The Indoor Cycling Association has launched!

I'm excited to announce the brand new Indoor Cycling Association. Our mission is to educate and inspire indoor cycling instructors to be the best they can be, by offering solid information based on exercise science and true cycling technique and biomechanics. My own specialty is heart rate training, coaching, motivation and music, so ICA members can expect everything they need to know to become the best indoor cycling coach ever!

I've assembled a pretty amazing team of contributors, and will be inviting other Master Instructors and fitness industry experts to submit content as well.

When I was at my previous program, my audio profiles were a very big hit. You can expect the same at ICA - an audio description of a profile, with an objective, the profile description and the actual cueing and coaching suggestions throughout the ride. You can download the mp3 of the audio to listen to on your ipod, or print out the printed version. I'll do one every three weeks or so, and will sprinkle other profiles and playlists as well that aren't audio, but still including the coaching and music.

And the music suggestions - wait until you see what the feedback has been! I've got two excellent contributors, Jorg from Germany with the most unique electronic/psytrance/downtempo/techno songs you've ever heard, and Kala with a penchant for upbeat and fun mainstream pop, rock and alternative tunes to satisfy your students. I'll be throwing my own favorites in there as well.

We'll have videos and audios, with interviews with the experts on just about any aspect of teaching (or taking) indoor cycling or Spinning classes you can imagine. If there is something you want us to cover, please, let us know! Email me at info@indoorcyclingassociation.com

Since there are not two sets of rules (biomechanics, physics, physiology, etc) for cyclists and non-cyclists, you can be sure that everything we teach will be the most current science of training, as well as proper technique. However, since there are many instructors who are confused at how to deliver safe and effective workouts to their students who believe that "cycling specific" means not interesting, we realize we need to teach instructors how to make their classes fun, motivating and exciting while sticking to the principles of cycling and proper training principles.

The Indoor Cycling Association has its eye on becoming the premier educational resource for indoor cycling instructors in the world! In one short month of being open we have hundreds of members from around the world. Spread the word, spread the love, and join us at the Indoor Cycling Association!

Ride on!

Jennifer Sage
Master Instructor
Founder, Indoor Cycling Association
Author, Keep it Real (in your indoor cycling classes)

Cinco de Mayo tunes for Spinning® and Indoor Cycling Classes

Need some hot Latin music for a Cinco de Mayo playlist in your Spinning® or Indoor Cycling classes? Here's some for you!

However, as a lover of all things global, I feel it's my duty to remind you that Cinco de Mayo is Independence Day for the country of Mexico. Very few of these songs are from Mexican artists. They could be from any Latin country in the world - and there are many, stretching from central to South America, to the islands of Puerto Rico and Cuba, all the way over to Europe and the original Spanish country of Spain. But I guess if you go on vacation to Cancun or Cabo, you could hear any Latin song from all corners of the globe.

If the origin of the song doesn't concern you or your students, then have a great time in your classes with these fun and energetic tunes. ;-)

And if anyone has some specific Mexican artists (or any additional Latin tunes), please post them in the comments.

Song title, Artist, CD (if known)
* represents my own favorites

• **Guitarra G (Original Chillout Mix), G Club presents Banda Sonora, Chillout Session Sampler
• **Logozo, Sidestepper, Buddha Bar II
• *Un Poco Flamengo (Unreleased Mix), Chilly Marry, Spinning Volume Eleven
• Bingo Bango (Latin Dub Remix) - Basement Jaxx, Mad Dogg Spinning Volume 8
• Sandy Hot Pants, Smitty & Davenport, Spinning Volume 9
• *Corazon Espinado (Spanish Dance Remix), Santana feat Mana
• Vazilando Feeling (dj Sueko Rmx), DJ Chus Vs Oreja
• *Oye Mi Amor, Maná, Sol
• Ángel de Amor, Maná, Sol
• Mas Que Mancada (FI mix), Ronaldo's Revenge, Full Intention Revenge mix
• El sabor de las cosas, Los Piratas, Ultrasónica
• Hit the Road Jack (Pena Estrad), Mo' Horizons, Remember Tomorrow
• El Camino, Marquess, Marquess
• De Camino, Alex Cuba, Agua Del Pozo
• Radio Incredible, Marquess, Frenetica
• * Tu no Eres Para Mi, Fanny Lu
• (I'll be a) Happy Man, The Latin Blues Band feat. Luis Aviles, Brown Sugar - Latin Breakbeats, Basslines & Boogaloo
• **La Esperanza - Bongoloverz & Ursula Cuesta, Buddha Bar, Buddha Bar 8
• Lola, Chayanne, Mi Tiempo
• *Remember (Na Na Na Hey Hey), Summerlove
• Quien Como Tu, Enzo Diaz, Barrio Latino - Paris Bailando (Latin cover of Without Love by the Doobie Brothers)
• *Diablo Rojo, Rodrigo & Gabriela, Rodrigo y Gabriela
• *Fiesta Latina, Cafe De Miami, Salsa In A Sultry Atmosphere
• Guapisimo, Cafe De Miami, Salsa In A Sultry Atmosphere
• Let's Be Free, Cafe De Miami, Salsa In A Sultry Atmosphere
• *La Bamba (Remix 2005), Safri Duo
• *Ritmo De La Noche, Safri Duo
• *Gypsy (En Vivo), Shakira, Loba
• *Suerte, Shakira
• Livin La Vida Loca (Pablo Flores English Club Mix), Ricky Martin, Livin' La Vida Loca
• * El Temperamento (Spanish Single Version), Marquess, Marquess
• No importa, Marquess, Frenetica
• * Bailamos (Album Version), Enrique Iglesias, Hero [Single]
• Samba De Janeiro (Maxi), Bellini
• *Suavemente, Elvis Crespo, Suavemente
• Baila Morena, Zucchero, Zucchero & Co.
• A Gozar, Spiritual Vibes, Barrio Latino - Paris Bailando
• Así Es La Vida, Elefante, Elefante Exitos
• El Abandonao, Elefante, Elefante Exitos
• Mariposa, La Oreja de Van Gogh, El Viaje De Copperpot
• Pop, La Oreja de Van Gogh, El Viaje De Copperpot
• La Playa, La Oreja de Van Gogh, El Viaje De Copperpot
• Soledad, La Oreja de Van Gogh, El Viaje De Copperpot
• * Tres, Juanes, La vida es un ratico
• * Te Amo (Madgipsy Mix), Sultana, 80 vs. 90 - Golden Rare Extended Tracks
• South Beach Mambo, The Rippingtons, Life In The Tropics
• Premonición, David Bisbal, Premonición Disc 1
• Torre de Babel [Reggaeton Mix], David Bisbal, Premonición
• Silencio, David Bisbal,
• Quién Me Iba a Decir, David Bisbal, Premonición
• Latin Blues Part 1, Eric Kupper, Rythm2

Cool-downs

• Agua Del Pozo, Alex Cuba, Agua Del Pozo
• I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Coco Freeman/U2, Rhythms del Mundo: Cuba
• Hero, Enrique Iglesias, Hero [Single]

EDIT: Chris has posted her Cinco de Mayo playlist on her indoor cycling blog for even more variety. Make sure to check back with Chrispins often for her playlists, too!

