Happy Valentine's Day!

Here is my very special V-Day playlist, enjoy!

1. Love Shack-B52's - 133 bpm, warm up
2. Two Hearts Beat As One- U2 - flat road, 141 bpm
3. Forget You- Cee Lo Green - climbing w/ upper body work, 127 bpm
4. Fell In Love With A Girl- The White Stripes- isolated leg drills, 95 bpm
5. Howlin' For You- The Black Keys- jumps, 133 bpm, keep constant leg speed.
6. Never Tear Us Apart- INXS- heavy climb, 96 bpm
7. Kiss With A Fist- Florence + The Machine- 109 bpm, fast seated flat.
8. Take Me Out- Franz Ferdinand- 105 bpm, another heavy climb.
9. The Sound of Settling- Death Cab for Cutie- fast seated flat, 87 bpm
10. Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever)- Muse- 127 bpm, seated flat, then add on the resistance and up out of the saddle for a standing jog at the chorus. Have a seat, then the standing jog. Repeat this pattern about three times.
11. This Modern Love- Bloc Party- rolling hills, 160 bpm
12. Tremble For My Beloved- Collective Soul- 121 bpm, more rolling hills
13. Let Love Rule- Lenny Kravitz- cool down

How to survive a snowstorm

Atlanta was hit with a crippling snowstorm on January 9, 2011. The weatherman predicted at least 4 inches of snow followed by freezing rain causing the roads to be very hazardous and telling everyone that they aren't going to be able to leave the house for a few days. Well, maybe it was this Florida native's experience of Hurricane preparedness that made me pay close attention to what the weatherman was saying. I stocked up the pantry. Lots of bread and milk. I have to say, my family hadn't eaten this well in a long time. We had spaghetti, homemade soup, fresh baked bread, crockpot stew, fresh baked cookies, etc. My children were out of school for an entire week. That's how bad the roads were. The temperature didn't get above freezing the entire week causing the roads to be covered with ice. I have to admit, I enjoyed being snowed in. Spending time with the family, cooking, baking with my kids, playing in the snow and making hot chocolate when we came back inside. No appointments and no where to be. It was snow week bliss! I enjoyed it so much, I'm ready for the next snowfall, because I just ordered and received this snow toy in the mail: WHAM-O SNOW BOOGIE Skeleton
Yep, I broke down and ordered a sled. We've had so much snow fall this past year it just made sense to order one. I guess I live in a 'Northern Climate' now ;)

New Ride for the New Year

1. Speed Of Sound - Coldplay - warm up
2. Drumming Song - Florence + The Machine - Seated flat.  Pick up the intensity by adding resistance.  Prepare for our first hill.
3. Supermassive Black Hole - Muse - heavy climb, out of saddle for the end.
4. The Sound of Settling - Death Cab for Cutie - fast seated flat.
5. The Ghost Inside - Broken Bells - jumps, up for 4 back for 4 @ 1:00, then for 8:8
6. Tell Me Baby - Red Hot Chili Peppers - 1 minute recovery alternating with 2 minute Jumps on a hill.
7. Howlin' For You - The Black Keys - up at @:58, 4:4, 8:8 @2:00, sit at 2:20
8. A-Punk - Vampire Weekend - fast seated flat.
9. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit, Doctor Werewolf Mix - Establish a seated climb until 3:29. From 3:29-4:29. Prepare for an all out attack just seconds ahead. At 4:29, transition to a standing climb and unleash, increasing cadence for 2 minutes. I count down last 8 beats to end the song.
10. It's My Life - No Doubt - speed drills @ chorus

Cool Down:
Porcelain - Moby
Addicted To Love - Florence + The Machine

$5 Album

New band fresh out of Great Britain. Don't you just love those rockin' Brits?
I'm sure you have heard their hit single "Little Lion Man". Well, this album is $5 for the month of December. Check it out:

♫A Turkey for you, a Turkey for me....♫

No, I didn't play that classic Adam Sandler turkey song in my spin class, perhaps next year ;)  I put together a playlist for Thanksgiving this year and it was a lot of fun. Hope everyone had a wonderful Turkey Day.  Enjoy the playlist!

• Every Day Should Be A Holiday - The Dandy Warhols - Warm-up. Wouldn't this be nice if this song was true?
• Tripping Down the Freeway - Weezer - pick up the pace, fast seated flat. Yep, traveled by car this year, ugghh.
• Holiday - Vampire Weekend - seated flat. "It's the best time of the year!"
• Cousins - Vampire Weekend - fast seated flat, pick up pace @ guitar riff.
• Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran - rolling hills. This song is perfect. I mean, by the time the dinner is finally ready, I'm most definitely hungry like....well, you get it.
• I Wanna Be Sedated - Ramones - fast seated flat. After that big meal, don't we all feel this way?
• Do Nothing Day - Phineas & Ferb Soundtrack - break song. If you are not cooking this is your 'Do Nothing Day'.
• Feeling Good - Muse - heavy climb, out of saddle during chorus. Feeling good after that dinner or not :)
• Chocolate - Snow Patrol - climb, inc. every 30 sec. Who is ready for some chocolate?!
• Charlie Brown's Parents - Dishwalla - add on the gear, @ :45 pick up the pace, out of saddle. Final work song. 'Cause no holiday is complete without a Charlie Brown Special.
• Thank You - Alanis Morissette - climb, inc. resistance every 30 seconds. Lets be thankful, 'cause the next two songs is also entitle Thank You.

