spicoli1
You never know when something you say, will resonate with your class.

I subbed yesterday morning - a climbing day. I'm not sure where it came from*, but as I was encouraging everyone to recruit their hamstrings during one of a series of intervals above PTP** (Personal Threshold Power) I mentioned that our hamstrings are a bit like slacker teenagers - they'll do just about anything to avoid work. Then I started in with the excuses, using my best Spicoli voice :

WHAT! - why doesn't Carly have to do it?

Can't you see I'm sleeping?

Leave me alone!

I don't see you doing it!

What, exactly, is preventing you from changing the laundry? 

That's crap, I always help out... I just don't want to right now.

Big smiles from many in the room.

Then a few started yelling out their own:

It's fine like it is Mom.

Why are you so mean to me?

I'll do it latter

Why is it only YOU notice?

Going with it I offered that as the ADULTS in the room, it's our responsibility to demand encourage our teenagers/hamstrings to pull their weight, especially when there's a big job/effort in front of us. We need to focus on the bottom of our pedal stroke. As we crosses it we need to reach down, grab the blanket, pull it off and feel the slacker becoming productive.

You'll know if you're doing it right... if you start hearing/feeling the slacker complaining - which you of course, ignore.  

If you're teaching to a group with nearly grown kids, this maybe fun for you to play with. Let us know if it does.

*If I were to guess, it would have come from the frustration I felt coming home the previous night. Older daughter had stopped by to get her snowboard - they're already making snow here in MN. In order to retrieve her board from the garage rafters, she needed to move a bunch of summer stuff that I had neatly placed in a corner. Which was fine, except she didn't bother to put any of it back 🙁

** I incorporate a 3-5 minute Best Effort in each class, at around the 15 minute mark. Using the stage button to set the average, we use that wattage as each rider's PTP for the class. Not a true FTP, but a personal number everyone can work from when I cue them to be Below, @ or Above PTP.

 

John

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