Pay it Forward Tuesday!!

My friend Brianne Cramer is hosting the Ride2Recovery event at her gym.  This charity raises money for men and women in the armed forces who are being rehabilitated using indoor and outdoor cycling.

Brie and her team are looking for your donations to make the 2 hour ride a success!

You can follow the link below to donate either via paypal, or by mailing in a check.

ride2recovery.com  Just click on "donate" and fill in her name.

It is for a great cause!!

REMINDER!!

I am not teaching tonight at the Revolution, but the wonderful Karen will be there for you!!  She is a great motivator and has a challenging and fun ride waiting for you!!

I have work obligations that are keeping me from you : (  See you next Tuesday!

Cycle 2-21-11

On Saturday I took a great spinning continuing education class that focused heavily on the benefits of using heart rate zones to determine how your body burns calories, how efficiently it burns fat and how to make that happen.

I instructed my class (maybe 1/3 had HRM's) to try to keep their heart rates steady between 80-85% of their maximum heart rate for at least 25 minutes of our ride before we took some recovery.  The folks that did not have HRM's on were instructed to try to keep working hard (85% is working VERY hard, but not out of breath completely and really struggling) without being in the anaerobic zone where they are breathless and exhausted.

I also prefaced the class by saying you will not feel as exhausted or that you are killing yourself on the bike, but you are working hard and burning fat rather than carbohydrates - which is the goal! 

This ride would bust you out of any plateau you would be facing and also give you a great mind/body/bike awareness that you may not have had before.

I got a great reaction from almost everyone.  One person had a problem mentally getting over feeling like she didn't work hard enough and/or got cheated out of a good workout.  I answered that it may be perhaps that she didn't have the right heart rate numbers and perhaps could not have been working at that 85%. 

In either case, this is not a ride we should do everytime, but it is good to do once in a while to retrain your body to burn fat efficiently because burning carbs is not the goal.  I also managed to fit in 4 requested songs!!

Wednesday we will be right back to the fun sprints and jumps that everyone loves so much ; )


Warm Up
Tenderness Mashup - DJ Lobsterdust

Running Flats
Hello - Martin Solveig & Dragonette

Hills
Kiss - Prince

Hills
Rolling in the Deep - Adele

Hills
Space Junk - Wang Chung

Running Hills
Awake and Alive - Skillet

Running Hills
Nirvana Mashup - DJ Lobsterdust

Hills
New in Town - Little Boots

Running Flats
Sympathy for the Devil - Fatboy Slim - this was an 8 minute song.  We took some recovery right after this one.

Climb
Road to Damascus - Missy Elliot

Cool Down
1234 - Feist

I will miss you all tomorrow!!

I have made a few announcements in class, but if you haven't heard, I will not be teaching tomorrow morning.  The wonderful George will be subbing in my place - please join him as he is a great instructor!!!

I am taking a spinning continuing education class for four hours called, "Profile Designs & Heart Rate Games"!!!

You know what that means?   Lots of fun in the following week for you all!!!

Happy pedalling!!

Ab-solute Revolution 2-15-11 & Cycle 2-16-11 5:30am & 5:30pm

This is going to be super brief and my apologies for not putting more effort towards this post.  I am being pulled in a lot of different directions today : )

Warm Up
Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap

Running/Standing Flats
Born This Way - Lady Gaga

Running Hills
Rolling in the Deep - Adele

Climb
Bang Pop - Free Energy

Running Flats
Outta Space Like a G6 - Mash Mob

Running Hills
What Part of Forever - Cee Lo Green

Hills
Check it Out - Will.i.am and Nicky Minaj

Hills
Funhouse - P!nk

Sprints
Witchcraft - Pendulum

Recovery
Hawaii - Blackbird Blackbird

Intervals
Terrible Love - the National

Fast Climb
Indestructible - Disturbed

Running Flats
Break your Heart - Taio Cruz

Cool Down
Never Tear us Apart - INXS

Love is in the Air vs. Love Stinks Cycle class!! 2-12-11 & 2-14-11

I did a repeat of Saturday's profile on Monday since it was officially Valentine's Day yesterday.  I did a combination of sweet songs and some anti-love song to make everyone happy.  I think it worked ; )

Warm Up
Love the Way you Lie (human jive remix) - Best of 2010 Workout Mix

Running/Standing Flats
When Love Takes Over - Kelly Rowland

Hills
DJ's got us fallin' in love - Mash Mob

Intervals
Not in Love - Robert Smith

Climb
My Love - Justin Timberlake

Jumps
Loveshack - B52's

Hills
Modern Love - David Bowie

Running/Standing Flats
Born this Way - Lady Gaga

Climb
Love Hurts - Incubus

Climb
Could you be Love Gamed? - DJ BC

Hills
F*ckin Perfect - P!nk

Climb
Tainted Love  - Marilyn Manson

Intervals
Terrible Love - The National

Cool Down
How Deep is your Love - BeeGee's

Love is in the Air

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and I love any excuse to be romantic and to feel all warm and fuzzy!!!  I was just going through some photos of me and my husband over the years and I thought I would share a few. 

1....2....3....awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!  Barf bags can be purchased below.  Ha,ha!!

This is from our first cruise in 2007

The infamous "boat" in Jamaica in 2007.  We have too many funny stories from this trip that we still laugh about.

My first Red Sox game in 2008

Broncos v. Ravens

Needless to say, we have a lot of fun together!

My week at a glance

I had someone ask me last night after class what my usual workout schedule looks like on a weekly basis.  I wish that I could say, "I do x,y,z on Mon,Tues,Weds, and a,b,c on Sat/Sun", but my weekly activities seem to change and evolve quite often depending on my schedule, training and other stuff.

