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?
[Read more →]

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…

[Read more →]

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!
[Read more →]

Today’s profile is heavily influenced by a ride I took at Florida MANIA.  It was called “Ultimate Time Trial” and it was presented by Schwinn Cycling Master Trainer Keli Roberts.   Keli is an avid road racer and had a great deal of personal detail to share with us about racing and time trialing.  It was very inspiring to be taught the technique of racing by a rider who has won road races.  Not only that, but Keli is an absolutely charming lady with great coaching ability and a constant smile.  Even at the high point of the race, she was glowing and cheering us on.  Quite motivating.

[Read more →]

Looking for a new Spinning Profile?  Here is what we did in my 6:00 am Spinning class this morning.  The gentlemen in my audience have been begging for less pop/dance and more classic rock, motown, “oldies”…  So I came up with this playlist for them (You’re welcome, Walter!).  Here is the Playlist at Napster.

The profile is a simple idea:  You choose a destination, ride out to it, turn around and come back.  In this profile, I have also added an element of visualization.  You want your students to experience a purpose in riding out, climbing a heavy hill to get to a place, then have to come back and do it again to get “home”.  You can be very creative with your cues and your motivational assistance, but be careful!  Give your students the opportunity to come up with their own images — don’t make any suggestions, or give them your own ideas.  It is best left up to each individual to interpret your cue and decide what type of goal they will set.   Have fun and stay safe!!

[Read more →]

This is another profile I picked up from Spinning.com.  I’m not sure which newsletter it came from, but it was created by Holly Goebel (thank you Holly!!).  I did make a few changes to the structure and the playlist, which I am posting here.  What we have is a powerful ride that will challenge even your veterans.  Our goal is to keep the heart rate above 75% and under 85%. 92%.  As always, with your beginners and those who’ve been away a while, you will want to encourage them to take it interval style.  Have them work to the point where they are about to be breathless (but still breathing!) then have them recover in the saddle.  Have fun with this ride, and don’t forget to come back and tell me how it went! 

[Read more →]