[cityalps]

Winter Training Tips!

WINTER MILES, SUMMER SMILES.... 

It certainly felt like Winter arrived and settled in this week, with some beautiful fresh days. We know it gets difficult to get to the studio in this weather. There is the ever-present temptation to roll over and go back to sleep. But let's tap into that collective City Alps energy. Get that goal or event locked in - the City Alps 2023 events calendar is on its way. Find your point B. And then let's keep working towards it this Winter, together. Here are our fav 5 Winter Training Tips: 

1. Consistency is key! 

This is basically becoming a City Alps adage and applies equally in Winter. Focus on consistently hitting those process goals. The weekly (or perhaps daily) goals you set to make sure you hit that big point B outcome goal. For example, aiming to do 2 indoor RIDE classes per week. And then consistently hit that mark this Winter for the sweet Spring-riding results. 

2. Add S&C 

Every City Alper can benefit from strength training (whether you are a runner, cyclists, triathlete or just looking to stay fit) and winter can be one of the best times to begin. Our strength coaches are sticklers for form - they will help you slowly and safely progress if you are new to lifting weights. It’s will make you more durable and injury-proof. 

3. Gear Up 

There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear, so gear up! Winter doesn’t mean you have to stop riding and running outdoors. Join our Winter Social Outdoor Rides and Runs. We promise that they will always involve hot chocolate as a post-run treat. 

4. Mix it up 

Winter is a great time to cross train. Go mountain bike. Perhaps some ski touring if you have the option. If you are a cyclist (mainly), go for a jog. Mix it up and keep it fun. Our ‘Fun Friday’ indoor RIDE classes have that in mind. Winter can feel long, so don’t get bored and embrace fun this festive season. 

5. Recovery 

If you had a big Summer of racing and are feeling a bit worn down, take some time to recover. Try to get quality sleep. Work on your mobility and problem areas. Do some yoga. Meditate. Join a City Alps Strength & Stretch class. Do whatever you feel your body needs to re-charge. 

BONUS 

Embrace the cold - take cold showers or wild water swims. There are a host of health and recovery benefits, including boosting your immune system to keep colds and flu away. For us (Georgia and Dayne), the biggest benefit is the energy and mental re-set you get from cold exposure and connecting with your breath. It’s electric. Trust us. 

[cityalps]

Holiday Training Tips

Summer is here and many of our City Alpers are taking some much-needed time off and getting out there for holiday adventures big and small. Here are 6 tips from us for training while on holiday (all tested on our babymoon in Crete).

1. Swim, swim, swim 

Going for a swim early in the morning is the best way to wake up, gives your body a calorie-burning boost that will last all day and, if you’re lucky enough to be near the sea, swimming against the waves adds resistance that makes your swim workout more challenging.

2. Wake up early

Okay. We know this is a hard sell for some of our City Alpers. But it really is the best time of the day and, if you have a full day of activities, it's a nice way to sneak in some movement before your crew wakes up and you head out for the day. Bonus: seeing the sunrise and returning for breakfast full of endorphins. Plus, your mind will be sharper and the positivity from the endorphins will help you make better and healthier decisions.

3. Go hard before you go away 

If you can, plan to do your harder week in your training plan before you leave for the trip or after you get back, and deload on your week away as an easier, recovery week. Getting in a harder workout before heading out on a Friday (PEAK class on a Friday am, for example) is also a nice way to ensure you arrive at your destination feeling good. 

4. Switch it up 

Swap your usual run or ride workouts for something fun and new: go canoeing, climb a mountain, hike, hire a SUP!  There are great injury-prevention benefits to cross training and you're not going to lose your ride and/or run fitness in a week. Our monthly members also have access to our recorded classes, so you can sneak in a 30 minute core session or a quick S&C session anytime, anywhere! 

5. Plan a sightseeing run 

Running is the best way to explore a new town or neighborhood!  Pack your shoes and head out for a vantage point that you simply can't get in a car or bus. If you have access to some trails with sightseeing along the way, even better.

6. Breath and relax

Of course, there is no need to feel guilty if you plan to simply relax. One week off is not going to set you back significantly, and may even allow you to return more invigorated and ready to get back at it. It's been a weird and tricky year. Listen to your body. Maybe meditate in a way that works for you. Breathe, relax and we look forward to seeing you back in the studio when you are ready. 

~ Dayne Muller

[cityalps]

OUR SUMMER COMEBACK SCHEDULE IS OUT| Book classes now!

01-06-2021

Hi City Alpers, Pour yourself a drink, this email is a little longer than usual but it's a MUST-READ for all the exciting things to come.

The sun is shining, several of our master members have had their first ‘prik’, travel options are starting to open up...it just feels so, so good to slowly be moving beyond the 1.5m world into Summer!

Our new schedule is all about tapping into and celebrating good weather, Summer vibes and coming back stronger than ever, together. It's the comeback schedule we all need.

See new fun additions below, as well as a short explanation on the ‘why’ behind the structure.

