…However, I’m willing to change. I’m a long time roadie recently turned tri-geek. I found myself on a brutally hilly (12 to 16% grades) 57-mile ride today. While suffering up a climb… it occurred to me… is this style of riding/training counterproductive to my tri training? I’m planning to do several tri’s next year beginning with Ironman 70.3 Fla. Then several others all with rolling or flat terrain. Is all my hilly suffer-fests counter productive or helpful? Thoughts? And thank you in advance.
I’m a bike racer turned Trigeek just recently. My Tri Coach, an Elite World Amatuer, continues to have me train on hills. I do brutal repeats once a week like always. She, Jeanette-Shellow Macdougal, also trains hills regularly.
I live in a region of Downstate NY that is mountainous so there’s almost no such thing as a flat Tri bike course or TT…
Besides, I love beatin’ down a hefty climb!
Eric J
no, it’s not in general. but flatTTs are different to climbing.
however, I strongly recommend to stick to tris with tough bike courses as you will HATE the draftfests on all those flat courses.
welcome to tri!
uli (ex-eliteroadie and sub9IM)
Riding hills is the best way to get stronger on the bike.
Earlier this year I decided to not do any more flat rides. Where I live I have the choice of going north for flat rides and south for hilly rides. Since January I’ve been doing every ride in the south, riding lots of rolling hills and big hills. Come race season, every bike split I’ve had has been in the top ten overall. When you ride hills enough and have the power to not loose speed/time in a hilly course, then you’ve got power. And that power transfers to flat courses.
Keep riding hills!
If you replaced portions of your cycling training with running and swimming, and/or you reduced the instensity and type of training you did as a road racer, and/or your recovery has been affected, then yes, it is possible that triathlon training is counter productive to cycling performance.
I suggest evaluating what you have “lost” in cycling, and where you can improve with the time you spend now sharing your training time between three sports.