Gimme some climbing luv! 7 hours of climbing music

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!

The Giretto - harder than I ever imagined

It's 4:30 in the morning on Saturday and I can't sleep - jet lag - so I thought I'd update my readers on the Giretto.

One thing I've learned is that it is unrealistic to think you can ride 100 hard miles a day in a foreign country, AND eat and get enough rest and sleep and other logistics AND try to write blog posts. That's crazy thinking.

It's not that I minimized the difficulty of the challenge of riding the first 5 stages of the Giro d'Italia. I knew it would be very challenging. But I didn't realize how hard it would be to do that and do everything else. Eating was a very big challenge at times, in quality, quantity and timing, both during our ride and afterwards. The pro riders in a stage race have others who do everything for them - they don't have to think about anything else. Our greatest challenges, even beyond the miles we were pedaling were getting enough sleep and eating quickly after each stage. We were not very successful at those things.

I am preparing a series of posts on my Cycling in Europe blog, describing stages 3, 4 and 5, as well as some of the difficulties that we encountered, including a visit to the hospital in a small town in Italy by yours truly at 2:00 in the morning after stage 4. No, I didn't crash on my bike (thank God), but my body did "crash" and I overdid it. I will be analyzing how things went from bad to worse, and how to avoid this kind of problem in the future. Hopefully others can learn from my mistake. Make sure to go there and read the other blog (I'll let you know when I've posted).

On this blog I plan to write on how Spinning helped prepare me for this epic ride, especially the mental aspect. Everything I've preached to my students I used last week while cycling in Italy. 

Spinning helped me through the Giretto!

And so did music. I'll also let you know what music I played on my iPod. There were times that I even thought I wouldn't have made it without the music!

As of this writing, United has still not found my bicycle, which didn't arrive with me in Denver. I am grateful that it was not misplaced on the way out to Italy, but it is now over 24 hours and they usually locate things by now, and I'm getting a bit nervous. So cross your fingers for me!

There's something to be said about not getting sore!

As most of you know, I am training for an "epic" ride in italy, the Giretto.

I am chronicling my training program on my cycling in Europe blog (didn't want to overload you all here with that info!) and just wrote a post on how I haven't yet been sore while increasing my training volume. I used to use my soreness as a litmus test for how well I was doing. Kind of silly! But I've never really committed to a training program quite as diligently as I am for this.

It's pretty cool. And it has applications for those of you who might be training for your own event, whether inside or out. 

Read about it here.

Road riding in Las Vegas and a reason to celebrate!

My husband Jeff and I spent the weekend in Las Vegas, which is not my preference for a destination for any purpose. My brother-in-law got married at Circus Circus wedding chapel on Valentines Day, believe it or not! We only got word about 2-1/2 weeks prior. I have to admit, it wasn't as cheesy as I expected, the preacher was actually pretty good. But the hotel sucks. I guess I'm spoiled - if I go to LV I want it to be the Bellagio!

Our flight was very delayed, and we landed after 2:30 am in Vegas, by the time we got to bed it was well after 3:30 am! Pure hell. On the return, our flight didn't leave until 8 pm Sunday evening which gave us time to get off the strip and do something active. We rented road bikes and rode up to the Red Rocks National Conservation Area outside of the city, a 36 mile beautiful loop. Oh it was so nice to move and be active and to get away from the misery and noise and craziness of the LV strip!

Next time I go to Las Vegas (seems like something takes me there 1-2X a year) I'm doing this again. It was a fantastic ride and it felt so good to actually pedal on the open road. But I have to admit, it was very cold, at least for me - low 50's.  I had on leg warmers, arm warmers, 3 layers plus windbreaker, and I bought some great long-fingered gloves that had an additional wind-stopper removable cover that turned them into lobster-finger mittens. I have to say those mittens saved me - I might even turn into more of a cold-weather cyclist because it's the freezing cold hands that turn me off. Mine get so cold I can't feel the brakes, while everyone else around me is laughing at how cold I get! A very good purchase indeed.

We didn't check the internet while gone (which was nice), and I came back to see that this blog has exceeded 30,000 visitors! Now that's a reason to celebrate! It only hit 20K around Christmas so I am really excited. This blog has really grown a lot in the past month, and I am so grateful for everyone who visits regularly. Continue spreading the love, sharing this with all the instructors you know. The more instructors I can help, the more inspired I am! ;-)

Please sign up for my mailing list for updates on the blog, news on upcoming ebooks, conference updates, and more. I hate spam as much as you do, so no one will have access to this mailing list besides me!

