Little hillclimb training question

[92degrees]

I'm finding myself nearly goal-free very early in the season :confused:

I sat out most of last year with a bunch of ruptured discs. My early goals for this year were simple -- do more miles before my (May) birthday than I did all last year. Finish a century I've wanted to do that I've never been ready for (this weekend). Put more miles on my new bike than on my car this year (fair chance).

Anyway, there is this little event in my hometown in six weeks -- the Major Taylor George Street Challenge:

http://www.majortaylorassociation.org/events.shtml

It's 500ft at 18% grade. If I decide to visit my parents and enter, it will mean riding in front of my family. I would want to finish well.

Any advice on how to train for this or somewhere you could direct me for pointers? Thanks.

[SMUGator]

Go find a similar grade or a shorter one that you can repeat and practice climbing it. Focus on long, deep breaths and avoid gasping. Stay in the saddle unless you need to stand up to regain momentum or to finish strong. Keep your cadence above 75. Slide back in the saddle and focus on pulling on the upstroke.

Just my $0.02.

[jeffg]

this isn't an 18% section of a long climb we are talking about. The whole ride is 500ft (not vertical feet, right?). In that case this is a Vo2max interval, at most. The most important thing to me would be a proper TT like warm-up so you are at 100% from the get-go. Do Vo2max intervals leading up to the ride, try a similar grade and make sure you have the proper gear. ;)

[William]

Focus on long, deep breaths and avoid gasping.
Just my $0.02.

Just an aside.

When climbing (or any other hard expenditures) focus on breathing out. Strong exhales. Your body will automatically breathe back in. This will force you to move more air through your lungs and prevent shallow breathing. Believe it or not, a lot of people actually hold their breath during hard expenditures and don't even realize they are doing it until it's pointed out to them. I've seen it in many of the sports I've been involved with over the years. I'm constantly telling my new students to "BREATHE" during hard work outs.

William

[Too Tall]

JeffG is so right on. Ditto importance of a perfect warmup. When you get closer to the goal I'll give you a specific protocol. I think your base miles and general preparation are good to get you ready and 6 weeks altho not ideal is enough time to sharpen VO2.

Jeff mentioned VO2 drills. I'll suggest finding a 2-3 min. hill somewhere and working up to 12 sets once a week. The sets are ridden hard VERY hard with your goal to blow up at the top. We are talking tingley arms and gasping hard. Allow lots of time between hill repeats. Whatever it takes.

The next day do sprint workouts. This will engage a diff. set of energy systems. Start with all out little ring repeats for 50 yards and 2 mins. recovery...do lots of these 12? Than get in the big ring and do repeats from 10 mph until you wind out the gear with 2-3 mins. recovery. Next big ring sprints with one gear change...same deal wind out each gear. Last do big ring sprints from 20+ mph with two gear changes.

Next day is steady state climbing at about 75% of threshold eg. medium hard for 20+ min.s. Recover for 15 mins. and than do at least 5 1 min. all out hard in the saddle efforts with 5 mins. recovery between

Take a day off and than resume endurance work until the next go around.

That's my real basic mini-peak formula for you given what you've already done and time until the event. This will raise VO2 nicely and prepare your legs for the effort.

Hope that helps.

[ergott]

Warm up properely (don't just drive to the base, unload your bike and go!)

Do the climb with a 20 pound back pack.

Repeat 5 times in 10 minute intervals.

I really don't know what I'm talking about, but this is what I'd do. Just think how amazing your sprint will be if you did this once or twice a week :banana:

Eric

[92degrees]

This sounds like great advice, guys. Thank you very much. As soon as this weekend passes I'll redirect my energies!

[beungood]

<<I'm constantly telling my new students to "BREATHE" during hard work outs.

William>>


Read torture...... :bike:

[William]

<<I'm constantly telling my new students to "BREATHE" during hard work outs.

William>>


Read torture...... :bike:


HEIDENS!!!


MOOOOHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!!

To the goal post & back. No no no, the one on the OTHER end of the football field. :D

William