Energia Magica An Epic Climb Audio Master Class

Transcription

1 Audio Master Class Created By: Jennifer Sage, ICA Master Instructor Ride Objective: One Epic climb, using visualization techniques Working intensity: Zones 3-5a Class Length: 60 minutes Profile Description This profile is called, which is Spanish for Magical Energy. It is what I refer to as a long grind, one long continuous climb. The climb itself is based on the profile below, which is is the Col de la Forclaz in the northern Alpes of France. It is 8km (5 miles) with an average grade of 8.1%. It is often used in the Tour de France, and is one of the steepest climbs in the region, with segments as steep as 13% according to this profile (but I ve seen 15% on some reports, and I ll vouch that my altimeter said 15% when I climbed it). Cyclists come from all over the world to add this climb to their list of challenges, and anyone who has climbed the Col de la Forclaz has earned the right to be very proud. It s a bugger. In the profile below, the red is the steepest part, over 10% grade. To put that in perspective, a car would have to shift down to 1 st gear to make it up. 10% is very steep; 13%, therefore, is very, very steep. The yellow is the next steepest, from 8-10%. Ouch. To put that in perspective, the higher end of that range can cause many cyclists to get off their bikes and walk. Blue is next at 6-8%. The low end of this range is considered not too strenuous, but 7.9%, that s another story. Some of the hardest climbs of the Tour de France average 7.9%. Green is the easiest. Obviously, the ease with which one climbs a mountain is relative to one s strength, muscular endurance, skill, weight, and of course, the lightness and gearing of the bike. But truly, the deciding factor in success is one s mental toughness. COPYRIGHT 2011 JENNIFER SAGE AND INDOOR CYCLING ASSOCIATION

2 Objective The focus of this ride is mental and emotional. It is potentially an overwhelming experience and may lead your students to an amazing realization of their own ability and power. I guarantee, you won t ever forget this ride! And neither will your students. As you probably know, the most challenging task for most cyclists is to make it up an epic, steep, long climb. Many cyclists fear climbs. I ll be honest, they can be daunting and painful; they can cause great anxiety, and they can crush your confidence. They can be the reason that a new cyclist gives up the sport if the experience of their first challenging climb is negative. The pain one feels on the most difficult parts of a climb can be referred to as a sufferfest. As a cyclist, you train your strength, your endurance, your technique and smooth pedal stroke, and your ability to relax, but I ll tell you what separates the successful ones from the ones that turn around. It s their mental toughness and their ability to tap into the mind-body connection. That mental edge gets them through the sufferfest. Why do cyclists even do this to themselves? Part of it is the proverbial cliché answer to the question Why did you climb the mountain? Because it was there. But there s even more to it than that, including the personal reward of overcoming what seems almost impossible; the elation of doing more, far more, than you ever thought you could do; the indescribable joy of overcoming adversity and emerging even stronger. Many cyclists will even describe the act of ascending a major climb as a spiritual endeavor, especially when it is through majestic landscapes. All of this is part of why we point our bikes uphill against gravity, even on a 13% grade, and not only take on the sufferfest but get to the point where we seek it out. For those of you who don t ride a bike outside, this class is an attempt to bring that experience to you. If you re not a cyclist, you can draw from other experiences as well, such as hiking uphill in a national park, skiing, mountaineering or rock climbing. Any outdoor experience like that can place you into the scene I m describing. Cyclists use a variety of mental tools to succeed at epic climbs. They focus on their breath, on the present moment, on their connection with the bike, on relaxing while they pedal, and more. But today, we re going to focus on a technique that many cyclists use, sometimes even unconsciously, and that s to tap into the energy around you. When you do it consciously, it is an amazing experience. Sounds a bit esoteric I know, but tell me this have you ever been hiking or riding through a pine forest? It has a totally different feel from a deciduous forest, right? How about the peacefulness of an aspen grove? Ever walked though eucalyptus trees, or chestnut trees? Each is a different world. Have you climbed a rocky trail in the desert? How about above tree line, or along a rushing stream or next to a mountain lake? Even different types of rock have a different aura to them granite, limestone, sandstone. If you ve ever hiked the Grand Canyon you know exactly what I m talking about. It doesn t matter if it s on foot or on a bike, you can sense the difference in energy. It s not just a visual difference, it s something you pick up with your kinesthetic sense. COPYRIGHT 2011 JENNIFER SAGE AND INDOOR CYCLING ASSOCIATION 2

