I didn't set a goal for July, but I've already got over 20K in and I expect at least another 5K this weekend.

Can I ask you mountain goats a question? I rode my first real 'mountain' a couple of weekends ago. It was about 3-7% grade (varying) for 8 miles. It's a tough one around here because there is no flattening out at all, it's all climbing for 8 miles. That said, I did it, but I didn't do it well. I found that if I could spin comfortably in my lowest gear, my HR would get too high and I'd get dizzy and nauseous. If I kept the HR manageable, the cadence was too low and my legs would burn out. I obviously need some work.

How do I train for something like this when I just don't have those types of long climbs around me? We have plenty of hills, but nothing longer than maybe a mile, and even those aren't all that steep. I can get to a 2 mile 8% climb, but even that would be more of a weekend trip (it's an hour from me). The hills in my immediate area are easy for me compared to the long climbs that I need to be able to ride (by the end of September).

What should I do? Hill repeats? HR training? Weight lifting? Drive my lazy a$$ to the mountains every weekend and ride there?

Thanks!