Missy said, "YES!" to the Alpine Classics... 200km.

[Missy24]

Forumers, lets get the shock out of the way and make it clear that I don't want to be the first person back to home base... I want to do the 200km Alpine Classics and I just want to finish, that's all I care about is finishing, obviously I wont come last... I don't like last, second last is ok, yes I know its not a race.

*insert sounds of crikets*

So I can go 200km, that's not a problem... I need your knowledge on getting up those hills (ok mountains, lets be honest they're mountains). I have a bit over 3 months to train myself to do it adequately... is it enough time.

Keep in mind that I've a week organised in Bright, to ride.

I'm going for a ride now, be back soon.

Missy

[damhooligan]

Forumers, lets get the shock out of the way and make it clear that I don't want to be the first person back to home base... I want to do the 200km Alpine Classics and I just want to finish, that's all I care about is finishing, obviously I wont come last... I don't like last, second last is ok, yes I know its not a race.

*insert sounds of crikets*

So I can go 200km, that's not a problem... I need your knowledge on getting up those hills (ok mountains, lets be honest they're mountains). I have a bit over 3 months to train myself to do it adequately... is it enough time.

Keep in mind that I've a week organised in Bright, to ride.

I'm going for a ride now, be back soon.

Missy

Al i know that my training wil be part distance and part climbing.
How many climbing km do you have??
Can i suggest you start focussing on that??



You already know how to train for distance,
When i started training for my first alpine last year , even tough it was only the 130,
I never done any climbing , so i went to mount donna buang.
This gives you a very good and realistic feel of of what climbing feels like.
Donna is consistent in gradient.

Secondly , similair to towanga gap is the 1:20 ride, you wil have to do this one twice during the alpine.
So doing the 1:20 as part of you training would be good.

Good luck , and keep us updated.

[Wayfarer]

mountains? i was reading some guide to "climb like Contador" the other day. gotta keep your brathing deep and not in line with your cadence. your cadence should be around 9-110 RPM, and your breathing even less (so you dont end up breathing in with one foot down, and out with the other down). it was also talking about keeping a light grip on the hoods, and not rocking your bike side to side, as this just wastes energy.

i recon if you spin perfect circles though, it'll be the best advantage you can get. best of luck to ya

[Missy24]

I know about donna buang, heading that way in a few weeks with one of the boys, I'm starting to think this could be a bad idea... and it deserves one of these and a oh no what have I gotten myself into.

Yep will keep updates

Missy

[Kalgrm]

You're a braver man than I, Missy ...

Good luck with it. It's a worthy challenge to aim for.

Cheers,
Graeme

[chris641]

it was also talking about keeping a light grip on the hoods, and not rocking your bike side to side, as this just wastes energy.

I think what it meant was to not force any rocking, rather let the bike rock naturally underneath you, as it is always going to do when you are climbing out of the saddle. The light grip on the hoods is a good one, as any pressure on the hoods is going to push the bike down and cause further resistance.

[Missy24]

You're a braver man than I, Missy ...

Good luck with it. It's a worthy challenge to aim for.

Cheers,
Graeme

Thanks Graeme... I like being in the brave category although I once heard, "bravery is merely a category for the stupid..."

I've eaten my last packet of double chocolate coated tim tams for a long time... I expect tim tams and Moet at the finish line and a straw

it was also talking about keeping a light grip on the hoods, and not rocking your bike side to side, as this just wastes energy.

I think what it meant was to not force any rocking, rather let the bike rock naturally underneath you, as it is always going to do when you are climbing out of the saddle. The light grip on the hoods is a good one, as any pressure on the hoods is going to push the bike down and cause further resistance.

Good point to remember, thanks.

[cleatus]

Onya Missy.

Like you I wil be attempting the 200 for the first time next year but I do have the benefit of knowledge of what training worked and didn't work
for the 130 I did this year.

Start climbing big climbs ASAP!
(However, after this weekends fresh dump on all the Victorian mountains you might have to rework some immediate training plans. )
Having said that there are many variables that make the AAC such a challenge and the hills are only part of it.(Albeit a pretty big one. ) Get used to a long day in the saddle.
I know you can rattle of 200kms fairly easily. Good.... Now start doing that distance over routes that involve rolling hills and small climbs. Get your milage base happening first. In the next few weeks as the traditional climbs become more accessible continue doing long rides and mix in some of the bigger climbs.
Dandenongs/Kinglake/Macedon are all good. By late October/early November, if you are comfortable with a long base start your speciality training which pretty much would involve long rides on some big climbs.(I note that you will be up in Bright for a week-- perfect!) Go climb Tawonga gap and Falls, Buffalo,Hotham, Rosewhite gap etc it really is a smorgasboard of good climbs up there.

Doing a one off climb is OK but the real trick is the combination of climbing and distance. For example a climb of Donna Buang is good but add in 100km warm up to Reefton before hand. Climb on tired legs to get a feel for the afternoon of the AAC.

Your base will pay dividends to help cope with the heat as well. The afternoon climbs (Tawonga and Buffalo) all have exposed rock and not that many trees and it gets really really hot. I still remember the heat shimmering off the road on the return Tawonga climb. **shudders**

Another hurdle that riders face is tired lower back muscles. You will employ muscles that don't get used that much unless you are doing a lot of climbing.
Core muscle exercises would be good for this reason but once again good long hilly training rides are the key.

By the end of December early Jan start taking it a bit easier with shorter rides just to keep your climbing legs topped up.

Sorry that was more like $50 rather than my 2cents.

I've ridden with you and know that you ride well. Do the training and you'll be fine.

[jules21]

congrats. i'm thinking of doing this ride as well, although my body isn't up to it yet.

i will only sign up if i can get some long rides under my belt, without feeling like a war veteran at the end of them

[Missy24]

Sorry that was more like $50 rather than my 2cents.

I've ridden with you and know that you ride well. Do the training and you'll be fine.

Thanks cleatus I'm happy for the $50 bucks worth I really am, starting to feel as though I've bitten a bit more than I can chew... shouldn't be too hard to take my weekly average from 300 to 400... the hard part is the hills.

I'll take on everything you've said! Thanks for the encouragement... god knows I'm gonna need it!
Missy

[m@]

mountains? i was reading some guide to "climb like Contador" the other day. gotta keep your brathing deep and not in line with your cadence. your cadence should be around 9-110 RPM, and your breathing even less (so you dont end up breathing in with one foot down, and out with the other down). it was also talking about keeping a light grip on the hoods, and not rocking your bike side to side, as this just wastes energy.

i recon if you spin perfect circles though, it'll be the best advantage you can get. best of luck to ya

I'm gonna need a compact crankset and mtb cassette!

[damhooligan]

mountains? i was reading some guide to "climb like Contador" the other day. gotta keep your brathing deep and not in line with your cadence. your cadence should be around 9-110 RPM, and your breathing even less (so you dont end up breathing in with one foot down, and out with the other down). it was also talking about keeping a light grip on the hoods, and not rocking your bike side to side, as this just wastes energy.

i recon if you spin perfect circles though, it'll be the best advantage you can get. best of luck to ya

I'm gonna need a compact crankset and mtb cassette!

Wel if the cadence should be between 9 and 110;
reaching a cadence of 9 is not extremley difficult , so once you go above 9 you are already in the target zone.
Too easy...

But seriously , I would not be able to reach a 110 cad when climbing...
Who has a 110 cad when climbing??
Never took notice of my breathing rhytm either , I just focussed on breathing in general .

[Jono L.]

The light grip on the hoods is a good one, as any pressure on the hoods is going to push the bike down and cause further resistance.

I reckon there might be more important things to worry about first