Hey-hey! Happy Tuesday, you guys!
Is your week off to a good start? Mine is pretty darn awesome so far.
Today we’re interrupting out regular broadcasting for some breaking news 🙂Continue Reading
August 20, 2014
Running with C25K is Back – Workout Wednesday: Weekly Recap
Hey-hey guys!
Happy Hump Day to ya. How is your week going so far? Off to a good start?
I’m back here today as usual with my weekly exercise recap. The highlight this time – I’m back to running with C25K!
Here’s a day-by-day recap.
August 13, 2014
Weekly Workouts Recap: Walking and Yoga
Hey-hey, it’s Hump Day!
As promised, I continue posting my weekly workouts recap on Wednesdays for you guys, even though my 30 Days Active Challenge is over.
I had a pretty crappy week as far as activity goes. It’s been a while since I ran! I just wish there were 48 hours in a day 🙂
So here’s what happened in the past 7 days workout wise:
{WEDNESDAY}
Hubby and I went for a walk. I was a beautiful evening, low humidity and nice breeze. We covered some good ground there 🙂
{THURSDAY}
We had a Yoga class at work. It was won-der-ful!
There’s nothing better than yoga, and especially in the middle of the work day – it’s my chance to recharge, reset and rewind.
I love that my company offers this free opportunity for its employees.
I didn’t make my steps goal that day… I guess I could count Thursday as a rest day.
{FRIDAY}
Totally slacked on my regular yoga class at 5:30 PM. The steps were really low, too.
{SATURDAY}
I didn’t really care for the cycling class that was going on that day, so I slept in and did some yoga late morning. We had an active Saturday (with berry picking and a soccer game), so I finally met my steps goal of 6000 steps that day.
{SUNDAY}
On Sunday I pretty much worked on my Kitchen Mileage all day – getting food ready for the first week of my Whole30 while my husband was working on our water heater in the basement. I made a bunch of food and took a bunch of steps.
{MONDAY}
I finally decided to do something about my steps and went for a walk at lunch time.
The weather was beautiful for it! I walked around the housing development near my office, and then headed to my Monday cycling class after work.
The class went very well this Monday – I had 2 new students (always exciting), one returning student after her first class with me (yay!) and a bunch of regulars.
My riders had such a quiet determination this Monday! I don’t think anyone said a single word during the class – they were so focused on what they were doing!
Now can you believe that with a goal of 6000 steps a day I went to bed on Monday with the following on my FitBit screen? My OCD was obviously off duty that night.
{TUESDAY}
Another rest day and lazy steps.
So, my friends, I officially declare myself a looser this week – 2 yoga classes, 1 indoor cycling class, and 2 days out of 7 I met my 6000 steps/day goal.
Looking at this post you could think I’m 80 years old. I don’t feel that way and I refuse to be that way, but I’m not loosing sleep over the past week.
All that matters is that I see it, and I’m going to take action.
I’ve just bumped up my goal on my Fitbit to 10 000 steps a day and I’m intended to meet it.
Wish me luck 🙂
Tell me: how was your week workout wise? Have you been full of energy or tired and sluggish lately?
Take care, friends, and come back next Wednesday for another report!
August 8, 2014
5 Things You Can Do to Help New Students in Indoor Cycling Class
Hey guys! The latest post I wrote with tips for new indoor cycling / Spinning® instructors totally exploded my blog stats. Thank you so much to everyone who came over to read it, comment on it, share it and I hope you found it helpful.
I thought I’d talk about indoor cycling / Spinning® tricks again today since it is something that I really care about, and this blog is a way to share the information I have hoping that it can help somebody one day. Hmm…I sense a new blog series starting 🙂
So you’re an indoor cycling / Spinning® instructor. I bet you were once a newbie student in somebody’s class. Remember that?
Most likely that instructor who taught the very first class you attended was pretty good since you decided to make teaching indoor cycling your job! Either way, I’m sure you remember the experience of taking the very first class, feeling weird and out of place with all those guys in cycling jerseys and funny shoes around you. Oh and that soreness in the saddle area the day after (ouch!) – but I digress.
We all once were very new to indoor cycling. Whether or not we came back to that class or indoor cycling in general depended a lot on the instructor of that very first class we took.
Now the roles are reversed and you’re on the other side of the room hoping you’re doing a good job and your students like your class enough to come back for more.
Here’s some more insider information for you from someone who was a newbie not so long ago and is now teaching indoor cycling. 🙂
{ONE} Have Your Radar On
Before your class begins, as people start entering the room… Keep your “radar” on. It is a great skill to be able to remember people’s faces and names, and to remember exactly if they’ve been to your class before. Not all of us have mastered it just yet – especially if the studio you teach at has 50 bikes in the room.
Do your best and try to remember new people as you meet them.
Back to that radar – it’ll help you spot the new people you haven’t seen before.
Asking if anybody’s new to cycling when you’re already on the bike and ready to start doesn’t work. Everybody knows it’s time to start. If you were new, would you say “Yes, I’m new. Can you please help me?” in the room full of people eager to start pedaling away?
Exactly.
Do your radar screening and walking around before the class. Spot them. Come up to them and introduce yourself. Ask if they need any help. Be proactive.
Keep an eye on them during the class and get off the bike to help if you see them struggling with form, etc..
That radar is called “I CARE” and it’s a shame that many instructors have it off most of the time. If yours is on – the new riders will come back. You know, because you care.
{TWO} Warn them in advance and keep it simple
We teach every day/week. Many things we do and say in the class seem natural and obvious to us, but they are not so obvious to new students in indoor cycling.
“What in the world is RPM and how do I find it on this little computer? How do I even turn it on?”
When you spot them and come up to talk to them before class, after the bike set up (see, I don’t even mention that as one of the 5 things – it’s a MUST) – go over the bike computer (if applicable) and basic terminology you use in the class (RPM, resistance, climb, flat road, etc..). You won’t have time for a lecture, but try to explain the basics briefly.
Consider changing up your cueing to “less jargon” if you have new students in that class.
Example:
Instead of:
“Gimme more of that hill!”
Say:
“Add resistance”
Remember, this terminology is new to them. Keep it simple.
{THREE} Magic Box
Let’s face it: they won’t remember the bike set up numbers next time they come to your/other instructor’s class.
