Does hosting an Indoor Century appeal to you?
By Team ICG® Master Trainer Jim Karanas
Using power/watts conventionally in indoor cycling improves students”™ fitness. But it”™s the tip of the iceberg, a small projection of the immense power below the surface. Consider, instead, introducing the concept of effortless power in your classes.
Without the inner aspect, indoor cycling can limit students”™ imagination, causing confusion and disappointment when progress wanes. The inner factors — center and intrinsic energy — provide controlled determination, calm, clarity, and an extraordinary source of power.
To get students to look at power abstractly takes patience. Pursuit of an ideal may not lead to measurable results, but enhances understanding and engages you for life.
Experiencing effortless power is possible, albeit challenging, in daily classes. Students won”™t prepare adequately because outside preparation is necessary. An in-house event enables you to coach outside aspects of their lives. I like to use a 5-hour indoor century, during which the students must maintain a certain power output to cover 100 miles in 5 hours. If they don”™t complete it in 5 hours, they keep riding until the odometer displays 100 miles.
During the event, minimize time off the bike. No breaks are scheduled; the goal is continuous effort. The event can be a fundraiser, but focus on preparing the riders to maintain a specified power output the entire time.
Some students will consider 5 hours impossible. Others will gear up and train for competition. Both perspectives miss the point. It needs to be viewed as a training session that reveals potential that”™s difficult to realize in daily classes riddled with schedules, distractions and unconsciousness. Five hours allows students to detach from what they think is (im)possible.
A key to experiencing effortless power is being centered. Finding center requires Life Balance, which is coached pre-event. It has little to do with training.
Life Balance
Many of us experience life as hectic and frenzied. The experience of effortless power isn”™t possible unless chaos becomes order, and motion comes from stillness. When coaching this, one-to-one conversations may be necessary, as individual circumstances vary. Balance needs to start with Lifestyle, then move to Nutrition, and finally to Training.
Your Lifestyle must be in order as you approach the event. Does your spouse support the time you need to train properly? Does your job allow for adequate recovery? Does your schedule permit adequate sleep? Do you have time to sit quietly and contemplate?
Nutrition follows Lifestyle. Do you have time to prepare healthful meals? Are you able and willing to remove alcohol, caffeine and sugar from your diet?
Last is Training. Is your training schedule regimented? Have you made time for ancillary training off the bike, including necessary recovery therapies?
Effortless power comes from balancing and coordinating intrinsic energy, not from endless training. On average, students won”™t make all the necessary concessions, but a coach needs to move them toward simplicity and order. My experience has been: the greater the sacrifice to bring balance, the greater the experience of effortlessness.
Coordinating Intrinsic Energy
Daily workouts prepare the body for the rigors of the event. They”™re also what the students are used to doing. Below are six effective trainings to help students achieve effortless power while riding. Introduce them sparingly and practice them yourself, so you can teach from experience. Some may resemble exercises you currently use. The shift lies in the intent behind the exercise and what you want the students to accomplish. Build in more of these concepts as you approach the event.
1. Ride position. Grace always accompanies effortless power. Whichever ride and hand positions you use, emphasize the discipline of maintaining proper position and transitioning fluidly. Coach conscious awareness of riding technique: Straight back. Soft elbows. No sitting up or standing unless coached. One hand on the handlebars when drinking water. Fluid transitions from one position to the next. Seated Flat Road at 90 rpm for 32 counts (use Beatmatch: match cadence to the music); 32 counts of Seated Climb at ~75 rpm (use Freestyle); 32 counts of Standing Climb at ~60 rpm (use Freestyle); 32 counts of Standing Jog at 90 rpm (use Beatmatch). Find a 90-rpm song that”™s about 10 minutes long. M”™Bali Jo by Pili Pili works well.
2. Pedaling technique. To promote awareness, start each class with 10 minutes of soft-pedaling at <50 rpm, with light resistance. Use ambient music to avoid emphasizing the downbeat, such as The Flow of Let Go by Anugama. Independent crank arms work wonders on technique but aren”™t available on indoor cycles. The KRANKcycle by Matrix is an effective substitute. Through kinesthetic awareness, you”™ll develop leg control by training your arms with independent crank arms. Master and perfect smooth rotations by using the Split, hands exactly 180 degrees apart. Rotations (arms or legs) must be slow (<50 rpm), with little to no resistance. Most students will become frustrated with this exercise.
