You didn't notice it getting dressed and it wasn't there early in class, it just kind of snuck up on you. One minute you're JRA (Just Riding Along) and the next you begin to catch little whiffs of an odor, not pleasant, that makes you appreciate your position up front and away from anyone else.
What is that smell? Where is it coming from and how come I'm just noticing this now?
It didn't take me long to discover the cause of the foul odor, my trusty old Sidi Mega Cycling Shoes were rank.
But I wash my shoes (somewhat) regularly and they smelt fine when I put them on… why do they stink now?
The culprit are bacteria and odor causing microbes that love warm, humid places. In fact they thrive on it, eating, growing and multiplying at an astonishing rate once they are in the right environment – my warm, sweaty shoes must have been about as perfect an environment for bacterial growth as possible đ The by-products of all this multiplying are toxins and toxic gases that our noses identify as stink. I don't even want to think about what all those little buggers are eating in my shoes. All these nasty critters are sitting dormant in your cool, dry shoes. Add some moisture and warmth and they come to life, with a potentially embarrassing affect.
What can I do to fix it?
I tried on multiple occasions to wash and dry my shoes using just clothes soap/detergent/vinegar/baking soda without success. If your shoes are old don't waste your time with these methods. The only thing I found that worked was a three day (I forgot them in the tub) soak in Oxi Clean. If you have white shoes you could try a small amount of bleach, but I can't vouch for this method, so I'd stick with Oxi Clean .
Billy Blanks Mays was telling you the truth when he would say; “the power of oxygen!” Oxygen is a powerful disinfectant and has the power to actually kill bacteria and odor causing microbes, rather than simply surround them and wash them away with the surfactants that make soap, err… soap.
It's a chemistry thing. Oxygen exists in nature as a component of the air we breath as a pair O²  and in stable compounds like water as in H²O. Whenever an Oxygen atom finds itself alone (free ) it gets ugly, looks for something to attach to and in the process converts whatever it attaches to into another compound. Many of the products you use to clean with contain a free Oxygen atom; Hydrogen Peroxide, Bleach, Vinegar and household Ammonia are a few.
The free Oxygen atoms found in Oxi Clean are as deadly to bacteria as sunlight is to a vampire. So the next time your shoes get warm and sweaty there are fewer (you'll never get rid of them all) little friends to cause a stink – if you'll forgive the pun.
How can I prevent the stink it in the first place or prevent it from coming back?
Wear clean socks in your shoes! I'm guilty of trying to pull off the Triathlete look by riding sans socks – or sometimes it's just that I forgot to pack a pair. OK, I'll say it; they're eating the dead skin off your feet. Socks keep their source of food away from surfaces that are harder to clean, like the inside of your shoes.
The same goes for your Instructor Mic and windscreen if you use one.
Does your club have a microphone sanitising station like this?
You need to kill all the bacteria, viruses and other icky stuff that you've introduced after each class, with no exceptions. This is doubly important if you share a mic with other Instructors.
The solution here is much easier. All it takes is a quick dollop of hand sanitiser that you can work through the windscreen, wipe over the headset and let dry for the next class.
No more hunting for new music or counting out cues to develop your ride profile. Here is your ready to ride profile for a fully choreographed ride, that can be displayed from your phone, or printed out onto cue cards for your class. This ride is timed out, down to the second, to make your life as easy as possible!
If you are one of those instructors who loves to bring the experience of riding outdoors to your indoor riders, now is the time to get them excited. Â Give them a taste of the Tour de France and introduce them to some of the fun we enjoy during this special time of year. Â Maybe we want to learn more about all of that tour lingo so we can share more with our classes. Â Here are some recommendations I have to wrap your mind and riders around one of the greatest sporting events of all time.
