Reverie. Audio Master Class Reverie Aerobic Intervals

Transcription

1 Audio Master Class Aerobic Intervals Created by Jennifer Sage Training Type: Aerobic, Tempo Working HR Zones: Zone 3 Total Class Length: 60 minutes Profile Objective and Intensity: On the surface this is an interval ride, but the underlying objective is to guide students to attain the dreamlike state known as Flow, or that I refer to as a in this ride. The dictionary defines reverie as the following: 1. a state of dreamy meditation or fanciful musing: lost in reverie. 2. a daydream. 3. Music: an instrumental composition of a vague and dreamy character. Ah yes, my goal is to put you in a reverie in this ride. We will achieve it in three separate, defined blocks of time, or intervals, and with different characteristics for each interval. These are three Zone 3 aerobic intervals. The intensity is below threshold but still at an effort level that requires moderate to moderately hard work, deeper breathing, and control of the breath. Some people hear the word aerobic or endurance and translate it to easy. This is not easy! It s work. One way to highlight that this intensity level is indeed not easy is to break it up into intervals, allowing the heart rate and perceived exertion to drop to a level of easy during the recovery. These recoveries don t need to be long, because physically the challenge is not enough to require as much of a break as an interval at threshold or higher. But the mental break is welcome and refreshing, and it puts the work that we do in Zone 3 into perspective. This ride is perfect for a base-building period, and can qualify for what many instructors call an endurance class (although true cardiovascular endurance would entail longer duration). But during a base-building period is not the only time you should incorporate aerobic work. Make sure to inject aerobic rides into your repertoire year-round. This will help create balance in your students training and remind them of the importance of moderating their effort from time to time. These Zone 3 intervals also remind students how delicious this intensity actually is. It s a wonderful working effort. Please see the ICA Audio Master Class The Delicious Ride for a continuous tempo ride in Zone 3 (no recovery periods). That profile covers in detail the benefits as well as the potential disadvantages of Zone 3 training. Keep in mind that the disadvantages Copyright 2011, 2012 Jennifer Sage and Indoor Cycling Association Page 1

2 only exist for serious cyclists with high-volume training. For them, too much Zone 3 work is not a good thing. But for your typical indoor cycling student, when training sessions are 60 minutes or less, endurance rides need to be in Zone 3, not in Zone 2. Zone 2 would roughly translate into what some programs prescribe as 65% 75% of maximum heart rate. Regarding the mind-body component of this profile, your use of language will help your students find that meditative space that allows them to fall into a reverie. You can also return to The Delicious Ride and use some of the introspective coaching in that profile to augment this one. If you are unsure how your students will accept a ride like The Delicious Ride in Zone 3, without the recoveries, then the Ride is a perfect way to gradually introduce them to this type of training. Of course, another benefit of this profile and intensity is that this class is accessible to all students, beginner or advanced, young or old, fit or unfit. Music Like The Delicious Ride, your music selection will be key if attaining that reverie is a goal. Mainstream music is fun and entertaining, but introspective reveries do not happen with Beyoncé, Lady Gaga or Kanye West. Music can be an astounding tool for engaging the mind; it can also be a great distraction. The goal here is mind-body focus and a dreamlike state, so too many distracting lyrics or energy changes may draw students down a different path than the one you are seeking. Continuous rhythmic instrumentals are more likely to lull your riders into a reverie than Top 40. If that is a challenge for you and your students, make sure to schedule the class just prior to and immediately after this one with a selection of mainstream music that appeals to our masses. Also, let them know that due to the objective of this profile, you are going to challenge them with both the profile and the music. Just like the score of a screenplay must match the message of the film, so must your playlist match the message of your profile and objective. I have found over years of gradually introducing more of this kind of music, I ve even changed my most adamant mainstream-music-loving student into one who really appreciates my playlists. My students loved this particular playlist. If you find other songs that seem to be perfect for this ride, please share them in the comments section for this profile. Copyright 2013 Jennifer Sage and Indoor Cycling Association Page 2

