May: A "Challenging" Month

I pulled off a personal best 5K at lunch today ... running ... and am now sitting here wondering where the heck that came from. It's my first run in my second week on Nike Women's Half Marathon program, which I started with no particular half marathon in mind, but for which I will be ready sometime in July. So that's challenge one: maintaining a regular running schedule because, turns out, I enjoy it.

So every day I'm up running around at the crack of dawn, and as luck would have it, the new neighbourhood features rec trails almost as close to home as the Humber trails were to the old apartment. Meanwhile, while running I can't help but notice all the bits of mountain bike trail I recognize, which means in theory, every time I ride my mtb home from work, I could add in a Don Loop + Taylor Creek and probably accomplish 50% of the ride off-road. Wow! More investigation required, possibly tonight.

Challenge two: push ups. I'm helping out with a girls' soccer team -- the Wildcats! -- and they are the stars of my Saturday mornings. At 12-13 years old, they are just a great group of young ladies and I'm glad to be "part of the team" for the next six weeks. To keep them in touch with their training between Saturdays, I've issued the "Push Up Challenge" and today, we're up to 19! We started at one, and we add one every day. On our last session, we'll reach our goal of 50. I like to lead by example, so I'm determined to share the glory with my young champions.

For the next seven weeks I'm also "Living My Moksha" through the local hot yoga studio and their healthy challenge. Every week we focus on one of the "seven pillars" -- this week is "Be Healthy", so the challenge is to practice yoga every day, and also to cut out processed foods from our diets and our cupboards. So far so good (she said, on day two.)

And my spin class has embraced the famous cycling workout, 30/30s, aiming to complete an entire class's worth of the agonizing intervals. That challenge is nearing its conclusion, with the big day coming on Monday, so wish them luck, or better yet, join us! It will be my first class teaching at RPM's brand new location! Double exciting!!

That leaves only one more challenge, but since it's still under consideration, I'll just go ahead and leave you hanging.  Stay tuned!

Happy New Year!

I began the big job of planning my winter calendar yesterday and 24 hours later, pieces continue to fall into place.

Big change this winter over last is that now when I go to spinning, I face the other direction! Being an instructor has really been a huge benefit so far, and I look forward to helping even more clients at RPM this winter by adding Thursday mornings (6am) as well as part-time instructing through the usual 12-week Base Camp I've been a student of the past five years. A graduation of sorts! Add all that to my regular Monday evening (6:15pm) class and there's plenty of opportunity for me to see you there, I hope!

2012 is also the first year I will be forgoing my gym membership which is fantastic. Instead, Grahame -- a colleague and fellow cyclist -- and I have discovered a mysterious "Room of Requirement" deep in the bowels of our office. It's fully stocked with free-weights, mats and the like and so 2012 will also be the year of the training partner!

Grahame and I are also 4 days into #teampushup ... on January 1, we did five pushups and have been adding one every day since. Last time I challenged myself like this I made it all the way to 60 ... who knows how far we'll get this time?! Join in if you want! Today we did eight.

Speaking of training partners, Nathania and I continue our thrice weekly early-morning runs ... although with the impending arrival of "Bean" we have taken to power-walking to keep the mom-to-be in action, safely. For the second half, she usually insists I do something difficult like climb a hill 9 nine times as we did this morning while she does the same at her own pace. Bean arrives only three short months from now!

For 2012, I am also hoping to add more yoga to the routine -- potentially even taking on Moksha's famous 30-Day Challenge. We'll see how it all fits in.

Supported by plenty of help from my trusted helpers -- Henry the Chiropractor and David the RMT -- I suspect 2012 will be one of my best winters yet.

Which brings me to the most important part of any training program: Goals. While I prefer to keep my specific training goals to myself (mainly because I haven't really thought about them yet, tsk tsk), here are my top five 'philosophical' goals:

1. Travel with the bike more

As much as I hate packing up the pieces and paying the extra cost of flying avec bike box, the amazing adventures I've had on distant soil have steeled me to make such travel a more frequent priority.

One trip is already on the books: Dad and I will be tackling the French Alps this August with Trek Travel so getting into good climbing form this winter will be really important to me.

With Gerhard in California, I hope to also take advantage of some SoCal riding when I do my winter visit.

And of course, widening the scope race-wise would also be cool. For example, I just got back from Mount Washington for some holiday skiing and was excited to learn that the BC Cup Mtb Champs will be held there this summer. Options!

2. Switch it up

2012 could be the year of the marathon. Or at least the half-marathon. And I mean on my FEET. I am allowing myself to succumb to peer pressure and will hopefully be adding the Goodlife Half Marathon to my schedule, May 6. Anyone else?

3. Stay on top of strength training

Skipping the weight room a few too many times last season made for a noticeable lack of power come race day. I think it is also partly to blame for frequent trips to see afore-mentioned Henry the Chiropractor. Room for improvement in this area, as always.

