May Spin Playlist – Ride like the tension can’t hold us.

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Yup, finally got some new tunes and yes, the title is a play on a Macklemore song which, yes, is on the playlist. Lots of quick beats to this one, plus some good standbys and – of course – a couple of mean hills to conquer.

cycling mountain

Old & New #2
 (check out the first “Old & New” list here, and the full archive of playlists here.)

1. “I’m Alive (Life Sounds Like)” Michael Franti & Spearhead - warm up, flat road, alternating lead legs. With more new faces in class this spring I am taking more time during the warm up to go through riding positions and body alignment on the bike. Make sure legs are parallel with each other and the bike, knees don’t come out past the toes at the front end of the pedal stroke, spine is neutral and shoulders are down.

2. “Lonely Boy” The Black Keys - add a gear for jumps. Start on an 8 count, switch to a 4 count after the 1st chorus, 2 count after the 2nd chorus. Break for 8 beats then finish on a 2 count.

3. “Inside Out” Eve 6 - Gradual climb. Ride in position 3 on each chorus, adding 1, then 2, then 3 gears by the 3rd chorus. Return back to light resistance for each verse.

4. “Block Rockin Beats” Chemical Brothers - Ladder sprints, light resistance. 30s on, 45s recover, 45s on, 60s recover, then 60s run followed by 30s recovery before the next song. Recovery pace is a moderate run, and sprints are at 80% effort.

5. “We Will Rock You” & “We Are the Champions” Queen - Oldies but goodies, and repeat offenders on my “nasty hill climb” list of songs. Starting from light resistance add resistance in increments (every chorus works) ’til it gets good and heavy. Then add a little more :)

6. “Radioactive” Imagine Dragons - Just love this song. It seems perfect for getting through a tough effort and having to then push even more beyond that. Dial it back a few gears from the end of the previous song. Remain in position 3, then take a gear off and sit on each chorus, picking up the pace as you go back down the hill.

7. “Can’t Hold Us” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (featuring Ray Dalton) - While “Thrift Shop” is still getting more than its fair share of overplay, I discovered this little gem to give us something even more fun to run to. This drill comes from the Facebook group for instructors, Indoor Cycling Teaching Ideas: at light resistance- give yourself 20s coming off the previous song then pick up the pace for 3 sets of 30s. sprint in the seat, 30s. run in position 3, then 30s recovery in the seat.

8. “Adrenaline” Paul Oakenfold - I told both my classes last night and this morning that if there was one song I suffer equally with them, it’s this one. Medium resistance, pedal on the beat in position 3. Starting at 45s in to the song, sit for a 30s. surge, then come back up to position 3 to recover for one minute, 5-6 sets. (For the last couple, I shorten the run to 20s and the break to 40s just to get that one extra push!)

9. “Lose Yourself” Eminem - I haven’t used this one in a while because I think I may have overplayed it as I was building my repertoire But it’s back for one more big hill. Starting from medium resistance, add a gear and take it up to 3 for each chorus, leaving it on when you sit. You should come very close to max resistance – where you can still pedal smoothly but can’t add any more without getting choppy.

10. “Farewell Ride” Beck - Don’t touch that dial just yet. Grind it out here in the saddle for a few more minutes. I know, it sucks.

11. “Ain’t Nothing Wrong With That” Robert Randolph & the Family Band – Lighten up! Easy run on the beat for the verse, double time on the chorus. Run it home.

12. “Just Give Me a Reason” P!nk featuring Nate Ruess - Some nice cool down and stretching music. We all love this song too much- some people in the class were singing along. I guess we’re all suckers for a love song.

And CrossFit makes Four…

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Can I add one more thing to the myriad of activities I am engaged in to procrastinate on house chores try to become the most bad-ass Mama of all time?

This past weekend- Sunday, exactly- I did my first CrossFit workout. I’m still walking funny today, even with my dinky beginner’s weights on the end of my tiny beginner’s bar. My quads are cursing and crying and all I can think is when can I go back and do it again? …

… well, hopefully not on a day they’re doing thrusters.

 

Mad props to ladies like Mel at Mbrace Life and Heather at Run Faster, Mommy! among you other awesome CrossFit Mamas. It’s no joke! I do think the group atmosphere is the biggest reason why even though as I sit here, nerves twinging and muscles cramping, I am craving to go back. As far as the workout goes, I found I was extremely focused on just me and my bar. But then hearing everyone else around me, clearly working as hard as they could, I would stare down my bar and think Alright, one more rep. And then… Two. I can do TWO more before the timer goes.