This year is the 98th edition of the Tour de France (twitter: #TDF). With itâ⏙s 21 Stages (days) of racing over the next 3 weeks.  The riders will cover an astounding 3,430.5 kilometers (2132 miles) which is even more amazing considering the speed at which they are traveling (stages can average over 25 mph for 6+ hours of riding â Yikes!).  Now there are all kinds of tidbits we can share, but I like to give my riders homework to help them better understand how to ride during class.  Here are a few of my homework assignments:
(1) Watch just 1 complete Stage of the TDF (YouTube is OK for partial credit)
(2) Notice how riders stand (out of the saddle) and move their bikes back and forth when climbing â Letâ⏙s imitate that!
(3) Look at how balanced riders are between the handlebars and seat when they are standing. Â They are not leaning back over the seat or hanging forward over the bars.
(4) Try to catch a glimpse of a riderâ⏙s stomach from the side.  Notice how it balloons out?  One minute they look pregnant and the next not.  This is how our stomachs should look during class â relaxed and moving in and out as we breathe.
(5) Notice how relaxed they appear on the bike (shoulders, arms and hands).
(6) Watch how smooth their pedal stroke is.  A gentle waving (ankling) movement where the heel of the foot is not forced down.  Letâ⏙s imitate that!
Just listening to the voices of the Tour de France, the announcers, Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen will give you enough knowledge of the race to fill a set of encyclopedias, but if you are craving more, I recommend the following:
(1) Boy Racer : My Journey to Tour de France Record-Breaker (Book)
This is a great book that will not only get you to fall in love with Mark Cavendish, the Max-Missile from the âIsle of Manâ, but will teach you a great deal about the TDF. Â Mark not only mentions 100s of aspects of the race, but takes the time to explain each one in laymen's terms.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Racer-Journey-France-Record-Breaker/dp/1934030643/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309973467&sr=8-1
There is no greater time than the present to enjoy/learn about the Tour de France and share it with those in your classes. Â They will feed off your energy, so if you are excited â they will be excited!
This cute kid found something good – image from http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2012/09/24/gluten-free-apple-crisp-fall-away-from-tradition/
The posts with more than a couple of comments always catch my attention. It shows a hit on a subject that interests people enough to share their thoughts. I have always considered this forum's primary objective to do just that. Light a fire so-to-speak.
That said, the post on Single Leg Pedal Drills got me thinking. They are a staple of my classes. I teach on both magnetic as well as friction resistance bikes. Like Doug (Yo Doug good to hear from you) I cue the riders to âlet one leg go along for the ride.
The term ‘contraindicated' has – over the years â been associated with these drills when the rider has been instructed to ‘unclip'. And I agree though I see the risk as minimal. Even on bikes using MR we have a few ‘bouncers' â those that will just never put the kinds of resistance we instructors are trying cue â and as such are at risk for getting a pedal in the back of their leg. So I just don't do it.
Yet, what I liked most about John's post is that he has come back around to an important issue. It clearly got us talking with our fingers which means â hopefully â we gave it some thought. We don't always need to be finding something new so much as reinforcing something good. And that got me thinking.
As I have moved from beginner to journeyman to experienced to grizzled veteran, I've learned a few things.
Embrace and learn from those that take the time to compliment you/your class. Lately there have been many more of my riders â some regulars some new â that have taken the time after class to come to me with an acknowledgement of well delivered class. âYour best yetâ said one just yesterday. The irony was that I'm doing nothing really new. In fact I used a playlist favorite of mine that has been collecting dust in my iPad for a while. When I think about it I've not really put anything new together in quite some time. Oh, I've got a pile of audio podcasts printed out waiting for me to take action. But I believe the truth is that the riders in my regular classes are enjoying my growth as an instructor far more than hearing Katy Perry's new tune. Or another way to climb.
People resist change. We already know we cannot please everyone in class every time. So if you are committed to bringing new everything to your class, every class, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Your regulars have an expectation of what you're going to deliver before they walk into the studio. Try your new stuff out when you sub.
