Ripples all the way to France

Late last December six young adults signed up for one of my indoor cycling classes. I admit that I was somewhat dismayed to have such a large group join the classes at once. It takes a lot of time to give that many people a good bike fit and I knew that my regulars might be impatient at the delay in the start of class. I should not have worried. The new people were unbelievably charming, quick studies, extraordinarily coachable, and very enthusiastic. In the course of an hour they endeared themselves to me and to everyone else in the room.

It turned out that they were part of an extended family who travel from all over Canada to meet at one house for Christmas celebrations. This year they were visiting someone in my community. Over the next ten days their participation in my classes grew to include their elders and eventually their hosts appeared for two classes. I have stayed in touch with some of the family by email and was sorry that their schedule didn't fit mine when the group reconvened here in October for a family wedding.

This morning the staff at the front desk of the centre where I teach handed over a bag which had a largish gift wrapped package and a card. Here's the text of that card:

We wanted to thank you for introducing us to the Tour de France. While we were in France we were lucky enough to see the finish and start of the race in Montpelier. It was so much fun being part of the collective vibe that envelops the Tour de France community, and especially thrilling when we lucked into seats across from the podium and halfway between the finish line and the press. 'Exciting' does not even begin to describe our experience. Only having been vaguely aware of the Tour before we left, we have to thank you for your enthusiastic and passionate introduction to the Tour from our bike seats at the Centre. 

Needless to say, your name was mentioned many times, and although you were not with us in Montpelier we wanted to bring you back a little souvenir and say thank you once again. Thank you not only for you your classes but also for the memories we have of the Centre and of France as a result of them.

The note was signed by the local couple who hosted the family last Christmas. The package contained a TdF tote bag and a newspaper with a photo of Peter Sagan and Chris Froome on the front page.

I don't do what I do for gifts or even thank you notes but I was touched nonetheless. And I will forever remember the lesson to put aside prejudice and fatigue and meet every student with a smile and an open heart.

Fun in cycling classes

On Monday night the person who was working the front desk at the facility where I teach called to check with me. Someone had called to reserve six bikes for my second class the next morning. None of them had attended my classes before although apparently some had experience in other spin classes. I indicated that she should go ahead and book the bikes but I groaned inwardly and perhaps out loud as well. There were many reasons to think bad thoughts about this turn of events. It takes a long time to set up that many new people and even if the new riders came early, as I always request, the regulars were going to have to wait a while for the class to begin. I also knew that my workout and music plan for the next day would not be good for beginners, no matter their level of fitness. I would have to shift to another plan and some of the regulars had done that same class with me very recently.

When I arrived for my 6:15 am class I was met by a room in disarray - it had been used as a dressing room for a dance performance the previous night. I had ten minutes to move a lot of furniture and get bikes back where they belonged. It was not a good way to start a day that I was already dreading. The first class went really well but when I showed up for the second class I learned that it was almost full. That's rare for that time of day but a lot of people are off work for the holidays. That meant even more pressure on me to get things going on time.

I will confess. I winced when I saw the group of six new riders approaching. They were clearly a tight unit - three women and three men. If something went badly with even one of them the whole group would be affected. I tried to figure out who the leader was, on the theory that if I kept her/him happy the rest of the group would also be satisfied. None of the questions which usually help me discern the opinion maker in a group helped. So I was at loose ends as I started their bike fit.

To make an already long story very short, I needn't have worried. The new riders were attentive, compliant, and fun. They were easy to coach and seemed very tolerant of the fact that their experience was likely quite different from what they had expected. They were incredibly polite - said please and thank you throughout the time when I was doing their bike fit. And they stayed pretty quiet during the class when the temptation would have been to chatter with their friends. At the end of the hour I asked the regulars, who I had placed in the back, to give a public review of the new group's performance. They gave a bunch of thumbs up and 'awesome's. One of the new riders stopped me on his way out and revealed that he is an alpine ski coach in Ontario. He was very impressed by my focus on the fundamentals - all the things I thought might make it a less satisfying experience for them.

One of my regulars would have really loved the class I didn't teach at 8:45 so I gave him the opportunity to come back in the evening at no charge. He did and enoyed the workout. It was a nice way to thank him for his support - he has recruited both his wife and daughter to my classes.

