (4:01): Love this new track from the Great Gatsby soundtrack. Time for some 4 count jumps on a bit of a hill – resistance at 6/10.  Throw in a resistance increase half-way through for those who didn’t quite put enough on the first time.

This is What it Feels Like (feat. Trevor Guthrie) – Armin van Buuren (3:23):  Second seated flat, a chance to close your eyes, zone out, and let it be just you and the bike. I tell riders I am not going to chatter, I will only talk to call out the minutes (1, 2, 3) and offer them the chance to make alterations at that time if they wish.

Down the Road – C2C (3:27): 30 blessed seconds for recovery and a swig from the water bottle, then it is on to 8 count jumps on a hill – 7/10 or 8/10.  Get riders to push the tension up until they can really feel the hill before starting with the jumps. C2C is a veteran group of French DJs who won the Disco Mix Club World DJ Championship in 2006.  This song hit #1 in France in 2012 and charted in Canada but not the USA.  I love the innovative mix of electronica and R&B.

Snake Food – Safri Duo (6:04): Every time I use this Danish electronic percussion duo, someone asks for the name of the group.  This one’s an irresistible tribal beat to take us through the third seated flat.  It’s broken into two intervals: 2 minutes on, 1:30 for recovery, then 2 minutes on.  The two minute portions are meant to test endurance.  I ask riders to choose a tension and cadence that they aren’t sure they can maintain for two minutes, to try to find that edge where their personal limit is.  I would rather see them overestimate and have to back off than finish the two minutes feeling like they had more to give.  After the first interval I ask: “how’d you do?  Did you find that spot?”  We mop our brows, drink water and ride easy for a bit, then I ask them to decide on how they’re going to tackle the second interval. More resistance? Less? Faster pace? Then we go for another two minutes.  This one and Down the Road both come thanks to the Former Cycling Pingers group.

We Own It (Fast & Furious) – 2 Chainz & Wiz Khalifa (3:48): This one’s on the Fast & Furious 6 soundtrack (which, by all accounts, is actually a decent flick). I am going to parlay my willingness to see it to get my hubby to go with me to Before Midnight when it opens later this month.  Time for a seated climb and another cadence check.  This time, everyone should be between 60-80 RPM.  That should be no problem if they are riding with the music – they’ll hit 60.  I always make a point of telling riders I will never ask them to ride slower than the music (and I never choose a song that will take them below 60 RPM) and if they can’t keep up with the music, they need to take some resistance off the bike.

The Black Pearl (Caribbean Trance Mission) – Scotty (6:39):  More awesomeness from reader Ian.  Start with 30 seconds of recovery, then we’re going into more speed work for this fourth seated flat.  15 seconds on/off, then 30, then 45, then 60 on/off/on.  Unlike the long, two minute endurance flats we did previously, these are short, sharp efforts with incomplete recovery.  Each interval is going to push our heart rates higher than the last.  We’re looking to end up around 95%.  (And if you’re thinking, “hmm, that sounds like the song from the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack,” you’d be right.)

Come On – Andy Hunter (6:40): Why not chase a six minute seated flat with six minutes of rolling hills?  I can’t recall who put me on to Christian DJ Andy Hunter (if it was you, for goodness sake, drop me a comment so I can give you a proper shout out).  If there are mutterings about how you’re mean, a monster, and all that, you can offer a 40 second rest from 3:30 – 4:10, but then it’s back to the hills. Hup!

Girlfriend – Icona Pop (2:51): They’re Swedish, and they’re everywhere this year.  This is a seated flat where we’re going to pull back a bit and take it at about 70% of max effort, just a tad higher than our warmup pace.  Why, you ask?  Mwah ha ha!

Feel This Moment (feat. Christina Aguilera) – Pitbull (3:50):  Start this one 35 seconds in (click on the song in iTunes, then on File/Get Info/Options and put in 0:35 to start).  Jumps: 8 counts for the chorus, 4 counts for the verses.  (The song starts with the chorus.)  If you’re running out of time or have a slightly shorter class (50 or 55 minutes) Girlfriend and Feel This Moment can be skipped.

