Training for big climbs

Daroxtar

I've asked on here before about improving my cycling in general and got some very helpful advice about getting more out of training so I hope ye don't mind me firing off some more questions.
How do ye train for real big climbs?
I'm talking about the big european 20km 1000m type of things. My biggest climb to date has been up to Kippure and tbh that was more like 2 climbs with a break in the middle. A friend who regularly cycles around Wicklow said he nearly threw up when cycling in the Alps, that the sheer length of the climbs destroyed him.
I know obviously hill repeats but around here there are only short hills, no real climb over a couple of minutes, TBH it's so flat I've often done 70 or 80k with only about 150-200m total gain.
Is it more about having big base miles or should I be focussing on getting more power into the legs or is it different for everyone?
I'm also constrained enough for time with family and work so I'm kind of limited to Sunday spin and a midweek Turbo.

I was thinking of reversing my Sunday spins and having headwind on the return to kind of simulate long distance climbing on tired legs, any good or just knackering myself for no real gains?
Should I be doing 20min TT Turbo sessions instead of 5x5mins or sprints or just keep mixing it?
Are the Sufferfest climbing specific vids any good? I use some of their other ones.
Any other suggestions of vids or online resources?

Sorry for all the questions, just want to get an idea or 2 and see where I'm at and where I need to be.

Wishbone Ash

Daroxtar wrote: »

...I'm talking about the big european 20km 1000m type of things. My biggest climb to date has been up to Kippure and tbh that was more like 2 climbs with a break in the middle. A friend who regularly cycles around Wicklow said he nearly threw up when cycling in the Alps, that the sheer length of the climbs destroyed him....

In the Alps, it's all about pacing yourself. I find that when I'm there I start out much slower than I would here and constantly remind myself to take it easy. For me Kippure is tough going especially the last deceptive km or so but I would push myself harder than when abroad. Most Alpine climbs, although long, have a reasonably modest gradient - usually averaging 5-8%. That being said, I found the 2'770m ascent of the Col de l'Iseran the toughest one I've done.

68 lost souls

I'm awful on hills so probably not the best to give advice but I would say plenty of hill repeats

The following link might be of some use to you in identifying good routes for climbing.

Not sure where your based but something like laps of howth head would be an idea.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ag1LJillBCzKdE02cWVwY2R6UFVvRUZZRVBjVlRPb2c&usp=docslist_api

Wishbone Ash

68 lost souls wrote: »

.... but something like laps of howth head would be an idea...

While laps of Howth would be beneficial it wouldn't in any way replicate a 20/30/40km Alpine climb as there would be repeated descents. It's difficult to find any long climbs here. Enniskerry-L1011-R115-Kippure is probably the longest I can think of.

darkvalley

Last summer, after only a year of cycling I went to the pyrenees, and took on the Col de Aubisque. The Aubisque is averaging about 8% for much of the 15km it takes to climb it. The interesting thing is that at the top of it, while knackered, I could have gone on if I needed to. This from someone who is the first one dropped by the club on the climbs here in north Leitrim. I'm a ****e climber and feel shattered at top of a 2km climb here.
Wishbone Ash mentions it and is right. it is all about pacing yourself. Start at the right pace and keep your heartrate under control and you will amaze yourself at how far you can climb on those big mountains.
Interestingly I find longer climbs no great hardship more than climbs of a couple of Km. You get into a rhythm when doing them and just tough it out.
To prepare for it I always make sure to get a climb in on most spins here in Leitrim. Most climbs around here are approximately about 200 to 300 metres climbing, either short and steep (10%+) or long and not so steep (3 to 5 %)

Carawaystick

It's probably worth preparing for the descent too, cold and knackered as you'd be. extra layers for the arms and body at least in yer jersey.

Mount Leinster is more than half the height of the Tourmalet, I think that's the biggest climb in Ireland.

Tomred13

Hi D

To prepare for euro climbs in the past ive used the slieve blooms mountain climbs like the "ridge of capard" the " cut" and the "wolftrap" . if ya can do two laps of them then your set up .. its only an hour n ten mins away in the fair and beautiful land of offaly( im a biffo by the way).. the ridge is a beast of a climb n worth the spin down.
D

Brian?

