by John | Jun 13, 2013 | Instructor Training, Master Instructor Blog, Music
We all rely on music as a tool. Tools are used for building things and it's common to describe our practice of creating profiles as; “I'm building my class”. Most of us put a bunch of effort into; “building our playlist”. Track selection is often by BPM or song length. We categorize and file/store our music in ways designed make the selection quicker and easier, i.e. flats, climbs, etc…
In my workshop at home I do the same thing. I have a big tool box with a bunch of drawers. Each drawer has a specific type of tool (sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers), many are arranged by size (1/4″, 1/2″, 10mm, 14mm), or purpose (Phillips Head, Straight Blade, Allen Head).
I'm a self-professed “Tool Guy” – Tim Taylor was one of my favorite TV characters of all time. Tim understood it's “all about the tools”. My Grandfather was often accused (by his wife) of “spending 5 hours to design and build a tool that would save him 2 minutes, on a job he'd only do once.” So I come by this naturally đ Whenever I need to build/fix/repair or create something the first thing I do is find the tools I'll need for the job. And no, I'm not beyond spending an afternoon/day/month designing a tool to solve some problem I'm having. Case in point is my Red Pedal Tool for studios using the red Schwinn triple link pedals. That took about a year from start, to a finished product.
My class preparation probably isn't much different from yours [wlm_firstname]. I start with a basic “plan” and then I select different tracks based on their value as a tool; “I need a 6 minute song @ 150 BPM for this climb I have planned” isn't any different from; “I need a 14mm end-wrench to remove the lawnmower blade, so I can sharpen it”.
The resulting playlist is very functional, very Indoor Cycling 2.0. But I'm learning can also be a bit sterile – dare I say soulless?
This morning a long-time member said hello to me, as I was leaving the club after my 6:00 am class. Her comment stopped me in my tracks; “I so wish IÂ had taken your class this morning John… everyone was saying how great the music was”.
That's not something I hear very often, to be truthful, almost never. What was different this morning? I didn't use a playlist of my own creation. In fact the playlist I used didn't even fit what I had planned. The BPM was all wrong, efforts started in the middle of the songs – and often continued through track changes. There was nothing right about any of it (Rick Springfield?) – the musical equivalent of using a butter knife instead of a proper screwdriver… and yet they loved it.
This morning I used Team ICG Master Trainer Missy Crosson's playlist from her ICI/PRO Podcast # 263 â Rolling to the Classics Audio PROfile.
So, Is it wrong to rely on music as a tool? I'm seeing how it could be for me.
by John | Jun 7, 2013 | Music
Around my house, it's common to hear me humming Toad The Wet Sprocket's classic â Something's Always Wrong which is a great cooldown track.
Taking a break from endlessly waiting on hold with multiple service providers, I scrolled through “My Tags” on Shazam. You may enjoy these two:
Cracker â Low is a great flat @ 86 rpm that you could squeeze between to climbs. It worked for me last night đ
Switchfoot â The Sound [John M. Perkins' Blues]Â is fast, 104 rpm that (it you time the transition) you can use to signal a downhill breakaway that starts with someone jumping at the summit. I've been having fun working my class at a set wattage, cuing changes in load and cadence at different points to retain that big number!
by John | Jun 2, 2013 | Latest News
ICI/PRO members are not affected by this – if you have subscribed using your Super Secret Feed.
We're having issues communicating with the iTunes music store. Currently iTunes is showing everything but the actual Podcast episodes – which of course in not good!
I'll let you know when we have successfully corrected this.
by John | May 31, 2013 | Best Practices, Instructor Training
It was the most painful class I've ever taught. Not painful in the; “John, your class was so bad it was painful.” I mean PAINFUL… my feet were killing me for the entire hour. Here I was riding with my Sidi shoes, sans insoles. Earlier in the week I had transferred my prized Superfeet Blue Insoles from my old shoes (with Delta cleats that fit the bike at Life Time) to my new Sidi Mega's (I use LOOK Keo cleats on my VeloVie bicycle) and had forgotten to switch them back đ
It didn't help that for the full 60 minutes of class I berated myself for being an idiot. Why was I wasting my time switching inserts between shoes (adding yet more additional stress to my life)Â when I could simply order a second pair (in about 10 seconds) online with my Amazon.com prime membership?
I have really crappy feet. They're quite wide, the left foot has almost no arch and both are pronated to boot – please forgive the pun. It doesn't matter what I'm wearing; street shoes, running shoes or cycling shoes – they all give me trouble.
So here I was, riding with nothing in my shoes. No cushion, no support, no nothing. Just the hard flat bottoms of the shoes. Oh, and the little depression in the center, right under the ball of my foot, where the cleat connects which felt like it was growing the whole class.