Intensity distribution - the importance of easy days and hard (indoor) days! In the early 2000s, Dr. Stephen Seiler, an American sports scientist based in Norway, led a study to determine how elite endurance athletes train and found a remarkably consistent pattern: world-class triathletes, cyclists, Nordic skiers, rowers, runners and other endurance athletes in all parts of the world did approximately 70 to 80 percent of their training at low intensity and the remaining 20 to 30 percent at moderate and high intensities.

AT CITY ALPS, we encourage all of our athletes to use the 80/20 or 70/30 rule as a general framework in planning and executing their training, where possible (there are some exceptions to this approach for time-crunched cyclists and runners). Try to make your easy days easy and your hard days hard. And indoor classes are great for those hard days - no need to worry about traffic lights, other cyclists, traffic or bad weather - you can simply focus on your technique, the cues from your coach and the music, with zero interruptions!

So:

Think lots of time in the saddle or on the feet this Summer in zone 1 and 2 on easy out rides and runs with mates or the City Alps RIDE OR RUN CLUB as well as City Alps ENDURANCE RIDE classes

Think at least 2 or 3 indoor RIDE classes per week at moderate (zone 3, POWER RIDE Classes) and high intensities (zone 4 or 5 PEAK RIDE classes) and RUN CLUB intervals. If the class type for the day doesn't fit with your training, you can of course come anyway and just adjust your FTP for that session.

Don't forget about durability and injury prevention. Vitamin D is not your only friend this Summer! Our strength and conditioning training at City Alps is always curated with cyclists and runners in mind to build functional strength, work on any potential imbalances and strengthen your core for more stability.

We really encourage you to get some strength and conditioning work in every single week, whether in indoor RIDE & STRENGTH, outdoor MOUNTAIN FIT, outdoor weighted STRENGTH classes or outdoor and zoom CORE and BAND CAMP classes.

It will make you a lot more durable and injury proof. Durability is a quality we really believe in and focus on at City Alps, and it's part of our mission to stay #adventureready for a life time, not just now.

CLUB RIDE & LONGER (TRAIL) RUNS City Alps Club Rides and Runs are back in a big way this Summer. We will be alternating every Sunday with SUNDAY FUNDAY community out rides and runs. Kicking off this Sunday with an out-ride (we would LOVE it if you could all try join us for this first edition). For the RIDES, there will be, subject to numbers, two groups and we will always leave from City Alps. The racing snakes at 32 km/h and the cruisers at 28 km/h. We will select a route of between 80-100 kms. For the RUNS, there will be two route options - 10km or 21km and we will often try to get to the trails in and outside of Amsterdam for these. It may mean taking a train/cars to the location but all this information will be communicated to you in advance. How it will work -

You should book online in the usual way

Every Wednesday, we will send our members an email with the details for meeting up that Sunday

All details will also be communicated via our CITY ALPS CLUB whatsapp group so if you are not yet on this, please let us know so that we can add you. The group is closed for chit chat (it will only be for us to post details of meet-ups) and then on Mondays we will open it up to all members to post their ROLL CALL pictures from the weekends' micro-adventures. Excited to bring this back

We will also keep an on-going list of all Sunday meet-ups on our website if you want to  check in with what will be coming up

SUNDAY RIDE: always leaving from City Alps at 09:00. Please bring along spare tubes, your travel card, tools, water and snacks. We might stop for a quick coffee during or after the ride, depending on the route

SUNDAY RUN: our meeting location for these runs will depend on where the run leaves from. We will still aim to start running at 09:00 where ever it is so that may mean taking early public transport or driving in a car pool. We love to get to the trails (for example at Kennermerduinen, the beach, Utrechtseheuvelrug, Amsterdamse Bos etc.)

SOCIAL THURSDAY EVENING'S OUTDOOR RIDE, RUN AND/OR SWIM On Thursday evenings, the studio will be closed for Summer. We would love Thursdays to be an evening where our community gets together for a wonderfully active social evening (within, of course, the current government COVID-19 guidelines). How it will work -

Meeting time is 18:30 at Steigereiland (at Café Restaurant Vrijburcht) which is a 15 min cycle from City Alps... super easy!

Feel free to choose your activity - there is a wonderful spot to swim just in front of the cafe, or you can run in and around the eiland or Diemerpark or cycle towards Muiden or just stick to loops around Diemerpark. You may also decide to combine two of these activities in a brick session. Go solo or team up with other City Alpers for 90 minutes of movement. We will all finish off at 8pm for a drink together at the cafe

Please book for these sessions online as usual

UPCOMING 6-WEEK COMEBACK CHALLENGE ... As some of you already heard, we were planning for a 6-week indoor CLIMB LIKE A PRO ride challenge in April, which of course never went ahead due to being closed. We were waiting to open our doors again to see if the timing would still work -  but since so many people have recently told us that they are planning Summer trips soon and might not be able to commit to the full training block, we have decided to postpone this amazing program to next year April (the perfect time to train for the hills before committing to a City Alps Cycling trip). And so instead ... We will soon be launching a 6-week COMEBACK STRONGER challenge, starting 21 June. We will give you the all-time City Alps favourite 'sticker calendars' to try commit to a weekly dose of 2 indoor rides, 1 strength session and, at least, 1 outdoor endurance ride or run session. Watch this space for more details and sign ups ... COMING SOON!