You are who you are. If you have been teaching well attended, prime time classes then it is very likely that your success has more to do with you, than what you play and cue. While I don't recommend getting stale I do strongly urge you to stay true to your style.
I will use John as an example of what I mean. Recently he posted about a technology, Harmonic mixing, that blends tracks of the same musical key. His frustration was that others could put together better mixes than he. Ok, I guess. First, that is his opinion of his playlists and probably not an issue for his riders.
Next, while his integration of harmonic mixing may have a subtle effect (positive or negative) on what the riders hear, John is teaching to full room because he is John. A great smile, always happy to see his riders, has a plan for the workout and best of all, his voice over the mic during his cues are about the best I've heard. Right up there with the late Jim Karanas. Which segues nicely to.
Know your strengths and play to them. Maybe wife Amy and Chris Hawthorne put together mixes that he thinks flow better. Good for them, that is their strength, among many others, đ not his. We all chose to get to the front of the room. On stage is what I call it. So face it, you like the affirmation. What gets you applauds is what your strengths are. If you are a new instructor then you may still be searching for key performance parameters. I use the word performance intentionally because that is what we do. It's not just about the workout but how you deliver it. Your performance.
One last thought on strengths. The best of the best are quite adept at getting their riders attention and holding it. I cannot stress this enough, go watch them. How? Maybe at your club there is the one instructor that ‘packs em in'. Attend conferences. IDEA here on the left coast is dedicated to instructor continuing education. SCW has monthly conferences around the country. Find one near you.
Know when to say when. If you are teaching more than an average of a class a day it will be very difficult to keep the fire burning hot. Motivating ain't easy. If you are teaching your third class of the day it will soon become obvious to your riders that you are not feeling the love. Teaching indoor cycling for living is tough and â in my opinion â not sustainable at pro levels. Unless teaching that many classes is standing between you and the street, consider what your optimum number is per day as well as per week.
Do continuing education. You can always get better. Our craft is one of caring, connecting, nurturing, prodding and sweating. But none of that is possible if you don't base it on sound fundamentals. Indoor cycling is about doing cardio vascular training on an indoor cycle. Knowing as much as you can about training both, will never hurt. Add your personality, a touch of some stuff you picked up from the pros and you've got a winning recipe.
We don't always need to be finding something new, so much as reinforcing something good.
“Why do I make less power (fewer watts) standing, then when I'm seated?”
This a a great question that we get often. I loved John's answer, and so I have done a few edits and present it here….. Joey
A great questions from one of the riders in a Performance Cycle class. An observation that shows he's paying attention plus it gives me the chance to clear this up, so you can properly explain this anomaly to your participants.
The short answer is you don't*Â If resistance and cadence remains the same, in or out of the saddle doesn't matter. The amount of power/watts you are creating doesn't change… because it can't.
The bike decides the right amount of power
You know that Power = Force x Cadence. So let's assume this participant is riding seated and pedaling @80RPM. Their resistance is set to a level that results in the console display showing 150 watts.
Our legs create the perfect amount of force required to get the job done, which in this instance is overcoming the resistance to pedal @ 80RPM. If your resistance setting on the cycle requires “X” amount of force to push down the pedal, your muscles will create exactly “X” – no extra force is created and no less. The combination of that force, multiplied by a cadence of 80 RPM results in the power meter showing 150 watts.
In fact there's an actual law of physics that says that it's impossible to get the same amount of power out of a machine with a reduced amount of power added into it – which is why I'm saying the amount of power/watts you are creating stays exactly the same, if you make no change other than to stand and ride out of the saddle.
“But then why does the power meter show my watts lower, when I'm standing.”Â
My response was; “you're right it does and there's a simple answer why…
Let me begin with the basics. I teach at a Life Time Fitness Athletic Club and we ride FreeMotion S11.9 with the Carbon Drive belts. FreeMotion's measure power only through the left crankarm as you can see here.
This is my personal S11.0 (the home version) which is why it's black and not the normal silver color. The electronics are identical across all models.
