Beethoven Symphony No. 8
Setting: Cyclists just want to have fun!
Any time, any place. Just a fun spin, into a great city park with plenty of trails and other cyclists on a clear, crisp spring day. Profile Overview: Sheer fun. Right out of the gate, a run against the breeze, cock sure of ourselves and challenging other riders. Stage II: A run in position 2 in the park, elegant. Stage III, Dancing in the park. Stage IV is a race back home either breakneck @ 134+ or in the 70's with plenty of headwind. Recommendations: I'd make this one a "Fun Day" challenge just enjoy. Fitness Objective: An aerobic spin for the most part, unless you take the last stage double-time pushing a cadence of 140 or more. Think you can do it? First Stage: Bursting right out of the gate, cocky and sure of ourselves, we hurtle forward looking for someone, anyone to race -- making lots of noise! After an auspicious start, we catch a lady friend primly cycling along on this crisp clear morning, but mischievously, we sneak behind her and then hurtle ourselves past her. We encounter lots of cyclists on the drive, hurtling past one and then another as we run into a little mist. But the sun comes out, we catch our lady friend again, and then finish the stage with a flourish.
Second Stage: The weather is a bit warmer on this wonderful early spring day. Trees are green and cyclists are out in force, running along the park paths on this crisp spring day in the park, prancing in position 2, teasing our fellow riders.
Lots of position 2 with this one, cadences in the 90's. Third Stage: We come upon a group dancing in the park, a traditional kind of dance, almost a minuet. We join.
In the middle of the dance group, a pair of the most skilled dancers do a pas de deux. Fourth Stage: Will we double-time it back home, a go forced to lower our gear and head into the wind? Fleet, fast we move full of confidence, full of energy. In the middle of our race, we find again our lady friend, gliding along stylishly. She picks up her speed and races with us as we tease one another. Then it becomes a contest in earnest as one pulls ahead of the other with heightened but not serious intensity. Then we head for the last stage, see the finish line ahead, but it seems forever to get there. At last we do -- together. Instructor's Notes: We'll have fun with this "kleine symphony".I haven't decided which performance to use. Perhaps one with original instruments and tempos close to Beethoven's metronome markings. If you'd like to hear a complete performance, here's Paavo Jarvi again playing it with frisky tempos: Complete Performance
To go back to "Biking to Beethoven" Click Here |