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…

But then I blew up. 

Between leaving work late, almost forgetting my music, picking up a filthy child from school who had to be washed before we could leave the house again, having to make a special trip to get the battery in my heart rate monitor changed, losing my stop watch, and fighting through one of the worst cases of muscle soreness I’ve experienced lately, I’m surprised I even made it to class.  It’s just a long list of random occurences that singularly are no big deal, and even collectively are completely survivable and hardly worth mentioning.  Except I mention them because they threw me into a complete state of mental chaos.  I just wanted to give up.

But that is how life is — a swirly mass of demands to be met and obstacles to be overcome and you never know what life is going to throw at you.  And in a metaphorical sense, it is how workouts can be too.  So instead of fighting it, I rode it and I asked my riders to ride it to. 

Explanation

The instructions were simple:  no matter what comes your way, no matter how ridiculous or impossible the cue seems, accept it, integrate it, ride it and DONT BLOW UP! 

I started the music and we were on our way.  I made up the terrain as we went along, based loosely on my profile, and in response to what I saw in my riders.   We never attempted anything contraindicated, but I definitely got whackier than my usual by-the-book Spinning Rides.   However, the wacky terrain supported the purpose, which I constantly reminded them was to stick to your guns; learn to overcome obstacles by anchoring on to something positive, something strong that exists inside of you.  I also pointed out that from the moment we arrived on the bike, there was a conflict between what was going on in our minds and what was going on with our bodies.  We have to quiet the mind and focus on the moment if we want to arrive at our destination….

They had no idea how long each movement would last or when recovery would come or what would be next.  I usually overcue what to expect in the ride and how long it will be and how to save up for what’s coming…  Not today.  The not knowing how long was probably the toughest part for them and for me.  After sustaining for a bit, my incredibly sore legs would cry out for a break, and I’d be tempted to switch to a new movement, but that would defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it?  To overcome this, I did a lot of coaching off the bike and I kranked for a bit.   And so, the ride was created by observing them.  I encourage you, if you consider using the ride this way that I am describing it, to watch your students and let the terrain unfold organically based on what you see.  For instance, we did a set of jumps that lasted for an entire song.  I almost NEVER do more than 10 or 15 jumps at a time in a class because usually the riders fall apart before then.  But they were so focused, so intent on their purpose, that their jumps kept getting better and better.  Instead of sloughing off, they were going harder and getting to a smoother, more rhythmic place.  And I wasn’t about to let them miss out on this great opportunity!!   And so, they jumped for nearly 3 minutes.  Some took breaks, some slowed down, but they were being smart about it, and it was great.  Watch your students and adapt the terrain to them.

The next night, I subbed a class and did the ride exactly as it was planned.  And it went well too.  This group doesn’t usually get into my rides because I am quite different from their instructor.  However, this ride seemed to win them over and it sounded like they were challenged.  I got good comments after and some said they’d be coming to my class.  We’ll see…. 

The Profile

The real profile is a circuit combined with a time ladder.  Props to the folks at Pedal-On for once again providing the concept and structure for my class! (I’m pretty sure Monica and Patrick S are my main sources on this one.) The circuit consists of 7 moves:

• Seated Flat – moderate resistance and cadence (doubles for recovery if needed)
• Seated Flat – increase resistance and cadence
• Standing Flat/Run with Resistance
• Seated Climb
• Jumps on a Hill
• Standing Climb
• Seated Climb

Then, for the time ladder, repeat each loop with movements lasting:

1. :30
2. :60
3. :90
4. :60
5. :30

In the first class, I ditched the time ladder portion instantly.  The second night it provided the structure for a great workout!  For the chaos ride though, anything goes.  I did the movements out of order, for as long as necessary, threw in jumps on a flat road, and a big sprint at the end.  I put them on a hill and did some seriously heavy loading.  Whatever the moment called for.  And it was fun!  At least for me…  And a couple of folks who said they loved it as they left. 

The Music

I was a little apathetic about the music as I put it together.  In addition to the chaos of the day yesterday, the days preceeding it were jam packed, and so I wound up at the last minute just tossing a bunch of songs I’ve acquired recently into Mix Meister and had a playlist.   Oddly enough, they worked.  Or, as the moment unfolded, the song was taken into account for the choice of movement, and that worked.  Either way, I realized that some of these are real gems that I will use again.  It is incredibly eclectic, or chaotic if you will… 

View as an iMix in iTunes

That’s it! Have a great ride!

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!

Overview

The goal of the ride is to increase power and climbing ability. We’ll be building muscular strength and endurance. This ride mimics the 15th Stage of the 2007 TDF which takes us the through the Haute Garonne and back in to the Pyrennees and through five mountain passes that will challenge riders, but they will have a chance to recover (slightly or more if you choose) on the short downhills.

Profile

Sorry to make you download something, but it really is easier to read in a full attachment!! Here it is:
Spinning Profile – TDF – Stage 15 – Strength – 3

Music

No Mix Meister here. The ride matches the length of the song that is available. Couldn’t be simpler — just grab the playlist and ride!

