Fitness, San Pedro Sula Style

Wouldn't have expected to find my favorite motivational fitness quote in Honduras, but here it is!
Thanks, Expert Fitness Studio! 

What Hit Me?!

Workout
1.  There's a Beast and We All Feed It - Jake Bugg
2.  Slumville Sunrise - Jake Bugg
3.  My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark - Fall Out Boy (Live Victoria Secret)
4.  The Phoenix - Fall Out Boy (Live Victoria Secret)
5.  Rebel Yell - Scooter
6.  Hotel California - Eagles (Nextasy Remix)
7.   And We Run -  Within Temptation
8.  Dangerous - Within Temptation
9.  Pumpin Blood - NONONO
10. So So Fresh - Nico Vega
11.  Going to Hell - Pretty Reckless
12.  Give Me Hope - New Politics
13.  Make Me Wanna Die - Pretty Reckless
14.  I Am Electric - Heaven's Basement
15.  Trouble - Neon Jungle
16.  All The Boulevard Storytime She Said - Nightwish vs Greenday vs Katy Perry vs TATU
Cooldown
17.  Word Crimes - Weird Al
18  Billie Jean (Live) - Aloe Blacc

Classic Rock. Classic Ride

Victory Lap

Unleash Your Inner Ninja Warrior!

This playlist features blocks of three songs by each artist and motivational sports videos of top athletes doing some very inspiring things.  Favorite goes to Kacy Castanzaro and her first-woman-ever status in the America Ninja Warrior competition!  Our workout follows the artist blocks, but use it as you like!

Playlist
1.  Love Runs Out - One Republic
2.  If I Lose Myself - (Alesso vs One Republic Remix)
3.  I Lived - One Republic
4.  Summer - Calvin Harris
5.  Under Control (Alesso Remix) - Calvin Harris
6.  Drinking From the Bottle - Calvin Harris ft. Tinie Tempah
7.  Fever - The Black Keys
8.  Gold on the Ceiling - The Black Keys
9. Lonely Boy - The Black Keys
10. And We Run - Within Temptation ft. Xzibit
11.  Paradise (What About Us?) - Within Temptation ft. Tarja
12.  Dangerous - Within Temptation ft. Howard Jones
Cooldown
13.  Flowers in Your Hair - The Lumineers
14.  Ho Hey - The Lumineers
15.  Big Parade - The Lumineers

Pedal to Palate
The salad of the summer is making its way to the breakfast, lunch and dinner table!

Kale
Fresh garlic (lots of it in big chunks)
Pine nuts
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Olive oil drizzle
Sea Salt

This recipe is courtesy of my friend (and doula!) Kristin O'Connell, founder of D2C, the Devoted to Children Foundation that supports orphans and abandoned children in Haiti.  In addition to building homes for kids who have none, Kristin fosters an environment of healing through the practice and principles of yoga.  When I think of a healthy life personified, it's Kristin's imagine that appears.

The Heart in Heartbreak Hill

A workout in honor of the upcoming Boston Marathon.  To all those who lost their lives...all those who survived... and all those who are stronger today than they were yesterday.  It's about reflection and motivation.  As filmmaker J.J. Miller reminded the nation in #WeWillRun, Boston is "a city built by rebels."  And, today, at our core, this is still who we are.

The workout is Heartbreak Hill after Heartbreak Hill - with some particularly heartbreaking and heroic video hitting at minute 20 as marathon victims return to the finish line.




Love you, Boston!

Levi's & Emerald Eyes: A Big Bang Ride

When scientists announce that a South Pole telescope detects ripples in space that provide a 'smoking gun' for the Big Bang Theory, the reverberations make their way into our spin studio! 



Playlist
1.  Counting Star/Timber Mash-Up -  One Republic vs Ke$ha
2.  King For A Day (Live) - Green Day
3.  Silent - Archive (Levi's & Emerald Eyes)
3.  Animals - Martin Garrix
4.  Don't Bring Me Down Remix (DJ Lucky) - Electric Light Orchestra
5.  Bigfoot - W&W
6.  Eye of the Tiger - Survivor (The original must be played in class at least once a year.)
7.  Face Down - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
8.  This is War - Thirty Seconds to Mars
9.  Enjoy the Ride - Krewella
10.  We Are The Champions - Green Day Live in Reading
Cooldown
11.  Stanford Professor learns his "Inflation Theory" (something he came up with 30 years ago) is proven to be the "smoking gun" in the Big Bang Theory! Very touching surprise.
12.  Lady - Regina Spektor (with performance by Ukraine's Got Talent)

See video open for Class Profile.

The Big Bang news made me think about forces colliding in the universe.  Coupled with Archive's video for Silent - that shows other kinds of forces colliding in our world - I found myself connecting the two with poetry.  The vulnerability and longing that defines so many pursuits - artistic and scientific - is first and foremost found in love.  Pablo Neruda at his best:

After everything,
I will love you
As if it were always before
As if, after so much waiting,
Not seeing you
And you not coming,
You were breathing close to me forever.

Close to me with your habits,
With your colour and your guitar
Just as countries unite
In school room lectures,
And two regions become blurred
And there is a river near a river
And two volcanoes grow together.

Close to you is close to me
And your absence is far from everything
And the moon is the colour of clay
In the night of quaking earth
When, in terror of the earth,
All the roots join together
And silence is heard ringing
With the music of fright.

