Ride 2 - Hill Ya Doin

This is the second ride I taught.  You'll notice the first couple of rides are similar.  I like to think that my rides have improved greatly, with my last two being very tough and challenging!  I've been teaching quite a bit lately and pushing myself really hard.  I used to run a lot and with that came injuries, so I switched to cycling.  I've let myself think that because cycling doesn't have the impact on my body that running does, I wouldn't get hurt.  I FORGOT however, that overuse without proper maintenance can result in injury.  Recently I've been dealing with IT band issues.  So let this be a note to everyone out there, make sure you take good care of yourself!  Use the foam rollers to stretch out your IT band, ice when something starts to hurt.  Don't let it lag on until you are forced to take time off!

This ride is broken in to 6 work blocks and includes recovery songs (something you'll see disappear in my later rides!)

Block 1

Bounce With Me (Kressha Turner) - Warm up, this is an easy flat, slowly add gear as you start to warm up

California Gurls (Katy Perry) - We are still warming up and starting to work at the same time.  This is a gradual hill, add gear to slow legs down to tempo.  Add 3-4 gears in the saddle, stand and add another 3-4.  These are small gears, enough to notice a change in resistance

Block 2

Bulletproof (Zinc remix La Roux) and Uprising (Muse)- For these two songs we are going to climb a hill that just won't quit!  To start, slow legs to tempo (that doesn't count as adding gear, just gets us on the base of the hill).  We will add gear every 15 seconds x 1:00.  Hold the gear for 1:00, recovery for 1:00.  Try this seated first, then standing

Gone Daddy Gone (Gnarls Barkley) - Recovery if needed, otherwise treat as an endurance flat.  As much gear as you can handle while keeping tempo

Block 3

E-Pro (Beck) and Midnight on the Bridge (Ming and Ping) - These are work intervals, should be around tempo, add enough gear during intervals to add a drastic change in effort.  Standing recovery, seated work. Alternate between 30/30 and 1:00/1:00 work/rest intervals

Block 4

Tea Party (Kerli) and Faster kill Pussycat (Oakenfold) - TABATAS!!!  These are my favorite and a great way to challenege the class!  To do tabatas correctly, make sure you class works hard during the work portion and slows their legs to recover.  There is not enough time to mess with the gears.  Tabatas are 20 seconds of hard work followed by 10 seconds of rest.  I repeat 4 times through and then give 30 sec - 1 minute recovery depending on how my class is doing.  You can do them seated, standing, whatever fits!  Just remember, work hard during the 20 second work bursts, otherwise this won't be challenging!

Block 5

Cooler Than Me (Mike Posner) - Standing flat, this can be used as recovery.  As the class recovers have them add gear to take on a moderate head wind.

Somewhere I Belong (Linkin Park) - Seated climb, gradually add gear to the point of a heavy hill.

Block 6

Candyman (Jason Nevins feat Greg Nice) - These are standing sprints to the end.  The song is a little over 6 minutes long, alternate between 30/15, 45/15, 1:00/30 work/rest intervals.  Make them work hard!!

COOL DOWN!!!

Ride 1 - Nice to Meet You, Now Work!

I have been neglecting my blog, but that doesn't mean I haven't been working out and working hard!  I've been teaching a minimum of 2 cycle classes a week, sometimes up to 5 a week!  My hope is to get most of my rides published so I can share them with everyone!

I had some grand ideas of what my first ride would be, and now that several months have passed I've finally found 1 minute to get some of these rides published!  This was the first ride I taught and I think it was pretty tough! 

Warm-up: Danger Zone
This is a seated flat, slowly add gear and get the blood flowing!  I always start with a seated flat, I don't do stretches on the bike before class but leave it as an option

All The Right Moves - Here is where we start working!  This is a combination hill, seated in to standing.  Add about 2-3 gears seated, then stand halfway through and add a few more gears. 

Love and Wonder (You can find this mashup at http://www.djearworm.com/)- Standing climb.  Ride a tempo, we're going to take 4 big turns every 15 seconds, take the gear back off and start all over!  Make sure each gear is held for 15 seconds, and they should be big gears, don't let your legs slow down

Dashboard - HEAVY climb!!  Keep your legs at tempo, add gear every 45 seconds, reach standing point but DON'T stand, hold the gear in the saddle.  Have the class keep adding gear until they can't take anymore.  Some will quit early, some will be able to keep adding

Roll To Me - Lets grab a quick recovery here.  This is a fast flat, make sure your class still has some gear left on the bike, we are still working just catching our breath a bit!

Ghost Town - Work intervals!  Rather than an increase in leg speed this should be a dramatic increase in effort/work.  To do this, keep tempe during the non-work portion, then add gear during the work portion.  These are 30 sec off/30 second on to the end of the song!

Pretender/Kick Start My Heart - More work intervals!  Divide the class in two, group A and Group B.  While one group is working the other is keeping their leg speed up to tempo with moderate resistance, and is cheering on the group that is working!!  This goes through both songs, ride through the transition!
Group A 1:00, Group B 1:00, Group A 1:00, Group B 1:00, Instructor for 1:00, Group A 30 sec, Group B 30 sec, all together for the last 1:00 of the last song. 

Rock That Body / Bring The Noise (mashup I found, can't remember where) - More work intervals, last set!  These are zone intervals.  The way I explained this was we're going to start standing and we'll be just slightly below tempo, we'll then get to tempo and for the last part get above tempo.  When done right they likely won't need to change the gear so long as they start with enough gear to begin with.  The work intervals are 30 below tempo, 30 sec at tempo, 15 above tempo (optional max effort) followed by 15-30 sec recovery then repeat through both songs!

Be Somebody - Standing hill, gradually gets steeper, keep tempo

Boys of Summer - Seated endurance to the end.  I instructed the class to take as much gear as they could and keep tempo.  If done right they will likely need to back some gear off as their legs get tired and thats okay

COOL DOWN!!  I use different cool down music each time, but give enough time to bring their heart rates down and slow the breathing.  I do most stretches off of the bike,