Cycling Up Hills: How to Motivate Yourself
I grew up cycling in the New Forest. It isn't Norfolk flat, it's not Bahamas flat, it's not Kansas flat. But if you want to get much of a view, you'd have to climb a tree.
I always thought that you knew you lived somewhere relatively flat if there was one, singular named hill. Where I grew up, there was Wootton Hill.
Now, this wasn't the only hill in the area but it was the Hill On The Way Home from forest rides. Now I look at it, it has an elevation gain of about 30 metres over a distance of 600 metres. Arguably, Wootton Hill isn't a hill at all. In fact, it's not even called Wootton Hill on the map. That's just what child-me called it.
Like I said, the New Forest is pretty flat.
Savage Valleys ( good band name?)
Moving to the South West of England after a three year stint at sea was not a topographical choice. Actually, it involved very little thought at all (why um and ah?).
So imagine my horror when I remember I'm a life-long cyclist, only to find that I've moved to a valley which has a sprawling, intricate maze of roads so steep immediately to the west, that they each have gradient signs.
It's not even Dartmoor itself which is the thigh-burner in Devon. Dartmoor is undulating and craggy sure, but it's largely high. Once you're on it, you're up there and can jaunt around all day. It's Dartmoor's edges that really get you. On the east side (where I live), the valleys are so steep the national park is practically moated.
Yeah, I see you Baron Dartmoor in your mighty castle. Even got yourself some ducks, eh? Nice.
Anyway. I'm a pro at grumbling about hills, just ask my mother. And when you're good at grumbling and yet still enjoy cycling, you start getting good at motivation.
So I'm going to share my tips for not only cycling up hills, but leaving your house to actively go and cycle up hills. Let's face it, getting out the door is the hardest.
#1 - Stop Using Instagram as a Comparison Website
Sometimes (every day) I look at Instagram and wonder how some (non-pro) cyclists on there are racking up the miles like they're inches (one day I'll commit to metrication). They post Strava overlays with lengthy rides constantly and seem to have all the time and all the energy in the world.
When I investigate more closely, an awful lot of the time, they live Somewhere Flat. Remember folks, unless you live in Andorra or, I don't know, Nepal, a lot of people live in close proximity to flat-ish landscapes. It's just easier to build there.
I follow a lot of cyclists who seem to live in the Somerset Levels (which is, for y'all outsiders, level), the Norfolk Broads or the Midlands. I hardly live in the Scottish Highlands, but let me tell you, Devon is a lot more up-and-downy than your average English county.
So if you find yourself hemmed in by hills and knackered after 15 miles when your Instagram buds are cruising 60 miles and still smiling, they might just live somewhere flatter.
As a side note: none of us take selfies when we're in the pit of regret, halfway up a 20% gradient. We only take them when we've wiped the sweat off our brows and gotten our breath back.
#2 - Remember that You Made this Choice for a Reason
I don't know, maybe you're a masochist, but whatever the reason is, you've decided to ride a hilly route. As in, you are an adult in full control of your behaviour. Nobody is forcing you to do this.
When you're halfway up the third savage hill and you feel an immense desire to scream, to give up and to turn around, remember this: you can do that. You can just quit. Go home. You have that freedom.
Oddly, when you realise this, that temper tantrum brewing under the surface goes away. The three-year-old inside runs out of steam. There's nothing to fight against because nobody is forcing you to cycle up a hill. And when you stop fighting, it's a hell of a lot easier to just get your head down, grind away, enjoy the birdsong and feel super chuffed at the top.
#3 - Be Fueled: Or, Don't Self-Sabotage
You know how a laptop can last for three days on standby but only five hours when you're in a YouTube hole? You know how your car uses fuel efficiently at 50 but swallow dives above 70? The amount of energy you need to cycle up a hill is more than if you were sat on your sofa watching someone else cycle up hills.
I know this sounds obvious but we've all gone out for a ride on a normal day's food only to remember at the apex that our normal day's food is the right amount to keep us ticking along at our desks.
You might get to the top of the first few hills okay, but after that? You feel weird, your thighs have stopped talking to you and you're pretty sure you've got a flat even though, objectively, you know that you haven't got a flat.
Eat. In advance. And during your ride. Drink water. Eat something easy to digest. If you want to know more about cycling nutrition, check out Juliet Elliot's video on it:
#4 - Take a Break Like No One's Watching
Because nobody is.
I've ridden up hills that I've seriously regretted driving up. If you want to take a break on a long hill climb, take a break. This isn't the Tour de France, you're not going to lose the #gains. A two minute break can work wonders on your energy levels.
You haven't failed if you stop halfway up a hill for a breather. If you're really worried about people judging you then a) divert that energy to thinking about yourself or b) take a photo of the view.
There is a caveat to this. If you stop on a hill because it's steep, it's going to be a challenge to get going again. Try to stop on a more level cut-away, like a farm track entrance or a lay-by. Be prepared for re-starting in the lowest possible gear because that pedal is going to go down faster than lightning.
If it's really steep? Sod it, push your bike up. It's a workout in itself. If you are cycling up hills that push you to this extent then you are awesome. This is a good thing. How many other people are riding to their limit? Very, very few.
Want to read more cycling posts? Head here to my cycling archives.
#5 - Be Mindful
If you have never tried Headspace, then I highly recommend it. The company has recently released a Netflix series too and episode 6 is about managing pain. This doesn't just mean actual pain, but also discomfort. If you do one thing, watch this, it's only 20 minutes.
Being mindful is about existing in the present moment and being aware. When cycling up hills or trying to motivate yourself to do so, try to do it mindfully. Pay attention to how your muscles feel at different stages, which muscles are they, do they hurt or is it just exertion? Viewing the sensations you feel as you ride takes you out of the reactive 'argh why have I done this to myself I'm awful and a failure at everything I may as well give up now' - and puts you into the 'huh, I can really feel that in my quads, what happens if I engage my glutes?' state of mind.
Observing the sensations in your body stops you from rattling around in your mind. You can apply this observation to your surroundings too. Can you hear birds? What is that hedge made of? That's a big pothole. My handlebar tape really is lovely. That cow is staring at me.
When you go outside your head, the internal chaos fades away. Your brain is rubbish at multitasking, so give it something to do instead of dwelling on the effort and unfairness of this (200-million-year-old) hill appearing out of nowhere.
Got Tips?
Do you have any ingenious tips for getting your rear end up an unfortunately-place hill? Share them with us all in the comments!
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