Fear is also a street
And among its trembling stones
Tenderness somehow is able
To march with four feet
And four lips
Since without leaving the present
That is a fragile thing
We touch the sand of yesterday
And in the sea
Love reveals a repeated fury.

Week's BEST OF

We've had some great times this week!  And in the spirit of the mash-ups that have defined many music choices, this class profile is a mash-up of our favorite cycling training moments over the past seven days:  Power Techniques, Sprints, Climbing Walls.



Playlist (and Class Profile)
1. Beast And We All Feed It - Jake Bugg [Warm-Up]
2.  Come With Me Now - Kongos [Warm-Up]
3.  Lighting Bolt - Jake Bugg [Warm-Up/Openers]
4.   Betty Got Jacked Mashup - Loo, Placido [Power Technique and your Zeitgeist Moment Of The Day:  the strangers-kissing-for-the-first-time stills that have been all over social media the past few days? Here's the video!]
5.  Sharp-Dressed Man - Nickelback [Sprinter Hell Ya!]
6.  Barracuda (DFuse Hiratzka Mix) - Heart [Climbing Wall]
7.  Heads Will Roll (ATrak Remix/Project X Movie Music) - Yeah Yeah Yeahs [Power Technique]
8.  One For the Money - Escape the Fate [Sprinter Hell Ya!]
9.  Enjoy The Ride - Krewella [Climbing Wall]
10.  Shoot To Thrill (Iron Man) - AC/DC [Power Technique]
11.  Trouble - Neon Jungle [Sprinter Hell Ya!]
12.  Bring Me The New Little Sickness - Evanescence vs Disturbed vs Marilyn Manson [Climbing Wall]
Cooldown
13.  Happiness Has a Hole - Marie Louise, Michael Fragstein
14.  Take Me To You (Social Butterfly Soundtrack) - Rim Laurens feat. Daisy Stoloff

Fun Thought
Today is a finger-snapping kind of day!

Mash-Up Madness

Oh this is a fun one!  In all my 25 years of teaching and training, this is one of the playlists I've enjoyed the most.  So much so that I used it twice in as many weeks - with two different class profiles. Every song is a mash-up and It. Is. Madness!

Playlist
1.  Stayin' Hot - Nelly vs Bee Gees
2.  Timber Counting Stars - Ke$sha vs One Republic
3.  Where Have You Been Judas - Rihanna vs Lady Gaga
4.  Careless Rebel - George Michael vs Billy Idol
5.  Can't Hold The Fire Starters - Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, Prodigy, Talking Heads
6.  Sweet Dreams Without Me - Eminem vs Eurythmics
7.  Livin'  La Vida - Coldplay vs Bon Jovi
8.  Time For Our Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men vs Imagine Dragons
9.  The Gang Bang Theory - Madoona vs Nancy Sinatra Kill Bill
10  Lady Judas - Lady Gaga vs Judas Priest
11. Germany The Rock Harmony - Avicii, Awolnation, System of a Down, Fifth Harmony
12.  All the Boulevard Storytime She Said - Nightwish, Greenday, Katy Perry, TATU
Cooldown:
13.  Fat Bottomed Girls Come Together - Beatles vs Queen
14.  Shake The Scientist - Florence & The Machine vs Coldplay

Class Profile
My favorite profile with this playlist is a Power Technique Class.   This workout gets progressively harder, and challenges us to maximize our power while pedaling as efficiently as possible.  Knowing how to activate different muscles at different times is a helpful and powerful skill that this class will help you refine.


Five Sets of Five Techniques: 
1.  Shoe Scraper.  This pedal stroke activates the butt cheeks, glutes and hamstrings for more climbing power and cycling speed.
2.  Knee Thruster (or Thurster as I saw fit to spell it in the video open).  Unlike the Shoe Scraper that activates the back side of the body, the Knee Thruster does the opposite.  This pedal stroke is all about putting the front of the body to the test - the hip flexors, quads and tibialis muscles.
3.  Scissor Kick. Combo of Shoe Scraper and Knee Thruster. While one leg does one pedal stroke, the other leg does the other.  Then switch.
4.  Wagon Wheel.  Big Daddy of the pedal techniques.  Full stimulation of all the muscles simultaneously.
5.  Hover.   Standing version of the Wagon Wheel.  Ouch!

Techniques are done in order for one minute each.  Each set is 6 minutes (because the Scissor Kick is done for two minutes - one minute with L Shoe Scraper, R Knee Thruster, one minute with R Shoe Scraper, L Knee Thruster). After the 5 sets, I cherry pick my favorite techniques for varying amounts of time with varying tension/speed.  Sets progress in power output by adding tension (1 gear for each set) while maintaining a cadence range of 85-95RPMs.

Pedal to Palate
One of my favorite things about class is our healthy recipe swapping!  Ever tried Greek yogurt french toast?, William asks innocently on his way out of class.  Stop right there! Couldn't be easier:  For the egg/milk dip, just replace some milk with Greek yogurt.  On the plate you've got a creamier, sweeter breakfast - that gives you a little protein boost to boot! 

Great Quote!
Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.
- H.G. Wells

Sprinter Hell...Ya!

I started with this name for the class:  Sprinter Hell.  Because a class focused on speed training to develop quickness and explosive power is hellish.   But in an effort to embrace it... to cultivate the craving for it... I opted for Sprinter Hell Ya! 

