Distance Climbing Help

[Starfish]

Warning, this is long! I am training for a ride in August that is 100 miles with 10,000 feet of climbing. Below is a description of my weekly long ride yesterday, which was harder for me than I had hoped. Following that is my planned weekly progression. I would love comments, especially from you experienced distance climbers.

Yesterday, I really worked HARD to do my 50 miles with 3400 feet, and I am feeling pretty uncertain that in the next 12 weeks, I can make it up to 100 miles with 10,000 feet.

I feel OK today, although stiff. Yesterday I felt cooked about 40 miles in, and one climb in particular REALLY kicked my butt, and gave me a LOT of pain in my quads (although the pain subsided after the descent and back into easier climbing around 5%). I believe my nutrition/hydration was fine.

My ride yesterday was not a long steady climb, but relative flats punctuated with about 4 climbs, a couple with short sections of 13%-15%. The hardest was at about mile 40. A three mile climb with a stretch at the start of 15%, then leveling off to about 8-9%, then 5%. It toasted me.

However, the last 7-8 miles of the total ride, I was only up to about 3000 feet, and my goal was about 3500. So, I did a couple repeats of a 2 mile, steady 5% grade that makes up the last climb of the ride. I was tired, but when it dropped back to that 5%, I did OK and felt like I could keep going. I felt strong enough to repeat it to meet my climbing goal.

I was a little surprised it was so hard. Last week I did 21 miles with 3100 feet. A lot more concentrated climbing, and it was a lot easier on me. I guess the longer distance took more of a toll than I thought it might. Also, I think those couple of 13-15% sections toasted me more than the steady 9% or so of last week's ride.

Below are the benchmarks I am trying to hit once/week for my long rides, in order to stay on track and build up for my August ride. I am trying to keep the climbing increase to about 10% per week. It feels quite agressive, in practice. Also, as my long rides have increased, my workouts during the week have gotten fewer and shorter, to accomodate recovery. I'm wondering if that is wise...maybe I should be doing more frequency, with less volume on the long ride? But, those long rides seem important for endurance and climbing endurance? I wonder if I'm fooling myself that I can increase this fast. But, I want to keep trying. Any thoughts appreciated.

January & February were a walking program, moving into gym workouts, swimming, lifting, biking.

Weekly Long Rides. I have hit most of these numbers so far, with a little less climbing in the earlier weeks, and weeks of April 8 and 15, a LOT less exercise, and no long rides:

2/25 14 miles, 1250 feet (did this)
3/4 16 miles, 1380 feet (did 20 miles, 1800 feet)
3/11 18 miles, 1530 feet (did this)
3/18 10 miles, 1700 feet (did 26 miles, 855 feet)
3/25 22 miles, 1900 feet (did 36 miles, 1000 feet)
4/1 25 miles, 2100 feet (did 18 miles, 2300 feet)
4/8 27 miles, 2350 feet (no long ride, few workouts)
4/15 30 miles, 2600 feet (no long ride, few workouts)
4/22 32 miles, 2900 feet (did 39 miles, 2300 feet)
4/29 36 miles, 3200 feet (did 21 miles, 3100 feet)
5/6 40 miles, 3600 feet (did 50 miles, 3400 feet)
5/13 45 miles, 4000 feet
5/20 50 miles, 4500 feet (plan to do OCC metric, for 60 miles, 3000 feet)
5/27 54 miles, 5000 feet
6/3 60 miles, 5400 feet
6/10 65 miles, 6000 feet
6/17 72 miles, 6675 feet
6/24 80 miles, 7000 feet
7/1 65 miles, 6000 feet
7/8 72 miles, 6675 feet
7/15 81 miles, 7500 feet
7/22 90 miles, ? feet
Taper two weeks before Big Ride

Thanks for wading through this, climbing ladies! Thanks for any thoughts.

[maillotpois]

Your progression looks pretty good in theory. I'm coaching a group of riders for Team in Training to do the Death Ride in July, and I think my benchmarks are probably similar in terms of the increase in miles and climbing. We started in February and ultimately we'll have a 120 mile ride with about 11,000 feet as our longest ride. (The Death Ride is 130 feet, 14,000 climbing over 5 passes in the Sierras. We'll also have a weekend of riding the passes at altitude to prep them for this aspect of it.)

One thing we've done as we've gone along is to shake up our planned training rides a bit - go long one week and don't worry about the climbing, then go shorter the next and really climb. I'm trying to do some periodization with them, and see something like that in your end of June beginning of July that looks good. You can't just build, build, build all the time. You need to take even some of your long ride days and give your body a recovery ride.

