RPM Coaching Blog
Improving your climbing
Climbing well means being able to produce higher amounts of power for a longer period of time. This requires a well developed aerobic system that you are able to build from.
Finding the biggest hill you can find to do intervals on is not necessary in order improve your climbing ability. Workouts like this are hard on the body, and require more time to recover from. Keeping your intensity level at or below threshold level will allow you to sustain power for longer periods of time in a time trial or a climb. When your power at threshold increases so does the amount of work you are able to do at threshold. Training above threshold doesn’t allow for recovery, and the higher intensity is usually shorter in duration. This combination leads to fatigue too quickly, and doesn’t allow the body to adapt effectively.
Finding a hill that will allow you to control your rpms will also allow you have the ablility to control your threshold level while doing intervals. By relying less on your aerobic energy system you have less lactic acid build up, and can power your way to the top of the hill more comfortably.
Posted Sunday February 19, 2006 • Permalink
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Is it Summer Time Yet?
January has got to be one of the toughest months for training on the bike. Rain, rain, and more rain. Doing intervals on the trainer will help make riding the trainer a little more interesting, and is a good way to develop specific strengthening on the bike. With a combination of doing low rpm intervals along with doing some tempo level intervals you can start to make the transfers of the strength that you’ve gained in the gym to the bike. This will help you to develop your power for the climbing months ahead of you. Don’t forget to practice your pedaling skills as well during these wet months. Single leg intervals are a great way to develop a better pedaling efficiency, and are best done on the trainer since you can just place the other foot on your bottle cage.
Staying consistant is most important during this time of the year. Even if you don’t manage to get the volume that you think you need, the intervals will help you to stay motivated on the trainer.
Posted Thursday January 12, 2006 • Permalink