keep getting dropped on hills?



N_laplaca

New Member
Aug 27, 2003
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I went for a ride today with a real fast group. For the most part I could stay with them but when we got to the hills I got dropped most of the time. These hills were about 4-6%. The hills that took a minute or 2 to reach the top I was ok but the ones that took several minutes is where I had the problem. I have estimated My LTHR to be 166. I was well into the mid 170's trying to keep up.Reached 180 at one point. One of the guys was nice enough to circle back to me and pull back to the group. There were a few others that had a hard time as well. There was one instance where the hill was just short enough that I could stay on but once it it got flat they accelerated and I couldn't match the pace because I worked so hard to stay with them on the hill.

My question is what type of workouts can I do to improve myself in this area. This will be my 2nd full year of riding.I am 35. I was thinking a couple days of hill repeats a week and also some 2X20 intervals. I have a hill that is 8% that takes me about 8-9 minutes to reach the top. I thought this would be a good hill for the repeats. Also what intensity should I be working at. Above my threshold or right below it? From what I have read staying just below the LT will improve your threshold and working above it will help boost VO2. Is this correct?

Nick
 
you have the right idea. you should do both long and shorter intervals. 2x20s at your 1hr time trial pace(LTHR) are excellent. hill repeats up an 8 minute climb are great as well.
you can even mix in some shorter 2 or 3 min intervals, which are done at a harder pace obviously. just don't too much. 2 or 3 days of intervals a week is enough, you don't want to do more than that. your other rides could be endurance.
you are correct about the LT zones. do some searches on this site, there's lot of info on interval workouts.

give it time, everyone got dropped before they were the fast guys. 2 years is still quite a new rider.
 
velomanct said:
you have the right idea. you should do both long and shorter intervals. 2x20s at your 1hr time trial pace(LTHR) are excellent. hill repeats up an 8 minute climb are great as well.
you can even mix in some shorter 2 or 3 min intervals, which are done at a harder pace obviously. just don't too much. 2 or 3 days of intervals a week is enough, you don't want to do more than that. your other rides could be endurance.
you are correct about the LT zones. do some searches on this site, there's lot of info on interval workouts.

give it time, everyone got dropped before they were the fast guys. 2 years is still quite a new rider.
Like your advice, especially the part about expectations for a second-year rider.

I'd add the obvious....weight is important on hills. If you are carrying 10-20 extra pounds, losing them will automatically improve your climb speed by 5-10%. For many of us, myself included, the training isn't as hard as the diet discipline it takes to get to and hold optimum bodyweight.
 
Yup, there you have it.

1. Ride more.
2. Lose weight.
3. Ride hills more.
4. Do intervals.
5. Repeat.

Some of the training may not be fun, but when you start to hang with the fast guys on the hills (and when you start to drop them) then it will all have been worth it. :D
 
Thanks for the advice. I actually have lost about 25 pounds since I started and have improved considerably in the hills but it's obviuosly not enough. I have been doing some ab work the last few weeks also.

Another question. I just started reading the ultimate ride. For climbing repeats he suggests staying at 95% of your threshold heart rate(157 for me) maintaining a cadence of 70-85 rpm. even in my 39 if I try to maintain that kind of cadence my heart rate soars to iver 170. I guess I could find a hill that is lesser in grade. I just don't know of any close by that take anymore than a few minutes. This one seemed ideal to me until I read that just now. Maybe I am reading too far into this?

Nick