4. Keep it real

I do this because it's fun. I do this because I like it. I do this because it makes me feel good. Time to turn down the intensity a notch because I was definitely close to making my healthy hobby a stressful chore in 2011. In fact, I'd argue I was successful in that. So this season, worrying over results or missed workouts won't be on the agenda. As Matt P often reminds me: everything in moderation! Balance! And we'll get there either way and it's up to us if we want to stress the whole time or just relax knowing it will all work out. (I'm paraphrasing ... )

5. Socialize

Did I mention riding bikes is fun? In 2011 I found out it's even more fun when it's social. So this season (as you can already tell from my training plans) I am making it an official goal to get out more with the amazing people in our little mtb/cycling community.

Hope to see you on the trail -- skiing, running, or riding.

Happy New Year!

Spinning 2.0

Gone are my days as a spinning client, and begun are my days as a spinning INSTRUCTOR

I'm super excited Mike at RPM Spinning + Gravity Studio has invited me to join the ranks of his talented staff and so far things are off to a great start (by that I mean no one's walked out yet :)).

If you're looking for a good work-out, come see me on Mondays at 6:15pm chez RPM.

Call/email via the info below to reserve a bike and we'll see you there! Tonight: Hills, inspired by the Mugu State Park ride we did in California.

This week, I'm also leading the 6am class on Tuesday and Thursday, in case you're more of an early bird.

Happy riding, indoor or out!

RPM Spinning + Gravity Studio
2109 Bloor Street West
Toronto, Ontario
416-761-9717
info@rpmstudio.ca

Put to the test

Big night in Base Camp spinning group! 20 minute test night. Glad to put another one of those behind me! The hardest part of a fitness test such as this is the anticipation. All day I was dreading those few sufferable minutes and it's never the hell we think it's going to be.

Tonight though I think I was saved because with less than an hour before class I got an email asking if I would step in as instructor!! Daffyd our regular leader was delayed at the office. So even though I've never led a spinning class before I agreed to help out. In comparison to the unknown territory of "Spin Instructor", a 20 minute test all of a sudden seemd like small potatoes.

It's funny because although I write speeches for a living, public speaking is so not one of my favourite things. And in spinning class, riding bikes is only half of it. You also have to be someone your spinners can rely on to talk enough that the time doesn't drag on, but at the same time, you can't talk too much.

Then there's music selection.

Then there's actually making the music thingy play.

And not to mention everybody is looking at you while you sweat.

Anyway, I made it through it all, and actually enjoyed it too, so maybe there's an oppotunity there that I hadn't thought of before.

Much respect to our regular instructor Daffyd who makes all that look easy. I'll think twice before I chirp about time keeping or ask him to repeat the workout (again) from now on. Perspective!

I'm kind of bonking at this point, so I think that means the test went well. Although I don't think it's doing much for this blog post. So I'll cut this off here, and take my tired body to bed, satisfied with both the evening's performances.

Spinning Begins!

With the new year comes new resolve to get back into the training routine. So far so good! Our first spinning class of the 12-week base camp was a baptism by fire. Basically, we introduced ourselves to new and old campers, and then got straight to the burning business of an 8 minute stress test ... times two. This is my fourth year at camp, and the fifth year it's run. Time really flies Except for those 8 minutes I mentioned ... they creep by.

The test is a Coach Carmichael (That's Lance's longtime coach for those who don't recognize the name) adapted method that seems to do a decent job of pinning down early season heart rate zones without having to do the potentially damaging work the regular test would do to an early season physique. (You've can't just dive into a twenty minute time trial before stretching your capillaries to support the pumping blood, limbering up the muscles and developing the cardiovascular efficiency required.)

At first I thought my scores were kind of a disappointment. Somehow in my head I had last year's scores about 10bpm higher (indicating better cardio-vascular health this time last year, thus, more ground to make up for this year). But "in my head" is exactly where that belonged. The data shows I'm actually the same, if not better off. Hurray! The mind can play funny tricks when you're burning up your matches. As Daffyd put it, "doubt and self-loathing are a part of cycling!"

I was surprised at how pumped I was actually for a Sunday morning class that began at 7am. I was all smiles and ready for intense work ... eager to unleash some hurt on that spin bike. Looking forward to a great winter of training.

Over the five years that camp has run, it's changed up a bit and become more and more useful for people like me who are trying to juggle "real life" with my "hobby". So our spinning sessions are two hard rides a week I don't have to coach, cajole or cry about by myself. That means that most of my solo-responsibilities include things that aren't hard to convince myself of, like some strength sessions or mindless movie-watching: a euphemism for "riding the trainer". There's strength in numbers, people. I'm a cycle-holic, and RPM is my support group.

In sum, basically this blog post is to say, I'm motivated, feeling good, and pray to God the feeling lasts.

Afterall, it's only January!

RPM in the news!

This is my winter bike -- I always sit here at spin class: front row, window. Good stuff.

The Star has done an article on my FAVOURITE spin Gym, RPM. I've been going to RPM regularly each winter for about four years now. I credit their 12-week base training camp as the one thing that really gets me to my next level every race season.

The author's one bit of criticism comes in response to the gym's lack of shower facilities --"It may seem like a minor hitch, but it’s a major deterrent for an otherwise stellar studio. It means people can’t catch a class on their way to work or anywhere else, because there’s no place to freshen up," she says.

