new strategy & mantra for the hills

[newbiechick]

I thought I'd share an interesting experience I had in case it might be useful to other newbies out there.

On my ride before my most recent one, I tried a pretty tough hill for the second time and for the second time had to stop part way and walk the rest. It was a VERY hot and VERY humid day, so I didn't let myself get too discouraged. Still I was somewhat frustrated. My fiance asked whether it was my lungs or legs that were giving out first. Without hesitation I said it was my lungs. After reading about spinning, I'd been dropping down into the lowest possible gear and peddling as fast as I could. My fiance suggested that since my legs weren't getting tired I might want to try gearing up a little and using more leg strength. (I have fairly strong runners' legs.)

So when I was out yesterday, as I started that same killer hill, I didn't drop into my granny gear. I stayed in my middle ring, put my head down, didn't look at the top of the hill (which looked like it was on the other side of the world!), and powered my way up, repeating the mantra, "USE YOUR STONG LEGS!" over and over again until I reached the top! Granted, this was also my first day clipless, so I was also able to use MORE of my leg muscles. Anyway, it was a great experience.

Now I have no idea what all you experienced riders will think of this. I absolutely understand that spinning is what I want to aim for in the long run as I become a more experienced rider. But it was a really great learning experience to figure out how to balance strength and cardio to achieve a goal (e.g. the killer hill!).

I don't know if anyone other new riders out there have struggled with how to make it up the hills, but this really helped me. And I think the mantra was an integral part of it too!

Happy riding!

Shelley
aka newbiechick

[joyrider]

Feedback on this topic would be great! I have the same problem - legs still going but have to stop because I can't breathe! It's so embarrassing pulling over to pant while the fit people zoom by me, breathing steadily!
I might test out newbiechick's method a little. But gotta be careful of the hinky knees!

[emily_in_nc]

Yes, you definitely have to ride a fine line here (pardon the pun!) I have asthma and am small (so have much smaller lungs than Lance!), so gearing down and spinning fast can really challenge my lungs; and yet, using too high a gear to climb and attempting to use more quads and glutes can be tough on my 44-year old knees (and my healing pelvis). It's hard to get just the right gear to balance the breathing issues and the structural issues, but I keep working on it. I find if I resist the urge to gear all the way down, my speed is much better, but I have to be careful not to go too far in the other direction either!

Emily

[mom2twins]

I have also found hills go better for me if I put a little muscle behind them and mash it out in a higher gear. I've stopped using my granny gear completely and am thinking about going to a double as soon as I can talk my DH into upgrading my bike to Ultegra 10 speed On smaller hills and flats I'm trying hard to work on spinning but I've got some serious hills around my house and the only way to get up them without dying of respirtory failure is to stay in the middle ring.

Oh and I learned my hill mantra here a long time ago. I can't remember who said it first but I repeat it to myself every single ride:

"Hills are my friend and chocolate is good"

it gets me up there like nothing else

[Pax]

Another alternative is to live here in Central Illinois...we don't have a hill around here anywhere!

Seriously though what emily said is so true, finding that balance is what it's all about...congrats newbiechick on slaying your dragon.

[SadieKate]

Yes, yes! It is a fine line between spinning too much and mashing on a hill. Spinning in too high a cadence can just burn needless energy. If you mtbike, you learn real fast that you can also loose momentum and traction. With 4 knee ops, I have really stay focused on that small area between abusing my knees from too hard a gear but also just burning out from too high a cadence.

Congrats on finding that very thin line!

[newbiechick]

A cyclist friend of mine also suggested sitting back when going up hill. I've tried this a couple of times--only for seconds--and both times immediately leaned forward again. It just didn't feel natural to me. Maybe I need to just submit myself to trying it all the way up a hill to see if I can get comfortable with it. When I think that it might somehow "open" my lungs, it makes more sense. It just doesn't feel right. Any thoughts, suggestions? Or do I just need to practice it?

Shelley
aka newbiechick

[SadieKate]

A cyclist friend of mine also suggested sitting back when going up hill. I've tried this a couple of times--only for seconds--and both times immediately leaned forward again. It just didn't feel natural to me. Maybe I need to just submit myself to trying it all the way up a hill to see if I can get comfortable with it. When I think that it might somehow "open" my lungs, it makes more sense. It just doesn't feel right. Any thoughts, suggestions? Or do I just need to practice it?

