UKC

Went out on a 50 mile ride today which included some absolute walls... well at least for me. The first one was after 5 miles and was by far the hardest climb of the day... a half mile climb with an average gradient of 14% (22% max). There then followed a shallow 1 or 2% drag for about a mile, then a couple of hundred yards pinch at around 10%, which I found particularly tough. I was thinking that it doesn't bode well for some of the other climbs I had to come. To my surprise, I found that didn't really struggle any worse than normal on any of the remaining hills, apart from another 20%+ wall after about 30 miles, which I still got up. In fact, I felt really good and noticed that my breathing was not laboured at all on any other climb... I even got some Strava PBs.

So, I'm wondering if this is a physiological phenomenon, perhaps similar to getting a flash pump at the start of a climbing session or whether it was more psychological due to knowing that I'd already got up the hardest climb of the day. Has anyone else noticed something similar or have any ideas as to why this might have happened... or is it all in my head?

I would suggest either:

a) you were nicely warmed up after the first few climbs

b) you had a tailwind up those climbs you felt good on

c) both a) and b).

So physiological + environmental.

The psychological factor I find most baffling is how your body starts to shut down when it knows you're on the final leg of your ride regardless of how long the ride was.

You weren’t warmed-up for the first one and hadn’t recovered for the second. 

Could be a)...

There was no real wind factor yesterday. I had done a few ramps before the first big climb, nothing really significant, at least not out of the saddle. There was a flat section for a couple of miles before the next significant climb, so perhaps my legs recovered and as you say, were nicely warmed up. I know where there's an opportunity to do a short 10% climb on the way to the big one, so next time I might do it and see what the results are.

I hear what you're saying about the final leg and have noticed this as well, every ramp or puff of headwind feels like torture. Having said that, I have noticed on the few centuries I've done, once I get past 2/3 distances I start feeling surprisingly good. Again, perhaps this is psychological and I don't actually feel that great, just better than I thought I would, but then I never push it very hard on these rides in regards to pace or hills.

"Riding on feel" is something that is hard to do well if you've never used a power meter or heart rate monitor. Fastidiously staying in Z2 HR is amazingly good at prolonging how good you feel on a long ride. It's so easy to drift up into Z3 and higher on climbs and then keep the pace up and this is what eventually tires you out. I've started using a HRM this year which has been invaluable for longer rides.

I haven't got a power meter... can't afford one. I do use a HR monitor though. Perhaps I should use it more scientifically... but usually around these parts (at least for me) it's I'm get up that damned hill and it ain't gonna be quick!

Chest strap HR monitor really helps me not to overdo the starts of climbs (an excess from which I don't really recover).  I need all the help I can get !

There's a lot to be said for the psychological effects.

There's a hill on the way to my mates house, through out town, which is reasonably steep but nothing massive or long. so the first time I decided to cycle to his house, I caved in very near the top, but my lungs were threatening to leave my body in protest.

There's an hill nearer our house, which I've been using as a gauge to compare my fitness, originally I needed to get off and walk a bit, but I can now manage to get to the top, still a struggle and HRT gets to 180+.

Anyhow, decided to compare the two hills on my GPS, local hill is longer and steeper by 20% distance and 30% higher!

The next time I pedalled to his house I managed it no bother and didn't even need a rest at the top. Unless is was to do with the weather, I'm putting it down to me "knowing" is was easier.

Yeah... that was kind of my point. The first hill that I did yesterday was in the top three that I've ever done, so perhaps that gave me a psychological boost on the remaining hills and I approached them in the right manner? I do however accept as others have suggested, that it could have been down to not being fully warmed up.

My big hill is nearer though so for me it's on the bike up the hill, no warm up!

So I'm pretty sure for me at least it was simply a head issue.

I think it’s to do with being warmed up and muscles being fired up. I had a 16 mile tt early this morning and didn’t have time to warm up. Later that morning I went out on the road bike for a warm down, pumping out the same power as earlier (got power meters on both bikes) was several orders of magnitude easier!

I would second not being warmed up properly. I am more of a runner than a cyclist. One one of my regular runs there is a small hill of about 600m distance straight out of the car park. It always makes my heart pound and my calves scream no matter how easy I take it. There are three much longer and steeper climbs later on in that circuit, all of which I navigate with no problems. Pretty sure that I'm just always cold on that first little hill.

It arguably takes up to 20 mins for the body to settle into exercise, bit like walking up the first hill, the body doesn't know your route or intended pace so can often fire up all systems ready for the worst.

The exact opposite of my experience, then? Each to their own of course, but then I've never been one for warming up for anything other than sex, even then......