3 The Warm-up The Dream, Aris Kokou, 82 bpm, 6:18 As you begin your warm-up: Today s ride is called. I ll tell you about the title in a moment, but on the surface, it s an interval ride. You might think that intervals always implies high intensity. Sure, HIIT means High Intensity Interval Training, but for most of today s ride, we are only going to raise our intensity to the higher end of endurance intensity, Zone 3, in long intervals of about 12 minutes. Over the next 4 to 5 minutes as you warm up, I d like you to gradually raise your heart rate to Zone 2, allowing the muscles to progressively take on a little more resistance every few minutes. Once we get into the intervals, we ll be at an aerobic pace for most of it. Don t confuse that with easy. Those Zone 2 efforts, a perceived exertion of somewhat easy, is where you d probably ride a leisurely miles when you want to talk with your riding buddies. It might be your effort level when riding your trainer or on the treadmill while watching a movie or reading a magazine. But when you move up into Zone 3, you start to take notice. You still can talk but not quite as fluently. You may have to put aside that magazine you re reading on the cardio machines once you creep into this zone. You have to set the popcorn aside here! It s a perceived exertion range of moderate and getting close to moderately hard but not to the point of hard, and certainly not to the point of breathlessness. So the good news is that while burning those calories you won t drain yourself completely. You can still go out dancing tonight! Do you prefer the breathlessness? If so, don t miss my class next week when we ll do some high-intensity intervals.* But it is this intensity and the adaptations that we are developing today that create the platform that allow you to perform those HIT intervals. This is the intensity where you teach your body to prefer fat as a fuel source. We are going to take some steps to achieving great knowledge today. By the third interval, you ll know what I mean by that. * By saying things like this, you are overcoming an objection before it arises and reminding students how you always mix it up. Listen to this warm-up song. Though it has no lyrics, the title of the song is The Dream. My goal today is to provide the means for you to fall into a reverie, which is a dreamlike, meditative state. This ride is all about using the tools at your disposal to bring you into a zen-like state of total immersion into your pedaling, so that you feel like you re floating along the road. Afterward, you ll feel like you can float home. We ll do each interval at a different cadence range; the first one is a moderate flat-road cadence of rpm, then a mid-level climbing cadence of rpm, and we ll finish off with a faster flat-road cadence of 90 rpm. Some of you may find it easier to fall into that Copyright 2013 Jennifer Sage and Indoor Cycling Association Page 3

4 reverie at whatever is your more preferred cadence. My hope is that you ll learn how to conjure up this reverie state whenever you want it. Sports psychologists also refer to this state as Flow. So we re going to go with the flow today! Continue with your warm-up, suggesting they add a few heartbeats every minute or so. Remind them that at no time during today s ride should they feel that burning sensation in their legs; nor should they feel that they are gasping, or even pushing out the breath. The second interval may take them a little closer to threshold for short periods, but you ll cover that in more detail prior to that interval. Just before the first interval starts, explain the following: Zone 3 is fairly narrow, about 7 10 beats depending on how high your threshold is. Let s establish your target range for today s ride. Take your threshold HR and subtract about 8 beats that s the top of your target zone for today. Then subtract another 8 10 beats, and that is the bottom of your target zone. You re going to stay in that small range for most of each interval. One exception is that the second interval on the hill might take you into Zone 4 for a short time when you stand. But we ll try to keep that to a minimum. For those of you without a HRM who will ride strictly by perceived exertion, you ll stay mostly in the moderate range, with occasional forays to moderately hard; but always in control of your breath. Alright! Time to start the first interval! First Interval 2 songs, total 13 minutes Song #2: Red Rhythm Dragon, James Asher, 159 bpm, 5:05 Song #3: Tribal Force, Klangstrahler Projekt, 85 bpm, 8:01 First task is to grab that cadence; it s 80 rpm. If you can t hear the beat in the song, then follow my legs. Next, you ll build the road up underneath your legs. After about a minute or two, check in with your heart rate, aiming towards the lower border of Zone 3. After about 2 minutes: Are you on target? If not quite there yet, you might need to filter in just a touch more resistance. If you re already at the high end of Zone 3, back it off a bit you ve got plenty of time to go there later. I want you to leave some room for your HR to rise, because we ll be standing up in a little bit, which will raise your intensity. Coach their form, a relaxed upper body, sitting deep in the saddle. With 1 minute left to go in the song, have them raise the resistance and stand up for 30 seconds. As you stand, notice how it affects your heart rate. Keep your legs at this rhythm; you should be able to stand at 80 rpm, although it will start getting harder and harder to do so when the cadence increases. That s normal; don t feel bad about it if you have a hard time with it! It is something you can train. The key is to stay relaxed Sit back down before the song ends. As the next song starts, have them hold their cadence while the new song builds. The new rhythm won t become apparent until about 1:40 into the song. Copyright 2013 Jennifer Sage and Indoor Cycling Association Page 4

