bicycling Archives - Page 5 of 6

Lean Lena May 28, 2014

New Indoor Cycling Experience and Last Week’s Exercise Recap

Hey, my fitness friends! Happy Hump Day to ya!

Having a fun week so far? I am indeed – feels good to be back on track with not just my eating and work schedule, but somewhat with my exercise schedule as well.

Last Monday I taught my weekly indoor cycling class at the Y:

Yep, still loving what I do 🙂 Here’s the playlist I used for that ride:

My class loved the music! They thought the workout was challenging, too. It is incredibly rewarding to hear their compliments!

As always, I used Class Builder™ app by Cycling Fusion to get ready and teach the class, and I absolutely LOVE it. If you ever get it – take time to look at their website – this app can do so much more than you can possibly imagine!

You can even e-mail the class profile as a PDF to yourself (or anyone) once you’re done building it!!!

Anyway, I was not quite back into my exercise routine last week, but I did manage to squeeze in a cycling class on Saturday morning:

It felt really good to be back in a class as a student and just do what somebody else tells you 🙂

On Memorial Day, one of the gyms I belong to (yeah, I know) was open until 1:00 pm, so I decided to go for a cycling class there. It was a new (to me) instructor, which was really exciting. I’m always up for checking out new instructors so I can learn something new from them!

She was super nice and introduced herself to me before the class. BUT…

You know, I am not a judgmental person. I dislike judgment in all forms and shapes…BUT!

The class started with JUMPS. Really? Right after warm up? Besides, there was at least one new student in the class. I mean, I understand my cycling shoes probably give me away as a non-beginner, but that other lady was completely new to cycling. I actually heard her say that. Unfortunately, nothing was said by the instructor before we started “jumping” about jumps being an advance movement, and how beginners should not do jumps until they get enough training and experience on the bike.

I also witnessed what “too much looking down at your notes” looks and feels like from the student perspective. The instructor made virtually no eye contact with the class. I have to remind myself to not do that in my class. I mean, I actually have to make myself look at people during class because it is scary to take your eyes off of the phone screen with the Class Builder cues and elapsed class/song time on it. Now I actually know how bad it feels for students when the instructor is not making eye contact. Not pleasant. It also makes you feel like your instructor is not confident/skilled enough to take their eyes off of their notes/phone screen. Not good. Noted to self to do more eye contact and less looking down when I teach.

Oh and we stretched with our legs on the handlebars – thankfully, one at a time. Perfect ending! 🙂

I am definitely not going back to that instructor’s class. It wasn’t horrible, but it is not the class you would want to come back to again and again.

I realize that my experience in teaching is very modest, but I am constantly working on my education as an instructor. I know all the most important contraindications by heart. I might still not quite know some things I should do, but I sure know what not to do. My desire to know what NOT to do comes from fear of causing harm to my students, and I think every instructor needs to have that fear at the back of their mind – always.

The class on Monday left me feeling like the instructor couldn’t care less about safety. And that was sad.

Made me feel lucky to have had wonderful teachers!

But anyway – moving on. I have big plans for the coming week – plan on trying a couple new classes and getting my next class profile ready for next Monday.

I will tell you all about it next Wednesday.

Stay fit, boys and girls 🙂

This post has been shared on: Workout Wednesdays Linkup

Filed Under: Cycling, fitness, fitness review, new experiences, spinning, Spinning Instructor Tagged With: bicycling, fitness, fitness review, new experience, spinning, spinning instructor 15 Comments

Lean Lena May 21, 2014

Vega Sport Hydrator Review by Lost and Found Blogger

Hey my lovelies! Have you missed me? 🙂

I sure missed you!

My office still pretty much looks like this – at least for the most part of the work week:

And my office clothes – like this:

I am exposed to the weather conditions (rain or shine) and having all other sorts of fun related to overseeing container loading 🙂

Good news: this is the last week I’m doing it. After that – back to being an office rat and sleeping in until 6:30 AM.

Even better news: I have a piece of hard earned wisdom to share with you today.

If you have to work outside in the heat, if you do 12000 steps between 7:00 am and 3:00 pm – support your body. Drink a lot of water!

I was lucky enough to get a pack of Vega Sport Hydrator as part of the Fuel Your Better campaign with Fit Approach before my adventure started.

I have to tell you – when it comes to hydrating, I prefer pure water. I just can’t really deal with the aftertaste of a sports drink and the feeling of complete draught in my mouth after drinking them. But since it was a Vega product, I decided to give it a try. They already surprised me once with their no aftertaste protein powder as I mentioned before. So, I thought, why not give it a shot again with Vega?

You probably know from my social media pages that I am now an employee of the Carlisle Family YMCA and teach an indoor cycling class every Monday. Since I am a beginner-instructor, I put a profile together every Saturday, give it a trial “run” myself on Sunday, then teach it on Monday. So! Back to Vega Sport Hydrator. One Sunday I went for my trial ride in the cycling room alone and brought the Hydrator with me to check it out.

It is a powder that you add to your water so you can decide for yourself how concentrated you want it to be. I made mine pretty thin so the taste is subtle.

I rode 8.6 miles on pretty intense hilly terrain that day!

I fueled those miles with the Vega Sport Hydrator. I have to say, being used to hydrating with plain water the taste was a little distracting in the beginning. But I still enjoyed it on my ride!

For my next class I made sure I had a bottle of this goodness with me!

The second time around I just loved it! So glad I have a whole box that Vega Team sent me!

It does its job perfectly in my opinion – hydrates and gives you energy to goof around like this after you taught/took a tough cycling class:

My super exhausting few weeks of working outside all day would not be so bearable without this product either! I used it to hydrate while being out there in the sun for the past few weeks and running around between the containers and Gators 🙂

BONUS: Vega Sport Hydrator does not contain sugar or artificial sweeteners! 0 Calories, too!

No guilt, great taste and benefits for your body all the way around – count me in! 🙂

Thank you, Vega Team and Fit Approach for this wonderful opportunity to try out Vega Sport Hydrator.

Disclaimer: even though I received complementary product from Vega and Fit approach, I was not compensated in any other way for this post and the opinions above are my own.