[cityalps]

VIEW OUR NEW SCHEDULE AND BOOK NOW!

14-05-2021

INDOOR RIDE Sadly no coach for these training sessions as yet. But otherwise it's everything you would expect from a City Alps RIDE class: fun performance-orientated PEAK, POWER & ENDURANCE sessions, with killer tunes and fellow City Alpers to get you through it. We put up the class structure onto the big screen for you to sign into and follow along with a specially selected playlist as usual. Easy Peasy. You can also bring along your headphones and do your own RIDE if you are following a training plan at the moment. INDOOR OPEN TRAINING Feel free to use the designated strength and conditioning space for your own strength/core/mobility training. Use any of the free weights and mats available (all 1.5m distanced). All runners and cyclists should be trying to get in at least 2x S&C sessions per week! If any of the coaches are upfront, feel free to ask about the why, how and what. They would love that! OUTDOOR S&C Meet outside City Alps! This strength + conditioning class will be weighted and takes place opposite the studio. Please bring a towel, water bottle and a mat if you need one. The focus is on building that foundational strength to make you more durable and injury proof. OUTDOOR MOUNTAIN-FIT BOOTCAMP Mountain fit classes are all about muscular endurance, with a combination of strength and cardio-based movements using body weight only. Meet at the studio! These sessions are a great way to build a little mental toughness. We are all about good form and will help you progress but come prepared to push yourself a bit! OUTDOOR RUN CLUB INTERVALS This class is for all levels (you will be running the intervals at your own pace/effort and can expect to do less if you are still building up your weekly  millage). We will always start together by jogging 2-3km easy pace together to the track (starting from City Alps), then will do a dynamic warmup + run drills, before getting into the workout for the day. Easy jog back + stretch. OUTDOOR RUN CLUB HILLS OR STAIRS We all jog slowly together as a warmup (3km) from the studio to the Nesciobrug or Nemo stairs. We then do hill or stair repeats (at your own pace and intensity and the number adjusted somewhat for your current training) and then run back to the studio again nice, slow and chatty. You can be any pace - all are welcome! OUTDOOR SOCIAL SUNDAY RIDE This is a fun social City Alps Ride Club ride - 28-30km per hour. About 60km and if we are honest its mostly about the coffee at the end :) LIVE ZOOM @HOME These are short and sweet 20-30min early morning zoom classes (body weight strength, band camp and core). Start your day in the best possible way with some morning movement! For those wanting to do more training at home, we have over 150 zoom class recordings to use. We have shared this with all our monthly members. If you are not a monthly member but would like to enquire about access to this, please email us and we can figure something out.

[cityalps]

WE ARE HERE FOR YOU. LET'S KEEP MOVING, TOGETHER!

15-04-2021

AFTERNOON CITY ALPS COMMUNITY A few years ago in the early stages of setting up City Alps a friend sent us a postcard with the following note:

“When everything is uncertain, anything is possible”

We thought of that note this week. It's been such a period of uncertainty: uncertainty around terraces re-opening, uncertainty around when we can open our doors, uncertainty around travel.

But rather than focus on this uncertainty, we really want our City Alpers to put all of their energy into what may be possible!  

To focus on training plans, goals and getting into the best possible shape through this last tricky period, so that we are all #adventureready for those trips, races and adventures (big and small) that may just be possible when we turn the bend.

With that focus in mind, we wanted to send an update on what’s on the schdeule (new and old) this month and a little reminder that we are still dreaming of trips, events and adventurous weekends away with our City Alps community.

NEW! OUTDOOR RIDE INTERVALS Taking our indoor ride classes, outdoors. Improve your strength, cadence, power, technique and confidence on the bike during our ride interval sessions in Diemerpark, with Stach and Thomas

1.5 hours

18:15 on Monday and Thursday

Meet at the Diemerpark side of the Nesciobrug

For all levels since you will work at your own speed

Bring a watch/timer as all intervals are time based.

BACK ON THE SCHEDULE! OUTDOOR RUN INTERVALS Running intervals are back! As a runner, it is crucial to include weekly speed intervals into your training. Improve your speed, power, technique, cadence and posture ... you will gain so much from these sessions!

1.5 hours

Wednesday's at 19:00

Meeting at City Alps

We will run to the track in Oost

For all levels since you will work at your own speed

Bring water if you need it

ONGOING OUTDOOR RUN + STRENGTH Tuesday 07:15 - Frankendael Park (meet at the kids ‘Speeltuijn’) Thursday 18:30 - Nemo Stairs (meet at the bottom of the stairs) Saturday 09:00 - Flevopark (meet at the large black artwork “Angstig konijn” by Piet Parra)

Switching between intervals of running and body weight strength work. Our sessions are designed to get you leaner, stronger and naturally more athletic. All levels of runners or walkers are welcome.

