Training for short climbs

[PeteD]

I have a road race in 6 weeks where the course includes some short steep climbs on each lap of the course. I think the key climb each lap will begin with about 2.5 minutes around 110% FTP followed by a 30 sec decent then on to the key section that’ll be a max effort of approx. 2 minutes which includes a minute on a 15% grade.
At present my training is centered around a weekly crit with the rest of the week made up of endurance, tempo climbing and some threshold work to improve my aerobic fitness.

I’m wondering what’s the best way to prepare for these 2-3 minute efforts over the next few weeks? Left to my own devices I would probably look to build power at 2-3 minutes with repeated max efforts until power drops significantly for 3 weeks then change to more controlled efforts increasing the number of repeats I can do up until the race.

[steveneal]

The most of your work is done and if you have been able to keep that threshold where you like it, then the hills will hurt less!

I think the best thing you can do is to continue your training as you have been, but replace the crit with some efforts like, 7x3m, 8x 2m, or 9 efforts of 3-2-1 all with 3m recovery (or a little more is fine). I really like the variable intervals of 3 2 1 to be honest, have a lot of success with this session and athletes like it due to the change in focus and pacing requirements to go all out at different durations, and continually switching it up.

You may have some time for some physiological adaptation in a few weeks but you will get some mental adaptation to the kind of efforts you will be facing.

Good luck in the race.

[PeteD]

Thanks for the advice @steveneal, I’ll give the 3-2-1 intervals a go and hopefully see some improvement for the pain coming my way

[steveneal]

@PeteD remember pain might be possible and likely but power/speed is important