Missed the century.....settled for the metric century

[mary9761]

The only way I have gotten any better on hills is by doing them. When I first started riding with the club (well at least attending the ride and riding solo as I'm not fast enough yet to keep up with the roadies on the Navigator) I couldn't do the hills. I now not only can do the hills, I'm actually stronger and a bit faster. Use your grannies if you need to and definitely gear down BEFORE you can't pedal any more.

[Geonz]

I got better at hills by going harder on the flats... because that's pretty much all we have here. (Mostly I practiced charging into headwinds, and charging up the overpasses and a few little upgrades.) So, it can be done.
If your issue is strength (as opposed to technique) then yea, go harder wehrever; but sounds like shifting technique (and maybe other stuff too) is an issue, so I'd be lookin' for hills.

[latelatebloomer]

Hey, thanks for the power salute to we Athenas!!

In my short experience, riding with the DH always gives me a less-than experience. If you don't compare yourself to him, are you riding "within yourself" and are you seeing some gradual improvement? I ride with my DH a lot, and I know he doesn't mean to, but I often get a "if only you'd try just a little harder" vibe, and man oh man, he cannot POSSIBLY know how hard this woman is working out there! And too, since we are both training, there's never a point at which I will "catch up." Someone here posted a piece about the importance of training with other women, and I would like to do that more, myself - just haven't found the right riders yet.

Are you doing a core workout? That's really helping me.

Good for you for giving the Livestrong your best shot. You pushed through a migraine for 20 miles? That's heart!

[Cassandra_Cain]

Sorry you didn't make the full century but a metric is nothing to sneeze at by any stretch. Plus you have something to work for and a goal is never a bad thing.

About hills...

I think there is a big difference in doing well in hill-climbing vs. flat riding. Riding fast in the flats is all about how much power you can produce as well as aerodynamics. These are by far the two most important factors, nothing else I think is even close.

For hill climbing the name of the game is power-2-weight. It isn't raw power, but how much you have as compared to your body weight. Aerodynamics are largely a non-factor.

To be better at climbing I think, well, obvious as it sounds, you have to do hills. Three components specifically are to be looked at: a) force - how hard you can consistently push down on the pedals, b) leg speed - how fast you can turn the pedals, and c) economy - how efficient your pedal stroke is which becomes a very big thing in hill climbing.

If I were you, I would definitely include hill climbing in my training/rides. Also I would do some higher intensity work, say +/- 5-10 beats of your Lactate Threshold HR. Do these once a week, say 3 intervals, of about 8-12 minutes each, with perhaps 4-8 minutes of rest between them. When you are doing them, try to pedal a big enough gear that your cadence is about 60-80. In time, your body will overcompensate to this stress and your strength will grow accordingly.

More info here: http://ultrafit.com/library/Bike/#7-Climbing.doc and http://ultrafit.com/library/Bike/climbing.htm

Bets wishes on doing that century and becoming a climbing queen

[Red Haired Girl]

Hi Cassie,

You're a hill monster! But your advice, as usual, is spot on. Thank you.

Lara aka "The Flat Land Monster"