Moms and Dads looking to add health to their children's summer holidays by Baz Moffat

This week the Pedal Studio will be hosting some keen Junior Rowers who are taking part in a cross - training week before school starts.

Former British Rowers Baz Moffat and Carla Ashford have set up Point2Fitness.co.uk in Putney - a personal training company. They are using their knowledge and experience of training and racing at the highest level to put the teenagers through their paces. The week combines sessions from the worlds of Rugby, Rowing, Martial Arts, Cycling and Dance to provide a thorough work out.

The group will be using the Pedal Studio to explore the world of team cycling and also use the heart rate monitors to look at pacing and working in the right zones - a challenge for the fly and die approach, typical of many keen young athletes.

Pedal Studio baby - James Edmondson

We have some very exciting Pedal Studio news. We have had our first Pedal Studio Baby ! Congratulations to Gill and her husband. Those of you spinning regularly must have noticed Gill and she kindly wrote a lovely article about being pregnant and spinning in our last news letter. I had to chuckle she was even watching her HR during the delivery – good girl - and had a fantastic delivery...this is from Gill.

Hi Andrew,

I am pleased to announce the arrival of the first Pedal Studio baby! James Edmondson arrived on Tuesday morning at 11.25am, weighing 7lbs 3oz after 30 hours labour!! I think I did 4 Spinning classes last week with my last one on Sunday. So less than 24 hours after my last Spin class, I started contractions and 48 hours later I was a proud (and tired) Mum. Baby is perfect in every way and I'm recovering pretty rapidly which I am sure is down to my staying fit.

Thanks to all at the pedal studio for keeping me sane and fit (by the way, my HR never went higher than 68 throughout ardous labour process much to the amazement of the midwives!!).

I look forward to getting back on my bike and into the Studio though I think it will be a good few weeks still before I can tolerate a bike saddle!!!

Gill

Meet Anna - one of our Pedal Studio Riders

I just wanted to let you know that I've really enjoyed the sessions I've attended so far at Pedal Studio and I'm starting to feel an improvement on the road as well.

On 28th June I took part in the Capital to Coast bike ride, raising funds for the Down's Syndrome Association. 60 miles from London to Hove. It was really great - for once I didn't have to worry about the traffic, the route had some amazing views (and a few hills too!), organisation was great and the road not too crowded, pure enjoyment.

This was probably the most I've ever done on my bike, so I was a bit worried at first, but I managed 4 hours, including some breaks, at a comfortable pace and average heart rate in the green zone. Yes, once you get used to them zones, you can't do without them!

Spin classes have really helped me in achieving that, not only getting fitter but also learning how to control my pace. Setting the goal in turn motivated me to keep going regularly, great combination.

And thanks again for the recommendations - I did a session with Pat Leahy and had a chat with him about training. While I'm not sure if I'll be able to train with them regularly, I'm thinking about doing the Vo2max test to finally know for sure where the different zones really are, really interesting stuff.

Cheers
Anna

ps. I really recommend this ride - registrations for 2010 are already open: www.capitaltocoast.org.uk

Aileen Anderson – Semi Pro MTB rider writes exclusively for Pedal Studio

Aileen is going to be a regular contributor to the blog so watch out for her posts in the next couple of weeks...check out her impressive ride record below


Mountain Bike/Off Road Duathlon/Triathlon Racing Results:

