It's official; I suck at climbing

[Dogmama]

C-Cain, perhaps I did not make my post clear. I never meant to say that weight training can replace cycling, just that it is an excellent adjunct to cycling. Elite cyclists weight train in the off season, so apparently their coaches agree.

As for the other points, PM me if you want to continue this conversation.

[texascyclist]

bacarver...YOU SAID IT ALL!! My DH is a much stronger rider than I am. He constantly pushes me to go faster, climb better and finish quicker. I have explained to him many times than I did not take up cycling to be competitive but to enjoy it and reap the benefits of a healthier lifestyle that come from biking.

As far as hills go, when starting a climb, I look just in front of me, not up ahead. I find that if I look ahead I dwell on how much further it is until I reach the top. If I look just in front of me (while relying on my memories of childbirth....breathe, breathe, push, push ) I find the climbs are easier and seem to go quicker, even if I'm only going 5 mph....lol! I'm not sure why that is, I just know that this is what works for me. On occasion I have had to get off the bike and walk too, but I don't let it bother me. I look at it this way, walking or riding I'm still exercising.