To Paola I say, if you feel like you can go to work, or anywhere else right after class, you didn't do it right ;)

I added my own two cents to her summary below in a different colour for more ... er ... colour than Paola provides as well.

Click on my left nav bars for gravity and spinning class schedules. Also, it's not mentioned in the article but personal [strength] training and testing are also available for those looking for a little more than just beginner services.

Hope to see you there!

Here's the full article:

Gym Rat: This spin gym will leave you drenched in sweat
January 6, 2011
Paola Loriggio

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

RPM Spinning + Gravity Studio
2109 Bloor St. W., rpmstudio.ca

Reserve your spot by calling: 416-761-9717

The class: Spin and Gravity. Gravity Machines use your own body weight to get a good strength work out. Classes are led by an instructor and go for an hour.
Time: 6:15 p.m. Tuesdays, one hour long Check my left nav for a link to full class schedules.
Cost: Six points (new members pay $20 for 20 points) There are also a number of training "camps" -- boot camps, Ride to Conquer Cancer camps and of course the one I love, 12-week base training camp. You pay up front and you're free to make up any missed classes during the period of your camp.
Instructor: Kelley Fitzpatrick, cheerful and friendly but no-nonsense during the tough bits. Each instructor makes the class their own. Nothing off the shelf for these guys.

Music: Mostly trance and electronica Totally depends on the instructor and never be shy to "veto" a track! (In camp, Daffyd welcomes guest play lists -- just set it up on your ipod and plug it in -- but veto rules apply)
Volume: Background level during warm-up and cool-down, bar level in the middle
Intensity: You won’t be able to talk, but you can always scale down the resistance on the bike.
Amenities: No showers. Change rooms are basic stalls. To reach them, you have to cross through the Gravity room. Cubbies take the place of lockers. Everyone in the Gravity room will be working and focusing so hard they won't even notice you.
Ambience: Simple and spartan. The bikes take centre stage, so there isn’t much room to linger. Who goes there: Cycling buffs and triathletes and people looking to start riding for a charity ride or to lose weight or for fun.
Who it’s for: Cyclists training for a race or people who like to feel like they are or people who want to meet like-minded people and maybe even go riding outside together once the snow stops
Grade: B+ (points lost for lack of amenities) A+++++

When my former running buddy — now an Ironman competitor — recommended spin classes at RPM, I knew they’d be tough.

The studio, which runs only spin and Gravity Training System classes — the latter incorporates a “glideboard” on rails — is across the street from the High Park branch of the Running Room, making it a prime destination for triathletes.

I’m no triathlete, but I do bike. Mostly for transportation, though I’ll argue that lugging a heavy bike stuck in first gear across the city counts as exercise.

And, yes, I’ve also done the odd spin class, but never at a specialty gym.

It makes a difference, in the same way that bread from an artisanal bakery is different from the stuff you get at the grocery store. When your entire business revolves around one product, it had better be good.

RPM knows its audience. These are serious workouts built around real training drills.

The class I took was a pyramid drill, a type of interval training that slowly builds to a peak before gradually easing back down.

We did five sets of intervals that included a “fast flat,” a “seated climb,” a “standing climb” and a “standing run.”

For the first set, each interval lasted 30 seconds. For the second, they were a minute. Then the third, at 90 seconds. Then back to 60, then to 30. The whole thing was peppered with 30-second “attacks,” basically all-out sprints out of the saddle.

After the first set, the class fell into a focused silence. The hypnotic electronica soundtrack — not usually my cup of tea — actually helped, lulling us into a kind of trance.

Even the instructor, who kicked off the class with a hilarious story involving Scotch and a sippy cup, got quiet. She called out the intervals and reminded everyone to drink water, with minimal chit-chat.

I was relieved. In my eyes, there’s nothing worse during a gruelling workout than an overly enthusiastic cheerleader constantly telling you you’re “doing great” or you’re “almost there.”

“I like to work hard, whether I’m teaching or taking a class,” Kelley Fitzpatrick says in a post-class interview.

The pyramid “is definitely one of my go-to classes,” and one of the most popular with regulars, Fitzpatrick says, adding she’s known for hills more than speed.

With roughly a decade of experience teaching spin, Fitzpatrick has an arsenal of workouts to draw on for her classes.

She puts a lot of effort into keeping them fresh, getting feedback from customers at the studio as well as from spin enthusiasts online. So far, no one’s complained they were too easy, she says with a laugh.

Still, since there’s usually a few beginners in each class, Fitzpatrick is adamant that everyone stick to their own pace. (I stopped adding resistance halfway through the class.)

Even though its core audience is super fit, RPM is a fairly beginner-friendly gym. Classes are drop-in, with a significant discount for new clients. Staff members are friendly and helpful, and no one seems to care if you’re not wearing a race jersey.

But one thing boggles the mind: why would a gym that prides itself on challenging, sweat-busting workouts not have any showers? (Apparently most customers come from the Bloor West Village neighbourhood and go home to shower.)

It may seem like a minor hitch, but it’s a major deterrent for an otherwise stellar studio. It means people can’t catch a class on their way to work or anywhere else, because there’s no place to freshen up.

So yes, the product itself is great. Too bad the lack of amenities means I won’t be able to enjoy it very often.

