Puttin it in context - climbing miles

[Catrin]

Is ~6,400 feet of climbing in 127 miles considered a lot of climbing? Just trying to wrap my brain around it...

[indysteel]

It depends on the rider. For a relatively new rider who's also flatlander, I'd say yes, definitely.

[indysteel]

This might provide some context: Fishback Hill has 80 feet of ascent. Picture doing that hill 80 times over the course of 127 miles. Admittedly, the climbs you encounter won't all be as steep as Fishback, but it still offers a bit of perspective.

[Catrin]

Fishback Hill has 80 feet of ascent. Picture doing that hill 80 times over the course of 127 miles. Admittedly, the climbs you encounter won't all be as steep as Fishback, but it still offers a bit of perspective.

:eek: :o :eek: :o :eek: :o

That helps - thank you! I guess their moving the brevet to a much hillier location helps make my mind up for me - for THIS year - there is always next year :) My legs aren't ready for that kind of challenge and having to back off a bit from my "training" last week and this week isn't helping.

(if Fishback wasn't so darned short it wouldn't be so hard...)

[OakLeaf]

We've had this discussion before ... I think the consensus is that it depends on the climbs.

Small hills are like intervals, long ones are like a tempo workout. Hypothetically you could climb 10,000 feet in 100 miles on one long 2% grade, and barely feel it in your legs. Or, you could climb the same 10,000 feet the way we do in southern Ohio, Indiana and Illinois ... by climbing the same 300 feet over and over again on grades of 12-25%. That, you will feel.

6400 feet in 127 miles is not a lot of climbing for southern Ohio. But if you're not used to it, anything is a lot.

[Catrin]

This is the brevet they moved from the west side of Columbus to the east side - instead of starting at Galloway it starts at Buckhorn Lake and goes north and east.

That being said, my mileage base has not been progressing at the rate I had hoped, and now I am nursing quad and hamstring - though it seems pretty close to being healed. I had pretty much decided to wait until spring for my first brevet, though a part of me was still toying with the idea... I just don't think I can do that kind of climbing in a little over three weeks...

I have been trying to climb every hill I can find, but am still very slow in the hills...