Turn-the-economic-woes-around Strength profile

I'm interrupting my planned post on communication and cueing (check Saturday morning for the next chapter on that one) because of what has happened today.  The Dow fell to below 900 for the first time in 5 years, over 7% in one day (and most of that in the last hour of trading) which is about 39% below where it was one year ago today.  I hear non-stop worry around me, the energy almost everywhere is one of gloom and doom. Don't listen to all this! This stock market "crash" is only bad if you start taking your money out. It WILL get better! The banks won't fail, federal reserves around the world are taking action. STOP watching TV, and transform your thoughts into ones that are positive, forward thinking and that point you in the direction you want to go, not where everyone else is going. The ones who worry the most, are the ones who will suffer the most. That is guaranteed.

A thread on Innercycling got me thinking about my class tomorrow. Sandy said she was going to put a playlist together for her class tomorrow with the general theme of let's ride this one out...for her anti-economic failure/crashing stock market/high unemployment/house foreclosure/no credit class. You can read on that thread what my response was (similar to my first paragraph above).

I also teach tomorrow morning, and Sandy's post inspired me to put together a special playlist and profile.  I call it my "Turn-the-economic-woes-around" class.  You can download it here, with the playlist, and an explanation of why I chose the songs I did.

EDIT. Friday after my ride...

They seemed to get a kick out of it this morning, and it was a great workout! The smiles came when the song Money started. I have never used that song in a Spin class, and it worked great for a climb.  When I returned to the theme of my ride here and there in the class, I didn't belabor the point, but just highlighted the lyrics that were chosen to provide inspiration to look for the positive in all of this chaos! I think everyone really appreciated it.

Just to let you know, you can get the following songs from this playlist on eMusic (for free if you are not yet a member - just click the icon on the top left of this blog):

• Seven Mary Three - I love the lyrics "Hey, everything's gonna be alright, everything's gonna be alright, and if it's too hard to say it now, say it anyhow."
  
• Collective Soul
  
• Orbital - One Perfect Sunrise [IMO EVERYONE needs this song, regardless of which genres you primarily use. Of all my 9,000+ songs on my iPod, it's the one that I play when I want to feel better. Such great energy, such optimism, such a great rhythm!]
• Indart, Chus & Ceballos - Buenos Momentos. eMusic has an EP by these guys with three versions of this great song. It's the perfect rhythm for jumps on a hill!

You'll also see a recommendation to get the song Free Your Mind from iTunes. It's only $.99 - go get it and listen to the words!

Viva Travels gets more press!

I have a great series of posts scheduled for the next week or so, starting tomorrow. It will be on the subject of improving communication and coaching skills in your IDC classes. So make sure to come back tomorrow. I'm going to ask you to interact with me and the rest of the Funhogspins audience by posting your questions and comments on the subject. FYI, the Funhogspins blog is getting over 100 hits a day, and I'm getting emails from as far as Germany, Sweden, Costa Rica and even Cambodia from IDC instructors around the world! Way cool, I am sooo grateful! Keep spreading the word. :-)

BUT, in the meantime, I have another exciting thing that happened yesterday to share with you. While at Interbike last week, I met up with Ed Pavelka of Roadbikerider.com, an excellent newsletter for roadbike riders (signup on the site to start receiving the newsletters). I am an advertiser on RBR for my bike tours, and have communicated with the owners a bit over the past two years. Ed was actually the one who gave me the idea of writing an ebook on using indoor cycling to train for outdoor riding, because they sell ebooks on their site. So I have been sitting on this concept for over a year now...  

In Las Vegas last week, he reiterated the importance of getting this done before winter, to reach cyclists who have to come indoors for the season. It's great motivation for me to light a fire under myself and finish the dang thing! 

I also spoke to Ed about further promotions for Viva Travels in the future, including advertising and an affiliate relationship (where I would give them commissions for every referral). But I never dreamed that he would write about our meeting in this weeks Oct. 2nd newsletter!

Yesterday morning I woke up to three information requests via my website and three direct emails about tours, all before 8 am (and quite a few more later on). Hmmmm, what's going on? This has never happened! Then I saw the RBR newsletter and saw my name and his great write-up. This is such incredible PR, especially since their distribution is about 80,000 readers. 

