How well will road cycling help me in a tower/stair climbing event?
08-17-15, 07:33 AM
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You'll definitely need to do both bike and steps. Recently climbed 1650m up a mountain while on tour. Seemed effortless at the time due to my high level of fitness. Next day I was practically crippled, all those muscles I hadn't used cycling came back to bite me. Even walking down a wheel chair ramp was painful.
I'd be doing the backpack or weightvest thing on stairs to get the right muscles in tune, especially for descending!
I'd be doing the backpack or weightvest thing on stairs to get the right muscles in tune, especially for descending!
08-17-15, 07:42 AM
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Find a hill that's 1300 vertical feet at 8% so of grade, and it will fairly well replicate the work involved.
Obviously the best training for climbing stairs is climbing stairs. But if you can do a hard 1300 foot climb that will give you a pretty good idea of what you're looking at in terms of the needed effort.
Shorter hill repeats would help as well, but they need to be at least 10 minutes or so, so you're working the same zone as you'll need in your race.
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08-17-15, 11:11 AM
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Sounds like you are planning on finding stairs and training on them which is the best training for stairs.
Riding will give you a good cardio base and hill climbing/repeats etc. will help you with pacing.
My GF is a strong cyclist/runner (plus she uses one of those stair steppers that is a conveyor belt of actual steps) and almost never has leg pain when we go snowboarding. Last year she started doing the stairs near her work (Seattle is full of long stairs) for an hour workout going up and down. The first few times she could barely walk the next day. Going down a lot of stairs or steep trails really works your legs in a different way than almost anything else.
I can't tell you the number of stories I've heard (or witnessed) of people attempting Mt. Rainier and getting whipped who were really fit, strong runners (a lot of them marathoners). For something like that there is no substitute for long, steep uphill hikes preferably with weight.
08-17-15, 12:40 PM
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If it were me, I'd do those 60 minutes stair climbing on more days than just Monday.
I'd probably go with something like 60 min stair climbing on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday ... then do the intervals and hiking on the weekend. Take Tuesday and Friday off to rest. You'd have to arrange the pattern to suit your schedule, but go with stair climbing 3 days a week, other stuff 2 days, and rest 2 days.
I know when I was climbing the stairs at work ... when I was doing it about once a week (plus lots of cycling and walking), I was really struggling to get up. But when I started doing it just about every day, it started to get easier.
And if you can get into a tall building on one stair climbing day, that would be good.
(So far today I've climbed 10 flights of stairs ... hoping for another 5 or 10 later.
)
I'd probably go with something like 60 min stair climbing on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday ... then do the intervals and hiking on the weekend. Take Tuesday and Friday off to rest. You'd have to arrange the pattern to suit your schedule, but go with stair climbing 3 days a week, other stuff 2 days, and rest 2 days.
I know when I was climbing the stairs at work ... when I was doing it about once a week (plus lots of cycling and walking), I was really struggling to get up. But when I started doing it just about every day, it started to get easier.
And if you can get into a tall building on one stair climbing day, that would be good.
(So far today I've climbed 10 flights of stairs ... hoping for another 5 or 10 later.
)Brutal.
The descents were almost worse than the assents.
My calves are realllly hating me right now. Thighs/quads aren't too bad at all.
The biking probably helped with a cardio base, a higher lactate threshold and generally being able to embrace the suck. But for a specific activity like stair climbing, you need a workout that focuses on that activity.
I may try doing the tire drag around the block tomorrow ( seems to entertain the neighbors if nothing else), and then a bike ride on Wednesday and stairs again on Friday. Might add some weight in a backpack for Friday.
Then for the 2nd and 3rd weeks, I'll probably be doing the bleachers 3 times a week.
I really wish I knew how long the event was going to take. I've seen videos of people climbing 35 floors in well under 10 minutes - but I'm assuming my event will go at a much slower pace.
08-17-15, 12:43 PM
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I practiced for the local FD with a 45lb weight vest a buddy gave me.
....then I started doing sprints wearing it (on the bike). Made a good warm up for working out. I passed the stair climber part easy (passed the test too!). Message me if you'd like a run down of that workout (it's tough!)
....then I started doing sprints wearing it (on the bike). Made a good warm up for working out. I passed the stair climber part easy (passed the test too!). Message me if you'd like a run down of that workout (it's tough!)
I got the 1st one and thought " that doesn't look too bad at all."
Then I saw the second one.
Looks vicious.
Can't wait to try it.
Last edited by RetroDork; 08-17-15 at 03:09 PM.
08-18-15, 02:37 AM
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cycling won't help much pre-event but post-event, a decent, easy spin of 25-40 flattish miles the next day will do wonders to
dissipate the lactic acid buildup and relieve soreness. i know it seems counter-intuitive but give it a try.
dissipate the lactic acid buildup and relieve soreness. i know it seems counter-intuitive but give it a try.
Last edited by diphthong; 08-18-15 at 02:41 AM.
08-18-15, 05:02 AM
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. Pack on some extra weight and get to the stairs.
08-18-15, 05:16 AM
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I don't think I would be a great stair climber but am a decent cyclist. You need to train what you want to be good at.
08-18-15, 05:28 AM
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I would find/borrow a stair master or equivalent. Or find a rarely used escalator and walk up the down one.
FWIW I am in pretty good cycling shape and do a lot of climbing. We were recently at Bunker Hill and I ran up the stairs (only 293 steps, much less than your event). It felt ok but the next few days my legs were SORE!
FWIW I am in pretty good cycling shape and do a lot of climbing. We were recently at Bunker Hill and I ran up the stairs (only 293 steps, much less than your event). It felt ok but the next few days my legs were SORE!
08-18-15, 07:27 AM
#35
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Lactic acid will be long gone by the next day. It's cleared out rather quickly.
08-18-15, 10:10 AM
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And now I'm going to go mow the front yard.
09-01-15, 12:04 AM
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Funny you should mention that... my calves were really sore and tight after my stair workout yesterday, so I did a 30 minute easy spin around the neighborhood in granny gear. But then I got to feeling a little froggy, so I dragged a tire around the block for good measure.
And now I'm going to go mow the front yard.
And now I'm going to go mow the front yard.
I'm up to 25 flights a day now, and two of my coworkers are also climbing about that every day too.
The first 5 flights of the day are with a fairly heavy backpack ... the rest are much lighter, so I try to do them faster.
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