3. Cadence and power ladder. 20-minute ladders (80, 90, 100, 110 rpm), 5 minutes at each cadence. Power output ladders up, as well. Identify the specific power output (or HR) for each cadence and keep it constant. Intensity is easy to moderate. Use four songs, and Beatmatch each cadence. The following playlist works well: Salt Water Sound by Zero 7 (80 rpm), Whole Lotta Love by Vitamin Dub (90 rpm), When You”™re Falling by Afro Celt Sound System (100 rpm), and Reckoner by Radiohead (110 rpm). Cadences don”™t need to be exact but should show a definite progression in speed.
4. Breath/cadence integration. After warm-up, perform 20 minutes of one ride movement and hand position (Seated Flat Road is best) at easy-to-moderate intensity. Don”™t change position for 20 minutes. Keep power output (or HR) constant. Keep the diaphragmatic breathing pattern (number of pedal revolutions between exhalations) constant. Keep one hand on the handlebars when drinking water. Kanga by Professor Trance (80 rpm) is perfect for this exercise. Use fast, forceful exhalations, pulling the navel to the spine, and relax the abdominals while inhaling every 4 beats. You”™ll breathe 20 times per minute for 20 minutes. 400 conscious breaths is a powerful meditation. Students who stay engaged could well experience effortless power during this exercise.
5. All-terrain cruise. After warm-up, vary ride and hand positions for 20 minutes. Change cadences while maintaining a consistent power output (or HR). Select easy-to-moderate wattage or HR and keep it constant, regardless of the terrain changes. Any combination of songs is appropriate for this exercise. Don”™t allow students to fall into a rhythm. Use Freestyle more than Beatmatch.
6. Limited recovery with breath/cadence integration. 30 minutes in the saddle at a constant cadence (80, 90 or 100 rpm), using two distinct power outputs or HRs (upper threshold and slightly below). Alternate 5 minutes at each power output. This is a high-intensity effort. The limited recovery should enable students to repeat the high threshold effort. Specify a breathing pattern (number of revolutions per exhale) for each effort level. You”™ll need six 5-minute songs at the selected cadence (Beatmatch works best). The cadence need not be exact, but keep it the same throughout. The breath integration described above is necessary, although the rhythm might be different at this higher intensity.
Special trainings help to move students toward effortless power during the 5-hour event. One example is “90 at 90”: 90 minutes at 90 rpm at one specific, moderate power output, using integrated breathing. The discipline is not to change ride or hand positions. Drink water with one hand on the handlebars. The students”™ breathing pattern, coordinated with their pedaling, will get them through this exercise with minimal adjustments. Although not mandatory, it will help students to realize effortless power on the day of the event.
The Event
Divide the 5 hours into ten 30-minute segments. Have only one instructor. Each segment should have a beginning, a close, and a defined playlist. Don”™t actually break between segments, but allow students to sit up and relax, without disengaging. Quickly bring them into the next 30-minute sequence.
Video
The benefit of Forward Motion Video in this event can”™t be overstated. The sensation of forward movement will better enable students to channel their intrinsic energy. That, accompanied by a change of location every 30 minutes (e.g., World-Tour Challenge videos on Myride®+), will dramatically impact students”™ sense of effortless power.
This 3-part article challenges conventional thought on power in indoor cycling. Its current use solely for measurable fitness results is not sustainable long-term. Power measurement can instead develop inner balance and the awareness, and coordinated extension, of intrinsic energy, resulting in effortless power.
To learn more, read Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Originally posted 2012-12-17 05:22:45.
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Jim,
Please review #2. It seems incomplete.
#2. …soft pedaling at
Thanks for catching that Chuck. No idea where it went but it’s back now.
Now you’ve got me thinking that hosting an Indoor Century would be a cool thing.
John,
I like your idea and was thinking of doing a winter ride challenge of 40 in 120 ( 40 miles in a 2 hour class) BUT I teach on Keiser M3 bikes and the trip distances means nothing:(…. What bikes do you use for this century? Not sure if all instructors are aware the M3 trip distance does not relate to miles or kilometers. Do you have any other suggestions instead of miles?
“The M Series Computer is a powerful teaching and programming tool. It can assist both the instructor and the participant by providing immediate feedback as well as the ability to track on-going improvement.
