breathing on climbs
I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing
hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary. I have tried to slow my conserve my breathing because once I get halfway up the hill, and the steepness hasn't really changed, my heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. Then, once I get over the hill, my speed slows down and then the other riders either catch up to me, or pass me by as I recover. I know I'm doing something wrong, but I am not sure what it is. I'm wondering if maybe I am using brute strength to get up the hill, but I am not controlling or regulating my breathing to the point that I might actually get up the hill faster and with less stress so that I can maintain the pace even after I get over the hill. What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have when it comes to tackling the hills? |
breathing on climbs
mieshie wrote:
I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary. I have tried to *slow my conserve* my breathing because once I get halfway Don't do that. If anything, you should be breathing *harder*. Limiting you're breathing just means you're getting less oxygen. There is no advantage to that. What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have when it comes to tackling the hills? Start breathing heavier before you start the hill? Ride more? I'm not really being facetious, that's pretty much all there is to it. Ride lots of miles so you have the base conditioning, and work on getting plenty of oxygen. Terry Morse (IIRC) does an *awful* lot of climbing, maybe he'll chime in. A good previous discussion: http://tinyurl.com/m2ntt I'm a big fellow, but I still keep up with smaller riders climbing hills decently. I'm never going to win any hill races, but I don't get dropped when I'm out riding with other people. Of course, it helps to have a nice local mountain to climb recreationally. http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=269445 -- Dane Buson - Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them. -- Bill Vaughn |
breathing on climbs
mieshie wrote:
I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary. I have tried to slow my conserve my breathing because once I get halfway up the hill, and the steepness hasn't really changed, my heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. Then, once I get over the hill, my speed slows down and then the other riders either catch up to me, or pass me by as I recover. I know I'm doing something wrong, but I am not sure what it is. I'm wondering if maybe I am using brute strength to get up the hill, but I am not controlling or regulating my breathing to the point that I might actually get up the hill faster and with less stress so that I can maintain the pace even after I get over the hill. What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have when it comes to tackling the hills? Try to hyperventilate as much as possible (might be impossible if you are already going hard) and when climbing take deeper breathes. I find that for me (maybe not you) taking in a full 2 liters at a time not only stretches the chest but stops that doggy pant style of breathing. The shallow pant leaves a lot of CO2 in your airway where the deep breath is more efficient. It works good for me but I have to actually think about it to get into that rhythm or I will just pant my way up. I guess you have to try things until one works for you. Good luck. Bill Baka |
breathing on climbs
Kevan Smith wrote:
In article .com, "mieshie" wrote: What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have when it comes to tackling the hills? Go around them. Of course, those of us living in flatter areas (like yourself)[1], might have more luck than those of us in hillier areas (like myself). [1] Louisiana, yes? -- Dane Buson - "sic transit discus mundi" (From the System Administrator's Guide, by Lars Wirzenius) |
breathing on climbs
try breathing exercises (obviously not whilst climbing).
http://holisticonline.com/Yoga/hol_yoga_breath_home.htm http://panicdisorder.about.com/cs/sh...heproperly.htm The first stage appears to be the diaphragmatic exercise (the one where stomach 'distends'). Among other health benefits breathing helps to increase muscle ATP thus giving muscles better energy generating properties. mieshie wrote in message oups.com... I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary. I have tried to slow my conserve my breathing because once I get halfway up the hill, and the steepness hasn't really changed, my heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. Then, once I get over the hill, my speed slows down and then the other riders either catch up to me, or pass me by as I recover. I know I'm doing something wrong, but I am not sure what it is. I'm wondering if maybe I am using brute strength to get up the hill, but I am not controlling or regulating my breathing to the point that I might actually get up the hill faster and with less stress so that I can maintain the pace even after I get over the hill. What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have when it comes to tackling the hills? |
breathing on climbs
What works for me is to regulate my breathing on the climb. I tell myself
"in two three four, out two three four" as I struggle up the hill. It cuts down on the gasping or struggling to breathe and make me feel as if I am in control of that aspect so that I can concentrate on my legs. Pat in TX |
breathing on climbs
I know I'm doing something wrong, but I am not sure what it is. I'm
