Year-End Blizzard


As I type, the East Coast is getting slammed by our first winter storm and it's a nasty one.  On Long Island, we are experiencing blizzard conditions, high winds and, possibly, 20 inches of snow. The gym just cancelled my morning class and, while I'll miss the Monday Morning energy, I am grateful that I have a warm home in which to wait this one out.

As usual, my end of the year post finds me reflective and, in all honesty, I am glad ELATED to leave 2010 behind.  On the surface, it was not the best year for me and it ended much differently than I intended, but I realize where my own growth happened. Much like a steady hill climb in the Spin room, I fought every turn of gear that I was asked to put on instead of just surrendering and believing my legs could handle it.  Duh. Any of us who have ridden know that this is when it hurts the most.  Yes, but, the beauty is that something always has to give. We either fight it until we are exhausted, get off the bike, or surrender and start believing in ourselves.  Personally, I prefer the last option! Finally, my life feels like it is shifting (big time), moving fast and I know that amazing things are blowing in around the corner.  I have set big goals in both training and racing, and I am so thrilled to have brand new teaching opportunities to explore.  I am excited, looking forward to meeting new students and being a part of their journeys.

I also end this year with an increased awareness in how we are all connected and how we continually inspire each other.  Yes, I am an instructor and bring a certain professional knowledge into the room, both through teaching and my other fitness activities.  However, I wouldn't be able to do that unless someone encouraged me, showed me a new possibility, or was simply brave enough to allow me to see their vulnerabilities.  I sometimes find inspiration by reading a blog post, an article or a book, taking a class with a great instructor, watching a race, or having a conversation that offers me a new perspective.  However, it always arrives from simply looking out at the students in the room while I am teaching, watching them discover something about themselves that they may not know existed or they have lost along the way.  It's magic.

So, while I have challenged myself, personally, in the coming year, I also challenge you to jump out of the box with me.  Leave the limits you have imposed on yourself behind and lock the lid.  How often do you say "no" to opportunities and why?  How often do you tell yourself, "oh, that couldn't/wouldn't be me?"  When my classes are full and we have turned students away (people I know who would take full advantage of a ride), I often say to those who are in the room, "you got a bike today...now use it."  It's the same thing with life...take advantage of it, have an adventure!  I promise you that you won't regret it and you will absolutely be an inspiration to someone else, someone who changed their life because they saw you do it.

If you've read this far, or simply scrolled down, awesome, because I'm posting 2 playlists. The first one is (kind of) a "holiday/winter" themed ride.  The second one is my yearly challenge to ride to iTunes top selling songs of the year.  Note...these are not necessarily the best (or my favorite...those would be Mumford & Sons and The Black Keys) songs of the year.  This is just something fun to mix it up....

With that, I gladly close the blog book on this year.  I wish you readers, students and instructors an amazing 2011.  May your journey be full of more great experiences, fun and adventure than you though possible...all because you said "yes."

HOLIDAY 2010

Sunchyme/Dario G. (Warm-Up)
Christmas Baby/G. Love
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (Rattle & Hum Version)/U2
Hazy Shade of Winter/The Bangles
Snow (Hey Oh)/Red Hot Chili Peppers
Joy to the World/Three Dog Night
Let the Sunshine/Milk & Sugar
Holiday (Faded Ending)/Green Day
Chasing Cars (Exclusive Live Acoustic Version)/Snow Patrol
Vacation/Go-Go's
New Year's Day (Vocal Extended Mix - Ferry Corsten Remix)/U2
Allegretto/Bond
Winter/Joshua Radin  (Cool-down)
Song For A Winter's Night/Sarah McLachlan



COUNTDOWN 2010 
(taught to intervals)

#16  Baby/Justin Bieber & Ludacris (warm-up)
#15 Billionaire (feat. Bruno Mars)/Travie McCoy
#14 Your Love Is My Drug/Ke$ha
#13 Nothin' On You (feat. Bruno Mars)/B.o.B
#12 I Like It (feat. Pitbull)/Enrique Iglesias
#11 Imma Be/Black Eyed Peas
#10 Not Afraid/Eminem
#8 Tik Tok/Ke$ha
#7 Break Your Heart (feat. Ludacris)/Taio Cruz
#6 OMG (feat. will.i.am)/Usher
#5 Dynamite/Taio Cruz
#4 Airplanes (feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore)/B.o.B
#3 Love the Way You Lie (feat. Rihanna)/Eminem
#2 California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg)/Katy Perry
#1 Hey, Soul Sister/Train
#9 Need You Now/Lady Antebellum (cool-down)

Comments

Unknown said…
Happy 2011, Jen!

Jeannie
December 26, 2010 at 10:24 PM
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