hillwork
408
Member
185 days
jsk85 posted 8 weeks ago.
Rolling hills usually just means not flat...There are hills there, but they are short and not very steep. Basically they are more of an annoyance to keep you from getting into a rhythm. I don't think you need any specific hill training to tackle these. I'd be more concerned than making sure you get some long rides in (3+ hrs). You'll probably hit some rollers even in a flat area without knowing it. The hills shouldn't hold you back from completing it
My blog: http://jsktri.blogspot.com
408
Member
185 days
jsk85 posted 8 weeks ago.
http://www.mapmyride.com/search?txtPageNumber=0&txtSortBy=featured_flag+desc%2C+average_rating+desc%2C+route_name&txtLocation=Conroe%2C+TX&txtKeyword=&lstRouteTypeID=2&btnSearch=SEARCH+%3E
I couldn't find the race course...but here are some routes in Conroe to give you an idea of the area. Pull them up and click the show elevation at the bottom of the map. It will give you a profile of the hills. Doesn't look too bad
My blog: http://jsktri.blogspot.com
689
Member
213 days
TriSooner posted 8 weeks ago.
I've done Ironstar and I've ridden in Houston. Those really aren't hills to concern yourself with. About as dramatic as a highway overpass.
3311
Member
1278 days
RV posted 8 weeks ago.
Rolling hills usually means that there may be a series of hills, while not long they can be steep. It can be tougher than a course with fewer and longer hills, cuz you are not able to get into a good rhythm if you are not accustomed to riding hills. It is easy to power too hard on the hills and really empty your tank when you get to the run.
Best is to keep your effort fairly constant. Don't think "attack" on the hills - keep your cadence up and a nice steady effort throughout the hill - use your gears - stay seated. You will see people just hammering away on them, but it will cost them later in the day.
Most will hit the hill hard at the start and then the power bleeds away as they continue to climb, and then power drops even more as they crest it and have to recover a bit as they start down. This just tires you out.
If you are steady keeping your RPE, or power numbers in check throughout the climb, then you won't be blasted at the top and can crest and hit the downhill strong.
just saw the above post that the hills are similar to a hwy ramp - so that shouldn't be too much of an issue...
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
185
Member
61 days
jtrimom posted 8 weeks ago.
cool, thanks, I can do highway overpasses...can you train for hills on a spinning bike- like a class?
I know it's sort of a different topic, but what about distance- how much more training do I need to do to "feel comfortable" doing half iron as opposed to quarter distance...I am already doing about 14 hrs a week
408
Member
185 days
jsk85 posted 8 weeks ago.
I think if you can ride 45-50 miles a few times beforehand in a single outing...you should be fine there...just my .02
Also, with regard to spinning...you could use a spinning bike to simulate additional resistance from hills (although there shouldn't be much since you'll be gearing down to save the legs), but spinning classes are meant to elevate the HR, so they will promote standing and attacking the hills, which won't help your run leg any.
I'd say just work on long steady rides at a steady high cadence (85-95 rpm), which could be done on an indoor trainer to some extent. Also my .02, so I guess you got .04 out of this post
My blog: http://jsktri.blogspot.com
16
Member
59 days
run2race posted 8 weeks ago.
Already doing 14yr weeks? You could do a half next weekend.
72
Member
620 days
Donna posted 8 weeks ago.
If you want to train hills but you live in a flat area, you can alway do it on the trainer. Increase your gears so that your cadence is much lower starting at 80 and going down to 60 for 10 minutes then recover for a few minutes. This will help your legs get used to climbing a bit...
Set goals...... but be here now. Enjoy the ride to the finish line.
I am attempting my first 1/2 iron at the end of this season (iron star in conroe, tx) and in the description, they say there are "rolling hills" for the bike and run. Training in Houston (flat), I am not sure exactly what that means, how to train for it, aside from driving way out to find hills, and if I will be able to do it. I have 3 sprints and 1 quarter under my belt, I felt good and confident during those, but the hills are making me hesitant (along with the longer distance) Any advice for training?