Filed Under: Cycling, fitness, fitness review, new experiences, Product Reviews, spinning, Spinning Instructor, Sweat Pink Tagged With: bicycling, fitness, fitness review, infused water, new experience, spinning, spinning instructor Leave a Comment

Lean Lena April 25, 2014

Random Likes – Five on Friday

Hey guys! TGIF!!!

I can’t wait for this weekend! So much going on lately – I have to tell you about it in my Five on Friday post today 🙂 Here we go!

{ONE} Cumberland Valley Rails-to-Trails

This is an awesome trail close by where we live and we went there last weekend for a bike ride. It was my very first time there and I LOVED it!

It is a beautiful trail, and the day was just perfect for a ride – nice breeze, not to warm, no bugs yet. Pure AWESOMENESS! And I got a pretty good workout out of a recreational ride.

We went out 4 miles, but then Carmen got tired and we had to go back. Was still a fun ride and we got to style at the finish line. Well, I personally was mostly styling my helmet hair 🙂

This Sunday hubby and I are going back there again for the 8th annual Race, Run, Ride & Ramble Trail Festival – we’re doing the 30K bike ride part of it. SO excited! Stay tuned for recap next week, friends 🙂

{TWO} Lucky Brand

I’ve been a huge fan of their purses for a long-long time – well made, stylish, super convenient and spacious (crazy bag lady here) and just beautiful. I am a proud owner of this one:

I love their jewelry, too – like this Green Stone Woven Bracelet:

Or these gorgeous Two Tone Oval Orbital Earrings

{THREE} DIY Easter Baskets

We had a wonderful Easter this year! We had the kids and since they are all grown up now, we decided to go with the DIY Easter baskets rather than the egg hunt. So, on Good Friday when everybody was taking their nap in the afternoon, I put together these baskets:

Don’t mind my washer and dryer – I was hiding in laundry room while putting these baskets together 🙂

{FOUR} Homemade Quesadillas

Oh I have been addicted to those! Carmen loves enchiladas, so we always have tortillas in the fridge. What better way to use them than make a breakfast quesadilla?

Takes no time to make, too – just whisk an egg, fry it as a pancake, put on a tortilla, add whatever else you want on it (I have cheese and ham), fold, brown on both sides, cut and devour! 🙂

{FIVE} Indoor Cycling Instructor News

Well, you guys know that this Monday I taught my very first indoor cycling class at the local YMCA as my audition for the job there.

I passed and got a job offer, which I happily accepted!!!

I have yet to pass all the checks, orientations and such, but this goes to show how determination and hard work always pay off! Once you get on the right track, once you really want something and are determined to get it – the whole world helps you reach your goals.

You suddenly find just the right people to help and support you.

You suddenly find energy in yourself to do a cycling class, a yoga class and then come back to cycling room to practice teaching for another hour – all that on a Saturday morning.

It is an amazing feeling when you see your riders’ eyes and smiles at the end of the class. I want to do it again and again 🙂

I am super excited about this job opportunity and the community of people I will be working with.

And that was my Five on Friday, folks 🙂

Do share: what have you been liking lately?

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Filed Under: breakfast, Cycling, fitness, fitness events, Five on Friday, Gift Ideas, lunch, new experiences, spinning, Spinning Instructor Tagged With: bicycling, breakfast, fitness, fitness motivation, five on friday, good food, healthy breakfast, healthy lunch, lunch, new experience, spinning, spinning instructor 8 Comments

Lean Lena April 23, 2014

Teaching my First Indoor Cycling Class – Recap

Hey, guys! Happy hump day! How is your week going?

Mine started off with teaching my very first indoor cycling class, as you know from this post. Back here today to tell you all about it!

Well, most of the Sunday night I was teaching the class in my head and in my sleep 🙂 I think it might be what helped me not to freak out completely when it was actually time to teach 🙂

All day Monday I kept playing my music and cues in my head, and before I knew – it was time to leave work and go to the YMCA.

I got there 40 minutes early (which is pretty close to normal for me on Mondays even when I take the class, leave alone teaching it for the first time), got changed, went upstairs to the cycling room, turned on our “racing lights”, opened the windows, turned the fans on, had my fight with the stereo (which of course was acting up and didn’t want to switch from CD to AUX), set everything up and started waiting for my riders to show up.

Yeah, I wish those were Spinner® bikes, too 🙂

Getting there early definitely helped me relax and calm down. I was still nervous, but felt much better after spending some time alone in the room and getting everything ready for the class.

I used most of the tips that other instructors on Team Spinning gave me:

I have prepared and practiced my profile in advance.
I backed up my playlist on a CD, printed my notes for it, and put it in the CD envelope. This can actually be my back up at any time now.

I took my population into account. The class I was going to teach was the one I had been taking myself every Monday for the past couple years, so this was pretty easy – I knew the “regulars” and what music they liked. Half of the songs I played had been used by the regular instructor of that class, but I modified the drills for them. I got some great feedback on the new songs that I used for the class, as well. It was great seeing some riders actually sing along 🙂

Here is what my playlist looked like:

I won’t get into much detail about the routine. I will just say I think that it was challenging enough and involved a lot of climbing – both seated and standing.

During my “dress rehearsal” last Saturday I tried to concentrate on giving clear instructions and not getting my own workout in. That was the hardest part for me – I am so used to getting on that bike and working my heart out that it was hard to not get aerobic 🙂 Hey, I did my best!
I did use songs with lyrics (except for the warm up and cool down song), but practiced giving instructions in between the lyrics, i.e. brief overview of the drills for the next song at the end of the previous song, etc.
I tried to keep my instructions simple and specific without talking too much, and yet providing enough guidance for my riders.

I also did some things in addition to what was suggested by the Team Spinning members:

I brought a Suggestions Jar and put it next to the sign in book that we have for students, and told them to feel free to leave any feedback (good or bad) on the experience they had in my class. I got 2 wonderful notes in writing, and a lot more positive feedback and a round of applause at the end of the class 🙂

I brought a pack of index cards with me for new students to write down their bike settings. (didn’t need them this time though)
I used Class Builder™ – Cycling Fusion app for the class. LOVE this app! Whether you are a beginner instructor, or an experienced one – I think this is a great app to incorporate into your class. Definitely check it out! It is not free and not really cheap, but I am SO glad I invested in it!
I used my flexible mini tripod to attach my phone to the handlebars so it is right in front of me and I don’t have to glance down at it.
I found and printed out bike set up guidelines from the manufacturer of the bikes we have at the Y (LeMond RevMaster). Since I was trained by the Spinning® program which is designed for different bikes, I thought it was a good idea to educate myself on the proper bike set up for this particular kind of bikes.