wondering if maybe I am using brute strength to get up the hill, but I am not controlling or regulating my breathing to the point that I might actually get up the hill faster and with less stress so that I can maintain the pace even after I get over the hill. I doubt that you are "doing something wrong" but you may not have enough training to perform as you would like. Do you put in at least 200 miles per week and do these miles include 6% or better hills more than a mile long? Yikes, guess I'll have to stop doing big climbs then. I only get in two regular rides each week (just 31 miles each, with about 3400ft of climbing) plus whatever I can negotiate with the family on a Sunday, typically 50-65 miles or so, or an occasional century. If I had to ride "at least" 200 miles/week in order to climb reasonably well, heck, I might as well give up cycling. Besides, I don't see where the original poster has supplied us enough information to come up with a training recommendation anyway. For all we know, his hills are far less challenging than what you & I enjoy riding. Not to mention that, when I raced, sure, I could win the Alba Road time trial, but those midwesterners, who never rode any hill long & nasty in training... they weren't that far behind, and tended to win the overall at stage races because they trained better in general, while some of us in the NorCal scene thought it was enough to do little more than climb and climb and then climb some more. I still remember Steve Aldredge constantly on my case for that. Guess I have to admit he was right about at least one thing anyway. --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReactionBicycles.com wrote in message ... Mieshie who? writes: I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary. I have tried to slow my conserve my breathing because once I get halfway up the hill, and the steepness hasn't really changed, my heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. Then, once I get over the hill, my speed slows down and then the other riders either catch up to me, or pass me by as I recover. I know I'm doing something wrong, but I am not sure what it is. I'm wondering if maybe I am using brute strength to get up the hill, but I am not controlling or regulating my breathing to the point that I might actually get up the hill faster and with less stress so that I can maintain the pace even after I get over the hill. I doubt that you are "doing something wrong" but you may not have enough training to perform as you would like. Do you put in at least 200 miles per week and do these miles include 6% or better hills more than a mile long? What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have when it comes to tackling the hills? There are no strategies and no techniques. There are only well trained athletes with big lungs. Hill climbing is something that can last hours at times, and there is no way of fooling your body using "strategies". If you want to know if there is a future for you in hill climbing, get your lung volume measured by your physician and determine whether it is above or below the norm for your body weight. You must be fit and trim before any of that has much effect. Jobst Brandt |
breathing on climbs
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In article , wrote: Mieshie who? writes: I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary. I have tried to slow my conserve my breathing because once I get halfway up the hill, and the steepness hasn't really changed, my heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. Then, once I get over the hill, my speed slows down and then the other riders either catch up to me, or pass me by as I recover. I know I'm doing something wrong, but I am not sure what it is. I'm wondering if maybe I am using brute strength to get up the hill, but I am not controlling or regulating my breathing to the point that I might actually get up the hill faster and with less stress so that I can maintain the pace even after I get over the hill. I doubt that you are "doing something wrong" but you may not have enough training to perform as you would like. Do you put in at least 200 miles per week and do these miles include 6% or better hills more than a mile long? _ Sheesh, he's not talking about racing Cat 1, but trashing his buddies on a group ride. I think you can do that on less than 8-10 hrs a week. What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have when it comes to tackling the hills? There are no strategies and no techniques. There are only well trained athletes with big lungs. Hill climbing is something that can last hours at times, and there is no way of fooling your body using "strategies". _ What a load of crap! Of course there are strageties, pacing yourself is a big part of climbing effectively. Learning to pace yourself correctly for a long climb is something that takes experience regardless of how in shape you are. I think the question that is really being asked is how to pace himself better on long climbs. It sounds like he's going out too hard and blowing up, a pretty common mistake. _ Breathing is a sign of how hard you are working, if you breathe slower you're working less. Monitoring your breathing can be a good way to guage your effort, but you can't breathe less without going slower. What I would suggest is deliberately throttling back on the beginning part of the climb and saving your effort until you get near the top. You might not climb faster, but you will be less blown out at the top. If it's a long climb, put your bike in a lower gear much sooner than you normally would, on a short climb try and spin rather than stand. On your next ride when you come to the hill, drop to the back of the group and stay there as long as you can stand. _ Booker C. Bense -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBRKljMWTWTAjn5N/lAQHQqwP/d1Ogo6Lgh9AMhMbUv4JmxunGtD6Y0adD zrLKKHXiuaOJ3EJveKVv3blQAOMgHqsFrIyZkWpssQ0labH1W2 TQ6lHaJ0hjHovr au9HnKXyoQKZgYhSqNYoA5e/0cS1lYFcdAf3zwvhNAGayOotxdwgmb6+PBokx4Rt EgdWu3cmgU0= =f4tu -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- |