This is a full-gas, high velocity-level workout.  The challenge is to do various sprint-level efforts with minimal recovery, calling again and again on your anaerobic energy supply until your body is shaken to the core. I expect that after the first set you'll be feeling pretty great. And you should! But the thing about anaerobic training is that you feel it the most after the work is done.

There are three energy systems in the body (ATP-CP, Anaerobic Glycolysis and Aerobic Glycolysis), and two of them are anaerobic energy pathways (ATP-CP and Anaerobic Glycolysis). That means they function without oxygen. These are the two that we're tapping into with this workout in a major way. 

It helps to understand how the body converts energy in order to understand what's happening in your body and to improve athletic performance.

ATP-CP:  Sometimes called the V8 of the energy systems, ATP-CP stands for Adenosine Triphosphate - Creatine Phosphate.  Both ATP and CP are stored in muscle cells.  There isn't much stored, but that's okay because the importance of this energy system comes from how fast the energy is available (immediately!) not how much.  This system gives you the ability for maximum intensity over a short (10-15 second) duration before fatiguing. Our Sprinter Hell Ya! training will help develop this energy  system.

Anaerobic Glycolysis:  If ATP-CP is the V8 engine of the energy system, then consider anaerobic glycoloysis as the V6.  This system produces a lot of power, but not quite as much or as quickly as the ATP-PC system.  And because the fuel supply from this system is bigger, it doesn't conk out as quickly as the ATP-PC system.  This energy system uses carbohydrates to create ATP for energy.  Glucose is broken down to make ATP and lactic acid. Training this system is aimed at increasing tolerance to lactate, the removal of lactate and improving the rate at which glycolysis produces ATP.  Developing it is going to increase anaerobic power, local muscular endurance, speed and muscular power.


Playlist
We Will Rock You - Britney Spears, Beyonce, Pink
House vs Rock 2012
Gorky Park Electro House Rock Agosto 2012 - Nivana, Red Hot Chili Peppers
House Electro Mix 2013 (April)
Cooldown
I Wanna Be Sedated - Ramones
Tous Les Même - Stromae

Class Profile
Warm-Up
:30 Sprint / 1:00 Recovery x5 [Z5/Z6 Power - that's 5-25% above Threshold (Z4) Power, 95/100 RPMs in Sprint, whatever you want in Recovery]
Full Recovery
:20 Sprint / 1:00 Recovery x5 [Z6/Z7 Power]
Full Recovery
3:00 Lead Out [Z4] / :30 Sprint [Z6/7] / 2:00 Recovery x4
Cooldown

Great Quote
...to those of you who have ever felt injustice because of who you are or who you love, tonight I stand here in front of the world with with you and for you.  - Jared Leto, Oscar Speech

Party With Me

There are all kinds of ways to motivate yourself when you've set fitness goals.  One of my favorites is to participate in group fitness classes because of the the human connections that are formed, and the shared experience of pain and triumph. In the group fitness environment, you're not only learning new techniques that will increase your fitness level, you're also meeting like-minded friends, staying accountable to yourself (and others), and working harder than you might flying solo.  And with lots of people exuding energy and enthusiasm, you're bound to have more fun.

That's why I'm dubbing this workout video "Ain't A Party Without You!"  Together - we instructors and all of us fitness seekers - are on this incredible journey together, to support one another and to believe that tomorrow we will be even better than we are today.

As is often the case with my videos, there are many zeitgeist moments here thanks to Tonight Show clips (isn't Jimmy Fallon rocking it?!), the latest baby-pandas-caught-on-tape-acting-adorable video, and just-released music from Kid Cudi, Bayside, Markus Schulz and Grouch&Eligh.



Playlist
Jimmy Kimmel, Paul Rudd Lip Sync Battle (Warm-Up)
Never Gonna Wake Up (Mashup) - Avicii and Rick Astley
Pigsty - Bayside
Love Don't Die - The Fray
Hit It - American Authors
Laila - Blue System
Turn Me On - David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj
All These Lights - The Grouch and Eligh
Return of the Moon Man - Kid Cudi
Ain't a Party Without Me - David Guetta
The Race - Thirty Seconds to Mars
Mango (Sunburn Afterparty in Goa) - Markus Schulz
Invisible (Live on Tonight Show) - U2
Cooldown
Siren's Call - Cat on Trees
Best Day of My Life (Acoustic) - American Authors

Class Profile
I used this video/playlist for an Optimized Speed Workout.  5 Sets.
First Set:  4-min at threshold (Zone 4, RPE 7, ~90RPM), 1-min power increase of 20-30 Watts (accomplish this spike in power output by going faster, increasing your tension - or both)
Second Set:  4-min at threshold (Zone 4, RPE 7, ~90RPM), 1-min power increase of 20-30 Watts
And on and on...follow this pattern throughout the class.  The 20-30 Watt increase every 5th minute will push you into Zone 5 (RPE 8).  It's a lot like a time trial workout as we do our best to have high power output throughout the class.  stay at threshold or above for the entire If you've done Functional Threshold Power Training to determine your threshold number (also referred to as Zone 4), this is where you'll start and where you'll recover. Yes, recover. It is incredibly difficult, and it can only be done with training.   There are 3 Goals for this class:  (1)  Stay Low and Narrow: Aerodynamic.  (2)  Optimize Your Leg Speed.  (3)  Train To Recover in Zone 4 (RPE 7).

