FunhogSpins

If you're a Funhogspins fan, come on over to Indoorcycleinstructor.com - I'm over there!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:39:00 +0000

As you've probably noticed, I've been AWOL from this blog for awhile. I'm learning I tend to stretch myself too far - it's time to focus!

If you are on my mailing list here (several thousand of you are), then you've also gotten the occasional update about ICI (indoorcycleinstructor.com). Some of you are on both mailing lists, which means you're getting some duplicates. I don't want multiple emails to get annoying, so I have a suggestion...

Since I won't be updating this Funhogspins blog (FHS) much anymore with my efforts focused on ICI, if you are on both lists, I will NOT be offended if you unsubscribe from this mailing list. Or if you're only on this list, go and subscribe over there; that way you will still get information about my articles and podcasts. In fact, you will get more than you did here because we have many other knowledgeable and experienced indoor cycling coaches who are contributing. Here is the link to ICI to sign up for the free newsletter - (scroll down halfway on the right to "Subscribe to our newsletter").

I continue to get new subscribers here at FHS (I welcome and thank you!), but come on over to ICI!

Here on FHS blog, I was able to touch literally thousands of instructors by providing free tips and advice. There are over 8,000 unique hits and close to 80,000 total hits - that really makes me feel good that I have filled an important need. ICI is the next logical step. I know that we have created the most unique indoor cycle instructor resource on the internet with our program at www.indoorcycleinstructor.com. No matter your certification, it will enhance your training and your education.

I am very pleased with the success of ICI. It is allowing me the ability to create actionable content for my readers and listeners. Translation: information you can use immediately in your classes, content that you can get nowhere else, content that helps every member grow as an instructor. And while we do have a paid membership with enhanced content, we also have a lot of excellent free information for instructors. While I truly believe that you will benefit immensely from joining ICI/PRO, I also know it's not in the cards for some of you, at least not at the moment. Just make sure to go over there for the free information!

As an example, here is some of the recent free content over at ICI:

Podcast interview with Janet Toussaint, former MI for Spinning, on how to sell the endurance concept to your students. Janet is a true professional, and a phenomenal motivator.
Do you talk too much when you teach? How to "shhhh" yourself!
Recognizing overtraining, a medical perspective.
Tons of rhythmic, fun jumping song suggestions
A teleseminar on jumps, how to teach them, music, timing, contraindications, etc. This was quite fun and very informative. The teleseminars will eventually be only for subscribers but it was our first try at this technology and we wanted to share it with everyone.
Why the 92% ceiling in Spinning? Why I think it's an invalid and artificial ceiling.
IDEA weighs in on the Biggest Loser. If you've followed me for awhile, you know I'm passionate on this subject! ;-)
Do you ride at the same intensity as your class? The truth comes out, and I absolve you all of your sins if you've ever done this! (But, it comes with a caveat!)

For subscribers, it gets even better:

Just released, a new audio PROfile from Janet Toussaint on teaching endurance class - her coaching is beyond compare! The cues she provides you will be even better than taking a continuing ed course.
Audio PROfiles are the cornerstone of the membership (NO ONE is offering this great service). I've already done five audio PROfiles since we launched a month ago: Over/Under Intervals (offered for free as well); Aerobic Loops; 2 Hills, 2 Moods; Step it Up (Intervals); Dueling Intervals. Audio profiles include the voice and cueing of the instructor - what to say and how to say it, giving you far, far more than just a written profile. (In addition to mine, we'll bring you top instructors to describe their favorite profiles).
articles on using power, zone based heart rate training, mental toughness and much more
members get the Mixmeister Academy for free - how to quickly become an expert on Mixmeister. (A $20 value).
coming this week: a handout to give your students on why recovery after HIT is so important, and a list of short motivational cues (1-5 words) to use when you don't want to talk too much, but want to check in with your students as they focus on their ride.
More handouts on endurance, proper form, RPE, bike fit and more also on the roster for the coming months.
coming very soon: videos! Great videos on just about anything we can think of in IC!
coming soon: breaking news that I'm not at liberty to tell you yet - we're just hammering out the details first, and will announce it next month.

Can you answer your students' questions about heart rate training?

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:12:00 +0000

This morning I taught a tough interval class in which we did numerous intervals above threshold. There were a lot of smiling faces afterward, their legs drained, faces red. As usual my students are eager to learn the training information I give them with each class and they listened carefully as I explained the benefits of this particular workout, as well as the importance of recovery after this kind of intensity. I explained that this intensity is great for burning total calories (though not fat calories), but if they trained here too often with insufficient recovery afterwards, their ability to raise their heart rates to the desired level in successive classes would be compromised, as would their performance.

I told them, “unless you are an elite athlete who has finely tuned her training to peak for a specific high intensity event, you probably wouldn’t be riding at this intensity on successive days.”

Afterwards, one of my newer students (who hasn’t yet been through a field test with me to determine training zones based on threshold) came up and asked me a question about her heart rate. Annie is in her 50’s (and no, she’s not an elite athlete). The following was our dialogue and it represents one of the classic misunderstandings that exist when it comes to heart rate training (and especially max heart rate).

Annie: Yesterday I took an Endurance class, and my heart rate got up to 95% and I couldn’t get it to back down. It stayed there all class. Are you saying I shouldn’t do her class and your class back to back?

Me: Woah - I'll answer that question in a minute. But first, you were at 95%? The whole class?

Annie: That’s what my watch said. But I really like to ride around 85%. That’s where I feel the best and I can last a long time there.

Me: 85%? Does it feel “hard”?

Annie: Not really.

Me: Do you know what that number is based on?

Annie: No.

Me: 85% of what?

Annie: I don’t know – it’s what my heart rate monitor told me.

Me: Hmmm, let’s have a little chat….

My question to you is how would you reply to a student telling you this? How would you try to resolve this very common misunderstanding? Would you leave it alone because you’re afraid of opening a can of worms?

Your answer to my question is very, very important. There is so much misinformation out there, and you as an indoor cycling instructor should be able to dispel some of the myths and misinformation. I hope you aren’t adding to them! (Be honest with yourself…..are you?)

Although there are several issues going on in this conversation, and quite a few things that Annie needs to learn, in general, how would you have answered her comment?

1). “95% - that’s way too high. You should back it off next time.”
2). “I think those percentages are wrong, but I’m not sure why. Let me get back to you on that one.”
3). “You must have entered your age into your HRM. It uses the equation 220-age, and then gives you a supposed maximum. Looks to me like your actual max is higher than what the monitor is telling you. Let’s recalculate your training zones.”
4). “Only 95%? Well, that means you didn’t push hard enough Annie! I know you can do better than that!”

If you answered #1, well, you’re trying, but there’s far more to it – you’re missing the concept that these numbers cannot possibly be Annie’s real heart rate training zones.

If you answered #2, big brownie points for you, provided that you follow up with the correct information. Or, you’re just stalling in the hope that she forgets about it.

If you answered #3, this is the best answer, but you’re only part way there! Do you know what to say next? Do you know how to recalculate her zones, and to explain it in a way that she’ll understand?

Stick with me and I'll teach you exactly what to say to these types of questions, how to say it, and make sure that you really understand it yourself. Heart rate training can be a complicated subject, and I know ways to teach it to you to make it more simple, so you can feel comfortable teaching your own students. If you have specific questions on HR training (or other topics) I'll answer them directly, either on the blog or on one of our monthly teleseminars, where you can ask me live in person (or email your question to me in advance).

But you'll have to join me on my other blog at ICI/PRO, which will only be available to platinum members. My goal at ICI/PRO is to give you the ammunition so you can answer your students' questions correctly, and in the process, help them realize their goals and achieve greater performance. And that training information I give to my own students in my classes? I’ll be giving that to you as well with every audio PROfile, so you can teach it to your own students, raising you up in their eyes. They won’t want to go to anyone else’s class but yours!

Click here to join ICI/Pro or send me an email for more information. jennifer@indoorcycleinstructor.com

[Oh, and by the way, if you answered #4 above, have you considered retail?]

ON FIRE

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:34:00 +0000

There is no greater weapon on earth

than the human soul on fire.

General Ferdinand Foch

I am feeling a bit on fire these days! So many of my ideas and goals have been suppressed the past couple of years, and I am feeling like I can now release them all. It is my intention to ignite you, my readers (and listeners on the podcast) to reach for the stars. There is soooo much great stuff to teach you. So many profiles, inspirational cues and practical information to give to you. Physiology, mind-body techniques, coaching tips, music ideas, and more, far more. I'm bursting with ideas...

Alas, but I cannot give it away gratuitously anymore. I've been pouring out my heart on the forums for a decade, and through emails, and then for the past year and a half, this blog. For many, many years people have asked me, "how do you do it Jennifer? How do you give the time that you do? Why do you do it? You know you can charge for this great information!"

I finally got courageous enough to do so by helping create ICI PRO. But what that means is a real commitment from me of continuous helpful content, and between John and I, bringing in a host of other experts to round out the experience so that you can grow in every aspect of being an indoor cycling instructor. We don't know it all, so we'll find others that know about things we do not. Information that I know you will devour, tips that I know will take you to the next level.

Of course, you can pay a lot of money to go to a conference (and don't get me wrong, I still recommend that you get to WSSC or another local conference occasionally), but now you can acquire your education, motivation and inspiration for a very low cost, right here online.