Paola Loriggio is a journalist in Toronto. She owns more workout clothes that real ones. Gym Rat runs twice a month.

The Headwinds of Lakeshore Boulevard

Just when you think you're a superstar, you turn around and realize you've been riding with a tailwind. Ah, that sinking feeling.

But the croissants were worth it. Mission Accomplished.

Race Report: Paris to Ancaster

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/30561151

The race I love to hate. Just getting to the start line is more hassle than I'm prepared to deal with and this year was no different, with the added bonus that the community centre was not open at the expected time, thus causing me to dance around like a moron while I debated giving up my wicked parking spot in favour of driving to the nearest Tim Horton's, or continuing to contribute to future kidney stones.

Once the doors were unlocked, there was registration to deal with. My name had never actually shown up on the "start list" prior so I half expected a problem. Luckily, my packet was there ready to go, but I had to fight for my $15 bus ride which I pre-paid and they didn't acknowledge. After a lot of "the customer is always wrong" sort of BS, I finally got my ticket.

The next part of the pre-race gong-show is my favourite: hand over your precious baby to a man in a cowboy hat to pile up haphazardly with all the other bikes in the back of a cube van. My girl's first scratch was obtained this way last year. But the other choice isn't very good either: park in Paris at the start line and then go back there to get your car at the end of the day. Boo.

So, after spreading my bad attitude around a little more at Paris to Ancaster registration, I got on the shuttle to take me to the start line. This part is tough too, because anything you bring with you on the bus, you'll have to ride with (or so I thought) so layers to stay warm have to be chosen very carefully. Later, I found out that there's actually a "bag truck" to take your stuff back to Ancaster. Doh.

Once on board the bus, I realized I forgot one very important thing: gels. Wow, see this is why you do a "warm up race". So I had to suck it up and ask other cyclists in Paris if they had any to spare. I was lucky enough to round up three this way. They weren't my brand, but beggers can't be choosers, can they. This would later come back to haunt me -- I use Clif Shots, because they're organic and don't have any of the usual chemicals found in energy gels. Turns out while I forgot about the good reasons for making this switch, my body did not and I was feeling very ill for the rest of the day. I got home and passed out for 3.5 hours, woke up, struggled to get some food in me, and then passed out again for a very fitful sleep full of nightmares about rail trails.

Alright so after a warm up, finally, my mood began to perk up a little to the idea of going really fast on my bicycle and despite the freezing cold temperatures and even a little rain, I was getting stoked. I ripped around the local roads more out of the necessity to keep warm as opposed to official "warm-up" and then made my way to the starting gates, where the body heat of the crowd was much welcomed.

KRIS!", I heard behind me. So far the only people I'd seen that I knew were Daffyd and Paul from RPM Spinning so I was very happy to see Mandy had decided to come out. We both remarked on what a shame it was that KK wasn't there to race this year and played a little catch up on goings-on over the winter.

And then we were off.

The start is the best part (well, besides the finish) -- it always feels like you're making huge gains as you rip up the outside past all the cross-dressers in their peleton who can't handle potholes or sticks, or grass like my mountain bike can. But then we get on the rail trail, and it's the first taste of the straight-line boredom that is the P2A.

On the first rail trail, it was easy to move up -- just latch onto the back of whatever train is moving the quickest. We were out on the road in no time and then my favourite part: the first loose gravel climb up into the farmers' fields. This is where all the cross-dressers have to get off, and where anyone on a mountain bike gets their's. So I left Mandy and some other girls in my dust and didn't see them again until the halfway mark.

Paris to Ancaster used to be called a mountain bike race, but this year especially, it seems to be all about the cross-bike. Thus, after a few road sections, I found it kind of lonely out there. I just couldn't hold their skinny-tired wheels for that long while I was pushing all that extra rubber (physics yo!) and so I often found myself off the pace line, sucking wind on my own. But when it was mountain bike time, I was super happy with the way I was riding. My favourite cross-bike moment: We're in a big long train through the single track when voices up front called back "whoa-up, slow down!" I veered into the rougher trail to the right to see what the problem was. A mud-puddle. "Slow down??" I exclaimed, "hell no, speed up!" and then I ripped through that mud puddle and splashed a few of them as they were shouldering their bikes. Tee hee.

Anyway, the race went on, and on and on, in that never-ending straight line style Paris to Ancaster is famous for. And that's when it taught me a lesson. I was following a cross bike very closely, trying to laze my way through some rail trail when it kicked up a sizeable stone. It was a perfect shot, right into my front tooth. I yelled about it for awhile "ow ow ow ow ow" trying to see if I tasted blood or if my tongue could detect a chip. Safe. Goes to show: never shit-talk the P2A because it'll come back and hit you right in the teeth. That's what I'm reading into the incident anyway.

So, now we're about half way. The half-way point is fun because there are kids handing out bananas and they set up a ramp too. I almost rode by when I heard a mom say "hit the ramp!" which I then noticed to my left. I had to really veer into it which meant my aim was a bit funny and I ended up hitting it at speed and crooked, which translated into a sweet little tweak on my air. To me this was full on panic time, but the kids were fooled, and they cheered and I somehow landed. phew.