Take My Hand – Simple Plan (3:51): The last seated flat, and it’s a road race.  This one’s an everything-you’ve-got, head-for-the-finish-line romp.  (Now you know what the maniacal laugh was all about back on Girlfriend.)  Simple Plan is an alt-rock group from Montreal, Canada and this whole song is one great big juicy sprint.

#Beautiful (feat. Miguel) – Mariah Carey (3:23):  Some are touting this as THE song of summer 2013 (and those that aren’t have put their money on Get Lucky). I will confess, I have never been a Mariah fan, but I’ve found myself humming this one more than once.  Sweet, sweet cool down energy.

Get Lucky – Daft Punk (6:10): Now THESE guys really are everywhere this summer.  Could this be the song of summer 2013?  I like the easy disco vibe but I’m not convinced.  Some extra cool down, stretching, and goodbye music.

I’ve had a few small classes lately, classes that are well-attended during the university term but sparse in the summer.  I’ve been using them to learn more names, chat with my stalwart regulars (you know who you are!) and experiment a bit.  One of my experiments involved using a long song The Veldt (8 minute edit) by Deadmau5.  It’s super-versatile, a good fit for almost anything (and how many songs can you say THAT about?)  I had a class with four riders one day and said, “Okay, I’m putting you in the instructor seat.  This song is 8 minutes long and we’re going to switch it up every minute.  Each of you is going to call the shots for two intervals – you choose a drill: seated flat, seated climb, standing climb, or 4 count jumps, and I’ll take it from there.  About 10 seconds before the switch, I’d say, “Okay Pam, what are we doing next?”  We did a bit of everything and man, did they push us!  The only difficult part came when one rider suggested a contraindicated move – figure 8s.  I just said, “hmm, that one’s a bit controversial as there’s a risk of back injury.  Can you pick something else?”  She did, and we did, and the moment passed.

The May Challenge: 25 Habits of Amazing Fitness Instructors

Came across this post on the uber-cool www.rateyourburn.com.  How many of these habits do you employ?  (Me? 20/25.)

I have room for improvement on #1 Arrive early (I’d be late for my own wedding), #6 Meeting Your Neighbour,  #8 The Signature Catch-Phrase, #15 Encourage Noise, #21 More Eye Contact, #22 Learning Everyone’s Names. (I keep a note on my iPhone with names and descriptions and facts about regulars in each of my classes, but I still struggle with names for all but the most frequent riders. I’ve seen instructors who ask everyone’s names at the outset of a class and remember THE ENTIRE CLASS after one go.  This week I had a former regular rider who hadn’t been to my class since last summer.  I greeted her when she arrived (Catherine!  Great to see you!  and she beamed when I came over to talk with her after class to find out how she’d been.  Names are so important, I wish I was better with them.)

I don’t do #4 Touch People (partly because I don’t teach off the bike – no room to circulate between bikes at my gym but also because not everyone appreciates touch), #7 Curse (though I have told riders that if they’re thinking “When is this bleeping bleeping drill bleeping over?” that they’re exactly where they should be), or #19 High Fives.  I had a small, all-female class this week and mentioned that I’d been thinking about high fives and they unanimously rejected the idea of sweaty palm contact as gross, which is kind of why I haven’t tried it yet.  Those of you who do high fives – how do they go over in your classes?

Here is the May Challenge: choose one habit you need to work on and really go at it this month.  For me, it is going to be learning more names.  (Help!  Anyone have any good strategies?)  Drop me a comment to let me know which of these habits you employ, which you need to work on, and which you disagree with.  If you’re in for the May Challenge, tell us which habit you’re going to work on and report back at the end of May to let us know how it went.

Work Hard Play Hard Mix (60 minutes)

I’ve been collecting requests from my riders and this playlist incorporates three of them, plus tackles the March Challenge to use a genre of music I’ve never used before.  For me, that was electro-swing.  Now, I confess, a month ago, I’d never heard of it.  But one of my regular riders burned me a CD and I’ve had it on heavy rotation ever since.  Unfortunately, the day I used this ride, he wasn’t in class!

Simple profile for this one: a mixed bag with lots of jumps (14 minutes) and a 10 minute fast seated flat at the end.