This morning we had one more class before the holidays. The Centre was opened just for us and the 6:15 am regulars were joined by people from other classes to create a full room and lots of energy and goodwill. We ended the session with muffins and coffeecake baked my me and juice provided by the Centre.

a portion of the December 24 group

I have a friend who regularly asks me if I am still having fun teaching my indoor cycling classes. It always sounds like she doesn't believe me when I confirm that I am having a blast. I wish she had been here this week to see the smiles and hear the laughter from both me and my students, including this one who dressed just for this morning's class.

Rudolph's nose flashed green and red

Things that brightened a damp cold Monday

I will return to this video over and over again when I need to smile uncontrollably.


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To see how it was done:




Note the plea to share the first video with your friends and family. It is a good cause. Some of my closest friends work in shelters - it is a tough place to be for both animals and the people who look after them. This is a simple way for you to make their lives easier.

I put together a Christmas themed indoor cycling class for tomorrow - two twenty minute climbs. I thought it would be fun to play seasonal music that most people would never have heard before. There's some Trans-Siberian Orchestra, The Moody Blues, Pink Martini, Brian Setzer, and Kelly Clarkson among others. I decided to kick off the class with a brand new release from Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. This song is from their new holiday album (almost all original music) and is free right now at eMusic.com (I don't know if you need a membership to download it).

I can't seem to embed the song in this blog post but you can goto  this NPR story and listen to 'Just Another Christmas Song'. Check out some of the other songs as well.

On a less silly note but something that brings me just as much pleasure, watch this video of Chihary Shiota's installation at the Venice Bienale 2015. I have been doing a lot of thinking about repeated elements and this inspires me to continue to pursue some crazy ideas.

Gaspworthy

Every fourth day in indoor cycling we do a class I label as Fun. I get to choose something out of the ordinary which lets people put the learning of the preceding classes into practice. I like doing simulated race days because they are a reinforcer for those who want to go hard - a reward for putting up with the education I impose on them at other times. I also like the simulations because I can use my story, music and visuals (maps and photographs) to create an atmosphere which inspires some people to work harder than they ever dreamed they could.

Today's classes were a re-creation of the last two climbs from Stage 18 of the 2015 Tour de France. Each time I put this image on the screen people gasped.

This is the Lacets de Montvernier, 3.2 km of climbing including 17 switchbacks and 18 'laces'. The average grade is 8.7% which is very steep on a bike. The grade increases briefly to 10-12 % on each turn.

It occurred to me that their very strong reaction is because it looks like real life - some hard work, you turn the corner and there is another struggle ahead. Or maybe I am just extrapolating that explanation from how my last few months have felt.

Cure for what ails you

I was in a funk yesterday and couldn't come to terms with writing my indoor cycling classes for today. After struggling to find a hook I gave up and planned to use a class I wrote earlier this month. I figured out that, at most, two people would have done it before and they likely wouldn't remember.

During dinner I became disgusted with myself for taking the easy way out. So I went back upstairs and thought about what would make me happy at that moment. The answer: the same thing that always makes me happy - surf guitar, specifically the music of a group called Los Straitjackets. At that moment I remembered that they had done a couple of Christmas albums and also that the best-selling album on eMusic is a Holiday Revue with Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets. I immediately created a new playlist, stuck in the seasonal Los Straitjackets songs I already owned and then clicked over to listen to the Nick Lowe album. It seemed like it would work so I bought the whole album.

Then I sorted the songs, added a little Brian Setzer as filler and began to create the cues for the class. It was meant to be an overload class where students add resistance that brings them to failure while maintaining a specific cadence (measured in rpm). The songs presented a perfect sequence from high to low cadence and were the right length to permit the prescribed amount of work and recovery in each song.

This morning I introduced the class using language along the lines of "What do you think of when I put Christmas and overload in the same sentence? I think of the annoying music at the grocery store. It seems like it starts earlier every year. So I have a selection of seasonal music for you but I'll bet it is unlike anything you have heard before. My guess is that today you will loathe the music while you are working and come to appreciate it while you are recovering."

The class was a big hit and several people asked for the names of the artists.

Here's a taste. I can't find videos of my favourite Los Straitjackets seasonal songs but here is one I used today.