5 Once you hear the beat, tell them: Once you hear that beat, you re going to raise your cadence just a tiny bit 5 rpm without touching your resistance (at first). You ll have to pay close attention to notice the difference; it s very subtle. But without lowering your resistance, your body may notice after a little bit. We will stand up here and there for brief 10- to 20-second periods, to keep the HR from rising much. If you need a break on your own, go ahead and take it without waiting for me to lead you; just try to keep it short. If your HR went up too much at this slightly higher cadence, then go ahead and back the resistance off by a small amount. There are a few good times to stand when the beat backs off in this song. These happen at 2:30 2:55, then again at 4:48 5:10 (there is still a beat here, but it s less). Then stand up at the end at 7:30 to the finish (30 seconds). The rest of the song is perfect for that reverie you are trying to attain. Coach them to go inside themselves and focus on the moment. Here are some cues you can use (when not standing up): Close your eyes if you can, and follow the rhythm with your legs. Your goal is to feel like you re floating. If your mind starts to wander, gently redirect it back to your pedal stroke and to your breath. When you look at your heart rate monitor in a few minutes, it should be within a few heartbeats of where you are now; don t let it start to fall without your intention for it to do so. You are in control. It will rise towards the higher end of Zone 3 by the end of this interval that s OK. Just make sure it doesn t get away from you because you aren t paying close attention. Check in with your body. Where are your shoulders? Away from your ears? How about your elbows nice and supple? Wiggle your fingers. Knees lined up over the toes, allowing you to pedal much more fluidly. Sit deep in the saddle so you don t bounce. When you stand at this slightly faster rpm, if you need to slow your legs down, that s OK. But stay focused when you stand. Recovery Song #4: Heaven, Ingo Herrmann, 80 bpm, 2:56 Go ahead and sit up and take a break. Cadence can fall if you want, or just turn down the gear and hold the rhythm of the song, which is 80 rpm. This is a good time to drink up and empty your mind for a moment. Let your heart rate fall at least 20 beats. During this recovery, I am hoping you come to the realization of how beneficial recoveries actually are, Copyright 2013 Jennifer Sage and Indoor Cycling Association Page 5

6 even when the work effort isn t that high. This should also help you recognize that Zone 3 is in fact a working pace. Let me tell you about the next interval while you recover. We re going to get on a hill. The first song will put you at 67 rpm, the second at 70 rpm. Remember at the beginning I said that you may in fact get close to your threshold a few times? Well, I bet that it will be on this hill, especially the second song, near the top, when we stand. Please try to keep it from getting out of control. Make sure you don t go to breathless; today that is not our goal. But I do think you ll realize how standing up at 70 rpm with resistance takes a lot of effort to NOT push too hard! Your breath will be your benchmark if you find yourself pushing it out with a forceful exhale, then back off, or sit down if you are standing. I have a feeling many of you will enjoy this next interval the most? Why? Because the cadence of rpm, which is a bpm of , replicates what you do when you re jogging, it s what you do in a step class, it s probably what you do on machines like the elliptical, or when you re hiking at a good pace. So it s going to feel the most comfortable and familiar to most of you. That s why most people like it! Second Interval, Climb, Total 11:53 minutes Song #5: Sanctuary (Inertia Blue Remix), Origene, 134 bpm, 7:03 Song #6: Krosah, E.S. Posthumus, 140 bpm, 4:50 First have them set the cadence, then dial in a hill underneath them, once again suggesting they check in after a minute or two to make sure they ve got the right combination of cadence and resistance to bring them to the low end of Zone 3. Then say with a soft voice: There is a sacred place within all of us. It s free from judgment, free from boundaries. It s your sanctuary. We each have a sanctuary inside. Let s go find it! You are paraphrasing the lyrics there; she doesn t start singing about the sanctuary until 1:30 into the song, so make sure to say this early on before she does. That gives it impact. If you have access to the stereo from the bike, turn it up a little bit and whisper into the mic just before she sings: Listen up! (Then after she sings about the sanctuary ) This is your moment to find your sanctuary. Stay seated for now we ll have a few out-ofthe-saddle efforts a little later, so make sure to leave some room for your heart rate to rise. This is a fantastic song for finding your reverie, because you can dream away in your own sanctuary! Close the eyes, let your head nod a little to that rhythm, drive your legs up this hill. Copyright 2013 Jennifer Sage and Indoor Cycling Association Page 6

