Leave it on the Bike

The title of this post is one of the five Reiki principles, speaking to the concept of gratitude.  It might be a bit early, but as we come into this week of Thanksgiving, I know life is going to be more hectic than usual, and I wanted to make sure I used this space to share some thoughts on gratitude.   And, equally important :), to post the music for my 90-minute "Burn (off) the Turkey" rides I'll be teaching this week..so a sneak peak to those who are riding with us.   I have never been a fan of Thanksgiving.  It's a combination of things I won't even try to explain, as I recently did to a friend who came away from the conversation thinking of me as insane (even more so than usual).  I even remember a time during my moody teenage years where I boycotted dinner in protest of the overindulgence.  While I've clearly come out of those extremes, it is still not on my list of favorite days.   However, I am a big fan of gratitude and, as I've gotten older, pref...

Last week, I was feeling a bit nostalgic and in the mood for a fast road ride, so I dug into 2006 for this one (only updated warm-up and cool-down).  I had to dig even farther back for the pictures, but that was an accident.  I was scanning in some old kids' photos and came across these from 2002.  I can't remember the name of the race, but it was on the streets of lower Manhattan, 9/11 was still very fresh in our consciousness (less that a year had passed and there was evidence everywhere), Lance had just won #4 and there was amazing energy there that day.  "Sigh."  But..back to the ride...cadence is quick and we only settle in for 1 heavy climb.  It's the kind of ride where you just hang on and, then, let go........ 1.  Certainty (Mark Otten Dub) [feat. Cathy Burton]/Julian Vincent 2.  Smiley Faces/Gnarls Barkley 3.  Pump It/Black Eyed Peas 4.  Faster Kill Pussycat (Club Mix)/Oakenfold feat. Brittany Murphy 5.  Suddenly I See/KT Tunstall 6.  Funky Kingston/Toots...

After a warm-up and a 5 minute flat, it's a climb until the last 5 minutes.  The road peaks twice and, in between, it's varied climbing positions and some jumps on a hill. We "celebrate" at the top with a little "Elevation," and down the other side to the line... 1.  Bodyrock/Moby (warm-up) 2.  Ready To Go (U.S. Mix)/Republica (SF) 3.  Read My Mind/The Killers (climb begins) 4.  Over My Head (Cable Car)/The Fray 5.  They/Jem 6.  Blood is Pumping 2005/Voodoo & Serano 7.  Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix)/The Killers 8.  Superstylin' (GA Radio Edit)/Groove Armada 9.  Drops of Jupiter/Train 10. Breathe (2 AM)/Anna Nalick 11. Elevation/U2 12. Phatt Bass/Warp Brothers Vs. Aquagen (SF to finish) 13. A&E (Maps Remix)/Goldfrapp (cool-down) 14. Down to Earth/Peter Gabriel

I posted this ride once before with different music, but I think it's worth posting again for a few reasons.  I teach it with a regular group every month or so, just to mix it up, and it's SO simple but effective. It's a good opportunity for students to take more control, learn about pace, and really get in touch with their heart rates and bodies.  It's also a good ride to know if you can't get to class and are on a bike by yourself.  Throw on some good music and go for it.  Here's how it works:  I start out with a regular warm-up and then ride about 5 minutes on a seated flat, increasing resistance by small amounts every minute or so, but trying to maintain cadence, staying on the SF.  Heart rate should be up to 75-80% at the end of this push and we're ready to start the intervals. For the first 6 intervals, I give a choice of a seated climb or a standing flat.  Students make the choice of where they want to work.  I always alternate positions for each inte...