Today I was supposed to be inside on the trainer doing Coach Rob’s ‘World of Hell’ standing intervals. But today was 27 degrees. So today I didn’t.
However, keeping in the spirit of Rob’s evil intervals, I did my first hill repeats of the year. The photo below is a ‘stock’ picture because my wife had the camera (no wet roads today), but it serves the purpose, I think. I did 12 ascents of this 1.3 km climb for a total of 15.6 km, much of it ‘dancing’ (‘plodding’ might be a better description) on the pedals. I amaze myself sometimes when I get off the saddle these days because there would be no way I could have sustained a km or more of climbing on the pedals just a year ago. This training thing actually does work!
The Vicious Cycle 
Hi Gerry, let me be the first to comment since I know exactly what your talking about, I am stuck doing these same intervals indoor. Today is the polar opposite meaning north pole cold. That said, there is actually a semblance of repeatability in your intervals considering outdoor training makes the graph look goofy. You gotta love being able to dance in those pedals, love it. Good job.
Sorry to hear that the cold has returned over there. Still basking in weird weather in Europe, but I’ll take it!
27C! You’re killing me over here. I haven’t seen an outdoor road since last October when the snow started flying, (except for the 10 days I spent at my place in Arizona where they have civilized weather like yours).
Hill repeats are great training for anyone interested in improving their climbing abilities and endurance capacity. If you’re the kind of rider that doesn’t really enjoy the big climbs, look for your local “big hill” and do what Gerry did, and ride up and down multiple times, and really push yourself up the hill (ie Zone 4 Heart Rate). You will be amazed how much better you’ll climb and besides, no one wants to be that person that everyone waits for on the Sunday group ride. (Oh yea, as if the guys I ride with wait for for anyone. You either keep up, or get used to riding alone).
I think I got a similar workout to what you laid down, but unfortunately had to descend and lose the elevated HR each time. Still, it wasn’t the trainer, which is all that counts…
I think once up that hill would have done me nicely, but I’m not really into this suffering thing! Good for you, Gerry, you’re one tough cookie.
I’m still amazing myself at how willing my legs are to do things my mind doesn’t have the will to do…I guess that’s the next thing to train.
Good feeling, eh? I heard a world champion a few month back say the legs get you close to the finish line…it is the determination, ie the mind, that gets you across. Oh how true that can be.
True, Roger, and hard! For me it’s a little funny to have these ‘new legs’ without my mind realizing that they exist. There’s a disconnect there…!
Nice going! I work hill repeats into my training quite a bit and try to mix up long and not-so-steep with short and steep. It does make you stronger and I have noticed a lot better results than with intervals. Training is tough, but worth it.
I did a bit last season (my first), but not many really. I’m sure Rob will have more for me in the coming months, since the Etapes will be just about only climbing. I have another one close by that is 6 or 7 km, but lower gradient, which might work well in a bigger gear.
Phew!
I feel the same way.
Check how bored I must be getting.
http://app.strava.com/athletes/tim_marsh
More today. Fortunately, 28deg C or so.
Are you kidding me?? Your miles look like my kilometers for the month! And, what sort of hidden Aussie alpine region do you live in there?!
27C there, eh? 27F here. What a difference a letter makes. My hills must be easier, it’s not so hot!
I heard you met Anne and David the other day, Susan. Too bad I’ll be meeting them in person before you!
Hmm, not sure what you’re saying. But yes, they live about 25 miles east of me and I met Anne yesterday over a cup of coffee and my Michelin map. Looks like a super route you have planned for them … they should have a wonderful trip! Met David only very briefly.
I meant that it’s too bad I’ll be meeting them before I meet you. My grammar was a little confusing, I admit.
Got it! Sorry, guess I’m just slow, apparently not only on hills… Also, great great post title!
Thanks, Suze. I actually came up with the title before even thinking about the content (although I guess it wrote itself after that..).