Spinning Tips - Learning

Learning it is something that we did as kids everyday without thinking about it. You went to school with your friends, and somewhere along the day, you picked up some new knowledge. I miss doing that. I believe that as people settle into their life and move day to day to day, you get stuck, you stop having fun, you stop learning, you stop paying attention to what you are doing or how you got there. How did you get to work today? Do you remember the drive? I have been trying to be more present to my situations and learn more by doing so, if we just sit back and observe, we will absorb something, at least that is my theory. I have been trying to learn more and more about the human body and cycling. I am concentrating on learning about how you burn calories and how to do so effectively. If you want to lose weight, you need to move more and eat less, that is it. That is the one golden rule. Move more, eat less. But why? see the predicament? How can I teach people in my class to be more effective if I cannot explain to everyone exactly how the process works. That is what I am currently working on now.
I know that you burn calories in two different ways, sugar and fat. Sugar is usually burned first because it is readily available and it goes quickly, fat is burned second and it can sustain you longer. It is my goal to convey this into (easy to remember) basics that will help me and hopefully help you.

Today's ride " THE MONDAY" music picked by Steve Syers

1. Open your Eyes - Snow Patrol 5:41
Warm up at your flat road

2. Barely breathing - Duncan Sheik 4:15
Standing flat, increase tension so the legs slow down, pull the legs up, remember when you are standing the motion of your legs is up and down like a piston engine, Breathe get ready for a hard cardio set the next 4 songs

3. Sandstorm - Da Rude 3:47
Flat road tension, start as soon as the song does, 30 sec sprint, 30 rest, repeat Breathe the same all the way thru the song don't change your breathing just because your riding is accelerating and decreasing, keep the breathing steady, longer out than on the way in. Breathe breathe breathe!!

4. Zion - Fluke 4:33
Increase tension so you can stand enough to feel your pedal stroke all the way around. Standing fast jog, breathe. Bring the Heart rate down from the accelerations we just did above, keep a steady breathing, just concentrate on blowing out, you will naturally breathe in, just blow, blow, blow

5. Blood is Pumping Club Mix - Voodoo & Serano 7:43
One minute at a flat road, grab some water. Keep tension at your jogging/running tension. This is your hardest song today. 30 second out of the saddle fast run, 30 second in the saddle, repeat. AGAIN keep breathing the same!! Just give yourself 90 seconds to commit to this set and keep breathing after 90 seconds your body will readjust and figure out that what you are doing, just breathe, trust me you will make it

6. Lost(radio edit) - Sunlounger & Zara 3:27
Standing fast jog, like in number 5, breathe, you are almost there! Relax the neck and watch form here people are going to want to lean on those handle bars, positive coaching,! BREATHE!

7. Hotel California - Eagles 6:30
Decrease the tension a bit, grab some water, slow down the feet, bring the heart rate down to 70% or below, Breathe, this is your break song, you are about to have sweat continually pouring down your back, neck, arms, etc. After about 2 minutes and the class begins to start talking, this is perfect right where you want them, increase the tension to really slow the legs down, take nice slow deep breathes explain next song

8. The Wings - Gustavo Santaolalla 15:00 ( I mixed too versions together to achieve the 15 min time)
This is the 75% song, you object is to maintain, MAINTAIN 75% MHR for 15 minutes, you are comfortable and can talk but not without effort, it is a marathon song, not a sprint. Settle into the saddle, THINK about your form, how you feel right now. You are tired but not exhausted, tap into that energy in the room and use it, use the tension to push your feet into a fluid effortless movement around that pedal stroke. Never mind that is it 15 minute song (and one I never attempted before) your goal is to relax the upper body, tap into your mind strength, breathe, breath is your fuel, control it, use it, let it drive you. This is where you change your body, change your metabolism, grow your aerobic endurance, help save your life. Breathe

9. Hurt - Christina Aguilera 4:04
You are home, take some tension off, sit up straight, Drink, Breathe, congratulate yourself for a great ride, YOU DID IT! You made it, Stretches

10. Superman - Five for Fighting 3:45
More stretching and heart rate check for those not wearing monitors, hopefully you will get one soon!