Some days it is going to be harder than others - that's just a fact. Who knows why? Sleep, nutrition, hydration, stress, wind, heat - everything factors in. And I fully agree that a 12+% climb wastes me WAY more than mile upon mile of less than 10%. For me it is really a body weight issue. My power to weight ratio is fine for shallower climbing and my speed is decent. But throw in the double digit percentages, and it all starts to wear on me. Recovering from the steeper climbs when they become shallow is key - it sounds like you never fully recovered from the steep part. Use the more shallow grade to really spin out your legs - don't shift to a harder gear until your heart rate and breathing have really come down.

The LAST thing you should do is to tell yourself, well my training rides are a lot harder than I thought they'd be so I'm not going to do the event because I don't think I will be ready. Regardless of what your long ride turns out to be, I have seen people do remarkable things when energized by "event day". I had a woman I coached last year for Death Ride who had a nasty divorce going on and she wasn't able to make our training rides and she did all 5 passes. It was sheer determination. Never discount that mental aspect of it. That's largely how I finished DMD. Find what is it that inspires you and just keep that positive soundtrack rolling in your head.

[Starfish]

Sarah, thanks. A little addition info:

1) I have a "power to weight ratio" issue. I am SLOWLY losing some weight, about 6 pounds in the past 6 weeks. Hope to keep that up right through July.

2) I am attempting some periodization by cutting way back on mid-week training time and intensity about every 3rd week, even if the long ride stays long.

3) Due to terrain where I live, as much as anything, I think I will also be alternating longer hilly rides with shorter truly mountain road climbing.

4) I do keep an eye on my HR monitor and gearing...for recovery from efforts...but, sometimes even my 30-32 low gear feels tough! LOL

I really appreciate the encouragement about not giving up on my goal before ride day. Yesterday after the hard climb, I had the choice between going up and over for a shorter, easier route back to my car, or going back down and doing the additional climbing to hit my goal. I told myself I was tougher than that and that I could do it. I felt toasted, but satisfied, at the end of my ride.

It sure helps to hear from those of you who have done a lot of climbing, and trained others. THANK YOU!!

[Starfish]

For pics of my routes, including yesterday's, check out the gallery at:

http://www.olympiccyclingclassic.com

[Veronica]

You are NOT giving up girl! You are making good progress. Stick with it. Besides there is no point in having a goal that you know you can achieve. Where's the challenge?

I too have a power to weight ratio issue. I will never be a little person. It kills me all these chicks who talk about weighing 120. That's how much my non fat bits weigh!

When I show up to a double century or a brevet, and look around at the other women riders, I often get this little voice in my head telling me I don't belong. I don't look like the other women. I'm 3 - 5 inches taller than the top double century riders and 30 - 50 pounds heavier. What am I doing there?

I kick the little voice's a$$ and go ride the ride.

V.

[maillotpois]

Starfish - the only thing I would change is truly to give yourself a periodization week - keeping even the long ride (in addition to the weekday stuff) easier every month or so.

[smilingcat]

Lets see I've done Death ride (fun ride)
Climb the Kaiser (those who do this poo poos the death ride)
race around the bear (timed 100 miler going up to a ski resort... over 7,000 ft of climb ??)
breathless in agony ride (another 100 miler with lots of hill climb)
and others.

Unless your ride has 10-15% grade, I wouldn't spend too much time on such a grade. Training on such hill doesn't seem to do much except to just grind you down. Instead concentrate on doing 5-8% grade over longer stretches. the 10-15% grade do appear on Death ride and on Kaiser pass but they are really short. On Ebetts (death ride), you find them on the switch backs. On Kaiser, its after the big creek and it lasts only 1/2 mile. And if you are used to riding 15 miles sections with 5% grade, you wil handle the 15% grade without too much difficulty. I wouldn't say its easy. Its doable. To a runup to you big event I think it would be prudent to ride a 75-95 miler rides with 7000ft climbs and repeat it maybe five times. During the week, you do need to add a rest day. You also need work on strength and endourance. Your speed on flat may decrease somewhat so don't be alarmed.

Also if possible train at altitude. You can lose more than 10% of your strength and stamina at altitude. Otherwise don't psyche yourself out of it.

Lots of luck and don't give up.

The secret of great hill climbers are they are all really tough mentally. Psyche first then physical.

now do take my comments with grain of salt cause I'm not a coach nor claim to be trainer. just my personal experience.