Last night’s class was a fun mix of a Cadence Revolution workout (#168) and some of the songs I’ve gotten from “Pedal-On’s Favorite Songs.” All wrapped up to be a pretty fun ride. The profile is an Endurance Energy Zone (EEZ) Ride of the best kind — its a simple plan that can be the backbone to some great imagery. The music that goes with it on CadRev is perfect for keeping the heart rate in that perfectly aerobic zone for good base building. Mwah! I was not such a patient monkey, though. I picked some energetic music, a little more energy than I realized, and found that we were really doing a Strength Energy Zone (SEZ) ride. I couldn’t help but modify as we rode it in response to what I was observing in my students and how I was feeling as well. But there were a couple of other changes I made on the fly based on my observations. They weren’t pedalling well. It was downright ugly on a few folks, so we did pedal stroke drills during the first long flat. It was a great way to spend those 7 minutes. After that, they really needed a saddle break, so we stood for a minute. The climbing was great. I gave them the option of going harder than an endurance heart rate. No surprise, most took that option, but then again… so did I! Seeing they were up for something tougher, we did cadence drills during the second flat road (Rockafeller Skank). Pedalling at 85 rpm, 95 rpm, 105 rpm, 95 rpm, 85 rpm back up and down for about 20-30 seconds each. Adding resistance as we went through… Was tough! The final climb was hard not to push over the limit when The Great Defector came on. What an infectious song. We went all out and found it hard to push any further for the final portion (Starting Over). Was an interesting exercise in learning the value of “saving up for the final push”. In fact, I believe I even said something to the effect of “If you’ve already spent your wad, you might have to scrounge some change off the floorboards to get through this…” All in all, I was very pleased with how it all came out. And my tank top was completely drenched, so what more of an endorsement do you need?
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Update: This ride was fantastic! I asked the class what they thought of it — the profile, music, movie and all — and got an enthusiastic thumbs up. Even if you can’t play the video while you are riding this one, you can paint the picture. There is an adrenaline rush that comes just from imagining what it might feel like to hurtle towards the earth, flipping and spinning and relying solely on the physics and construction of your parachute. Use that to fuel your ride! Have fun!

The title of this ride comes from the IMAX movie I will be playing on the video screens in our Spinning room during class. It is called Adrenaline Rush and it is an IMAX movie about Sky Divers. I was inspired by the movie to choose songs that are somwhat related to concept of flying or falling, so I guess you might consider this a theme ride. I haven’t ridden it yet, but I am incredibly excited about the music. Some of these songs would never fit into another playlist, but they match the energy and the movements we’ll be riding, so I am expecting great things!

The ride is basically 5 hills that gradually increase in length. We’re going for endurance and stamina with this one and we’ll be in the saddle for a while. It’s going to test our discipline and we’ll have to up the mental game. Are we up for the challenge?

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Getting back on the bike after my maternity hiatus has been an amazing learning experience for me. I have not worked my way into a permanent class slot, so all of my practicing and tweaking has been just for me. But the new insights I’ve gained into my own body and how I’m feeling and functioning right now are only going to improve the quality of the classes I will be teaching in the future, no doubt.

In that light, I’d like to present another Endurance Profile for you to digest this week. I call it the “Know Thyself” ride, because it is meant to allow your riders to explore what is happening within themselves while Spinning. This ride will keep the heart rate under 80% for the entire duration. Naturally, if you have riders who need to top this heart rate, the ride can be easily modified for their needs without sacrificing the experience for your other students.
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I love endurance profiles.  Maybe it’s because I am one of those people who has to do things in an organized, step-by-step fashion;  I really appreciate the value and necessity of building blocks.  Endurance rides are just that and so I teach them often.

Today’s profile is just as the title implies:  The simplest endurance profile ever created.  Here are the steps:
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This is a Spinning Profile for a ride that totals 80 minutes on the bike plus 10 minutes of stretching for a 90 minute profile.  I got my students up extra early one morning for this ride that went over really well.  Because the ride was a first for them and for me as an instructor, I kept it very simple and mostly motivational.  Also, I didn’t want them to fall asleep, so half-way through, the profile changes from a EEZ to a SEZ. Therefore, “Endurance” in the title really only means “able to endure the bike for a long time.”

Here are the playlist and profile, updated to include song links on iTunes and Napster. I hope this new format helps you with your planning and song-obtaining! After the profile, I have included a series of motivational cues to get you through the ride. 
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A really hot Spinning class.  The profile was not mine.  The music was not mine.  But the class was on fire!  This is the link to the post on Pedal-On:  http://pedal-on.com/showpost.php?p=58054&postcount=1

 If you haven’t signed up for Pedal-on yet, it is a great resource for Indoor Cyclists.  I don’t think you’ll be able to view this link without registering, but now you have a reason to join.

 The music came from Cadence Revolution.  I used Mix #16.  The combination was an endurance ride that actually surpassed everyone’s expectations and helped my students see that you can accomplish good things in 65%-75% range. 

 Have a great day!