Exciting news coming, and help me with a new Blog name!

I'm moving this blog! And I need a new name, can you help me?

Funhog was a nickname I carried with me when I moved to Vail 16 years ago. For me, it has always represented doing what is important to me even when faced with personal challenges. I explained the meaning of Funhog back when I first launched this blog back in 2008.

However, a lot has transpired since then. Funhogspins started out as a fun hobby, a place where I could practice my passion of helping indoor cycling instructors beyond the limited means I had as a Master Instructor for the Spinning program. As it turned out, it also served as a means where I could pretend I was a writer (an early dream of mine in college - and in 2007/2008 blogs were a relatively new way to live out those dreams). It allowed me to reach out to a global audience, and I soon came to realize that there are instructors all over the world who are lacking good coaching and teaching advice for creating and leading indoor cycling classes. Funhogspins readership began to grow and soon become widely known and quite popular in the Indoor Cycling realm (in fact it became the #1 indoor cycling blog on the net according to Google). That was an unexpected and fun honor!

I realized I should change the name so I wasn't using the word "spins", not wanting to violate any kind of trademark issues with Spinning®. However, about that same time, summer of 2009, I had a unique opportunity to help launch an educational indoor cycling website. To do this, I had to leave the Spinning® program and I had to abandon this blog. I didn't think again about the name again, until this past month.

Fast Forward 18 months and after an unexpected departure (though it was my choice) from ICI, I found myself back here, unsure about what direction I was going next.

But as Dolly Parton said, "If you don't like the road you're walking on, start paving a new one." So I'm taking that woman's wise advice and doing just that. But first, I need to revamp this blog, starting with a new name. Can you help me come up with some ideas?

I was thinking of something along the following theme (grateful to my husband for giving me this fun last name to play with!):
Sage Advice
Sage Cycling Advice

or something along those lines, but it doesn't have to have my name in it.

I want to convey that I will be giving advice to the indoor cycling community, but the blog will be moving to another platform - one in which it will be apparent that it is for indoor cycling instructors, so I'm not sure that is needed in the title. Obviously, I cannot use the term "Spinning®" or any version of it.

So, any ideas? Fire them at me, something short and to the point. Even if I don't end up using exactly what you suggest, it might inspire an idea I haven't yet thought of.

Mid-week next week I will have an exciting announcement for you....so make sure to come back soon.

I'm off to Scottsdale, Arizona to the Fitfest conference this weekend to present. If you are in Arizona and we had communicated about meeting up there for dinner or drinks, make sure to email me (I've been a little pre-occupied). jennifer@vivatravels.com

What happens if you miss a workout? Illness, injury etc...

I want to share with you Joe Friel's most recent blog post on how much fitness might be lost if you miss a workout. But before I do, it's important to realize that fitness goals of our students will often be different than the goals that endurance athletes set, so read this article I'm about to give you with that knowledge in hand. On the other hand, this article will hit home for recreational athletes/cyclists who like to remain very active outside, for very avid fitness enthusiasts who come to classes 4-7X a week, and most certainly for instructors who teach a lot of classes and are a *bit* fanatical about their own workouts (know any of those types of instructors?!)

Joe Friel broke his hip recently in a bike accident and is faced with six weeks or more of limited training. He writes primarily for endurance athletes, many of whom race (often just recreational racers), so whenever I read his blog posts I try to adapt the information to fit the needs of our typical fitness student. Here is what Joe has to say about missing training days.

My take on the subject? Don't sweat it! If you aren't a pro-athlete, or not training for a PR in your next triathlon, relax. It is what it is. Fighting an illness or injury by training through it will most often make it worse, and doesn't do much good for the mental standpoint either. And if you are a pro or high-level athlete, well, S!*^ happens sometimes, and ya just gotta roll with it. After an illness or injury, get back on track as quick as you can, work on the mental part of it while you are laid up, and turn your focus to positive things. You may have to reset your goals a bit, but that's ok.

An instructor who is forced to take time off due to illness or injury (or family/work/personal obligations) will have to do the same. Remember this important tip: it is impossible to stay at the highest level of fitness year-round. Everyone, from beginner to pro, has to have fluctuations in fitness throughout the year. Allow it to happen, accept it, then work towards gradually bringing your fitness back to where it was before you were forced to take time off.

And, if you aren't forced to take time off (due to any of those reasons mentioned above), remember to give yourself breaks throughout the year (vacations, getting subs) for a mental and/or physical release. Otherwise your body just might do it for you... And when that happens, it's not always a good thing. Remember, we attract into our lives what we focus on and what we need. If you don't allow those breaks to happen occasionally, especially when you get burned-out, overstressed, or are bordering on over-training, I believe you attract illness or injury into your life, to force yourself to take the break you were too bullheaded to allow yourself in the first place! (And I say this from personal experience!) ;-)

Stay healthy and strong!

PS read the comments in Joe's article - there are some good questions that he answers that expand on the subject.

Happy Easter! What candy to avoid....and how much you have to exercise to burn it off

I did this with Halloween candy last fall and now it's time to give you the Easter candy report. Shape magazine lists the 5 candies you should avoid! Hope your Easter baskets aren't too full of the listed candies. If so, add a few more indoor cycling classes to your program this week.

While you're reading that article, look at the right side of the page at the calorie burn tool called "You Ate It, Negate It". You can enter what you ate and what kind of exercise you prefer, as well as your weight, and it tells you how long you have to exercise to burn off what you ate.

I chose a simple bran muffin as my treat. Calorie Count gives it 344 calories and a nutrition grade of B-. Another website gives the Starbucks Apple Bran muffin 350 calories.

In the Shape calorie burn tool, I entered Bran Muffin and Spinning (under Gym/exercise class) and it said I'd have to exercise for 72 minutes to burn that muffin. Then I entered cycling at 14-19mph (under endurance exercise), which is a decent clip but not too fast, and to me is a better guestimate of what kind of effort you put out in a typical moderately hard Spinning®/Indoor Cycling class. This time I'd have to exercise for 52 minutes to burn off one bran muffin. At 10-14mph it equals what they assume you'd burn in a Spinning class (72 minutes). Hmmm, not that I condone very hard classes all the time, but I think they are assuming people don't work very hard in indoor cycling classes.

This is a far cry off from what some instructors, trainers or programs are preaching, or even what Shape magazine tells you in another separate article that claims you can burn 500 calories in 35 minute Spinning® class! This last claim is truly ridiculous, especially since the posted class isn't that hard. Yes, it has some sprints, but do you really understand how hard you have to work to burn 500 calories?

*sigh*
When will there be responsible claims in the fitness industry?

The good news is that we have an amazing tool for burning calories and staying fit - our indoor cycling classes! Even if we don't over-exaggerate how many calories our students will burn.

Happy Easter!