NEW! 20 - 45 MIN (LIVE ONLY) ZOOM SESSIONS Following all the positive feedback from the Rise n’ Core program, we have added some new ZOOM sessions to the schedule and have decided to only do LIVE sessions, with no recordings sent. Most of these sessions will be shorter (20-30min), quality sessions with the City Alps crew. Join and tap into that collective energy to get the CORE and STRENGTH work into your weekly training plan.

ONGOING! ON-DEMAND ZOOM CLASS RECORDINGS For all monthly paying City Alps members, you have full access to our library of over 100 past zoom class recordings (hosted on VIMEO). The beauty of this is that you can do the classes anytime, anywhere. These classes are an essential addition to your usual running and cycling training. Choose between strength, mobility, core, band camp, injury prevention and so much more. All details for access have been sent out already!

For those of you who would like full access to these classes plus the LIVE sessions, you can always purchase a monthly unlimited zoom package.

CITY ALPS CYCLE TRIP TO ITALY, JUNE 16-21 We are super excited for this training camp. There are still some spots open, with a 100% refund policy and so there is no reason NOT to sign up if you are sitting on the fence. It's going to be a vibe!

[cityalps]

CLIMB LIKE A PRO TRAINING CAMP LUCCA, ITALY | BOOK NOW

01-04-2021

CLIMB LIKE A PRO TRAINING CAMP LUCCA, ITALY 16-21 JUNE 2021

From Wednesday, 16 June to Monday, 21 June will be hosting our first City Alps training camp in Lucca, Italy. It's a trip that will follow the 6-week ‘Climb like a Pro’ training program that we hope to run in the studio in May and June before leaving the lowlands and heading to some proper climbs, with solid hill training in the legs.

WED: ARRIVAL

THURS: DAY IN THE SADDLE EXPLORING THE SURROUNDS (GUIDED)

FRI: CLIMB, CLIMB, CLIMB DAY (TACKLING THE FAMOUS CLIMB OF MONTE SERRA)

SAT: LONGER ADVENTURE DAY (GUIDED)

SUN: FREE FUN DAY

MON: DEPARTURE

YOUR NEXT STEPS Space is limited on tour and so you will have to reserve your spot asap. By April 10th, we will let you know if your booking was successful and will send you all the details for payment within 3 days. Good news is that it is a 100% cancellation fee.

[cityalps]

OUTDOOR WORKOUTS & RIDE CLUB ARE BACK!

14-03-2021

LET'S GET OUTDOORS !

3 sessions / week

Tuesday 07:30 - Frankendael Park (meet at the kids ‘Speeltuin’) Thursday 18:30 - Nemo Stairs (meet at the bottom of the stairs) Saturday 09:00 - Flevopark (meet at the large artwork “Angstig konijn” by Piet Parra) Spaced out in pods of 2, keeping the 1.5m distance. Limited numbers.

[cityalps]

JOIN| Spring into a 30-day core challenge | Cycling training camp | Sunday outrides | Wednesday bootcamp

21-02-2021

MOVING INTO MARCH!

Hello City Alpers,

It certainly feels like Spring is on its way and it's such a contrast to the icey paradise that was last Saturday and Sunday. Both weekends have been so good for the soul: to be able to get outside and spend time moving, whether it's ice-skating (or trying to ice-skate) or getting in a long easy weekend ride or run!

The current  8-week Run Stronger Program has been an absolute win, with many of our City Alps runners progressing well. Three more weeks to go till race day! Heads down and hearts open runners! We also continue with our usual ZOOM online classes and indoor City Alps @Home Ride classes.

With Spring and all the promise it holds in mind, we have a few exciting announcements and schedule updates that we wanted to share with you. All details below. A little warning for the information to follow - there are a few quick forms to fill out where you simply need to put your names down to indicate your interest in joining/signing up. In order to get things fired up again, we will need this information from you.

We are excited about the months ahead. We will turn a corner soon enough and, at some point, all those trips, races and projects that have been put on hold will become possible once again and City Alps, as an adventure-inspired community, is going to be mentally and physically ready to extract as much as possible from all that the new normal, or old normal, or normal normal, has to offer. We can not wait. #grouphug

RISE 'N CORE EARLY BIRDS! Georgia and Dayne are very excited to be sharing a 30-day Rise ‘n Core Program with you, beginning on Monday 1 March ... more details and a sign up form below!