2009: Xterra Italy 31 May 2009 (7th in category) Qualification for World Championships, Maui 3h35:13
2009: Mudman spring: March 09: 7.5km/15km/7.5km (1st female; 7th overall) - 2h07:41
2009: Monsterman Duathlon 3: 4 miles / 12 miles / 4 miles (1st female) - 2h20:35
2009: Ice man: February 09: 10km/15km/5km Run (2nd female; 14th overall) - 01h54:08
2008: Monsterman Duathlon 1: 4 miles / 12 miles / 4 miles (1st female) - 2h23:19
2008 : Mudman winter : November 08: 7.5km/15km/7.5km (1st female; 22nd overall - 02h11:45
2008: Cheakamus Challenge, BC, Canada (70km) (5th female; 2nd in age cat) - 4h50
2008: 24 Hours of Hell in Paradise, Hawaii (lap race) (1st female (solo rider) - 12 laps
2008: Sabaru Sani To C (3 day stage race 70km a day) (5th in mixed team cat) - 11h22
2008: Stellenbosch Mountain Bike Challenge 2008 (66km) (13th female) - 04h05:16
2008: Pick n Pay Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna MTB (85km) (8th female; 104 overall) - 03h53:01
2008: K-Way Krakadouw MTB Classic (80km) (54th overall) - 04h10:30
2008: Robertson Winery MTB Challenge (42km) (1st female; 24th overall) - 02h45:05
2008: X-Roads Sprint Triathlon (4th female) - 1h20:08
2007: Animal Hell and Back (2 day stage race) (70th overall; 5th female) - 6h48
2007: Ceres Eselfontein MTB 70km (4th female) - 4h32
2007: Gravity Festival 30km (2nd Female; 13th overall) - 1h26
2007: Stellenbosch MTB Challenge (3rd Female) - 3h53
2007: Dewdale Classic 50km (3rd female) - 2h20
2007: Knysna 85km MTB (11th female) - 4h01
2007: Absa Hex Valley Autumn Splendor 55km (2nd female) - 2h31
2007: Krakadouw 80km (3rd female)
2007: Cape Epic 2007: 8 day stage race (10th mixed; 89th overall) - 45h37
2006: GM 180 Cederberg Challenge 3-day stage race (201km) (3rd mixed team) - 10h13
2006:Lourensford Mountain Bike Classic (56km) (2nd female) - 3h48
2006: Porcupine Ride Franschoek challenge (40 km) (2nd female) - 2h28
2006: Karoo to Coast (100km) (7th female, 4th in age cat) - 4h14
2006: Anatomic Mast Challenge (11km climb) (Fastest female rider) - 00h58
2006: Stellenbosch mountain bike race (55km) (3rd female, 2nd in age cat) - 3h18
2006: Mount Rozier Challenge (80km) (2nd female, 1st in age cat) - 4h36
2006: Cape Epic 2006 (Official finishers)

Adventure racing results

2008: Overall series winners: Quantum Adventures Sprint Series (1st overall female team)
2008: Quantum Adventures Sprint Race 3 (Team BMC) (1st female; 12th overall) - 2h08:00
2008: Swazi-Extreme 250km Adventure Race(Team event) DNF: navigation error
2008: Quantum Adventures Sprint Race 2 (Team BMC) (1st female; 13th overall) - 2h04:50
2008: Quantum Adventures Sprint Race 1 (Team BMC) (1st female; 12th overall) - 2h01:06
2008: Gravity Festival Adventure Race (Team BMC) (1st Mixed Team) - 3h03

Road Running Results

2005: Knysna Forest Marathon (6th female) - 03h35:29
2005 : Caltex Foot of Africa (166th overall) - 3h41:23
2003: Vancouver Marathon (6th in age cat; 41st female) - 3h26:33
2002: Vancouver 10km Sun Run - 00h40:16
2001: Vancouver Marathon (4th in age cat; 46th female) - 3h25:53
2001: The Vancouver 10km Sun Run - 00h41:16
2000: Big foot half iron man, Canada (3rd female)
2000: Vancouver Marathon (2nd in age cat, 44th female) - 3h28:04

Pedal Studio goes cruising - 8 August 2009

The First Pedal Studio Boat Cruise was a huge party and next time I will definitely be booking for 200 people so that everyone can get on board




We had loads to celebrate and we even had a hens party – congrats Sasha and we had Kate’s 21st birthday party on board as well. It was rocking. Who would ever have thought 130 people would have fitted into my flat/garden. We shot through 20 bottles of champagne, boarded the boat and the party rocked on. There was some serious dic-sco dancing. There are more pictures up on our FaceBook page and will be up on the Pedal Studio web site shortly ! Please email us with any good ones you have and load them to FB too.



For those that were with us....thanks for joining the fun and for those who couldn't make it, catch you next time.


See you in the ride zone
Andrew

Legendary rider Matt Hart from TORQ , Talks about spining.

Is “Spinning” all it’s cracked up to be?

Some mates of mine have been going to spinning classes all winter and they’re dropping me like a stone whenever we go out riding together. Are these classes any good, or is it just aerobics on bikes?

Steven Ames, Surrey.

What is “Spinning”

When we talk about “Spinning”, we have to be very careful, because rather like the incorrect use of “Hoover” as opposed to “Vacuum Cleaner”, the term Spinning is used synonymously with all studio cycle workouts, when in fact it is a registered trademark of the Schwinn Bicycle Company.