Cycling Spring Training - how to put together a cycling clinic

OK, in other parts of the country (the US that is), you are already hitting 80+ degrees and have been cycling for months now (not counting you guys in the always-sunny far south).

Where I am in the Rocky Mountains, it is still ski season (albeit fairly warm). The committed cyclists have been out and about when the temps have reached anywhere above 40 degrees. We've even had some 60+ degree days, but usually very windy.

I have just finished a very successful 12-week periodized Cycling Clinic at one of my clubs, with 12 very committed students. But we are entering what we call the "mud season" around here, and our ski mountain only closes next weekend. It's possible to cycle outside, but still not as cycling friendly as we'd like it.

So I've just extended my cycling clinic for another 5 weeks.

I've got at least 8 students who will continue with me (I'll let you know the actual number tomorrow - it's the first class). They are paying $120 for the next five weeks. They've paid $275 for the past 12-weeks (I had 13 students in that series).

I'm on to something big here. I've had probably the MOST fun I've had teaching in 14+ years. Why? Because I'm working with a committed group of the same students who paid to be there, everyone on the same page, everyone with a heart rate monitor. Not a regular class where you can't really do a serious periodized program because you get new people walking in all the time, or someone who decides to show up only once a month.

The result? I have 13 students who are more prepared for the cycling season than they ever have been. And most are paying to stay on for the next 5 weeks. Me? I've made more $ per class than I ever have in my 15 years of teaching indoor cycling!

Damnit, I deserve it! =)

And so do YOU!

This next five weeks is going to be pretty high intensity, but because most of the students have been with me for the past 12-weeks (and many were my students for the previous 4-5 years), they are well prepared for this level of intensity. The few who were not in my 12-week program I will coach very closely to gauge their intensity very carefully, and to not go as hard.

I've been blabbing about this 12-week program on Facebook since January. If you ONLY knew how many instructors contacted me and said "Teach me how to do this!"!

So that is what I am planning to do. I'm going to create a very comprehensive turn-key program on how to do a periodized 12-week indoor cycling training program in the winter. If you are interested, let me know. You will get 24 profiles, and everything you need to know to do this on your own at your facility. What to teach, how to answer their questions, what to say, what to give your students (handouts, physiology, etc), how to promote it (especially to your local cycling clubs), how to coach beginners, how to price it, etc.

I have been teaching Spinning® and Indoor Cycling for 15 years. I taught this at two separate facilities this winter, and between them both I made 4-6 times what I normally make per class AND I enjoyed it so much more!

You will too!

I won't have this available until next fall, because a periodization program is not as effective until the fall/winter months (at least up here in the northern hemisphere - for my southern hemisphere readers, it will be a year from now). It will take awhile to put this into a turn-key program with all the supporting documentation that you will need, but I guarantee you, YOU WILL LOVE IT!

AND, you will make more money doing what you love.

Now THAT is a great thing!

To stay in contact with me about this periodized cycling clinic, make sure you are on my mailing list (enter your name and email on the top left of this blog). I will be letting you know soon about my new website that will deliver this and many other great indoor cycling products to help you grow as a coach.

PS - as I sit here writing this post, I got a text from one of my cycling clinic students. She wants to bring her dad to tomorrow's class! There goes another one! ;-)

Paris Roubaix anyone?

Photo Sirotti/Steephill.tv

I thought I'd bring to your attention to the exciting and amazing bicycle race going on in Europe this Sunday, one of the single most difficult and dangerous one day races anywhere. It's called the Paris Roubaix. It's a one-day race, part of what they call the Spring Classics over in Europe. A few years ago, American cycling heart throb George Hincapie crashed in the Paris Roubaix due to a broken steerer tube.

Here is an account of last year's race, soundly won by Swiss heart throb (I know, lots of heart throbs in cycling IMO) Fabian Cancellara (and my own personal favorite). His nickname is Spartacus. Though he's more of a one-day specialist, he always plays an important role as a domestique in the 3-week Tour de France, so get to know him well if you don't already (that is, if you plan to follow the Tour de France with me and create an exciting TDF program in your own Spininng/IC program this year)!

This would be a very fun race to simulate in your indoor cycling/Spinning® classes. Unfortunately I am not going to do this profile in my own classes this week, so I can't give you a specific profile with cueing, but if you want a really cool race to create your own, here are some of the links you'll need to learn more.

First of all, here is the official website with the profile and map. The race goes from Paris to Roubaix in the north of France, near the Belgium border. It's 258km long - that's a bruising 160 miles in one day! It's not over any major hills, but traverses something even more trecherous and challenging - Pavé! Pavé is French for "cobbles", and there are 27 sections of this race that go over cobblestones ranging from a few hundred meters to several miles, sometimes so rough and rugged that they gobble up tires and body parts. Add in a little bit of rain (common in this time of year) and you've got a very slippery recipe for disaster. We all know that the more dangerous a sport is, the more people like to watch it, right? Then Paris Roubaix should satisfy the most sadistic sports fan anywhere, even those who profess to hate cycling!

This is a great description of the cobblestone sections, with incredible closeup photos. It jars your teeth and bones just to look at the pictures - can you imagine doing that for 160 miles? Here, Joe Lindsay of Bicycling magazine tells you what to watch for at this year's Paris Roubaix. In his article, he provides a couple of links on how to watch the event live on your computer.

This is a video of Fabian Cancellara training on the cobblestone section. It gives you a good glimpse of the jarring that is going on.

Thinking about doing a Paris Roubaix ride in your Spinning classes? My only suggestion is don't do anything "literal" on your indoor bike to simulate the cobblestones! The most literal thing you can do is to get them out of the saddle in a big gear (which the riders will have to do for much of the secteurs pavés). You can describe the cobbles and you can tell them they have to focus intently....but don't have them jiggle and shake! ;-) I have to put that in here because we all know instructors who might just decide to take this a little too literally.... There is only so much that you can mimic. Simulate the excitement, the trepidation, the mental games, the incredible focus, the big gear challenge, the endurance challenge....but not the jarring effect.

For music use any fun French music you can find. Here is an older blog post with some French music suggestions that you can use.

Maybe in a few weeks I'll put together a Paris Roubaix profile. Next week is my final week of a 12-week cycling clinic, and once that is over I'll have some more time to be creative. The great thing about this ride is you can do it anytime of the year. Most indoor cycling students will have no idea when it actually takes place!

Allez Allez!

Join me in Scottsdale, Arizona for the FitnessFest

I will be presenting at the FitnessFest in Scottsdale Arizona April 29 - May 1. They have just added another cycling workshop on Friday morning, the 29th. The session is Over/Under Intervals.

Read here about the workshop and how to sign up.

Click here for more information on the FitnessFest and the other presentations.

If you're in Arizona, I would love to meet you. Come ride with me!

The Triple Bypass is available online for free viewing - limited time!

It's here! You can now watch the edited version of my Triple Bypass ride on Cycling Fusion. It will be available for viewing for almost 2 weeks, until April 15th. Click here to go to the Cycling Fusion Winter Training Page, and then in the first paragraph you'll find a link to watch the Triple Bypass. My playlists for this and the Over/Under Interval ride are also available there.

