Originally Posted by
Sojodave
...Before I knew it, I was flying past everyone. I was screaming up the hill faster than any of the riders. I thought, wow, I've got ride this way on every hill. And then it happened, my heart was beating through the roof. I tried to hang on, but 3/4 up the hill I blew like the wind. I saw stars and thought I was going to faint. The group all passed me and several said, are you all right?
This is why pacing is so important...
I know that feeling. The only difference is now I can recover quicker after blowing up. Used to take 5-10 minutes, sometimes needing to stop. Now I can recover just by easing up a bit for 30 seconds or so. I suppose that's some improvement.
For me it's also a mental game. I'm fine on the same climbs solo. In groups I'll tense up, not breathe properly, and fade quicker despite starting out well. So I'm consciously working on more relaxed breathing in fast paced group rides.
I'm also trying starting the climb in a bigger gear and slower cadence, holding that for as long as I can, then shifting to an easier gear and spinning. I used to do the opposite and it didn't work out well.
But any climb where I don't bail out and walk or huff my asthma inhaler is a win.