And, in case you are curious, here's Nick Lowe with the band.





I'll bet your toe is tapping.

For good measure, here's my favourite seasonal song of all time. It's the Brian Setzer orchestra doing the Nutcracker Suite. I'm smiling now and I know I brought a little joy to a few others today.

Another creative endeavor

Three times a week I have to sit down to create a new indoor cycling class. Technically I don't HAVE to - I have folders full of playlists and workout plans. But I made a commitment  to all new classes this year and also to only using music I have never played before. That's a good way to keep things fresh and interesting for me and that ensures that I do the best for my students. I write four types of classes - Form, Endurance, Strength and Fun (my choice - could be video, could be race simulations, could just be great music and an all-round workout). I have a goal for where I want to take the first three categories over the nine months of classes.

So when I sit down to put together a class I usually have some idea what it will be like. I then decide on the blocks of work and recoveries I'd like and then start looking for music that fits. I evaluate music on lots of things - its beat (how fast or slow it is), its genre, its lyrics, its 'feel', and how well it fits with the music that precedes and follows it. I have a history of looking for music whose lyrics create a mantra for the work we are doing. For example, yesterday we did drills where we rode with one leg at a time. All of the songs in that section had the refrain 'only one' in the lyrics.

I have been doing this long enough that I don't find the process tedious and it usually doesn't take too long. But today I was at a loss when I started. My plan wasn't entirely clear, I guess, so nothing was working. And then I found a couple of pieces of music I liked so I stuck them in the playlist to look at later. When I went back I immediately saw that the music had decided the structure of the class for me. Using that idea I quickly found twelve more songs that fit the same pattern. The class is done and I only have to enter the cues in the iPad app I use to project my plan on a video screen.

It's weird to say but the music chose the plan this time with very little help from me. I'll remember that the next time I am struggling - just relax and it will come.

This song isn't in my playlist for tomorrow but I used it this week and lots of people loved it. I am using their interpretation of the 1812 Overture tomorrow - might as well capitalize on something people liked to offset the heavy metal and ambient choices I have also included in the class.


Bond playing Bond Goes Gaga - live performance in Nicaragua.

Lists on my desk

I am a list maker. I don't think I could ever manage the variety of tasks I need to do every day without my lists.

Here's a taste of the lists on my desk today.

Groceries:

Shredded Wheat
sesame seeds
poblano peppers
cottage cheese
cheap cheddar
wine

SAQA retreat admin:

show and tell assignments
menu confirmation
list of general/emergency stuff we might need

SAQA retreat talks:

review website
slides for Google talk - check on history
talking points for pm
talking points for Sunday

Indoor cycling:

figure out what Leslie will teach on 11th
plan for next week
lecture for next week
Saturday?

Ivory Tower:

Photo 51
Jetset the organza
colour the paper dolls - his feet?
dress the dolls
tube for DNA

Mitochondrion:

hemoglobin!!!!

I routinely finish lists and am happy to savour the accomplishment and trash the list. Here's one of my favourite recent achievements. It has gone to its new home with my mother who has named it Hieronymus. This is a fantastic pattern. I recommend it to anyone with basic crochet skills. It would make a great baby gift with the eyes swapped out for felt.

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

Caught up in real life

The problem with recovering as quickly as I did is that I didn't get to enjoy many dayswriting and creating with fabric. Instead, things have returned to a normal kind of busy and then some. So far this week I have taught more indoor cycling classes than ever before, including five classes on Tuesday alone. And then there are the volunteer responsibilities which were deferred by my surgery.

Here are some things have made me happy and kept my brain spinning over the last few days when I wasn't able to write a blog post.

This song gets me singing along. It is very poppy but that's what we need as the darkness of the winter starts to creeps in. The video doesn't make any sense. I suspect that's bound to happen when an Australian band uses the name of an Apache leader as a hook for their song. Nonsense was bound to be the outcome.



I am blown away by what Zemer Peled does with shards of pottery. Follow the link and see for yourself.

Untitled     Zemer Peled

Shannon Weber creates art from objects and materials she finds in nature. It is easy to dismiss work like hers with thoughts like "I could do that." Try it. It is much more difficult than it looks. She prefers that people not share her images so go to her website to see the magical forms she creates.