This workout combines the tension and low RPMs from our muscular endurance classes with neuromuscular coordination and strength that will eventually turn into greater power production and efficiency at your goal speed.  Also important to this workout is that Zone 4/5 (RPE 7/8) training is near your Lactate Threshold.  The Lactate Threshold is the point in a workout where your aerobic respiration is replaced by anaerobic respiration - a change that is defined by an increase in lactic acid.  When you train near LT, you improve your body's ability to process lactate (i.e. get rid of the garbage that's accumulating in your body), and you teach your muscles to conserve glycogen and glucose fuel sources.  Upshot?  It'll take you longer to poop out, and you'll get faster at higher power outputs.  Now that sounds like a plan!

Thought of the Day
That's something that I think is growing on me as I get older:  happy endings.  - Alice Munro, Pulitzer Prize Winner in Literature (2013)

Cycling Sans Frontieres

I scoured the music charts from around the globe to share sounds and sights that will make you feel no boundaries!



Playlist

Unbelievers - Vampire Weekend (#1 BethMurphyLand)
Sirens Call - Cat on Trees (#2 France)
Come Back to Me - HollySiz (#131 France)
Zorun Ne Sevgilim - Irem Derici (#9 Turkey)
Red Lights - Tiesto (#10 Norway)
Black Pearl (He's a Pirate) - Rebel feat. Sidney Housen (#5 Belgium)
Shot Me Down - David Guetta ft. Skylar Grey (#6 Luxembourg)
Jubel - Klingadne (#3 Italy)
Alpha - Kollegah (#3 Germany)
King - Ahzee (#2 Belgium)
Black Angels - Blutengel (#10 BethMurphyLand All Time Spin Fave)
Sacala - Daddy Yanke (#15 BethMurphyLand All Time Spin Fave)
Engel - Divamee (#11 BethMurphyLand All Time Spin Fave)
Cooldown
Formidable - Stromae (#7 France)
Stolen Dance - Milky Chance (#7 Switzerland)

This is a Climbing Wall Progressive Profile Class:

10-min Warm-Up
3-min Climb (Z3, 5% Gradient, RPE 7, RPM 80-90)
1-min Wall - ADD 3 Gears (:30 standing, :30 seated)
4-min Climb - 1 Gear higher than 3-min climb - (Z3+, RPE 8, RPM 80-90)
1:30 Wall - ADD 3 Gears (:45 standing, :45 seated)
5-min Climb (1 Gear higher than 4-min climb)
2-min Wall - ADD 3 Gears (1:00 standing, 1:00 seated)
Recovery
3 Sprints @ :30 each with :30 Recovery
4-min Climb (if possible, 1 Gear higher than 5-min Climb)
1:30 Wall - ADD 1, 2 or 3 Gears (:45 standing, :45 seated)
3-min Climb (highest gear can handle without dipping below 60RPMs)
1-min Wall - ADD if you can (:30 standing, :30 seated)
Recovery
2 Sprints @:30 each with :30 Recovery
Cooldown

Bikes to Books
My February Vacation reading list was dominated by some phenomenal memoirs!  I'll rate the reads here:

1.  Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.  I can't imagine my life without having read this book. An absolutely astonishing story of triumph against all odds.  A ten.

2.  Wild by Cheryl Strayed.  Exceptional.  I laughed, I cried, I loved Strayed's story and the physical and emotional journey she takes us on after her mother dies. A ten plus.

3.  The Splendid Things We Planned by Blake Bailey.  Excellent.  I loved Bailey as a biographer before, and even more so here as he turns his attention to his own dysfunctional family. An eight.

4.  Low Down:  Junk, Jazz and Other Fairy Tales From Childhood by A.J. Albany.  Decent read, but not high on the recommendation list.  I just have a fundamental problem with someone claiming to vividly recall events - and the nuances of those events - at the age of 3. Maybe that's why the word "fairytale" is in the title - and it is as disturbing as a gruesome Grimms'.  It also suffered from having been read after Glass Castle which was exquisitely written. A five.

5.  One non-memoir read:  The Moons of Jupiter by Alice Munro. I hadn't read any Munro before this year, but was inspired to because of her 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature win.  Her short stories are beautifully thought-provoking. I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.  A seven.

Thought For The Day
Even a toad has four ounces of strength. (Chinese Proverb)

Joy, Bras and Post-It Notes

Do anything, but let it produce joy.

(Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass)

Our joy today comes from knowing we're getting stronger - and, ultimately faster - with a high tension, moderate power ride.  Adding to the joy?  A hot model in a $10 million dollar bra and fun tracks from Jake Bugg, Nico Vega and Neon Jungle! 

It's a purpose-driven workout with the goal of time under tension.  And to do it, we have a progressive workout that keeps continuous tension on the legs, core and back - something that builds muscular strength and translates into future speed.  

After the warm-up, muscular endurance sets are 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 minutes (with 1-2 minute standing recoveries between).  Each minute progression in the sets is accompanied by gear progression (an additional gear with each set). RPMs are low - 65-70 RPMs throughout.  Posture is low, aerodynamic.