The only thing left to look forward to now was the famous "Power slide" which is a rutted out ditch of a road, filled to the hubs with thick, sticky muck and I suspect manure as well. If it isn't muddy on its own, the race organizers take the trouble to hose it down for us. THANKS!

Funny, I'm stilly happy to see it though because it means we're almost DONE!! I rode it last year, but this year it was too much of a bog to pass so I had to put my feet in it, which I really detest. blech. At last, I was through and racing down the pavement with the excess mud flying off my tires into my face and my treads slowly regaining traction as they shed the muck.

One more thing to go: the dreaded Martin Side Road climb. Only 3.5 km left to go, all uphill, and steeper as she goes. But wait ... could it be??? No!! But it is!! MANDY!! Somehow, I'd closed the gap on Mandy and we were right back where we finished last year!! I gave it the gas, but she in turn was chasing another girl and I am confident didn't even realize I was behind her. I tried and tried, but it wasn't to be and the finish ended up being a repeat of last year: Mandy finishing just a small margin in front of me.

Final thought: you know when you get a bad hair cut? and you go home and stand in front of the mirror and you say to yourself: "remember this feeling. When you think you want to do this again, remember where you're standing RIGHT NOW, and resist!" So ... P2A ... I bid thee farewell.

Unless someone has a cross bike I can use.

PS, disclaimer: save this blog and show me when I sign up again next year, cross bike or not. P2A, the race I love to hate.

My girl (and shoes!), all Power-Slid out.

Final result: 5th of 23 women in the 19-29 age group, 16th woman overall.

Overall Women:

Helen Wyman (British cyclo-cross champion), KONA

Melissa Bunn, STEVENS RACING

Laura Bietola, 3FOX RACING

Overall Men:

Mike Garrigan, JETPOWER

Andrew Watson, NORCO

Peter Mogg, THE HUB RACE TEAM

Spin Class Top 8

I take a spinning class. I've said before that the group work we do there is the easily one of the most important things I do to prepare for an upcoming race season. I've been taking it for four years now or thereabouts, always with the same instructor.

Last night we had a different instructor and he is the inspiration for this blog post.

First of all, in fairness to him, because I'm sure on any other day I would not have been quite as picky, I was in no mood to go to spinning. I was feeling very much like I'd prefer a movie night on the couch, but having already taken three weeks off training for the Olympics, there wasn't really much lee-way for laziness. Off I went, bad attitude and all.

In such a mood, the following things were crystalized for me in terms of what I like best about spin instructors.

1.) I like to know where we're going (even if it's technically nowhere). I like to know how many pieces, how many sets, what zones we'll visit and how much rest. I like to know all of this before we start so I know where we are in the workout and how much I'll need left in the tank (and when I know it's time to empty it).

2.) I like varied music. Rage Against the Machine and Rammstein for sure have their place. It's a dark, hurtful place, but totally applicable to a power workout. But four RATM songs in a row, and little outside the genre to fill the 90 minute class makes me feel a little bit stabby. Feel free to throw in a little Glee soundtrack, or Taylor Swift.

3.) I like to be told again and again what we're doing, and what zone I should be aiming for. Because when I'm sweating it out in zone 4 or 5, I tend to forget.

4.) If I ask a question, usually related to the forgetting mentioned in number 3, I like to be answered politely, and with a certain forgiveness for letting some details slip.

5.) I like a proper cool down, and stretch. And if we can add in some core work before that, that's okay with me too.

6.) I like chit chat, or "stand up" when we're not working. Anything to make me smile again after grinding out whatever piece we've just finished.

7.) I like real-life simulations. I don't like to do anything on a spin bike that I wouldn't do on my bicycle.

8.) I think proper rest should be built into the workout so that when we're working on power, you don't hit that point where you're just beating yourself up.

So there you have it. If you're a spin instructor, I bet I'm not the only person who values these points. In the mean time, I'll work on cheering up. :)

Uh-oh ...

Today is the third day I've been enjoying a lovely migraine. The epi-centre was Sunday night, so the debilitating awesomeness has passed. But yesterday and this morning I've had some aftershocks that caused me to miss my yoga last night.

To add insult to injury, I was rudely awakened at 4am to my own dry coughing. Could I be getting sick? Or did I just swallow a spider!?

I guess time will tell.

Assuming all goes well, I'll hit up RPM for a Gravity session tonight, and yoga tomorrow morning. Let me know if you want to come too! I promise to Purell.

My First Power Test

Instrument of torture

Last night I completed my first-ever 20 minute power test at RPM. It was a nasty, nasty thing, and it was a really surprising trip to have that third number staring back at you. I think I have a long way to go in really harnessing a power-reading as a tool, but I can see the benefits already.

As Mike explained later on, when you do a workout based on power instead of heart rate, you are using much more "honest" numbers. Your heartrate can change depending on how stressful your day was, what time you're completing your workout or even just as you become more fit. So pegging your progress on that alone can be misleading.

Enter "Power" and you can see the point at which you're no longer doing yourself any good, and switch to just beating yourself up. That's also the point where you stop, by the way, so that you can still get something out of your training the following day.

