Busy days

I'm not ill or off on a sunny vacation. Nope - just very busy. I have accomplished an enormous amount in the last week. I submitted the first draft a patient handbook regarding my surgery. I also developed several new indoor cycling classes and wrote one up for publication on ICA. There has been a lot of SAQA work to do as well, including getting our spring retreat organized. I am happy to report that I am keeping up with the homework in Jane Dunnewold's class. The workload gets a little heavier each week so I don't know how long it will be before I miss a deadline. A couple of weeks ago I started taking an online course with Fenzi Academy. It is very well done but we get new assignments every few days, not once a week. It has been fun to have a reason to work with Tock. He is a very smart dog and I haven't challenged his brain enough.

I have been collecting items that I wanted to share on the blog. This week Jane Dunnewold's essay was about large and/or obsessive work. The next day I stumbled on John Grade's work (open the gallery on the linked page). Wow! It definitely appeals to my interest in repeated elements but he uses them in a different way.

This morning I learned about Teresita Fernandez. I have looked through galleries of her work and don't see anything I don't like. See for yourself. This image is of an installation at the Massachusetts Museum of Modern Art which can be seen through March 2015.

Watch this video.




I came across it on the collection Jane Dunnewold curates (Creative Civilization) on Scoop.it. As she said in her notes, you will be reminded to:

1. Do what you love.
2. Keep doing it even if only your dad thinks it's good. And if you dad doesn't think it's good, keep doing it anyway.
3. See possibility.
4. When community embraces you, embrace it back.
5. Use plenty of tape.

There has been a lot more activity around here. My Spoonflower fabric order arrived so I can now start work on the final version of the Ivory Tower piece. I have a sweater to show which has been finished for over a week, as well as a completed UFO and a new knitting project. More tomorrow.

Hendiatris

Today, in my indoor cycling classes, I am teaching a profile I developed last winter on the occasion of the winter Olympics in Sochi. It is called Faster, Higher, Stronger and is meant to be an opportunity for inspiration and reflection. All of the songs have the word Victory in their titles and/or lyrics. One of the things we consider as we ride is the meaning of victory.

During the sixteen minute climb that forms the Higher portion of the class I introduce the concept of a hendiatris.

From my script:

The phrase ‘faster, higher, stronger’ is what is known as a hendiatris [pronunciation guide here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCHekGCmhmg]. That’s a fancy term for a three word phrase that expresses one idea. Such phrases are often used as descriptors or mottos - like “sex, drugs and rock’n roll’,‘reduce, reuse, recycle’, ‘truth, justice and the American way’. 

During this long climb I want you to develop your own three word phrase that you can use to describe and/or inspire your effort.  

Here are a few examples: ‘prepare, persevere, perform’, ‘educate, endure, achieve’, ‘strong, certain, sexy”. People often use alliteration in their phrases but that’s not necessary.

I am always delighted by the fact that people take this challenge seriously and come up with some great three word phrases. The fact that they say them aloud at the end of class means that it is likely that they will remember their phrase when they most need it in a period of stress. I am going to teach the same profile to the ringette team on Thursday night and will challenge the girls to come up with a hendiatris for their team to use.

To bring things full circle to the last few days, this class profile was published on the ICA website and I heard of a student whose hendiatris was 'Make More Mitochondria'.  

Time = 37 min

Word of the Year

A few years ago I was introduced to a concept on Lisa Call's blog. It made some sense to me so I tried it and was pleased by the results. I now use the last two weeks of each year to decide on my approach for the following year. Last December I wrote a class profile (script and music) about the concept for the Indoor Cycling Association. It was well-received and I enjoyed teaching it. While I might not offer similar advice to someone outside of class I feel comfortable doing so for the people with whom I have created meaningful relationships. I taught it again last Saturday to a group who weren't in classes at this time last year.

The concept is described in my intro and extro remarks, drawn from the script. The actual cycling work is related and gives me the opportunity to suggest about forty words by embedding them in my script. My actual delivery is more relaxed than this but the scripts need to be more formal.

During warm-up:

There is something about this time of year - with the lengthening days and the opportunity to turn the page on our calendars - that inspires people to make changes in their lives. In the Western world this often takes the form of New Year’s resolutions. You know what I am talking about - “I will quit smoking.” “I will spend more time with my family.” “I will lose weight.”

Studies show that about 50% of Americans set some sort of New Year’s resolution. Unfortunately about 88% of them fail to complete their resolutions. Why is that? There are many reasons and most of you can probably identify one of the major problems with the resolutions I quoted earlier. Most resolutions are vague. There are no clearly stated and achievable goals and very few people go on to create a plan which will help them achieve what they desire. On the other hand, I find that resolutions are problematic because they are so specific. They are not structured so that the success, if you have any, on one resolution can leak into and influence other areas of your life. 