Things that didn’t go so well/I need to work on:

Voice projection – I got quite a few comments that people couldn’t hear me very well. I didn’t have the mic in my class. It will definitely be a must if/when I get hired – no doubt about it. For now I should really work on my voice projection skills – always good to have in case of emergency 🙂
Teaching off the bike – I did not do it this time. I was very nervous and worried that if I get off the bike I will lose track of my planned profile and cueing times. I think this will change as I get more experience, practice and confidence that comes with it. I totally understand the value of teaching off the bike, I was just not up for it at the very first class – one step at a time.
I need to remind my riders to hydrate more often. I noticed that with so many things going through my head as we moved along I kept forgetting to hydrate myself and remind them to do so. You’d be surprised – but their attention is focused mostly on the instructor and their own riding – they forget to hydrate. They really need to be reminded.
I need to work more on disconnecting the two things – teaching and working out myself. It was one of the hardest parts for me. I was NOT trying to get a workout myself and was trying to concentrate on teaching, but it kinda happened anyway. I need to work more on shifting my focus to my priority as an instructor – my riders’ workout, and take it easy myself. It is a habit hard to break!
Cue more on proper form – I am hoping the ability to do that will also come with time and growing confidence.
And obviously many other things that I have yet to discover I am not good at as I keep teaching 🙂

Overall – it was an incredible experience! I’ve never enjoyed seeing others sweat as much as I did this Monday 🙂 I was waiting for them to start sweating! 🙂 I know it is not a 100% validation, but I needed it.

Teaching this first class made me realize what a wonderful group of people the Y brought into my life. How lucky I am to have met Jim Mader who has become my cycling/yoga/lifting guru, and other wonderful people – Fiona, Susan, Marlene, Lisa, Don, Sandy, and many more.

THANK YOU, guys! For making my first experience of teaching indoor cycling so UNFORGETTABLE!

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Filed Under: Cycling, events, fitness, fitness events, new experiences, spinning, Spinning Instructor Tagged With: bicycling, fitness, fitness motivation, new experience, spinning, spinning instructor 23 Comments

Lean Lena April 16, 2014

Get ready to teach your first cycling class: 15 tips to be prepared

Hey guys! I got some exciting news to share with you today.

Ever since I got certified as a Spinning® instructor, I haven’t really been looking for a job. As it turned out, the job was looking for me 🙂 But let me start from the beginning.

I have been taking indoor cycling classes at our local YMCA for a couple of years now. Last winter we had a bunch of instructors leave their jobs and so a few class teaching slots became available. The problem was\is that I can’t teach at the available times as I have my 8-5 day job (boring, I know 🙂 ).

Anyway, ever since I got certified there was a lot of e-mails going back and forth with the YMCA, then there were no e-mails going anywhere, and then I got an invitation for the interview for this past Friday!

The interview went really well. It was 1 hour long and I really enjoyed our conversation with the Physical Director.

So, here’s the plan: I will teach my very first indoor cycling class this coming Monday, April 21 and if it goes well, I will have a regular class on Mondays (5:30 to 6:30 pm) May-October while my favorite instructor Jim is taking a break from teaching.

Also, I will be teaching some Saturday classes that run on a rotating schedule. If my audition goes well that is.

Not sure what is going to happen in October, but we shall see.

And this is where you start freaking out about teaching your first class 🙂

I was fine until this Monday when it finally hit me that it is going to happen 🙂 All the questions I was asking myself just about made my head explode!

When that happened, I went to the Team Spinning Facebook group to ask for last minute advice from seasoned Spinning® instructors on how to teach your first cycling class.

The support and feedback they gave me was just incredible! I got over 60 comments with word of encouragement and advice. People even posted suggested class profiles and one of the members is mailing me a CD with music from her own collection!

I was amazed at the support and warmth of everyone in the group. I am so fortunate to be a part of this family! If you are a Spinning®/Indoor cycling instructor, make sure to check it out – it is one amazing group of people!

Below are some tips for the first time teaching that I got from the Team Spinning.

Bring a back up CD in case you have iPhone/iPod issues. In fact, my instructor carries both a CD and a TAPE! Yes, he is that prepared 🙂
Remember to introduce yourself, ask if you have any new riders in the class, go over proper bike setup and safety making sure all the rider pop-pins are tight. At the end of class thank the riders for attending your class.
Discuss with your riders that it is NOT about the number of miles they go. Remember, anything above 110rpm is useless and dangerous!
Remember the 4 P’s to Spinning. Population, Purpose, Plan, Progression. Know your audience. Profile accordingly and think about the intent of your ride.
Keep an eye on your participants during class so it’s about them and not watching the stereo or your notes too much.
Pace your verbiage because even though it’s their ride, not yours, and you’re not going anaerobic, it is very different to talk and teach when first starting out.
Don’t be afraid to jot down some notes of what to say during certain planned segments of your profile. There’s nothing wrong with an instructor having notes.
Try not to let lyrics of any chosen music over-ride what you are saying. Hence, it’s easier not to play that type of music so you’re not combating with it.
However, do play what you like initially because they will feel your energy.

Act confident. If you act it, you will feel it. They will sense that and respond to it providing positive energy back to you to go back to them! It creates a circling effect.
Don’t talk too much! Don’t feel obligated to fill every moment of silence.
Brining a spare water bottle for a rider who forgets is a good habit to get into.
You might feel like people are giving you the stink eye; don’t take it personally. Some people are very attached to their instructors and if you’re taking over a class, it might take some time for them to “warm up” to you.
Practice.
Relax. Be yourself. Smile. Bring your love for Spinning with you. If you have it, your participants will feel it.

I would like to THANK everyone on Team Spinning who contributed to the list of tips above. It helped me a lot just to put that list together. Even though all that was part of the instructor training and I know it, it is still helpful to summarize it and remind yourself of the important things you need to do as an instructor.

So. I am still working on the routine, music and cueing, and then my plan is to ride the class profile I come up with myself this weekend.

After all the support and encouragement I received on Monday from the Team Spinning group, I feel much better – more confident and relaxed.