They will feel embarrassed to ask for help again and will set it up themselves “by the feel”. They will end up doing it wrong and hurting themselves.
Don’t let it happen – all it takes for you to help them is one trip to Wal-Mart and about $10.
Buy an index card box, couple packs of index cards and a pack of alphabetic dividers:
After you’re done setting up the bike for them, write the settings and their name down on an index card and file under the letter their name starts with.
Now, I know they don’t show up with enough time for you to do all that before class. If you’re running out of time, mention this option to them and come back with that index card after class.
If they run out before you can get to them with that card, go over to their bike, write the numbers down and file. Mention it to them next time they come to your class.
{FOUR} Now about that saddle…
I mentioned being sore from the saddle earlier in this post.
Do you remember how miserable you were after the first ever indoor cycling class? I still do and it hurts to even think about it.
Talk to your manager and see if you can purchase a couple gel seat covers for newbies. Experienced riders come prepared (padded shorts, gel seat covers, tough rears 🙂 ) – new riders will not know about this “drawback” of the first class. I know a woman who never returned to cycling for that very reason.
Offer them a gel seat cover. It won’t take care of the issue 100% and they will still be sore the day after, but it will help. A LOT.
{FIVE} New Student Handout
Put together and print a handout for new students – anything they might need to know about indoor cycling for beginners. Here are some suggestions on what to include into the handout:
- the importance of proper riding form,
- a column with basic terminology,
- contraindicated moves,
- “dress code” guidelines and what to bring to class,
- hand positions and moves,
- cycling class types offered at your facility (junior, senior, introduction to cycling, express, 1 hour long, etc..),
- schedule on the back for just the cycling classes your facility offers – for easier reference,
- quick introduction of the cycling instructors on the back (add photos and let instructors write up the introductions themselves),
- and any other information that might be specific to your facility.
What you include in that handout is entirely up to you and your Physical Director, but make sure it is a fun and engaging introduction to your club’s indoor cycling / Spinning® program. You want them to come back for more!
And that’s it, my dear indoor / outdoor cyclists 🙂
I hope you found this post helpful. If you did – please, SHARE to help more instructors make their newbies feel welcome in their classes and come back for more benefits that cycling has to offer.
Thanks for stopping by today.
Ride on!
August 6, 2014
30 Days Active Challenge – Final Week Recap
So, the 30 Days Active Challenge is over, guys.
It’s been quite a few weeks for me. If you think about it – the past few weeks were a demonstration of what life is all about when you’re trying to stay healthy – circumstances getting in the way of your workouts, birthdays and celebrations messing up your healthy eating plans. Weather forecast, 11-year-old girls and their dramas, work stress, stars lining up the wrong way – all that is always going to be there and will be getting in your way.
By taking on this challenge I left myself no way to back out. I had to stay active and make good choices every day regardless of all the above.
And that’s the biggest lesson I’m taking away from this.
You have to pick yourself up and keep going – after that extra piece of cake (no guilt, enjoy it), that drama, those stars, that stress…
So here’s the last recap for this 30 Days Active Challenge for you guys. I hope you enjoyed following my adventure!
{WEDNESDAY}
I totally rocked the dinner that night (hubby helped grilling):
After dinner we went for a nice long walk. Good steps that day!
{THURSDAY}
On Thursday we decided to go for a bike ride. Yours truly dresses up in all the bright colors to be visible on the road, put on the cycling shoes…only to discover that my husband’s bike had a flat that needed a while to fix. The time was 7:00 pm and we only had 1.5 hour of the daylight left. So we decided to go for a walk instead.
It was such a gorgeous evening! We walked to and around the college football/baseball fields, and it was just amazing out there! We ended up walking over 3 miles that night.
Smoothie of the day was watermelon – peach goodness. Yum!
{FRIDAY}
Casual Friday morning started with Vibrams and a watermelon-mint smoothie 🙂
Friday night was a yoga night. My instructor had been gone for a couple weeks, so it was good to be back in his class and do some much needed stretching.
Funny thing about yoga – your body gets so used to it when you do it regularly that aches and pains come right back if you miss a few classes on your regular schedule.
Was awesome to be back into it on Friday!
{SATURDAY}
I was up bright and early to go to Megan’s cycling class.
The sleepy “before”
I love her classes! I never asked, but I think she’s a cyclist – her classes are always built so realistically – just what you would do on a regular bike, no funky moves or profiles! And – they kick.your.ass. Big time!
The sweaty “after”
Saturday awesomeness continued with a much needed 4 (!!!) hour nap and getting this in the mail:
I can’t wait to go running!
And that was it for the 30 Days Active Challenge, guys. I’m done with it and back to my regular workout schedule with those “take-aways” I talked about in the beginning of this post.
I think I will continue with Wednesday workout recaps on this blog, what do you think? 🙂
Thanks for following along and cheering me on in the past 30 days! I couldn’t have done that without you!
Hugs,
This post has been shared on Work Out Wednesday Linkup.
August 1, 2014
5 Things I Don’t Teach Indoor Cycling or Spinning® Class Without
Hey guys! It’s Friday finally!!!
I hope you had a great week and are ready for even better weekend.
I thought I’d share some more tips for new indoor cycling instructors today. Being fairly new to it myself, I still remember very well what it is like to struggle with every class you have to teach – especially the first one. If you can relate and you’re lost in the world of information, check out my posts on how to get ready for teaching your first class and the recap of my own first class I taught.
It’s been a few months now that I’ve been teaching at the YMCA and yes – it does get easier. You get in the groove and don’t get so nervous before every class.
I now have my little “tricks” that will hopefully help you be more prepared to teach indoor cycling, whether you’re a new instructor or not.
Are you ready to receive some secret insider information? 🙂 Here we go!
{ONE} JOBY Gorillapod
It is a flexible tripod for point & shoot digital cameras + smart phone adapter with 1/4×20 standard tripod thread For iPhone and all smart phones.
To be honest with you, I have no idea what I’d do without this handy thing.
Most of the indoor bikes don’t have anything on the handlebars for your music projecting device to attach to or rest on.
Throw in some cords from the stereo system hanging around and it just gets a little unsafe to ride your bike with all that around.