As part of a weekly routine- what I’d like to do would look something like this:
Mon- easy run
Tues- climb & PM spin
Wed- AM spin
Thurs- Late AM/Early PM long (8+) run
Fri- off
Sat- tempo run
Sun- CrossFit

Obviously there will have to be some wiggle room, especially on days that I can’t move, let alone wiggle. But this is all part of my “10K PR” plan, and it’d be cool to have a 6-pack. I feel like I’ve never fully explored my strength potential and this is the year that I really want to push my limits.

Anyone else out there do CrossFit? Any recommendations for a Noob?

Tuesday Night Spin – “Fighter” Take 2

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This is a revision of my “Fighter” playlist (in the Playlist Archive) with a couple new additions. I wanted to use some quotable music to help my class and I feel motivated, as there is still a bit of gloom hanging over us today. But we’re never going to stop. If nothing else, this stiffens our resolve to live fully and to make the most of our strength and abilities.

“Fighter Spin” #2

  1. “Power is On” The Go! Team - warm up
    Watch who’s coming at you if you might allow her.

  2. “Times Like These” Foo Fighters- light resistance, standing surges
    “It’s times like these we learn to live again.”

  3. “Brasiliera” Veron & Praia Del Sol- fast runs, light resistance, 1-2 minute efforts w/ recovery.
  4. “Let it Rock” Kevin Rudolph - standing surges on a medium hill
    “because when I arrive, I- I’ll bring the fire”

  5. “Fighter” Christina Aguilera - heavy hill climb, increasing resistance each time you stand.
    “makes me that much stronger,
    makes me work a little bit harder,
    it makes me that much wiser,
    so thanks for making me a fighter”
  6. “Adrenaline” Paul Oakenfold - seated surges & recovery (30s/1:00)
  7. “We Will Rock You”/”We Are the Champions” Queen - Big hill. Steep/heavy resistance.
    “It’s been no bed of roses, no pleasure cruise.
    I consider it a challenge before all the human race,
    and I ain’t gonna lose.”
  8. “Radioactive” Imagine Dragons - Back it off between medium and heavy resistance, seated hill.
    “I’m waking up, I feel it in my bones-
    enough to make my system blow,
    welcome to the new age.”
  9. “Live to Rise” Soundgarden- Coming back down the hill, take off a gear each time you sit & speed up.
    “Like the sun we will live to rise.
    Like the sun we will die and then ignite again.”
  10. “Home” Marc Broussard - Last push over medium resistance, alternating between standing jog and seated surge. Lighten up at the end and sprint to the finish.
    “My daddy turned his face up towards the sky
    And I knew that there was nothing to lose
    I felt the crowd breathe in and I closed my eyes
    And we disappeared into the groove”

  11. “Marchin On” OneRepublic - Some cool down and stretching music.
    “For this dance we’ll move with each other.
    There ain’t no other step than one foot
    right in front of the other”

Where do we go from here?

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I want to be strong and resilient. I want to say “F U” to fear and everything that threatens to stand in our way of living normal lives every day. I don’t want to admit that all of this senseless violence is getting to me.

But it is.

After a brief freak-out before finding out those I knew at or running in the marathon were OK, my thoughts immediately turned to those who were not alright. Lives ended. Limbs lost. hearts broken. For what? Why?? This world is making less and less sense to me and it’s all I can do to resist the urge to pack up my family and head to the mountains, away from all the insanity. There are obviously very, very broken people in this world and they are making life hell for the rest of us.

I know I’m not really going to do that, though. Because my loves and everything my life revolves around are here, in the real world, surrounded by some crazy, but mostly truly wonderful people. Just as I have had to find ways to cope with other tragedies – which I am so very fortunate did not affect me directly – I need to deal with this. Am I really going to avoid signing up for a big race again? Well… no. I’m already participating in the largest 10K in the world on July 4th. Will I be nervous about it…

Probably. Very.

But I’m going to do it, and I’m willing to bet most of the other 59,999 runners will be there, too. Because that’s what runners do, right?

We laugh when our non-running friends warn, “Oh, well I heard runners are more likely to have heart attacks.” We roll our eyes when older generations caution, “Just wait ’til you’re __; your knees are gonna make you pay!” And when people accuse us of having mental issues, we happily embrace it.

One thing we must recognize is that this time is different. We have to run – not to prove everyone else wrong – but to prove that above all else running is solidarity. Races are run in honor and memory of loved ones. We run to celebrate triumphing over what we were told to be insurmountable obstacles. Runners share friendly waves to recognize each other for being out there and today, we exchanged somber nods. You could feel in the air that those of us who still went out to cover some miles today (because going home and watching the news was still too heart-wrenching) knew that we would have to come together and persevere as a community.

