Going Uphill

[spazzdog]

OK... this is just from listening to all the commentators on TV when comparing Lance and Ulrich. Far be it from me to be this smart.

(read that I'm tall and scrawny but I'm a "stand & mash" on the hills)

Everybody keeps saying that if the bigger Ulrich would spin a lower gear like Lance, instead of mashing the higher one his climbing would improveand he'd be less pooped.

So... do you have a gear you can spin, say 70-80 rpms, on the hill?

Or even 60-70 rpms? If you do, stay there. Practice raising the rpms in that gear on the hill until you can no longer spin without bouncing.

Then start doing the same practice hill in the next higher gear.... again spinning 60-70, until you're able to spin that higher gear up in the 90 range.

my 2 cents

[Veronica]

I suppose it also depends on the length of the hills you're talking about. What's going on with your heart rate as you're climbing. You don't want to be anaerobic for too long. You'll have nothing left for that sprint at the end. If you know your heart rate at your lactate threashold, I'd work on hills trying to stay within a few beats of that.

V.

[Hill Slug]

One of our Team in Training coaches posted this today. Hope you can use some of it:
COACHES CORNER

Climbing..... For many of us, this word evokes feelings of frustration, pain and dread. This is one of the hardest parts of riding for many cyclists, and yet is capable of producing enormous feelings of satisfaction when a particularly long or difficult hill has been conquered. Why do some people seem to be good at it from the get-go, and some of us never seem to really get it at all? The answer is multifactorial (of course!)

Hill-climbing is primarily based on power to weight ratio. The stronger you are and the lighter you are, the better you'll be able to climb. Unfortunately neither of these is completely under our voluntary control. To some extent they are genetically determined (i.e., picking the right parents and being born the correct gender). Some of us will never weigh 110 pounds (at least not past the age of 14) and be able to leg press 800 pounds. Some of us have lower lactate thresholds, lower pain tolerance, lower heat tolerance. It takes a special combination to produce a Roberto Heras or Marco Pantani (and sometimes not all of it natural!).

But climbing can definitely be improved in all of us, no matter what our natural gifts (or lack thereof). Practice and mileage are big parts of it. Taking steps to improve leg strength and lose weight are items that we can gradually work on. But what can we do immediately? Make sure that you have the correct equipment and gearing, ie, a small enough ring in the front and a big enough gear in the back. Get comfortable on your bike and figure out your best climbing position (on the bars, on the hoods, in the drops,
sitting or standing). Ration your exertion so that you have enough to climb the whole hill. One common mistake is to go too hard at the bottom and "blow up" part way up the hill. Wearing a heart rate monitor is one way to monitor your energy expenditure and effort - if you're in the red zone 1/3 of the way up the climb you'll never make it to the top.

I think one of the most important parts of climbing, though, is the psychological aspect. A long climb, particularly if you are gravitationally challenged, is psychologically difficult. You'll have the demons talking to you half way up, trying to convince you to quit right there. But there are tricks to beat the demons - get into a rhythm with your breathing, set small goals all along the way ("I'll just go to the next light post, mile marker, bush, etc), change position on the bike, distract yourself. Sometimes music helps (either singing or humming). What works best for me is to climb with a friend and chat. And sometimes you just have to get off the bike and take a break.

There are lots of additional tips on climbing to read for encouragement. One interesting article that you might find helpful is: www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/skills/uphill.htm

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I am especially gravitationally challenged, and she's right about the demons. Last year I let them get to me. This year, I'm stronger and know I can beat them. I still slug my up, but I do get there....

[Pink Kona]

Thanks Hill Slug. I get to utilize everyone's suggestions this weekend at Walla Walla. I'll let you know how it goes.