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January 26, 2010 9 Comments

Grateful Dead class! Notes and playlist

Long strange trip?  67 (i know you) riders showed up for two 100% Dead indoor cycling classes.  Virtual sell outs.  The classes ran long, roughly 1.5 hours — but I didn't hear anyone complain.  There seemed to be a consensus that twice a year is not enough. OK, OK  we'll do it again soon. 

For those of you that did not come, here are a few "things" about the class.  First of all, all of the music is selected from live shows, and the shows are noted during the class (and posted here).  Because of time constraints (tho we do run a long class), I sometimes extract interesting segments from long song treatments.  I hope the Dead forgive me for this transgression.  The instructor (me) speaks less than in a normal class and we do longer segments in the saddle.  Parts of the class or conducted in complete darkness.  For anyone interested, here is the playlist and notes:  IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS, REQUESTS OR SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE LEAVE THEM BELOW

1) Eyes of the World, Dick's Picks Vol. 3, Pembroke Pines, FL  May 22, 1977
       beautiful long version, we used the first 8 minutes to get warmed up

2) Midnight Hour, Ladies and Gentlemen the Grateful Dead, Fillmore East, April 1971
       quintessential Pigpen for those that don't know him.  Wilson Picket classic

3)  Franklin's Tower, One from the Vault, Great Amer. Music Hall San Francisco April 1975
       roll away the dew! A great 6:58 minute version

4)  Dark Hollow, Ladies & Gentlemen the Gratefull Dead, Fillmore East April 1971
        Short song, beautifully song by Bob Weir

5)   Brown-eyed Women, Cornell University, May 8th 1977
          Some say the greatest Dead Show ever, you can download the whole show at nugs.net

6)   Me and My Uncle, The Closing of Winterland, December 31, 1978
         Must have been a helluva New Years Eve party.  Short and quick version

7)  Peggy-O, Dick's Picks vol. 29, Fox Theatre Atlanta May 1977
        Slow and beautifully sad ballad, 8:34 minutes

8)  Dancing in the Streets, Cornell Show (noted above)
       This is the jam I played in the pitch dark. it is spectacular.  You heard 7 of the 18 minutes

9)  Space (had to put it in)

10)  Fire on the Mountain, Dick's Picks vol. 25, New Haven CT, May 10 1978
          Put yourself in the powder, 8:36 minutes….tremendous version

11)  Second that Emotion, Fillmore East show (noted above)
          The Dead doing Smokey Robinson as only they can.  Too much

12)  Me and Bobby McGee, Fillmore East show (noted above)
          I cut this awesome version short, but you got the idea

13)  I know you Rider, Steppin' out with the Grateful Dead,  London, 1972
          What a perfect ending for a spin class.  Wish I was a headlight………

 

       

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized
January 24, 2010 2 Comments

Spin®-a-thon at Spynergy for Haiti Relief, local church

 

A local church here in town, the Wellesley Friends Meeting, has asked us to raise money for a "sister" church of theirs:  a Hatian-American congregation in Waltham called the New Covenant Church of Cambridge.  The Haitian disaster has struck them in a very direct and personal way as you can imagine.  To read about their gut-wrenching plight, click here for a recent article from the Waltham Daily News Tribune.

 
On Saturday, I visited with Reverand Thomas St. Louis in the basement of his Church where he has been sleeping for the past week trying to console, minister and organize help.  You can hear the exhaustion in his voice in this VIDEO we shot with him.  

He is planning to personally accompany a delivery of supplies that is now being assembled.  They have lots of clothes, but need money for desperately needed medical supplies, food and other assistance.  Every little bit helps.  Please help us help Reverand St. Louis.


Alex, Bill, Melissa, and Andy will teach 4 consecutive 30-minute classes:  11:00, 11:30, 12:15 and 12:45.  Each with awesome and inspirational music (as always!).  You can sign-up on- line like any other class, your ride card will not be charged…..but we ask for a minimum donation of $20 per class (and of course will always accept more).   If you want to spin for a full hour….book two consecutive classes!  Donations should be checks made payable to " Haiti Earthquake Relief Assistance Fund".   Click here to view schedule and book your classes.  Booking these classes will not impact your ride card, Donations will be collected at the studio…..thank you , thank you , thank you.

Filed Under: Inspirations
January 16, 2010 Leave a Comment

Wow, exercise impacts colds….even cancer!

Amazing ariticle in the January 5th Wall Sreet Journal called "The Hidden Benefits of Exercise".  You should absolutely read the entire article, but hear are a few highlights that got our attention:

1)  ….a growing body of research is showing that regular exercise can boost the body's immune system increasing the circulation of natural cells that fight off viruses and bacteria.