Climbing is all about sustained power. Do you have a powermeter? If not you could use virtual power with TrainerRoad.

Work out roughly how long it's going to take you to finish X climb and what power you'll need to sustain for that.

Idleater

Brian? wrote: »

Climbing is all about sustained power. Do you have a powermeter? If not you could use virtual power with TrainerRoad.

Work out roughly how long it's going to take you to finish X climb and what power you'll need to sustain for that.

Agreed, one option on the road would be to start say at heuston station and power two hours straight out the n4. Completely different speed, but with gearing you can replicate a 2 hour 8% climb.

sbs2010

Tomred13 wrote: »

.. the ridge is a beast of a climb n worth the spin down.
D

Do you have a strava or map my ride link for that route?

mal1

After work in Dublin, I tried doing as much climbing in as short distance as possible. Glencullen and then back to Three Rock, Kilmashogue, Tidradden and then finish with Cruagh to the viewing point and back down to the city. Should get you over 1000m easily. Forget about finding one continuous cycle in Ireland, it only exists on a turbo trainer. Just build the metres in as short a distance as possible.

Coming nearer to the trip, I would ensure i was getting longer distance during the weekend. So all of the above and up to military road via Bohernabreena and then Kippure. That's about 2700m in 130 km and more typical of a day in the Alps.

If you're on Strava then try following some of the more serious cyclists that are regularly doing the likes and get ideas for what you should be aiming for.

nilhg

I can't talk about the big Alpine climbs, I haven't had the opportunity to try one yet, the biggest climb I've done is this, and like some of the others said once I got into a rhythm I found it OK, certainly could have gone farther at that pace.

Tomred13 wrote: »

Hi D

To prepare for euro climbs in the past ive used the slieve blooms mountain climbs like the "ridge of capard" the " cut" and the "wolftrap" . if ya can do two laps of them then your set up .. its only an hour n ten mins away in the fair and beautiful land of offaly( im a biffo by the way).. the ridge is a beast of a climb n worth the spin down.
D

I'd echo what Tomred said above, the Blooms are a great place to practice your climbing and have a great variety of terrain from the long (8km) constant drag of the Cut to the steep ramps of the Wolftrap or if you're feeling hardy the walls of the Glendine, a couple of days down there would have you as ready as possible for whatever you want to take on, some of the routes we use below.

https://www.strava.com/activities/165324844

https://www.strava.com/activities/197506792

sbs2010 wrote: »

Do you have a strava or map my ride link for that route?

haven't done this on the bike, was up there years ago in the car, next time I'm down there it'll be on the list.

https://www.strava.com/segments/1888841

wanderer 22

I did the Stelvio Pass - http://www.strava.com/activities/69192985 - and a couple of other Alpine climbs a while back. Did a lot of hill repeats on Stocking Lane, Kilmashogue beforehand.

As others have said you just need to find a pace or rhythm that suits you - for climbs around 6-8% I found a pace of around 9-10 km/h meant I could last for hours so I pretty much started at that pace and kept at it...bit dissapointed I didn't up the pace in the last few k's to be honest, my Strava leaderboard position is pretty pathetic :-P

Daroxtar

Thanks to everyone for the input so far.
I'm in South Meath so the nearest hill is Tara, 35 k away and not exactly a mountain. I'm 50 k from Dublin and around the same from the blooms. I'll get to them at some stage but right now I'll have to make do with training on the flat and turbo.

Buzwaldo

Find a long straight road into a headwind. That's your training ground.

cheerspal

All about pacing. I trained for la marmotte last year just by doing hill repeats on Howth. The hills are no where near as long as the climbs in the Alps but to be honest it didn't matter. Once I stayed within zone 4 with my hr I was fine on the day with the big climbs.

I started with about 100km a week in feb and ramped it up from there, was doing about 250km towards the end of training. Two weeks before the event I did my last big cycle and climbed 3000m on Howth.

Make sure you train out of the saddle aswell. It's silly to say but you just have to go out and climbs hills. It will be surprising how quickly things change and you will fly up them in no time.

Best of luck!