Whether you're using this playlist to cycle, run or lift, it's a good time to consider pushing a little harder, taking the risks that lead to bigger rewards.  Think you can't handle one more gear?  Try it.  Don't assume failure. Risk bringing yourself to the point of failure to know how much strength and endurance you really have.  Only then can you train in a way in which you'll experience improvement.

Playlist:

There’s a Beast and We All Feed It – Jake Bugg

Slumville Sunrise – Jake Bugg

My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark – Fallout Boy (feat. Taylor Swift)

The Phoenix – Fallout Boy

Going To Hell – The Pretty Reckless

Make Me Wanna Die – The Pretty Reckless

Flagpole Sitta – Harvey Danger

So So Fresh (Outlaw Country Version) – Nico Vega

Fury Oh Fury – Nico Vega

Afterlife -  Arcade Fire

FU – Miley Cyrus

NoNoNo – Pumpin Blood

Contact - ATB

Shot Me Down (Extended) – David Guetta ft. Skylar Grey

Trouble – Neon Jungle

 Cooldown

 I Know It’s Wrong – Hurray For The Riff Raff

3am (Acoustic) – Rob Thomas

From Pedal to Palate

The latest snow storm have you dreaming about summer BBQ?  Even the most culinary-challenged among us can handle two ingredients:  Salmon, BBQ Sauce.  Don't be stingy with the sauce!  Marinating is nice, but not necessary.  And if you're looking to elevate your status from chef to hero - whip up some mango salsa to go with it (mango, red pepper, onion, cilantro, jalapeno chili pepper, lemon juice, lime juice). 

Arts Highlight
"Witness Uganda" at the A.R.T. in Cambridge is one of the most stunning shows I've seen.  It's the true, honest and thought-provoking story of a young man who goes to Uganda to make a difference and then struggles with whether he's doing more harm than good.  What happens to him and how he grapples with his own ignorance about humanitarian aid work and the corruption he sees would be compelling enough, but it is accompanied by music and dancing that reaches the soul.  Broadway-bound, no doubt!

A post-it wall in the A.R.T. lobby asks theater-goers to finish this sentence:  "I Witness..."  My 6-year-old daughter Isbabelle wrote this after finding "hope, love and friends" in the performance.  That says it all.  

FTP Test Day!

It’s supposed to be hard. If it weren’t hard, everyone would do it.  The hard is what makes it great.   - Tom Hanks, A League of Their Own

I love FTP Test Day!    

*Note: We are using Keiser Bikes with power meters

Testing Functional Threshold Power (FTP)  on a regular basis - once every 6 weeks or so - is the ideal way to see how your passion for cycling  is translating into progress.  Knowing your FPT – and improving it -  is hands down one of the most important things you can incorporate into your training. 

During an FTP Test Day, the question you are trying to answer is this:  How much power can I exert for a full hour without reaching fatigue?   To get the answer we don’t do a 60-minute time trial (you could, but it doesn’t rate high on the fun scale!).  Instead, during our hour-long class we do two proxy tests of 10 minutes each and then subtract 5-8% to approximate FTP.  (There are lots of different profiles, and another favorite of mine is a 20-minute test.)  

While RPMs and gear will vary person-to-person, there are some guidelines to consider:  pace of 90 RPMs, gear somewhere between 15 and 21.  What should not vary person-to-person is your Rate of Perceived Exertion.  On a scale of 1-10, you should feel an exertion level of 8 or 9.  For. The. Entire. Time.  Anything more, you’ll conk out too quickly; anything less, and you’re not working hard enough. As with most things in life, it's tough to find balance, but by about 3 minutes into the test, you should have a good sense of whether you’ve come out too strong or not strong enough.  This is a good timetable for judging most things because it yields that perfect mix of adrenaline and angst. 

FTP is also sometimes called Lactate Threshold Power (LTP), because it’s the most power – watts – we can throw out without the muscles succumbing to the exhaustion that happens when lactate builds up during high intensity efforts.  The more fit you are, the better you’re able to clear the toxins (lactates), and, therefore, the better able you are to match your energy supply to your energy demands.

There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to determining your FTP.  The key is to know yours, so you have a baseline for improving your fitness level. You’re working hard, and this is a concrete number that says, “Hell ya! All this pain is worth it!”  Even gains that seem modest (an FTP increase of 3-5 Watts from one test to another) is excellent because that seemingly small watt increase gives us incredible gains over time.

This FTP Test Day Playlist pulls from trending YouTube videos and 80s Rock to an Olympic Science Lesson and Hollywood Blockbuster.

• 1 Mother Son Epic Wedding Dance (Warm Up)
• 2.     Get Lucky – Russian Army Choir (Warm Up)
• 3.     In My Dreams – Dokken (Warm Up)
• 4.     Paradise City – Guns ‘n Roses (Openers 3 x :30 with 1:00 recovery between each)
• 5.     Dreams – Van Halen (10 minute FTP Time Trial begins)
• 6.     Run To The Hills (Live in Rio) – Iron Maiden (TT continues)
• 7.     Blame It On The Boom Boom – Cherry Stone (TT ends during)
• 8.     If I Ever Leave This World Alive – Flogging Molly (Recovery)
• 9.     Wake Me Up (Avicii Cover) – Red Hot Chili Peppers (Recovery)
• 10. ASAP Science “Can Music Improve Athletic Performance” (Recovery)
• 11. Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop) – Scatman John (2^nd 10 minute FTP TT Begins)
• 12. Panic Switch – Silversun Pickups (TT continues)
• 13.  Palladio – Escala (TT ends during)
• 14.   Hotel California – TQ (Cooldown)
• 15.   Happy – Pharrell Williams (Cooldown)
  
  You rock.