3 Every landscape, every ecosystem, every microclimate has a different vibration. If you do a long hike or ride that actually passes through several ecosystems, you have an awareness of this change as you hike or ride. It s remarkable. When you realize that you can actually tap into that energy to help you climb, to feel more alive, you can use it to energize yourself and to overcome the desire to stop or turn around when the challenge becomes great. That is what we re going to do on this climb. Through imagery and focus, we re going to connect with that magical energy arising from our surroundings, from the landscape, to help us get up this challenging climb. The music is an important part of this profile, because it represents the different energies you will encounter. The songs simulate the various ecosystems you ride through. The landscapes will speak to you through the music. Therefore, song selection is crucial to this profile. I have presented this profile using the songs that I feel represent the landscape I m describing, as well as songs that have an emotional or spiritual quality. I cannot imagine this ride being successful with mainstream songs with a lot of lyrics. Sure, you can climb for an hour with that music and have a great time climbing, but it will necessarily have a different purpose and outcome. You re unlikely to attain the revelatory experience that a climb to music like this achieves. In a way, it is like a path to cyclist s enlightenment. Nevertheless, if these songs do not work for you, you must choose songs that do. My suggestion is to look for the emotional quality of music, songs with very few lyrics, lots of drums, with a focus on rhythm over beat, and finish with a song that has a symphonic powerful climax. The reality of this climb, and the intensity: Keeping it Real! A 5-mile climb with an average 8% grade would take a relatively good cyclist (not elite) about minutes. That equates to 6-7 mph, even slower on the steepest parts. That gives you even more perspective on the steepness, doesn t it? A cyclist faced with this climb will strive to stay below threshold as much as possible to maximize the potential for success too much time spent over threshold and you might find yourself stopping or turning around (or taking well over an hour to complete it), or simply suffering beyond what is normal. Also, most cyclists would stay seated for as much as possible; as standing up spikes the heart rate, but that is very dependent on the style of riding for that individual. There are variations in steepness along the entire ride, and you can stand when needed, or just for occasional breaks. I use the music to inspire the class to rise out of the saddle. The intensity is hard to very hard. Cadence should never fall below 55 rpm. A few tips on teaching this profile Announce it a few weeks in advance, perhaps do it as a special class. If one long climb is new to them, prepare for a month with progressively longer climbing segments. Print out the profile and post it on the walls or give it to students If you have more time, add another song as a warm-up Make sure everyone knows what to expect: one long climb, lots of time to focus, lots of imagery. If they aren t used to music of this genre, don t let it be a surprise. They need to know the music has a very specific purpose. COPYRIGHT 2011 JENNIFER SAGE AND INDOOR CYCLING ASSOCIATION 3

4 Speak softly when coaching a ride like this. Your voice quality is very important to the overall experience. (Therefore a mic is necessary) Be comfortable with silence. COPYRIGHT 2011 JENNIFER SAGE AND INDOOR CYCLING ASSOCIATION 4

