Hills - Should you back off as you get older ?

[Shut Up Legs]

Indeed, descents can be quite hairy and dangerous, especially on a poor road surface. I came down a steep one yesterday and was constantly on my brakes, my thumbs and forefingers were aching like mad. It was tempting to let go of the brakes but apart from a couple of short stretches, would have been too dangerous to do so.

Yes, my descent from Passo di Gavia to Bormio on 25th July was like that: it's quite a long descent, and my hands and wrists were a bit sore at the end of it. The fact that the road surface on that road is very poor didn't help, either. Don't get me wrong, though: I still enjoyed it, because it beats the hell out of cycling in Australia.

 

[jonsablue]

Does anyone enjoy cycling up hill ? - or any other strenuous exercise - I get satisfaction from it, but when I going up a hill Im not actually enjoying it - same as working out in the gym - satisfaction not really enjoying that last rep with more weight than you've done previously.

Anyway fitted the new sprocket - booked an appt with gp - going to call the asthma uk nurses today to go through current medication.

I am also going to swallow my pride and go out with the touring section of a local club -Id been holding off hoping to get fit enough to go with the faster groups - but while my peak flow is 350 don't think that is happening....

Many thanks for all the responses...

I do enjoy them haha might sound cliche but climbing makes me feel alive. It's an adrenaline rush going up and getting over them! Like I say.. If you don't enjoy them, why do them? We've nothing to prove have we, don't know about you but I'm not about to challenge Cav to a race anytime soon haha. Stick to the flats and build a good avg up over them instead!

 

[jonsablue]

Good point / question. I am off out in the next half hour or so, and intend heading out to Ashurst Beacon near Skelmersdale, one of the more challenging hills around here. Thinking about your question, no I won't enjoy it as my heart pounds and my lungs gasp, but the endorphin glow when I have finished will be worth it, I hope, it usually is. Good luck.

Where abouts do you live? I'm off up ashy myself later but I usually approach it from shevi. Up bank brow, crow lane then down to hunters or Parbold! We're spoilt for climbs round here!

 

[Roadhump]

Where abouts do you live? I'm off up ashy myself later but I usually approach it from shevi. Up bank brow, crow lane then down to hunters or Parbold! We're spoilt for climbs round here!

I live in Southport and usually get over there via Burscough and Newburgh. I have done Parbold Hill but being the main road to the M6 it is very busy and an artic got stuck behind me as I struggled up at about 7 to 8 mph. I actuallly felt sorry for the lorry driver, not only did he have a big hill slowing him down, but he was also stuck behind me which slowed him down even more. I decided that in future I would go up Hunter's Hill instead. I did that yesterday, then turned right into Stoney Lane at the Rigbye Arms, which is the steep descent I was on about in #158. It looks like it would be a hellish climb, even more so than Hunter's Hill.

As you probably know, from the bottom of Stoney Lane, you can drop into Parbold, which I did, then went up to the Beacon, turning round at the Prince William and heading home via Skem and Aughton where I climbed Clieves Hill, thus completing my mini South West Lancs 3 peaks.

Some of those other climbs you mention - Bank Brow (Bank Top?), Crow Lane, also Roby Mill nearby - are reputedly brutal and make the beacon look easy, might need a bit more practice before taking them on.

 

[jonsablue]

I live in Southport and usually get over there via Burscough and Newburgh. I have done Parbold Hill but being the main road to the M6 it is very busy and an artic got stuck behind me as I struggled up at about 7 to 8 mph. I actuallly felt sorry for the lorry driver, not only did he have a big hill slowing him down, but he was also stuck behind me which slowed him down even more. I decided that in future I would go up Hunter's Hill instead. I did that yesterday, then turned right into Stoney Lane at the Rigbye Arms, which is the steep descent I was on about in #158. It looks like it would be a hellish climb, even more so than Hunter's Hill.

As you probably know, from the bottom of Stoney Lane, you can drop into Parbold, which I did, then went up to the Beacon, turning round at the Prince William and heading home via Skem and Aughton where I climbed Clieves Hill, thus completing my mini South West Lancs 3 peaks.

Some of those other climbs you mention - Bank Brow (Bank Top?), Crow Lane, also Roby Mill nearby - are reputedly brutal and make the beacon look easy, might need a bit more practice before taking them on.

Yes bank top! Its a very small but horrendous climb. However if I'd go up there over hunters anyday haha hunters is an horrendous climb. That final push is crazy. I actually go up parbold hill to avoid it. I went up it on the same day as the iron man comp few weeks back and got a round of applause from people sat outside the pub at the top of it haha I just waved and pretended I was an iron man.. ! yeah Stoney is a really nasty and long climb I believe. Not tried it yet but its on my to do list. Crows isn't too bad. It has some hard bits, but its just going up it after bank which is the hard part. Next time you go up to the beacon, take a right down hillock or dungeon lanes and at the bottom do a right onto Lee's lane. Follow that to the bottom then hang a right, that takes you straight onto bank top, climb that then stop at the pub at the top for a pint or four before carrying on. Take your first right again and that leads onto crow which will take you back to Dalton! Honestly if you can get up hunters you'll manage those ok!
Do you ever get over to rivington?