When we had recorded this ride, I (and many of the students) had already been riding for 2.5 hours!

Please share my blog page with other instructors, students, studio and club owners, or cyclists who might like to ride it on their trainers when the weather prevents them from riding outside. We want to tell the world about the Cycling Fusion concept of creating a digital library of classes, to be viewed anytime.

If you are new to my Funhogspins blog, I would love it if you joined my mailing list (up in the top left). I'll be making an announcement soon that instructors will not want to miss!

Anyone in the Vail Colorado area - come ride with me in April! Cycling Spring Training!

Are you in the Vail, Colorado area and want to get ready for cycling season? Sure, the mountain is open for another three weeks, but warmer days are calling you to get out on your bikes. Join me for four excellent reasons to get yourself ready for the best cycling season ever! Now that the snow is (kind of) diminishing, it's time to get those cycling legs ready.

The Vail Athletic Club at the Vail Mountain Lodge and Spa is hosting me for four workshops/Master Rides in April.

Monday April 4th: Lactate Threshold Field Test. Includes 30 minutes lecture on the importance of estimating your lactate threshold and the physiology behind it, followed by a 60-minute "field test" on the indoor bikes to estimate your threshold. You will also learn how to create your training zones. Come prepared, rested and hydrated. You will need a heart rate monitor that records averages (lap function). 5:30 - 7:00 pm.

Monday April 11th: Triple Bypass Simulation. A 90-minute ride, mostly climbing. Get your legs and heart ready not only for the Triple Bypass, but any of the major climbs that surround us here in the Rocky Mountains. Do not miss this ride if you are a climber! We'll focus on technique, pedal stroke and the mind-body element of long, epic climbs. 5:30 - 7:00 pm.

Monday April 18th: The Roller Coaster Ride. A 75-minute fast and furious, twisty-turny up and down mountain bike simulation. Perfect for those of you preparing for a Moab trip or for the local mountain bike race series, or anyone who enjoys the torturous but fun single track rides we have here in the Rockies. 5:30 - 6:45 pm.

Monday April 25th. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). We begin with a 30-minute lecture explaining the various types of HIIT. Then we get on the bikes for a 60-minute incredible training experience right around your lactate threshold (LT), a ride called Over/Under Intervals, made famous by Chris Carmichael. If you are serious (or only even partly serious!) about your training or fitness, you won't want to miss this one. Heart rate monitor strongly suggested. 5:30 - 7:00 pm.

To sign up for any of these rides, call the Vail Athletic Club at 970-476-7960. Limited availability. These rides will sell out - make sure to call soon to secure your spot.

For more information about the sessions or about training for this cycling season, contact Jennifer at jennifer@vivatravels.com.

My weekend with Cycling Fusion - an "ooops" turns into a good thing!

Last weekend was a whirlwind adventure at the Cycling Fusion headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA. On Friday, I had most of the day to practice and tweak my playlists - but before I knew it, we were less than an hour to "roll-em" time! I've presented at twenty conferences, and a little adrenaline/nerves is good to keep you on your top form, but I have to admit, this was a whole different animal. Yikes!

Before I explain what went on (and my major flub-up), let me give you a little background on the Cycling Fusion concept and what I was there in Pittsburgh to do. Gene Nacey, founder of Cycling Fusion, came up with the idea quite a few years ago after starting his own Spinning studio and finding the education and certification programs available to instructors lacking. I first heard of it when I rode in Italy for the Giretto with Gene back in May of 2009. Since then it has evolved and blossomed into an innovative indoor cycling certification program, as well as a solid 12-week online periodized training program called Winter Training. In addition to those programs, Gene is developing a digital library of classes that will be available to clubs and individuals around the world. The library should be ready to be launched by sometimes next fall.

Gene brought me out to not only lead several classes to be filmed for the digital library, but also to lead the Winter Training program on Saturday. This consisted of a 40-minute lecture on High Intensity Interval Training, two 60-minute rides, followed by a yoga session (which of course, I did not lead)!

To keep the energy high, Gene wants a full class when they do the filming, so on the Friday night, they are offered for free to local riders in the Pittsburgh area. I was so happy that a good number of instructors I know through Spinning, my blog and through Pedal-On forum were able to make it on Friday night.

The Saturday Winter Training class is full of students who have paid for the 12-week series. Winter Training is made available live on the internet for subscribers around the world (which, by the way, is an exceptional deal for the amount of education and excellent training that you get). Gene graciously offered a 25% discount to what he called "Friends of Jennifer" to view the Saturday Winter Training session online. There were a few extra bikes available so Gene made Saturday's ride available to a few instructors who had come the evening before.

10-weeks of minimal issues!
This was the 11th week of their Winter Training program, all of it viewable live on the internet. They have had very few technical issues during the past ten weeks. However, this was not to be the case on this particular weekend, but technology wasn't the only thing that messed up...

Friday night
We started around 5:30pm with a 45-minute ride, followed by a 30-minute ride. Both of them filmed, but not live on the internet. I have to admit, having 3 cameras on you adds another level of, well, reasons to be nervous. Phew, my heart rate was high but not due to my effort! I was glad those two rides were done, next was the LIVE FEED - my 60-minute Triple Bypass ride that I had promoted here, on Facebook and the forums.

Then Mr. Murphy and his "Law book" showed up. After ten weeks of no issues, we had our share of them. First, an important cable broke that provides the feed to the internet (and as Gene explained to me later - it was not one that you could run out and pick up at a Radio Shack), along with a few other camera glitches. The Cycling Fusion technicians were quite amazing in their ability to think on their feet, and pulled a McGiver or two so that we could continue with the broadcast. When all was said and done, we started about 45 minutes late. I hope those of you watching can understand that the delays were totally out of anyone's control....it was just one of those things. (And if you're in the world of technology, "those things" always happen at the worst possible time)!

My Triple Bypass Ride
By now my butt was really sore after over 2 hours on the bike. I have to admit, I was nervous again since I knew that over a hundred people had registered to watch it live. Live? Was I doing this LIVE?? :o Talk about Butterflies...

Finally, all is ready. The cameraman gave me the countdown, I put on my iPod and begin to teach the class. It was going to be three long climbs, with a short warm-up. I told them we'd be continuing on our warm-up on the first climb (just like the Triple Bypass ride in Colorado is in real life). But I noticed that the first song went on a little longer than I remember.....I chalked it up to being nervous.

Then the second song came on and as I coached them onto the hill I noticed that the song was NOT the right song - it was too fast. If you watched it live, you saw me look at my iPod, and then not sure if you could read my mind, but I was thinking, "Oh (expletive)! What did I do? I put the wrong playlist on!"

For a split second I wondered if I could "fake it" through, but I realized the playlist was for the Over/Under Interval ride the next day, with much faster songs. Soooooo, I sat up and, embarrassed as heck, told everyone we had to start over. This was LIVE - not a good thing!

I have to admit that when I did start it over, my introduction to the ride had much more energy, and my nerves were gone so I think I flowed much better. I guess I figured I had made the biggest possible error, nothing else could top that. So in the end it was a good thing!

