For a group of women who are used to running around a field at high speeds, you would think sitting on a bike would be a breeze. But before leaving for their first tour of 2015, the Canadian Women’s National Field Hockey Team had their work cut out for them at Cadence Cycling Studio in Vancouver.
Cadence is a rhythm-based cycling studio with a unique, fun and high-intensity environment. In this case, the lights were down, the music was loud and the blood was pumping.
Perfect for a team that has a lot of energy heading into an important year.
“The team was extremely focused in class. The harder I pushed them, the harder they pushed themselves,” says Cadence’s Michael Porter.
“As an instructor there are different types of energy you feel in a class. They were taking themselves to the next level and encouraging each other to do the same. Sometimes not with words, but by example.”
When beginning any season, having the correct motivation is always important. There’s no lack of it this year for the Women’s National Team, who are currently in New Zealand training.
This year is all about qualifying for the 2016 Olympics. So before starting the year of competition, getting out of their typical daily training environment and doing something new and fun as a team was important to keep things light and to keep the team together.
That’s not to say this team bonding sessions was an easy ride in the park.
“For a group of girls, allot of who had never spun before, I was blown away by their form on the bike and their understanding of the workout,” adds Porter. “As a group, they are a great example for Canadian sport. Friendly, hard working, fun and obviously supportive of each other”
The Canadian women will play a series of test matches against the New Zealand Women’s National Team beginning on January 31st, before to their Vancouver-based training environment, where they will then prepare for World League 2, which takes place in March in Dublin, Ireland.
For more information about Cadence Cycling Studio, click here. For a list of key competitions in 2015, click here.