I initially bought this flexible tripod for what it is intended to – photography. But having started to teach indoor cycling I thought of this handy use for it – just attach the tripod with the cell phone adapter onto the handlebars (mine usually sits right by the “Pilot”), tuck the cords behind the tripod “legs” and you’re all set!
If you use something other than your phone to play music in the class, I’m pretty sure they have adaptors for that, too 🙂
Buy this super tripod on amazon
{TWO} Class Builder™ App by Cycling Fusion
It is not free, it costs $19.99 and it is worth every penny!
This app allows you to put together ride playlists from your iTunes playlists or by adding songs to class profile one by one, integrate timed cues to show up on the screen at a certain time during a song, intervals, play pre- and post-class music, it keeps all your profiles right there handy at your fingertips.
You can copy an old class profile if you just want to adjust it a little for your next class.
You can copy a profile segment (that killer climb your class loved a few months ago) and paste it in your new profile.
You can e-mail a .pdf of your class profile, playlist and cue sheet to yourself and print it.
You can see the class elapsed time and each song elapsed time on the screen all the time.
You can teach with video or photo.
You can see your profile intensity chart based on the data you enter for each segment.
You can view your class play list, cue sheet or “now playing” song at any time during the class.
You see your latest AND the next cue (with the countdown to it!) on one screen at any time.
I’m sure you can do another 1000 things with this app that I have yet to learn.
I LOVE getting ready for my classes with this app. I think it is very helpful to have it – especially when you’re new and are just starting to build your confidence teaching.
Cycling Fusion has videos up on their website that will make it super easy for you to use their app.
Buy Class Builder™ by Cycling Fusion on iTunes, I promise it will be the best $19.99 you ever spent!
{THREE} Belkin F8Z492ttP Bluetooth Music Receiver
We al know that a good instructor is not there to get their own workout, and that getting off the bike and walking around the room is extremely important – it gives you a chance to keep an eye on your students, correct their form if needed, keep an eye on their cadence and even heart rate.
A lot of new instructors absolutely dread this part of their job. One of the reasons why they are afraid to get off the bike is because (being a new instructor), they don’t feel comfortable leaving their music streaming device “tied” to the stereo. If you ask me – I need to have my phone in my hand when I walk around – all my cues are in the Class Builder app, I need to see the time, effort and the next drill. If I had to walk away from that in my first few classes it would have given me such anxiety I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything else.
What if I told you that you can walk around the room with your phone in your hand, see your music, cues, intensity zones, playlist AND be able to control the volume from your phone?
Belkin F8Z492ttP Bluetooth Music Receiver
Then turn on Bluetooth on your phone, pair your phone with this little device and walk free while streaming your music in class.
You’re welcome 🙂
{FOUR} Backup CD and Cue Sheet
How many times have you been struggling with that stereo? Someone who taught before you did something and you can’t get that thing to play music from your phone.
Or (God forbid) the cord you need has mysteriously disappeared from the room and you simply can’t connect your device to the stereo system.
Burn a CD with the “go to” profile in case of emergency, and print out the cue sheet to quickly look over before you start the class if you need to use it.
You might never need it, but it just might save your reputation one day 🙂
{FIVE} Regular Athletic Shoes
Keep them in your locker at the gym or in your car, or just wear them when you go to class.
I’m assuming you have learnt the benefits of clipping in by now and do have a nice pair of cycling shoes. If not, this article here has great information on how to choose the right pair of cycling shoes.
Now why would you need to bring a pair of regular shoes with you, you may ask?
Because things happen. If one of the cleats on your shoes breaks, falls out, gets lost, etc.. – are you ready to teach an entire class off the bike because all you have on is your flip-flops? 🙂
If yes, no problem at all – other that your riders thinking you’re a weirdo teaching in flip-flops. 🙂
If you’re not ready for that – the spare pair of shoes might be just what you need so you can get on the bike and into those cages if something goes wrong with your cycling shoes.
And that’s it, my dears! Just 5 things to remember – easy, right?
Good luck to you if you’re just starting this exciting journey of teaching Indoor Cycling or Spinning®. I’m rooting for you!
Have a wonderful weekend!
July 30, 2014
30 Days Active Challenge: Week 4 Recap
Hey-hey my fit friends! It’s Hump Day and that means what?
Correct! Time for another 30 Days Active Challenge recap.
The past week was hectic and busy-busy-busy with both mine and my husband’s birthdays – I feel like all I ate was cake all week 🙂
But yes, I did have this challenge I put myself through on my mind all the time and even on the days when I didn’t have an “official” workout, I tried to stay active or eat extra healthy.
So here’s what happened last week:
{WEDNESDAY} was my birthday, so official workout didn’t really happen. I had a wonderful birthday celebration both at work and at home.
My awesome husband took me out to Rock Bass Grill for dinner where I had the 2nd best crab cakes in my life!
Guess what I got for my birthday? 🙂
Yep, I’m married to the BEST guy in the world, you know? 🙂
Exercise on Wednesday: walk-walk-walk!
{THURSDAY}
We had a yoga class at work over lunch time. I love those classes! It’s like somebody pushes your reset button in the middle of the day and you come back to your desk all balanced and calm.
Then somebody pisses you off again, but that has nothing to do with yoga 🙂
Anyway. After work on Thursday I needed to go to CVS. So instead of driving a few blocks like I usually do, I walked there.
{FRIDAY}
There was so much cake on Wednesday at work, and then dinner at the restaurant….so we didn’t get to my birthday cake at home until Friday 🙂
No official workout, but lots of activities and walking that day.
{SATURDAY}
On Saturday I finally got a chance to try an indoor cycling class with a recently hired instructor at our Y. She teaches in the mornings on weekdays, which of course I can’t make because I work.
So I was pretty excited to see her name on the Saturday rotation class schedule this past week. I signed up and bam! I was there at 8:00 AM on Saturday.
Here’s my blurry “Pilot” at the end of the class 🙂 It’s blurry because taking a picture while still pedaling is not the best idea in the world 🙂
The class was good, just a couple “funky” moves and that’s it 🙂 I still got an awesome workout, which was nice – just being able to concentrate on your own effort without having to guide anybody else. 🙂
After the class, hubby and I took a long walk to Cole’s bicycle shop where I almost agreed to buy a $1200 road bike… Crazy woman 🙂
That didn’t happen, though. $1200 is waaaaaaay over the budget I was planning for my first road bike. So…we’ll keep looking 🙂 I got fitted though and tried several bikes which was A LOT of fun!