I got this! We’ll have a fun and challenging ride. I know I am qualified enough to promise my participants that and keep that promise.

I will be back with a recap next week. For now – wish me luck!

Do tell: What is your most memorable first experience? How do you overcome the nervousness of the “first time”?

Have a great Hump/Pump Day, guys!

You might want to read this post, too: 5 Things I don’t Teach My Indoor Cycling/Spinning® Class Without.

New instructor? Check out my resource page for new instructors.

Looking for ideas for your next class? Check out my Playlists and Class Profiles.

Get ready to teach your first #spinning class – 15 tips from @LeanLena101 #indoorcycling #spinninginstructor

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Filed Under: Cycling, fitness, Fitness Challenges, new experiences, spinning, Spinning Instructor Tagged With: bicycling, new experience, spinning, spinning instructor 24 Comments

Lean Lena April 11, 2014

Five on Friday: Cycling, Photography, Reads and More

Hey-hey! Happy Friday!

I think that rhymes 🙂 Nope, I didn’t do it on purpose this time!

Anyway, are you guys happy it’s Friday? I am! It’s been a long-long week. Even though hubby has been traveling and kids are gone, too I feel like every day I was hopping from one thing to another with the last thing being hopping into bed. So glad the weekend is coming!

But it is still Friday morning and on Friday I share my 5 recent favorites with you. Here we go 🙂

{ONE} Reads

I’ve ordered a couple more books from Amazon in the past week and just got them in the mail yesterday.

Every Woman’s Guide to Cycling: Everything You Need to Know, From Buying Your First Bike to Winning Your First Race

I’m especially interested in the “buying your first bike” of this one as you know from this post.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Cycling – I have no idea why I bought this one… Probably because you’re supposed to own an idiot’s guide to everything you like 🙂 You know, just in case.

And also to get ready for this:

I can’t wait to start reading all this goodness 🙂 I’ve recently realized that I don’t read enough. Not nearly as much as I used to. Read as in books, where you actually turn the pages 🙂 We’re so overwhelmed by the internet, social media and the constant flow of information that we forgot how to sit down, tune out and just read a book. So, my goal from now on is to read at least one book a month! And you guys get to hold be accountable 🙂

Here’s what my promise to myself looks like for the next 10 months (at most):

{TWO} Indoor Cycling Association Summit

Source

I found this event through…oh gosh, let me restore the chain of events in my memory here 🙂 I was first introduced to the Indoor Cycling Association by my Spinning® MI Meg McNeely who shared this article by Jennifer Sage (the Association founder) on her FB page.

After I read the article, which I think is great and a must-read for all the cycling instructors out there, I subscribed to the ICA newsletter and that was how I learnt about the summit.

Karma works wonders 🙂

Anyway, this is an online summit and it runs April 3 through 16 with 2 sessions a day, and it is FREE!

24 sessions led by the top professional instructors, cyclists and scientists. FREE. OF. CHARGE.

Even if I don’t get ECE’s for that – uuuhm, yes, please!

I am just loving the sessions so much! Despite the lack of time and the fact that the sessions are only available for 12 hours each day, I work hard to find time to listen to them, because staying current with your education is key for being an awesome instructor. And I really want to be one!

If you are interested, you can still join this wonderful event for FREE right here.

You can also get an all access pass and have all the sessions + bonuses + handouts available for you anytime for 6 months after the summit.

{THREE} Shutter Starz Tabletop Complete Photo Studio Kit w/2 Light Tents & 8 Backgrounds

Well, I am just about to take my food photography to the next level, friends 🙂 I think this is a good investment, which just so happens to be a lot of fun to play with, too 🙂

Here’s what’s in the kit:

2 professional photo tents 32″ and 13″
(8) Colored Internal Sheets for background modeling (White, Red, Blue, and Black)
(2) High output 30 Watt 5500K lights
Includes a tripod adjustable from 13.5″ with extension up to 40″
100% pure white nylon velour fabric and stainless steel spring frame.

It is a food blogger’s dream – hands down!

{FOUR} Magnetic Purse Hooks

I don’t know if you ever heard of such a thing or not, but I got one as a Christmas present from one of my friends in Russia and I am loving it! I have pretty much no room for my purse at work. I tried gluing a purse hook onto the side of my desk but it doesn’t take long for those to break (yep, I am a crazy heavy bag lady alright). Getting the glued part off takes quite a while though.

So. Anyway. I gave up on those hooks and shortly after that I got my magnetic hook for Christmas. Here’s what mine looks like:

Source

Check out these other awesome creations! So neat!

Source

This one is my favorite :):

Source

I think they should have had the text facing the other direction though – for the bar tender to see 🙂

{FIVE} #FFAprilAbs Challenge by FitFluential

I am loving this challenge! Even though it is not easy to remember and find time to plank (I know, I know), I am doing it and haven’t missed a day so far.

I’m up to 1:45 as of today 🙂 Working my way back to my previous record of over 5 minute plank 🙂

Your turn: what are the things you’re loving lately?

Have a great weekend, guys, and stay fit!

Filed Under: Cycling, FitFluential, fitness, Fitness Challenges, Five on Friday, gadget-head, spinning, Spinning Instructor Tagged With: bicycling, books, FitFluential, fitness, five on friday, gadget-head, ICA, new experience, photography, plank, plankaday, spinning, spinning instructor 16 Comments

Lean Lena April 4, 2014

Five on Friday – Shoes, Bling, Bikes and More

Hey guys! It’s Friday! I am so happy about it!

I had a horrid week at work. I really hope you did better than me 🙂

Anyway, it’s time for the traditional Five on Friday post to show you five things I’m loving lately. Here we go!

{ONE} Vibram FiveFingers – Seeya

I just got these in the mail a couple days ago. They are much lighter than the Traksport Sandals I got before and I am absolutely loving them!

I’ve been wearing them to work every day of the week since I got them…Yeah, it is a bit of a dress code violation but really, I don’t have customers visiting me and spend most of the day commuting between the printer and my desk. I don’t think anybody cares about the shoes I wear (if any).

Buy Seeya’s here if I got you interested.

{TWO} Mantra Bands – One Day at a Time

I now have two in my collection, and check out how well they go together!

