Hill training

[rebeccaC]

Staying relaxed and getting into a flow ftw..

I start relaxing my body while spinning smoothly in a low gear to loosen my legs as I approach a good climb. I use meditation techniques to still and relax my upper body as I start the climb….that's what helps me get into my climbing flow while also lessening tension. I'll start concentrating on just rhythmic breathing and the rhythmic movement of my legs during hard parts of the climb and/or stand for more power. Keeping your back straight and chest open will help in getting air into your lungs and having your upper body relaxed will save energy.

Riding harder using a bigger gear (say on a weekly schedule and depending on fitness) for short parts of a climb or on any ride can help increase your power output and endurance for climbing too. When I’ve done training in the past to build my endurance for a long hard day or days of climbing, I’d do climbing intervals in big gears, concentrating on smooth pedal movement and being relaxed.

For recreational riding just adding some climbs to your rides also helps in building endurance which can make future rides more enjoyable!!

enjoy your climbing and yeah the cresting a good climb can be an addictive feeling

eta...
Thinking there are lots of personal and riding techniques in climbing that can make it a good learning experience. I enjoyed learning the benefits of standing early on. The strength and cardiovascular requirements for standing is different than being in the saddle. If done effectively and with good upper body and core strength, standing allows more strength to instantly contribute to forward momentum and overall power. I’ll stand for a short steep section of a climb or on a long moderate climb to alternate my muscle load, for a burst of power (think dogs, focusing your mind etc. ) or just to build muscle endurance. For some standing can feel difficult and uncoordinated at first...for some with conscious practice it can help a lot in climbing abilities and in building muscle/cardiovascular strength, even for recreational riders…..and it helps with confidence and with keeping a positive mind set.

Granted I have an addiction to climbing…..but I'd say doing it in whatever way makes you feel comfortable makes sense….