The goal that we now have with the ICI PRO site is to give you as much as possible, so that you can learn, grow, be inspired, and take your teaching to the next level, so much so that you feel confident enough to create your own profiles, lead Master Rides, heck, maybe even write some articles for us or another source, or apply to be a Master Instructor!

Or maybe your goals aren't quite as lofty; maybe you just want more students, more classes, more money, maybe to run the program at your club, or you just want to be able to answer your students' training questions with confidence. Perhaps you have other goals outside of indoor cycling and want to transfer the information I've given you up to now to those goals. As I've done with my many of my conference sessions for the past decade, and will continue to do for my subscribers, I often look for ways to extrapolate the experiences and knowledge we gain on our bicycle indoors to other aspects of our lives, whether it be in outdoor cycling or other endurance sports, or in our personal or working lives.

By helping you to reach your goals to become an even better, more inspiring instructor, our industry will improve and our students will become more fit. It's the old adage - as the water level rises, all the ships in the harbor rise. It is my passion that each and every one of you feel the level of confidence that I've been able to create after my 13 years in this business. There is no reason on earth why you can't light your soul on fire. And if I can help you do so, I will feel an even greater sense of accomplishment.

Come with me on this great adventure. Sign up at the ICI PRO site beginning tomorrow morning. There will be special discounts and incentives for "early adopters" (as they are called) so don't wait too long!

Want an example of someone whose soul is on fire? It's not indoor cycling, but you cannot watch this without feeling a sense of awe about this guy who is doing what he loves, and doing it with great passion...And he is quite successful I might add, having been in several movies and training others to do what he does.

Oh, and I KNOW you're going to want this great song on the video. It's called Enemy Crush by Skrip Breaks on the CD "International Battle of the Year 2007". It's a wicked, powerful climactic climb! The best news? It's available on eMusic! So if you haven't gotten your 25 free downloads, click on the eMusic icon on the top left of this blog to get this one for free.

My BIG news

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:01:00 +0000

OK, here it is....

On Monday, August 31, 2009, after 12 years as a Master Instructor for the Spinning Program, I resigned my MI position with Mad Dogg Athletics.

Phew, that was even difficult to write! I can tell you that this past week has been one of the most pivotal and emotional weeks I've experienced in a dozen years (not even counting the stress and emotion of selling a house and moving. Man, put all that emotion in one week and it's been hard not to be overwhelmed).

How do you leave something that has been such an integral part of who you are? How do you leave a program that has been a part of how you define yourself? That has presented opportunities that you never thought possible?

Before I tell you the why and how, let's fade back in time to about 13 years ago...

It was early 1997. I was a personal trainer at the Vail Cascade Club (now the Aria Spa & Club) in Vail, Colorado. I had been teaching Step, Body Sculpting, Ski Conditioning, and this new thing called Spinning. We had recently brought in a Master Instructor from New York for the Spinning certification. I remember thinking "God! What a great job she has! Flying around the country certifying instructors, and she gets to come to Vail, Colorado!" (I can't remember who she was...she wasn't with Mad Dogg for very long apparently).

The day I got certified was a transition point in my life. As a cyclist, it bowled me over like a freight train - I was empowered by the potential, by the magnitude, by the possibilities of Spinning! "WOW! This is IT!" I thought. I discontinued teaching Step because I didn't have to choreograph anymore - I had always been such a perfectionist and spent hours and hours on my choreography. Spinning allowed me to connect with my students far more than dance type classes, and it was based on something I was already so passionate about already - cycling. It also allowed me to use my own music and not canned aerobics music; I immediately found that I had a skill for designing very effective profiles that simulated real outdoor riding combined with music that helped elevate the mood and energy of the class. I was also a ski instructor in Vail, and was able to apply the coaching skills I learned in skiing. As a coach, I love the one-to-one contact with my student.

About 6 months later, I received the Spinning newsletter with a call for presenters. I filled out the application with trepidation, since I had only been teaching Spinning for a short time. But, I had experience teaching and coaching many genres of exercise and sports, I was certified in group fitness and was a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, I had a degree in Exercise Science and loved the physiology aspect of training, I was a cyclist and had experience coaching many clients to ride up big hills in my bicycle tours. I was also experienced at public speaking. But I still had no idea I had a chance; I remember joking with my peers that what on earth would I do if they called me?

A few weeks later I received a call from Joelle at Mad Dogg Athletics for an in-depth interview. That call was truly the beginning to the rest of my life. I fulfilled each of the subsequent requirements one after the other. Back then it was a long process to apply as an MI, including sending in a video of me teaching, and speaking into the camera on why I thought I would be a good presenter.

I was invited to the Spinning Presenter training camp in California shortly afterwards where I spent a week with Johnny G and over a dozen other amazing people from around the world.

(If I don't stop myself now, this post will be waaaaay too long, so let's pop forward a dozen years...at another time I'll tell you more about those amazing days with Johnny G and my phenomenal peers.)

In the past 12 years, I have been inspired by some of the most amazing people, coaches, athletes and instructors that I've worked with or trained. Many of the other Master Instructors I worked with I looked up to as mentors. I have had the opportunity to inspire thousands of people at conferences to go beyond self-perceived limitations and to realize their potential as coaches. I have written several important continuing ed programs and articles for MDA, most which brought the outdoors indoors. I have traveled internationally. I have done trainings at tiny little clubs in the countryside with 10 bikes on up to very large facilities in metropolitan cities with 65 bikes. I've experienced facilities ranging from amazing personalized boutique clubs and studios in the suburbs, to high-tech gyms in corporate fitness or university facilities, to large major chain clubs.

I certainly haven't done it for the money (my husband even jokes that I practically pay for the privilege), but the personal rewards have been countless, endless. Spinning gets into your blood. I LOVE Spinning. I LOVE the mind-body aspect of Spinning. I LOVE the fitness and health it's brought me, and has allowed me to bring to others. I LOVE being a Master Instructor. I LOVE inspiring others. I LOVE the people I've met.

However, in the past several years, I've been approached with several opportunities in indoor cycling that I have had to turn down because of my loyalty to Spinning.

Concurrently, in the past several years I've been attending seminars, reading books and joining coaching programs on entrepreneurship and building a business with the intention of growing my bicycle tour business and potentially creating an online business for bicycle tours in Europe. During this time I was exposed to the wonders of social media such as blogging (hence, this and other blogs I started), Facebook, Twitter, forums, podcasting, and more. It's truly amazing the opportunities that are out there if you look, and if you aren't afraid to learn, explore and grow.

I learned about how to develop a niche market, rather than go for the BIG market. I learned about promotion and PR and internet marketing and eBooks. I even wrote my own eBook which has been very successful and well-received, and I have some big plans for additional ones. It's such an inexpensive learning tool, a great way to reach people with excellent information.

Long story short, I have a deep desire to do something for myself. I also have an MBA from way back when, and perhaps that's been stirring inside me to do something more for myself. It's not just about the money (but a greater income doing my passion will be nice). For me, it's also about self-actualization. It's TIME for me to move on. It's TIME that I at least try some of the things I've been learning about, and take advantage of some of the half-dozen or so opportunities that have been presented to me.

In order to do so, I had to become a "free agent". By taking off the partisan hat I can "reach across the aisle" so to speak and inspire and touch many other instructors as well.

Sooooo, you will not lose me! I just won't be attached to Mad Dogg Athletics and Spinning. But remember, you can take the girl out of Spinning, but you can't take Spinning out of the girl! It's firmly implanted in my heart, in my soul. I hope to leave doors open with Spinning for potential projects in the future, as they continue to grow and lead the industry as they always have, and always will. My plan is to complement the Spinning program.

I have three opportunities that I will be working on immediately (and three others in the next 4-8 months). One of them is so exciting I can't wait to tell you about it! Go here and listen to the podcast about ICI PRO, which will launch soon.

I will be changing the name of this blog soon. I will still be giving you great information, but I'll be spending more time over on the ICI site. You will discover when you listen to the podcast, that there will be a portion of the information that will be on a paid site, so you as an instructor can grow even more and really find that spark of inspiration. This too is a very inexpensive way to reach even more instructors.

I am also hoping to come out to your club to present Master Classes. Please contact me for more information on how I can do that.

Thank you everyone for your comments and emails, and mostly for your patience lately as I focus on my personal life and moving. I am very, very excited for the future, and I look forward to sharing even more with you!

Namasté!

Some personal news to share with you

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:56:00 +0000

For my regular readers of my blog, you know that I've been a bit pre-occupied lately. Maybe you've sensed that I've been trying very hard not to be anxious. Maybe you've wondered why I seem to be apologizing for not delivering promised posts, such as my Can Fit Pro sessions the past 3 weeks. (Hey, I take this blog seriously and I hate not doing what I say I'm going to do). There have been reasons! By sharing this information with you, you'll understand a little more about me and what we (my husband and I) have been enduring the past, oh, 6-8 months...

First, I now have very good news to share...

We have a contract for our house as of yesterday around noon. This is big. This is very BIG! Not only do they want to buy it, but they want it very soon (we'll close in only 2 week) and they will pay cash - no waiting for financing. You cannot even imagine the pressure that this takes off our shoulders!