What is Rise 'n Core ? Every weekday morning at 07:00, we will meet you on ZOOM for a live 20-minute core session. This is an opportunity to begin those healthy and rewarding morning habits, which can be so powerful in setting you up for the day ahead. If you are not a morning soul just jump right in with us and give it a go, try something new, shake things up. We (Dayne and Georgia) have started doing this ourselves every single morning and we love to end it off with an ice cold shower (cold shower is optional :)). It’s a game changer and we want to share it with you! We promise an encouraging space on ZOOM, with the birds chirping and beautiful wake-up music to slowly iron out those sleep wrinkles.

You will receive a printed calendar to track your progress and create new habits, with the usual City Alps community support and vibes. There will be no recording, so getting your daily bird sticker REALLY does mean waking up to the birds!

Who should join ? This program is supplemental to your usual training (including those on the Run Stronger Program) and is suitable for all levels.

The core impacts every human movement and activity. Standing up, sitting, bending over....and getting out of bed are all driven by your core. A stronger core means a lower risk of injury and better movement, so it's really one for all our City Alpers.

For our cyclists, you can also expect more stability in the saddle and not losing any wattage from bouncing / hopping. For our runners, it means better postural control and improved running economy.

It is important to remember that the core is made up of far more than just your abdominal muscles. It includes: the back, hip flexors, glutes and pelvis. This program  is certainly not about sculpting the perfect 6-pack.

SUMMER TRAINING CAMP IN ITALY There is an opportunity for a City Alps crew to potentially make use of one of Team Qhubeka ASSOS (formerly NTT Pro Cycling) training villas in Lucca, Italy. It's a beautiful area to train! We can race up the famous climb of Monte Serra, which Lance Armstrong, Tyler Hamilton, Floyd Landis and Jan Ulrich used to compare their times (probably won't be too keen to compare times with that crowd - but who knows, we have some sterk City Alpers amongst us).

Team Qhubeka ASSOS is Africa’s only UCI-registered WorldTour cycling team and is the main pathway for riders from Africa hoping to ride in the pro peloton. The feeder team is based at the training villa and there may be some opportunities to train and ride with them. You can expect the usual combo of performance-focus in a fun community environment.

One of the team’s core values is the African principle of “Ubuntu” – that we cannot exist in isolation – I am because we are. And that’s pretty much spot on for who we are as a City Alps community, so we are really excited by the prospect of this little training tour and working more closely with them.

Of course, it's tricky to plan at the moment but we would love to gauge interest for a training camp like this. 

SUNDAY CLUB OUTRIDES ARE BACK, BABY! Sunday outrides are back! For those who are keen to join up with a City Alper for a Sunday outride, please do let us know. We will, of course, stick to the current COVID measures, so you will be paired with another rider looking for a buddy at a similar pace (more or less) and ride in a group of 2 as part of a bigger, spaced out 6 person team. The outrides will be between 2 to 3 hours. Once we know how many people are keen to get this going again, we will let  you know how it will work and when it will begin.

SMALL GROUP TRAINING IN FLEVOPARK We will pilot an outdoor small group, personal training body weight workout on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm in Flevopark. This is not the usual City Alps group training, but rather five 2-persons pods, led by a coach. All the stations will be spaced out (more than 2m) and the instructor will work around to provide you with your coaching cues. Each session is limited to 10 City Alpers. There will be a vibe and high-quality bootcamp-style workouts with the usual City Alps focus on runners and cyclists.

~

And finally, we just want to let all our City Alpers know that if you have class credits, we will make sure to extend your credit end date to reflect the time that we have been closed. Otherwise, please let us know if you want to convert them into zoom credits for now (you can also use them for the upcoming Rise ‘n Core program.

Sending love to you all, so so much of it!

Love Georgia and Dayne

[cityalps]

8-WEEK RUN STRONGER PROGRAM | starting 25 Jan

12-01-2021

Kick off your 2021 running goals. Join our Run Club for an 8-week program. Follow a structured weekly schedule. Get stronger, fitter and more injury-proof.

Start date: 25 January Virtual race date:  27 or 28 March

THE 8-WEEK PROGRAM INCLUDES -  21 km or 10 km 8-week structured and progressive training plan designed by City Alps run coaches (three tracks: beginner, intermediate and advanced)

1 x weekly LIVE online Strength & Conditioning and core workout, with a recording of the training session sent to those who can't join the live class

Access to quick and easy videos covering: injury-prevention, dynamic warm up routines, post-run stretching and running drills

Access to a Run Club WhatsApp group for coaches workout tips, explanations and more

Access to join the City Alps Run Club Strava group

2 x 5 km time trials (to set a bit of benchmark to see where you are at)

1 x weekly pre-recorded interval podcast run (coach in your ear, with good tunes when you need it most)

Access to City Alps running routes

Virtual 10 km or 21 km race at the end of March going onto our online leaderboard/wall of honour. For Amsterdam locals, we will provide you with the race routes

THE COURSE This is of course a virtual program for you to do in your own time in your own hood. Where and if we can, we will suggest meeting up for the time trial and perhaps for the race at the end (complying to government measures at the time).

You can expect to receive a weekly email with the schedule for the following week. This will include the interval podcast, short and quick injury prevention videos to follow as well as any other information needed for that week.