You are faced with an uncountable number of choices each day. Some of those are consequential, some less so. What if you had a guiding principle for those choices? Would it help you become more aware of your path through life and how each little thing you do either removes or installs obstacles on that path?
I want to introduce you to another way to approach the New Year. This was made popular by business coach Christine Kane starting in 2006. She suggests choosing one word which will guide your actions throughout the year. Each time you are faced with a choice you invoke your word and evaluate your decisions in the context of the word. http://christinekane.com/resolution-revolution-a-better-way-to-start-your-year/ Any word will work if it is right for you. It can be a noun, verb, adjective or adverb. (Note: This link contains a long list of suggested words.) 

During cooldown: 

The experts tell us that one of the reasons that people fail to execute their New Year’s resolutions is that the format of the resolutions is not conducive to forming a habit. In contrast, after a year spent evaluating your choices in the context of a single word you will have formed a habit. When you choose a new word the following year you will be adding a new habit but not losing the previous one. Your decision-making will become more refined and your goals more attainable. 

As I said earlier, the words I used today are just suggestions. I used words which had a direct application to indoor and outdoor cycling because that’s where your experience and mine intersect. You may want to choose something which is more relevant to another aspect of your life or which you judge will be more useful to you. You might also want to choose a phrase; it is your life so you get to make the rules. 

If this approach appeals to you and you would like some help choosing your word Christine Kane has a worksheet which can guide you through the process. http://www.christinekane.com/word/WordoftheYearWorksheet.pdf. You don’t have to use the worksheet because there are no rights and wrongs to this process. If you choose something that doesn’t work you can always choose again. Christine Kane recommends that you reveal your word to one or two of your closest friends. As you discuss choices with them they will be able to remind you to use your word. That will increase the chance that you will form a robust new habit.

This November I realized that my word had changed in mid-year, around the time of my cancer diagnosis. It wasn't a conscious choice on my part but in hindsight the change was very clear. On reflection, I have decided to formally adopt that word for 2015. It certainly served me well over the last few months. I look forward to creating an even stronger habit in the next year.

Time = 1 hr, 43 min

Cycling and life

This is the second of the articles I have written for the Indoor Cycling Association. I know that the last three paragraphs may come across as a little strong if you are not immersed in the world of 'spinning' instruction. There is a growing tendency in the industry to encourage exercisers to exercise at a very high intensity without reference to the skills which are actually applicable to biking up a steep hill - or taking on a life challenge. I think my current situation gives me a unique opportunity to educate and also, I'll admit, to shame some instructors just a little. In the end, I think those who just rely on high intensity and charisma to attract and maintain students are lazy. I don't have a problem if they cringe a little inside when they read what I have written.   

I sent it off with a different title and was interested to see how it eventually appeared

We Are All Beginners at Some Things

It is the day of a meeting with a new doctor and a novel procedure. The date has been on the calendar for awhile and I have been looking forward to the answers it will provide. But now it is here and the thought of it seems too much to bear. It would be easy to let anxiety take over. But I know another way. 

Today will actually be composed of a series of events, not one horrible experience. I need to break it down, set some goals and get on with it. When I look at it that way the day doesn't seem so daunting. I know how to dress myself. I know how to drive. I have methods for dealing with the stress of the waiting room and even the procedure itself.  So I begin. Here's a peek at my thoughts through the day.

Get dressed. Check.

Drive to the health centre. Check. Nope - not quite. The anxiety is bubbling up. Work on something. Become mindful of your breath. Establish a pattern and stay with it. Your goal is to keep your heart rate low.

At the front desk. Put a smile on your face. It will make a difference to me and them. Keep smiling. Don't worry about the fact that you are the most cheerful person in the waiting room. You are doing what works for you. 

Waiting. You know how to sit in a chair. Focus on your spine. Keep it straight but relaxed. Sit deep into the chair - don't perch, you aren't going to fly away any time soon. Good. Deep breaths, long slow exhales. Read your book - you brought the tools so use them.

Meet the nurses. Smile. Walk tall, drop your shoulder blades. Form matters. Talk less, breathe more.

Doctor enters. Not so bad. You have this thing.

Procedure begins. Here it is - the steepest part of the climb today. Breathe. Relax - tension will get you nowhere. How about a tiny smile? Time slows down. Slow your heart rate with it. Focus on your breaths. Count. Just one more and then another and then another. What will help me sink into this? A babbling brook, hemlock trees, a picnic, a child - I'll go there. It's over. Really? That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Results. Bad news. Not so scary though. Just another hill to climb.

The rest of the day. This feels like riding downhill after a hard climb. Everything is a bit blurry and feels rushed but maybe it is just that time has returned to normal.

I survived that day and could almost say that I thrived. On reflection I have two sets of observations relevant to coaching indoor cycling and other activities. First, over the course of a couple of hours I used almost all of the body and mind management techniques that I coach (and which were highlighted in many of the recent ICA summit sessions.) If you feel awkward discussing some of those topics or it isn't part of the culture where you teach, please consider my example. Do you want to deny your students access to information and techniques which are truly life skills and have application to so much more than just cycling?

Second, every activity or behaviour can be broken down into component parts. Those steps seem much less daunting in isolation. On my difficult day success at each step set me up for the next one. We know this in the abstract but do we consistently apply the principle in our classes?  Do we treat every one of those steps as equally important and celebrate success as each is achieved? Do we focus too much on the outcome or final step and neglect to acknowledge all its precursors?

