You need to have read part one of this series where I laid out two scenarios and asked the question;
Why do Breathless Betty and Chatty Cathy not behave the same way that you and Susan did at WSSC?
It's my worldly perspective that the major difference between those two situations boils down to respect. You and Susan show your respect for Josh Taylor by behaving correctly – riding in silence. Breathless Betty and Chatty Cathy aren't showing the instructor in scenario #1 any respect > make sense?
But why?
So if in one instance people are disrespecting you and the other's in your class by talking, but in a different situation they wouldn't, the obvious question to ask is WHY? Why do people act disrespectfully? The whole concept of why people do what they do is fascinating to me. Back in 2011 I introduced you to the concept of Start with WHY and that it's important to understand why you are doing what you do… and why some of your participants do what they do.
I see three possible reasons why:
They don't know they are acting disrespectfully…
They don't care they are acting disrespectfully…
They're disrespecting you on purpose…
I'm making the assumption that your goal is a quiet, focused class – where you're the only one doing the talking. If it's a yard-sale (neither quiet or focused) – with others talking (besides you), I feel it's super important to truly understand why (what's the real reason), before you can effectively address the problem.
Was there ever a time when you made an assumption about the motivations behind a person's actions, only to be horribly embarrassed when you discovered you had it completely wrong?
We don't want that to happen, so lets explore these three potential reasons a participant in your class would disrespect you. Then we'll know the right ways to address the issues.
OMG! I had no idea 🙁
In my little story about your participation in Josh Taylor's class, your friend Susan acts embarrassed when she realizes that attempting to start a conversation with you was completely inappropriate.
Most people care and wouldn't purposefully act disrespectfully toward you. So we can assume that the reason why the are talking… is because they don't understand that they shouldn't. Unfortunately there are a lot of Instructors who don't have control of their class. I've ridden in many classes where the Instructor has either given up, or are too afraid to do anything.
So there's a good chance that your talkers have experienced other classes where they felt free to talk, so they feel perfectly free to chat away in yours. This group will apologize to you, after you apply the solution you'll find in part three.
I'm special!
I teach at an “Athletic” (most expensive) level Life Time Fitness in an affluent suburb of Minneapolis. A trip through the parking lot will confirm that my typical participants are very well to do. It's common for me to reassuringly pet the dash of my humble Mazda3, as I park between $100k S Class Mercedes, 6 and 7 series BMW's, Lexus', Audi's, Land Rovers and Escalades on Thursday mornings.
Some people of “means” can act – how should I say it? – a bit entitled. I'm sure you've met a few people like this. They (if you ask them) feel that because they are spending a lot of money to be a member, they expect to be able to do pretty much whatever they damn well please. When you make general comments about riding quietly, these folks don't think it applies to them > does that sound familiar to you?
My experience is that these are the people who get mad if you confront them directly > “how dare you!” They are also the group who will pull rank and complain to management, if you don't correct them properly.
The concept of a democracy; social groups where everyone works together, contributes equally and respects the needs of others sounds good… but rarely works out well in the real world. I can’t think of better places to demonstrate this than in your class or on an outdoor group ride. Both these collections of people require a leader… or chaos ensues.
There are members who will purposefully challenge your authority as the leader of your class.
You may have experienced this at some point in your teaching career. Maybe it was some participant in the back row holding court with those sitting around him. The effect is disrupting to your class and it may have irritated, if not angered you.
I view a large part of this as simple disrespect, but sometimes it’s not. It may be helpful to look at it a different way; the disruptive student may be trying to assert themselves as leader of your class.
At the time I got some grief on Facebook about that post. So before you dismiss the possibility (“this never happens John!”) that there are members who are trying to take control away from you, I'd like you to think back and see if anything like this has ever happened to you…
That gal who talks endlessly with whoever is riding near her – while she looks straight at you? She maybe testing you, waiting for your response.
That guy who's in the front row defiantly doing his own thing? No question about it. You might catch him watching in the mirror to see if anyone will follow his movements, instead of yours.
