Track List - #totalrequestride, Wednesday, September 17, 2014

1. Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy - Billy Porter featuring Cyndi Lauper
2. On Top Of The World - Imagine Dragons
3. Love Shack - The B-52s
4. No Scrubs - TLC
5. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
6. Shake Ya Tail-Feather - Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee
7. Shake Your Groove Thing - Peaches And Herb
8. Poker Face (remix) - Lady Gaga
9. Throb - Janet Jackson
10. You And I - Lady Gaga
11. Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová & The Frames
12. When You Believe - Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey

Positivity. I talk so often about making a change in my classes. One of the most important things that should be so easy to create in class is a positive energy. It really doesn't take much effort at all. All you have to do is make it to class, get on a bike, commit to riding with determination and focus, and let the instructor, the music and the positive energy of the room do the rest! It doesn't take much preparation. Just show up and be present. No, it is not easy to have a Ride that is challenging and that makes a difference in your mental and physical well-being. It does take some work. But the positive energy that can and should be created by everyone in a group fitness class should be the collective result of everyone in class. A commitment to a Ride that will increase your heart rate; a focus on a Ride that provides the greatest return on the amount of work that you put into it; and an openness and willingness to put in the work, learn about proper form, and have fun while riding to a variety of current, motivating music should all be a part of your class experience. I try to choose music that helps create a positive atmosphere. For example, I absolutely love the warm-up or opening track used in this morning's #totalrequestride! "Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy" by Billy Porter and Cyndi Lauper. Wow. Such a great combination of talent. Such a positive message! I try to stay away from music that uses language that is negative, offensive or disrespectful to anyone. I try to choose upbeat songs that have a definitive beat to help you move and that foster an organic feeling that not only are you doing a lot of work that is so very good for you, but you are also, without trying very much at all, experiencing a mood-altering force that kind of sneaks up on you and hopefully results in a smile! Yes, a sweaty, exhausted smile, but a smile nonetheless. And it should go without saying really that at the end of a class, that smile should be present as well. Firstly and most obviously, the workout is over. Smile. Then you realize that you actually had a lot of fun while working so hard. Smile. Then you think, "Well, I may not have loved every song choice, but there was at least a moment or two that I really got into it. The music really helped push me to the next level. I really enjoyed riding to that particular song." Smile. Then the thought occurs that all you really did was arrive in class and get on a bike! The instructors format, framework, path, journey, instructions along with the music helped elevate you to a place you maybe didn't even think you could go! And then you became aware of how hard and focused the riders around you were, and that that actually helped you get a better ride and helped you obtain more results. Very big smile! Positivity. It is a great thing. It is powerful. It makes a difference. It can help you make a big change. And it is really so much easier than being negative, self-centered, arrogant, distracting and unwilling to fully commit to being a part of the class. So open yourself up to being positive. Then, see and feel the results! I look forward to experiencing this with you! I can't wait to see you experience it for yourself in the Ride with Tommy! Thanks so much for being a part. I hope to see you in class soon! Until then, in good health, tommy