I had a great time beating myself up last night in order to get a baseline for more workouts. I'm really excited to add this new dimension to my training. And now that it's over, 20 minutes didn't seem so bad. ;)

Here's my test -- don't judge. Obviously, consistency is an acquired art. haha.

Power Playlist
Stronger - Kanya West
Paper Planes - MIA
Sweet Dreams - Beyonce
No Heaven - Champion
Little Secrets - Passion Pit
Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap (Tiesto Remix)
Broke my Eyes - Donkeyboy

PS - to learn more about Power from the CycleOPs "Power Training Experts", click here.

Any Given Sunday

Woke up early: spin class. 2 hours of spin ups and then low cadence work plus one legged drills. quote of the day: "Pretend you're going to be on display at Body Worlds and you want to be the one with the awesome hamstrings."

Got home, finished winter vegetable stew in the slow cooker, moved on to yam-and-butternut-squash soup so lunch is ready all week. Out the door for night skiing.

James was kind enough to do the driving tonight. He also helped me with my ski technique which was long overdue and got me back into the groove, literally: side cut anyone? Awesome night "shredding the gnar", jumping off boxes and discussing the bigger questions of life over hot chocolate and -- yes, I admit -- Wendy's.

So tired I can't sleep. Goodnight anyway!

Gravity.

I had to work late on Wednesday, so I missed the workout I had planned to do, thus decided that I'd try one of RPM's Gravity classes before our regular spin Thursday night.

OMGithurtsomuch.

Gravity machines are cool because they use your own body weight and ... um ... gravity to give you a full body workout. The first thing we did was legs: squats, lunges and hamstrings. My quads felt like hot butter: it was intense. The second half of the work out we did abs and upperbody.

Best of all, it kind of feels like a carnival ride at first. That slide board can be a lot of fun.

After Gravity with Trina, it was time for spinning with Daffyd. He didn't have such an easy ride in mind so with Gravity and a morning ride already under my belt I was worried I'd really be digging deep. Sure enough, on our third of four 3 min efforts, I exercised my gag reflex.

But to be honest, a little bit of tummy upset and a celtic-slash-heavy-metal song was all the discomfort I encountered -- either I wasn't working hard enough, or I'm in better shape than I thought! Good legs.

This morning I slept through my alarm, and as the day goes on I'm only getting more sore. Ah, the gentle hum of recovery.

Can't wait to get home and spin out some of this junk.

Spinning Day One

Yesterday was the inaugural "Base Camp" spin course kick-off. In previous years (this is my fourth run) we've started our Sunday mornings at the leisurely hour of 11am. Ride for two hours, stop for pho on the way home, call it a day. (Or make the mad dash to get ski gear all ready and head to Blue for the night, whichever.)

This year, we've changed start time to 7:00am. I think I am actually in favour of the switch, despite first impressions experienced at 6am Sunday morning.

1) While the TTC doesn't run that early on Sunday, there IS free parking on Bloor, right up to 1pm. And no traffic.
2) By the time I actually wake up, spin class is already half over.
3) When you start early, you finish early. Home by 10am, leaving plenty of time for a nap, two lunches and then the traditional 2pm departure for Sunday-Nights-At-Blue.
4) Forces me to behave myself on Saturday nights.
5) Another feather in the cap for green smoothies which are the perfect pre-spin fuel it turns out.

Also, everyone's different but my body is happiest in the morning I think. So my workout went very well. For our first session, we completed 2x8 minute tests* at race pace to log averages and come up with a "basement" and a "ceiling" heart rate for our base miles. We also completed some single leg drills and kept a mostly steady pace for a total of two hours.

Then I got home where my lentil soup was just finishing in the slow cooker, and my kitchen smelled amazing. I had a bowl, caught up with Athena who's eight-months-down-one-month-to-go from the most beautiful physical test of all, and tended to my crops in Farmville. An hour after lunch one, I was ready for lunch two and whipped up some whole wheat pasta to go with the turkey-pesto-meatball sauce I'd made in the slow cooker the day before. Then it was off to Blue Mountain for night skiing.

Who told everyone about Sunday nights?! Snow was mostly great, line-ups were aggravating but with our little posse we had no trouble killing the time. Too bad about the cold wind waiting when you disembark at the top though. brrrr. That's why night-skiers are tougher. Who's in next Sunday?

And so, tired and sore, I start another week. On the menu: book club tonight (only 50 more pages to read before then ... eep)! yoga, training, and of course our next spinning class Thursday night! Still room if you're interested in joining. Contact Mike at RPM, 416-761-9717



*The "industry standard" for testing is the famous [dreaded] 20 minute test. But Lance Armstrong's coach, Chris Carmichael has found that in the early season, when athletes are not yet at their prime (or anywhere close to it), the 2x8 minute test will usually produce the same results as the 20 minute version, without straining capillaries, muscles and tendons that aren't ready yet.

MOM: You Go Girl!

Kudos to mom who's using her retirement to get fit! She's rocking the trainer (complains it's boring though ... psssshaw), stretching and even got a strength plan from a PT at the gym. On top of all that, she's test driving a bunch of classes to see which ones will fit into a regular routine. I'm so proud!! Dad's been in on the fun too, since they picked up memberships at the local gym, Fitness Corner. I hear they offer "Movie Night" spin classes there, too: spin and watch a movie with all your training buddies! Imagine all our theatres were outfitted that way. The world would sure look different.