According to Schwinn, their Spinning classes are taught in over 5,000 clubs in 100 countries around the world by over 20,000 certified instructors. Schwinn claim that their indoor studio cycle workout burns an average of 500 calories per forty-minute class. This obviously depends upon the fitness level of the individual, but I would think that most Mountain Bikers could exceed this figure if they put their minds to it. Add to the Schwinn figures, those of numerous other company’s that market their own interpretation of Spinning, and you have a very popular exercise class indeed.

Johnny G, the face behind the Schwinn Spinning program, was a huge influential force when it came to me designing and structuring my own classes. I participated in one of his classes at a fitness show in Germany some years back and was amazed at his incredible ability to extract every ounce of energy from my body and push me to levels of pain and intensity that I would ordinarily only experience during a race. Although my personal studio cycling certificate was issued by Reebok, not Schwinn, my own “Cycle Reebok” classes certainly contain that element of Johnny G sadomasochism, which has been forever etched on my memory.

Who takes part?

According to Johnny G, "The Schwinn Spinning program allows people of all ages and fitness levels to take a stationary bike and transform it into a powerful workout. Indoor cycling classes allow participants to experience road cycling without all the associated dangers. The program is also a great choice for the cyclist who wants to take his/her outdoor program inside during inclement weather."

When I worked in a London health club, the attendees of my classes were incredibly varied in ability. The cycling enthusiast would bring his/her own pedals and shoes and others would simply turn up in shorts, T-shirt and trainers. Studio cycling works well with different ability levels, because no one in the class knows how much resistance another person is using. This is because the resistance level is controlled by a discreet knob, or lever, with absolutely no consistency between machines whatsoever. So, if you consider yourself at the lower end of the fitness spectrum, don’t worry, no one will know unless you tell them. In fact the ‘keeny beeny’s’ end up far more knackered than anyone else, because they are all so darn competitive.

What does a class entail exactly?

A good instructor will play with your mind and push you to your limits. After a warm-up, the instructor may proceed by making you compete in a mock three-minute time-trial. You will then sprint for the line and try to beat the guy that’s sat next to you, also stationary and also frantically whipping his/her legs around in the struggle to the tape. You will get out of the saddle and climb an Alpine pass, with Marco Pantani dancing on the pedals just ahead of you. Then you will need to catch up with him, stick on his wheel for a while and then drop him like a stone as you sprint off for the King of the Mountains jersey (easy if you’ve got a vivid imagination). On the way down the other side, the hill will be so steep that the gear you are using just isn’t big enough and your legs will be spinning at your maximal RPM. This whole imaginary trip will be built around some formal interval training drills and sections of pedalling in time to the music. Fantastic fun when you’ve learnt the moves!

Will it help with my Mountain Biking?

I don’t think you’ve been imagining it Steven, your mates have definitely benefited from their “Spinning” classes (or whatever form of studio cycling they do). Regardless of your personal situation, I feel that one class per week could pay huge dividends to your fitness. If you find it difficult to motivate yourself to cycle on weekdays during the winter, you must try a class. If you only usually cycle at weekends during the winter months, the impact on next summer’s form from two-weekday studio cycle sessions is likely to be phenomenal.

I say “do it” if the weather’s not good, otherwise get out there and ride the singletrack with your pals – you can’t beat the real thing.

The Race Against Time (TRAT)

Hi,

I’m Iain Houston, partner of Bryony Evens, who is a Pedal Studio regular and has been since the studio first opened.

Bryony is helping me raise funds for The Race Against Time (TRAT) which is a fast, six day ride from Land’s End to John o’ Groats in aid of the Bishop Simeon Trust. The Bishop Simeon Trust do vital work in South Africa dealing with the social and economic effects of the AIDS/HIV pandemic on both adults and children. I would be very grateful for any support that you are able to give me and the charity.

If anyone would like to read more about me, the ride or the charity there is a lot of information on my TRAT blog at: http://theraceagainsttime.wordpress.com/about

If you are able to sponsor me, visit my Just Giving page at: http://www.justgiving.com/iain_houston

I have been impressed by how much Bryony’s cycling has come on since she joined the studio and I’m intending to join her myself after TRAT is over, just to keep ahead of her if nothing else. I’m 40 this year, so I’m starting a programme to get as fit and healthy as I can over the next 12 months and I think that spinning will be a big help as part of that.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Best wishes,

Iain