And if you're on Twitter, follow me @vivavelo.

Ride on!

Keep it Real appears on cycling podcast!

Exciting news! I had a chance to promote Keep it Real on a cycling podcast, The Fredcast! He posted it this morning and I just got done listening to it. Truth be told, it wasn't my best interview...but it served its purpose (see, we all get overly self-critical at times.)  ;-)

Click here to go the The Fredcast website to listen to the podcast. My interview happens at 29 minutes into it.

Remember, this eBook was targeted originally at cyclists, trying to get them back into the indoor cycling studio. My goal is to teach them how to ride indoors it in a way that was more relevant to their outdoor riding than they might have experienced in many indoor cycling classes.

This entire book concept was borne out of discussions with some hard-core cyclists who swore that they would never go back to a "Spinning" class because of several bad experiences they had with out-of-control instructors doing things that should never be done on a bike. I tried to convince them that it didn't have to be that way!

The Fredcast is a podcast that is targeted to cyclists - people passionate about bikes and bicycling. But I wouldn't call the Fredcast market "elite" cyclists, although there are probably some who race bikes. They simply love to ride their bikes, and like to be around, and listen to, others who love to ride. They need to learn that an indoor cycling class can be an effective and fun way to improve their cycling abilities.

My goal is to bring more cyclists into YOUR classes and MY classes with this book! There is no reason our classes shouldn't be full of cyclists who can't bear to ride in the snow and icy cold, or who can't take another day on their trainer at home (boring). Or even those who live in metropolitan areas or even warmer climates whose schedules only allow weekend outdoor rides on their bikes. They should be begging to ride in our indoor cycling classes; the lines should be out the door. 

But they're not.

You can help me change that! I want to bring them to you, the instructor, the club by promoting my ebook to the cycling market. But we, you, the instructors, need to show them that it is possible to truly improve their cycling performance, their endurance, their climbing abilities, their technique in an indoor cycling class.

I need your help. 

Keep it Real contains everything you need to know to keep your classes relevant to cycling, while at the same time improve the performance and fitness of your non-cycling members. I received this comment a few days ago:

Jennifer, this eBook is the bible of cycling in my opinion. I wish everyone at my club would read this book, it would make their classes much more interesting and SAFE. Thank you, thank you! Lots of GREAT info.

Robert from DC

I've posted a sample of the eBook for you to download for free. Download it and read the intro, the extensive table of contents, and the first chapter.

And if that tweaks your interest a little more, 

click here to purchase the book

or go here to find out a little more about it.

Or share this link with other instructors you know who can benefit from this information (all instructors, in my book!) or cyclists you might know who are hesitant to attend indoor classes.

Together we can bring them into our classes in droves!

If you have an idea of how I can reach more of the cycling market, please let me know! Do you have connections with your local paper, a cycling club or outdoor or indoor cycling events?  I have a generous affiliate program if you think you can encourage several instructors or cyclists to purchase the book. It's very simple.  Email me for information: jennifer@vivatravels.com.

One last piece of great news - the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will be marketing the ebook to all their riders participating in Team in Training rides, so their commission will go to support that great organization! I'm working on several other large cycling events (so if you have any connections, that would be most excellent). How happy that would make me to be able to contribute part of each sale to organizations such as Livestrong, the MS150, Diabetes, the AIDS ride, and help all these causes.

Isn't it great that cycling makes this possible?

Keep it Real in Your Indoor Cycling Classes

Attention cyclists and indoor cycling instructors!

As a cyclist, have you been turned off by indoor cycling classes because they didn't have anything to do with real cycling? Are you bored to tears riding your trainer at home in the winter or when you're too busy to ride outside? Wouldn't you love to be able to take advantage of the motivation, camaraderie and energy of indoor classes to help you stay focused on your training, but you just can't face the aerobics-on-a-bike type of class?

Would you like to know how to maximize your performance and technique in indoor classes?

Then this eBook is for you!

Keep it Real in Your Indoor Cycling Classes is a must-read for both cyclists and indoor cycling instructors alike. Many well-meaning instructors would like to be able to cater to their cycling clientele but they may not know what the specific needs of a cyclist are.

