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Smokey Valley Part Duex and other vertically challenging hills

October 29, 2008 · 3 Comments

I gave Smokey Valley another ride today and I'm happy to report I was able to breeze up it without resorting to zig zagging at the top. Here's the evidence:

Once I got to the top of Smokey Valley I turned right on Ladera Norte and proceeded to the top of it. I then went back down and then back up. In all I climbed Smokey Valley, Ladera Norte, Far West, Cat Mountain, Mt. Bonnell, Lookout Mountain and Mesa. It came out to be 2255.5 feet in this 14.47 mile route.

::See the route::

Smokey Valley Part Duex and other vertically challenging hills

Tags: Hills

3 responses so far ↓

  • 1 331miles // Oct 30, 2008 at 6:39 AM

    Congrats on eliminating the zig-zag; achieving small goals feels great, eh!?

    So why the hill training? Looking forward to Tour das Hugel, or just the best way to get good training in the shortest amount of time? I'm used to long distance, but I think I'll have to start doing shorter distance climbing once I move back...

  • 2 Mike // Oct 30, 2008 at 8:29 AM

    @331: It's a last ditch effort to hit as much of the Tour Das Hugel route as possible. Plus when I ride during my lunch break there's great hills to ride so I'm able to get a good workout from a kj standpoint in a short amount of time. Doing the hills it's an easy way to get in a 6 minute effort at or above my threshold power. Today's ride will be intervals. I figure I have one more week of 3 hard day efforts (Intervals or climbing repeats) before I start to taper for Hugel. Although I've been feeling really great lately, hopefully I haven't peaked too soon...

  • 3 Mike // Oct 30, 2008 at 8:35 AM

    I forgot to mention the biggest thing that attributed to me not having to resort to zig zagging was I was properly geared going into it. When I first went up Smokey Valley I was in too big of a gear at the bottom. When I got half way up and the grade started to pitch up I couldn't shift, or at least I tried, but the torque my drive was under wouldn't allow for the shift. So I had to muscle it out. On yesterday's ride I got in a low gear to start with and went up like a Sherpa.

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