Note that the link above reverts to the current issue each week, with new issues coming out every Thursday, so if you click that link after Oct 8th, you won't see what Ed wrote about me. I'll cut and paste it below:

Sage Concepts. I met one of RBR's advertisers, Jennifer Sage of Viva Travels, for the first time. What a go-getter! She described her revolutionary concept for cycling trips to France and other countries that will significantly cut the cost but not the quality. She was due to meet her banker for 6-figure funding (not a very good week for that). But she's the type of person who won't be deterred. Jennifer is also a credentialed indoor cycling instructor who is completing her manuscript for an RBR eBook, right on time to make a winter on the trainer more productive and even enjoyable. Watch for an on-sale announcement in a month or so.

OK, I think the gantlet's been thrown down regarding the eBoook, and I have NO WAY to back down now. And I think I better hire someone to help me with my  bike tours, because I can hardly keep up with the inquiries. Did someone say there's a bad economy out there?? They must be watching too much TV! My recommendation: don't buy into it. Stop worrying, and start acting. For me and Viva Travels (and for my Spinning blog and commitment to IDC) there is nothing but good things ahead!

Regarding that meeting with the banker he talks about...keep your fingers crossed for me. Here in the Vail Valley, we've only been slightly affected by what's going on in the rest of the country (in fact, our home is going on the market soon as Jeff finishes building us a new one...and we're confident we can get what we're asking). There are still some very solid banks out there who didn't make bad loans who still have capital to lend (and lending is a large part of their business, so they still gotta do it)! The credit hasn't dried up 100%, contrary to what the media will tell you, and I'm hoping that I can sell my concept well. Whew! This will be a first for me. If anyone is in that line of work and has tips, I'd appreciate them. My meeting is late next week...

Oh, one last thing. Ed titled this little blurb on Viva Travels "Sage Concepts". Ed has no way of knowing that Sage Concepts is the name of my husband's general construction business (the subject never came up so I certainly didn't tell him). Isn't that a cool coincidence??!!

[disclaimer: Sage Concepts website is a work in process and is not completed.]

Thanks for reading and see you tomorrow!

Strength Profile - Kilimanjaro's Magic

You are really going to be excited about this ride. Not only is it challenging, with plenty of variety and opportunity to motivate your students, but the music selection marries beautifully with the theme of the ride, which is the magic of climbing Kilimanjaro.

My guest instructor today is Victoria Chavarria from Costa Rica. Victoria is a very passionate instructor - I hope to one day have the opportunity to ride as a participant in her class, because Costa Rica is high on my list of places I want to visit (hey! and maybe do a bicycle tour down there)!

Victoria told me, "I have this dream of visiting different mountains, and Africa has 2 of them, which is why I made a profile inspired on that dream." Well, she really did a fantastic job at it. 

Her description of choosing the music shows that she really puts thought into her playlists. She said, "I like to give them music they have never heard before because in that way they can't relate it with any other person, time, experience or thing other than what they are feeling in precisely that moment."

If you have the opportunity to find some of these songs, I think you will really be moved at how the music matches the intended purpose and theme of the ride. There are some magical moments in this playlist! Some lilting and soothing, some powerful and energetic, all of it rhythmic, as there are no shortage of drums in African music.

Or, as usual, you can take the clever profile and put your own music and objectives to it. However you do it, your students will appreciate the ride.

Click here to download the profile.

My second interview on a podcast!

The autographs and photos with the big guys at Interbike were cool, and the steal of a deal on Shimano custom-fit shoes, and the gobs of Sport Beans by Jelly Belly that I walked away with, and the goniometer I scored for free for proper bike fit (you guys are gonna love this - I'll write a full post on proper fit on an indoor bike later, and on how using a goniometer can simplify your life)... 

All these things were awesome.

But I was there to network, and seek contacts and vendors and potential partners for my bicycle tour company, specifically for the new product that I am developing (and seeking investors for), and basically to promote my bicycle tours.

In this area, I scored big time, which made the show a screaming success for me! David Bernstein, the creator of The Fredcast, a cycling podcast, was part of the panel on utilizing Web 2.0. We set up an interview on Friday where he asked me specifically about my current customized self-guided bike tours. Here is that interview.  I'm telling you, you cannot pay for that kind of PR! No amount of advertising can explain a business in the way an interview like this can. He interviews a lot of people at the show, so if you don't want to listen to it all, you can let it load, then go ahead to 36 minutes into the podcast, where my interview starts (it's only about 4-5 minutes). Actually the guy before me is from Hammer nutrition - it's pretty interesting, and there's someone who is passionate about his product.

And, if you're a cyclist, you may want to sign up for the weekly podcast to be streamed right into your iTunes. You can find that link on his website.