That jerk who's always late. He strolls in and takes his sweet time getting set up front & center. He's trying to take control of your class by distracting everyone. The “LOOK AT ME!” narcissists of the world live to try and tear down others in authority.
“I hate this song!” Ever had some A**hole who complains or criticises you publicly? There are insecure people in the world who are intent on pulling you down, thinking it will elevate them in the eyes of others.
Your class isn't a democracy. Only you can be the sole leader in your class… if you don't protect your role as the leader, someone else could try to take it from you.
Now I hopefully have you thinking about the specific problem in your class.
Here's part three where I offer my strategies and methods for addressing/correcting each instance of when people act disrespectfully (talk) in your class.
Hey [wlm_firstname] how hard should I be working to; get faster, lose weight, build endurance, ect…
Answering that is the age old dilemma many of us face when questioned by our riders. We try to be helpful by offering subjective descriptions of what both thresholds should feel like. We give breathing cues, run special FTP classes and/or include Best Effort intervals into our class. They're all designed to help our participants discover (for themselves) their threshold hearts rates and/or threshold wattages. We can get close… but at the end of the day they're still subjective measurements = not always as accurate as we would like.
Breathing gas exchange monitors can scientifically measure the two thresholds. Systems like those from New Leaf and Korr can objectively measure the changes in our breathing levels of O2 and CO2. They work well, but are very expensive to own (you can no longer purchase a New Leaf cart, now that they were purchased by Life Time Fitness) and individual metabolic testing can run to $200.00 or more. The actual tests are rather unpleasant, requiring you to wear a very uncomfortable mask – trust me on this > I've had over a dozen tests and would dread doing another.
The only other option was blood lactate testing during a graded exercise test at a university or sports performance center. Here they prick your finger every two or three minutes, while you work to failure during the assessment. I haven't done one of these personally, but it sounds equally unpleasant.
Enter the new BSXinsight – a wearable device that optically measures your O2 levels = this could be exactly what all of us training athletes were looking for. Pictured above, the BSXinsight is positioned on your calf using a compression sleeve. It wirelessly communicates with a smart phone and the data is displayed by (you guessed it) their special app.
Don't just listen to your body, look inside it.
Data and gear are only as good as their ability to improve your riding. Now you can access the most powerful training metric in endurance sports, making every mile more effective and putting every piece of technology you already use into valuable perspective.
BSXinsight uses revolutionary technology that allows you to see inside your muscle, measuring your lactate threshold and generating personalized training zones. Stop trying to “feel” whether you’re pushing too hard or leaving too much in the tank and let the science of your body speak to you.
Clearly identifying LT2 threshold
I just finished a fascinating conversation with one of the principals of the company. They have offered to send me a demo BSXinsight to experiment with. When I'm done I'll be sending it to Dennis Mellon for his feedback. Once we are done accurately learning our own LT and overlaying it with our Heart Rates and wattages, we will record an episode with the company spokesperson so we can share what we've learned with all of you.
1/19/2015 In celebration of Martin Luther King Day – I thought it appropriate to re-run this podcast about Major Taylor!
Minnesota author and cycling historian Terry Kerber joins me on this episode of the Podcast to discuss his book; Major Taylor: The Inspiring Story of a Black Cyclist and the Men Who Helped Him Achieve Worldwide Fame.
About Major Taylor
In 1907, amid a time of unspeakable racial cruelty, the world’s most popular athlete was not pitcher Cy Young or center fielder Ty Cobb. During the height of the Jim Crow era, the world’s most popular athlete wasn’t even white. He was an oft-persecuted black bicycle racer who was denied meals, kicked out of hotels, forced to sleep in horse stables, trained by a washed-up former racer, and managed by a pugnacious Irish sports promoter and Broadway producer.