Playlist:

1. DJ Disse – Walk on the Wild Side
2. DJ Disse – Break on Through
3. Cavo – Crash
4. Black Lagoon – Fever
5. Evanescence – Bring Me to Life
6. Basshunter – Every Morning
7. Bond – Fuego
8. Flo Rida – In The Ayer Remix
9. Kula Shaker – Hush
10. Niyaz – Dilruba (Andy Gray Grayed Out Remix)
11. Josh Harris – Ever Think About Me?
12. Hinder – Born to Be Wild
13. Todd Carey – Ain’t Got Love
14. Stevie Ray Vaughn – Texas Flood

Here’s the iMix:

What I took away from her presentation and the ride was a new appreciate for time trials and how to structure a class around them.  After guiding us through the appropriate heart rate ranges and describing the race atmosphere to us, we were off on both an Individual Time Trial and then a Team Time Trial.  The profile here provides only an Individual Time Trial.   After a nice “long” warm-up (it’s about a third as long as a real racer would warm up, but we’ve got time constraints!), riders race against the clock, because that is what a time trial is.  In a time trial, racers start in intervals of :30, so it is just you, your bike and the road, fighting to get to the finish line with a faster time than all other riders.  Therefore, you ride at the peak of your aerobic zone for the length of the race, finally pushing over the AT at the very end.  It is intense, it is a huge challenge, and done right, it can be immensely fun.  It is basically a strength ride (SEZ), because you want to push 85% for the majority of the ride.  However, with the long warm up and big AT push at the end, it might be better classified as All-Terrain.  Whatever you call it, it is not for beginners, so make sure you’ve taken precautions and thoroughly trained your riders for this type of ride. 

I’ve put together a playlist and a ride structure that adapts what I learned from Kelli to my class and my rider’s abilities.  The ride itself is attached as a PDF here: individual-time-trials.  Download and Enjoy!

 Listen to the entire playlist:  

 Spinning: Individual Time Trial on Napster

Individual Song Links

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!!

OVER AND BACK Begin with an intention, a destination. Visualize the road that leads to the achievment of this goal. As with our own physical journeys, we encounter obstacles on our path to improvement. Bring to the forefront of your mind a goal you wish to accomplish and set it out in front of you. Between you and the accomplishment of this goal will be one large obstacle that must be overcome to reach it. We will be riding out toward our intention, overcoming a large hill, then once we have attained it, our second step will be to return to the place we started with our intention still intact.

1. Superstitious, Stevie Wonder (4:05) Flat road warm up. Prepare yourself for your journey. Add enough resistance and increase your cadence to bring the heart rate to 70%.

2. Just a Ride, Jem (3:20) Run in HP2 allowing yourself to feel refreshed, relaxed, and eager to pursue the work ahead.  Keep your focus on staying strong and steady through your ride while you continue elevating the heart gradually.

3. Keep Yourself Alive, Queen (3:45) We find ourselves at the bottom of our hill and begin a seated climb. This hill towers over us and tries to threaten us.  Add enough gear to feel that this is a task worth tackling and remind yourself that the object of your desire is on the other side. The hill should feel like a 6 on a scale of 1-10 or RPE should be about 7.5 on a 1-10. Continue adding resistance as you begin the climb to the top.  Keep it quick and energetic, all the way to the top! 4.  Woman from Tokyo, Deep Purple (5:35) We are not quite halfway to the top when this song begins. Stay focused, and determined and continue to load the resistance on in mangeable increments. By now your hill is a 7.5 – very heavy and RPE is 8 – Very Tiring. When you can no longer stay in the saddle, come to HP3 and use the pistons of strength you call “legs” to power your way to the top.

If you want the playlist, you can take it go at Napster: Right Here!

1. Just a Little While (4:12) [ bpm] Optional Intro Warm Up Time and Stretches Heart Rate to 65%.
2. Angels will Help You (7:20) [136 bpm] Warm up with light resistance, increasing heart rate to 70%. Cadence is 80 – 100 rpm. Steadily increase resistance.  (*Note: I usually skip ahead about halfway through the song, depending on class length and whether or not I played song #1).
3. Mercury Rising  (4:25) [129 bpm] Continue on the flat road for the first half of this song, then begin to ascend a moderate hill with three gradual increases in resistance.  Heart rate reaches 75% and cadence is 80 rpm.
4. Little Less Conversation (3:33) [115 bpm] You should be riding a moderate to heavy hill now, and looking forward to heating things up.  Sit to the back of the saddle, recruit the hamstrings in a seated climb, then power into a run for 30 seconds, then settle back into your seat: 3 times.  80% here.
5. Maria (4:22) [100 rpm**] Lay on the resistance and keep adding as you climb out of the saddle for the entire song.  Heart rate elevates to 85% as your resistance changes to meet this steep challenge.  Cadence 60-80 rpm. Focus on powerful form and staying the course.
6. Unbelievable (3:23)  [106 bpm] For the first two minutes on this hill, jump.  For the second half, ease off the resistance and ride a flat road as you actively recover for the next hill.  Cadence is 80 rpm.
7. Boomerang (5:56) [96 bpm]  Steadily increase resistance while you maintain your cadence at 80 rpm.  Stay in the saddle as long as you can for hill #2.
8. Now We Found Love (4:18) [120bpm]Climb out of the saddle and return to your seat once every minute for 10 seconds.  Heart rate to 80-85%.
9. Half a Cell (4:36) [91 bpm] This is your last push in the saddle.  Focus on deep breaths and fluid pedals for 90 seconds.  Then steadily decrease resistance and increase to 100 rpm.
10. Hazy Shade of Winter (2:47) [151 bpm]  This is optional.  If you want to finish off fast, then dig in and work the last bit at your highest level yet.  Sprint off and on in 40 sec/20 sec intervals.
11. A Thousand Miles (3:57) Cool down and lower heart rate to 65% as you ease to the finish. 
12. Return to Innocence (7:04) Complete the journey with stretches and a relaxed mind.

**If you have the ability to pitch your CD, you should increase the tempo of this song to make it easier to stay with the music and stay within the appropriate cadence range.  If not, encourage your students to stay faster than the beat.