Up where we belong…

Hills. Love them, or loathe them, but hills undeniably make cycling more interesting. The thing that determines how you feel about hills isn’t found in your muscles. Instead, it exists in your mind.

If you view hills as punishment, and obstacles, then they will seem bigger, and more difficult. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Hills are more than just gradients. Hills aren’t gates. Hills are portals to a better version of you.

But it hurts!

All growth is painful. With children, we refer to growing pains. Yes, your muscles will burn, and they may hurt for a day or two after, but they will get stronger. And the more hills you ride up, the less you will hurt.

Besides, nobody is saying you have to race up those hills. Go as fast, or as slow as you want. Don’t stop, or stop a thousand times. Ride your bike till you can’t any more, then walk it. Ignore anyone who may come racing past you – they’re doing their hill, and you’re doing yours. How fast, or how slow others are is no reflection on you. And anyway, you’re still WAY faster than everyone on the couch!

The hill in your mind

Your muscles can power you up that hill. The trouble you’ll have is the hill in your mind. When your mind starts playing tricks, it will convince you that hill is actually Everest.

In your mind is where you need to find the strength to get to the summit. Sometimes, hills can be cruel. Rundlestone, on Dartmoor, isn’t a particularly challenging climb, but it has a few false summits. Few things are as disheartening as joyfully putting in all the energy you have left, only to find that summit was a false one.

Positive mind tricks

It helps if you know the climb in advance, but that won’t always be the case. You’ll find that setting minor goals can make a big difference. For example, look at a rock, a fence post, a tree, or just a slight kink in the road, some 50 metres ahead, and just aim to get that far.

Once you get to that point, pick another target, and keep this going as much as you can. Effectively, this means you’ll be breaking the hill down into small bits, and aim to just complete one bit at a time. Also, give yourself small rewards along the way, even if that is simply eating a jelly baby.

All the while, praise yourself for just being there, for being brave enough to ride up that hill. Be proud of yourself! You have reason to be.

The secret sauce

Start hills s-l-o-w-l-y. By that, I mean you should start at a pace that feel slow to you. It doesn’t matter if it’s faster, or slower than anyone else. As you progress up the hill, try and very gradually increase your speed. If you want to go all-out, hold off until the very last bit, then burn all your matches. Just remember, if you do that, and it’s a false summit, the rest of the hill will become really difficult.

Hills are good for you. Hills teach you that you’re stronger than you thought. That you can keep going. And you know what, the view from the top alone can be all the reward you need. Whether you’re cycle touring, or simply going for a ride, do yourself a favour and include hills!