My husband began building us a new home almost 2 years ago, a house that is a little too big for us, but we were both doing quite well in our businesses and we had big plans when we started this process. Then, as you are all aware, the economy tanked, and things didn't quite go as planned. My bike tour business had one cancelation after another beginning in February, and I had to cancel all my guided tours to Europe. My husband's general contracting business has no new projects (except for a minor remodel); he had to lay off all his employees, and he personally had to do the hands-on construction of most of the interior of our house, which was not his original intention.

(Our new house in Eagle, taken in late April. When the landscaping

is finished next week I'll share some more photos)

In the meantime the bank was getting uneasy, the construction was taking too long (we also had record snow levels this winter which also hampered progress), the market wasn't good for selling our current place. They started pressuring us, even warning and threatening us. They changed the rules on us on a weekly basis (did you know banks can do that? We didn't). No need to go into detail - you know the story, it's the same all over the country, even the world.

We were able to satisfy the bank temporarily, mostly by selling many other assets. Keep the wolves at bay, so to speak. But, we never lost hope. We never stopped believing.

We put our current home on the market 65 days ago; our realtor tells us that is excellent in this market - many will probably sit until next summer if they haven't sold by now. Never mind the fact that had we decided to sell last year or earlier, we would have been able to merely whisper that we might be thinking of selling, and we would have had a line out the door. Simply put, our home is the best unit in the best and most popular townhomes in Edwards, Colorado. I had quite a few people prior to a year ago who told me that should we decide to sell, to please let them know first because they wanted first dibs. But this year, those very people were in the same boat as just about everyone else in this economy. In fact, most people who came to view the house said they must first sell their current home in order to finance a new one.

So we are very, very relieved these people came along.

And, there's more good news! We already began moving to our new house in Eagle, 19 miles away. Monday was the big moving day, although we've left a bed and a few other items here at the old house. We're still sleeping here a few more days until final inspection of the new place (probably tomorrow). My office will be the last thing to move - so here I sit writing this post surrounded by stacks of papers, boxes, files...a veritable mess.

More good news is that after months and months of wondering IF and WHEN we would get a mortgage so we could get out from under our construction loan, we closed on that mortgage on Monday. Phew!

For many people, the past few months would have been oppressive stress. There was the very real possibility that the mortgage wouldn't happen. If that were the case, you can only imagine the outcome....banks don't take too lightly to you not being able to pay. For us, well, we did our best to think positively, do our affirmations, and visualize only good things. We weren't always good at this, we had our moments of fear and worry, and I think my husband suffered more than I did (bless his heart - that man needs a vacation soon)! I am sharing this with you because many of you know that I espouse the teachings of The Secret, and of empowering speakers, authors and coaches like Jack Canfield, John Assaraf and Wayne Dyer. They have all helped me through this year. [I even created a ride for WSSC 2008 called The Secret Ride, which morphed into this year's ride called How Big is Your Why}.

The happenings of this week reinforces my belief that it really does work! When you are committed to your desires and your goals, and as long as you are patient, you can create your own reality. As long as you believe deep in your heart that things will always work out the way they're supposed to, and in your best interest, you don't have to succumb to worry. As long as you take the lumps and obstacles as temporary, you know that the road will open up a few miles ahead. It may not always be what you thought you wanted, or exactly when you want it to happen...but things always work out. I knew that we would be OK, I knew that this house would sell, I knew that we could move in, and I KNOW that the best part of my life is ahead of me. And it includes a beautiful new house, a couple of thriving businesses, some awesome bicycle rides and Spinning classes, some great people who will enter my life, and some fabulous trips in the future!

Let me ask you this... Are you certain of your own fantastic future? If not, you only have to change one thing....your attitude.

Jeff and I are not totally out of the woods, and I have a lot more affirmations I'm working on, but I am actually quite excited for the future. Some of the things I'm working on will directly involve you, my readers. So stay tuned for a big announcement.

Tomorrow I teach my 6 am Spinning class right around the corner, about 600 yards from my house (well, my old house). Tomorrow is the last time I get to wake up at 5:35 a.m. and still take my time to get there. For next week's classes, I'll have my coffee ready to brew the night before, my clothes laid out, my water bottle filled, my breakfast planned and my alarm set for 5 a.m - maybe even two alarms just in case. I'll listen to my playlist on the 20 mile drive to the club - at high volume to help wake me up. But oh man, that half hour less of sleep will make a big difference to me!

But you know what? I'll adapt!

Don't forget to check back soon for a big announcement. I'll be posting more Can Fit Pro sessions (profiles, playlists, powerpoints) very, very soon over on the ICI website. I promise!

The JUMP controversy

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0000

In between my moving preparation, staging our current house for viewings and Open Houses, and a garage sale this morning (which wasn't very successful) I am trying to squeeze in finishing my promised profiles and playlists for Can Fit Pro. I've been a bit pre-occupied to say the least.

I do have one profile and playlist completed! It's for the session called Jump 'N Jazzier, which is a multitude of different ways to teach jumps, both on flat roads and on hills, with a focus on proper form. But I've had in the back of my mind for some time now to write an article on jumps, following the release of the ACE newsletter in June which decried jumps as being unsafe and intimidating. This statement came from a Schwinn Master Instructor, Julz Arney. Unfortunately, since Luciana Marcial-Vinson, a Master Instructor for Spinning, was also interviewed for the same article, but on other contraindicated movements, it appeared that Spinning was agreeing that they are indeed unsafe. Luciana had to quickly respond with another article stating the position of Mad Dogg Athletics & Spinning®. I've gone one step further and added my own $.02 to the controversy in an article over at the Indoor Cycle Instructor website.

I believe that Julz' comments about jumps being unsafe, too fast, impossible to master, hard on the knees, and intimidating are true! Yes, I said true...but ONLY when describing "Popcorn Jumps", which have long been on the contraindicated list for the Spinning® program. Popcorn jumps are impossible to do with good form or with control, and they impede a good pedal stroke. And yes, they are very intimidating if a student is watching from the outside looking in. If I was a potential student, and saw them being done in a class, I wouldn't want to go anywhere near that class! So if this is what a "jump" is being perceived as, then Julz' comments are absolutely true. Unfortunately, they are far, far too common in indoor cycling classes around the globe.

But can't that be said about any movement in an indoor cycling class? One that is done too quickly, out-of-control, with resistance that is too low and cadence that is too high? The bottom line is that all comes down to the instructor.

When done with proper form, proper cadence, proper resistance and with a speed that is in complete control by the rider, jumps are not only not unsafe, but fun and effective and they add variety to your class. Their cycling-specificity varies, depending on the method you employ. A cyclist in a Spinning class may decide to sit the jumping part out and just ride in the saddle, which is always an option. But they won't hurt you and they won't hurt your cycling or pedal stroke. When my class is full of cyclists, I rarely do them, or only do the cycling-specific power jumps (see my article for a description of those). But when there are many non-cycling students in my class, the added variety is very helpful for them.

So go ahead and jump. Jumps are GOOD! Jumps are FUN! But teach them correctly damnit! It's up to YOU, the instructor, to teach and to demonstrate proper form. So point the finger back at yourself and analyze your own form.

My article is lengthy and informative. You will find it over at the ICI Podcast. (I did that because I can reach a larger audience - I think a larger audience needs to learn this). While there, download the profile and playlist from my Can Fit Pro session called Jumps 'N Jazzier. I think you will really enjoy it and will find some new and exciting variations for teaching jumps and keeping them realistic.

By the way, our moving day is tomorrow. We are only moving 20 miles away, but it might as well be 2,000! So I won't be around much this next week or two. Please continue to spread the word about this blog and the ICI podcast! And if you know anyone who tends to jump too fast in class, please refer them to the article at ICI. It gives solid reasons why popcorn jumps are not advisable.

Can Fit Pro and the song of the weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:46:00 +0000

Wow, my legs are still buzzing from Can Fit Pro this past weekend! I taught some hard sessions. Usually I have an easier session in the mix, or I am able to fake it a little bit more, but this time around, it didn't turn out that way. I had two on Friday, three on Saturday (all challenging) and two on Sunday. The final session was called Strategies for Strength, and I was too inspired to fake it! Too into the ride to go easy. Too engaged by the energy of the group to back off. And the music simply rocked...

This session ended at 3:00 and my plane left at 6:30 (international flight) so there was no time for a shower, just a quick wipe down and change out of bike clothes to travel clothes. Both Caroline Dawson (another Spinning MI) and I had to leave for the airport, and fortunately Claudia Lala, a Star 3 Spinning instructor from Argentina living in Toronto gave us a lift to the airport.

Today is my 2nd day of recovery. I was going to go hiking to the top of Vail Mountain, but I think that's too ambitious - it's better to give the legs a little more rest. Heck, getting up the stairs is challenging enough, much less a 7-mile hike straight up!

It will take me a few days to get caught up, but I do want to share my playlists and some other great information from the conference with you, so make sure to check back as I'll be posting them either here and/or over on the Indoor Cycle Instructor site.

But, in the meantime, I think the song of the weekend was a song I used in my last session. I had more people ask about it immediately after class, and had several emails and Facebook messages within a very short time (one within 30 minutes!) asking for the title and where to find it.

So, here it is: it's by Alcatraz and is called Give me Luv (That Kid Chris Tribute Mix). It's 10:28 long - an awesome, awesome climb (ya gotta like electronic music though). The emphasis during this song was that by changing your attitude about climbs, you can change your experience. Hill climbing for some outdoor cyclists is the bane of cycling. Some people H.A.T.E. to climb. It's scary, it's tough, it's challenging, sometimes it hurts, sometimes you fail, it's demoralizing if someone goes way faster than you, etc. Indoors we don't encounter that as much - I think it's because our students always know they have the option of altering the hill simply by turning that resistance knob. But you cannot do that outside!