Instructors! Everything you need to know about keeping your classes relevant to cycling is in this eBook!

In this eBook you will learn:

1. the biomechanics of pedaling with a weighted flywheel and the huge implications it has on training techniques, cadence and pedal stroke
   
2. which techniques are applicable to outdoor riding and which techniques cyclists should sit out
   
3. how to select your gear or hill (resistance) and your cadence to best simulate what you do outside, adhering to the rules of "specificity of training"
   
4. 13 popular movements that all cyclists (and non-cyclists alike) should avoid in IDC classes, and why
   
5. how to increase your climbing skills and strength indoors
   
6. how to improve your endurance and aerobic base
   
7. how to periodize your program using indoor cycling classes
   
8. a comparison of heart rate training zone methodologies and how to choose which one works best for your specific goals
   
9. 13 drills for IDC classes to optimize your technique
   
10. 9 high intensity interval profiles to maximize your performance
    
11. and many more tips on how to make the most of indoor cycling classes!
    

No more drudgery of riding your trainer alone, no more inappropriate techniques that detract from your riding skills.

Still not sure? Here's a few comments I've gotten from readers of the ebook:

Jennifer has taken her years of experience as a Spinning Master Instructor and combined it with her years riding outside to produce a simple and concise book on how to take the road inside. She takes the training needs of the outdoor rider and translates them into the dynamics of an indoor cycling class. For those not familiar with some of the training tools and techniques used by cyclists, she provides very straightforward and understandable explanations. Simple enough for the beginner; enough information for the intermediate; but not boring for the advanced rider. Jennifer explains what to look for (and more importantly what to avoid) in a class to ensure a safe ride that can meet all training needs. Written to transition an outdoor rider to an indoor participant, this book is also a must-read for any instructor.

Stephen Grady, Vancouver, BC

Jennifer's ebook is a must-buy guide for roadies wanting to make effective use of Spinning classes in their off-season training. We've all attended those "stereotypical" classes (described in her book) where you perform odd maneuvers such as pedaling backwards in a "hover" position or performing "freezes" to get the burn. Keep it Real shows how indoor classes can be fun and effective preparation for outdoor riding. The book has even inspired me to become a certified Spinning instructor so I can take the class i want by leading one!

Mark Newsome, http://ultracyclist.blogspot.com

Thank you Thank you for your book on indoor cycling. As an avid cyclist and Spinning instructor I feel like I am on an island all alone in trying to get students to Spin properly. The problem is compounded by instructors teaching that the faster you go the better. I just downloaded the book and printed it. As it was printing, I got more excited as the pages rolled off my printer. I can't wait to read the book and apply the principles. And yes, I have been doing things wrong!

Alan, Santa Ynez, CA

This is a fantastic resource and I applaud and thank you! I will definitely recommend this to my instructors, and look forward to more goodies in 2009!

Teresa

I love your ebook. I read it cover to cover. I hate as you do when instructors try and turn a cycling class into something else....isolations and upper body work on the handlebars.

Carol, Chicago

I am almost finished reading your ebook. It is great! I am learning so much, I can't wait to start applying it to my classes.

Charlotte, Pennsylvania

Here's to greater fitness and higher performance, both inside and outside!

Keep it Real has 169 pages with 18 color photos. Once you purchase this eBook you can download it immediately and begin improving your performance while having much more fun!

In Vélo Veritas!

(you'll find out what that means in the eBook!)

MY NEW RIDE!!

We interrupt the regularly scheduled programming to bring you the latest news flash..........

Can I brag for a moment??

After  hemming and hawing about which new bike and which gearing I should get...I finally ordered my new bike a few weeks ago and I picked it up last Friday!

First, let me fess up. Some of you already know the story (desribed on Innercycling and my Facebook page), but around mid-summer I was returning from a bike ride with a personal training client (love those kind of training sessions), and was blabbing on my cell phone (about Spinning no less) as I pulled up to my house, pushed the garage door opener and proceeded to drive the car into the garage. Normally standard procedure...but with a bicycle on top of the car, it doesn't work too well. The bike went flying off the back, but not before dragging the dropouts of the fork along the roof of the car. That's not a good sound.