Over the years I have experimented with a bunch of shoe insoles. I worked for Shock Doctor for a spell as a sales rep and was able to try their full line of replacement insoles. I wore them for years until I was introduced to Superfeet by a member at the club. They are now my favorite and difference between a comfortable 2+ hour ride and having my feet scream at me from mile-one on.
So when I got home I logged onto amazon.com, did a quick search and hit the one click purchase button. Two days later the nice UPS guy shows up with a little box. Problem solved and it took me a total of less than a minute… that is if you don't count the 60 minutes of agony I suffered in class.
Amazon Prime costs $79.00 a year, which may sound like a lot until you consider the value of your time. In the past, if I had decided to purchase something I would; A: jump in the car, drive somewhere burning $4 gas, get there and hope the store had what I needed. Or; B: go one line, search for a product, check a bunch of sites to see which had the lowest price, go through the checkout – only to get torqued off when I discovered there was a minimum purchase or they planned to charge me $10.00 to ship some $14.95 gizmo – where I would either quit the process or start over.
I'd much rather spend my limited free time doing something that brings me joy or makes me feel super productive đ
I started with a free 30 trial.
If you have or know a college student they get Prime free for 6 months.
Other examples. Last week my younger daughter had a bunch of friends over. The next morning I discovered something dark and sticky on our ironing board – which I later learned was barbecue sauce. As the official “Ironer” in our family, I would've been looking at a trip to Target for a new cover. I hate shopping for anything, so I don't. A few clicks and I had my new cover two days later. Same thing this past winter. It seemed like every time one or the other kid when back to school, I was missing another iPhone charger đ Â Not any more.
by John | May 24, 2013 | Music
UPDATED 5/25
I you have a Monday 5/27 class somewhere in the USA – there's a good chance it will be cancelled for the holiday. If that's the case, be sure to get outside and enjoy your day off đ
Tuesday will be back to work – and you'll have a bunch of participants who will be eager to burn off a few of the Johnsonville brats they consumed (in quantity) the day before.
Don't know Johnsonville brats? They are a year round staple food for Wisconsinites or temporary college residents and a mandatory item on any Memorial Day menu here in the frozen north.
Even though they are technically bratwurst, these are nothing like those disgusting milky-white things your mother used to bring home and cook under the broiler. These are brats and they're awesome!
John's recipe for Johnsonville brats.
Cooking Johnsonville brats is a day-long, near zen-like experience. Similar to preparing a Thanksgiving dinner, but more fun cause you need to be in the right frame of mind to both prepare and then properly cook them đ
Empty shelves Saturday AM – what I was afraid of and it took 3 stops before I found my brats.
2 (or more) Original Johnsonville brat party packs. ONLY THE ORIGINAL VERSION!!! The only acceptable option is the Beer'n Brat which they make for people who don't have all day and need to get them on the grill ASAP. If you get to the store and find they are sold out of the original, don't be tempted to use any of the other flavored varieties. Better to go hungry or settle for hamburgers.
2 (or more) large white onions, cut into quarters.
1 (or more) 24 packs* of your favorite Wisconsin beer. My personal favorite is Leinenkugel's or Lienie's as we call it around here.
Real bakery brat buns – NOT HOTDOG BUNS! There is a difference.
Early in the morning, cube the onions and place in a large stock pot.
Add the brats.
Add enough beer to float the brats, reserving 1/2 of each bottle for the cook. It's going to be a long day, so pace yourself by limiting your alcohol consumption to just 1/2 a Lienie's at a time.
Bring to a roaring boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 4 (or more) hours. Occasionally lift the lid and breath in the heavenly vapors with anticipation of what's to come.
Grill over direct heat for about 10 (or more) minutes, turning frequently. Have a water bottle handy to control the inevitable grease fire as these babies cook up. I forgot to add; wear an apron, or an old shirt, cause these things have a tendency to explode/spurt at you while you're enjoying watching them cook. I don't think it's possible to overcook a brat, so leave them on until they split and a bit burnt.
Serve on toasted brat buns with your favorite brown mustard. My favorite is Cleveland Stadium Mustard.
But keep the sauerkraut away. That stuff is really disgusting.
*Some areas of Northern Wisconsin call these “a suitcase” and the store clerk may become confused and offer you two 12 packs if you ask for a 24 pack.
Getting back on the Free Music Friday track… I really enjoyed my time recording with Dunte Hector this week. Did I mention that he's only 23 years old? I subscribed to Dunte on Spotify and have been listening to his playlists. This track Alex Clare â Relax My Beloved jumped out a very powerful track that I could see using to get everyone establishing “Big Pedals” at the early stage of a climb. Big Pedals @ 63 RPM that I'll we'll then excelerate to ~ 80 RPM and sustain for however long it takes to reach the top.