Here’s the bike I was trying out on Saturday – Trek Lexa SLX:
$1200 is a good price for this bike. Just not good for my budget 🙁 (sigh)
Good steps that day!
{SUNDAY}
No official exercise on Sunday. Hubby and I had something planned which ended up taking up most of our day (More on that this coming Tasty Tuesday).
So…steps, steps, steps.
{MONDAY} Cycling
Monday was my husband’s birthday. As I usually teach indoor cycling on Mondays, and he wanted to come to my class this week, I designed a riding profile just for my him – with the happy birthday song in the beginning and some of his most favorite songs throughout.
My class is called “Road Trip”. So I announced this past Monday class as a “Rocky Road Trip” because most of the songs in the class were rock 🙂 If you would like to see the latest class playlist, check out this page here.
Good burn and fun class. My birthday boy was happy with the ride 🙂
We then got home and celebrated his birthday with his favorite coffee chocolate chip ice cream pie, and gave him a special birthday present he requested.
{TUESDAY}
Steps-steps-steps. No official workout.
Healthy choice of the day:
Watermelon, strawberry, mint and cottage cheese smoothie
And that was it, my friends.
I am not particularly happy with the past week for a few reasons: I didn’t run once (my knee was being funny pretty much all week), I had too much cake, I had too many days with no official workout. I did stay active every day, I did what I could when I could. I guess it’s the most important thing, but somehow it doesn’t feel like it’s enough…
Ok, so today is Wednesday and it is the beginning of the final week of the challenge. I’m gonna make it count!
Stay tuned for the next week’s recap and more!
This post has been shared on: Work Out Wednesday Link Up, The Hump Day Blog Hop
July 23, 2014
C25K and Week 3 of 30 Days Active Challenge
Hey-hey my fitness gang! How is that hump day going over there?
I’m feeling pretty happy here 🙂 Oh! That’s right! Happy Birthday to me 🙂
Yep, I get to eat at least one of those today 🙂 Image Source
So I’m done with the 3rd week of my 30 Days Active Challenge and I have to say – it has been the toughest yet. Not only because I felt unmotivated for most of it, but also due to the family/life circumstances playing against me.
So here’s the Week 3 recap of the 30 days active challenge I brought onto myself.
{WEDNESDAY} was a C25K run day.
Hubby and I went on another adventure with C25K – Day 2 of Week 2 is where we’re at. We ran/walked for 2.3 miles at about 13 min. average pace.
The stars were stacked against us that night – my Mr. H. pulled something around his knee and is out of running for now 🙁
{THURSDAY} His knee didn’t start hearting until Thursday night after we got home from work.
I ended up staying at home and taking care of him/dinner/house stuff. I tried to make up for no official workout on Thursday by eating well and at least walking more.
{FRIDAY} was a nightmare
Family issue came up big time, which pretty much screwed up my entire weekend until late Sunday evening.
No official workout on Friday, but I did try to stay active and take more steps (I think I pretty much went up and down the stairs at work like every 30 minutes).
{SATURDAY}
I was so tired after Friday events that I was only capable of yoga – or so I thought in the morning anyway.
So I did yoga with Fiona.
I haven’t been to her class in a while and was so happy to get a chance to go – it was wonderful to see how her teaching style has evolved to showcase the strength that I always knew she had. It was a great class and really helped me relax after the stress of my Friday and tune out of everything but what my body was doing in that hour.
Thank you, Fiona. I’m really grateful for that class.
{SUNDAY} Active Day
The family train got back on it’s tracks – everybody was relieved and happy again.
I took a quick bike ride to the swim club choosing to move my legs rather than take a car ride with my folks:
Got a quick refreshment in the pool, got back home and went for a run with C25K!
Lessons learnt: more that 2 days’ gap between runs does not feel good; it’s not the heat it’s the humidity that’s the “run killer”. Temperature was nice and pleasant, but it was still very humid. Besides, I chose a route that had me going uphill most of the time (silly). Oh well. That was done and felt good afterwards.
All my efforts on Sunday were rewarded by the FitBit stats in the evening:
{MONDAY} is my new favorite day of the week.
Why? Because that’s when I teach at the YMCA at 5:30 PM and get to see my cycling gang, ride with them and share this incredible energy they create.
I had 7 people in my class this Monday, no newbies, all my regulars and familiar faces. We had a blast!
If you’re a cycling/Spinning® instructor looking for new ideas for your playlists, check out this page here to see the playlists I use for my rides.
{TUESDAY} Swimming
It was hot yesterday! Really-really hot. So we grilled some chicken thighs, packed some watermelon and went over to the swim club, where I did some laps and then we had dinner there.
And then I got home and picked all this goodness in my garden to fuel my challenged body 🙂 🙂 🙂
So, what did I learn from this week of the Challenge?
First of all – I learned not to turn one slip up into a slip up week. Life got in the way of my workouts on Thursday and Friday, but I didn’t quit or stop the 30 Days Active Challenge. I kept going. Because it is not a failure. It’s a slip up. You get up and keep going.
Because I pretty much missed two days, I am going to extend my challenge until August 2 instead of finishing on July 31.
And that’s how it’s going to be. Bring on the final week of the 30 Days Active Challenge!
Tell me, guys: what was the best work out you had this/last week?
Stay fit, and keep going!
Linked to: Work Out Wednesdays Linkup, The Hump Day Blog Hop, Wine’d Down Wednesday
July 16, 2014
30 Days Active Challenge Follow Up Report – Week 2
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Hey guys! The Hump Day is here!
Are you having a good week so far? I’m pretty excited to be back here with my Week 2 of the 30 Days Active challenge report.
This challenge to myself started with this post where I wrote a Tough Love Letter to myself following a session at FitBloggin’ 14.
And I’m happy to report that the challenge is going very well and I am staying active every day. Here’s how:
{WEDNESDAY} last week was a yoga night! My legs were SORE from biking and running the week before, so yoga just felt super nice and relaxing.