Since this program is only 8 weeks, it is not suitable for absolute beginners who are completly new to running.

€ 158 (for the full 8 weeks)

It's going to be a vibe!

Love Georgia and Dayne

[cityalps]

JOIN | The Ugly Sweater 5km Christmas Run

21-12-2020

UGLY SWEATER CHRISTMAS 5 KM FUN RUN On Thursday, 24 December at 16:30, you are all invited to join us for a virtual 5 km fun run. For those in Amsterdam, please try make your way to Oosterpark, so we can see each other on a loop or two and spread some Christmas cheer. The build-up, dynamic (read dance) warm-up and Christmas tunes will kick off at 16:30 on zoom. Once we ring the Christmas start bell, you can exit zoom on your phone and run your happy, festive Santa hearts out. Hope to see you there! For those who cant join, we would like to already wish our fun, amazing, supportive  adventure-inspired City Alps community a safe, healthy (with a little moving and grooving and deliciousness) and merry Christmas.  

DAILY ZOOM LIVE CLASSES A reminder that you can still join our SOLO MOVE FESTIVAL live (or recorded) zoom classes online. Join the festival with a full ticket or buy fast and loose zoom credits Let's keep moving and grooving!

Love Georgia and Dayne

[cityalps]

SOLO MOVE FESTIVAL | 17 December - 21 January

15-12-2020

SOLO MOVE FESTIVAL | 17 December - 21 January It’s been a long and tricky year for everyone, and the news last night came as a bit of a hammer blow. It felt like the grinch stole Christmas. But after a big glass of wine last night and a run this morning with some tunes blasting in our ears, we started seeing this lockdown as a real opportunity to see out 2020 and enter 2021 stronger together. One last push as an adventure-inspired community and to try do it, moving and grooving with the kind of festive cheer that would really grate that Grinch! So, we are excited to be launching the SOLO MOVE FESTIVAL WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE? The usual City Alps functional and performance-orientated approach to online training, with the introduction of themed classes with killer beats and fun festive vibes (see 'week 1' schedule below). To improve the sound quality, we will be moving our (2 or more) daily LIVE classes onto IGTV. All monthly members and others who sign up will have exclusive access to the IGTV classes, as well as to the recordings to do in your own time if you sleep in or otherwise miss that prime time training slot. WHAT ELSE DOES IT INVOLVE? Weekly challenges and fun events such as a virtual ugly sweater Christmas run, a New Years meditation and goal setting ... and more. But first, starting with the #shortdayout challenge this Saturday 19th December

City Alps run and ride routes for inspiration (old and some new)

Weighted Strength and Conditioning workouts (for those with weights or for those who hire weights from City Alps – see link below to the feedback form, which includes the dumbbell and Kettlebell options) live on IGTV and pre-recorded

Digital progress/sticker tracker (obvs) and one BIGGER prize for the person who moves and groves the most over the 5-week period  

WHAT DOES IT COST? All monthly members can sign up for free Otherwise the 5-week festival is € 99 (credit holders we will freeze your credits – please don’t worry about that!). Perhaps this would also be the perfect Christmas gift to yourself or a loved one who needs it? Just a thought for those who missed the shopping window. For those keen to stay moving with us over these next five weeks, we would be grateful if you could please take 2-minutes to complete this form for us to make the experience ever better. We will turn the corner soon and there is so much to look forward to: long trips, weekends away,  adventures (micro & macro), long coffee corner chats, sweaty and lingering group hugs, races, missions to the Dolomites and Chamonix and South Africa and anywhere else that grabs us as a community! But for now: let’s take it one day at a time, let's create a space and some time to move, and get our endorphin kick for the day. Just keep moving. Fun. Festive. Vibes! Seeing you online. Soon.

Love Georgia and Dayne

[cityalps]

SWEAT SAFELY | SCHEDULE UPDATE + MORE

30-09-2020

Evening City Alpers,

We hope you are all well and getting into this training week. Some news and updates below....

THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING WELL IN GYMS AND STUDIOS Following the press conference earlier this week, we wanted to reassure you that, to our knowledge, there have been no reported viral spreading events within sports clubs in the Netherlands. Considering the millions of visits to gyms and studios since reopening in July, that is quite comforting. We believe this is all due to the vigilance of the industry maintaining strong hygienic standards and sticking to the 1.5m rule.

MASK WEARING The rising corona numbers are, of course, alarming and we need to be more conscious and vigilant than ever. Having given it careful consideration, we have decided that we will not (for now) make wearing a mask whilst entering the studio and heading to your bike / station mandatory. All members are free to decide for themselves whether they would like to wear a mask. MORE OUTDOOR, OPEN GYM AND CITYALPS@HOME We are living in pretty extraordinary times. Staying fit and healthy has never been more important and we need to stay connected, stronger and #adventureready together now more than ever. We will ensure that there are, hopefully, enough options for everyone to train in whatever way feels comfortable for them at the moment. With this in mind, please see below some exciting new additions to the weekly schedule, including the re-launch of OUTDOOR BOOTCAMP (mountain-fit inspired) and OPEN GYM. We are also hard at work on taking our CITYALPS@Home training to the next level. Watch this space. Some exciting developments are in the pipeline.