7 At 4:00 the rhythm of the song takes a break. Stand up. The rhythm picks back up at 4:37, but stay standing (another 13 seconds), holding the beat. Then after she says, This is your sanctuary at 4:50, sit back down on This is my and hold the rhythm. If that brought your HR up above your ceiling, that s OK now is the time to bring it back to where you want it, to mid Zone 3 if possible. If you added resistance, take off what you added. Breathe. Relax. But pedal. Onward and Upward. (With 1 minute remaining) You are fully engulfed into this climb. It s about to get a little bit faster. Will you be able to stay on target? I bet most of you will have to work at the top of Zone 3, maybe a little higher. But save anything higher for when you stand. Use your breath and your focus to keep it from going too high. The rhythm of the next song starts immediately. It s a wonderful reverie song as well, almost like a fantasy movie theme song. As soon as the song starts: First try to raise your cadence without touching your dial. Give the heart seconds to react. (In seconds) So, where is your HR? Do you need to lower your resistance a little bit, so you have room for your HR to rise when you stand a little later? Go ahead and do that now if you need to. We ll be standing soon, for short periods. At 1:50 there is a rhythm break. Stand up for 25 seconds, until 2:15. Don t use these standing portions as surges, but as just saddle breaks, all the while trying to keep them connected to their effort. Continue to coach breath control, a smooth pedal stroke, and control of HR as needed. Stand again at 3:18 (with the choral voices) until 3:44 (at the rhythm break). Then for a final time, stand at 4:21 (the song sounds like it is ending here, but it s not). Stay out of the saddle until the end of the song 30 seconds later. Recovery Song #7: Just a Ride, Jem, 92 bpm, 3:21 Sometimes I ll use myself as an example when I talk about heart rate control. The last time I taught this profile, I told my class, OK, my heart rate got to within 2 beats of my threshold at the end there. A little high, but it wasn t for long. If yours did something similar, that s OK. Just know you are the one who is in control. If you have a story to tell about your HR, and your ability (or inability) to control it, it makes you seem more human to your students when you admit to having challenges. Now it s time to bring your HR down. Drink, relax, breathe, and get ready for the final interval, which will be a full-on reverie. After they ve recovered a bit, prepare them for the final interval. This last one will most likely be the most challenging perhaps not physically, but mentally. It will be a challenge because you ll be seated for much of it, but also because it s a fairly Copyright 2013 Jennifer Sage and Indoor Cycling Association Page 7