So if you hate climbing, or you're scared it's going to give you big quads, you must change your attitude about it. Instead of thinking about the hill as an obstacle in your way, think of it as an opportunity. An opportunity to get stronger, to get more fit, to experience and succeed at a challenge, to do something you didn't think you could do. There are so many ways to turn your distaste for climbing into pure love of climbing, and it all starts with you and your mind.

This song is called Give Me Luv, so I asked my class to give me some climbing luv! I asked them to first love themselves, because if you don't, how can you possibly think you deserve to get to the top of that big climb? I also wanted them to love the mountain. "Give Me Luv!" I repeated it several times throughout the long song.

Where can you get this song? There are a ton of versions on emusic, but not this particular fantastic version. The other ones are OK, and if you are a member of eMusic go ahead and d/l a few, but to be honest, if I heard them first, I probably wouldn't be as excited about the song. This version (That Kid Chris Tribute Mix) is really phenomenal. I love the woman's voice in the background saying "Give me Luv" (it's different than on the other versions).

iTunes has it, Napster has it, and if you google it, I think you can find even cheaper versions.

But GET THIS SONG!

And give me some climbing luv!

Off to Canada!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:08:00 +0000

It's 5 am and I am off to Toronto to present at Can Fit Pro. If you are going to be there, or are in the area, come find me in the Spinning room (there are two rooms, side by side). I will be presenting any of the sessions originally listed as Meg McNeeley.

I'll report back on Monday with some playlists!

Have a safe weekend, and get out and do something fun. Summer's almost over!

Another Milestone for the FunhogSpins blog! Thanks to you!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:04:00 +0000

Sometime today, Sunday August 16, I surpassed 20,000 downloads! That includes any of the profiles or articles or playlists that I've provided for you guys. I also noticed on Google Analytics that I've been visited by 87 countries! That includes Botswana, Latvia, & Laos!

Wow, it's mind boggling! Indoor cycling truly is EVERYWHERE!

Keep spreading the word! I am so grateful for all of my readers - it inspires me to keep on writing helpful, informative and fun stuff for you guys.

I do have a little teaser for you. I am going to be spreading my efforts a little more over on the indoor cycle instructor podcast, because it is such an amazing medium for providing helpful content to IC instructors. If you haven't yet downloaded the audio profile on Over-Under Intervals that we did a week ago, make sure to do so now. We are thinking it is a new way to help you become the best instructor you can possibly be.

My recommendation is that you go over there and sign up for the ICI podcast newsletter as well as mine. They are just weekly notices about the posts (or podcasts) that are listed so you don't miss anything important. But don't worry, you won't be inundated.

The Indoor Cycle Instructor Podcast just celebrated 1 year of providing great content - go over there and wish John Magowan a "Happy Anniversary"! I chatted with John for a short podcast discussing the past year, and some of the great things that are coming in the next year (although some of them are a secret!)

I want to extend a welcome to all my new subscribers. I realized that any new subscribers are still getting my WSSC information from June. You'll enjoy it, but my automated reply email is a little dated. I'll be changing that soon to other free and valuable information - but don't worry, once you are a subscriber to the free newsletter, you'll always also receive anything I give away to new subscribers. And if you haven't subscribed yet, just enter your name and email in the top left corner of this blog.

Thanks to all who have commented on my post on "cycling-specific" classes. It will be about 2 weeks before I am able to write my intended response. For one, I am thinking it will be a series of articles that will take me a little longer to compile. Secondly, I AM GOING TO TORONTO on Thursday! Eeeek! How did it get this close? I have 7 Spinning sessions that I have to work on and develop playlists for, so I will be a little bit pre-occupied this coming week. But look out for updates just before I go.

It should be a very fun conference. I'll be joining three other very fun Spinning Master Instructors - all women - getting together leading a total of 28 Spinning sessions at Can Fit Pro! (And I think we'll go out on the town at least on a few evenings - how can it not be fun?!"

And I'm also very interested to meet Dan McDonogh of RPM. He was just at IDEA presenting this past weekend and will be in Toronto at CFP next weekend. He and I have been chatting back and forth on Twitter and are planning on peeking in on each other's sessions this weekend. Now, the Les Mills RPM method is not really my personal preference for teaching an IC class, but I am open minded and can't wait to see what Dan does that makes him so popular at conferences. When you think about it, we are all after the same goal - to inspire our students to get fit, help them meet their goals (be it performance, weight loss, etc), have a lot of fun and to come back as often as possible. Because he is a cyclist first and foremost, I know Dan has the same interests as me - to keep his classes as cycling specific as possible while meeting the needs of our non-cycling students as well.

See you soon!

Hold a baby bird...in a standing flat!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:14:00 +0000

The other day I was subbing a class at the Aria club in Vail (a club attached to the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa) and I had two hotel guests from Florida (in addition to one regular - numbers here are very small in summer). Both women are pretty fit. One is a frequent Spinning student, Linda and she talked her friend Sheri into coming along for her Spinning first class ever.

Before the class started, Linda was giving Sheri tips, pointing to the RPE sign, describing intensity and HR (she didn't have her HRM with her but said she always rides with one), talking about Energy Zones, proper position, etc. I walked over and said that she must have some darn good instructors, and explained that it is so good to hear her actually teaching her friend the correct way to ride in an indoor class. I say this because we get a lot of out of town guests at this club, and this is not always the case. We get some who say things like, "I have the best 'Spin' Instructor ever - she makes us take the saddle away!"

I gave her my card with this blog address, so hopefully she will pass them on to her instructors (and if so and you are her instructor reading this, please let me know)!

As usual, I really enjoy having newbies in my class. I try to make sure I make it interesting for the experienced riders at the same time as I am explaining proper form for the basic movements we do in Spinning. Since Sheri is a fit hiker, she really did well her first time, with just a few things she'll need to work on formwise as she gains experience.

I have my own cueing that I've used for various movements and positions, but Linda shared one with me that I want to pass on to you. We were doing a standing flat (run) and I was explaining to Sheri how it's important to hold on to the handlebars, but not in a death grip, nor do you want to lean on your hands. My favorite cue is to imagine that you have water balloons under your palms. I tell students "wrap your fingers around them, so you squish them a bit, but don't pop them!" This helps people realize they must pull back their weight off their hands and into the legs. We also don't want to be 'perched' on the handlebars, up on your fingertips like you're drying your wet fingernails either. Fingers should be wrapped around the handlebars, but comfortably.

Linda said, "In golf they tell you to hold a baby bird when you hold the club."

Yes! Can you imagine it? In golf, if you have a death grip, you will never smoothly hit that little white ball with any control. On the other hand, if you don't have enough grip, the club will go flying out of your hand. Pros tell their clients to imagine holding a baby bird, firm enough to keep it there, but not tight enough to crush it.

If your students are golfers, they may really understand this cue.

This also shows us that we can transfer cues from many other sports to help our non-cycling students understand what it is we are teaching them. Does anyone reading this have any examples of cues you've borrowed from other sports? If so, please let us know by clicking the comments link below!

Thanks Linda for teaching me something new! I hope to see you and Sheri in my Spinning class again in the future. Tell your instructors to keep up the good work and to come to WSSC and say Hi!

Point to ponder

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:28:00 +0000

When you hear the following terms, what comes to mind:

"cycling-oriented" Spinning class
cycling specific
Indoor cycling for cyclists
Indoor cycling for roadies

Or even, "this class keeps it real"!

I'm just curious. I have a pending discussion on this, but I'd like to see what either you, or your students, or what you think the general population (of indoor cycling students or potential students) might think when they hear these terms.

Does it attract you/them?
Does it turn you/them off, or away?
Do you think it's going to be boring?
Do you think it's going to be too easy?
Do you think it's going to be too hard?

Just click on comment and leave your impression, or what you have heard, in the comments section. Then come back in a few days for an interesting post.

Thanks for your input!

More on Susan Nelson

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:26:00 +0000

Elden wrote a beautiful post about his wife, how they met, Susan's amazing talents, their four children, and more.

I think everyone should read this. Take it as a moment to celebrate life, and to recognize that in every moment of our life, even the painful ones, there is a lesson, and something good that will come from it.

WIN!

LIVESTRONG

Please join me in fighting like Susan

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:10:00 +0000

Elden Nelson, the Fatcyclist, sent out this announcement on Twitter late last night:

Susan died at 7:25 pm. Her battle with cancer is over. Mine just got more intense. FIGHT LIKE SUSAN

His previous tweet said, "Fighting cancer helps me cope."

Twin Six posted this on their web page in honor of Susan (warning - you'll shed a tear): www.twinsix.com

(EDIT LATER: If you're coming to this post a few days later, Twin Six changed their website front page back to their products, but it was very touching. It was the word WIN in pink, with a tear coming out of one corner.)

There are thousands of comments on Twitter supporting Elden, and in less than 12 hours, almost 1,500 comments on his blog. (update 8/7 one day later = almost 2,300)

Wow. What a community!

It just seems to me that we should not let this opportunity pass us by. It's evident that Elden has inspired thousands of people around the world to be better people, to love more deeply, to care for others (including those we don't know), to see the humorous side of things, to love their bicycles and revel in the joy that cycling brings, and most importantly, to join together in this fight against cancer.