Lastly, I am going to read and reread this quote, which comes from a  surprising source and was quite reassuring as I pondered just how I was going to start the next day without fearing and hating the world for the rest of my life:

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Much love to the rest of you out there in the running community- in Boston and around the world. Where do we go from here? I wondered, as I sat to write down how I felt.

Forward. Right leg, then left. In a rapid motion, and hopefully a healthy, a mid-foot strike.

Versatile Blogger Award

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Many thanks to the lovely Barefoot Marathon Mama nominated me last week with this:

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These small awards of recognition are great because I usually discover so many more people I want to add to my WordPress Reader, as well as pass on some of my favorite blogs to you. Some you probably already follow, there are a few I am sure I’ve already nominated, and others are up-and-comers. I may not always keep up with commenting on everyone’s sites, but I do appreciate everything you all have to share!

  1. New Leaf Wellness
  2. Mbrace Life
  3. Color Us Healthy
  4. Just Keep Sweating
  5. The Dancing Runner
  6. Marcia’s Healthy Slice
  7. Working it Out
  8. She’s Losing It!
  9. Mom’s Little Running Buddy
  10. Run Faster Mommy!
  11. Sweetly Balanced
  12. Diary of an Average Runner
  13. Races, Places and Things
    and the two that got me into blogging in the first place:
  14. Shut Up and Run
  15. Run EMZ/ If I Can’t Convince You…

Go check out these great blogs and if you’re on the list you know what to do- share the love, pass on the nomination, then feel free to ramble on about yourself as I will do here:

7 Random Things…

  1. I do not live in the same Atlanta as the Real Housewives, Doctor’s Wives, or crazy blondes on Big Rich Atlanta. I would, however, like to meet any one lady from those shows and charge her with being me for a day, preferably when one of my dog’s has diarrhea or a cat is leaving hairballs all over the house. And she’d have to wait tables for a night, too. THAT is a show I’d pay to watch.
  2. Of all the foods I’ve tried (so far), blue cheese is the one and only I can’t enjoy at all, in any form.
  3. Lately, I’ve been living on Power Crunch Bars. Peanut butter cream, to be exact. Seriously, I had to start ordering them by the box, instead of just buying the individual bars at the store.
  4. I eat a little ice cream every day. Except on days I forget to buy ice cream. Those are sad days.
  5. Apparently, one of my coworkers is a Steeler. Fo’ realz.
  6. I am totally distracted right now by a Mark Wahlberg movie.
  7. Other movies I can’t turn away from, no matter how often I’ve seen them: Just about any Tarantino film, “Megamind”, “Office Space”, and movies with Seth Rogan.

Your turn!

I Wish I Knew How to Quit You

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I’d like to try to get back in the blogging groove with weekly posts, if for no other reason than I don’t want to shut up get out of the habit of writing semi-regularly.

This week’s topic is a little sensitive, but one worth talking about.

On more than one occasion, by more than one person, it has been suggested that I have a problem. First it was a diet/body image problem. Then, it was a running problem. Now, it is generally referred to as a “working out” problem. My knee-jerk reaction is to shut those people out and chalk their negativity up to some sort of harbored resentment that they, for whatever reason, are not taking the time to work out themselves. But then, I really start to wonder just why do they feel this way about my lifestyle? Is it just me, or do they feel the same about all fitness freaks?

You don’t have to look far to discover that people like me aren’t exactly feelin’ the love out there…

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But if I might be allowed to make a few distinctions between myself and the people who might be pissing everyone else off, maybe I can show everyone (in both the Fitness and I-Don’t-Give-a-^%&#-About-Fitness camps) that there is a middle ground in which I reside that I think if you achieved, you might not scoff at me the next time I say, “DAMN, that was a kick-ass workout!”