But I'm still pretty self-critical (aren't we all?) - I watched the video and made some notes to smile more often. Also, I tend to look down a lot when I am focusing - not bad when I'm teaching my own class, but on video I need to look up more. I'll be better next time! ;-)

If you signed up to watch the live feed, I appreciate your patience with our technical glitches. The good news is that Gene is going to make the edited version available a little later this week for everyone to see (for a limited time). I will send an email out to all of you on my mailing list with the reminder, as well as post it here and on Facebook. Keep in mind, once the digital library is launched next fall, this will be one of the classes that you could view either with a class or on your own (for a fee). So Gene is graciously offering it for free to introduce you to the Cycling Fusion live class concept.

In the next day or two, I'll write a post about the Winter Training lecture and the two powerful rides we did, and will post the playlists for all of my rides.

In the meantime, here are some photos from this weekend.

Preparing for the very first ride. How would you like that kind of technology at your fingertips everytime you teach?

Matt getting set-up prior to the session. Since many participants had never ridden the Keiser M3s, Cycling Fusion wanted to make sure everyone was set-up properly.

This is what it looks like in the back room, where they are able to watch all four cameras and do some of the editing as it's being filmed. This is high-tech stuff here folks!

Some of the gang from Pedal-On who showed up. Jeff, me, Kala and Laura.
Thank you all so much for riding with me!

Join me for a LIVE class this Friday in person or online: The Triple Bypass!

This Friday will be a momentous and exciting occasion for me, and I hope many of you. I am honored to be leading some rides at the Cycling Fusion headquarters outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are going to film several of my indoor cycling classes for the Cycling Fusion digital library. On Friday at 7:30 pm EST (GMT - 4:00), you can log in to view live on your computer - for free! This generous offer is thanks to Gene Nacey of Cycling Fusion to introduce the world to its new concept of creating a library of digital indoor cycling classes. Clubs (or individuals who want to ride at home) around the world will be able to access this library of a wide variety of classes from top instructors. It should be available sometime in the not-too-distant future.

If you can join me for this ride - either in person or online - I would be so honored. The live-feed will be a 60-minute ride I am calling The Triple Bypass, with three focused climbs, all slightly different. If you view it online, my suggestion is to either treat it like a Master Class or conference session and take notes, or ride along with us on your bike at home (or at your club if you have computer access). Click here to sign up for the live feed.

Are you near Pittsburgh?
Then please come ride with us in person for free - but sign up soon as it will fill up quickly. Nothing makes me happier than meeting in person some of the fantastic people I've met through cyberspace. (Click here and then click on "reserve a bike in Pittsburgh" to sign up.)

We are actually filming 3 classes on Friday evening; only one will be shown live on the internet. But if you come in person you can sign up for one or all of them (two 45-minute and one 60-minute ride).

Winter Training, Saturday March 26: Educational lecture and 2-hour ride
Then on Saturday I will be a guest instructor for Cycling Fusion's innovative Winter Training program, a 12-week progressive periodized training program every Saturday during the winter. First I will give a lecture on HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) followed up by Over/Under Intervals, a ride designed to improve your threshold. After that Gene and I will co-lead a ride to a Global Ride video (hint hint, this is an unreleased soon-to-be-available edition filmed in my favorite place to ride a bike, a region I know very well - the Alpes of France)!

Normally it's $39 for the four-hour session but for you, Gene is making this available at a special discounted rate of 25% off for my readers/subscribers. Click here to sign up for Winter Training and enter the discount code "sageless25".

I am so excited to be a part of this and I can't wait to tell you more about it next week after I've recovered from this crazy weekend.

Want to learn more about Cycling Fusion? It is one of the newest and most progressive indoor cycling certification programs, one you will certainly be hearing much more about in the months and years to come. Click here for more information on their certification and training. Also, next winter you will surely want to be plugged in and take part in the entire 12-week Winter Training program.

Remember, mark your calendars:

• Friday, March 25th, 7:30 pm EST (GMT -4) Live online feed of Triple Bypass ride.
• Saturday, March 26th, 11:00am - 3pm EST Live Winter Training: lecture, 2-hour ride, yoga.

EDIT: By the way - if you sign up for the free live feed, it is only available that night. But if you sign up for the Winter Training discounted program (lecture + 2 hr ride + yoga) then you will have access to it for a week.

I Love Sinning®

....er, I mean Spinning®!


Actually, I have a long history of misspelling the word. Not because of not knowing how to spell it, but due to the mechanics of typing it. On the US keyboard, the "P" is in the top right, requiring the pinky finger to adroitly extend upwards to hit it. On the left hand it's the 'Q'. Therefore, a word that contains both a 'P' and a 'Q' is likely to be illegible if I am typing fast. Pinky finger typing has always been awkward for me ever since I learned to type way back in 1st grade in the late 1960's (yes, we learned to type on really old clunky typewriters in my 1st grade class at Our Lady of Grace Catholic School in San Diego. I remember Sister Margaret Mary calling out the letters in her thick Irish accent. That is where I learned "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country")!

It's not as bad on my new MacBook keyboard, but on my previous computer, the keys got quite sticky as it aged, and the "p" was one of the worst. The double whammy resulted in chronically mistyping the word Spinning. I usually caught my typos, as I tend to edit (and over edit) almost everything I write. But last year I sent out an unedited Tweet describing my Spinning class, minus the 'p'. The result was embarrassing, but pretty funny and got me thinking about all the innuendos that could result from that weak pinky finger. I don't know exactly what I tweeted, but it was something along the lines of the following:

Phew! Euphoric after a thrilling and sweaty Sinning class!

See what I mean? One can get oneself in trouble....

Last night I wore my I Love Spinning shirt out for drinks with friends (still one of my fave t-shirts). It got me telling stories about some of my typos I've corrected prior to publishing, whether on this blog, on one of the indoor cycling forums, on my ICI blog or on emails to instructors. There may have been some that escaped unedited without my knowledge. Here are a few that I remember almost writing:

• That was a real hard Sinning class.
• Planning a tough Sinning class tomorrow - should burn a lot of calories.
• Sinning is a fantastic workout.
• Nothing is more fulfilling than being a Sin instructor.
• Endurance Sinning tomorrow...
• Who would like to join me for my Sinning class tomorrow? I promise a great time!
• Sinning is for everyone. All levels can enjoy it.
• Sin at your own pace.
• You always feel great after Sinning!

Lordy, I can imagine Sister Margaret Mary rolling over in her grave, thinking "Oh how sad, I thought little Jennie Ralph was a sweet little angel."

And then there are the ones that I've never written but thought would be entertaining if I had reason to write them. Do you have any more to add to this list?

• Ugh, the Sinning room was a mess today.
• I hate it when the other instructors leave the Sin room in such disarray.
• Sinning is more fun with a large group.
• Sin hard, sin often.
• Periodized Sinning...
• Sinning can be so fatiguing.
• Sinning, one of the joys of life!

Or how about this one: FunhogSins!