I know, I know, I was raising money for Livestrong only a few short months ago for the Giretto. Please don't close this page if you're thinking, "oh no, here we go again..." I actually signed up for "Team Fat Cyclist Fighting Like Susan" for the Austin October Livestrong event back in January, before the Giretto. If you gave back then, you can feel really good about yourself. But if you haven't, I am hoping I can inspire you to make a donation in Susan's memory, or in honor of someone you know with cancer. Anything, no matter how small. We cannot let her passing last night go by without a major impact on this effort to Livestrong.

I know we are all affected by the economy and are cutting back, but to tell the truth, that's when giving means the most, when you have to make a sacrifice. $5, or $10 - it won't break you, but you will symbolically join hands with all the other indoor cyclists and cyclists to FIGHT LIKE SUSAN. If that is a sacrifice for you, then all the better.

You can sponsor me if you like, or if you know someone else on Team Fat Cyclist, please sponsor them. Or sponsor the Fatcyclist himself. Or better yet, come join us in Austin and ride for "Team Fatty Fighting Like Susan". There are already over 500 on the team (the largest team ever for a Livestrong event) and so far they've raised $.5 million (between all four Livestrong events)! I see Susan's passing as the potential impetus to raise another $.5 million in the next 2 1/2 months.

It really doesn't matter to whom you give; it matters that you give. And whether you think so or not, your $5, or $10 or $20 really does matter, in more ways than you could ever imagine. It matters to Susan, it matters to cancer survivors and patients all over the world, it matters to your loved ones affected by cancer, it matters to the Fatcyclist, it matters to Lance Armstrong, and most importantly, it matters in your heart.

Susan has inspired me both in her life and in her death; I hope she inspires you as well.

New Spinning Profile - Audio version of Over/Under Intervals! Exciting new format!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:57:00 +0000

It's one thing to download someone's profile and read their words, it's another thing to really understand how to put those written words into a meaningful and motivating class for your own students.

I've always tried to give you more than just a written profile, knowing that the motivational cueing and coaching is such a big part of teaching an effective class. But still, there is nothing quite like going to a conference, or even just going to a good class, and hearing how that instructor uses words and voice inflection to get the ideas across. When you hear something, it goes into your brain a little differently than when you simply read it.

Nothing beats hearing and experiencing at the same time, like you experience when you go to conferences or continuing education workshops. Even if you don't actually get on the bike and ride, and sit on the sidelines and take notes (what we call "hugging the wall"), that combination of audio and visual helps you remember.

The next best thing...is to hear a discussion of the profile. John Magowan of the Indoor Cycle Instructor podcast and I have been tossing around this idea for a little bit, and we've finally done it. We recorded an entire podcast based on one of my profiles. It's a profile I've been promising to you for awhile (I think I first mentioned I would be posting it "soon" about two months ago). Well, I held off on posting it because I thought this one would be a perfect audio profile. Sorry for the delay, but life gets in the way and it took us this long to finally get this done.

I am very happy with the results! I just listened to it this morning and of course have ideas how to improve my own delivery, but I think you will find this most helpful. It's a work in process and we will improve every time we do another one.

The profile is called Over/Under Intervals, and is based on 3 sets of 9-minutes of threshold effort - just below and just above lactate threshold. It is an extremely effective intensity in which to train. It is not, however, for all your students, being a fairly advanced training session, but in the profile I give you ways to help your students assess whether they should be pushing themselves to that level or whether they should hold off and ride at an easier pace. Remember, the beauty of indoor cycling is that you can motivate differing levels to work at different intensities in the very same class. You, as an indoor cycling coach, need to know how to do that in every single class.

This particular profile is far more effective if you know what your threshold level is. Yes, you can use an approximation of 85% of your max heart rate, but by now, if you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know I'm not a big fan of max HR as a determinant for training zones. LT is far, far more important to know.

How do you know your threshold? Well, you can get a metabolic assessment and spend a good chunk of cash, or you can do a field test with your students (offer it for free, or charge them - the subject of a future post on monetizing your efforts). I have described how to do field tests in this blog, but for the most in-depth explanation of how, when, why and what, you should read my eBook Keep it Real. Not only does it go into how to conduct a field test, but it also tells you how you can use that LTHR that you come up with and merge it into your usage of MHR zones. In other words, you don't have to stop using % of MHR as cues if you don't want to, or if you're not quite ready yet to make that leap to threshold based zone methodology.

I know some instructors are fearful of making the switch to threshold-based training zones because they are anxious about having to retrain their students or having to compete with other instructors who still use MHR, and therefore don't want to confuse their students. In this eBook, it explains how you can determine threshold AND still use MHR based zones.

Really? You ask. You mean I don't have to completely change over to LT zone based cueing?

Well, ultimately I think you may want to as your knowledge grows in this area, and it is my hope that the industry will eventually chuck MHR and go to LT zones - but that's not likely to happen in the next 5-10 years, so we are in effect stuck with it. Therefore, I have come up with an intermediary way to get the best of both worlds, and it's explained in Keep It Real.

The eBook is such an inexpensive investment in yourself, with many hundreds of dollars* worth of tips, technique, HR training information and even more profiles. (*See my guarantee below).

Once you know your threshold, this Over/Under profile will make a lot more sense and be even more effective.

Go here to listen to the podcast where you can also download the hardcopy of the profile and playlist. I suggest you print out the profile before listening, so you can refer to it if desired.

And please, let John and me know if this is helpful to you. If so, why? How can we improve it? Do you like the interval style of discussing the profile, the interaction between John and me, or would you like to hear just me (or whoever) talk about my/their profile? What would you like to see more of? What profiles do you have the most difficulty with? What aspect of profile design is your weak point? You can contact us at john@indoorcycleinstructor.com or jennifer@indoorcycleinstructor.com.

I hope you enjoy Over/Under Intervals, I know my students sure did!

* Your would easily spend hundreds of dollars at a conference or seminar to get the very same information available in this eBook. Here, it is less than $20. I guarantee it is worth every penny and more. In fact, I WILL guarantee it! If you don't learn something in the area of technique, proper form (and what to avoid in IC classes), threshold training and field tests, and/or get new ideas for HIT profiles, then I will reimburse your $20! I do not believe there is an instructor out there who will not benefit from this eBook. That's a big claim, but if you could see the comments I've gotten from instructors about how much they've learned and how important they believe this eBook is to the IC world, you would agree with me. You get so much incredible free content from this blog, just imagine what is in this eBook - I think it will rock your IC world.

Gimme some climbing luv! 7 hours of climbing music

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:45:00 +0000

I'm very grateful for where I live, and I admit that I am pretty spoiled because of the beauty of these surroundings and the great, but challenging cycling. Around here, you better like to climb (at elevation no less) or you're going to be relegated to only riding east or west (left to right) in the photo below, in that valley between where I am taking the picture below (which is a gated community called Mountain Star), and the mountains across the valley, looking south towards Beaver Creek ski area on the left and Bachelor Gulch on the right, another gated community. Literally all other roads heading north and south of this valley go UP.

I took the above photo last fall. It will look like that again in about 6-7 weeks from now. At the moment, it is a verdant green, due to a very wet spring that has provided us the most beautiful and lush summer I can remember in 15 years! On Saturday, I rode 2.5 hours, first going up into Beaver Creek and onto some of the roads into the hills. Sometimes I like to ride up there just to ohh and ahh over the amazing houses (and dream). Then I rode over Bachelor Gulch. It's a 5-mile climb, with 2,200 feet of elevation gain that tops out at about 9,200+ feet in elevation. I'd say it's 7-8% on average, with sections of 9-10%. That's steep! I think of this climb as my "test" ride for Alpe d'Huez! I always time myself on this particular climb, to use as a litmus test for how fit I am (or not, as the case may be). Saturday I climbed it in 47:40; not my record but still faster than I ever did it on my old bike. I was feeling tired from some pretty hard Spinning classes the three previous days, but I wasn't about to turn around, no way!

Prior to going for my ride, I created a climbing playlist for my iPod shuffle to use on long climbs like this. I wanted to add songs that aren't on almost all of my other "climbing" playlists, such as from my Moving Mountains or Alpe d'Huez rides (although admittedly, one or two made their way into this list; I must really like those songs).

Now before I give you that playlist, I'm sure I'll get comments on riding a bike with an iPod. I should preface this with the fact that when I am on busier roads, I always take out the left earbud and keep it very low or turn it off. The sound of the wind in my ears covers up far more of the sound of approaching cars than my music does - wish I had an "off" button for that! But when on climbs like this, on roads with very little traffic, I feel comfortable riding with my music (still listening for cars though). On Saturday's ride up Bachelor Gulch, exactly zero (yes, none, zippo, zilch) cars passed me in that 47 minutes. That's because these are second homes, where the owners might stay 2 weeks in winter and 2 in summer. For some reason, they're not here right now. Many of them look like this:

It's almost sinful that these houses sit unoccupied for much of the year...(most have full-time caretakers).

Anyway, I want to share with you this playlist of great climbing music. Click here to download the iTunes playlist. In this almost 7-hours of music, there are only 44 songs; that's because they range from just under 8-minutes on up to almost 13-minutes long. I like lonnnnng songs when climbing because I can really get into it and focus on the rhythm, and when it's over, I mentally acknowledge that a long time has passed, which translates to covering a lot of road uphill. It's a mental trick I play with myself.

