By Dan Smith
April 18, 2007 -- Unless you live in Florida, hills are a part of almost any bike leg in triathlon. And even the Sunshine State has areas with some significant elevation changes (no joke!), as was recently pointed out to me. Since we can't get away from the undulations of terrain, whether they are the leg-breaking rollers of Wisconsin or the long, steady climbs of Arizona, the number one way to master the battle over gravity is to embrace the climb. Having a positive mental attitude to going up will allow both the lightest age grouper and Clydesdale to ascend with ease.
A positive attitude stems from three areas; technique, training and actual knowledge of the course. Just like all other aspects of our sport, good technique means less wasted energy. The grade we face on the road will affect the way we ride. Short rollers can be approached with little change in rhythm. All you need to do is slide the butt toward the back of the saddle. While remaining in the aerobars, move the hands slightly back and underneath. By locking the forearms and shoulders we can use our upper body as a brace to engage the glutes for short efforts at a slightly lower cadence.
For a change in position, try coming out of the saddle but keep the hands low, like in the drops. This keeps air resistance lower but provides a powerful stance to quickly dispatch the hill. Longer climbs require settling into a good rhythm, perhaps sitting a little higher to open the chest and spinning at a slightly higher cadence. Try to keep the upper body still so all your energy is driving the bike upward.
Training for hills takes a similar mental attitude. Including a hill session in your triathlon program will add another facet to cycling strength. One of our favorite sets involves a relatively steep grade followed by the often overlooked part of any hill, the crest. This can be done outside or on the trainer (preferably outside).
. Warm up thoroughly, including single leg drills to encourage a balanced leg spin, as well as 8 x 15 seconds of high cadence to get the muscles firing.
. The main set consists of 2 minutes of 65-70 rpm at or near threshold effort, immediately followed by 2 minutes of similar effort at a higher cadence (90-95 rpm), then 1 minute of spinning recovery. Visualize yourself climbing steadily, keeping pressure on the pedals as you go up and over the crest of the hill.
. Repeat this 5 minute interval 4 times
. Repeat the entire set twice with 4 minutes easy between sets.
Before every event it’s beneficial to reconnoiter the bike route. If that is not an option, examine the course map and profile. Make a note of where the climbs are in the race, as well as length and pitch. Knowing the route is similar to having home course advantage. It allows you to exercise proper energy expenditure and provides mental confidence. If you know the climbs come in the last third of the bike, for instance, you will want to gauge your efforts accordingly.
Look forward to challenging yourself and dropping your competitors, because you have trained for the hills. Knowing what to expect and being prepared for them will make your riding that much more rewarding.
LifeSport coach Dan Smith has been involved with multisport for over fifteen years. He has also coached and instructed cycling, sailing and sailboarding since 1981.
Beginner and experienced triathletes looking to start or improve their performances are invited to join the LifeSport team. Visit us on the web at www.LifeSport.ca or email LifeSport Coaching (coach@LifeSport.ca).