Funny story

I was in Starbucks today and as I was waiting to be served,I started drooling over the patries,cakes and sweet stuff under the glass. I mentioned to the barista that I was gonna give them up for the next 6 weeks. She replied,"Oh is that for lent?" "No",I replied,"it's because I want to lose weight" ... she went about making my skinny sugar free vanilla latte with no taste.

After the my first X-Bike class

My legs ache like never before-muscles,not joints
The ride was over even quicker than I'm used to "x amount of time" takes
Something is always happening,very difficult to settle into a position for more than a minute
You want to move,it's a weird sensation
Safety is still No.1 goal
Same music,no difference
Tree roots are standing flats
I sweated even more than I would normally in a cycle class
I can't wait to see the calories burnt - 500?hmmm

Reading is not as easy as it should be

Have you ever tried to read while listening to Roy D Mercer? It's impossible!

X Biking......

What's it all about? My opinion may change both during writing this as elements become more clear and in time as I learn more. "It replicates a real bike more than a conventional spin bike would do"....huh,howsat? It goes nowhere.It's a piece of fitness equipment that raises your heart rate,period.I have been checking the clips on youtube and they spend alot of time showing mountain bike trail riding and moto cross racing and for some reason a guy from Formula 1(??) While this may work as a sales pitch in the pacific northwest,it ain't cutting the mustard on the south coast of England.

The handlebars move to make you feel as if you are on a real bike.Surely if you want to feel like you're on a real bike,you'd go get on a real bike and ride outside,wouldn't you?

I remember someone telling me (I do forget who at this moment in time) that cycling is a tough enough physical activity that you don't need to "fancy it up" with un-neccessary body movements.It doesn't work your biceps,at least not enough to say it does.

Ok,the clip I'm watching now has a class format (with everyone in Trixster kit,conveniently) and they stop pedalling and suddenly shake the handlebars vigourously.I can see how that would possible happen outside on the trail...tree roots,uneven ground,steep drops...but this is an exercise class,not training for off road riding.Just like a Spinning class is not going to prepare you for riding in a peloton,it's a fitness class.It's there to burn calories,improve blood pressure,lose weight.To train to ride outside,you ride outside.If anyone wants to disagree with that statement,go ask the world champion mountain bike rider (whoever that is) and ask him/her whether they credit riding an indoor bike for their success or riding outdoors.

I am feeling this is becoming a rant so here's my point,as an industry,let's stop painting false images to our customers and let's tell them the way that it is.These classes claim to burn 500 calories - in a 30 minute class? yeah ok. I'll check that out and get back to you.I can't see it if you are stopping pedalling to "micro-pump your handlebars" every so often.

I intend on leading these classes in exactly the same way I lead my Spinning classes,through sound training,motivation,good music and commitment to being the best that we as a group of riders can be.

TBC

A few injuries

I had an x-ray last week on my left knee. It's been giving me discomfort over the past 6 months (my timeline memory isn't too hot) but it has been getting more painful in recent weeks. In short,I can't kneel on it as it feels lie it's on fire. It feels unstable sometimes when I walk,run,or even Spin,but never hurts when I do those activities.

The surgeon I met with made an early diagnosis of either a cyst or a tear on the meniscus (lateral) and anticipates I will need surgery to repair it. He has booked me in for an MRI on January 8th to confirm all this.

The pain I have is below the knee. Now while I'm not trying to jump ahead here or analyze what's to come,I am hoping the recovery is smooth and quick. I have a tremendous first half of 2009 ahead of me and would hate to turn anything down due to what I consider my first "real" injury.

Time will tell.

I have another appointment for the end of January to sort out a sriously numbing discomfort I have in the knuckle of the big toe on my right foot.(I say discomfort because I fully appreciate what real pain is,and this ain't pain!) It feels like gout,but my GP doesn't think it is. The knuckle swells up pretty quickly and doesn't repond too well to floor walking,which is what my day-job consists alot of. But it also doesn't like being in my Spinning shoes either :-(

Other than those 2 niggles,I'm feeling great {sniffle,sniffle}

catch-up time

I have had a new tattoo on my right shoulder.It was inked between work and Spinning class this past friday and I am very pleased with it. That's four now and whilst I am toying with the idea of one more,it won't be for some time.

Monday,I had an appointment at the hospital to check on my left knee. It's been causing me discomfort for quite a few months and I have had enough of it,although I wasn't expecting the doctor to say what he said. After the x-ray was taken,I was informed that there was something wrong in there,he mentioned the words tear,cyst and meniscus very quickly and then jammed my finger into my knee and as I lost feeling in my own finger,I was unable to feel a thing in my knee.So I'll take his word for it. He did go on to say I would be sent for an mri and quite probably keyhole surgery. This is fixing to become my first real,grown-up injury!