Yes, the meter shows a drop in power…
Many of us who teach or ride on this Indoor Cycle have noticed that the power meter will show a lower wattage number when you transition out of the saddle, without giving any thought as to why. As I explained above, it shouldn't > the wattage number should remain the same. Again; Power is equal to force times cadence. If you didn't change the resistance setting, and you're maintaining the same cadence, the power meter should continue to show the same wattage… but it doesn't because >>>> your legs aren't the same strength.
Your dominate (stronger) leg does more workÂ
The force required to pedal is divided between your two legs – but not equally. Because many (if not all) of us have one leg that's stronger than the other, our brains automatically proportion the amount of force from each. Remember: our legs only create exactly what's needed. Unless you consciously choose otherwise > more force is unconsciously asked from the stronger leg and the opposite leg adds what's left, equaling the total required.
Some quick research showed me that it's very common for one leg to be stronger in most people. Your dominant/stronger leg is typically the same as your writing hand. Since ~90% of people are right handed, the majority of your class will be seeing lower wattages when the come out of the saddle > because they are doing more work with their right leg. The FreeMotion's left hand power meter sensors are seeing a lower amount, of the total amount of work, as coming from your left leg.
Because this IC can only sense force on the left side, when you stand your stronger leg carries a greater percentage of your body weight = the wattages appear lower.
So standing or seated at the same cadence, you continue to create the exact same amount of power. It's just that the power meter doesn't see all of it and displays the reduced amount = the misperception that we create less power standing… which you now understand isn't true đ Â
Make this a feature (not a bug) in your classÂ
Since the Freemotion can show leg strength disparity, why not use it as a training tool?
Novel idea, right?
Start by teaching everyone which leg is their stronger/dominate leg. The simplest way I know is by doing Step-Ups on a box or step raised to the proper level as shown in this short video.
This exercise was eye opening to me, when we did them in Boot Camp. Learning that my right leg is considerably stronger, I'm now really focusing on making my left leg do more work. Hopefully over time, a stronger left leg will result in me having a higher FTP and greater overall muscular endurance.
I suggest having your riders do this as an after class activity > or you could bring a box into your studio and have everyone take a turn.
Using a pair of reasonably sized dumbbells, perform 8-12 reps all on one side and then the other. It should be quickly apparent which (or if) they have a leg strength disparity.
We'll explore drills to exploit this feature and help riders train their weaker leg in future posts! [/wlm_private]
* I'm not referring to pedaling efficiency here, which is a completely different subject.
** Please let me know if this isn't clear, if I've confused you or you have an alternate method of explaining this. Â Â Â
Working off of the buzz of last weekâ⏙s tirade on Tabata training in indoor cycling, I thought Iâ⏙d touch on a related cousin that also carries some confusion and thus misuse â High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
The main contributor to misuse in indoor cycling with training methods like Tabata and HIIT has more to do with how it is interpreted and embraced and not that the methods are invalid. Many people are busy and also frustrated with lack of results (or the speed of results) in their fitness. The pendulum swingers arrive on the scene and claim that this NEW way of training is the end-all. So the pendulum swings to the other side implying that this new way is the only ârightâ way.
Tom Goes Off-Road
Let me take this opportunity to help you understand why it has been a hard sell to get outdoor cyclists and competitive riders into indoor cycling classes (or the gym for that matter). Going back to our pendulum swingers; the groups of people they affect most are the fitness crowd and those stuck in between fitness and athletics (for example those branching out to attempt their first century ride, event, etc.). In a few weeks Iâ⏙m going to write an entire article on the topic of the Fitness Enthusiast vs. the Athlete, but let me share one of the biggest differences between these two types of individuals and how this has impacted who attends our indoor cycling classes.