Unleash Your Inner Olympian

I am building a fire, and everyday I train I add more fuel.  At just the right moment, I light the match.  

Get the gas can! We're adding fuel!

This quote from two-time Olympic champion Mia Hamm is one of two favorites I’ve encountered this week.  The other is by Voltaire:  The most important decision you can make is to be in a good mood. 

Together, they’ve inspired this workout by reminding me that everyday we have a chance to internalize the most enduring qualities of an Olympian:  passion and commitment (because passion alone can't fuel a dream).  This “Sochi Sprinters” playlist/profile is designed to tap into your will to commit and desire to win...and to spark some smiles.  And although there is much to criticize socially and politically in Russia, I would like to thank the Sochi Olympics for one musical victory:  reuniting T.A.T.U.

Video highlights to the playlist include "Best Of" Winter Olympics clips, the 1980 Miracle on Ice, record-breaking ice skating performances and a skydiving Queen!

Playlist:

1.  Welcome to Sochi
2.  You are Made of Love (Original Extended) – Ferry Corsten
3.    James Bond Theme – Moby’s Extended Mix

4.   Not Gonna Get Us – T.A.T.U.
5.  Faster, Harder – Scooter
6.   Nessaja (Original and Ultimate Club Mix) - Scooter
7.   Sweet Child of Mine vs Mr. Brightside – Guns 'n Roses vs The Killers - DJs From Mars Bootleg Remix
8.  You Are the One – Shiny Toy Guns
9.  Titan - Blasterjaxx and Badd Dimes
10.   Pyres of Varanasi – Thirty Seconds to Mars
11.  Do Or Die – Thirty Seconds to Mars (followed by a little more Pyres of Varanasi)
12.  The Kids Aren’t Alright – The Offspring
Cooldown:
13.   Lyudi Invalidy (Piano Version) – T.A.T.U.
14.   Everything Will Change – Gavin DeGaw (Official Song of Team USA 2014)

Class Profile:

~10 minute Warm Up
:30 x 5 -  Zone 5/6
1 minute recovery between each of the :30 sprints
3 minute recovery following the full set
:20 x 5 – Zone 6/7
1 minute recovery between each of the :20 sprints
3 minute recovery following the full set
Lead Outs followed by Sprint 
3:00 Lead Out (Zone 4) and :30 Sprint (Zone 7) x 3
2 minute recover between each 3:30
Cooldown

This is a class designed to (1) activate the Type 2 muscle fibers; (2) teach the body how to keep calling on the anaerobic energy system; (3) train the body to better recover from anaerobic energy use.  The workout is a killer (at least it should be if you're doing it right!), and can break us during class, but it’s a challenge like this that takes us to the next level of performance. 

Keep in mind, Zone 4 is your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) - the maximum average power you can sustain for one full hour - so all of the sprints are happening above threshold.  (For example, Zone 5/6 is 5%-25% above threshold, so if your FTP is 200 watts, you’re aiming for 210-250 watts during your sprints.) There is no tension release during recovery.  Tension stays high, and your power output during recovery is decreased to below threshold by decreasing RPMs.  Sprints are done seated, standing and as a combo – I provide cues for each sprint, but also provide opportunities for participants to choose whether they’d prefer to be in or out of the saddle.  Sprint RPMs range 90-110.  Recovery RPMs range 55-70.

My dish didn't really look like this,
but since I downloaded this
random Crabmeat/Avocado Salad
pic, I thought I'd share it with you!

 Pedals to Palate:

On my way to Chicago today to speak at ABA’s Mid-year Conference, I found this superb dish at Legal Sea Foods.  Home recreation is a must!

Crabmeat lightly mixed with whole ground mustard plopped on top of half an avocado and surrounded by olive oil-drizzled cukes, tomatoes, scallions and egg.  Simple, light, healthy, delicious! 

  

Three For Thursday

I'm picking my faves from all these artists to help us have a memorable workout:  Foo Fighters, Bush, One Republic, Muse, and Caro Emerald.



Playlist:
Hero - Foo Fighters
Times Like These - Foo Fighters
Best of You - Foo Fighters
Machinehead - Bush
Baby Come Home - Bush
Glycerine - Bush
David Guetta Coldplay vs One Republic vs Otto Knows Fix You vs Apologize (One Republic!) and Million Voices
Counting Stars (Basic Physics Remix) - One Republic
Feel Again - One Republic
Neutron Star Collision - Muse
Follow You - Muse
Resistance (Tiesto Remix) - Muse
Cooldown:
Just One Dance - Caro Emerald
I Belong to You - Caro Emerald
One Day (Live) - Caro Emerald

For Instructors:
Foo Fighters Warm-Up and Openers
Bush Climb
One Republic Sprints
Muse Climb w/Attacks
Caro Emerald Cooldown

What you do speaks so loudly, that I cannot hear what you say. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Happy Birthday, Facebook

From Bono and the Brooklyn Bridge to butt-kicking Openers and Tabata training, we're finding lots of reasons to get out of bed and trek through the snow to get pedaling!  After a quick Happy Birthday to Facebook (without which we oldies would have a much harder time feeling cool), we dig in with a little two-for-Tuesday with back-to-back U2 and Depeche Mode and a head-clearing climb.



