Why does the first hill hurt so much?

Ringo 68
Ringo 68 Posts: 441
edited May 2012 in Road beginners
I go out on regular short rides of between 15 and 30 miles with the odd longer thrown in at the weekends. About a mile from my house is the first hill. Nothing too drastic and I should have no problems spinning up it. However, for whatever reason, I struggle to get my breath back once over the top. It takes me a good few minutes before my breathing returns to anything like normal.

On my route are several other climbs which are steeper and longer and I have no problem with these at all. Out of breath yes, legs hurting yes but I don't struggle to breath like I do on the first hill.
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Comments

  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    Not warmed up yet? a mile is not long enough to get everything 'on song' I guess.
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • Ringo 68
    Ringo 68 Posts: 441
    smidsy wrote:
    Not warmed up yet? a mile is not long enough to get everything 'on song' I guess.

    I thought warming up was mainly for the legs. Does the cardio vascular system need warming up too?
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  • esd
    esd Posts: 36
    yes...cv system needs warming up too

    I coach swimming

    warm up 600-800 metres diffrent strokes - hr around 90-110
    progressive 50s in usually less than a minute - hr around 130 -150

    then the work begins - could include sprints..no breathing HR upto 180 or whatever max is for the swimmers...

    so yes as in any sport need to warm up so that when put in the big effort heart is ready for it!

    have fun

    ESD
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    On my commute I go straight out of my house and up a 1 mile climb - the first third of which is pretty steep. It depresses me every morning :lol:
    Faster than a tent.......
  • Ringo 68
    Ringo 68 Posts: 441
    esd wrote:
    yes...cv system needs warming up too

    I coach swimming

    warm up 600-800 metres diffrent strokes - hr around 90-110
    progressive 50s in usually less than a minute - hr around 130 -150

    then the work begins - could include sprints..no breathing HR upto 180 or whatever max is for the swimmers...

    so yes as in any sport need to warm up so that when put in the big effort heart is ready for it!

    have fun

    ESD

    So 800 metres is a warm up for swimming :shock: After 800 metres you would find me at the bottom of the pool.

    Thanks.
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  • Flasheart
    Flasheart Posts: 1,278
    Rolf F wrote:
    On my commute I go straight out of my house and up a 1 mile climb - the first third of which is pretty steep. It depresses me every morning :lol:


    Rolf...move house mate :wink:
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  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    I generally need ~30mins of riding to warm up properly and find a rhythm.

    If you go and ride a hill before warming up properly it can really hit you hard and you'll be feeling it for the rest of the ride.
  • Ringo 68
    Ringo 68 Posts: 441
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    I generally need ~30mins of riding to warm up properly and find a rhythm.

    If you go and ride a hill before warming up properly it can really hit you hard and you'll be feeling it for the rest of the ride.

    That makes sense. I had to go the long way around due to road works last week and felt fine at the top of the hill. I will have to add that to my regular route.
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  • thescouselander
    thescouselander Posts: 549
    Yeah, it takes me about 30 mins too. Its a pity my ride to work only takes 20 mins if I go the direct route.
  • leshere
    leshere Posts: 38
    When you start to exercise you body switches 'mode' so for example your capillaries dilate there are also changes to your blood chemistry, adrenaline is released and I think there is some blood thinning all this serves to increase the flow of blood. Also fluid is released to ease friction in joints. I suspect that airways change but I am less sure about this. Whilst I am rubbish at doing this myself warm ups do seem to be a sound idea.
  • Gizmo_
    Gizmo_ Posts: 558
    Always takes me ten minutes and one decent hill to get into the mode where my body realises it's not just walking, needs to do some proper work and start gulping air in properly.
    Scott Sportster P45 2008 | Cannondale CAAD8 Tiagra 2012
  • ShutUpLegs
    ShutUpLegs Posts: 3,522
    Ringo 68 wrote:
    Nothing too drastic and I should have no problems spinning up it


    Try going up at a lower cadence say 50-70 rpm
  • wakou
    wakou Posts: 165
    From my workplace is about 300 metres of incline. So gentle that you can hardly see it slopes up. It kills me ;(
    "I had righteous got my wheel backmost from a fettlin' at the LBS and was hunt transport to equitation it. As it was Refrigerated in the AM......"
  • El zilcho
    El zilcho Posts: 73
    I think that kind of false flat bothers me more than proper hills. At least a hill feels like an achievement.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    Shouldn't all hills hurt if you're doing it right?
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Flasheart wrote:
    Rolf F wrote:
    On my commute I go straight out of my house and up a 1 mile climb - the first third of which is pretty steep. It depresses me every morning :lol:


    Rolf...move house mate :wink:

    Lol - I'd have to move county to make sure of avoiding that pain! :lol:
    Faster than a tent.......
  • Gizmo_
    Gizmo_ Posts: 558
    El zilcho wrote:
    I think that kind of false flat bothers me more than proper hills. At least a hill feels like an achievement.
    I agree. There's a road near me that just goes up and up and up and up - never steep, never at an incline you'd need a low gear for... but you end up in one anyway because it's about five miles long and it just drains... :D
    Scott Sportster P45 2008 | Cannondale CAAD8 Tiagra 2012
  • sancho1983
    sancho1983 Posts: 76
    The 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th aren't much easier for me!

    I might change the regular route I do as the first 'hill' is one of the longest and I don't think I'm ready for it - of course being overweight and unfit won't help either.

    It's a segment on strava, I just got a personal best of 10mph, the guy at the top does 18mph! I think he's driving...

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