Here is what it is shaping up to look like at the moment:

Monday - 4:30 bodypump training, 5:30 taught spin, 6:30 taught spin for another instructor
Tuesday - Interval Revolution class (upper body weight lifting and spin), 6:00 taught Ab-solute revolution (spin and core class)
Wednesday - 5:30am - taught spin, 5:00- lifted heavy (shoulders), 5:30pm taught spin
Thursday - 5:30pm yoga
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 8:00 bodypump (shadowing and team teaching), 10am teaching spin
Sunday - most likely just practicing bodypump at home all day long.

I like to get more heavy lifting into my schedule, but I had unusually long days on Monday and Tuesday, so it just didn't happen.  I also like to run once every couple of weeks to switch things up a bit, so I hope to do that next week.

This is my plan for next week - but I know it will change!

Monday: 4:30 practice bodypump, 5:30 teach spin
Tuesday: heavy lift - chest/back, 6:00 teach Ab-solute Revolution
Wednesday: heavy lift - bi's/tri's (maybe shoulders also), 5:30 teach spin
Thursday: practice bodypump, run, yoga
Friday: OFF
Saturday: 8am bodypump, 10am teach spin
Sunday: lots of bodypump practice at home

Cycle 5:30am and 5:30pm 2-9-11

I whipped up this ride last night with the intentions of having a nice, peaceful class with longer times in the saddle and extended periods of pure focus and power.  I liked the combinations of songs and workout so much, that I am going to teach it again tonight!  I don't think any of these songs are particularly new, but I haven't used some of them in quite a while.

Warm Up
Love Generation - Bob Sinclair

Running/Standing Flats
Adagio for Strings - Tiesto

Hills - lots of time in the saddle, followed by standing at 3 while increasing resistance
Alot of love, Alot of blood - Florence and the Machine (it was a remixed version)

Running Hills - bursts of power and speed at position 3
Cameras - Matt & Kim

Hills - plenty of seated climbing, then to position 2 at a steady pace
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - Vampire Weekend (my hubs hates this song.  shhh..don't tell him I am using again tonight)

Jumps on a Hill
Crack the Shudders- Snow Patrol

Running/Standing Flats
Crystalised - The xx

Climb - heavy resistance, steady pace.  Most of the work is done in the saddle.
Death - White Lies

Running Hills
Electric Feel - MGMT

Running/Standing Flats - when we burst out to "3", add in resistance and speed
Extreme Ways - Moby

Climb - super heavy, slow cadence
Hot Tottie - Usher (feat. Jay Z)

Intervals - when you hear "tonight we're going hard,..." push it harder and faster
I Just Came to Say Hello - Mashmob

Cool Down
Never My Love - Har Mar Superstar

The teacher becomes the student

Ahhh...I sometimes forget how wonderful it is to be a participant and not the instructor in a class. It is so nice to just pedal, sweat and focus on the road ahead.  I had a great time, but my legs are feeling it this morning (I taught again at 5:30am).

I did a repeat of a favorite ride of mine in my class last night. 

http://acyclepsycho.blogspot.com/2011/01/cycle-1-17-11-530-am-and-pm.html

"Wear Red" Ride was a great success!!!!!

As you may recall, on Friday, February 4th I did a charity event at The Revolution that benefits the American Heart Association.  We have 30 bikes available and that may not sound like a lot, but it is pretty daunting to try and fill all of those bikes.  Especially because I am not a Clifton Park native and I also only teach there one time per week (because of my crazy schedule). 

When I came in that night, I found myself turning people away at the door because we were jam packed!!  It was so inspiring to see so many passionate people all come together for such a great cause, not to mention to sweat!!

The energy in the room was incomparable and we all had such a good time.  The playlist was a repeat of one I did at High Rock Sports and Fitness (blogged about it on 2-2-11).

Here are some quick, iphone photos from that night.  Please do not mind my makeup running all down my face like a drag queen.

Here is our "after" picture!! Ha,ha!!

"Wear Red" Ride for the American Heart Association

I have 3 spots left for anyone who hasn't signed up yet!!!  Visit myrevnow.com for more details!!!

See you all tomorrow night!  Don't forget to bring dry clothes so we can go to Peddlers afterwards.

Spin 2-2-11

Well, what our weathermen were calling "Frankenstorm" really wasn't much of a storm up here!  We probably got anywhere between 8-14 inches in my little city. 

I was so thankful that I didn't have to teach my 5:30am class because that is when we got the most accumulation and the road conditions were hazardous, to say the least.  Plus, most accidents occur within one mile of your own home.  So, despite me living so close to the gym, I appreciated my boss telling me to stay safe at home that morning.  In my opinion, even though I am in close proximity to the gym, it is not worth getting into a car accident to burn some calories.

Warm Up
Gimme Sympathy - Metric

Running Flats
Higher - Taio Cruz

Running Hills
Major Tom - Shiny Toy Guns

Climb
F*kin' Perfect (clean version) - P!nk

Jumps
Hey Ya mashup - dj unknown

Hills
Bright Lights Bigger City - Cee Lo Green

Climb
Kick, Push - Lupe Fiasco

Running Flats
Who's that Chick - David Guetta (feat. Rihanna)

Running Hills
OMFG - Deluka

Hills
Hey Hey Hey - Michael Franti

Climb
Down and Out - Tantric

Hills
Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People

Running Flats
Stereo Love (scotty remix) - Edward Maya & Vika

Cool Down
Going to California - Led Zeppelin