Another very tough climb (video & pics)

[luv2climb]

luv2climb, I'm totally impressed and inspired. Thanks.

Thank you.

I got my heart rate up to 220 on one of them once. That's as high as I've seen it.

I got mine up to 212 last summer. This year I reached 206 on my first sufferfest video that I posted back in February. In the early 90s my max was 215.

Sometimes people on BikeForums freak out over my high heart rate readings in my climbing ride posts, and I always have to reassure them that my heart is healthy.

[indysteel]

Thank you.


I got mine up to 212 last summer. This year I reached 206 on my first sufferfest video that I posted back in February. In the early 90s my max was 215.

Sometimes people on BikeForums freak out over my high heart rate readings in my climbing ride posts, and I always have to reassure them that my heart is healthy.

I have a high max HR. It's been a while since I regularly wore an HR monitor, but when I did, I would spend most of a spin workout in the 180s to low 190s as my Zone 3. I don't usually blow up until the high 190s.

[Sardine]

About mountains, how do you build up to climbing them? Do you just keep riding steeper and longer hills or is there some other training involved? How long did it take before you managed your first summit? Thanks.

[luv2climb]

About mountains, how do you build up to climbing them? Do you just keep riding steeper and longer hills or is there some other training involved? How long did it take before you managed your first summit? Thanks.

You got it right. I just started riding steeper and longer climbs. I also dropped a bunch of weight. Now it's stalled out again with 20 more pounds to go.

The first mountain I climbed last year was after dropping from 214 to 185 pounds. I climbed the Tahoe side of Kingsbury Grade, which is only 3.5 miles long. No problem with that climb. The next day I climbed the Reno side of Mt. Rose, which is 13.7 miles long. That was the most miserable experience I've ever had on a bike, thanks to being 60 pounds over ideal weight, riding a 32 lb mtb because I didn't have a road bike, and not eating enough during the ride.

[GingerbreadGirl]

I don't know how you do it.

Today I chose a "hillier" trail (still really flat, believe me) to work on my fitness and shifting (only my second ever ride on a road bike). I've only been cycling three weeks and am pathetically out of shape. Was on bed rest this fall and then put on meds that packed 35 lbs on me in about 4 months. I'm a train wreck.

Managed to do the inclines (can't call them proper hills) but was so tired and zapped afterwards. I hope someday I'm in half as good shape as you.

Encouraging to hear you lost weight though

[luv2climb]

I don't know how you do it.

Today I chose a "hillier" trail (still really flat, believe me) to work on my fitness and shifting (only my second ever ride on a road bike). I've only been cycling three weeks and am pathetically out of shape. Was on bed rest this fall and then put on meds that packed 35 lbs on me in about 4 months. I'm a train wreck.

Managed to do the inclines (can't call them proper hills) but was so tired and zapped afterwards. I hope someday I'm in half as good shape as you.

Encouraging to hear you lost weight though

You've already taken the first step to getting stronger. Keep up the good work and it will get easier. I know about the old saying "it never gets easier, you just get faster", but when you are losing weight as well as gaining fitness, it does get easier.

[GingerbreadGirl]

Thanks, I get discouraged when I read about everyone's 30+ mi rides. Right now 5 miles is work for me. Three weeks ago, 2 miles was tough. Last year I was *jogging* 5 miles at this time... I'm so out of condition. I love to see posts like yours to remind me things are possible. Not for me necessarily, but you know... for some people lol.

[luv2climb]

Thanks, I get discouraged when I read about everyone's 30+ mi rides. Right now 5 miles is work for me. Three weeks ago, 2 miles was tough. Last year I was *jogging* 5 miles at this time... I'm so out of condition. I love to see posts like yours to remind me things are possible. Not for me necessarily, but you know... for some people lol.

I know how you feel. I don't even bother reading the Garmin stats and ride reports from the "super-roadies" over in the road cycling section of BikeForums. They are all much faster than me and I know it. I've been posting a few of my videos in their ride video thread, but they almost never get feedback. I don't care though. I post them with the knowledge that not every reader of that forum is a lycra-clad superhero with a 20 mph average speed on a hilly ride. Hopefully some of the slower riders will see the videos and not be quite as discouraged after reading some of the other stuff in there.