Thank You! With the one exception (losing our friend Jim Karanas) 2013 was an awesome year here at ICI/PRO!
I just got back from co-teaching a 90 minute Performance Cycle class with the Senior Group Fitness Instructor Amy. We had a great group of committed Endurance Athletes this AM – I say committed because many of them said they went to bed early (missing the ball-drop), just so they would be rested for class this morning.
Here's the playlist we used – which is a combination of Amy's and my songs selections.
Are you taking advantage of our Super Secret iTunes RSS Feed to listen to our Audio Class Profiles – through your computer or portable device [wlm_firstname]?
If so, we've made a significant change that will simplify finding just the right profile for your next class > now the Super Secret iTunes RSS Feed only contains profiles and PRO/Podcasts – not other free Podcast episodes.
Here's what happened .
Based on the sheer number of Podcasts and PROfiles we've published over the past 5 years, the iTunes RSS feed (that tells iTunes what's new here at ICI/PRO) has put on a bunch of weight. The sheer volume of content included in the feed was really slowing down our communication with the iTunes music store + many of our old episodes got pushed off the bottom of the list. As weight-loss is on the minds of many at the start of a new year – we felt this is a great time to shed a few pounds.
Now we are publishing two separate feeds:
Our free iTunes RSS feed that's for everyone – .
Our new Super Secret iTunes RSS Feedthat's just for ICI/PRO members and only contains ICI/PRO member's only audio and video content.
If you're happy with things as they are, you don't need to make any changes.
But our suggestion is for ICI/PRO members to subscribe to both the free Podcast feed and the new Audio PROfiles RSS feeds.
Set up your Super Secret iTunes RSS Feed using iTunes on your computer
You don't need to, but I would first open iTunes > select Podcasts and then delete the existing ICI/PRO Podcasts.
to subscribe to the free Podcast.
Scroll down this page and Right Click on the “RSS Link” below > Copy Link Address
In iTunes – in the top left navigation select File > Subscribe to a Podcast > Right Click in the dialog box that will open and select > Paste (or us the keyboard Ctrl “V”) and then OK.
Depending on your settings in iTunes you will probably see just the most recent episode. Use the old episode button to add more.
Super Secret iTunes RSS Feed on your mobile devise
Once you have a Podcast App installed on either an iDevice or Android, open this page on your device, Simply clicking the “RSS Feed” link below should open the App and asked if you want to subscribe to the Podcast > click OK and that's all you should need to do. Here's the link to the Apple Podcast App for iPhones and iPads – here's an App for your Android.
Please let me know if you have any difficulties.
ICI/PRO Members – the link to your RSS Feed is right below this. You'll also find it in the RH side bar of every post.
Each year ends with a party and I'm not aware of an artist who's more about “The party” than Pitbull!
I've actually come to enjoy a little Pitbull in my class, for good reason 🙂 There's never been a more reliable track, that I can add to my playlist, that will have multiple riders lift their heads and smile than Pitbull — Feel This Moment. And also I have a “thing” for Christina Aguilera.
Amy and I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
We aren't big on holiday traditions in our home, but we do have one on Christmas day that we never miss. For as long as I can remember, Amy has baked Danish Kringler at some point during the day. Definitely not a diet food, most recipes include at least 3 sticks of butter. Fantastic and between the four of us, we'll finish this flaky, almond pastry it before it has a chance to completely cool.
I have my own musical tradition that I wanted to share. At some time during the holidays I'll cue up this 1977 duet between David Bowie and Bing Crosby – The Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth.
The year was 1977, and David Bowie seemed to become a commercial success overnight with the release of his album “Low”, and the hit single “Heroes”.
Until this point, while Bowie did have quite a following with his glam rock subculture, he was never considered a “popular artist.” Teenagers were listening to his music and worshiping the androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust, while their parents shook their heads in disbelief.
That all changed when Bing Crosby, America’s most-loved crooner, invited Bowie on his television show to sing.
In the book by David Buckley, “Strange Fascination- David Bowie: The Definitive Story,” Bowie said he did not want to do the show because he believed people would see him as “actively trying to normalize his career.”
But he did, and he searched for reasons to do so.
“I just knew my mother liked him,” Bowie said.
