Hill Climbing Made Easy
Every hill climb regardless of how long, short, steep or steady it is has one fundamental and that is ‘effort’. This ‘effort’ has other elements associated with it too that could make or break a successful trip to the top!
Next time you’re out training, or racing for that matter, try to think about these next few topics and see how much easier it will be to reach the top.
Set A Pace
If you go above threshold too soon, you’ll blow up and slow down before you reach the top. Keep your breathing deep and comfortable and your heart rate below threshold at the start of the climb. As you get your rhythm, gradually increase your effort until you’re climbing at threshold. The final 200m of any climb is the best place to go for it and attack the hill. If you start off smart, you’ll have enough energy to finish strong.
Take Deep Breathes
Many triathletes just use the top part of their lungs, taking shallow, jagged breaths as they climb which limits how quickly and efficiently you can move fresh oxygen to moving muscles. Practise deep breathing into your belly, entirely filling your lungs. Also deep breathing will help to keep the nerves calm during the stress of the climb.
Stay Seated
Your backside should be firmly on the saddle for most of the climb. About 5% more energy is utilised when you stand on the pedals during a climb. Shift your weight back slightly for maximum leverage on the pedals. Stand only when you body needs a break from seated position or if you need to accelerate. When you stand make sure you keep your bottom back so that the saddle’s nose brushes the back of your thighs and your weight is over the crank. Standing with your weight too far forward will only loose traction on the back wheel.
Keep Loose
Your upper body should be relaxed so you don’t waste energy. A good indication that your upper body’s relaxed is slightly flared elbows. They should be outside of your knuckles. If your elbows are tucked in, your lats are stretched which can restrict breathing.
Use The Right Gear
Don’t be afraid to use easy gears. Don’t feel like you need to grind a big gear. The key is to gear down and keep the cadence high in a comfortable range. Most will say between 70 – 90 rpm is optimum spinning.
Develop Your Power To Weight Ratio
The amount of watts you generate per kilo of body weight is the key success of climbing. The top climbers will produce 6 – 7 watts per kilo, the best in the world may even be around 5. High intensity training can raise your wattage by around 5% over a season. Try this session once a week during a steady ride in order to develop your power-to-weight ratio. Climb for 10 to 30 minutes at or near lactate threshold heart rate (about an 8 out of 10 on the rate of perceived scale of exertion, RPE).
One of the easiest ways to increase you power-to-weight ratio is to lower the ‘weight’ element. By loosing those few extra pounds you’ll see much quicker results.
Happy Training!!
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