Looking at them is an inspiration and a reminder that it is a journey, not the destination that matters. And of course I love me some bling, too 🙂

{THREE} Entry Level Road Bikes

The subject of road bikes has been of interest in my house for a long time 🙂 I have never owned a road bike in my life. I have a $50 Walmart “no brander” right now 🙂

So one day I just said I wanted a road bike. It kind of frustrated my husband a little… I quote: “You can’t just say you want a road bike! That’s not enough information! What kind of bike? What brand? Components?…” Anyway, turns out he thought that would be a great surprise gift for me. But since I started bugging him about why he’d gotten so frustrated, he confessed and there will be no surprise (don’t bug your husbands, ladies) So! My wonderful husband started doing some research and stumbled upon this great article here, which is called “Top 5 Entry Level Road Bikes”.

And I am totally drooling over this Schwinn!

Totally looking into buying one on Amazon – women’s version, of course 🙂

{FOUR} FitBloggin’ 2014

Exciting-exciting-exciting!

So here’s the story. Last week my blogging friend Jen over at A Hungry Runner threw a question at me on Facebook:

Are you going to the Fitbloggin’ conference? I want to go so badly!

I was not planning on going. Well, of course I know what FitBloggin’ is and how awesome it would be to go, but I didn’t think me and my blog were quite there yet.

But it is a whole different story when you have a buddy by your side 🙂

Anywho, within 24 hours from that question on Facebook Jen and I had our attendee registrations done and hotel booked.

WE ARE GOING TO FITBLOGGIN’ 2014!!!!

To say that I am excited is a HUGE understatement. I am SO looking forward to meeting the fellow fitness bloggers and learning more about fitness blogging by attending sessions, as well as working out with a bunch of awesome people, exploring the beautiful Savannah, GA and so much more!!!

Jen, you’re the best for throwing that idea out there and taking me along on this adventure with you 🙂

I. CAN’T.WAIT.

{FIVE} Spinning® App

Did you know there was an app for that? 🙂 I didn’t!

Image source and app download link.

Anyway, I have downloaded it and hubby and I went on a quick bike ride on Thursday to try it out.

The app is pretty awesome, my friends. Check out the summary of our ride:

Speed graph

Elevation graph

Map

Ride summary

Loved this app! So easy to set up and use and so much useful information about your ride.

And that’s my Five on Friday, guys! Hope you have a wonderful Friday and weekend!

Do share: do you or have you ever owned a road bike? If yes, what brand and model is it?

Filed Under: blog news, Cycling, events, fitness, fitness events, Five on Friday, gadget-head, new experiences, spinning, Spinning Instructor Tagged With: bicycling, cycling, fitbloggin, fitness, fitness motivation, five on friday, gadget-head, jewelry, new experience, shoes, spinning, spinning instructor, travel 17 Comments

Lean Lena April 2, 2014

Foods and Moves – Last Week’s Recap

Hello friends! Happy hump day! I hope you’re having a great week so far! And while you are, I thought I’d share my last week’s exercise recap with you with some food highlights here and there to (maybe, just maybe) inspire you 🙂

Here we go!Continue Reading

Filed Under: breakfast, dinner, fitness, fitness events, lunch, spinning, Spinning Instructor, Weight Lifting Tagged With: bicycling, breakfast, dining out, dinner, fitness, fitness motivation, GGS, good food, healthy breakfast, healthy dinner, healthy lunch, lunch, oatmeal, pasta, salad, spinning, spinning instructor, yoga 2 Comments

Lean Lena March 28, 2014

Five on Friday: Reads and Random Likes

Hey guys! Good Friday morning to you!

Traditionally, this Friday post is about things I am loving lately, admiring, obsessing about etc. Please, feel free to share yours in the link up below or just in comments!

Meanwhile, my Five on Friday:

{ONE} Born to Run by Christopher McDougal

I’ve heard a lot of people raving about this book, and saying things like “it changed my life”, “it changed my running”, “it changed me”. Well, I decided to give it a try and see if it changes anything for me. I first got it from our local library and started reading it a couple weeks ago.

Well, I don’t know if it changes anything, but it was one great book that definitely goes on to the shelf with my most favorite books. Even if you are not a runner and not planning to become one, this book will “hold you hostage” until you finish it, I can promise you that. Christopher McDougal is a great writer capable of keeping you interested and excited throughout the story.

I ended up purchasing a book of my own on Amazon just so I can go back and re-read it again.

{TWO} Tasty Tuesday Link Up Party

As you probably noticed, I have been hosting the Tasty Tuesday link up party for the past few weeks. I am loving this project so much! I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for coming to check it out, participate and connect with the great bloggers who link up to their favorite tasty posts.

Special thanks to my co-host of the link up party – Meranda at Fairytales and Fitness for going for this adventure with me!

I hope this project grows and attracts more bloggers creating the community of people who love good food 🙂

If you are a food blogger and thinking “Dang! I wish I could host something like that!” – let me know. We would love to have more people hosting this weekly link up!

Here are our link up parties we’ve had so far:

If you are not blogging regularly about food but have a great recipe to share, you can also contact me and I will try it out and share your recipe on my Tasty Tuesday post 🙂

{THREE} Popsugar Select – Fitness

They contacted me a while ago offering to be featured on their website as a fitness blogger, which I gladly agreed to as you can see from their badge in my sidebar.

Well, yesterday I received a very nice surprise from them in the mail.

a sweat hoodie with Popsugar logo!

and a very nice card, too:

Here is where you can find my profile on Popsugar Select Fitness.

I love being part of this community! Thank you, Popsugar Select!

{FOUR} Complete Book of Road Cycling Skills by Ed Pavelka

That’s an oldie but goodie. Published in 1998 and I am still enjoying every page. With outdoor cycling season coming into full swing here soon – I needed and inspiration 🙂 And that book is where I found it. Can’t wait to ride outside!
Buy on Amazon

{FIVE} Spinning® Program Home Study

So. For my CEC as a Spinning® instructor, I am doing this home study on principals of effective weight loss. Fascinating reading! Makes me wonder how many people out there have no idea what they are doing and why it is not working when it comes to weight loss (that includes me, too!). I am looking forward to completing this study and getting the knowledge and experience it has to offer through these great courses the program offers.

I have achieved my comfortable weight. I guess I could lose about 5 more pounds to qualify for the super right weight for my body type, but I don’t really care. I am comfortable, I love my body the way it is now and if those 5 come off – great. If not – whatever.

