Training for a hilly race

I'm targeting Lago Vista as my first race in the TXBRA series for this
year. It's a hilly SOB, and I've been training with 53/42 and 12-23.
A friend said that is stupid. Is it? Should I be training with gears
that I will actually use in the race, like 53/39 and 13-26?

"LawBoy01" wrote in message
...
I'm targeting Lago Vista as my first race in the TXBRA series for this
year. It's a hilly SOB, and I've been training with 53/42 and 12-23.
A friend said that is stupid. Is it? Should I be training with gears
that I will actually use in the race, like 53/39 and 13-26?

Usually it's best to train with the gears you're planning on racing with. If
you get used to turning slower cadence on a hill when you go to the lower
gear you don't spin faster, you ride slower.

LawBoy01 wrote:
I'm targeting Lago Vista as my first race in the TXBRA series for this
year. It's a hilly SOB, and I've been training with 53/42 and 12-23. A
friend said that is stupid. Is it? Should I be training with gears that
I will actually use in the race, like 53/39 and 13-26?

Do you eat red herrings ?

On Feb 2, 2:39*pm, "Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo. com wrote:
"LawBoy01" wrote in message

...

I'm targeting Lago Vista as my first race in the TXBRA series for this
year. *It's a hilly SOB, and I've been training with 53/42 and 12-23.
A friend said that is stupid. *Is it? *Should I be training with gears
that I will actually use in the race, like 53/39 and 13-26?

Usually it's best to train with the gears you're planning on racing with. If
you get used to turning slower cadence on a hill when you go to the lower
gear you don't spin faster, you ride slower.

When I am doing hill repeats, I sometimes force myself to sit and
grind up the climb with no less than 60 rpm while keeping up witht
folks using smaller gears. I just think that I am killing myself
without benefit sometimes. I suspect that your advice is correct.

LawBoy01 wrote:

When I am doing hill repeats, I sometimes force myself to sit and
grind up the climb with no less than 60 rpm while keeping up witht
folks using smaller gears. I just think that I am killing myself
without benefit sometimes. I suspect that your advice is correct.

John Phillip Lawboy:

Use the gears you're going to use. Cadence is a red herring. Focus on power.

On Feb 2, 2:08*pm, LawBoy01 wrote:
On Feb 2, 2:39*pm, "Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo. com wrote:

"LawBoy01" wrote in message

....

I'm targeting Lago Vista as my first race in the TXBRA series for this
year. *It's a hilly SOB, and I've been training with 53/42 and 12-23.
A friend said that is stupid. *Is it? *Should I be training with gears
that I will actually use in the race, like 53/39 and 13-26?

Usually it's best to train with the gears you're planning on racing with. If
you get used to turning slower cadence on a hill when you go to the lower
gear you don't spin faster, you ride slower.

When I am doing hill repeats, I sometimes force myself to sit and
grind up the climb with no less than 60 rpm while keeping up witht
folks using smaller gears. *I just think that I am killing myself
without benefit sometimes. *I suspect that your advice is correct.

Seated hill repeats at low cadence/high resistance is a perfectly
acceptable strength workout on the bike. Don't stop just 'cause of
TK's advice. Not that his comments aren't generally correct in this
case, but they don't go far enough to dictate your training plan.
You'll want to do strength work, power work, etc... AND yes you want
to do some work (not all of it) replicating the race conditions as
closely as possible.

"Robert Chung" wrote in message
...
LawBoy01 wrote:

When I am doing hill repeats, I sometimes force myself to sit and
grind up the climb with no less than 60 rpm while keeping up witht
folks using smaller gears. I just think that I am killing myself
without benefit sometimes. I suspect that your advice is correct.

Use the gears you're going to use. Cadence is a red herring. Focus on
power.

Cadence isn't exactly a red herring Robert. You tend to maintain the cadence
you're used to. If you're a big time racer you kick it up a gear and try to
maintain your usual cadence. In the recordings of races you'll see long time
breakaways standing on the pedals trying to maintain a cadence even on flat
roads.

Though of course you're correct that the important factor is power. But
first you have to get the power.

Go and ride course you will be racing on. This way you will find out
what gears you will need to use and how much effort you will need to
expend. Not familiar with the race, but it's always better to have a
lower gear if you need it.

On Feb 2, 12:32*pm, LawBoy01 wrote:
I'm targeting Lago Vista as my first race in the TXBRA series for this
year. *It's a hilly SOB, and I've been training with 53/42 and 12-23.
A friend said that is stupid. *Is it? *Should I be training with gears
that I will actually use in the race, like 53/39 and 13-26?

"hizark21" wrote in message
...
Go and ride course you will be racing on. This way you will find out
what gears you will need to use and how much effort you will need to
expend. Not familiar with the race, but it's always better to have a
lower gear if you need it.

That doesn't work too well since Lawboy is a lower echelon racer. He has no
idea of what sort of power he will grow to develop as he continues racing.
What's more, lower output riders tend to ride much slower than they're
capable of doing when properly trained.

On Feb 2, 3:40*pm, Donald Munro wrote:
LawBoy01 wrote:
I'm targeting Lago Vista as my first race in the TXBRA series for this
year. *It's a hilly SOB, and I've been training with 53/42 and 12-23. A
friend said that is stupid. *Is it? *Should I be training with gears that
I will actually use in the race, like 53/39 and 13-26?

Do you eat red herrings ?

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