I have officially designated this as ICI/PRO Conference Registration Week!
Why this week?
Because when I looked at registrations from last year, I see that the 7 days that fell 13 weeks before the conference had the highest percentage of new registrations, besides the opening week.
Amy and I can't believe that our “Baby” Carly is all grown up! We spent yesterday afternoon trying to decide which of these pictures would make the cut as her Senior yearbook photo.
In case you're wondering she looks most like my mother. If you ask her where she got that great hair, she'll say from her daddy. I just wish she hadn't taken all of it 🙁
Tom Scotto is the consummate professional in everything he does. As an athlete, cyclist, coach, business partner, husband and family man, Tom applies this professionalism to all aspects of his life.
And Tom is applying this same sense of professional commitment to his preparations for the sessions he will be presenting at this year's ICI/PRO conference.
Watch the video below to get a sense for the training Tom is putting himself through this year.
Tom is excited about ICI/Pro's second conference and will be presenting a number of session including an 8-hour Heart Zones® Training, Ride with Live Music and Biomechanics, Master the Music, Explosive Training and Muscle Release workshops. It is only a few months away and Tom needs time to prepare.
Forget to sync your iPhone or Droid and don't have the latest episodes of your favorite Podcast? Like they say in Jamaica, No Problem – Mon 🙂
Go and get the Stitcher SmartRadio App that streams Podcasts directly to your Smart Phone. It's completely FREE and is one of the few Apps that I see using more than once or twice.
Here's why.
I'm very excited to announce that The Indoor Cycle Instructor Podcast has been selected to be part of this exclusive network. We join a number of other excellent Fitness Podcasts like; Keith Burnage's Cadence Revolution, The Get Fit Guy Ben Greenfield, The Fred Cast + all the big name news outlets like CNN and the Wall Street Journal.
Currently only the free version of the Podcast is available. The way their system is setup only new episodes, starting with #157, are available. I see that Stitcher supports a number of Premium (paid) services and I have contacted them to see if ICI/PRO members will be able to stream Audio PROfiles in the future.
Those of you who don't regularly update your device will find this very helpful.
Amy and I safely completed our 10th MS 150 ride this past weekend and are beginning to feel like Pros at this event. For those of you considering participation in a large fund raiser we wanted to offer you some random observations, tips, hits and misses we have learned along the way.
Observations
Join a team for your first year.
Back in the late 90s I was teaching Indoor Cycling classes at a local bike shop. One of our regular students asked if Amy and I would like to join their MS150 team. We can't begin to tell you how helpful it has been being a part of a group. The MS Society publishes a complete list of registered teams. I suggest contacting a few to see if they will allow you to join them.
Find a Sponsor
With over 3,600 participants and 1,000 volunteers, events like these are perfect for promoting most any consumer business. We weren't looking for money, but logistical support. Our sponsor this year was FreeWheel Bikes and they were invaluable to our success and enjoyment. FreeWheel provided us with their enclosed trailer to transport all our gear, our own mechanic Matt and get this… Joe (who's a professional chef) and Brian his assistant who fed us like Pro-Athletes!
Ride as a team
And if at all possible ride together before the event to get a feel for everyone's level of fitness and ability. Riding as a team means staying together for the whole ride and assisting anyone who needs help. Amy and I tend to be the leaders on the road and set the pace with our tandem. Your team needs leadership, from experienced cyclists, to keep everyone organised and safe.
Get properly fitted to your bicycle
Do you have a pet-peeve that makes you want to scream “RAISE YOUR SEAT UP!” ? 75 miles with your knees above your waist can't be fun… and yet I have never seen anyone providing even simple bike fit adjustments.
Hits
I have personally decided that Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, on wholewheat bread, are the perfect rest-stop food! They offer a fantastic blend of carbs, protein and fats. Amy doesn't agree. She prefers to wait for the Subway's at the lunch stop.
Amy and I decided to ditch our Racing saddles in favor of something similar to what we are used to sitting on in class. Comfort at last!
Misses
We didn't see any Health Club or Fitness Studio teams… none 🙁 Beyond local bicycle retails we didn't see any fitness business listed as sponsors of the event related teams.
With 3,600 cyclists riding down the same path I'm also surprised that I didn't see some Guerilla Marketing along the way. A few cheep yard signs scattered on the trail (think Burma Shave ads from the 50's) could have communicated an offer from your studio to a highly targeted demographic.
Amy and I are again riding this year's MS 150 with ~4,000 close personal friends. If you are on the ride this weekend listen for Amy's big instructor voice calling “On your Left!” from the back seat of our tandem.
I need to personally thank Chuck Cali with Zoning Fitness for sponsoring me this year. Thanks Chuck!
I'll have limited email access over the weekend and will reply to any requests on Monday. If it's an emergency call me 612-868-0064.