Rolling in Sweet Dreams (Adele vs. Eurythmics) – Daft Beatles (3:00): Julz Arney and Lisa Goldman over at Former Cycling Pingers put me on to this great mashup, which you can find here.  Time to push that tension lever until you can feel the road under your feet.  Warm-up.

The Paris Swing Box – Parov Stelar (5:23):  Hey, if you’re gonna jump into a new genre of music, jump in!  First working song of the day.  Take the first minute or so (actually 0:52 till the horns kick in) to finish warming up, then we’re going to alternate a minute of surging (seated flat, 75% max capacity) with a minute in a standing climb (add some tension for the climb, then take it off to surge.)  Two sets.  Stelar is an Austrian DJ and musician.  I got great feedback from my riders, who loved this song.  Thanks to Sandy for requesting it, and for burning a CD for me.

I Love It (feat. Charli XCX) – Icona Pop (2:35):  Swedish DJ/electro-pop duo are storming up the charts with this ditty.  Three sprint intervals 30/45/25 seconds long, all crammed into only two and a half minutes.  They’re at 0:23 – 0:53, 1:08 – 1:54, 2:10 – 2:35.  Lyrics include a couple of offensive words, but no f-bombs.

Play Hard (feat. Ne-Yo and Akon) – David Guetta (3:21):  Every once in a while, a song comes along that just seems to be perfect for cycling.  I got this request a couple of weeks ago, right after the song came out and my rider is right – it’s perfect.  Time for a standing climb with a couple of tension increases.  I also really liked the Albert Neve Remix (6:53) which is going to find its way into an all-remix ride I’m thinking about.

Scream & Shout (feat. Britney Spears) – will.i.am (4:45):  Got this request from a regular, who said it never fails to make her move.  I’d listened to it when it first came out and put it aside as a bit too slow, but after she requested it, I took a few more listens and decided it’s a jump song.  4 counts up/down with medium resistance, about 6/10.  Same offensive lyrics as I Love It (s**t and b**ch).

Go Go – Hanna Pakarinen (3:04):  A big shout out to reader Sundie in Finland for putting me on to this song by the Finnish Kelly Clarkson (she won the first Finland Idol in 2004).  It’s sprint perfection.  20/20/35 seconds at 0:40 – 1:02, 1:30 – 1:53, and 2:21 – 2:55.  Plus, Pakarinen and I share the same birthday (April 17).

Va Va Voom – Nicki Minaj (3:04):  I learned my lesson with Minaj and downloaded the clean version.  Remember that bit at the beginning about lots of jumps?  4 counts, resistance at 6/10.

Red Hands – Walk off the Earth (3:01):  A little band from Burlington, Ontario (next door to my home town), they posted a cover of Gotye’s Somebody I Used to Know on Youtube with all five of them playing the same guitar and it went viral, garnering almost 150 million views.  They have many other covers on Youtube – Adele, Maroon 5, Fun., Taylor Swift, B.o.B., Eminem, LMFAO (with a side of Harlem Shake).  They’re all low budget, living room productions, and they’re all brilliant.  WOTE dropped their first album earlier this month, and damn, it’s good.  Really good.  I am home visiting my mom this weekend and I visited their website to see if they’re playing a local club or something, because it would be awesome to see them live.  Yes it would, and I am not the first one to figure this out – they’re actually touring in Europe right now.  All of which is by way of saying, check these guys out – you’ll be hearing a lot more from them.  What? Oh yeah, we’re still riding.  Seated climb for this one.

Inner Ninja (feat. David Myles) – Classified (3:22):  Classified is a hard-working local rapper from Halifax, NS.  This is his latest (and biggest) hit.  I love it for its cheekiness and the choir in the middle.  More 4 count jumps, this time on a hill, with resistance at 8/10.

Hey Porsche – Nelly (3:29):  Critics are crapping on it, you’re not quite sure if Nelly’s crooning about a woman or a car, but it’s catchy.  I’m tapping my foot as I write this.  Leave the resistance at 8/10 for a standing climb up a muddy hill.