There is great variety in this playlist, though most of the tunes are under the "electronic" umbrella. But you will find reggae inspired electronic (Beat Pharmacy), ambient psychodelic (Asura, D.P.O.D., Enigma, Delerium - in fact, Delerium figures the most in this list with 5 songs), Alternative (from the early 90's The The to more current Death Cab for Cutie), heavy tribal beats (Manaca, Chus & Ceballos), techno (Crystal Method), rock remakes (Eric Prydz vs Floyd), even rock (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and even, dare I admit it, Guns 'n Roses)!

Some of my most recent favorite climbing songs are in this list. Breathless by SBP is one of my new top songs after using it in my Mont Ventoux playlist during the Tour de France. Le Ciel est Triste by Emou is a long time favorite - it has a slow bpm, good for steep hills like this one where my rpm struggles to stay at 60-65 rpm. I LOVE the very catchy and engrossing Give me Luv (That Kid Chris Tribute Mix) by Alcatraz. I have to admit that I replayed this song several times as I was climbing, trying to match my cadence with the bpm. I could only do so on the easier climbs; when I did so on the steep parts of Bachelor Gulch, my HR went too high (above threshold, which is not good when you still have a long way to go uphill) and I had to slow my legs down. BTW, this song is the source for the title of this blog post!

I also discovered some new (or in some cases, re-discovered some forgotten) favorites that I'll be putting into a Spinning profile soon. Strange Shades of Light by Midnight Society, Hug the Scary by Will Saul, Giant by The The, Emergency by Faithless, Resurrection by Delerium, Things Can Change, Klangstrahler Projekt (another slow bpm for slow rpm climbs).

Where can you find these songs? I haven't had the time to peruse eMusic to tell you if they're available there. However, check out this list of songs I've gotten on eMusic first. However, just because it's not on that list doesn't mean it's not available there; either I've not looked yet, or because eMusic has recently significantly expanded their library, so make sure to do a search.

I think eMusic is one of the better downloading sources - the songs are only about $.50 instead of the over $1 on iTunes (and you can get free songs just for signing up - click on the eMusic icon on the top left of this blog for 25 free downloads). You can also google the artist, or check beatport.com, a good, but fairly expensive, source for hard to find electronic music (some of the songs on my list might only be available there - but if you found them it would be worthwhile). I always use iTunes as a last resort - you'll pay a lot more for the average song you can find elsewhere for less, but they have a big variety. It's one thing to pay more for a hard-to-find fantastic song on Beatport, but for a song available elsewhere, iTunes can make us instructors in search of musical variety go broke...

Oh, by the way, there are a few songs in my list that say "Track 8" and then words like "good tempo, HIT, STR**" These are just notes to myself. HIT = high intensity training, STR = Strength, JOH = jumps on a hill, and ** means I really like this song. I will do this when a track doesn't have a name to help me remember it. These come from the Hanima Hitechwell cds from an Italian producer. I got them at a Spinning conference a few years ago. I believe they are doing a BIG sale right now - I will write a blog post soon about how to get some of these songs and cds. These are fantastic climbing songs.

Check a few blog posts back on my discussion of the song Breathless by SBP on the Ventoux ride profile. It's also from Hanima Hitechwell, but available on the Spinning CD, Vol 13 - that post tells you how to d/l those songs from Spinning.com. Many others on that cd are GREAT climbing songs.

For long lists of my other favorite climbing songs (both short and long) I wrote two posts last year. This one and this one.

Enjoy all this great climbing music!

New Spinning Playlist and new podcast

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:07:00 +0000

This morning I rode my Resistance Reloaded profile, a fairly challenging Strength ride. We got a late start because the person opening the club didn't show up in time (grrr - I'm sure all you early morning instructors or gym-goers have encountered that before), so I had to take out one song in the middle (the "intermission" song, which meant they had to climb the entire time with no break - ah, but my students are used to it)!

I posted that profile almost a year ago (wow, time flies). I didn't have a specific playlist to go with it at the time (read the blog post to find out why). This new playlist worked really well so I thought I'd share it with you.

When you download the profile you'll see that it is 8-minute blocks of climbing, with progressive resistance-loading in the saddle for 5 minutes, followed by 3 minutes in a standing climb, repeated over and over. This time I created a playlist using a 5-minute song followed by a 3-minute song (give or take a few seconds). I've been doing this a lot lately with my music for profiles that are in blocks like this, and it really helps not having to watch the clock much. For the final song however, I used an 8-minute song (5 min seated, 3 standing). It helps to have a LOT of songs in your library so you can narrow down your selection based on time. Those of you with Mix Meister can do this with almost any song, but to be honest, even when I did have MM (before I got a Mac) I didn't like to chop longer songs into much smaller pieces, because you could lose so much of what is good in that song; I just used MM to fade in and out.

The profile calls for 6X8-minute blocks. This is fine for a 60-minute class, but my morning class is actually 55 minutes, so it's hard to fit in. So I did 5 blocks instead of 6, and put in a 3-minute "intermission" flat road in the middle (which as I mentioned above, I had to take out this morning; but next time I'll keep it in, as it does give them a nice break).

Here was my playlist:

Kubala Ma, Karunesh 5:04 - warm-up

Swamp Thing, Juno Reactor, 5:12 - first seated climb. This has a faster cadence - good to ease into your climb.

Cabin Down Below, Tom Petty, 2:51 - standing climb.

Distance, Radar, 5:07 - seated climb

Dreaming Against Me, Seven Mary Three, 3:05 - standing climb

Euphoria, Delerium, 5:03 - seated climb

Freeform, Playmaker, 3:01 - standing

Wildflowers, Tom Petty, 3:11 - "intermission" seated flat

Apparition, Delerium, 5:05 - seated climb

The Mission Soundtrack, Ennio Morricone, 2:53 - standing (these two songs have a similar "in the clouds" feel. I LOVE The Mission for a standing climb.)

Tribal Force, Klangstrahler Projekt, 8:01 - 5 min seated, 3 min standing

Read My Mind, The Killers 4:07 - flat road, gradually reduce HR to cool down

Track 10, Spinning Across the Alpes (from Hanima Hitechwell Italy), 4:32 - cool down/stretch

Exciting new podcast coming very soon!

This morning John Macgowan and I recorded a new podcast and tried an experiment. We're going to help you all with profile creation, so please check out the indoor cycle instructor podcast and let us know what you think. He's got to edit it, so give him a few days, but I think you're going to like what we have in store for you!

Remember, keep spreading the word about Funhogspins and the Indoor Cycle Instructor podcast - don't keep it to yourself! When we raise the level and quality of all instructors, everyone in our industry benefits, especially our students. It's like the old adage, when you raise the level of water in the harbor, all the ships rise!

Sugar addicts

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:13:00 +0000

I want to pass on an astounding fact. This was posted by Joe Friel on Twitter a few days ago.

We all know that there has been a huge increase over the decades in the consumption of sugar in developed western countries, and it's fast shifting to undeveloped countries too.

But did you know that it was this bad?

In 1900, the average American ate 30lbs of sugar and sweeteners (I'm assuming that's in one year)
In 1967 that was 114 lbs.
In 2003, 142 lbs.
A linear increase would be 150 lbs by 2020!

Most of the increase is soda.

Put down that coke can America! No wonder we have an epidemic of obesity!

If only we could get them all into our indoor cycling classes....

I'm Coming to Can Fit Pro!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:37:00 +0000

Just a quick update, I'll fill you in with more information soon, but I just found out today that I'm coming to Can Fit Pro in Toronto in 3 weeks! I'll be doing Meg McNeeley's sessions, which is awesome because she's a cyclist and her sessions are very cycling oriented, so it's right up my alley and I won't have to prep that much!!

Meg, bless her heart, needs to put all her energy into healing from some physical issues, so she asked me to come in her place.

Yeah! I loved doing Can Fit Pro last year. If you are going, or thinking of going, please let me know. I look forward to seeing you all there.

More soon!

P.S. I'm going through Tour de France withdrawals....

Tomorrow morning is my first post-TDF class for my morning regulars (I taught one tonight but I only had 2 newbies and one other student, and it was all about proper form and intensity management). I'm planning on doing a very simple endurance ride with some rolling hills. Very little structure except to Just Ride the Bike! ;-)

Heart Rate monitor usage study - Please Help!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:06:00 +0000

Now that the Tour de France is over, I hardly know what to do with myself!!

Just kidding...I've got a LOT of things on my to-do list that got pushed to the bottom due to this 3-week bicycle race in France which has been all-consuming for me, if you couldn't tell! ;-)

One of those items is a study that is being done on the psychological importance of heart rate monitoring. Yes, psychological, not physical. I've been intending to tell you all about it for awhile, and now my time is running short as she wants to complete the study and compile the results in the very near future. Can you take a moment and fill out this survey?

Who should take this survey? YOU! Anyone who has used at one time, or considered using, or currently uses a heart rate monitor for your own training and/or teaching. Your students could take it as well; it's not just for instructors. A big sample size and a wide variety of participants will greatly help with the results.

And I believe the results will be very important to each and every one of us as we grow in our instructing and learn more about how, if and why we should utilize heart rate training. Click here to take part in this very short survey.