5 The warm-up, to the bottom of the climb 1 st Song: Stella (Nalin & Kane mix), Jam and Spoon, by DJ Dave Ralph, 13:34 [I would recommend spending a little time explaining what I discussed in the introduction. Perhaps on a handout, perhaps during an additional pre-class song you put at the beginning to extend your warm-up.] Welcome to a magical experience!, means Magical Energy. This is what I call a long grind, a ride up a hill that isn t over until it s over. Once our front wheel turns upward, it won t let up until the end it s always going to be higher than our rear wheel. Our warm-up is fairly short. Begin on a flat road, connect with the road underneath your wheel, feel that sensation of resistance on your pedals, even though it s flat. This first song is 13 ½ minutes long it takes us from the valley to the bottom of the climb. Here on the flat part, don t lock into the beat of the song quite yet, let your legs spin as you warm up. This is a very special song; you re going to see why in a little bit. See that profile of this climb on the wall? See that red at the bottom? That indicates a very steep hill 11%. Mother Nature wasn t very kind on this particular climb it starts very abruptly, 6 minutes into our ride. As we approach, you ll see there is a gradual segment at the bottom. Let s start increasing the hill and add a little resistance every minute or so. On this long, beautiful climb, I m gong to ask you to use your imagination and your visualization skills. We re going to be climbing up through varied landscapes, passing through several ecosystems. Everything we pass, all the vegetation, the rocks, trees, a river, and up at the top above treeline, will be talking to us, lending us energy to help make it up. You are going to feel alive on this climb, even though it will become very steep at times. I m going to tell you how to make it through those steep parts by utilizing the energy of the landscape around you. This song uses a technique called layering. Each instrument, each musical technique, represents the energy of various trees and rocks. As we get into the climb, I m going to ask you to lock into one of those layers, something that helps you turn the pedals. Pay attention now, it s about to get steep. [Instructors: right at 5:10 in the song, there s a break, and then it begins again with the underlying rhythm, and then one by one, different layers will be added. Indicate to your students what s happening in the song]: - (At 5:13 ) There s the first layer, that s the rhythm - The voices are added on top of that - (At 5:27) the percussion is added - (At 5:42) the snare drum begins. Hear that? That s the next layer. COPYRIGHT 2011 JENNIFER SAGE AND INDOOR CYCLING ASSOCIATION 5

6 Get Ready! That means the steep part is about to hit! - At 5:57) the drums come in that s when you turn it up and stand up It s steep here! 11%! But only for 1-1 ½ minutes. Manage your intensity though, you can t spend much time above your threshold so early you may not make it to the top if you do. Let the percussion, or rhythm or whatever layer of the song that you tuned in with, let it help you turn those pedals over. Each instrument represents the energy of the trees around you. [Instructors: after about 1.5 minutes, sit back down, back it off just a little (it s still steep but not as bad). Over the rest of the song you ll spend a lot of time in silence. If needed, stand up for brief periods. But tell them this story part way up]: We ve never ridden this climb before. We read about it in cycling magazines, we saw the profile, and talked to some other cyclists who have done it, and asked for their advice. We know it s one of the most challenging climbs in the region, as well as one of the most beautiful. We decided to purposely take on this challenge; we drove out of our way to come here, JUST for this climb. When we asked the other cyclists about it, they shook their heads, patted us on the back and said, Good luck! but they did give us some tips: relax, take our time, and most importantly, DON T GIVE UP! They told us to be prepared for that middle part don t expend too much energy before that or we might not make it through! It s 1-½ miles of brutalness. So it s you and me together. Just the two of us. We are now committed. We ve now been climbing for 6 minutes, and we re past that very tough start. There is no giving up, no turning back. Are you with me? I m making a pact with you that I won t give up. Will you make that pact with me? Good, because we re about to ride into a canyon Our goal through this climb is to use all of the mind-body tools we can to help get through this climb. To find our connection with the road, and with our bikes, and with our surroundings. Song #2 Stranglehold, Ted Nugent. 8:25 At every point in this ride, our front wheel is higher than our rear wheel. The road now rises up into a narrow canyon. The sheer rock walls close in on us. It s a little claustrophobic, but the rocks protect us from the wind, they provide shade if its hot, they provide heat if its chilly because they absorb the heat of the sun and then give it back up to you as you pass. This song represents the energy of the rock. It s a rock and roll song, with it s own layering. Use the drums, use the rhythm guitar, or the louder lead guitar, whatever it is that helps you that inspires you as you climb. [Instructors, talk early in this song, use the instrumental second half to focus in silence. Then at 6:50 in the song, the rocks actually talk to you you can use the analogy of drawing the energy from the music, from the landscape. Listen to the lyrics, repeat them to your students]: COPYRIGHT 2011 JENNIFER SAGE AND INDOOR CYCLING ASSOCIATION 6