As for my own fitness efforts, I'm happy to report that the rhythm has been found. Lots of trainer this week, and I have finally got comfortable with the idea of the "home gym". And let me tell you, there are some serious benefits to doing strength training in your living room.

Thanks to Santa's elves, Kim and Gerhard, I have a pair of dumb bells and a fitness ball. Turns out, I think that's actually all I really need. The ball came with a guide showing all kinds of exercises and the dumb bells are the right weight to get most things done properly. Maybe I'll move up next month, but for now, I'm rockin and rollin. I could get used to this!

The best thing about the home gym is not having to wait for equipment! There are no line ups! There are also no distractions, such as "gym chat", to knock me out of focus. And I got to watch TV at the same time.

However, a word of caution. On top of gifting me dumb bells, Kim also loaned me "P.S. I Love You" which I decided to watch last night since it claimed to be a romantic comedy. Ahem. Do not under any circumstances attempt to ride a trainer while watching this movie. There is nothing funny about it. I cried through the whole damn thing and when you cry with your heart rate in the 150s, guess what! You hyper-ventilate.

Super excited for Spin Class which starts this Sunday as well. But they changed the start time so that will be a challenge for the next 12 weeks: 7 o'clock Sunday morning! The TTC isn't even up at that hour. There's still space I'm told, so if you're interested in the best spin program in town, give Mike a call at RPM. Even with the painful start time, it's totally worth signing up. I don't think I'd make the progress I've made if it wasn't for RPM.

I also picked up a five-class-pass at Moksha Yoga Danforth so I'm all set in my hot yoga habit. I was there on Wednesday for the 75 minute class but I found it wasn't for me. I'm all about the full 90 minutes. It just seemed like everyone was in a rush there, and it wasn't as wholesome (for lack of a better word) an experience as I'm used to -- it was nearly impossible to focus because people were laughing and talking in the studio (what?!). So I think Monday night is the winner -- great time, great instructor and the full 90.

In other news, looks like Blue Mountain is a GO this weekend. With spin class so early in the morning, no longer will I have to rush home and out the door again. I'll have time for the nap I'll need!! Sunday Night Snow Club will officially kick off this Sunday Night! Night passes are $39. Let me know if you want a lift in the mini-van!

Oh, and just finished "Sleeping Naked is Green" by Vanessa Farquharson of the National Post. It's about a twenty-something woman who decides to make one green change to her life every day for a year. Since she chose a leap year, it ends up being 366 changes. She kept a blog at greenasathistle.com even after the challenge, but I think she's since abandoned it. Anyway, the book was entertaining, and has really got me thinking about changes I can make in my everyday life. I think what stood out the most is the constant catch-22 going green entails. For example, do you choose the organic apple from New Zealand, or the regular-pesticides-included apple from Ontario? Check it out, it's an easy read and a great place to start if you're thinking about what you can do to green your corner of the universe.

Now ... if only I'd remembered the book I was supposed to be reading for book club ...

New Shorts!

A week ago, @Specializedwmn who I follow on twitter posted a call for captions on their BG Pro RBX shorts. I submitted "Your new training partner" and won myself a pair! Woo hoo!

Here's the victorious tweet:
specializedwmn: Congrats to the Women's BG Pro RBX shorts winners for their great captions: @walcottav @MCjunkie @kristenmlake @camille001 #RBXcap

They couldn't come at a better time either. A couple chamois are on their way out in a big way. And I'm back on the bike a couple times a day. Yesterday, I had a lovely spin with The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and an excellent snowboard video before work.

Last night I went on over to RPM for a little Christmas spinning. We donated our entry fees to the Daily Bread Food Bank and then did a fairly intense workout for an hour and a quarter. If this all sounds good to you, keep in touch with RPM because they'll be doing another Daily Bread spin in the new year so it's not too late!

This morning, I was riding with the Griswold's in the Christmas Vacation, but then my roommate came in to head out for the holidays with the PS3 so I had to watch Canada AM instead. Boo hoo.

However, I learned that egg nog is the more nutritous choice over apple cider. And if you are choosing between a gingerbread latte or a gingerbread loaf, get the latte. Save an extra pile of calories by skipping the whipped cream.

Merry Christmas to all!! Can't believe there's only two more sleeps!

Wow, Bonkers.

After some internal arguments influenced by factors outside the scope of this blog, I decided to get up at the crack of dawn, and drag my ass (and my boyfriend's ... sorry babe) to Mansfield for a couple hours of late season suffering in the annual Winter Wow.

And I was pleasantly surprised.

The first 90 minutes were AMAZING. I was flying! Not suffering at all! I rode the trails like a Jedi, hopping logs, carving corners and passing all kinds of folks. I led the ladies off the start and didn't see any of them again for over an hour.

My climbing was on, and I even got up the famous "sandy climb". A man came up behind me and after a few minutes I asked him if he'd like to get by, and he said "Are you kidding? you're setting my pace!"

Not to mention the GLORIOUS weather we got. Honestly, it was some of the best riding all season. Perfect dirt!