It can be summed up in one word â Performance. The athlete actually has to perform on a high level, and further, is required to measure their performance. In general, fitness enthusiasts wants to condition their body to improve their overall health. This can include weight loss, gaining strength and body sculpting. Iâ⏙m not trying to bash the fitness enthusiast in the least, but rather want to encourage everyone to continue taking care of their body and staying healthy. What I am saying, is the proof whether a training method like HIIT actually works is on the road.
So where am I going with this? When the fitness world gets swayed by yet another ânewâ way of training, we often donâ⏙t get to see if this is really effective, because we are not truly putting it to the test. We just see some super fit guy or girl touting how great it is (and âhey, look at meâ). The athlete looks in on the latest thing the fitness world (and indoor cycling) is hanging their hat on and says (with some arrogance) âthey donâ⏙t know what they are doing or how to really trainâ. All arrogance aside, in most cases they are correct. In many ways, this is how outdoor and competitive cyclists view indoor cycling.
There's an App for That
As we reel this baby back into HIIT and indoor cycling and we find another case of âhere we go againâ. The problem is not indoor cycling or HIIT, but rather the contagious blanket statements that lead indoor cycling instructors astray. Research studies claim better fat utilization, higher VO2max, increase in stroke volume, left-ventricle heart mass and cardiac contractibility to name a few. Are these all good things? Yes. Are these research studies wrong or lying? No. So whatâ⏙s the problem? The problem is application.
First, they are often comparing HIIT to endurance training which they inaccurately define as 30 to 60 minutes of continuous running or cycling. 30 to 60 minutes is NOT the definition of endurance training for everyone. Iâ⏙ve been on ârecreationalâ outdoor group rides with cyclists all around the country. Iâ⏙ve yet to get home in an hour. Just to clarify, Iâ⏙m not only riding with racers, but those who motor along at 12-14mph and just like to ride. So if one ONLY trains using HIIT which consists of 5-second to 8-minute intense efforts followed by 3-4 minutes of active recovery, how effective will the training be if the person has to endure 2+ hours in the saddle at close to 75-80% of their perceived effort? This is where the studies are misleading.
Thatâ⏙s A Lot of Science Stuff
HIIT studies claim increases in oxidative enzymes such as citrate synthase, malate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase, and increases in mitochondrial density and more effective signaling through the AMPK pathway (Jennifer KlauâŚHELP!).  Iâ⏙m not debating this (…I have a hard time pronouncing these words). However, when a 4-hour bike race is concluded, scientists donâ⏙t go and start measuring oxidative enzymes â âThe winner isâŚ. Number 354 with the highest level of citrate synthase!â No the winner is the one who has endured the challenges of the terrain and distance and came across the finish line first.
So, when a Tour de France team trains solely with HIIT and winsâŚ.no forget thatâŚ.completes the first week, OR a HIIT-only marathon runner OR a HIIT-only triathlete wins, then HIIT will have our attention and will have proven something.
As Usual â We Need BothâŚButâŚ.
It is usually no big surprise to find out that when the dust clears and the emotions subside, both types of training are necessary to produce well-rounded fitness for both the enthusiast and athlete. However, Iâ⏙ll leave you with two things to consider when applying all of this to your indoor cycling classes:
(1) HIIT (like Tabata) is not a license to justify blood-snorting intervals in all of oneâ⏙s classes. High intensity intervals (usually defined as 80-100% of max effort) should be greatly limited in the early part of the year in our classes and always sprinkled with caution depending on our demographic.
(2)Â Endurance training should also be limited during indoor cycling classes (WHAT!?). Yes, you heard me right. 45-60 minute classes are not the best format for performing extended low-intensity (60-70% max efforts). Classes that are 90 minutes or greater are more ideal for these long steady efforts. There is still plenty of highly effective and appropriate training to do during indoor cycling classes in the early season (base building) such as muscular endurance, steady-state tempo (Zone 3), muscular strength and leg speed work to name a few.
Remember: Real Training. Real Cycling. Real Results. All beautifully packaged in a fun-wrapper.