 

[Roadhump]

Yes bank top! Its a very small but horrendous climb. However if I'd go up there over hunters anyday haha hunters is an horrendous climb. That final push is crazy. I actually go up parbold hill to avoid it. I went up it on the same day as the iron man comp few weeks back and got a round of applause from people sat outside the pub at the top of it haha I just waved and pretended I was an iron man.. ! yeah Stoney is a really nasty and long climb I believe. Not tried it yet but its on my to do list. Crows isn't too bad. It has some hard bits, but its just going up it after bank which is the hard part. Next time you go up to the beacon, take a right down hillock or dungeon lanes and at the bottom do a right onto Lee's lane. Follow that to the bottom then hang a right, that takes you straight onto bank top, climb that then stop at the pub at the top for a pint or four before carrying on. Take your first right again and that leads onto crow which will take you back to Dalton! Honestly if you can get up hunters you'll manage those ok!
Do you ever get over to rivington?

Never been over to Rivington on the bike - I have progressed from the South West plain to the foothills, but not moved on the West Pennines yet . Me and Mrs Rh occasionally go over there walking, and I have seen people cycling around there and between there and Belmont - some real challenging stuff round there.

I'll keep popping over to the Parbold area to develop my "hill skill" and hopefully conquer some of those you mention. Another formidable couple of hills round there are the ones either side of Appley Bridge village (one of which I think is Bank Top), It is another place we walk around (Mrs Rh doesn't cycle) and looks quite daunting. Another thing about Hunter's Hill is that when you get to the Farmer's Arms at the bottom and scan the scenery, you can see the wall alongside the road as it ascends the hill, the gradient looks horrendous. It is as if someone is saying, "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough" and laughing at you.

If you Google the names of these hills, you should find blogs and write ups about them from the Harry Middleton Cycling Club from Ormskirk who use them a lot, they are quite good to read.

Anyway, I am doing a nice gentle run down through Maghull and over to Crosby and back today as it's a westerly wind - any excuse to wimp out, although I will go via Clieves Hill, but that's a baby compared to Dalton and Parbold.

 

[3narf]

Attack and keep attacking, until you feel ill or it isn't fun any more!

 

[david k]

Im 54 in a couple of weeks - Ive always been a pretty crap cyclist, probably due to my lungs. I do (or did) pride myself on always getting over even the steepest of hills ...like 20% .....Im not fast but I always get there...

Anyway I stumbled on an unknown - but absolute monster of hill - it was a very tight narrow and small lane- I was blowing and groaning like nobodies business - then I spotted someones driveway sadly I bottled it and got off .......part of it was fear of car coming the other way - the road was just to damm narrow - and I didn't fancy ending up on my arse...

My question is at 54 is it dangerous to push yourself when your feel your heart coming out of your jersey ?

My doctor told me not to push it, he said doing so can be bad for you, peop,e think it's good as it makes them feel better, high achievement and all but it's not actually good to push to hard as you get older

 

[S-Express]

My doctor told me not to push it, he said doing so can be bad for you, peop,e think it's good as it makes them feel better, high achievement and all but it's not actually good to push to hard as you get older

Sounds like your doc is bit short on specifics..

 

[david k]

Sounds like your doc is bit short on specifics..

I didn't think so, he said don't do a triathlon, seems clear to me

 

[screenman]

I didn't think so, he said don't do a triathlon, seems clear to me

Maybe he would rather you sat on the sofa all day eating, unless you have a medical condition why should you not, jog, swim and cycle.

 

[screenman]

This nearly 62 year old still likes to get his heart working a lot.

 

[jefmcg]

I didn't think so, he said don't do a triathlon, seems clear to me

Well, it may have been specific in the room, but it's not here.

Did he mean no one should do a triathlon, no one over a certain age or just you?

And did he mean an sprint, olympic, long, half-ironman, ironman or ultra-ironman distance?

And if your doctor believes you couldn't train safely to enter a sprint triathlon (750m Swim, 20km Bike, 5km Run) aiming to finish not win, then you have serious underlying medical conditions I hope you are getting investigated and/or treated.

 

[S-Express]

I didn't think so, he said don't do a triathlon, seems clear to me

But did he say why?

 

[jefmcg]

David k has a heart condition, AF I think.

OK, and he should listen and follow his doctor's advice of course (as should anyone who has been given specific advice, or at least seek out a qualified person to give a second option).

But re-reading post #167, it still reads as if he feels that advice should apply to @kingrollo too.