I was pretty stoked, to say the least.

Unfortunately, the race was over two and a half hours long, so I ended up paying back the first 90 minutes in spades.

I have never bonked like that in my life! I was so far gone it was almost fun. That is until all the time I'd put into the competition sling-shotted back at me in the last 4km. Except for Rachel. Rachel was the first lady I met on the trails, and she caught me after my best efforts to drop the Queen of Cross on the mostly flat, slightly hilly, logging roads -- about half way. (Guess I should have seen that coming!) I think that's about when I began my decline.

Two more went by while I wobbled around at walking pace. It was like trying to ride while you have the worst case of spins imaginable. I couldn't get my body positioned over the bike properly and instead just kind of held on. My vision was like something out of the Blair Witch Project, my tummy was upset, and whenever I tried to put on the gas, I got a dead-pedal.

If I thought I could've found my way back to the chalet by a direct route other than the one that was marked, I probably would have DNF'd. Luckily, the good thing about feeling that BAD is the sense of euphoria that comes with it, so I just giggled to myself until I found the finish line.

I went to the van hoping to find G, but he was off seeking warmth in the chalet. Unable to go any further I laid the bike down. Then I laid down. And took a nap. In the grass. Wow, indeed.

Once I regained consciousness, not sure how long later, I hobbled over to the chalet for the Chili feed. I teetered through the line-up and was revived by brownies and sugary yellow juice. (Maybe peach?)

In the end I came fourth (56th overall), and you can find the full results here. I heard a rumour that WOW Mtb will also post up their photos from the day.

Despite the calamity, I had a really fun time. I wondered how much I had left from 2009, and found out that I've got just about an hour of juice in the tank. (No WONDER people are drawn to cross!)

And so the work begins to turn my hour of red-zone capabilities into two or three. Exciting stuff!!

PS - Daffyd's already emailed about RPM's BASE CAMP program -- let me know if you'd like a spot!

2010

The sun came out on Sunday. The temperature was up, too. It was enough to send me tail- spinning into a vortex of restlessness (and maybe even some guilt!) and that's how I knew the off-season was over.

Since the end of racing, I've put a stop to "training" and just kept up with "exercise" on a whenever-I-feel-like-it basis. Now's when you get to dust off your runners, hike with family and friends, and play in the woods with folks you don't normally get a chance to ride with. And it's so important to slack off, I can't even tell you. You must clear your brain of all the crap racing fills it up with and fall in love with bikes again or you'll never make it to your next race.

You'll end up a "Christmas Star" ... someone who is in great shape in December because they didn't bother to let their race fitness go to pasture, but who will not last until it really counts: April. Check out Joe Friel's blog on the topic ... his site is a good one to bookmark, and his book has always been a great help to me!

Last week, I started slotting in 'training'. I call this my "planning" phase. I mentally map out the kinds of activities I want included in the upcoming training plan, even going so far as to name a day and a time. But then I end up blowing it off completely. It's a process. Last week was about planning, this week will be about execution

So with a sunny Sunday to kick things off, I postponed the yoga idea so I could take advantage of the weather, and got G to agree to spin to see the horses of Sunnybrook Stables. The horses were awesome and were totally into raw food. I grabbed clumps of green grass for them to eat instead of the bits of hay and dried leaves in their pen and was soon best friends with all them. Even the biting one.

Earlier this fall, I read Brendan Brazier's book Thrive Fitness and his training philosophy is very close to mine so I'm going to give it a try and see how it goes. Plus, it includes his great information on diet, which is another area I've made some huge changes.

I used to be a completely different shopper -- I bought things that claimed to be "low fat" or "organic" based on how long it would take to make them. But even if something tells you on the box it's good for you, it's still in a box, therefore bad for you. I knew diet was important but until I started reading about where our foods really come from, how processed they are, and what they mean to the body, I was not a healthy eater. Even though I thought I was. I first started making changes at the beginning of race season this year and at the same time posted some of my best results ever. Coincidence? Maybe. But I'm running with it. I'll have more to say about diet in a later post but for now I'm just happy to have another arrow in my quiver.

And of course, I am looking forward to another round of Daffyd's amazing spin class at RPM Studio. The course, while not yet confirmed, usually runs from January to March and meets twice per week (traditionally Thursdays for 1.5 hours and Sundays for 2 hours). We go through the training periods together, working on single leg drills, hill climbs, endurance and intervals as well as testing. Working in a group on hard workouts is such a great benefit. You think, "well that guy next to me is really going for it, what's my excuse?" I find I get a lot more out of myself at RPM than I can on my trainer in my living room.

They also offer strength training through their gravity program -- an exercise machine that uses your own body weight as resistance. With new equipment on the lower level, like bosu balls, I expect to be spending a lot more time at RPM this season.

So with another year of training, on higher quality fuel, and a slightly tweaked strength routine I expect 2010 will be something to really look forward to. Happy Training!

Race Tracks

This little ditty came up on ye ol' ipod the other day and it brought back such fond memories of spin class and sweat pouring down my face as I fought through yet another interval, that I have decided to make it the next Race Track.

Thanks Kanye and thank you Daffyd!