Who is doing the study? Melissa Marotta is a Star 3 Spinning instructor and 2nd year medical student in Vermont. I am in awe of her for her intelligent, educational, inspiring blog posts, and for her passion for Spinning and love of her students. It would be an honor to be able to take one of her classes in Vermont or NYC, where she taught 20 classes a week for years before going off to medical school. You can feel her passion just by reading her blog, or by listening to her on the Indoor Cycle Instructor podcast talking about her survey.

This is the 4th month of her data collection for this survey, so do it now as it is closing soon!

Here is a little description of her study in her words:

We appreciate the physiological importance of heart rate training for meeting our fitness and performance goals. But are there psychological effects of heart rate training?

The way we think and talk to ourselves is a prime determinant of our physical performance. If we can better understand how to incorporate heart rate training into this construct, just think of the possibilities. As instructors, there is often a disconnect between the presenting and receiving ends of the dialogues we have with our riders about heart rate training. [When the results of this study are released] we will have concrete data about how to more specifically reach people. What are they hearing, and what are they taking away from it?

I strongly encourage you to participate in this study and let your voice be heard!

Thank you so much for your participation, and I also want to let you know how grateful I am for all my readers. I hope you got a lot out of my Tour de France sessions.

Oh, and here's a fun bit of funhogspins blog trivia: my blog has now been viewed in 76 countries! Keep spreading the word!

Review of Stage 20 on Mont Ventoux

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:07:00 +0000

Phew! I need CPR after that stage! I know, I know, I'm weird...but I even slept downstairs in the basement to be able to watch the Tour starting at 6 am. My bed upstairs is just too comfy (tempurpedic - I swear by it!) so I didn't trust myself to jump out of bed and run down two flights. Plus my husband has been working so hard on our house, he's exhausted and didn't want to get up that early, so this way I wouldn't wake him.

So the alarm went off at 5:45, I only hit snooze once, and by 6:00 I was on the couch watching the peleton ride through the lavender of Provence. The winds were whipping the top of Ventoux, fortunately they died down a little bit by the time the riders got up there. I am dying to know where my bike tour clients that I've sent over there on self-guided tours were watching it! The top is so exposed, with no services so you'd have to be willing to wait for hours in hot sun, blowing wind, and no bathrooms anywhere nearby (unless you begged a motorhome to use theirs) if you wanted to be in that barren section near the top. The crowds on Ventoux were unprecedented - everyone mentioned that they've never, ever seen crowds like this on these slopes. I predicted this, and told my clients to expect the most crowded stage so far. You really need to plan your getaway when you're dealing with that many people!

Andy and Frank Schleck did exactly as expected, and Andy worked his butt off for his brother (who has worked HIS butt off for Andy all Tour long) just to try to get him up to 4th, or even 3rd place. Alberto and Lance did exactly as expected, not attack and hold the wheels of their rivals to preserve their place on the podium. Wiggins did exactly as expected, although just barely...he came within 4 seconds of losing his spot to Frank Schleck - some very brave riding on Wiggins' part. Kloden dropped one space (to Frank), but he rode hard and bravely.

The surprise of the day was the two riders up front, who managed to breakaway early on with 14 others and then these two held it to the very top. If the climb was 1 km longer they may have lost it. The look of suffering on their faces was immense. Chapeau to them for their hard work, Garate from Spain (Rabobank) and Martin from Germany (Colombia-HTC, the 'other' American team)!

It would have been fun to see Lance take the stage win, but his goal was not to jeapardize his place on the podium. And he did that beautifully.

Here's a wonderful tribute video of Lance Armstrong. In my opinion, he was the man of the day, the man of the Tour. 3rd place after having been out of major competition for almost four years. That's truly mind-boggling.

Thank you Lance for returning to the Tour, for inspiring us all, and for motivating cancer patients around the world to Livestrong. And thank you for giving us indoor cycling instructors such fun material to work with in our classes!

Next year, with a full year of training (and a TDF) under your belt, I think you can lead your new Radio Shack team to victory!

...and by the way, while you're at it, have a little talk with Radio Shack execs about their quality and image. OH! Right! That's why they signed with YOU - to improve (read: OVERHAUL) their image. IF you can do THAT, you can part the seas Lance. This will be an interesting marketing PR endeavor to pay attention to!

My Spinning Profile up Le Mont Ventoux

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:41:00 +0000

Another view of Ventoux, this time from the top looking back on the road you ride up.

I rode my Ventoux profile this morning and it was really hard, but really fun. My legs were talking to me when I came home and tried to run up the stairs - they said, "I don't think so...!" Students showed up early, some in yellow, some in pink, some with a photo of the person they're riding for (with cancer). Others said, "I have nothing yellow to wear except for these socks!"

All were eager to climb (I think...they knew what they were in for, so I'm assuming they were eager)! We went over time to make it to the top (I told them I'd be 5-10 minutes over, all stayed, except one to get to work). Going back and forth between the front and the back of the peleton, kind of like a TV camera, was quite effective, and made for good drama and an opportunity to change how I was coaching them.

At the end, during the song Breathless, we powered to the finish with the riders at the front, climbing hard out of the saddle, Lance pushing to collect on a long overdue vendetta on the top of Ventoux, everyone panting and relieved it was over.... But then I said, "Wait! What about those guys at the back?

That's when Moulin Rouge started, we had to put the hill back on, and deliver these riders in the "autobus" to the top. There were some groans when I told them they had to get back on the hill, but it was very effective.

I have to say the most powerful song of my playlist is Breathless by SBP. It's the personification of the suffering on Mont Ventoux (if you can qualify music like that)! It's not on eMusic, not on iTunes, and if you google it, the only source that comes up is Spinning Vol 13. (See below for song info). It's very, very powerful for this driving climb to the finish. The layers of intensity (of the song) keep getting louder and louder, shriller and shriller - you can just picture the riders at the front holding a suicidal pace (led by Frank Schleck and Kloden), others getting dropped off the back. When the song was at its strongest (from 3:40 to about 5:20) is when I had Lance, Alberto and Andy alternating attacks, each with the desire to win this stage. Then they all held it to the finish, standing from about 6:15 to the end (8 min). HARD!

I think you can have a GREAT ride with this profile in your Spinning classes! Let me know how it goes.

**follow-up to the song Breathless: on my CD the artist is listed as "SBP", in one place on the Spinning website it's listed as SBP, and another it's listed as Luperini, Boldrini and Dolfi. I know they get some of their music from an Italian producer who comes to WSSC to sell Spinning music (Hanima Hitechwell), so that's probably where this song comes from. It's a very powerful song, and in fact, this entire Spinning Volume 13 is great. You can download the mp3 from Spinning.com (hmmm, they should pay me an affiliate fee!). While you're at it, get Escape From Planet Earth (AWESOME song, I use it on my Triple Threat playlist), The Lion and Dry Ice for climbing, and Night Angel, Point of View and Stella Stai for flats.

Stage 20 Le Mont Ventoux - Lance's unfinished business

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:39:00 +0000

"The Ventoux is a god of Evil, to which sacrifices must be made. It never forgives weakness and extracts an unfair tribute of suffering."

Roland Barthes, French philosopher and bicycle racing fan

Le Mont Ventoux. The name strikes fear in the hearts of cyclists, yet they come from every corner of the world to test their will on its slopes. Pro cyclists unanimously rate it as the hardest climb in the tour de France. A solitary, barren peak that rises 6,266 feet out of the lavender, sunflowers, and vast vineyards of Provence, Le Mont Ventoux is one of cycling's most mysterious and merciless rulers.

The stated average grade from Bédoin for the entire climb is “only” 7.5%, but this is a deceiving number and minimizes the pain that is dished out on the ascent. There are three distinct sections on the climb out of Bédoin. The first 5.5 km average just 4%. The section from St Esteve to Chalet Reynard is the infamous climb through the forest, 9.5km of 8, 9 & 10%. The last 6 km are slightly easier and psychologically when you reach the café at Chalet Renard you have broken the back of the climb. But this is also the section that exits the forest and is exposed to the elements, most notably the searing sun or the angry, and often cold, infamous Mistral wind; wind that is strong enough to push cyclists into the rocks lining the road. The last 1.5km after the Simpson Memorial kick back up to 10%.

The above photo is my husband Jeff riding up the final few kilometers of Ventoux. I was driving the van on that day, but I have ridden it four times, though I've never been able to time myself on the ascent because I was always acting as a guide, waiting for clients, bringing up the rear, making sure everyone stopped for water, etc. It is on my radar however, to prepare and train, and challenge myself up the slopes, with a timing chip in my shoe so there's no cheating on time!

But my own personal "race" up Ventoux will be nothing compared to what will take place this Saturday during Stage 20. In my opinion, this is the stage where statements will be made. We already know that Alberto Contador, barring any major problems between now and the base of Ventoux, will arrive in Paris in yellow. But by how much? And who will share the podium with him? How will the "teamwork" on Astana play out? What of the Schleck brothers, and Brad Wiggins, and Andreas Kloden?

I have my own ideas about how this stage will finish, or at least, how I'd like to see it finish, which is all described in my attached profile. I believe Lance Armstrong has some unfinished business at the top of this monstrous pile of rocks...

For this profile, I took elements and a few favorite songs from my Alpe d'Huez ride, One Man's Journey from Suffering to Triumph. But I added a different twist, kind of like a Steinbeck novel, and the music helps set the stage.

