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.