Now, when my husband did this same thing 7 years ago, his Giant bicycle exploded into 3 pieces and crumbled around the car. My Serotta, however, looked fine. There was no visible damage, and I thought I had been spared. When I took it for a ride the next day, there was a little catch in the headset as I turned. So I rode the 1/4 mile to my LBS, and upon closer inspection, Frank, the bike shop owner, showed me how the top tube was buckled where it met the headset, and the fork was splayed about 1/2" forward. We're talking barely visible. Being titanium, the frame was irreparable, and the carbon fork as well.

Thus began my search. The Serotta was almost 7 years old, and back then I paid a lot of money for it but never really loved it, if you know what I mean. But the replacement estimate floored me - I had no idea it was worth that much! My home owner's insurance covered all but $1,000, which still allowed me to get a brand spanking new kick-butt dream bicycle with top-of-the-line components (especially with the great deal Frank gave me)! Believe it or not, the Serotta was slated to be put on E-Bay the following week - I had only taken the photos the day before. In the meantime, I'd bought an interim very nice slightly used Orbea Onyx that would hold me over until could get the bike of my dreams next year. (As it turned out, it was a tiny bit too big for me).

Funny how the universe works! I'd been wondering this past year how to get a new bike! Jennifer Klau, a former Master Instructor for Spinning asked me if it was "intentional velo-cide", and I responded that it wasn't but that perhaps the subconscious did have something to do with it; maybe it was "involuntary velo-slaughter."

Well, here she is. She's the most beautiful shade of dark rosy pink, almost magenta, so I thought I'd wear my beautiful Spin Odyssey pink jersey on her maiden voyage.  

Carbon Orbea Diva, with full Dura-Ace components and Dura-Ace wheels, and compact gearing with a 12-28 in the back. (i.e. excellent gears for the big hills around here).

My Serotta only had a 27 in back and I always longed for just one more gear (or two or three), and was almost going to get a triple, but got talked out of it by a woman in the bike shop who was my age and said, "Jennifer, you and I will get triples when we're 80. I'll go ride with you and tell you how you're climbing and what you need to work on."

As it turns out, she works with Chris Carmichael (Lance Armstrong's longtime coach) so she is someone I'll listen to! (After I ride with her, I'll post about it here!)

The maiden voyage was up Bachelor Gulch, my local litmus test for not only my fitness, but also where I've test ridden any bike or gearing I'd been considering. 5 miles of consistent climbing with no break, an average grade of about 8% and easily 13% in parts. Steeeeeeeep. When I know I'm going to ride Alpe d'Huez or another big col in France, this is the one I train on.

My fastest recorded time on my Serotta was 57-ish minutes (although I may have done it faster when I wasn't timing it). A few weeks ago, on a borrowed Orbea with only a 25 in the back, I did in 54 minutes. That one hurt (I had to stand up a lot due to the lower gearing).

On Saturday, I did it in 47:43 - mostly seated! I was shocked when I realized I was on the final switchback. Yes, I was over my threshold and breathing hard for much of it, but in no way did I realize I was going that fast. And the 28 low gear worked liked a dream - it was still challenging, but my cadence didn't drop to 50 rpm like it did with the 27.

[NB: The above photo is just at the top of the climb. Notice the snow on the mountains in the background - that had fallen the night before. Around here, winter is just around the corner]!

Was it the bike???

Or was it me (as Spin Bob from the forums suggested on my Facebook page)?

Maybe I shouldn't give the bike all the credit! Maybe it's those Spinning classes! ;-)

Anyways, I cannot wait to take this one over to France next year. I'm doing Alpe d'Huez for certain with my bike tours, so if you want to come join me, email me! 

And if you know anyone looking for a fabulous used bike, I will be putting that interim Orbea Onyx on E-Bay and/or Craig's List later this week. 51cm, Full Ultegra, 11-23 cogset (not good for these hills, unless you're a Cat 1 or 2 racer). Upgraded Full Speed Ahead wheels.  Note: Onyx's have long top tubes - my new 53cm Diva has a slightly shorter top tube than this 51cm Onyx. Contact me for more info: jennifer@vivatravels.com

Lance Armstrong returns to race another Tour de France

After a few days of viral rumors, Lance Armstrong announced that the rumors were indeed true, that he wanted to make a comeback to racing and win an eighth Tour de France (along with racing several other races next year).