WEEKEND CLASSES ARE BACK, BABY We now have a variety of class options for you on Saturday and Sundays mornings. On Sunday, the 10:00 am class is the 90min RIDE for those who have signed up for the FTP builder program. If there are spaces available by the Wednesday preceding each class, we will open up seats for other City Alpers to book.

ZOOM CLASSES As of 5 October, we will offer 4 weekly live zoom classes. The great news is that the recordings for these classes will now be available for an entire week if you are not able to make it to the live session. So, please book for any of the classes that you would like to receive the recording for. Once you have received the recording, you have 7 days to get the workout done!

OPEN GYM As of 5 October, we will be offering 2-hour 'open studio' time for those who would like to come and do some of your own cycling or strength training in your own time. We will limit this to 6 people per session. Please book online just as you would a normal class.

OUTDOOR BOOTCAMP As of Monday 5 October, we are re-introducing OUTDOOR BOOTCAMP, taken by our new coach and ex-French Foreign Legionaire, Jono Conradie. We will do more of a virtual introduction of Jono later this week, but we are excited to have him on board. The OUTDOOR BOOTCAMP classes will be 1 hour of functional high intensity training using a mix of weights and body weight: its not going to be easy and its all about durability! Come rain or shine, and throughout Winter, Jono will be waiting for you. Classes will be on Monday and Wednesday at 18:00 and on Saturday at 10:30. Meet outside the studio. #BRINGONWINTER

"I come from the old school approach of hard work is the only way to get better. The workouts are tough, well formed sessions where we find your strengths, build your weaknesses and make fitness fun" ~Jono.

SUNDAY CYCLES As of 11 October, there will be a CITY ALPS RIDE CLUB social cycle leaving from City Alps at 10:00 AM - led by captains Marcia, Dirk or Thom. The average pace will be around 28 km/hr and the distance anywhere from 60-80km. Once a month, there might be a longer 100km route. We will drop updates on the CITY ALPS CLUBS whatsapp group. Dress warmly and you won't even notice its Winter. The hot chocolate stops are always a bonus, too! TUESDAY AND THURSDAY RUN CLUB As of Monday 5 October, we will be bringing back interval and LSD runs! Tuesdays are intervals (around 10km) and Thursdays are long(er), social runs (between 12-15km). All paces are welcome!  City Alps RUN CLUB rule: always turn around to collect and never leave a man/lady behind. For the front runners it means more kilometres, so its a win-win!

Love Georgia and Dayne

[cityalps]

Book, podcast and doccie recommendations of the week (14 - 20 June)

Book recommendation Natural Born Heroes: Mastering the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance 

In April 1944, a Nazi commander on the island of Crete was mysteriously kidnapped right under the nose of his forces. No shots were fired, there was no bloodshed or sign of a struggle. General Heinrich Kreipe simply vanished! 

This incident is at the core of Christopher McDougall's Natural Born Heroes. The kidnappers were, it turns out, a daring band of British commandos and Greek resisters, but the book is about so much more as McDougall immerses himself in what he calls "hero school" to explore and discover the lost art of strength and endurance mastered by this band of misfits. Great read! 

Doccie of the week Lessons from the Edge 

South African ultrarunners, Ryan Sandes and Ryno Griesel, set out to run the Great Himalaya Trail in the fastest known time – a total of 1,406km in 28 days! It's an epic adventure in beautiful and breathtaking mountains, and definitely worth a watch. 

We are super inspired by the slackpacking idea of moving quickly with minimal gear,  and it's on the list for City Alps trips and weekends away for sure! 

Podcast of the week: the Dirtbag Diaries 

One of our favourites!  The show is full of adventure and sport stories, and serves as a reminder of the sheer joy and simplicity of being outside and moving... whether running, hiking, cycling, paddling or skiing...whatever your passion, there is a little dirtbag in us all (nice description of a dirtbag here)!

[cityalps]

Book, podcast and doccie recommendations of the week (7 - 13 June)

Book recommendation Once a Runner by John L. Parker, Jr.’s 

Once a runner is undoubtedly one of the most widely read sports novels of all time. The story focuses on Quenton Cassidy, a competitive runner at a fictional University whose lifelong dream is to run a four-minute mile. It really captures the essence of what it takes to be a competitive runner or sportsman: the single mindedness, hard work and sacrifice. One of our favourite often-quoted passages from book really resonates with us and how we like City Alpers to think of their training journey: 

 “You don't become a runner by winning a morning workout. The only true way is to marshal the ferocity of your ambition over the course of many day, weeks, months, and (if you could finally come to accept it) years. The Trial of Miles; Miles of Trials.”