Karma – Kristina Maria (2:51):  Another Canadian artist, Kristina hails from Ottawa, ON.  Verses are 8 count jumps, take them easy, because for each chorus, we’re going to do 4 count jumps, double-time.  Sort of like a series of short standing runs.  Hardest work of the day here.

C’Mon – Ke$ha (3:34):  Last hill of the day, let’s take it as a fast standing climb.  Lyrics contain the words “screw around” but otherwise, it’s pretty tame.  Throw in a couple of tension increases along the way.

Bom Bom – Sam and the Womp (2:54): How can you resist a band with a name like this?  These guys mix Balkan music with electronica, so not quite electro-swing but close, and definitely not something I’ve used before.  Take the recovery you need, then we’re headed on a 10 minute fast seated flat with some sprint intervals coming up in later songs.

Catch My Breath – Kelly Clarkson (4:12):  Sprints for 30/30/60 seconds at 0:45 – 1:15, 1:48 – 2:18, 2:50 – 3:50.

If You Wanna – The Vaccines (2:54): Indie, post-punk, whatever it is, this is the song that’s been going through my head since the ride.  A fast seated flat with two sprints 12/50: 0:48 – 1:00 and 1:57 – 2:47.  Whee!

Just Give Me a Reason (feat. Nate Ruess) – P!nk (4:03):  A lovely duet with Fun.’s Nate Ruess – both have such distinctive voices.  P!nk sings about the relationship being in trouble and Ruess chimes in with “I’m sorry I don’t understand where this is coming from.  I thought that we were fine!” which makes me smile, because there are probably a lot of men out there who’ve had that same WTF moment.  Well-deserved cool down.

Carry On – Fun. (4:38):  I never get tired of Nate Ruess’s voice, so here’s some Fun. for stretching and good-bye music.

Rocky Road to Dublin Mix (60 minutes)

Ah, it’s spring and everything is turning green again.  In honour of St. Paddy’s Day, which is coming up on Sunday March 17, I put together a playlist of Irish and almost-Irish artists.

For this one, we’re going to take a ride around Ireland’s famous Dingle Peninsula, on the west coast, south of Galway, impossibly beautiful in a nation of impossible beauty.  Dingle town is a rollicking place filled with pubs and the surrounding area offers massive hills, ancient stone walls, ruined castles, and frequent stops to let sheep cross the road.

I was lucky enough to bike the Dingle peninsula on a house-swapping trip with my mom and sister in 2000.  (Yep, a house swap.  As in, an Irish family came to stay at my mom’s place just outside Toronto and we stayed at their place in Dublin.  We even had the use of their car, although their insurer was a bit jaded and insisted we pony up $200 because apparently, North American drivers don’t have the best track record driving on the left.)  While in Dublin, a cabbie told me that “Irish is a state of mind,” prompting a previous St. Patrick’s cycling mix here.  As it happens, I am one-quarter Irish through my maternal grandfather, and I have the pasty skin and love of music to prove it.

When I’m Up (I Can’t Get Down) – Great Big Sea (3:24):  Okay, not exactly Irish but by God, if you took the west coast of Ireland and smooshed it into the closest land mass to the west, that’d be Newfoundland and Labrador, a place of Irish immigrants and strong traditions.  Back in 1994, I was hiking on The Rock (as they call it) with some friends, and we popped into a record shop in St. John’s – this was back when they still had record shops.  We asked the clerk who the next big band out of the province would be, and without hesitation, he said, “Great Big Sea.”  They’d played their first gig less than a year before and had one CD out.  We bought it.  They’ve since gone on to four Platinum and six Gold albums in Canada.  This is the most successful of their many songs.  Let’s adjust the resistance until we can feel a flat paved road underneath our feet.  Nevermind – it won’t stay flat for long.  We’re riding easy through Dingletown, with its thatch-roofed homes and cheery pubs.

The Boys Are Back in Town – Thin Lizzy (4:30):  How am I just finding out that these guys are Irish?  We’re passing the town limits.  To our left is an ancient Druid cairn.  The road isn’t in great condition – time for some jumps.  8 counts up and down with the music.  You won’t need much tension for this – maybe 4/10, they’re plenty challenging, but coach a couple of optional tension increases.

