Muscle Fatigue

[maillotpois]

Well maybe you need more time training on flat roads? But given what you are planning to do next year (DMD) that doesn't make too much sense. Is this a consistent problem or just something that affected you on one ride?

[Di bear]

It's probably a slow-twitch (endurance) vs fast-twitch (sprint) muscle thing. You're going to compensate for the climb by holding back a little more. Your HR will get up, sure, but your leg muscles won't work as fast or as hard (lower gear) to get up that climb. They'll be pushing hard, but it's different from the flat...

With the flat, you are likely to feel pretty good and get into a good cadence (90 rpm) in a harder gear and just go. You'll be working those muscles differently and probably a little faster.

Then there is the mental. Long flats can get old fast. Sustained climbs usually have interesting scenery, and the elevation change does something to the mind. It's weird. People are weird.

Also, you're working different muscle groups. I think your climbing muscles are probably your strongest, or grunt, muscles. Think glutes. A different muscle group will take over on the flat. One muscle group may be better conditioned than the other to handle sustained efforts.

So, really, it could be anything, but it could also be everything or a combination therein.

[RoadRaven]

Have no idea about spinervals as I don't use them and when I do train inside I put on a DVD of one of the televised tours.

For me, my riding up hills at a sustained steady pace does not lift my heart rate as much as when I do do sustained outputs of power on the flat... thats when I push my lactate threshold.

So the fatigue I have after both types of rides is different - you use your muscles in different ways. I suspect that is what you are noticing.

[Veronica]

Well maybe you need more time training on flat roads? But given what you are planning to do next year (DMD) that doesn't make too much sense. Is this a consistent problem or just something that affected you on one ride?

It's a one ride only phenomenon. Other than the sprint tris, it's the only time I have ridden long sustained flats - 20 miles down 82 into Gilroy.

I won't fret about it. All my big events have lots of climbing.

Veronica

[Selkie]

Dropping the Hammer, which is one of Troy's new ones, sounds like a good one to help you focus on cadence for longer duration. Maybe Ride & Stride -- very high cadence work and the sets seem to go on & on. Also, The Sprinting Machine (it deals more w/lower duration/high cadence work, but it's helped me a lot).

I have the same issue, so I've been focusing on high cadence work. I love the hill and strength Spinervals, so I've had to force myself to do the higher cadence ones.