Now, as the owner of a bicycle tour company, one that takes people to ride part of and experience the Tour de France, I was elated to hear this news! Once Lance disappeared from the cycling scene, my inquiries for my TDF tours took a nosedive, and I think this could bring a lot more people back to France. The above photo I took on the Col de la Croix Fry in 2004, when his key domestique was Floyd Landis (in front) and his two biggest rivals, Ulrich and Basso were salivating right behind him on the climb. We were 1 km from the top of the climb in this photo, and Lance took off and won the stage not far after the descent from this mountain.

But aside from my ulterior, purely business motives, the other part of me was thinking that I'm not so sure it would be a good idea for him to un-retire. I mean, there are a lot of people waiting to re-unleash their doping accusations of him. The fact remains that of the last 2 Tours that he won, many of the racers who placed 2nd through 10th are gone, ejected from cycling from failed doping tests. Landis, Basso, Ulrich, Vinokourov, etc. The fact that lance never failed a doping test hasn't deterred his detractors.

I was also one of those who really enjoyed this year's Tour de France and the emergence of some new faces and names, and am excited for the opportunity open to them next year. Vande Velde, the Schleck brothers Andy and Frank, Kim Kirchen, Bernard Kohl, and more. (Cadel Evans is not among my favorites so I didn't include him, although he'll probably do well). Lance's presence takes away a little bit from their opportunities, but I guess competition is competition! It will be interesting to see what happens if Lance is on the same team (Team Astana, managed by Lance's team manager from US Postal and Discovery teams) as Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer. The latter two cyclists were the 1st and 3rd place winners from 2007, and they couldn't race in 2008 when their team Astana was barred from the Tour this year. Astana should be allowed in 2009, and Contador will want a shot at being a team leader again, as will Leipheimer, and with Lance on their team, the chances are slim - they might have to jump ship to get their opportunity.

However, any doubts that I had about Lance's return were dispelled after I read the Vanity Fair interview.  It's quite long, but it really describes Lance's reasoning. And I like it! I'm sold, and I'll be supporting him next year. I'll even pull out my yellow bracelets again!

So here's to Lance returning to the Tour de France next year!

And if you ever had an inkling of desire to come watch the Tour and ride some of the famous cols in France, then email me to get on my waiting list NOW, because I have a feeling my tour will sell out quickly! Or, if you think your Spinning students would be interested, let them know to contact me soon.  Thanks for spreading the love! jennifer@vivatravels.com

FYI, I'll be providing all my tour clients with a training program that can be done in indoor cycling classes. If you can get together a group of students who might be interested, then I'll even help you create a TDF training program at your facility. (And I'll give you referral commissions for helping to promote it. contact me for more information).

Allez! Allez!

ps here's an article from VeloNews saying that Christian Prudhomme, race director of the Tour de France, welcomes Lance to race in next year's Tour.

pps: as this topic relates to indoor cycling, this news will make your next year's Tour de France program even more interesting and exciting! Make sure to bookmark my series on how to create Tour de France profiles in your indoor cycling program!

Alpe d'Huez, Part 1

Alpe d'Huez. Just the mention of the name engenders awe in the hearts and minds of cyclists passionate about climbing the big cols of Europe. There is something very magical and mythical about this mountain; it has an allure that is difficult to explain. It's not the longest, nor the most difficult climb in the Tour de France, but it is definitely the most famous. 

Alpe d'Huez is 13.8 km long, about 8 miles. It has an average grade of 7.9%, an 11% 'wall' at the bottom of the climb, and 21 switchbacks, or as the French call them, "lacets" for shoelaces, that snake back and forth to the ski village at the top. 

First, a little background on my attraction to Alpe d'Huez, and tomorrow, I'll post the profile of my popular AdH ride presented at WSSC and other conferences around the country.

I have ridden AdH 3 times and have driven as sag support for my riders numerous other times. My first time there was in 1988 but I didn't get to ride it, and I longed for years to return. I was in the middle of a 2,500 mile solo, self-supported bicycle odyssey around Europe and took a train to Grenoble in order to ride up the Alpe d'Huez for the Tour de France.