But I guess after struggling with my weight for so long I will never lose interest in the subject. That’s why I am working on my education here 🙂

Do share: what are your latest likes?

Link up below or just share in comments – I would love to hear from you!

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

An InLinkz Link-up

Filed Under: fitness, Five on Friday, Link Up, spinning, Spinning Instructor, Tasty Tuesday, Weight Loss Tagged With: bicycling, books, fitness, fitness motivation, five on friday, spinning, spinning instructor, weight loss 12 Comments

Lean Lena March 26, 2014

5 Things to be on the Lookout for in your Indoor Cycling Class

Have you ever walked out of an indoor cycling class feeling like you just got an awesome workout, and then wondered with time where that back/knee/neck/shoulder pain came from? Or ask yourself how come you’re not seeing the results you want even though you work so hard?

I know I have – for a long time, until I went through Spinning® instructor training and realized how many things can go wrong in an indoor cycling class without you even knowing.

It is not always your instructor’s fault (even though most of the time it is) – I encourage you to educate yourself before starting an indoor cycling exercise program and make sure you are following the safety guidelines. Not following them seems harmless but it sure is dangerous in the long run.

I’ve recently taken a class with a new instructor, which inspired me to write this post today hoping that at least my readers could educate themselves on the basic rules of a safe indoor cycling class and be able to recognize an unprofessional instructor.

Here are some of the things to be on the lookout for when taking an indoor cycling class:

{ONE} Bike Set-Up

When you walked into that class for the first time, did your instructor come over to introduce him/her-self and help you set up your bike?

Did he/she ask if there were any students in the class who were completely new to indoor cycling or needed help setting up their bikes?

If yes, you’re good as long as they helped you setup your bike correctly.

If not – you are at risk of setting it up wrong without professional guidance, which can lead to bad riding form and eventually – injuries.

If you’re in a class that uses one of the Spinner® bike models, you can read about proper bike set up here before the class. Otherwise – please, speak up and ask your instructor for help.

Speak up and ask your instructor for help in any case. Don’t be shy!

Write down your bike settings for future classes.

{TWO} Funky Moves

So you got your bike set up properly and you’re all ready to go. The music is great, the instructor is “on fire”…Perfect! Here are some “funky” moves you should be on the lookout for and should not do in order to avoid discomfort, pain, and/or injuries:

Hovering/Isolation
Extending your arms to hand position 3 while seated
Using free weights while on the bike
Riding with no resistance on the fly wheel
Doing squats while on the bike
Letting go of handlebars during a standing climb or standing flat/running
Pushups (yes, some people actually do that while on the bike)
Placing your foot on handlebars while stretching

There’s more. The things above are just a few of the most common contraindicated moves. You can read more about contraindications for the Spinning® program and Spinner® bikes here.

The rule of thumb is – Keep It Real! In other words – if you wouldn’t do it on a regular bike, don’t do it on the stationary bike.

Would you ride on the road with weights in your hands? Exactly!

Read more about what keeping it real means and what it doesn’t in this great article by Jennifer Sage – the founder of the Indoor Cycling Association.

If the instructor in the class you attend suggests any of the moves above, remember: it is your ride, your body and your health – you decide what to do. You don’t have to do something your instructor tells you that you know is wrong and/or not safe.

{THREE} Heart Rate Monitor (HRM)

Take a note: does your instructor wear a HRM? Does he/she encourage the class participants to purchase and use one? Does he/she refer to the % of max heart rate during training?

Monitoring your heart rate is of crucial importance in achieving your fitness goals. Training without it is like walking in the darkness – how do you know how hard you’re working unless you know your heart rate? You can’t rely solely on the perceived exertion – both that and the HR need to be taken into account.

Consider purchasing a heart rate monitor even if your instructor makes no reference to HR in class, take note of your HR during the ride.

Be smart about your training – read more about effective training based on heart rate and Energy Zones.

{FOUR} Resistance Control

Does your instructor come up to you during the class to adjust the resistance on your bike’s flywheel?

If yes – never come back to that class again.

Period.

You are the one in control of your workout. You are the one who decides how hard you can and will work.

If your instructor received proper training, they would have been strongly discouraged to even suggest increasing resistance in any measurable amounts. Suggestions to increase resistance are totally normal and necessary to explain and implement the riding profile for the class, but telling you how much you should add (half turn, full turn, quarter turn) is not. Adjusting it for you is unacceptable.

{FIVE} Who’s getting a workout?

Ever feel like it is your instructor’s workout not yours?

Does your instructor get off the bike during the class to walk around and help people in the class?

A good instructor does. He/she also remembers that it is not his/her workout, but yours. It surely is inspiring to see your instructor sweating just like you, but things look a little different to the instructor when they get off the bike and walk around to check on their students’ form, heart rates, answer possible questions and help out if somebody needs them.

I hope the tips above can help you in achieving your fitness goals without getting injured – regardless of the level of your instructor’s professionalism. Even though it is your instructor’s job to guide you and keep you safe during the class, remember that you’re in charge of that bike and that puts a lot of responsibility on you, too.

Educate yourself in advance and enjoy the ride!

Images' Source

Filed Under: articles, fitness, fitness review, Girls Gone Sporty, Healthy Living Tips, Motivation Monday, new experiences, spinning, Spinning Instructor Tagged With: bicycling, fitness, fitness motivation, fitness review, indoor cycling, new experience, spinning, spinning instructor, tips 7 Comments

Lean Lena March 19, 2014

A Hectic Week Recap – Eats and Exercises

Hey guys! Happy ~~Hump~~ Pump Day! 🙂

I’ve had a very hectic couple of weeks as you probably noticed by the lack of my “What’s on my plate” Wednesday and Motivation Monday posts this and last week… Well, guess what? I am making it all up to you today by combining the two 🙂

Not much was going on on the exercise front last week – between the sharp right shoulder/arm pain and busy schedule I managed to squeeze in just a few workouts/classes last week.