Soundtrack for surgery

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Two excellent surgeons will do their best to eradicate the cancer and reconstruct things so I can live a 'normal' life. My friends are laughing now. I don't think they regard me as normal, ever.

For the last few days a song has been running through my head. I can't really recall many of the lyrics but the chorus is clear. I found the song when I was looking for something suitable for a message-based indoor cycling class. The profile for that class came up first when I did a Google search to write this post. I guess there aren't too many other people interested in the song. It seems that's because the singer/songwriter spends most of her time training and competing in Western equestrian events, not singing or promoting her work.

So I can't let you listen but you might want to track down 'Fear Has No Place Here' by Rachel Leigh Ory.

There's another chorus which has been rolling around in my head. It is from the same class. Even though the lyrics seem to be about death, that's not what I hear. I like the concept of 'destination darkness'. We all have to go to a dark place sometimes and the message 'no fear' is what we all need to embrace. The rhythm of the song really works for me as I think of taking step after step toward the light.

Yet another dancing post

Last night the top six competed on So You Think You Can Dance. This week, like last, they each did a short solo in their own style. Last week, though, the solos were pre-taped and as a consequence lost the lustre that comes with a live performance. They were much better last night. In my opinion the solos give us a sense of the ultimate creativity of the dancers. So far as I know the competitors choreograph their own solos, perhaps with help from their instructors at home. Some are much stronger than others and I have a sense that that helps those dancers connect with the routines they are given on the show.

Here's Ricky's solo from last night.





One of the things I have really appreciated about SYTYCD is that it has introduced me to many new musical artists. Credits for the song/performer appear on screen in the first few seconds of each routine. That let's me follow up on iTunes or eMusic. This year the show started putting together playlists for each show on iTunes. On the first show of this season I learned about Meredith Monk and subsequently purchased some of her music. Her stuff isn't to everyone's taste so I am glad that her piece called Vow was used on the show.

I loved the song Ricky used for his solo: My Tears Are Becoming A Sea by M83. I have never heard of the artists before last night. This morning I listened to a lot of their other stuff. Their music will definitely have a place on the playlists for my indoor cycling classes this fall. Here's the band's video of another song: We Own The Sky. My students had better be prepared to do a long climb to this one.

Just For Fun tour, stage 2

This was the cinnamon bun ride.

We started and ended at Lawrencetown Beach.
Cyclists will note that the flags are straight out. Headwind.

Black dots in the water and on the wave are surfers.

I organized a second Just For Fun ride today in place of the training rides we have been doing. It is August in Nova Scotia and that generally means that everyone is on vacation and has multiple events planned each day - it is how we all get through the rest of the year. So I didn't expect many people to attend today. Several were doing a century ride elsewhere in the province, others were sailing and entertaining families and one was even doing continuing education.

I was right. Only one person showed up in addition to me and George. But what a day we had. Shannon is a student from my indoor classes. She started in the winter with the goal of finding an activity that she could do in spite of some back issues. By spring she had decided to purchase an outdoor bike. Unfortunately she didn't get it home until our weekly rides had increased in difficulty and length. I suggested that she start riding on the trail, gradually increasing distance and time in the saddle until she could do 55 km. At that point she would be able to tag along at the end of the group rides. This summer she attended a handling and rules of the road clinic that I offer to help people make the transition to the road and also learned to repair a flat.

A while ago she wrote to tell me that she had met her 55 km goal so I wasn't surprised to see her this morning. But I was delighted beyond measure by what I saw.

Her form was impeccable. 

Her feel for the bike was obvious. She had never ridden hills so I gave her a quick ninety second talk on cadence and shifting. Her shifting decisions were almost perfect. I had never spoken with her about how to manage a difficult climb but she told me that she was avoiding looking at the top and was riding from point to point. 

She pulled out her own tools when we stopped to make an adjustment to her saddle. I know that sounds normal but, believe me, it isn't. Most people are not self-sufficient. She later told me that she is taking an old bike apart and putting it back together so she can learn how it works. 

She maintained a nice average speed - almost good enough to stick with the slower group on a club ride. Not bad given that it was her first time on the road.