2)  ….inactivity poses as great a health risk as smoking, contributing to heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, depression, arhritis and osteoporosis

3)  ….studies are now suggestinghat exercise-induced changes in the body's immune system may protect against some forms of cancer.  Harvard Med School's consumer website notes a series of studies suggest women who exercise regularly can expect a 20% to 30% reduction in the chance of getting breast cancer.

Check the full text of this article, it's amazing.

Filed Under: General Fitness, Nutrition
January 14, 2010 6 Comments

Are you interested in Wine?

I am.  But in January, I give up the beloved grape nectar as part of a cleansing process that I have commited myself to each year for the past 14 years.  Why cleanse?  If you happen to have observed any of my consumption and dietary behavior during the months of November and December, you would understand why the January cleanse is both necessary, and in fact quite easy (at least for the first few weeks). 

While I can't drink during the month of January, I can in fact read about wine.  Not the same, I know, but it can be quite entertaining.  The blogoshpere is ripe with wine blogs of various kinds, I have found a few writers who are both knowledgeable as well as entertaining.

WineZag is published by Adam Japko, a long time friend, former colleague and as passionate a wine enthusiast as you will ever meet.  Adam has a great sensiblity about the enjoyment of wine, but he also does it in a down to earth way.  His favorite wines are wines that are great values……….and he knows how to find them.

Wellesely Wine Press is published by Robert Dwyer.  He brings a local sensibility living right around here in Wellesley, and is also highly focussed on value.

Both of these blogs have a broad variety of information about virtually any aspect of the wine universe you might be interested in.  Right now I am voraciously READING, I can't wait til February when I can resume CONSUMING.  I love calories out (spin class and spinning), but I also love calories in (wine and food).

Do you know other Wine Blogs?  Love to hear from you.

Filed Under: Inspirations, Nutrition
January 9, 2010 Leave a Comment

100 Nutrition Tips for a Longer, Better life

We don't believe in diets, especially fad diets, but January is certainly a convenient time to look at the way you eat and to make some decisions about how your eating affects your fitness (and longevity!)There's a whole buncha tips here — categorized even.  We went through and picked some of the more interesting ones, but if you have a moment read all 100, it's a good exercise:

  • # 13  try dark chocolate.  Not ideal, but has antioxidants and much better than milk
  • Fill up on the good foods first, when you are craving the junk
  • Eat Half (or even 3/4) when out at restaurants.  They usually serve too much.  It adds up!
  • Be careful on the beverages, lots have many calories
  • Whole grain foods keep you fuller longer
  • Eat foods with color in them in variety
  • Shop the perimeter of the store, avoid the packaged, canned and frozen stuff in the middle
  • Hair and skin look better when you eat proteing

Full List of 100 Tips Click Here

Filed Under: General Fitness, Nutrition
January 6, 2010 Leave a Comment

30 Worst Foods in Amercia – do you have nominees?

Just read a really fun article in Men's Health magazine if you are watching what you eat.  The good news is, even on your worst binging, trash food splurge, you probably didn't eat most of what you will see on this list.  A few of my favorites:  Worst Adult Drink ("Lobsterita" from Red Lobster), Worst gas station treat (hostess chocolate pudding pie), Worst supermaket lunch pack, Worst frozen pizza,  Worst Mall treat (Cinnabun Caramel Pecanbun),  Worst sliders.  Just reading the list makes you feel better—-once the wave of nausea from looking at the pictures passes.  
Click here to look through the full list of 30 from Men's Health magazine.  Please feel free to comment here if you think there is worse food than the stuff in this article.  What are your own "Worst Foods in America"   My own nominee?  The Bear Claw at Bess Eaton donuts.

Filed Under: Nutrition
January 3, 2010 Leave a Comment

Spynergy Workshop: Weight loss and Nutrition…a practical approach

We want to help you lose weight (if you need to)…….without a typical "diet".  Instead let's learn how different kinds of food impact our metabolism and therefore our weight.  Everyone knows what bad eating habits look like, but how many of us know the best combinations of foods?  Fad diets come and go, but learning solid principles around food and eating can change the way we eat and the way we look…..and most imporant, the way we feel.
 
The Spynergy Nutrition and Weight Loss Workshop is 5 Tuesdays starting January 12th at the Wellesley studio. Learn about your metabolism and losing weight from registered dietitian and nutritionist Lyn Schwartz, MS, RD.  
 
Lyn has an innovative, personalized approach to help you boost energy, control food cravings and rev up your metabolism.  She has taught classes at Newton Wellesley hospital and numerous other settings.  She will run workshops with us at Spynergy and will develop personalized eating plans.  Several Spynergy riders have taken her classes and she comes highly recommended!
 
Join Spynergy and learn a practical and effective way to complement your exercise with a healthy and thoughtful approach to eating right.
 
$149 for the course. Purchase by clicking "workshops" at  www.spynergywellesley.com
for more information email us at info@spynergywellesley.com

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: General Fitness, Nutrition