Distance Climbing Help

[Fredwina]

My two bits:
I'll agree with MP, sometime doing harder grade will give you the confidence to do things- The start of Glendora Mountian Road has a nice steep pitch (about 8%) before leveling off to 5-6% for the next 12 miles. It always helps me to know that If I can make it to the gate, I can do the rest of it.
Alitude, I noticed this on my 300K in Arizona that I DNF'ed - From Flagstaff to Happy Jack it rolling, but I found myslef in easier gears - elevation was from 7000 to 7600. I've got another Brevet in month in Utah - 200K w/6000 feet and the starting point is at 6800. I've been debating going up and doing a loop around Big Bear lake and up to Onyx Summit. if only gas wasn't so dear.
Smiling Cat - I thought ride around the bear was closer to 9000 - you start about 1200, onyx is 8400 something, plus you've that descent into Big Bear on 18 and that "little" climb on the descent at Barton Flats

[smilingcat]

I didn't want to exagerate the bear ride's climb.

Yup start at Sylvan park then ride over to town of Highland then hop onto hwy 330? And you soon see a sign "elevation 2,000 ft". And you go &*^% Onyx summit is 84something... and you struggle and keep on. When you think you are half way up, you see a next sign "elevation 3,000 ft"...

Train from Big bear lake to Onyx summit is a good work out. Some local clubs make a habit of making an extended weekend trip up to Big bear and train.

Go up to onyx, come down turn around and go back up. Good training. (except one year one of the girls crashed into a tree and had 5 metal pins in her wrist. That was a bad year for the club.)

Another place to train is over in Eastern Sierra. I used to go to mamouth mtn. and ride over dead man's pass into June lake area then onto Lee Vining then up conway pass. Also some people stay at Lee Vining and climb Tioga pass around 10,000ft elevation. Actually number of people do this like 3 to 4 weeks before Death ride as a warm up ride. If you can do the Tioga pass, you can do the death ride.

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hey you are in Rancho Cucamanga. You are lot closer to Big bear than me (Hermosa Beach) What are you talking about gas price!!! Its 90 miles to the base and another 20 miles to big bear.
meowmeow
Smilingcat

[Starfish]

Thanks, everyone. No, V, I'm NOT giving up! And, MP, I am sure you are right about the periodization. I got worried about getting up to enough climbing if I used a few weeks for just recovery rides here and there, but I'm sure it is time well spent.

Part of riding the harder grades is that there are only so many roads where I live. We don't have many long climbs. We have one mountain road. And we have a gazillion foothills with roads that create a few loops. And, I don't have an elevation profile for the event ride, so I can't be sure there aren't some steep pitches.

I will get some training in at elevation. Our highest road only goes up to 5000 feet (in 19 miles!), but the snow is finally melting up there, so soon I can get up there and do repeats of the last few miles for elevation.

Thank you all so very much. It has been a hard year, and I really, really want to have fun and success on my goal ride this year. I need a lot of encouragement, and I am so grateful that when I unabashedly ask for it, you come through! What wonderful people!

[bikegirlnhawaii]

Starfish,

Sounds like a fun ride. The progression is good. Might I suggest you put in one "intensity" ride a week? Shorter, but intervals....but it depends on your overall fitness level...which after the rides you've been doing, looks to be good!

20 minute intervals at a pace that is just above the "no talk" zone (you could talk if you had to, but it would be rather short and annoying to do so! ), rest 5-10 min and repeat. Don't do these above 7% avg grade (5% is ideal). Aim for 1 the first time, then the next week, add another, or a partial interval. If you use HR, aim for 80-85%.

It's really hard, but the increase in your overall fitnes will benefit you greatly in several ways: increased fatburning, increased aerobic endurance, and a faster pace on the climbs overall, among them.

My fav climb here is a 10,000 ft climb (0-10,000ft) in 36.2 miles. Epic is the best description!

Good luck with everything...keep us posted on your progress!

aloha,
KJ

[Veronica]

I've been looking for an elevation profile for the ride (Mount Shasta Summit Century btw.) There are a few rider comments on the website that talk about 10 -12% grades going on for four miles. That could be an exaggeration of course.

They do have a map on the website and maybe one day, when I'm feeling ambitious or bored, I can put it into Bikely. That would give us a profile.

V.

[Veronica]

My fav climb here is a 10,000 ft climb (0-10,000ft) in 36.2 miles. Epic is the best description!

Which volcano would that be?

V.

[Starfish]

My fav climb here is a 10,000 ft climb (0-10,000ft) in 36.2 miles. Epic is the best description! KJ

Holy Cow, KJ...epic, yes.

Thanks for the tips on the intervals. Earlier this year I had been doing some easier intervals in the gym while trying to keep my HR lower out on the roads. Then, when I started doing harder loops, I figured I was getting in some de facto intervals. But, Veronica talked me into going to a spin class this morning, and I intend to keep doing that once/week. Way harder than I keep up on my own out on the road.

I am thinking 50 minutes HARD in spinning on Tuesdays, and the de facto intervals during my long rides Saturdays. Filling in with recovery rides and aerobic workouts in the gym. I'm not a real high volume person, yet. I have bumped it up from about 5 hours/week in February to about 7 hours/week these days.

[Starfish]

20 minute intervals at a pace that is just above the "no talk" zone (you could talk if you had to, but it would be rather short and annoying to do so! ), rest 5-10 min and repeat. Don't do these above 7% avg grade (5% is ideal). Aim for 1 the first time, then the next week, add another, or a partial interval. If you use HR, aim for 80-85%.

LOL, I just re-looked at your recommendation to aim for 80-85%...I am so out of shape that I am still in that range often for my climbing miles...miles on end! On my mountain road, I have been letting myself stop every 15-20 minutes to let my HR drop for a couple minutes before resuming. So, I think I have been doing these!

[IFjane]

Starfish - I live virtually at sea level (about 1000 ft. elevation here at my house), but go to the Rockies every summer to ride. The only thing I would add to what everyone else has said is to really pay attention to heartrate. I don't rely so much on percentage as I do the actual number. Through the years I have learned that I can ride at altitude (7,000 ft. and over) if I keep my heartrate below a certain number. Above that and I crack because of lack of oxygen. I am not and never will be a fast climber, slow and steady is more my style, but eventually I make it to the top.

[Starfish]

I don't rely so much on percentage as I do the actual number.

I can relate to this. I haven't done a field test to see what my TT HR is for a long time, so I'm not completely clear on my HR percentages these days. But, I am getting a pretty good read of how long I can go at various actual HRs, and how they affect me later, etc.

Thanks for your post. Makes a lot of sense.