8 fast cadence of 90 rpm. But because of that challenge it s possible that you can enter your reverie more quickly and even more deeply. Why is that? Because sports psychologists know that to enter the state known as Flow one of the criteria is that the challenge be just beyond your reach. It must be something you are endeavoring to attain. When you have a challenge that is something you have to work for, your chance of entering the state of Flow is even better. And this cadence of 90 rpm done smoothly and gracefully is a finely tuned skill. It s something we all should strive for. It s not easy for anyone but the most skilled cyclists, and even they have to work at it. Even if you re not an outdoor cyclist, this skill can open the door for you for greater performance indoors greater endurance and greater calorie burning in the long run. So yes, this skill IS for everyone, not just the outdoor cyclists among you! I won t be talking much in this last interval, I ll just be checking in with you here and there. You won t need me much; you won t want me either you re going to be dreaming and floating away! Third Interval, Fast Flat, 12 minutes Song #8: Mayan Artifact (Part 2), Chronos, 90 bpm, 11:45 This amazing song takes almost two minutes to get going. The build up is incredible, opening doors to your reverie. This might be one you will want to turn up so your students can be absorbed into the music. You won t hear a beat for almost 2 minutes, but focus on that bell in the background. I d like you to try to guess where 90 rpm is. Those of you who ve been riding with me a while might be able to get it right away. Or try to remember that first interval, and know that you re pedaling just a little faster. Then when the song picks up you ll see how close you were. By the way, the name of this song is Mayan Artifact, on an album called Steps to the Great Knowledge. Keep that in the back of your mind, because I m hoping this interval, in fact this whole ride, will be important steps for you all, leading to greater knowledge of self. I ll ask you at the end of class what lessons you might have learned! Let the song build the rhythm gets going at 1:47. Hear that? How close were you with your cadence? If you re not quite there, find that cadence first, then fine-tune your resistance to bring you to the desired intensity. Start at the low end of your Zone 3. By the end of the song, it will creep upwards, I guarantee you. Imagine there is a fork in the road just ahead. I m going to take the right fork; you ll take the left. Therefore, you ll be riding on your own; I won t be able to coach you. I want you to visualize riding in a beautiful area, perhaps in a canyon, along a river, on a tree-lined road. Whatever makes you happy. No cars. You ll be immersed in your reverie, you ll be your own coach; you re going to have to trust in your own abilities, and in the knowledge you ve attained from riding with me. Close your eyes if you can, and focus on smooth, round pedal strokes, with no bouncing, upper body relaxed so the legs can do their thing. If you need to take a standing break, that s perfectly fine. But I m going to throw out this challenge if you Copyright 2013 Jennifer Sage and Indoor Cycling Association Page 8

9 choose to accept it: see if you can wait these 5 minutes without standing, then we ll stand up together when the roads rejoin 5 minutes ahead. Then at 3:43, after the rhythm break, you ll say: There s the fork in the road. I ll see you in about 5 minutes. Take those Steps to the Great Knowledge! Then be quiet and just ride. Five minutes is a long time for silence, especially if you re not used to it. (Note: Make it only 3 or 4 minutes if your students truly don t know what to do with that much time on their own.) This is a good time to look out over your flock! This is when you can be filled with joy as you see how in the zone they are, thanks to your guidance and coaching. This is the kind of coaching that teaches them to be able to let go like this, and to trust in themselves. That trust wouldn t be possible if it weren t for you! At 9 minutes into the song, speak softly into the mic so you don t break them from their reverie: Our separate roads have just rejoined. How did you do? I trust that you were completely immersed in what you were doing, right? For those who need it, let s go ahead and take a short standing break. Otherwise, stay immersed in your zone, seated in the saddle. At 9:24 the rhythm of the song slows down. Stand up here, adding a little resistance. Most students may have to slow the legs down to avoid spiking the HR. At 9:51 the rhythm picks back up, so you sit down and grab the beat again. For the final 2 minutes, revel in what you are doing. The beauty of this ride, of this cadence, and in the steps to the great knowledge of self. The final 45 seconds of the song the rhythm slows down, but stay seated and ask them to maintain the cadence even without the beat. The temptation is to slow down with the music, but it s not over until it s over! Recovery Song #9: Silent Warrior, Enigma, 85 bpm, 6:10 YES! That was a reverie I want to experience again, how about you? The good news is that you can call that experience up anytime you want by intensifying your focus and allowing yourself to become totally connected to the rhythm of the music. Let s bring the HR down about 20 beats and just ride easily here. Not quite ready to get off the bikes quite yet. This song is a nice home-stretch cadence of 85 rpm. It s often a great idea to reflect back on the work we ve done and ask ourselves what lessons we learned. What did you learn today? Maybe you learned that you can indeed hold a cadence of 90 rpm for 12 minutes, mostly in the saddle. Or perhaps you realized that you really do have a narrow cadence preference, or that your weakness is higher cadences, and you now know where you need to improve. Hopefully those lessons reinforce that your continued commitment to my class, and to the work that you do in these classes, will expand Copyright 2013 Jennifer Sage and Indoor Cycling Association Page 9