This is the Inspiring story of Major Taylor and the men who helped him achieve worldwide fame…
There are so many lessons in the pages of this epic story, but perhaps none are nobler than Taylor’s transcendent ability to forgive those who tormented him on and off bike tracks. That is why I was honored to speak at the unveiling of the Major Taylor statue at the Worcester Public Library, to stand in the very city that sheltered him from the racial storms a century before. I am equally honored to write the Foreword to this engrossing book, written by two gifted writers and passionate cycling fans that just happen to live near my suburban twin cities home. As the sport of bike racing and our nation attempt to transition to a new and refreshing era of transparency, we would all be well-served to seek wisdom and guidance from the lessons left behind by this remarkable sportsman.
After listening to my interview with Terry you may feel as I do, that this could be an awesome movie. If you know anyone in the business please pass this along to them.
Kathy Helmuth and I have just received confirmation that our ACE approved Parkinson's Indoor Cycling Coaching program has been accepted by the SilverSneakers organization!
Now, Parkinson's Cycling Coaches will now receive reimbursement directly from SilverSneakers, through their FLEX Instructor Program.
I am planning an interview with the SilverSneakers National Program director that will explain exactly how the FLEX program works.
My short description: a FLEX Instructor can walk into any studio and teach a SilverSneakers approved class and it's free to SilverSneakers members. SilverSneakers then compensates the Instructor directly.
To become a SilverSneakers group exercise class instructor, one must:
Be at least 18 years of age.
Maintain current CPR certification.
Hold a two or four year degree in health, exercise science, recreation or physical activity related field or maintain a nationally recognized certification (for example, ACE, AFAA, YMCA).
Attend a SilverSneakers instructor training workshop for the specific SilverSneakers class one would like to teach.
SilverSneakers classes are available in 12,000 locations and the FLEX Instructor program allows you to easily (and at no cost) add SilverSneakers classes to your studio 🙂
Merrill Richmond with StairMaster | Schwinn send me a press release about how the Schwinn Class Tamer iPhone App had won an Outstanding Achievement Award. Pretty cool:)
Schwinn developed this as their gift to Instructors – and an expensive gift at that. I don't know exactly what they've spent on the design and ongoing maintenance of the Class Tamer App. I have looked into contracting with an App development company, to build something similar and was quoted “around” $40,000.
STAIRMASTER AND PINCKNEY HUGO GROUP WIN INTERACTIVE MEDIA AWARD
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Pinckney Hugo Group, a full-service marketing communications firm, and StairMaster, which markets and distributes Schwinn indoor group cycling bikes to commercial health clubs, were awarded an Outstanding Achievement Award by the Interactive Media
Awardsâ„¢ for the Schwinn Class Tamerâ„¢ App.
The Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes that the app surpassed the basic standards of excellence that comprise the web’s most professional work. The app was honored for excellence in the sports category. “It was truly a collaborative effort that led to the Schwinn Class Tamer App,” said Merrill Richmond, vice president of sales and marketing, StairMaster. “Together, with Pinckney Hugo Group, we were able to develop the premier music player for group exercise professionals. It is a tool organized intuitively with large, easy-to-read fonts and controls to help them stay organized while they energize their classes.”
Designed with input and insight from Schwinn’s global team of Master Instructors, Pinckney Hugo Group created the app to serve as the premier music player for group exercise professionals. The app is a one-of-a-kind music player that enables instructors to create and save ride playlists by accessing songs, playlists, albums and artists directly from iTunes. After a playlist is created, the instructor can input a set of commands, cueing notes, music tags and beats per minute (BPM) for each song within the playlist. Playlists can then be saved for future use in class.
The judging consisted of various criteria, including design, usability, innovation in technical features, standards compliance and content. To win, the app had to meet strict guidelines in each area. Other entries in the sports category that received an Outstanding Achievement Award include the NCAA website and the World Anti-Doping Agency — Play True Quiz. Best In Class, the highest honor of the competition, went to ESPN World Cup Essentials, Everton Football Club and Warrior Dash websites.
The Interactive Media Awards is an international awards competition that was started in 2006. Each year the awards honor the best website designs in a multitude of categories throughout the year and are designed to elevate the standards of excellence on the Internet.