I chose to walk to the Y instead of driving
{THURSDAY} was HOT! Didn’t really feel like spending any time indoors though, so hubby and I went on a nice long walk together.
Sporting our Vibram Five Fingers (Stats on the right are for the day. Yeah, I know…I have a desk job)
Check out what we saw in one of the yards while walking:
Some people are amazingly creative!
{FRIDAY} was another run day – this time my husband decided to join me and train for a 5K too!
And that run marked the end of my Week 1 of 8 with Coach to 5K.
{SATURDAY} I did not feel the energy AT ALL.
All I could push myself to was a yoga class and a few laps in the pool. But I did it! And that was it 🙂
{SUNDAY} was another C25K Day
Hubby and I agreed to leave the house early in the morning (before the major heat kicked in) and go for a run. It was supposed to be the hottest day of the week, that’s why we wanted to get that run in early so we don’t have to suffer through it.
Well, Mr. H slept in and I waited for him patiently (because I am a good wife, you know). And then we suffered through it.
Not only was it miserably hot, but it was also the day in C25K when you switch to longer running sets.
That run was the worst of my life so far! I was drenched in sweat, breathless and a little dizzy when we got home. It took me a while to recover from that one…
The numbers above probably look funny to someone who runs regularly – nearly 14 minute miles… But I’m not sweating it. I’m getting there and working on it.
And I’m still lapping everybody on the couch 🙂 🙂 🙂
{MONDAY} was a work day – I taught my regular Indoor Cycling Class at the Y.
It was raining outside, so I had 7 (!!!) people in my class – a record number for summer time 🙂 It also so happened that the class mostly consisted of my regular riders and good friends (Mr. H attended, too!).
We had a BLAST! I felt such wonderful energy exchange and inspiration! Don’t forget to check out the latest playlist right here to get the feel of what it was like 😉
{TUESDAY} was a weird day…
Mr. H and I were originally planning to go for another run with C25K, but he had to get up really early and leave, so we decided to re-schedule that run for Wednesday.
I had to do SOMETHING! I felt like peace and quiet. So I went upstairs, lit up some candles and did yoga.
And that was it, my friends!
Missed the Week 1 Report? No problem, check it out here.
Do share: what was your most favorite workout of the past week or so?
Stay fit, friends!
This post was shared on the Workout Wednesdays linkup.
July 9, 2014
30 Days Active Challenge Follow Up Report – Week 1
Hey guys! Happy Hump Day!
As you may remember, last week I posted a Tough Love Letter to myself where I promised to go back to basics and workout every day for 30 days, and post weekly progress reports here.
So here is Part 1 of the 30 Days Active challenge recap, as promised.
{WEDNESDAY}
Last Wednesday, after I published the tough love letter, I was all jazzed up to get started on my new challenge!
So I grabbed my husband and we hit the weight room together (followed by a yoga class for me).
It felt awesome to be back in the weight room! I ran into a couple of my cycling students, which is always a pleasure. Love my people!
{THURSDAY}
Oh, was I sore on Thursday! I think I pulled a muscle in my arm as it still hurts today – been working too hard 🙂
Since I couldn’t really use my arms to workout, hubby and I went on a long walk on Thursday evening.
{FRIDAY}
On Friday I woke up with an itch only a run could “scratch”. 🙂
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know that I got injured running about a year ago (on my first run in forever), went through a long and expensive PT, got a pair of expensive running shoes and never got back to running – story of my life…
Until the 4th of July 2014.
So at about 7 AM on the 4th of July, I dusted those Brooks off, laced ’em up, left a note for my husband (who was still asleep like most of sane people out there), and went for a run with the C25K® – 5K Trainer.
No, my bad knees didn’t give out and I ran/walked for about 1.7 miles. I know people who eat marathons for breakfast, and I’m awful proud of them and proud to be friends with them. But you know what? There’s no feeling like being proud of yourself for making those first 1.7 miles after a long period of being a lazy ass injury!
I felt horrible every step of the 1.7 miles, and felt awful proud of myself afterwards!
No knee pain so far (and it’s been almost a week), so I decided to stick with the C25K for now.
{SATURDAY}
It was my turn to teach Saturday Cycle at the Y at 8:00 am last week. The Y has dropped the 9:00 am class for the summer and made the 8:00 am class an hour long instead of the usual 45 minutes.
I have to admit, I dislike an hour long cycling classes. I think 45 minute format is ideal for getting a good workout and not overdoing it.
But hey, the boss is the boss, so I put together a hilly, one hour long nightmare plan on Friday night 🙂
It is VERY schematic though – the height and steepness of the hills in the drawing above had nothing to do with the actual intensity of the class profile elements. I just did that so I could better visualize the terrain I planned out for the class.
So on Saturday morning I grabbed my husband again (gotta love that guy for everything he takes from me!), and we headed out the door for the morning cycling madness 🙂
We killed it! It was a wonderful class – great energy from my students, lots of compliments from the class on my playlist. By the way, you can check out the playlists I use in my indoor cycling classes here.
After getting home, taking a quick shower and grabbing breakfast, I went back to the Y for a yoga class. Oh did that feel good to my sore legs and arms and shoulders!
{SUNDAY}
Regular workout was just not playing out for me on Sunday. The evening was approaching fast so I had to come up with something to stay active.
When the family decided to drive to our local swim club, I decided to bike there.
It’s not far – just about 1.73 miles one way, but that was better than nothing.
It felt great to do some laps at the pool afterwards, too!
{MONDAY}
On Monday I taught my regular indoor cycling class to my regular 3 summer students 🙂 You know, you might see a lot of instructors complaining about attendance numbers dropping in the summer time. I LOVE this time – I use this opportunity to try new things in the class that I wouldn’t be able to try with a bigger group, use it to bond with my students and give them more attention during and after class.
Love-love-love small classes. They might not be blasting the bigger class energy, but they sure feel rewarding and challenging!
{TUESDAY}
It was HOT here on Tuesday. I kind of gave up on the idea of going for a run since early morning – it was sticky! Options were: home yoga DVD or weight room at the Y.
Since my arm is still not 100%, I decided to wait with the weight room.