10 your abilities and your skill. Perhaps you learned something a bit more esoteric today, that you really do prefer these kinds of mind-body journeys we do on the bike, and that the bike, especially this indoor bike, is ideal for attaining that reverie state! I know for me, this is one of the greatest joys of Spinning (indoor cycling)! Stretch Song #10: Arcane Voices, Amethystium, 4:04 Shall we get off the bike and stretch? Cool down and stretch, and enjoy the gratitude from your students! Copyright 2013 Jennifer Sage and Indoor Cycling Association Page 10

11 Created by Jennifer Sage, Master Instructor Training Type: Aerobic intervals, mind-body Working HR Zones: Zone 3 Total Class Length: 60 minutes Quick Profile Warm-up This is a profile of three 12- to 13-minute aerobic intervals in Zone 3. One of the objectives during the intervals is to achieve the zen-like state of being in a reverie, totally connected to the bike and to the breath. Short recoveries allow physical and mental breaks, where students can drink, stretch the legs, and prepare for the next interval. Longer intervals like these require intense focus. A lot of the work in the saddle, but students can jog in recoveries, or stand for short periods during intervals. The third interval will be hardest to stand up, unless they slow the legs down. The first interval is rpm over two songs. It s a very doable cadence for everyone, so the reverie should be easily attained. Allow a few short standing segments. The second interval is on a hill, at rpm. There is more standing, especially during the second song. Use the rhythm breaks to stand for seconds. HR will likely rise into Zone 4 during these standing segments. Bring it back to mid Zone 3 when you sit back down. The third interval is at 90 rpm. The song is perfect for a reverie. You re going to guide them at first, but at a fork in the path you ll take a different road from them, leaving them alone for 5 minutes (less if your students aren t used to that much silence yet). Ask them to close their eyes and visualize a beautiful road; have them coach themselves to perfect form. When the roads rejoin, stand up for seconds, then finish the song together. For the final recovery song, reflect on the lessons they might have learned in the ride. Cool-down/Stretch Copyright 2013 Jennifer Sage and Indoor Cycling Association Page 11

12 Playlist Song title/artist/album/length/source The Dream, Aris Kokou, 7even Days in Heaven, 6:18 emusic, Amazon Red Rhythm Dragon, James Asher, Feet in the Soil, 5:05 emusic, Amazon Tribal Force, Klangstrahler Projekt, Im Rausche der Sinne, 8:01 Amazon Heaven, Ingo Herrmann, Flowerfields, 2:56 emusic Sanctuary (Inertia Blue Remix), Origene, Sanctuary, 7:03 Amazon, emusic Krosah, E.S. Posthumus, Makara, 4:50 emusic Just a Ride, Jem, Finally Woken 3:21 emusic, Amazon Mayan Artifact (Part 2), Chronos, Steps to the Great Knowledge, 11:45 emusic, Amazon Silent Warrior, Enigma, The Cross of Changes, 6:10 emusic, Amazon Arcane Voices, Amethystium, Odonata, 4:04 emusic, Amazon Copyright 2013 Jennifer Sage and Indoor Cycling Association Page 12

13 Heart Rate Training Zones I use Joe Friel training zones based on threshold. You can adapt this profile if you use other training zones, simply finding the high-end aerobic intensity about 9-15 beats below threshold. The following are Joe Friel zones. Zone 3 is 90-93% of LT. For someone with a threshold of 160, Zone 3 is Training Zones % of LT Lower % of LT Upper Z1. Active Recovery < 80% Z2. Endurance 80% 89% Z3. Tempo 90% 93% Z4. Subthreshold 94% 99% Z5a. Suprathreshold 100% 102% Z5b. Aerobic Capacity 103% 105% Z5c. Anaerobic Capacity >105% Copyright 2013 Jennifer Sage and Indoor Cycling Association Page 13