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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So, as promised, here is the followup post to 12 Things you can do right now to fall in love with teaching again. Because it was geared toward indoor cycling instructors and Spinning instructors, you might have found it a bit unhelpful. So here you go Zumba, Kickboxing, Step, Sculpt, Hip Hop and Whatever-Style-You-Teach teachers… A list just for you!
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Don’t you love that “top-of-the-world” feeling? When you are bursting inside with inspiration, look forward to coaching and can’t wait until your next class begins? And yet, those times are few and far between. Usually, we are just in the grind, day in and day out, teaching and going through the motions. Are you suffering from the doldrums? More importantly, are YOUR CLASSES suffering as a result of your doldrums? Wouldn’t you like to fall in love with teaching again?

I’ve compiled a quick list of ways you can kick start your inspiration and get back on top of the world again. While this list has specific inspirations for indoor cycling and Spinning instructors, the advice can certainly be adapted for any type of fitness instructor or personal trainer. But don’t worry, I’ve already started a list for group fitness instructors, which will be posted in a day or two.

I rarely provide the backstory for my rides, because it is rarely necessary.  You can take the profile and the music and get on a bike and have a great workout and all is well.  But this ride is unique, and I can’t explain it without telling you how it came to be.

As is true for many great things in my life, this ride was born on accident and took on a life of its own.  It started out neatly structured, well-planned and thought-out:  a circuit ride combined with a time ladder for increasing sustainability and challenging our abilities to work hard without blowing up…

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Once again, credit for this ride belongs to Patrick Schutte. He does an incredible job of crafting rides that mimic the terrain of some of the greatest races in the world. This one is no exception. It is a tough push through the hills of France. There are five mountain passes that are challenging, to say the least. A downhill after each provides an opportunity for recovery. Riders will maintain heart rates in the Strength Zone (75-85%). If you choose, you can let the heart drop more significantly in the recoveries, creating a nice Interval Ride instead. This is a fun one, and you won’t be disappointed!
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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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