I don't have a typical ride because there's so much mixed terrain in Los Angeles, where I live, and in California in general. Hill climbs are just a few miles north and south of my mid-town home.

I like to cram as much uphill as I can into as short a distance as possible. I want to put in 2,000 to 3,000 feet in 15 miles or so.

Below is a typical ride with hills from two days ago, in the Santa Monica Mountains. Of course, the start and finish were flat, so most of the climbing – 2,200 feet – took place in a little under 8 miles. That's about 280 feet or so a mile. The uphill part of those miles averaged about 10%, with some sections going to 15%.





I think these types of rides are part of the reason I wake up each morning with a heartbeat in the low 40s.