Work is good this week,so is Spinning. I was aware I'd be starting a 6th class in the new year and that would be a challenge too.Not to start it,but to make it a success whilst keeping the current classes full at the same time.So monday will now have me doing the double. That was until I received a call this afternoon. The club are so pleased with how well the classes are going,they want more classes and they want them in January too. So I'll be doing the double on Monday,Thursday & Saturday. Saturday,in effect,will really be a triple as I teach at 9am in one club and then the double at another at 11am & 12:30pm.

Monday - 5:45-6:30pm & 7:00-7:45pm (both King Alfred)
Tuesday - OFF
Wednesday - 5:45-6:30pm (K.A.) & 7:00-7:45pm (Corals)
Thursday - 6-00-6:45pm & 7:15-8:00pm (both K.A.)
Friday - 6:00-6:45pm (K.A.)
Saturday - 9:00-9:45am (Corals),11:00-11:45am & 12:30-1:15pm (both K.A.)
Sunday - OFF

I hope the knee can recover quickly!

Studies are going well - I did the Spinning with the Senior Populations in just a day,but won't have the exam sheet until the new year.

WSSC will be booking up soon.

I have good,strong plans to travel to Doha in March to take part in a 5 hour charity ride that my friend,Luz Lovern will be organising so I need to increase my training and anticipate the heat. Is training in a studio with the AC on heat safe? I guess it is so long as I hydrate sufficiently (and dry the handlebars)

Kranking - The Real Blog

So here goes,I've written a few letters to some of the people on the Kranking Family so I hope I don't leave anything from this in fear of duplicating myself (as if I'd do that!!) In Kranking there are 3 basics movements,Single,Split,Double with 3 variations on these - seated,standing and retro.I want to say that doing any of the 3 in a seated position are easy but they aren't - that's not to say they're difficult but there is so much you can put into each rotation of the Krank arm that you will possibly never be perfect at it.But you can still aim for it nonetheless.You would normally start a session with a single arm movement in the seated position and the sooner you learned to not push but simply assist the handle &nd Krank around,the smoother it would feel.Just the arm here.

When you move to a double,there is an element of co-ordination.The weighted flywheel is floating,you see,so the big old dominant arm/shoulder does you no good here as you have to back it off and work at the strength of the less dominant side to improve on the balance of your body.There are so many sporting applications that this movement alone assists but the one that jumps immediately to my mind is swimming the butterfly with the two arms coming up over the top and the lats kicking in to bring them back and around once again,always in time with each other.

The split is the technique masterclass of the movements,timing,control,energy,focus,breathing & consistency all play major parts in this move.Let you mind run away and you'll be needing to stop to line the handles up and start again.Aaaaarghhh!

Still in the seated position but shifting one leg back behind the seat allows you to start getting more of your upper body involved on the split or single by using your whole shoulder girdle and damn it feels so good.If you want to work your right arm,you would place your right foot back for a better grounding and this is where the whole damn body starts getting involved.

Don't get me wrong,the abs have been bracing themselves from the first Krank but now it really starts to feel like something special!Controlled power!! Once you stand up and you start to feel the music,you can't help but want to dance with the machine in front of you and then you move to a double and OMFG it's where you find your body coming A L I V E big time.Even if like me you have no known rhyhtm,you will find it.I should say prepare for major heart rate numbers by this point,somewhere in the region of 80-95% mhr yet very maintainable.

The retro movement has you facing the cycle from the front (although not on the final model) and the purpose is scapula retraction and it is a welcome feeling too,still maintaining heart rate numbers to be very proud of and still able to go single,split or double as well.

The heart rate system that comes with the Krank Cycles is simply the easiest,most fun and engaging system I have seen (although I'm sure someone "older" will say it's been around for years!)

The set up of the machine as I was shown was incredibly easy yet the final model that Matrix is producing appears to be even more simply to set up and the best part of all is it will allow wheelchair users to participate right alongside anyone else.Brilliant!

I wanted to cover my experiences at the ECA convention but to put them into words would not do them justice by a long way.I will however thank with all my heart the Kranking Family for their arms of support through what for me was a leap but they caught me good.

Johnny,Jim,Mike,Clemente,Ayla,Yvonne,Jordan,Carolyn,Billy,Ria,Matty,Jodie and Dennis - thank you.

I can not wait to pay back your kindness in the form of spreading the Kranking Method to the UK and whoever else will listen.