I’m Shipping Up to Boston – Dropkick Murphys (2:34):  Alright, you got me again, these Celtic punk rockers hail from Quincy, Massachusetts.  The road evens out and gets a little better so we’re going to stretch ourselves with some speed work.  Recover to 0:30 then do sprint intervals: 15 seconds on/15 seconds off.  You’ll have time for four of them.

Mari Mac – Great Big Sea (3:19):  There I go with the Great Big Sea again.  This song is tremendous fun and regularly has the audience singing the chorus, “my mother’s making me marry Mari Mac!”  Recover to 0:45 and then MORE sprints, three of them, each 30 seconds long at 0:45 – 1:15, 1:45 – 2:15 and 2:45 – 3:15.

Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison (3:03):  The sun comes out over the water as we pick our way along the sharp curves that hug the coastline.  There’s a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean to our left.  Four count jumps along the rising road, resistance at 6/10 – these are almost as challenging as the previous set.

Dreams – The Cranberries (4:15):  We’ve got some rolling hills to climb now, ever upward.  We’ll do lots of small tension tweaks – two or three upward, then down again, as we tackle this hill.  Come on up out of the saddle for this one.  Hey – what’s that ahead?  Another group of riders.  They’re recovering at the top of the hill, drinking some water, enjoying the view.  Let’s try to catch up with them.

The Kilburn High Road – Flogging Molly (3:43):  Purists will point out that this band hails from LA, but they are Celtic punk rockers and the lead singer was born in Dublin, so that makes them Irish in my book.  This song appealed to me because when I lived in London, England, I lived just off the Kilburn High Road.  It’s a scrappy working neighbourhood.

We catch up to the other riders and they propose a friendly race down the hill and across the valley to the base of the next, much larger, hill.  The wager is a round at the pub back in Dingletown.  Are you in?  We’ll take the song at our race day pace, about 80-85% of maximum effort.  I use visualization throughout the race with two riders in the other group leading and separate attacks to pass each of them before we get to the base of the hill.  I promise everyone they can have as much time for recovery as they want or need when the song ends.

Magnificent – U2 (5:24):  Whew… everyone is sucking wind and water.  We bid goodbye to the other riders, who are heading inland.  We’re going over this hill and hugging the coast.  With this song, and the next, we’ve got a 10 minute climb ahead of us, so take as much time as you need to feel ready to work again – you’re still going to get lots of hill.  We’re going to take the first half of the hill seated, so let’s jack up the resistance, push back in the saddle, and go.  I coach a few tension increases on the way, and caution riders that they should always be able to ride with the music.  If they can’t, they have too much resistance on the bike and need to back it off.  I’d have no Irish credibility at all if I didn’t include some U2 in this mix.  They’re only the most famous Irish band of all-time.

Whisky in the Jar – Metallica (5:05):  A traditional Irish folk tune, covered by… Metallica?  You bet.  Thanks to Bill Thomas on Facebook for this one.  It’s a relief to come out of the saddle, take the resistance back, and push to the top.

Desire – U2 (2:59):  It’s the top of a U2 sandwich!  Now that we’ve reached the top of the hill, the road levels out to a fast, steady flat.  Take this one at about 70% of your maximum effort.  Those who need more recovery can take what they need and rejoin us when they’re ready.

Mandinka – Sinead O’Connor (3:49):  Another smaller hill to tackle here.  Medium tension, out of the saddle.  This song would also work for 8 or 4 count jumps if you felt like doing some more of those.

Rocky Road to Dublin – Irish Descendants (5:32):  This group of second-generation Irish Newfoundlanders offers one of dozens of covers of this Irish folk song that dates back to the 19th century.  Time for some single-leg training: 15 seconds each leg, then 30, 45, 60 seconds with one leg doing all the work and the other coming along for the ride.  Keep your feet in the cages if you’re not clipped in, and focus on making smooth circles with enough tension to make you happy when it’s time to switch legs.  There’s 30 seconds for recovery here as well.  You can space it out 15 seconds at the beginning and end, or however you like.