That's all great stuff, but the icing on the cake (bun?) came later. George and l left the parking lot a few minutes after she did. A few kilometres along we saw a car stopped on the shoulder and someone who looked like Shannon bent over near it. We pulled over to see if she needed help. No, she didn't. She had just realized that she had forgotten to do her stretching!

In spite of the small turnout we definitely had fun today. Shannon left with a giant smile on her face and my permission to brag to family and friends. I had the kind of day that is most rewarding to people like me. There is nothing better than the chance to make a difference and work with someone who genuinely wants to improve their skills.

 

Soundtrack for summer

It was a beautiful summer Sunday. Here's a portion of the soundtrack that ran through my head today. No iPod required. I use these artists fairly frequently in my indoor cycling classes.

Choose change

I am anticipating a bigger alteration in my life and lifestyle, at least for the next few months, than I imagined when I first got my cancer diagnosis. The required changes will likely limit my ability to teach indoor cycling in the ways I have done in the past. The effects on my outdoor cycling will be even more significant.

I have, of course, started to think about how to enhance my skill at teaching off my bike indoors. I already do some of that but my students are trained to expect me to spend a lot of my time on a bike in front of them. I need to change their mindset as well as my own. The best way to do that is to ensure that they have positive and positively different experiences when I am doing something the 'new' way.

Yesterday I gained some insights into the potential for both me and them to deal with the changes ahead. I coach a group of my indoor students on weekly rides outdoors. I could not participate on my bike this week. But I really cared that some members of the group receive support on key portions of the route. So I chose to drive my vehicle and meet them at specific points for skill discussions and cheerleading.

Last night I received this email from a woman who had been unsure about whether she should attend the group ride this week because of some challenges in her own life.

Hi Chris,

Thanks so much for your conversation on Friday to set me up with confidence and success for today's bicycle ride. AND today for your before riding talk, checking in with me and others during the ride. My favorite part of the day (other than pub) was cycling up North Mountain. I really was not sure my body could handle the climb. Once I began the climb and got a feel for it, I KNEW I could complete it. Seeing you standing in the middle of the road at the top of NM put a big smile on my face. I could see this tall figure with dress and shawl blowing in the wind taking inventory and good care of all us cyclists.

I was tested today to really trust myself, and follow through with what would be best for me. Thanks for making it so easy.

It didn't matter to her that I was not on a bike and, in fact, I was more effective on several occasions than I might have been if I was riding with the group. It is clear that both my students and I will adapt to the new normal and that we will be enriched by doing so. Once again, change is good. Don't wait for change to be forced on you. Give some thought to doing something different and then do it!

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.

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.

Change is good

Yesterday was my last indoor cycling class until September. For the last two weeks I have been doing student requests but I always knew that I would finish up with a profile of my choice.  I chose to use my profile “What’s Stopping You?". I developed it for use in January to address common obstacles to change, with the idea that it might be helpful for those who had made New Year resolutions. I altered the cueing slightly to reflect how we might respond to change which is forced on us, rather than chosen. 

The end of the warm-up is marked by Rick Danko's song 'Change is Good' and I quote from it again at the end (over the Victory March from Verdi's Aida). The song has become one of my favorites since I stumbled on it in the iTunes store. I am moved by it under ordinary circumstances. Yesterday was anything but ordinary. The room was full and the love and support for me was palpable. It was an emotional experience for all of us.

Here are the lyrics:

Change is then, change is now

Change is what, change is how

Change is this and change is that

Change is where change is at

Change is good

Change is yes, change is no

Change is everywhere you go

Change is right, change is wrong

Change is here, change is gone

Change is good

You can change your life

Find a new way to go

You can change your world

You don't even know

Life's a long road

Lighten up your load

Change is good

You can run but you can't hide

From the things you feel inside

You can laugh or you can cry

Kiss all your tears goodbye

All you got to do

Is try and try you should

Change is good

Change is high, change is low

Changes come and changes go

Change is this and change is that

Change is where change is at

Change is good

You can pine your life away

Let others pass you by

You can climb a mountain high

Like an eagle in the sky

All you got to do

Is try and try you should

Change is good

Change is never done

Something better has begun

A change is gonna come

Change is good

This link is to a static video where you can hear the song performed.