The profile is long, because I give you some background of the mountain, as well as a dialogue to use or modify as you lead your students up the steep roads of Mont Ventoux. Let me know what you think, and if you could use any or all of this!

Allez! Allez!

Click here to download my profile of Stage 20.

Livestrong

A few posts ago I asked you all to ride a stage of the Tour de France in your Spinning classes in honor of someone you know who has been affected by cancer, and to encourage your students to do so. I emailed all my students early this week and told them that we would devote our ride up Le Mont Ventoux in honor of those we know who have either survived or valiantly fought but succumbed to cancer. I reminded them on Wednesday of our quest, and asked them to wear their yellow Livestrong bracelets if they had them (I have two extras to give out).

Tomorrow I am riding for Susan, the FatCyclist's wife. She's really suffering right now. I have a few other people in mind I know who are survivors, and I will hold them in my thoughts, but Susan really needs everyone's prayers and support right now. And for that, I'm going to turn up the mountain just a little bit harder...

Great Website for Ventoux information

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:01:00 +0000

Check this website out. A hotel I use near the base of Ventoux sent me this great promotional website put together by the Vaucluse to promote their region to cyclists and others coming to the Tour just for this stage. It's a brilliant piece of marketing. Click on History for information on the stages that have gone up Ventoux beginning in the 50's. You also get great pictures that you can conjure up in your stage description - they literally will be riding through fields of lavender through the middle section of the stage.

And here are 11 things to know about Ventoux from a cycling blog called Cyclefit (someone I follow on Twitter).

In 1967 Tom Simpson died about 2km from the top on a very, very hot day (over 100 degrees farenheit). His famous last words were, "Put me back on my bike!" Back then they didn't know much about the effects of drugs and dehydration. He didn't have enough water - Tour rules at the time were such that they could only have 4 bottles! (Those rules were changed after his death). In an autopsy, they found amphetamines in his system. Apparently one of his teammates recently came out and said he definitely drank brandy that morning!

Above is the memorial that was erected to Simpson, a photo I took in 2004, the last time I climbed it. To this day, cyclists leave water bottles and other mementos to honor the fallen cyclist.

This memorial will play into my own Ventoux profile which is coming, I promise! I'm planning on posting it this afternoon, so come back soon!

(On a personal note, I've got to first get my house ready for an open house for realtors - they'll be parading through here in a few hours - cross your fingers a few of them have buyers in mind. I need to sell my house, and a LOT of stress will be lifted!)

BTW, thanks for the comments! It really does help, just like the applause helps riders get to the top. No one likes teaching Spinning to an empty room - it helps to know you're there and appreciating this!

I won't blow today's Tour if you haven't watched it yet, but I will say this:

It was frickin' amazing, exciting as hell, and as I predicted, so far the most exciting stage of this tour. I practically needed CPR afterwards!

(But wait, Ventoux is coming)!

Awesome description of effort level and Lance's counterattack on today's stage

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Photo credit Getty Images

Chris Carmichael gives a great description of what happened on today's stage up the Grand and the Petit Saint-Bernard passes. Lance got dropped about 4km from the top of the second climb. At first it looked like he was out of contention, and that he'd lose his place in the GC. But he launched a counterattack, an amazing recovery, that allowed him to bridge the gap. It looked like the Lance we knew and loved in his 7 Tour wins. It looked almost effortless, graceful, as he used his characteristic pedaling style, powering out of the saddle, even flying by Frank Schleck (who was dumbfounded when he came out of nowhere).

Read Chris' article. He talks about the difficulty of bridging a gap, the timing of doing it, and what happens to most riders when they go above threshold for too long, which is what happens when you try to bridge a gap. That would be what happens in the "burning matches" analogy I described in my profile of the Time Trial posted yesterday. Hopefully you can learn some interesting points from Chris' article.

Are you enjoying these posts? Are you using the profiles? Are you learning something? Are you having fun? Are your students having fun in your TDF classes? Do you like the French music? Did you download any of it?

It's so unusual to have so many readers (I hit a high last week of almost 500 hits in one day! WooHoo! I'm hoping that will soon be a regular thing!)... but no one is commenting. In fact, I've had fewer comments than ever before. :-(

The biggest difference between a regular website and a blog is that a blog is supposed to be 2-way: the author says something - you comment on it. So I'd love to hear from YOU, my readers!

Otherwise I have no idea if I am being effective or not, or if it's worth the late nights or not (I really should be in bed right now with a 5:30am wake up only 7 hours away...).

If you like what you're reading, let me know! Just click on the comments button and leave a short message if this is helping you at all or if you want to share your own TDF rides or music. Or let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like me to cover in future posts.

And watch for my BIGGEST TDF profile of the Tour, Stage 20 up Mont Ventoux - I should have it up for you tomorrow. And perhaps the next day, an update on how my time trial went, with added commentary.

Tour de France Spinning Profile - Stage 18 Individual Time Trial in Annecy

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Sage) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Thursday's time trial in Annecy is going to be a great race to watch, not only because it will be exciting, but it is a stunning setting as well. The helicopters will show expansive views of the surrounding mountains, in which are hidden so many famous cols used in the Tour de France, the Col de la Forclaz, the Col de la Croix Fry, the Col de Tamié, the Col de Semnoz, the Col des Aravis, and more!

Annecy is a fun and happening town in the summer, and I've always thought the route around the lake would be the perfect place for a time trial. The lake itself is spectacular and sparkling clean, and the mountains on the east side overlooking the lake are impressive with jagged rock outcroppings jutting to the sky.

This is an area where the resistance movement during World War II was very strong. I always like to include a little information about where we are riding at my Tour de France Spinning classes, and I've included a little bit of history of the region and some interesting information about the lake in my attached profile. Some of the history you can also use for Stage 17 if you plan on riding that stage which goes through the Haute Savoie. Les Saisies, the 2nd col of that stage, was a resistance outpost in WWI.

I have five self-guided groups I've sent to the Tour de France through my bike tour company, and they will all be at the time trial. They are all going to Stages 16 & 17 in the Alpes and stage 20 up Ventoux as well. One group of two guys are also going to Paris to view the final day.

This stage is guaranteed to be either a deal breaker or a deal setter, as so many of the time trials are in the Tour. In an indoor cycling setting, a time trial is a Race Day class. This will surely be a challenging Race Day to teach, because if you follow the profile, it is mostly flat which truly requires being in the saddle for most of the ride. There are some creative ways to give students moments out of the saddle while still retaining the reality of the experience. I've explained that in the profile.

This route is 40.5 km, or 25 miles. I've ridden around this lake several times myself on bike tours and it is a beautiful "relaxing" ride, half on a well-maintained bike path on the west side and half on the road along the east coast of the lake. However, it certainly won't be relaxing for these pro riders, and they're not going to use that bike path! Top riders should come in well under 48 minutes, with the slower riders at 55 minutes or more. The only hill, the Cote de Bluffy, comes near the end, so it will be even faster on the descent into Annecy. The hill will most likely be taken out of the saddle by some of the riders to gain time, and since it's so close to the finish, going above threshold won't be as much of an issue as it would be if it was earlier in the race. There is a sharp turn towards the end, allowing you to stand up, then sit and power it to the finish.

In the route map below, on the right side halfway up, the Cote de Bluffy begins right after the town of Talloires. The road turns up sharply here with two very tight switchbacks - it's a bit of a shock because you don't see them coming. I call it the Col de Talloires, though it's not named that. It's also a little dangerous because there is a high wall on each side for a few hundred meters (you'll see that in the TV coverage). Cars can't see you and there's no shoulder here, but you have to trust that they'll proceed carefully. But drivers are very aware of cyclists around here; this is a popular destination for cyclists from around the world, and you see all types, from roadies decked out in the finest gear on expensive bikes, to old men with berets on 40-year old bikes, to tourists with their saddles way too low wearing flip flops and no helmets on cruisers, all climbing this steep narrow section.

Choosing music for this race presented a challenge, because this is my 4th TDF profile in 2 weeks and I don't want to repeat anything I've played so far. I wanted high energy songs for the race itself and I wanted as much French music as possible. But most of the electronic French music I have is women's voices (Kate Ryan, In-Grid and Mylene Farmer) and I was challenged with not overloading the playlist with their songs (I admit 3 are by Kate Ryan because hers are a bit faster). I opted for Kraftwerk's The Race to start off the race and was thrilled to use the energetic Texas Cowboy by The Grid as an homage to Lance! The finish was a fun place to use the fast and furious Ca Plane Pour Moi by Plastic Bertrand. [Need French music? Go here.]

Click here to dowload the pdf of the profile. It is 7 pages long, with maps, playlist, cueing and a little bit of history and photos.

Let me know what you think of the profile and the playlist, or let us know if you've come up with a great playlist you want to share. And for sure, let me know how it goes in your class. Just click on "Comments" below and enter your thoughts.

I am teaching this one on Wednesday, the day before the actual race, so I'll have a "fantasy" winner. Much of what I end up saying in the ride will come out in the moment, so I can't write it in the profile in advance, but if I come up with anything lucid, I'll share it with you afterwards!

And just wait...the pièce de résistance will be Saturday's stage 20, finishing with the "HC" climb up Le Mont Ventoux, the "Géant de Provence". I've been saving my best everything - best music, best coaching, best experience - for the penultimate stage of this year's TDF. I hope to post it here for you by Tuesday or Wednesday (I'm teaching it on Friday).