The Old Black Rum – Great Big Sea (3:31):  This is a perrenial pub favourite here in the Atlantic provinces, with pub-goers much prone to chiming in on the boozy chorus: “the old black rum’s got a hold on me, like a dog wrapped round my leg”.  We’ve swung around on our way back to Dingletown and hit a long flat – perfect for a bit of speed.  Recover to 0:38 then tackle two sprint intervals of 45 and 55 seconds at 0:38 – 1:22 and 2:20 – 3:14.  We’re brought up short by a herd of sheep crossing the road.  There are some other cyclists waiting, too – our friends from eariler.  While we wait for the sheep to make their way across, our friends demand a rematch.  Another race, this time to the town limits, double or nothing?  Sure.

Swagger – Flogging Molly (2:05):  The whole song is a race to the finish line, 90% effort for as long as you can stand it.  This time the other riders are determined to beat us, but we’re not going to let that happen, are we?

The Unicorn – The Irish Rovers (3:18):  Shel Silverstein wrote it but the Irish Rovers ran with it and it became their biggest hit.  The group is Canadian but two of the members were born in Ireland.  They had their own CBC musical variety TV show through much of the 1970s, which helped to popularize Irish folk music across the country.  (We spent many an evening with the Rovers at my house.)  When I told my classes that I was working on a St. Patrick’s ride for this week and asked if they had any requests, this was the one that came up.

This mix needs one more song for goodbye music.  I was torn: Black Velvet Band?  When Irish Eyes are Smiling?  Something from the Pogues?  Chieftains? Riverdance?  Corrs?  The Script?  That one’s yours… I want to finish with a big shout out to the former cycling pingers and to Chris over at Chrispins, who provided all of the great music ideas for this ride.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

The March Challenge: Use a New Genre of Music

One of my regular riders gave me a Parov Stelar CD a few weeks ago.  Stelar is an Austrian DJ who does electroswing – a genre I didn’t even know existed.  I popped the CD in while making dinner that night and have been playing it ever since.  It’s eminently cyclable.

So here is March’s Challenge: this month, use at least one song from a genre you’ve never used before.  For some, that might be classic rock or country, hip hop or dubstep.  Classical?  Show tunes?  World music?  Leave your comfort zone and play something totally different.

Let us know if you’re in, and report back once you’ve completed the challenge to let us know what you played and how it went over in your class(es).

Me?  I’m going to try electroswing.

The February Challenge

I’ve got a couple of new cycling classes on the schedule this winter and I’m really enjoying the extra time on the bike.  They’re morning classes (9:15 a.m.).  I was worried about taking time out of the work day but I am finding I always leave energized (and hungry!) and ready to work.  (I have a flexible schedule and work a lot of nights and weekends, so mornings are actually easier for me than evening classes.)  After a couple of very poor lunch choices, I fixed the hunger problem by tossing an apple into my gym bag before I go.  (Mmm… Honeycrisp.)

 

The extra time on the bike has given me the opportunity to think about Schwinn Master Trainer Chris Roche’s inspiring comments.  (I just posted the sample ride he sent me, so be sure to head back to that post to check it out.)  I’ve been teaching indoor cycling for five years but if I am totally honest with myself, I am in a bit of a rut.  I need to grow.  So I decided to challenge myself each month to do something that will improve the way I teach indoor cycling.

First up?  Take other instructors’ classes.  I used to do this all the time (back in the days before kids, when I had free time) and I found I almost always learned a new trick or two.  I miss that.  I miss being able to ride for me.  So my February challenge is to go to two other instructors’ classes this month.

After each class, I’ll post what I learned.  (Nothing like a little public accountability for one’s goals!)  But the other reason I thought I’d post my challenge to myself is to see if anyone wants to join me.  If you’re in, leave a comment to let me know.  When you’ve attended another instructor’s class, drop by and comment again with what you learned (good, bad or ugly, but no names please.)  By the end of February, we’ll all have a crop of new ideas to implement in our own classes.

Who’s in?

 

Best of 2012 Mix (60 minutes)

Gyms get busy in January with new exercisers, so each January and February I try to take a bit of extra time to encourage everyone to ride their own ride.  I focus more on modifications that will make the class easier (because, let’s face it – the regulars know exactly how to get what they came for).  I coach longer recovery breaks, urging riders to take as long as they need until they feel ready to work again.  I check in more.