7 Come on, come on come on, come on come on, come on, come on baby. Those are the rock walls urging you one. They want you to succeed! They don t want you to fail! Then when the music picks up, get them out of the saddle, stay up for seconds, then sit back down to the end. Just before the song ends, say: As we leave the rock walls, you re going to feel a different energy. This next song represents the sound of a rushing stream and of the wind in the trees. Song #3, S.U.N. Project 7:14 As we emerge from the canyon, the landscape opens up to a forest. The road is lined with trees, not very dense, we can see the mountain peaks on either side towering over us. We know that this road summits at a pass between these two mountain ridges on either side. Not far from the road we re on is a mountain stream, rushing downhill. It is moving quickly because it s going down the hill that you are ascending! Yikes, that must be steep! As it rushes downhill, it gives up some of its energy to you. Take advantage of it! Because water is magical energy. Water carves through rock. Water creates canyons and valleys. Water can destroy. And water can give life. No obstacle gets in the way of water. When it encounters an obstacle, it finds a way around it. I want you to be like that stream. Your obstacle is gravity. Let s find a way around it, by yielding, just like the water does. This song is called, Magical Energy. It represents the part of the road that is a little less steep, only 6.5%, the blue part of the profile before the steepest, hardest part. This is where you will need to accumulate as much energy as possible, store it as potential energy, for the sufferfest to come. Listen, the song will actually talk to you. [Instructors: At 3:10 in the song, listen to the words (turn the song up for a moment if you can), then translate the Spanish for them.] Transformemos con el pensamiento. Tu energia puede ser magica. Tu energia. Let us transform ourselves with our thoughts. Your Energy can be Magical! Your ENERGY! Wow. This song really exemplifies what we re experiencing on this ride. [At 5:38 She speaks to us again.] In magic, we can encounter the spiritual COPYRIGHT 2011 JENNIFER SAGE AND INDOOR CYCLING ASSOCIATION 7

8 [Then let them focus for the rest of the song. Try to keep them seated in their intense focus. If they need an explanation of why (you can tell if they need to stand a lot), you can add:] Why do we stay seated? We have to conserve our energy for the most difficult part that is ahead, where we ll have to stand up whether we want to or not. It is here where we gather the energy from the stream, the trees, the rocks. Here in the saddle where we are most efficient. Truly, if you were really on this mountain pass, you would do most of it seated, keeping your standing to a minimum. Song #4 Aeterna, Clint Mansell (Paul Oakenfold Mix) 6:50 [As soon as this song starts, tell them that the song is an amazing representation of extreme challenge and overcoming adversity. You can even feel the pain in the song, in the sound of the violins. It gets very intense, very powerful. Instructors, know this song well, and use the intense parts of the song to represent your hill.] Our cyclist friends told us we would know when the steep part was approaching. There would be a rock formation and a wide turn to the right, then bam! It would be in our face. We re going to try to stay seated even as the road rises sharply, at least for a few minutes. Mother Nature is dishing this out to you. The earth is rising up here, the rocks jut up on either side, the trees are swaying. You know if you were in your car, you d be in first gear! This should be the most challenging hill you can ride while still maintaining a cadence of around rpm. You may have to pull on the handlebars a little bit, that s ok, but don t let it ruin your form; don t contort yourself. You have good climbing gears on this bike! Manage the climb. [When the violins go (the painful sounding ones) at 2:33, you ll stand up for about 20 seconds. Then sit back down briefly. At 3:18, the song will break, then you stand up with the drums and the bass. This is the steepest part. Watch their form. This should be the hardest hill they ever ride in your class. They ll stand for a little over a minute until the violins start again. Then sit back down. During this standing segment, this is what you tell them. Emphasize the Now :] Your good form is paramount. Your focus is paramount. Put everything you have into those pedal strokes! NOW is when you must dig into your reserves. NOW is when you must unleash that potential energy that you possess. NOW is when you reveal what you re made of. NOW is when you prove to yourself that you are unstoppable. NOW is when you silence the doubters, including yourself. I think it s time now to thank the rocks, the trees, the river, for lending you their power, because NOW is when you re using it. NOW is when you uncover your magnificence. This is the NEW YOU. Nothing gets in your way not even gravity. COPYRIGHT 2011 JENNIFER SAGE AND INDOOR CYCLING ASSOCIATION 8