  1. I don’t count calories. At this point in my life, with my level of activity, why bother? The only people I suggest close diet tracking to are my clients who really need to lose weight and lower their body fat percentages. I am well within my healthy weight range, have a ridiculous amount of lean muscle mass, and, well, really love food. So stop rolling your eyes if you catch me eating a salad because I actually really like frisée and arugula, OK? Any by the way, there’s probably bacon and cheese in that salad, so back off.
  2. I am fine if I miss a workout. Now, I admit this used to not be the case. But that was waaaay before motherhood! Even though I actually work in a gym, sometimes I have to hustle out of there the second I am done with my last client to get home, walk dogs, run a few loads of laundry, and get ready for the second shift. I don’t piss and moan about it anymore because both of my jobs alone are physical enough without worrying about running every single day. This is why I encourage clients to make the most of every workout, so that missed days aren’t nearly as detrimental to their routines. This doesn’t mean an all-out effort every time they are in the gym; just doing one exercise that challenges them in a new way is enough. I apply the same principle to my own regimen.
  3. I get it that you don’t want to sweat. Really, I do. It’s gross. It makes us smell bad. It means taking extra time to shower and change clothes when you are probably already very busy. That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop suggesting that people do it. I am not trying to shame anyone, just remind them that the heart is the most important muscle. If I talk about cardio and it starts to sound like a lecture, it’s because I like you and don’t want you to have a heart attack or stroke.
  4. If I was given a magic pill to stay the same weight and size for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t take it. Yup, that’s right, I’d still exercise. Why? Because it’s not about looking a certain way anymore. I am already faster and stronger than when I ran in high school. Why not see how much more I can do? Sure, my fitness journey started as a way to lose weight and distance myself from the bad habits in my life (both my own, and the habits of those surrounding me), but it’s so much more than that now.
  5. You can’t convince me to quit anymore than I can convince Billy Graham to denounce God. If you are spiritual in any way, then you can appreciate that running, spinning, rock climbing, or whatever else I’m in the mood to try in a given week are my way of connecting with my inner self – my heart and my mind – as well as the world around me. When push myself past my limits, it is my way of singing praise for the gift that is my body. Some churches have steeples, others have barbells.
  6. That whole getting beat up thing. Yeah, don’t want that to happen again.
  7. I could never go Paleo. This kind of goes back to point #1.
  8. I really enjoy beer and wine (in responsible quantities). See point #7.
  9. It is my social life. The gym and the restaurant are where my friends are. This is likely the same for you that the majority of your human interactions take place at work. I used to never work out with other people except for spin class. Now I not only don’t have to go solo every time I hit the weights, but I’m surrounded by people who I can really learn something from.
  10. I just friggin’ love it. I love my family. I love coffee. I love chocolate. I love Daniel Craig as James Bond. And I love working out. The End.

Now if you’ve gotten to this point of my long-winded attempt to prove that I’m not just another crazed junkie and are still all:

Tard

 

– that’s fine. I am not here to convince anyone who is adamantly opposed to lifting a dumbbell, ever, to suddenly go crazy for CrossFit. If I seem a little insane for all the things I like to do, so be it. But if I were ever forced to never work out ever again, that’s a whole level of crazy  I pray to all that is holy that none of you will ever have to witness!

 

 

April Spin – “Burn it Off”

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After a week in mild, (mostly) sunny San Francisco, we returned to some bone-chilling* temperatures back on the east coast. Nothing worse than the shock of coming off a vacation and feeling like you want to bundle up and hibernate again.

But we knew winter’s stronghold could not last forever, and the chilly rains finally gave way to sun and a more tolerable reading on the thermometer**.

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(*You all know we are wimps in the south. But wind chills in the 20′s and flurries still sucks!)

(**But really, we are pretty wimpy)

Of course, with the warmth and increase in daylight hours comes the part of our wardrobe that we try to ignore in the comfier, baggier winter months; those pieces of clothing that bare arms and legs that we aren’t sure are ready to be so harshly and unexpectedly exposed.

But let’s say you’ve been “studying” hard at the gym and hitting the weights like you’re supposed to all winter. Now, as we shake off the winter cold it’s time to shed all that extra stuff our bodies held on to to keep us warm.

This is a light attire, 2-towel and 2-water-bottle playlist. No kidding. Half the class cut out a little more than half-way through (whoops!) But those who plodded on and made it through gave me some reassuring hoots at the end. I know I’ve said it about other playlists but this one is a doozy… which of course means it will now be in regular rotation *grin*.

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I had to wear my InkNBurn Pheonix shirt tonight, of course!

What’s great about this list is you can easily break it up into two parts and still get one hell of a workout, it is that intense. But of course, every workout is what you make of it, so I challenge you to push through any difficult class and allow yourself the breaks that at least give you the chance to see what is going on for the rest of the time you might have otherwise skipped out on. You won’t know how much more you can attempt to push if you don’t see what’s ahead. So when it feels good, don’t hold back. When it gets hard, tough it out. If it feels impossible, ease up and take mental note of what part of the drill is challenging you. Make that your focus for your next run/ride/workout; just to get through a little bit more than you did the last time.

“Burn it All” Spin

1. “The Rockafeller Skank” Fatboy Slim - Kind of an oldie, but it makes for a nice long warm-up to really get our muscles primed for the work ahead. Flat road resistance for the first half of the song, alternating leading with the right, then the left leg. Add a gear for the last few minutes and go through all 3 riding positions.

2. “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” Jet - Light resistance, standing runs on the chorus. Aim for starting to get your heart rate up a good bit and breaking a sweat.

3. “Let if Rock” Kevin Rudolf - Stay at light resistance for 3 pushes: 30s on/30 off. The first 2 are in the seat, for the 3rd push add a gear and run in position 3.