This simple ride manages to cram 16 of the top 25 songs of 2012 into one playlist.  The profile repeats: climb/surge, jump, sprint, tempo – three sets.  I’ve thrown an extra seated climb in about two-thirds of the way through because I find them really good for catching your breath while continuing to work.  Speaking of work, are you ready to ride?

Gangnam Style – PSY (3:39): Warm up.

Mighty Love (Instrumental) – Eric Prydz and Andreas Postl (5:41):  Keep the warm up going until 1:08, then move into the first combo drill for surging and climbing out of the saddle. 1:08 – 1:55 surge; 1:55 – 3:40 climb; 3:40 – 4:55 surge; 4:55 – 5:20 climb; 5:20 – 5:41 recover.

Die Young – Ke$ha ( 3:33): Four count jumps.

Don’t Wake Me Up – Chris Brown (3:42):  Three sprint intervals 23/30/23 at 1:07 – 1:30, 2:22 – 2:52, and 3:07 – 3:30.  I read today that Rihanna and Chris Brown are an item again.  She said he’s changed.  Hope so.

The Veldt (Radio Edit) – Deadmau5 (2:50):  Choose a tension and cadence you can maintain for three minutes, close your eyes, and just move.

Breakn’ a Sweat (Zedd Remix) – Skillrex and The Doors (5:31):  Recover for 30 seconds, then we head into another combo surge/climb: 30 – 1:00 surge; 1:00 – 1:58 climb; 1:58 – 2:58 surge; 2:58 – 4:10 climb; 4:10 – 4:55 surge; 4:55 – 5:30 recover.

Pound the Alarm – Nicki Minaj (3:26):  More four count jumps!  Make sure to download the clean version for this one.

Never Close Our Eyes – Adam Lambert (4:08):  We’re halfway through the class, time to check in with your riders.  Are they up for an extra challenge today?  This song offers three sprint intervals, one at each chorus.  I coach riders to stand as the music builds, then move into explosive sprints.  For an added challenge, coach jumps for the verses.  (Riders who are feeling quite challenged enough already, thank you, can skip the jumps and tackle the sprints seated.)

Bodywork (feat. Tegan and Sara) – Morgan Page (3:59):  Another tempo drill, this one a minute longer than the first.  But can you maintain the same tension and cadence as you did for the first tempo drill?

Babel – Mumford & Sons (3:28):  A seated climb.  Catch your breath while you work.

Rumour Has It – Bump n Grind (6:02):  The third surge/climb drill of the day.  One minute each, three sets.

Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen (3:13): Jumps.  8 counts for the verses and 4 for the choruses.

50 Ways to Say Goodbye – Train (4:08):  There are three glorious sprints here: 30/42/60 seconds at 0:45 – 1:12, 1:56 – 2:38, 2:58 – 3:55.

Home – Phillip Phillips (3:30):  The third tempo drill of the day and the last work we’ll do.  Remember the tension and cadence you used for the last two?  Those times, you kept something in reserve because there was more work to do.  This time, you don’t have to worry about that – you can give everything you have left.  Let’s go.

Some Nights – Fun. (4:37):  Cool down.

Hall of Fame (feat. will.i.am) – The Script (3:23):  Some extra cool down and goodbye music.

I absolutely love hearing from readers who are going to be in town and want to join me for a ride.  I was lucky enough in January to be joined by reader Gordon (who teaches cycling elsewhere in Nova Scotia) and his daughter Sarah.  Sarah took this pic of Gordon and I after class. (why can’t I get my act together and take the pic BEFORE I’m all sweaty?) 

I’d forgotten to charge my iPhone that day and it was down to 7% battery life.  I killed the display when class began and crossed my fingers that the battery would last for an hour, because I was pretty sure nobody wanted to hear my rendition of Some Nights for the cool down.  Lucky for them, the battery died with only about 30 seconds left in the cool down and Sarah was gracious enough to take the pic with her phone.  Thanks to Gordon and Sarah – it was a pleasure.