By the way, I recommend pinky pushups to help avoid the missing "p" in your Sinning classes.

While we're on the subject, does anyone know if the devil has trademarked the word "Sinning®"? If not, maybe I should grab it while I still can! ;-)

HEY by the way, if you haven't signed up for my mailing list, please do. I have some very exciting news to announce in the next few weeks. You won't want to miss it! Just enter your name and email in the top left corner.

More Saint Patrick's Day Songs and another profile

Brian's playlist I posted this morning is hard to beat. But if you want more song ideas, I thought I'd post some of the other Irish/celtic songs I have in my library that I've used for past St Paddy's theme rides (heck - they're not just for Saint Patrick's Day anymore)! Feel free to add some more suggestions in the comments below.

• The Acoustic Motorbike - Luka Bloom, 4:10
• Glad Tidings, 3:42, Van Morrison, Moondance
• One Tree Hill, 4:43, U2
• The Emperor's New Clothes, 5:16, Sinéad O'Connor, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
• The Paddy Set, 2:23, Seven Nations, The Factory
• Cry Of The Celts, 2:23, Ronan Hardiman, Michael Flatley's Lord Of The Dance
• Morning Prayer, 6:04, RiverTribe
• Dueling Violins, 3:46, Riverdance
• Music For A Found Harmonium, 2:59, Napoleon Dynamite, Napoleon Dynamite
  
• Lemonade and Buns, 5:50, Kila, The Best of Kila
  
• Mermuradora, 5:09, Hevia, The Other Side
• Rare Ould Times, 4:06, Flogging Molly, Drunken Lullabies
• Another Bag Of Bricks, 3:45, Flogging Molly, Drunken Lullabies
• Death Valley Queen 4:18 Flogging Molly, Drunken Lullabies
• Swagger, 2:05, Flogging Molly, Drunken Lullabies
• What's Left Of The Flag, 3:39, Flogging Molly, Drunken Lullabies
• One Last Drink, 3:31, Enter The Haggis, Soapbox Heroes
• Sunshine Highway, 3:22, Dropkick Murphys, The Warrior's Code
• It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll), 4:44, Dropkick Murphys, Singles Collection Volume 2 - 1998-2004
• The Kids Are Alright - Dropkick Murphys, 2:31, Dropkick Murphys, Dropkick Murphys / The Business Split Release: Mob Mentality
• Zombie, 5:09, The Cranberries, Emerald Rock
• Black & Tans, 3:51, Black Irish Band, Day the Earth Shook
• Sophia's Pipes (Walkin' the Floor/Murdo MacKenzie of Torrido, 3:18, Ashley MacIsaac Hi How Are You Today?
• Sleepy Maggie (Sleepy Maggie/Mulen Dugh), 5:28, Ashley MacIsaac, Hi How Are You Today?
• Lovers Of Light, 3:58, Afro Celt Sound System, Volume 2 : Release
• Whirl-Y-Reel 2, 5:28, Afro Celt Sound System, Sound Magic, Vol. 1

And of course, you have U2 and Enya as well.

In 2009 I posted my Hills and Dales of Ireland profile on this blog. You can find that post here.

Ride through the valleys and hills of Gaelic lands

Top 'O the Mornin' to Ya! One of my favorite holidays and theme rides (after Halloween) is Saint Patrick's Day rides. The Irish just know how to have fun, and their joy of life is so evident in their music. But who am I to create the best Saint Patrick's Day ride for you (although I am a quarter Scottish - does that count)? I have something even better.

Meet Brian Greene, a passionate Spinning instructor from Ireland. Brian was happy to share this great ride and playlist with you on my blog. Brian asked me if I could call it a St Patrick's Day ride as 'Patty' has another meaning over there... (a lump of animal dung! lol :) (Actually around here I believe they say St. Paddy's Day, and the local Irish Pub, Paddy's will be hopping on Thursday night for sure!)

Thank you Brian - Slainte!

This is a journey though the Valleys and Hills of Gaelic lands - The Celts are Rising... Happy St Patrick's Day!

1. Promentory - The Last of the Mohecians 104bpm [Seated Flat] (6:13) first 3:30 mins to continue welcome and set some atmosphere, when fiddle starts (last 2:43 mins) when the ride begins (Sampled from 'The Gael' by Dougie MacLean)


iTunes

2. Music for a Found Harmonium - Patrick Street (Album: Irish Times), 112bpm [Seated Flat / Standing Flat] (2:47). Prepare for the climbs ahead cadence <110
(It would not let me upload the video - make sure to do a search on Youtube - it's a great song).

3. Colossus - Afro Celt Sound System (Album: Capture (1995-2010) CD2: Chorus) [Climb into Running with Resistance into Standing Climb] (6:44)Time for a break half way though... at about 2:30 (2 more climbs ahead both challenging), then back into second climb for last section.

iTunes

4. Coconut Dog / Morning Dew - Solas 112bpm [Flat / Standing Flat] (4:07). To allow some active recovery and to spin the legs after the climb, cadence <110 href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/reunion-a-decade-of-solas-live/id165322364">iTunes

5. Warriors - Ronan Hardiman (Album: Lord of the Dance) [Variable BMP surges Climb]. Careful with this one, it surges particularly at the end - Be a warrior, strong, brave, smart... still a small climb to go next.



iTunes (this and the next song)

6. Victory - Ronan Hardiman (Album: Lord of the Dance) [Variable BMP Climb]. (Continued from last song) We won, some recovery but we have to make it to the top of the hill - work in Seated/Standing climb from about 1 min in [Jumps on a Hill if you really want to push] - we have time after to regroup for the night - Up The Celts :)



7. Busindre Reel - Hevia (Album: Tierra de Nadie / No Man's Land) 108 bpm. We light our fire at the top of the hill and regroup for the night, settle and celebrate. Keep hydrated: Slainte! (Cheers in Irish!)



iTunes

8. Mojave Afro Celt Sound System (Album: Capture (1995-2010) CD2: Chorus) 67 bpm [Climb (option into Running with Resistance) into Standing Climb]. It is worth editing this track to remove the first 3:20 seconds (you can use it at the end during the stretch)... This is our final hill, listen and decided if/how you want to break it up... lots of options... judge the class to see how hard they have been working and coach appropriate intensity and movements... do they want stay with the group of their warrior bothers and sisters, or push ahead and lead the pack... I love this song so much :)



iTunes

9. North - Paul Mounsey (Album: NahooToo)

A melodic end to challenging journey... melt into the rhythm and flow... (non guitar version is more relaxing)



iTunes

10. Use the beginning of Mojave to finish up...

Why I live here - the 2nd most active in the United States!

Colorado has been found to be the most active State in the US of A, and my county, Eagle County, CO, is the 2nd most active county in the country! (Ha! Take that Aspen! Even more than you!)