Cool Down

• Thank You - Duran Duran (Led Zeppelin Cover)
  
• Thank You - Dido

Halloween is happy fun time!

Oh, how I love Halloween. The candy, the costumes, the beautiful fall weather. I had a lot of fun coming up with this Halloween playlist for my indoor cycling class. I had over an hour of music but had to cut out some songs to fit into a 45 minute class. This playlist has a ghostly theme...enjoy and have a fun and safe Halloween...

Spirits In The Material World: The Police Warm-up

People Are Strange: Echo & the Bunnymen continue with warm-up, then add resistance and begin climb.
Ghost Town: Shiny Toy Guns now we’re ready, sprints at chorus! :57, 2:02, 3:11
Help I'm Alive: Metric 2:00 Standing Climb. 2:30 Seated Climb. Heavy climb.
Popcorn: Muse: fast seated flat, sorry no link for this song, snagged it off the Internet
Devil Inside: INXS Long song, so we go into rolling hills, gradually add resistance then take away, speed down the hill
Little Ghost: The White Stripes break song!
Howlin' For You: The Black Keys up at @:58, stand for 4 counts, then hove for 4 counts @2:00, sit at 2:20, repeat pattern
Time Is Running Out: Muse Start heavy in the saddle for this one for about a minute or so, then stand. When the music picks up, get out of the saddle and hover.
Ghost Inside: Broken Bells more choreography, up for 4 then hover for 4 @ 1:00, then up for 8 counts then hover for 8 counts, repeat.
Is There a Ghost: Band of Horses back to rolling hills, add resistance, then down hill at 1:00, 2:30, then flat road and speed to the end. Wooo!
Cool Down:  
The Imperial March: John Williams
White Demon Love Song: The Killers: The Twilight Saga: New Moon Soundtrack

October Ride

1. 1901 - Phoenix- warm up
2. Ready To Go - Republica- You know what to do with this, sprints at chorus.
3. Short Skirt/Long Jacket - Cake - Climb
4. (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To - Weezer - Sprints at chorus
5. Supermassive Black Hole - Muse - heavy climb. Up out of the saddle and continue climb.
6. Song 2 - Blur- jump out of the saddle at woohoo!
7. The Brits are Playing at My House - Faroff- Break song or you can keep up the pace. This song is a mash-up of the Beatles, The Kinks, and LCD Soundsystem.
8. Blitzkreig Bop - Ramones- fast seated flat
9. Undisclosed Desires - Muse- climb, out of the saddle at :49, stand/hover at the count of 4's. Sit at 1:22. Up at 1:55, repeat stand/hover. Sit, stand at 3:02, then sit.
10. I Will Follow - U2 - fast seated flat, slow at 2:04, climb a little hill, then 2:42, take away gear and shoot down that hill.
11. Somebody Told Me - The Killers - Last work song. Sprints at chorus, race to the finish line.
12. Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap - Love this song! This is your finale. Imagine yourself on the Pacific Coast Hwy. Wind in your hair, beautiful day. Speed up at chorus. Imagine resistance against the wind, pick up the pace.
13. Imagine - John Lennon - in honor of his birthday, begin cool down.
14. We're Going To Be Friends - The White Stripes - continue cool down. This is one of favorite White Stripes songs.

Covers

I did something fun in my last class that I subbed. I scoured my massive music library and found lots of cover tunes. I created a playlist of songs covered by modern day bands. Some songs were well known, some obscure, but it was fun to guess who the original artist was. I also included a bit of trivia for each of the songs: So here is my cover play list:

1. L.A. Woman - Billy Idol - The Doors, 1971 - warm-up
2. Higher Ground - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stevie Wonder, 1973 - jump out of the saddle during chorus. 3:12 - Sprint! Woo!
3. Mrs. Robinson- Lemonheads - Simon and Garfunkel,1968 - seated flat, fast pace.
4. Good Times/Bad Times, Cracker - Encomium: Tribute to Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin, 1969 - climb
5. The Boys Of Summer - The Ataris - Don Henley, comp. Tom Petty 1984 - sprints at chorus
6. Feeling Good - Muse - 1964 musical, The Roar of Greasepaint-the Smell of the Crowd - heavy climb....many artists have covered or sampled this song.
7. I'm A Believer - Weezer - composed by Neil Diamond, recorded by The Monkees, 1966 - fast seated flat.
8. Major Tom - Shiny Toy Guns - Peter Shilling, 1983, based on fictional character by D. Bowie, 1969 - Rest for 20 seconds, take a drink, and give your shoulders a roll. Seated flat then on the count down 4, 3, 2, 1, we are up during the chorus. Sit down in between then hover and sprint last minute of the song.
9. Gone Daddy Gone/I Just Want To Make Love To You - Gnarls Barkley - Violent Femmes, 1983 - sprints at chorus
10. It's My Life - No Doubt- Talk, Talk, 1984 - Finale, make it count, speed it up at chorus.
11. Dancing Days - Stone Temple Pilots - Encomium: Tribute to Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin, 1973 - begin cool down
12. Don't Dream It's Over - Sixpence None the Richer (Smallville soundtrack) - Crowded House, 1987
13. We're Going To Be Friends - Jack Johnson - orig. The White Stripes, 2002
14. Time After Time - Eva Cassidy (Smallville soundtrack) - Cyndi Lauper, 1983