4. “Oh Love” Green Day - Add another gear from where you ended the previous song. On each chorus add yet another and climb in position 3, leaving the resistance on each time you sit. Make it steep… it’ll make your light resistance feel super easy later in class and your flat road resistance will feel like nothing.

5. “Uprising” Muse - Take 3 gears off from the crest of your hill. You should still feel like you are pedaling in sand, so don’t be too generous with yourself when you take some of the resistance off. Pedal on the beat in position 3 for the verse, then sit and surge for the chorus as you take one gear off at a time.

6. “Devil Drums” Scooter - Back to light resistance! Why not flat road resistance? Because I want some all-out sprints on this track and if you don’t have enough under your feet you’re going to cause yourself all sorts of hurtin’. Trust me. 3 X 30s on -90% effort- and 30 off. Take about a minute break, then we go to 4 X 15s on /15 off, with 100% effort on your sprints. Yowza.

~~~Right here is a good point to finish if you only have half an hour… BUT most of the new stuff (not used by me in previous lists) comes in Act II….. ~~~

7. “Rumor Has It (House Remix)” Adele/Capt Kirk - For those of us plowing through, we get a nice break with some jumps on light resistance. Jump counts = 8/4/2, about 45s on each. Halfway through the song, add a gear and cycle through one more time.

8. “This Ain’t a Scene it’s An Arms Race” Fall Out Boy - This is one of those songs I’d only heard a handful of times and really enjoyed, thinking “this would be great to run/spin to” but then completely forgot about. So I know it’s several years old but it’s “new” to Concrete N Coffee so enjoy it. Standing runs in position 3 on light resistance. To make it simple: Go fast when the music speeds up. Recover in the saddle.

9. “Adrenaline” Paul Oakenfold - It should be noted I love to hate this drill. It’s so good but DAMN it’s painful, especially at this point in the class. Add a couple gears to get up to medium resistance. Your break is in position 3, pedaling to the beat. Starting at 45s in, sit and surge for 30s, then come up and recover for a minute. You’re going to do this… a few times. That’s all I’ll say about that.

10. “Radioactive” Imagine Dragons  - This funky new song is perfect for grinding it out to the top of our last big hill. Add two gears to make it heavy and get to the top, remaining in the seat. At the end, stand up to position 3 as we transition to the next song. Enjoy the song & (really weird) video below.

11. “Home” Marc Broussard - You know it’s not a hill without some twangy guitars and a heavy kick drum. For the first half of the song we will finally finish this last climb. On each chorus you’ll add one additional gear, so long as you can still pedal smoothly. Remain in position 3. As the music picks up we’ll then sit on each chorus, taking 2 gears off at a time, speeding up as we lighten up. Once you have about a minute left, take it all the way down to flat road and FIRE UP those legs to flush them out and sprint downhill.

12. “Lover of the Light” Mumford & Sons - After a full class of loud rock, we’re actually going to mellow out a little on this last track. Add 1 gear back in for really light resistance. Twice through, we’ll gradually pick up speed as the music builds. There’s a nice break half-way through to jog in position 2. Then sit and build up speed one more time, running through the end. The goal here is NOT to do an all-out sprint. We are truly just flushing out the legs so keep it light and smile because after this, we’re done!

Cool down and stretch!

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/55646951″>Imagine Dragons “Radioactive” music video</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/syndromestudiola”>Syndrome Studio</a> on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

March Spin Playlist – let’s try a monthly post!

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First, I thought it would probably be best for me to only try to do two blogs a week.

Then, after posting just once a week for about a month I figured, okay, just a couple playlist posts a month, then maybe a couple other relevant posts about training or running.

Then, happily, my client list exploded, meaning that the hours I have made myself available for training are nearly completely filled. Great for work, but bad for blogging. Of all the awards I’ve received, the one I should display is this one:

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I love the fitness and running blogging community, but it turns out I am a far better spectator than participant. And currently, if I were to try to spend time writing about getting/staying fit, I’d lose time getting/staying fit. So I’m “retiring” so to speak to just a monthly playlist, plus any ramblings that I may wish put into text.

In the time I won’t be blogging, I’ll be

  • In San Francisco for the next 8 days!
  • Running a leg in the Oakland Marathon Relay on 3/25 with 3 other amazing Mamas.
  • Training some 20+ clients a week.
  • Teaching 2 spin classes a week.
  • Continuing to run/climb/lift to my heart’s content.
  • Serving (of course… call it masochism, or Stockholm Syndrome… but I feel me and F&B are wed for life).