{MONDAY} Cycling and Chicken

Cycling class with Jim on Monday

I don’t like Mondays most of the time. I am excited about Monday being a new beginning and all, but by the end of the day I am beat. It is usually the busiest day of the week for me – at work, exercising after work, etc. etc.. What do I make for dinner when I am busy? That’s right – crockpot anything 🙂

Last Monday it was chicken! I used to put it in the crockpot in the morning, set on Low and turn it off when I get home at 5 PM. It made the chicken a little overcooked to my liking…So what I’ve been doing lately is I would come home for lunch, and throw the chicken into the crock pot (Low) for 4-5 hours. That’s plenty of time to cook it and it comes out just perfectly juicy.

Hubby made wok veggies on Monday night – and we got a perfect dinner right there!

{TUESDAY} No Exercise and Lamb

Took a rest day on Tuesday night.

Foodie’s highlight of the day was lamb for dinner – grilled to perfection by my husband.

and this fruit and veggie platter I had at work for my snack throughout the afternoon:

{WEDNESDAY} Yoga and Pork Chops

I did make it to yoga on Wednesday but didn’t take any pictures so you’ll just have to trust me on that one 🙂

And then I got home and made rosemary pork chops and a salad for my tired husband.

Mmmmmm….

{THURSDAY} Rest Day and Orange Salsa

Yeah, that was the day my shoulder and arm started acting up. It was that kind of muscle paralyzing pain that makes it hard to lift even a cup of coffee.

That did not prevent me from making an awesome orange salsa to go with tilapia and rice for dinner on Thursday evening, though 🙂

{FRIDAY} Another rest day and Beet Root Salad

On Friday my shoulder/arm was hurting so much it would wake me up at night. So…another rest day for the Lena 🙁

The food highlights of the day included the beet root salad I made for lunch on Sunday during my meal prep.

Canned beet roots, lettuce, feta, roasted pepitas and purple onions

{SATURDAY} Yoga and Big Family Breakfast

By Saturday I felt good enough to go get some gentle stretching done in a yoga class.

Yoga was followed by a breakfast fest made by my husband!

I also had a super-delicious lunch – leftover pasta with scallops from eating out the night before:

YUM!!!

{SUNDAY} Food Prep

Well, that decision to go to yoga the day before was a little pre-mature. My shoulder and arm were not ready for any Sunday workout.

They were good for Sunday meal prep, so I went wild 🙂 I actually started on Saturday with this:

Apple-Cinnamon infused water, sweet potatoes and quinoa

and then continued on Sunday by making lunches and snacks for the week days:

No working out on Sunday either 🙁 Some nice kitchen time though 🙂 🙂 🙂

And that was my week of eating and non-exercising at a glance 🙂

Do share: How did you do last week? Anything fun? Anything delicious cooking?

Take care, friends, and stay fit!

Filed Under: breakfast, dinner, FitFluential, fitness, Fitness Challenges, Girls Gone Sporty, healthy snack ideas, lunch, Motivation Monday, recipes, spinning, Sweat Pink, what's on my plate wednesday Tagged With: bicycling, breakfast, dining out, dinner, fitness, fitness motivation, good food, healthy breakfast, healthy dinner, healthy lunch, healthy snack ideas, infused water, lunch, pasta, recipes, salad, spinning, yoga 4 Comments

Lean Lena March 14, 2014

Five on Friday – Fitness Geek and a Little More Bling

Hey, guys! Happy Friday!

I hope you had a great week!

Traditionally, Friday post is about five things I am loving lately, want to own, already own and adore, etc. etc. – Five on Friday.

So, here we go.

{ONE} More Swatch Watches

Did I mention I am addicted to them? No? I am addicted to them.

Here is another one from my collection.

There is an interesting story behind this one – I got it in China in 2007, at the Beijing International Airport duty free. I didn’t have enough money with me to get it at that time, so I had to borrow some from my travel companion. 🙂 Ever since – where ever I go wearing this watch – I always get a compliment.

I have never seen one like that anywhere else.

In fact, I was having trouble finding a picture on the internet until I got on Swatch Official Website and used their search function.

So, for those of you who want one, the model name is Swatch Affecting SFK292G.

{TWO} This awesome T

I think I am going to buy it as a present for one of my fellow “inmates” 🙂

Buy on Etsy.

{THREE} Stability Ball – Gold’s Gym

I’ve been eyeing those for a while wanting to get one to exercise at home, and I finally did. I got mine at Walmart. If you ever go out to get one, pay attention to the sizes they come in – the ball diameter you need depends on your height, so read what’s on the box before you grab it – otherwise you will have to go back and deal with the people of Walmart trying to exchange it 🙂

Can also get it on Amazon:

What I like about this particular one is that it comes with an air pump and an exercise chart! This Wednesday I did some ball exercises every commercial break while I watched Criminal Minds on TV 🙂

{FOUR} Yoga Props – Blocks

You guys know that I have a couple of rest days a week… Well, what’s a rest day without some home yoga practice in it, right? 🙂 So. I’ve been getting some props for my yoga practice at home. It is amazing how much you need when you try to “do it at home”!

So, I recently read this article by Christine and it inspired me to order yoga blocks.

If you’re into yoga – check out Christine’s blog. She has a great series of posts titled “Ask a Yogini” where you can ask her any question about your yoga practice!

{FIVE} Homemade Granola

Been addicted to it lately. I made a whole batch last weekend, and I have to tell you – put some yogurt on top and you got a perfect filling snack that will keep you going until lunch! That’s pretty good if you’re trying to limit your snacking.

You can find a recipe for it here.

Do share: what’s your latest favorite finds/likes/addictions?

Have a great weekend, guys, and I will see you on Monday 🙂

Filed Under: Beauty, FitFluential, fitness, Five on Friday, gadget-head, Gift Ideas, Girls Gone Sporty, Sweat Pink Tagged With: bicycling, fitness, fitness review, five on friday, gadget-head, GGS, Girls Gone Sporty Ambassador, new experience, yoga 16 Comments

Lean Lena March 10, 2014

Motivation Monday: FitFluential March Miles and last week’s exercise round up

Hey guys! Happy Monday!

As always, I am sharing my last week’s exercise recap with you today! I can finally do that as I am back in the game – no more skipping, slacking, etc. etc. Last week was as close to my normal exercise routine as possible – that was my goal and I have accomplished what I’d planned! Here’s how it was:

{MONDAY} Cycling class with Jim.

