It's an Uphill Battle

When I often think of riding the Tour de France I envision stages in excess of 100 miles and mountains that never stop going up. Knowing that I will actually be riding a stage of this year's race made me quite nervous. First of all I have never ridden more than 85 miles in a single day,and second I have never rode an uphill ascent longer than three quarters of a mile. The challenge is to start logging in longer mileage while trying to simulate some steep climbs to go along with it. There was no way that the flat terrain of southeastern Massachusetts would give me the long ascents that are in the French Alps, but my job was about to pay off big dividends.


A few years ago I started a new position at work, that required me to commute to Clinton, Massachusetts everyday. Clinton is a very small town off of route 495. Each day I would drive to work over a very long and steep road called Watoquadoc Hill Rd. It was close to 4 miles long and gradually ascends out of the trees on to the hills of the Nashoba Valley Winery. Knowing that these steep climbs would aid in my training I began to plot a course to success. Using www.mapmyride.com I was able to plot an 8.8 mile loop that would provide between 500 and 950 feet of climbing (depending on what map program you utilize).

After a week that involved a lot of training, and a 24 hour whirlwind trip to the west coast for work, I wasn't sure if I was up to the task of a long uphill ride. When Saturday morning came, I ate breakfast, printed my map and packed my bike for the 1 hour drive up to Bolton, MA. After parking at the local church I suited up for a long day. The ride from the church up to the loop that I had plotted included a very steep section of road, that made me think twice about the days ride. Once out on the course, my legs had a chance to loosen up and I settled in for what would turn out to be 6 loops, 55 miles and close to 5000 feet of climbing. I learned a big lesson today that would prove to be very valuable.......when climbing a long ascent find a comfortable cadence, settle in and keep a nice easy pace all the way to the top. Not exactly rocket science, but it certainly works.

I had also read a great article this week that breaks down watts, power to weight ratio and climbing prowess...... http://www.astana-cyclingteam.com/fresh_brew/watts.html The bottom line is that Saturday's ride was a great confidence booster, with 3 months to go until the Etape I feel great, and the training is going well. My wife, Katie has been so supportive during the past several months, and does not mind my long days out on the bike. Cycling is definitely not a spectacular spectator sport, so I give her a lot of credit for her patience every Sunday in the Spring, and everyday in July when the TV is tuned to Versus for the Tour de France. She not only knows her football, but can probably name half of the guys in the pro peloton.

So heading into week 6 of my training plan, I feel confident and healthy.....let's hope that trend continues.

Kyle