Hope you all keep checking back from time to time for cool tunes and some kick-ass playlists. This week/month I did an endurance ride focused on increasing effort over varying resistance. Next to each song I’ve posted a “RPE” number, or Rate of Perceived Exertion. I had my riders focus on working at a certain level based on a scale of 1 – 10, 1 being asleep, and 10 being an all-out sprint. I did this same workout Tuesday night and the following Wednesday morning and I can tell you my legs were thanking me all week long. And one of my clients who was brave enough to try my class following a leg day… he was especially grateful :)

March Spin – “Endurance Ride”

1. “Praise You” Fatboy Slim - (RPE = 6) We’re doing a long, solid 5-minute warm-up today. Start at flat road resistance in the seat. After a minute, alternate leading with the right leg, then the left, for 30s. each. Then pedal evenly. Add a gear and spend a little time warming up in positions 2 and 3.

2. “Athena” Gorgon City - (RPE = 7) Continuing our warm up, adding another gear for light resistance. Alternating steady run in the seat for 45s with standing surges in position 3 for 30s. For each surge, if you have a RPM monitor on your bike, increase at least 10 RPM.

3. “Ready, Steady, Go” Paul Oakenfold – (RPE = 8) Add another gear to bring it up to medium resistance. Now we’re going to reverse what we just did- alternate pedaling steady on the beat in position 3 for 45s with seated surges for 30s. Increase your RPM on the surge the same as before.

4. “Right Here, Right Now” Fatboy Slim – (RPE = 9) Lighten up 2 gears for a short recovery (30s) then pick back up to a moderate pace. Starting at one minute into the song, add a gear every 10s for 30s, keeping the same cadence. Once you put that 3rd gear back on, hold your pace for one minute. A clue to know if you’re doing this right: Your legs will ache and you will be breathing hard! Comfortable, no? Effective workout? Yes! Recover after that minute, then do it again :)

5. “Lancaster Gate” Enter the Haggis – (RPE = 7/8) Back to light/medium resistance, alternate between a steady seated run and standing surges in position 3 (at 0:52-1:12 and 1:34-1:54). Then as the music slows, sit down and add 3 gears, making it heavy. Add another gear every 8 beats til you max out (stand). As the music picks back up take off a gear at a time every 8 beats until you’re back to medium resistance. Finish with transitioning back to a seated run on a flat road to “flush out” the legs.

6. “Sunshine” Matisyahu – (RPE = 6) Put a gear back on from our flat road resistance to have something under your feet for a standing jog. Ride at an easy pace for the verse, take it up to position 2 to jog on the chorus. This is a nice, full recovery so take time in the seat to rehydrate and focus on your breathing.

7. “Tribal Tabata” Tabata Songs - (RPE = 8) This whole, 4-minute track is standing in position 3, but if it gets a bit much you can do this drill in the seat as well. You need medium resistance to start. I love this track because it does the work for me: A whistle blows, the music picks up, and you move faster. When the next whistle blows the music slows, and you recover. Repeat. A lot :)

8. “Saltwater” Chicane – (RPE = 7) We’re backing off the intensity a little bit as we increase resistance, because this song is the start of an 11-minute hill. Add a gear from the previous song for a seated climb. Optional surges every 30s for 10s each, just try to increase your cadence.

9. “Back Against the Wall” Cage the Elephant – (RPE = 8) Take off one gear to start, but pick up the pace. At this point we’re starting to get pissed about all this damn resistance. Well get angry, and get over your hill! Each chorus you’re gonna take it up to position 3 and add a gear, leave it on when you sit.

10. “Farewell Ride” Beck – (RPE = 9) Time to grind it out. From the previous song, don’t touch the dial on your resistance. Sit. Grind it out (minimum 50-60 rpm – any slower, and you should take a gear off to keep pedaling smoothly). For the last minute of the song, take it back up to position 3.

11. “Carry On” Fun. – (RPE = 8) We have to earn our way back down this hill. Start by taking off a gear, remaining in position 3. On each chorus we’re gonna sit and take a gear off, gradually picking up the pace as we go. By the last 45s of the song, lighten all the way up to flat road resistance and flush out your legs. PS, I LOVE this song. It’s so hard not to move faster to this. And you can’t go wrong with guitars and bagpipes.

12. “All My Life” Foo Fighters – (RPE = 10) Add a gear to your flat road for stability and control. Add more if you really wanna push it. Start at a steady run (100rpm) and on the chorus you’re going to sprint (120rpm is the goal, but no more than 130rpm – if you pedal faster than that, you DEFINITELY need more resistance). This is the all-out, last-ditch effort to shred every last calorie. So on each sprint, do NOT hold back!

13. “Marchin On” One Republic – (RPE = 5/6) Flat road. Recover and cool down.

Don’t forget to stretch!

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Hope everyone out there is doing well in your own fitness journeys! Let me know – what have you been up to lately??

Split Fitness Personality Disorder

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Yes, I have a condition, albeit self-diagnosed. I just can’t seem to pick one activity and stick to it. For one week I might run exclusively, the next I only want to hit the bike and the elliptical, and yet another week I might decide to spend the majority of my time lifting and climbing. I just can’t seem to make up my mind and pick just one activity on which to focus because they all hold the same level of appeal, depending on my mood.