breathing on climbs
mieshie wrote: I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary. I have tried to slow my conserve my breathing because once I get halfway up the hill, and the steepness hasn't really changed, my heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. Then, once I get over the hill, my speed slows down and then the other riders either catch up to me, or pass me by as I recover. I know I'm doing something wrong, but I am not sure what it is. I'm wondering if maybe I am using brute strength to get up the hill, but I am not controlling or regulating my breathing to the point that I might actually get up the hill faster and with less stress so that I can maintain the pace even after I get over the hill. What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have when it comes to tackling the hills? You might want to install a chain set with a smaller cog to get up the hills. You don't discuss your cadence, but it sounds like you're overexerting to get up the hill, and your buddies pass you while you recover. Try to keep your cadence in a range you're used to, say 80-100. You'll be a bit slower on the upslope, but you won't have that recovery time at the top of the hill. |
breathing on climbs
Booker C. Bense writes:
I am looking for strategies of breathing when it comes to climbing hills. While I admit that I usually beat my ride partners up the hills, I feel as though I am breathing harder than is necessary. I have tried to slow my conserve my breathing because once I get halfway up the hill, and the steepness hasn't really changed, my heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest. Then, once I get over the hill, my speed slows down and then the other riders either catch up to me, or pass me by as I recover. I know I'm doing something wrong, but I am not sure what it is. I'm wondering if maybe I am using brute strength to get up the hill, but I am not controlling or regulating my breathing to the point that I might actually get up the hill faster and with less stress so that I can maintain the pace even after I get over the hill. I doubt that you are "doing something wrong" but you may not have enough training to perform as you would like. Do you put in at least 200 miles per week and do these miles include 6% or better hills more than a mile long? _ Sheesh, he's not talking about racing Cat 1, but trashing his buddies on a group ride. I think you can do that on less than 8-10 hrs a week. Not if the competition gets a workout like that. If you ride to work daily over hilly terrain such as the foothills behind where you seem to work, that puts in 20 miles per day and a long ride on weekends to Santa Cruz and back over the many great mountain roads in the area, you'll get more than 200 miles in with no loss in the daily routine. What are some are some home-grown strategies that some of you have when it comes to tackling the hills? There are no strategies and no techniques. There are only well trained athletes with big lungs. Hill climbing is something that can last hours at times, and there is no way of fooling your body using "strategies". _ What a load of crap! I recall the proponents of secrets to greater speed on the flat and climbing for many years were from believers in Jacques Anquetil's ankling. A style that assures greater speed. What was overlooked was that JA was a supreme druggist who was so out of it he could never give an interview after finishing a race, he was so zonked, and you could see it in his face. Of course there are strategies, pacing yourself is a big part of climbing effectively. Learning to pace yourself correctly for a long climb is something that takes experience regardless of how in shape you are. I think the question that is really being asked is how to pace himself better on long climbs. It sounds like he's going out too hard and blowing up, a pretty common mistake. I think you'll have to give more details on how to do this rather than roll out the old jargon on how to "relax when climbing" and the like. _ Breathing is a sign of how hard you are working, if you breathe slower you're working less. Monitoring your breathing can be a good way to guage your effort, but you can't breathe less without going slower. Now you see it, now you don't. The amount of oxygen you can supply to the legs is dependent on lung volume and breathing rate and you can't do anything more if those two don't add up to the climbing rate. They are intimately linked and the efficiency of these is dependent on conditioning the muscles to receive that supply. What I would suggest is deliberately throttling back on the beginning part of the climb and saving your effort until you get near the top. You might not climb faster, but you will be less blown out at the top. If it's a long climb, put your bike in a lower gear much sooner than you normally would, on a short climb try and spin rather than stand. On your next ride when you come to the hill, drop to the back of the group and stay there as long as you can stand. You are making this up as you write it seems. It reminds me of the rider who suggested holding your breath helps increase speed. If you witness the best riders in hill climbs, you'll see they are breathing hard enough to hear them from the sidelines. It takes hard training to achieve this sort of ability for longer hills. No tricks can get you there. Jobst Brandt |
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