9 Then have them sit back down. With about 1 minute left to the song, stand back up. But with 10 seconds left, sit back down without touching the resistance knob. This is the last steep part..and you then emerge into the mystic. Song #5 Into the Mystic, Van Morrison 3:30 Not many words are needed for this song. It represents how wonderful you feel when you ve made it through a considerable challenge. Sure, there s more ahead, but compared to what we just rode through, it s nothing! Let them revel in what they ve done and sail into the mystic for about 3 minutes, easing up on the climb for now, enjoying it while it lasts. Repeat the words to them: Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic. Song #6: Straight to the Heart, Sina Vogjani 7:36 This song represents the yellow segment on the profile near the top, still challenging at 7-9%, but a bit of a respite from that super steep part we experienced earlier. You feel empowered, now that you ve made it through the toughest part. You say to yourself, Bring it on! I can do that, I can do anything! This is where we are going to ride together and empower each other. I want you to imagine that it s just you and me on this road. Two of us on this epic climb, on this epic adventure. We re not going to talk as we climb, it s too special, almost spiritual, and besides, we need our breath. There is a lot of unspoken communication between cyclists; we understand perfectly what the other is experiencing; we ll work together in silence. The personality of the landscape has changed again. We are above tree line. There are wildflowers and snowcapped peaks like skyscrapers above us. Ahead, we can see the pass that we are climbing to, between the two mountain ridges. The finish is about a mile away, looming above us. This is a beautiful, peaceful song to climb to. It is an entirely different kind of energy than anything we ve ridden to so far. I m in front now, I m going to set the pace. It s still steep at 8-9%, so cadence is slower on this tough hill (around rpm). After a minute, you re going to take the lead. I ll be behind you, drawn up the hill by your power, by your energy. This is how cyclists share the load, share their energy. Every minute we ll change places. Instructors, you can have them stand for 5-15 seconds each time you change leads. But most should be seated, and most in silence. You are approaching that last red segment, another 13% grade. So you know you must save a little for the end. COPYRIGHT 2011 JENNIFER SAGE AND INDOOR CYCLING ASSOCIATION 9

10 Song #7: Preliator, Globus 4:28 This final song represents the majesty of the wide-open mountains. It s very dramatic. You are riding past a high-mountain lake. It reflects the ridges of the craggy mountain peaks peeking up out of the snow. There are glaciers spilling down the rock face. Glaciers are alive, they are breathing. Can you imagine the energy or the vibration that they can give you? This last segment is steep, just as steep as that middle part 13% - but our adrenaline and power drive us upward. We know it s hard, but it doesn t register. We see the top and nothing stops us! [Instructors, use the power and drama of the song to get them through the 13% segment. Stay seated the first 1:45.] The song is like a symphonic and orchestral and choral film score infused with a new age element. It s like the powerful height of a film score. That screenplay is about YOU! That movie is your story. 13%? I can manage 13%! Look what I ve done already! [When the choral voices start at 1:45 stand up for 30 seconds. Sit down at 2:14. Then at 3:07, stand up again. This time stay up until the powerful part softens. Use your skills as a motivating instructor:] I can t believe what you ve become! You are not the same person that started this climb! There s the top. You can see it, right there in front of you! It s like you re possessed, driving that bike against gravity. [When the symphonic part of the song ends, roll the bike over the top as the beautiful part of the song continues softly.] Remove the hill as you roll over the top of this summit. This is where you are rewarded with the expansive, spectacular view to the other side. It was more than worth the pain and the challenge! In fact, it s amazing how quickly we forget pain, and how swiftly it is replaced by a sense of wonder and awe at what we are truly capable of doing. Yes, you can always, always do more than you think you can! Right?! Cool down: Heat, Balligomingo 4:36 Now We Are Free, Gladiator Soundtrack 4:14 You did it! You can now consider yourself unstoppable. You now have the tools to overcome any daunting challenge. This one was only about 50 minutes, but you can use those same techniques to overcome any adversity, whether it s 2 minutes, 2 hours, or 2 days. COPYRIGHT 2011 JENNIFER SAGE AND INDOOR CYCLING ASSOCIATION 10

