Fade Into Darkness: Endurance Ride 542

For the first time in three+ years, we’ll be getting back into ENDURANCE indoor cycling classes at the local YMCA! These extended 90-minute classes are a love / hate thing for me…getting the profile and playlist together takes so much time (more than twice as much time and effort than a standard 45-minute class) and class numbers tend to be lower than a 45-60-minute class, but it’s such a great mind-body fitness experience. That “second wind” energy burst in the final 30 minutes is awesome.

More of these ride profile & playlists to come through March. Until then, enjoy this mix of extended tracks from Avicii to Zedd, with classics by Styx, Madonna, Ed Sheeran, Santana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Doors, and more…

A little more about the 2-track Leg drill: From start to finish, this is just under 14 minutes of deep house tunes. The first minute is all seated. Each of the following 60-second segments switches from seated time to standing time…in 5-second increments, like this:

• 1st segment – all 60 seconds seated,
• 2nd – 5 sec standing/55 sec seated,
• 3rd – 10 sec standing/50 sec seated,
• 4th – 15 sec standing/45 sec seated,
• 5th – 20 sec standing/40 sec seated,
• 6th – 25 sec standing/35 sec seated,
• 7th – 30 sec standing/30 sec seated (half way…),
• 8th – 35 sec standing/25 sec seated,
• 9th – 40 sec standing/20 sec seated,
• 10th – 45 sec standing/15 sec seated,
• 11th – 50 sec standing/10 sec seated,
• 12th – 55 sec standing/5 sec seated,
• 13th and last segment – all 60 seconds standing!

Summary ride profile & playlist:

• Warm-up w/ sprint internals (3x): Fade Into Darkness / Avicii (~6 min)
• Stage 1 seated flat: In Search Of Mona Lisa / Santana (~5 min)
• Stage 2 seated hill: Californication / Red Hot Chili Peppers (~5 min)
• Stage 3 seated/standing hill: Follow You Down / Zedd, Bright Lights (~6 min)
• Extended quick run: Go (Bart Skils Remix) / Moby, Bart Skils (~9 min)
• Extended progressive hill climb: Riders on the Storm / The Doors (~7 min)
• Leg drill (alt seated/standing)-part 1: Moan / trentemoller (~7 min)
• Leg drill-(alt seated/standing) part 2: Cola (Club Mix) / CamelPhat, Elderbrook (~7 min)
• Steady state flat: Ray of Light / Madonna (~5 min)
• Baseline climb: This Wild Darkness / Moby (~3 min)
• Intense combo (alt seated/standing) hill: Renegade / Styx (~4 min)
• Quick sprints: Push / A-Trak, Andrew Wyatt (~4 min)
• Progressive climb: Bloodstream / Ed Sheeran (~5 min)
• Mixed terrain: Drive / Black Coffee, David Guetta (~3 min)
• Progressive intensity: Pilgrim / Fink (~7 min)
• Quick seated run: Smokin’ / Boston (~4 min)
• Cool-down & stretch (w/ one last burst of speed at 3:19!): Sunday / Foals (~6 min)

On Spotify:

On YouTube:

SPin the news:

“Cycling back pain is a common complaint among all kinds of riders. The lower back can gradually become stiffer and more uncomfortable as long rides go on…We recommend you seek professional help if your cycling back pain is chronic. But if it’s the occasional niggle, then we have some expert advice that could help.”

Lower-back pain from cycling | What causes cycling back pain and how to prevent it

Preventative measures to keep your spine healthy and free from discomfort

https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/fitness-and-training/lower-back-pain-cycling/

PRO TIPS: (see the full article for resources and credits)

• “Hough also states that desk jobs can exacerbate lower-back pain. You should stand up and move every half an hour when working in the office or from your desk at home.“
• Low cycling cadence is another potential cause. So be careful if you’re training to become a hill climbing star.
• Potts says getting your bike saddle height right is crucial for reducing the chances of back pain when cycling.
• Cranking up training too fast can cause cycling back pain. To avoid early-season over-use injuries, Andy Wadsworth suggests initially riding at a high cadence and low resistance, and only increase training mileage by 10 per cent a week, gradually building to goal mileage.
• “Bianca Broadbent explains: A strong core will optimise your ability to produce power because you will have a more solid base. Core musculature is not just limited to the abdominals. It includes the spinal extensors in your back, leg muscles, such as your glutes, and the deep postural muscles that work at lower thresholds for longer periods of time to help maintain a stable position. All of these muscles contribute to core strength.”
• “If symptoms are severe or unresponsive, seek medical advice, he says. And, if any of the risk factors associated with serious problems are present, this should happen sooner rather than later.”
• “You need to incorporate core stability, flexibility and conditioning drills into your training to make your time in the saddle more comfortable, says Paula Coates, author of Back Pain: Exercise Yourself to Health. Paula suggests carrying out a combination of…exercises on a regular basis to help avoid back pain from cycling. Mix and match…exercises and stretches in a simple 20-minute workout twice a week, and in just a month you will see noticeable improvements.”