He also told me he would like to interview me again when I get the new product up and running - this product will be perfect for his demographic. 

I also met up with Ed Pavelka of roadbikerider.com, who is urging me to finish my ebook on Using Indoor Cycling to Train for Outdoor Riding, because they plan to sell it on their site. My hope is to have it completed by end of October (otherwise I'll miss out on the best selling season). That's a tall order - if you think I'm busy now...just wait! 

Ed is a great guy, and honestly just loves the cycling world. If you're a roadie (or wannabe) and you don't get their weekly newsletter, you should be!

I spoke to a lot of companies about selling their products either directly (retailing them) or indirectly (through affiliate relationships) - things my bike tour clients will need, like bicycle cases for transporting their bikes, handlebar bags, Garmin Edge cycling computers with GPS, gear, clothing, books, etc...

Now I've just got to hire someone to help me build this part of the business. Retail is not me - I want to be out there creating the tours and blogging about it, and riding in France with my clients!

Who I met at Interbike

I saw Frank from my local bike shop (LBS) at the airport in Las Vegas on Tuesday and we shared a cab to the hotel. He's been a longtime attendee so he gave me some tips for my first Interbike experience. I asked how to get to the Sands Convention Center and after describing the circuitous route through several casinos, he said, "Basically, just follow the shaved legs!"

And sure enough, the next morning, I had a few of those to follow, as well as some bikes being wheeled over (they had to wheel them through several casinos). This group of mostly shaved legs made for a good photo op, but they aren't nearly as shapely as some of the other ones I saw. Some good eye-candy there (if you're into well-defined legs)!

But I could have also followed the all-body tattoos, because Interbike is a lot more than just roadies - you got your mountain bike culture, MBX, fixies, cross bikes, cruisers, electric bikes, commuters (a massive growing segment due to high gas prices), children's bikes, etc. It's a huge retailer's event (your LBS was probably there) and this picture below gives just one view of one tiny corner of the floor.  

And there's a lot of PR going on at the show. I was able to get a few autographs and photos (ok, I'm a self-proclaimed cycling geek), here's a few:

Christian Vande Velde (or VdV as his coach calls him) - a big name from this past Tour de France on Team Garmin Chipotle, with several yellow jerseys to his name.

Tyler Hamilton, team Rock Racing. Tyler's looking a bit haggard, but he just won the Road Racing Championship. His team's a little, uh, unconventional. But really, the nicest pro-rider I talked to, a fellow Coloradan, so we talked about our favorite rides. He was just in Vail last weekend for a PR event (when I was down riding near Boulder, his home town).

Notice my Alpe d'Huez t-shirt as I stand next to George Hincapie, from Team Colombia! For many years he was Lance's chief lieutenant on US Postal and Discovery teams. I always thought he kinda looks like a chimpanzee (a cute one), and it's even more evident in person. He's always been one of my favorite pro riders. Last year at the tour, I had one goal at a particular stage - to get a photo of George at the food zone grabbing his bag. Check out the awesome photo I got of George!

And yes, of course, Lance was there. I happened upon this opportunity by accident. I walked by a big line wrapping around the Oakley booth, and asked what it was about. When I heard it was Lance, I got in line, and soon they came out with wrist bands to give to those in line - they only gave out 200 and Lance would only sign those and then he was done. I was towards the end of the 200 they handed out!

One of my favorite people I met, Fatty of Fatcyclist.com. Such a kind, down-to-earth, laid-back, funny, humble human being! He was there to take part in a panel on using Web 2.0 (the next phase of the internet, such as blogs, podcasts, videos, social networking, etc). I even got a Fat Cyclist t-shirt for me and my husband. He said he'll do what he can to promote my tours with links! And with his readership, that can be a great thing!

I saw Greg Lemond and went to talk to him (he didn't have huge lines waiting for him). I stood in front of him and said, "Greg, do you remember me?" He said I looked familiar but needed help... "Greg! 1999, Tour de France. I was a guide and soigneur on your tour to the Tour!" Of course, he remembered then, and we spent about 20 minutes reminiscing. That was an amazing opportunity - worthy of its own post (I'll have to dig out the photos and scan them). Let's just say, Greg Lemond likes to party, and we all drank champagne one night at a hotel in Grenoble until 4 am, the day after we all climbed up Alpe d'Huez, where we had a helicopter take the clients from the top of ADH and fly them to the hotel in Grenoble so they didn't have to deal with the massive crowds. We, the guides, drove the bikes back in the vans. It's been 9 years, so I can't fault him for not remembering!