I knew there was a huge reason why I live here! :)

It also makes me realize even more that when I am referring to my Spinning® classes and students, we have a particular market demographic, and that what I experience here is not necessarily "reality" everywhere else. No, not everyone in my class is an athlete, or even a skier or cyclist, and some are even a little overweight. But on average I bet our students in classes here are more fit than in many parts of the country or world. And they plan their week around being outdoors, and won't come to class if it's a powder day (translation for you non-skiers: LOTS of fresh new powder snow!) And the women don't generally put on makeup to come to class (unless they already have it and come straight from work. My 6a.m. crowd - no way). In the 15 years I've taught indoor cycling here, I can probably count the women with freshly applied makeup on my two hands - and most were probably from out of town visiting this destination resort. That's Colorado.

In the Spinning® orientation, one of the Four P's of class design is know your Population! Each one has its specific needs.

Because I recognize the difference in where I teach, I try to take that into consideration when discussing indoor cycling students. Instead of assuming everyone experiences what we have here, or that all your students are like my students, I try to draw on my 14 years of traveling around to over 100 clubs in North America (and a few international destinations), certifying and educating thousands of instructors and presenting at 20 conferences over my career as a Master Instructor/coach. I've also got a few "go-to" instructors and Master instructors who teach in vastly different markets whose brain I can pick if I need to explore how to, say for example, work with an inner city crowd, a room of 70 bikes filled with Type A personalities or suburban housewives.

I am always grateful to learn more from you guys and the unique experiences and situations you encounter with your demographic.

What if a student took over YOUR class?

No comment needed! Enjoy...

Eating before early morning hard classes

I teach twice a week at 6 am, and it's a 30+ minute drive to get there, so I get up at 4:50 am on those mornings. I don't do well on early breakfasts - it's just not comfortable putting food in my system that early. I would rather not eat (and sometimes I still don't) but I do understand the importance of eating something before exercising after a long fast, so I usually nibble on a piece of toast or bread, and maybe a banana or a little yogurt. In a rush I'll eat half an energy bar, but most have too much sugar for me (even the low sugar ones).

I've often stressed to my class the importance of eating something beforehand, but I know some of them live very close to the club (it's a neighborhood community club) and they were probably in bed only 15 minutes before!

If I am planning a hard class, at threshold or above, I think it's even more important to eat something. Last week I did a threshold field test, with a 20-minute hard sustained effort (plus an initial 5-min hard effort in the warm-up). In their preparation materials prior to the field test was the suggestion that they should be well hydrated and fueled prior to class, even if they had to set an alarm to get up earlier just to nibble on an energy bar. (Note: this is a 12-week periodized cycling clinic, so I have the same students every class and I send them a coaching email weekly with training tips and that week's goals).

One of my students emailed me afterward that she felt nauseous and light-headed after the field test. There could be several reasons for this, including factors such as illness or fatigue. It could also be because we've only done minimal higher intensity work, and certainly it was the first time we spent that much time at that intensity since the first field test 7 weeks ago. I don't believe in throwing a threshold field test at them after 6 weeks of base building in zones 2 and 3, so last week we did some sub threshold intervals, up to about 2-3 beats below LT.

She is a fit woman who does a lot of skiing and snowshoeing (which are higher intensity sports here in the mountains), so more likely it was either not eating, or what she ate. She said she ate toast with peanut butter about a half an hour before the class. Peanut butter has protein, which is a good thing, but for me, anytime I've tried it that early in the morning, I didn't feel well during my ride either. She said she would try something else for our next field test.

I'm curious. For those of you who teach or train early in the morning, what do you eat, and how early before your workout do you have to eat? Have there been things you've tried that have proven not to work for you? Does anyone have a problem with peanut butter early morning, but not at other times? I'm sure there are those of you who do not eat that early before class. It's probably OK for a more aerobic-intensity ride (as long as you eat soon afterward), but do you feel a difference during higher intensity rides if you've not eaten anything prior?

Thanks for your comments. I might try to get an exercise nutritionist to look at these questions and give some advice that we can all benefit from!

Can Indoor Cycling help save the Middle East?

I bet that title caught your eye!

I have some fun stats to share with you, and one one of them has me perplexed, fascinated and curious all at the same time. One of the very fun things about blogging platforms is that they provide some very interesting stats.

First, in just 5 days since coming back to writing this blog (since March 2) I've had almost 1,000 unique page views. Pretty cool, since I've really only mentioned it on Facebook and Pedal-On and to some friends. Gotta love the power of the internet!

In my stats, I get a listing of the total number of visits from the Top 10 countries in the world. The top four countries that have visited are very understandable: the United States, Canada, The UK and Australia.

The 5th highest number of visits is from China! Also very interesting, but still not the really curious one....

Then we've got Switzerland and Ireland. Greutzi and cheers to you!

But #8 has me bowled over. The 8th largest number of page views has come from Iran! Iran? Wow! If you are from Iran, I want to hear from you - I would love to highlight where you are teaching (or taking) classes, and the unique things that you encounter. Of course, we can do it anonymously and I won't share anything you don't want shared, but I bet readers would love to know more about an indoor cycling instructor (or enthusiast) from Iran. Heck, maybe through fitness and the joy of indoor cycling we can assist the Middle East in its woes! Maybe if more of the oppressive regimes are overthrown, societies will be free to bring in more ways to stay fit and healthy, such as Indoor Cycling. ;-)

Following Iran in the top 10 are The Netherlands and Germany. Bedankt and Danke!

Back when I was actively writing on this blog two years ago, it reached instructors in over 90 countries - I'd love to see it get back there! Please send this link to your indoor cycling and Spinning® friends around the world.

Email me at jennifer@vivatravels.com if you are an instructor or enthusiast from a unique country dealing with some unique situations (such as social or cultural) where you teach or take classes. I'd love to hear from instructors in China as well. I don't think I'm only speaking for myself, but I imagine for us Westerners, we are entrenched in our way of doing things and it's fun to see how other cultures approach fitness, and especially, indoor cycling. I've always had a passion for all things foreign, travel and languages (went to International Business School in the early 1990's and lived in France) so this is yet another very cool way to reach out to other nations - through Indoor Cycling!

I have to say, Korea has me a little worried though. They have an indoor cycling championship which includes acrobatics and dancing on the bike (do a search on Youtube and you'll see what I mean). Any one reading from Korea? Can you assure me that it isn't like that in the regular classes, even in a very modified form, and that there are some facilities that practice safe and effective indoor cycling based on sound training principles?

Don't you just love the global reach of Indoor Cycling? Uniting all cultures through our passion for fitness and riding a bike that goes nowhere! :-)

EDIT: Curious note. Those stats listed above are just for this week. When I look at the Stats for the month - which since I've only been back now 5 days, include mostly hits from Google searches for indoor cycling and Spinning ® information, the Top 10 list is: The US, Canada, The UK, Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Russia, Ukraine, China and Australia. And from the entire life of this blog, Russia, The Ukraine, Denmark and India are in the top 10! Someone had told me recently that Spinning® is taking off big time in India, so it's no wonder.

Heart rate, recovery and aging

One of the most beneficial aspects of using a heart rate monitor regularly is to be able to track your body's response to exercise over time. Your heart rate is a glaring in-your-face notification of what is going on in your body - but its value is of little use if you don't pay close attention to it. Some people just see a number, and don't put two and two together if that number doesn't make sense in the big picture of what they normally see for a given perceived exertion.