And the Playlist/Class Profile is...

Warm Up
Invisible - U2
I Will Follow - U2 (Live under Brooklyn Bridge) [One-legged drills]
Workout
Enjoy the Silence - Depeche Mode (Mike Shinoda Remix) [Steady Climb]
Personal Jesus - Marilyn Manson (DM Cover) [Steady Climb continues]
To Lose My Life - White Lies [Steady Climb continues]
Bring Me To Life - Evanescence [1 min Steady Climb con't then Recovery]
Zapatou Best of Web 4 [8 x :30 Openers @ RPE7]
Sail Into the Sun - Gentlemen Hall [Recovery]
Work Hard Play Hard - David Guetta (feat. Ne-Yo and Akon) [5 x :30 Openers @RPE8]
Michael Jordan - Carnage and Tony Junior [Continuation of above]
Background - Barcelona [Recovery]
Boys of  Summer - Ataris [Tabata]
Cooldown:
Say Something - A Great Big World (feat. Christina Aguillera)
Miss Mood - Novika (Satin Jackets Remix)

Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. (T.S. Eliot)

Giving Thanks

Every morning my mother goes to church and prays to all nine choirs of angels. Organized in three groups of three angels each, the choirs have a hierarchy you might expect in order to get from her heart to the Big Man himself.  First are the Angels of the World that hang around us.  The Angels of the Cosmos inhabit the space between us and Heaven.  Finally, the Angels of Pure Goodness (the archangel variety) hold the highest rank and sit right next to God.

Together, they may just have worked a miracle this week with a car crash in our family that could have been devastating. Instead, we are giving enormous thanks.  And this video is all about the things I'm feeling grateful for… from family and random acts of kindness to men in skirts and a little boy's imagination.

What are you feeling grateful for today?



Playlist:
Best Day of My Life - American Authors
For The Girl - The Fratellis (video: Prancercise)
Wanna Mashup - Highway (video:  Wellfleet's Twerking Snow Bears)
Where I Belong - Nine Lashes (video:  Random Acts of Kindness)
I'm Your Sacrifice - Ozark Henry feat. Amaryllis Uitterlinden
Hope - New Politics
Wake Me Up (Avicii Cover) - Red Hot Chili Peppers (Bagpipes!!)
Holding Out for a Hero - Euro Dance Mix (video:  Luka's Imagination)
Love Me Again - John Newman (video:  Being Present for Family)
Little Lion Man - Mumford and Sons
Poseidon - Sean Tyas Remix (video:  JFK's Most Inspiring Speeches)
Loud and Proud - Blasterjaxx and Billy the Kit
Cooldown:
God's Counting On Me, God's Counting on You - Pete Seeger
This Is Water - David Foster Wallace (The. Best. Speech. Ever.)

I structured the ride as a countdown... 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

First 10 minutes:  Warm-Up and Standing Climb
9 minutes:  Running on Hill (15, 30, 45, 60, 45, 30, 15 second runs w/breaks in between)
8 minutes:  Seated Climb
7 minutes:  Seated Spin Ups that begin out of the saddle (again, 15, 30, 45, 60 seconds and descend)
6 minutes:  Standing Climb
5 minutes:  Running on Hill
4 minutes:  Seated Climb
3 minutes:  Spin Ups (10, 20, 30 seconds)
2 minutes:  Standing Climb
1 minute:   Running on Hill for full minute

I feel that my whole life is a contribution. 
- A quote from Pete Seeger who taught us about the power of song through his incredible music and activism.  Seeger passed away this week at the age of 94.

Up, Down, Uppandown

Say hello to this morning's Uppandown Climb Profile! After the Warm-Up, we head right into our climbs.  Bastille starts us off with a standing climb (RPE 4) followed by alternating seated and standing climbs for the remainder of the workout.  Rate of Perceived Exertion and Watts climb consistently, as we increase our gears with every standing climb and don't back off when we drop back into the saddle.   Song #14 is the final standing climb, and I encourage you to have a standing-only resistance level going for this one.  At various points during the workout, we rev up our power with some timed short speed bursts. 

Lots of new-and-never-before-played-in-class on this list...



Warm-Up
1. When It Ends It Starts Again - ATB feat. Sean Ryan
Workout
2.  The Silence - Bastille (RPE 4)
3.  Background - Barcelona (RPE 5)
4.  All the Way - Timeflies (RPE 5)
5.  Land of Opportunity - A Great Big World (Day 19 Performance) (RPE 6)
6.  Surrender - Nine Lashes (RPE 6)
7.  Hot For Teacher - Van Halen (RPE 7)
8.  Don't Stop Levels - Avicii feat. Journey (Levels Bangers Max-Mix) (RPE 7)
9.  Shakin' - Eddy Money (RPE 8)
10.  Alibi - Thirty Seconds to Mars (RPE 8)
11.  Do or Die - Thirty Seconds to Mars (RPE 9)
12.  Loud and Proud - Blasterjaxx and Billy the Kit (RPE 9)
13.  House of Gold - Twenty One Pilots (RPE 10)
14.  Everyone is Gay - A Great Big World (RPE 10)
Cooldown
15.  Love is to Die - Warpaint
16.  Remurdered - Mogwai

If you imagine it, you can achieve it.  If you can dream it, you can become it. (William Arthur Ward)

Seeking Redemption

This is the Redeemer Ride.  It's inspired by two of my favorite news stories of the week:  lighting striking the middle finger of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, and a nun giving birth to a baby boy in Italy. Catholic guilt followed the laughs these stories provided, and seeking redemption seemed the right way to go! 