But, the current Greg Lemond is not my favorite person - I think he's doing more harm than good to cycling. He was practically a heckler at Lance's press conference at Interbike (which I missed). There seemed to be a lot of anti-Lemond sentiment at IB.

I also met Daniel Bernstein of the Fredcast, a cycling industry podcast. I wanted to see about the possibility of getting some exposure for my company on his podcast, and I explained to him my idea for the new do-it-yourself bicycle tour product and he loved the idea and wanted to interview me about it. But when I told him that that product is only in the development stage, he said maybe we should wait until it's ready and he'll interview me sometime next spring. I talked him into interviewing me about my current custom self-guided tours and we set up an interview for the last day. You guys can't imagine what great PR this is, and as soon as it's available, I'll be posting it here!

On the first day, I saw another long line and I thought, "who else's autograph can I get?" It was at the Shimano booth, and I found out they were actually selling their top-of-the-line custom heat-molded cycling shoe that retails for $350 for only $100! After an hour wait in line, I got both mountain and road shoes for $215 with tax - which would have cost me $700 plus tax! You had to schedule the custom fit for a later time so I had mine molded on Friday morning - very similar to getting a ski boot fit, and i can tell you, I've never had such a comfortable cycling shoe on my feet! It would have been a little excessive had I gotten ones for Spinning - instead I'll convert my Sidi's to my Spinning shoes and put the rest on eBay (used cycling shoes? You wouldn't believe what people buy on eBay!!) My husband is so jealous he can't stand it! 

So this trip was an absolute success in many ways!

Back from Interbike

Got home at midnight last night. I have plans to post some photos and tell some cool stories, such as I got interviewed on another podcast, this one for the cycling industry which is the absolute best PR one can hope for (for my bike tours), or the fact that I got Lance Armstrong's autograph (and other cyclists).

So this show was a fantastic success! But it's amazing how fatigued you can get from walking around on a trade-room floor, to over 1,000 vendors, stuck indoors, for 3 days. Today I was too exhausted to do much, although I made myself get out on my bike and enjoy the incredibly beautiful fall weather we're having (we're in full autumn foliage here in the Rockies). So tomorrow or Monday I'll post pictures, and later this week I have some more profiles and great indoor cycling tips.

BUT, I have to share a post from Fat Cyclist. I arranged to meet him at the show and attended a panel that he was a part of on using Web 2.0 (things link blogging, podcasts, video, social networking, etc). The bicycle industry as a whole is a little slow to adopt these tools, but those of us who are leading the way, well, the future looks really exciting!! (I count myself in that pack, although I haven't been as active on my cycling blog as this one - I've got to change that soon).

Anyway, here is Fatty and me at Interbike! Since he has such a huge readership, this is pretty exciting!

Interbike Trade Show

I will be heading to Las Vegas from Tuesday through Friday to Interbike, the largest bicycle industry trade show in North America. It's my first time to this event, so it will be a bit overwhelming (over 1,000 vendors). It's the place where they unveil all the exciting, fun new stuff in the industry. I only just recently decided to go, thinking it will be a great place to connect with the movers and shakers of the bicycle industry. Being that I have a great new concept for bicycle tour travel that may move and shake this industry, well, I think I need to be there!

My plan is to talk to anyone with a heart beat who might be potential vendors, affiliates, joint venture partners, marketing partners, etc, for my new business concept. It's a high-tech, online do-it-yourself self-guided concept for very affordable bicycle tours. I plan on changing this industry. And when I do, you'll be the first to hear about it! Until then...it's hush-hush because no one else is doing what I'm planing...yet. (In the meantime, I'll still do my regular bicycle tours).

One thing that will be quite fun is that I will meet with Elden, the Fat Cyclist. He's going to be on a social media panel for Web 2.0, a panel which will be discussing things like blogging, podcasting, Facebook, etc (all things I'm very into lately). I've made arrangements to meet up with Fatty and hope to bring home a Fatcyclist T-shirt!

I'm also going to meet up with the boys from roadbikerider.com, and hopefully a few other podcasters or online media organizations I've contacted.

So, wish me luck. I'll be pounding the concrete for 3 days, solo. Maybe someone will feel sorry for me and invite me to an industry party - I better pack my party clothes! ;-)

If I can find some time to post while there and bring you some of the details of this crazy event, I'll try if I'm not too exhausted. Or if I have to recover with a cosmopolitan by the poolside instead, I'm sure you'll understand!