The M Series Computer displays:
1 – Backlight Sensor – The Backlight Sensor automatically detects ambient light levels in the room and turns on the Backlit Display when needed.
2 – Cadence (RPM)
3 – Power Output (Watts/Kcal)
4 – Heart Rate (HR)
5 – Elapsed Time
6 – Current Gear (Resistance Level)
7 – Odometer / Trip Distance
The Computer gives accurate and precise information instantly, and automatically. It will also display average ride calculations and total distance that has been put on the machine.
The Trip Distance feature was initially intended to be used by gyms and facilities to record how much an M3 was used for a given time frame. The odometer does not reflect distance in terms of miles or kilometers, rather something in between. For every 200 turns of the crank arm the distance will reflect as 1.0 on the display. In the future, we may revise the computer’s algorithm to display a more recognizable distance, which will also be influenced by a rider’s pedaling effort or Power.”
Thanks Chuck. Thanks John.
John:
I’m going to do one every other month. The students love doing it with Myride+. I’m going to train the other instructors how to do it as well. Chuck is first.
Hally:
I use the ICG LIVESTRONG/Tomahawk S-series bike for my indoor centuries. The odometer multiplies the circumference of the flywheel by the number of revolutions to calculate distance. What is needed is the predicted level of effort necessary to get 100 miles of those revolutions done in 5 hours (20 mph).
Go to http://www.bikecalculator.com. There is a fun calculator on the home page. You input the necessary information and it will tell you approximately how many watts you have to maintain at what body weight to cover 100 miles in 5 hours. When I input my bodyweight (185) for 100 miles at 20 mph the calculator displays that I need to average 213 watts. In my experience, that is not far off given that the road was flat with no head or tail wind. On the road, the power output varies on many things so I don’t overcomplicate it. I go with one power output (e.g. I don’t start to mix in the power required to maintain 20 mph up a 5% grade). If the bike does not measure power, then you use average HR. Select a training intensity that is below threshold but not easy. In the case of HR, you will need an odometer, otherwise the relation to the 100 miles begins to be a bit of a stretch.
The 100 miles on the odometer is a nice number to see at the end of the training but it is not essential if you are using a bike that measures power. Remember that the point of these recent posts was not to get too much into the measurement but to use it, and the 5-hour duration, to experience effortlessness while riding.
I hope that helps. Thanks for the post.
Jim
The problem with a IC computer that shows distance based on revolutions of the flywheel is that it’s not really reflective of the way things work on a real bike. If I drop resistance off and pedal really fast, the flywheel will revolve more quickly (at lower power output, because resistance is so low) and it will look like I’ve covered the distance more quickly. If I shift into a granny gear on my real bike and pedal really fast, the same thing is not going to happen. Someone pushing a bigger gear under more power at a more average cadence is going to cover the distance faster than I am. I believe FreeMotion bikes somehow factor power into the distance displayed on their computers, which is a little more realistic, but still doesn’t factor in the how power:weight factor.
I get the appeal of seeing 100 miles on the computer, though… And 5 hours on an indoor bike is nice accomplishment, whether the distance displayed is accurate or not. (My guess is that that the majority of our riders wouldn’t really be capable of riding @ 20 mph for 5 hours on an outdoor bike….)
Jennifer:
Thanks for the post. The accuracy of the distance has little to do with the real reason I am suggesting 5 hours on the bike or 100 miles on the odometer. It is the continuity of 5 hours and the opportunity to introduce the experience of effortlessness. Our intellect tells many of us that sustaining an adequate power output or level of effort to cover 100 miles in 5 hours is impossible. I am saying that for most people, it is not. A 5-hour century on the road becomes increasingly difficult because of the myriad other factors that affect one’s speed, but the same principles apply and is possible. It is just a greater leap. That is why the 5 hours indoors, simplified, is preferable to start.
Please don’t focus on the mechanics of riding 100 miles indoors in 5 hours and how accurately or inaccurately this is measured on our bike computers. This was not the point of the 3-part article. Please LMK how you feel about life balance and the ability to direct intrinsic energy creating an experience of reduced effort at reasonable power outputs. Was I clear on how you can begin to train your students to achieve this?
Thanks.
