Computers and cars fall into the same scary category for me: I depend on them, with little knowledge of how they work and how to repair them if when something goes wrong.
You may not know this- but I got very lucky (or chose wisely), as my husband John is quite a handy mechanic. Phew! The car part is handled. He's also is very familiar with PC's and his brother, Dan, is a Microsoft top-certified technician, so for years I had the computer part handled too.
Last January, I entered a ‘brave new world' and purchased a MacBookPro. Why you ask? The much advertised virus-free intuitiveness of Apple intrigued me, along with the fact that 90% of the people in my new office use and support Apple.
It was a relatively painless transition to MacLand mentally and emotionally. The physical hardware transition has been disappointing. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I'm underwhelmed by a track pad failure / replacement 7 month's in, and then keyboard failure two weeks ago while in Jamaica. (Sign??? Clue??? Do not bring your computer on vacation to ‘work occasionally')?????
We arrived home late Sunday night, and early Monday morning I was on the phone with Apple Care- which is the name for the premium service and extended warranty I purchased. (I won't even get started on the ‘premium service' call wait times..worse than the airlines in the 80'S)!
After confirming it was, in fact, a hardware problem, I made an appointment that afternoon at an Apple Retail store at the Rosedale Mall in St. Paul, MN- about 30 miles from my house. This was the only Apple Retailer that had a keyboard in stock, facilitating replacement in one stop. (I can't function at my job without my computer- so fast turnaround is critical to me).
Long story short- the “Genius Dude”- Chris, told me I had liquid damage which voided my original and extended warranty. He proceeded to tell me the Apple Retail Store policy requires them to send out any machine with liquid damage for thorough testing- to the tune of $750. It's called a ‘Deep Dive'. Isn't that quaint?
Wow! I know the Genius Dudes (and phone retailers) hear this all the time, but I can honestly and truthfully go to my grave knowing I never spilled liquid on my computer. I'm the only one that uses it, so the whole diagnosis was mystifying to me.
This sounds dramatic, but I was minutes away from biting the bullet and purchasing a new computer. In fact, Genius Dude- Chris, asked me to input my password so he could transfer all my information to my new computer. But wait….I can't type in my password, because my keyboard doesn't work. Chris grabbed a remote keyboard and plugged it in for me to type in my password. At that moment, the real genius (daughter Carly) looked at me and said, “Why don't you just by a keyboard for now and decide later what you want to do?” Why not indeed!
Later in the week, I decided to get a second opinion from MicroCenter, an Apple authorized dealer- but not an Apple Retail Store. The cost of admission was $40 for analysis and then we'd go from there.
Well….guess what? MicroCenter's Apple Level 2 Certified Technician- Mack, found no liquid damage what so ever and replaced my keyboard under warranty. Hallelujah! Vindicated! And here's the thing: Mack knew to look for damage (a large spot of coffee or hot chocolate per Genius Chris), as I'd been very transparent about the first diagnosis.
Ever grateful, but wanting to get to the bottom of what happened at the Apple Retailer, I braved the Saturday before Christmas crowds and trekked back to Rosedale Mall to enquire with the manager (or Apple calls them ‘Store Leaders'). I met Manager Hal Reynolds. I calmly (but firmly) explained what had transpired and showed him my MicroCenter paperwork stating no liquid damage. Manager Hal Reynolds would 1.) not acknowledge the opposing diagnosis, or 2.) apologize for anything. On the contrary, he told me he stands behind his technicians 100% and if they said there was liquid damage, there was liquid damage. In fact, he stated Mack at MicroCenter wasn't thorough enough to find it. Manager Hal then provided a supposed picture of my computer keyboard with the damage- procured from Genius Dude Chris, who happened to be in the store that day, but never came out to talk to me. (Carly and I had since been kicking ourselves for not asking to see it on Monday!) The picture simply reinforced to me something funky was going on- because even I would have seen that stain on my keyboard upon opening up my computer for analysis. All failed Apple parts go back to the manufacturer, so MicroCenter would not be reimbursed for warranty parts/labor had they missed this huge stain. I actually wonder now- does the Rosedale Apple Store have a MLCK (master liquid compromised keyboard) that the Genius Dudes switch serial number stickers on as needed? Perhaps the Rosedale Apple Store was over budget on warranty work for 2014? Hmmmm….
Mid conversation, Manager Hal promptly excused himself to meet with another customer, telling me he'd be, “Right back.” 15 minutes later, I was still waiting at the Genius Bar for Hal to be “right back”. Wow! I left the Rosedale Apple Store without talking again to Hal Reynolds, solidifying my vow to never darken the doors of an Apple Retailer again.
What I've learned and want to pass along: 1.) if a technician says you have damage of any kind, ask to see it immediately- especially if it voids your warranty 2.) always get a second opinion 3.) good luck getting any satisfaction from Apple Retail 4.) MicroCenter gets all my business from now on and 5.) there is NO EXCUSE for bad customer service.
I am still working on taking this up the ladder at Apple. It's simply not okay.
My hope is this post will save one of you from the same experience I had.
ICI/PRO member Joey, a Cycling Fusion Master Instructor and routine contributor to The Weekly Ride on ICI/PRO, delivers a ride. THIS IS THE COMBINED FILE THAT INCLUDES THE MUSIC AND THE VOICE. IT IS NOT AVAILABLE ON ITUNES.