Home yoga DVD seemed a little boring….It cooled down after the rain…So I ended up going for a run 🙂
I love that feeling of freedom running gives you…All you need is a pair of shoes and some motivation to lift yourself off the couch and get out of the door – and you won’t regret it.
I felt so much energy after the run last night!
So, friends. Here are the results of Week 1 of the 30 Days Active Challenge:
- I. AM. SORE. Like, all the time and everywhere 🙂
- I am 2.8 lb lighter (that’s after a 6 months plateau and then a gain – I couldn’t believe the number on the scale finally moved in the right direction!)
- I look at my FitBit more than I look at my watch 🙂 Sometimes I feel like I look at my FitBit more than I look at my husband! 🙂 🙂 🙂
- I feel empowered!
That’s it for now, guys.
Remember to check back next Wednesday for the Week 2 recap of my 30 Days Active challenge I brought onto myself 🙂
Stay strong!
This post has been shared on the Work Out Wednesdays Linkup. I am also a featured blogger there this week! Check it out – it is a great weekly linkup with wonderful people.
June 25, 2014
Latest Playlists for Indoor Cycling Classes and a Couple Learning Moments
Hi friends! Happy Hump Day!
Today I’m packing for FitBloggin’ 2014 and sharing my latest playlists for indoor cycling classes with you!
FitBloggin’ starts tomorrow, so I fly out tomorrow morning and get to Savannah around 2:00 pm.
I have SO many people I am excited to meet in person there that I had to make the list! Not kidding you. I did totally just make a list.
Don’t want to rank my list – I will be equally happy to meet everyone on it, and whoever is not on it, but here are a few people I am particularly excited about meeting:
Fit and Free with Emily and many-many-many other wonderful bloggers!
I am pretty sure I won’t have time to blog while I’m there – it is my very first blogging and fitness conference, so I will probably walk around with my mouth open most of the time 🙂
I will sure tell you all about the adventures in Savannah when I get back on Monday!
Now back to our regular broadcasting 🙂 It is workout Wednesday after all!
So after the previous post I took a couple yoga classes as part of my stretching/recovery/rest day routine (that was on Saturday and Wednesday).
On Saturday I taught one of those super exciting cycling classes where you don’t know whatcha gonna get 🙂 Meaning the crowd is changing from week to week and there are a few regulars.
This past Saturday I had a wonderful group of people! Most of them experienced cyclists (either indoor or outdoor). It was easy and super rewarding to teach them!
I got a thousand compliments on the playlist – one from one of my regular students (“Good sounds, kid”), another one from another fairly regular attendee of Saturday classes (“You were born too late! Love your music!”), another one from a teenage girl (“I LOVED your soundtrack”) and more. 🙂
SO nice to hear that people are happy about the music in the class. It is hard to please everyone. So, may be those who didn’t say anything didn’t like it all that much. But everybody was sweating 🙂 That’s for sure.
This time the class was a lot quieter that the Saturday before – it was a gloomy rainy day, 8 AM…I guess it took my students a while to wake up and stop asking themselves the “what the heck am I doing up and on a bike so early” question 🙂
Anyway, here’s the playlist everybody liked on Saturday in case you need song ideas to incorporate into the playlists for your next indoor cycling classes.
On Monday I suddenly found myself teaching my regular class to 8 (!!!) people instead of my regular 3-4 summer indoor riders 🙂 That was exciting!
Here’s what we rode to:
Couple of people in my class were indoor riders getting back on tack after a couple years of break, so I had to set up their bikes and remind them how the Pilots work. Thankfully they came in with enough time before the class so I could do that.
But here’s a tip and note to self: GET THERE EARLY. Make sure you’re the first one in the room and greet your students when they come in. ASK them if they have ever done indoor cycling before. If they say “Yes” and you see them struggling with the bike set up – GO HELP. A lot of people feel embarrassed to admit they’re new thinking “It’s just a bike. I can figure it out myself”.
No, they can’t.
You need to help them.
It’s like being a doctor – you can’t walk by someone who needs medical help. You simply MUST NOT or you’re in the wrong job.
Anyway 🙂
The Monday class also got me thinking about something else…
Every time we’d get out of the saddle to a standing flat, there would be this one person leaning forward onto the handlebars and isolating the upper body.
I kept saying “Light grip on the handlebars, just to keep you balanced. Don’t lean forward. Relax your shoulders”.
Nothing helped.
I tried getting frustrated but I’m too kind 🙂
Just kidding.
He stopped by after the class and said his back really hurt whenever he was out of the saddle, and that’s why he was leaning forward carrying a lot of weight on his arms on standing flats.
I told him to just stay in the saddle next time if getting out of it bothers his back.
But here’s the thought: next time you see that stubborn rider in your class who just wouldn’t do the right thing despite your instructions – think twice before getting frustrated or thinking they are just another “know-it-all” and “know-it-better”. I’m glad this person told me after the class what his issue was and let me help him out the best way I know how. Think how many of them will never talk to you about their health issues and why they can’t do certain things. Think about how many of them will never admit it even to themselves.
Talk to them. Offer help. Ask questions. Be discreet and polite. Find the key to every one of them.
That’s what this job is about for me: building your own community of like-minded people and making everybody feel welcome and “at home”.
There you have it – a couple playlist ideas and a couple pieces of valuable advice 🙂 🙂 🙂
Ready to start this Wednesday now!
Question of the day: What’s the worst case of a “know-it-all” student you’ve ever witnessed in your/somebody else’s class?
Take care, friends, and talk to you soon.
This post has been shared on Workout Wednesdays Linkup.
June 18, 2014
Indoor Cycling: Does Size Matter?
Hello-hello, my fit crowd! How are you doing today? Ready for some more cycling instructor ramblings? 🙂 Let’s talk sizes, shall we?
No, that’s not what you thought 🙂 I’m talking the size of the class!
I’ve had a pretty busy week as far as teaching cycling goes! What’s interesting is how this past week’s teaching experience was all about class attendance/number of students in a class – class size.
Let’s see what happened in the past week.
Last Wednesday I taught a lunchtime cycling class (I was subbing for one of my fellow instructors).
I got there 15 minutes before the class, prepped the room, got ready, set up all my devices and “commenced waiting” 🙂
At 2 minutes to 12 when there was still no one in the room but me, I decided I would leave if no one shows up by 12:15 PM.