Running

(Asics)

(Asics)

Obviously, this is my first love. Even at its most complicated – calculating splits, cross-referencing data from various gps devices, knowing exactly which goo or gel I want to take and when during a long run – the act of running itself is simple. You pick a direction, put one foot in front of the other, and GO. I am admittedly somewhat of a “plugged in” runner, in that I generally prefer to run with music and I like to be able to track my distance and mile splits. But what is great about running – for me, anyway – is that I can go completely “unplugged” as well. Without the distractions of my media devices, running is an escape, it’s therapy, and it makes me feel like a part of a community as well as giving me a peaceful sense of solitude. Running helps me fulfill the urge to go out and be left alone, while still feeling that I am a part of something bigger with the simple exchange of nods between another runner and myself.

Indoor Cycling

You know I love my spin classes. Whether they love me back… well, they still show up week after week so I can only assume that they at least love to hate me.

Indoor cycling will never make sense to the outdoor cyclist. I can never expect to provide a workout or experience remotely close to what a rider might get from the rolling hills and amazing scenery of their weekend rides. No, indoor cycling is pure sweat and discomfort and probably one of the biggest tests of mental fortitude there is compared to other gym classes. You have to sit on a bike, going nowhere, without any wind or sense of momentum, and the most interesting thing to look at is whose puddle of sweat is the biggest.

The curse of spin class has its hidden blessing, though: It’s just you and your bike. Hopefully, the instructor has a good music selection to distract you from the monotony of not really moving (I try, anyway!) so that you can get amped up in the swelling crescendos and chest-thumping beats. But even with the most motivational of music choices, how hard you word is still entirely up to you. You are constantly forced to asked yourself, “Can I add another gear?” “Can I go faster?” “Can I add a gear AND go faster?” You are brought to the threshold of your comfort zone and you have to decide if you’re going to back away, or push a little further to see how much more you can take. On the surface, it seems evil and sadistic, but to me, spinning is life. As far as anyone who can see you is concerned, you’re working pretty hard. Only YOU know if you are giving it your all, or if you’re sandbagging. Then, it’s up to your conscience to decide how much more you’re willing to put forth.

Climbing/Lifting

Something about the brute force required to move up a wall at a steep incline, holding on with just 3 fingers and 2 toes has me falling in love with rock climbing all over again. I got the tattoo on my ankle not because I was a fantastic climber back in the day, but for what the sport symbolizes to me; overcoming fears, fighting against the laws of physics, strength, power, balance and grace.

2012-05-14 15.45.00

Lately, I’ve just been dabbling with bouldering as I try to get myself back to my previous climbing ability. The difference between this and traditional rock climbing is there are no ropes. The distances are shorter and the climb is performed over mats or a crash pad, but there is still the “fall factor”. No matter what, you have to be OK with falling off the wall. Whether it’s 4 feet or 14, this is not a pleasant sensation for most, and one that can only be overcome by – you guessed it – falling.

When I had started climbing, I became easily frustrated. Physiologically and mentally, I wasn’t tough enough to consider lead climbing. My palms would sweat and I’d constantly wear myself out by freezing on the wall because I was so scared I’d slip on the next maneuver. The rope always had to be held tight; my security blanket, against the impending doom of gravity distorting  my insides.

Now, I have a different approach. I don’t care so much about about route ratings and numbers, just reaching the most difficult part of a climb and attempting it, even if I might fall. To build that confidence I need strength, for sure, so I’m hitting the weights with a renewed fervor, but I also need to do the same thing I’ve done in races: Envision success. It sounds lame but it works. If I start thinking, “what if I leap up for that next hold and I slip and fall?” guess what is going to happen?

More than just the obvious obstacles that climbing presents, I find that I am more centered when I’m on the wall than when doing anything else. I think Natalie Duran says it best:

And You Put It All Together…

All three activities seem naturally appealing to me I think because they all have both personal and shared elements. I can always run, spin or climb alone, focused entirely on bettering myself from the previous work out, or simply zoning out and escaping the stress of the day. But when you add people in, something even better happens – we start to push and encourage each other. There’s the aspect of competition, sure, but it is friendly. I’ll pick up the pace up a hill to try to make my husband keep up because I know he wants to get faster on hills, too. I’ll pit the guys against the girls on a team sprint challenge during spin class because then I know that everyone will push harder. In the rock gym, teammates and complete strangers alike bond over a route that no one has been able to tackle yet, cheering each other on through the toughest part of the climb.