What an exciting day, this is our first ride recording. We will certainly get better at the audio, but you should still find this enjoyable. Take a few moments to listen to my ride. The instructions for the audio files are below.
I asked a few indoor cycling instructors how often they take time off from teaching and all I got was ………………….. Yup, dead stares and dead silence. What are you taking about? You know, like taking a week off from teaching — a little R&R? Once they understood the question (which I thought was clear the first time), the common response was — never.
I’m going to switch into Coach Tom mode. I want you to consider yourself an athlete, because frankly, that is what you are. The instructors I asked taught a minimum of 4 indoor cycling classes per week PLUS some taught other group fitness modalities, also worked as personal trainers and even competed. One of my future articles is going to specifically address balancing competition and teaching, but for now let’s just talk about taking care of YOU.
I’m going to shoot straight — many of you reading this (at least this far) will not agree or believe me until you actually take a legitimate break. No explanations will suffice and no scientific studies will convince. Why am I so confident of this? I experienced it. I was teaching 12 classes per week, commuting to the clubs and coaching riders on the road. Most of my weeks totaled 19-29 hours in the saddle. My justification: “This is what I do. I’m a indoor cycling instructor and coach.” People told me I looked tired and gaunt. Well, I’m supposed to look gaunt, I’m a cyclist. Due to a combination of business travel and a family vacation, I was forced to take 2 weeks off from teaching. I know what you are thinking, and yes, finding subs for 24 classes was overwhelming but doable. When I returned, I was refreshed, enthusiastic and healthy. It was noticeable by more than just me.
We will fight the concept of taking the needed time to care for our bodies and recover physically, mentally and emotionally, but we need it. So how much and how often should we take a break? That is a good question and one I don’t have an answer to because it depends on how much you teach and your lifestyle. As a coach, I like my athletes to take a week of rest and recovery for each 4 to 5 weeks of focused training. This may be a bit much if you teach fulltime as a means of making a living. I like to get a break after every 8 weeks of teaching. That works for me. Now there are other options as well. You don’t have to take a week or two off consecutively, instead take 3-4 days off or setup a long weekend. Remember, it is not just about you. You are providing the energy and inspiration for those in your class. If you don’t walk in with it, you can give it.
So how do you know you may be in need of a break? If you still have not been able to answer my opening question, the answer is simple — IT IS TIME! Some other signs are lack of energy (particularly before class), fatigue, low motivation, bored with your workouts or profiles, classes appearing longer than normal and overuse injuries. Listen to your body and listen to others. I’m very fortunate to have riders in my classes who respect me and who are not afraid to provide feedback. One rider in a class that I’ve taught for 7 years approached me afterwards and said, “you didn’t have IT tonight”. He said the class was still good, but it wasn’t at the level he had come to expect and enjoy. It was tough to hear, but he was right. It was time. I owed it to myself and I owed it to my class.
So take care of yourself. Listen to your body. You are an athlete, a motivator and an inspiration. Lead by example and lead strong.
Beyond fitness and weight management, many of the people in my class are training for some event this summer. Most are tied to a charity fundraiser. The MS 150 is a popular ride here in Minnesota, that happens in July each year.
Could you ask your class two things and let me know the results?
What percentage of your class are planning to participate in a fund raising ride this year?
Does the fund raising become a bigger obstacle than the training?
Why am I asking?
I'm working on some ideas to help create some excitement in your class and at the same time assist riders with their fund raising. Please leave a comment below or send me an email john@indoorcycleinstructor.com
Here is the continuation of my interview with Master Instructor Tom Scotto where we discuss if the 2 Threshold / 3 Zone system could have application in a power based class.
During our conversation we discuss the idea of recruiting a number of our very intelligent Instructors to experiment with using a 2 Threshold / 3 Zone system to find a student's low power threshold and use it to create a their training zones. Essentially crowd-sourcing the development of a new method of helping everyone discover a specific metabolic marker that's unique to each student and that could be found as part of every class.
Is that something you would be interested in being part of? Leave a comment below if you are.
Meet Dave Goss – Graduate student and Indoor Cycling Instructor at the University of Florida!
While working on his music education graduate degree at U-Florida, Dave enrolled in the college's group fitness instructor development program. There he earned his AFAA Primary Group Fitness Certification and then completed his Schwinn Indoor Cycling Certification. Now Dave has scheduled classes at both the colleges rec centers 🙂
Dave originally responded to my request for Instructors who teach at both Big Box and Boutique Studios. He asked if I would be interested in learning more about what it's like to teach in a college – to college students, which of course I was.
My biggest surprise during the interview? When Dave explained how his early AM cycle class is very popular! My experience with college kids is they all (given the chance) will sleep to noon. Listen to the interview to learn who, exactly, he's riding with @ 6:15 in the morning.
ICI/PRO member Joey, a Cycling Fusion Master Instructor and routine contributor to The Weekly Ride on ICI/PRO, delivers a ride. THIS IS THE COMBINED FILE THAT INCLUDES THE MUSIC AND THE VOICE. IT IS NOT AVAILABLE ON ITUNES.
