Sluggish Recoveries?

[bcipam]

If you have been watching the Tour you know there are specialist for hills, flats (sprints), time trials etc. Hill training makes you stronger on hills but not faster on flats and vice-versa.

If I understand your question its when you attack a small hill you run out of stream and have trouble recovering. At 18 mph your speed is pretty high and I can imagine it's hard to maintain going up the hill, how ever small. In addition, I'm assuming you are pushing a really tall gear (you didn't say but I asssume you don't switch gears until it becomes hard or you tire.. need to do it before you it gets to hard and you are already fatigued).

Try this, on the flat as you apprach your small hill, down shift once and then once again as you attack the hill. If you are spinning too much then click up once. It may also help to get out of the saddle to finish the attack. Sit back down once the hill becomes easy or is conquered.

I suggest you ride with a heart rate monitor. If at the time you are attacking the hill you hit your threshold, then you are pushing way too hard and am going totally anaerobic which means your recovery is going to be harder. You should not go any higher than 75 - 80 of threshold. And even that is for short periods of time - ie short, quick bursts.

Hope this makes sense.