So I guess having Split Fitness Personality Disorder (or maybe we should call it Fitness ADD)  is a good thing. Because no matter what I am in the mood to do from one week to the next, I can find something that will suite me, with people to share it with. And whether it is a run, a class, or a climb, I will always push myself, because I don’t do half-assed, and neither should you!

bruce lee

Can’t make up your mind when it comes to working out? Have any unconventional favorite fitness activities?

Tuesday Night Spin – Love Mix

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Aw yeah, who’s feeling a little amorous?

Well, before you and your significant other wine, dine and send yourselves into a genache-covered coma, go ahead and find yourselves a bike and do this mix. I’ll be teaching to this list tonight and Thursday morning, of course. And you know what they say about couples who sweat together…

“Both partners come away with feelings of synchronicity, cooperative spirit and shared passion. Then you throw in some spicy endorphins and it can be a real power trip for the relationship.” — Dr. Jane Greer

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(source)

 

“Love Mix” 2/12 & 2/14

1. “Howlin’ For You” The Black Keys – Warm up at flat road resistance, alternating your lead foot for 30s. each. Halfway through, add a gear, stand up and ‘jog’ in position 2.

2. “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” Jet – Light resistance, all three riding positions. Start seated at a quick pace, transition up to 2 on the bridge then take it out to position 3 and pick it up even more on the chorus.

3. “Oh Love” Green Day – Rolling hills. Each chorus gets one more gear than the one before it (1st = 1 gear, 2nd = 2 gears, etc) but don’t worry, you can take it off for each verse. We’re not going too steep… yet ;)

4. “Disease” Matchbox 20 – Back to light resistance for double-time sprints. You need to be 1-2 gears up from your flat road. Pedal in the seat, on the beat for the verse. On the chorus try to pedal double-time. For the 3rd sprint, add one more gear and run in position 3.

5. “Layla” Derek & The Dominos – I haven’t used this classic in a while. I like to imagine I’m the object of the young Eric Clapton’s affection. Start seated at light resistance, then standing and surge in position 3, adding a gear for each chorus — pay attention because these are quick transitions. As the music slows toward the end at the outro, go back to your seat with whatever resistance you have on there and finish out your hill for the 2nd half of the song. Add another gear every 45s. until you reach your smooth pedaling limit.

6. “Cupid Shuffle” Cupid – Kind of an obligatory piece. I mean, it IS Valentine’s Day! I play with my class on this one and start with transition through all 3 riding positions on an 8-count (medium resistance). Then I go down to 4- and 2-count transitions. Toward the end, I mix it up and start calling out riding positions in no particular order to keep everyone guessing.

7. “Ain’t No Other Man” Christina Aguilera – Still at medium resistance, stand and jog on the verse. For the chorus, slide back over your saddle and “hover”, drawing your knees up as you focus more on pulling than pushing the pedals — workin’ that booty for your date outfit later ;)

8. “Drumming Song” Florence & The Machine – Ok, this song is kind of hot. Like, it makes me blush a little. But it is GREAT for a hill so I had to include it. Add a gear from the previous song, we’ll stay at this resistance for a seated climb with standing surges on the chorus.

9. “You And I” Lady Gaga – Finishing out our hill, go back to your seat and grind it out, adding a gear for each chorus, standing when you need to. Make it heavy but pedal smooth.

10. “Marchin On” One Republic – Here, in the relative safety that is my blog, which I’m sure most people I know in real life only glance at and might not actually read all the words, I will make this confession: I really love One Republic. Take one gear off from the top of the previous hill. Starting in position 3, take the resistance off on each chorus (1-2 gears at a time, depending on how high your resistance was) while sitting and trying to pick our cadence back up. You shouldn’t flatten out before the song is over but if you do, don’t take off any more resistance.

11. “I Will Wait” Mumford and Sons – Light resistance, standing runs on the chorus to finish out our ride.

12. “I’m Yours” Jason Mraz – One last sweet song for cooling down and stretching.

 

Hope you all have a lovely week. Whether celebrating a relationship or not, Valentine’s Day – and any day, really – is a great time to grab someone you love (could be a parent, sibling, or close friend) and actually get out and DO something! I think the best connections we make in life are when there is a shared activity that both people are equally passionate about. And if it’s a physical activity, even better. So partner up and to run, bike, hike, climb, ski, sled, or whatever. Just have fun together!

What is your favorite activity to do with a partner? (keep it PG *wink*)