The 50/50 of Hill Climbing: Mental and Physical

It is a beautiful Sunday in early September and I’m pedaling up hilly Route 317 in Woodbury toward Roxbury.

Tom is a speck in the distance, sweat is clouding my vision and my legs ache.  I’m sitting; I’m standing; I’m suffering and not sure why. I can’t find my groove.  

Did I eat properly today? Am I hydrated? Are my legs warmed up?

It is only about a mile from the start of the ride to the bottom of this hill which is a 9 percent grade in spots. I have been riding all summer: Why does this seem so hard? I did log 40 miles the day before and my legs are a bit tired. But it is early in the ride; I shouldn’t feel this spent.

I have been cycling for almost 20 years -- 10 on dirt, 10 on asphalt. I’ve never been a good hill climber. During the mountain bike heydays I got pretty good at rushing a hill and because I was small and light, would pass bigger, bulkier guys-- much to their chagrin. Alas, that was short lived and never to be repeated on a road bike.

When I switched from mountain biking to road cycling, it was a big adjustment, and I had to try not to attack every hill or jump curbs when I heard a car coming.

I had to learn patience, practice my cadence and realize that those skinny tires won’t roll over rocks or metal grates. I got a few flats and many curious stares from other 'roadies.'

Over a decade, I have climbed my share of hills. Three of the steepest in memory are Blackberry Hill in Bethany, Bash Bish Falls State Park's Forest Road in western Massachusetts and a short steep hill on Skaneateles Lake in New York -- one of the beautiful Finger Lakes. I’ve never gotten off or walked up a hill -- on my road bike, anyway. So I must have been doing something right, right?

The last two years my climbing skills got slightly better and this year I was doing many shorter rides and attacking some hills.

But in August, my Wednesday-night cycling partner Siggy moved to Bend, Oregon, so I lost a little motivation. Then work got super busy and there were about two weeks that I didn’t ride at all.

I realize I’m getting older but does one’s fitness drop off that easily? Was I just having a bad day? I did ride that 40 miles the day before, maybe I was tired?

But it wasn’t just this past weekend. I noticed in New Hampshire the week before that I was struggling on a few hills. In early June, I was climbing up mountains in the western hills of North Carolina. What the heck happened?

I decided expert advice was needed. A trainer’s eye and experience was required
to evaluate and critique my hill climbing skills and perhaps I’d break this glass ceiling I seem to have hit.

Or I’d learn the inevitable: that with age comes some challenges and what adjustments or realizations I need to make. 

Recently, I rode with a friend who is a spin instructor and avid cyclist, Andy L.  I asked him to critique my hill climbing skills. We did a short ride, about 22 miles through Bethany, with plenty of rollers and one very short steep hill. All in all, he
said my hill climbing skills were good, but that I should try a few seat adjustments and other techniques to get me up the hills quicker. 

He said I’m in fact a strong hill climber but need to be more aggressive and attack the hills, something I don’t normally do.

On a road bike, knowing I have a 30-, 40- or 50-mile ride ahead of me, I’m all about keeping a steady pace. Being spent with another 15 or 20 miles to go is not fun, so as I’ve gotten older, I’ve adjusted my riding.

But  it is now November and I’m riding maybe once a week, so I didn’t mind pushing myself on this very short ride -- though I did feel like I was going to have a heart attack several times.

A few new techniques that I tried included sitting back in my seat, giving my legs more power and pulling up on the pedals. (I can’t do this on steep hills because of a right knee issue.)

But it worked.

Andy also suggested moving my upper body and actually pulling up on the handlebars, which also aided my climbs. 

So now an analysis of my September ride -- the physical versus the mental: 

1. Starting a climb one mile into the ride, my legs were clearly not warmed up.
2. Riding 40 miles the day before, I was tired, and probably a flatter route would have been a better choice.
3. I’m getting older and if I have a two week hiatus, I’m going to feel it more than I would have five or 10 years ago.
4. Sometimes you just have to push through the pain. The mind is a powerful thing.
5. The more you ride, the better conditioned your body is to riding two or more days in a row.
6. Nutrition, stupid! While I eat well, don’t drink or smoke, I don’t take vitamin supplements on a regular basis. For me, they make a difference. 
7. Lastly, growing older comes with its challenges and some perks, like eventually being able to afford that Porsche -- so I can drive really fast up those hills!

Until next time, keep pedaling!

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