Perhaps you are thinking "Yes, I break things down for the novices or newbies in my classes." My message for you, based on my experience in the last few weeks, is that everyone is a novice or unskilled at something; everyone struggles with at least one aspect of his or her performance. You won't always know which aspect is most problematic for any individual. I don't think I look or act like a novice cancer patient but that doesn't make any of the steps I am taking less difficult or less worthy of celebration. For that reason you should not make assumptions and skip steps or fail to reinforce small achievements. As an instructor/leader/coach in your classes that's one of your most vital roles - to identify and describe the steps and mark your students' progress as they climb them.

Maximally true

I just spent an hour researching the definitions of terms like maxim, saying, proverb and cliche. It's tricky stuff and there appears to be lots of overlap in meaning and usage. I'm not sure it matters what they are called. Everyone recognizes the format and has experienced the underlying truth behind the tired words.

Two people from far away have reached out to check on me today. I have only the slightest acquaintance with each of them - one I have never met in person. It means a lot to feel that my web of support is so large. And it helps to have to respond to each note I receive. I process a little of the truth and a little of my intention each time I do so.

I had just finished writing replies to my far-flung correspondents when I received an email from a woman who lives in Nova Scotia and who I have met no more than ten times. She told a story about a long-term health challenge that is now behind her. This is not the first time I have heard something similar in the last two weeks. It helps to hear these previously hidden stories. They make me feel less alone. She ended her email this way:

And what you will be left with is a better "you"...not to say this is a "gift" as it sure as hell isn't that, but you can relate to anyone going through anything after that...and that isn't a bad thing, and you appreciate life, and death, in a less abstract way, filling to live one well and accept the other better.

That's something you hear a lot so I guess it qualifies as a cliche or maxim or expression. My experience so far, a few weeks into this cancer thing, is that it is certainly true.

I have written a couple of articles for ICA which include references to the effect of contacts from friends and others. I know it is difficult, in the words of a friend, for "the ones looking in" to know what to say. I'll sum up my experience to date. It matters that people outside my bubble contact me. It doesn't matter what they say. If you find yourself in the position of writing to someone in a crisis, don't overthink it. "How are you?" will suffice. The maxim (or whatever you call it) "It's the thought that counts." will never be more true.

Language matters

For the last eighteen months I have been a contributor to the Indoor Cycling Association website. I have provided articles on instructor education and have also contributed a number of class profiles. These are detailed descriptions of classes with rationale, music and suggested cues. When I received my cancer diagnosis I asked if I could write some articles which linked my health challenges with activities that take place in an indoor cycling studio. I titled the series Cycling Lessons from the Cancer Clinic

The first of the pieces was published this week. It is aimed at a specific audience but I think the message is a general one.

Language Matters

In my journey through the health care system I have been observing the interactions I have with "authorities". When you become a patient everyone who carries the key to your wellness is an authority. It is an interesting turn of events for someone like me who is accustomed to being the leader and the one that has the answers. I can learn some valuable lessons from the experience of being on the 'other' side. The first and very salient lesson came in the form of an experience with language.

As coaches we use language to communicate with those we are seeking to help. The more precise our language, the more effectively we can convey our meaning to our students. Precision in our choice of words and phrases can lead to enhanced performance. But, perhaps more important, careful use of language can reduce stress and create an atmosphere of fairness and respect.

I recently experienced an example of sloppy use of language. I was in the Emergency Room and the attending physician told me that he was going to order a CT scan so that I wouldn't have to wait a month for one in the out-patient system. He returned a few minutes later to say that he had spoken with radiology and that they said they couldn't take me until "after dinner". He would not  be on shift when I had the CT so was going to leave instructions for me to be discharged immediately after the test. Instead of getting the results right away I would have to wait until an appointment five days later.

I settled in for the long wait and actually managed to fall asleep. I was surprised to be shaken awake at 2:00 pm with the news that CT was calling for me. The nurses rushed to insert an IV and escort me to radiology. At that point we all realized what had happened. Here in Maritime Canada "dinner" refers to the second meal of the day. Elsewhere in North America it refers to the third meal of the day. Both the physician and I are from outside the region. When we heard "after dinner" we assumed that the test would be done in the early evening. In fact, the staff in radiology were referring to a period in the early afternoon. If they had simply said "between 2:00 and 3:00 pm" lots of things would have been different.

Did the imprecision in use of language make a difference? Yes and no. Workflow was affected for the nurses in the unit and I was faced with a long wait for results I could have received that afternoon. In fact, the ER doctor gave me an off-hand diagnosis which was not confirmed by the results of the CT and I had to live with that more dire scenario until my next appointment. This wasn't a life-threatening event but it added to my stress and caused me to lose some faith in the system as a whole.

In our classes, it is rare that a single instance of sloppy use of language would create more than a little stress. But continued imprecision will diminish the chances that our students will learn and improve and increase the likelihood that they will lose confidence in us and our employers. Please give some thought to my 'dinner' story the next time you describe an effort or a time interval or a sensation to your students.