At 1 minute to 12 my only student showed up.
I was about to teach a class to ONE person.
It was a very interesting experience – don’t get me wrong – she was a nice lady. But she just did her own thing kind of – and that was nerve-racking.
Imagine this: you’re starting to go through the stretching off the bike routine after the class, and the only student in your class is kinda watching you do it while wiping their bike off.
Do you stop stretching? Do you keep stretching and just shut up since you don’t really have to cue yourself on stretching out loud, and your student doesn’t care about stretching at all?
Anyway. It was difficult. In case you’re wondering – I shut up and kept stretching.
I did my Movie Ride again that Wednesday since I knew the crowd (haha) was going to be different from that at my Monday class, and I thought it would be a nice and engaging ride to the music most people know. And my only student enjoyed it – she really liked the idea and enjoyed guessing the movies the songs on the playlist were from.
I guess, overall the class wasn’t bad. Just felt a little weird at times.
On Saturday morning, bright and early I had to do it again. 🙂
Saturday 8:00 AM class is very popular right now. People like coming in early to get their workout out of the way and enjoy a full day of summer activities with no interruptions.
I had 10 people signed up for the class. When they showed up, I realized I was going to be teaching a class to seasoned riders (both indoor and outdoor riders) – two of them were indoor cycling instructors with popular classes of their own.
I was nervous. I think I was more nervous than I was on my audition ride for the job. I blame those two instructors 🙂
They are great people, but they made me nervous that morning. I guess it’s that feeling of being “checked out” and evaluated if you will. Being put to the test. Yeah, kinda just like what I do to other instructors. The difference is – when I go to check them out they don’t know I’m certified 🙂 I do understand though that all that evaluation nonsense might be just in my head, but that was how I felt (might be through no fault of those two instructors).
There was also a lot of chatting going on in the class which was very distracting and hard for my vocal cords. The chatting was going on for a while…and then they stopped. All I could hear was heavy breathing 🙂 Of course they started chatting again on the next recovery song, but that doesn’t matter.
What does matter is the experience of teaching in an environment far from perfect – not all the students look for your every word, they chat, some of them came there not just for the workout, but to socialize as well. Fine by me.
Also, what did matter was that when I started playing Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, my class started clapping to the beat. I know, I know…good form, not safe… But it was just for a few seconds and it just gave me such a boost of energy and confidence to see them enjoying the music and the ride so much!
Another thing that mattered the most was when one of my students came over to me after the class and said he LOVED my music choices. He was amazed to not hear the kind of music he expected based on my age (rap and stuff). I told him I was born at the wrong time 🙂 Should have been born in the 60’s. Old time rock and roll, you know 🙂
So. Did the size of the class matter on Saturday?
Yes and no.
Yes – there were more people there than what I’m used to – more people you are trying to please with your routine, etc.. More musical tastes to satisfy. More fitness levels and age groups to consider.
No – because what made ME nervous had more to do with WHO was in my class rather than HOW MANY people were there.
Here’s the playlist from the Saturday class:
On Monday I had my regular crowd (3-5 people) that I am now used to and comfortable with teaching as far as the number of students goes.
Did size matter? Yes and no again 🙂
Yes – this size group gives you a chance to look at people closer and pay more attention to each student. For example, I noticed that one of my regulars is a big Elvis fan. I don’t think I would have noticed his reaction to the Elvis’s song I played if I had more people in the class as he usually rides in the back of the room.
No – it didn’t matter if it was 4, 5 or 6 of them.
Here’s the Monday night playlist:
So, does the size matter?
I guess it does to me when it comes to bigger groups. At this point in my career I still get nervous, which can potentially influence the quality of my teaching.
It also matters if it is a one person class as it is harder – you have that one person to establish connection with and your failure to do so is much more obvious that it would have been with one person out of a group of 10. You beat yourself pretty hard afterwards…
Anything between 1 and 10 I am comfortable with 🙂
And that’s the way it is right now in my world of teaching indoor cycling.
Question of the day: do you like indoor cycling classes in big groups or small groups? Why?
Take care, fit friends, and ride on!
June 13, 2014
Friday Favorites: Random Selection of Things I Like
TGIF, friends!!! Finally this busy week is over – time to relax and get ready for the weekend!
As always, I am sharing my five Friday favorites with you today. This time it’s just really random – from all categories and possible kinds of things 🙂 Are you ready? Here we go.
{ONE} The Beverly Hillbillies
We’ve been loving this show! It’s SO funny! They made 9 seasons that originally broadcasted from 1962 to 1971. We found some DVD’s at Wal-Mart and then I ordered more online.
We watch a couple episodes every night. When we ran out of DVD’s to watch – my family folk was going through some serious withdrawal, so I had to order more seasons from Amazon. 🙂
I personally think that Granny (Irene Ryan) is the best personality that ever existed on American Television.
Image Source
If you ever come across this show – watch it. It is super funny and is one of my favorites for sure!
{TWO} Mermaid Bicycle Dress by CWG Clothing
I ordered me that dress for $30 at the CWG Clothing Etsy store! Love the design and the fabric. Definitely check them out! They have beautiful designs there.
{THREE} 4MyCycle Mini Bike Pump
If you are riding outdoors – this is a “must have”. Unfortunately, we learnt that the hard way during our Race Ride Run Ramble event this spring when my husband had to pump the rear tire on his bike every 10 minutes, and we didn’t have a mini pump with us. Fortunately, a volunteer riding by let us borrow his pump, otherwise we’d have to walk to the finish line.
So. This one is definitely going on my “to buy” list!
{FOUR} Tommy Hilfiger Women’s Classic Red and Navy Reversible Watch
Love Tommy. Love the combination of red and navy blue. Reversible? How awesome is that?
I know I have more watches than there are days in a week, but a girl can wish, right? 🙂
{FIVE} High Polished Stainless Steel Triple Multi Color Band Ring
I have a weakness for multi-color rings 🙂 Ok, just rings in general, too 🙂 This one is just so gorgeous! and guess what? It’s only $2.99 on Amazon 🙂
And those are my Friday favorites, guys!
Do share: what are the things you’re loving lately?
Have a great weekend, and stay fit, my friends!
