Tips for improving speed???

Frannybobs

Franny, I actually have exercised induced asthma also and it is one of the reasons I used to fail (sometimes spectacularly), especially on long climbs. I'd hit it too hard at the beginning and once my breathing passed a certain rate it would spike my heart rate to the point that I couldn't recover on the climb and had to get off and walk.

Here is how I've learned to deal with it... I still attack the hills, but my main focus on my climb has to be the breathing or I blow up. When I start to edge toward gasping, I lower cadence (or gear) and let my body catch up a bit, then I bump it back up (often bump up a few gears & stand to regain momentum & power). If I pass that point and get to gasping its all over. So basically I try to ride on the edge. That being said, if its a short steep (If I can see the top), I risk it because I can usually rush the top before I max out and recover on the down.

Wow, that's really helpful - thanks for that...good to know you can still tackle all hills if you plan them properly. Like the tips. I did tackle the hills in a similar way on that 100k ride the other week, stuck it in a low gear and just spun as much as I could. but I was gasping at the top, so I might need to meter it better.

Thanks - so good to know I'm not the only one!!