The workout consists of doing a series of 3 challenging things (Spin Ups, Steep Climb, Attacks).  This series is repeated 4 times with the goal of increasing Watts (power output) each step in the series. Workout begins with a 2 song warm-up lasting about 7 minutes.   The opening video - the brilliant and newest Bad Lip Reading video - helps get the smiles going!  I use body weight as an indicator for tracking Watts.  Having the goal of reaching, maintaining, and exceeding your body weight in Watts works well for most intermediate indoor riders. 



The playlist is...

Warm-Up
1.  Bad Lip Reading NFL (hilarious) Set to Armin Van Buuren's Save My Night (Seated Flat)
2.  I Hold On - Dierks Bentley (Standing Flat)
Workout
3.  Big City Nights - Scorpions (Spin Ups)
4.  Pompeii - Bastille (Big Climb)
5.  Yo No Se - Pajama Party (Attacks)
First Set Complete
6.  We Will Rock You - Queen/Tiesto Remix (Spin Ups)
7.  There Goes Our Love Again - White Lies (Big Climb)
8.  Papaoutai - Stromae (Attacks)
Second Set Complete
9.  Ways to Go - Grouplove (Spin Ups)
10.  Lady - Chromatics (Big Climb)
11.  Stronger - Kayne West (Attacks)
Third Set Complete
12.  Hope - New Politics (Spin Ups)
13.  Black Betty - Ram Jam (Big Climb)
14.  My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark - Fallout Boy (Attacks)
Final Set Done
Cooldown
15.  Your Bones - Of Monsters and Men
16.  My Head is a Jungle - Wankelmut





An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head. (Emil Zatopek)

I Have a Dream Ride

There's a Tabata-esque quality to this I Have a Dream Ride.  Max effort happens for 3 minutes - 5 times.  Recovery in between each of the 3 minutes with a longer recovery at the end of the 5 sets.  Next effort - sustain maximum power output for 6 minutes - just once.  Final max efforts are 1 minute each - 3 times.  This is great training for the body to understand maximum efforts for varying lengths of time - knowing when you're giving too much, and appreciating when and how you can give more.   We can take some lessons from our experiences with short and long-term relationships:  Only with longevity do we understand what we are truly capable of and how much we're willing to both give and sacrifice. Only once we see the truth of ourselves today can we determine how to behave tomorrow.  If being yourself feels like a gift - keep doing what you're doing.  If being yourself feels like the greatest burden on earth - change.   If there's something else there in the middle - screw it.  Being the best we can be cannot possibly involve something as inherently mediocre as the middle. 

Lots of evidence throughout this music video of people believing in their dreams and making them come true.



PLAYLIST
Warm-Up and Workout:
1.  MLK I Have a Dream (Mix House 2011)
2.  MLK I've Been to The Mountaintop (also set to I Have a Dream Mix House 2011)
3. Bring You to Life (Transcend feat. RAS) - Steve Aoki
4.  James Bond Theme - Moby
5.  2000 - Merzo
6.  Wizard - Martin Garrix and Jay Hardway
7.  Rock You Like a Hurricane - Scorpions
8.  Thanks for the Memories - Fallout Boy
9.  Up in the Air (Live NYC) -  Thirty Seconds to Mars
10.  Reload - Sebastian Ingrosso, Tommy Trash, John Martin
11. Castle of Glass - Linkin' Park
12. Harlem - New Politics
13.  Sweet Hell (Live) - Gin Wigmore
14.  My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark - Fallout Boy
Cooldown:
15.   We Are Going to Be Friends (Live Acoustic) - The White Stripes
16.  O Mio Babbino Caro - Holland's Got Talent's superstar 9-year-old
17.  And the Boys - Angus and Julia Stone

Have a great workout!

Zeitgeist Ride

I had a blast making this.



Warm-Up / Workout:
1.  Gov. Christie Traffic Jam (Born to Run Parody) - Jimmy Fallon and Bruce Springstein
2.  James Bond Theme - Moby (set to the newst People Are Awesome vid)
3.  2000 - Merzo
4.  Wizard - Martin Garrix and Jay Hardway
5.  I Hold On - Dierks Bentley
6.   Time To Dance (Live) - The Shoes (feat. Pats comeback)
7.  I Want It (Lyric Video) - Viv and The Revival
8.  Want Dem All - Sean Paul (feat. Konshens and GoPro Drone Surfing footage)
9.  Do I Wanna Know - Arctic Monkeys
10.  American Woman - Lenny Kravitz (feat. sick snowboarding)
11. Teenage Crime - Axwell and Henrik B Remode (feat. Dubai's New Year's fireworks that took the Guinness Book record)
12.  Blow- Martin Solveig
13.  Best Day Of My Life - American Authors
Cooldown:
14.  Frozen Medley - Penatonix

Have fun!