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June 11, 2014
Cycling Instructor: Students Teach Us Too
Hey guys! How is it Wednesday already? My week is just flying by (it’s a busy one, too). How is yours going?
So I went to a cycling class this Saturday – as a student. It felt super nice to not be teaching 🙂 Besides, I decided to hold off the stress for now and go to my YMCA where I know the instructors are highly professional, so I can relax and just spin that wheel. So I did!
It was a great class with Tara – challenging, difficult and very satisfying! 9:00 AM on Saturday – we only had 2 people in the class not counting the instructor. And it was part of the fun too!
Since we went camping last weekend, I didn’t get a chance to practice my profile for the Monday class. I put together the Movie Ride – with songs that were part of or specifically written for movies. Here is what it looked like:
I thought the fanfare of the 20th Century Fox in the beginning was a nice touch 🙂 Anyway, my students loved the music and the class. My husband, who took it too said it was my best yet.
I really tried to focus on my “problem areas” this time – I moved my bike closer to the class and away from the speakers so I could have a better judgment of the volume of my voice projection vs. music.
In my previous classes, since I didn’t have a mic (still don’t), I felt like I was failing to motivate my class by verbal coaching, so I worked out more myself – motivating them by sweating my butt off (that’s what they are used to and that I thought was extra motivation for them). Moving my bike closer to the students (hub’s idea), turning the music down a little, and limiting my “moves” to demonstration only really allowed me to coach more. And I think my class definitely benefited from it – I was able to give them more guidance, watch them closer and adjust my cueing accordingly. It was great seeing them react to my guidance and cues.
It is mentally hard to not work out while teaching. Please, don’t get me wrong – it doesn’t come from the desire to get your own workout in. It comes from lack of confidence. I have the knowledge – I need to be more vocal and share it. You can’t be vocal while out of breath…not so much as you should anyway 🙂 I felt a major shift in my priorities as an instructor during the Movie Ride – all thanks to my students letting me feel the difference between instructing “by example” and coaching.
I am learning to be a better instructor for them – one step at a time.
Still got my burn though. No idea how that happened.
Look, they have my name on the board in the cycling room 🙂 How nice is that!
What else is up this week: I am subbing for another instructor today at lunch time (if I don’t have the same students in the class that I had on Monday, I am planning to do my Movie Ride again).
I am also teaching two Saturday morning classes this month before I head out to Fit Bloggin’ 2014!
On an unrelated subject: I’ve been invited for an interview by Adam and Devon Bate over at the Lifestyle Accountability Show!
We are recording it tonight, and I will make sure to let you know when it is out! I am so honored and stoked to be given this opportunity!
Super happy and excited to chat with these guys tonight! Thank you, Adam, for reaching out to me!
Now do share:
What was your “Workout of the Workouts” this week?
Have you ever been interviewed?
Does it inspire you to see your cycling instructor getting a workout in the class?
Take care, boys and girls 🙂
This post has been shared on Femme Fitale Fit Club as part of their Workout Wednesdays series.
June 4, 2014
More Cycling: Weekly Exercise Recap
Hey, guys! Checking in quickly today to update you on some recent happenings in my life as well as on the last week’s exercise recap.
My routine was not very versatile last week – all I did was cycling 🙂
I am dying to get back into lifting weights, but… Ok, no “but’s” – I just need to do it.
So last Wednesday, right after I told you about my new indoor cycling experience, I went to another class where the instructor was new to me.
I am not going to go into much detail about it…Just want to tell you it was even worse than the one before that…At some point I just stopped doing what I was told by the instructor and did my own thing.
If I were her, that would have upset me, and maybe it did upset her, too. Oh well – all the more reasons for her to think why. Or maybe next time come up to the person who does that in her class after it’s over and ask him/her what’s going on and why they’re not following her instructions.
In my case – I am not doing the “No Bounce” drill where you isolate your legs, keep your upper body still while pedaling and “make those quads burn”. No thanks, I’ll pass on that one.
Anyway – disappointing.
I keep trying and my plan is to take each and every class this facility offers and see if they have at least one instructor who follows the general safety and common sense guidelines for the industry 🙂 I will keep you posted on the progress/lack thereof.
Meanwhile, I still got a workout that day:
On Thursday, I got this goodness in the mail from Mad Dogg Athletics:
I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was developed by my favorite Jennifer Sage – the founder of the Indoor Cycling Association. I just plowed through this course in two days. What a great resource – so much valuable information and examples of practical applications of the knowledge. I was so eager to keep reading I took this home study with me to the swim club on Saturday 🙂 I am sure I will be coming back to this great book again and again.
Didn’t really do much for the rest of the work week. (Booooooooo)
On Sunday I went for my “dress rehearsal” ride – I put together a profile for my Monday class and go ride it myself first before I take it to the class.
I think it was the most challenging one I’ve put together so far. Lots of time in the saddle, lots of climbing and muscle endurance drills.
Come Monday, it was time to actually teach that class. I was just not feeling it all day on Monday. I don’t know why – I just felt really sluggish and not in the mood to move. But, of course, I had to – it’s my job now and I am responsible and accountable for it to my students who come in every Monday for my class.
This time my husband was able to make it to my class (first time, yey!) – that meant so much to me – it completely transformed my mood and lifted me up!
I also had 2 fellow instructors, one person who was completely new to cycling and one who was getting back to it after a surgery in the class this time. Full set 🙂
I absolutely LOVED this Monday class! I loved having two fellow instructors there riding with passion and helping me out by providing great emotional feedback to my music and routine.
I loved having the totally new to cycling person in the class because it gave me a feeling of great accomplishment to be able to fit her on the bike properly and go over safety guidelines with her, as well as her thanking me after the class and regretting I only teach once a week.
It was great having the person who was recovering after surgery in the class – it made me really think through and re-consider some of my cues on proper form right there and tell her that if she can’t do what I say, she needs to listen to her body and do whatever it tells her.
It felt great to hear people singing along to the music I played.
Above all – it was great to see the look on my husband’s face going like “WOW, my wife can do THAT, too?” 🙂
Awesome class! So much energy flowing – I still feel charged up and happy! Here’s the playlist I had for it:
And that is what I did workout-wise in the past week.
Do share: what was your best workout last week?
Stay fit, friends, and talk to you soon!
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