Shelley
aka newbiechick

Did she mean "sit more upright" or push your butt back on the saddle? Pushing back on the saddle extends your legs so you use your larger leg and glute muscles to climb.

[newbiechick]

Did she mean "sit more upright" or push your butt back on the saddle? Pushing back on the saddle extends your legs so you use your larger leg and glute muscles to climb.

Hmmmm ... maybe I misunderstood what she meant. I'll have to check with her. I'll definitely try your suggestion of pushing back on the saddle. Thanks!

Shelley

[newrider]

Unfortunately, I'm still in the "wussy lungs, wussy legs, too" category. BUT I just keep at it anyway. It's SO fun to feel myself getting stronger.

On the other "hills/affirmations" thread on TE, someone suggested to "pedal in circles". That is what I'm always thinking/chugging as I spin up, and it works for me (thanks, whoever you were . Hills here are pretty much something I handle on the middle chain ring, considering the "top of hill exertion" a windsprint or interval, or whatever the term may be for kicking my butt for awhile, then riding within my target heart rate range for awhile again till the next hill. And the flight downhill is ALWAYS worth the effort up.

Newbiechick, you have my deepest respect and admiration as you handle southern Indiana hills on a hybrid! You are a magnificent woman!!!! You can sit farther back on the saddle AND sit more upright (you're right, for more lung capacity (upright) and for more hamstring/glut input (farther back), too). Girl, when you DO get that road bike in a year or so, you'll have wings. Keep up the great work! You're incredible!!!

[shewhobikes]

Good thread! I tackled the longest, steepest hill of my short riding career Saturday before last. It kept going and going and going. I thought we were done until we rounded a curve and here comes another, oh, quarter of a mile straight up with the sun in your face. I had to really talk to myself so as to not get off the bike. Being mid-divorce, I am focused on being strong, so I said, "You are gutsy, you are strong, you can do it" over and over. Well, it worked, though it's not too poetic or original!

A more experienced rider also recommended to me sitting more upright and I find it really helps. She said sitting low and aerodynamic isn't going to help you climbing a hill, given that you are putting more weight on the front wheel, thereby digging into the hill. Makes sense. I shift back a little in the saddle, sit more upright and move my hands back closer to the stem. Opens my lungs up, too, and it seems to help me.

Good luck with those hills!

[newbiechick]

so I said, "You are gutsy, you are strong, you can do it" over and over. Well, it worked, though it's not too poetic or original!

I think that's a FABULOUS mantra! Who needs poetry when you're workin' your butt off ... I want something succinct and full of power!

Thanks for the kudos. I know I haven't begun to tackle the toughest hills down here yet, but one of these days I will. And with all the great input I'm getting on this thread I trust that I will soon be up to the challenge.

It's funny, having never ridden anything but a hybrid, I guess I'm oblivious to my "handicap." My fiance says (in his ever-supportive, ever-modest way), your bike weighs at least 5 pounds more than mine, and you're pushing that much more up the hill!! So sweet of him. Of course, I can easily carry an extra 5 pounds the week before my period, so I don't see how 5 pounds of weight is going to make that much difference. I guess I'll just look forward to that day I get a road bike and find myself flying effortlessly up every hill. That's the way it will be, right? :wink:

I really do appreciate all the feedback and great advice.

Shelley

[latelatebloomer]

Don't know but maybe this will help some of my fellow really new riders with the issue of getting the lungs to open up. In spin classes, we did a good long warm up (my trainer, who just won the PA Master's Championship & is going for the Nationals in IN, is VERRRY serious about warm up, cool down, and stretching) but when I started road riding - I'm facing a hill of some sort almost right away no matter which way I turn out of the driveway. (I ride in eastern PA, any flat land was shipped to the midwest centuries ago). The suggestion was made that before I get on the bike, I go for a short brisk walk to open the lungs and warm the legs. That has really helped, especially in cooler weather.

To the good, as frustrated as I can get with my progress sometimes, today a woman my age thought I was ten years younger than she. I guess I gotta get her on a bike

[Pax]

As I said previously, we don't have any hills here but I was doing a club ride a few years ago in an area that had hills...I gutted my way up this long steep grade and chanted to myself "don't you DARE quit" all the way up. I reached the top and felt utterly spent...then a rotweiler launched himself off the top step of a nearby farmhouse and gave chase...it was amazing what reserves I had left when I felt "spent".

[Honeywell23]

I just tell myself as I am pumping up the hill that if Lance can do it, I can do it.. It always works!