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And so it begins!

The mornings have been cool and crisp as we kicked off Riding For Focus this week. Fall is in the air, and we have twenty-one rosy cheeked middle schoolers eagerly hauling their bikes "hand over hand" from the storage area to the bike corral each morning.  They are motivated to get out riding as quickly as possible, so they manage to be focused and efficient, even at 7:00 am.

So far we have been going through the curriculum lesson by lesson, checking off skills as we see them demonstrated. Fitting and checking your bike before riding, fitting your helmet properly, how to start, how to stop, how to shift gears, how to maintain a consistent pedaling cadence. It's brilliant to have kickstands on these bikes so we can create a mobile bike corral wherever we go. Getting kids in close, momentarily asking them to separate themselves from the distraction of those shiny new bicycles, and then releasing them back to their rides after instruction creates the space for clear delivery and  excellent retention. We talked a lot about this "accordion method" (bring them in close for instruction, and then push them back out for practice) at Specialized headquarters this summer. It works!
I've been doing a call and response for the ABC Quick Check that we do before riding each day. The kids know every component. I say "A" and they yell "AIR!" I say "B" and they yell "BRAKES!" I say "C" and they yell "CHAINS! CRANKS! CASSETTE!" I  say "quick" and they yell "QUICK RELEASE!" I say "where?" and they yell "SEAT! HUBS!" I am pretty sure they will not forget the ABC Quick Check any time soon.
We held a "snail race" today, and it was a great activity for developing balance. We made a short uphill course, and the last rider to cross the finish line was the winner.
We also worked on shifting gears and cadence today. 

**PRO TIP**
"Come Together" by The Beatles is right at 85 beats per minute (and it happens to be a great song that multiple generations can get into).


Having expert advice from our PE teachers has been a huge help. Barb Mills will be able to help with instruction on many mornings, and both Barb and Tom Bennoch (the other half of the PE team) have offered crucial tips for organizing instruction and logistics. I'd be lost without them!
In other news, 120 yards of high-quality loam has been delivered to the location of our pump track. The track will be built with the help and guidance of David Wood and Seth Rand who are flying out from the Specialized Headquarters in a week. It's going to be GREAT!

Monday we head off onto some dirt roads to work on heart rate and training zones.

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