Keep breathing and learning, I will try to do the same.
Thanks for reading

Spin Routine - Race Day

Race Day
Sympathy for the Devil Rolling Stones 6:28
Warm up set the stage for a "race" day, heart rate should be between 75% to 90% the whole ride, this is NOT something I would do on a regular basis. It is a RACE! Push yourself to get past your barriers and maintain that high heart rate, you WILL be tired at the end of today's ride

The Race - Yello 3:16
Classic fast road song. Tension is light but enough to feel, what I call your "flat road" be able to feel the tension all around the pedal stroke, do not bounce in your seat. Start with small accelerations 15 secs, 30 secs, 45 secs, in the saddle flat feet, with a "flat road" in between sets

Don't stop the Music- Rhinna 4:27
Add a bit of tension to bring the heart rate to 80% MHR, stand up, first minute is a fast jog, then the last 3:30 minutes are 30 sec accelerations out of the saddle with a 30 second recovery in the saddle. These should be VERY VERY challenging, you heart rate will jump but don't let it get over 90%, BREATHE, BREATHE, BREATHE!!! This should be one of the hardest songs in the day, imagine it is the beginning of the race and you are shooting out of the blocks, GET YOUR LEAD!

All Summer Long- Kid Rock 4:55
Fast flat road, remove the bit of tension you added in the last song, grab some water and keep on moving, fast fluid pedal strokes keep and hold the heart rate at 80%- 85% this should be a challenge, it is faster than you like and a bit uncomfortable, BREATHE, BREATHE!!! We are in the pack and moving forward

I Hate This Part - The Pussycat Dolls(remix) 8:18
Slow down the pace, breathe, get your heart rate to 75% and concentrate on the perfect pedal stroke. Kick the heel forward over the top of the pedal, wipe the floor back at the bottom of the pedal and pull it up, repeat, left, right, etc. Gradually add small amounts of tension throughout the song, every 1 minute or so to maintain 75% MHR, do not go below, keep the pace!

Samb-Adaigo - Safri Duo 5:58
Stand up on the bike maintain and check HR nice fast jog for 1:00minute, start at 38 seconds into the song at 1:38seconds the song goes soft and picks up again at 2:03, use this break in the song for a water station, let everyone get some water have a quick seat and get ready to run until the song ends.

The Way You Move - Outkast 3:55
Add a bumb in tension seated ride again concentrate on pedal movement, HR will be at 80%, Breathe and move, let the tension push your feel, push and pull, concentrate on the pull. At this point a team passes us and we have to keep moving to just see their last rider round the bend in front of our first rider.

Move Any Mountain - The Shamen 3:25
Remove that bit in tension, stand up fast jog for the whole song, BREATHE,
Breathe is fuel, don't lose control we are almost at the end, KEEP MOVING
Don't give up this is a race and we are only as strong as our weakest link, Life is a marathon not a sprint, KEEP MOVING

Unwritten(Johnny Vicious Club Mix) - Natasha Bedingfield 9:55
Last song of the class, our last pack effort to settle in the saddle and get ready to find the team that passed us and retake our lead!!!
Take the first minute of the song to have a water break and get everyone to breathe, long and loud, blow out longer than it takes to breathe in! Make it worth it, your tension is a at your flat road and you need to push yourself maintain a HR of 80-85%, we are RACING Today! Keep moving, cue speed, FORM, and "positive coaching" all the way to the end. "If you give what you always give you will get what you always get, make this class count today!!"

Feeling Alright - Joe Cocker 4:15
Cool down
You won! Sit up and Breathe Loosen up those legs, slow your breathing, enjoy the riders high!
Make sure that everyone stretches and doesn't get off the bike until their HRs are at 120 or below, please have everyone eat a bit of sugar to replace the reserves we just depleted, and of course eat some protein! Have a great ride and take it easy today! Please have everyone do some sort of exercise the day following this ride to fight against soreness, take that dog for a nice walk!

Spinning Tip - Version of Yourself

My mom died on Wednesday 05/20/2009 at 76 years of age. I am still not up and moving at 100%. I was talking to my husband a few days ago as he sat on the computer, barely glancing up at me " Something is off" I said. " I just don't feel right, something is wrong" I had already been home for 4 to 5 days from my looonnnngggg trip to Chicago and things were starting to fall into their everyday routines. I was moving around the kitchen getting dinner ready, unloading the dishwasher, listening to my music (always trying to find my next mix) and it just didn't feel right. " Something just doesn't feel right" I said again. My husband stopped working, looked up at me like I had a chicken on my head and said "Let's see, your mom just died, you made a decision regarding fostering of children, summer is here, your husband is working on running his own business, your worried about your sister, your sister may be coming down for a few weeks and Oh your mom just died." and then put his head down and went back to work. I guess he is right, it was right in front of me and I still can't get my head around it. I feel like I am underwater, moving through the motions but not quite being "there". I hate it. I hate not being present, I hate not being myself, one thing I AM NOT good at is faking it.
I have crossed over into another version of myself, every major life change has you re-adjust to the way you see things. This is my next chapter and I am very curious to where it will lead me. So forgive me for not posting a ride today, but I will as soon as I can.