Doccie of the week GB Duro 2019

Sorry we know this is another doccie from the Rapha EF Gone Racing Series!  But Daav sent this over after last week's doccie of the week and we just loved it. The scenery, the race philosophy, the stops along the way, the suffering, the cow shit, the weather - it was just all so epic and inspiring. We are going to release our Dutch crossing route as part of the Summer Backyard Adventure Series. This route (and race) is on the radar to add to the list for sure as the second country crossing. 

Podcast of the week: The Tim Ferriss Show 

This show is one of the first podcasts we listened to. Tim Ferris has this amazing ability to really get his guests to open up about their habits, rituals and routines, and what makes them tick. There are usually some gems from each episode. Some of our favourites: Jamie Fox and rnold Schwarzenegger

.

[cityalps]

Book, podcast and doccie recommendations of the week (4 - 10 May)

By Dayne Muller

Podcast recommendation for the week: Outside

The Outside podcast covers health, travel, fitness, sport, the great outdoors and more. Our favourite episodes: Chased by a Jaguar in the Heart of the Amazon, Very Old Man for a Wolf and Can Humans outrun Antelope. 

Book recommendation: Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing

This book was gifted to me by Georgia, and it's honestly one of the most stirring books I have ever read. It covers Ernest Shackleton's 1914 bid to cross the Antarctic on foot from west to east, and is the most remarkable story of survival, human endurance and leadership in the face of seemingly impossible odds.

Doccie recommendation of the week: A Mile an Hour - Running a different kind of marathon

We have already shared this with several City Alpers, but we loved this short video of a whacky marathon completed by Beau Miles. The point (if there is one) is perhaps to think about the beauty of trying to extract as much as you can from a day. 

If you have any podcast, book or doccie recommendations, please do share them with us.

[cityalps]

Book, podcast and doccie recommendations of the week (11 - 17 May)

By Dayne Muller 

Podcast recommendation for the week: Billy Yang Podcast

Billy Yang is a  talented film maker and recreational trail runner, and his podcast involves Billy's one-on-one conversations with rising start and some of the biggest names in the trail running and outdoor sports community. Billy always tries to extract the "why" from his guests -  why they do what they do?   We particularly enjoyed his interviews with Courtney Dauwalter, Scott Jurek and Anton Krupicka (in an aside, Anton runs a bit like, and has a similar vibe to, our David Sullivan). Super interesting to get some insight in what drives and motivates these seemingly otherworldly athletes. 

Book recommendation: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

This book was a gifted to me by Elsje and Stephy, and I really enjoyed it. I found Murakami's description of his daily, almost meditative running practice and the positive influence running has had on other aspects of his life (particularly his writing) really inspiring. Its an insightful, easy read, and comes highly recommended as a staycation book if you have any holidays coming up.  

Doccie recommendation of the week: Mark Beaumont | Africa Solo: Cairo Cape Town 41 day

Fran shared this with us early in the week. Some nice shots of the journey and we thought the Africa Solo was the perfect doccie for the second week of our own Solo Move Challenge. 

[cityalps]

Book, podcast and doccie recommendations of the week (18 - 24 May)

By Daav Black

Book: 

The Rise of the Ultra Runners: A journey to the edge of human existence, by Adharanand Finn  Finn is an experienced road runner intrigued by the rising popularity of long distance mountain ultras. To see what's in it, Finn plots a course to the famous 100-mile Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB) in the French Alps. Finn takes you through his UTMB qualifying journey: ultra trail races in the Oman desert, California, the UK, and the Dolomites, and discovers many colorful characters along the way. He's an editor at the Guardian - he writes well, but also gets a seat with some of the sport's highest profile athletes. It's an inspiring journey that pulls at the mountain strings - do you have the mettle for a real mountain ultra?!  Podcast recommendation:  Outside Online: Why the Godfather of Barefoot Running Trains with a Donkey  Another entertaining listen from Outside Magazine. Outside editor, Christopher Keyes, chats to Christopher McDougall (the author of Born to Run) about burro racing: running through mountains with a pack donkey in tow, a sport indigenous to Colorado. The podcast is to profile McDougall's book, Running with Sherman: The Donkey with the Heart of a Hero. Donkeys can be incredibly stubborn and impossible to move, but there's also (apparently) much to a friendship forged with a donkey. Link: https://www.outsideonline.com/2403940/christopher-mcdougal-born-to-run-podcast Doccie recommendation:  Paul Tierney: Running the Wainrights Tierny has a crack at the record for running all 214 Alfred Wainwright peaks in the UK's Lake District, a distance of 318 miles and total climbing that's equal to four ascents of Everest (Everest is 8,848m).The existing record set by Steve Birkenshaw is 6 days, 13 hours and 1 minute. While a grueling feat, the doccie gives you an insight into the Lake District's salt of the earth fell running community, and the expansive fell ranges that are fast moving up the list to explore!  Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laMBEjxlst8&feature=emb_title