Jim
I get that, and that’s why I said I understand the appeal of a 5 hour ride and a nice round 100 “miles” on the computer monitor. I just wanted to throw out the mechanics of “measuring” distance on an indoor bike for those who might not understand that 100 miles on an IC computer does not equal 100 “real road” miles… Sorry if I came across as being critical – I actually think it’s a great idea. Focusing on power and/or level of effort for the 5 hour duration is what really matters.
I think what most caught my attention was this statement: “If they don’t complete it in 5 hours, they keep riding until the odometer displays 100 miles” – because as I noted, someone spinning quickly at lower resistance might hit that 100 miles on the odometer well before someone who is actually working a little harder…. The “distance” factor probably provides riders a nice goal to focus on for that duration, though.
How many of these kinds of rides have you done? Do you get many people interested in them? I think it sounds like great fun, but not sure how many people I currently teach would relish the idea of sitting on a spin bike for five hours… It could never really happen where I currently teach, but I’m opening my own studio soon, and I could definitely see doing a special ride like this at some point in the future.
Jim,
Just back from sitting on my butt for way too long. I am more than ready for the challenge of learning to coach an indoor century. This is a good thing as I’m promoting the idea at other clubs.
Jim/John,
One other subject that may interest other instructors is how to promote this ride. I’ve floated the charity aspect to help a new club in the south bay promote its cycling studio. The response I got was to wait until the cycling program was more popular. 🙁
Happy Holidays
Jennifer:
Sorry it has taken me so long to reply to your last post. Holiday travel. I totally get your point about distance and did not feel you were being critical at all. Also, you seem to fully grasp the impact that “100 miles” on an odometer can have on a person regardless of the accuracy. If it’s close, its valid in my opinion. We all work much harder in indoor situations. No coasting and higher average heart rates or power. The biggest discrepancy is the distance and time over climbs. It is difficult to accurately simulate hard climbs in indoor cycling. Most will never add enough resistance or work as hard as a difficult outdoor climb makes you work.
My point was that the 100 miles indoors was less about the distance than the experience of effortless power. It takes 5 hours to get a person to the point where they will disregard their thoughts and go beyond what they feel they can do. The intensity and power output stays elevated but the experience of effort diminishes. Their sense of intrinsic energy becomes amplified, particularly if they have worked to achieve greater life balance outside the training room.
I’ve done one of these rides thus far with 1 planned every other month at our Academy in SF for 2013. The ride has been highly requested by many that could not attend the first one. I highly suggest the format for your new studio. Plus, I know that you have considered using video in your new studio and I cannot overstate the impact it has on this kind of ride as well as classes in general. if there is ever a chance you could come and visit our Academy in SF, I would welcome the time together. Thanks for your posts and have a great New Year.
Jim
Jim–Would love to know more about putting together an Indoor Century. I just opened up a studio–Cycle Lab. Thinking about this for a Fall Event.
Shannon:
Great to hear from you and congratulations on your new studio. I have a few suggestions that may help. First, make it really hard. I let everyone know that the indoor century will be done in 5 hours and here will be NO scheduled breaks. If you have to get off the bike, then do it and then get back on as quickly as possible. I do not rotate instructors. I stay on the bike the entire time and teach all 5 hours because I want them to try to keep up. A century in 5 hours is possible if you pedal hard the whole way. If your bikes have odometers, determine what cadence is necessary to achieve 100 miles. Usually it will be about 85 rpm.
I use video and teach in 30 minute blocks. Myride+ has a collection of 30 minute videos called Challenges and I use 10 of them shown back to back. If you do not have Myride+, or any video, I would still break the 5 hours into 30-minute segments and do something different every segment (change terrain, music genre etc). Choreograph the segments so that you can average enough RPM’s to hit 100 miles if they pedal for 5 hours.
Offer training rides. Prep them with up to 3 hours of continuous riding and then have them rise to the occasion. Give them plenty of info about what to drink and eat. But train them with the intention of never getting off the bike. They are not just riding for 5 hours but racing to get 100 miles done in 5 hours which is not easy. You will attract many cyclists with this approach. However, you have to be well trained so you don’t have to get off the bike.
Do it when the weather starts to turn so they are compelled to ride indoors more and make it a fundraiser for a local charity.
Let me know what else I can do to help.
Jim
Awesome advice and suggestions! I’m going to start planning…now I just need to make sure my tail can stay on there 5 hours!