11 Take this experience with you, share it with others. Use this skill, not just in your indoor cycling classes, but anytime you re faced with a challenge. You ve learned how to borrow energy when you need it, but now it s time to pay it back. In fact, you can pay it forward as well! [Instructors, make sure you stretch your students out very well after such a hard climb. Include stretches for the hamstrings, calves, quads, hip flexors, and the deep hip rotators.] I hope you enjoyed! It brings me a lot of joy to share my most magical rides with you. If you would like me to come to your club and present this ride as a Master Class (or any other profile) please contact me at Jennifer@indoorcyclingassociation.com COPYRIGHT 2011 JENNIFER SAGE AND INDOOR CYCLING ASSOCIATION 11

12 Quick Profile Created by Jennifer Sage Training Type: Epic Climb Working HR Zones: High Zone 3/Zone 4/Zone 5a Total Class Length: 60 minutes 1 st song: Stella 13:34 5 minutes to warm-up. Gradually adding more resistance as you increase. At 6:00 stand up on the steep lower part of the hill for minutes. Then sit back down. 2 nd song: Stranglehold 8:25 The song represents the sheer rock walls of a narrow canyon. The rocks protect you. They talk to you to encourage you and give you your energy. 3 rd song: The title song representing the energy of the river and the trees. Your energy can be magical! 4 th song: Aeternal 6:50 This is the steepest, hardest part. The song represents pain, challenge. Stand occasionally for seconds, using the song to describe the road. 5 th song: Into the Mystic 3:30 This represents the relief after the toughest part. Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic. We know there s more to come 6 th song: Straight to the heart 7:36 You work together, alternating leads to set the pace in silence. You are now above tree line, with a mountain lake and glaciers giving you energy. 7 th song: Preliator 4:28 Powerful representation of the final push to the top, 13%. Majestic peaks all around, rewarded with an expansive view over the top. Cool Down/Stretch COPYRIGHT 2011 JENNIFER SAGE AND INDOOR CYCLING ASSOCIATION 12

13 Playlist and music sources Song, Artist, CD, song length 1 st Song: Stella (Nalin & Kane mix), Jam and Spoon, by DJ Dave Ralph, 13:34 Available on Amazon (full cd) or ebay. Song #2: Stranglehold, Ted Nugent, Spinning Vol 8, 8:25 cd only emusic: The Best of Ted Nugent (album only) itunes Song #3:, S.U.N. Project, Macrophage 7:26 emusic, Song #4: Aeterna, Clint Mansell (Paul Oakenfold Mix), Requiem for a Dream Remixed 6:50 This version is hard to find. The shorter original version 3:54, is on itunes and many other sites. But the Paul Oakenfold version (much better) can be found on Youtube (search for Requiem for a Dream). If you Google Aeterna Paul Oakenfold mix you ll find some other sites. You ll have to do what you feel comfortable with. You also might find the Requiem for a Dream remixes on ebay. Song #5: Into the Mystic, Van Morrison 3:30 itunes, many other music sites Song #6: Straight to the Heart, Sina Vodjani, Best of Sina Vodjani 7:36 emusic. Also available on Buddha Bar (I believe it s Vol 1? That is not on emusic). Song #7: Preliator, Globus, Epicon 4:28 emusic (you re going to want to download a lot more of their powerful songs as well) Song #8: Heat, Balligomingo, Beneath the Surface 4:36 emusic Song #9: Now We Are Free, Gladiator Soundtrack 4:14 itunes, Amazon COPYRIGHT 2011 JENNIFER SAGE AND INDOOR CYCLING ASSOCIATION 13