INDOOR CYCLING NEWSLETTER #79.

FIGHT THE MONKEY: My classes tend to put an emphasis on the mind-body connection.   Usually we think of this concept in terms of more meditative exercise like Yoga or Tai Chi. But I am convinced that vigorous aerobic exercise can make the same connection between our consciousness and our physical self.

It works both ways. The physical exercise enhances the mind. The proper concentration enhances the physical exercise.  

That exercise is good for the mind is well known. But I believe it goes beyond the well-known release of endorphins created by physical exertion. I believe that concentration in exercise is good practice for concentration in all parts of life. Exercise teaches us to mentally focus.

It works the other way too.  Mental focus improves our performance.

I once raced as a training partner and support rider for Dr. Bob Breedlove. In 1989, I was a support rider for Bob on part of his double-transcontintental record setting ride.  He rode from St. Louis, Missouri to Irvine, California  as a warm-up for a 3rd place finish in the Race Across America (RAAM), and then rode back to St. Louis after the cross-country race. He did all this in just over 22 and a half days.

What always amazed me about Bob was his ability to focus on one thing at a time. And focus on it totally. Perhaps it had something to do with his skill as a surgeon. This ability to concentrate, once learned, is useful in life by helping us get the most out of everything, every time.

Sadly, Bob was killed in a car-bike accident during the 2005 RAAM. One of the ways I honor him is to attempt to teach his concentration skill to my cycling classes. I often put classes into a simulated time trial situation - a long solo effort that requires focus and concentration. This is a race where the first pedal stroke counts just as much as the last. I challenge the class to focus on just one thought for just one minute. The thought can be about pedaling form, cadence, breathing, posture or visualization. One thought, one minute, no interruption, no external thoughts.

It’s amazingly hard. Our minds are used to jumping around. This is sometimes called our “monkey brain”, the part of our brain that gets bored very quickly. The term comes from Buddhism and means an unsettled or restless state of mind. When I ask my class to challenge their monkey brain and really concentrate on their riding, few can say they were totally successful.

When you let your “monkey brain” win the battle for your attention, your form, cadence, breathing, posture or visualization suffer. You lose the intense experience of feeling the power of the mind, body and spirit all working in harmony. And you slow down.

I can see it in class. And my students can feel it. When they start thinking about what happened during the day or the groceries they have to pick up after class, their form suffers and their watts drop.

So if you want to go faster and burn more calories, fully engage your mind to the task. Practice it.  Spend time thinking about only your breath, about only your pedal stroke, about only your posture. Engage you mind totally to each of these small parts to create a better, stronger, faster whole.

Make your mind stronger. Your body will follow. Fight the Monkey.

Thanks, Bob.

THE NEED TO NOT TALK IN CLASS: I hope you will consider that some of the students around you may be working on these concentration skills if you are tempted to talk during class.  It can be a serious distraction.

THE YMCA HEALTHY LIVING CENTER INDOOR CYCLE-THON: Thank you to the generous participants in the YMCA Healthy Living Center Indoor Cycle-thon.  We had four hours of classes with four different cycling experiences.  All fun.  Riders had their choice of riding any of the hours.   Congratulations to Brad Jones for riding all four.  If you didn’t make it, please remember to give it a try next February.  Thank you most of all for supporting the Y’s policy that no one is turned away for lack of ability to pay.

A BLESSING + A CURSE = A BLURSE: The night before the cycle-thon Annie and I attended a wine auction fundraiser for the MS Society of Iowa.  The speaker gave me a new perspective on what is unique about the YMCA Healthy Living Center.

As you know, the Y-HLC is a quasi-medical partnership between the Des Moines Metro YMCA and Mercy Hospital.  It’s unique mission is to provide exercise programs specifically designed for people in various disease conditions and to integrate those programs into a traditional YMCA environment.

The evening’s speaker was Ronda Giangreco, a woman from Northern California who loved to cook.  Upon learning of her MS diagnosis, Ronda resolved to host a dinner party for eight friends every Sunday for the entire first year of her illness.  Her inspiring story tells how her life was enriched by this instinctive act of reaching out, rather than retreating inward.  She describes her experience in her book, “The Gathering Table: Defying Multiple Sclerosis with a Year of Pasta, Wine and Friends.”

In her speech, Ronda described her diagnosis as an undeniable curse, but then she also observed that many unexpected blessings had come from it.  She grew to love the challenge of making these dinners.  Unexpectedly, the dinners led to many happy evenings of laughter and friendship.  Through them she experienced both strengthened and new loving relationships.  She described this combination of a blessing and a curse as a “blurse”.

The Y Healthy Living Center is all about creating these “blurses”.  It does this by welcoming people dealing with a curse, and offering them helpful programs, encouragement and friendship.
Trina Radscke-Suchan, Medical Director for the program says “Those who bravely enter our facility weekly, despite their circumstances, inspire us all.”

Members benefit directly from the programs offered but they also benefit from the new relationships with other members and staff.  You can see it every day, for instance as the members of the stroke recovery group enjoy coffee together after their exercise.

The curse is still a curse but it is moderated by the blessings of friendship, understanding and encouragement given by others - thus making it a “blurse”.

HEART RATE ZONE TESTING WILL NOW BE AVAILABLE MONTHLY: A lactate threshold field test (LTFT) is a means to better estimate your own unique heart rate training zones.  It is a dramatic improvement over the old, discredited 220-age formula.  Better knowing your real training zones will help you reach your goals, whether they be race performance or weight loss.  At the end of the test you will have a better knowledge of your own unique heart rate zones.  And you will have the chance to ask questions about how to use them to train more effectively.  A repeat of the test at a later time will help you measure the progress of your training.

Beginning April 6th, the tests will be conducted on the first Saturday of every month at 11:30AM at the YMCA Healthy Living Center in the cycling studio.  Sessions are open to members of any Des Moines metro YMCA branch for a $10 registration.  Non-members are also welcome for a $25 registration.  Register at the welcome desk or by calling 515-226-9622.

I will explain the theory of heart rate zone training further in my next newsletter but you may want to mark your calendar in the meantime.

QUOTES:

“Persistence is probably the single most common quality of high achievers. They simply refuse to give up. They longer you hang in there, the greater the chance that something will happen in your favor. No matter how hard it seems, the longer you persist the more likely your success.” ~ Jack Canfield

“Make every day a happy holiday.” ~ Eric Faust



Bill Roach, NASM-CPT, CES, WLS.
Star 3 Lifetime Certified Spinning Instructor
Certified Personal Trainer, National Academy of Sports Medicine
Corrective Exercise Specialist, National Academy of Sports Medicine
bill.roach@mchsi.com

NEXT MONTH:

More on how to fight the monkey.

Heart Rate Zone Training.

What the pros do that you don’t.

FAQ’s on how to buy a bike.