If you're like most cyclists, you have one part of your ride that you just hate. Some people hate flat roads, some hate headwinds, some even hate group riding. More than any other part of cycling, far and away the most hated thing out there is climbing. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people grumble about climbing or say “I'll see you at the top” at the mere sight of the road rising in front of them. While climbing isn't fun for most of us (and those of us who find it fun are probably brain damaged) everyone out there can learn to be a better climber. Whether the goal is to turn the screws on your local group ride, win your next race or simply suffer less, you can go uphill faster and be fresher at the top, and I'll tell you how.
In the first part podcast (this topic is far too large for just one podcast) we'll discuss:
- Some of the things that “make a good climber”
- What physiological skills make you faster and stronger in hills
- The idea of “switching off” muscle groups and energy systems
- Mental aspects of climbing strongly
- Different body and hand positions and the pros and cons of each
- Standing vs. Sitting
- Breathing and why it's important
Additionally, you can find more information on climbing in the following posts:
Climbing – Positioning Yourself For Success
Climbing – Revisiting Position and Physiology
Climbing – Suffer In Silence (psychology of climbing)
As always, feel free to rate the Tailwind Coaching Podcast on iTunes, and check out the rest of the podcast series here:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:16 — 49.7MB)
Subscribe: RSS