Very long story very short...my French was lacking at the time and I misunderstood about my bike arriving on the train with me... it didn't! "Mais non, mademoiselle! Ca va arriver dans 3 jours!"  It's arriving 3 days later? I was devastated. Fortunately I had my panniers, tent and sleeping bag (back then I was into roughing it. Today, give me a fancy hotel), and hitch-hiked to a nearby campground in Grenoble (about 2 hours from AdH). I met many people going to the stage, and got a ride with a Swiss guy named Christian the next day, the day before the stage. We battled the traffic and found a place about 3/4 up the switchbacks of the Alpe, where he could barely nose in his old stationwagon. He had his bike and rode down and up, and I just hiked around, broken-hearted to be at the Mecca for cyclists without my bike! We befriended our neighbors, shared a meal and slept in the back of his stationwagon which was at a serious tilt. There was no available flat spot to set up a tent.

I remember getting up at 2 am to go to the bathroom...and having to dodge traffic! The cars continued to arrive all night long, as they would be closing the road the next morning.

I hiked around the next day and explored the village a few miles further up. The Tour didn't arrive until late that afternoon.

This was the year Greg Lemond had been shot in a hunting accident, so he wasn't there, but what excitement it was! (Someday I'll have my slides converted to digital). Pedro Delgado won the stage, and was later charged then cleared of failing a drug test. Afterwards we drove slowly back to Grenoble with tens of thousands of other cars, picked up my bike at the train station, and Christian dropped me off at a campground in Annecy a few hours north. It was July 14th, Bastille Day and I was treated to an amazing fireworks display. The next day it snowed as I crossed the mountains of Switzerland...

The next year, 1989, I began working in France as a tour guide for a bicycle tour company but never had the chance to go back to Alpe d'Huez until an amazing opportunity fell into my lap. I was asked to be a tour guide on a bicycle tour to the Tour de France with Greg Lemond in 1999! This exciting tour could take several pages (I've got LOTS of stories about Greg), so I'll keep it short for now. As the guides, we dropped off the clients 10 miles from the base of ADH, so they could ride as a "peleton" up ADH with Greg the morning of the stage, decked out in their colorful Lemond team jerseys. After parking the vans, we were able to climb up. This is one of the only photos that I've scanned into digital, of my co-guide Saunie and me prior to riding up ADH in our Lemond jerseys, gloves and bikes.

Climbing the 21 switchbacks of Alpe d'Huez lined with tens of thousands of people cheering you on is delerious. Few words can describe the exhilaration and motivation it provides. I was in such a daze from the surreal situation I found myself in, I remember thinking that the people around me seemed to move in slow motion. Some offered water or even beer as I climbed! There were far fewer women climbing than men, and we attracted a lot of attention. I seriously bonked 2/3 of the way up (that will happen when you're so preoccupied you forget to eat). I straddled my bike and stuffed my face with a melted chocolate energy bar. Just a few minutes later I felt my energy return and rode triumphantly to the top where we had a private lunch scheduled with Greg and some Tour VIPs.

I think my time was under 2 hours, but I didn't really time myself. There were so many people along the way that we couldn't go fast, and it was fascinating people watching as we rode!  Also I had to stop and eat, and we were actually sent a different way than the official route by a policeman for the final 4 km, so we had to make our way through town.

Later, Giuseppe Guerini won the stage, despite being knocked over by an over ambitious fan taking a photograph! Lance was somewhere near the top - this was the first year he won the Tour. Two days earlier, we had VIP passes behind the scenes at the arrivée in Le Grand Bornand where Lance took the yellow jersey for the first time. Afterwards, Greg had a private meeting with Lance in his team bus to congratulate him and give him his advice. The next day, our entire group packed into Greg's hotel room to watch as Lance won the stage in Sestriere. I remember Greg saying, "He didn't take any of my advice!"

Hmmm, I wonder if that was the original source of his ire with Lance that surfaced years later?Probably not, but it's fun to say I was there!

In 2004 I sagged my own tour group as they climbed it the day before the infamous time trial. It was so mobbed on that day, I'm not sure I would have enjoyed the ride that day quite as much as I did in 1999. The photo below was sent to me from Ron, a Spinning instructor who actually was there for the stage in 2004 and saw Lance when he passed Basso!

In 2005 I set my own personal best. I took a group in June whose goal was to beat Sheryl Crow's allegedly reported time of 1:38. My best rider was a woman who rode it in 1:16, and she said she never stood up once; just sat in her saddle and churned the pedals! After supporting them as they climbed and afterwards were happily settled at a bar to celebrate, I jumped on my bike, descended and rode up. My time was 1:26, but I can tell you I was in some serious pain. 