Bing asked Bowie to sing “Little Drummer Boy” with him as it was inching near to Christmas.
“I hate this song,” Bowie said. “Is there anything else I could sing?”
The show producers then scrambled to find something for the odd couple to sing, and within a mere 75 minutes, they had written “Peace on Earth” for Bowie to sing while Bing sang “The Little Drummer Boy.”
Thus the collaboration of Peace on Earth and Little Drummer Boy was created and, like it or not America (and mom), according to “The Huffington Post,” David Bowie sings one of the most loved Christmas songs of all time.
Wishing you and your family this best – while I wait for my Kringler 🙂
I wait all Fall for this!
Today (Dec 22nd 3013) starts my Sunday Performance Cycle Class at the Eden Prairie Life Time Athletic Club and I'm as happy as a pig in slop!!!
These classes are pure, unadulterated training for cyclists. No nonsense, no feeling like I need to entertain everyone.
We're soft-launching this winter's training program, the official start will be Jan 5th. Our first class in February will include a full 20 min FTP assessment + a weigh in so we can compute and then track everyone's Watts/Pound over the length of the program.
The beauty of this class is in its simplicity; each week follows specific training plans designed by LTF's Sr. Director- Endurance Sports Coaching, Troy Jacobson of Spinervals training DVDs. Instructors are free to create their own music playlists for these time & intensity based profiles.
Today we followed Coach Troy's Spinervals Competition 22.0 — Time Trialapalooza with a few modifications to accommodate cyclists who don't know their FTP – Functional Threshold Power.
NOTE: We ride FreeMotion S11.9 cycles with the Power/RPM console.
Class length 75 minutes + Cool Down
Warm Up – 10 minutes. 5 minutes of gradual increases in wattage. During the second 5 mins. we're finding the wattage where everyone is first noticing a change in breathing; VT1 / Aerobic Threshold = the top of the Recover Zone shown above. This establishes a rough understanding of a base wattage that we use throughout the rest of class.
3 x 30 sec. Hard / 30 sec. Easy – Openers to AT/LT. I cue these by first having everyone find the amount of load @ 70 RPM that has them feeling they should (not just could) come out of the saddle. The 30 sec. Hard is then simply accelerating to 90+ RPM which results in some pretty impressive power numbers. The 30 sec. Easy is back to 70 RPM – many will stand during the Easy portion.
2 minutes rest – I encourage riders to focus on their recovery. Once they feel calm in their breathing, bring back the Base level work wattage.
20 min. Tempo – Here I included a 4 min. “Best Effort” to establish a benchmark PTP Personal Threshold Power (top of the Perform Zone) or ride at 110% of FTP if known. It's very helpful to riders to have that understanding of their personal upper wattage number. The “Best Effort” Threshold # + the Base Threshold # we found earlier form the three Power working zones I use in class.
– 1 min. build at preferred cadence (suggested as 85-95 rpm) – press the Stage Button to reset the averages.
– 4 min. “Best Effort” This should hurt, but be do-able. I ask everyone to observe their average at the end and then…
– 15 min. reduce effort slightly (15% – 20%) and maintain wattage in between the two Thresholds.
I have everyone note the combined average, over the full 20 minutes, at the end of this effort. I'll use this wattage in the Tempo Intervals to follow.
5 min. Rest – Once breathing calms we bring back ~ Base Wattage and ride out of the saddle for a break.
15 min. Tempo – Quickly establish the average wattage from the 20 min. Interval. > Stage Button and then maintain. You may want to offer slight changes in cadence & load, while keeping wattage = to the initially established #.
5 min. Rest –
10 min Tempo – Time is shorter… so we should be able to work a little harder. Again quickly establish the average wattage from the 20 min. Interval + (if possible) add 10-20 watts > Stage Button and maintain
5 min. Rest
5 min. Tempo – What have you got left? I've got a really competitive group and although I heard some grumbling, they all appeared to push this 5 minutes at (some above) their PTP / FTP 🙂
Cool Down
Here's my Playlist from today's class in Spotify and Deezer – all are 10 minute+ songs. As this is a timed class, I don't worry about trying to match the efforts to the music.
Each year ends with a party and I'm not aware of an artist who's more about “The party” than Pitbull!