I am still working on my resistance loading – it is amazing how hard it is psychologically to put more resistance on the wheel and push yourself, as opposed to pushing yourself to go faster with a lighter wheel. I only went for 9.2 miles this time, but oh did I sweat for those nine point damn two miles!

Totally rocked my Spinning® bandana! Those things are great for blocking sweat. I have no idea why I’ve never worn one before!

I am also doing a 100 mile March challenge by FitFluential! So I walked 2.80 miles on Monday, too to get my #ffmarchmiles in 🙂

I am loving this challenge! It is amazing how it makes you realize that despite all the workouts you do during the week, you don’t spend all that much time walking at all…
Note the good use I am putting my Reebok pedometer to 🙂

{TUESDAY} Rest Day

Had a rest day from exercise, but did some walking for the March miles!

{WEDNESDAY} Yoga and more

Wednesday night is yoga night! Oh it felt soooo good to stretch!

I also hit the gym for a quick walk/run on a treadmill and some weights before yoga.

And of course I had to log some FF March miles, too!

{THURSDAY} Treadmill + Weights

I initially planned a rest day on Thursday, but that didn’t happen 🙂 I did go to the gym – walked/ran on a treadmill and did some weights after work!

I am feeling very good about my latest treadmill “adventures”. It is hard to get back into running when you have never actually been a runner in the first place, and when you decided to start being one – you got injured. I am smarter this time. I take it slow. I am being careful. I take it one minute at a time. And it feels great 🙂
Here’s what Thursday #ffmarchmiles looked like:

{FRIDAY} Yoga

Friday night is yoga night too, you know. I kind of figured it counts as a rest day 🙂

Friday FitFluential March Miles:

{SATURDAY} Cycling + Yoga

I did my double – indoor cycling and yoga:

{SUNDAY} Rest Day

Well, so called “Rest Day”…My husband is working on our kitchen, so there were a lot of miles done around the house – cleaning, cleaning and cleaning some more:

And that’s all she wrote 🙂

Do share: what fun workouts did you do last week? Which one was your favorite?

Stay fit, my friends!

Filed Under: FitFluential, fitness, Motivation Monday, spinning, Spinning Instructor, Sweat Pink, Weight Lifting Tagged With: bicycling, ffmarchmiles, FitFluential, fitness, fitness motivation, spinning, spinning instructor, weight lifting, yoga 2 Comments

Lean Lena March 3, 2014

Motivation Monday: Farewell February – a Month at a Glance

Hey guys! Happy Monday!

February has come and gone. Let’s wrap it up, shall we?

It was a busy month for me (even though it didn’t feel like it most of the time) – full of events, emotions, changes, achievements and more! Here it is at a glance…

{February 8}

I went through my Spinning® Instructor Training – something I’d been dreaming about for quite a while has come true! It was also a great opportunity to meet a whole bunch of awesome, driven, like-minded people!

Thank you, Mad Dogg Athletics!

{February 13}

I passed my assessment test and officially became a certified Spinning® Instructor.

On this day I also got accepted to be a Sweat Pink Ambassador!

Always knew 13 was my lucky number!

{February 25}

I posted the very first guest post on this blog! Thanks so much to Amber for sharing her recipe in that post!

{February 28}

What an awesome end to an awesome month! I have been accepted to be a FitFluential Ambassador!!! That is another dream come true right there! I am so grateful and so excited to become a member of this great community of fitness enthusiasts!

And…I spent 19.8 hours exercising in February. That is not too bad!

If I ever lose my motivation – I should go back to this post…February felt like a very slow month where a lot of times I felt like I am stuck in place, not moving anywhere. It wasn’t until now that I realized how much I have accomplished in February!

Do share: what are the highlights of your February?

Stay fit and warm!

Filed Under: events, FitFluential, fitness, fitness events, Motivation Monday, new experiences, spinning, Spinning Instructor Tagged With: bicycling, fitness, fitness motivation, new experience, spinning Leave a Comment

Lean Lena February 24, 2014

Weekend Cooking Spree

Hey guys! How was your weekend?

Mine was busy!

The weather was just gorgeous here this weekend, but sadly, I didn’t get to do much outside.

On Saturday morning hubby and I headed out to the Y to take Jim’s indoor cycling class. It was so nice out that I decided to take my new Vibram Five Fingers for a walk.

Love-love-love them!

Since my Spinning® instructor training I noticed that my workout attitude and the overall “feeling” at a cycling class has changed dramatically! For some reason I was always going for the speed – thinking that if I go faster, it will be better for me, I will burn more calories and all that crap. Well, that all has changed now. I am doing speed work, too but generally try to apply more resistance on the wheel than I used to and focus more on my heart rate rather than the RPM.

Taking the training also changed my entire perspective on what a bike set up should be – I have my saddle a lot higher now and I’ve noticed that it is making it much easier on my knees – a lot less cracking! 🙂

Anyway, with that in mind, I went pretty close to my usual distance on Saturday but burnt the number of calories I haven’t burnt in a cycling class in a long time.

I did take a nice two-hour nap on Saturday after this class + yoga. I just had to! It was the best nap of my life 🙂

When I woke up from my nap, it turned out the youngest had gone for a sleepover, so suddenly me and hubby had the evening to ourselves. We headed out for dinner to a Chinese place, and then decided to do some wandering around TJ Maxx. Well, I never leave that store without a score (yep, I rhymed that on purpose!)

Got me some yoga socks 🙂

I’ve been eyeing those for a while, but they just cost some ridiculous money it seems like. These were $3.something a pair so I got them and will give them a try this Wednesday!

On Saturday I also managed to squeeze in some meal prep into my day somewhere between the two workouts and the nap.

Homemade hummus, quinoa, water infused with cucumber and frozen mint leaves

Did you notice I got my water infusing water bottles that I mentioned here? 🙂 I just love the one with the orange cap except for one thing – it had a huge sticker on the front. Being an OCD driven woman, I took it off and now it’s sticky. Some Googone will have to be applied – and that’s just too many motions for something I want to get in the mail and simply enjoy. If you don’t have an OCD, you will do just that without Googone – enjoy 🙂

The one with the red lid and bottom – I haven’t quite figured it out yet – the infuser part comes out through the bottom, if you don’t put the bottom lid back on tightly – it leeks. It’ll take me a while to make friends with this one 🙂

Anyway! On Sunday morning we slept in and hubby made me an awesome brunch.