Last year, I took another group and rode the Alpe by myself prior to their arrival (the photo at the top of the page).  This time I didn't push myself as hard, and was only 10 minutes slower (I still beat Sheryl Crowe!) but I was in infinitely less pain.  On this tour, I had one very fit rider, Mark, who rode it in 1:02. He was unhappy with his time and calculated that if he went a little slower at a lower heart rate at the tough bottom section, he could do it faster overall. He and another client went back the next day (while the rest of us rode another beautiful route) and rode it again; this time his time was :58!

His wife Anne, by the way, also rode up (non-timed) but she rode for two! When her son was born almost 6 months later, she was able to say he got to ride up Alpe d'Huez. Here's a very funny story: the two of them plus two others (Kim and Brian) who were on that tour are all Spinning instructors. They all came to WSSC this year and rode on stage with me in my ADH ride. A week later, Anne called me and said Alpe d'Huez must have a special effect on her - she returned from WSSC and found out she once again rode Alpe d'Huez for two (albeit indoors) - she's pregnant again!

As you can see, I have so many fond memories of this mountain. If you want information on how to go and climb Alpe d'Huez on a self-guided tour, or want to put together your own group at your club for a private guided tour, contact me! I am convinced that with a little training, even primarily in Spinning classes, almost anyone can do this famous climb... You can reach me at info@vivatravels.com. 

And check back tomorrow for my Spinning profile of Alpe d'Huez.

Climbing Independence Pass, May 18, 2008 from Aspen, Colorado

This isn't a Spinning Profile (although I can turn it into one! Just sit and climb for 2 hours with very little standing climbs until the very end)! It's an annual ride my husband and I do with friends each year. It becomes our benchmark for our cycling fitness. It's the harbinger for summer riding around here. Independence Pass is one of the highest passes in Colorado and goes over the Continental divide at 12,095 feet. From Aspen, it is 18+ miles, with over 4,000 ft of elevation gain, at an average of 4% grade (much steeper at the top). This will be our 7th year riding the pass the weekend before Memorial weekend. They clean the road, clear it of snow and debris, and hold an organized race on Saturday. We go on Sunday, with just a sprinkling of other dedicated cyclists in Colorado. It is still closed to cars until Memorial weekend, so it is an amazing experience, and strikingly beautiful.  

It takes between 2 and 3 hrs for the average cyclist (depending on your training and your bike). Elite cyclists of course can do it much faster. My goal is to beat 2h15 this year. Mind you, almost all of my training is in Spin classes, because I am a wimp, and I just do not like riding outside with lots of clothes on, and I get very cold, very fast. I do not mind, however, climbing while staying warm and then piling on the clothes for the cold descent. 

Except if  snow is actually falling - I draw the line there. Only once in the last 6 years of riding The Pass did I turn around about 2 miles from the top when it was snowing and my teeth were already chattering. On the descent I was shaking so much I could barely brake.

Now, don't let that scare you if you are thinking of coming to join us on this ride! I get cold faster than almost anyone I know - many others we ride with (including my husband) don't even bother with leg warmers, heavy gloves and might only put arm warmers and a windbreaker on for the descent, and they tease me about the amount of clothes I personally need! Besides, 5 out of the past 6 years we've had great weather, often with very warm temps at the bottom, and sun the entire way until the very top.  There's always snow at the top, but that makes for great photos.  This year, with the record snowfall in Colorado, I imagine there will be walls of snow for the final few miles, but I am still counting on a sunny day (the eternal optimist in me). And if it's not, we're still climbing! (Uh, unless it snows, I'll be turning around and heading for the hot tub, but I guarantee the others will still climb). 

This is an invitation to anyone who wants to join us to come ride with us on Sunday, May 18th, 2008! We stay in Aspen the night before on May 17th, usually at The Gant and ride from there. Often we'll do a pasta-feed pot luck. If you live anywhere near Aspen, you can also just join us in the morning. We try to leave around 9:00-9:30 depending on the weather. After the ride, we celebrate with beers and Mexican food in town.

For more information, please contact me at jennifer@vivatravels.com.  And get out and climb, climb, climb! (Or do a lot of Strength rides in your Spinning classes)! Remember, you are much stronger and more efficient in the saddle over long climbs. Save your standing climbs for when you need power, and for the final push.