I have a personal training client, Alex, who recently purchased a Spinner® bike for home. I also ride outside with her in the summer, coaching her on technique. She has a bicycle tour planned to Europe this summer, so I will be working with her on increasing her endurance and hill climbing ability. Her challenge is higher cadences, and outside her preferred cadence on the flats is mid 70's rpm. I know she will have less muscular fatigue if she could raise her preferred cadence by 5-10rpm, so this is what I've been working on with her indoors. You should know that Alex is 72 years young and is very active.

Just recently I have been having her focus on pedal stroke technique drills as well as cadence drills from 70 to 90rpm. This post is not about those drills or their effectiveness - although I can write another post about that because I have been successful at raising both her and her husband's comfort level with higher cadences by teaching them to pedal more effectively. Rather, I want to tell you about her experience this past week with her heart rate response to exercise.

I had planned to take her through the cadence drills. After she warmed up, I noticed she seemed to be working very hard and was breathing very heavy. Her cadence was about 70rpm. I looked at her monitor expecting it to be pushing 140 judging by her breathing (Alex's threshold is 142). But her heart rate was only 113!

I asked her what her perceived exertion was. She said 6 (just below "hard"). Hmmmm, that's up there. So I suggested she try a lower resistance and higher cadence. There was no change in her perceived exertion, breathing rate or her heart rate. Nothing she did raised her heart rate (even standing up, which normally spikes it) or lowered her perceived exertion relative to that HR of 113. She was flat out tired.

After only ten minutes I said "Stop! This is not the day for you to ride!" She had been cross-country skiing several days in a row, plus pilates twice a week, plus traveling the week before with not one day of rest. (That is kind of a typical week for her, often with a snowshoe thrown in). Also, she hadn't been sleeping well and felt a deep fatigue even going up stairs. This was a Tuesday and she had a cross-country ski lesson on Thursday that she was looking forward to.

So I put the nix on the cycling and told her to completely take Wednesday off - NO EXERCISE! And if she still was that fatigued I suggested she pass on the skiing on Thursday as well. (Knowing her, she wouldn't do that - she's pretty committed to her skiing and to constantly moving).

This can happen to anyone who is very active. The heart rate response to doing too much physical exercise or to excessive stress without sufficient recovery can be either a suppressed heart rate (as in Alex's case) or one that is much higher than it usually is for a given perceived exertion. Everyone needs rest and recovery. If you balance hard days with easy days you are much more likely to avoid a response like Alex's.

But I want to make another point here about age. After age 40, the human body simply cannot do what it used to do. It's a slow steady decline. I don't mean that in any kind of pessimistic attitude like "it's all downhill after 40"! But most people do not want to admit that they can't do what they did before. Heck, I like to pretend I'm still in my 30's! ;-) But I noticed a tremendous difference as I moved into and through my 40's in my ability to put in multiple days of exercise. This need for rest and recovery is even more pronounced every decade.

It's just reality, and we can't ignore it!

Chances are, you have a few people in your classes that are over 40, right? Over 50? How about into the 60's and 70's? Make sure to stress the importance of recovery to them even more than your younger population. You don't have to directly address them (unless you feel very comfortable with them); as you are well aware, some people are quite sensitive to the fact that they are aging. Alex can get very depressed when she focuses on her inability to do as much as she used to do. That's when I try to focus her on the fact that she is so much more fit and able than 99% of the population her age. When she is rested, she realizes she is able to enjoy her cycling and skiing and snowshoeing and golfing much more than when she is not rested.

I know my situation is unique with Alex, being able to train her one on one in cycling and Spinning and being able to see her HR response and to ask her immediate questions about what she's been doing. Of course, this is unlikely in a class situation, especially if it is a large class. But some of the things I learn from working with Alex and her husband Bob (who is 79 going on 25) have been instrumental in helping me coaching at one club where the age range is 50's to almost 80. After this happened with Alex, I gave a lecture to that class on the increased need for recovery for older populations. They too are more fit than the average person their age, but many are also exercise-aholics. After I explained it to them, one woman in class announced out loud, "So THAT'S why I'm always so tired!" She also thanked me after class for the information.

So, the key points here:

• Pay close attention to your heart rate response to exercise
• Remind your students that everyone needs recovery
• Balance hard days with easy days
• Recognize the increased need for rest and recovery after age 40, and especially 50 and above

Do any of you work with older populations?

Down but not Out!

To my dear indoor cycling and Spinning® instructor friends and colleagues,

It's been a challenging couple of weeks, but I'll be back! ;-)

As most of you know, I am no longer posting for ICI/PRO. First I want to say I am humbled and blessed for the incredible amount of love and support I have received from so many instructors around the world - on Facebook, via emails, phone calls, text messages, comments on ICI and posts on Pedal-On. Please know that I am so grateful for all of you.

As many of you know, I left Spinning® 18 months ago to help create ICI/PRO. I am not at liberty to discuss the details, but for those of you who followed me there and learned anything from my 18 months of educational content that I provided, I am very hopeful that you will follow me back. I have to get my "riding legs" (so to speak) back underneath me. I have so much more to give to instructors - so bear with me as I regroup. Educating and inspiring Spinning® and indoor cycling instructors has been my passion for 14 years! It is my chosen career, and I will continue doing what I love, and what I know I've been able to do effectively for the past 14 years.

I won't be posting anything at ICI anymore. No more training articles, no more physiology or science, no more cueing, no more motivation, no more audio profiles or other profiles, no more videos, no more music, no more interval profile evaluations (I was planning on doing that again this spring - it was so successful last year), no more fun stuff. I have over 300 total posts/podcasts at ICI, and a full 80% of the members-only content was provided by me; the other 20% was divided up between 11 people. Hmmm, with those stats one might say I was a crucial part of membership...

Please sign up for my mailing list here so I can keep in touch with you when I figure out where to lay my hat (this blog will be temporary). I promise you, I will continue to be there for instructors around the world. I promise that I won't disappear. I promise that you will be extremely excited with some of my new ideas: for profiles, for content, for inspiration, for teaching you to be the best indoor cycling instructor you can be! I have a whole host of eBooks on various aspects of instructing, eBooks that have been stifled in their growth that I will be unveiling over the next few months. eBooks are an excellent and inexpensive way to learn a lot at one sitting.

And if you were an ICI/PRO member, you know that I was preparing a series on Power to help you understand the concept of power even if you do not have, or may never have, bikes with power. When you understand these basic concepts, cueing effective resistance and cadence will be so much easier. I will soon find a way to make that information available to you.

And please, if you have a question about teaching Indoor Cycling, please feel free to leave me a comment here - I'll do my best to answer it in a post.

Please follow me on Facebook (it's always helpful if you leave a short message when you "friend me" so I know where you are coming from): www.facebook.com/jennifer.sage.

You can contact me by email at jennifer@vivatravels.com.

And please leave me a comment below.

Love and peace,

Jennifer Sage